Evaluation of the effectiveness of Ampicillin and Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus treatment in cases of preterm premature rupture of membranes remote from term

Objectives: Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) remote from term is an important obstetric cause of maternal and fetal adverse outcomes. The aim of our study is to examine the efficacy of ampicillin and Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus treatment in cases of PPROM remote from term. Material and methods: The study was carried out by examining the results of cases who were given Ampicillin and Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus treatment. The patients were divided into two groups. Group 1 who didn’t develop clinical chorioamnionitis and Group 2 who developed clinical chorioamnionitis. Obstetric characteristics, neonatal outcomes, adverse events were recorded. Results: A total of 46 pregnant women, 40 in Group 1 and six in Group 2, were included in the study. The frequency of clinical chorioamnionitis developing during the treatment was found to be 13.0%. Mean gestational age at diagnosis was 28.43 ± 2.38 and 28.17 ± 1.33 for Groups 1 and Group 2, respectively. Mean gestational age at the time of delivery was 32.38 ± 2.07 31.33 ± 1.63 for Group 1 and Group 2, respectively. The mean latency period for Group 1 and Group 2 was 27.45 ± 1.71 days, 23.66 ± 4.53, respectively. Sepsis developed in six newborns (15%) in Group 1, while it developed in three newborns (50%) in Group 2. While 90% of the babies in Group 1 were discharged from the hospital, this rate was 66.7% in Group 2. Conclusions: Ampicillin + Lactobacillus casei rhamnosus is an effective treatment method in PPROM cases and positively affects perinatal outcomes

Macbeth based taguchi loss functions approach for green supplier selection: A case study in textile industry

Due to the increasing concern towards environmental protection, companies have started to adapt environmentalist approaches with the aim of being perceived as green. However, this might not be enough in performing in a supply chain thus working with green partners is mandatory. Since suppliers have important effects on the performance of supply chains, it becomes more important to evaluate potential suppliers by considering environmental factors. This study proposes a novel integrated approach consisting of MACBETH and Taguchi loss functions for green supplier selection problem. The proposed approach determines the weights of criteria by using MACBETH in the first stage. These weights are used in Taguchi loss functions for ranking and selecting the best suppliers. A real case study from textile industry is presented to illustrate the applicability of the proposed methodology. Moreover, the impacts of the changes on criteria weights have been investigated through sensitivity analysis. © 2018 Ege Universitesi. All rights reserved

Forecasting the biomass-based energy potential using artificial intelligence and geographic information systems: A case study

To meet the energy demand in a sustainable way, fossil fuels must be substituted with alternative resources and technologies. This transformation is encouraged to reduce greenhouse gases using environmental-friendly practices. Although our country is rich in biomass resources due to climate, land conditions, agriculture and animal husbandry activities, the installed power is quite below its potential. Focusing on this point, the aim of this study is to propose a forecasting method that determines the quantities, distributions, production amounts, waste amounts and energy potential of various biomass resources consistently. The integrated method used in the solution utilizes statistical data and consists of artificial intelligence and geographic information systems. First of all, various bioenergy sources that can be used as energy resources have been determined, and the amount, yield, and energy potential of animal and agricultural wastes expected to occur in the following years have been estimated using an artificial intelligence-based method, support vector regression. Then, spatial analysis has been carried out using geographic information systems, and the distribution of existing and possible agricultural lands has been determined. Finally, the amount of energy that can be obtained using wastes from different biomass sources under various scenarios has been calculated and solutions have been compared. To the best of our knowledge, this study is the first proposing an integrated method consisting of support vector regression and geographic information systems to forecast the biomass-based energy potential in Turkey. The integrated method was applied to Acipayam district in Denizli. Among the various scenario approaches, the cultivation of rapeseed (canola) plants on non-utilized arable land and the use of its wastes in bioenergy production have been found to yield the highest energy potential. The results showed that approximately 29,2%, 27,8%, and 27,6% energy increase could be obtained from agricultural residues of rapeseed in the next three years if it was planted on the quarter of the idle land. Besides, under this scenario, the total annual electricity demand of 6972, 6663 and 6545 houses could be met from agricultural residues in a sustainable and clean manner. The proposed method can be applied to different regions, various biomass resources and used to make strategic decisions in this field. (c) 2021 Karabuk University. Publishing services by Elsevier B.V. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

An integrated fuzzy QFD-MCDM framework for personnel selection problem

In today's competitive and high technology world, companies are forced to differentiate themselves with continuous improvement. They need creative, well-educated, and self-confident human resources more than ever. Hiring the right person to the right job plays a significant role on firm growth. The goal of this paper is to propose a systematic approach to Personnel Selection Problem (PSP) of a textile company in Turkey by considering various performance requirements and criteria. The proposed framework consists of three phases. Initially, fuzzy Decision-Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (DEMATEL) method is used to weight social criteria. Then, weights of technical requirements are calculated by applying fuzzy Quality Function Deployment (QFD) method allowing the evaluation of the interrelationship and relevance of social and technical criteria. Finally, by considering the criteria scores obtained in the previous stage, fuzzy Grey Relationship Analysis (GRA) method is applied to rank the alternatives. The method has been illustrated by a case study and compared to the current approach used in the company. The results show that the proposed method can effectively deal with PSP and help the company establish a systematic and unbiased approach to the problem. (C) 2021 Sharif University of Technology. All rights reserved

Differential Pulse Voltammetric Determination of Anticancer Drug Regorafenib at a Carbon Paste Electrode: Electrochemical Study and Density Functional Theory Computations

Electrochemical properties of regorafenib (REG) were studied in 0.1 M Britton-Robinson buffer-methanol solutions (3 : 2, v/v) with pH between 3 and 8 at carbon paste electrode by cyclic and differential pulse voltammetry. The results exhibited irreversible anodic peak at about 0.90 V vs. Ag/AgCl, NaCl (3 M). The anodic peak was found to be diffusion-adsorption controlled. Mechanism of REG electrochemical reaction was studied by performing density functional theory computations and mass spectrometric analysis. A validated differential pulse voltammetry (DPV) technique for REG determination was performed. The calibration curve of REG on carbon paste electrode was linear in the concentration range of 0.5-13 mu g/mL and limit of detection was 0.10 mu g/mL. The recommended DPV method was used to detect REG in spiked plasma and urine specimens and average recoveries were 94%

Acute Phosphate Nephropathy

Oral sodium phosphate (OSP) is frequently used in colonoscopy preparation for both cost and ease of use. Acute renal failure may occur due to these OSP-and sodium phosphate-containing enemas used in colonoscopy preparation. A 55-year-old female patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension, known for 5 years, and normal renal function tests, underwent colonoscopy. For colonoscopy preparation, she used two OSP containing purgatives and sodium phosphate containing enema. The patient presented to the emergency service with a complaint of being unable to urinate 1 day after colonoscopy. Renal biopsy was performed and acute phosphate nephropathy was reported. Chronic renal failure is a contraindication to the use of OSP. Old age, female sex, electrolyte imbalance and inappropriate use of OSP increase the acute phosphate nephropathy risk. Acute phosphate nephropathy should be kept in mind in patients who undergo colonoscopy, use OSP for the preparation, and present with impaired renal function

Acute Phosphate Nephropathy

Oral sodium phosphate (OSP) is frequently used in colonoscopy preparation for both cost and ease of use. Acute renal failure may occur due to these OSP-and sodium phosphate-containing enemas used in colonoscopy preparation. A 55-year-old female patient with type 2 diabetes mellitus and essential hypertension, known for 5 years, and normal renal function tests, underwent colonoscopy. For colonoscopy preparation, she used two OSP containing purgatives and sodium phosphate containing enema. The patient presented to the emergency service with a complaint of being unable to urinate 1 day after colonoscopy. Renal biopsy was performed and acute phosphate nephropathy was reported. Chronic renal failure is a contraindication to the use of OSP. Old age, female sex, electrolyte imbalance and inappropriate use of OSP increase the acute phosphate nephropathy risk. Acute phosphate nephropathy should be kept in mind in patients who undergo colonoscopy, use OSP for the preparation, and present with impaired renal function

PULMONARY EMBOLISM: CARDIOVASCULAR AND PARENCHYMAL CHANGES

WOS: 000435654000009Aim: To investigate the effects and the severity of pulmonary embolism on the cardiovascular system and lung parenchyma. Material and Method: Pulmonary artery (PA) obstruction index ratios were calculated, and cardiovascular and pleuroparenchymal changes were retrospectively assessed in 180 patients with a prediagnosis of PE using computerized tomography pulmonary angiography (CTPA). Results: Main PA, right PA, and mean superior vena cava (VCS) diameters, right (RV) and left ventricle (LV) short diameters, and RV/LV ratios in patients with PE were increased (p<0.001, p=0.004, p=0.007, p=0.01, p=0.001, respectively) and correlated with the obstruction index ratio (OIR). Also, the convexity of the interventricular septum, VCI, and vena azygos reflux frequency were increased with PE (p<0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001) and with massive PE (p<0.001, p=0.003, p<0.001). It was determined that the frequency of the presence of wedge-shaped opacities and vein mark findings was increased in patients with PE (p<0.001, p<0.001); however, it was found less frequently in patients with massive PE when compared to the submassive patients (p=0.002, p=0.014). The presence of atelectasis was not different between patients with and without PE; consolidation, ground glass appearance, oligemia frequency, and the average scores were increased in the patients with PE (p=0.02, p<0.001, p=0.001), and there was a positive correlation between the oligemia score and OIR (r=0.202, p=0.027). Pleural effusion was infrequent with PE. Discussion: CTPA is a rapid and reliable method for the determination of the severity of PE, affected vascular structures and lung regions, and for the assessment of right heart function