Spatiotemporal pattern of Covid-19 outbreak in Turkey.

The earliest case of Covid-19 was documented in Wuhan city of China and since then the virus has been spreading throughout the globe. The aim of this study is to evaluate the clusters of Covid-19 among the provinces in Turkey and to examine whether the clustering pattern has changed after the country's lockdown strategy. The spatial dependence of Covid-19 in 81 provinces of Turkey was examined by spatial analysis between February 8 and June 28, 2021. Global and Local Moran's I and Gi* were employed to measure the global and local spatial autocorrelation degrees. The geographical distribution of Covid-19 in the provinces of Turkey showed a strong spatial autocorrelation while the spatial structure of the clusters varied by weeks. The findings of the study show that the complete lockdown carried out in Turkey has been quite effective in mitigating Covid-19. The importance of spatial relations in preventing the spread of the disease in Turkey has also been demonstrated in this context.

Spatiotemporal Analysis of Covid-19 in Turkey.

The Covid-19 pandemic continues to threaten public health around the world. Understanding the spatial dimension of this impact is very important in terms of controlling and reducing the spread of the pandemic. This study measures the spatial association of the Covid-19 outbreak in Turkey between February 8 and May 28, 2021 and reveals its spatiotemporal pattern. In this context, global and local spatial autocorrelation was used to determine whether there is a spatial association of Covid-19 infections, while the spatial regression model was employed to reveal the geographical relationship of the potential factors affecting the number of Covid-19 cases. As a result of the analyzes made in this context, it has been observed that there are spatial associations and distinct spatial clusters in Covid-19 cases at the provincial level in Turkey. The results of the spatial regression model showed that population density and elderly dependency ratio are very important in explaining the model of Covid-19 case numbers. Additionally, it has been revealed that Covid-19 is affected by the Covid-19 numbers of neighboring provinces, apart from the said explanatory variables. The findings of the study revealed that spatial analysis is helpful in understanding the spread of the pandemic in Turkey. It has been determined that geographical location is an important factor to be considered in the investigation of the factors affecting Covid-19.

Diagnostic value of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and of periostin in eosinophilic asthma: A prospective study.

Background: Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and periostin are reliable biomarkers in eosinophilic asthma. Objective: This study was carried out to determine the use of periostin and TARC as biomarkers in asthma and to compare the superiority of one over the other, especially in asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype. Methods: The study was conducted with 87 patients with asthma and 42 healthy control subjects. Patients with asthma were also divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic phenotypes. A pulmonary function test was performed in all the participants, and serum and induced sputum TARC, periostin concentrations, eosinophils, and total immunoglobulin E values were examined. Results: TARC and periostin levels were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The serum TARC level in the eosinophilic group was significantly higher than in the non-eosinophilic and control groups (p < 0.001). The induced sputum TARC level was significantly higher in the non-eosinophilic group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The TARC and periostin levels of the patients were evaluated by using receiver operator characteristic analysis. The cutoff value for TARC was determined to be 1415.39 ng/L; likewise, the cutoff value for periostin was 107.60 ng/L. The present study detected that serum levels of TARC correlated to serum levels of periostin (r = 0.54; p = 0.032). Furthermore, when evaluating correlations between serum and sputum levels, there was a correlation detected between TARC and periostin in serum, whereas this correlation was stronger in sputum: r = 0.66, p = 0.020; and r = 0.62, p = 0.028, respectively. Conclusion: Serum and sputum TARC and periostin may contribute for monitoring the improvement of patients, particularly those with asthma. Furthermore, TARC was a more reliable biomarker than periostin for patients with eosinophilic asthma.

Diagnostic value of thymus and activation-regulated chemokine and of periostin in eosinophilic asthma: A prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) and periostin are reliable biomarkers in eosinophilicasthma. OBJECTIVE: This study was carried out to determine the use of periostin and TARC as biomarkers in asthma and to comparethe superiority of one over the other, especially in asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype. METHODS: The study was conducted with 87 patients with asthma and 42 healthy control subjects. Patients with asthma were also divided into eosinophilic and non-eosinophilic phenotypes. A pulmonary function test was performed in all the participants,and serum and induced sputum TARC, periostin concentrations, eosinophils, and total immunoglobulin E valueswere examined. RESULTS: TARC and periostin levels were significantly higher in the asthma group than in the control group (p < 0.001). The serum TARC level in the eosinophilic group was significantly higher than in the non-eosinophilic and control groups(p < 0.001). The induced sputum TARC level was significantly higher in the non-eosinophilic group than in the control group(p < 0.001). The TARC and periostin levels of the patients were evaluated by using receiver operator characteristic analysis.The cutoff value for TARC was determined to be 1415.39 ng/L; likewise, the cutoff value for periostin was 107.60 ng/L. Thepresent study detected that serum levels of TARC correlated to serum levels of periostin (r = 0.54; p = 0.032). Furthermore,when evaluating correlations between serum and sputum levels, there was a correlation detected between TARC and periostinin serum, whereas this correlation was stronger in sputum: r = 0.66, p = 0.020; and r = 0.62, p = 0.028, respectively. CONCLUSION: Serum and sputum TARC and periostin may contribute for monitoring the improvement of patients, particularly those with asthma. Furthermore, TARC was a more reliable biomarker than periostin for patients with eosinophilic asthma.

Analysis of the Effect of Locally Applied Bovine Collagen Sponge and Adipose-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells on Seroma Development in Rats Undergone Mastectomy and Axillary Dissection.

PURPOSE: Seroma is the most frequently seen complication after the mastectomy and axillary dissection. The aim of this study was to analyze the effects of locally applied bovine collagen sponge and adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cells on seroma development in rats that undergone mastectomy and axillary dissection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wistar albino rats, were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10 per group). For the rats in Group 1, 1 ml 0.09% NaCl was implemented. 2 × 106/kg adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell was implemented within 1 ml 0.09% NaCl for the rats in Group 2, and 3 cm2 bovine collagen sponge were locally applied for the rats in Group 3. Adhesion scores, histopathological examination, E-cadherin expression and tissue seroma volume were evaluated. RESULTS: The seroma volume of Group 3 were significantly lower than those of Groups 2 and 1 (p < 0.001). General adhesion scores of Group 3 were significantly higher than those of Groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.05). Statistically significant increase was observed in Group 3 compared to Group 1 in terms of fibroblast, neovascularization and collagen density (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Local application of bovine collagen sponge and ADSCs in rats, which have undergone experimental mastectomy and axillary dissection, can be told to decrease the seroma formation and to increase the neovascularization and collagen deposition. This effect is more significant in bovine collagen sponge group.

The Reasons of Renal Transplant Recipients' Admission to the Emergency Department; a Case Series Study.

INTRODUCTION: Renal transplantation are admitted to emergency department (ED) more than normal population. The present brief report aimed to determine the reasons of renal transplant patients' ED visits. METHODS: This retrospective case series study analyzed the reasons of renal transplant recipients' admission to one ED between 2011 and 2014. The patient data were collected via a checklist and presented using descriptive statistics tools. RESULTS: 41 patients with the mean age of 40.63 ± 10.95 years were studied (60.9% male). The most common ED presenting complaints were fever (36.6%) and abdominal pain (26.8%). Infections were the most common final diagnosis (68.3%). Among non-infectious causes, the most common was acute renal failure (9.7 %). 73.2% of the patients were hospitalized and no cases of graft loss and mortality were seen. CONCLUSION: The most common reason for ED admission was fever, and infections were the most common diagnosis. Acute gastroenteritis being the most frequent infection and among non-infectious problems, acute renal failure was the most frequent one.