The incidence of pneumatised inferior turbinate and relation to close anatomic structures

Background: Pneumatisation of the inferior turbinate (PIT) is a rare abnormality of the paranasal sinus. It is very difficult to differentiate from the hypertrophia of the inferior turbinate clinically. Thus, it is important to be considered, especially in cases with no response to medical treatments. We aimed to investigate the presence and the frequency of PIT by computed tomography (CT). Materials and methods: A total of 2905 cases (1381 female, 1524 male) with an age range between 16 and 84 were included. Results: The pneumatisation of the inferior turbinate was observed in 1.72% of the cases with a percentage of 1.88% in women and 1.57% in men. In PIT (+) cases the bilaterality was found in 54% of them. According to the subtypes, 70% was lamellar, 28% was bullous and 2% was extensive. No statistically significant difference was found for age distribution. The most commonly associated variations were the pneumatisation of the middle and upper turbinate and the septal deviation. Conclusions: The pneumatisation of the inferior turbinate is a rare variation with a similar frequency among men and women. It is diagnosed by CT and when symptomatic, the optimal treatment is surgery

Generalizations of warped product manifolds with Spin(7) holonomy

Riemann holonomi grupları teorisinde ayrıcalıklı iki grup yer almaktadır. Bunlar 7-boyutlu manifoldlar üzerinde G2 ve 8-boyutlu manifoldlar üzerinde Spin(7) holonomi gruplarıdır. Bu çalışmada, holonomi grubu Spin(7)'nin bir alt grubu olan Riemann manifoldlarının yapısı, özel bir durum için incelenmiştir.  Spin(7) holonomisine sahip manifoldlar, Bonan formu olarak adlandırılan bir 4-formun varlığı ile karakterize edilir. Bonan formu Hodge anlamında kendine eş,  Spin(7) invaryant ve kapalı bir    4-formdur. Çalışmada öncelikli olarak Bonan formunun oktonion çarpımı kullanılarak elde edilme yolu verilmiştir. Daha sonra, çoklu warped çarpım metriklerinin genellemeleri tartışılmış ve özel bir hal olan (3+3+2) warped-benzeri çarpım metriği tanım-lanmıştır. Bu metrik, literatürde Yasui-Ootsuka tarafından verilen Spin(7)manifoldu üzerindeki metriğin bir soyutlaması olarak düşünülmüş olup, warped çarpımların lif-taban dekompozisyonunu korumakta, ancak lif uzayındaki metriğin blok köşegen olmadığı durumu da içermektedir. Çalışmada elde edilen ana sonuç, 2 boyutlu bir taban üzerinde, 3 boyutlu, tam, bağlantılı ve basit bağlantılı liflerden oluşan (3+3+2) warped-benzeri bir çarpım manifoldunda, eğer Yasui-Ootsuka çalışmasında kullanılan Bonan formu kapalı ise, liflerin  S3’e isometrik olması gerektiğidir. Buradan, Yasui-Ootsuka çöz ümünün (3+3+2) warped-benzeri metrikler sınıfında, yukarıda belirlenmiş olan Bonan formuna karşılık gelen  Spin(7)yapıları içerisinde tek olduğunu göstermektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Holonomi, Spin(7) holonomi manifoldu, warped ve çoklu warped çarpım manifoldları, warped-benzeri çarpım manifoldu.The holonomy group of a Riemannian manifold was defined by Elie Cartan in 1923 and proved to be an efficient tool in the study of Riemannian manifolds (Kobayashi and Nomizu, 1969). Later, Berger (Berger, 1955) gave a list of the possible holonomy groups of irreducible, simply-connected and non-symmetric Riemannian manifolds. Berger's list (refined later by Alekseevski (1968) and Gray-Brown (1972)) includes the groups SO(n) in n-dimensions, U(n),SU(n) in 2n-dimensions, Sp(n),Sp(n)Sp(1) in 4n-dimensions and two exceptional cases, the holonomy group G2 in 7-dimensions and the holonomy group Spin(7) in 8-dimensions. After Berger introduced his classi-fication list, the existence of manifolds with the specified holonomy groups was an open problem. The existence of manifolds with exceptional holonomy was first demonstrated by Bryant (1987), complete examples were given by Bryant and Salamon (1989) and the first compact examples were found by Joyce (1996). The study of manifolds with exceptional holonomy and the construction of explicit examples is still an active research area in mathematics and physics. In the present work, we investigate the structure of Riemannian manifolds whose holonomy group is a subgroup of Spin(7), for a special case. Manifolds with Spin(7)  holonomy are characterized by the existence of a globally defined 4-form, called the Bonan form (Bonan, 1966) with the following properties i- self-duality in the Hodge sense, ii- Spin(7)  invariance, iii- closedness. We review the structure of the Bonan form and its explicit construction using the structure constants of the octonionic algebra. The starting  point of the present   research was an explicit example of  Spin(7) metric on S3 x S3 x R2 given by Yasui and Ootsuka (2001). We looked whether one could obtain other solutions by relaxing some of their assumptions, in particular without requiring the three dimensional submanifolds to be S3  The method used in (Yasui and Ootsuka, 2001) is based on the notion of "volume-preserving vector fields" and a specific tensor formula called the "2-vector condition". The construction of a metric with Spin(7) holonomy starts with an ansatz for an orthonormal frame which is shown to satisfy the conditions given in (Yasui and Ootsuka, 2001), provided that certain first order differential equations are satisfied. Then the solution of these equations gives a metric with Spin(7) holonomy on S3 x S3 x R2 that we call the "Yasui-Ootsuka solution". Inspired by the metric ansatz of Yasui-Ootsuka, we discuss a generalization of warped product metrics (O'Neil, 1983), by allowing the fiber metric to be non block diagonal in a multiply-warped product (Flores and Sanchez, 2002). We work with a spesific case that we call (3+3+2) warped-like product manifold M = F1 x F2 x B and a specific Spin(7) structure. We prove that, when  the base B is two  dimensional, the fibre F is a 6-manifold of the form   F = F1 x F2  such that Fi 's (i=1,2) are complete, connected and simply connected 3-manifolds and the metric is given by the (3+3+2) warped-like product, then the connection of the fibers is completely determined by the requirement that the Bonan 4-form given in the work by Yasui and Ootsuka (2001) be closed. With the global assumptions given above, it is concluded that the fibers (Fi,i = 1,2) are isometric to S3. It follows that the Yasui-Ootsuka solution is unique in the class of (3+3+2) warped-like product metrics admitting the Spin(7) structure determined by the Bonan form given in the work by Yasui-Ootsuka (2001). As the Bonan form  is a 4-form, then closedness of the Bonan form  gives 56 equations involving exterior derivatives of the basis 1-forms. In the case of the (3+3+2) warped-like product metric, there are 9 parameters on each 3-manifolds (Fi,i = 1,2). Hence there are totally 18 parameters and 56 equations mentioned above. Under some special conditions, it is not surprising to obtain a unique solution. Keywords: Holonomy, Spin(7) holonomy manifold, warped and multiply warped product manifolds, warped-like product manifolds

Non-Conventional Time Domain (TD)-NMR Approaches for Food Quality: Case of Gelatin-Based Candies as a Model Food

The TD-NMR technique mostly involves the use of T-1 (spin-lattice) and T-2 (spin-spin) relaxation times to explain the changes occurring in food systems. However, these relaxation times are affected by many factors and might not always be the best indicators to work with in food-related TD-NMR studies. In this study, the non-conventional TD-NMR approaches of Solid Echo (SE)/Magic Sandwich Echo (MSE) and Spin Diffusion in food systems were used for the first time. Soft confectionary gelatin gels were formulated and conventional (T-1) and non-conventional (SE, MSE and Spin Diffusion) TD-NMR experiments were performed. Corn syrups with different glucose/fructose compositions were used to prepare the soft candies. Hardness, degrees Brix (degrees Bx), and water activity (a(w)) measurements were also conducted complementary to NMR experiments. Relaxation times changed (p < 0.05) with respect to syrup type with no obvious trend. SE/MSE experiments were performed to calculate the crystallinity of the samples. Samples prepared with fructose had the lowest crystallinity values (p < 0.05). Spin Diffusion experiments were performed by using Goldman-Shen pulse sequence and the interface thickness (d) was calculated. Interface thickness values showed a wide range of variation (p < 0.05). Results showed that non-conventional NMR approaches had high potential to be utilized in food systems for quality control purposes

Non-Conventional Time Domain (TD)-NMR Approaches for Food Quality: Case of Gelatin-Based Candies as a Model Food

The TD-NMR technique mostly involves the use of T-1 (spin-lattice) and T-2 (spin-spin) relaxation times to explain the changes occurring in food systems. However, these relaxation times are affected by many factors and might not always be the best indicators to work with in food-related TD-NMR studies. In this study, the non-conventional TD-NMR approaches of Solid Echo (SE)/Magic Sandwich Echo (MSE) and Spin Diffusion in food systems were used for the first time. Soft confectionary gelatin gels were formulated and conventional (T-1) and non-conventional (SE, MSE and Spin Diffusion) TD-NMR experiments were performed. Corn syrups with different glucose/fructose compositions were used to prepare the soft candies. Hardness, degrees Brix (degrees Bx), and water activity (a(w)) measurements were also conducted complementary to NMR experiments. Relaxation times changed (p < 0.05) with respect to syrup type with no obvious trend. SE/MSE experiments were performed to calculate the crystallinity of the samples. Samples prepared with fructose had the lowest crystallinity values (p < 0.05). Spin Diffusion experiments were performed by using Goldman-Shen pulse sequence and the interface thickness (d) was calculated. Interface thickness values showed a wide range of variation (p < 0.05). Results showed that non-conventional NMR approaches had high potential to be utilized in food systems for quality control purposes

Curcumin regulates intracellular calcium release and inhibits oxidative stress parameters, VEGF, and caspase-3/-9 levels in human retinal pigment epithelium cells

In this study, we aimed to observe whether curcumin (cur), a polyphenolic compound derived from the dietary spice turmeric, a yellow substance obtained from the root of the plant Curcuma longa Linn, has any protective effect against blue light irradiation in human retinal pigment epithelium (ARPE-19) cells. For this purpose, we evaluated the intracellular calcium release mechanism, poly ADP ribose polymerase (PARP), procaspase-3/-9 protein expression levels, caspase activation, and reactive oxygen species levels. ARPE-19 cells were divided into four main groups, such as control, cur, blue light, and cur + blue light. Results were evaluated by Kruskal–Wallis and Mann–Whitney U tests as post hoc tests. The cells in cur and cur + blue light samples were incubated with 20 μM cur. Blue light exposure was performed for 24 h in an incubator. Lipid peroxidation and cytosolic-free Ca2+ [Ca2+]i concentrations were higher in the blue light exposure samples than in the control samples; however, their levels were determined as significantly lower in the cur and cur + blue light exposure samples than in the blue light samples alone. PARP and procaspase-3 levels were significantly higher in blue light samples. Cur administration significantly decreased PARP and procaspase-3 expression levels. Reduced glutathione and glutathione peroxidase values were lower in the blue light exposure samples, although they were higher in the cur and cur + blue light exposure samples. Caspase-3 and -9 activities were lower in the cur samples than in the blue light samples. Moreover, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels were significantly higher in the blue light exposure samples. In conclusion, cur strongly induced regulatory effects on oxidative stress, intracellular Ca2+ levels, VEGF levels, PARP expression levels, and caspase-3 and -9 values in an experimental oxidative stress model in ARPE-19 cells

Vitamin C attenuates methotrexate-induced oxidative stress in kidney and liver of rats

Like several other anticancer drugs, methotrexate (MTX) causes side effects, such as neuropathic pain, hepatotoxicity, and nephrotoxicity. Abnormal production of reactive oxygen species has been suspected in the pathophysiology of MTX-induced hepatorenal toxicity. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the probable protective role of vitamin C (Vit C) on oxidative stress induced by MTX in the liver and kidney tissues of rats. A total of 32 rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups. The first group served as the control group. The second group received a single dose of 20 mg/kg of MTX intraperitoneally. To demonstrate our hypothesis, the third and the fourth groups received 250 mg/kg of Vit C for 3 days by oral gavage, with or without MTX treatment. At the end of the study, the liver and kidney tissues of the rats were collected and examined using histology. Both the tissues were assayed for malondialdehyde concentration and superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities. In hepatic and renal tissues, lipid peroxidation levels were increased, whereas SOD, CAT, and GSH-Px levels were decreased by MTX. All parameters, including CAT levels in hepatic tissue, were significantly restored after the administration of Vit C for 3 days. Similar to the biochemical findings, evidence of oxidative damage was examined in both types of tissues by histopathological examination. From the results of this study, we were able to observe that Vit C administration modulates the antioxidant redox system and reduces the renal and hepatic oxidative stress induced by MTX. Vit C can ameliorate the toxic effect of MTX in liver and kidney tissues of rat

Use of interpretable evolved search query classifiers for sinhala documents

Document analysis is a well matured yet still active research field, partly as a result of the intricate nature of building computational tools but also due to the inherent problems arising from the variety and complexity of human languages. Breaking down language barriers is vital in enabling access to a number of recent technologies. This paper investigates the application of document classification methods to new Sinhalese datasets. This language is geographically isolated and rich with many of its own unique features. We will examine the interpretability of the classification models with a particular focus on the use of evolved Lucene search queries generated using a Genetic Algorithm (GA) as a method of document classification. We will compare the accuracy and interpretability of these search queries with other popular classifiers. The results are promising and are roughly in line with previous work on English language datasets