The Use of Rough Set Theory in Determining the Preferences of the Customers of an Insurance Agency

In today’s market environment a fierce competition is being experienced. It can be clearly stated that the businesses that determine the customer profiles well and manufacture related products in accordance with the requests/needs of the customers gain superiority over their rivals. Within this scope, this fact is also an important issue for the companies that are trying to keep up with other competitors in the insurance sector. In this study, this critical problem of EPD which is an agency of Allianz Insurance was solved by using Rough Set Theory (RST) method. Ten condition attributes (i.e. age, gender, etc.) were examined in the study. Decision attribute is the variable of the insurance type which includes individual retirement, health and life insurances. With the method of RST, a set of rules were identified which may help in developing strategies that will bring in new customers to EPD while keeping present ones. The attained results were presented to the executives of EPD. The executives have re-determined their marketing strategies in compliance with these results and exercised these strategies accordingly. Feedbacks from the executives indicated that the RST helps in facilitating the development of marketing strategies based on the characteristics of the customers and determining their profiles. Keywords: Rough set theory, customer’s profile, insurance, decision rule

Serum levels of growth factors in patients with urinary bladder cancer

Background: Altered signalling of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER-2/neu), insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) have been shown to play important role in tumor development and progression in various cancers. Their serum levels may be reliable indicator for diagnosis and progression of cancer

DNA damage and glutathione level in children with asthma bronchiale: effect of antiasthmatic therapy.

When the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) exceeds the capacity of antioxidant defences, a condition known as oxidative stress occurs and it has been implicated in many pathological conditions including asthma. Interaction of ROS with DNA may result in mutagenic oxidative base modifications such as 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-oxo-dGuo) and DNA strand breaks. Reduced glutathione (GSH) serves as a powerful antioxidant against harmful effects of ROS. The aim of this study was to describe DNA damage as level of DNA strand breaks and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase (Fpg)-sensitive sites, which reflects oxidative DNA damage and GSH level in children with mild-to-moderate persistent asthma; and to examine the effect of antiasthmatic therapy on these DNA damage parameters and GSH level. Before and after 8 wk of antiasthmatic therapy blood samples were taken, DNA strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites in peripheral leukocytes were determined by comet assay, GSH level of whole blood was measured by spectrophotometric method. DNA strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites in the asthma group were found to be increased as compared with control group. GSH level in the asthma group was not significantly different from those in the control group. Levels of strand breaks, Fpg-sensitive sites and GSH were found to be decreased in the asthma group after the treatment. In conclusion, oxidative DNA damage (strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites) is at a high level in children with asthma. DNA damage parameters and GSH level were found to be decreased after therapy. Our findings imply that antiasthmatic therapy including glucocorticosteroids not only controls asthma but also decreases mutation risk in children with asthma bronchiale

Leukocyte DNA damage in children with iron deficiency anemia: effect of iron supplementation.

Iron deficiency is frequently associated with anemia. Iron is a transition-metal ion, and it can induce free radical formation, which leads to formation of various lesions in DNA, proteins, and lipids. The aim of this study was to investigate baseline oxidative DNA damage and to clarify the role of the administration of a therapeutic dose of iron on DNA oxidation in children with iron deficiency anemia (IDA). Twenty-seven children with IDA and 20 healthy children were enrolled in the study. Leukocyte DNA damage (strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites) was assessed using comet assay before and after 12 weeks of daily iron administration. Before the iron administration, the frequency of DNA strand breaks in the children with IDA was found to be lower than those in the control group (P < 0.05), but there was not a significant difference for frequency of Fpg-sensitive sites. After 12 weeks of iron administration, the frequency of both DNA strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites were found to be increased (P < 0.01). No significant association was determined between DNA damage parameters and hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and ferritin. In conclusion, basal level of DNA strand breaks is at a low level in children with IDA. After iron administration, DNA strand breaks and Fpg-sensitive sites, which represent oxidatively damaged DNA, increased. However, this increase was unrelated to serum level of iron and ferritin

Role of Oxidative Stress in Patients with Primary Open Angle Glaucoma and Senil Cataract

Purpose: Contribution of oxidative stress in various ocular disorders is known. In our study, the role of oxidative stress in patients with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) and senile cataract (SC) was investigated. For this purpose, the products of free radical metabolism and activities of antioxidant enzymes in blood plasma and aqueous humor were measured

Evaluation of 8-Hydroxy-2 '-Deoxyguanosine Concentration and Antioxidant Enzyme Activities in Bladder Cancer Patients

Objective: Oxidant/antioxidant balance has been suggested as an important factor for initiation and progression of cancer. The purpose of this study was to examine 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) level which is a marker of oxidative DNA damage, superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) activities as antioxidant enzymes, in serum of urinary bladder cancer, and to determine relations between measured parameters and tumor characteristics such as histological grade, local invasion and tumor size. Material and Methods: Forty patients with urinary bladder cancer were included in the study. Blood samples were collected just before the resection. Serum levels of 8-OHdG were measured with a competitive ELISA kit, SOD and GPx activities were measured by spectrophotometric kits, GST activity was determined by spectrophotometric assay. Results: There was no significant difference between patient and control groups for serum 8-OHdG level and GPx activity. However serum SOD activity was significantly lower (P<0.001) and GST activity was significantly higher (P<0.001) in the patient group as compared to control group. Tumor size found to be negatively correlated with GST activity (r: -0.43, P < 0.01). Conclusion: Data show that serum level of 8-OHdG does not have a prognostic potential for urinary bladder cancer. Antioxidant balance is disturbed in these patients however changes in antioxidant enzyme activities does not have a prognostic value. The most promising antioxidant enzyme is GST because of its negative association with tumor size

Magnetic resonance enterography in pediatric celiac disease

Objective: To assess if magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is capable of showing evidence/extent of disease in pediatric patients with biopsy-proven celiac disease (CD) by comparing with a control group, and to correlate the magnetic resonance enterography findings with anti-endomysial antibody (EMA) level, which is an indicator of gluten-free dietary compliance

Magnetic resonance enterography in pediatric celiac disease

Objective: To assess if magnetic resonance enterography (MRE) is capable of showing evidence/extent of disease in pediatric patients with biopsy‐proven celiac disease (CD) by comparing with a control group, and to correlate the MRE findings with anti‐endomysial antibody (EMA) level, which is an indicator of gluten‐free dietary compliance. Methods: Thirty‐one pediatric patients (mean age 11.7 ± 3.1 years) with biopsy‐proven CD and 40 pediatric patients as a control group were recruited in the study. The MRE images of both patients with CD and those of the control group were evaluated by two pediatric radiologists in a blinded manner for the mucosal pattern, presence of wall thickening, luminal distention of the small bowel, and extra‐intestinal findings. Patient charts were reviewed to note clinical features and laboratory findings. The histopathologic review of the duodenal biopsies was re‐conducted. Results: The mean duration of the disease was 5.6 ± 1.8 years (range: 3‐7.2 years). In 24 (77%) of the patients, EMA levels were elevated (mean 119.2 ± 66.6 RU/mL). MRE revealed normal fold pattern in all the patients. Ten (32%) patients had enlarged mesenteric lymph nodes. Conclusion: Although a majority of the patients had elevated EMA levels indicating poor dietary compliance, MRE did not show any mucosal abnormality associated with the inability of MRE to detect mild/early changes of CD in children. Therefore, it may not be useful for the follow‐up of pediatric CD

The relation between distant metastasis and genetic change type in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma patients at diagnosis

Introduction Brain metastasis prevalence is higher in patients with positive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation, anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and C-ROS oncogene 1 (ROS-1) fusion change in lung adenocarcinoma. Objectives The purpose of our study is to investigate the relation between the genetic change type and the initial distant metastasis in stage IV lung adenocarcinoma patients with genetic changes. Methods The study was conducted between January 2007 and December 2018 in a retrospective fashion with patients who had lung cancer diagnosed as stage IV adenocarcinoma. The relation between genetic mutation change (EGFR, ALK or ROS-1) and distant metastasis was analysed. Results A total of 845 patients were included in the study. The median age was 62 (28-88). It was determined that lung and pleura metastases were more frequent at a significant level in patients with positive EGFR mutation (P = 0.032,P = 0.004, respectively). In patients with positive ALK fusion change, pleura metastasis was determined to be more frequent (P = 0.001). Multiple metastases were determined to be significantly more in patients with positive ALK fusion change than single metastasis (P = 0.02). Conclusion In patients with EGFR mutant lung adenocarcinoma, lung and pleura metastasis is more frequent and pleura metastasis is more frequent in ALK positive adenocarcinoma. Additionally, multiple organ metastases are higher in ALK positive lung adenocarcinoma