Optimized Eco-Friendly Foam Materials: A Study on the Effects of Sodium Alginate, Cellulose, and Activated Carbon.

This study focuses on optimizing the physical and mechanical properties of foam materials produced with the addition of sodium alginate as the matrix, and cellulose and activated carbon as fillers. Foam materials, valued for their lightweight and insulation properties, are typically produced from synthetic polymers that pose environmental risks. To mitigate these concerns, this study investigates the potential of natural, biodegradable polymers.

Efficacy of IFN-γ, sCD40L, and Poly(I:C) Treated Bone Marrow-Derived Macrophages in Murine Mammary Carcinoma.

Introduction: Here, we explored methods to generate anti-tumor bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDM) and how delivery of the BMDM at early tumor sites could impact disease progression.

Methods: BMDM treated with IFN-γ, sCD40L, poly(I:C), and a combination of the three were assessed.

Results: Treatment with sCD40L had no significant impact on the BMDM.

Macular hole surgery follow-up with spectral domain-optical coherence tomography-guided facedown posturing.

Purpose: The main treatment for macular hole (MH) is pars plana vitrectomy, with or without internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling, followed by gas tamponade and face-down positioning (FDP). This study aims to present the anatomical and visual outcomes following MH repair with optical coherence tomography (OCT)-guided FDP.

Methods: Thirty-two patients who underwent surgery for idiopathic MH were enrolled.

Development and research directions in ship recycling: A systematic literature review with bibliometric analysis.

Ship recycling has gained significant importance in recent years due to the growing awareness of environmental concerns and the need for sustainable practices within the maritime industry. As vessels reach the end of their operational life, proper recycling methods are crucial to mitigate environmental impacts and promote resource conservation. With an increasing number of ships being decommissioned annually, there has been a growing interest and emphasis on developing efficient and eco-friendly ship recycling practices worldwide.

Neurophysiological Assessment of An Innovative Maritime Safety System in Terms of Ship Operators' Mental Workload, Stress, and Attention in the Full Mission Bridge Simulator.

The current industrial environment relies heavily on maritime transportation. Despite the continuous technological advances for the development of innovative safety software and hardware systems, there is a consistent gap in the scientific literature regarding the objective evaluation of the performance of maritime operators. The human factor is profoundly affected by changes in human performance or psychological state.

The Impact of Tumor-Associated Macrophages Found at Mammary Carcinoma Sites is Dependent Upon the Tumor Type.

Background: Previously, we reported that tumor-associated macrophages (TAM) at early sites of mammary carcinoma showed a decrease in ATP production rate and a higher dependence on oxidative phosphorylation.

Methods: Since these changes can result from activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) and glucose transporter 1 (Glut1) during metabolic stress, we investigated whether the TAM showed increased expression of and , as well as another indicator of metabolic stress, . Indeed, the TAM exhibited significant expression of , , and .

Macular vessel densities by optical coherence tomography angiography in patients with intermediate uveitis.

Purpose: To evaluate the macular microvascular changes in patients with intermediate uveitis (IU) using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) and to determine the relationship of OCT-A measurements with disease duration and activity.

Methods: This cross-sectional study was performed at the uvea department of a tertiary hospital. Patients with IU (8 women, 8 men; mean age: 28.

A novel agent for myeloma causing toxic keratopathy, belantamab mafodotin: a case report and literature review.

A 60-year-old-male with refractory relapsed multiple myeloma presented with redness, pain, foreign body sensation, and blurred vision in both eyes that gradually increased after his third belantamab mafotodin infusion. Biomicroscopy revealed bilateral microcyst-like epithelial changes and epithelial crystal-like deposits, whereas in vivo confocal microscopy revealed intraepithelial and subepithelial hyperreflective deposits in corneal epithelium. Belantamab mafodotin therapy was discontinued for seven weeks due to corneal toxicity, which cleared progressively.

Developing a Measure to Quantify Ocular Pain Postoperatively: The Adaptation of the Ocular Pain Assessment Survey.

Purpose: Since quantification and communication of ocular pain is important for a healthier patient follow-up and postoperative guidance, reliable measures like the Ophthalmic Pain Assessment Survey (OPAS) are needed to assess the outcome and management of different operations. To address that need, we carried out the adaptation of OPAS into Turkish to reach different age groups and backgrounds, widening the use of OPAS on patients who underwent an ophthalmic operation.

Methods: We used back-translation method and achieved cultural adaptation through content validity scoring by 5 independent ophthalmologists.

Mycobacterium abscessus keratitis after LASIK surgery.

A 33-year-old male presented with unilateral subacute infectious keratitis 4 weeks after surgery. Corneal inflammation was resistant to standard topical antibiotic regimens. During diagnostic flap lifting and sampling, the corneal flap melted and separated.

The correlation of atrophy, traction and neovascularization in myopic choroidal neovascularization according to a novel myopic maculopathy classification system (atrophy (A), traction (T), neovascularization (N): ATN).

Purpose: To grade myopic choroidal neovascularization (CNV) patients according to the new myopic maculopathy classification (A: atrophy, T: traction, N: neovascularization-ATN) and analyze the correlation in between atrophy, traction and neovascularization.

Methods: Fifty-one eyes of 41 patients with the diagnosis of pathologic myopia and myopic CNV were included in this clinical practice study. Patients were graded according to the recently described ATN classification.

Heavy Silicone Oil as an Endotamponade in Recurrent or Complicated Retinal Detachment and Macular Hole.

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of heavy silicone oil as an endotamponade in patients with recurrent or complicated retinal detachment and macular hole.

Materials And Methods: Nineteen eyes of 19 patients who underwent heavy silicone oil endotamponade for different indications were included in the study and evaluated by retrospective chart review. At each visit, patients underwent detailed ophthalmological examination and anatomical and functional outcomes, silicone oil emulsification, intraocular inflammation, presence of proliferative vitreoretinopathy, preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, and postoperative complications were recorded.

Effect of Mydriatic Administration on Retinal Hemodynamics in Glaucoma: An Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography Study.

Prcis: Pupillary dilation with 0.5% tropicamide and 2.5% phenylephrine resulted in a statistically significant decrease in foveal avascular zone (FAZ) metrics in glaucoma eyes.

Choroidal and Macular Thickness in Eyes with Amblyopia.

Objectives: This study was performed to assess and analyze the retinal and choroidal thickness in amblyopic eyes using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography and enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography.

Methods: A total of 67 children with amblyopia and 31 age- and gender-matched healthy non-amblyopic control subjects were enrolled in the study. The 67 amblyopic children were divided into 3 groups: hypermetropic amblyopia (Group 1).

The effectiveness of dexamethasone on the prognosis of dialysis patients with severe COVID-19.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of dexamethasone in dialysis patients with COVID-19 and whether it predicts mortality.

Methods: This is a comparative cross-sectional study of 113 consecutive patients with COVID-19 with severe pneumonia signs. The patients were divided into two groups according to the use of dexamethasone treatment: group 1 (n=45) included patients who were treated with dexamethasone and group 2 (n=68) who did not receive dexamethasone.

Predictors of Postoperative Pancreatic Fistula (POPF) After Pancreaticoduodenectomy: Clinical Significance of the Mean Platelet Volume (MPV)/Platelet Count Ratio as a New Predictor.

Purpose: In this study, it was aimed to determine the predictors of clinically relevant postoperative pancreatic fistula (CR-POPF) following pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD) and clinical significance of mean platelet volume (MPV)/total platelet count ratio (MPR) as a new predictor for CR-POPF.

Methods: A total of 105 patients who underwent PD consecutively due to periampullary located diseases were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups as CR-POPF and no postoperative pancreatic fistula (No-POPF).

Atypical macular hole formation after Anti-VEGF therapy for neovascular age-related macular degeneration: Coincidence or consequence?

Introduction And Objectives: Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the primary cause of blindness in developed countries, particularly in older adults. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) intravitreal injection is the current standard treatment for neovascular form of AMD. Studies reporting macular hole (MH) formation following anti-VEGF treatment are limited, and the exact pathogenesis is still under discussion.

Effect of Ultraviolet C Disinfection Treatment on the Nanomechanical and Topographic Properties of N95 Respirator Filtration Microfibers.

Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) N95 filtering facepiece respirator (FFR) treatment is considered an effective decontamination approach to address the supply shortage of N95 FFRs during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. In this study, we investigated the nanomechanical and topographic properties of filtration fibers that have been exposed to different doses of UVC radiation. UVC exposure was shown to decrease both Young's modulus (E), hardness (H) and fiber width, as measured on individual polypropylene (PP) fibers.

Newly Reported Studies on the Increase in Gastrointestinal Symptom Prevalence withCOVID-19 Infection: A Comprehensive Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background And Aim: Although constitutional and respiratory symptoms such as cough and fever are the most common symptoms in patients infected with COVID-19, gastrointestinal (GI) tract involvement has been observed by endoscopic biopsies. Multiple GI symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea or vomiting and abdominal pain, have also been reported. This review aims to present the currently available data regarding the GI symptoms of COVID-19 patients, and to compare the frequency of GI symptoms in early stage (Eastern) mostly Chinese data to the current stage (Western) non-Chinese data.

Neutrophil count to albumin ratio as a new predictor of mortality in patients with COVID-19 ınfection.

Background: Coronavirus Disease 2019 is an acute inflammatory respiratory disease. It causes many changes in hemogram parameters. Low albumin levels are associated with mortality risk in hospitalized patients.

Dataset for estimating occurrence probability of causations for plugged, abandoned and decommissioned oil and gas wells.

This article contains the dataset on the failure frequencies of the barrier and mechanical plugs in place within the hydrocarbon-containing wellbore during plugging and abandonment operation. The interpretation and application of this data can be found in the research article ("https://doi.org/10.

Marine accident learning with fuzzy cognitive maps (MALFCMs).

Statistical analysis of past accidents in maritime may demonstrate the trends for certain contributing factors in accidents, however, there is a lack of a suitable technique to model the complex interrelations between these factors. Due to aforementioned complex interrelations and insufficient information stored in accident databases, it was not possible to understand the importance of each factor in accidents, which prevented researchers from considering these factors in risk assessments. Therefore, there is a need for a capable technique to estimate the importance of each factor.

Indicators of a pro-tumor immune response are evident at early stages of breast cancer.

With advances in checkpoint inhibitor and CAR T-cell therapies, among other advances in immunotherapy, this is an exciting time to be a tumor immunologist. We are witnessing the transition of decades of work at the bench leading to substantial success in the clinic. While work continues developing new and improving existing immunotherapies, there remains a great deal of basic tumor immunology still to learn, information that can only lead to greater success in the clinic.

Hepatic Stress Response in HCV Infection Promotes STAT3-Mediated Inhibition of HNF4A- Feedback Loop in Liver Fibrosis and Cancer Progression.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection compromises the natural defense mechanisms of the liver leading to a progressive end stage disease such as cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The hepatic stress response generated due to viral replication in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) undergoes a stepwise transition from adaptive to pro-survival signaling to improve host cell survival and liver disease progression. The minute details of hepatic pro-survival unfolded protein response (UPR) signaling that contribute to HCC development in cirrhosis are unknown.