Odnos krimsko-kongoanske hemoragijske groznice i klime: utječe li klima na broj ovih bolesnika?

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonosis. The incidence of zoonotic diseases has been shown to be affected by climatic factors. In this study, we evaluated patients endemic to the CCHF region and examined the relationship between the number of patients and climatic properties of the region where they lived. The study included 548 CCHF patients. Along with the patient demographic and clinical characteristics, we recorded temperature, humidity and precipitation in the places where they lived at the time of their admission to the hospital. In addition to temperature, humidity and precipitation at the time of patient admission, these values were assessed at one month and three months prior to admission. The relationship between the number of patients and the above-mentioned values was examined. Humidity at the time of and one month prior to hospital admission, and precipitation three months prior to hospital admission were found to affect the number of patients admitted to the hospital for CCHF. In conclusion, climate appeared to affect the number of CCHF patients. We believe that the number of patients presenting to the hospital with CCHF could be predicted by taking into account climatic properties of the places where CCHF has been recorded, along with under-taking necessary measures.Krimsko-kongoanska hemoragijska groznica (KKHG) je virusna zoonoza koju prenose krpelji. Dokazano je da klimatski čimbenici utječu na incidenciju zoonotskih bolesti. U ovom smo istraživanju ispitivali bolesnike endemske za područje KKHG te odnos broja bolesnika i klimatskih svojstava područja u kojem oni žive. U istraživanje je bilo uključeno 548 bolesnika s KKHG. Uz demografske i kliničke značajke bolesnika bilježili smo temperaturu, vlagu i količinu padalina u mjestu gdje su bolesnici živjeli u vrijeme prijma u bolnicu. Uz vrijednosti temperature, vlage i količine padalina u vrijeme prijma bolesnika u bolnicu, vrijednosti ovih parametara procijenjene su za jedan mjesec i tri mjeseca prije prijma u bolnicu. Tada smo ispitali odnos broja bolesnika i gore spomenutih vrijednosti. Pokazalo se da razina vlage u vrijeme prijma i jedan mjesec prije prijma u bolnicu, kao i količina padalina tri mjeseca prije prijma u bolnicu utječu na broj bolesnika primljenih u bolnicu zbog KKHG. U zaključku, čini se da klima utječe na broj bolesnika s KKHG. Vjerujemo da bi se broj bolesnika koji dolaze u bolnicu zbog KKHG mogao predvidjeti uzimajući u obzir klimatska svojstva u mjestima gdje je zabilježena KKHG, a time bi se isto tako mogle poduzeti odgovarajuće mjere

Fetuin-A is related to syndesmophytes in patients with ankylosing spondylitis: a case control study

OBJECTIVES: New bone formation is one of the hallmark characteristics of ankylosing spondylitis, which is thereby associated with syndesmophytes. Fetuin-A is a molecule that is abundantly found in calcified tissues and it shows high affinity for calcium phosphate minerals and related compounds. Considering the role of fetuin-A in the regulation of calcified matrix metabolism, we compared the fetuin-A levels in ankylosing spondylitis patients with syndesmophytes with those in patients without syndesmophytes and in healthy controls. We also studied other biomarkers that are thought to be related to syndesmophytes. METHODS: Ninety-four patients (49 patients without syndesmophytes, 67.3% male, 40.7±8.7 years; 45 patients with syndesmophytes, 71.1% M, 43.9±9.9 years) and 68 healthy controls (44.2±10.6 years and 70.6% male) were included in this study. Syndesmophytes were assessed on the lateral radiographs of the cervical and lumbar spine. The serum levels of fetuin-A, dickkopf-1, sclerostin, IL-6, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein and bone morphogenetic protein-7 were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Patients with syndesmophytes had significantly higher levels of fetuin-A compared with patients without syndesmophytes and controls (1.16±0.13, 1.05±0.09 and 1.08±0.13 mg/ml, respectively). However, fetuin-A was not different between the patients without syndesmophytes and controls. Bone morphogenetic protein-7 was significantly lower; dickkopf-1 was significantly higher in patients with ankylosing spondylitis compared with controls. The sclerostin concentrations were not different between the groups. In regression analysis, fetuin-A was an independent, significant predictor of syndesmophytes. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that fetuin-A may a role in the pathogenesis of bony proliferation in ankylosing spondylitis

Probabilistic Prediction of Bankruptcy with Financial Ratios - An empirical study on Swedish market

Credit risk measurement has become more important during the last 20 years in response to a worldwide increase in the number of bankruptcies. This paper examines some of bankruptcy prediction models using financial accounting ratios. Logit and LPMs are employed in order to develop these prediction models. The purpose of this study is to assess the effects of the determined financial ratios and the selected industries on bankruptcy events that occurred between 2002 and 2006 in the Swedish market. These effects are calculated by measuring elasticity and marginal effect. In addition to prediction models calculating the effects of industries by means of dummy variables, industry normalized financial ratios are also used in order to control industry differences. The empirical results indicate that the company is more likely to go bankrupt if it is unprofitable, small, highly leveraged, and has liquidity problems and less financial flexibility to invest in itself. Furthermore, a company is more likely to enter bankruptcy if it operates in the wholesale and retail trade industry among the selected industries in our sample.Industrial and Financial Economic

Positive Psychotherapy for self-harming behavior: A case report

Positive and Intercultural Psychotherapy approach and its effectiveness. The case was presented with problems in interpersonal relations, thoughts of self-harming, and deliberate self-harming behavior. Deliberate self-harming behavior means to deliberately cause harm to one's own body so as to cause non-fatal physical trauma and tissue damage, without conscious suicidal intent. Twenty-two sessions based on Positive Psychotherapy were held with the patient. The therapy was carried out under supervision during the therapist's Positive Psychotherapy specialization training. In this process, the patient solved the problem that she had brought to the therapy process, resolved the basic and key conflicts, realized her capacities, gained self-help skills and committed deliberate self-harm once during the process. As a result, it can be said that Positive Psychotherapy techniques made a positive contribution to the patient's life. However, if the patient's symptoms recur over time or new symptoms related to self-regulation emerge, it should be considered that trauma-focused therapy will be needed

Sand fly Fever with Skin Lesions: A Case Series from Turkey

Sand fly fever (SF) is an arthropod-borne viral disease, also known as “Phlebotomus fever”, ‘’mosquito fever’’, three-day fever or “Papatacci fever”. It is transmitted by Phlebotomus papatasi, starts with acute onset of high fever, and lasts for three days. We present first cases in a different district of Turkey with the clinical findings of fever, myalgia-arthralgia, headache, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhoea and nausea-vomiting and skin lesions (in two of them). All the patients were treated symptomatically and discharged with complete cure. These cases are indicating that sand fly fever is more common than we thought. It should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients presenting with fever, arthralgia-myalgia and skin lesions, especially it is important to be aware of this disease in travellers returning from endemic areas

Brucellosis in Patients with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever

Background: Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a fatal zoonotic viral disease caused by infection with a tick-borne virus of the genus Nairovirus. In this study, we investigated the incidence of brucellosis in patients diag­nosed with CCHF. Methods: Overall, 169 patients hospitalized with an initial diagnosis of CCHF were included in 2011 in To­kat/ Turkey. Immunoglobulin M (IgM) antibodies and/or PCR results were used in the laboratory diagnosis of CCHF, while plate and standard tube agglutination (STA) tests were used to diagnose brucellosis. Results: Overall, 120 patients (79%) with positive PCR tests were diagnosed with CCHF. Five (4.16%) were also diag­nosed with brucellosis based on the positive plate and STA test results. Four patients (2.36%) had negative CCHF PCR and positive STA test results. Conclusion: Brucellosis and CCHF can mimic each other and that all patients with CCHF or brucellosis should be screened for both conditions

Root canal filling in primary molars without successors: Mineral trioxide aggregate versus gutta-percha/AH-Plus

memis ozgul, betul/0000-0002-3291-6174; Bezgin, Tugba/0000-0002-3025-308XWOS: 000382545700004PubMed: 26534871The aim of this study was to compare the clinical and radiographical success of mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) and gutta-percha/AH-Plus used as a root canal filling material in primary second molars without successors. A total of 16 patients (9 girls, 7 boys) aged 6-13 years (mean: 10.5) were selected and randomly distributed into the treatment groups. Children were recalled for clinical and radiographic examination at 6, 12, 18, 24 and 36 months. Differences in treatment outcomes were analysed using chi-squared and Fisher's exact tests. Clinically, there was no significant difference in the success rates between the groups at the end of a 3-year follow-up period (MTA: 100%; Gutta-percha/AH-Plus: 70%) (P > 0.05). However, radiographically, there was a significant difference between the groups (MTA: 80%; gutta-percha/AH-Plus: 300%) (P < 0.05). The present study showed that MTA can be recommended for use in root canal treatment of primary molars without successors based on better radiographic success

The Relationship between Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever and Climate: Does Climate Affect the Number of Patients?

Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is a tick-borne viral zoonosis. The incidence of zoonotic diseases has been shown to be affected by climatic factors. In this study, we evaluated patients endemic to the CCHF region and examined the relationship between the number of patients and climatic properties of the region where they lived. The study included 548 CCHF patients. Along with the patient demographic and clinical characteristics, we recorded temperature, humidity and precipitation in the places where they lived at the time of their admission to the hospital. In addition to temperature, humidity and precipitation at the time of patient admission, these values were assessed at one month and three months prior to admission. The relationship between the number of patients and the above-mentioned values was examined. Humidity at the time of and one month prior to hospital admission, and precipitation three months prior to hospital admission were found to affect the number of patients admitted to the hospital for CCHF. In conclusion, climate appeared to affect the number of CCHF patients. We believe that the number of patients presenting to the hospital with CCHF could be predicted by taking into account climatic properties of the places where CCHF has been recorded, along with under-taking necessary measures

Transcriptomic analysis of nonylphenol effect on Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nonylphenol (NP) is a bioaccumulative environmental estrogen that is widely used as a nonionic surfactant. We have previously examined short-term effects of NP on yeast cells using microarray technology. In the present study, we investigated the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae BY4742 cells to NP exposure by analyzing genome-wide transcriptional profiles using RNA-sequencing. We used 2 mg/L NP concentration for 40 days of exposure. Gene expression analysis showed that a total of 948 genes were differentially expressed. Of these, 834 genes were downregulated, while 114 genes were significantly upregulated. GO enrichment analysis revealed that 369 GO terms were significantly affected by NP exposure. Further analysis showed that many of the differentially expressed genes were associated with oxidative phosphorylation, iron and copper acquisition, autophagy, pleiotropic drug resistance and cell cycle progression related processes such as DNA and mismatch repair, chromosome segregation, spindle checkpoint activity, and kinetochore organization. Overall, these results provide considerable information and a comprehensive understanding of the adaptive response to NP exposure at the gene expression level.Funding Agencies:Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK, Grant No: 118Y311)Marmara University Scientific Research Commission through project FEN-A-081117-0625</p

Antioxidant, Anti-acetylcholinesterase, Anti-inflammatory and DNA Protection Activities of Glaucium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum

In this study, antioxidant, antiacetylcholinesterase, anti-inflammatory, and DNA protecting activities of the aerial parts of Glaucium grandiflorum var. grandiflorum were evaluated. The lyophilized methanolic extract of the aerial parts of G. grandiflorum var. grandiflorum was investigated for potential in-vitro antioxidant properties in thiobarbituric acid test using the lipid peroxidation of liposomes, ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP), 1,1-diphenyl-2- picrylhydrazyl, 2,2'-azinobis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonate) free-radicals and hypochlorous acid scavenging assays. The extract demonstrated antioxidant activity in all the assays. The (AChE) inhibition capacity of the lyophilized methanolic extract at 320 mu g/mL (80.75 +/- 1.59%) was found to be strong and almost equal to the inhibition capacity of the positive control, galantamine (82.23 +/- 2.21%) at 25 mu g/mL. The significant AChE inhibitory activity suggests that the extract may be beneficial in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. The extract also showed inhibitory activity against plasmid DNA damage (94%), as well as COX-2 69.05%, which is a target for many anti-inflammatory and cancer-preventive drugs. These results indicate that G. grandiflorum var. grandiflorum methanolic extract is an excellent source of compounds with antioxidant, anti-acetylcholinesterase and anti-inflammatory properties that prevent DNA damage