HPV testing on self-collected cervico-vaginal material: a new way of woman-friendly cervical screening

Meijer, C.J.L.M. [Promotor]Snijders, P.J.F. [Promotor]Heideman, D.A.M. [Copromotor]Kemenade, F.J. van [Copromotor

Glutamatergic activation of A1 and A2 noradrenergic neurons in the rat brain stem

Aim To analyze the effects of glutamatergic agonists and antagonists on the activation of the A1 and A2 noradrenergic neurons localized in caudal ventrolateral medulla and nucleus tractus solitarii, respectively. Methods Rats were injected with glutamatergic agonists – kainic acid, α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4- isoxazolepropionic acid (AMPA), or N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA), and the brain sections were prepared for immunohistochemistry. Before agonist injections, antagonists – 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione or dizocilpine were administered. The expression of c-Fos, as the neuronal activation marker, and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), as the marker of noradrenergic neurons was assessed with dual immunohistochemistry. The percentage of c-Fos-positive noradrenergic neurons relative to all TH-positive neurons in the respective areas of the brain stem was calculated. Results All three glutamatergic agonists significantly increased the number of the c-Fos-positive noradrenergic neurons in both the A1 and A2 area when compared with control animals. Kainic acid injection activated about 57% of TH-positive neurons in A1 and 40% in A2, AMPA activated 26% in A1 and 38% in A2, and NMDA 77% in A1 and 22% in A2. The injections of appropriate glutamatergic antagonists greatly decreased the number of activated noradrenergic neurons. Conclusion Our results suggest that noradrenergic neurons are regulated and/or activated by glutamatergic system and that these neurons express functional glutamate receptors

The broiler meat system in Nairobi, Kenya: using a value chain framework to understand animal and product flows, governance and sanitary risks

Livestock food systems play key subsistence and income generation roles in low to middle income countries and are important networks for zoonotic disease transmission. The aim of this study was to use a value chain framework to characterize the broiler chicken meat system of Nairobi, its governance and sanitary risks. A total of 4 focus groups and 8 key informant interviews were used to collect cross-sectional data from: small-scale broiler farmers in selected Nairobi peri-urban and informal settlement areas; medium to large integrated broiler production companies; traders and meat inspectors in live chicken and chicken meat markets in Nairobi. Qualitative data were collected on types of people operating in the system, their interactions, sanitary measures in place, sourcing and selling of broiler chickens and products. Framework analysis was used to identify governance themes and risky sanitary practices present in the system. One large company was identified to supply 60% of Nairobi’s day-old chicks to farmers, mainly through agrovet shops. Broiler meat products from integrated companies were sold in high-end retailers whereas their low value products were channelled through independent traders to consumers in informal settlements. Peri-urban small-scale farmers reported to slaughter the broilers on the farm and to sell carcasses to retailers (hotels and butcheries mainly) through brokers (80%), while farmers in the informal settlement reported to sell their broilers live to retailers (butcheries, hotels and hawkers mainly) directly. Broiler heads and legs were sold in informal settlements via roadside vendors. Sanitary risks identified were related to lack of biosecurity, cold chain and access to water, poor hygiene practices, lack of inspection at farm slaughter and limited health inspection in markets. Large companies dominated the governance of the broiler system through the control of day-old chick production. Overall government control was described as relatively weak leading to minimal official regulatory enforcement. Large companies and brokers were identified as dominant groups in market information dissemination and price setting. Lack of farmer association was found to be system-wide and to limit market access. Other system barriers included lack of space and expertise, leading to poor infrastructure and limited ability to implement effective hygienic measures. This study highlights significant structural differences between different broiler chains and inequalities in product quality and market access across the system. It provides a foundation for food safety assessments, disease control programmes and informs policy-making for the inclusive growth of this fast-evolving sector

Investigation of Erosion Corrosion Caused by Drinking Water in the Faucet with Computational Fluid Dynamics

In this study, the reason for erosion-corrosion of drinking or mains water in the faucet was investigated by computational fluid dynamics. Pipes used in homes, the service sector, and industry are responsible for transporting different types of fluids from one place to another. Considering the faucet design, the SolidWorks program was used for 3D studies. In-faucet flow analyses were performed using Ansys Fluent, a computational fluid dynamics program based on the finite volume method. In the analyses, lime particles were chosen. At the end of the analysis, the amount of erosion in the faucet was obtained

Suitability of foramen magnum measurements in sex determination and their clinical significance

Background: The foramen magnum provides a transition between fossa cranii posterior and canalis vertebralis. Medulla oblongata, arteria vertebralis and nervus accessorius spinal part pass through the foramen magnum. In this study, we aimed to make the morphometric measurements of the foramen magnum on computed tomography (CT) and to determine the feasibility of sex determination based on these measurements. Besides sex determination, from a clinical aspect, it is important to know the measurements of the foramen magnum in the normal population in terms of diseases characterised by displacement of the posterior fossa structures through foramen magnum to upper cervical spinal canal such as Chiari malformations and syringomyelia. Materials and methods: All the data for our study was obtained retrospectively from 100 patients (50 males, 50 females) who had a CT scan of the head and neck region in Adnan Menderes University Hospital, Department of Radiology. To examine the foramen magnum in each and every occipital bone, we measured the foramen magnum’s anteroposterior diameter, transverse diameter, the area of the foramen magnum and its circumference. Results: We found that men have a higher average value than women in our study. According to Student’s t-test results; in all measured parameters, there is significant difference between the genders (p < 0.05). When multivariate discriminant function test is performed for all four measurements, the discrimination rate is 64% for all women, 70% for all men and 67% for both genders. Conclusions: As a result of our study, the metric data we obtained will be useful in cases where the skeletons’ sex could not be determined by any other methods. We believe that, our study may be useful for other studies in determining of sex from foramen magnum. Our measurements could give some information of the normal ranges of the foramen magnum in normal population, so that this can contribute to the diagnosis process of some diseases by imaging. (Folia Morphol 2018; 77, 1: 99–104)  

The effect of erythropoietin on healing of obstructive vs nonobstructive left colonic anastomosis: an experimental study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Anastomotic leakage is an important problem following primary resection in the left colon and is even more prominent when obstruction is present. We aimed to evaluate the possible effects of erythropoietin on the healing of anastomosis under both obstructive and non-obstructive states.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Forty male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups. In group I, two cm left colonic resection and primary anastomosis were done. In group II, left colon were completely ligated and 24 hours later animals were re-operated for segmental resection. The same procedures were performed for rats in group III and IV in respect to group I and II and, 500 IU/kg a day erythropoietin were given in the latter two groups for seven days. For the quantative description of anastomotic healing mechanical, biochemical and histopathological parameters were employed on the seventh day and the animals were sacrificied.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although erythropoietin had positive effects on bursting pressure in group IV when compared to group II, it has no effect in group III. Despite the increased tissue hydroxyproline levels in group IV, erythropoietin failed to show any effects in group III.</p> <p>Erythropoietin had positive effects on neovascularization, fibroblast proliferiation and storage of collagen in group IV.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>We failed to find any direct and evident effects of erythropoietin on healing of left colonic anastomosis. On the other hand, erythropoietin might prevent negative effects of obstruction on healing.</p

Association between frontal sinus development and persistent metopic suture

Background: Frontal sinuses are 2 irregular cavities, placed between 2 lamina of frontal bone. Expansion continues during childhood and reaches full size after puberty. Persistent metopic suture is one of the factors that are related to abnormal frontal sinus development. In this study, we want to discuss about the coexistence of persistent metopic suture and abnormal frontal sinus development using radiological techniques.Materials and methods: In this retrospectively planned study, images of 631 patients were examined, 217 (34.4%) of them were men and 414 (65.6%) of them were women. Brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance images were retrieved from the electronic archive for analysis.Results: In this study, frontal sinus development is categorised as right side atrophy, left side atrophy, bilateral atrophy and bilaterally developed sinuses. The presence of metopic suture was accepted as persistent metopic suture. Frontal sinus atrophy was found in 22.7% and persistent metopic sutures were found in 9.7% of overall.Conclusions: In this study, no significant results were detected that were relatedto the frontal sinus agenesis or dismorphism associated with persistent metopicsuture. We conclude that, although publications propounding metopism thatleads to abnormal frontal sinus development are present in the literature, noreasonable explanation has been mentioned in these articles; and we believe thatthese findings are all incidental.

Does organizational formalization facilitate voice and helping organizational citizenship behaviors? It depends on (national) uncertainty norms

Prosocial work behaviors in a globalized environment do not operate in a cultural vacuum. We assess to what extent voice and helping organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) vary across cultures, depending on employees’ perceived level of organizational formalization and national uncertainty. We predict that in contexts of uncertainty, cognitive resources are engaged in coping with this uncertainty. Organizational formalization can provide structure that frees up cognitive resources to engage in OCB. In contrast, in contexts of low uncertainty, organizational formalization is not necessary for providing structure and may increase constraints on discretionary behavior. A three-level hierarchical linear modeling analysis of data from 7,537 employees in 267 organizations across 17 countries provides broad support for our hypothesis: perceived organizational formalization is weakly related to OCB, but where uncertainty is high; formalization facilitates voice significantly, helping OCB to a lesser extent. Our findings contribute to clarifying the dynamics between perceptions of norms at organizational and national levels for understanding when employees may engage in helping and voice behaviors. The key implication is that managers can foster OCB through organizational formalization interventions in uncertain environments that are cognitively demanding

A New Approach to Sea Transportation: An Application in Turkey

This study has been conducted to detect the strengths and the improvement requiring areas of sea transportation in Turkey via SWOT analysis, and the opportunities this sector brings to Turkey and the threats that might appear have been put forward in several aspects. When the necessary advances have been made considering the outcomes of this study, it can be foreseen that Turkish navigation can make a swift progress and assume its place in the top 5 mercantile fleets of the World Trade Fleet. Moreover, this new approach that can be developed through the example of Turkey, especially in the context of SWOT analysis methodology, can get to be seen as a role model before the other developing countries.Sea transportation is not merely a transportation sector. Along with goods and human transportation, ship building industry, port services, sea insurance and sea tourism are among the many naval activities. Because of all these, sea transportation has a significant place in international trade. The overall commercial value of world trade mounting up to 15 trillion US dollars, 9 trillion dollars of this has been conducted via sea transportation. In other words, 60 percent of world commerce has been done through sea transportation (GISBIR, 2013). Furthermore, the volume of the dry bulk market via sea transportation is expected to grow by 6 percent between the years 2014 and 2018 (GISBIR, 2013)