Emerging threats in Сentral Asia: Comparative characterization of organic and elemental carbon in ambient PM in urban cities of Kazakhstan.

This study (June 2022-July 2023) investigates the atmospheric concentrations of carbonaceous species, including organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC), in PM in two major cities in Kazakhstan. Samples were collected from two sites in Almaty (Seifullin and KazNU) and one in Astana. The results showed that Almaty had significantly higher annual average concentrations of OC (10.

Stakeholder perspectives on the costs and benefits of circular construction.

The construction industry significantly impacts the environment through natural resource depletion and energy consumption, leading to environmental degradation. Circular Economy (CE) material efficiency strategies-such as material reuse, design for disassembly, prefabrication, and recycling-offer promising solutions for reducing resource consumption and waste. This paper explores stakeholders' perspectives on the costs and benefits of implementing CE material efficiency strategies in the construction industry, using the 3-R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) framework.

Evaluating interleukin-16 expression in patients with grade-3 and grade-4 glial cell tumors and healthy individuals.

Background: This study evaluated the change in IL-16 levels in patients with high-grade glial tumors undergoing radiotherapy (RT) and healthy individuals (control group).

Materials And Methods: Serum IL-16 levels of 35 high-grade glioma patients receiving radiotherapy (RT) and 30 healthy individuals were compared. We compared the IL-16 levels before (RT0) and after the (RT1) and IL-16 levels were measured and the relationship of this change with other characteristics such as age, gender, weight, height, and blood test results.

The effects of radiotherapy on arterial diameters in patients with high-grade glial tumors who have undergone adjuvant radiotherapy.

Background And Aims: Our purpose was to evaluate the M2 branch of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) in high-grade glial tumor patients who undergo adjuvant radiotherapy (RT). For this purpose, the diameter of the M2 branch was measured and evaluated by means of contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CE-MRI) before and after RT. Post-radiotherapeutical measurements were made 1, 3, 5, and 7 months after the procedure; and vascular diameter alterations were evaluated.

Electro-stimulated drug release by methacrylated hyaluronic acid-based conductive hydrogel with enhanced mechanical properties.

Recently, the design of stimuli-responsive hydrogels for controlled drug delivery systems has been extensively investigated to meet therapeutic needs and optimize the release pattern of the drug. Being a natural polyelectrolyte, hyaluronic acid (HA) is excellent potential to generate new opportunities for electro-responsive drug carrier applications. In the current study, HA-based electroconductive hydrogel was developed as a novel smart drug carrier for anti-inflammatory drug release by the combination of in-situ and post polymerization mechanisms.

The effect of different preservation media and temperatures on sperm quality and DNA integrity in mouse cauda spermatozoa.

Background: Mouse sperm can be stored for long or short-time periods. Nevertheless long-term storage leds to significantly reduced sperm quality and fertility because of cryodamage. Thus, in the storage of semen in mice, it is necessary to focus on media and temperatures that gives good results in short-term storage.

Which qualities should built environment possess to ensure satisfaction of higher-education students with remote education during pandemics?

The COVID-19 pandemic has suddenly switched most education processes from face-to-face to remote mode, obliging millions of students to utilize their residences as study spaces. However, the characteristics of their residential built environments differ in terms of regional, social, cultural, and technological aspects. These differences should impact the students' performance and satisfaction which needs to be measured and studied.

Neuropsychological Assessment of Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Cognitive impairment in older adults is a major public concern for Kazakhstan's aging population. We aimed to (1) administer a neuropsychological test battery (NTB) in domains relevant to aging-associated cognitive impairment in a sample of adults aged 60+ without dementia in Almaty, Kazakhstan; (2) investigate the associations between demographic factors and test performance; and (3) provide information on the distribution of NTB scores as preliminary local normative data relevant for this population. A cross-sectional evaluation of 276 participants aged 60+ in Almaty, Kazakhstan, was conducted using cognitive instruments including tests of memory, attention, language, executive functions, visuospatial abilities, and processing speed.

Effects of the residential built environment on remote work productivity and satisfaction during COVID-19 lockdowns: An analysis of workers' perceptions.

COVID-19 pandemic has forced people to stay home and switch to the remote working mode, which - reportedly - affect job satisfaction and productivity. The present study investigates the relationship between the residential environment and worker's job satisfaction and productivity in the remote working mode during the COVID-19 pandemic. A hypothetical structural equation model (SEM) of the influencing factors is constructed based on a literature review and experts' opinions.

Evaluation of IL-17A expressions in high-grade glial tumors receiving radiotherapy.

Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the interleukin-17A (IL-17A) levels in patients with high-grade glial tumors before receiving radiotherapy, immediately after radiotherapy, and 3 months after radiotherapy.

Patients And Methods: A total of 33 patients who applied to Adana City Training and Research Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology between December 2016 and May 2018 was included in this study. A total of three blood samples was taken from each patient to assess IL-17A levels before and after radiotherapy and 3 months after the completion of radiotherapy.

Assessment of the association between dust storms and COVID-19 infection rate in southwest Iran.

This study assesses a plausible correlation between a dust intrusion episode and a daily increase in COVID-19 cases. A surge in COVID-19 cases was observed a few days after a Middle East Dust (MED) event that peaked on 25 April 2020 in southwest Iran. To investigate potential causal factors for the spike in number of cases, cross-correlations between daily combined aerosol optical depths (AODs) and confirmed cases were computed for Khuzestan, Iran.

Assessment method for new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings.

The method presented in this paper aims to support the sustainability assessment methods of residential buildings under pandemic conditions. The main purpose of the study is to review existing criteria of the well-known assessment tools and then to suggest a set of assessment measures for the emerging pandemic-resilient indicators. Current sustainability assessment methodologies mostly focus on the conventional sustainability pillars (Environmental, Social, Economic), whereas the proposed emerging sustainability assessment indicators include changes in sustainability requirements brought by the current pandemic.

Stakeholder based weights of new sustainability indicators providing pandemic resilience for residential buildings.

During COVID-19, the building and service characteristics of residential buildings turned out to be more critical due to lockdowns. The present research assesses the importance of new sustainability indicators for residential buildings in three categories (e.g.

Treatment of organic peroxide containing wastewater and water recovery by fenton-adsorption and fenton-nanofiltration processes.

Treatment of organic peroxide-containing chemical industry wastewater by oxidation methods and recovery of water by the adsorption and nanofiltration (NP010) methods were investigated in this study. The COD and TOC removal rates were obtained as 72.8% and 58.

Assessment of potential benefits of traffic and urban mobility reductions during COVID-19 lockdowns: dose-response calculations for material corrosions on built cultural heritage.

Air pollution, particularly in urban areas, puts human health in danger and has adverse impacts on the built environment. It can accelerate the natural corrosion rate of cultural heritages and monuments, leading to premature aging and lowering their aesthetic value. Globally, at the beginning of 2020, to tackle the spread of novel COVID-19, the lockdown was enforced in the most hard-hit countries.

30-Day Morbidity and Mortality of Bariatric Surgery During the COVID-19 Pandemic: a Multinational Cohort Study of 7704 Patients from 42 Countries.

Background: There are data on the safety of cancer surgery and the efficacy of preventive strategies on the prevention of postoperative symptomatic COVID-19 in these patients. But there is little such data for any elective surgery. The main objectives of this study were to examine the safety of bariatric surgery (BS) during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and to determine the efficacy of perioperative COVID-19 protective strategies on postoperative symptomatic COVID-19 rates.

Estimation of periostin as a biomarker for early pregnancy diagnosis in goats: a preliminary study.

Background: Periostin (POSTN) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that plays an important role in the metastatic process and cancer cell migration. As implantation is a similar mechanism to metastasis, it has been hypothesized that POSTN may also play a role in the implantation process.

Aims: The aim of the present study was to compare POSTN and progesterone levels during the early pregnancy stage in Damascus goats.

Mercury (Hg) Contaminated Sites in Kazakhstan: Review of Current Cases and Site Remediation Responses.

Mercury (Hg) emissions from anthropogenic sources pose a global problem. In Central Asia, Kazakhstan's central and northern regions are among the most severely Hg-contaminated territories. This is due to two former acetaldehyde (in Temirtau) and chlor-alkali (in Pavlodar) plants, discharges from which during the second half of the 20th century were estimated over 2000 tons of elemental Hg.

Indicator rating methodology for Rapid Sustainability Assessment Method (RSAM) for existing residential buildings using opinions of residents.

The presented method provides the details for how each indicator in "RSAM: A Rapid Sustainability Assessment Method" is scored using a residents' opinions-based sustainability assessment procedure that is specifically designed for the assessment of existing residential buildings. Existing methods in the literature mostly suggest indicator scores in construction sustainability assessments using highly technical data and require a high level of engineering and management expertise. This makes them elaborate but labor-, time-, and cost-intensive; and thus, their use is more frequently favored in new projects.

Trends and health impacts of major urban air pollutants in Kazakhstan.

The air quality in cities in Kazakhstan has been poorly investigated despite the worsening conditions. This study evaluates national air pollution monitoring network data (Total Suspended Particle-TSP, NO, SO, and O) from Kazakhstan cities and provides estimates of excess mortality rates associated with PM exposure using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) concentration-response function. Morbidity rates associated with PM exposure were also estimated.

Early Effect of Metabolic Surgery on Erectile Function and Ejaculation: a Pilot Study of Obese Men with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.

Purpose: Majority of men with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have been reported to experience erectile dysfunction (ED) in a lifetime. The aim of our study was to prospectively evaluate the postoperative condition of ED and premature ejaculation (PE) in men who underwent metabolic surgery for the treatment of T2DM.

Materials And Methods: A total of 36 sexually active male individuals with T2DM who were applied for metabolic surgery were given two different questionnaire forms prior to and 6 months after the surgery.

Assessing air quality changes in large cities during COVID-19 lockdowns: The impacts of traffic-free urban conditions in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Number of cities worlwide experienced air quality improvements during COVID-19 lockdowns; however, such changes may have been different in places with major contributions from nontraffic related sources. In Almaty, a city-scale quarantine came into force on March 19, 2020, which was a week after the first COVID-19 case was registered in Kazakhstan. This study aims to analyze the effect of the lockdown from March 19 to April 14, 2020 (27 days), on the concentrations of air pollutants in Almaty.

Effects of Sleeve Gastrectomy with Transit Bipartition on Glycemic Variables, Lipid Profile, Liver Enzymes, and Nutritional Status in Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus Patients.

Background: Sleeve gastrectomy with transit bipartition (SG + TB) surgery is an effective treatment modality for the patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Here, we aimed to present the 1-year follow-up data of our patients with T2DM who underwent SG + TB.

Methods: We evaluated the follow-up results of 45 patients and evaluated the remission status of T2DM.

Neurological Complication After Laparoscopic Sleeve Gastrectomy: Foot Drop.

Background: The relationship between rapid weight loss and peroneal nerve entrapment neuropathy (PNEN) was shown in various series following bariatric surgery. Thus, we aimed to determine the occurrence of PNEN in our patients who underwent laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG) and to reveal the factors contributing to this complication.

Methods: We evaluated our series of 635 patients in terms of neurological symptoms following laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy, retrospectively.

Trends and health impacts of major urban air pollutants in Kazakhstan.

Air quality in Kazakhstan cities has been poorly investigated despite their deteriorating situations. This study evaluates the national air pollution monitoring network data (PM, NO, SO and O) in Kazakhstan cities, and provides the estimates of excess mortality rates associated with PM exposure using the Global Exposure Mortality Model (GEMM) concentration-response function. Morbidity rates associated with PM exposure were also estimated.