Barriers and opportunities for improving smoke-free area implementation in Banda Aceh city, Indonesia: a qualitative study.

Objectives: To investigate the challenges and opportunities for implementing smoke-free areas (SFAs) within eight area categories using the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control as a framework for analysis.

Design: This study used qualitative methods (in-depth interviews and document reviews). All transcripts from the interviews and formal documents were coded using NVivo V.

Effect of serum panel reactive antibodies on allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation in pediatric thalassemia patients: A single-center experience.

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of serum panel reactive antibodies (PRA) on the outcomes of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) in pediatric thalassemia patients.

Methods: A total of 73 pediatric patients with thalassemia were included in this single-center study. Pre-transplant PRA levels were evaluated, and the patients were divided into two groups: PRA-negative (group 1; n = 44) and PRA-positive (group 2; n = 29).

Time scale theory on stability of explicit and implicit discrete epidemic models: applications to Swine flu outbreak.

Time scales theory has been in use since the 1980s with many applications. Only very recently, it has been used to describe within-host and between-hosts dynamics of infectious diseases. In this study, we present explicit and implicit discrete epidemic models motivated by the time scales modeling approach.

Determination of trace elements and electrolyte levels in kidney tissue of simvastatin-treated septic rats.

Trace elements are cofactors in various enzymes in the antioxidant defense and cell homeostasis required in the tissue during inflammation. In acute kidney injury induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), renal cells are affected by cytotoxicity. Renal evacuation and gastrointestinal absorption rates are important in regulating plasma levels of trace elements.

CRISPR/Cas12-based electrochemical biosensors for clinical diagnostic and food monitoring.

Each organism has a unique sequence of nitrogenous bases in in the form of DNA or RNA which distinguish them from other organisms. This characteristic makes nucleic acid-based detection extremely selective and compare to other molecular techniques. In recent years, several nucleic acid-based detection technology methods have been developed, one of which is the electrochemical biosensor.

fNIRS-based evaluation of the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection central auditory processing.

Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 due to SARS-CoV-2 infection has been associated with neurological and neuropsychiatric illnesses as well as auditory system problems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the central auditory system by assessing the hemodynamic activation changes using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS).

Methods: Three participants who had SARS-CoV-2 infection (study group) and four participants who had no SARS-CoV-2 infection (control group) were included in the study.

Machine learning approaches in the interpretation of endobronchial ultrasound images: a comparative analysis.

Background: This study explores the application of machine learning (ML) in analyzing endobronchial ultrasound (EBUS) images for the detection of lymph node (LN) malignancy, aiming to augment diagnostic accuracy and efficiency. We investigated whether ML could outperform conventional classification systems in identifying malignant involvement of LNs, based on eight established sonographic features.

Methods: Retrospective data from two tertiary care hospital bronchoscopy units were utilized, encompassing healthcare reports of patients who had undergone EBUS between January 2017 and March 2023.

Combining conventional technique with fluoroscopy integration module in accessory pathway ablation.

Introduction: Accessory pathway (AP) ablation is a straightforward approach with high success rates, but the fluoroscopy time (FT) is significantly longer in conventional technique. Electroanatomical mapping systems (EMS), reduce the FT, but anatomical and activation mapping may prolong the procedure time (PT). The fluoroscopy integration module (FIM) uses prerecorded fluoroscopy images and allows ablation similar to conventional technique without creating an anatomical map.

Meaning in Life and Loneliness as Mediators between COVID-19 Anxiety and Life Satisfaction in the Post-Pandemic among the General Population in Turkey: A Serial Mediation Model.

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted global society, leading to negative well-being and mental health outcomes. However, little is known about how COVID-19-related anxiety affects life satisfaction through psychological factors. This study examined the mediating roles of meaning in life and loneliness in the relationship between COVID-19 anxiety and life satisfaction in 333 Turkish general population (59.

[A New Score for Predicting Mortality in Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Associating CURB-65 with Bleeding: CURB-65+B].

The clinical spectrum of Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF) disease ranges from mild to fatal. Adult patients infected with the CCHF virus have a case fatality rate ranging from 3% to 30%. In order to measure the severity and mortality of CCHF disease, scoring systems comprised of laboratory data and clinical observations have been developed.

Associations of semen quality with pyrethroids in semen and urine samples of men with oligozoospermia: A cross-sectional study in Samsun, Turkey.

Pyrethroids (PYRs) may act as endocrine disrupters and lead to infertility. The aim of the study was to analyze the levels of anti-androgenic PYRs (cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin) and 3-phenoxy benzoic acid (3-PBA), a general metabolite of PYRs, in both semen and urine samples of men with oligozoospermia. The PYRs and 3-PBA metabolite levels in the semen and urine samples of the men were analyzed through GC-MS.

Psychological state and predictors of psychiatric morbidity in COVID-19 patients six weeks after discharge.

To be able to detect possible psychological distress and long-term deterioration caused by COVID-19, following the patient, who has recovered, is crucial. Therefore, this study (i); aims to examine the ongoing fear-loss of control, the rate of anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder levels following the 6th week after discharge; (ii) to examine the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder on anxiety, and depression and (iii) within the same context to reveal the developmental markers of psychiatric morbidity and the risk group. The study includes 180 patients who were hospitalized with COVID-19 diagnosis.

Prognostic significance of medical therapy in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Aims: The use of guideline-directed medical therapy (GDMT) among patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) remains suboptimal. The SMYRNA study aims to identify the clinical factors for the non-use of GDMT and to determine the prognostic significance of GDMT in patients with HFrEF in a real-life setting.

Methods And Results: The SMYRNA study is a prospective, multicentre, and observational study that included outpatients with HFrEF.

The Relationship Between Small Peritoneal Flap Defects and Postoperative Seroma in TAPP Repair of Inguinal Hernias.

Objective: Total abdominal preperitoneal (TAPP) is one of the most frequently used surgical treatment methods in the treatment of inguinal hernia (IH). One of the most common early postoperative complications after hernia repair is seroma/hematoma. In this study, we aimed to study the role of unclosed peritoneal flap defects on the development of postoperative seroma.

Treatment of balance with Computerised Dynamic Posturography therapy in chronic hemiplegic patients.

Background: As patients with hemiplegia have a high risk of falling, it is important to develop a fall rehabilitation plan and/or apply personalised treatment when necessary.

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the effects of individualised treatment with Computerised Dynamic Posturography (CDP) on balance in patients with and without a history of chronic hemiplegic falls.

Method: Forty patients with hemiplegia (time post-stroke: 8-18 months) between 40 and 70 years of age in the Istanbul Yeniyüzyıl University, Gaziosmanpaşa Hospital participated in our study.

Using e-scooters: An easy way to get home or a nightmare? An orthopedic perspective on e-scooter accidents.

Background: The percentage of e-scooter use quickly escalated in our community due to its convenience, low cost, and eases of use. The number of accidents causing high-energy traumas has also increased. This study aims to describe the demographic char-acteristics and fracture patterns of patients admitted to the emergency department following an e-scooter accident and to identify common, correctable factors that increased the likelihood of accidents.

Risk of Conversion from Laparoscopic Appendectomy to Open Surgery: The Role of Clinical and Radiological Factors in Prediction.

Laparoscopic appendectomy is the most preferred surgical method in the treatment of acute appendicitis. In our study, we aim to determine the clinical and radiological factors affecting conversion from laparoscopic appendectomy to open surgery. All patients older than 18 years, who were operated on with the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in the General Surgery clinic of Prof.

Digital wrist tomosynthesis (DWT)-based finite element analysis of ultra-distal radius differentiates patients with and without a history of osteoporotic fracture.

Despite effective therapies for those at risk of osteoporotic fracture, low adherence to screening guidelines and limited accuracy of bone mineral density (BMD) in predicting fracture risk preclude identification of those at risk. Because of high adherence to routine mammography, bone health screening at the time of mammography using a digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) scanner has been suggested as a potential solution. BMD and bone microstructure can be measured from the wrist using a DBT scanner.

Frequency of Familial Mediterranean Fever Gene Mutation in Patients Presenting With Joint Pain and Diagnosed With Acute Rheumatic Fever.

Introduction Acute rheumatic fever (ARF) is a non-suppurative systemic inflammatory disease that manifests 1-5 weeks following a Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection. On the other hand, familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a hereditary autoinflammatory disease characterized as an autosomal recessive disease, with affected individuals having pathogenic mutations in the Mediterranean fever gene  gene located on the short arm of chromosome 16. FMF and ARF have overlapping symptoms and signs, and both disorders are common in Turkey.

Greater tuberosity medial malposition: does it affect shoulder abductor moment?

Purpose: The detrimental effect of greater tuberosity malposition on functional scores is well known. Superior or posterior malpositions exceeding five mm lead to excessive loading on the deltoid strength. However, the significance of situations where greater tuberosity becomes medialized due to the compressive effect of the locking plate fixation, especially in fractures with metaphyseal dead space, has not been emphasized.