"What doesn't defeat me makes me stronger" A Qualitative Study drawing on the Perspectives of Syrian Refugee University Students in Turkey.

Education is one of the most crucial instruments for refugee youth to remove the disadvantages and enhance their social and structural integration into society. However, the unequal education opportunities concerning the barriers avoid the integration of refugee students into society and make them prone to discrimination. This qualitative descriptive design study aimed at describing the experiences of the subjective perspectives of Syrian refugee students about higher education. The participants were final-year undergraduate Syrian refugee students. Data were collected by conducting in-depth semi-structured face-to-face interviews using a pilot-tested interview guide. The researchers followed a systematic data analysis procedure. The themes were finalized once the researchers had reached a consensus. The responses of the students were subsumed under the following three main themes: (1) Being 'other', (2) Hopes vs Realities, and (3) What doesn't defeat me makes me stronger. The participants reported feeling ignored and worthless due to the biases and assumptions of society, which result in stigma and discrimination. Additionally, refugee students revealed that their peers and even educators may sometimes share the same beliefs. However, the study also underlined the value of resilience in shaping the perspectives, even though they faced many challenging experiences.

Fake paper identification in the pool of withdrawn and rejected manuscripts submitted to Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology.

Honesty of publications is fundamental in science. Unfortunately, science has an increasing fake paper problem with multiple cases having surfaced in recent years, even in renowned journals. There are companies, the so-called paper mills, which professionally fake research data and papers. However, there is no easy way to systematically identify these papers. Here, we show that scanning for exchanged authors in resubmissions is a simple approach to detect potential fake papers. We investigated 2056 withdrawn or rejected submissions to Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Archives of Pharmacology (NSAP), 952 of which were subsequently published in other journals. In six cases, the stated authors of the final publications differed by more than two thirds from those named in the submission to NSAP. In four cases, they differed completely. Our results reveal that paper mills take advantage of the fact that journals are unaware of submissions to other journals. Consequently, papers can be submitted multiple times (even simultaneously), and authors can be replaced if they withdraw from their purchased authorship. We suggest that publishers collaborate with each other by sharing titles, authors, and abstracts of their submissions. Doing so would allow the detection of suspicious changes in the authorship of submitted and already published papers. Independently of such collaboration across publishers, every scientific journal can make an important contribution to the integrity of the scientific record by analyzing its own pool of withdrawn and rejected papers versus published papers according to the simple algorithm proposed in the present paper.

Clinical Experience with [225Ac]Ac-PSMA Treatment in Patients with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA-Refractory Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

For patients with advanced-stage metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) who do not respond to [177Lu]Lu-PSMA therapy, there are limited treatment options. Clinical results obtained with [225Ac]Ac-PSMA are promising. We retrospectively analyzed the outcomes of patients treated with [225Ac]Ac-PSMA between December 2018 and October 2022. Methods: We evaluated the treatment results of 23 patients (mean age, 70.3 ± 8.8 y) with mCRPC who were refractory to treatment with [177Lu]Lu-PSMA (2-9 cycles). The safety profile was assessed according to Common Technology Criteria for Adverse Events version 5.0. Treatment efficacy was assessed using prostate-specific membrane antigen PET progression criteria and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response according to Prostate Cancer Working Group 2 criteria after the first cycle of [225Ac]Ac-PSMA treatment. Results: All patients received androgen-deprivation therapy, whereas 22 (96%) and 19 (83%) patients received chemotherapy and second-generation antiandrogen therapy, respectively. One patient received 4 cycles, 2 received 3 cycles, 8 received 2 cycles, and 12 received 1 cycle of [225Ac]Ac-PSMA. The median interval between cycles was 13 wk (range, 8-28 wk). [225Ac]Ac-PSMA was administered with a mean activity of 7.6 MBq (range, 6.2-10.0 MBq) in each cycle. Patients were at an advanced stage of disease, and tumor burden was very high. Although the best PSA response was observed in 5 patients (26%) after [225Ac]Ac-PSMA treatment, there was at least some level of decline in PSA observed in 11 patients (58%; n = 19). Treatment response was assessed in patients who underwent [68Ga]Ga-PSMA PET/CT imaging. After the first cycle of treatment (n = 18), 50% of patients (n = 9) showed disease progression according to prostate-specific membrane antigen PET progression criteria, and the disease control rate was calculated to be 50%. Median progression-free survival was 3.1 mo, and median overall survival was 7.7 mo. Grade 3 hematologic toxicity occurred in 1 patient, and grade 3 nephrotoxicity was observed in another patient. Parotid SUVmax decreased by 33%, although all patients complained of dry mouth before treatment. Conclusion: We observed that [225Ac]Ac-PSMA therapy was safe and showed potential even in cases with advanced-stage mCRPC in which all other treatment options were completed.

Diffuse Leptomeningeal Glioneuronal Tumors: A Case Series of Five Patients with Parenchymal Forms and an Analysis of the Diagnostic Challenges, Treatment Options and Outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse leptomeningeal glioneuronal tumors (DL-GNT) are rare glioneuronal neoplasms with oligodendroglioma-like cells. These tumors can present as a dominant intracranial mass or as a solitary spinal cord mass without leptomeningeal involvement. In this study, we aimed to determine the magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological features, treatment modalities, and clinical outcomes of the parenchymal forms of DL-GNTs. METHODS: This is a retrospective three-center case series study of 5 patients with a confirmed parenchymal form of DLGTs, out of which 4 patients were adults. Brain and spinal cord MR imaging were performed in all patients at either 1.5 or 3T. The patients' age ranged from 5 years to 50 years with a mean age of 27.6 years at presentation. RESULTS: Four of the tumors were located in the frontal lobe, and one in the tectum. They were usually solid-cystic enhancing tumors as the other mixed neuronal-glial tumors. All of the tumors had an extension to the superficial surface of a cerebral hemisphere. One had systemic bone metastases. The clinical signs and symptoms of the parenchymal form varied based on the location of the mass, in contrast to the leptomeningeal form associated with hydrocephalus. In one case, the tumor's initial grade was defined as intermediate. The initial histopathology of the two cases was low-grade and no upgrade occurred in the follow-up period. In two cases, although the tumors were low grade initially, they progressed to an anaplastic form in the follow-up period. CONCLUSION: The parenchymal form of DL-GNTs is common in adults. Extension to the superficial surface of a cerebral hemisphere is a distinctive imaging feature. Systemic osseous metastasis may occur. Due to the presence of common histopathological features, including the biphasic composition of glial and neuronal cell elements and oligodendroglioma-like cells, a proposed classification approach might be more beneficial for the histopathological and imaging description, and management of the glioneuronal tumors with oligodendroglioma-like features.

Assessment of Serum Resistin and Plasma Calprotectin Levels as Biomarkers of Inflammation in Patients with Familial Mediterranean Fever Disease.

Objective: While several inflammatory markers are known to increase in familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) disease cases, the need remains for diagnostic tests specific for FMF that monitor inflammatory activity. We aimed to investigate resistin and calprotectin levels during both attack and attack-free periods of FMF disease and evaluate their use as novel biomarkers of inflammation in patients with FMF. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 68 male patients diagnosed with FMF and 20 healthy individuals as controls. Blood samples were obtained from the patients in attack-free periods (at least 15 days after the last attack) and attack periods (in the first 24 hours). Serum resistin and plasma calprotectin levels was measured by ELISA method. Results: Resistin and calprotectin levels were significantly higher in patients during both attack (p =0.001, p <0.001) and attack-free periods (p =0.017, p =0.01) compared to the control group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that resistin levels were predictive for the diagnosis of FMF disease (OR: 1.21; 95% CI: 1.04-1.42; p =0.016). Resistin and calprotectin levels significantly correlated with C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, fibrinogen, and white blood cells (0.301≤ r ≤ 0.505, p <0.05). Conclusion: Resistin and calprotectin levels were significantly higher in patients than controls, and resistin was predictive for monitoring inflammatory activity in patients with FMF.

Comparison of sequential organ failure assessment score and cardiac surgery score systems for mortality prediction after emergency acute aortic dissection surgery.

BACKGROUND: Acute type A aortic dissection (ATAAD) is one of the most mortal cardiovascular diseases and requires urgent diagnosis and surgery. The patient's clinical findings, complications, and patient's history are closely related to mortality rates. Cardiac surgery score (CASUS) is a scoring system which is calculated by considering the special pathophysiological conditions of patients undergoing cardiac surgery and predicts post-operative results with high accuracy. METHODS: Following the ethical approval from institutional ethics committee (ID: 2021/7/496), the data of consecutive 50 ATAAD patients who underwent emergent surgery in our hospital between January 1, 2019, and December 31, 2020, were evaluated. The Sequential Organ Failure Assessment and CASUS scores were calculated using the worst values of the daily laboratory and neurological status for both in admission to emergency department and during intensive care unit (ICU) follow-up period. The average and the total values of these scores were recorded for pre-operative, post-operative 1st day, and for the categorical data were defined as frequency and percentage. We used the Mann-Whitney U test for the independent continuous data comparisons and Pearson Chi-Square or Fisher exact test for categorical data comparison whole ICU period. Continuous data were presented as median and interquartile ranges (25-75th). RESULTS: The study comprised 50 patients, the rate of death was 34% (n=17). In total group, there were hypertension 72% (n=36), diabetes mellitus 24% (n=12), initial hemoglobin 12.5 g/dL (10.7-14.1, 25-75th), creatinine 1.09 mg/dL (0.85-1.33, 25-75th), and 72% (n=36) of these patients were male. The CASUSmean and SOFAmean scores were higher in the death-group when compared with the group who survived (12.9 [9.5-13.8, 25-75th], 3 [2-5, 25-75th]; 8 [6.1-9.2, 25-75th], 2.6 (2-4.5, 25-75th], p<0.001, respectively]. CASUSmean was independently associated with the 1-month mortality in model 1 (HR 1.25 [1.14-1.37] (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: According to our results increase in CASUS mean was the main predictor of 1 month mortality. When CASUS mean exceeds 8.3 the patient should be followed up more carefully for major adverse events including death.

Prognostic value of expression levels of miR-148a, miR-152 and HLA-G in colon cancer.

Aberrant expression of human leukocyte antigen G (HLA-G), an immunosuppressive molecule, has been observed in various cancer types. The exact mechanism of HLA-G expression is unclear. HLA-G expression is associated with low expression levels of microRNA (miR)-148a and miR-152. To the best of our knowledge, the prognostic value of the expression levels of miR-148a, miR-152 and HLA-G has not been investigated in colon cancer. The aim of the present study was to investigate the relationship between the presence of HLA-G molecules and the expression levels of miR-148 and miR-152 in colon cancer. In addition, the association of both HLA-G and miR expression with survival results and clinicopathological data was determined. An immunohistochemical method was used for detection of HLA-G expression in the tumor tissues and adjacent healthy tissues of 108 patients with colon cancer. Reverse transcription-quantitative PCR was used for miR analysis. HLA-G was expressed in 82 (75.9%) of the cancer samples, and there was no staining in normal tissues. HLA-G expression >20%, which was found in 41.7% (45/108) of the patients with colon cancer, was significantly positively associated with patient survival (P=0.039). Additionally, miR-148a levels were lower in the tumor tissues compared with the adjacent healthy tissues. No differences were found for miR-152 expression. In addition, mir-148a levels were found to be significantly lower (P=0.001) in HLA-G-positive tumor tissues than HLA-G-negative tumor tissues, but no such relationship was found for miR-152 levels. The presence of HLA-G expression was associated with poor survival outcomes. HLA-G is one of the prognostic factors in colon cancer, and decreased miR-148a expression in colon cancer tissues may be associated with HLA-G-mediated carcinogenesis.

Isolated Pituitary Metastasis of Renal Cell Carcinoma: A Case Report and Systematic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND: Isolated pituitary gland metastasis is an extremely rare event in renal cell carcinoma. We present a unique case of isolated pituitary metastasis of renal cell carcinoma and a systematic review of literature on it. CASE REPORT: In this case, an abdominal ultrasound in an asymptomatic 51-year-old female patient showed a mass in her left kidney. Radical nephrectomy was performed and the tumor was diagnosed as a stage 1 clear cell carcinoma. Throughout the 3 months of the follow-up period, the patient started complaining of visual disturbances and headaches. A pituitary mass was found on brain magnetic resonance imaging and was suspected to be a macroadenoma. Surgical resection of the tumor was performed and the final pathological diagnosis was made as a pituitary metastasis of the renal cell carcinoma. After surgery, radiotherapy with sunitinib, a receptor tyrosine inhibitor, was performed. CONCLUSION: The clinical symptoms are usually related to the mass effect of the tumor and anterior pituitary involvement. Most of the cases mimic pituitary macroadenoma on MRI. The most preferred treatment combination is surgery and radiotherapy. We recommend adding sunitinib to this combination. This illustrative case and those found in a systematic review of the literature highlight the importance of histopathologic diagnosis and appropriate management since isolated pituitary metastasis is challenging to preoperative diagnosis.

A Successful Model for an Introductory Oncology Teaching Conference and Its Impact on Preclinical and Clinical Medical Students.

PURPOSE: Oncology education at medical schools is often fragmented, under-represented, and nonstandardized. Medical students lack essential knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for them to provide optimal primary care to patients with cancer upon graduation. METHODS: In this study, we designed and assessed the impact of a compact oncology teaching conference on medical students. The conference covered topics in cancer biology, public health, diagnosis, patient management, treatment, and communication skills. Medical students completed voluntary presurveys and postsurveys regarding their perceived knowledge, attitudes, and perspectives. The event was promoted by student groups, particularly our ASCO Oncology Student Interest Group, and took place online. RESULTS: A total of 228 responses from medical students representing 50 universities were analyzed. We revealed significant baseline confidence and perceived knowledge deficits especially in diagnosis and patient management, and treatment modalities. Our conference positively affected self-assessed knowledge acquisition among students, with the most pronounced differences seen in diagnosis and patient management (2.51 ± 1 v 3.87 ± 0.81) and treatment modalities (2.54 ± 0.96 v 3.79 ± 0.88), P < .001. Students believed the program was beneficial, felt more confident in applying their knowledge in the clinic and in delivering bad news, and were more interested in pursuing oncology-related fields, P < .001. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that a compact teaching conference resulted in significant improvements in students' confidence and perceived knowledge about oncology. Our successful teaching model can be adapted and implemented at medical schools globally. Development and evaluation of teaching programs are important to urgently reform undergraduate medical education in oncology.

COVID-19 associated multisystemic inflammatory syndrome in 614 children with and without overlap with Kawasaki disease-Turk MIS-C study group.

Multisystemic inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C) diagnosis remains difficult because the clinical features overlap with Kawasaki disease (KD). The study aims to highlight the clinical and laboratory features and outcomes of patients with MISC whose clinical manifestations overlap with or without KD. This study is a retrospective analysis of a case series designed for patients aged 1 month to 18 years in 28 hospitals between November 1, 2020, and June 9, 2021. Patient demographics, complaints, laboratory results, echocardiographic results, system involvement, and outcomes were recorded. A total of 614 patients were enrolled; the median age was 7.4 years (interquartile range (IQR) 3.9-12 years). A total of 277 (45.1%) patients with MIS-C had manifestations that overlapped with KD, including 92 (33.3%) patients with complete KD and 185 (66.7%) with incomplete KD. Lymphocyte and platelet counts were significantly lower in patients with MISC, overlapped with KD (lymphocyte count 1080 vs. 1280 cells × µL, p = 0.028; platelet count 166 vs. 216 cells × 103/µL, p < 0.001). The median serum procalcitonin levels were statistically higher in patients overlapped with KD (3.18 vs. 1.68 µg/L, p = 0.001). Coronary artery dilatation was statistically significant in patients with overlap with KD (13.4% vs. 6.8%, p = 0.007), while myocarditis was significantly more common in patients without overlap with KD features (2.6% vs 7.4%, p = 0.009). The association between clinical and laboratory findings and overlap with KD was investigated. Age > 12 years reduced the risk of overlap with KD by 66% (p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.217-0.550), lethargy increased the risk of overlap with KD by 2.6-fold (p = 0.011, 95% CI 1.244-5.439), and each unit more albumin (g/dl) reduced the risk of overlap with KD by 60% (p < 0.001, 95% CI 0.298-0.559). CONCLUSION: Almost half of the patients with MISC had clinical features that overlapped with KD; in particular, incomplete KD was present. The median age was lower in patients with KD-like features. Lymphocyte and platelet counts were lower, and ferritin and procalcitonin levels were significantly higher in patients with overlap with KD. WHAT IS KNOWN: • In some cases of MIS-C, the clinical symptoms overlap with Kawasaki disease. • Compared to Kawasaki disease, lymphopenia was an independent predictor of MIS-C. WHAT IS NEW: • Half of the patients had clinical features that overlapped with Kawasaki disease. • In patients whose clinical features overlapped with KD, procalcitonin levels were almost 15 times higher than normal. • Lethargy increased the risk of overlap with KD by 2.6-fold in MIS-C patients. • Transient bradycardia was noted in approximately 10% of our patients after initiation of treatment.

The relationships among psychological resilience, intercultural sensitivity and empathetic tendency among teachers of Syrian refugee children in Turkey.

Within the provision of education, teachers typically have the closest contact and play a key role in meeting the needs of refugee children through effective communication to achieve culturally qualified education and the provision of more humanistic approach. This descriptive cross-sectional design study is aimed to explore the relationships among psychological resilience, intercultural sensitivity and empathetic tendency in teachers of Syrian refugee children in Turkey. Data were collected from 367 teachers of Syrian refugee children. Teachers of Syrian refugee children who participated in the study had a high level of psychological resilience, moderate level of empathic tendencies and a high level of intercultural sensitivity. Statistically significant relationships were found among study variables. The data reveal that there is a relationship among psychological resilience, intercultural sensitivity and empathetic tendency among teachers of Syrian refugee children in Turkey. Furthermore, regression analysis revealed that psychological resilience significantly supports intercultural sensitivity and empathic tendencies.

The Effects of Music Therapy on Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Before the Invasive Procedure: A Randomized Controlled Study.

PURPOSE: This study was designed to investigate the effects of music therapy provided to patients who would undergo Coronary Angiography before the invasive procedure on pain, anxiety, and vital signs to reduce the administration of sedatives and to ask the views of the patients regarding the music to which they listened. DESIGN: This study was a randomized controlled study. METHODS: The research sample included 62 patients; 31 in the experimental group and 31 in the control group, who were waiting for having femoral angiography in the waiting room of the invasive procedure and diagnostic laboratory of a training and research hospital in Izmir. Data were collected using "Patient Information Form", "Vital Signs Inspection Form", "State-Trait Anxiety Inventory", and "Visual Analog Scale". The experimental group listened to nonverbal and instrumental music in the forms of taqsim, saz semai, and peshrev at the speeds of 60 (Adagio) and 100 (Andante). Nihavend mode is the most used mode in music therapy and is suitable for the Turkish Cultural structure. The scale of nihavend mode has the same structure with the g minor scale of classical western music. For both groups, pain and anxiety levels were simultaneously measured before and after the process; vital signs were measured before, during, and after the process. FINDINGS: The findings obtained in this study showed that there was a statistically significant difference between the means of anxiety (P = .000) and pain (P = .001) of the patients in experimental and control groups after the procedure. A significant difference was determined between the means before and after the procedure for diastolic (P = .002) blood pressure and pulse wave velocity (P = .002) in vital signs. A significant difference was not determined between the mean of patients' systolic blood pressures (P = .082) and respiration rates (P = .836) before and after the procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The findings suggest that music therapy is effective in reducing blood pressure, respiration rate, anxiety, pain level, and sedative application for the patients. Music therapy within the scope of the nonpharmacological complementary therapies can be administered by the healthcare providers, given that the patients have no adverse effects or additional costs and thanks to ease of implementation.

Cecal duplication cyst causing ileus: A rare pediatric case report.

Duplication cysts are one of the rare congenital anomalies of the gastrointestinal tract. Although it can be seen at all levels throughout the gastrointestinal tract, it is most common in the ileum. One of the rarest of duplication cysts is cecal duplication cyst. Clinically, they become present in the form of vomiting, distention, abdominal pain and palpable mass. Rarely, it can cause acute abdomen such as perforation and obstruction. We present a case of cecal duplication cyst requiring urgent surgical treatment that causes obstruction in a 3-month-old baby.

Clinical Effects and Predictive Factors Affecting the Clinical Severity of Scorpion Envenomations in Western Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Scorpion envenomation is a common medical emergency in many countries, including Turkey. Severe systemic symptoms occur more easily in children and mortality rates are higher. The aim of this study is to describe the clinical effects and predictive factors affecting the clinical severity of scorpion envenomations in Western Turkey. METHODS: Two hundred one children (138 mild cases, 34 moderate, and 29 severe) with scorpion envenomation aged between 1 month and -17 years were included in the study. The patients' demographic and laboratory characteristics were compared among clinical severity subgroups. RESULTS: The patients' median age was 7 (4-11) years. The median age of the severe group was significantly lower than that of the mild and moderate groups (p < 0.001). Seventeen patients (8.5%) developed myocarditis, while no pulmonary edema was observed in any case. Leukocyte, neutrophil and platelet (PLT) counts, and plateletcrit (PCT) and glucose levels increased significantly with the severity of envenomation (p < 0.001). PLT counts and PCT levels exhibited positive correlation with leukocyte and neutrophil counts (p < 0.001, r = 0.781, r = 0.638, r = 0.772, and r = 0.629, respectively). Supraventricular tachycardia developed in 1 (5.9%) patient, and dilated cardiomyopathy in another (5.9%). No mortality occurred in any case. CONCLUSION: Increased PLT counts and PCT levels may be helpful in evaluating clinical severity in patients with scorpion sting envenomation. The possibility of myocarditis development in children should be remembered and cardiac enzymes should be checked, even if patients are asymptomatic and cardiac enzymes are normal on admission.

Magnetic resonance imaging criteria for prediction of isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutation status in patients with grade II-III astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma.

BACKGROUND: IDH mutation status is an important prognostic marker for glial tumors, which is detected immunohistochemically after surgery. Since this method is invasive, easy and noninvasive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methods have recently been used in predicting the IDH mutation status. However, there is currently no standard MRI technique to predict IDH mutation. We analyzed the value of conventional MRI to predict IDH mutation and its effect on survival among grade II-III astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included WHO grade II-III astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma patients who underwent surgery at Bahcesehir University Goztepe Medical Park Hospital. All patients were analyzed according to their immunohistochemical IDH mutation status. Preoperative conventional MRI studies with respect to their location, diffusion restriction, contrast enhancement, calcification and hemorrhage on susceptibility-weighted image (SWI) or T2*- weighted imaging (T2*WI), and T2 -FLAIR mismatch properties were retrospectively assessed by a neuroradiologist. The relation between MRI characteristics and IDH mutation was analyzed using a chi-square test. The sensitivity and specificity of radiological IDH mutation were determined by ROC analysis. The impact of IDH mutation on survival was also analyzed by Kaplan-Meier tests. RESULTS: IDH mutation was found to be positive in 82.5% of tumors histopathologically and 54.4% radiologically. The sensitivity and specificity were 63.8% and 90%, respectively (Area under the curve/AUC = 0.369, p = 0.08). IDH wild gliomas were predominantly diffusion-restricted tumors. IDH mutant tumors were less likely to have contrast enhancement and had lower grades compared to the IDH wild tumors. The median survival time could not be reached and the overall survival was not related to any tumor characteristics or IDH mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Conventional MRI predicts IDH-mutation status in Grade II-III astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma. Contrast-enhancement and restricted diffusion were strongly associated with grade III astrocytoma and oligodendroglioma, IDH-wild type. Location, T2-FLAIR mismatch, and SWI did not contribute to making a decision on the IDH mutation status. There was no significant difference between the survival times of patients and their IDH status.

Are Maternal Personality Traits an Etiological Factor in Adolescents with Functional Chest Pain?

BACKGROUND: In the etiology of functional chest pain (FCP), parental personality traits are worth considering in the context of the biopsychosocial model. The αlpha factor sub-dimension of the five-factor personality model (5FPM) includes agreeableness, conscientiousness, and neuroticism. There is increasing evidence that this dimension may be related to psychosomatic diseases. It was aimed to investigate how maternal personality traits affect adolescents with FCP. The hypothesis was determined that adolescents diagnosed with FCP can have lower quality of life and be more depressive/anxious and their mothers can have factor-α personality traits and be more depressive/anxious. METHODS: The sample of this single-center, cross-sectional, case-control study consisted of 25 adolescents with FCP and their parents. The control group consisted of 35 age and sex matched healthy adolescents and their parents. Psychopathology was screened using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Present and Lifetime Version (K-SADS-PL) and psychiatric comorbidities were excluded. The Child Depression Inventory (CDI), the Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI), and KINDL forms were completed by the adolescents. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), Five-Factor Personality Inventory short form (FFPI) were completed by the parents. RESULTS: Mothers of adolescents with FCP scored significantly higher compared with mothers of healthy controls in agreeableness and conscientiousness and scored significantly lower in neuroticism. Higher levels of mothers' neuroticism scores were associated with higher CDI and STAI-1 scores in FCP group. Agreeableness (Exp (B) = 10.097; p = .004; confidence interval [CI] = 2.049-49.745) and conscientiousness (Exp (B) = 16.414; p = .011; CI = 1.902-141.682) were statiscally significant in regression model. CONCLUSIONS: This study showed for the first time that mother's alpha factor personality traits may be one of the factors that contribute to the presence of FCP.

An assessment of the protective effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist and antagonist on bleomycin-induced ovarian toxicity in rats.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist therapy on bleomycin-administered rats by examining ovarian follicle counts and AMH levels. A total of 30 female Wistar albino rats aged 4-6 months were randomly divided into 4 groups. First, an intramuscular injection of bleomycin (30 mg/m2) was administered to all except the control group on the 1st, 8th and 15th days. The control group (Group I) was administered 0.1 mL intramuscular saline on those days. The bleomycin group (Group II) was followed up without any further treatment. The bleomycin + GnRH agonist group (Group III) was administered subcutaneous GnRH agonist triptorelin (1 mg/kg) at the same time as the bleomycin injections. The bleomycin + GnRH antagonist group (Group IV) was administered 1 mg/kg cetrorelix acetate subcutaneously, concurrently with the bleomycin. Although AMH levels were lower in the bleomycin group than in all the other groups, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of AMH levels (p > .05). In the bleomycin + cetrorelix acetate and bleomycin + triptorelin groups, significantly higher primordial, secondary and tertiary follicle counts were determined compared to the bleomycin group (p < .001). In conclusion the harmful effects of bleomycin on ovarian reserve can be reduced by the simultaneous administration of GnRH agonist or GnRH antagonist.

The effect of vacuum-assisted venous drainage on hemolysis during cardiopulmonary bypass.

BACKGROUND: In cardiac surgery, systemic venous drainage is provided by gravity. During the procedure, the amount of venous drainage can be increased by using a vacuum-assisted venous drainage (VAVD) technique. The purpose of this study is to compare the effects of VAVD and gravitational drainage (GD) techniques on hemolysis. METHODS: Totally, 60 patients were included in the study. The patients were separated into three groups, and each group designed with 20 patients: Groups are defined as Group 1 (-40 mmHg VAVD), Group 2 (-60 mmHg VAVD), and Group 3 (GD). Preoperative and postoperative values of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), haptoglobin (Hpt), mean platelet volume (MVP), and platelet count (Plt) were evaluated. RESULTS: The duration of cardiopulmonary bypass, cross-clamp, and vacuum assistance times were similar in all groups (P > 0.05), whereas Group GD required more additional volume to maintain adequate perfusion (P = 0.034). Preoperative and postoperative measurements showed no significant difference in terms of LDH, MVP, Plt, and Hpt among the groups (P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: There was no significant increase in hemolysis among the groups, which demonstrates that the VAVD technique, even if lower negative pressure is preferred, can be applied safely and effectively to improve venous drainage and consequently, cardiac decompression, even if smaller venous cannulas are used, and also avoid from superfluous fluid addition to sustain adequate extracorporeal perfusion.

Can TROP2 be used as a prognostic marker in endometrioid endometrial carcinoma?

BACKGROUND: Endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma is the most common malignancy of the female genital tract in developed countries. The prognosis greatly depends on the grade and stage of the disease. AIMS: In some patients, the disease recurs in a short time after the surgical/medical therapy. Hence, it is important to predict the patients who will have worse prognosis at the beginning, to choose the appropriate treatment; resuming the search of new prognostic markers. Therefore, our study aimed to detect trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (TROP2) as a new prognostic marker. SETTINGS AND DESIGN: The patients who underwent a hysterectomy and diagnosed with endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma were evaluated retrospectively and TROP2 immunostain was performed to their tumoral slides. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated TROP2 expressions in 102 patients immunohistochemically who underwent hysterectomy with the diagnosis of endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma histopathologically and correlated them with the other generally accepted prognostic parameters. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and Q-Q plot test were used to verify the normality of the distribution of continuous variables. The Chi-square/Fisher's exact tests were used for categorical variables. Analyses were performed with SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20. RESULTS: High overexpression of TROP2 was seen in larger, higher-grade, deeper-invasive tumors, tumors with vascular invasion, and pelvic-lymph-node metastasis. These results were statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05). CONCLUSION: Overexpression of TROP2 in endometrioid-type endometrial carcinoma seems to be a poor prognostic factor; it may be useful in determining the biologically more aggressive tumors before the treatment. This early determination is very important to choose the appropriate surgery, adjuvant-treatments, and follow-up.