Successful Percutaneous Closure of an Aorto-right Ventricular Fistula After Sutureless Aortic Valve Replacement: A Case Report.

Rupture of a sinus of valsalva aneurysm (SVA) and the development of an aorto-right ventricular fistula (ARVF) is a rare condition, associated with high morbidity and mortality rates if left untreated. Opening of the SVA rupture into the right heart chambers may result in various morbidities, such as pulmonary hypertension. We present a case of a patient who developed ARVF following sutureless aortic valve replacement, and was subsequently treated successfully via a percutaneous approach.

Intensive Care Residents' Views Regarding Ethical Issues and Practices.

BACKGROUND This study sought to understand the ethical issues encountered by medical residents during their residencies, evaluate the solutions proffered by them, and present their suggestions. MATERIAL AND METHODS A survey consisting of 32 questions, including demographic information, was developed and distributed to Intensive Care Unit (ICU) residents from December 2020 to January 2021. A total of 53 completed questionnaires were submitted to the researchers.

Pharmacological Activation of cGAS for Cancer Immunotherapy.

When compartmentally mislocalized within cells, nucleic acids can be exceptionally immunostimulatory and can even trigger the immune-mediated elimination of cancer. Specifically, the accumulation of double-stranded DNA in the cytosol can efficiently promote antitumor immunity by activating the cGAMP synthase (cGAS) / stimulator of interferon genes (STING) cellular signaling pathway. Targeting this cytosolic DNA sensing pathway with interferon stimulatory DNA (ISD) is therefore an attractive immunotherapeutic strategy for the treatment of cancer.

Challenges and Ethical Issues Related to COVID-19 Contact Tracing Teams in Turkey.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine and evaluate the challenges and ethical issues faced by COVID-19 filiation (contact tracing) teams and report the experiences of team members.

Methods: This is a descriptive study conducted to evaluate the performance of contact tracing field teams established by the Ministry of Health to identify, refer, and follow-up persons who tested positive for COVID-19 and their contacts. Reports were collected from various Turkish medical associations, the Turkish Ministry of Health, online news sources, and online interviews published between 11 March 2020 and 18 April 2021.

Microparticle Depots for Controlled and Sustained Release of Endosomolytic Nanoparticles.

Introduction: Nucleic acids have gained recognition as promising immunomodulatory therapeutics. However, their potential is limited by several drug delivery barriers, and there is a need for technologies that enhance intracellular delivery of nucleic acid drugs. Furthermore, controlled and sustained release is a significant concern, as the kinetics and localization of immunomodulators can influence resultant immune responses.

Mucosal Immunization with a pH-Responsive Nanoparticle Vaccine Induces Protective CD8 Lung-Resident Memory T Cells.

Tissue-resident memory T cells (T) patrol nonlymphoid organs and provide superior protection against pathogens that commonly infect mucosal and barrier tissues, such as the lungs, intestine, liver, and skin. Thus, there is a need for vaccine technologies that can induce a robust, protective T response in these tissues. Nanoparticle (NP) vaccines offer important advantages over conventional vaccines; however, there has been minimal investigation into the design of NP-based vaccines for eliciting T responses.

Relation of multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial implantable cardioverter-defibrillator score with long-term cardiovascular events in patients with implantable cardioverter-defibrillator.

Objective: To test the hypothesis that multicenter automatic defibrillator implantation trial (MADIT) - implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) scores predict replacement requirement and appropriate shock in a mixed population including both primary and secondary prevention and long-term adverse cardiovascular events.

Methods: The study has a retrospective design. Patients who were implanted with ICD in the cardiology clinic of Atatürk University Faculty of Medicine between 2000 and 2013 were included in the study.

Assessment of Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Properties of Safranal on CCI4-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in Rats.

The present study aimed to determine the antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effects of safranal on damage induced by CCl4. Experimental animals were divided into five groups. The first group was determined as the control group and no treatment was conducted.

Endosomolytic polymersomes increase the activity of cyclic dinucleotide STING agonists to enhance cancer immunotherapy.

Cyclic dinucleotide (CDN) agonists of stimulator of interferon genes (STING) are a promising class of immunotherapeutics that activate innate immunity to increase tumour immunogenicity. However, the efficacy of CDNs is limited by drug delivery barriers, including poor cellular targeting, rapid clearance and inefficient transport to the cytosol where STING is localized. Here, we describe STING-activating nanoparticles (STING-NPs)-rationally designed polymersomes for enhanced cytosolic delivery of the endogenous CDN ligand for STING, 2'3' cyclic guanosine monophosphate-adenosine monophosphate (cGAMP).

Poly(propylacrylic acid)-peptide nanoplexes as a platform for enhancing the immunogenicity of neoantigen cancer vaccines.

Cancer vaccines targeting patient-specific tumor neoantigens have recently emerged as a promising component of the rapidly expanding immunotherapeutic armamentarium. However, neoantigenic peptides typically elicit weak CD8 T cell responses, and so there is a need for universally applicable vaccine delivery strategies to enhance the immunogenicity of these peptides. Ideally, such vaccines could also be rapidly fabricated using chemically synthesized peptide antigens customized to an individual patient.

The effect of dialysis type on left atrial functions in patients with end-stage renal failure: A propensity score-matched analysis.

Introduction: Despite the widespread use of both hemodialysis (HD) and peritoneal dialysis (PD), there is no study comparing the effects of these dialysis methods on the left atrial (LA) volume and functions. In this study, we investigated the impact of different dialysis methods on the LA volume and function in the patients exposed to chronic pressure overload and volume overload.

Method: This study was carried out on the patients who received dialysis treatment at our healthcare center between March, 2015 and January, 2016.

The association of the Syntax score II with carotid intima media thickness and epicardial fat tissue.

Aim: Syntax score II (SSII) is a highly predictive scoring system, which is used to improve individualized assessment of patients with complex coronary artery disease and facilitates clinical decision making. Surrogate markers [carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT), epicardial fat tissue (EFT)] are also used for risk assessment, but their relation with SSII is not well established.

Method: We enrolled 543 consecutive patients, who underwent coronary angiography for stable angina pectoris and acute coronary syndrome, in the study.

Fatty Acid-Mimetic Micelles for Dual Delivery of Antigens and Imidazoquinoline Adjuvants.

Vaccine design has undergone a shift towards the use of purified protein subunit vaccines, which offer increased safety and greater control over antigen specificity, but at the expense of immunogenicity. Here we report the development of a new polymer-based vaccine delivery platform engineered to enhance immunity through the co-delivery of protein antigens and the Toll-like receptor 7 (TLR7) agonist imiquimod (IMQ). Owing to the preferential solubility of IMQ in fatty acids, a series of block copolymer micelles with a fatty acid-mimetic core comprising lauryl methacrylate (LMA) and methacrylic acid (MAA), and a poly(ethylene glycol) methyl ether methacrylate (PEGMA) corona decorated with pyridyl disulfide ethyl methacrylate (PDSM) moieties for antigen conjugation were synthesized via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization.

Aortic valve sclerosis is associated with the extent of coronaryartery disease in stable coronary artery disease.

Background/aim: Aortic valve sclerosis (AVS) is characterized by lipid deposition and calcific infiltration on the edge of aortic leaflets without significant restriction of motion. The SYNTAX Score (SS) is an important method for evaluating coronary artery disease (CAD). Many studies showed that there is an important relation between the SS and undesired cardiac outcomes.

Comparison of the three conventional methods for the postoperative atrial fibrillation prediction.

Introduction: Although various risk factors have been defined for the development of postoperative atrial fibrillation (PAF), these parameters have not been adequately verified and validated. We investigated the atrial fibrillation detection capabilities of echocardiographic parameters in PAF developing and the determination of predictive values for clinical use.

Method: We enrolled 60 consecutive patients with 234 lesions who underwent CABG surgery.

The Risk of Atrial Fibrillation With Ivabradine Treatment: A Meta-analysis With Trial Sequential Analysis of More Than 40000 Patients.

Recent trials reported that risk of atrial fibrillation (AF) is increased in patients using ivabradine compared with controls. We performed this meta-analysis to investigate the risk of AF association with ivabradine treatment on the basis of data obtained from randomized controlled trials (RCTs). We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus, and the Cochrane Library for RCTs that comprised >100 patients.

Comparison of standard and Lewis ECG in detection of atrioventricular dissociation in patients with wide QRS tachycardia.

Background: The atrioventricular (AV) dissociation, which is frequently used in differential diagnosis of wide QRS complex tachycardia (WQCT), is the most specific finding of ventricular tachycardia (VT) with lower sensitivity. Herein, we aimed to show the importance of Lewis lead ECG records to detect 'visible p waves' during WQCT.

Method: A total of 21 consecutive patients who underwent electrophysiologic study (EPS) were included in the study.

Efficacy of coronary fractional flow reserve using contrast medium compared to adenosine.

Introduction: Coronary fractional flow reserve (FFR) is recommended as the gold standard method in evaluating intermediate coronary stenoses. However, there are significant debates concerning the agents and the timing of the measurement.

Aim: To compare the contrast medium induced Pd/Pa ratio (CMR) with the FFR.

The Importance of Magnesium Values in Patients With STEMI Admitted to the Emergency Department.

Aim: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between initial magnesium (Mg) levels, electrocardiographic no-reflow, and long-term mortality in patients who underwent primary percutaneous coronary intervention (pPCI) due to ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI).

Methods: A total of 111 patients with pPCI participated in the study. Magnesium and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured.

Echocardiographic assessment of right ventricular functions in healthy subjects who migrated from the sea level to a moderate altitude.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate right ventricle (RV) functions using echocardiography in healthy subjects who migrated from the sea level to moderate altitude (1890 m).

Methods: The prospective observational in this study population consisted of 33 healthy subjects (23 men; mean age 20.4±3.

Issues affecting health professionals during and after catastrophic earthquakes in Van-Turkey.

Objective: To assess physical and psycho-social problems faced by health professionals, and to analyse the ethical, legal and triage dimensions of disaster medical services.

Methods: The descriptive study was conducted from November 2011 to March 2012 and comprised health professionals from two hospitals of Van, Turkey A specific questionnaire was designed and interviews were conducted face to face. SPSS 13 was used for statistical analysis.

Prevention of an increase in cortical ligand binding to AMPA receptors may represent a novel mechanism of endogenous brain protection by G-CSF after ischemic stroke.

Purpose: Using G-CSF deficient mice we recently demonstrated neuroprotective properties of endogenous G-CSF after ischemic stroke. The present follow-up study was designed to check, whether specific alterations in ligand binding densities of excitatory glutamate or inhibitory GABAA receptors may participate in this effect.

Methods: Three groups of female mice were subjected to 45 minutes of MCAO: wildtype, G-CSF deficient and G-CSF deficient mice substituted with G-CSF.

HEALTH PROFESSIONALS OF EMERGENCY SERVICE: AN EVALUATiON OF DISASTER MEDICINE AND ETHICALVALUES.

Aim: To obtain the opinions of health professionals' who work in emergency medical services on the application of basic attitudes like triage,ethics, legal rules; to popularize problems they have encountered or may experience while giving health services after natural disasters; and to develop further suggestions.

Material And Method: In order to evaluate health service problems, laws, triage and ethics applications, a questionnaire tool was formulated. The poll that was taken included 133 emergency service workers, with and without earthquake experiences.

Assessment of Left Atrial Mechanics in Patients with Preexcitation Syndrome Scheduled for Catheter Ablation.

Objectives: We aimed to test the left atrial (LA) mechanics and contraction synchrony by 2D strain imaging, in patients with Wolff-Parkinson-White (WPW) syndrome, before and after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA).

Methods: Study population consisted of 25 patients with WPW scheduled for RFCA and 30 healthy controls. The peak LA strain at the end of the ventricular systole (LAs strain) and the LA strain with LA contraction (LAa Strain) were obtained.