Retrospective analysis of vitamin D status on inflammatory markers and course of the disease in patients with COVID-19 infection.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D status within the last 6 months prior to COVID-19 infection and parameters of immune function and clinical outcomes. METHODS: Fifty-six patients, who were admitted to the emergency clinic and diagnosed with COVID-19 infection, were included in the study. Data on clinical characteristics, inflammatory parameters and vitamin D status were recorded for each patient. All the participants had data on 25-hydroxyvitamin D status within the last 6 months prior to COVID-19 infection. RESULTS: The patients were stratified as those with vitamin D status less than 20 ng/mL and higher than 20 ng/mL. A group with vitamin D status less than 20 ng/mL had lower lymphocyte counts and lower haemoglobin levels that was statistically significant (respectively; p = 0.021, p = 0.035). Higher C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were seen in the vitamin D-deficient group (p = 0.013). It was observed that vitamin D status of the patients who required oxygen therapy were lower than those who did not require oxygen therapy, not statistically significant (p = 0.05). Patients who did not use vitamin D supplementation within 6 months prior to COVID-19 infection had more likely to be diagnosed with pneumonia (p = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Cases with lower vitamin D status had increased inflammatory markers and worse clinical outcomes than patients with higher vitamin D status. This study suggests that vitamin D status can be used as a prognostic factor in COVID-19 patients, and vitamin D supplementation can be recommended to improve the clinical outcomes in COVID-19 infection.

Thermoluminescence properties of unique Rosso Levanto marble.

This marble extracted from deposits in Elazig in Turkey resembles red meat in appearance and is only found in Elazig. This type of marble has been widely used in the most famous architectural structures and buildings. In this study, the thermoluminescence (TL) properties of a unique marble that originated from Turkey, named Rosso Levanto, were investigated. Two distinct TL peaks were observed at 160°C and around 375°C. Particle size experiments showed that best TL intensity was seen at 200 µm particle size and therefore dose-response, heating rate, cycle of measurement and fading experiments were carried out on powdered samples with a particle size of 200 µm. The findings revealed good linearity in dose-response, observed up to 0.5 kGy. The reproducibility experiment gave good results, but peak intensity decreased by about 40% in first 6 h of storage in a dark room.

The effect of flurbiprofen oral spray and ibuprofen vs ibuprofen alone on postoperative tonsillectomy pain: An open, randomised, controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: This prospective clinical study was carried out to evaluate the analgesic efficacy and safety of oral spray form of flurbiprofen in the treatment of postoperative pain in tonsillectomy patients. STUDY DESIGN: Open, randomised, controlled clinical study. SETTING: Tertiary care training and research hospital. PARTICIPANTS: One hundred (53 males, 47 females) with an age range of 18-53 years old (mean 27.4 ± 9.3 SD) undergoing tonsillectomy were enrolled in this prospective controlled study. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Patients receiving oral ibuprofen and flurbiprofen as spray form were enrolled as study group (53), whereas patients receiving only oral ibuprofen were enrolled as control group (47) in postoperative period. Postoperative pain was evaluated through visual analogue scale on 12th hour, first, third and seventh days after surgery. RESULTS: The mean maximal pain score of patients who have received flurbiprofen spray and ibuprofen was 3.36 ± 1.93 SD that was statistically lower than the mean maximal pain score of patients who were medicated with only ibuprofen which was 4.06 ± 1.29 SD on postoperative seventh day (P = .013). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that addition of flurbiprofen spray to oral ibuprofen is effective in the management of postoperative pain in tonsillectomy patients with no notable complications.

The role of insulin - like growth factor - 1 on steatohepatitis.

PURPOSE: Recent studies have revealed that growth hormone and STAT5 were related to hepatosteatosis in mice. Loss of signal transducer and activator of transcription factor-5 leads to hepatosteatosis and impaired liver regeneration. We aimed to investigate the role of IGF-1 in steatosis with normal (SNLFT) and disturbed liver function tests (SDLFT) in humans. METHODS: We included 272 NAFLD patients and 110 age, sex and body mass index (BMI)-matched healty controls. We measured routine blood biochemistry and complete blood count, IGF-1, insulin, c-peptide, ferritin, hsCRP, ESR and HOMA-IR. We subdivided NAFLD patients into SNLFT and SDLFT subgroups. RESULTS: ge, sex and BMI were similar between NAFLD and controls. IGF-1 levels were significantly lower in NAFLD patients (120,6±48,2) than controls (148,9±53,8), (<0,0001). IGF-1 levels were also lower in SDLFT subgroup (93,4±27,8) than SNLFT subgroup (123,1±49,0), (p:0,032). Waist circumference, fasting blood glucose, HbA1c, uric acid, hsCRP, AST, ALT, GGT, WBC, hemoglobin, hematocrit, ferritin, insulin, c-peptid and HOMA-IR measurements were significantly higher in NAFLD patients than controls (for all values: p<0,0001).Cholesterol (p:0,026), triglycerides (p<0,0001), ESR (p:0,006) were significantly higher in NAFLD patients than controls. HDL-chelesterol levels were significantly lower (p:0,002) in NAFLD patients than controls. CONCLUSION: This study supported previous findings of experi-mental studies in that, IGF-1 levels were lower in SNLFT and SDLFT. Growth hormone-IGF-1 system may be involved in the pathogenesis of NAFLD.

Ordered nanostructures of a [2]catenane through self-assembly at surfaces--an STM study with sub-molecular resolution.

Model molecular machines can be prepared in solution; their requirements are still more restrictive when anchored onto a surface. Large two-dimensional crystals of [2]catenane were formed on HOPG through self-assembly--the picture shows a 15×15 nm(2) STM image of the surface-bound structure. A comparison with related surface-bound compounds by STM gave insight into the structural requirements for such self-assembly.

Formation, structure and conformational dynamics of highly substituted diphenylcarbonates

The symmetrical carbonates 5-8 were prepared from ethyl 4-hydroxybenzoates with aryl-, 4-(arylethynyl)-phenyl-, arylethynyl- or arylbutadiynyl-substituents in the 3- and 5-positions, by reaction with triphosgene. The choice of base (pyridine, DMAP, NaH) had a strong influence on the conversion: For the synthesis of the carbonates 5 and 6, it was sufficient to use pyridine as the base. However, for the synthesis of the carbonates 7 and 8, NaH had to be used instead. Single-crystal X-ray structure analysis of these carbonates revealed that the substituents point towards the corners of a distorted tetrahedron with the carbonate group sitting in the middle of the tetrahedron and the two angular phenolic building blocks intersecting with an angle of 51-71 degrees. In solution at room temperature, all four substituents are magnetically equivalent as a consequence of conformational flexibility. The two enantiomeric conformers of carbonate 5a interconvert rapidly, probably via a perfect trans conformation with the plane of the Aralpha perpendicular to the carbonate plane. In the case of carbonates 6-8 this process is inhibited by unfavourable interaction of the long substituents at the benzoate moiety. The dynamic process, which has an energy barrier of 8-10 kcalmol(-1), is described in a simplified manner as a continuous rotation of the angular building blocks around the carbonate unit with the C(aryl)-O bonds as the axes of rotation.