Validity and reliability study of the mental illness micro-aggression scale-perpetrator version.

This study was conducted to determine the Turkish Validity and Reliability of the Mental Illness Micro-Aggression Scale- perpetrator version. This methodological study was conducted with 302 nursing students studying at two different universities in Turkey. The data of the study were collected via introductory information form, the Mental Illness Micro-Aggression Scale-Perpetrator Version, and Community Attitudes to Mental Illness. As a result of the exploratory factor analysis and confirmatory factor analysis, the original three-factor structure of the scale was changed and a four-factor structure emerged. The Turkish version of the Mental Illness Micro-Aggression Scale-Perpetrator Version was found to be a valid and reliable measurement tool to measure micro-aggression towards people with mental illness.

Effects of water deficit on growth and performance of drip irrigated sweet potato varieties.

BACKGROUND: There are many scientific studies on performance of different sweet potato varieties under water deficits, however, no study on Koganesengan and Beniazuma varieties has been found in the literature. This study was aimed to investigate the effects of water deficit levels (control-WD0 , low-WD25 , medium-WD50 and high-WD75 water deficit levels) on growth, yield and quality parameters, water use efficiency and water-yield response factor values of these sweet potato varieties under drip irrigation. RESULTS: The seasonal water consumptions of varieties were calculated as 808 and 826 mm, respectively, under no water deficit. All of the growth (except average tuber length for Koganesengan) and yield parameters of both varieties were significantly affected by water deficit treatments. However, most of the quality parameters including total dry mater, starch, ß-carotene, ascorbic acid, protein, saccharose and glucose contents for both varieties; total ash, crude fiber and phenolic matter content for Beniazuma; and fructose content and antioxidant activity for Koganesengan variety had no response to water deficits at any level. Under high deficit and control, fresh and dry vine, tuber and total yields ranged from 4.80 to 14.54, 0.85 to 2.35, 1.59 to 10.97 and 6.40 to 25.52 t ha-1 for Koganesengan and 6.05 to 27.88, 0.99 to 4.09, 2.17 to 22.91 and 8.22 to 50.79 t ha-1 for Beniazuma, respectively. CONCLUSION: The results showed that Beniazuma variety is proportionally more sensitive to water deficit than Koganesengan. It can be concluded that both varieties can be grown in Mediterranean conditions by providing optimum irrigation applications. © 2020 Society of Chemical Industry.

Tinea pedis and onychomycosis frequency in diabetes mellitus patients and diabetic foot ulcers. A cross sectional - observational study.

OBJECTIVE: Impaired cellular immunity and reduced phagocytic function of polymorphonuclear leukocytes facilitate the development of skin fungal and bacterial infections due to uncontrolled hyperglycemia in diabetic patients. In our study, we aimed to assess onychomycosis and/or tinea pedis frequency in diabetic patients, and effects on the development of chronic complications, particularly foot ulcer. METHODS: We included 227 diabetic patients in the study. Forty-three patients had diabetic foot ulcer. We screened and recorded demographic characteristics, HbA1c levels of patients, and presence of complications We examined patients dermatologically, and collected samples by scalpel from skin between toes, and from sole, toe nail, and area surrounding nails from suspected to have fungal infection. RESULTS: Native positivity between toes was higher in men compared to women (p<0.05). We obtained significant relation between HbA1c elevation and native positivity between toes (p<0.05). Fungal infection between toes, at sole and toe nail significantly increased in patients with diabetic foot ulcer compared to patients without diabetic foot ulcer (p<0.05). Moreover, native positivity in patients with diabetic foot ulcer correlated with presence of fungal infection examination findings (p<0.05). CONCLUSION: Fungal infections were more frequently observed in the presence of poor glycemic control and peripheral vascular disease in diabetic patients in compliance with the literature, and the presence of fungal infection may also responsible for the development of foot ulcers.

Clinical manifestations and genetic variation of Leishmania infantum and Leishmania tropica in Southern Turkey.

L. infantum was isolated from cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) skin lesions in patients having no signs and symptoms of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). Similarly, L. tropica had previously been isolated from patients with VL in the absence of cutaneous lesions. It was not certain how visceralization occurred. Smears (207) and bone marrow samples (135) were taken from CL and VL-suspected patients, respectively. Microscopic examination, ITS1-PCR, RFLP and DNA sequencing for all samples were analyzed. The microscopic examination of smears was found to be 61.3% (127/207) in CL-suspected cases and bone marrow samples were found to be positive 8.8% (12/135) in VL-suspected cases. L. tropica 48.6% (72/148), L. infantum 35.8% (53/148), L. major 15.6% (23/148) in CL, and L. infantum 56.3% (18/32), L. donovani 31.2% (10/32), L. tropica 12.5% (4/32) in VL were found with PCR-RFLP. In addition, the DNA sequencing revealed a genetic variation in L. infantum (variants 1-3) and L. tropica (variants 1-5). We assume that the increased disease occurrence may have resulted from geographical expansion of disease, changing patterns of international travel, population migrations, non-immune people into endemic regions of infected people into non-endemic regions. In this study, L. infantum (variant 3) only in CL-patients and L. tropica (variant 2) only in VL-patients were identified. We hypothesize that genetic variation might play a role in the causation of CL and VL in southern Turkey and the genetic variants may differ according to the geographical location among Leishmania strains.

Effect of remote ischemic postconditioning on left ventricular mechanics.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPC) decreases infarct size and prevents left ventricular (LV) remodeling in patients with myocardial infarction. However, there is no study that evaluates the effect of RIPC on LV mechanics assessed by speckle tracking echocardiography. Therefore, we aimed to test the effects of RIPC on LV deformation parameters such as strain, strain rate, rotation, and twist in healthy subjects. METHODS: The study group consisted of 22 healthy subjects. To test the effects of RIPC, 3 cycles of reperfusion followed by ischemia (each lasting 10 or 30 seconds) were applied immediately after 20 minutes of nondominant arm ischemia. Transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) was obtained at baseline and repeated 30 minutes after the completion of these cycles. In TTE images, apical 4-3-2 chamber longitudinal strain (LS)/strain rate, basal and apical circumferential strain/strain rate, and rotational parameters, such as basal rotation, apical rotation, and LV twist, were recorded. RESULTS: Apical 4-3-2 chamber LS and apical circumferential strain/strain rate measurements were comparable before and after RIPC, whereas basal circumferential strain was significantly decreased after RIPC (-23 ± 3.4 vs. -18.9 ± 6.9, P = 0.017). After RIPC, apical rotation was significantly increased (11.6 ± 3.7 vs. 16.7 ± 4.0, P < 0.001) and basal rotation was significantly decreased (-6.1 ± 2.1 vs. -4.7 ± 2.4, P = 0.03).Consequently, net LV twist was significantly increased (17.4 ± 4.5 vs. 21.7 ± 4.7). CONCLUSIONS: We proposed that RIPC affects the rotational mechanics of the heart rather than longitudinal mechanics. These results might give new insights into understanding the favorable effects of the post- conditioning.

The relationship between coronary collateral circulation and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and coronary collateral circulation (CCC) in patients with coronary chronic total occlusion. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Our study population consisted of 275 consecutive patients with chronic total occlusion. One hundred and thirty-eight patients with chronic total occlusion were included in the study. They were classified into 2 groups as follows: impaired CCC (group 1: Rentrop grades 0-1) and good CCC (group 2: Rentrop grades 2-3). The NLR was calculated from the complete blood count. RESULTS: The NLR values of the patients with impaired CCC (4.5 ± 0.7) were significantly higher than of those with good CCC (2.7 ± 0.6, p < 0.001). In the multivariate logistic regression test, NLR (OR 33.36, 95% CI 8.189-135.7, p < 0.001), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP; OR 2.152, 95% CI 1.226-3.777, p = 0.008), estimated glomerular filtration rate (OR 1.167, 95% CI 1.049-1.298, p = 0.004) and systolic blood pressure (OR 1.068, 95% CI 1.009-1.1310, p = 0.025) were independent predictors of impaired CCC. The NLR value >3.55 yielded an area under the curve value of 0.957 (95% CI 0.921-0.992, p < 0.001) and demonstrated a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 90% for the prediction of CCC. A moderate correlation between NLR and hs-CRP was observed (r = 0.443; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal that NLR correlates with the impaired development of coronary collaterals.

Mitral valve resistance correlates more closely with left atrial deformation than with conventional indices of rheumatic mitral stenosis.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: The relationship between mitral valve (MV) resistance and left atrial (LA) mechanical function is unknown. Hence, the study aim was to investigate the relationship between LA mechanics and MV resistance, compared to conventional indices such as mitral valve area (MVA) and transmitral gradient, in patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis (MS). METHODS: The study population consisted of 73 patients with MS and 30 age- and gender-matched controls. MV resistance was calculated and LA strain parameters were assessed from the apical four-chamber view by speckle tracking echocardiography (LA reservoir strain, LA pump strain, LA strain rate (SR)) in all subjects. RESULTS: The MS group has a markedly higher MV resistance (94 +/- 46 versus 67 +/- 22 dynes x s x cm(-5), p = 0.003) and lower LA reservoir strain (24.5 +/- 7.4% versus 36.6 +/- 3.8%, p < 0.001), LA pump strain (12.0 +/- 5.0% versus 17.1 +/- 3.4%, p < 0.001) and SR (1.23 +/- 0.33 versus 1.4 +/- 0.29, p = 0.017) values compared to controls. Moreover, both LA reservoir strain and LA pump strain correlated with MV resistance more closely than did MVA and transmitral gradients. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed only MV resistance to be an independent predictor of LA reservoir strain, while MV resistance, indexed left atrial volume and mean gradient were independent predictors of LA pump strain. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that, in patients with MS, mitral valve resistance was more closely related to LA mechanics measurements than were conventional indices of MS.

Incidence and predictors of radial artery occlusion associated transradial catheterization.

In this study, we sought to assess the incidence and predictors of radial artery occlusion (RAO), which is a significant complication of transradial cardiac catheterization. We prospectively evaluated the results of 106 patients who underwent coronary angiography and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) via the transradial approach (TRA). At the 3(rd) h of intervention, the radial artery was checked by palpation; color doppler ultrasonography was performed at the 24(th) h. Fluoroscopy duration, procedure success, and complications of the radial artery were recorded. The procedure was successfully completed in all patients. RAO was detected in eight female and two male patients. In terms of RAO, there was a statistically significant difference between males and females (p=0.019). Other parameters did not show a significant correlation with RAO. Altough did not have any effect on procedural success, eight patients developed transient radial artery spasm. Gender was not associated with radial arterial spasms (p=0.19). TRA in the diagnosis and treatment of coronary artery disease has shown high procedural success and low complication rates; it addition, it presents a low economic burden. It should be used widely and be involved in the routine cardiology residency program.

Asymptomatic groin dermatophyte carriage detected during routine gynaecologic examinations.

We investigated the epidemiological characteristics of both symptomatic and asymptomatic dermatophytic groin infections in 1970 women (age: 36.2 ± 12.5) during routine gynaecologic examinations. Bilateral groin samples were collected with sterile cotton swabs premoistened with sterile physiological saline. The samples were then separately inoculated onto Sabouraud glucose agar. Fungi were identified by sequencing the rDNA internal transcribed spacer region. Dermatophytes were recovered from five patients (four Trichophyton rubrum and one Arthroderma vanbreuseghemii, 0.25%) with a diagnosis of asymptomatic carriers (four) and tinea inguinalis (one). In one case, groin carriage converted into tinea inguinalis after 3 weeks. Analysis of risk factors indicated that patients of at least 49 years were more likely to be positive for dermatophyte isolation (P = 0.002). In conclusion, groin dermatophyte carriage is more common than tinea inguinalis and can potentially convert into a symptomatic infection.

Assessment of left ventricular dyssynchrony in dipper and non-dipper hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Ventricular dyssynchrony is an co-determinant of progression and exacerbation of heart failure (HF). The co-existence of ventricular dyssynchrony with hypertension (HT) and HF were shown, however there is no data regarding the effect of circadian rhythm of blood pressure (BP) on ventricular synchrony. Therefore, we aimed to study the left ventricular synchrony in dipper and non-dipper normotensive and hypertensive participants. METHODS: Participants (n = 142) were categorized into four groups as "Normotensive-Dipper" (NT-D) (n = 40), "Normotensive-Non-dipper" (NT-ND) (n = 30), "Hypertensive-Dipper" (HT-D) (n = 38) and "Hypertensive-Non-dipper" (HT-ND) (n = 34). Left ventricular dyssynchrony was investigated by color-coded tissue Doppler imaging. RESULTS: Non-dippers had higher 24-h and night-time BP both in normotensives and hypertensives. The incidence of ventricular dyssynchrony (a Ts-SD-12 > 34.4 ms) was higher in the hypertensive group (47.2% vs 24.3%, p = 0.005). The frequency of ventricular dyssynchrony was higher in the HT-ND group than the HT-D group (58.8% vs 36.8%, p = 0.05); however, the frequency of ventricular dyssynchrony was similar among the normotensives (26.7% vs 22.5%, p = 0.45). Ts-SD-12 and Ts-12 were higher in NT-ND group than the NT-D group. CONCLUSIONS: Non-dipping BP pattern was associated with impaired left ventricular contraction synchrony in both normotensive and hypertensive participants, which may be related with short- and long-term effects of HT on myocardium.

Left ventricular dyssynchrony is an early manifestation of heart involvement in sickle cell anemia.

BACKGROUND: Sickle cell anemia (SCA) is the most common inherited anemia. Although heart involvement in SCA is well-established, there is no data about changes of contraction synchrony in SCA. Therefore, we aimed to study the left ventricular contraction synchrony in SCA patients with narrow QRS and normal ejection fraction (EF). METHODS: Thirty-six patients with SCA and 37 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included in the study. Left ventricular dyssynchrony was investigated by color-coded tissue Doppler imaging. RESULTS: The SCA patients had lower hemoglobin (Hb) and higher ferritin, left ventricular end-diastolic diameter, left ventricular end-systolic diameter, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and pulmonary artery pressure. Peak A velocity, Dt, and E/E' values were higher in the SCA group however, E/A ratio and average Em were higher in the control group. LV systolic dyssynchrony parameters including Ts-SD-12, Ts-12, Ts-SD-6, and Ts-6 were found to be higher in SCA group when compared with controls. In addition to that, the patients with ventricular dyssynchrony (a Ts-SD-12 > 34.4 msec) were higher in the SCA group than the control group (55.6% vs. 8.1%, P < 0.001). In the correlation analysis, systolic dyssynchrony parameters were found to be correlated with Hb, ferritin, LVMI, E/A, Dt, Em. CONCLUSION: Our results revealed that in SCA patients with normal EF and narrow QRS, left ventricular systolic dyssynchrony was an early manifestation of heart involvement and might be coexisted with or preceding diastolic dysfunction.

Serum pentraxin-3 levels are associated with the severity of metabolic syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the level of pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) and the severity of metabolic syndrome (MS). SUBJECTS AND METHOD: One hundred and two patients with MS and 101 consecutive age- and sex-matched control subjects were included in the study. The MS patients were classified into three groups based on the number of MS criteria, i.e. group 1: patients with 3 MS criteria, group 2: patients with 4 MS criteria, and group 3: patients with 5 MS criteria. Serum PTX-3 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured. RESULTS: Group 1 had higher PTX-3 levels compared to the control group (0.58 ± 0.11 ng/ml vs. 0.36 ± 0.15 ng/ml, p < 0.001). PTX-3 levels were higher in group 3 than in both group 1 (0.90 ± 0.06 ng/ml vs. 0.58 ± 0.11 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and group 2 (0.90 ± 0.06 ng/ml vs. 0.63 ± 0.12 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Group 3, however, had higher hs-CRP levels than both group 1 (1.89 ± 0.45 mg/dl vs. 1.40 ± 0.44 mg/dl, p = 0.007) and group 2 (1.89 ± 0.45 mg/dl vs. 1.47 ± 0.58 mg/dl, p = 0.01). The control group had lower hs-CRP levels than group 1 (0.81 ± 0.47 mg/dl vs. 1.40 ± 0.44 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and group 2 (0.81 ± 0.47 mg/dl vs. 1.47 ± 0.58 mg/dl, p < 0.001). Serum PTX-3 levels correlated with serum hs-CRP levels (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: PTX-3, a novel inflammatory marker, was found to be associated with the severity of MS.

Clinical and morphological evaluation of coronary bifurcation lesions.

OBJECTIVES: We aimed to investigate the anatomical and morphological characterization of coronary bifurcation lesions. STUDY DESIGN: The study population consisted of 542 stable patients who underwent coronary angiography. Bifurcation lesions were defined as a lesion >=50% diameter stenosis involving a main branch and/or contiguous side branch with a diameter of >=2.5 mm. Using these criteria, the presence and number of bifurcation lesions, bifurcation lesion location, lesion classification according to Medina classification and the angle of the bifurcation lesion were determined. RESULTS: According to the bifurcation definition 19.3% (n=105) of our patients had bifurcation lesions. In 77% of all bifurcation lesions, the bifurcation angle was <70°. About 37% of all lesions were concordant with the Medina 1.1.1 classification. Approximately 56% of bifurcation lesions were in the LAD region, 25.4% in the Cx region, and 12.5% in the RCA region. Medina 1.1.1 was the most frequently observed in the LAD and RCA regions, while it was least common in the Cx and LMCA regions. Diabetes was observed to be significantly higher in those with bifurcation lesions than in those without. CONCLUSION: Bifurcation lesions are frequently observed in coronary angiography practice. Angiographic characteristics and the relationship of these lesions with clinical conditions may be a crucial factor in choosing the appropriate interventional procedure.

The serum pentraxin-3 is elevated in patients with cardiac syndrome X.

OBJECTIVES: Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is a clinical entity that is defined as normal coronary arteries with angina pectoris and objective sins of ischemia. The correlation between CSX and inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is well established, however an association with pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PTX-3 and CSX. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 122 patients (58 female, 64 male, mean age 49.6±5.8 years) with suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in the study. Those with evidence of ischemia (50 patients with positive treadmill tests, 32 patients with positive myocardial perfusion scintography) underwent coronary angiography (82 patients). Patients with a normal angiogram were considered the CSX group (n=41) and patients with coronary lesions were referred to as the CAD group (n=41). Patients without signs of ischemia served as the control group. Serum PTX-3 and hs-CRP levels were measured in all patients. RESULTS: The CSX group had significantly increased PTX-3 levels relative to the control group (0.46±0.16 vs. 0.23±0.09 ng/ml, p<0.001). However there were no differences in levels of PTX-3 and hs-CRP between the CSX and the CAD groups (PTX-3: 0.46±0.16 vs. 0.51±0.13 ng/ml, p=0.21; hs-CRP: 1.04±0.45 vs. 1.16±0.64 mg/dl, p=0.62). The control group had significantly lower hs-CRP levels (0.73±0.51 mg/dl) when compared to the both CSX and CAD groups (p=0.03 and p=0.002, respectively). Serum PTX-3 levels were weakly correlated with hs-CRP levels (r=0.30, p=0.001). CONCLUSION: PTX-3, a novel inflammatory marker, is elevated in patients with CSX, similar to the well known inflammatory marker hs-CRP, and may be a promising biomarker reflecting inflammatory status in these patients.

Modeling DNA Methylation Profiles and Epigenetic Analysis of Safflower (Carthamus tinctorius L.) Seedlings Exposed to Copper Heavy Metal.

Heavy metals are chemical elements with high density that can be toxic or poisonous even at low concentrations. They are widely distributed in the environment due to industrial activities, mining, pesticide use, automotive emissions and domestic wastes. This study aimed to investigate the toxic effects of copper (Cu) heavy metal on safflower plants in terms of genetic and epigenetic parameters. Safflower seeds were exposed to different concentrations of Cu heavy metal solution (20, 40, 80, 160, 320, 640, 1280 mg L-1) for three weeks, and changes in the genomic template stability (GTS) and methylation pattern in the root tissues were analyzed using PCR and coupled restriction enzyme digestion-random amplification (CRED-RA) techniques. The results indicated that high doses of Cu have genotoxic effects on the genome of safflower plants. Epigenetic analysis revealed four different methylation patterns, with the highest total methylation rate of 95.40% observed at a 20 mg L-1 concentration, and the lowest rate of 92.30% observed at 160 mg L-1. Additionally, the maximum percentage of non-methylation was detected at 80 mg L-1. These results suggest that changes in the methylation patterns can serve as an important mechanism of protection against Cu toxicity. Furthermore, safflower can be used as a biomarker to determine the pollution in soils contaminated with Cu heavy metal.

Effect of the Management in Nursing course on students' time management and career planning attitudes: A single-group pre-test post-test study.

AIM: This study aimed to determine the effect of the Management in Nursing course on the time management and career planning attitudes of nursing students. BACKGROUND: University education is important for young people to develop their time management skills, plan their careers, and implement these plans. DESIGN: This is a semi-experimental study used single-group pre-test post-test design. METHODS: This study sample included 133 fourth-year nursing students who enrolled for the Management in Nursing course in the 2019-2020 academic year. Introductory Information Form, Career Futures Inventory (CFI), and Time Management Questionnaire (TMQ) were used for data collection. RESULTS: A statistically significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test time planning and TMQ scores. Moreover, a significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test career adaptability, career optimism and CFI scores. No significant difference was found between the pre- and post-test scores for the TMQ's time attitudes and time wasters subdimensions; similarly, the CFI's perceived knowledge of the job market subdimension indicated no significant difference between the pre- and post-test scores. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study indicated that the Management in Nursing course improved the time management skills of fourth-year nursing students as well as increased adaptability and optimism in their career planning attitudes.

Distinguishing Parkinson's Disease with GLCM Features from the Hankelization of EEG Signals.

This study proposes a novel method that uses electroencephalography (EEG) signals to classify Parkinson's Disease (PD) and demographically matched healthy control groups. The method utilizes the reduced beta activity and amplitude decrease in EEG signals that are associated with PD. The study involved 61 PD patients and 61 demographically matched controls groups, and EEG signals were recorded in various conditions (eyes closed, eyes open, eyes both open and closed, on-drug, off-drug) from three publicly available EEG data sources (New Mexico, Iowa, and Turku). The preprocessed EEG signals were classified using features obtained from gray-level co-occurrence matrix (GLCM) features through the Hankelization of EEG signals. The performance of classifiers with these novel features was evaluated using extensive cross-validations (CV) and leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV) schemes. This method under 10 × 10 fold CV, the method was able to differentiate PD groups from healthy control groups using a support vector machine (SVM) with an accuracy of 92.4 ± 0.01, 85.7 ± 0.02, and 77.1 ± 0.06 for New Mexico, Iowa, and Turku datasets, respectively. After a head-to-head comparison with state-of-the-art methods, this study showed an increase in the classification of PD and controls.

Cutaneous id reactions: a comprehensive review of clinical manifestations, epidemiology, etiology, and management.

Id reactions are a type of secondary inflammatory reaction that develops from a remote localized immunological insult. To date, id reactions caused by various fungal, bacterial, viral, and parasitic infections have been reported. Superficial fungal infections, especially tinea pedis, are the most common cause of id reactions. Id reactions exhibit multiple clinical presentations, including localized or widespread vesicular lesions, maculopapular or scarlatiniform eruptions, erythema nodosum, erythema multiforme, erythema annulare centrifugum, Sweet's syndrome, guttate psoriasis, and autoimmune bullous disease. The mechanisms underlying id reactions vary depending on the type of clinical presentation. The most important aspect of therapy involves the identification and adequate treatment of the underlying infection or dermatitis. This review comprehensively discusses the current state of the field concerning cutaneous id reactions, including diagnostic criteria, clinical presentations, underlying infectious conditions, etiologic agents, immunologic characteristics, histopathologic findings, and management strategies.

Majocchi's granuloma: a symptom complex caused by fungal pathogens.

Majocchi's granuloma (MG) is a well-recognized but uncommon infection of dermal and subcutaneous tissues that is caused by mold fungi. Although primarily caused by keratinophilic dermatophytes such as anthropophilic Trichophyton rubrum, species from the Aspergillus and Phoma genera have been occasionally detected as etiologic agents of MG. In both healthy individuals and immunocompromised hosts, MG often presents as nodules, plaques, and papules on areas that are prone to trauma. Although MG generally appears on the upper and lower extremities (forearms, hands, legs, or ankles), it occasionally appears on the scalp and face. The clinical, mycologic, and/or cytologic diagnosis should be confirmed by the demonstration of perifollicular granulomatous inflammation by histologic examination. This review focuses on the clinical presentation, pathogenesis, laboratory diagnostic methods (including the Tzanck smear test), etiologic agents, histopathologic characteristics, and therapeutic approaches to the treatment of MG.

Abnormal left ventricular mechanics in isolated bicuspid aortic valve disease may be independent of aortic distensibility: 2D strain imaging study.

BACKGROUND AIM OF THE STUDY: In this study, we hypothesized that subclinical impairment of left ventricular (LV) mechanical function in bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) patients is independent of valvular hemodynamics represented by valvuloarterial impedance and aortic elastic characteristics. Therefore, we aimed to test left ventricular mechanics in cases of isolated non-stenotic BAV with non-dilated aorta. METHODS: Thirty-three patients with isolated BAV exhibiting non-dilated aorta, and 25 age-and gender-matched healthy subjects were included in the study. Patients with aortic valve velocity > 1.5 m/s and mild-to-moderate aortic regurgitation or ascending aorta diameter > 3.5 cm were excluded from the study. Aortic elasticity parameters and valvulo-arterial impedance were calculated. Strain measurements were reported as the peak longitudinal strain (LS) for four chamber (4C), long axis (LAX) and two chamber (2C) views. Strain rate (Sr) measurements were reported as the peak systolic strain rate (Sr-sm), early diastolic strain rate (Sr-em) and late diastolic strain rate (Sr-am) for 4C, LAX and 2C views. RESULTS: Systolic and diastolic diameters of the ascending aorta, aortic elastic properties (aortic strain, aortic distensibility, aortic stiffness and aortic elastic modulus), and valvulo-arterial impedances were found to be comparable between the BAV and control groups. BAV group was observed to have statistically significantly lower 4C (18.9 +/- 1.7 vs. 17.8 +/- 1.5, p = 0.02), LAX (19.7 +/- 1.7 vs. 17.7 +/- 1.3, p = 0.001) and 2C (20.1 +/- 1.8 vs. 17.7 +/- 1.2, p < 0.001) peak longitudinal strain values compared with the control group. Moreover, LV-GS values were found to be significantly lower in the BAV group than in the control group (19.6 +/- 1.1 vs. 17.7 +/- 0.9, p < 0.001). However, there was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of Sr-sm, Sr-em ve Sr-am values in the 4C, LAX, and 2C views. CONCLUSION: BAV might affect LV systolic functions, assessed by 2D strain imaging, in a fashion independent from the valvular dynamics and aortic elasticity. This might show that BAV is not only a valvular disease, but possibly a ventricular disease as well.