Assessment of Global DNA Methylation in SH-SY5Y Cells Exposed to the Neonicotinoid Insecticides Imidacloprid and Thiamethoxam.

Neonicotinoid insecticides, known for their selectivity and low mammalian toxicity, have been widely used in recent years as alternatives to organophosphate insecticides. Although neonicotinoids are generally considered to be safe, data show that they can cause harmful effects on human and environmental health. Due to the lack of information on their mechanism of toxicity, the effects of imidacloprid and thiamethoxam on DNA methylation as the most used marker for epigenetic effects were investigated in human neuroblastoma (SH-SY5Y) cells. The cells were exposed to imidacloprid and thiamethoxam in concentrations of 100, 200, and 500 µM for 24 hours, then global DNA methylation and expression of genes involved in global DNA methylation (DNMT1, DNMT3a and DNMT3b) were investigated. Global DNA methylation significantly increased after imidacloprid exposure at 100 µM, and thiamethoxam exposures at 200 µM and 500 µM (>1.5-fold). Imidacloprid significantly decreased the expression of DNMT1 and DNMT3a, whereas thiamethoxam did not cause any significant changes in the expression of DNMT genes. Our findings suggested that alteration in global DNA methylation may be involved in the toxic mechanisms of imidacloprid and thiametoxam.

A qualitative study of medical-surgical intensive care unit nurses' experiences in caring for critical patients.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the meaning attributed to nurses' clinical experience in a medical-surgical intensive care unit in Northern Cyprus. METHOD: The qualitative study was conducted in two medical-surgical intensive care units at a university hospital. Data were collected through in-depth interviews with 17 nurses. Giorgi's descriptive phenomenological approach was used to analyze nurses' experiences. The consolidated criteria for reporting a qualitative research checklist were followed in this study. RESULTS: The data analysis led to the extraction of the 5 themes and 19 subthemes. The themes identified for the study were competence, the emotional universe, stress resources, the meaning of nursing care, and profoundly affecting events. The study results show that the nurses expressed that having gained much experience in intensive care units and working there has contributed significantly to their professional development. CONCLUSION: It was indicated that the nurses had meaningful, caring experiences in intensive care units, which were perceived, however, as stressful experiences as well. The study has important implications for nurses, faculty members, and administrators to gain positive care experiences in terms of intensive care units.

"It's Not Just a Plaster Cast, My Leg Is in It!": Patient Experiences: A Qualitative Study.

Plaster casts have been used in the treatment of fractures since 1850, and they play an important role in the healing of extremity injuries and operative repairs. Despite the high incidence of fractures and the widespread use of plaster casts in patients with fractures, the quality of counseling in patients with plaster casts has been neglected. There are few studies on the quality of this patient advisement and the nonmedical experiences of patients with plaster casts. We believe that understanding the feelings, thoughts, and experiences of patients who have had plaster casts will contribute to holistic patient care and will guide the planning of such care. The aim of this study was to describe some of the nonmedical experiences of being in a plaster cast and to illustrate these difficulties through patient quotes. This qualitative research study used a qualitative, descriptive approach guided by phenomenology to explore and describe the subjective experiences of patients with plaster casts. Participants consisted of 10 patients with lower extremity fractures, all of whom had been in a plaster cast for at least 6 weeks. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews using semistructured questionnaires. The content analysis method was used to analyze the data. COREQ (Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research) was used in structuring and reporting the study. Six themes that described the experiences of patients with a plaster cast were determined in the study. These themes were the basic physiological and functional concern, self-image challenges, social roles, dependence/independence, emotions, and the experience of being in a plaster cast. We determined that many aspects of the lives of patients had been affected by being in a plaster cast and that they had experienced not only physiological issues but also psychological, social, emotional, and aesthetic issues. In addition, all the participants stated that they sought solutions to these issues by requesting support from a person or persons around them. Understanding the experiences of individuals with a plaster cast will contribute to the holistic healthcare of individuals who suffer fractures, allowing it to be more patient-centered. This understanding will also support the planning and implementation of patient-centered counseling and education.

Ideal Suggestions for Discharge Training and Telephone Counseling of Patients With Coronary Artery Bypass Graft Surgery: A Randomized Controlled and Experimental Study.

BACKGROUND: In this context, discharge training and telephone counseling given to patients who underwent coronary artery bypass graft surgery increase the ability of patients to cope with and adapt to their self-care. METHODS: This study was a randomized controlled, experimental design. Both experimental and control groups consisted of 35 individuals with G*power analysis (n = 70). Patients in the experimental group were given discharge training and telephone counseling for two months. At the end of the process, data collection forms were administered to both groups for the last time. Necessary ethical approvals were taken and consent was taken from the patients. RESULTS: After the discharge training and telephone counseling given to the experimental group, the mean Exercise of Self-Care Agency Scale (ESCA) score of the patients increased by 13.94; the mean Coping and Adaptation Processing Scale (CAPS) increased by 13.6. The mean ESCA score of the control group increased by 7.86; the mean CAPS score increased by 9.14. The effect size that occurred for both groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Positive results were achieved in the experimental group which received given discharge training and telephone counseling. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05104996.

Analysis of gingival display during static and dynamic smiles in a Turkish sample: A clinical study.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of smile types in spontaneous smiles among a Turkish population aged 18-23 and to compare it with the prevalence of static smiles. Materials and methods: This study was carried out with 150 undergraduate students at Baskent University Faculty of Dentistry (75 females, 75 males). For this purpose, photo recordings for static smiles and 20-second video recordings for dynamic smiles were taken 40 cm from the participant's nose. Measurements were made with an electronic ruler. Results: High smile line was found to be the highest prevalence in both static and dynamic smiles (p<0.001). The average soft tissue display is higher in dynamic smiles (p<0.05). In both static and dynamic smiles, the average amount of gingival display was higher in females than in males (p<0.05). Conclusion: When the smile line was evaluated on the photograph recordings while the patient was posing, it was found to be lower than the natural spontaneous smile line obtained from the video recordings. Since the gingival display increases when patients smile naturally instead of posing, clinical evaluations and restorative considerations should be planned according to the dynamic smile.

Determination of attitude and knowledge of type 2 diabetic patients towards insulin therapy in Northern Cyprus.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the attitude and knowledge of type-2 diabetics related to insulin therapy. METHODS: The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted from January to March 2014 at the Dr. Burhan Nalbantoglu Public Hospital, Nicosia in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus, and comprised patients with type-2 diabetes. The Likert scale was used to score participants' response to questions using the following scoring system: 0 (disagree), 1 (neutral) and 2 (agree). The minimum scoring value for all the questions combined was 0 whereas the maximum scoring value was 50. Patients' attitudes were classified as either high, medium or low based on scores between 0-16, 17-33 and 34-50, respectively. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Of the 271 participants, 165(60.9%) were female and 106(39.1%) male. The overall mean age was 60.3±32.4 years. Moreover, 136(50.3%) participants had a medium attitude and knowledge score towards insulin therapy. men scored significantly better than females (p<0.05). Only 25(9.2%) participants had a high score towards insulin therapy. CONCLUSIONS: The participants were found to have an inadequate attitude and knowledge response to insulin therapy.