Aim:Exendin-4 is a type 2 diabetes antidiabeticdrug that is a peptide agonist of the glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor (GLP-1R). Up to date, different exendin-4 compounds have been radiolabeled with many radioisotopes such as 68Ga, 18F, 64Cu and 99mTcfor various purposes like study of over expression of GLP-1R in insulinoma. The purpose of this studyis to radiolabel exendin-4 with 99mTc under appropriate conditions.Methods:In this study, exendin-4 was labeled with 99mTc, and quality control tests of 99mTc-exendin-4 were done using ascending radioactive thin layer chromatography (RTLC). Also, the effects of important parameters such as the amount of reducing agent, pH value, incubation time,and radiation dose on the labeling efficiency were investigated. Then, thestability of 99mTc-exendin-4was assessed.Results: According to the results, 99mTc-exendin-4 was prepared with over 95 percent labeling efficiency by a novel, easy, and quick direct method with 30-min incubation time at pH 6.6. To achieve the best radiolabeling condition; 10 µg of exendin-4, 50 µg of stannous chloride (reducing agent) and 37 MBq 99mTc was used. The RTLC studies indicated that 99mTc-exendin-4 is stable up to 6 h in room temperature.Conclusion: The obtained results demonstrated that radiolabeled exendin-4 may be a promising agentfor GLP-1R imaging studies. Further studies are in progress in order to evaluate receptor binding capacity and biodistribution of the complex in experimental animals.

Aim:Toevaluatethechoroidalandretinalstructuresinvitiligopatientswithoutperiocularinvolvement.Methods:Choroidalandretinalimagesof30vitiligopatientsand31healthyindividualsweretakenusingspectral-domainopticalcoherencetomography(OCT),inthisstudy.Thechoroidalthickness(CT)wasmeasuredatthefoveaandattwopoints1500µmnasalandtemporalpositionstothefoveainahorizontalsection.Results:SubfovealCTvaluesweresignificantlylowerinvitiligopatients(p=0.037).Thedifferencesbetweenthegroupsintermsofsuperiorquadrantretinalnervefiberlayer(RNFL)andaveragemacularganglioncell–innerplexiformlayer(mGCIPL)values(p=0.035andp=0.004,respectively)werestatisticallysignificant.Vitiligoareaseverityindex(VASI)negativelycorrelatedonlywithnasalRNFLvalues(r=-0.370).TherewasnosignificantcorrelationbetweenotherOCTparametersandVASIvalues(p>0.05).Conclusion:CTandmGCIPLwerefoundtobethinnerinvitiligopatients.Progressivedamagetothemelanocytesinvitiligo,whichplayaprotectiveroleintheocularstructure,mayresultinthesefindings

Aim:To investigate the effects of SAR-CoV-2 infection on nutritional status in patients who underwent percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)for neurological disorders.Methods:The clinical and laboratory follow-up data of the patients who underwent PEG in our clinic between 2002 and 2018 were evaluated before and during the pandemic. The results were analyzed statistically.Results: Twenty patients were included. They were 70.9±64.4 months old at the time of PEG, 97.9±67.8 months before the pandemic, and 105.5±60.8 months during the pandemic (p=0.048). Weight for age at the time of PEG increased from 10.7±4.6 kg to 15.6±7.2 kg before the pandemic. Hemoglobin was 12.3±1.4 g/dl at the time of PEG, 13.5±1.6 g/dl before the pandemic (p=0.045). Vitamin D was 24.1±8.9 ng/ml at the time of PEG and increased to 45.7±9.7 ng/ml during the pandemic (p=0.018). The annual number of visits before the pandemic was 9.8±5.7 and decreased to 2±1.7 during the pandemic (p=0.003). Twelve (%60) of the patients developed PEG complications, 6(30%) had their PEG replaced. Those who had developed PEG complications had low levels of albumin (3.3±0.4 vs 4±0.4 g/dl, p=0.022) and vitamin B12 (578±199 vs 1299±533 pg/ml, p=0.007). Conclusions: Even if PEG is applied late, it provides a partial improvement in patients, but the COVID-19 pandemic reversed these benefits and caused an increase in PEG complications. In order for the patient to get the maximum benefit from PEG, close follow-up is essential

Aim:To investigate the relationship of contrast sensitivity (CS) with binocularity, eye dominance, and interpupillary distance at various spatial frequencies in healthy adults. Method: Thirty-seven healthy adults (age range, 19-45 years; 27males) were included. Binocular and monocular measurements of CS were performed with Automatize ClearChart 2 teston monocular (right and left) and both eyes at low-(1.5 cpd), mid-(6 cpd), and high-(18 cpd) spatial frequencies. Eye dominance was determined with the Hole-in-card test and interpupillary distance was measured with PlusOptics photo scanner, and the results were compared statistically.Results:Eye dominance was identified in 35 (94.59 %) subjects with the right eye being dominant in 23 (65.7%) subjects. The logarithmic CS (logCS) in the dominant eye, non-dominant eye, both eyes were 2.58±0.29, 2.62±0.37, and 2.50±0.00, respectively at 1.5 cpd; 2.54±0.16, 2.50±0.00, and 2.50±0.00, respectively at 6 cpd; and 5.46±2.49, 5.26±2.61, and 3.82±1.82, respectively at 18 cpd. The logCS did not significantly differ between dominant and non-dominant eyes.Binocular logCS was lower than monocular logCSsignificantly at 18 cpd (p=0.001). The interpupillarydistance (mean, 58.78±3.63 mm) was not correlated with binocular logCS.Conclusions:Dominanteyewassimilartonon-dominanteyeintermsofCSfunctionatallfrequenciesinhealthyadults.NofunctionalrelationshipwasdetectedbetweeninterpupillarydistanceandbinocularCS.BinocularCSfunctionshowedindividualdifferencesathigh-spatialfrequencyinhealthyadults

Aim:To examine electromechanical delay (EMD) a predictive of atrial fibrillation (AF) risk, in obese and non-obese metabolic syndrome (MS) patients and to research the relationship between EMD and the new body composition indices.Method:118 overweight (bodymass index (BMI)>26 kg/m2) individuals with MS meeting the criteria for IDF and ATP III were included in the study. The subjects were divided into two groups: Group 1; 54 obese persons with MS (33 females; mean age 46.2±14.1) while Group 2 included 64 non-obese persons with MS (33 females; mean age 41.4±13.2). In addition to laboratory findings, body composition indices, conventional and tissue Doppler imaging were obtained. Atrial EMD was defined as the time interval from the onset of the P wave on the surface electrocardiogram to the beginning of the late diastolic A wave. Inter, intra and left atrial EMD’s were measured from the data obtained. Results:Inter, intra and left atrial EMDs were significantly greater in the obese group compared to the non-obese group. There was a significant correlation between interatrial EMD and left atrial EMD and all body composition indices except body surface index. The strongest correlation was between body roundness index (BRI) and interatrial and left atrial EMD (r=0.46;p<0.001, r=0.39;p<0.001, respectively). Conclusions: EMD intervals were more prolonged in obese subjects with MS than in non-obese subjects with MS. The parameter most relevant to EMD was BRI. BRI is the body composition index most correlated with increased risk for AF in persons with MS.

Aim: To evaluate atherosclerosis in Maraspowder(MP) smokers by measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV) using photoplethysmography.Method: This study was carried out by forming two groups: MP smokers and a healthy control group. All participants underwent PWV using the photoplethysmography method. Student’s t-test, receiver operating characteristic curve, and regression analysis were performed on age and PWV data to assess arterial stiffness.Results: There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of age, but the PWV values of the MP group were statistically significantly higher than those of the control group. The sensitivity and predictability of the cut-off value predicting MP smokers was quite high (100%). A logistic regression analysis to determine the correlation of variables did not yield significant results.Conclusion: As is the case with cigarette use, the use of MP negatively affects cardiovascular health. It is important to develop policies and strategies to warn society about this risk to protect people from irreversible harm to their health

Aim: To investigate the quality and reliability of videos related to lateral epicondylitis (LE) surgery on YouTube® and to define a new scoring system that can be used to assess online information about LE.Method: To conductthe study, asearch on YouTube® using the words"lateral epicondylitis surgery" and "tennis elbow surgery" was conducted onFebruary 15, 2022.The first 100 videos that appeared upon the search were included in the study. The videos were classified based on the type of publishing source as a medicaldoctor,medical center, and Commercial/Medical media agency.Two authors independently analyzed the videos. The quality and reliability of the videos were examined using DISCERN score, Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) score, Health on the Net (HON) score, and a novel YouTube® LE-score (LES). Video Power Index (VPI) and View Ratio (VR) were used to assess the popularity of videos.Results: A total of 29 videos were included in the study. There was no significant difference betweenthe groups in terms of DISCERN, JAMA, HON, and LES scores. Although the group of medical doctors had much higher VRs and VPIs, there was no significant difference between the groups. LES score was found to be positively correlated with DISCERN, JAMA and HON (rho 0.879, p< 0.001; rho 0.709, p < 0.001; rho, 0.838, p< 0.001, respectively).Conclusion: The quality and reliability of the online information made available by YouTube® concerning LE surgery had an average level of quality and reliability. In addition, the LES scoring system created by us was highly compatible with the DISCERN and JAMA scoring systems accepted in the literature. It can be used as evaluation scoring in searches about lateral epicondylitis

Aim: Beta 2 Glycoprotein I (ß2-GP I) takes part in the pathogenesis of antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Valine247Leucine (Val247Leu) gene polymorphism of ß2-GP I might affect the binding/production of anti-ß2-GP I antibodies. Multiplestudies are showing different frequencies of this polymorphism in various ethnic backgrounds; we aimed to determine the frequency and clinical importance of Val247Leu gene polymorphism of ß2-GP I in patients with APS and healthy.Methods:Eighty-three patients with APS [68 primary APS, 15 APS with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)] and 63 healthy individuals were included. ?2-GPI Val247Leu polymorphismwas determined by quantitative real time polymerasechain reaction and melting curve analysis. The presence of anti-ß2-GP I antibodies was detected by ELISA in the patient group.Results:Allele and genotype frequencies were similar between patients and healthy controls (p=0,307). V allele and VV genotype frequencies were significantly higher in primary APS patients with thrombocytopenia (p=0.040). There was no significant difference between ß2-GP I Val247Leu gene polymorphism and the anti-ß2-GP IgM and IgG antibodylevels in the patient group (p=0.631 andp=0.077, respectively)Conclusion:This is the first study investigating the ß2-GP I Val247Leu gene polymorphism in the Turkish population. The frequencies of Val247Leu gene polymorphism of ß2-GP I were not different between patients with APS and healthy individuals in line with the other studies in Caucasian populations.Significantly high levels of V allele and VV genotype frequencies in primary APS patients could offer further insight to into the pathogenesis of thrombocytopenia in APS

Aim: To investigate fatigue-related kinesiophobia and associated factors in individuals with lung cancer.Methods: A total of 52 individuals were included in the study and the individuals were divided into two groups, each consisting of 26 individuals. Charlson comorbidity index, Brief Fatigue Inventory, modified Medical Research Council dyspnea scale, Tampa Kinesiophobia Scale-Fatigue are applied as data collection tools.Results: The individuals in the study had similar demographic characteristics. There was no difference between the groups in the study in terms of fatigue-related kinesiophobia. There was a differencebetween the pain and performance status of the individuals in the study in activities of daily living (p<0.05).Conclusion:At the end of this study, it was observed that individuals with lung cancer with respiratory comorbidity had worse pain, fatigue and performance values in activities of daily living, while kinesiophobia values related to fatigue were similar

Aim:COVID-19 is a cause of high-mortality pandemic with the RNA virus in its etiology and has an effect all over the world. In the present study, the relationship between in-hospital prognosis and mortality was investigated by comparing neutrophil-to-lymphocyteratio(NLR), platelet –to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR) values with C-reactive protein (CRP) and with a detailed analysis of complete blood count and biochemical parameters in mild and severe COVID-19 cases.Method: A total of 271 patients who were diagnosedwith pneumonia because of COVID-19 and 278 healthy control groups were included in the study. In our study, COVID-19cases were divided into 2 groups as mild and severe, and the data were compared with healthy people without COVID-19. Lung tomography results of the cases that were diagnosed with COVID-19 were examined. Those with positive RT-PCR (Real-Time Polymerized Chain Reaction) test results were recorded from the system. Biochemical tests and complete blood count parameters of the patients, NLR/lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR)/PLR N/L, and CRP levels were compared with the control group. The results were evaluated and analyzed in statistical terms.Results: When all the data were analyzed, NLR/PLR and CRP levels were found to be higher at statistically significant levels in the severe patient group than in the control group, and LMR was lower (p<0.01). In ROC analysis, NLR/PLR and CRP had a high AUC (area under the curve) (0.844/0.719/0.501) and LMR had a low AUC (0.225).Conclusion:NLR and PLR might be useful in demonstrating the prognosis in severe COVID-19 cases

Aim: To comparethe efficacy and safety profiles of phacoemulsification machines using transversal and torsional ultrasonic power in hard cataract surgery. Methods:The medical records of patients having NO4-6 grade hard cataract based on the Lens Opacification Classification System III, and thereby, operated by using Whitestar Signature (with transversal ultrasonic power) or Infiniti Ozil IP (with torsional ultrasonic power) phacoemulsification machines were retrospectively reviewed. At baseline, best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA), cataract grade, intraocular pressure (IOP), central corneal thickness (CCT), and biometric parameters such as lens thickness or anterior chamber depth were noted. Intraoperatively, total phaco needle time and total surgery time were recorded. Postoperatively, corneal edema severity, BCVA, IOP, and CCT was examined at first, 7thand 30thdays. Results:Ninety-eight eyes of 98 patients with an average age of 69.5±10.9 (47-88) years and an average follow-up time of 3.0±1.4 (1-6) months were included into the study. Total phaco needle time and surgery time were significantly shorter in the torsional US group compared to the transversal US group(112±46 vs 171±42 seconds and 9.2±3.5 vs 13.4±3.3 minutes, respectively, both p<0.001). Severe postoperative corneal edema was more common in patients in the transversal US group compared to the torsional US group. Conclusion: Transversal ultrasonic power is more likely to cause corneal edema in patients with hard cataract possibly due to increased phaco needle time and surgery time, compared to torsional ultrasonic power. Therefore, torsional ultrasonic power-based phacoemulsification machines should be the first option, in patients whose corneas at risk of decompensation

Aim:To investigate the markers that may predict both atrial fibrillation (AF)and atherosclerosis in obese patients.Method:This study was conducted on 108 participants (54 women and 54 men) with a body mass index (i.e., BMI) of at least 30. In addition to theelectrocardiogram (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) findings, we also analyzed the findings of body composition by means of the bioelectric impedance analysis method using the Tanita MC 780 MA analyzer in all participants.Results:We found that the minimal area of the left atrium (LA) had a very strong (r = 0.978, p= 0.022) correlation with visceral adiposity and a weak positive correlation with waist circumference. Aortic stiffness had a weak positive correlation with visceral adiposity ratio (p= 0.022) and fat mass (r = 0.323, p= 0.001). The diameter of LA had weak positive correlations with visceral adiposity (p= 0.018), waist circumference (r = 0.336, p< 0.001), fat-free mass (r = 0.323, p= 0.001), muscle mass (r = 0.324, p= 0.001),liquid mass (r = 0.323, p= 0.001) and metabolic age (r = 0.364, p< 0.001). Again, we found weak positive correlations of epicardial fat tissue with visceral adiposity (r = 0.459, p= 0.018) and metabolic age (r = 0.350, p< 0.001).Conclusions:In our study, it has been noted that obese patients may have different levels of risk for AF and atherosclerosis, and there may be a more risky subgroup in which the distribution of some anthropometric and body tissue components differs.

Aim:To determine the reasons for choosing the emergency department in patients aged 65 and over who applied to the emergency department and investigate theeffect of their use of primary health care services on the frequency of emergency department visits.Methods: The study is a prospective cross-sectional study. It was performed in the emergency department of a university tertiary hospital between 1 November 2017 and 30 April 2018. Demographic characteristics of patients aged 65 and over who applied to the emergency department, the reasons for applying to the emergency department and their use of primary health care services were evaluated with a questionnaire. The data were statistically analyzed.Results: 242 patients were included in the study. 57.9% (n: 140) of the patients were male. 82.2% of the patients stated that they applied to the emergency department at least three times in a year. When the reasons for applying to the emergency department were examined, it was seen that the most common reason (35.5% n: 86) was not wanting to wait in line in the outpatient clinic. 33.5% (n: 81) of the patients did not know their family doctor and 41.3% (n: 100) didnot use primary health care services.Conclusion:It has been observed that the problems experienced during outpatient services in patients aged 65 and over and the status of benefiting from primary health care services in this age group are effective factors on the frequency of emergency department visits

Many different pharmacological agents can be administered in different posologies and different combinations before and after paraspinal/paravertebral lumbar surgery of EWS.