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Wind turbines suffer from considerable power losses because of contamination on their blades, that can be due to erosion, wear, smog, insect, sand and dust particle impact. Blade contamination, its effects on the flows over the wind turbine blades and consequent power production losses form the main focus of the present study. These effects are mainly due to increased roughness on the blades leading to earlier laminar-turbulent transition and consequently, thicker boundary-layers on the blades. Early laminar-turbulent transition leads to a larger part of the flow over a blade being turbulent, thus increasing skin friction drag. Thicker boundary-layer on a blade results in blade profile being effectively modified, rendering the flow over the blade depart from ideal. In the present study, the effects of blade contamination on power output of contaminated wind turbine blades is investigated numerically using an in-house computational tool. Blade Element Momentum Method (BEM) combined with the Panel Method is used to calculate the local velocity and angle of attack at the blade sections, together with the power produced by the blade. Trajectories of particles causing contamination are calculated using Lagrangian approach, also yielding the impingement pattern of the particles on the blade surface, i.e. particle collection efficiency distribution. The effects of roughness on the boundary-layer flow are investigated by using an Integral Boundary-Layer Method, which yields the characteristics of the boundary-layer, i.e. laminar-turbulent transition location, increased skin-friction and thickening of the boundary-layer. The blade shape is modified due contamination thickness, the local height of which is assumed to be proportional to the local collection efficiency. Also, the roughness height distribution used in the boundary-layer calculations is assumed to be equal to the contamination thickness distribution on the blades. Power production and consequent losses of wind turbines with contaminated wind turbine blades are studied with respect to variations in particle size, wind speed and roughness height.

Objective: The most common form of nephrotic syndrome (NS) is minimal change disease (MCD) in children and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) following it. As, it is important to predict corticosteroid (CS) response at the beginning of the disease, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy of some biomarkers in terms of predicting steroid response in patients with NS.Patients and Methods: Twenty patients who met the inclusion criteria for the study were divided into 3 groups and 6 healthy control participants were included in the analysis as the 4th group. Group-1 included 10 patients at the first episode of idiopathic NS (INS), group-2 included the same 10 patients in remission, group-3 included 10 patients with steroid resistant NS (SRNS) diagnosed as FSGS by renal biopsy, and group-4 included six healthy children as controls. Urinary and serum cluster of differentiation (CD) CD80, IL-17, IL-23, IL-10, TGF-β, CD86, CD28, CTLA-4 levels were measured for all groups.Results: Urinary CD80 level in INS-relapse group was significantly higher than the levels of the INS-remission, FSGS and control groups (p<0.001). Urinary CD28 and uIL-10 were significantly increased in INS-remission group than INS-relapse (p<0.05, p<0.001).Serum IL-17 was significantly higher in INS-relapse group than in INS-remission group (p<0.01). There was no difference in IL-23,TGF-β,CD86 parameters between groups.Conclusion: In our study, urinary CD80 levels were significantly higher in the relapse group compared to the other groups. When supported by more

Inflammation and the cytokine hypotheses have been proposed for schizophrenia. Several proinflammatory and anti-inflammatory cytokines have been studied in drug-naive, first-episode, and/or chronic schizophrenia patients. However, there were limited data on clinical stable outpatients reflecting daily routine. The aim of this study was to compare the serum levels of cytokines, including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), between clinically stable patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls, as well as to examine the relationship between these inflammation parameters and clinical variables (positive and negative symptom severity and cognitive functions). Thirty clinically stable outpatients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls with similar sex and age were included in this study. Serum IL-6, TGF-β, and TNF-α levels were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunoenzyme microplate measurement, respectively. Illness severity was evaluated using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and the cognitive functions of the participants were assessed using a broad neuropsychological test battery. The serum levels of IL-6 and TGF-β were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls (p = .048, p = .012). There was no significant difference between groups in terms of TNF-α levels (p = .726). Global impairment of cognitive functions was observed in the patient group compared to healthy controls, and PANSS scores and cognitive functions showed no correlation with cytokine levels (IL-6, TNF-α, and TGF-β). The present study demonstrated an increased inflammatory response in clinically stable patients with schizophrenia compared to healthy controls. However, symptom severity and cognitive functions showed no correlation with cytokine levels. Further research studies are needed to clarify the effects of cytokine levels on schizophrenia symptomatology and etiopathogenesis.

Purpose. The main purpose of this study was to investigate the dynamics of pentraxin 3 (PTX3) compared with procalcitonin (PCT) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with suspicion of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). Materials and Methods. We designed a nested case-control study. This study was performed in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit of a tertiary care academic university and teaching hospital. Ninety-one adults who were mechanically ventilated for >48 hours were enrolled in the study. VAP diagnosis was established among 28 patients following the 2005 ATS/IDSA guidelines. Results. The median PTX3 plasma level was 2.66 ng/mL in VAP adults compared to 0.25 ng/mL in non-VAP adults (p<0.05). Procalcitonin and CRP levels did not significantly differ. Pentraxin 3, with a 2.56 ng/mL breakpoint, had 85% sensitivity, 86% specificity, 75% positive predictive value, and 92.9% negative predictive value for VAP diagnosis (AUC = 0.78). Conclusions. With the suspicion of VAP, a pentraxin 3 plasma breakpoint of 2.56 ng/mL could contribute to the decision of whether to start antibiotics.

Although hypothalamo-pituitary–gonadal axis is active during mini-puberty, its relationship with somatic growth and the role on the development of external genitalia has not been fully elucidated. We aimed to evaluate the effects of somatic growth and reproductive hormones on the development of external genitalia during mini-puberty. Anthropometric data, pubertal assesment, serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS), androstenedione (A4), sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG), estradiol (E2) and inhibin-B, testosterone (T), and anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) of healthy infants aged 1–4 months were evaluated. Free sex hormone index was calculated as T/SHBG for boys and E2/SHBG for girls. The mean age of 148 (74 female) infants included in the study was 2.31 ± 0.76 months. Tanner stage 2–3 sex steroid and gonadotropin levels were observed. A statistically significant difference was found between the weight, height, BMI, weight gain and serum FSH, LH, and A4 measurements of girls and boys ( p  < 0.05). Penile length was associated with weight ( r  = 0.24, p  = 0.03), height ( r  = 0.25, p  = 0.02), and AMH ( r  = 0.3, p  = 0.01), but not with testosterone ( p  = 0.56 respectively). A negative correlation was found between weight and serum LH ( r  =  − 0.26, p  = 0.2) and T/SHBG levels in males ( r  =  − 0.38, p  = 0.015 respectively). Weight-SDS was negatively correlated with testosterone in males ( r  =  − 0.25, p  = 0.02). Testicular size and breast stage did not correlate with any of the hormonal and anthropometric parameters.   Conclusions : External genitalia in males during mini-puberty is related more to somatic growth rather than reproductive hormones. Similar to pubertal developmental stages, both total and free testosterone are negatively associated with higher weight during mini-puberty. What is Known: • Mini-puberty allows early assessment of HPG axis function in infancy. • There is an inverse relationship between the amount of adipose tissue and circulating testosterone levels in males during puberty and adulthood. • The potential effect of somatic growth and reproductive hormones on external genital development during mini-puberty remains unclear. What is New: • During mini-puberty, males' external genitalia is more related to somatic growth than to reproductive hormones, but this relationship is not observed in girls. • Both total and free testosterone are negatively associated with higher weight during mini-puberty, similar to the pubertal developmental stages.

Abstract Background Given the rarity of 11β-hydroxylase deficiency (11βOHD), there is a paucity of data about the differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics of classic (C-11βOHD) and nonclassic 11βOHD (NC-11βOHD). Objective To characterize a multicenter pediatric cohort with 11βOHD. Method The clinical and biochemical characteristics were retrospectively retrieved. CYP11B1 gene sequencing was performed. Seventeen plasma steroids were quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared to that of controls. Results 102 patients (C-11βOHD, n = 92; NC-11βOHD, n = 10) from 76 families (46,XX; n = 53) had biallelic CYP11B1 mutations (novel 9 out of 30). Five 46,XX patients (10%) were raised as males. Nineteen patients (19%) had initially been misdiagnosed with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Female adult height was 152 cm [−1.85 SD score (SDS)] and male 160.4 cm (−2.56 SDS).None of the NC-11βOHD girls had ambiguous genitalia (C-11βOHD 100%), and none of the NC-11βOHD patients were hypertensive (C-11βOHD 50%). Compared to NC-11βOHD, C-11βOHD patients were diagnosed earlier (1.33 vs 6.9 years; P < 0.0001), had higher bone age-to-chronological age (P = 0.04) and lower adult height (−2.46 vs −1.32 SDS; P = 0.05). The concentrations of 11-oxygenated androgens and 21-deoxycortisol were low in all patients. The baseline ACTH and stimulated cortisol were normal in NC-11βOHD. Baseline cortisol; cortisone; 11-deoxycortisol; 11-deoxycorticosterone and corticosterone concentrations; and 11-deoxycortisol/cortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone/cortisol, and androstenedione/cortisol ratios were higher in C-11βOHD than NC-11βOHD patients (P < 0.05). The 11-deoxycortisol/cortisol ratio >2.2, <1.5, and <0.1 had 100% specificity to segregate C-11βOHD, NC-11βOHD, and control groups. Conclusion NC-11βOHD can escape from clinical attention due to relatively mild clinical presentation. However, steroid profiles enable the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and subtyping of 11βOHD.

This article reviews the position of the Alevis in Turkey, a group of Turkish with a different set of beliefs to the Sunnis which make up the majority of Turks, and with particular regard to the stance of the JDP, the ruling party, vis-à-vis the secularism on which the Turkish state was founded. In drawing attention to the nature of the beliefs of Alevis, and the myths and misunderstandings which them, as well as the pogroms and massacres that have occurred within living memory, and which have combined to exclude them from mainstream society regardless of the party in government, the author highlights the fears of the community arising from the JDP being seen as the representative of Sunni Islam. This is particularly the case given the JDP's own origins within the National Vision discourse and policy stances which it has adopted while in government. The relationship might dominated by mutual distrust, but the JDP, in remaining insensitive to the problems of Alevis, is endangering the persuasiveness of other democratisation efforts.

Author Contributions: All authors confirmed they have contributed to the intellectual content of this paper and have met the following 3 requirements: (a) significant contributions to the conception and design, acquisition of data, or analysis and interpretation of data; (b) drafting or revising the article for intellectual content; and (c) final approval of the published article.

Background: Given the rarity of 11[beta]-hydroxylase deficiency (11[beta]OHD), there is a paucity of data about the differences in clinical and biochemical characteristics of classic (C-11[beta]OHD) and nonclassic 11[beta]OHD (NC-11[beta]OHD). Objective: To characterize a multicenter pediatric cohort with 11[beta]OHD. Method: The clinical and biochemical characteristics were retrospectively retrieved. CYP11B1 gene sequencing was performed. Seventeen plasma steroids were quantified by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and compared to that of controls. Results: 102 patients (C-11[beta]OHD, n = 92; NC-11[beta]OHD, n = 10) from 76 families (46,XX; n = 53) had biallelic CYP11B1 mutations (novel 9 out of 30). Five 46,XX patients (10%) were raised as males. Nineteen patients (19%) had initially been misdiagnosed with 21-hydroxylase deficiency. Female adult height was 152 cm [-1.85 SD score (SDS)] and male 160.4 cm (-2.56 SDS).None of the NC-11[beta]OHD girls had ambiguous genitalia (C-11[beta]OHD 100%), and none of the NC-11[beta]OHD patients were hypertensive (C-11[beta]OHD 50%). Compared to NC-11[beta]OHD, C-11[beta]OHD patients were diagnosed earlier (1.33 vs 6.9 years; P < 0.0001), had higher bone age-to-chronological age (P = 0.04) and lower adult height (-2.46 vs -1.32 SDS; P = 0.05). The concentrations of 11-oxygenated androgens and 21-deoxycortisol were low in all patients. The baseline ACTH and stimulated cortisol were normal in NC-11[beta]OHD. Baseline cortisol; cortisone; 11-deoxycortisol; 11-deoxycorticosterone and corticosterone concentrations; and 11-deoxycortisol/cortisol, 11-deoxycorticosterone/cortisol, and androstenedione/cortisol ratios were higher in C-11[beta]OHD than NC-11[beta]OHD patients (P < 0.05). The 11-deoxycortisol/cortisol ratio >2.2, <1.5, and <0.1 had 100% specificity to segregate C-11[beta]OHD, NC-11[beta]OHD, and control groups. Conclusion: NC-11[beta]OHD can escape from clinical attention due to relatively mild clinical presentation. However, steroid profiles enable the diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and subtyping of 11[beta]OHD. Key Words: CYP11B1, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, steroid profiling, 11-oxygenated androgens, adrenal insufficiency, androgen excess, children