Let-7a microRNA modulates caspase-3-dependent apoptosis in melanoma cells treated with dabrafenib and trametinib combination.

Background: Malignant melanoma is an aggressive tumor with high resistance to therapy. The emergence of RAS-driven secondary cancers and BRAF-inhibitor resistance has led to the development of combination therapies targeting both BRAF and MEK.

Aims: This study explored the mechanisms underlying the synergistic effects of dabrafenib (DAB) and trametinib (TM) in drug-resistant A375 and RPMI 7951 melanoma cells.

Coupling Interval Ratio to Predict the Beta Blocker Response against Premature Ventricular Complexes.

Despite the wide-spread use of beta blockers, unpredictable response and overall low efficacy are the major pitfalls of beta blocker use for premature ventricular complexes (PVC). Accordingly, we aimed to reveal Holter-guided electrocardiographic criteria to predict the beta blocker responder ones of PVCs. A total of 89 patients who had pre- and post- treatment Holter ECG recordings and fulfilled the inclusion criteria were retrospectively included in the study.

Comparison of Lower Limb Joint Reaction Forces in Patients with Cerebral Palsy and Typically Developing Individuals.

: Kinematic and kinetic data from gait analysis are commonly used for clinical decision making in cerebral palsy (CP). However, these data may not fully capture the underlying causes of movement pathologies or effectively monitor post-treatment changes. Joint reaction forces (JRFs), estimated through simulation-based methods, provide valuable insights into the functional state of musculoskeletal components.

Optimizing Device Selection in Percutaneous Paravalvular Leak Closure: A Comparative Study of Different Transthoracic and Transesophageal Echocardiographic Techniques.

Background: Clinically significant paravalvular leak (PVL) may complicate both surgical and transcatheter valve implantation. Percutaneous PVL closure (PPVLC) is becoming an increasingly attractive alternative to redo surgery, with demonstrated lower mortality and morbidity rates. Echocardiographic techniques are crucial for accurate diagnosis, defect sizing, and determining the appropriate size of the sealing devices.

Frequency of "PCOS" and "Being at Risk for PCOS" in Obese Adolescent Girls in Light of Current Definitions.

Introduction: Obesity is associated with an increased risk of PCOS. It can be difficult to differentiate between PCOS and physiological oligomenorrhoea/anovulation in adolescent girls. To date, studies of the prevalence of PCOS in adolescents have predominantly used diagnostic criteria validated primarily in adult women.

Evaluation of the effect of dental caries, oral hygiene, and treatment need on oral health-related quality of life among Turkish orphan children and adolescents.

Background: The oral and dental health and related quality of life of orphan children and adolescents-who are considered a vulnerable population-are critical for both individual and public health.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the status of the dental caries, oral hygiene, and dental treatment needs among a group of Turkish male orphan children and adolescents, as well as their impact on oral health-related quality of life.

Methods: A total of 112 orphan children and adolescents aged between 9 and 17 years living in a residential care facility in Istanbul, Türkiye, were involved in this cross-sectional study.

Novel Enyne-Modified 1,4-Thiazepines as Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Inhibitors: Anticancer and Computational Studies.

1,4-Thiazepines (TZEPs) featuring enyne modifications represent promising candidates in cancer therapy. We synthesized novel TZEP derivatives and assessed their cytotoxicity, apoptosis induction, EGFR inhibition, and molecular interactions. TZEPs exhibited cytotoxic effects against cancer cell lines, with compounds TZEP6 and TZEP7 showing significant activity.

Evaluation of ACE I/D and ATIR A1166C variants in patients with diabetes mellitus with and without peripheral neuropathy in Turkish patients.

Objective: Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) can lead to long-term vascular complications such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). This study aimed to investigate the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) insertion (I)/deletion (D) and angiotensin II type 1 receptor (AT1R) A1166C variants in the predisposition to T2DM in the Turkish population and their association with DPN.

Methods: The study included 90 T2DM patients (42 with DPN) and 50 healthy individuals.

Predictive Value of Inflammatory Scores for Left Atrium Thrombosis in Ischemic Stroke Without Atrial Fibrillation.

: Studies have shown that inflammation markers can be used as prognostic tools in predicting acute ischemic stroke. In this study, we conducted a comparison of several inflammation scores in predicting left atrial thrombosis (LAT) in patients with ischemic stroke without AF. : In this single-center, retrospective study, we included 303 consecutive patients with ischemic stroke.

First Description of the Role of the Relationship Between Serum Amyloid P Components and Nuclear Factors/Pro-Cytokines During Critical Periods of Toxoplasmic Encephalitis.

(), an obligate food-borne intracellular parasite, causes severe neuropathology by establishing a persistent infection in the host brain. We have previously shown that infection induces severe neuropathology in the brain manifested by increased nitric oxide production, oxidative stress, glial activation/BBB damage, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine glia maturation factor-beta and induced apoptosis. The aim of this experimental study was to investigate the serum amyloid P (SAP) components, nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β), caspase 1 (Casp 1), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and complement 3 (C3) gene expressions on the 10th, 20th and 30th days after infection with in the neuroimmunopathogenesis of toxoplasmic encephalitis (TE) in mouse brains by real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction.

The effect of disopyramide therapy on functional capacity improvement in patients with obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

Background: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is characterized by left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (LVOTO), leading to symptoms and adverse outcomes. Disopyramide, with its negative inotropic effects, is commonly used to reduce LVOTO in obstructive HCM (HOCM). This study evaluates the impact of disopyramide on functional capacity in HOCM patients.

Identification of deleterious non-synonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms in the mRNA decay activator ZFP36L2.

More than 4,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) variants have been identified in the human gene, however only a few have been studied in the context of protein function. The tandem zinc finger domain of ZFP36L2, an RNA binding protein, is the functional domain that binds to its target mRNAs. This protein/RNA interaction triggers mRNA degradation, controlling gene expression.

Associations between stages of diabetic polyneuropathy and quality of life, neuropathic pain, and well-being: A multicenter, cross-sectional analysis based on electroneuromyographic findings.

Aim: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between electrophysiological findings of diabetic neuropathy (DN) and patients' quality of life, neuropathic pain levels, and well-being.

Materials And Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 12 centers in Turkey. DN patients were categorized into four stages based on electrophysiological findings using the Baba classification.

Significant haematological alterations in clozapine-treated patients: prevalence and clinical correlation.

Objectives: Clozapine is an atypical antipsychotic crucial for treatment-resistant schizophrenia, characterised by its multi-receptor targeting, including serotonin (5-HT2A, 5-HT2C) and dopamine (D1, D2, D3, D4) receptors, among others. This broad mechanism is effective against positive symptoms of schizophrenia with a lower incidence of extrapyramidal side effects. However, clozapine poses significant haematological risks, notably agranulocytosis, necessitating stringent blood monitoring protocols.

Mean-Field Coupling Between Local Interactions in Proteins in Relation to Chirality, Secondary, and Supersecondary Structure Formation, and Allostery.

Coarse graining is usually considered as a tool to extend the time and size scale of simulations. However, leaving out the atomistic details to keep their fingerprints in a coarse-grained model also enables us to understand better structure formation and dynamics. In this chapter, by using our scale-consistent theory of coarse graining, we demonstrate that the coarse-grained terms corresponding to the coupling between local conformational states of amino-acid residues explain secondary-structure propagation along polypeptide backbone to stabilize -helices and -strands in proteins and direct the loops preceding and following such segments of protein structure.

Carotid artery stenting for symptomatic carotid near occlusions: Feasibility, safety and outcome analysis.

Introduction: Extracranial internal carotid stenosis (EICS) is a well-established cause of stroke. Carotid near-occlusion (CNO), either distally collapsed or not, is a rare sub-type of EICS with conflicting data regarding the necessity for treatment. The aim of this study is to evaluate the results of carotid artery stenting (CAS) for patients with symptomatic CNOs.

Prognostic factors for aggressiveness in subcentimeter papillary thyroid carcinoma: impact of tumor size and lymph node metastases.

Objective: Subcentimeter papillary thyroid carcinoma (sPTC), also known as papillary thyroid microcarcinoma, is associated with a good prognosis and low mortality risk. However, some sPTCs exhibit biologically aggressive characteristics. The aim of this study was to identify factors affecting the prognosis and aggressiveness of sPTC by considering the demographic characteristics of patients with sPTC and the pathologic characteristics of the tumors.

Pregnancy in a Rare and Acquired Mitral Stenosis Different from Rheumatic Mitral Involvement: Mitral Ring Mismatch.

There is an increasing incidence of diagnosing both congenital and acquired heart valve diseases in women during pregnancy. Factors such as elevated rates of pregnancy, older maternal age, and coexisting conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and obesity contribute significantly to the symptomatic manifestation and detection of valvular heart diseases in women planning for pregnancy. Pregnancy induces cardiovascular changes across the maternal physiology, posing a heightened risk of morbidity and mortality, especially in women afflicted with valvular heart diseases.

Exploring improved strategies for therapeutic studies and biological activities of novel zinc and indium phthalocyanines.

This study investigates novel zinc and indium phthalocyanines with Schiff base and sulphur moieties, focusing on their potential for cancer therapy and antimicrobial applications. It explores the effectiveness of photochemical and sono-photochemical methods to enhance singlet oxygen production, which is crucial for photodynamic therapy. The synthesized complexes in this study demonstrated high singlet oxygen quantum yields, with D3 (ZnPc) and D4 (InPc) showing values of 0.

Reduced pineal gland volume in patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Objective: Patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) can have hyperactivity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and may have increased secretion of adrenocorticotropic hormone and cortisol and reduced secretion of melatonin. Examination of pineal gland volumes in patients with OCD compared to healthy controls, thus, is an important consideration and the focus of this study.

Methods: A total of 20 patients with OCD and 20 healthy controls were enrolled.