The influence of the various central metals on photophysical and photochemical properties of benzothiazole-substituted phthalocyanines.

The photophysical (fluorescence quantum yields and lifetimes, fluorescence quenching studies by 1,4-benzoquinone (BQ)) and photochemical (singlet oxygen quantum yields and photodegradation studies under light irradiation) properties of tetra-benzothiazole substituted metal-free (H2Pc, 1), lead (II) (PbPc, 2) and zinc(II) (ZnPc, 3) phthalocyanine compounds were investigated in tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution. All of these compounds did not show any aggregation and they produced good singlet oxygen (especially ZnPc). The influence of the various central metal ions (zinc, lead or without metal) on the photophysical and photochemical parameters was also investigated and compared.

Comparison of ASDAS and BASDAI as a measure of disease activity in axial psoriatic arthritis.

The aim of this study was to compare the discriminative ability of Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Score (ASDAS) with Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Activity Disease Activity Index (BASDAI) and other clinical disease activity parameters in patients with axial psoriatic arthritis (axPsA). Patients with axPsA were recruited from Erciyes Spondyloarthritis Cohort (ESPAC) and Anatolian Group for the Assessment in Rheumatic Disease (ANGARD) cohort and were assessed for BASDAI, ASDAS, BASFI (Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Functional Index), Ankylosing Spondylitis Quality of Life (ASQoL), and visual analog scale (VAS) pain. The discriminant ability of ASDAS-C-reactive protein (-CRP) and ASDAS-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (-ESR) was assessed using standardized mean differences between patients with high and low disease activity.

Evaluation of the incidence of haemorrhoidal disease in patients with ankylosing spondylitis.

Haemorrhoidal disease (HD) is one of the most common diseases encountered by the clinicians of general surgery. Chronic constipation, pushing during defecation and increased abdominal pressure play an important role in development of haemorrhoidal disease. Patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) frequently use the Valsalva manoeuvre in their daily lives, which may increase the abdominal pressure, leading to formation of haemorrhoids.

Monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis caused by seasonal temperature changes.

Background: Primary nocturnal enuresis is the most frequent urologic complaint among pediatric patients. Enuresis is believed to have a complex etiology involving genetic, somatic, and behavioral factors. We study the relationship between seasonal temperature changes effect and monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE).

Allele-specific expression and eQTL analysis in mouse adipose tissue.

Background: The simplest definition of cis-eQTLs versus trans, refers to genetic variants that affect expression in an allele specific manner, with implications on underlying mechanism. Yet, due to technical limitations of expression microarrays, the vast majority of eQTL studies performed in the last decade used a genomic distance based definition as a surrogate for cis, therefore exploring local rather than cis-eQTLs.

Results: In this study we use RNAseq to explore allele specific expression (ASE) in adipose tissue of male and female F1 mice, produced from reciprocal crosses of C57BL/6J and DBA/2J strains.

Elevated serum levels of calprotectin (myeloid-related protein 8/14) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis and its association with disease activity and quality of life.

Background: Calprotectin is one of the major leukocyte S100 proteins showing both calcium binding and antimicrobial characteristics. The serum level of calprotectin is markedly elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as systemic lupus erythematosus and has been suggested to play a prominent role in both progression and pathogenesis of these diseases.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum level of calprotectin in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and its association with disease activity and other clinical characteristics of AS.

Congenital glaucoma in Wagner syndrome.

Wagner syndrome is a rare inherited vitreoretinopathy. We describe 3 related patients with Wagner syndrome who presented with congenital glaucoma at age 3 months and required multiple surgical interventions to control their intraocular pressure. All experienced visual loss and glaucomatous optic neuropathy.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative status in patients with fibromyalgia.

Objective: This study was performed to investigate serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in patients diagnosed with fibromyalgia (FM).

Methods: The study population consisted of 40 patients with a previous diagnosis of FM and 30 healthy subjects. We measured serum prolidase enzyme activity, total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and paraoxonase-1 (PON-1) levels.

Serum prolidase activity in benign joint hypermobility syndrome.

Background: Moderate joint laxity is widespread in many joints of the body, and this condition is considered to be caused by an abnormality in the collagen structure. This study was carried out to determine the serum prolidase activity in female patients with benign joint hypermobility syndrome (BJHS), and to evaluate its correlation with their clinical features.

Methods: A total of 45 patients with BJHS and 40 healthy controls were included in the study.

Carvacrol prevents methotrexate-induced renal oxidative injury and renal damage in rats.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of carvacrol (CAR) on methotrexate (MTX)-induced renal damage in rats.

Methods: Twenty-four male rats were equally divided into three groups: group I, control treatment; group II, MTX-treated; and group III, MTX+CAR-treated. A single dose of CAR (73 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to group III on the first day of the experiment and a single dose of MTX (20 mg/kg) was administered intraperitoneally to groups II and III on the second day of the experiment.

Arterial stiffness and pulse wave reflection in young adult heterozygous sickle cell carriers.

Objective: Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and aortic augmentation index (AI) are indicators of arterial stiffness. Pulse wave reflection and arterial stiffness are related to cardiovascular events and sickle cell disease. However, the effect of these parameters on the heterozygous sickle cell trait (HbAS) is unknown.

Relationship between serum leptin level and disease activity in patients with systemic sclerosis.

To determine the relationship between serum leptin levels and disease activity in systemic sclerosis (SSc). A total of 60 subjects (30 controls and 30 patients) were included. The inflammatory markers and leptin levels were evaluated and body mass index (BMI) was measured for both groups.

The prognostic value of arterial stiffness in systolic heart failure.

Background: Increased arterial stiffness is an indicator of mortality. This study consists of an 18-month follow-up of the mortality in advanced heart failure patients with increased arterial stiffness.

Methods: The study followed up 98 patients with a diagnosis of heart failure in NYHA class III and IV (76 males, 22 females and mean age of 60 ± 12 years) with a left ventricular ejection fraction ≤ 35% as determined by the Simpson method.

High incidence of disease recurrence after discontinuation of disease-modifying antirheumatic drug treatment in patients with psoriatic arthritis in remission.

Objective: To investigate the possibility of drug-free remission in patients with psoriatic arthritis (PsA) in continuous remission.

Methods: Prospective observational study in disease-modifying antirheumatic drug (DMARD)-treated PsA patients in continuous disease remission (no musculoskeletal symptoms, no or minimal skin/nail disease) for at least 6 months. Demographic, disease-specific and ultrasound parameters were assessed at baseline.

Evaluation of arterial stiffness for predicting future cardiovascular events in patients with ST segment elevation and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction.

Background: Arterial stiffness parameters in patients who experienced MACE after acute MI have not been studied sufficiently. We investigated arterial stiffness parameters in patients with ST segment elevation (STEMI) and non-ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (NSTEMI).

Methods: Ninety-four patients with acute MI (45 STEMI and 49 NSTEMI) were included in the study.

[The effects of pregabaline on postoperative pain and opioid consumption used perioperatively in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy].

Objectives: In this study, effects of pregabaline on postoperative pain and opioid consumption used perioperatively in patients undergoing modified radical mastectomy(MRM) were investigated.

Methods: Sixty ASA 1-2 patients scheduled for MRM were included. Patients were randomly divided into two and 30 patients were allocated into each group.

The association between varicocele and ankylosing spondylitis via color duplex sonography.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between varicocele and ankylosing spondylitis (AS) via color duplex sonography (CDS).

Methods: Thirty male patients (age range 18-40 years, mean age 30.27 years) with AS and 30 male healthy controls (age range 20-36 years, mean age 27.

Serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative status in patients with Behçet's disease.

Objectives: To assess serum prolidase enzyme activity and oxidative stress in patients with Behçet's disease (BD).

Methods: The study population consisted of BD patients (n = 42) and healthy participants (n = 29). BD patients were classified as active (n = 18) or inactive (n = 24) according to disease activity.

The performance of psoriatic arthritis classification criteria in Turkish patients with psoriatic arthritis.

Objectives: To investigate performance of some of the published psoriatic arthritis (PsA) classification criteria as well as Assessment of Spondyloarthritis International Society (ASAS) criteria for peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) in Turkish patients with PsA (in early and late disease subgroups).

Methods: Patients were recruited using case report forms and physical examination methods proposed by the Anatolian Group for the Assessment in Rheumatic Diseases (ANGARD). The Moll and Wright (MW), modified Fournie (MF), modified McGonagle (mMG), Vasey and Espinoza (VE), classification of PsA (CASPAR) criteria and ASAS criteria were assessed in patients with PsA who were diagnosed based on expert opinion.

Analysis of allele-specific expression in mouse liver by RNA-Seq: a comparison with Cis-eQTL identified using genetic linkage.

We report an analysis of allele-specific expression (ASE) and parent-of-origin expression in adult mouse liver using next generation sequencing (RNA-Seq) of reciprocal crosses of heterozygous F1 mice from the parental strains C57BL/6J and DBA/2J. We found a 60% overlap between genes exhibiting ASE and putative cis-acting expression quantitative trait loci (cis-eQTL) identified in an intercross between the same strains. We discuss the various biological and technical factors that contribute to the differences.

Is (18)F-FDG-PET/CT prognostic factor for survival in patients with small cell lung cancer? Single center experience.

Background: Although a number of studies in patients with a variety of malignant tumors have shown that metabolic activity on fluorine-18 deoxyglucose positron emission tomography computed tomography ((18)F-FDG-PET/CT) is correlated with survival, there are few studies about the impact of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT for survival in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) patients. There is still some ambiguity as to whether FDG PET in patients with SCLC will ensure prognostic knowledge for survival. We performed a retrospective analysis of prognostic implication of (18)F-FDG-PET/CT in patients with SCLC.

Serum levels of high mobility group box 1 protein and its association with quality of life and psychological and functional status in patients with fibromyalgia.

Aim: High mobility group box 1 protein (HMGB1) is a proinflammatory cytokine. Previous studies have suggested that HMGB1 can play an important role in the pathogenesis of many rheumatic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the serum levels of HMGB1 in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and its association with quality of life and psychological and functional status in these patients.

Serum prolidase activity in ankylosing spondylitis and rheumatoid arthritis.

The aim of the present study was to emphasize the collagen turnover in 2 of the most common chronic inflammatory rheumatic diseases by evaluating serum prolidase activity (SPA) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). 30 patients who met the modified New York Criteria for the classification of AS, 29 patients who met the 2010 Rheumatoid Arthritis Classification Criteria for the classification of RA, and 31 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Serum samples of the patients and the controls were collected and SPA was measured by a spectrophotometric method.

Cystatin C is better than albuminuria as a predictor of pulse wave velocity in hypertensive patients.

Introduction: Arterial stiffness is important in the evaluation of the cardiovascular risk in both general population and hypertensive patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate the associations of both serum cystatin C levels and albuminuria with arterial stiffness in healthy controls and hypertensive patients.

Patients And Methods: Seventy-six healthy controls (male/female = 44/32) and 76 hypertensive patients (male/female = 43/33) were enrolled.

The systems genetics resource: a web application to mine global data for complex disease traits.

The Systems Genetics Resource (SGR) (http://systems.genetics.ucla.