A comparison of two conjunctival rotation autograft techniques in primary pterygium surgery.

PURPOSE: To compare the effects of 90° and 180° conjunctival rotational autograft (CRA) techniques used in primary pterygium surgery. METHODS: Forty-five patients were included in this retrospective study. Visual acuity (VA), corneal topography, and auto-refractometer measurements, as well as detailed biomicroscopic examinations, were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. During surgery, the pterygium tissue was excised then rotated 90° in Group 1 and180° in Group 2, after which it was sutured to the bare sclera. Pterygium recurrence was defined as corneal invasion ≥1 mm. RESULTS: Group 1 consisted of 21 patients with a mean age of 45.1 ± 11.8 years, while Group 2 comprised 24 patients with a mean age of 47.9 ± 13.8 years. The pterygia in Group 1 were graded as more advanced than those in Group 2. A similar number of recurrences were observed in Group 1 (14.3%) and in Group 2 (16.7%). There was no statistically significant difference in terms of the preoperative and postoperative VA and astigmatism values between the two groups. There was a statistically significant improvement in the postoperative VA and astigmatism values in Group 1 and in the postoperative astigmatism values in Group 2. Although postoperative redness was more common in Group 1, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups. CONCLUSION: BothCRA techniques can be successful in patients for whom it is desirable to avoid a conjunctival autograft and for patients without high cosmetic expectations

The Great Mimicker: Zona Zoster at the Mastectomy Site Causing Contralateral Intramammary Lymph Node Enlargement

Zona zoster is rarely observed in patients with malignancy; when present, it follows a dermatomal fashion. Involvement of widely separated regions is very rare. Hereby, zona zoster causing enlarged intramammary lymph nodes (IMLN) in the opposite breast is reported for the first time in literature. The masses were hypoechoic on US with no hilum and hypervascular on color Doppler US. MRI showed hypointense masses with type 3 time-intensity curve and adjacent vessel sign. The complete regression of the nodes after the antiviral therapy confirmed the diagnosis. In breast cancer patients, IMLN enlargements may mimic breast cancer metastasis, and zona zoster infection of the mastectomy site may present with contralateral IMLN enlargement due to altered lymphatic drainage. When breast US is not sufficient for the differential diagnosis, breast MRI may warrant proper diagnosis, and prevent unnecessary biopsies. Antiviral treatment with followup would be sufficient for management

A Survey of Social Network Forensics

Social networks in any form, specifically online social networks (OSNs), are becoming a part of our everyday life in this new millennium especially with the advanced and simple communication technologies through easily accessible devices such as smartphones and tablets. The data generated through the use of these technologies need to be analyzed for forensic purposes when criminal and terrorist activities are involved. In order to deal with the forensic implications of social networks, current research on both digital forensics and social networks need to be incorporated and understood. This will help digital forensics investigators to predict, detect and even prevent any criminal activities in different forms. It will also help researchers to develop new models / techniques in the future. This paper provides literature review of the social network forensics methods, models, and techniques in order to provide an overview to the researchers for their future works as well as the law enforcement investigators for their investigations when crimes are committed in the cyber space. It also provides awareness and defense methods for OSN users in order to protect them against to social attacks

Short communication: Investigation of intestinal coccidia in patients with diarrhea

The intestinal protozoa have been increasingly identified in immunocompromised patients. In this study, stool samples of 554 patients [288 male, 266 female; 11 (2%) of them were immunocompromised] with diarrhea were examined between June 2004 and June 2005 in the Parasitology Laboratory of Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, Izmir, Turkey, in order to investigate the prevalence of intestinal coccidia. After formalin-ethyl acetate sedimentation procedure, the samples were examined by both native lugol and Kinyoun acid-fast staining methods for the detection of Cryptosporidium, Cyclospora and Isospora spp. As a result, Isospora beffi oocysts were detected in the stool samples of two. patients (0.4%) of which one was HIV positive and the other had experienced liver transplantation. Seven (1.3%) and two (0.4%) of the immunocompetent subjects were found positive for Cryptosporidium spp. and for Cyclospora cayetanensis, respectively. In conclusion, Isospora is one of the important protozoa which should be taken into consideration by clinicians in the immunocompromised patients with diarrhea

On the methods of pricing American options: case study

In this study, a comparative analysis of numerical and approximation methods for pricing American options is performed. Binomial and finite difference approximations are discussed; furthermore, Roll-Geske-Whaley, Barone-Adesi and Whaley and Bjerksund-Stensland analytical approximations as well as the least-squares Monte Carlo method of Longstaff and Schwartz are presented. Applicability and efficiency in almost all circumstances, numerical solutions of the corresponding free boundary problem is emphasized. Methods used in pricing American options are also compared on dividend and non-dividend paying assets; and their pros and cons are discussed along with numerical experiments

Isolation, purification and determination of some biochemical properties of beta-glucosidase from Muscat of Bornova grape

WOS: 000330357700002This research was undertaken to determine biochemical properties of beta-glucosidase (beta-D-glucoside glucohydrolase, EC 3.2.1.21) isolated from Muscat of Bornova grape. The optimum pH for beta-glucosidase activity was found to be 5.0, and the enzyme showed high activity over a broad pH range of 4.5-6.0. However, due to low activity at pH 3.0, the enzyme is expected to exhibit only a fraction of the maximum activity during grape juice fermentation due to low pH of grape juice. As the temperature increased from 30 to 55 degrees C, the activity increased, too, the maximum activity occurring at 55 degrees C which implies that the enzyme is expected to exhibit a low activity at grape juice fermentation. According to thermal inactivation studies, k(D) values increased as the temperature increased, whereas half-life and D values decreased. Energy of activation (E-a) and Z values were found to be 120.99 kj mol(-1) (r(2) = 0.9776) and 18.08 degrees C (r(2) = 0.9750), respectively. d-glucose and ethyl alcohol inhibited the enzyme at varying degrees depending on the concentration.Research Fund of the University of Cukurova, TurkeyCukurova University [ZF2008.YL.36]This study (ZF2008.YL.36) was funded by the Research Fund of the University of Cukurova, Turkey

Bench blasting design based on site-specific attenuation formula in a quarry

This research was performed on the quarry that will be opened to produce aggregates and rock filling material at Catalagzi region at Zonguldak province in Turkey. However, there are some structures which can be adversely affected by blasting at the quarry. These structures are a methane exploration drill hole and a house at the distances of 340 and 390 m, respectively. One of the main goals of this study is to perform a preliminary assessment of possible damage effect of ground vibrations induced by blasting on these structures by risk analysis based on ground vibration measurements. In order to propose a preliminary blast design models separately for aggregate and rock filling material production, six test shots with different maximum charge per delay were planned and fired at the quarry. In these shots, 90 events were recorded. To predict peak particle velocity (PPV), the relationship between the recorded peak particle velocities and scaled distances were investigated. During this investigation, the data pairs were statistically analyzed and a PPV prediction equation specific to this site with 95% prediction line were obtained. And also, this equation was used in the derivation of the practical blasting charts specific to this site as a practical way of predicting the peak particle velocity and maximum charge per delay for future blasting. A risk analysis was performed by using this equation. In the light of this analysis, preliminary blast design models were proposed to be used in this quarry for aggregate and rock filling material production

Phenolic compounds and antioxidant and antimicrobial properties of Helichrysum species collected from eastern Anatolia, Turkey

The antioxidant activity of the methanolic extracts of 4 plants from genus Helichrysum Mill. (Asteraceae) [H. arenarium (L.) Moench subsp. erzincanicum Davis & Kupicha, H. arenarium (L.) Moench subsp. rubicundum (C.Koch.) Davis & Kupicha, H. armenium DC. subsp. araxinum (Kirp.) Takht., and H. plicatum DC. subsp. pseudoplicatum (Nab.) Davis & Kupicha] was investigated with 2 complementary test systems, DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) radical scavenging and phosphomolybdenum assay. H. plicatum subsp. pseudoplicatum showed the highest level of total antioxidant activity (161.79 +/- 0.3 mg ascorbic acid equivalent/g extract) in the phosphomolybdenum assay. H. arenarium subsp. erzincanicum showed the highest level of free radical scavenging activity, with an IC50 value of 23.03 mu g/mL. The total phenolic contents of the extracts ranged from 71.81 to 144.50 mg gallic acid/g dry extract. Chlorogenic acid, apigenin-7-glucoside, and apigenin were found by HPLC analysis to be the main components in the extracts. Antimicrobial activity was investigated with the agar diffusion method. The methanolic extracts had antibacterial activity against Aeromonas hydrophila, Bacillus brevis, B. cereus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 29213. However, no activity was found against Escherichia coli, Morganella morganii, Mycobacterium smegmatis, Proteus mirabilis, Yersinia enterocolitica, or Saccharomyces cerevisiae