Retinopathy of prematurity screening: can the examination time be reduced?

Clinical Relevance: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a significant cause of childhood blindness. Screening examinations that maintain accuracy, while improving the experience for families, could increase adherence to follow-up and decrease workload.

Background: Traditional ROP screening examinations are known to be uncomfortable for babies and stressful for parents.

Wastewater treatment bacteria show differential preference for colonizing natural biopolymers.

Most reduced organic matter entering activated sludge systems is particulate (1-100-µm diameter) or colloidal (0.001-1-µm diameter), yet little is known about colonization of particulate organic matter by activated sludge bacteria. In this study, colonization of biopolymers (chitin, keratin, lignocellulose, lignin, and cellulose) by activated sludge bacteria was compared with colonization of glass beads in the presence and absence of regular nutrient amendment (acetate and ammonia).

Diagnostic yield of the Kveim test in sarcoidosis patients.

Background And Aim: Sarcoidosis is a granulomatous disorder of unknown etiology characterized by the existence of non-caseating granulomatous inflammation. Diagnosis can be challenging due to the presence of comprehensive clinical, laboratory, and radiologic manifestations. We have evaluated the diagnostic yield of the Kveim test and compared this test with the other conventional laboratory modalities.

Hearing loss in Takayasu's arteritis.

Objectives: Neurosensory hearing loss is well-documented in chronic autoimmune conditions such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). However, the literature lacks data on the prevalence and characteristics of hearing impairment in Takayasu's arteritis (TAK). In this cross-sectional study, our principal objective was to systematically assess the auditory function of individuals diagnosed with TAK, against SLE patients and healthy controls (HC).

The evaluation of the SMAD1 rs1016792 polymorphism and gene expression on pulmonary hypertension due to congenital heart disease in children: a preliminary study.

Smad Family Member (SMAD), a protein family responsible for transducing the signal induced by TGF-β into the nucleus, is thought to play a role in the pathology of many heart diseases. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the influence of the SMAD1 rs1016792 polymorphism and gene expression on pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) due to congenital heart disease (CHD) in children. A total of 90 children, 45 of whom were PAH-CHD children and 45 healthy children, were included in the study.

Extended autoantibody panel in Turkish patients with early-stage systemic sclerosis: Coexpressions and their influences on clinical phenotypes.

Background/aim: To investigate the frequency and clinical relevance of an extended autoantibody profile in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc).

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, serum from 100 consecutive patients was subjected to indirect immunofluorescence (IIF) (HEp-20-10/primate liver mosaic) and Systemic Sclerosis Profile by EUROIMMUN to evaluate anti-nuclear antibodies (ANA) and autoantibodies against 13 different autoantibodies in patients with SSc less than 3 years.

Results: Ninety-three of 100 patients were positive for ANA by IIF.

Examination of the Corneal Endothelium in Pediatric Patients With COVID-19.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection on the corneal endothelium in children.

Methods: This retrospective study included 46 pediatric patients with COVID-19 infection and 38 healthy controls. Specular microscopy measurements were analyzed, and measurements were obtained from images showing at least 100 cells with clear borders.

Microbial community composition of food waste before anaerobic digestion.

Anaerobic digestion is widely used to process and recover value from food waste. Commercial food waste anaerobic digestion facilities seek improvements in process efficiency to enable higher throughput. There is limited information on the composition of microbial communities in food waste prior to digestion, limiting rational exploitation of the catalytic potential of microorganisms in pretreatment processes.

Eating attitude in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: The relationship between pain, body mass index, disease activity, functional status, depression, anxiety and quality of life.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to evaluate the relationship between eating attitude and pain, body mass index, disease activity, functional status, depression, anxiety and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Design And Methods: This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 111 RA patients between January 2021 and May 2021.

Findings: The Eating Attitudes Test scores of the participants had a positive significant relationship with their Visual Analog Scale scores (r = 0.

Effect of Irrigation Solution Temperature on the Corneal Endothelial Functions in Posterior Vitrectomy: Room Temperature Versus Cooled.

Purpose: To compare the effects of cooled and room temperature irrigation on the preoperative and early postoperative corneal endothelial parameter values in posterior vitrectomy.

Materials And Methods: In this prospective, randomized, comparative study, 68 patients underwent a standard 3-port, 23-G posterior vitrectomy operation by a single surgeon. Cooled irrigation solution was applied to 36 patients during surgery (group 1), and room temperature irrigation solution was applied to 32 patients (group 2).

Evaluation of the retina with optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) in patients with coronavirus (COVID-19) infection.

Purpose: The goal of this study is to compare the optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) findings in Coronavirus (COVID-19) positive adult and pediatric patients with those of healthy volunteers with the same demographic characteristics.

Methods: The right eye of 157 adults infected with covid, 168 healthy adult volunteers, 40 children (6-18 years of age) infected with covid, and 44 healthy children (6-18 years of age) were included in this prospective study. All participants underwent ophthalmological examination and OCTA.

The First Effect of COVID-19 Pandemic on Starting Biological Disease Modifying Anti-Rheumatic Drugs: Outcomes from the TReasure Real-Life Database.

Objective: The coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic has been resulting in increased hospital occupancy rates. Rheumatic patients cannot still reach to hospitals, or they hesitate about going to a hospital even they are able to reach. We aimed to show the effect of the first wave of coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic on the treatment of biological disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs in patients with rheumatoid arthritis or spondyloarthritis.

Is the treatment of inflammatory arthritis different in sickle cell disease?

Background: Musculoskeletal findings are common in sickle cell patients and may be confused with inflammatory arthritis. In addition, complications such as frequent infections may create difficulties while choosing drugs such as steroids, methotrexate, or antiTNFs. Our aim is to reveal whether the treatment is different in sickle cell patients with rheumatic diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis.

Nasal reconstructive techniques following Mohs surgery or excisions: a systematic review.

Numerous reconstructive techniques for nasal defects following skin cancer removal have been described; however, the literature lacks a comprehensive systematic review. Our objective was to systematically review nasal reconstruction methods after tumor removal, correlate the use of specific techniques to the nasal subunits involved, assess the quality of the available evidence, and set the stage for future research on this topic. Eight databases were searched for studies published in English from January 2004 to December 2018 containing repair data for nasal defects following Mohs or excision for four or more subjects.

How to recognize and manage challenging DRESS cases: Two case reports and a review of the literature.

Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is an uncommon systemic adverse drug reaction. Furthermore, it is a unique syndrome encompassing various manifestations of fever, facial edema, eosinophilia, atypical lymphocytosis, and organ dysfunction. Since there are no large prospective studies concerning DRESS syndrome, current treatment modalities for DRESS have been mainly determined based on various case reports and expert opinions.

Association of mutations and vascular involvement in Behçet's disease: a study from Hatay, Turkey.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of mutations in Behçet's disease (BD) and to investigate the relationship between clinical findings of the disease and the mutations.

Material And Methods: A total of 66 participants (30 BD patients, 36 healthy subjects) were included in this study. The gene was analyzed by using DNA sequence analysis.

Clinical and laboratory factors associated with bamboo spine in patients with axial spondyloarthritis: are there clues for bamboo spine?

Objectives: To analyse the clinical and laboratory factors associated with bamboo spine.

Methods: Data of patients fulfilling the 2009 ASAS classification criteria for axial spondyloarthritis, registered in the national, multicentre, longitudinal, and observational database of TReasure was analysed. Radiographs were assessed using the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiologic Index (BASRI).

Tuberculin skin test before biologic and targeted therapies: does the same rule apply for all?

This study aimed to compare Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and QuantiFERON®-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) test in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients scheduled for biological and targeted synthetic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in a Bacillus Calmette-Guérin-vaccinated population. Adult RA (n = 206) and SpA (n = 392) patients from the TReasure database who had both TST and QFT-GIT prior to initiation of biological and targeted synthetic DMARDs were included in the study. Demographic and disease characteristics along with pre-biologic DMARD and steroid use were recorded.

TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and fatty acids in rheumatoid arthritis patients receiving cDMARD and bDMARD therapy.

Objective: The present study aimed to examine the effects of cDMARD and bDMARD therapy on both gene expressions and protein levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-10 and fatty acid levels in patients with RA.

Method: Plasma TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 levels were examined by the ELISA method, while TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-10 gene expression levels were examined by RT-qPCR, and fatty acid levels were examined by GC/MS.

Results: IL-10 gene expression levels significantly increased in RA patients receiving cDMARD treatment compared to those of the control group.

Challenges in pediatric cataract surgery: comparison of intraocular lens power calculation formulas using optical biometry.

Purpose: Comparison of the accuracy of intraocular lens (IOL) power calculation formulas (SRK II, SRK/T, Holladay 1, Hoffer Q and Barrett II Universal, Haigis) in pediatric cataract surgery using optical biometry.

Method: This prospective study included seventy eyes of 70 patients between ages of 3-15 who had undergone cataract surgery with IOL implantation. Anterior segment parameters and axial length (AL) were measured with an optical biometer.