Endovascular treatment of huge saccular abdominal aortic aneurysm in a young Behcet patient: mid-term result

BACKGROUND: Abdominal aortic aneurysm formation is among the arterial complications of Behcet's disease. Weakness and fragility of aortic walls leads to the development of arterial complications like pseudoaneurysms. CASE PRESENTATION: A case of huge saccular abdominal aortic aneurysm in a young Behcet patient who was successfully treated with endovascular stent graft placement is reported, diagnostic and interventional procedures are discussed, and mid-term follow-up results are presented. CONCLUSIONS: Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm complications of young Behcet patients who are not suitable for open surgery and need intervention could be an alternative treatment modality even without performing preprocedural angiography

Melatonin inhibits neural apoptosis induced by homocysteine in hippocampus of rats via inhibition of cytochrome c translocation and caspase-3 activation and by regulating pro- and anti-apoptotic protein levels

In the present study, we examined the molecular mechanism by which homocysteine causes neuronal cell apoptosis. We further investigated the mechanisms of melatonin's ability to reduce homocysteine-induced apoptosis. Consistent with its antioxidant properties, melatonin reduced homocysteine-induced lipid peroxidation and stimulated glutathione peroxidase enzyme activity in hippocampus of rats with hyperhomocysteinemia. Furthermore, melatonin treatment diminished cytochrome c release from mitochondria and reduced caspase 3 and caspase 9 activation induced by hyperhomocysteinemia. Chronic hyperhomocysteinemia also led to poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and subsequently DNA fragmentation. Treatment with melatonin markedly inhibited poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage and reduced DNA damage. Hyperhomocysteinemia caused an elevation of pro-apoptotic Bax levels while reducing antiapoptotic protein, Bcl-2, levels. Daily administration of melatonin up-regulated Bcl-2 and down-regulated Bax levels. We propose that, in addition to its antioxidant properties, melatonin has the ability to protect neuronal cells against apoptosis mediated homocysteine neurotoxicity by modulating apoptosis-regulatory proteins in the hippocampus of rats. (c) 2005 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Developing high-performance hybrid green composites

Particleboards made of a mixture of wood particles and short glass fibers as the core and two layers of woven jute fabric as skin layers were fabricated using a vacuum-assisted resin transfer mold. The modulus of rupture (MOR), modulus of elasticity (MOE), and internal bonding (IB) were evaluated as indicators of mechanical performance. The vertical density profile, water absorption, and thickness swelling were analyzed to evaluate the physical performance. The results revealed that the proposed panels have excellent mechanical properties as compared to commercial wood composites. The MOR, MOE, and IB values for commercial particleboard composites are 14.69 MPa, 2.54 GPa, and 0.53 MPa, respectively, whereas the MOR, MOE, and IB for the proposed hybrid structure with zero glass fibers and no skin were 18.04 MPa, 2.99 GPa, and 2.18 MPa. Higher values were obtained by adding short glass fibers or using woven jute fibers as skin or both. The results indicated that the proposed sandwich composites exhibited excellent water resistance and dimensional stability as compared to commercial wood composites. The results also showed that these hybrid green composites with enhanced performance could be used in the construction and automotive industries. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Factors affecting anxiety, depression, and stress among patients with hepatocellular carcinoma during COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE: Patients with chronic disease whose treatments are limited may experience depression, anxiety, and stress-related symptoms, as well as an increase in the levels of these conditions. This study aims to determine the factors affecting the depression, stress, and anxiety levels of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients due to the fear of COVID-19 exposure. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 118 patients with advanced HCC treated with non-transplant treatment options or on the waiting list due to the lack of a donor were enrolled. To evaluate the stress, depression, and anxiety levels during the COVID-19 process, Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) were administered to 118 patients through a face-to-face interview. Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics were recorded, and the primary endpoint measure was the total score of DASS. In addition, the multilayer perceptron (MLP) model was constructed to predict the scores of the DASS-21 total. RESULTS: There were significant differences between DASS depression (p=0.010; p=0.030) DASS anxiety (p=0.010; p=0.010) and DASS total (p=0.046; p=0.023) scores in terms of gender and protective effect of the vaccine. Also, a significant difference between gender for the CAS scale was determined (p=0.044). The median score of the DASS total in the COVID-19 group was higher than in the non-COVID-19 group; however, the increase was not significant. MLP model revealed that chronic disease, gender, age, place of residence, smoking, type of vaccine, and COVID-19 exposure were the most important predictors for the DASS total. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic disease, gender, and age were prominent factors in predicting the DASS-21 total score in HCC patients. Therefore, the crucial factors were clinically considered for managing depression, stress, and anxiety in HCC patients

Smoking Habits of Relatives of Patients with Cancer: Cancer Diagnosis in the Family is an Important Teachable Moment for Smoking Cessation

Background: In this study we aimed to determine the rate and habitual patterns of smoking, intentions of cessation, dependence levels and sociodemographic characteristics of relatives of patients with a diagnosis of cancer. Materials and Methods: This study was designed by the Turkish Oncology Group, Epidemiology and Prevention Subgroup. The relatives of cancer patients were asked to fill a questionnaire and Fagerstrom test of nicotine dependence. Results: The median ages of those with lower and higher Fagerstrom scores were 40 years and 42 years, respectively. We found no evidence of variation between the two groups for the remaining sociodemographic variables, including the subject's medical status, gender, living in the same house with the patient, their educational status, their family income, closeness to their cancer patients or spending time with them or getting any help or wanting to get some help. Only 2% of the subjects started smoking after cancer was diagnosed in their loved ones and almost 20% of subjects had quit smoking during the previous year. Conclusions: The Fagerstrom score is helpful in determining who would be the most likely to benefit from a cigarette smoking cessation program. Identification of these people with proper screening methods might help us to pinpoint who would benefit most from these programs.WoSScopu