91 research outputs found
The Evaluation of Procalcitonin as a Diagnostic and Prognostic Marker of Bacterial Infections in Febrile Neutropenic Patients
No full textObjective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of procalcitonin (PCT) in the diagnosis, prognosis and follow-up of bacterial infections in febrile neutropenic patients in comparison to the standard parameter, C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods: 40 febrile neutropenic episodes of 37 patients with cancer undergoing chemotherapy were classified as fever of unknown origin (FUO), microbiologically or clinically documented infection. Four sequential serum samples were obtained at the onset of neutropenia, on the first and third days of fever and on the day of defervescence, or on day 5 or 7 of an unresolved fever. Results: At the onset of neutropenia, the PCT levels were found to be normal whereas CRP levels were found to be elevated in all patients. With the febrile episode, PCT levels were elevated in all types of infections which were significantly higher for documented infections compared to FUO (p< 0.05). Procalcitonin levels differed significantly between patients with and without severe sepsis (p<0.001), and the highest levels were seen on the third day of fever. PCT levels decreased rapidly in afebrile patients treated successfully, whereas they remained significantly higher for patients unresponsive to therapy (p<0.001). Conclusions: In conclusion, PCT could be suggested as a useful marker, and was superior to CRP for early diagnosis of documented infections, assessment of the severity of infection and response to therapy in febrile neutropenic patients
Ekimia ozcan-secmenii (Apiaceae), a new species from Southwest Anatolia, Turkey
No full textEkimia ozcan-secmenii Senol & Eroglu sp. nov. (Apiaceae) is described from SW Turkey. E. ozcan-secmenii differs from its close affinity, E. bornmuelleri, by life form (monocarpic), petal and bracteole morphology, and mericarp features. These data were more supported by the results of nrDNA ITS sequences. The ML tree depicted based on phylogenetic studies aimed to reveal the closeness of the Laserpitium and Prangos species as well as the location the affinity of species in the genus Ekimia. The taxonomic situation of Prangos hulusi was also evaluated based on nrDNA ITS sequences. Since E. ozcan-secmenii is distributed in Sami Soydam Sandalcik hydroelectric power plant in Acipayam, Denizli, the population is threatening by flooding. Therefore, conservation programs are urgently recommended.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [TBAG-108T851]The author would like to thank the curators of GAZI and EGE Herbaria for their helpful assistance. We also thank Prof Dr Hayri Duman for his help and comments on the species. This research was financially supported by TUBITAK (TBAG-108T851)
Forecasting Istanbul monthly temperature by multivariate partial least square
No full textWeather forecasting, especially for temperature, has always been a popular subject since it affects our daily life and always includes uncertainty as statistics does. The goals of this study are (a) to forecast monthly mean temperature by benefitting meteorological variables like temperature, humidity and rainfall; and (b) to improve the forecast ability by evaluating the forecasting errors depending upon the parameter changes and local or global forecasting methods. Approximately 100 years of meteorological data from 54 automatic meteorology observation stations of Istanbul that is the mega city of Turkey are analyzed to infer about the meteorological behaviour of the city. A new partial least square (PLS) forecasting technique based on chaotic analysis is also developed by using nonlinear time series and variable selection methods. The proposed model is also compared with artificial neural networks (ANNs), which model nonlinearly the relation between inputs and outputs by working neurons like human brain. Ordinary least square (OLS), PLS and ANN methods are used for nonlinear time series forecasting in this study. Major findings are the chaotic nature of the meteorological data of Istanbul and the best performance values of the proposed PLS model
Elastic Stable Intramedullary Nailing in Length Stable Versus Unstable Pediatric Femoral Shaft Fractures: A Comparison of Clinical, Radiographic, and Pedobarographic Outcomes
No full textBackground: Pediatric diaphyseal femoral fracture (PDFF) is one of the most common injuries requiring hospitalization. Elastic stable intramedullary nailing (ESIN) is commonly used for PDFFs in ages 5 to 11. The optimal treatment method for length unstable PDFF is a subject of ongoing debate. This study aimed to compare clinical, radiographic, and pedobarographic outcomes of ESIN between length stable and unstable PDFF. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients undergoing ESIN treatment for isolated PDFF between 2016 and 2021. Exclusion criteria were (1) history of ipsilateral or contralateral lower extremity fractures, (2) highly comminuted or segmental fractures, (3) body weight >50 kg, and (4) comorbidities affecting bone quality, range of motion, or neurologic status. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to length stability. Clinical, radiographic, and pedobarographic data were then assessed to compare groups. Results: Twenty-five patients were included (17 length stable and 8 length unstable PDFF) with a mean age of 73.6 +/- 17.8 months. There was no significant difference between groups in age, side of injury, body weight, follow-up duration, and nail-canal diameter ratio. Mean deformity in the fracture site in the early postoperative x-rays was not significantly different between groups (P=0.661). After a mean follow-up of 27.8 +/- 14.2 months (range, 12-67), there was no significant difference in mechanical axis deviation, distal femur joint orientation angle, or limb-length discrepancy in both groups. The pedobarographic assessment revealed that the length unstable group had a significantly higher external foot progression angle in the injured extremity (9.8 degrees +/- 6.9 degrees vs. 1.3 degrees +/- 5.6 degrees, P=0.031). However, the length stable group had no significant difference in the foot progression angle (4.9 degrees +/- 5 degrees vs. 3 degrees +/- 4.3 degrees, P=0.326). There was no significant difference in either group for other pedobarographic parameters. Conclusion: ESIN is a safe and effective option for length-unstable PDFF, yet attention should be paid to the rotational alignment. Although significant external rotation deformity occurs in length-unstable PDFF, it has no implications for the other pedobarographic parameters. Level of Evidence: Level IV
Performance evaluating of Abbott 25-OH-vitamin D assay: comparison with
No full textAbstract Not Availabl
A Case Report of Multicentric Castleman's Disease with Simultaneous Epstein-Barr Virus Infection
No full text Castleman's disease is a rare B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder of unknown etiology. In this report we describe a 54-year-old woman with a 10-year history of asymptomatic bilateral, multiple cervical lymph node enlargements. She was not evaluated by lymph node biopsy during this period. She had been well until four months previously. The patient presented with multiple enlarged lymph nodes and systemic symptoms including fever, sweats, weight loss, and anorexia. Two lymph nodes were biopsied, yielding a diagnosis of multicentric Castleman's disease (MCCD) of mixed hyaline-vascular and plasma cell type histology. Serologic studies revealed the simultaneous presence of an acute Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection. She experienced an aggressive clinical course with a fatal outcome. </jats:p
Susceptibility to Teicoplanin among Coagulase-Negative Staphylococci Isolated from Catheter Related Bloodstream Infections in Febrile Neutropenic Patients
No full textThe impacts of human-induced disturbances on spatial and temporal stream water quality variations in mountainous terrain: A case study of Borcka Dam Watershed
No full textUnaltered watersheds with natural vegetation cover (forest, grasslands, etc.) provide several ecological benefits in addition to providing freshwater, controlling water levels, and supporting flourishing streamside ecosystems. However, as in many watersheds in the World, the research area in this study, the Borcka Dam Watershed (BDW), has been affected by many human-induced disturbances affecting a wide area of forest and grassland areas as well as soil and water resources. Therefore, the objective of this study was to assess and evaluate the possible effects of anthropogenic disturbances, particularly on annual changes in water discharge, some water quality parameters, and total suspended sediment (TSS) amounts in the main streams of four sub watersheds (Fabrika, Godrahav, Hatila, and Murgul) and the reservoir of the dam. In addition, we intend to confirm that land use change and/or transformation play a significant role in influencing stream water quality. The YSI/Professional-Plus, a portable water quality measurement device, was used to determine the amounts of pH, dissolved oxygen (DO), total dissolved substance (TDS), ammonium (NH4-N), nitrate (NO3-N), salinity, electrical conductivity (EC), and temperature besides measuring discharge and total suspended sediments (TSS) from a total of 27 sampling points in the field. Although the results revealed that the annual mean values of all water quality parameters for all four streams were mostly in good condition, for some time and points of the measurements, several parameters were found to be above the official water quality standards due to the intensive aforementioned anthropogenic activities, particularly in the stream waters of Murgul (e.g. pH and TSS being 10,84 and 236 mg/L, respectively) and Fabrika (e.g. EC of 412 & mu;s/cm; DO of 4.44 mg/L; 14 ml of NO3-N) sub-watersheds. These outcomes indicate that these two sub-watersheds have been impacted more severely by the human-induced disturbances compared to Hatila and Godrahav sub-watersheds.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) [3001-116O901]The authors express their gratitude to the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUBITAK) for providing financial support through the project (#3001-116O901) . Furthermore, the authors express their gratitude to forest engineers Gozde OZAY and Senol OSMANAOGLU for their invaluable assistance in conducting field and laboratory research
Bibliometric Analysis of Concept Maps in Chemistry Education
No full textA comprehensive systematic review concerning the usage of concept maps in chemistry education (CMiCE) is not available in the literature. Therefore, this study attempts to conduct a systematic review of CMiCE using bibliometric analysis. Within the scope of the main aim of the study, articles related to CMiCE were searched on the Web of Science (WoS) database through the “ALL= (“concept* map*”) and ALL=(“chem*”) query. Data analysis was done using Microsoft Excel, VOSviewer software package and WoS analytical tool. According to the findings, information regarding trends, citation, co-authorship, co-word/co-occurrence, and co-citation in studies related to CMiCE were obtained. Results show that the most influential country was the USA, the most influential journal was the Journal of Chemical Education, the author with most citations was Novak, the most frequently used keyword was concept maps and the most commonly used keyword in recent years was the curriculum. The results from this study will contribute to other review studies related to CMiCE- especially in the context of chemistry education.</jats:p
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