A new species of Pomatoschistus (Teleostei, Gobiidae): the Mediterranean's smallest marine fish.

The new sand goby species Pomatoschistus nanus (Teleostei: Gobiidae) is described from the northern coast of the Levantine Sea (eastern Mediterranean Sea) based on both morphological and DNA barcoding data. The new species is the smallest fish in the Mediterranean Sea and may be distinguished from congeners by the following features: predorsal area, first dorsal-fin base and breast naked; δ-pore missing; anterior point of the suborbital row b not reaching level of posterior point of suborbital row d; slightly emarginated caudal fin and nape coloration pattern. DNA barcode data clearly discriminate Pomatoschistus spp. in the neighbour-joining tree with an average of 17·7% interspecific K2P distance. The most closely related taxon to P. nanus sp. nov. is Pomatoschistus bathi and the most distantly related is Pomatoschistus tortonesei with 11·9 and 21·9% K2P distances respectively. Morphometric and genetic data are also provided for Pomatoschistus bathi.

Dark side of the town: depressive symptoms in disadvantaged senior citizens.

OBJECTIVES: Depression is frequently overlooked in older adults. Detection of depressive symptoms (DS) is important in primary care. This study aimed to detect the rate, risk factors and effects of DS in a disadvantaged older population. DESIGN: Descriptive study. SETTING: Community based rehabilitation centers and Sehzadebasi medical center of Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality (IMM). PARTICIPANTS: 1163 Consecutive patients at least 60 years old, and applied to IMM; mostly poor and/or without health insurance. MEASUREMENTS: Detailed history and geriatric scales were obtained. Depressive symptoms (DS) were defined as 14 or more points in 30 item Geriatric Depression Scale. Relations of DS and ordinal variables were tested by Chi-square; DS and numeric variables by T-test. Multiple regressions followed. RESULTS: Younger old and women subjects were in majority. The rate of DS was 52%, while 9.1% have depression diagnosis in their history. After multiple regressions, lack of health insurance was found to be the strongest independent risk factor for DS (p < 0.0001). Other variables that remained significant were: Limited mobility, lower Instrumental Activities of Daily Living and Tinetti Balance scores, onset insomnia, nightly awakenings and reported dizziness (p values = 0.008; 0.021; 0.005; 0.022; 0.04 and 0.03 respectively). CONCLUSION: These results indicate the need for comprehensive geriatric assessment in primary care to detect DS, in addition to negative effect of DS on sleep and independency. Health insurance coverage of the senior citizens also is an important challenge.

Respirometric kinetic parameter calculations of a batch jet loop bioreactor treating leachate and oxygen uptake rate estimation by DTM.

A novel circulating jet loop bioreactor adapted for organic matter oxidation has been designed and constructed. In this study, the input was leachate samples collected from Kemerburgaz Odayeri waste landfill site located on the European side of Istanbul. Controlling the jet loop bioreactor to realize high rates of purification depends on maintaining the appropriate loadings and operating conditions. This requires collecting various system data to estimate the dynamics of the system satisfactorily with the aim of keeping certain parameters within the specified range. The differential transform method (DTM) based solution of the state equations reveals the current state of the process so that any deviation in the system parameters can be immediately detected and regulated accordingly. The respirometric method for kinetic parameter calculations for biodegradation has been used for some time. In many studies, the respirometer was designed separately, usually in bench-scale. However, when a separate respirometer is used, the scale effect and parameters that affect the hydrodynamic structure of the system should be taken into consideration. In this study, therefore, the jet loop reactor itself was used as a respirometer. Thus, the kinetic parameters found reflecting the characteristics of microorganisms used for biodegradation would be more realistic. If the main reactor, here the jet loop reactor, would be used as the respirometer, the kinetic parameter changes can easily be monitored in the long run. Using the bioreactor as a respirometer, the most important kinetic parameters, Ks, kd and micromax were found to be 11,000 mg L(-1), 0.019 day(-1), and 0.21 day(-1), respectively. The stoichiometric coefficient, Y, was found to be 0.28 gr gr(-1) for the present system.

Three-phase radionuclide bone imaging in sports medicine.

Three-phase radionuclide bone (TPB) imaging was performed on 238 patients with sports-related injuries. A wide variety of lesions was encountered, but the most frequent lesions seen were stress fractures of the lower part of the leg at the junction of the middle and distal thirds of the posterior tibial cortex (42 of 79 lesions). There were no differences in the type, location, or distribution of lesions between males and females or between competitive and noncompetitive athletes. In 110 cases, bone stress lesions were often diagnosed when radiographs were normal, whereas subacute or chronic soft-tissue abnormalities had few specific scintigraphic features. TPB imaging provides significant early diagnostic information about bone stress lesions. Normal examination results (53 cases) exclude underlying osseous pathologic conditions.

Kinetics and distribution of 111Indium-labeled platelets in patients with homocystinuria.

Homocystinuria is an inborn error of metabolism involving a high incidence of thromboembolism. It sometimes improves with large doses of pyridoxine. We investigated the kinetics and distribution of 111Indoxine-labeled platelets in 11 normal volunteers and 12 patients with homocystinuria, none of whom had clinical evidence of acute thrombosis at the time of the study. Six of the patients were resistant to pyridoxine and had homocystinemia. There were no statistical differences in mean platelet-survival times between pyridoxine responders and nonresponders or between normal subjects and pyridoxine responders or nonresponders, regardless of whether a linear, exponential, or multiple-hit model was used to analyze the kinetic data. Plasma homocystine levels had no apparent effect on mean platelet-survival time. There was no abnormal accumulation of platelets in any of the patients, and the distribution of platelets in liver and spleen was similar to that in normal subjects. Our results suggest that the kinetics and distribution of platelets in patients with homocystinuria who have no clinical evidence of thromboembolism are normal. Thus, the data do not provide evidence for disordered platelet function or for an ongoing interaction of platelets with vessel walls in this condition.