Assessment of knowledge and attitudes toward Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) amongst Turkish medical faculty students

Background: Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies are becoming increasingly  acceptable to the general public and are increasingly used around the world. The international rise in focus  on CAM and the increased incorporation of CAM into medical curricula make it important to gain insight into the knowledge and attitudes of medical students about CAM and its integration in the medical curriculum.Materials and Methods: In this present study, we attempt to investigate the Cerrahpasa medical faculty students’ knowledge, attitude and practices of the students on CAM. The study used a primary  cross-sectional data collection from students of Cerrahpasa Medical Faculty, Istanbul University, in  2012-2013 academic years.Results: Students’ knowledge of CAM between classes was also compared. There were also statistically  significant differences about the knowledge of those methods (acupuncture, acupressure, yoga, reiki, prayer, meditation massage, dietary, spa). Prayer was the most known modality in all medical classes’ students (first year students: 254, sixth year students: 192). The students who participated in the study stated that 433 (%59.4) have some knowledge about the acupuncture (first year students: 229, sixth  year students: 204). Acupressure was found to be at least known methods for CAM (first year students:  313, sixth year students: 282).Conclusion: Medical students in our faculty had limited knowledge about CAM therapies. Medical  students also have an understanding of the importance of CAM education in the medical curriculum, specifically how it will positively influence professional attitude and stimulate the doctor–patient relationship.Key words: Medical, Students, Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Pressure Dependence of the Thermodynamic Quantities in Phase II of Solid Benzene

The thermodynamic quantities such as the thermal expansion (alpha(p)), isothermal compressibility (K-T) and the specific heat (C-P - C-V), are predicted at various pressures up to 26 GPa (T = 540 K) in the solid phase II of benzene using volume data from the literature. The Pippard relations are examined using the pressure dependence of alpha(p), K-T and C-P - C-V and the value of the slope dP/dT is deduced for the solid phase II of benzene. The thermodynamic quantities studied here decrease with increasing pressure, as expected, which can be compared with the experimental measurements for the solid phase II of benzene. We find that the Pippard relations are validated within the pressure range considered, in particular, at high pressures for the solid phase II of this molecular crystal

Calculation of the compressibility and heat capacity of ice I in the pre-melting region

The isothermal compressibility and the heat capacity are calculated here using the experimental data for the heat expansion of ice I in the pre-melting region. By analysing the data at various pressures, compressibility and the heat capacity are predicted as functions of temperature and pressure near the melting point (p(m) 202.4 MPa, T-m 252.3 K) in ice I. Our predicted compressibility and heat capacity exhibit anomalous behaviour as the heat expansion in the pre-melting region of ice I

A First-Order Transition of the Smectic A-Smectic C* in Ferroelectric Liquid Crystals

The static dielectric constant is calculated as a function of temperature using a mean field model close to the smectic A-smectic C* transition for the ferroelectric liquid crystal 4-(3-methyl-2-chlorobutanoyloxy)-4'-heptyloxybiphenyl (A7). This calculation of the dielectric constant is performed for the pure optically active compound (T-c = 73.4 degrees C) and the temperature range is determined for a first-order smectic A-smectic C* transition from the mean field model. Our predicted values describe adequately the observed behaviour of the dielectric constant close to the smectic A-smectic C* transition and also the temperature range in the smectic A phase of A7

Calculation of the dielectric constant as a function of temperature near the smectic AC* phase transition in ferroelectric liquid crystals

We calculate here. the dielectric constant E as a function of temperature for the AC* phase transition of a ferroelectric liquid crystal using a mean field model. Using the values of the polarization P and the tilt angle theta, calculated from the mean field model with the P-2 theta(2) coupling for 4-(3-methyl-2-chlorobutanoyloxy)-4'-heptyloxybiphenyl, the dielectric constant E is calculated in the smectic C* phase of this ferroelectric liquid crystal at various temperatures at constant electric fields

Temperature dependence of the thermal expansivity and the specific heat near the nematic-isotropic (NI) phase transition in PAA

Temperature dependence of the thermal expansivity alpha(p) and the specific heat C-p has been studied for the nematic-isotropic (NI) phase transition (T-NI=133.9 degrees C) of PAA