Green Synthesis and the formation kinetics of silver nanoparticles in aqueous Inula Viscosa extract

In this study, we present the production of silver nanoparticles in aqueous Inula Viscosa extract by the green synthesis approach at room temperature. The structural, morphological properties as well as formation kinetics of the synthesized silver nanoparticles were characterized by UV-VIS, STEM, XRD, Raman and FTIR measurements. Mono-dispersed and very stable silver nanoparticles with size of 15$\pm$5 nm and face-centered cubic crystal structure were synthesized in aqueous Inula Viscosa extract. The kinetic studies of silver nanoparticles formation in Inula Viscosa extract show that silver nanoparticle formation reaction reached the equilibrium within 24 h and fit in the first-order reaction kinetics. The results clearly show that the size of fabricated nanoparticles is independent on the dynamical formation process since the reaction time and initial silver ion concentration did not affect on size and morphology of the produced particles.Comment: 10 pages, 11 figure

The effects of peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis on serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and C-reactive-protein levels.

BACKGROUND: Markers of an acute phase reaction, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-6, are predictive for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in normal subjects and in chronic renal failure patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels were measured in 30 patients who were just diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and treated, with 16 CAPD (nine female, seven male) and 14 HD (eight female, six male) patients, before CAPD or HD treatment and after 3 months from the beginning of CAPD or HD in patients with no clinical signs of infection. The control groups were 20 healthy persons of similar age and sex. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in stable CAPD and HD patients and in healthy persons. RESULTS: The mean serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP showed no significant differences between the CAPD and HD patients for the beginning values and the third month of treatment. However, serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels were higher than the control group in the CAPD and HD patients regarding the beginning values and the third month of treatment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CAPD and HD of the renal replacement therapy have no effects on serum CRP and cytokines

Investigation of Appearance Anxiety and the Gender Role in Women's Sports Except for Social Gender Norms

The Bem Sex-Role Inventory (BSRI), conducted by Hart et al. (2008) and adapted to Turkish by Dogan as Social Appearance Anxiety Scale (SAAS) (Dogan, 2010) was used in our study. In the analysis of the data, t-test and ANOVA test were used. As a result; There was a significant difference between female athletes' hormone use variable and appearance anxiety and gender role (p &lt;0.05). It was determined that female athletes using hormone had appearance anxiety. A significant difference was found between maternal educational status and appearance anxiety and gender role. A significant difference was found between the paternal education status variable and the masculine gender role. A significant negative correlation was found between the age variable and appearance anxiety of female athletes. There was a positive relationship between appearance anxiety and masculine gender role. When the gender role values increase the values of appearance anxiety increase. It is recommended that special contact with women athletes who go beyond the social gender norms should be established according to expert opinions and all actors such as sports managers, trainer, sportsman, referee, physical education teacher etc. should be informed. In order to increase the proportion of women engaged in sports in the society, to support the girls who are new to the sports and not to create false opinions about the sportswomen, it is recommended to put forward the role models suitable for the female athlete profile

EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF THE STORAGE STABILITY AND RHEOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF ELASTOMERIC POLYMER MODIFIED BITUMINOUS BINDERS

Bu çalışmada, üç farklı polimer katkılı bitümlü bağlayıcının, yüksek sıcaklık depolama stabilitesi özellikleri araştırılmıştır. Bu amaçla iki farklı tür stiren-butadien-stiren (SBSD), (SBSM) ve stiren-etilen-butadien-stiren (SEBS) katkı malzemesi olarak kullanılmıştır. Üç farklı oranda (%2, 4 ve 6) SBS ve SEBS, 160/220 penetrasyonlu bitüme ilave edilerek modifiye bağlayıcılar elde edilmiştir. Saf ve modifiye bağlayıcılara; yumuşama noktası, dönel viskozimetre (DV) ve dinamik kayma reometresi (DKR) deneyleri uygulanarak katkı maddelerinin etkisi belirlenmiştir. Modifiye bağlayıcıların depolama stabilitesi deneyi EN 13399 standardına göre yapılmıştır. Depolama stabilitesi deneyleri sonucunda, elde edilen numunelere saf ve modifiye bağlayıcılara uygulanan deneyler yeniden uygulanmış ve modifiye bağlayıcıların depolanma özellikleri tespit edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlardan, polimer oranı arttıkça viskozite, yumuşama noktası ve kompleks modülü (G*) değerlerinin arttığı belirlenmiştir. Depolama stabilitesi deneylerinden ve reolojik özelliklerin incelenmesinden en iyi sonuca SBSM katkı maddesinin sahip olduğu belirlenmiştir. In this study the high temperature storage stability properties of bituminous binder modified by three different polymers were investigated. For this purpose two different type of styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBSD), (SBSM) and styrene-ethilene-btadiene-styrene (SEBS) were used. The modified binders were obtained by adding three percentage (2%,4%,6%) of SBS and SEBS to 160/220 penetration grade bitumen. The effects of additive materials were determined by applying the softening point, rotational viscosimeter (RV) and dynamic shear rheometer (DSR) tests to virgin and modified binders. The storage stability test of modified binders were carried out according to EN 13399 standard. The tests applied to pure and modified binders were carried out to specimens obtained from at the end of this processes therefore the storage stability properties of modified binders were determined. According to the obtained results it was determined that the values of viscosity, softening points, and complex modulus (G*) were increased by the increase of polymer content. SBSM gave the best result at the end of the storage stability tests and rheological properties

European white paper : oropharyngeal dysphagia in head and neck cancer

Purpose To develop a European White Paper document on oropharyngeal dysphagia (OD) in head and neck cancer (HNC). There are wide variations in the management of OD associated with HNC across Europe. Methods Experts in the management of specific aspects of OD in HNC across Europe were delegated by their professional medical and multidisciplinary societies to contribute to this document. Evidence is based on systematic reviews, consensus-based position statements, and expert opinion. Results Twenty-four sections on HNC-specific OD topics. Conclusion This European White Paper summarizes current best practice on management of OD in HNC, providing recommendations to support patients and health professionals. The body of literature and its level of evidence on diagnostics and treatment for OD in HNC remain poor. This is in the context of an expected increase in the prevalence of OD due to HNC in the near future. Contributing factors to increased prevalence include aging of our European population (including HNC patients) and an increase in human papillomavirus (HPV) related cancer, despite the introduction of HPV vaccination in various countries. We recommend timely implementation of OD screening in HNC patients while emphasizing the need for robust scientific research on the treatment of OD in HNC. Meanwhile, its management remains a challenge for European professional associations and policymakers.Peer reviewe

Banff 2022 liver group meeting report: monitoring long term allograft health.

The Banff Working Group on Liver Allograft Pathology met in September 2022. Participantsincluded hepatologists, surgeons, pathologists, immunologists and histocompatibility specialists.Presentations and discussions focused on the evaluation of long-term allograft health, including noninvasive and tissue monitoring, immunosuppression optimisation and long-term structural changes.Potential revision of the rejection classification scheme to better accommodate and communicate lateT cell-mediated rejection patterns and related structural changes, such as nodular regenerativehyperplasia, were discussed. Improved stratification of long-term maintenance immunosuppression tomatch the heterogeneity of patient settings will be central to improving long-term patient survival.Such personalised therapeutics are in turn contingent on better understanding and monitoring ofallograft status within a rational decision-making approach, likely to be facilitated in implementationwith emerging decision support tools. Proposed revisions to rejection classification emerging fromthe meeting include incorporation of interface hepatitis and fibrosis staging. These will be opened toonline testing, modified accordingly and subject to consensus discussion leading up to the next Banffconference

Low temperature properties of hot mix asphalts prepared with different polymer modified binders

The low temperature crack propagation resistance of pure and polymer modified mixtures is analysed in the paper by means of linear and nonlinear fracture mechanics. The influence of two bitumen-modification binders is considered: styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) and ethylene-vinyl-acetate (EVA). The experiments demonstrated that the fracture toughness values increase, and the maximum vertical strain values decrease, with a decrease in temperature. It was established by both techniques used in the paper that the lowest fracture toughness was obtained using the EVA binder