Comparing the Influence of the Drop Fill and Overflow Rinsing on the Reactive Dyeing Process in a Textile Dye House

Drop/fill rinsing method was used for reducing the high water consumption of overflow rinsing process in textile dye house. However, it is not known whether this drop/fill method has adverse effects on the final fabric properties or not. In this study, the effects of using drop/fill method instead of overflow rinsing process on colorimetric and fastness properties of 100% cotton towel fabrics are investigated. It is found that, skipping to the drop fill rinsing method from the over flow rinsing process and obtained fresh water saving has no negative effect on colorimetric and color fastness values of the processed fabric samples and can be used conveniently in the industrial sized production. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

Efficacy of letrozole versus clomiphene citrate for infertile women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Background: The aim was to compare ovulation induction protocols in anovulatory patients, who make up a significant percentage of infertility patients, and to determine the most appropriate treatment for patients in the clinic based on the findings.Methods: The effectiveness of clomiphene citrate (CC) and letrozole (aromatase inhibitor) in ovulation induction treatments were retrospectively compared in patients who applied for infertility in the last 5 years and were found to be anovulatory. 20 of these patients were being treated with clomiphene citrate, while the 18 were being treated with letrozole.Results: The study included a total of 38 anovulatory infertile patients. The mean age of the patients was found to be 29.3. When the endometrial thicknesses (ET) after the treatment were compared, the first group's mean EC was 6.1, while that of the second group was 9.05. The endometrial thicknesses measured after the treatments were found to be significantly different, which were consistent with other studies in the literature. Post-treatment ovulation responses were similar with 55% in both groups. In the evaluation of pregnancy outcomes, 20% of pregnancy was achieved in the first group and 33% in the second group.Conclusions: The use of letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor, may be suggested as an alternative to CC in the ovulation induction protocol in our clinical practice, particularly in obese patients

Comparing the Influence of the Drop Fill and Overflow Rinsing on the Reactive Dyeing Process in a Textile Dye House

Drop/fill rinsing method was used for reducing the high water consumption of overflow rinsing process in textile dye house. However, it is not known whether this drop/fill method has adverse effects on the final fabric properties or not. In this study, the effects of using drop/fill method instead of overflow rinsing process on colorimetric and fastness properties of 100% cotton towel fabrics are investigated. It is found that, skipping to the drop fill rinsing method from the over flow rinsing process and obtained fresh water saving has no negative effect on colorimetric and color fastness values of the processed fabric samples and can be used conveniently in the industrial sized production. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd

A case study: Two teachers' reflections on the ELP in practice

We conducted an action research study with a group of EFL teachers in our local area in order to establish the grounds for the use of the European Language Portfolio (ELP) and the Common European Framework of Reference in local state schools. This paper reports on the way we conducted this study and the cycles we went through, specifically focusing on two teachers' experiences of the ELP in practice. © The Author 2009. Published by Oxford University Press; all rights reserved

The influence of higher education experiences on ELT students' learning outcomes

2nd World Conference on Educational Sciences, WCES-2010 --4 February 2010 through 8 February 2010 -- Istanbul --This study identifies and discusses whether and to what extent the learning outcomes are achieved in ELT Departments of two Turkish Universities based on the following two frameworks: The European Profile for Language Teacher Education and Framework of Turkish Higher Education Competencies. Findings regarding the contributions of in or out of class experiences to these expected outcomes are also discussed. The analyses demonstrate that not all these outcomes have been achieved and that what happens outside the classroom needs to be focused more to give the trainee teachers access to essential learning opportunities during their education. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

A Defect in the Antioxidant Defense System in Schizophrenia

Objectives: Several oxidants and antioxidants have been evaluated in schizophrenia. However, previous studies frequently focused on individual parameters. Determination of the total oxidant and antioxidant status may be more useful. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate both plasma total oxidant status (TOS) and total antioxidant status (TAS) together with the oxidative stress index (OSI) in schizophrenia patients for the first time in the literature. Methods: A total of 60 schizophrenia patients and 40 healthy volunteers were included in the study. The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) and the Clinical Global Impression-severity scale (CGI-S) were used to evaluate the severity of schizophrenia in the patients. TOS and TAS were measured in plasma and the OSI was calculated for patients and controls. Results: There was no difference between patients and controls with regard to TOS, but the patients' TAS and OSI were significantly lower and higher, respectively, than those of the controls. No difference was detected between the schizophrenia subtypes or between the patients on typical or atypical antipsychotic medications or a combination of the two with regard to oxidative parameters. There was a weak to moderately significant negative correlation between TAS and total, positive and general psychopathology PANSS scores. Finally, we found a weak to moderately significant negative correlation between the CGI-S score and TOS and between the CGI-S score and TAS. Conclusions: There is a defect in the antioxidant defense system in schizophrenia. Known oxidative stress that causes oxidative cell damage and thus contributes to the pathophysiology of schizophrenia may be mainly related to this defensive defect. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Base

Increased Plasma Ceruloplasmin Levels in Schizophrenia

Objective: Ceruloplasmin is a protein in the human serum that is synthesized by hepatocytes, but extrahepatic gene expression in the brain, lung, spleen, and testis has also been reported. Ceruloplasmin contains approximately 95% of serum copper and it carries copper from liver to numerous tissues. Ceruloplasmin level reflects largely the copper concentration of the serum. However, ceruloplasmin has also an antioxidant function that is known as the acute phase reactant. Additionally, ceruloplasmin has a role in the oxidation of serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Abnormalities in ceruloplasmin levels have been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the alteration of plasma ceruloplasmin levels has been linked to schizophrenia and its some clinical characteristics including acute or chronic phase, the length of the disease or whether the patients on treatment or not. However, there exists a controversy on relationship between the plasma level of ceruloplasmin and schizophrenia. There are number of reports on the increased or decreased and/or normal level of plasma ceruloplasmin in association with schizophrenia, These differences may have been originated from the usage of different measurement methods, clinical situations, and ethnobiological differences. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between plasma ceruloplasmin level and schizophrenic in Turkish patients.Methods: 60 patients (36 women and 24 men, mean of age 31.93 +/- 9.37 years, range 19-55) that were diagnosed as schizophrenia according to DSM-IV were induced for this study at the Psychotic Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. The control group consisted of 40 healthy subjects in similar age and gender (23 women, 17 men). Venous blood samples were collected from the left forearm into heparinized tubes The blood samples were centrifuged and the plasma was removed, Erel's ceruloplasmin measurement method that is based on the enzymatic oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions was used. SPSS Windows program 13.0 was applied for statistical analysis.Results: Plasma ceruloplasmin levels of schizophrenic patients were significantly higher than the healthy controls (p < 0.001), In addition, female patients had higher ceruloplasmin levels than male patients (p < 0.001), while there was no statistically significant difference between women and men in the control group. There was no association between the ceruloplasmin levels and the age, the duration of illness, smoking, schizophrenia subtypes, symptom severity, and antipsychotic therapy.Conclusions: The study suggests that ceruloplasmin may play a role in pathophysiology of schizophrenic, Moreover, female patients having a higher level of ceruloplasmin than those of male patients that is first time reported in the literature. However, further studies are needed to clarify the higher level of ceruloplasmin in schizophrenia and to reveal the importance of the gender differences in ceruloplasmin levels in schizophrenia

Increased plasma ceruloplasmin levels in schizophrenia

Objective: Ceruloplasmin is a protein in the human serum that is synthesized by hepatocytes, but extrahepatic gene expression in the brain, lung, spleen, and testis has also been reported. Ceruloplasmin contains approximately 95% of serum copper and it carries copper from liver to numerous tissues. Ceruloplasmin level reflects largely the copper concentration of the serum. However, ceruloplasmin has also an antioxidant function that is known as the acute phase reactant. Additionally, ceruloplasmin has a role in the oxidation of serotonin, epinephrine, and norepinephrine. Abnormalities in ceruloplasmin levels have been associated with several neurodegenerative diseases. Moreover, the alteration of plasma ceruloplasmin levels has been linked to schizophrenia and its some clinical characteristics including acute or chronic phase, the length of the disease or whether the patients on treatment or not. However, there exists a controversy on relationship between the plasma level of ceruloplasmin and schizophrenia. There are number of reports on the increased or decreased and/or normal level of plasma ceruloplasmin in association with schizophrenia. These differences may have been originated from the usage of different measurement methods, clinical situations, and ethnobiological differences. In the present study, we aimed to investigate the association between plasma ceruloplasmin level and schizophrenia in Turkish patients. Methods: 60 patients (36 women and 24 men, mean of age 31.93±9.37 years, range 19-55) that were diagnosed as schizophrenia according to DSM-IV were included for this study at the Psychotic Disorders Unit, Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Gaziantep University, Gaziantep, Turkey. The control group consisted of 40 healthy subjects in similar age and gender (23 women, 17 men). Venous blood samples were collected from the left forearm into heparinized tubes. The blood samples were centrifuged and the plasma was removed. Erel's ceruloplasmin measurement method that is based on the enzymatic oxidation of ferrous ions to ferric ions was used. SPSS Windows program 13.0 was applied for statistical analysis. Results: Plasma ceruloplasmin levels of schizophrenic patients were significantly higher than the healthy controls (p<0.001). In addition, female patients had higher ceruloplasmin levels than male patients (p<0.001), while there was no statistically significant difference between women and men in the control group. There was no association between the ceruloplasmin levels and the age, the duration of illness, smoking, schizophrenia subtypes, symptom severity, and antipsychotic therapy. Conclusions: The study suggests that ceruloplasmin may play a role in pathophysiology of schizophrenia. Moreover, female patients having a higher level of ceruloplasmin than those of male patients that is first time reported in the literature. However, further studies are needed to clarify the higher level of ceruloplasmin in schizophrenia and to reveal the importance of the gender differences in ceruloplasmin levels in schizophrenia