Publications by authors named "Zuelal Erkan"

The current study aimed to determine the risk factors and define a new scoring system for predicting febrile urinary tract infection (F-UTI) following retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) by using machine learning methods. We retrospectively analyzed the medical records of patients who underwent RIRS and 511 patients were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups: Group 1 consisted of 34 patients who developed postoperative F-UTI, and Group 2 consisted of 477 patients who did not.

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  • The study investigates the role of ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) in diagnosing thyroid nodules larger than 3 cm, emphasizing its significance for treatment decisions.* -
  • Researchers reviewed patient records from 2018 to 2023, focusing on those who underwent thyroid surgery, categorizing them by nodule size to analyze FNAB outcomes.* -
  • Results indicated that larger nodules (≥4 cm) had a higher rate of malignancy and more false negatives in FNAB, stressing the need for careful evaluation in surgical planning.*
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Background: Scapular Dyskinesia (SD) is detected more frequently in athletes who do overhead activity sports. SD is more common in kickboxers who actively use their upper extremities. This study was conducted to compare upper extremity stabilization, proprioception and body image in kickboxers with and without SD.

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Noise is generally considered to have negative effects on information processing performance. However, it has also been proven that adding random noise or a certain level of stochastic (random) variability to a nonlinear system can increase its performance or sensitivity to weak signals. Despite the studies on this concept, called stochastic resonance in computational neuroscience, this phenomenon is still among the topics that need detailed research, especially in machine learning.

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Purpose: Bilateral inferior petrosal sinus sampling (BIPSS) is the gold standard for localizing ACTH-dependent Cushing's syndrome (CS). While corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) was initially used for stimulation, desmopressin has become a common alternative. This research evaluates desmopressin's effectiveness in lateralizing Cushing's disease (CD) during BIPSS compared to CRH stimulation.

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Objectives: To gather the perspectives of APS ACTION members regarding the strengths and limitations of Damage Index for Antiphospholipid Syndrome (DIAPS); and establish recommendations for the improvement of DIAPS.

Methods: APS ACTION members were invited to answer a survey regarding their satisfaction with DIAPS scoring system and individual items. The level of agreement (LoA) among members with the inclusion of individual items in DIAPS was calculated (LoA of <75% was considered disagreement).

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Anti-tumor immunity is crucial for high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC) prognosis, yet its adaptation upon standard chemotherapy remains poorly understood. Here, we conduct spatial and molecular characterization of 117 HGSC samples collected before and after chemotherapy. Our single-cell and spatial analyses reveal increasingly versatile immune cell states forming spatiotemporally dynamic microcommunities.

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Objectives: To evaluate the predictivity of haematologic parameters and HALP score on testicular viability in adults with testicular torsion.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of 139 men ≥18 years of age who underwent testicular detorsion with fixation (n = 90) or orchiectomy (n = 49) due to testicular torsion in five different tertiary centers between May 2019 and August 2023. Demographic, pre-, peri- and postoperative data were analyzed.

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Current protein-based therapies often rely on intravenous and subcutaneous injections leading to patient discomfort due to the need for frequent administration. Oral administration route presents a more patient-friendly alternative, but overcoming the challenge of low drug bioavailability remains paramount. This limitation is primarily attributed to protein degradation in the harsh gastric environment, enzymatic breakdown, and poor intestinal permeability.

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Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and quality of information provided by artificial intelligence chatbots regarding the diagnosis, preventive methods, and treatment of contrast-associated acute kidney injury, while also discussing their benefits and drawbacks.

Methods: The most frequently asked questions regarding contrast-associated acute kidney injury on Google Trends between January 2022 and January 2024 were posed to four artificial intelligence chatbots: ChatGPT, Gemini, Copilot, and Perplexity. The responses were evaluated based on the DISCERN score, the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool for Printable Materials score, the Web Resource Rating scale, the Coleman-Liau index, and a Likert scale.

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  • This study focuses on improving the diagnostic accuracy of MRI in identifying prostate cancer lesions before biopsies, aiming to understand independent risk factors influencing biopsy results.
  • An analysis of 364 patients showed that while certain MRI parameters (like PI-RADS scores and ADC values) are helpful in distinguishing cancer from benign conditions, they do not effectively predict clinically significant prostate cancer.
  • The only strong predictor for clinically significant prostate cancer was the total prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level, indicating its importance in the diagnostic process.
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Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of preoperative parameters such as retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness, visual acuity (VA), visual field (VF), and tumour volume on postoperative outcomes in patients with pituitary adenoma.

Design: Retrospective study.

Participants: Two-hundred and seventy-six eyes from 142 patients were included.

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Breast cancer (BC), which remains the most prevalent malignancy among women, is characterised by significant heterogeneity across its molecular subtypes. Oestrogen receptor-positive (ER+) (luminal) BC represents approximately 75% of cases, and despite advancements in treatment there remains around a 40% recurrence rate. Cellular uptake of glutamine is conducted by solute carriers (SLCs), which are significantly associated with outcome in luminal BC.

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Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) diagnosis is dependent on the accurate detection and interpretation of antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). Lupus anticoagulant (LA), anticardiolipin antibodies (aCL), and anti-beta2 glycoprotein I antibodies (aβ2GPI) remain the cornerstone of the laboratory part of APS diagnosis. In the 2023 American College of Rheumatology (ACR)/European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (EULAR) APS classification criteria, the type of laboratory parameters remain essentially unchanged compared with the updated Sapporo classification criteria, and aCL and aβ2GPI measurement are still restricted to enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) with moderate and high titer aPL thresholds defined as 40 and 80 Units, respectively, and a cutoff calculated by the 99th percentile has been abandoned.

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Bee venom (BV) is a versatile product with extensive applications, boasting antibacterial and anticancer properties. Within this study, we focused on isolating melittin (Mel) from Apis mellifera L. venom and exploring the influence of both BV and Mel on specific enzymes, namely carbonic anhydrase (CA) I, CA II, CA IX, glutathione reductase (GR), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), and neuraminidase (NA).

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Mast cells are commonly found in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), yet their role in the disease remains uncertain. Although mast cells have been associated with depression in several diseases, their connection to PDAC in this context remains unclear. This study explored the correlation between mast cells and psychosocial stress in patients with PDAC.

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  • - This study examined the occurrence and effects of antinuclear antibodies (ANA) in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) but without other systemic autoimmune diseases, using data from the APS ACTION Registry.
  • - Among the 430 analyzed patients, 56% tested positive for ANA, revealing significant links between ANA positivity and various autoimmune features like hematologic issues and joint involvement.
  • - Despite the presence of these autoimmune characteristics in ANA-positive patients, the study found no connection between ANA status and complications related to thrombosis or pregnancy; interestingly, ANA-negative patients had more pregnancies and live births.
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  • The study focuses on struma ovarii (SO), a rare ovarian tumor that features thyroid tissue within a teratoma, aiming to enhance the treatment approach based on the authors' clinical experience with 19 patients over ten years.
  • Patients aged 17 and older with histopathologically confirmed SO were analyzed for demographic data, tumor characteristics, treatments, and follow-up, revealing that three cases were malignant while the rest were benign.
  • The authors conclude that while benign cases can be treated conservatively, malignant struma ovarii management is more complex, suggesting that young women might benefit from fertility-sparing options combined with further thyroid treatment.
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The umbilical cord epithelium (UCE) is the surface tissue that covers the umbilical cord (UC). It is widely considered a single-layered epithelium composed of squamous or cuboidal cells, which are in constant contact with amniotic fluid. The objective of this study was to elucidate the distinctive structural characteristics and abundance of specific proteins in this unique epithelium, many of which have not been previously demonstrated.

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  • Appendicitis is a common surgical emergency, but there's ongoing concern about the rate of unnecessary surgeries and uncertainty in diagnosis, prompting this study to evaluate existing risk prediction models for appendicitis.
  • The research involved 3,358 adult patients with right iliac fossa pain from 84 centers, focusing on data like clinical findings, diagnostic tests, and rates of unnecessary surgeries, using various risk scoring systems to analyze effectiveness.
  • Results showed that while the Adult Appendicitis Score performed best overall, the RIPASA score was more effective in men; both scoring systems demonstrated strong diagnostic capabilities, but female patients had higher rates of negative appendicectomy and lower surgery rates compared to males.
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In this perspective article, we highlighted some special aspects of being a surgeon that are typically not taught in medical training. Departing from a real and personal story, the present manuscript is intended to communicate how surgery imbues us doctors with an unparalleled degree of satisfaction, gratification, meaning and fulfilment, like no other field of medicine.

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  • The study focused on understanding how complement activation occurs in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL) but without other autoimmune diseases, analyzing various complement activation markers.
  • Researchers found that a considerable portion of the aPL-positive patients had abnormal levels of cell-bound complement activation products (CB-CAPs), indicating different profiles and clinical manifestations of the disease.
  • The results suggest that CB-CAPs might be better indicators of disease activity and thrombosis risk than traditional C3/C4 complement levels in these patients.
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  • Surgical sperm retrieval (SSR) is performed to extract sperm from men with azoospermia and may result in reduced testosterone levels and other hormonal changes post-operation.* -
  • A systematic review analyzed 17 studies involving 1,685 azoospermic men, revealing a significant decrease in testosterone after SSR, but no major changes in follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), or testicular volume.* -
  • The study highlights the importance of considering potential sexual dysfunction and the psychosocial impacts of SSR in postoperative care and preoperative discussions.*
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