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Vascular access is used as a lifeline for hemodialysis in patients with end stage renal disease failure (ESRD). Failure of arteriovenous fistula (AVF) maturation is still high. The purpose of this study was to research the effects of clopidogrel in combination with oral iloprost, a synthetic analog of prostacyclin PGI2. Ninety-six diabetic ESRD patients were divided into two groups. In the first group (Group 1, N = 50), clopidogrel (75 mg daily dose) and an oral prostacycline analog (200 mg daily dose) were administered. In the second group (Group 2, N = 46), placebo was given. All patients took study medication 7-10 days prior to surgery. A Doppler ultrasound (USG) was performed for measurement of arterial and venous diameters, and peak systolic velocity of arterial flow based on subsequent fistula adequacy. Autogenous AVFs were constructed in forearm as distally as possible in all patients. Both groups were followed-up for a year. In the placebo group, early AVF thrombosis was detected in two patients (4.3%). AVF maturation failure was noted in 14 patients (30.4%) in placebo group and in four patients (8%) in clopidogrel plus oral prostacycline analog group in the early postoperative period (P = 0.001). The mean maturation time was 38 ± 6.5 and 53 ± 12.8 days in study and placebo groups, respectively (P = 0.023). The mean blood flow was 352 ± 94 mL/min in placebo group and 604 ± 125 mL/min in study group (P = 0.001). The arterial end diastolic velocity was 116 ± 14 cm/s in study group and 72 ± 21 cm/s in placebo group (P = 0.036) 1 year after the surgery. Our data indicated that clopidogrel and oral prostacycline analog combination is effective and safe for the prevention of primary AVF failure in hemodialysis patients and decreased acute and chronic thrombotic events.

Abstract Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the bilateral forehand circulation using a 64-channel multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) as a noninvasive method to define criteria for an upper extremity arterial anatomy and pathology prior to the use of arterial conduits. Materials and Methods: Fifty-five patients with coronary artery disease who underwent total arterial coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) were randomly selected for this prospective study. MDCT angiography was performed for 110 examinations of forearm and hand arterial anatomy. Prior to MDCT, Allen tests were performed in all patients with a normal result, except four. Thirteen patients had diabetes mellitus (DM), 8 had peripheral artery occlusive disease, and 19 had a history of smoking. Results: All arteries, including axillary, ulnar artery (UA) and radial artery (RA), were clearly visualized in all patients. Upper extremity anatomical and pathological results were examined in 16 patients (29.1%). Severely calcified RA and/or UA were found in 6 patients who had a moderate renal failure. Nearly total occlusion of the RA was detected in another two patients. Focal intimal RA calcification was recorded in 1 female and 3 male patients. Ten patients who had severe calcification or intimal sclerosis of the upper extremity arteries had DM. The remaining patients had normal forehand arterial circulation. A persistent median artery with the absence of radial and ulnar arteries and a high bifurcation of RA from the brachial artery was detected as an anatomic variation in seven patients (12.7%). Conclusions: The major advantages of MDCT angiography are its non-invasiveness and the ability to detect calcific subadventitial plaques, which are difficult to diagnose using conventional angiography. MDCT may be used as a safe and non-invasive method to assess RA and UA prior to harvesting the upper limb artery. Preoperative imaging of forehand arteries is a means to avoid unnecessary forearm exploration or the use of an unsuitable arterial conduit in CABG operations, especially in patients with DM and moderate renal impairment.

In conventional superconductors, lattice vibrations (phonons) mediate the attraction between electrons that is responsible for superconductivity 1 . The high transition temperatures (high- T c ) of the copper oxide superconductors has led to collective spin excitations being proposed as the mediating excitations in these materials 2 . The mediating excitations must be strongly coupled to the conduction electrons, have energy greater than the pairing energy, and be present at T c . The most obvious feature in the magnetic excitations of high- T c superconductors such as YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6+ x is the so-called ‘resonance’ 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 . Although the resonance may be strongly coupled to the superconductivity 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , it is unlikely to be the main cause, because it has not been found in the La 2- x (Ba,Sr) x CuO 4 family and is not universally present in Bi 2 Sr 2 CaCu 2 O 8+ δ (ref. 9 ). Here we use inelastic neutron scattering to characterize possible mediating excitations at higher energies in YBa 2 Cu 3 O 6.6 . We observe a square-shaped continuum of excitations peaked at incommensurate positions. These excitations have energies greater than the superconducting pairing energy, are present at T c , and have spectral weight far exceeding that of the ‘resonance’. The discovery of similar excitations in La 2– x Ba x CuO 4 (ref. 10 ) suggests that they are a general property of the copper oxides, and a candidate for mediating the electron pairing.

Summary To analyse the levels of an indirect marker of ROS‐induced lipid peroxidation [i.e. malondialdehyde (MDA)] in both testes and the levels of matrix metalloproteinase‐2 (MMP‐2), matrix metalloproteinase‐9 (MMP‐9) and matrix metalloproteinase inhibitor‐1 (TIMP‐1) in the left testis after induction of varicocele and investigated the impact of micronised purified flavonoid fraction (MPFF) on these markers. Forty‐nine adolescent (6‐week‐old) male Wistar rats were included in this study. The rats were divided into seven groups as follows:Group‐1, control; Group‐2, sham; Group‐3, left varicocele‐induced; Group‐4, varicocele + varicocelectomy + MPFF‐treated (for 4 weeks); Group‐5, varicocele + MPFF‐treated (for 8 weeks); Group‐6, varicocele‐induced and 4 weeks later, MPFF‐treated (for 4 weeks); and Group‐7, varicocele + varicocelectomy. MDA was measured in the tissues of both testes using the thiobarbituric acid reactivity method. The ELISA method was used for the quantification of MMP‐2, MMP‐9 and TIMP‐1 in the left testicular tissue. The levels of MDA were significantly higher in the varicocele group than in the other groups. The MDA levels in the left testicular tissues of Group‐7 were significantly higher than those of Group 4 (P = 0.03). In the varicocele group, the MMP‐2 and MMP‐9 levels decreased, whereas the levels of TIMP‐1 increased. The tissue levels of MMP‐2 in Groups 4, 5 and 7 were significantly higher than those in Group 1 (P < 0.05).

Purpose This study aimed to evaluate the contribution of diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging to the diagnosis and staging of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis. Material and Method The study comprised 26 patients diagnosed with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis at our clinic who were undergoing regular follow-up, and a control group of 18 subjects. Clinical staging was determined by Risk and Haddad classification; 12 at Stage II and 14 at Stage III. Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance images were taken of six areas (frontal, parieto-occipital, cerebellar, deep white matter, thalamus and basal ganglia) and by calculating the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values, and a comparison was made between the stages and with the control group. Results The ADC values of all the areas of the subacute sclerosing panencephalitis patients were found to be significantly higher compared to the control group ( p  < 0.05). While the mean ADC values of the deep white matter, basal ganglia, frontal and parieto-occipital areas of the Stage II patients were found to be significant compared to the control group ( p  < 0.05), there was no significance in the other areas ( p  > 0.05). The ADC values of all the areas of the Stage III patients were found to be significantly high compared to the Stage II values ( p  < 0.05). Conclusion Diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging can be used with other diagnostic criteria to confirm diagnosis of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis and to reveal differences between the stages.

The effects of soy protein isolate (SPI), whey protein isolate (WPI) and egg albumen (EA) on the quality of deep-fat-fried chicken nuggets were studied. Batter without protein addition was used as a control. Batter pickup and moisture content, oil content, texture, porosity and colour of the nuggets were determined for 3, 6, 9 and 12 min of frying at 180 °C. Additionally, the rheological properties of batters were studied. SPI (3%) provided the highest apparent viscosity and coating pickup. All the batters showed shear-thinning behaviour except EA-added batter. Addition of different proteins to the batter formulation decreased the oil content of the final product. EA reduced the oil content of chicken nuggets significantly but yielded softer products. WPI (3%) was found to be the most effective ingredient on improving quality parameters of deep-fat-fried chicken nuggets. WPI (3%) added batters provided the hardest and crunchiest product with the darkest colour and also significantly reduced the oil content of the fried nuggets.[PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]

A new, thermally excited Co/Ni-doped MgO ceramic emitter for TPV energy conversion is described in this work, and termed the “matched emitter” because its emissive power spectrum is very efficiently matched with the portion of the electromagnetic spectrum that can be converted directly into electrical energy by infrared responding GaSb photovoltaic cells. Ligand Field Theory calculations are used to estimate the crystal field splitting energies at high temperatures for Co and Ni-doped MgO matched emitters. Experimental measurements of the high temperature (1300–1400°C) emissive power spectrums for Co and Ni-doped MgO emitters are compared with predictions obtained from ligand field calculations for what is believed to be the first time. It was found that crystal field splitting energies of 10 Dq = 9070 cm−1 represented the “best fit” for the Co-doped MgO high temperature emissive power spectrum, and 10 Dq = 7950 cm−1 for the Ni-doped MgO spectrum. These values are only slightly lower than values reported for corresponding single crystal, transition metal doped laser materials that were measured at or well below room temperature.

Abortion outbreaks associated with congenital malformations in two distinct small-ruminant flocks were reported in Turkey in 2013-2014. This paper describes the first molecular characterization of Turkish Akabane virus strains in small-ruminant flocks using partial sequence analysis of the S segment and pathological findings.