Relationship of psoriatic arthritis with nail and scalp involvement in Turkish psoriasis patients: Multicentered cross-sectional study.

Psoriasis is a common multisystem inflammatory disease, and arthritis is an essential component of the disorder, requiring early diagnosis and prompt treatment for successful management. In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between nail and scalp involvement and other covariates with psoriatic arthritis (PsA). This cross-sectional study, conducted from June 2021 through December 2021, included 763 patients from 11 different centers in Turkey. The severity of involvement was evaluated using psoriasis area severity index (PASI), nail psoriasis severity index (NAPSI), and psoriasis scalp severity index (PSSI) scores. Predictors for PsA were evaluated using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. PsA (n = 155, 21.5%) was significantly more common in patients having a family history of psoriasis (43.2% vs 30.9%, P = .004), nail involvement (68.4% vs 52.3%, P < .001), and coexistence of nail and scalp involvement (53.7% vs 39.6%, P = .002). Furthermore, patients with PsA had considerably higher PASI (7 vs 5.6, P = .006), NAPSI (5 vs 2, P < .001), and PSSI scores (7 vs 4, P = .002) and longer disease duration (months) (126 vs 108, P = .009). In multivariate analysis, female gender [OR: 3.01, 95% CI (1.861-4.880), P < .001], nail involvement [OR: 2.06, 95% CI (1.293-3.302), P = .002)], and body mass index (BMI) [OR: 1.06, 95% CI (1.017-1.100), P = .005] were identified as independent predictors for PsA. Female gender, nail involvement, and high BMI are significant predictors for PsA and warrant detailed rheumatological assessment. Notably, being female is the strongest predictor of increased risk of PsA in our survey. Scalp involvement appears not to be associated with PsA. Also, the presence of PsA seems related to a more severe skin involvement phenotype.

Obtaining bio-oil and activated carbon from waste pomegranate peels by pyrolysis.

This study aims to produce beneficial products with pomegranate peel waste through pyrolysis. For this purpose, the usability of the liquid product as a biofuel and the solid product as an adsorbent for dye removal was investigated. To characterize the bio-oil and biochar produced under the best pyrolysis conditions, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), calorific value, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET), and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) analyses were conducted. When we examine the FT-IR spectrum of the bio-oil, the presence of phenol, alcohol, ketone, and aldehyde groups is seen in the structure. The GC-MS analysis demonstrated that phenol content was 27.9%, aldehyde content was 19%, acid compound content was 18.28%, ketone content was 8.7%, and aromatic compound content was 8.4%. The lower calorific value of bio-oil was determined as 27.33 MJ/kg. It was observed that activated carbon produced from biochar at a 3:1 KOH/biochar impregnation ratio and a carbonization temperature of 800 °C exhibited the highest surface area (1307 m2/g). In adsorption analysis, it was observed that the adsorption efficiency was higher at pH 9 and 35 °C and with 150 ppm initial concentration. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were determined, and the high R2 (0.99) was consistent with the Langmuir methylene blue (MB) adsorption model.

Skeletal Side Effects of Systemic Isotretinoin Treatment: Do They Depend on Age, Gender, Treatment Duration, Daily Dose and Isotretinoin-Naiveness?

INTRODUCTION: Systemic isotretinoin is the most effective treatment modality in acne vulgaris; however, both patients and physicians hesitate to use it due its side effects. OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of fatigue, myalgia and low back pain during systemic isotretinoin treatment; and to determine their relationship with age, gender, treatment duration, daily isotretinoin dose and isotretinoin-naiveness of the patient. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study including the acne vulgaris patients, aged between 13 to 40 years, who have at least received one month of oral isotretinoin treatment. Patients were questioned for side effects during their follow-up visits; a physical therapy and rehabilitation specialist further evaluated patients complaining of low back pain. RESULTS: Fatigue was reported by 4.4% of the patients, myalgia by 2.8% and low back pain by 25% of the patients; 2.2% had inflammatory and 22.8% had mechanical low back pain. None of the patients had sacroiliitis. All the side effects that were examined were found to be independent of age, gender, isotretinoin dosage (mg/kg/day), treatment duration and isotretinoin-naiveness. CONCLUSIONS: The side effects are not as common as feared; thus, patients and physicians should not hesitate to use systemic isotretinoin in indicated cases.

Biomass co-pyrolysis: Effects of blending three different biomasses on oil yield and quality.

In the present study, pyrolysis and co-pyrolysis of sugarcane bagasse, poppy capsule pulp, and rice husk were conducted in a fixed bed reactor at 550°C in nitrogen atmosphere. The moisture (5%-8%), ash (4%-17%), volatile matter (60%-76%), and fixed carbon analyses (11%-24%) of the utilized biomass were conducted. The decomposition behavior of biomasses due to the heat effect was investigated by thermogravimetric analysis/differential thermal analysis . In the pyrolysis of biomasses separately, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with sugarcane bagasse (27.4%). In the co-pyrolysis of the binary blends of biomass, the highest bio-oil yield was obtained with the rice husk and sugarcane bagasse blends. While the mean bio-oil yield obtained with the separate pyrolysis of these two biomasses was 23.9%, it was observed that the bio-oil yield obtained with the co-pyrolysis of biomass blends was 28.4%. This suggested a synergistic interaction between the two biomasses during pyrolysis. It was observed that as the total ash content in the biomasses used in the pyrolysis increased, the bio-oil yield decreased, and the solid product content increased. Characterization studies of bio-oils were conducted by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and hydrogen-1 nuclear magnetic resonance analyses. Results of these studies revealed that, all bio-oils were mainly composed of aliphatic and oxygenated compounds. The calorific values of bio-oils were determined by calorimeter bomb. Based on the GC-MS, the bio-oils with high fatty acid and its ester content also had high calorific values. The highest calorific value was 29.68 MJ kg-1, and this was obtained by pyrolysis of poppy capsule and sugarcane bagasse blend.

Pyrolysis of poppy capsule pulp for bio-oil production.

The feasibility of biofuel production via the pyrolysis of poppy capsule pulp, the main waste product of Afyon Alkoloid Factory, was investigated. The poppy capsule pulp was shown to have a high volatile matter content (ca. 76%). Pyrolysis experiments were carried out in the temperature range 400-550°C (heating rate 18°C min-1 and holding time 20 min) under a nitrogen atmosphere. The chemical components of the bio-oil were characterized by Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the production efficiency and the calorific value of the bio-oil were investigated. The maximum bio-oil yield and its calorific value at 500°C were 23.6% and 31.6 MJ kg-1, respectively. The latter value is close to that of many petroleum fractions. This high-energy bio-oil is therefore a clean fuel precursor and can be upgraded into higher quality fuels.