Relationship between Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Platelet/Lymphocyte Ratio (PLR) and Thrombosis in Patients with Portal Vein Thrombosis (PVT) without Acquired Risk Factor for Thrombosis.

BACKGROUND: Inflammation occurring after vascular endothelial damage plays a role in thrombus formation. Changes in various blood parameters that develop after the inflammatory condition can be used as a marker to predict thrombus. AIM: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and portal vein thrombosis (PVT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: After applying the exclusion and inclusion criteria to the patients diagnosed with PVT and followed up in our center between January 2006 and May 2018, a total of 38 patients without acquired risk factors for the development of PVT and 52 healthy controls were included in the study. Clinical features and NLR and PLR at diagnosis were evaluated. RESULTS: NLR and PLR values were detected to be significantly higher in patients diagnosed with PVT compared to the control group (P < 0.001 for NLR, P < 0.001 for PLR). Findings were as follows: In acute PVT patients for NLR = 3.645 (area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) 0.886, sensitivity 69.2%, specificity 96.2%, P < 0.001), for PLR = 196.24 (AUROC 0.754, sensitivity 53.2%, specificity 96.2%, P = 0.005), while in chronic PVT patients, for NLR = 3.645 (AUROC 0.744, sensitivity 40%, specificity 96.2%, P = 0.001), and for PLR = 195.93 (AUROC 0.715, sensitivity 44%, specificity 96.2%, P = 0.002). CONCLUSION: NLR and PLR were associated with the diagnosis of PVT. In PVT patients, NLR and PLR values were observed to be significantly higher than the control group. In our study, the relationship between NLR and PLR in patients with noncirrhotic, nonmalignant PVT without acquired risk factors for thrombosis was shown for the first time.

Apoptosis in physiological root resorption of primary teeth.

Background: During physiological root resorption of deciduous teeth, apoptotic cell death triggered by physiological processes might play a role in physiological root resorption in addition to collagen destruction. Little information has been obtained about the sequence of events and the mechanism responsible for the physiological death of pulp tissue cells. Aim: This study evaluated apoptotic cell death in the pulp tissue of deciduous teeth that showed various levels of physiological root resorption. The role of apoptosis in pulp tissue elimination during the physiological resorption of deciduous teeth was also examined. Materials and Methods: For orthodontic reasons, 12 healthy permanent teeth and the pulp of 34 healthy deciduous teeth showing signs of early and advanced root resorption were extracted. To detect apoptotic cells in the pulp tissue, the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) were used. The apoptotic index (AI) values of the study groups were determined using the TUNEL method. This technique required calculating the Apoptag positive(+) fibroblast cell ratio in accordance with the total number of cells. Results: No statistically significant differences were found for the AI values of each study group (p>0.05). Apoptosis was detected in the vascular endothelial cells, the mononuclear inflammatory cells, and the odontoblasts of the connective pulp tissue. In the pulp tissue, evaluated using TEM, various pulp cells were observed at distinct stages of apoptosis. Conclusion: The similarity between the AI values for both study groups suggested that in early and advanced stages of resorption, apoptosis may contribute to the regulation of the pulp cell population in a way that does not relate to the physiological process of deciduous teeth root resorption.

Comparison of inflammation markers with prediction scores in patients with community-acquired pneumonia.

OBJECTIVE: The lymphocyte-to-C-reactive protein ratio (LCRP) and Systemic Immune-Inflammation Index (SII) can successfully predict 28-day mortality rates with community-acquired pneumoniaMETHODS: This prospective study was conducted in 2018. Hospitalized patients underwent follow-up evaluations 28 days after admission. RESULTS: A total of 345 patients with CAP were enrolled in this study. All-cause mortality at the 28th day of follow-up was 13.6 %. There were statistically significant results between the 2 groups (survivors and non-survivors), in terms of the LCRP, SII, PSI, and CURB-65 values. Moreover, the optimal LCRP cutoff for predicting 28-day mortality was determined to be 4, with 89 % sensitivity, 73 % specificity. Based on the average SII>3551for predicting 28-day mortality, the sensitivity, specificity was 63.8 %, 68.1 % respectively. When the value of the cutoff PSI was ≥130 points, the sensitivity, specificity was 68 %, 65 %, respectively. Based on 3 points and above as the cutoff value of the CURB-65 score, the sensitivity, specificity was 80 %, 68 %, respectively. ROC curve analysis revealed that the areas of LCRP, SII, PSI, and CURB-65 under the AUC in terms of 28-day mortality were 0,820,0,737,681, and 0,773, respectively,CONCLUSIONS: LCRP and SII level are valuable for predicting the mortality rate among patients with CAP at ED admission (Tab. 3, Fig. 3, Ref. 27).

Increased Expression of Pentraxin 3 in Placental Tissues from Patients with Unexplained Recurrent Pregnancy Loss.

Pentraxin 3 (PTX3), a prototypical member of the long pentraxin subfamily, is a evolutionarily conserved multimeric pattern recognition receptor involved in the humoral component of the innate immune system. Pentraxin 3 is released when tissue is stressed or damaged, and interacts with many different ligands. Pentraxin 3 exerts a pivotal role both as a regulator and as an indicator of inflammatory response in the pathogenesis of many diseases such as sepsis, vasculitis and preeclampsia. Uncontrolled inflammatory response is considered a major cause of unexplained recurrent pregnancy loss (URPL). We determined the PTX3 messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) and protein expression levels in placentai tissues from 50 women with URPL, and made comparison with those in 50 age-matched control subjects. In quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry analyses, PTX3 mRNA and protein levels, respectively, were significantly increased in URPL patients compared with their respective controls (p = 0.0001). Although no significant correlations were identified between PTX3 expression levels and clinical parameters such as maternal age, numbers of previous pregnancy losses, and gestational age at miscarriage, PTX3 mRNA expression was significantly higher in patients with no live births than in women with previous live births (p = 0.0001). Our study suggests that tissue-specific expression of PTX3 is associated with URPL. Further larger studies are required to determine whether PTX3 expression can be used as a biomarker to manage URPL in routine clinical practice.

[Biomechanical screening for injury prevention : The importance of 3D-motion analysis in high performance sports]. / Biomechanisches Screening zur Verletzungsprävention : Die Bedeutung der 3D-Bewegungsanalyse im Hochleistungssport.

Standardized clinical diagnostic procedures cannot assess the functionality of the anatomical structures in sport-specific movement. Biomechanical screening is able to detect deficits but is not sufficiently and objectively precise with the current clinical examination tools including conventional imaging techniques. The fields of use of functional testing methods are versatile and range from injury prevention analysis, screening during rehabilitation phases up to the return-to-play decision. Using simple musculoskeletal function analysis it is difficult to assess the risk of injuries. The main advantage of instrumented 3D-motion analysis is its potential to generate objective, reliable and reproducible data with exact joint angles, muscle activity, as well as loading inside the joints during movement. These marker-based motion analysis procedures are more time-consuming and more cost intensive and necessitate in particular biomechanical and medical knowledge to assess the analytical data in terms of clinical relevance. In the absence of scientific studies on biomechanical analyses in professional sports, this study shows preliminary approaches to this topic.

Evaluation of observational research reports published in Turkish nursing journals.

AIM: The aim of this literature-based descriptive study was to examine the reporting of the observational research studies published in peer-reviewed nursing journals in Turkey. METHODS: Eleven peer-reviewed nursing journals printed on a regular basis in Turkey between 2007 and 2012 were selected. These journals were searched for observational research studies, and 502 studies were selected and examined by using the Strengthening the Reporting of Observational Studies in Epidemiology Statement. RESULTS: Of the 502 studies, 495 were cross-sectional, 3 were cohort, and 4 were case controlled. Summary and introduction and aim sections were sufficient in most of the studies. The methods sections of the reports were mostly not reported: 64.3% of the reports did not indicate eligibility/inclusion criteria; sampling method, 67.0%; possible sources of bias, 99.2%; ways to reach sample size, 92.6%. In the results section, the number of individuals participating in each stage of the studies (44.0%) and in other analyses made (39.2%) was not reported. In the discussion section, a main comment about research findings was partly made (97.4%), and limitations of the studies and possible sources of bias were not written in 99.0% of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: This study clearly revealed that the observational research studies published in nursing journals in Turkey did not fulfil the important criteria and needed to be improved. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING AND HEALTH POLICY: Information obtained from this study can contribute to improvement of the quality of reporting observational studies in nursing and thus using obtained findings in practice.

The relationship of sleep problems to life quality and depression.

OBJECTIVE: To identify the level of depression, the level of life quality, and the relationship between these, in patients applying to sleep centers for various sleep problems. METHODS: This cross-sectional study included 229 patients who applied for polysomnography at sleeping centers under supervision of the Neurology and Chest Diseases Clinics of Kayseri Education and Research Hospital, Kayseri, Turkey between June and August 2013. The data collection tools were a socio-demographical data form, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and the World Health Organization Quality of Life Scale (WHOQOL-BREF). For statistical analyses, the Student t-test, Kruskal-Wallis-variant analysis, and chi-square tests were used. Significance level was considered as p<0.05. RESULTS: In our study, patients who were older aged, married, not working, and who had a chronic disease, and a severe depressive symptom were observed to have significantly poorer sleep quality. While patients with any chronic disease had significantly higher scores for total PSQI and depression, their physical, mental, and social WHOQOL-BREF scores were significantly lower. The PSQI total scores, and depression scores of the smoking patients were significantly higher for physical, mental, and social WHOQOL-BREF fields. There was a positive correlation between PSQI scores and BDI scores while there was a negative correlation among BDI, PSQI, and WHOQOL-BREF life quality sub-scale scores. CONCLUSION: Sleep quality was significantly poorer in patients who were older aged, married, not working, and who had a chronic disease, and a severe depressive symptom. There was a significantly negative correlation among depression, sleep quality, and life quality, while there was a significantly positive correlation between life quality and depression.

Adropin: a key component and potential gatekeeper of metabolic disturbances in policystic ovarian syndrome.

PURPOSE: The aim of the current study was to evaluate potential relationships between serum adropin levels and metabolic parameters in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty women with PCOS and 20 healthy, age and body mass index (BMI) matched controls were included in the study. All subjects underwent venous blood drawing on the early follicular phase after an overnight fasting. Serum adropin levels were measured with enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA). The relationships between serum adropin levels and metabolic parameters were also assessed. RESULTS: Serum adropin levels were found to be significantly lower in women with PCOS when compared to control group (p < 0.001). Serum adropin level was correlated negatively with fasting serum insulin levels, homeostasis model of assessment - insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and serum lipid markers including cholesterol, very low-density lipoprotein, and triglycerides (TG) in PCOS patients (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The findings of current study suggest that women with PCOS have low serum adropin levels that may contribute to the underlying pathogenesis of metabolic disturbances in PCOS.

Magnetic-field-synchronized wireless modulation of neural activity by magnetoelectric nanoparticles.

The in vitro study demonstrates wirelessly controlled modulation of neural activity using magnetoelectric nanoparticles (MENPs), synchronized to magnetic field application with a sub-25-msec temporal response. Herein, MENPs are sub-30-nm CoFe2O4@BaTiO3 core-shell nanostructures. MENPs were added to E18 rat hippocampal cell cultures (0.5 µg of MENPs per 100,000 neurons) tagged with fluorescent Ca2+ sensitive indicator cal520. MENPs were shown to wirelessly induce calcium transients which were synchronized with application of 1200-Oe bipolar 25-msec magnetic pulses at a rate of 20 pulses/sec. The observed calcium transients were similar, in shape and magnitude, to those generated through the control electric field stimulation with a 50-µA current, and they were inhibited by the sodium channel blocker tetrodotoxin. The observed MENP-based magnetic excitation of neural activity is in agreement with the non-linear M - H hysteresis loop of the MENPs, wherein the MENPs' coercivity value sets the threshold for the externally applied magnetic field.

Colour agreement between try-in paste and resin cement: effect of background on zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate.

PURPOSE: To investigate colour agreement between different shades of Panavia V5 resin cement and their try-in pastes under zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramics. METHODS: Forty-four zirconia-reinforced lithium silicate ceramic specimens were prepared at 0.8 ± 0.01 mm thickness. Composite resin tooth-shaded background specimens were obtained in two shades. Resin cement specimens were fabricated at 0.1-mm thickness. Colour difference values (ΔE) between Aquagel and both the try-in paste and resin cement were calculated using the CIE-Lab system. The CIEDE2000 (ΔE00) colour formula was used to determine colour differences. The three-way ANOVA test and a multiple comparisons test were used for statistical analysis (α = 0.05). RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the ΔE00 values obtained from the cement shade colour measurements for all specimens (P < 0.05). According to the three-way ANOVA test, lower ΔE00 values were observed in the try-in paste group compared to the resin cement group. The ΔE00 values were significantly affected by the cement shade and tooth-shaded background (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The colour agreement between the try-in pastes and the corresponding resin cement differed, and the try-in pastes could not mask the dark dental background as much as the corresponding resin cement.

Is it necessary to operate on all women with an acute abdomen following medical treatment of tubal ectopic pregnancy?

The main objective of this retrospective study is to evaluate the question of whether it is necessary to perform surgery for patients who develop an acute abdomen after methotrexate administration in cases of tubal ectopic pregnancy. A total of 26 women with tubal ectopic pregnancy who required emergency surgical evaluation after a single dose of methotrexate treatment were included. The surgical findings were tubal abortion (10 cases, 38.4%); tubal rupture (12 cases, 46.2%) and tubal haematoma (4 cases, 15.4%). The average time for initiation of severe abdominal pain following single dose methotrexate treatment was 6.12 +/- 2.10 days (range, 2-10). The most common site of implantation was isthmus (50.0%) and 38.5% (five patients) of the patients had tubal abortion from this part of the tube, while 46.1% of women (six patients) with isthmic localisation had a tubal rupture. Following medical treatment of ectopic pregnancy, surgery may be an option in the presence of symptoms/signs of acute abdomen (in the presence or absence of haemodynamic instability) and free pelvic fluid on sonography for only patients with isthmic tubal ectopic pregnancy, or if the isthmic localisation of tubal ectopic pregnancy is suspected on sonography.

Bibliometric review of references of nursing research papers during the decade 1994-2003 in Turkey.

AIM: To identify important information on the state of academic nursing and the characteristics of academic nursing publications in Turkey. METHODS: The study consists of retrospective bibliometric research. The selected sample of the research consisted of six Turkish nursing journals published between 1994-2003 from a total population of ten journals. Seventy-four issues of these six journals were included and 825 research papers were analysed. A series of classic bibliometric indexes were used. RESULTS: The average number of references per scientific paper is 16.19 [+/-standard deviation (SD) 8.56]. The changes in the number of references taken from journals over time do not show strong fluctuations but were statistically significant (P < 0.001). The average number of references per paper is 17.71 (+/-SD 8.09) for research papers, while it is 14.50 (+/-SD 8.76) for reviews. The Price's index is 23.8% and the insularity index is 31.8%. CONCLUSIONS: The number of references used for papers has been increasing in recent years. The use of journals within references is high while the use of books is low. The Price's index tendency is decreasing. The high insularity index observed in the articles may be considered as a negative indicator of nursing journals in Turkey.

Cigarette smoking and pregnancy: results of a survey at a Turkish women's hospital in 1,020 patients.

We aimed to investigate the level of knowledge about the effects of cigarette smoking and status before and during pregnancy. The study was performed on 1,020 pregnant women who attended the clinic for a routine visit. The questionnaire consisting of questions about sociodemographic data, smoking habits and knowledge about harmful effects of smoking on fetus (miscarriage, intrauterine growth retardation, pre-term birth, fetal mortality-morbidity, postpartum infant death, pre-term premature rupture of membranes, lung disease, attention deficit) was administered. Data were analysed by SPSS 10.0 using chi(2)-test and binary regression analysis. Mean age was 26.3 years. Smoking rates before and after pregnancy were 34.7% and 14%, respectively. Passive smoking was seen in 69.2%. The number of cigarettes smoked before pregnancy had a significant impact on continuation of smoking during pregnancy [OR (95% CI) 29.94 (12.88-69.64)]. For passive smoking at home for a young age [OR (95% CI) = 1.33 (1.01-1.76)] had a positive impact and university education [OR (95% CI) = 0.40 (0.24-0.67)] had a negative impact. Most pregnant women (97.5%) knew smoking was harmful. Awareness of intrauterine fetal death as a harmful effect was the single most important factor associated with quitting active and passive smoking. Despite some level of knowledge of pregnant women regarding adverse effects of smoking, there is a strong need for education on quitting smoking during pregnancy. Prevention of passive smoking should have the highest priority.

Activity of resveratrol on the influence of aflatoxin B1 on the testes of Sprague dawley rats.

Twenty eight male Sprague Dawley rats (aged 3 months) were used in the study. The animals were given feed and water as ad libitum. Sprague dawley rats were randomly divided into 4 groups as 7 rats in each group. Except for the control one, aflatoxin B1 (7.5 µg / 200 g), resveratrol (60 mg / kg) was administered to rats of 3 other groups. At the end of the 16th day, blood, semen and tissue specimens were taken by decapitation under ether anesthesia. When we evaluate the spermatological parameters, it is understood that resveratrol has a statistically significant difference in terms of sperm motility and viability (membrane integrity) compared to the control group and aflatoxin B1 administration groups, indicating a protective effect on spermatological parameters. In terms of pathological parameters - histopathological examination - in the control and resveratrol groups, seminiferous tubules were observed to be in normal structure. In the group treated with aflatoxin, the regular structure of the spermatogenic cells deteriorated and the seminiferous tubules became necrotic and degenerative. In the group treated with Afb1 + res, the decreasing of necrotic and degenerative changes were determined compared with in the group treated with aflatoxin. As immunohistochemical examination, cleaved caspase 3 expression was found to be very low in the control and resveratrol groups. Cleaved caspase 3 expression was severely exacerbated in seminiferous tubules in aflatoxin group but cleaved caspase 3 expression level decreased in Afb1 + res. In the biochemical direction, resveratrol has been shown to inhibit the adverse effects of aflatoxin on antioxidant levels and to show a protective effect. For this purpose, the use of resveratrol with antioxidant activity was investigated in preventing or ameliorating damage to aflatoxin B1. It has been concluded that resveratrol effectively prevent the aflatoxin-induced testicular damage and lipid peroxidation. It has also been shown that resveratrol has protective effects on sperm motility and viability.

Development of Crohn's disease following anti-tumour necrosis factor therapy (etanercept).

Inhibition of tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha is effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory rheumatic diseases. Anti-TNF antibodies such as infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab are commonly used. There are structural and functional differences among these agents. We describe development of Crohn's disease in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis receiving anti-TNF therapy. This case suggests that the appearance of gastrointestinal symptoms in patients on anti-TNF therapy must be evaluated to find out whether this is a new onset or an exacerbation of underlying inflammatory bowel disease.

Efficacy of topical cyclosporin A 0.05% in conjunctival impression cytology specimens and clinical findings of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis in children.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the efficacy of topical cyclosporin A 0.05% in managing the symptoms of severe vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC). METHODS: Fifty-four children with severe VKC were included in this study. All 54 patients were treated with topical cyclosporin A (CsA) 0.05% for 3 months. Ocular signs and symptoms were scored in all patients at entry and after 3 months. Conjunctival impression cytology specimens were examined on the day of enrollment and at the end of the treatment period. RESULTS: The mean scores for severity of signs and symptoms significantly decreased after 3 months compared with those at entry (P<0.001). The density of inflammatory cells in the conjunctival impression cytology specimens decreased significantly. No side effects of the treatment with CsA 0.05% eyedrops were observed. CONCLUSIONS: Topical CsA 0.05% eyedrops were found to be safe and effective in the treatment of patients with VKC. Consistent with these results, topical CsA may efficiently reduce conjunctival inflammation in severe VKC.

Evaluation of perforating eye injuries by using cluster analysis.

We evaluated the epidemiology, visual outcome, and clinical characteristics of serious eye injuries and identified preventable risk factors. We concluded that many accidents and their resulting injuries were preventable by education, greater intensive care and workplace safety. Perforating ocular injuries in rural environment are still a big therapeutic, social and economic problem.

Horizontal hepatitis B virus transmission through non-sexual close contact in Turkish chronic hepatitis B patients living outside of Turkey.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global threat and with the growing cultural diversity in Western Europe, knowledge on routes of infection in order to decrease HBV spreading is essential. This study assessed the risk of horizontal transmission through non-sexual close contact in the chronic hepatitis B (CHB) population in Maastricht (the Netherlands) and Genk (Belgium), with a main focus on the differences between ethnic groups. METHODS: In this multicenter retrospective study, 166 CHB patients, who were still under follow-up between December 2009 to December 2014, were recruited from the Hepatology Outpatient Departments of two hospitals, one in Maastricht and one in Genk. Ethnicity (defined as country of origin (COO)) and routes of transmission were collected from all patients. RESULTS: The CHB population in Maastricht and Genk consisted of 98 and 68 patients, respectively. In Maastricht, 31% were of Dutch and 16% of Chinese origin. In Genk, mainly Belgian (15%) and Turkish (50%) patients were included. The percentage of horizontal transmission in the total study cohort was 9%. Moreover, the COO groups Dutch/Belgian (n=40), Turkish (n=38) and Chinese (n=18) differed in the number of cases infected by horizontal transmission (4%, 30% and 6%, p=0.030). CONCLUSION: Although the prevalence of horizontal transmission in the total study cohort is low, non-sexual close contact may play a role in the migrant population, particularly the Turkish. This should be an important public health target with respect to the prevention of HBV spreading.

Volumetric MRI assessment of brain regions in patients with refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder.

No prior study to date has examined the comparisons of the structures that have been implicated in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in patients with refractory OCD, those who are treatment-responded and healthy controls concurrently. Therefore, we performed a volumetric MRI study in patients with refractory OCD, those with treatment responding OCD and healthy controls. Morphometric MRI was used to compare in thirty patients with OCD and ten healthy controls. Of the patient group, ten were first applying patients, ten were treatment-responded and the rest were refractory OCD patients. As a whole group, OCD patients had increased white matter volume than healthy controls. First applying patients had significantly smaller left and right orbito-frontal cortex (OFC) volumes compared with treatment-responded patients and healthy controls, with a significant difference between refractory patients and treatment-responded patients and with no significant difference was found between the volume of first applying patients compared to that of refractory patients. Anterior cingulate exhibited a near-significant difference only between first applying patients and healthy controls on left side. First applying patients had significantly greater left and right thalamus volumes compared with treatment-responded patients and healthy controls and there was a considerable difference in regard to thalamic volumes between refractory patients and treatment-responded patients. Taken together, our findings suggest that reductions in OFC and increase in thalamic volumes may be associated with refractoriness of OCD and may not be due to changes in cingulate and caudate regions.