Radionuclide concentrations in soil and lifetime cancer risk due to gamma radioactivity in Kirklareli, Turkey.

The objective of this study is to evaluate and map soil radionuclides' activity concentrations and environmental outdoor gamma dose rates (terrestrial and cosmic) in Kirklareli, Turkey. The excess lifetime cancer risks are also calculated. Outdoor gamma dose rates were determined in 230 sampling stations and soil samples were taken from 177 locations. The coordinates of the readings were determined by the Global Positioning System (GPS). The outdoor gamma dose rates were determined by Eberline smart portable device (ESP-2) and measurements were taken in air for two minutes at 1m from the ground. The average outdoor gamma dose rate was 118+/-34nGyh(-1). Annual effective gamma dose of Kirklareli was 144microSv and the excess lifetime cancer risk of 5.0x10(-4). Soil samples were analyzed by gamma spectroscopy. The average 226Ra, 238U, 232Th, 137Cs, and 40K activities were 37+/-18Bqkg(-1), 28+/-13Bqkg(-1), 40+/-18Bqkg(-1), 8+/-5Bqkg(-1) and 667+/-281Bqkg(-1), respectively. The average soil radionuclides' concentrations of Kirklareli were within the worldwide range although some extreme values had been determined. Annual effective gamma doses and the excess lifetime risks of cancer were higher than the world's average.

Acid proteinase, phospholipase and adherence properties of Candida parapsilosis strains isolated from clinical specimens of hospitalised patients.

In this study, we investigated the presence of virulence factors in a total of 33 Candida parapsilosis strains, including adherence, acid proteinase and phospholipase production capabilities. Of the 33 strains, 19 were isolated from blood cultures of hospitalised fungaemic patients (study group 2). We also investigated the importance of other factors present in the development of fungaemia. The mean adherence values of 19 blood isolates and 14 non-blood isolates were found to be 52.63 and 57.96, respectively; these values did not differ significantly (P > 0.05). Nine non-blood strains (64.29%) of study group 2 and five blood strains (26.31%) of study group 1 were found to be positive for acid proteinase production; this difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05). Phospholipase production was found in five strains (26.31%) of the 19 blood isolates. None of the 14 non-blood strains exhibited phospholipase activity; this difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). In this study, correlations between adherence-phospholipase, and adherence-acid proteinase properties of strains were detected as well. In the present study, it has been observed that phospholipase production can be an important virulence factor in bloodstream infections caused by C. parapsilosis.

Help-seeking behavior and self-medication of a population in an urban area in Turkey: cross sectional study.

AIM: To define help-seeking behavior and self-medication among people with different symptoms and complaints in an industrialized urban area of Turkey. METHODS: This cross-sectional study was carried out in the city center of Kocaeli province, Western Turkey, in October-November 1998. To research help-seeking behavior in respect of secondary prevention and curative practices, we randomly selected households (N=812), interviewed the household members at their home, and recorded the reasons for visiting a pharmacy in 6 pharmacies (N=1,331 visits to pharmacy) in the Kocaeli region. RESULTS: The majority of interviewed people knew the meaning and importance of regular medical checkups, and only 7% had never underwent periodic checkups, mainly because of the lack of interest or time. Self-medication was found to be the dominant mode of help-seeking behavior, especially in the case of pain. The proportion of unprescribed to prescribed drugs was 1:1.75, with analgetics, antipyretics, expectorants, and antitussives as the most commonly requested unprescribed drugs. CONCLUSION: A considerable amount of health care occured within the popular sector, with self-medication and pharmacist's advice as dominant modes of behavior. The health care system should take this into account when planning activities aimed at detection of disease.

Resistance against contraception or medical contraceptive methods: a qualitative study on women and men in Istanbul.

OBJECTIVES: This research was carried out to reveal the attitudes of men and women about contraception in the Umraniye district of Istanbul. METHODS: Focus group discussions were used for data collection. Data from 20 groups of married people (ten groups of men and ten of women) living in Umraniye were analyzed. RESULTS: Most people attending the focus groups in the study were against having 'too many' children. Economic constraints appear to be a leading influencing factor for limiting the number of children. Urbanization also seems to have a strong influence on people's knowledge and attitudes about contraception. Culture and religious beliefs were not found to be major barriers to contraception in general, but they would influence the selection of the type of a certain contraceptive method. More specifically, culture and religious beliefs were barriers to use of medical methods, and they were the main reasons for use of the withdrawal method, which is the most common method used in Turkey. CONCLUSIONS: Men and women are not resistant to contraception, but they are reluctant to use medical methods. The provision of contraceptive services, with special attention to cultural and religious beliefs and values, and the inclusion of appropriate counseling and education sessions during service delivery, may give clients new options and increase the use of medical methods.

Lead article: The prognostic significance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (pcna) in laryngeal cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma arising from upper aerodigestive tract carries with it a significant morbidity and mortality and, over the last few decades, its incidence has steadily increased. The management of patients requires thorough investigation to determine the local, regional, and distant extent of the disease, and treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or combinations of these.Despite the large number of therapeutic and hsitopathologic studies in print, there is currently no morphologic or cytologic feature available which consistenly predicts outcome in patients with laryngeal carcinoma. The use of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), a newly available marker of a cell's proliferative activity ( S-phase fraction), was evaluated in 25 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx. PCNA scores differed, statistically significantly as far as the localization of the lesion, pathological grade, clinical stage, presence of lymph node metastases and prognosis of the patients were concerned.These data suggest that PCNA is an indicator of the malignant potential of the larynx. PCNA can be used in decision making for treatment and assessing prognosis in carcinoma of the larynx.