SCREENING FOR CANCER AND MARKET STRUCTURE:A MULTILEVEL ANALYSIS FOR MAMMOGRAM AND PAP-SMEAR UTILIZATION IN THE U.S.

This paper investigates the relationship between health care market structure and utilization of preventive care services, namely mammogram and Papanicolaou (Pap-smear) screening. In addition to their life saving aspects, it is always believed that preventive health care services are important due to their cost-effectiveness which would prevail under managed competition. Yet, the nature of managed competition has been changing as a result of the backlash against it since the mid-1990s. We have yet to provide a clear answer to the question of how market structure affects the utilization of preventive care in general, and how the latest changes in health care market have been affecting it. These are the primary research questions of the paper. These research questions are answered by employing a new methodology that has not been used before. A multilevel modeling technique is employed to study the impact of changes in the structure of health care market on the utilization of mammogram and Pap-smear tests. In addition, an unusual data source, insurance claims data, rather than surveys or discharge data, is used in this study.Mammogram, Pap-Smear, Utilization, Health Care Market, Multilevel Analysis.

Seed yields and biochemical compounds of common vetch (vicia sativa L.) lines grown in semi-arid regions of Turkey

Common vetch (Vicia sativa L.) is used for grain, hay or green manure in the semi-arid regions of Turkey. The objective of this study was to determine the seed yields and biochemical compounds of seeds for common vetch lines grown under rain-fed conditions in semi-arid regions of Turkey. Four common vetch lines (845, 2640, 1448 and 384) were obtained from the international center for agricultural research in dry areas (ICARDA). Field experiments were designed according to randomized block design with three replications during 2004/05 and 2005/06. Seed yields, crude protein (CP), acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude fat (CF) and amino acid (aa) contents of common vetch lines were determined. Seed yields ranged from 1160 - 1459 kg.ha-1, CP content ranged from 24.94 - 27.86%, ADF content ranged from 5.81 - 8.45%, NDF ranged from 9.89 - 11.42% and CF content ranged from 1.16 - 3.23% based on the averages of the two years results.Key words: Common vetch, crude protein content, acid detergent fiber content, amino acid

Comparison of α, β and total ODAP (β-N-oxalyl-L-ά,β- diamino propionic acid) contents in winter- and springsown grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) genotypes

There is a strong relationship between the consumption of grasspea (Lathyrus sativus L.) and “lathyrism” disease caused by a neurotoxin, β-N-oxalyl-L-a,β-diaminopropionoc acid called ODAP or BOAA. The objective of this study was to compare α, β and total ODAP found in grasspea genotypes sown in winter and spring seasons during 2007/08 and grown under rainy conditions in semi-arid regions of Turkey. Biochemical compounds of α, β and total ODAP were found to be higher in springsown grass peas than those of winter-sown ones. Grasspea 452, 508 and 519 genotypes had lower β- ODAP levels in winter- and spring-sown.Key words: Grasspea, α-ODAP, β-ODAP: 3-(-N-oxalyl)-L-2,3-diamino propionic acid

The effects of functional electrical stimulation cycling on gait parameters in diplegic cerebral palsy: a single-blind randomized controlled trial

PurposeTo investigate the effects of functional electrical stimulation cycling (FES-C) training in addition to conventional physical therapy on gait, muscle strength, gross motor function, and energy expenditure in ambulatory children with spastic diplegic cerebral palsy.Materials and methodsTwenty children with diplegic cerebral palsy were randomly assigned to FES-C group (n = 10) or control group (n = 10). Subjects trained 3 days/week for 8 weeks. Control group received conventional physical therapy. The FES-C group additionally received FES-C training. The functional muscle test was used for muscle strength assessment. Vicon-3D system was used for gait analysis. Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-88) was used for motor function assessment and calorimeter was used for energy expenditure. Measurements were performed at the baseline, at the eight week and at the sixteenth week.ResultsFunctional muscle strength, gross motor function, and energy expenditure improved more in the FES-C group after training and follow up (p 0.05). Pelvic tilt while walking decreased after training in the FES-C group (p < 0.05).ConclusionsFES-C applied in addition to conventional physical therapy in children with diplegic cerebral palsy is more effective than conventional physical therapy for increasing functional muscle strength, improving gross motor function functions, and reducing energy expenditure

A CpG island promoter drives the CXXC5 gene expression

CXXC5 is a member of the zinc-finger CXXC family that binds to unmethylated CpG dinucleotides. CXXC5 modulates gene expressions resulting in diverse cellular events mediated by distinct signaling pathways. However, the mechanism responsible for CXXC5 expression remains largely unknown. We found here that of the 14 annotated CXXC5 transcripts with distinct 5 ' untranslated regions encoding the same protein, transcript variant 2 with the highest expression level among variants represents the main transcript in cell models. The DNA segment in and at the immediate 5 '-sequences of the first exon of variant 2 contains a core promoter within which multiple transcription start sites are present. Residing in a region with high G-C nucleotide content and CpG repeats, the core promoter is unmethylated, deficient in nucleosomes, and associated with active RNA polymerase-II. These findings suggest that a CpG island promoter drives CXXC5 expression. Promoter pull-down revealed the association of various transcription factors (TFs) and transcription co-regulatory proteins, as well as proteins involved in histone/chromatin, DNA, and RNA processing with the core promoter. Of the TFs, we verified that ELF1 and MAZ contribute to CXXC5 expression. Moreover, the first exon of variant 2 may contain a G-quadruplex forming region that could modulate CXXC5 expression

Renal replacement therapies in the aftermath of the catastrophic Marmara earthquake

Renal replacement therapies in the aftermath of the catastrophic Marmara earthquake.BackgroundRenal replacement therapy is of vital importance in the treatment of crush syndrome victims, who are frequently encountered after catastrophic earthquakes. The Marmara earthquake, which struck Northwestern Turkey in August 1999, was characterized by 477 victims who needed dialysis.MethodWithin the first week of the disaster, questionnaires containing 63 clinical and laboratory variables were sent to 35 reference hospitals that treated the victims. Information considering the features of dialyses obtained through these questionnaires was submitted to analysis.ResultsOverall, 639 casualties with renal complications were registered, 477 of whom (mean age 32.3 ± 13.7 years, 269 male) needed dialysis. Among these, 452 were treated by a single dialysis modality (437 intermittent hemodialysis, 11 continuous renal replacement therapy and 4 peritoneal dialysis), while 25 victims needed more than one type of dialysis. In total, 5137 hemodialysis sessions were performed (mean 11.1 ± 8.0 sessions per patient) and mean duration of hemodialysis support was 13.4 ± 9.0 days; this duration was shorter in the non-survivors (7.0 ± 8.7 vs. 10.0 ± 9.8 days, P = 0.005). Thirty-four victims who underwent continuous renal replacement therapy had higher mortality rates (41.2 vs. 13.7%, P < 0.0001). Only eight victims were treated by peritoneal dialysis, four of whom also required hemodialysis or continuous renal replacement therapy. The mortality rate in the dialyzed victims was 17.2%, a significantly higher figure compared to the mortality rate of the non-dialyzed patients with renal problems (9.3%; P = 0.015).ConclusionSubstantial amounts of dialysis support may be necessary for treating the victims of mass disasters complicated with crush syndrome. Dialyzed patients are characterized by higher rates of morbidity and mortality

Ozone Therapy and Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment in Lung Injury in Septic Rats

Various therapeutic protocols were used for the management of sepsis including hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. It has been shown that ozone therapy (OT) reduced inflammation in several entities and exhibits some similarity with HBO in regard to mechanisms of action. We designed a study to evaluate the efficacy of OT in an experimental rat model of sepsis to compare with HBO. Male Wistar rats were divided into sham, sepsis+cefepime, sepsis+cefepime+HBO, and sepsis+cefepime+OT groups. Sepsis was induced by an intraperitoneal injection of Escherichia coli; HBO was administered twice daily; OT was set as intraperitoneal injections once a day. The treatments were continued for 5 days after the induction of sepsis. At the end of experiment, the lung tissues and blood samples were harvested for biochemical and histological analysis. Myeloperoxidase activities and oxidative stress parameters, and serum proinflammatory cytokine levels, IL-1β and TNF-α, were found to be ameliorated by the adjuvant use of HBO and OT in the lung tissue when compared with the antibiotherapy only group. Histologic evaluation of the lung tissue samples confirmed the biochemical outcome. Our data presented that both HBO and OT reduced inflammation and injury in the septic rats' lungs; a greater benefit was obtained for OT. The current study demonstrated that the administration of OT as well as HBO as adjuvant therapy may support antibiotherapy in protecting the lung against septic injury. HBO and OT reduced tissue oxidative stress, regulated the systemic inflammatory response, and abated cellular infiltration to the lung demonstrated by findings of MPO activity and histopathologic examination. These findings indicated that OT tended to be more effective than HBO, in particular regarding serum IL-1β, lung GSH-Px and histologic outcome

A Prospective Study of Etiology of Childhood Acute Bacterial Meningitis, Turkey

Vaccines to prevent bacterial meningitis in this region must provide reliable protection against serogroup W-135

THE EFFECT OF FERTILIZATION AND GRAZING APPLICATIONS ON ROOT LENGTH AND ROOT BIOMASS OF SOME RANGELAND GRASSES

WOS: 000355062000006It is important to know the effects of applications such as fertilization and grazing on the vegetation improvement of certain species. This study was conducted to examine the effect of grassland improvement by fertilization and grazing on root length and biomass of various grassland grasses (Festuca ovina L., Koeleria cristata (L.) Bertol, Chrysopogon gryllus (L.) Trin., Bothriochloa ischaemum L. Keng) of the Tokat province of Turkey in the years 2008 and 2009. Great variations were observed among grass species in all applications. All different fertilization and ungrazed applications increased root length and root biomass parameters. Root lengths and root biomass of the species varied from 8.16 to14.27 cm and from 0.73 to 4.73 g, respectively. The longest root lengths and root biomass results were obtained from ungrazed land+ 75 kg ha(-1) N+P2O5 fertilization application

THE FACTORS AFFECTING YIELD AND QUALITY OF HUNGARIAN VETCH plus CEREAL MIXTURES IN ARID ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS

WOS: 000455562500043This study was carried out to determine the performances of pure sowing of Hungarian vetch (HV) (Vicia pannonica Crantz), barley (Hordeum vulgare L.), triticale (T) (XTriticosecale Wittmack) and their mixtures with HV in arid conditions during 20122013 and 2013-2014 vegetation seasons. The experiment was designed based on split plots in a randomized block design with four replicates. Three different cutting times of pure sowing and mixtures were determined as booting, flowering and milk dough stages. Vetches were at 10% flowering when cereals were in booting stage, the vetches were in full flowering while the cereals were in flowering stage, while the lower pod-setting of vetches, the cereals were in milking dough stage. The pure sowing vetch was also harvested during these periods. The highest wet and dry hay yields, considering the mixture and cutting time separately, were obtained at the milk dough stage from the mixture of 25% HV + 75% T. The crude protein ratio increased with the increase in HV ratio of mixtures while the ratios of ADF and NDF decreased. The extend of cutting time from booting to milk dough stage increased the hay yield while quality traits were decreased. The superior yield and quality traits of annual legume + cereal mixtures, when evaluated along with cutting time, suggested that harvesting of 50% HV+50% T mixture can be recommended during flowering period.Gaziosmanpasa University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit [2013/75]This manuscript was produced from PhD thesis funded by Gaziosmanpasa University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit with project number of 2013/75