Water/organic liquid interface properties with amine, carboxyl, thiol, and methyl terminal groups as seen from MD simulations.

Molecular dynamics simulations were performed to study structural and dynamic properties of polar butanamine/water/butanamine, pentanoic acid/water/pentanoic acid, butanethiol/water/butanethiol, and nonpolar pentane/water/pentane systems. The mass density profiles along the interface normal to the organic liquid/water system, the difference in the local structure of H 2 O molecules in bulk and in the vicinity of interface, as well as the diffusion behavior of water molecules at the interface with above-mentioned organic liquids have been investigated. Our MD simulation has shown that the diffusion of water molecules across the water/organic liquid interface is influenced by the hydrogen bonds n HB between water molecules and the terminal groups of organic liquids. It was found that the loss of the hydrogen bonds n HB in the nonpolar organic liquid leads to a decrease in the value of the normal component of the diffusion coefficient D z , while the tangential diffusion coefficients, both D x and D y , increase.

Burr hole and craniotomy in the treatment of subdural hematoma: A comparative study.

Aim: This article aims to study the clinical outcomes in patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) who underwent burr hole drainage or craniotomy. Patients and Methods: The length of hospitalization, Glasgow outcome scales (GOS) of patients undergoing burr-hole drainage or craniotomy, were evaluated and compared statistically. In this study, we also evaluated the relationship by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: The sex and age distribution and specific clinical parameters of the patients were investigated. In this study, we provide the evidence of the GOS and length of hospitalization findings of the patients and the superiority of burr hole drainage over craniotomy. Conclusions: Chronic subdural hematoma responds better to burr hole drainage with shorter hospitalization and improved Glasgow score.

Comparison of non-burn-specific systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria and burn-specific American Burn Association systemic inflammatory response syndrome criteria in paediatric burned patients.

AIM: We aim to investigate the diagnostic value of newly defined criteria for the systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) for paediatric burn patients by the American Burn Association (ABA) by comparing the non-burn-specific SIRS criteria for children. METHODS: A total of 147 paediatric burn patients were included in this study. Patients diagnosed with sepsis were included in the sepsis group. Clinical parameters were obtained from the electronic medical records at the time of preliminary sepsis diagnosis. Both the non-burn-specific SIRS criteria and the burn-specific ABA SIRS criteria were applied to both the sepsis group and the non-sepsis group. RESULTS: Of 147 patients, 50 had sepsis according to the non-burn-specific sepsis criteria. When the 50-patient sepsis group was compared to the 97-patient non-sepsis group, the sepsis group had a significantly higher duration of hospitalisation, burn percentage, burn state and abbreviated burn scoring index (ABSI) (P < 0.05). The specificity of the two scales was 29.9% for the non-burn-specific SIRS and 74.2% for the burn-specific ABA SIRS. The sensitivity for the burn-specific ABA SIRS was calculated as 58%, the sensitivity for the non-burn-specific SIRS was 100%. While positive predictive value was calculated as 42.4% for the non-burn-specific SIRS, this value was found as 53.7% for the burn-specific ABA SIRS criteria. The correlation coefficient between the non-burn-specific SIRS and the burn-specific ABA SIRS was 0.378 (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study underlines the need for widespread use of more specific and sensitive burn-specific clinical criteria to early diagnosis of infection in burn patients to prevent unnecessary antibiotic usage.

Effects of artificial aging on the bond strengths of universal dental adhesives.

AIMS: The effect of mechanical loading on the microtensile bond strength (µTBS) of universal adhesives to dentin was evaluated in this study. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Human molar teeth had the occlusal dentin surfaces exposed and were allocated into ten groups (five experimental groups and five control groups) that used the following universal adhesive systems in self-etch mode: All-Bond Universal (ABU), Single Bond Universal (SBU), Gluma Bond Universal (GBU), Tetric N-Bond Universal (TBU), and Clearfil Universal Bond (CUB). Following the bonding procedures and build-ups, the specimens were either stored in water at 37°C for 24 h or were mechanically loaded (50 N for 60,000 cycles) prior to the µTBS test. Data were analyzed using the one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's posthoc test (P = 0.05). RESULTS: Both the adhesive type and mechanical loading had significant effects on the µTBS (P < 0.05). The µTBS values of SBU and ABU were significantly higher than the values of the other adhesives (P < 0.05). However, the µTBS values of ABU decreased significantly after mechanical loading (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: With the exception of ABU, mechanical loading had no deleterious effects on the µTBS of the universal adhesive systems examined in this study.

Evaluation of hearing loss and tinnitus in Behcet's disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to evaluate sensorineuralhearing loss (SHNL) and tinnitus in patients with Behcet's disease (BD), while also determining the association between the clinical symptoms of BD and the disease duration with the development of hearing loss. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study included 44 patients with BD and 42 healthy volunteers as the control group. The level of tinnitus-induced annoyance and the effects of tinnitus on daily life were evaluated with Visual Analog Scale (VAS) and the Tinnitus Reaction Questionnaire (TRQ). The hearing levels of all participants were measured with high-frequency audiometry and transient auto-acoustic emission tests. RESULTS: The patients with BD were significantly more affected by SNHL and tinnitus than the controls (p < 0.05). The correlation between disease duration and age among those with SNHL was statistically significant (p < 0.05). No association was found between the clinical findings and SNHL and tinnitus (p > 0.05) in the BD patients. CONCLUSION: In the present study, high-frequency SNHL was found to be common in among the patients with BD. SNHL in BD is positively correlated with the patients' age of the and the disease duration.

Uric acid stimulates proliferative pathways in vascular smooth muscle cells through the activation of p38 MAPK, p44/42 MAPK and PDGFRß.

Hyperuricemia and angiotensin II (Ang II) may have a pathogenetic role in the development of hypertension and atherosclerosis as well as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and its prognosis. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether uric acid can induce proliferative pathways of vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) that are thought to be responsible for the development of CVD. The phosphorylation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44/42 MAPK) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor ß (PDGFRß) was measured by Elisa and Western blot techniques to determine the activation of proliferative pathways in primary cultured VSMCs from rat aorta. Results demonstrated that uric acid can stimulate p38 MAPK, p44/42 MAPK and PDGFRß phosphorylation in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. Furthermore, treatment of VSMCs with the angiotensin II type I receptor (AT1R) inhibitor losartan suppressed p38 MAPK and p44/42 MAPK induction by uric acid. The stimulatory effect of uric acid on p38 MAPK was higher compared to that of Ang II. The results of this study show for the first time that uric acid-induced PDGFRß phosphorylation plays a crucial role in the development of CVDs and that elevated uric acid levels could be a potential therapeutical target in CVD patients.

Therapeutic effects of melatonin and quercetin in improvement of hepatic steatosis in rats through supression of oxidative damage.

BACKGROUND: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis, a cause of cirrhosis, is characterized by fatty infiltration of the liver, inflammation, hepatocellular damage and fibrosis. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of melatonin and quercetin on CCl4-induced steatosis characterized by fatty infiltration of the liver, inflammation, hepatocellular damage and fibrosis. METHODS: Rats were divided into 5 groups: Ethanol, Olive oil, CCl4, CCl4+Melatonin (CCl4+Mel), CCl4+Quercetin. Rats were sacrificed and livers were removed for being evaluated by histopathological, immunohistochemical and biochemical methods. RESULTS: In CCI4 group, vacuolization, vascular congestion, haemorrhage, necrosis, and inflammatory infiltration were identified. The mean tissue MDA level was increased, whereas GSH level and SOD and CAT activities were decreased in comparison with ethanol and olive oil groups. MDA levels were decreased in CCI4+Quercetin and CCI4+Mel groups versus CCI4 group. CAT activity of CCI4+Mel group was higher than that of CCI4 and CCI4+Quercetin groups. The mean tissue GSH level of CCI4+Mel group versus CCI4 group was significantly increased. CONCLUSIONS: By the means of histopathological examination, we suggest that both agents are beneficial against necrotic and apoptotic cell death during steatosis. Thus, melatonin and quercetin might be beneficial in the improvement of hepatic steatosis by supporting conventional therapy in humans (Tab. 1, Fig. 5, Ref. 53).

Protective role of Diospyros lotus on cisplatin-induced changes in sperm characteristics, testicular damage and oxidative stress in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Diospyros lotus (DL) on cisplatin (CP)-induced testicular damage in male rats. Twenty-eight male rats were randomly divided into four groups: group 1 - control, given isotonic saline solution; group 2 - CP 7 mg kg(-1) given intraperitoneally as single dose; group 3 - DL 1000 mg kg(-1) per day given orally for 10 days; group 4 - CP and DL given together at the same doses. CP caused a significant increase in thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) level and a significant decrease in superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase (CAT) and glutathione (GSH) levels in rats testis tissues compared to the control group. CP caused a significant increase in lipid peroxidation in testis tissues compared to the control group, whereas DL led to a significant increase in SOD and GSH levels. However, there were no statistically significant changes in GPx and CAT levels. In addition, serum testosterone levels, sperm concentration and sperm motility were significantly decreased, but abnormal sperm rate and histological changes were increased with CP. However, these effects of CP on sperm parameters, histological changes and the tissue weights were eliminated by DL treatment. In conclusion, our study showed that the reproductive toxicity caused by CP may be prevented by DL treatment.

The effects of caffeic acid phenethyl ester on streptozotocin-induced diabetic liver injury.

The aim of the present study was to clarify the role of oxidative stress in streptozotocin induced liver injury and the possible protective effect of caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE) using histological and biochemical parameters. 32 male Wistar rats were divided into 4 groups as follows: Group 1: Control animals, Group 2: Control animals given CAPE Group 3: STZ-induced diabetic animals (DM group), Group 4: STZ-induced diabetic rats given CAPE (DM+CAPE group). All the injections started on the same day of single-dose STZ injection and continued for 20 days. At the end of this period, livers were removed and processed for routine histological procedures. Biochemical parameters and morphological changes were examined. In DM group, blood glucose levels were significantly increased compared with the control group. Significant increases in tissue malondialdehyde (MDA) level and decreases in superoxide dismutase (SOD) and total glutathione (GSH) activities were detected in DM group. Administration of CAPE significantly reduced these values. STZ-induced histopathological alterations including inflammatory cell infiltration around portal triad, congestion, loss of glycogen in the hepatocytes. Additionally, degenerative cellular alterations, such as numerous vacuolizations including myelinic figure formation, pyknotic nuclei with peripheral localization of heterochromatin condensation and mitochondrial elongation were observed in cytoplasm of hepatocytes. CAPE significantly reduced these histopathological changes. Our results indicate that CAPE should be considered in the prevention of oxidative stress in diabetic liver.

Beneficial effects of hesperidin following cis-diamminedichloroplatinum-induced damage in heart of rats.

BACKGROUND: Increased oxidative stress and histopathological damage have been implicated in the cardiotoxicity that limits the clinical therapy of cisplatin (CP) as an anti-cancer drug. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of hesperidin (HP) against CP-induced cardiotoxicity in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were divided into four groups (n = 7/group), and the first group served as the control group. Animals in Group CP and Group CP + HP received a single dose of CP (CP - 7 mg/kg); animals in Group HP and Group CP + HP received 50 mg/kg/day HP with gavage for 14 days. At the end of day 14, cardiac tissue samples were histologically and biochemically examined. RESULTS: In this experimental study, thiobarbituric acid reactive substances levels in the cardiac tissue were significantly higher in the CP group, whereas glutathione (GSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and CAT levels were significantly lower in this group. On the other hand, GSH and SOD levels in the CP + HP group were similar to the control group. There was no significant difference in cardiac CAT levels between Group CP and Group CP + HP. CONCLUSION: Hesperetin treatment leads to a decrease in oxidative stress, and associated histological damage. The findings of the current study suggest that HP has a protective effect against CP-induced cardiotoxicity.

Hesperidin protects testicular and spermatological damages induced by cisplatin in rats.

The clinic usage of cisplatin, an anticancer drug, is limited due to it has many side effects in many systems and organs. In this context, it was aimed to investigate the protective effect of hesperidin, a citrus flavonoid, on testicular and spermatological damages induced by cisplatin in rats. The rats were randomly divided into four groups. The first group was kept as a control. In the second groups, cisplatin was given at the single dose of 7 mg kg(-1) intraperitoneally. In the third group, hesperidin was orally administered at the dose of 50 mg/kg day(-1) for 14 days. In the fourth group, cisplatin and hesperidin were given together at the same doses. Cisplatin treatment caused significant reductions enzymatic (SOD, CAT and GPx) and nonenzymatic (GSH) antioxidants and significant induction level of TBARS. In addition, cisplatin treatment caused decreased sperm motility, epididymal sperm concentration, increased abnormal sperm rate and histopathological damage. In contrast, hesperidin treatment significantly attenuated the harmful effects. In conclusion, this study clearly demonstrated that hesperidin has protective effects on cisplatin-induced reproductive system toxicity depending on its antioxidant properties. Thus, it is thought that hesperidin may be useful against cisplatin toxicity in patients with cancer in terms of reproductive system.

Asymptomatic bacteriuria screened by catheterized samples at pregnancy term in women undergoing cesarean delivery.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the frequency of urinary tract infection (UTI) with urine samples obtained via catheterization among women undergoing cesarean delivery at term pregnancy. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 159 women in whom cesarean delivery was conducted at term pregnancy after a regular follow-up from first to third trimester. For screening and diagnosis of UTI during antenatal period, the authors used dipstick test and microscopic urinalysis, and urine culture was used in the presence of symptomatic UTI unresponsive to initial antibiotic therapy. A urine sample was obtained immediately after insertion of Foley catheter for urine dipstick test, microscopic urinalysis, and culture during cesarean delivery. Obstetric and UTI data were recorded. RESULTS: Of 159 pregnant women, 95 (59.8%) did not develop UTI during antenatal care. There was no patient with symptomatic UTI at the admission for cesarean delivery. The authors found UTI with urine dipstick and microscopic urinalysis in 12 patients and of them, four patients had no history of UTI, and all the remaining eight patients had asymptomatic UTI during antenatal follow-up. UTI according to urine culture was encountered in three patients, two of them had one episode of UTI, and one had two episodes of UTI during antenatal follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: After regular antenatal follow-up screening with urine dipstick, microscopic urinalysis, and counseling of pregnant women regarding UTIs, the frequency of bacteriuria decreases considerably during cesarean delivery.

Antenatal counseling against passive smoking may improve birth weight for gestational age.

AIM: The authors determined the impact of antenatal counseling against exposure to environmental cigarette smoke on the prevention of reduced neonatal birth weight according to gestational age. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in pregnant women, with 77 passive smokers and 88 non-smokers. During motivational interviews, passive smoking status was monitored and additional follow-up visits were arranged to increase the knowledge regarding perinatal risks of passive smoking, including intrauterine growth restriction and low birth weight. The authors aimed to increase the woman's motivation to avoid second-hand tobacco smoke exposure. RESULTS: The demographic and clinical findings of the study groups were found considerably similar, in this context, and the authors found positive and strong correlations between the gestational age and neonatal birth weight (r = 0.80 and r = 0.76, respectively; p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: During antenatal care of women, regular counseling against second-hand smoke exposure may prevent negative effect of passive smoking on neonatal birth weight according to gestational age. This promising finding needs to be supported by further studies with larger sample size considering covariates relevant to passive smoking.

Doppler ultrasonographic evaluation of the carotid and vertebral arteries in children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever.

AIM: In children with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), the aim of present study was to determine the cerebral hemodynamic changes assessed with Doppler ultrasonography with measurements of lumen diameter (LD), peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), resistive index (RI), pulsatility index (PI), and total cerebral blood flow volume (tCBFV) of common carotid artery (CCA), internal carotid artery (ICA, and vertebral artery (VA). METHODS: This case-control study examined children with clinically defined CCHF as cases (N.=24) and healthy children as controls (N.=17). The CCHF and healthy children underwent ultrasonography of the CCA, ICA and VA for the measurements of flow velocity and cerebral blood flow volume. Doppler ultrasonography were performed in the CCHF children if vital signs were stable and fever lower than 37.5 °C. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the CCHF and healthy children in the lumen diameter of study arteries (P>0.05). PSV and EDV values were significantly higher in the CCHF children compared to the controls (P<0.05). Overall, the CCHF did not cause considerable change in RI and PI values (P>0.05). tCBFV values of CCHF children was found higher compared to healthy controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSION: Overall, in children, CCHF causes an increase in the cerebral blood flow as determined by Doppler ultrasonography with flow velocity and cerebral blood flow volume measurements; however, this increase need to be accepted as mild to moderate degree. Several pathophysiological derangements may be contributory to the increased cerebral blood flow in children with CCHF.

Fish oil, contained in eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, attenuates testicular and spermatological damage induced by cisplatin in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the beneficial effects of the fish oil (FO) supplementation on oxidative stress, sperm characteristics and histological alterations in the male reproductive system of rats against cisplatin (CP) toxicity. The rats were divided randomly into 4 equal groups (control, FO, CP and FO + CP). FO was orally administered at the dose of 1 softgel per rat per day for 14 days and CP was intraperitoneally given at the dose of 7 mg kg(-1) with a single injection. In CP + FO group, they were applicated at the same doses and times. The results showed that CP caused a significant oxidative damage via induction of lipid peroxidation and reduction in the antioxidant defence system potency in the testis tissue. In addition, sperm motility and sperm concentration significantly decreased but the abnormal sperm rate and histopathological testicular damage increased with CP treatment. On the other hand, FO treatment prevented oxidative, histopathological and spermatological effects of CP and reversed side effects of CP. In conclusion, FO supplementation had significant beneficial effects against CP toxicity on male reproductive system and toxic effects of CP can be prevented by FO treatment. Therefore, it appears that fish oil may be useful for the prevention and treatment of cisplatin-induced reproductive system toxicity.

The effects of the informed consent given for cesarean section on anxiety and knowledge.

PURPOSE: To determine the effects of information given before cesarean section on women's anxiety levels and their knowledge about informed consent regarding it. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sixty women who elected to undergo cesarean section were included in the study. The data were collected using the pregnancy-related clinical information form, informed consent form, cesarean information form, and State and Trait Anxiety Inventory. Kruskal-Wallis test, Mann-Whitney U test, chi-square test and Pearson correlation were used as statistical methods. RESULTS: The women's knowledge scores before and after they were informed about cesarean section were 14.8 +/- 5.5 and 29.8 +/- 2.6, respectively (p < 0.05). Their state anxiety scores before and after they were informed about cesarean section were 28.4 +/- 6.6 and 28.0 +/- 5.9, respectively (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: It was determined that the participants' pre-training knowledge scores about cesarean section increased significantly after they were informed, and that their state and trait anxiety scores decreased very little after they were informed.

Association of -174G/C interleukin/6 gene polymorphism with the risk of chronic lymphocytic, chronic myelogenous and acute myelogenous leukemias in Turkish patients.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between -174G/C interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene promoter polymorphism and susceptibility to chronic lymphocytic (CLL), chronic myelogenous (CML) and acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) in Turkish patients. METHODS: The frequencies of -174G/C polymorphism were studied in 23 unrelated CLL, 25 CML and 17 AML patients and 30 healthy individuals. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method. RESULTS: A higher prevalence of the C allele was found in CLL, CML and AML patients. However, there were no statistically significant differences regarding either the genotype or the allelic frequencies of the -174G/C polymorphism between CLL, CML and AML cases. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that C allele is associated with risk of CLL, CML and AML susceptibility in Turkish patients.

Histological assessment of endometrial polyps resected by hysteroscopy.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the clinical data and pathologic aspects of endometrial polyps (EMPs) excised completely during surgical hysteroscopy and assess the connection between premalignant and malignant EMPs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This retrospective study includes 489 participants who underwent hysteroscopy due to endometrial polyps, and the clinical features and histological findings of the resected polyps analyzed. RESULTS: Participants with EMPs were divided into six groups according to histologic findings. The histologic finding of most cases was simple benign endometrial polyp [397 patients (81.2%)]. Malignant polyp was detected in 3 patients (0.6%). The histologic findings according to age, menopausal status, and menstrual bleeding patterns at the time of presentation to the outpatient clinic were compared; however, no significant difference was observed. 237 patients were observed to have menometrorrhagia, which was the most prevalent symptom reported. The distribution of polyp sizes observed at hysteroscopy according to histologic findings was compared, but no significant difference was observed. CONCLUSIONS: EMPs are often benign but can include premalignant or malignant tissue changes. Hysteroscopy is used for direct observation of the uterine cervix and resection of existing polyps, considering the increasing frequency of its use as a diagnostic and treatment tool.

An analysis of Turkey's scientific contribution in ovarian cancer research.

AIM: Bibliometric studies can be used to evaluate the performance of a country in contributing to the accumulation of medical evidences on a specific topic. The authors aimed to evaluate the contribution of Turkey to the scientific repertory in the field of ovarian cancer. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The authors retrospectively searched papers published in the field of ovarian cancer between 1980 and 2012 by using the Web of Science software. RESULTS: Turkish authors published 400 papers in Science Citation Index (SCI) Expanded indexed journals ranking Turkey 25th globally. Turkey's first publications in this field appeared at the beginning of the 1990s and showed a distinctive acceleration after 2000. Overall, publications from Turkey were cited 2,987 times and the trend of citations increased in 2000. Most of the papers from Turkey in this field were published in the European Journal of Gynaecological Oncology. CONCLUSION: The authors observed a significant improvement in the scientific activity of Turkey in the field of ovarian cancer during last decade.

A five-year clinical evaluation of direct nanofilled and indirect composite resin restorations in posterior teeth.

AIM: To assess the clinical efficacy of posterior composite resin restorations placed directly and indirectly in posterior teeth after five years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 108 cavities in 54 patients were restored with three direct composite resins (Filtek SupremeXT [FSXT], Tetric Evo Ceram [TEC], AELITE Aesthetic [AA]) and two indirect composite resins (Estenia [E] and Tescera ATL [TATL]). All restorations were evaluated by two examiners using the United States Public Health Service criteria at baseline and five years after placement. Statistical analysis was completed with Fisher exact and McNemar χ(2) tests. RESULTS: At baseline, 4% (five) of the restored teeth presented postoperative sensitivity; however, only one of them (a member of the E group) required canal treatment and replacement after two years. At the five-year evaluation, all restorations were retained, with Alpha ratings at 100%. Only one tooth (in the TEC group) required replacement after three years due to secondary caries. Color match, surface texture, and marginal integrity were predominantly scored as Alpha after five years for all groups. After that time, marginal discoloration was scored as Alpha in 64% of AE restorations, 70% of TATL restorations, 73% of E restorations, and 87% of FSXT restorations. There were no Charlie scores recorded for any of the restorative systems. CONCLUSIONS: Under controlled clinical conditions, indirect composite resin inlays and direct composite resin restorations exhibited an annual failure rate of 2.5% and 1.6%, respectively, after five years. Therefore, the investigated materials showed acceptable clinical performance, and no significant differences were found among them.