Nuclear localisation of Aurora-A: its regulation and significance for Aurora-A functions in cancer.

The Aurora-A kinase regulates cell division, by controlling centrosome biology and spindle assembly. Cancer cells often display elevated levels of the kinase, due to amplification of the gene locus, increased transcription or post-translational modifications. Several inhibitors of Aurora-A activity have been developed as anti-cancer agents and are under evaluation in clinical trials. Although the well-known mitotic roles of Aurora-A point at chromosomal instability, a hallmark of cancer, as a major link between Aurora-A overexpression and disease, recent evidence highlights the existence of non-mitotic functions of potential relevance. Here we focus on a nuclear-localised fraction of Aurora-A with oncogenic roles. Interestingly, this pool would identify not only non-mitotic, but also kinase-independent functions of the kinase. We review existing data in the literature and databases, examining potential links between Aurora-A stabilisation and localisation, and discuss them in the perspective of a more effective targeting of Aurora-A in cancer therapy

Chickpea

The narrow genetic base of cultivated chickpea warrants systematic collection, documentation and evaluation of chickpea germplasm and particularly wild Cicer species for effective and efficient use in chickpea breeding programmes. Limiting factors to crop production, possible solutions and ways to overcome them, importance of wild relatives and barriers to alien gene introgression and strategies to overcome them and traits for base broadening have been discussed. It has been clearly demonstrated that resistance to major biotic and abiotic stresses can be successfully introgressed from the primary gene pool comprising progenitor species. However, many desirable traits including high degree of resistance to multiple stresses that are present in the species belonging to secondary and tertiary gene pools can also be introgressed by using special techniques to overcome pre- and post-fertilization barriers. Besides resistance to various biotic and abiotic stresses, the yield QTLs have also been introgressed from wild Cicer species to cultivated varieties. Status and importance of molecular markers, genome mapping and genomic tools for chickpea improvement are elaborated. Because of major genes for various biotic and abiotic stresses, the transfer of agronomically important traits into elite cultivars has been made easy and practical through marker-assisted selection and marker-assisted backcross. The usefulness of molecular markers such as SSR and SNP for the construction of high-density genetic maps of chickpea and for the identification of genes/QTLs for stress resistance, quality and yield contributing traits has also been discussed

The significance of thrombin generation test in recurrent early pregnancy loss [Tekrarlayan abortuslarda trombin üretim ölçümü (thrombin generation assay) testinin önemi]

Objective: We aimed to study the use of thrombin generation assay (TGA) test in patients diagnosed with recurrent abortus (RA) and with no pathological findings except thrombophilia. Material and Methods: A total of 125 women who presented to the Erciyes University (ERU) Medical School Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology were included in the study. Patients diagnosed with recurrent abortus (RA) comprised the study group (n=100) and healthy subjects without RA were considered the control group (n=25). The study group was divided into two subgroups as thrombophilia positive or thrombophilia negative according to their thrombophilia results. The women included in the control group were selected by random sampling among women who gave healthy births. Blood samples were drawn from the women in both groups for TGA, which is a defined test to analyse thrombophilia factors and coagulation. TGA analyses were run in the Haematology and Genetics Laboratory of ERU. Results: The study included 51 thrombophilia positive and 49 thrombophilia negative patients. In addition, 2 out of 25 women in the control group were thrombophilia positive. The thrombophilia positive group had the highest scores for endogenous thrombin potential (ETP) values, which is the most significant parameter in TGA tests; however, there was no significant difference between the thrombophilia negative group and the control group. A significant difference was detected between women with RA and the control group regarding the length of lag time, time to peak, and start tail. TGA is suggested to identify patients with RA who are thrombophilia positive independently from thrombophilia markers with a sensitivity of 96% (95% confidence interval-CI 86.5-99.4) and a specificity of 96% (95% CI 79.6-99.3). Conclusion: This study suggested for the first time in the literature that the TGA test, which is recently used to analyse coagulation may be used as an effective, sensitive and independent indicator to screeen patients with RA. © 2013 by Türkiye Klinikleri

An investigation on the professional lifes of physicians working in ıcel province

Çalışma, 16-18 Kasım 2001 günlerinde Ankara'da yapılan "Sağlık Çalışanlarının Sağlığı 2. Ulusal Kongresi"nde sözlü bildiri olarak sunulmuştur.Bu kesitsel çalışmanın amacı; hekimlerin çalışma yaşamına ilişkin özelliklerinin incelenmesiydi. Çalışma grubunu İçel’de çalışan 1230 hekimin 640’ı oluşturuyordu. Çalışma, Eylül-Kasım 2000 ayları arasında yürütüldü. İstatistiksel analizlerde ki-kare önemlilik testleri kullanıldı. Hekimlerin 470'i (%73.4) erkek, 170'i (%26.6) kadındı. Pratisyen hekimlerin %24.7’sinin, uzman hekimlerin %86.2’sinin özel muayenehanesi vardı (p=0.000). Pratisyen hekimlerin %14.9’u, uzman hekimlerin %7.9’u özel bir tıp merkezine ya da özel bir polikliniğe hissedardı (p=0.022). Pratisyen hekimle rin %23.3’ünün, uzman hekimlerin %21.6’sının bir işyeri ile işyeri hekimliği anlaşması vardı. En çok idari görev alan hekim grubu pratisyen hekimlerdi. Hekimlerin %37.3'ü üst birimler ile sorunları olduğunu, %53.1'i ise halk ile iletişimin iyi olmadığını belirtmekteydi. Çalışmamızda iş yaşamına ilişkin sorunların, en çok pratisyen hekimleri etkilediği belirlenmiştir. Çalışma yaşamına ilişkin sorunların azalması için, hekimlerin statülerinin ve çalışma koşullarının daha standart hale getirilmesi, ücret ve özlük haklarının iyileştirilmesi gerektiğine inanıyoruz.The objective of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the professional conditions of physicians. The study groups were constituted of 640 of 1230 physicians working in Içel Province. This study was conducted in between September-November 2000. Chi-square test was used in the statistical analysis. 470 (73.4%) of the physician were male; and 170 (26.6%) were female. The number of physician having private offices were 24.7% among the practitioners, while the same ratio was 86.2% among the specialists (p=0.000). 14.9% of the practitioners and 7.9% of the specialists were shareholders for a private patient clinic. 23.3% of the practitioners and 21.6% of the specialists had a position of occupational physician. Within the practitioners group more physician hold an administrative position compared to the other physician groups. 37.3% of the physician had problems with their superiors, while 53.1% had problems with public communication. Our study has revealed that the adverse aspects of the professional life affected mostly the practitioners. We believe that to decrease the number of problems encountered, the working status and conditions of the physicians should be standardized, and payment and personel-rights should be improved

The effect of hyperemesis gravidarum on the 75g oral glucose tolerance test screening and gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: To clarify the effect of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on the 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and gestational diabetes mellitus.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted via an evaluation of the hospital database medical records of 700 pregnant women. Of these, 60 were included in the study group as a result of hospitalization due to HG, 41 were excluded, and the remaining 599 formed a control group. The body mass index (BMI), urine ketone levels, and ages of all participants were separately recorded, both in the initial examination and during the 75g OGTT.Results: At initial examination, no significant differences in maternal age and BMI were observed between the two groups. There was a significant decrease in BMI after 75g OGTT in the study group. No significant difference in fasting serum glucose levels was found between the two groups, but significant differences in first and second hour serum glucose levels were observed.Conclusions: HG may improve in many women in the late second trimester, and loss of fatty tissue may affect the 75g OGTT screening results. The appropriate cutoff value of 75g OGTT for HG should be reevaluated following future, larger, studies

Maternal type 1collagen N-terminal telopeptide levels in severe hyperemesis gravidarum

Abstract Background Nausea and vomiting occur 50–90% during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, patients with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) may be hospitalized at an incidence rate of 0.8–2% before the 20th week of gestational age. The symptoms generally start during the 5–6th gestational weeks, reaching the highest degree during the 9th week, and decline after the 16–20th weeks of gestation. Clinical findings are proportional to the severity of the disease and severe HG is characterized with dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, and nutritional deficiency as a result of vomiting. Methods The study population consisted of two groups of pregnant volunteers at 5–12 weeks of gestation: a severe HG group and a control group. The HG severity was scored using the Pregnancy-Unique Quantification of Emesis (and nausea) (PUQE).The serum levels of the maternal Ca, parathyroid hormone (PTH), Na, K, blood urea nitrogen(BUN), creatinine, vitamin D(25OHD3), and the maternal urine NTx levels were compared between the groups. Results In total, 40 volunteers were enrolled in this study: 20 healthy pregnant volunteers and 20 with severe HG. There were no statistically significant differences between the maternal characteristics. The first trimester weight loss of ≥5 kg was significantly higher in the severe HG group (p < 0.001), while the control group had a significantly higher sunlight exposure ratio than the severe HG group (p = 0.021). The urine NTx levels were significantly higher in the severe HG group (39.22 ± 11.68NTx/Cre) than in the control group(32.89 ± 8.33NTx/Cre) (p = 0.028).The serum Ca, PTH, Na, K, BUN, and creatinine levels were similar between the groups (p = 0.738, p = 0.886, p = 0.841, p = 0.957, p = 0.892, and p = 0.824, respectively). In the severe HG group, the serum 25OHD3 levels were significantly lower than in the control group (p < 0.001). Conclusions The data from this study indicated that severe HG is associated with increased urine NTx levels. However, large-scale studies are required to understand the clinical significance of this finding, as well as the long-term consequences of elevated urine NTx levels and the underlying mechanisms. Trial registration NCT02862496 Date of registration: 21/07/2016

The effect of hyperemesis gravidarum on the 75 g oral glucose tolerance test screening and gestational diabetes mellitus

Objective: To clarify the effect of hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) on the 75g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) and gestational diabetes mellitus.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted via an evaluation of the hospital database medical records of 700 pregnant women. Of these, 60 were included in the study group as a result of hospitalization due to HG, 41 were excluded, and the remaining 599 formed a control group. The body mass index (BMI), urine ketone levels, and ages of all participants were separately recorded, both in the initial examination and during the 75g OGTT.Results: At initial examination, no significant differences in maternal age and BMI were observed between the two groups. There was a significant decrease in BMI after 75g OGTT in the study group. No significant difference in fasting serum glucose levels was found between the two groups, but significant differences in first and second hour serum glucose levels were observed.Conclusions: HG may improve in many women in the late second trimester, and loss of fatty tissue may affect the 75g OGTT screening results. The appropriate cutoff value of 75g OGTT for HG should be reevaluated following future, larger, studies