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Article Citation Count: 6Analysis of the Hall effect in TlGaTe2 single crystals(Iop Publishing Ltd, 2009) Qasrawi, A. F.; Gasanly, N. M.; Department of Electrical & Electronics EngineeringThe electrical resistivity and Hall coefficient of p-type TlGaTe2 crystals were measured in the temperature range of 110-320 K. The electrical resistivity, charge carrier density and Hall mobility data for the crystals have been analyzed by means of existing theories and models to determine the extrinsic energy levels, the carrier effective mass, the donor and acceptor concentrations and the dominant scattering mechanism in the crystal as well. The analysis of the temperature-dependent electrical resistivity recorded parallel and perpendicular to the crystal's axis ( c-axis) reflected the existence of energy levels located at 0.26 and at 0.20 eV, respectively. The difference of these two energy levels is due to crystal anisotropy. The energy level at 0.26 eV was found to represent an acceptor level, as confirmed from Hall data analysis. The temperature dependence of the carrier density was analyzed by using the single-donor-single-acceptor model. The latter analysis revealed the carrier effective mass and the acceptor and donor concentrations as 0.73m(0), 4.10 x 10(17) cm(-3) and 1.20 x 10(17) cm(-3), respectively. The Hall mobility of TlGaTe2 is found to be limited by the scattering of hole-acoustic phonon interactions. The calculated theoretical mobility fits to the experimental one under the condition that the acoustic deformation potential is 11.0 eV, which is the energy position of the top of valence band maximum that is formed by the Te 5s states.Article Citation Count: 1Analyzing two decades of intimate partner femicide-suicides in T?rkiye*(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2023) Cavlak, Mehmet; Odabasi, Aysun Balseven; Mutlu, Niluefer Dilara Ar; Erbaydar, Nueket PaksoyIntimate partner femicide-suicide (IPF-S) is an understudied subgroup of homicide-suicide deaths. Limited research has been conducted on IPF-Ss in the Eastern Mediterranean region. This study thus aimed to evaluate the characteristics of IPF-Ss that occurred in Turkiye between 2000 and 2019. IPF-Ss (n = 226) were extracted from electronic news stories. Data on victims, perpetrators, their relationships, and incidents of murder and suicide were collected. Descriptive statistics were calculated, and logistic regression analysis, mortality rates, and proportion of IPF-S in femicide calculations were conducted, showing that 13.3% of the femicides (n = 1699) were IPF-Ss. The IPF-Ss increased in 5-year intervals and were the highest during the 2015-2019 period (62.5%). Victims were married in 48.2% of the cases and 56% were aged <35 years, while 51.3% of the perpetrators were married and 52.6% were aged >40 years. In 42.0% of the cases, the perpetrator lived with the victim. Most (79.2%) of the cases took place in urban settlements, and the perpetrators used firearms in 84.1% of femicide cases. Firearm use was the most common method in cases where IPF-S was planned (OR = 2.98), when the IPF-S method was the same (OR = 29.6), and when the perpetrator committed suicide (OR = 7.82). In addition, it was found that firearm ownership is an important risk factor for IPF-S in Turkiye. Therefore, we recommend legislation to restrict firearms, as well as new measures to prevent illegal access to weapons.Article Citation Count: 0Anticipatory effect of execution on observation: an approach using ExoPinch finger robot(Tubitak Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2019) Arıkan, Kutluk Bilge; Zadeh, Hassan Gol Mohammad; Turgut, Ali Emre; Zinnuroğlu, Murat; Bayer, Gözde; Günendi, Zafer; Cengiz, Bülent; Department of Mechatronics EngineeringBackground/aim: This study aims to explore the mirror neuron system (MNS) involvement using mu (8–12 Hz)/beta (15–25 Hz) bandsuppression in an action observation-execution paradigm.Materials and methods: Electrophysiological (EEG) data from 16 electrodes were recorded while 8 participants observed video clips ofa hand squeezing a spring. Specifically, the effect of anticipated execution on observation was studied. For this purpose, a fully actuatedfinger exoskeleton robot was utilized to synchronize observation and execution and to control the execution condition for the participants. Anticipatory effect was created with a randomized robot accompany session.Results: The results showed that the observational condition (with or without anticipation) interacted with hemisphere at central channels near somatosensory cortex. Additionally, we explored the response of MNS on the kinetics features of visual stimuli (hard or softspring).Conclusion: The results showed an interaction effect of kinetics features and hemisphere at frontal channels corresponding nearly tothe ventral premotor cortex area of the brain. The activation of mirror neurons in this area plays a crucial role in observational learning.Based on our results, we propose that specific type of visual stimuli can be combined with the functional abilities of the MNS in the action observation based treatment of hand motor dysfunction of stroke patients to have a positive additional impact.Article Citation Count: 0Antiproliferative activity of platinum(II) and copper(II) complexes containing novel biquinoxaline ligands(Oxford Univ Press, 2024) El-Beshti, Hager Sadek; Gercek, Zuhal; Kayi, Hakan; Yildizhan, Yasemin; Cetin, Yuksel; Adiguzel, Zelal; Ozalp-Yaman, Seniz; Chemical EngineeringNowadays, cancer represents one of the major causes of death in humans worldwide, which renders the quest for new and improved antineoplastic agents to become an urgent issue in the field of biomedicine and human health. The present research focuses on the synthesis of 2,3,2MODIFIER LETTER PRIME,3MODIFIER LETTER PRIME-tetra(pyridin-2-yl)-6,6MODIFIER LETTER PRIME-biquinoxaline) and (2,3,2MODIFIER LETTER PRIME,3MODIFIER LETTER PRIME-tetra(thiophen-2-yl)-6,6MODIFIER LETTER PRIME-biquinoxaline) containing copper(II) and platinum(II) compounds as prodrug candidates. The binding interaction of these compounds with calf thymus DNA (CT-DNA) and human serum albumin were assessed with UV titration, thermal decomposition, viscometric, and fluorometric methods. The thermodynamical parameters and the temperature-dependent binding constant (KMODIFIER LETTER PRIMEb) values point out to spontaneous interactions between the complexes and CT-DNA via the van der Waals interactions and/or hydrogen bonding, except Cu(ttbq)Cl2 for which electrostatic interaction was proposed. The antitumor activity of the complexes against several human glioblastomata, lung, breast, cervix, and prostate cell lines were investigated by examining cell viability, oxidative stress, apoptosis-terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling, in vitro migration and invasion, in vitro-comet DNA damage, and plasmid DNA interaction assays. The U87 and HeLa cells were investigated as the cancer cells most sensitive to our complexes. The exerted cytotoxic effect of complexes was attributed to the formation of the reactive oxygen species in vitro. It is clearly demonstrated that Cu(ttbq)Cl2, Pt(ttbq)Cl2, and Pt(tpbq)Cl2 have the highest DNA degradation potential and anticancer effect among the tested complexes by leading apoptosis. The wound healing and invasion analysis results also supported the higher anticancer activity of these two compounds. Graphical Abstract Antitumor activity of biqunoxaline complexes.Article Citation Count: 4Are Left- and Right-Eye Pupil Sizes Always Equal?(int Group Eye Movement Research, 2019) Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Dalveren, Gonca Gokce Menekse; Information Systems Engineering; Software EngineeringEye movements provide very critical information about the cognitive load and behaviors of human beings. Earlier studies report that under normal conditions, the left- and right-eye pupil sizes are equal. For this reason, most studies undertaking eye-movement analysis are conducted by only considering the pupil size of a single eye or taking the average size of both eye pupils. This study attempts to offer a better understanding concerning whether there are any differences between the left- and right-eye pupil sizes of the right-handed surgical residents while performing surgical tasks in a computer-based simulation environment under different conditions (left-hand, right-hand and both hands). According to the results, in many cases, the right-eye pupil sizes of the participants were larger than their left-eye pupil sizes while performing the tasks under right-hand and both hands conditions. However, no significant difference was found in relation to the tasks performed under left-hand condition in all scenarios. These results are very critical to shed further light on the cognitive load of the surgical residents by analyzing their left-eye and right-eye pupil sizes. Further research is required to investigate the effect of the difficulty level of each scenario, its appropriateness with the skill level of the participants, and handedness on the differences between the leftand right-eye pupil sizes.Article Citation Count: 0Association between monocyte to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol ratio and bicuspid\raortic valve degeneration(Tubitak Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2020) Karaduman, Bilge Duran; Ayhan, Hüseyin; Keles, Telat; Bozkurt, EnginBackground/aim: From a pathophysiological point of view, inflammation is thought to be more dominant in bicuspid aortic valve\r(BAV) stenosis than tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) stenosis. Our study aimed to determine the association between monocyte to highdensity lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) ratio (MHR), a new inflammatory marker, and the speed of progression of stenosis and\rpathophysiology of BAV stenosis.\rMaterials and methods: A total of 210 severe aortic stenosis patients (70 consecutive BAV patients, 140 matched TAV patients) were\rretrospectively enrolled in the study. Clinical and echocardiographic data and laboratory results related to our research were collected\rretrospectively from the patients’ records. MHR was measured as the ratio of the absolute monocyte count to the HDL-C value.\rResults: Seventy BAV (mean age: 72.0 ± 9.1 years, 42.9% female) and 140 TAV patients (mean age: 77.9 ± 8.3 years, 51.4% female)\rwith severe aortic stenosis were enrolled in this study. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of another baseline\rdemographic or clinic findings except age (P < 0.001). Monocyte count, hemoglobin level, mean platelet volume was significantly\rhigher, and HDL-C level was significantly lower in the BAV group, while other lipid and CBC parameters were found to be similar. In\rthe multivariate analysis, MHR (P = 0.005, 95% CI: 0.90–0.98) and, as expected, age (P = 0.001, 95% CI: 1.02–1.11) were found to be\rsignificant as the independent predictor of BAV, after adjusting for other risk factors.\rConclusion: Our study showed a significant correlation between increased MHR and BAV. MHR was determined as a significant\rindependent predictor for the speed of progression and diagnosis of severe BAV stenosis in multivariate analysis.Article Citation Count: 11Atomistic Engineering of Chemiluminogens: Synthesis, Properties and Polymerization of 2,3-Dihydro-Pyrrolo[3,4-d]Pyridazine-1,4-Dione Scaffolds(Springer/plenum Publishers, 2017) Algi, Melek Pamuk; Oztas, Zahide; Tirkes, Seha; Cihaner, Atilla; Algi, Fatih; Chemical EngineeringTwo chemiluminescent compounds containing 2,5-di(thien-2-yl)pyrrole and pyridazine units, namely 5,7-di(thiophen-2-yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyridazine-1,4(6H)-dione (5) and 6-phenyl-5,7-di(thiophen-2-yl)-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-d]pyridazine-1,4(6H)-dione (6), were successfully synthesized and electrochemically polymerized. The compounds have chemiluminescent properties and glow in the presence of hydrogen peroxide in basic medium. The intensity of the glow can be increased dramatically by using Fe3+ ions, hemin (1.0 ppm) or blood samples (1.0 ppm) as catalyst. The compounds 5 and 6 have one well-defined irreversible oxidation peak at 1.08 V and 1.33 V vs Ag/AgCl, respectively. Electrochemical polymerization of both 5 and 6 were carried out successfully by repeating potential scanning in the presence of BF3. Et2O in an electrolyte solution of 0.1 M LiClO4 dissolved in acetonitrile. The electronic band gaps (E-g) of the polymers P5 and P6 were found to be 2.02 eV and 2.16 eV, respectively. On the other hand, the corresponding polymers are electroactive and exhibited electrochromic features.Article Citation Count: 14Biomechanical comparison of two different collar structured implants supporting 3-unit fixed partial denture: A 3-D FEM study(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2012) Meric, Gokce; Erkmen, Erkan; Kurt, Ahmet; Eser, Atilim; Oezden, Ahmet UtkuObjective. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two distinct collar geometries of implants on stress distribution in the bone as well as in the fixture-abutment complex, in the framework and in the veneering material of 3-unit fixed partial denture (FPD). Material and methods. The 3-dimensional finite element analysis method was selected to evaluate the stress distribution in the system composed of 3-unit FPD supported by two different dental implant systems with two distinct collar geometries; microthread collar structure (MCS) and non-microthread collar structure (NMCS). In separate load cases, 300 N vertical, 150 N oblique and 60 N horizontal, forces were utilized to simulate the multidirectional chewing forces. Tensile and compressive stress values in the cortical and cancellous bone and von Mises stresses in the fixture-abutment complex, in the framework and veneering material, were simulated as a body and investigated separately. Results. In the cortical bone lower stress values were found in the MCS model, when compared with NMCS. In the cancellous bone, lower stress values were observed in the NMCS model when compared with MCS. In the implant-abutment complex, highest von Mises stress values were noted in the NMCS model; however, in the framework and veneering material, highest stress values were calculated in MCS model. Conclusions. MCS implants when compared with NMCS implants supporting 3-unit FPDs decrease the stress values in the cortical bone and implant-abutment complex. The results of the present study will be evaluated as a base for our ongoing FEA studies focused on stress distribution around the microthread and non-microthread collar geometries with various prosthesis design.Article Citation Count: 7Biomechanical effects of two different collar implant structures on stress distribution under cantilever fixed partial dentures(Taylor & Francis Ltd, 2011) Meric, Gokce; Erkmen, Erkan; Kurt, Ahmet; Eser, Atilim; Ozden, Ahmet UtkuObjective. The purpose of the study was to compare the effects of two distinct collar geometries of implants on stress distribution in the bone around the implants supporting cantilever fixed partial dentures (CFPDs) as well as in the implant-abutment complex and superstructures. Materials and methods. The three-dimensional finite element method was selected to evaluate the stress distribution. CFPDs which was supported by microthread collar structured (MCS) and non-microthread collar structured (NMCS) implants was modeled; 300 N vertical, 150 N oblique and 60 N horizontal forces were applied to the models separately. The stress values in the bone, implant-abutment complex and superstructures were calculated. Results. In the MCS model, higher stresses were located in the cortical bone and implant-abutment complex in the case of vertical load while decreased stresses in cortical bone and implant-abutment complex were noted within horizontal and oblique loading. In the case of vertical load, decreased stresses have been noted in cancellous bone and framework. Upon horizontal and oblique loading, a MCS model had higher stress in cancellous bone and framework than the NMCS model. Higher von Mises stresses have been noted in veneering material for NMCS models. Conclusion. It has been concluded that stress distribution in implant-supported CFPDs correlated with the macro design of the implant collar and the direction of applied force.Article Citation Count: 11Cardiac hypertrophy caused by hyperthyroidism in rats: the role of ATF-6 and TRPC1 channels(Canadian Science Publishing, 2021) Aykanat, Nuriye Ezgi Bektur; Sahin, Erhan; Kacar, Sedat; Bagci, Ridvan; Karakaya, Serife; Donmez, Dilek Burukoglu; Sahinturk, Varol; Basic SciencesHyperthyroidism influences the development of cardiac hypertrophy. Transient receptor potential canonical channels (TRPCs) and endoplasmic reticulum(ER) stress are regarded as critical pathways in cardiac hypertrophy. Hence, we aimed to identify the TRPCs associated with ER stress in hyperthyroidism-induced cardiac hypertrophy. Twenty adult Wistar albino male rats were used in the study. The control group was fed with standard food and tap water. The group with hyperthyroidism was also fed with standard rat food, along with tap water that contained 12 mg/L of thyroxine (T4) for 4 weeks. At the end of the fourth week, the serum-free triiodothyronine (T3), T4, and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels of the groups were measured. The left ventricle of each rat was used for histochemistry, immunohistochemistry, Western blot, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and total oxidant status (TOS) analysis. As per our results, activating transcription factor 6 (ATF-6), inositol-requiring kinase 1 (IRE-1), and TRPC1, which play a significant role in cardiac hypertrophy caused by hyperthyroidism, showed increased activation. Moreover, TOS and serum-free T3 levels increased, while TAC and TSH levels decreased. With the help of the literature review in our study, we could, for the first time, indicate that the increased activation of ATF-6, IRE-1, and TRPC1-induced deterioration of the Ca2+ ion balance leads to hypertrophy in hyperthyroidism due to heart failure.Article Citation Count: 15Characteristics and outcomes of hospitalised older patients with chronic kidney disease and COVID-19: A multicenter nationwide controlled study(Wiley-hindawi, 2021) Ozturk, Savas; Turgutalp, Kenan; Arici, Mustafa; Gok, Mahmut; Islam, Mahmud; Altiparmak, Mehmet Riza; Ates, KenanObjective Older adults with co-morbidities have been reported to be at higher risk for adverse outcomes of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The characteristics of COVID-19 in older patients and its clinical outcomes in different kidney disease groups are not well known. Methods Data were retrieved from a national multicentric database supported by Turkish Society of Nephrology, which consists of retrospectively collected data between 17 April 2020 and 31 December 2020. Hospitalised patients aged 18 years or older with confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis suffering from stage 3-5 chronic kidney disease (CKD) or on maintenance haemodialysis (HD) treatment were included in the database. Non-uraemic hospitalised patients with COVID-19 were also included as the control group. Results We included 879 patients [388 (44.1%) female, median age: 63 (IQR: 50-73) years]. The percentage of older patients in the CKD group was 68.8% (n = 188/273), in the HD group was 49.0% (n = 150/306) and in the control group was 30.4% (n = 70/300). Co-morbidities were higher in the CKD and HD groups. The rate of presentation with severe-critical disease was higher in the older CKD and HD groups (43.6%, 55.3% and 16.1%, respectively). Among older patients, the intensive care unit (ICU) admission rate was significantly higher in the CKD and HD groups than in the control group (38.8%, 37.3% and 15.7%, respectively). In-hospital mortality or death and/or ICU admission rates in the older group were significantly higher in the CKD (29.3% and 39.4%) and HD groups (26.7% and 30.1%) compared with the control group (8.6% and 17.1%). In the multivariate analysis, in-hospital mortality rates in CKD and HD groups were higher than control group [hazard ratio (HR): 4.33 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.53-12.26) and HR: 3.09 (95% CI: 1.04-9.17), respectively]. Conclusion Among older COVID-19 patients, in-hospital mortality is significantly higher in those with stage 3-5 CKD and on maintenance HD than older patients without CKD regardless of demographic characteristics, co-morbidities, clinical and laboratory data on admission.Article Citation Count: 2Characterization of mesenchymal stem cells in mucolipidosis type II (I-cell disease)(Tubitak Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2019) Köse, Sevil; Kaya, Fatima Aerts; Kuşkonmaz, Bülent Barış; Çetinkaya, Duygu Uçkan; Nutrition and DieteticsMucolipidosis type II (ML-II, I-cell disease) is a fatal inherited lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency of theenzyme N-acetylglucosamine-1-phosphotransferase. A characteristic skeletal phenotype is one of the many clinical manifestationsof ML-II. Since the mechanisms underlying these skeletal defects in ML-II are not completely understood, we hypothesized that adefect in osteogenic differentiation of ML-II bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSCs) might be responsible for this skeletalphenotype. Here, we assessed and characterized the cellular phenotype of BM-MSCs from a ML-II patient before (BBMT) and afterBM transplantation (ABMT), and we compared the results with BM-MSCs from a carrier and a healthy donor. Morphologically, wedid not observe differences in ML-II BBMT and ABMT or carrier MSCs in terms of size or granularity. Osteogenic differentiation wasnot markedly affected by disease or carrier status. Adipogenic differentiation was increased in BBMT ML-II MSCs, but chondrogenicdifferentiation was decreased in both BBMT and ABMT ML-II MSCs. Immunophenotypically no significant differences were observedbetween the samples. Interestingly, the proliferative capacity of BBMT and ABMT ML-II MSCs was increased in comparison to MSCsfrom age-matched healthy donors. These data suggest that MSCs are not likely to cause the skeletal phenotype observed in ML-II, butthey may contribute to the pathogenesis of ML-II as a result of lysosomal storage-induced pathology.Article Chronic Pregabalin Treatment Reduced Anxiety, and Acute Pregabalin Treatment Increased Depression-Like Behaviors in Rats(Bmc, 2024) Caliskan, Hasan; Akat, Firat; Dursun, Ali Dogan; Zaloglu, Nezahet; Basic SciencesBackgroundPregabalin is an antiepileptic drug that binds to the alpha-2/delta unit at presynaptic voltage-dependent calcium channels. We aimed to investigate the effect of acute and chronic pregabalin administration on anxiety and depression-like behaviors.MethodsFifty-six male Wistar albino rats were divided into seven groups: control, vehicle, and five different dose groups (5, 10, 30, 60, and 100 mg/kg). Pregabalin was administered for two weeks. Depression-like behaviors were evaluated by Forced swimming test. Anxiety-like behavior (ALB) was evaluated by Open field test (OFT), Elevated Plus Maze (EPM), and light-dark box. Subjects underwent the forced swimming test (FST) after the first dose, while the open field test (OFT), elevated plus maze (EPM), and light-dark box (LDB) were performed after two weeks of treatment. Further sucrose preference test was conducted to evaluate anhedonia until the end of the experiment.ResultsIn the forced swimming test, depression-like behaviors increased after acute single-dose administration of 10, 30, 60, 100 mg/kg pregabalin. According to OFT results, chronic 100 mg/kg pregabalin showed anxiolytic effects by decreasing grooming, and freezing behaviors. In addition, 100 mg/kg chronic pregabalin administration significantly increased the time spent in the central region, the number of entries to the center, and the unsupported rearing number without causing any change in locomotor activity. According to EPM results, both chronic 60 and 100 mg/kg pregabalin treatments showed anxiolytic effects by increasing open arm time and head dipping behavior. In addition, 60 and 100 mg/kg chronic pregabalin administration significantly decreased stretch attend posture. All pregabalin administrations between 5 and 100 mg/kg displayed anxiolytic effects in the LDB. Sucrose preference was above 65% for the duration of all experiments and subjects did not show anhedonia.ConclusionAcute pregabalin treatment triggered depression-like behaviors. Anhedonia, which may be associated with depression, was not observed during chronic treatment. Moreover, chronic treatment with pregabalin revealed potent anxiolytic effects in different behavior patterns and doses for all tests of unconditional anxiety. In particular, 100 mg/kg chronic pregabalin administration decreased anxiety-like behaviors in all experiment setups. Although the anxiolytic effect was demonstrated in chronic treatment, acute treatment of pregabalin induced depression-like behaviors, and thus in clinical practice should be done with caution, especially in patients with anxiety-depression comorbidity.Article Citation Count: 4Classification of Intermediate and Novice Surgeons' Skill Assessment Through Performance Metrics(Sage Publications inc, 2019) Topalli, Damla; Cagiltay, Nergiz Ercil; Information Systems Engineering; Software EngineeringBackground. Endoscopic surgeries have become an alternative for open procedures whenever possible. For such types of operations, surgeons are required to gain several skills, whose development needs hands-on practice. Accordingly, gaining these skills today is a challenge for surgical education programs. Despite the development of several technology-enhanced training environments, there are still problems to better integrate these technologies into educational programs. For an appropriate integration, it is critical to assess the skill levels and adapt the training content according to the trainees' requirements. In the literature, there exist several methods for assessing these skill levels. However, there are still problems in practice for objective and repetitive assessment. Methods. The present study aims to estimate the skill levels of participants in surgical training programs in an objective manner by collecting experimental data from residents in an endoscopic surgical simulation environment and gathering performance metrics. Results. It is shown that, by comparing the results of a number of classification algorithms for the best accuracy estimation and feature set, the "novice" and "intermediate" skill levels can be estimated with an accuracy of 86%. Conclusions. The outcomes help surgical educators and instructional system designers to better assess the skill levels of the trainees and guide them accordingly. In addition, objective assessments as highlighted in this study can be beneficial when designing technology-enhanced adaptive learning environments.Article Citation Count: 0The clinical and demographical characteristics of Turkish pediatric lymphedema patients: a multicenter study(Tubitak Scientific & Technological Research Council Turkey, 2022) Borman, Pinar; Balcan, Aysegul; Eyigor, Sibel; Coskun, Evrim; Ayhan, Figen; Cakit, Burcu Duyur; Dogan, Sevil CeyhanBackground/aim: Reducing lymphedema-associated burden and disability in the pediatric setting requires improved awareness and understanding clinical properties of the lymphedema. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and demographic characteristics of patients with pediatric lymphedema presented to different lymphedema centers in Turkey. Materials and methods: The socio-demographic and clinical characteristics of the children including age, gender, presence of genetic syndromes, duration of edema, site and stage of lymphedema and the received therapies were determined. Parental and children education on self-management techniques were recorded. Results: A total of 122 children (female: 66, male: 56) with a mean age of 120.7 +/- 71.2 months were included from 7 centers. Of them; 92% had primary, 8% had secondary lymphedema mostly due to infection and trauma. Lymphedema was part of a syndrome in 18% of the children. The most common site of involvement was the lower extremity, followed by upper extremity and genital involvement. Lymphedema was complicated in 17 % of children, mainly with a clinical picture of cellulitis, infection, and pain. The median duration of lymphedema was 41 (5-216) months. Although most of the children had stage 2 lymphedema, only 40% of them received treatment. The most commonly received treatment was compression therapy. No family or child was educated for self-care management before. Conclusion: In conclusion, pediatric lymphedema has a comparable gender distribution and usually involves the lower extremities. Although most of the children had advanced disease, more than half of the patients did not receive any treatment indicating the unmet need for management of lymphedema. The education of patients and/or children about self-management methods were lacking. We suggest educational activities for both families of children with lymphedema and health care providers, in order to facilitate early reference to lymphedema units and to receive prompt preventive and therapeutic approaches for this suffering condition.Article Citation Count: 3Communities for Healthy Living (CHL) A Community-based Intervention to Prevent Obesity in Low-Income Preschool Children: Process Evaluation Protocol(Bmc, 2020) Beckerman-Hsu, Jacob P.; Aftosmes-Tobio, Alyssa; Gavarkovs, Adam; Kitos, Nicole; Figueroa, Roger; Kalyoncu, Z. Begum; Davison, Kirsten K.; Nutrition and DieteticsBackgroundProcess evaluation can illuminate barriers and facilitators to intervention implementation as well as the drivers of intervention outcomes. However, few obesity intervention studies have documented process evaluation methods and results. Community-based participatory research (CBPR) requires that process evaluation methods be developed to (a) prioritize community members' power to adapt the program to local needs over strict adherence to intervention protocols, (b) share process evaluation data with implementers to maximize benefit to participants, and (c) ensure partner organizations are not overburdened. Co-designed with low-income parents using CBPR, Communities for Healthy Living (CHL) is a family-centered intervention implemented within Head Start to prevent childhood obesity and promote family well-being. We are currently undertaking a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of CHL in 23 Head Start centers in the greater Boston area. In this protocol paper, we outline an embedded process evaluation designed to monitor intervention adherence and adaptation, support ongoing quality improvement, and examine contextual factors that may moderate intervention implementation and/or effectiveness.MethodsThis mixed methods process evaluation was developed using the Perez et al. framework for evaluating adaptive interventions and is reported following guidelines outlined by Grant et al. Trained research assistants will conduct structured observations of intervention sessions. Intervention facilitators and recipients, along with Head Start staff, will complete surveys and semi-structured interviews. De-identified data for all eligible children and families will be extracted from Head Start administrative records. Qualitative data will be analyzed thematically. Quantitative and qualitative data will be integrated using triangulation methods to assess intervention adherence, monitor adaptations, and identify moderators of intervention implementation and effectiveness.DiscussionA diverse set of quantitative and qualitative data sources are employed to fully characterize CHL implementation. Simultaneously, CHL's process evaluation will provide a case study on strategies to address the challenges of process evaluation for CBPR interventions. Results from this process evaluation will help to explain variation in intervention implementation and outcomes across Head Start programs, support CHL sustainability and future scale-up, and provide guidance for future complex interventions developed using CBPR.Trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03334669. Registered on October 10, 2017Article Citation Count: 3Comparative Performance Study of Acidic Pumice and Basic Pumice Inclusions for Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene-Based Composite Filaments(Mary Ann Liebert, inc, 2024) Tayfun, Umit; Tirkes, Seha; Dogan, Mehmet; Tirkes, Suha; Zahmakiran, Mehmet; Chemical EngineeringThis study aims to evaluate the effective use of porous pumice powder as an additive in acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS)-based composite materials. The influence of pumice addition on mechanical, thermomechanical, thermal, and physical properties of ABS filaments was reported. Two types of pumice, namely acidic pumice (AP) and basic pumice (BP), were melt compounded with ABS at loading levels of 5%, 10%, 15%, and 20% by weight using the melt extrusion preparation method. Composites were shaped into dog bone test specimens by the injection molding process. The physical properties of pumice powders were investigated by particle size analysis and X-ray spectroscopy techniques. Mechanical, thermomechanical, thermal, melt flow, and morphological behaviors of ABS/AP and ABS/BP composite filaments were proposed. According to test results, pumice addition led to an increase in the mechanical response of ABS up to a filling ratio of 10%. Further inclusion of pumice caused sharp reduction due to the possible agglomeration of pumice particles. Composites filled with AP yielded remarkably higher mechanical performance in terms of tensile, impact, and hardness strength compared with BP-loaded composites. According to thermal analyses, ABS exhibited higher thermal stability after incorporation of AP and BP. Pumice addition also resulted in raising the glass transition temperature of ABS. Melt flow index (MFI) findings revealed that addition of two types of pumice led to an opposite trend in the melt flow behavior of ABS filaments. Homogeneous dispersion of pumice particles into the ABS matrix when adding low amounts, as well as reduction in dispersion homogeneity with high amounts, of AP and BP was confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrographs.Article Citation Count: 2Comparison of ceftazidime-avibactam susceptibility testing methods against OXA-48-like carrying Klebsiella blood stream isolates(Elsevier Science inc, 2022) Isler, Burcu; Vatansever, Cansel; Ozer, Berna; Cinar, Gule; Aslan, Abdullah Tarik; Stewart, Adam; Can, FusunCeftazidime-avibactam exhibits good in vitro activity against carbapenem resistant Klebsiella carrying OXA-48-like enzymes. We tested two hundred unique carbapenem resistant Klebsiella blood stream isolates (71% with single OXA-48-like carbapenemases, including OXA-48, n = 62; OXA-232, n = 57; OXA-244, n = 17; OXA-181, n = 5) that were collected as part of a multicentre study against ceftazidime-avibactam using Etest (bioMerieux, Marcyl'Etoile, France), 10/4 mg disc (Thermo Fisher) and Sensititre Gram Negative EURGNCOL Plates (Lyophilized panels, Sensititre, Thermo Fisher) with the aim of comparing the performances of the Etest and disc to that of Sensititre. Ceftazidime-avibactam MIC50/90 was 2/> 16 mg/L for the entire collection and was 2/4 mg/L for single OXA-48-like producers. Categorical and essential agreements between the Etest and Sensititre were 100% and 97%, respectively. Categorical agreement between the disc and Sensititre was 100%. Etest and 10/4 mg discs are suitable alternatives to Sensititre for ceftazidime-avibactam sensitivity testing for OXA-48-like producers. (C) 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.Article Citation Count: 7Comparison of NAT1, NAT2 & GSTT2-2 activities in normal and neoplastic human breast tissues(SAP - Slovak Academic Press, spol. s.r.o., 2006) Geylan-Su,Y.S.; Isgör,B.; Coban,T.; Kapucuoglu,N.; Aydintug,S.; Iscan,M.; Güray,T.In this study, arylamine N-acetyltransferases, NATs (E.C.2.3.1.5) and glutathione-S-transferase-T2-2, GSTT2-2 (E.C.2.5.1.18) enzyme activities in the breast tumor and surrounding tumor-free tissues of 22 female breast cancer patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma were measured. The possible impacts of grade of malignancy, chemotherapy treatment, estrogen receptor status and menopausal status on all enzyme activities were evaluated. The results showed that, both NAT2 and GSTT2-2 display significant differences between tumor and tumor-free breast tissues, while no difference was observed in NAT1. Grade of malignancy seems to be positively associated with NAT1 and negatively associated with GSTT2-2. Though, both NAT2 and GSTT2-2 have increased mean tumor activities, the grade of malignancy, chemotherapy status, menopausal status or estrogen receptor status are not correlated statistically.Article Citation Count: 6Comparison of NAT1, NAT2 & GSTT2-2 activities in normal and neoplastic human breast tissues(Aepress Sro, 2006) Geylan-SU, YS; Isgör, B; Coban, T; Kapucuoglu, N; Aydintug, S; Iscan, M; Güray, T; Chemical EngineeringIn this study, arylamine N-acetyltransferases, NATs (E.C.2.3.1.5) and glutathione-S-transferase-T2-2, GSTT2-2 (E.C.2.5.1.18) enzyme activities in the breast tumor and surrounding tumor-free tissues of 22 female breast cancer patients with infiltrating ductal carcinoma were measured. The possible impacts of grade of malignancy, chemotherapy treatment, estrogen receptor status and menopausal status on all enzyme activities were evaluated. The results showed that, both NAT2 and GSTT2-2 display significant differences between tumor and tumor-free breast tissues, while no difference was observed in NAT1. Grade of malignancy seems to be positively associated with NAT1 and negatively associated with GSTT2-2. Though, both NAT2 and GSTT2-2 have increased mean tumor activities, the grade of malignancy, chemotherapy status, menopausal status or estrogen receptor status are not correlated statistically.