The Effect of Nasal Packing on Oxidative Stress in Septoplasty Operation

Objective:To evaluate the effects of nasal septal surgery and type of nasal packing used on local and systemic oxidative stress.Methods:Fifteen patients who were scheduled for septoplasty under local anaesthesia with isolated septal deviation were included in the study. Venous blood samples were collected preoperatively, postoperatively upon anterior nasal packaging, immediately after nasal packaging was removed and 2 hours following removal of nasal packaging. At the start of the incision and just after removal of the nasal packaging 2x2-mm sized nasal mucosal samples were taken. Malonylaldehyde (MDA) was measured as a parameter of local oxidative stress, and glutathione (GSH) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) as parameters of the local antioxidant system. Systemic MDA, catalase and nitric oxide were measured.Results:GSH and SOD levels decreased postoperatively in the septal mucosa just after nasal package removal, whereas MDA increased significantly (p<0.001). Systemic MDA levels decreased in comparison to preoperative levelsbetween the phases, however NO and catalase levels increased (p<0.05, p<0.01).Conclusion:Local oxidative stress occurs after septoplasy operation but no biochemical effect is observed systemically. Local oxidative stress is influenced by surgical intervention, surgical technique and packing material. New comparative studies are required between study groups with no nasal packaging

Salivary Eosinophil Cationic Protein in Allergic Rhinitis

Objective: Eosinophil cationic protein (ECP) plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of atopic diseases such as allergic rhinitis (AR) and asthma. Using saliva as a diagnostic material is a non-invasive, simple method. Analysis of ECP in saliva was shown as an alternative diagnostic contribution in patients with asthma. In this study we aimed to assess a possible association between the levels of salivary ECP and the diagnosis of AR by comparing serum ECP and salivary ECP levels.Methods: Thirty-five allergic rhinitis patients (study group) sensitive to Dermatophagoides farinae (D2) in skin prick test (SPT) and 35 nonallergic, SPT negative, healthy volunteers (control group) were included in the study. Salivary ECP, serum ECP and specific IgE D2 levels were measured.Results: Distribution of age and gender were similar in the study and the control groups (p>0.05). Serum specific IgE D2 levels were significantly higher in the study group compared to the control group (p<0.001). ECP levels in saliva and serum did not show any significant difference in between study and control groups (p=0.738; p=0.796, respectively). No significant difference was found between the levels of ECP in between the serum and the saliva of study and control groups. (p=0.504; p=0.589, respectively). There was no significant correlation between saliva and serum ECP levels of both groups.(r=-0.191/ p=0.114).Conclusion: Serum and saliva ECP levels seem close to each other and were comparable in both groups, but we did not find any correlation between them Although we hypothesized that saliva ECP may be used as a non-invasive method for the diagnosis of AR, it seems that this parameter is not helpful in diagnosis of AR

Audiometer device design with integration of different sources = Farklı kaynaklara entegre işitme cihazı tasarımı

Audiometry is the technique to identify the nature of hearing loss and to determine the threshold of hearing by recording responses of the patient after presenting him with auditory stimuli with varying intensity levels. There are different audiometric techniques and procedures used for achieving this. The vast majority of medical devices found in the marketplace as a commercial product for the field of audiology have been developed for clinical limited testing. These devices cannot be used for purposes other than those specified by the manufacturer. This has serious limitations in the experimental design of scientific research carried out in limited budget training research hospitals, and it reduces the quality of the research that is revealed. With the circuit designs that can be integrated externally to the devices used in the audiology clinics, the capabilities of these devices can be increased and the usage capacity can be increased in line with the requirements of the clinician or researcher. In this study, an audiometer is designed and prototyped to generate pure tone, control both audio channels separately, control audio sources connected from external input. The pure tone produced or the audio signal from the external source is routed through switches and transmitted to the patient through the attenuator circuit. Device control is performed by STM32F746 development kit. The device has three different modes as manual test automatic, pure tone threshold test and volume control. In manual mode, the operator can send pure tone signals to the patient's ear at a frequency of 250 Hz - 8000 Hz and a range of 0-110 dB with 1 dB sensitivity. According to the responses taken from the patient response button, an audiogram is created simultaneously on the device screen. In addition, masking white noise and pink noise with sound-loaded on the memory card can be used. The Hughson Westlake method was used as the automatic test method. After the test is started, hearing threshold values are recorded according to the test procedure. An audiogram is created simultaneously on the screen during the test. In the audio control mode, the audio signals from the external source can be independently controlled 1 dB in two channels. This audiometer helps contribute to academic studies. Moreover, this has been used in graduate-degree theses in Audiometer branch of Otology in the Faculty of Medicine in Dokuz Eylul University. Developed audiometer is also almost ready to manufacture as a commercial device after some procedures for international test and calibration. Research Fund of the İzmir Katip Celebi University supported this work. Project Number: 2016-TYL-FEBE-0031

Merkezi İş Alanlarındaki Görsel Kirliliğin İncelenmesi: Balıkesir Merkezi İş Alanı Örneği

Bu araştırmanın amacı; Balıkesir kenti merkezi iş alanında görsel kirliliğe neden olan unsurların belirlenmesi ve ortaya çıkan bulguların değerlendirilmesidir. Bu araştırmada, konuyu ele alış biçimine göre değişen esnek bir yaklaşıma sahip olmasından dolayı nitel araştırma yöntemi benimsenmiştir. Araştırma konusu ile ilgili literatür incelenerek görsel kirliliğe yol açan faktörlerin tablosu oluşturulmuştur. Bu tablo dikkate alınarak Balıkesir kenti merkezi iş alanında saha çalışmaları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Saha çalışmaları sırasında yapılan gözlemler çekilen fotoğraflar ile desteklenmiş ve araştırmanın verileri oluşturulmuştur. Saha çalışmalarından elde edilen veriler görsel kirlilik türleri başlığı altında düzenlenmiştir. Literatürden ve saha çalışmalarından elde edilen kirlilik unsurları tabloda sahip oldukları adet sayısına göre değerlendirildiğinde sırasıyla en fazla 10 adet donatı, 8 adet diğer, 7 adet altyapı ve üstyapı, 7 adet dolaylı ve 6 adet yapı kategorisinde olmak üzere toplamda 38 adet kirlilik unsuru tabloya işlenmiştir. Balıkesir kenti merkezi iş alanındaki iş hacmi, özellikle hizmete yönelik sektörler, önemli derecede artmıştır. Bu gelişmeler merkezi iş alanının bireyler tarafından daha yoğun kullanılmasına neden olmuştur. Kullanıcı sayısının artması ve yoğun kullanım ise kalabalıklaşmaya, meydanların ve kaldırımların yetersiz kalmasına neden olmuştur. Ulaşılan bu sonuç araştırma sahasının seçilmesinde öne sürülen “mekânda dikey gelişime ve sürekliliğe sahip olması, bireysel ve toplu kullanımların fazla olması ve görsel anlamda daha fazla etkinin görülebilecek olması varsayımı”nı doğrular niteliktedir

DETERMINATION OF REGENERATION EFFICIENCY IN DIFFERENT APPLE SPECIES AND VARIETIES

Genetic transformation technology emerged as a useful tool to shorten the breeding time in plants and also allowed the improvement of the plants by only intended character without changing their other characters. To carry out gene transfer studies, the regeneration efficiency of plants must be known. In this study, in vitro regeneration efficiency was investigated in 9 genotypes in 3 different apple species; Malus domestica, Malus sieversii and Malus niedzwetzkyana. After explants shooted in the media, callus culture was applied to sterile leaves. Genotypes' shoot formation ratio was ranged from 8.33% to 75%. The genotype with the highest shoot was 'genotype 8', species of M. domestica, with a rate of 75%. Sterile leaves were taken from shoots for callus culture. The regeneration potential of genotypes ranged from 0% to 90%. While callus formation was not observed in 'genotype 4' and 'genotype 5' (M. domestica), 90% callus formation was observed in 'genotype 3' (M. domestica). With this study, it has been determined that there is a serious variation in the regeneration efficiency of different apple species and genotypes

Why Can’t We Learn Foreign Languages in Turkey? Some Psychological Reasons Behind It

Foreign language learning is one of the most significant endeavours for people in all countries in the world. Turkey has given importance to foreign language learning for years. Nevertheless, it has been an unresolved problem for Turkish people. The purpose of the present study is to determine why people fail to learn foreign languages in Turkey and the psychological reasons behind it by focussing on perception, foreign language anxiety and learned helplessness. The participants were 100 volunteer students (56 female, 44 male) who were selected randomly from different faculties and departments at Bursa Uludag University. The data were collected from a questionnaire, which consisted of five main sections to identify participants’ background, perception of foreign language learning, level of foreign language anxiety, and level of learned helplessness. Both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. The data were analysed in relation to the research questions that guided the study. The results indicated that the participants’ perceptions of foreign language learning were positive owing to past positive experiences, but their level of foreign language anxiety was high due to lack of practice in language skills in the past; and their level of learned helplessness was low because of the positive perceptions they possessed. In addition, the findings suggested that the four language skills should be taken into consideration when the contents of foreign language lessons at schools and foreign language courses at universities are prepared and determined