Antibacterial and mechanical properties of propolis added to glass ionomer cement

Objective:To investigate whether adding ethanolic extracts of propolis (EEP) might influence the antibacterial and mechanical (shear-peel band strength [SPBS]) properties of conventional glass ionomer cement (GIC) used in orthodontic band cementation.Materials and Methods:The cement was divided into four groups: one using the original composition and three with 10%, 25%, and 50% EEP added to the liquid and then manipulated. An antimicrobial assay, broth-dilution method was used to determine the antibacterial capacity of the GIC containing EEP. Eighty teeth were used for the mechanical assay, and an Instron testing machine was used to evaluate the SPBS. Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used for statistical analyses.Results:GIC with the addition of 25% and 50% EEP activated inhibition of Streptococcus mutans (ATCC 25175) growth, but this effect did not occur in the group to which 10% EEP was added or in the control GIC group. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of SPBS (P > .05).Conclusions:The addition of EEP may increase antibacterial properties without negatively modifying the mechanical properties of conventional GIC.     

Internalized Stigma in Pediatric Psoriasis: A Comparative Multicenter Study

BackgroundInternalized stigma, adoption of negative attitudes and stereotypes of the society regarding persons'' illness, has not been studied previously in pediatric psoriasis patients.ObjectiveWe aimed to investigate the internalized stigma in pediatric psoriasis patients and to determine differences according to factors affecting internalized stigma compared to adult psoriasis patients.MethodsThis multicenter, cross-sectional, comparative study included 125 pediatric (55 female, 70 male; mean age±standard deviation [SD], 14.59±2.87 years) and 1,235 adult psoriasis patients (577 female, 658 male; mean age±SD, 43.3±13.7 years). Psoriasis Internalized Stigma Scale (PISS), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), Perceived Health Status (PHS), and the General Health Questionnaire (GHQ)-12 were the scales used in the study.ResultsThe mean PISS was 58.48±14.9 in pediatric group. When PISS subscales of groups were compared, the pediatric group had significantly higher stigma resistance (p=0.01) whereas adult group had higher scores of alienation (p=0.01) and stereotype endorsement (p=0.04). There was a strong correlation between mean values of PISS and DLQI (r=0.423, p=0.001). High internalized stigma scores had no relation to either the severity or localization of disease in pediatric group. However, poor PHS (p=0.007) and low-income levels (p=0.03) in both groups, and body mass index (r=0.181, p=0.04) in the pediatric group were related to high PISS scores.ConclusionInternalized stigma in pediatric patients is as high as adults and is related to poor quality of life, general health, and psychological illnesses. Unlike adults, internalized stigma was mainly determined by psoriasis per se, rather than disease severity or involvement of visible body parts, genitalia or folds.     

The Investigation of Genotype-Phenotype Relationship in Multiple Primary Malignant Neoplasia Patients

Multiple primary malignant neoplasms (MPMN) are rare tumors that have attracted attention with increasing incidence rates in recent years and where cancer susceptibility genes may play a role in their etiology. In this study, it was aimed to determine the genotype-phenotype correlation in patients with MPMN. From January 2018 to January 2020, thirty patients were analyzed for 59 cancer susceptibility genes and diagnosed with MPMN, using a large multigene panel with Next Generation Sequencing technique (NGS) in Turkey. The mean age of first and second cancer diagnosis of cases were calculated as 42.5 and 49.9 (respectively). These primary cancers were frequently detected in the colon and breast, and the interval between diagnosis was 89 months. In 9 of the patients (30%); BRCA2, MSH6, MLH1, MUTYH, and ATM were detected as causal genes. Relatives with cancer of MPMN patients with causative gene carriers were detected in higher numbers than non-carrier. According to the logistic regression model applied, patients with at least 1 relatives with cancer were found to have a 0.38-fold increased risk of being a causal gene variant carrier. Hereditary cancer susceptibility genes may play an important role in the etiology of MPMN. In MPMN cases, detection of the causal gene by genetic analysis; It will enable not only to ensure a complete and accurate diagnosis of the sick individual and to plan the treatment properly, but also to include the carriers’ relatives in the intensive cancer screening, monitoring, and prevention program.     

Self-Healing Systems in Silicon Anodes for Li-Ion Batteries

Self-healing is the capability of materials to repair themselves after the damage has occurred, usually through the interaction between molecules or chains. Physical and chemical processes are applied for the preparation of self-healing systems. There are different approaches for these systems, such as heterogeneous systems, shape memory effects, hydrogen bonding or covalent–bond interaction, diffusion, and flow dynamics. Self-healing mechanisms can occur in particular through heat and light exposure or through reconnection without a direct effect. The applications of these systems display an increasing trend in both the R&D and industry sectors. Moreover, self-healing systems and their energy storage applications are currently gaining great importance. This review aims to provide general information on recent developments in self-healing materials and their battery applications given the critical importance of self-healing systems for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). In the first part of the review, an introduction about self-healing mechanisms and design strategies for self-healing materials is given. Then, selected important healing materials in the literature for the anodes of LIBs are mentioned in the second part. The results and future perspectives are stated in the conclusion section.     

Influence of Heavy Cigarette Smoking on Heart Rate Variability and Heart Rate Turbulence Parameters

Background: Cigarette smoking increases the risk of cardiovascular events related with several mechanisms. The most suggested mechanism is increased activity of sympathetic nervous system. Heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) has been shown to be independent and powerful predictors of mortality in a specific group of cardiac patients. The goal of this study was to assess the effect of heavy cigarette smoking on cardiac autonomic function using HRV and HRT analyses. Methods: Heavy cigarette smoking was defined as more than 20 cigarettes smoked per day. Heavy cigarette smokers, 69 subjects and nonsmokers 74 subjects (control group) were enrolled in this study. HRV and HRT analyses [turbulence onset (TO) and turbulence slope (TS)] were assessed from 24‐hour Holter recordings. Results: The values of TO were significantly higher in heavy cigarette smokers than control group (?1.150 ± 4.007 vs ?2.454 ± 2.796, P = 0.025, respectively), but values of TS were not statistically different between two groups (10.352 ± 7.670 vs 9.613 ± 7.245, P = 0.555, respectively). Also, the number of patients who had abnormal TO was significantly higher in heavy cigarette smokers than control group (23 vs 10, P = 0.006). TO was correlated with the number of cigarettes smoked per day (r = 0.235, P = 0.004). While LF and LF/HF ratio were significantly higher, standard deviation of all NN intervals (SDNN), standard deviation of the 5‐minute mean RR intervals (SDANN), root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD), and high‐frequency (HF) values were significantly lower in heavy smokers. While, there was significant correlation between TO and SDNN, SDANN, RMSSD, LF, and high frequency (HF), only HF was correlated with TS. Conclusion: Heavy cigarette smoking has negative effect on autonomic function. HRT is an appropriate noninvasive method to evaluate the effect of cigarette on autonomic function. Simultaneous abnormal HRT and HRV values may explain increased cardiovascular event risk in heavy cigarette smokers.     

Distribution of gene mutations associated with familial normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism

Objective: Normosmic idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (nIHH) is characterized by failure of initiation or maintenance of puberty due to insufficient gonadotropin release, which is not associated with anosmia/hyposmia. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution of causative mutations in a hereditary form of nIHH. Methods: In this prospective collaborative study, 22 families with more than one affected individual (i.e. multiplex families) with nIHH were recruited and screened for genes known or suspected to be strong candidates for nIHH. Results: Mutations were identified in five genes (GNRHR, TACR3, TAC3, KISS1R, and KISS1) in 77% of families with autosomal recessively inherited nIHH. GNRHR and TACR3 mutations were the most common two causative mutations occurring with about equal frequency. Conclusions: Mutations in these five genes account for about three quarters of the causative mutations in nIHH families with more than one affected individual. This frequency is significantly greater than the previously reported rates in all inclusive (familial plus sporadic) cohorts. GNRHR and TACR3 should be the first two genes to be screened for diagnostic purposes. Identification of causative mutations in the remaining families will shed light on the regulation of puberty.     

The Prevalances and Patient Characteristics of Primary Immunodeficiency Diseases in Turkey—Two Centers Study

Purpose

Primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs) are inherited disorders of the immune system resulting in increased susceptibility to unusual infections and predisposition to autoimmunity and malignancies. The European Society for Immunodeficiencies (ESID) has developed an internet-based database for clinical and research data on patients with PID. This study aimed to provide a minimum estimate of the prevalence of each disorder and to determine the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with PID in Turkey.

Methods

Clinical features of 1435 patients with primary immunodeficiency disorders are registered in ESID Online Patient Registry by the Pediatric Immunology Departments of the Medical Faculties of Uludag University and Ege University Between 2004 and 2010. These two centers are the major contributors reporting PID patients to ESID database from Turkey.

Results

Predominantly antibody immunodeficiency (73.5 %) was the most common category followed by autoinflammatory disorders (13.3 %), other well defined immunodeficiencies (5.5 %), congenital defects of phagocyte number, function or both 3.5 %), combined T and B cell immunodeficiencies (2 %), defects in innate immunity (1 %), and diseases of immune dysregulation (0.7 %). Patients between 0 and 18 years of age constitued 94 % of total and the mean age was 9.2?±?6 years. The consanguinity rate within the registered patients was 14.3 % (188 of 1130 patients). The prevalance of all PID cases ascertained from the registry was 30.5/100.000. The major cause of the mortality was severe infection which was seen in forty-two of seventy five deceased patients. The highest mortality was observed in patients with severe combined immunodeficiencies and ataxia-telangiectasia.

Conclusion

Promoting the awareness of PID among the medical professionals and the general public is required if premature death and serious morbidity occurs due to late diagnosis of the wider spectrum of PID are to be avoided.     

Multiple sulfatase deficiency: A case series of four children

Multiple sulfatase deficiency is biochemically characterized by the accumulation of sulfated lipids and acid mucopolysaccharides. The gene sulfatase-modifying factor 1 (SUMF1), recently identified, encodes the enzyme responsible for post-translational modification of a cysteine residue, which is essential for the activity of sulfatases. We describe clinical findings and mutation analysis of four patients. The patients presented with hypotonia, developmental delay, coarse face, ichthyosis, and hepatosplenomegaly. The diagnosis was made through clinical findings, enzymatic assays, and mutation analysis. We were detected to be homozygous for a novel missense mutation c. 739G > C causing a p.G247R amino acid substitution in the SUMF1 protein.Key Words: Child, multiple sulfatase deficiency, sulfatase-modifying factor 1 gene