A comparative perspective on brucellar, pyogenic, and tuberculous spondylodiscitis.

OBJECTIVE: Non-specific features of spondylodiscitis lead to a delay and challenge in the diagnosis/differential diagnosis/treatment processes, and thus, serious complications may arise. This study aims to compare brucellar, pyogenic, and tuberculous types of spondylodiscitis, considering their demographic, clinical, and laboratory differences. This may provide more rapid management and good outcomes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 131 patients with infectious spondylodiscitis were included in the study. The patients were divided into brucellar (n=63), pyogenic (n=53), and tuberculous (n=15) types of spondylodiscitis and compared for demographic, clinical, laboratory, and imaging features. RESULTS: Tuberculous spondylodiscitis had higher scores for weight loss, painless palpation, thoracic spine involvement, and psoas abscess formation than other spondylodiscitis. Also, tuberculous spondylodiscitis had higher rates of neurologic deficit and lower rates of lumbar involvement than brucellar spondylodiscitis. Pyogenic spondylodiscitis is more likely to occur in patients who have a history of spine surgery compared to other forms of spondylodiscitis. Also, pyogenic spondylodiscitis had higher rates of fever, erythema, paraspinal abscess, white blood cell (WBC), and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) than brucellar spondylodiscitis. On the other hand, brucellar spondylodiscitis had higher rates of rural living and sweating than pyogenic spondylodiscitis. CONCLUSIONS: Weight loss, painless palpation, involved thoracic spine, psoas abscess, and neurologic deficit are symptoms favoring tuberculous spondylodiscitis. History of spine surgery, high fever, skin erythema, and paraspinal abscess are findings in favor of pyogenic spondylodiscitis. Rural living, sweating, and involved lumbar spine are symptoms that indicate brucellar spondylodiscitis. These symptoms can be used to distinguish the types of spondylodiscitis.

Bioaccessibility of Carotenoids and Polyphenols in Organic Butternut Squash (Cucurbita moschata): Impact of Industrial Freezing Process.

Butternut squash (Cucurbita moschata) is recognized as a functional food due to its abundant content of health-promoting compounds, including carotenoids and polyphenols. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of industrial freezing stages on the bioaccessibility of carotenoids and polyphenols in organic Butternut squash supplied for baby food. Identification and quantification of bioactive compounds were carried out using UPLC-ESI-MS/MS and HPLC-PDA, respectively. The results revealed that industrial freezing of squash did not cause a significant change in bioaccessibility of α- and ß-carotene. On the other hand, frozen squash was found to contain higher levels of bioaccessible epicatechin (main flavonoid) (117.5 mg/kg) and syringic acid (main phenolic acid) (32.0 mg/kg) compared to fresh internal fruit. Moreover, the levels of bioaccessible epicatechin and syringic acid were found to be the highest in discarded pomace and seed sample (454.0 and 132.4 mg/kg, respectively). Overall, this study emphasized that industrial freezing could be an effective strategy for preserving carotenoid bioaccessibility in organic Butternut squash, while also enhancing the levels of bioaccessible polyphenols. In addition, we also demonstrated that pomace and seed, which are discarded as waste, have significant potential to be utilized as a food source rich in bioactive compounds.

Sedation with Propofol and Propofol-Ketamine (Ketofol) in Flexible Bronchoscopy: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Prospective Study.

BACKGROUND: The flexible bronchoscopy procedure, which is performed in awake conditions or under local anesthesia, is a difficult and complicated procedure for patients and physicians. Propofol is a fast-acting sedative-hypnotic anesthetic with a rapid return. Ketamine hydrochloride is a fast-acting general anesthetic producing an anesthetic state characterized by deep analgesia, normal pharyngeal, and laryngeal reflexes. MATERIALS AND METHOD: The study was planned in a randomized, prospective, and double-blind design. The drug(s) administered by the anesthesiologist was not known to the bronchoscopist and the patient. A total of 64 cases were included in the study (34/propofol, 30/ketamine-propofol (ketofol) group). Group propofol received 0.1 mL/kg propofol, and group ketofol received 0.1 mL/kg ketofol intravenously over approximately 30 seconds. Vital signs, non-invasive blood pressure, peripheral oxygen saturation, and pulse values of all cases were measured three times and were recorded just before the start of the procedure, after entering the trachea, and after the procedure was terminated. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and The Ramsay scoring were additionally used in the present study. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were detected between the groups in terms of blood pressure and heart rates. Statistically significant differences were detected between the two groups according to The VAS scoring and additional dose requirement. CONCLUSION: It must be noted that flexible bronchoscopy procedures, which are performed with local anesthesia by both the patient and the physician with a high degree of difficulty, especially combined drugs to be applied with anesthesia support, are more effective/comfortable/reliable, and have fewer complications and higher tolerability if there are no contraindications.

Mean platelet volume and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: can they be predictive value in diagnosis?

In our study, we evaluated whether mean platelet volume (MPV) and neutrophil lymphocyte ratio (NLR) are predictive values in the diagnosis of Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis in patients diagnosed with scoliosis in our clinic. Approximately 15000 patients who applied to our spine outpatient clinic with the suspicion of scoliosis between 2011 and 2018 were reviewed retrospectively. 292 patients were included in the study. The patients were divided into 3 groups. Group 1; control group group 2; group with the possibility of developing scoliosis under follow-upand group 3; the patient group diagnosed with scoliosis. Spinal curvature degrees of the patients were measured using the Cobb method. The MPV and NLR values of the patients were compared with the degree of curvature measured by the cobb method. NLR was 2.17 ± 2.10 K/ul in Group 1, 2.42 ± 1.76 K/ul in Group 2, and 2.72 ± 3.91 K/ul in Group 3. Although the NLR of the 3rd group was higher than the other 2 groups, it was not statistically significant. (p > 0.05). MPV was 7.90 ± 1.07 fL in Group 1, 7.95 ±1.39 fL in Group 2, 8.33 ± 1.37 fL in Group 3.MPV was higher in Group 3 and was found to be statistically significant (p=0.024). After adjusting for the effects of gender and age variables on the groups, the difference in MPV between groups became more significant (p=0.017) . While there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of NLR, it was observed that MPV was statistically significantly higher in patients with AIS.Could this relationship be a promising inflammatory marker for AIS? We think that this question should be answered by studies involving larger patient and control groups.

The role of metabolic diseases in neonatal convulsions.

OBJECTIVE: The neonatal period is the most vulnerable time for the development of seizures, particularly in the first weeks after birth. These seizures often signify serious malfunction or damage to the immature brain and constitute a neurological emergency, necessitating urgent diagnosis and management. This study was performed to identify the etiology of convulsions during the neonatal period and to determine the rate of congenital metabolic disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 107 term and preterm infants 0-28 days old who were treated and followed-up in the neonatal intensive care unit of our hospital between January 2014 and December 2019 were analyzed retrospectively based on data obtained by scanning the hospital information system and patient files. RESULTS: The study population included 54.2% male infants, and 35.5% of infants were born by caesarean section. Birth weight was 3,016 ± 560 (1,300-4,250) g, mean length of gestation was 38 (29-41) weeks, and mean maternal age was 27.4 ± 6.1 (16-42) years. Of the infants, 26 (24.3%) were preterm and 81 (75.7%) were term deliveries. Examination of family history revealed 21 (19.6%) cases with consanguineous parents and 14 (13.1%) cases with a family history of epilepsy. Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was the most common etiology of the seizures (34.5%). Burst suppression was detected on amplitude integrated electroencephalography in 21 (56.7%) monitored cases. Although subtle convulsions were most common, myoclonic, clonic, tonic and unclassified convulsions were also observed. The convulsions appeared during the first week of life in 66.3% of cases and during the second week or later in 33.7%. Fourteen (13.1%) patients examined by metabolic screening due to suspected congenital metabolic disease had a different congenital metabolic diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Although hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy was the most common cause of neonatal convulsions in our study, congenital metabolic diseases with autosomal recessive inheritance were detected at a high rate.

Retrospective analysis of the long-term outcomes of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in critically ill patients and the satisfaction of their caregivers.

OBJECTIVE: Long-term benefits of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy and satisfaction of patients' caregivers have not been investigated in the literature in detail. Hence, this study was carried out to investigate the long-term nutritional benefits of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy in critically ill patients and their caregivers' acceptance and satisfaction rates. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The population of this retrospective study consisted of critically ill patients who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy between 2004 and 2020. Data about the clinical outcomes were obtained via telephone interviews using a structured questionnaire. The long-term benefits of the procedure in terms of weight change and the current thoughts of the caregivers about percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy were addressed. RESULTS: The study sample consisted of 797 patients with a mean age of 66.4 ± 17.1 years. Patients' Glasgow Coma Scale scores ranged from 4.0 to 15.0, with a median score of 8. Hypoxic encephalopathy (36.9%) and aspiration pneumonitis (24.6%) were the most common indications. There was neither change in body weight nor weight gain in 43.7% and 23.3% of the patients, respectively. Oral nutrition could be recovered in 16.8% of the patients. Of the caregivers, 37.8% stated that percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy was beneficial. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy may be a feasible and effective method for long-term enteral nutrition in critically ill patients treated in intensive care units.

The frontal planar QRS/T angle in patients with non-ischemic type late gadolinium enhancement on cardiac magnetic resonance.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluation of myocardial fibrosis may offer an insight into underlying pathological mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias. We intended to investigate the possible association between the presence and extent of myocardial fibrosis and ventricular repolarization heterogeneity based on frontal planar QRS/T angle. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated patients in whom gadolinium-based contrast agent cardiac magnetic resonance imaging was performed due to the suspicion of any myocardial disease. Patients with non-ischemic type late gadolinium enhancement (LGE) were enrolled into this study. The association between presence and extent of myocardial LGE and frontal planar QRS/T angle defined as the absolute difference between QRS wave axis and T-wave axis on a resting 12-lead surface ECG was evaluated. RESULTS: The frontal planar QRS/T angle was significantly higher in patients with myocardial fibrosis indicated by LGE compared to those without LGE (61.67 ± 40.70 vs. 37.27 ± 32.35, p < 0.001). LGE extent score assessed by visual 17-segment model was the only independent variable, which had a significant effect on frontal planar QRS/T angle [Unstandardized Coefficients B = 4.052, 95% CI [(2.025) - (6.079), p < 0.001]. CONCLUSIONS: In conclusion, this study showed that inhomogeneous areas of myocardium due to varying degrees of myocardial fibrosis might affect the electrical activity of the left ventricle, even with normal left ventricular dimensions and function.

Modelling altered signalling of G-protein coupled receptors in inflamed environment to advance drug design.

We previously reported the successful design, synthesis and testing of the prototype opioid painkiller NFEPP that does not elicit adverse side effects. The design process of NFEPP was based on mathematical modelling of extracellular interactions between G-protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) and ligands, recognizing that GPCRs function differently under pathological versus healthy conditions. We now present an additional and novel stochastic model of GPCR function that includes intracellular dissociation of G-protein subunits and modulation of plasma membrane calcium channels and their dependence on parameters of inflamed and healthy tissue (pH, radicals). The model is validated against in vitro experimental data for the ligands NFEPP and fentanyl at different pH values and radical concentrations. We observe markedly reduced binding affinity and calcium channel inhibition for NFEPP at normal pH compared to lower pH, in contrast to the effect of fentanyl. For increasing radical concentrations, we find enhanced constitutive G-protein activation but reduced ligand binding affinity. Assessing the different effects, the results suggest that, compared to radicals, low pH is a more important determinant of overall GPCR function in an inflamed environment. Future drug design efforts should take this into account.

Therapeutic plasma exchange in hyperthyroidism prior to surgery.

PURPOSE: Therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE) is a treatment option to reduce thyroid hormones in the event of contraindication or unresponsiveness to antithyroid drugs (ATDs). METHODS: We analyzed 11 patients with hyperthyroidism who received TPE prior to surgery between January 2008 and December 2016 at our center. RESULTS: In total, 41 processes were applied to 11 patients with hyperthyroidism. The median age was 40 years, and 90.9% of the patients were female. Seven patients had Graves' disease, while four had a toxic multinodular goiter. The distribution of TPE indications comprised contraindication to ATDs (64%) and insufficient response to ATDs (36%). An adequate response was not obtained with TPE in two patients, and cholestyramine plus methimazole and Lugol solution were applied. The median number of TPE sessions was 3. During the TPE period, a ß-blocker was applied concurrently except in one patient who was contraindicated for the drug. The reduction in FT3 and FT4 hormones and the increase in TSH levels were statistically significant after TPE application (p values of 0.003, 0.033 and 0.008, respectively). Regarding adverse events of TPE application, an allergic reaction was seen in one patient, while prolongation of prothrombin time without any clinical findings was seen in another patient. Ten patients underwent total thyroidectomy, and one patient underwent a gynecological surgery procedure without any major complications. CONCLUSION: The American Society for Apheresis guideline, which is the most referenced guideline, mentions the utilization of TPE before thyroid surgery, only in patients with thyrotoxicosis despite the wider necessity of this treatment choice under the condition of uncontrolled hyperthyroidism prior to any kind of surgery. We concluded that TPE is a reliable and effective application in patients with hyperthyroidism before any surgical procedure, according to our study results.

PAGET'S DISEASE OF THE BONE FOUND INCIDENTALLY ON F-18 FDG PET/CT: CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE AND DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSTIC CRITERIA.

Background: Paget Disease (PD) is usually asymptomatic and discovered incidentally, it is known that it is exhibited low to high grade increased F-18 FDG uptake. Aim: In this study, we investigated the distinguishability of FDG PET/CT in incidental PD cases from other bone diseases and at different stages of the disease. Patients and Methods: In this cross-sectional, descriptive study, "Paget" identification associated with PET/CT reports was found in 69 of 18,119 studies (~3.8%). Of the 45 patients (33 males and 12 females) eligible for inclusion in the study, 35.6% had monostotic and 64.4% had polyostotic disease (p>0.5). There was no statistically significant difference in biochemical parameters between groups. Results: According to the radiological appearance of the patients, 36 were in the mixed stage and 9 were in the blastic stage. Only the difference in ALP and creatinine values between the groups was statistically significant. SUVmax, SUVmean and HU values were found to be statistically significantly higher in pagetoid bones compared to control bone lesions. For SUVmax for PD bone lesion we found the 2.55 cutoff point with a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 84%. Conclusion: The specific radiological appearance of bone lesions and the evaluation of metabolic activity compared to normal bone seem to help differentiate PD from other lesions. Prospective studies are needed in the differentiation of FDG's disease stage and treatment response evaluation. The ability to differentiate between benign and malignant FDG avid bone lesions in oncological patients' enables appropriate patient management, including avoiding unnecessary additional invasive procedures such as bone biopsy.

Pulmonary hypertension in the elderly. Is it an overdiagnosis or a distinct entity?

OBJECTIVE: The diagnosis of pulmonary hypertension (PH) in the elderly has become more common, recently. The possibility of overdiagnosis or misdiagnosis may arise in the elderly due to accompanying physiological changes and comorbidities. In this study, we aimed at revealing the clinical findings of individuals aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with Group 1 and Group 4 PH, and at determining their differences with younger adults. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients aged 60 years and older who were diagnosed with PH were identified. Among these patients, patients with a diagnosis of Group 1 PH (PAH) and Group 4 PH (CTEPH) were selected. A control group was formed from young and middle-aged patients. Demographic, clinical and hemadynamic characteristics of the elderly patients and the control group were analyzed. RESULTS: The mean WHO Functional Class and the Charlson Comorbidity Index score were significantly higher; the mean EF was significantly lower in the elderly. The right heart catheterization results were assessed. While the mean PAP was significantly higher in young-middle-aged patients (49.6 vs. 39.2 mmHg) (p=0.03), the mean PCWB was significantly higher in the elderly (11.4 vs. 8.1 mmHg) (p=0.005). The young-middle-aged patients had a significantly higher mean PVR values (10.7 vs. 8.3 WU) (p=0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Comorbidities and age-related functional losses may complicate the diagnosis of PH in elderly. Group 2 PH, which we frequently encounter in the elderly, may mask the true Group 1 or Group 4 PH in these patients. PH should be kept in mind in the elderly patients with unexplained exertional dyspnea.

Assessment of the diagnostic performance of the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in class 3 obese patients.

Objective. This study was aimed to evaluate the prevalence of Cushing's syndrome and the diagnostic performance of the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test in class 3 obese patients. Methods. Anthropometric measurements and other laboratory data, including 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test of 753 class 3 obese patients, who applied to the Endocrinology and Metabolism Outpatient Clinic for the pre-bariatric surgery evaluation between 2011 and 2020, were evaluated retrospectively. Results. An abnormal response to the 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test (cortisol ≥1.8 mcg/dl) was observed in 24 patients and the presence of Cushing's syndrome was confirmed by additional tests in 6 patients. The prevalence of abnormal dexamethasone suppression test was 3.18% and the prevalence of Cushing's syndrome 0.79%. The specificity value was determined as 97.5% for 1 mg dexamethasone suppression test with cortisol threshold value ≥1.8 mcg/dl. Conclusions. The prevalence of Cushing's syndrome was found to be low in class 3 obese patients and 1 mg of dexamethasone suppression test had a very sufficient performance for Cushing's syndrome screening in this patient group.

Differences in SUV39H1 and androgen receptor distribution in adenomyomatous hyperplasia and prostatic adenocarcinoma.

Background: Androgen receptor (AR) contributes to the growth of both early- and late-stage prostate cancer. Overexpression of suppressor of variegation 3-9 homolog 1 (SUV39H1) increases migration of prostate cancer cells, while depletion of SUV39H1 suppresses migration of prostate cancer cells. Aim: In this study, the aim was to show the relationships of AR and SUV39H1 with adenomyomatous hyperplasia (AH) and prostate adenocarcinoma (PCa). Materials and Methods: 70 AH and 70 PCa preparations in Pathology Department from 2013 to 16 were retrospectively investigated. Samples with immunohistochemical staining for AR and SUV39H1 were evaluated with a light microscope. After pathologic investigation of samples, AR and SUV39H1 expressions were scored. The changes in the frequencies of the obtained scores in the AH and PCa groups were analyzed statistically. Results: AR expression was observed to be greater in AH compared to PCa. This difference was found to be statistically significant (p = 0.003). SUV39H1 expression was identified to be greater in PCa compared to AH and this showed statistical significance (p = 0.031). PCa samples were identified to have nearly 1.5 times more SUV39H1 mild staining compared to AH samples and this increase was two times for SUV39H1 strong staining. Conclusion: In our study, AR expression was greater in AH compared to PCa samples. This situation is inverse to the known mechanism and cannot be clearly explained. It needs to be supported with large series and other prognostic parameters. This study observed increased SUV39H1 values in PCa compared to AH and from this aspect, it may be considered an important poor prognosis parameter.

Tromethamine and dodecanol appear to be the major secondary metabolites of Streptomyces decoyicus M.

An isolate of Streptomyces decoyicus M* (code of the isolate) was identified by the sequencing of 16S rRNA gene. It was grown on solid media and secondary metabolites were extracted with n-butanol. The extract was dried and run in a sodium dodecyl sulphate-polyacrylamide gel (SDS-PAGE, 10%). Two main bands obtained were sliced and the metabolites were regained in n-butanol. These two samples were then identified by gas-chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The results demonstrated that tromethamine- and 1-dodecanol were the main constituents (band 1: 61% and 17.7%; band 2: 41% and 54%, respectively). This finding maintained that the isolate of Streptomyces decoyicus produced high amounts tromethamine- and 1-dodecanol under the conditions investigated.

Personalized Metabolic Analysis of Diseases.

The metabolic wiring of patient cells is altered drastically in many diseases, including cancer. Understanding the nature of such changes may pave the way for new therapeutic opportunities as well as the development of personalized treatment strategies for patients. In this paper, we propose an algorithm called Metabolitics, which allows systems-level analysis of changes in the biochemical network of cells in disease states. It enables the study of a disease at both reaction- and pathway-level granularities for a detailed and summarized view of disease etiology. Metabolitics employs flux variability analysis with a dynamically built objective function based on biofluid metabolomics measurements in a personalized manner. Moreover, Metabolitics builds supervised classification models to discriminate between patients and healthy subjects based on the computed metabolic network changes. The use of Metabolitics is demonstrated for three distinct diseases, namely, breast cancer, Crohn's disease, and colorectal cancer. Our results show that the constructed supervised learning models successfully differentiate patients from healthy individuals by an average f1-score of 88 percent. Besides, in addition to the confirmation of previously reported breast cancer-associated pathways, we discovered that Biotin Metabolism along with Arginine and Proline Metabolism is subject to a significant increase in flux capacity, which have not been reported before.

Cannabidivarin for HIV-Associated Neuropathic Pain: A Randomized, Blinded, Controlled Clinical Trial.

HIV remains a major burden to the health care system and neuropathic pain is the most common neurological complication of HIV infection. Because current treatment strategies often lack satisfying pain relief, cannabinoids (CBs) are discussed as a new option. We investigated cannabidivarin (CBDV) as treatment for HIV-associated neuropathic pain. We conducted a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study. Patients underwent two successive treatment phases (4 weeks each) and were treated with CBDV (400 mg/day) or placebo in a randomized order. A 3-week washout phase was designed to eliminate potential carry-over effects. Patients were followed up for 3 weeks after the end of the second treatment phase. The primary end point was pain intensity on an 11-point numeric rating scale, recorded in a diary. Secondary end points were additional pain medication, pain characteristics, and quality of life. We included 32 patients. The mean pain intensity under CBDV was 0.62 points higher compared with placebo (P = 0.16, 95% confidence interval -0.27 to 1.51). CBDV did not influence the amount of additional pain medication, pain characteristics, or quality of life. The incidence of adverse events was similar during both treatments. No suspected unexpected adverse reactions occurred during either treatment. CBDV was safe but failed to reduce neuropathic pain in patients with HIV. This may be explained by a lack of CB receptor activation, as indicated by preclinical experiments. Although a larger patient number might be desirable, we would not expect a change in the conclusions because the present differences are far from statistical significance. Therefore, we would currently not consider CBDV as a clinically meaningful treatment option for neuropathic pain.

SURVIVIN POSITIVITY AND PROGNOSTIC FACTORS IN PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMAS.

Context: Papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)s are the indolent progressive tumours. Survivin is a unique bifunctional protein with cell cycle regulation and apoptosis inhibition. The expression of this protein has been shown to be increased in thyroid tumours correlated with aggressive behavior from well differentiated to anaplastic. Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between immunohistochemically survivin expression and tumour-associated prognostic factors in papillary thyroid carcinomas. Design: In patients with thyroidectomy, we compared the clinicopathological findings and immunohistochemical positivity for survivin. Subjects and Methods: In 109 patients, sex, age, tumour size, histological tumour variant, tumour focality, tumour border pattern, tumour peripheral/intratumoural lymphocytic and stromal response, intraglandular spread, extrathyroideal spread, lymph node metastases, lymphocytic tiroiditis and relationships of these findings with survivin positivity were investigated. Results: When we indicated the tumour size and compared it with survivin expression, tumour size correlates with, survivin expression (p = 0.016). Survivin expression was correlated statistically significant with lymphovascular invasion, without stromal response and with intraglandular extension respectively (p<0.001, p = 0.043, p<0.001). No significant correlation was found between other clinicopathological parameters and survival. Conclusion: Few studies have investigated the relationship of survivin expression with prognosis in thyroid papillary carcinomas and showed that survivin was a poor prognostic marker. If its expression is detected in preoperative cytology smears, it may affects the surgical treatment strategy. When it is detected in the tissue, postoperative radioactive iodine treatment plan may be modified and the need for more aggressive follow-up may be considered.

Effects of umbelliferone isolated from the Ferulago pauciradiata Boiss. & Heldr. Plant on cecal ligation and puncture-induced sepsis model in rats.

Sepsis is a pathophysiological event involving systemic inflammatory response syndrome, multiple organ failure syndromes, and tissue damage. Overproduction of free radicals as a result of tissue damage during sepsis contributes to cellular toxicity, organ failure, and even mortality. Antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals, play a protective role against various diseases. Previous studies have shown that umbelliferone (UF) has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects. Since oxidative stress is naturally associated with sepsis-induced organ dysfunction, the application of antioxidant compounds could potentially illuminate the pathophysiology of sepsis, which does not yet have an effective treatment. The sepsis model induced by cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) was applied to rats. Different doses of UF (10░mg/kg, 20░mg/kg, and 40░mg/kg) on oxidant-antioxidant in septic rats, mRNA of inflammatory mediators such as tumor necrosis factor- α (TNF-α) and interleukin (IL)-1 its effects on expression levels were evaluated in lung, kidney, and liver tissues. When the lung, kidney, and liver tissues of septic rats were compared with those of the control group, it was found that UF administration increased dose-dependent superoxide dismutase activity and glutathione levels and significantly decreased malondialdehyde levels. The effects of UF administration on oxidative parameters were dose-dependent. The 40░mg/kg UF dose showed greater anti-oxidative properties than the 20░mg/kg and 10░mg/kg doses for all the evaluated parameters. Further, the TNF- α mRNA expression of the CLP +40░mg/kg group was reduced to a level comparable to that of the control group. UF has been found to be an effective molecule in reducing oxidative stress by supporting endogenous antioxidants and enhancing the scavenging effects of free radicals. The potent antioxidant property of UF may also be related to the suppression of the cytokine cascade during sepsis. The results suggest that UF administration may represent a new treatment for the prevention of lung, kidney and liver damage caused by septic conditions.

Evaluation of Low and High Surface Area TiO2 and Al2O3 Metal Oxides-Carbon Hybrids in Terms of Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Catalyst Support.

Support materials are of great interest in order to improve the activity and stability of the polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) catalysts. Metal oxides have been reported as promising support materials due to their excellent mechanical resistance and high stability against corrosion emerging at acidic and oxidative environment. In this study, high (250 m2/g) and low (45 m2/g) surface area mesoporous TiO2 and high (220 m2/g) and low (30 m2/g) surface area mesoporous Al2O3 were investigated as an alternate cathode catalyst support materials for PEMFCs. These semiconducting TiO2 and Al2O3 metal oxides were combined with the carbon black (Vulcan XC 72) at different mass ratios in order to preserve electrical conductivity of catalyst support a certain extent. Pt and TiO2/C and Pt and Al2O3/C catalysts were prepared by means of Pt reduction on support materials via microwave irradiation technique. The as-prepared catalysts were characterized with some physicochemical and electrochemical analyses. The results reveal that two surface areas TiO2 and Al2O3 support materials differ from each other in terms of fuel cell performance and high surface area TiO2/C (25:75) hybrid supported Pt catalyst gave the best performance.