Determinination of efects of sunn pest on wheat grain by artificial neural networks

Buğday Türkiye için olduğu kadar dünyadaki pek çok ülke için de stratejik bir üründür ve süne zararlısı ise buğday üretiminde temel bir sıkıntıdır. Süne zararlısı, buğdayı bitkisel büyüme, baş verme ve olgunluk dönemlerinde negatif olarak etkiler. Bu etki, buğday danesi üzerinde verim kaybı ve kalitede düşüş olmak üzere iki çeşit hasar meydana getirir. Bu kalite düşüşü de insan beslenmesinde temel gıda maddesi olan buğdaydan üretilen pek çok üründe üretim kayıplarına sebep olmak-tadır. Bu durumu ortadan kaldırabilmek için buğday daneleri işlenmeden önce süne hasarlı olanların hasarlı olmayanlardan ayrılması gerekmektedir. Bu ise Türkiye'de uzmanlar tarafından gerçekleştirilmektedir. Ancak bu hasar kimi zaman çok be-lirgin ve gözle anlaşılabiliyorken kimi zaman anlaşılamayacak şekilde olabilir. Bu durumda hasarlı buğday danelerini hasar-sızlar arasından gözle tespit edebilmek mümkün olmayabilir. Sunulan çalışmada buğday danesi üzerindeki süne zararlısının oluşturduğu hasarı tespit etmek amacıyla Yapay Sinir Ağlarına (YSA) dayalı otomatik bir görüntü tanıma sistemi sunulmak-tadır.Wheat is a very strategic crop for Turkey as well as many other countries and sunn pest is a major constraint to the production of wheat. Sunn pest negatively affects wheat crops during their vegetative growth, heading and maturity stages. This effect causes two types of damage on wheat grain by leading to wheat yield loss and grain quality decrease. The decrease in the quality leads in turn to production losses in many products which depends on wheat. Wheat crops therefore should be examined before the production processes in order to separate the sunn pest affected ones from non-affected ones. Such a discrimination task in Turkey is performed by experts. However, the damage can sometimes be visible but also sometimes it migth be hard to notice the damage. So, the damaged grains may not be distinguished among undamaged ones with simple eye observation. In this study, an automatic system which uses Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to determine the wheat grains damaged by sunn pest is propose

The effect of different seed densities on some hybrid maize (zea mays l.) type’s yield in Eskişehir conditions

Çalışmada Orta Anadolu Bölgesi’nin Batı Geçit kuşağını temsil eden Eskişehir’de bazı ticari mısır çeşitlerinin farklı tohum sıklıklarında yetiştirildikleri zaman tarımsal özelliklere olan etkileri incelenmiştir. Mısır çeşitleri olarak ADA_9510, ADA_9516, TTM_815 ve BC_6661 kullanılırken yetiştirilme sıklığı olarak da “70×20”, “70×15”, “60×20”, “60×25” ve “50×30”cm değerleri uygulanmıştır. Eskişehir koşullarında gerçekleştirilen ve tesadüf blokları bölünmüş parseller deseninde ve dört tekerrürlü olarak kurulan denemede mısırlar, damla sulama yöntemi ile sulanmış, gübreleme ise fergitasyon şeklinde uygulanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, seçilen çeşide ve sıklığa bağlı olarak verim ve verim öğelerinin farklı olabildiği görülmüştür. Bir yıllık bu çalışmada da “60×25” cm ile “50×30”cm tohum sıklığı öne çıkmıştır.In this study, the effects of different plant spacing of some commercial maize varieties on agricultural features were investigated in Eskişehir, forming the western transitional zone of Central Anatolia. ADA_9510, ADA_9516, TTM_815 and BC_6661 were used as the varieties while the plants were applied as “70×20”, “70×15”, “60×20”, “60×25” and “50×30”cm. In trials performed in Eskişehir conditions, plantation was performed according to split plots in Randomized Complete Blocks with 4 replications, irrigation was performed with microirrigation and fertilizer application was performed as fertilization. The results showed that yield and yield factors could vary according to the maize variety and plantation density. In the present oneyear study, “60×25”cm and “50×30”cm density appeared to become the prominent spacing value

The Advocate - July 19, 1962

Original title (1951-1987)--The Advocate: official publication of the Archdiocese of Newark (N.J.)

En Bloc Resection of Supraglottic Carcinomas with Transoral Laser Microsurgery

Objective:Complete en bloc supraglottic tumor excision with transoral laser microsurgery (TLM) can be achieved with good postoperative outcomes. We report surgical feasibility and the postsurgical outcomes of en bloc resection of supraglottic laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas (LSCC) with TLM.Methods:Seventeen patients who underwent TLM for supraglottic laryngeal cancer were included in the study. Demographic and pathological data, clinic and follow-up outcomes of the patients were reviewed and analyzed.Results:Type 1 TLM was performed in three patients, type 2a in one patient, type 3b in 12 patients, and type 4b in one patient. Negative surgical margins were achieved in all of the cases. Re-excision or any adjuvant treatment for positive resection margins was not required in any of the cases. Eight patients received adjuvant radiotherapy due to lymph node metastasis. Mean follow-up time was 33.8±15.7 months (range: 10–65 months). None of the patients had recurrence or distant metastasis.Conclusion:The transoral approach with the use of CO2 laser and microscopy offers complete tumor excision for treating supraglottic LSCC. The three-dimensional structure of the supraglottis can be achieved with adequate exposure. En bloc resection is possible with safe margins

Medical oncology patients' preferences with regard to health care: development of a patient-driven questionnaire

BACKGROUND: To improve quality of care for cancer patients, it is important to have an insight on the patient's view on health care and on their specific wishes, needs and preferences, without restriction and without influence of researchers and health care providers. The aim of this study was to develop a questionnaire assessing medical oncology patients' preferences for health care based on their own input. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Items were generated using 10 focus group interviews with 51 cancer patients. A preliminary questionnaire was handed out to 681 patients of seven Dutch departments of medical oncology. Explorative factor analysis was carried out on the 386 returned questionnaires (response 57%). RESULTS: Focus group interviews resulted in a preliminary questionnaire containing 136 items. Explorative factor analysis resulted in a definitive questionnaire containing 123 items (21 scales and eight single items). Patients rated expertise, safety, performance and attitude of physicians and nurses as the most important issues in cancer care. CONCLUSION: This questionnaire may be used to assess preferences of cancer patients and to come to a tailored approach of health care that meets patients' wishes and needs

Dural plasmacytoma mimicking meningioma in a young patient with multiple myeloma

Intracranial involvement in multiple myeloma (MM) is rarely found, especially with dural involvement. There are only a few cases found concerning MM with intracranial involvement. MM usually involves an older group of patients. Cases involving young patients are very rare. The differential diagnosis of a dural plasmacytoma includes meningioma, metastasis, lymphoma and sarcoma of the dura mater. We present a young patient, 33 years old, with MM presenting an intracerebral mass mimicking meningioma on MRI. MM was diagnosed the previous year. The patient presented with headache, balance disturbance and back pain. MRI revealed an occipital extra-axial mass with a dural tail. Histopathological examination after excision showed MM. Published literatures on intracranial involvement of MM are also discussed. Plasmacytoma should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a solitary dural mass, particularly in a patient with MM

Results of paclitaxel (day 1 and 8) and carboplatin given on every three weeks in advanced (stage III-IV) non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Both paclitaxel (P) and carboplatin (C) have significant activity in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The weekly administration of P is active, dose intense, and has a favorable toxicity profile. We retrospectively reviewed the data of 51 consecutive patients receiving C and day 1 and 8 P chemotherapy (CT) regimen in advanced stage NSCLC to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity. METHODS: Patients treated in our institutions having pathologically proven NSCLC, no CNS metastases, adequate organ function and performance status (PS) ECOG 0–2 were given P 112.5 mg/m(2 )intravenously (IV) over 1 hour on day 1 and 8, followed by C AUC 5 IV over 1 hour, repeated in every three weeks. PC was given for maximum of 6 cycles. RESULTS: Median age was 58 (age range 39–77) and 41 patients (80%) were male. PS was 0/1/2 in 29/17/5 patients and stage was IIIA/IIIB/IV in 3/14/34 patients respectively. The median number of cycles administered was 3 (1–6). Seven patients (14%) did not complete the first 3 cycles either due to death, progression, grade 3 hypersensitivity reactions to P or lost to follow up. Best evaluable response was partial response (PR) in 45% and stable disease (SD) in 18%. Twelve patients (24%) received local RT. Thirteen patients (25%) received 2nd line CT at progression. At a median follow-up of 7 months (range, 1–20), 25 (49%) patients died and 35 patients (69%) progressed. Median overall survival (OS) was 11 ± 2 months (95% CI; 6 to 16), 1-year OS ratio was 44%. Median time to progression (TTP) was 6 ± 1 months (95% CI; 4 to 8), 1-year progression free survival (PFS) ratio was 20%. We observed following grade 3 toxicities: asthenia (10%), neuropathy (4%), anorexia (4%), anemia (4%), hypersensitivity to P (2%), nausea/vomiting (2%), diarrhea (2%) and neutropenia (2%). Two patients (4%) died of febrile neutropenia. Doses of CT were reduced or delayed in 12 patients (24%). CONCLUSIONS: P on day 1 and 8 and C every three weeks is practical and fairly well tolerated outpatient regimen. This regimen seems to be comparably active to regimens given once in every three weeks

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy with low dose weekly gemcitabine in stage III non-small cell lung cancer

BACKGROUND: Combined chemoradiotherapy (CRT) is the treatment of choice for stage III NSCLC. Gemcitabine (G) is a novel deoxycitidine analogue that has been proven to be a potent radiosensitizer. Twenty-two consecutive patients were treated with concurrent CRT to demonstrate the tolerability and efficacy of low dose G given weekly as radiosensitizer in stage III NSCLC. METHODS: Patients with KPS ≥70, adequate bone marrow reserve, with no prior radiotherapy (RT) and surgery were included. Eighteen patients had received prior induction chemotherapy (CT). G (75 mg/m(2)/week) was infused over 1 hour for 6 weeks. Thoracic RT was given two hours later over 6 weeks at 1.8 Gy/day fractions (total dose of 61.2 Gy). Pulmonary toxicity was evaluated with computed tomography scans in 6 weeks. RESULTS: Median age was 60 years (range, 48–75), median follow-up was 15 months (range, 2–40). Sixty-eight percent of patients were male and median KPS score was 90. Conformal 3D-RT planning was used in 64% of patients. G was given for a median of 5 weeks (range 1–9). Twelve patients (54.6%) received all planned CT. G was stopped because of intolerance in 6 and death in 2 patients. Seven patients (31.8%) had radiation pneumonitis. Twenty patients were evaluated for overall response, 1 patient (4.5%) had clinical CR, 81.8% had PR while 9.5% had SD. Median overall survival (OS) was 14 ± 5 months (95% CI 3–25). One- and 2-year OS rates were 55% and 38%. Sixteen patients died of disease-related events (6 with progression of primary tumor, 8 due to metastatic disease), 2 patients died of other causes. One- and 2-year progression-free survival and local control rates were 56%, 27% and 79%, 51%, respectively. CONCLUSION: G might be used as radiosensitizer for patients with stage III NSCLC who could not receive full doses CT with concurrent RT

Safety and efficacy of transdermal fentanyl in patients with cancer pain: phase IV, Turkish oncology group trial

We have performed a prospective evaluation of the efficacy, safety and convenience of the transdermal therapeutic system - fentanyl (TTS-F) in Turkish cancer patients when it was newly available in Turkey. Ninety-nine patients with historically confirmed malignancy and pain entered the study; the mean age was 55.1 (16-58) years. The study duration was 28 days. Transdermal therapeutic system - fentanyl was used in opioid-naive or pre-treated patients. Most patients reported a decrease in pain severity. Use of rescue medication decreased from day 4 to day 28. The majority of patients rated patch convenience of use as excellent. A total of 22.2% of patients experienced adverse events that were either probably related or very likely to be related to the study drug. The majority of the adverse events mentioned were related to the digestive system. Eighteen serious adverse events were reported by 13 patients. Six events were doubtfully related, and 12 events were not related to the study drug. Four patients died during the trial. None of these deaths was attributed to the study drug. In conclusion, the trial showed that TTS-F is easily managed, effective and will help to enable the appropriate opioid administration to patients who are suffering from cancer pain in Turkey