General health, dental status and perceived dental treatment needs of an elderly population in Istanbul

doi: 10.1111/j.1741‐2358.2010.00363.x
General health, dental status and perceived dental treatment needs of an elderly population in Istanbul Background: Comprehensive data on the oral health status and dental treatment needs of the elderly population in Turkey are deficient. Objectives: This pilot study determined the general and dental health status, perceived medical and dental treatment needs of an elderly population dwelling in residential homes in Istanbul. Method: Subjects at three different residential homes, namely one belonging to the state and two supported by foundations in Istanbul (N=121, female: 63 and male: 58) were involved in this study. A detailed questionnaire was prepared and dental examinations were conducted. Information was collected related to age, education levels, financial status, current physical functional status, general health, mental health, previous dental history, current dental status, oral hygiene practices and denture hygiene of these elderly people. The prevalence of edentulism, the presence and type of dental prostheses, dental and denture status and denture cleanliness were further evaluated. Results: The three most prevalent reported general health problems were associated with genito‐urinary problems (24%) followed by cardiovascular (18%) and respiratory problems (14%) varying significantly between genders, with males suffering more from cardiovascular problems than females (p < 0.05). Females showed significantly higher gastrointestinal and orthopaedic problems than males (p < 0.05). Females were more frequently edentulous than males but denture hygiene was significantly better in females than in males (p < 0.05). Brushing frequency did not significantly increase denture hygiene (p = 0.6). More than one‐third of the subjects had not been to the dentist within the previous 5–10 years, mainly due to lack of demand, followed by the cost of the dental care and fear. More than two‐thirds of denture‐wearing subjects wore their dentures only during eating. Conclusions: There was significant perceived dental treatment and care need for the sample population of elderly studied.     

Spatiotemporal food web dynamics along a desert riparian–upland transition

Increased awareness of spatiotemporal variation in species interactions has motivated the study of temporally-resolved food web dynamics at the landscape level. Empiricists have focused attention on cross-habitat flows of materials, nutrients, and prey, largely ignoring the movement of predators between habitats that differ in productivity (and how predators integrate pulses in resource availability over time). We set out to study seasonal variation in food web interactions between mammalian carnivores and their rodent prey along a riparian–upland gradient in semi-arid southeastern Arizona which features both spatial and temporal heterogeneity in resource availability. Specifically, we tested whether mammalian carnivores spill over from productive, near-river habitats into adjacent, desert-scrub habitats; and if they do, to document the effects of this spillover on rodent communities. Furthermore, we examined seasonal variation in top-down effects by measuring changes in carnivore diet and distribution patterns and rodent populations over time. The results indicate that carnivores track seasonally-abundant resources across the landscape, varying both their diet and movement patterns. In turn, desert-scrub rodent population dynamics track seasonal shifts in carnivore habitat use but not resource availability, suggesting that predation plays a role in structuring rodent communities along the San Pedro River. Further evidence comes from data on rodent community composition, which differs between desert-scrub habitats near and far from the river, despite similarities in resource availability. Our data also suggest that seasonal omnivory helps predators survive lean times, increasing their effects on prey populations. Taken together, these results underscore the importance of spatiotemporal variation in species interactions, highlighting the complexity of natural systems and the need for further detailed studies of food web dynamics.     

Minimally managed composting of beef manure at the pilot scale: Effect of manure pile construction on pile temperature profiles and on the fate of oxytetracycline and chlortetracycline

Oxytetracycline (OTC) and chlortetracycline (CTC) are broad-spectrum antibiotics used in livestock production. Although laboratory-scale studies have shown that extractable concentrations of these compounds decrease over time within treated and untreated manures and soils, there is relatively little information from farm-scale experiments. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of different levels of management on manure pile temperature profiles and on the fate of OTC and CTC in manure from therapeutically treated calves. Four treatments were designed to span a range of management options – from simply piling up the manure to amending it with straw to increase aeration and adding insulating layers of straw. Replicate samples of antibiotic-containing calf manure were held at ambient temperature or placed in three locations within replicate 3 m³ piles of beef manure. During the 28-day incubation period, concentrations of buffer-extractable OTC and CTC/ECTC (the summed concentrations of CTC and its epimer 4-epi-chlortetracycline (ECTC)) in manure samples incubated at ambient temperature (11–24 °C) decreased 75% (from 18 to 4.6 mg kg⁻¹ dry weight (DW)) and 90% (from 192 to 16 mg kg⁻¹ DW), respectively. Concentrations of the CTC metabolite iso-chlortetracycline (ICTC) decreased 90% (from 37 to 3 mg kg⁻¹ DW). OTC and CTC/ECTC concentrations in samples incubated for 28 days within a non-amended manure pile decreased 91% and >99%, respectively. During that period, the manure pile temperature ranged from 36 °C to 45 °C. Manure piles insulated with a blanket of straw and/or amended with straw (3:1, v/v) attained temperatures up to 70 °C and contained very low levels of OTC, CTC/ECTC, and ICTC (ranging from <0.1 to 0.4 mg kg⁻¹ DW) after 28 days.     

The effects of NOS3 Glu298Asp variant on colorectal cancer risk and progression in Turkish population

Endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS), coded by the gene NOS3, may play an important role in uncontrollable cellular growth in several cancer types. Our study was performed to test the association between Glu298Asp polymorphisms in the NOS3 gene and colorectal cancer risk and progression. In this study, NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism was genotyped in 84 patients with colorectal cancer and 99 healthy subjects using polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) analysis. There were significant differences in the distribution of NOS3 genotypes and frequencies of the alleles between colorectal cancer patients and controls (P = 0.016, P = 0.006, respectively). The increased frequency of NOS3 Glu298Asp homozygotes genotypes in patients who had advanced tumour stage was statistically significant (P = 0.042). Our findings have suggested that NOS3 Glu298Asp polymorphism might be associated with the risk and progression of colorectal cancer in Turkish population.     

Lipid-based antifungal agents: a concise overview

The development of lipid formulations of antifungal drugs has been a remarkable progress in the systemic antifungal arena. The lipid-based amphotericin B formulations; amphotericin B lipid complex (ABLC), amphotericin B colloidal dispersion (ABCD), and liposomal amphotericin B (L-AMB) have been in clinical use since the 1990s. They are significantly less nephrotoxic than the parent compound and can be safely used at higher doses. The primary cost of these formulations is significantly high and the extent of data related to their head-to-head comparison remains limited. The lipid formulation of nystatin, liposomal nystatin, is another lipid-based polyene under development. Available data concerning the in vitro activity, pharmacokinetic profile, in vivo efficacy, and safety of these formulations are summarized in this overview.     

Effects of high density lipoprotein containing high or low beta-carotene concentrations on progesterone production and beta-carotene uptake and depletion by bovine luteal cells

Luteal cells were isolated from mid-luteal heifer ovaries by collagenase digestion. Cells were cultured with DMEM/Ham's F12 medium in serum pre-treated plastic culture dishes for periods of up to 11 days. As beta-carotene is almost completely insoluble in all polar solvents, it was added to cultures in either dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), tetrahydrofuran (THF) or as high-density lipoprotein (HDL) containing high or low beta-carotene concentrations. Medium was replaced after 24 h, thereafter medium was changed every 48 h. Treatment of cells with DMSO alone or with beta-carotene (5 micromol/l) in DMSO both resulted in significant (P<0.01) stimulation of progesterone production. beta-Carotene (5 micromol/l) in THF did not alter progesterone production but 50 micromol/l beta-carotene in THF resulted in significant inhibition (P<0.02) of progesterone production on days 3 and 7. Cultures were also supplemented with bovine HDL preparations containing equal concentrations of cholesterol (25 microg/ml) but high or low beta-carotene (12.4 or 0.44 microg/mg of cholesterol). Both HDL preparations significantly stimulated progesterone production (P<0. 001) but the high beta-carotene HDL was significantly (P<0.02) more effective than the low beta-carotene HDL. However, when given together with bovine luteinizing hormone (bLH) or dibutyryl cAMP (dbcAMP), the high beta-carotene HDL stimulated progesterone production less than did the low HDL (P<0.01). Uptake and depletion of beta-carotene by luteal cells were also examined in culture. beta-Carotene supplementation increased luteal cell beta-carotene from an initial level of 373 ng per 10(6) cells to 2030 ng per 10(6) cells by day 6. In contrast, the levels in control cells decreased to 14% of starting values during the same period. Cells treated with HDL containing high beta-carotene on day 1 or days 1 and 3 were then incubated with or without bLH or dbcAMP for a further 2 days to investigate the effect of bLH and dbcAMP on depletion of beta-carotene by luteal cells. beta-Carotene depletion in the luteal cells was significantly higher (P<0.05) in LH- and dbcAMP-treated cells than in the control cells in both groups. These results indicate that the use of solvents such as DMSO or THF may have undesirable effects due to alteration of cell membrane permeability. Supplementation with bLH or dbcAMP may increase the metabolism of beta-carotene in luteal cells. bLH or dbcAMP together with high beta-carotene HDL may, when combined with the effect of increased beta-carotene metabolism, give less stimulation than with low beta-carotene HDL.     

Increased frequency of the S-allele of the L-myc oncogene in breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Association between restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) of known oncogenes and a predisposition to develop cancer have been postulated. The L-myc gene is a potential molecular marker associated with cancer susceptibility as well as metastasis, prognosis, and adverse survival. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that there was an association between L-myc S allele in breast cancer and a predisposition to the disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The distribution of L-myc polymorphism in 56 patients with breast cancer was determined by polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism and compared with that of 51 healthy control subjects. RESULTS: The allele frequencies of L and S in breast cancer patients were 0.70 and 0.30, respectively and those in normal individuals were 0.54 and 0.46, respectively. This difference was primarily the result of a high frequency of the S allele among breast cancer patients compared to controls. The frequency of S allele was significantly higher in breast cancer patients than in normal individuals (p < 0.01). No correlation was observed between the presence of L-myc S allele and several parameters of each patient's history or characteristics of tumor. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that L-myc polymorphism may be significant in an individual's susceptibility to breast cancer in Turkey and may be useful for identifying patients at high risk of developing breast cancer.     

Investigation of dorsal/ventral skin and the parotoid region of Lyciasalamandra billae and Lyciasalamandra luschani basoglui (Urodela: Salamandridae)

In the present study, the parotoid region, dorsal and ventral integuments of Lyciasalamandra billae and Lyciasalamandra luschani basoglui were investigated in terms of localization of hyaluronic acid (HA) and histochemical characteristics. HA immunoreactivity was carried out using biotinylated hyaluronic acid binding protein (B-HABP) labelled with streptavidin-fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC). HA was mainly localized in the stratum spongiosum of L. billae and L. luschani basoglui for water homeostasis and skin functionality. Light microscopic observations revealed that the dorsal and ventral integuments of L. billae and L. luschani basoglui exhibited basic morphological characteristics of other amphibians: the epidermis was composed of a stratified squamous epithelium and the dermis subdivided into stratum spongiosum and stratum compactum. Two different types of dermal glands (mucous and granular glands) were identified in the spongious dermis of the dorsal and ventral integuments whereas in the parotoid region, three different types of glands (mucous, granular and parotoid glands) were examined.     

Development of a novel FRET immunosensor technique

We report on a novel technique to develop an optical immunosensor based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). IgG antibodies were labeled with acceptor fluorophores while one of three carrier molecules (protein A, protein G, or F(ab')2 fragment) was labeled with donor fluorophores. The carrier molecule was incubated with the antibody to allow specific binding to the Fc portion. The labeled antibody-protein complex was then exposed to specific and nonspecific antigens, and experiments were designed to determine the 'in solution' response. The paper reports the results of three different donor-acceptor FRET pairs, fluorescein isothiocyanate/tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate, Texas Red/Cy5, and Alexa Fluor 546/Alexa Fluor 594. The effects of the fluorophore to protein conjugation ratio (F/P ratio) and acceptor to donor fluorophore ratios between the antibody and protein (A/D ratio) were examined. In the presence of specific antigens, the antibodies underwent a conformational change, resulting in an energy transfer from the donor to the acceptor fluorophore as measured by a change in fluorescence. The non-specific antigens elicited little or no changes. The Alexa Fluor FRET pair demonstrated the largest change in fluorescence, resulting in a 35% change. The F/P and A/D ratio will affect the efficiency of energy transfer, but there exists a suitable range of A/D and F/P ratios for the FRET pairs. The feasibility of the FRET immunosensor technique was established; however, it will be necessary to immobilize the complexes onto optical substrates so that consistent trends can be obtained that would allow calibration plots.