Determining the COVID-19 Knowledge, Awareness and Anxiety Levels of Intern Dentists

Introduction: COVID-19 is a contagious disease caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The nature of dentistry leads to close contact with patients and exposure to saliva, blood, and other bodily fluids during treatment processes and it is a field where high-frequency devices that can make it easier for virus contamination are used. This study aims to determine the knowledge and approaches of COVID-19 infection control of intern dentists who have begun face-to-face education and their COVID-19-related fear and anxiety levels. Methods: The study comprised 4th and 5th-year students who began face-to-face education at the Ankara University Faculty of Dentistry 2020/2021 spring semester. A questionnaire was used as the data collection tool for this study. The data were collected using a knowledge questionnaire and a COVID-19 fear and anxiety scale. Results: The average COVID-19 knowledge score of the students was 63.65±9.64, their coronavirus fear average score was 17.63±5.57, and their anxiety average score was found to be 2.37±3.32. A positive relationship was found between the anxiety scores and the COVID-19 fear scores. The results of this study show that the COVID-19 knowledge level and fear of dentistry students are moderate and that their COVID-19 anxiety level is low. Conclusion: It was found that the knowledge and fear of coronavirus levels of intern dentistry students were moderate and that their coronavirus anxiety level was low

Mental Health Literacy Levels and General Health Perceptions of Faculty of Health Sciences Students

The aim of this study is to determine the general health perceptions and mental health literacy levels of students studying in the Faculty of Health Sciences who will be involved in professional service delivery and decision-making processes in the field of health in the future. The research is a cross-sectional descriptive study conducted with students from the Nutrition and Dietetics, Child Development, Health Management, Social Work, and Orthotics-Prosthetics departments at Ankara University Faculty of Health Sciences during the 2021-2022 academic year. A total of 310 students participated in the study, which was conducted using a face-to-face survey method. In line with the purpose of the study, the Mental Health Literacy Scale (MHLS) and the General Health Perception Scale (GHPS-12) were used. The mean score on the MHLS scale for the participating students was 15.07±3.14, while the mean score on the GHPS-12 scale was found to be 4.34±3.46. Mental health literacy and its sub-dimensions showed statistically significant differences based on gender, department, class, and alcohol use. Furthermore, there was a significant difference in students' general health perception scores based on department, class, and mental health status. It is observed that students at the Faculty of Health Sciences need support to seek help in order to maintain and improve their mental health, especially to recognize depression and similar mental disorders. In this context, it is recommended that the curriculum program aimed at increasing the knowledge level of prospective professionals who will work in the fields of healthcare and mental health services on common topics in society such as schizophrenia, depression, and suicide be updated

Vitamin B-12-loaded solid lipid nanoparticles as a drug carrier in cancer therapy

Nanostructure-mediated drug delivery, a key technology for the realization of nanomedicine, has the potential to improve drug bioavailability, ameliorate release deviation of drug molecules and enable precision drug targeting. Due to their multifunctional properties, solid lipid nanoparticles (SLNs) have received great attention of scientists to find a solution to cancer. Vitamin supplements may contribute to a reduction in the risk of cancer. Vitamin B-12 has several characteristics that make it an attractive entity for cancer treatment and possible therapeutic applications. The aim of this study was to produce B-12-loaded SLNs (B-12-SLNs) and determine the cytotoxic effects of B-12-SLNs on H-Ras 5RP7 and NIH/3T3 control cell line. Results obtained by MTT assay, transmission electron and confocal microscopy showed that B-12-loaded SLNs are more effective than free vitamin B-12 on cancer cells. In addition, characterization studies indicate that while the average diameter of the B-12 was about 650 nm, B-12-SLNs were about 200 nm and the drug release efficiency of vit. B-12 by means of SLNs increased up to 3 h. These observations point to the fact that B-12-SLNs could be used as carrier systems due to the therapeutic effects on cancer

The Apoptotic Effects of Escin in The H-Ras Transformed 5RP7 Cell Line

Extracts of Aesculus hippocastanum L. (horse chestnut) seed have been used in the treatment of chronic venous insufficiency, edema and hemorrhoids. Most of the beneficial effects of horse chestnut are attributed to its principal component -escin or escin. We have evaluated the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects of escin in the H-Ras 5RP7 cell line by analyzing cell growth inhibition, apoptosis and caspase-3 dependent activity. We have also shown structural and ultrastructural changes in these cell using confocal and transmission electron microscopy. The results indicated that escin has significant inhibitory effects on cell growth and the percentage of apoptotic cells increased after treatment with escin, and the micrographs confirmed that escin damaged these cells and induced apoptosis. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

Increased Subfoveal Choroidal Thickness and Retinal Structure Changes on Optical Coherence Tomography in Pediatric Alport Syndrome Patients

Objective. To evaluate optical coherence tomography (OCT) findings of pediatric Alport syndrome (AS) patients with no retinal pathology on fundus examination. Materials and Methods. Twenty-one patients being followed up with the diagnosis of AS (Group 1) and 24 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers (Group 2) were prospectively evaluated. All participants underwent standard ophthalmologic examination, retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) analysis, and horizontal and vertical scan macula enhanced depth imaging OCT (EDI-OCT). Statistical analysis of the data obtained in this study was performed with SPSS 15.0. Results. Macula thickness was significantly decreased in the temporal quadrant in Group 1 compared to those of the control group (p=0.013). RNFL measurements revealed statistically significant thinning in the temporal, superior, inferotemporal, and inferonasal quadrants and in average thicknesses in cases with AS compared to the controls (p<0.001, p<0.001, p=0.022, p=0.016, p<0.001, respectively). The mean subfoveal coronial thickness (SCT) was 362.2 ± 77.8 μm in Group 1 and 256,18 ± 71.7 μm in Group 2. There was a statistically significant difference between the two groups in terms of mean CT (p<0.001). Conclusion. OCT provides valuable information in identifying the structural changes and evaluation of ocular findings in patients with AS. Even if no pathological retinal findings were found in the clinical examination, structural changes in the OCT examination begin in early period of AS

The Effect of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy on Rhabdomyolysis-Induced Myoglobinuric Acute Renal Failure in Rats

Myoglobinuric acute renal failure (MARF) may develop after severe muscle injury. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1), a stress-response protein, has been implicated as a protective agent against MARF. We hypothesized that hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) may alleviate MARF by inducing renal HO-1 expression. Wistar-Albino rats were randomly assigned into three groups: Control (n=4), MARF (n=8), MARF+HBO (n=8). MARF was induced by intramuscular glycerol (50%, 8mL/kg) injection. Saline (8mL/kg) was injected into the hind limb of the animals in the control group. Animals in the MARF+HBO group received two sessions of HBO therapy (90min at 2.5atm) 2 and 18h after glycerol injection. Serum and tissue samples were taken at 24h. Serum urea and creatinine levels increased in the MARF and MARF+HBO groups confirming the development of MARF. But, serum urea and creatinine levels were similar in MARF and MARF+HBO groups. Oxidative stress parameters were similar among all groups. Histological renal injury score was similar in MARF and MARF+HBO groups. HO-1 level, determined by immunohistochemistry, was significantly higher in MARF and MARF+HBO groups, compared to the control group. Although HO-1 level in MARF+HBO group was higher than MARF group, it was not statistically significant. We found that HBOT did not reduce renal injury in experimental MARF model. HBOT is used to reduce the muscle damage after crush injury, which may be accompanied by MARF. Therefore, more studies are needed to understand the effects of HBO treatment on renal functions after MARF.WoSScopu