Thermoresponsive systems composed of poloxamer 407 and HPMC or NaCMC: mechanical, rheological and sol-gel transition analysis

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. This manuscript is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Licence http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/.Poloxamer 407 (polox407) is widely studied as thermogelling polymer, transitioning to a gel state when warmed Polox407 forms weak hydrogels with rapid dissolution in excess solvent. This study reports the development of binary systems composed of polox407 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) or sodium carboxymethylcellulose (NaCMC) aiming to improve the rheological and mechanical properties of the hydrogel. The interaction between polox407 and cellulose derivatives was studied, and their interaction with biological surfaces predicted. The carbohydrates affected the mechanical and rheological behavior of polox407 in different ways, dependent on polymer type, concentration, and temperature. Tsol/gel and rheological interaction parameters were useful to select the most suitable formulations for topical or local application. Most of the binary systems exhibited plastic behavior, thixotropy and viscoelastic properties. Appropriate formulations were identified for local application, such as 17.5/3; 17.5/4; 20/3 and 20/4 (%, w/w) for polox407/HPMC; and 17.5/1; 17.5/1.5; 20/1 and 20/1.5 (%, w/w) for polox407/NaCMC.Peer reviewe

Shortened verbal narretive forms: Proverbs and idioms [Kisaltilmiş sözel anlati kaliplari: Atasözleri̇ ve deyi̇mler]

Although proverbs and idioms have been generated in "primary oral cultures", they still play a considerable role in modern urban life. It could be observed that proverbs and idioms are not frozen forms; on the contrary, they change in the course of time. For instance, this fact could be illustrated from the samples in the newspapers in which proverbs and idioms have been used in shorter forms. Although proverbs and idioms have been used in shorter forms in the newspapers and, readers fill in the blanks and perceive them as whole. In this respect, it could be claimed that a kind of "cultural code" has been used and this code has been shared and easily deciphered by the readers. In this regard, it could be argued that "shortened" proverbs form a kind of communication betweeen the reader and writer. Since the writers of newspapers leave blank spaces in proverbs to be filled out by the reader, they invite the readers to become a part of writings. Precisely, it could be shown from samples in the newspapers that oral culture still exerts it power in modern urban life in which writing has been already internalized

The village imagery created in commercials and the "integrated" chickens produced by avian flu [Reklamlarda yaratilan köy i̇mgesi̇ ve kuş gri̇bi̇'ni̇n üretti̇ǧi̇ "entegre" tavuklar]

Taking into account the "modern" life in which even people living in small urban centers and towns are city-dwellers and "consumers", the emphasis put by food advertisements on the cleanness, purity, and healthiness of "nature" is significant. That "nature" implies the "natural" and "healthy" consequently makes the handmade productions more valuable. The "village" is the bearer of all these attributes and this fact determines the eating habits of people. However, a major rupture may instantly invert the eating habits and the image of productions which are "good for health". In this paper, making use of advertisements, I will show how the image of industrial organization as the representative of hygienic life has replaced the image of village and nature in food advertisements and interpret the change of image of "health", due to a major influence of avian flu epidemic

The Factors Affecting Survival in Geriatric Hemodialysis Patients

Introduction. The number of geriatric patients is increasing in hemodialysis population over the years and mortality is higher in this group of patients. This study evaluated the factors affecting geriatric hemodialysis patient survival. Materials and Methods. This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients discharged from our nephrology clinic from 2009 to 2014. Data collected included demographics, Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status, vascular access type, and metabolic parameters. Comorbidity was quantified using the modified Liu comorbidity index. The outcome measure was mortality. Results. The study enrolled 99 elderly dialysis patients (42.4% women (n = 42); mean age 75 ± 7 years). The mean follow-up duration was 19.7 ± 11 months. The mortality rate over the four years was 47.5% (n = 46). The modified Liu comorbidity index score, patient age, and Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group-Performance Status were significantly related to mortality in univariate and multivariate analyses. Conclusion. The present study revealed that comorbidities and low performance status at the onset of dialysis had shortened the survival time in the geriatric hemodialysis patient group