On the Collisional Damping of Giant Dipole Resonance

Collisional damping widths of giant dipole excitations are calculated in Thomas-Fermi approximation by employing the microscopic in-medium cross-sections of Li and Machleidt and the phenomenological Gogny force. The results obtained in both calculations compare well, but account for about 25-35% of the observed widths in $^{120}Sn$ and $^{208}Pb$ at finite temperatures.Comment: Latex, 13 pages, 4 figure

MTHFR Gene C677T Mutation and ACE Gene I/D Polymorphism in Turkish Patients with Osteoarthritis

Osteoarthritis is a degenerative joint disorder resulting in destruction of articular cartilage, osteophyte formation, and subchondral bone sclerosis. In recent years, numerous genetic factors have been identified and implicated in osteoarthritis. The aim of the current study was to examine the influence of methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene C677T mutation and angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) gene insertion/deletion (I/D) variations on the risk of osteoarthritis

Has High-Frequency Oscillation Technique Any Benefit to Prevent Pulmonary Complications in Abdominal Surgery Patients?

Objective: Postoperative patients requiring intensive care are at risk of developing pneumonia and clearance of secretions may be difficult because of the type of surgery and pain. Enhanced mucociliary clearance with high-frequency chest wall oscillation (HFCWO) therapy devices were previously used in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and thoracic surgery patients. We studied the short-term effects of HFCWO on postoperative abdominal surgery patients

Clinical and molecular evaluation of MEFV gene variants in the Turkish population: a study by the National Genetics Consortium

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a monogenic autoinflammatory disorder with recurrent fever, abdominal pain, serositis, articular manifestations, erysipelas-like erythema, and renal complications as its main features. Caused by the mutations in the MEditerranean FeVer (MEFV) gene, it mainly affects people of Mediterranean descent with a higher incidence in the Turkish, Jewish, Arabic, and Armenian populations. As our understanding of FMF improves, it becomes clearer that we are facing with a more complex picture of FMF with respect to its pathogenesis, penetrance, variant type (gain-of-function vs. loss-of-function), and inheritance. In this study, MEFV gene analysis results and clinical findings of 27,504 patients from 35 universities and institutions in Turkey and Northern Cyprus are combined in an effort to provide a better insight into the genotype-phenotype correlation and how a specific variant contributes to certain clinical findings in FMF patients. Our results may help better understand this complex disease and how the genotype may sometimes contribute to phenotype. Unlike many studies in the literature, our study investigated a broader symptomatic spectrum and the relationship between the genotype and phenotype data. In this sense, we aimed to guide all clinicians and academicians who work in this field to better establish a comprehensive data set for the patients. One of the biggest messages of our study is that lack of uniformity in some clinical and demographic data of participants may become an obstacle in approaching FMF patients and understanding this complex disease