Enteric Duplication Cyst Located at the Posterior Tongue: A Rare Case Report and Review of the Literature

The lingual localization of an enteric duplication is extremely rare but may present with respiratory and feeding problems that require emergency intervention. A7-month-old boy was brought to our clinic with feeding difficulties and tongue swelling. Physical examination showed a cystic lesion located near the left side of the tongue base that caused tongue protrusion to the contralateral side. During surgery, a 3-cm diameter opaque thick-walled cyst was found to be very closely adherent to the base of tongue, which was excised in its entirety. Following surgery, the patient fed during the early postoperative period and no complications were observed other than hypersalivation. On histological examination, a cystic lesion lined with intestinal mucosa and goblet cells was found. We present the rare case of a duplication cyst of the posterior tongue, with a literature review

Effect of Temporal Downscaling of Wind Data on Hindcasting Extreme Wave Events and Wind Power Density Studies over the Black Sea

Wind speed data are usually the main input of wave hindcasting, and wind power density studies. There are several institutions such as ECMWF that provides wind speed data in addition to various other climatologic parameters. However, these institutions provide wind data with different temporal intervals (24 hours - 6 hours - 1 hour) where high temporal resolution wind speed data are generally required. One solution to generate wind data at high sampling frequencies is to use statistical downscaling to interpolate available data to finer sampling interval data. There is limited study concerning the performances of these interpolation techniques in the scope of wind speed data on the overall effect on wave hindcasting and wind power density studies. In this study, performance of seven fundamental interpolation techniques is discussed focusing on both the long term data and the extreme storm events in the Black Sea. Study dataset is taken as hourly NCEP CFSR wind speed dataset between 1979 and 2010 at 522 points over the Black Sea. Extreme events are selected for each year at each of the study points. Performance of the interpolation techniques is assessed comparing the original and temporally downscaled wind speed data for both long term and extreme event cases, based on a penalty point system consisting of several statistical parameters. Wave hindcasting studies are performed using WAVEWATCH III for several selected extreme events. Furthermore, wind power density calculations are performed using the long term wind speed data. The effect of interpolation technique on wave hindcasting and wind power density studies are discussed by comparing the results obtained from original and temporally downscaled datasets. The importance of this study lies in that it would quantify the error originated from interpolation technique in terms of both wind speeds, wave properties, wind power density calculations in the Black Sea. Thus, it would be possible to improve the quality of wind speed data, and the error originated from interpolation technique in wave hindcasting and wind power density studies would be reduced

Effect of the P2Y12 antagonist ticagrelor on neointimal hyperplasia in a rabbit carotid anastomosis model

OBJECTIVES: In the present study, we aimed to deterimine the dose-related effects of ticagrelor, the first reversible inhibitor of the P2Y(12) receptor, found in smooth muscle cells as well as platelets, during neointimal hyperplasia in a rabbit carotid anastomosis model. METHODS: This study was an experimental, prospective, randomized controlled study including 20 New Zealand white female rabbits (6-months old; weighing 2300 +/- 300 g). Under general anaesthesia, the rabbits underwent transection of the right carotid artery and subsequent anastomosis of both ends. The study animals were divided into the following 4 groups: T1 (ticagrelor 5 mg/kg, orally, daily), T2 (ticagrelor 10 mg/kg, orally, daily), T3 (ticagrelor 20 mg/kg, orally, daily) and control (no ticagrelor treatment). The single oral doses were administered in phosphate-buffered saline. The control group received sterile phosphate-buffered saline (2 ml/kg/day, orally) for 3 weeks postoperatively. At the end of the study, the animals were killed, and the anastomosed segment of the right carotid artery and part of the left carotid artery were excised from each animal. Antibodies against transforming growth factor-beta were used in staining of arterial sections, which was followed by histomorphological and immunohistochemical studies. RESULTS: The median intimal thickness (2.0 +/- 0.14 m left vs 73.4 +/- 35.8 m anastomosed right arteries; P <0.05), the median medial thickness (70.8 +/- 5.6 m left vs 92.3 +/- 4.5 m anastomosed right arteries; P <0.05) and the index ratio of intimal thickness to medial thickness (0.03 +/- 0.00 left vs 0.8 +/- 0.35 anastomosed control right arteries; P <0.05) increased significantly in the anastomosed right arteries compared with the left carotid arteries in the control group. In the treatment groups, the intimal thickness (73.4 +/- 35.8 m in control group vs T1 32.7 +/- 19; 1 m, T2 1.9 +/- 0.09 m and T3 2.2 +/- 0.5 m; P = 0.047, P = 0.009 and P = 0.009, respectively), carotid artery intima/media ratio (0.8 +/- 0.35 in control group vs T1 0.4 +/- 0.2, T2 0.03 +/- 0.01 and T3 0.03 +/- 0.01 in ticagrelor groups; P = 0.028, P = 0.009 and P = 0.009, respectively) and medial thickness (92.3 +/- 4.5 m in control group vs T2 65.6 +/- 7.1 and T3 66.1 +/- 7.6 m; P = 0.009 and P = 0.009, respectively) decreased significantly in the anastomosed right arteries. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that effective doses (10 and 20 mg/kg, daily) of the antiplatelet agent ticagrelor in a rabbit model may be beneficial in prevention of intimal hyperplasia. Restenosis due to intimal hyperplasia has been high. Ticagrelor has also been linked to inhibition of smooth muscle cell proliferation and, hence, reduced intimal hyperplasia

Investigation of discrepancy between tuff used as building stones in historical and modern buildings in western Turkey

Tuffs located around the town of Alacati, Turkey have been used in building construction for many years in the past. Recently, based on the efforts of the local government to develop a unique identity for the town, this practice is re-initiated. After about five years from construction, tuff used in newly constructed buildings started to show signs of deterioration. Even though tuff used in recent and older buildings in the town appeared to be the same to the naked eye, a similar deterioration has not been observed in the buildings constructed in the past (some are more than 100 years old). A previous research study has documented the suitability of tuff used in new constructions but the reasons for the discrepancy between the tuffs used in construction of the older and newer buildings has not been previously investigated. In this study the different field performances of tuffs used for historical and modern buildings were investigated against deterioration in the same environment based on the material properties and their durability. This comparison showed that the mineralogical composition and amount of clay contents of the tuffs were one of the major factors resulting in difference in deterioration and durability rates of the tuffs used in building construction within the region. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved