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Mean Platelet Volume As A Fibrosis Marker In Patients With Chronic Hepatitis C, Hati̇ce Karaman, Çi̇ğdem Karakükcü, Ahmet Karaman, Tuba Kayman, Samet Yalçin, Erdem Arzu Taşdemi̇r, Gökmen Zararsiz, Orhan Kürşat Poyrazoğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

We designed this study to evaluate the role of mean platelet volume (MPV) as a fibrosis marker in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC). Materials and methods: The study was designed at Kayseri Education and Research Hospital. Ninety-five patients with CHC were enrolled retrospectively into the study. The control group comprised 33 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. Hepatitis C virus-RNA level, alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), bilirubin, prothrombin time (PT), platelet count (PC), serum albumin, histological activity index (HAI), liver fibrosis score (LFS), and MPV were obtained from the patients' files and a computerized database. Results: Statistically significant differences …

Investigation Of The Protective Effects Of L-Carnitine And L-Arginine On Cardiovascular Changes Induced By Acth And Dexamethasone In Rabbits, Bi̇rkan Topçu, Metehan Uzun

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To determine the protective effects of L-carnitine on cardiovascular changes that may occur in rabbits treated with adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and dexamethasone (DEX). Materials and methods: Rabbits of equal weight were divided into 7 groups with 6 animals in each. Blood samples were collected from all groups on days 1, 7, and 14, and blood pressure values and ECG monitoring were recorded. Nitric oxide (NO), creatine kinase MB (CK-MB), and troponin I (TnI) levels were determined in blood samples. Heart rate, QT, and corrected QT (QTc) values were calculated from ECG records. Results: The QT and QTc times were prolonged …

What Would Happen If Neurovascular Bundles Were Left Behind In Radical Retropubic Prostatectomy?, Zi̇ya Akbulut, Olçay Kandemi̇r, Ali̇ Fuat Atmaca, Durmuş Alparslan Demi̇rci̇, Bayram Doğan, Abdullah Erdem Canda, Mevlana Derya Balbay

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To evaluate whether nerve-sparing radical prostatectomy (NSRP) results in a residual tumor in the remaining neurovascular bundle (NVB). Materials and methods: A total of 88 patients underwent bilateral NSRP. The ipsilateral NVB was excised uni-/bilaterally on the tumor side, separately. Factors affecting NVB involvement were evaluated. Results: The mean patient age and preoperative serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) were 63.8 ± 6.2 years (49-76) and 12.9 ± 9.4 ng/mL (2.4-45.5), respectively. Digital rectal examination (DRE) suggested nodules in 34 patients (38.6%). Uni- and bilateral NVB resections were performed on 40 (45.5%) and 48 patients (54.5%), respectively, according to transrectal ultrasound-guided …

Incidental Findings On Electron Beam Tomography Renal Angiography In Hypertensive Patients, Baki̇ Heki̇moğlu, Begüm Demi̇rler Şi̇mşi̇r, Mustafa Şeki̇p Altunkan

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To evaluate the prevalence, spectrum, and significance of incidental lesions identified on electron beam tomography (EBT) renal angiography performed to investigate renovascular hypertension. Materials and methods: EBT renal angiography images of 148 cases were evaluated in terms of renal artery variations and renal artery stenosis. Extravascular renal findings, abdominal aorta, iliac artery, liver and gallbladder findings, vertebral lesions, and other intraabdominal organ findings were assessed during the examination. Results: No incidental finding was found in 30 cases (20.2%) in total. The most frequent incidental findings were benign ones without any clinical significance. A total of 13 (8.7%) clinically significant findings …

Contribution Of Spirometry To Early Diagnosis Of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease In Primary Health Care Centers, Aysel Erdoğan, Eli̇f Yilmazel Uçar, Ömer Araz, Leyla Sağlam, Ni̇hal Arzu Mi̇ri̇ci̇

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common disease with increasing prevalence and mortality. We aimed to determine COPD prevalence in primary health care centers. Materials and methods: Pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and face-to-face interviews were administered to 500 patients older than 40 years of age and attending a primary health care center with any symptoms. An early reversibility test was performed on patients with a forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FEV1/FVC) ratio below 70%. The survey results, PFTs, and early reversibility test results were evaluated according to the Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) …

Occurrence Of Depression During The Postpartum Period And Risk Factors That Affect The Development Of The Depression, Demet Aktaş, Füsun Terzi̇oğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To determine the occurrences of depression experienced by women during the postpartum period and the risk factors that affect the development of this depression. Materials and methods: The study involved 330 women who had recently given birth in a hospital in 2007. The women were contacted 3 times in total: on postpartum day 1 (face to face) and in weeks 2 and 6 (by phone). The Edinburgh Scale of Postpartum Depression (EPDS) was used as the form for collecting data. According to the EPDS, women who have scored 13 points or above are sensitive to depression. Results: The EPDS scores …

Evaluation Of The Effects Of Desflurane And Sevoflurane Anesthesia On Alveolar Epithelial Permeability By Tc-99m Dtpa Inhalation Scintigraphy, Abdulkadi̇r İskender, Meli̇h Engi̇n Erkan, Mesut Erbaş, Damla Güçlü Güven, Gülbi̇n Sezen, Muhammet Aşik, Yavuz Demi̇raran, Mustafa Yildirim

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Recently studies showed that volatile anesthetics affect the ciliary beat frequency in vitro. We know that impairment of ciliary beat frequency is related to a risk of pulmonary complications with general anesthesia. Other studies have also shown that exposure to a volatile anesthetic can increase the permeability of the alveolar–capillary barrier. The present study aimed to determine the effects of desflurane and sevoflurane anesthesia on the technetium-labeled diethylene triamine penta-acetic acid (Tc-99m DTPA) clearance rate of the alveolar epithelium. Materials and methods: A total of 40 patients who underwent elective tympanoplasty with general anesthesia were included in this study. Patients …

Significant Features Of Basal And Maximal Energy Expenditure Parameters In Obese Adults, Emi̇ne Uygur, Kağan Üçok, Abdurrahman Genç, Ümi̇t Şener, Ramazan Uygur, Ahmet Songur

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

To compare body composition, resting metabolic rate, and maximal aerobic capacity parameters in obese adults and healthy controls, as well as to investigate the associations among these parameters. Materials and methods: A total of 120 participants, 60 obese participants (30 male, 30 female) with body mass indexes (BMIs) over 30 kg/m^2 and 60 healthy controls (30 male, 30 female) with BMIs of 18-25 kg/m^2, were included in the study. BMI was calculated as body weight divided by the square of the height (kg/m^2). Body fat percentage, total body fat, and lean body mass were established with bioelectric impedance analysis. Resting …

Retrospective Evaluation Of 104 Tinea Capitis Cases, Ömer Çalka, Serap Güneş Bi̇lgi̇li̇, Ayşe Serap Karadağ, Sevda Önder

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Tinea capitis is a superficial scalp dermatophyte infection. Tinea capitis is particularly seen during childhood and is not usually seen after puberty. In untreated cases, it can be contagious and can progress to cicatricial alopecia. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate cases of tinea capitis. Materials and methods: We evaluated 104 tinea capitis patients presenting to our dermatology clinic between 2007 and 2011. Results: Of these patients, 38 (36.5%) were female and 66 (63.5%) were male. The median age was 6.41 ± 3.4 years (range: 1-18 years old). The clinical types appearing in descending order were tinea capitis profunda (88.5%), …

Lobectomy For Pulmonary Hydatid Cyst, Erdal Yekeler, Kerem Karaarslan, Alkin Yazicioğlu, Sadi̇ Kaya, Nuretti̇n Karaoğlanoğlu

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

Although parenchymal sparing surgery is the most appropriate for the treatment of hydatid cysts, rarely lobectomy is needed. We aimed to retrospectively evaluate the cases in which we had to perform lobectomy due to hydatid cyst. Materials and methods: A total of 36 (1.88%) patients that underwent lobectomy (n = 35) and pneumonectomy (n = 1) from among 1909 patients operated on for hydatid cyst in our hospital between 1992 and 2012 were retrospectively evaluated. Results: Among the patients, 35 underwent lobectomy and 1 right pneumonectomy. The mean age of the patients was 11.1 ± 3.4 years (6-16 years) among …

Cover And Contents

Turkish Journal of Medical Sciences

No abstract provided.

Josephson Currents In Two-Gap Superconductor-Insulator- Superconductor Junctions, Ladan Bahrainirad

Theses and Dissertations

As a way to investigate the transport property of superconductor-insulator-superconductor (SIS) junction with two-gap superconductors such as MgB2 and iron superconductors, we study the microscopic structure of the Josephson current in a tunnel junction with a very narrow quasi-classical barrier. Also, the possibility of mid-gap states in two-gap superconductor is investigated, and their effects on the current-phase relation as well as the current density characteristics are studied. In the SIS break junction, mid-gap states appear at the Superconductor-Insulator interfaces due to an abrupt change in the superconducting order parameter, indicating that the two-gap superconductor SIS junction can yield a rich …

Effects Of Paid Maternity Leave On The Gender Wage Gap, Rachel Baxter

Theses and Dissertations

The persistence of the gender wage gap in countries throughout the world has sparked several theories as to its cause and possible solutions. One theory centers on the decisions faced by a woman regarding children and fertility throughout her career. Typically, as the primary caregivers for children, women are more likely to interrupt their careers or leave the labor force entirely as a result. This thesis uses a fixed-effects model using a panel dataset of 18 countries with observations from 2000 to 2010 to evaluate whether paid maternity leave has an effect on the breadth of the gender wage gap. …

Experimental Investigation Of The Effect Of Turbulence On Slot-Fed Film Cooling Adiabatic Effectiveness And Downstream Heat Transfer, Mitch Busche

Theses and Dissertations

Modern turbine designers are greatly concerned with power out and the efficiency of their engines. One way to increase the power output and effectiveness of the engine is to increase the hot gas temperature inside the combustion chamber. The hot gas can reach a temperature that exceeds the physical limitations of parts inside the engine, causing the parts to fail prematurely. One possible method to cool the parts is with the use film cooling. Film cooling takes cool air from the compressor, bypasses the combustor, and ducts the air to internal chambers of parts, and then ejects the cool air …

Comparison Of Denitrification Potential Around A Tile Drain And In Aquifer Sediments: Oakes, Nd, Chase Christenson

Theses and Dissertations

Denitrification, the microbial reduction of nitrate (NO₃-) in groundwater, has three requirements: limited oxygen, bacteria capable of mediating the reaction, and electron donors for the bacteria to use in the redox reactions. The critical factor for aquifer denitrification is the concentrations of electron donors. Without an adequate supply of electron donors, bacteria cannot reduce concentrations of either oxygen or NO₃-.

Artificial drainage within agricultural areas may allow contaminants to bypass, or increase conveyance through, reduced areas in which denitrification is likely to occur. This contributes to elevated NO₃- yields as it is discharged directly …

Development Of Second Generation Rolling Contact Fatigue Tester, Satyam Ulhas Deshmukh

Theses and Dissertations

Contact fatigue failure has been in research since the early twentieth century. The need for a second generation sliding-rolling contact fatigue tester was proposed by Gregory Dvorak and Dr. Marcellin Zahui. The first generation RCF tester was used for testing super finishing processes for gear surfaces. The second generation RCF tester was funded by the Advanced Engineering Materials lab of University of North Dakota.

Verification of the second generation Rolling Contact Fatigue Tester will be discussed in this thesis including the design details, assembly and testing procedure and to discuss its different parameters. The tester will have the capability of …

Seasonal Resource Selection, Site-Specific Brood Predictors, And Nest Characteristics Of Greater Prairie-Chicken Hens In Northwestern Minnesota, Nathaniel Emery

Theses and Dissertations

Greater prairie-chickens, Tympanuchus cupido pinnatus, are in decline across the majority of their already receding range due to changing land use patterns and habitat fragmentation. The Agassiz Beach Ridge region of northwestern Minnesota harbors one of the only sustained to increasing populations of prairie-chickens in the country due to the conversion of marginal agricultural lands to grasslands and through conservation entities securing tracts of land allowing for habitat stability and dispersal.

Nesting and brood-rearing habitats are the most limiting factors for population sustainability. Hens were marked with radio transmitters on booming grounds and at nest sites discovered by nest-dragging. Their …

A Framework For The Integration Of Technology Into Curricula Development And Student Assessment, Washington Helps

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this work is to amalgamate technology and education in a manner which will prove to be beneficial to all stakeholders involved and which will allow for an improvement in the ubiquitous process of curriculum development in the teaching and learning sphere. The primary motivation surrounds the issue of limited human resources in terms of teachers and expert knowledge as well as available physical resources such as computer equipment or other classroom artifacts. It should be duly noted that it is in many developing countries where the student-teacher ratio is very high and where such a framework will …

The Influence Of Television And Film On Interest In Space And Science, Katrina Marie Jackson

Theses and Dissertations

Entertainment media has the great potential to inspire interest in the topics it presents. The purpose of this study is to better understand how entertainment media contributes to people's interests in space and science. There is a huge variety of science communication topics in previous literature, some of which deals with television and film, but very little that specifically study how television and film can inspire interest. A historical review of pioneers in the space industry shows that many were inspired by entertainment media, which at the time consisted of science fiction novels and magazines. In order to explore the …

The Blue Lights: Stories, Brian Douglas Maxwell

Theses and Dissertations

The Blue Lights is a collection of episodic short stories that looks at life along Florida's Space Coast, a strip of beach best known for its shuttle launches and proximity to Disney World. Most of the stories are set along the Atlantic, and all of them chronicle the day-to-day activities of an insular and antiquated beach culture. The stories are unhurried, subtle in construction and inward rather than dramatic, meant to represent a pre-Internet, pre-cell phone Florida where characters stumble into small yet illuminating moments of self-realization set in recognizable, though run-down, places.

Though the stories vary stylistically, The Blue …

A Comparison Of Online And Offline Gamblers: An Experimental Manipulation Of Escape, Kevin Steven Montes

Theses and Dissertations

Few studies have examined differences between online and offline gamblers, with no study to date enlisting the participation of online gamblers in a laboratory-based study. Moreover, research indicates that there is a link between escape and problem gambling, however, no study to date has examined this relationship in online gamblers using an experimental design. The current study is the first to address these gaps in the literature. All 420 participants participated in the non-experimental phase of the study, and 50 participants participated in the experimental phase. All participants completed a demographics form, SOGS, PGSI, GFA-R, BDI-SF, discounting task, and a …

Role Of The Alzheimer's Amyloid Precursor Protein In High Fat Diet Induced Obesity And Regulating Macrophage Phenotype, Kendra L. Puig

Theses and Dissertations

Amyloid precursor protein (APP) derived amyloid beta peptides have been extensively investigated in Alzheimer's disease pathology of the brain. However, the function of full length APP in the central nervous system remains unclear. Even less is known about the behavior of this ubiquitously expressed protein and it metabolites outside of the central nervous system. Therefore, we sought to broaden our understanding of the expression and function of APP and its proteolytic fragments in specific non-neuronal tissues. Although the majority of research effort is currently focused on neuronal amyloid beta production and its effects on cells, prior work in our lab …

Cultural Identity And Behavioral Health Risk In Northern Plains American Indian Adolescents, Wanmdiwi Jessi Rose

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine if Northern Plains AI adolescents identifying oneself as being "traditional' or "non-traditional" as measured by the Northern Plains Bicultural Inventory III (NPBI-III) would affect health-risk behavior scores as measured by the Youth Risk Behavior Survey (YRBS). It was hypothesized that American Indian adolescents identifying as traditional would have lower health- risk behaviors and that cultural identification would influence health-risk behaviors between males and females.

Northern Plains AI adolescents (N=60, age 14 to 19) were administered the YRBS and NPBI-III during the 2012 UNDIA Time out Wacipi Powwow in Grand Forks, ND. Results …

Perceptions Of Parental Success: Implications For Family-To-Work Conflict And Family-To-Work Enhancement, Tami J. Vigesaa

Theses and Dissertations

Recent studies have indicated an increased occurrence of dual-earner households, with the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics reporting that as of 2001, 64% of couples with children were dual-earners. This trend means less free time for working parents, resulting in many parents expressing concerns about finding adequate time for work and family (Galinsky, 2000). This is especially true for mothers, as evidenced in the additional pressures entailed in the prevailing ideology of intensive mothering (Hays, 1996). As such, these worries and concerns might impact parents while they are working, with people's feelings about their parenting potentially shaping their experiences …

Efficient Regeneration Of Chemical Solvents For Carbon Dioxide Capture By Polymeric Membrane Contactors, Xuefei Zhang

Theses and Dissertations

Although extensive research attention has been drawn to using membranes for carbon dioxide (CO2) capture from flue gas, the use of membranes for stripping CO2 solvents has rarely been studied. The technical feasibility of using polymeric membrane based separation technology to recover CO2 from CO2 saturated chemical solvents such as monoethanolamine is investigated in the present research. A membrane system was built to study the performance of several common polymeric porous membranes for the recovery of CO2 from saturated aqueous MEA solution by the thermal swing process. The stripped CO2 gas was swept by mass flow controlled N2 reference gas …

The Influence Of Brief Mindfulness Exercise On Encoding Of Novel Words, Kristin Bonamo

Theses and Dissertations

Based on research associating mindfulness with improvements in well-being, attention, and memory processes, brief mindfulness exercises may be helpful in enhancing the encoding of novel semantic information. A Swahili-English word pair association task was used to examine whether engaging in a brief mindfulness exercise enhanced the encoding of Swahili-English word pairs, thus improving long-term recall. Participants recruited from the undergraduate population at a Midwestern university were randomly assigned to one of three conditions: engaging in a 20 minute body scan meditation, a 45 minute body scan meditation, or a control group prior to learning Swahili-English word pairs. Separate analyses of …

Defunding State Prisons, W. David Ball

Faculty Publications

Local agencies drive criminal justice policy, but states pick up the tab for policy choices that result in state imprisonment. This distorts local policies and may actually contribute to increased state prison populations, since prison is effectively “free” to the local decisionmakers who send inmates there. This Article looks directly at the source of the “correctional free lunch” problem and proposes to end state funding for prisons. States would, instead, reallocate money spent on prisons to localities to use as they see fit — on enforcement, treatment, or even per-capita prison usage. This would allow localities to retain their decision-making …

Effect Of Candidate Spending On Vote Share, Charles Denowh

Theses and Dissertations

Prior research on the effect that candidate spending has on vote share has produced conflicting results, with some research finding that only spending by challenger candidates has an effect on the vote outcome and other research finding incumbent and challenger spending roughly equally effective. The paper explores two suspected causes of the discrepancy in prior results: measurement error and endogeneity in the spending variables. Using new spending data from the Federal Election Commission that can readily be categorized into different spending types, I find evidence of significant amounts of inconsequential spending that should be excluded from candidate spending totals. Additionally, …

Turning Stealth Liposomes Into Cationic Liposomes For Anticancer Drug Delivery, Vijay Gyanani

University of the Pacific Theses and Dissertations

Targeting the anticancer agents selectively to cancer cells is desirable to improve the efficacy and to reduce the side effects of anticancer therapy. Previously reported passive tumor targeting by PEGylated liposomes (stealth liposomes) have resulted in their higher tumor accumulation. However their interaction with cancer cells has been minimal due to the steric hindrance of the PEG coating. This dissertation reports two approaches to enhance the interaction of stealth liposomes with cancer cells. First, we designed a lipid-hydrazone-PEG conjugate that removes the PEG coating at acidic pH as in the tumor interstitium. However, such a conjugate was highly unstable on …

The Impact Of Electronic Communication On Personal Relationships, Lori Shannon

Communication & Leadership Dissertations and Theses

Electronic communication is clearly becoming a reliable and chosen form of communication. The goal of this study is to determine how users perceptions of electronic communication, specifically text-based electronic communication, including e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and the social media networks Twitter and Facebook, impacts interpersonal relationships. Knowing how electronic communication affects our relationships will help users ensure they use electronic communication to its fullest potential and in the most effective way. This study begins by identifying and explaining the aspects of communication theory and their application to the affect on personal relationships by electronic communication. After reviewing the literature …