ZnO nanostructures for photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue: effect of different anodization parameters

Oksuz Ahmet Emrecan,Yurddaskal Metin,Kartal Ugur,Dikici Tuncay,Erol Mustafa 한국세라믹학회 2022 한국세라믹학회지 Vol.59 No.6

In this paper, the photocatalytic activity of ZnO nanostructures formed by anodization method with diff erent parameters was investigated. The synthesis of ZnO nanostructures with diff erent morphology by varying anodic oxidation parameters containing electrolytes, molarity, voltage, and duration was analyzed. ZnO nanostructures were prepared through diff erent parameters consisting of six samples. The produced ZnO nanostructures were investigated by using X-ray diff raction, scan- ning electron microscopy, diff use refl ectance spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectrophotometer. It was found that the morphology of ZnO structures was formed as nanorods, needle-like, fl ower-like, heterogeneous, and homogeneous of mixed structures. ZnO nanostructures were identified by matching X-Ray diffraction peaks due to the international center for diffraction data database. Experiments on photocatalytic degradation of methylene blue demonstrated that the photocatalytic activity of ZnO samples. The best photocatalytic performance was observed by the sample anodized for an hour in 0.05 M of KHCO 3 electrolytes with 40 V electrical potential. It was observed that the removal of methylene blue increased 3 times (photocatalytic degradation efficiency ~ 31% for methylene blue vs ~ 90% by the best sample) thanks to the obtained ZnO nanostructured photocatalysts. The results showed that an increment of the voltage has a significant effect on the photocatalytic activity of ZnO while keeping other parameters including molarity, time, and electrolyte type constant.

Long-Term Treatment Results in Soft Tissue Sarcomas of the Thoracic Wall Treated with Pre-or-Postoperative Radiotherapy - a Single Institution Experience

Oksuz, Didem Colpan,Ozdemir, Sevim,Kaydihan, Nuri,Dervisoglu, Sergulen,Hiz, Murat,Tuzun, Hasan,Mandel, Nil Molinas,Koca, Sedat,Dincbas, Fazilet Oner Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.22

Objective: To evaluate the long term results among patients with soft tissue sarcoma of the thoracic wall. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients who were treated with pre-or postoperative radiotherapy between December 1980-December 2007, with a diagnosis of soft tissue sarcoma of the thoracic wall were retrospectively evaluated. Results: The median age was 44 years (14-85 years) and 15 of them were male. A total of 50% of patients were grade 3. The most common histologic type of tumor was undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (26.9%). Tumor size varied between 2-25 cm (median 6.5 cm). Seventeen of the cases had marginal and 9 had wide local resection. Four cases received preoperative radiotherapy and 22 postoperative radiotherapy. Six of the patients with large and high grade tumors received chemotherapy. Median follow-up time was 82 months (9-309 months). Local recurrence and metastasis was detected in 34.6% and 42.3% of patients, respectively. Five-year local control (LC), disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and disease-specific survival (DSS) were 62%, 38%, 69%, and 76% respectively. On univariate analysis, the patients with positive surgical margins had a markedly lower 5-year LC rate than patients with negative surgical margin, but the difference was not significant (43% vs 78%, p=0.1). Five-year DFS (66% vs 17%) and DSS (92% vs 60%) rates were significantly worse for the patients who had high grade tumors (p=0.01, p=0.008 respectively). Conclusions: Tumor grade and surgical margin are essential parameters for determining the prognosis of thoracic wall soft tissue sarcoma both in our series and the literature.

Improving Empathy in Nursing Students

Ozcan, Celale Tangul,Oksuz, Emine,Oflaz, Fahriye 한국간호과학회 2018 Journal of Korean Academy of Nursing Vol.48 No.5

Purpose: This study aimed to examine changes of empathy levels of nursing student in two different curricula structures, one called “traditional” and the other called “integrated” curricula. The study was a longitudinal design to follow a cohort of nursing students to examine the magnitude of changes in empathy in their education years. Methods: The study was conducted in a public school of nursing giving a baccalaureate degree, which had a fundamental change in their curricula. In all, 81 students from the traditional curricula and 66 students from the integrated curricula completed the study, and data from a total of 147 students were analyzed between 2003 and 2008. The Empathic Communication Skills Scale and the Empathic Tendency Scale were given to the students in the beginning of their freshman year and at the end of the fourth year just before graduation. Results: Although both of the curricula were seemed effective at improving empathic skills of students, especially the scores of students who completed the integrated curricula were higher than the scores of the other group attending the traditional curricula (p<.05). However, the empathic tendency scores of students in both curricula decreased at the end of fourth year. Conclusion: Although undergraduate nursing curricula either traditional or integrated improved empathic skills, it seemed that integrated curricula were more effective than traditional curricula in increasing empathic skills. The more hours and more experiential methods contributed to improved empathy. The decrease in empathic tendency requires further attention of educators and nurse managers.

Population-Based Cervical Screening Outcomes in Turkey over a Period of Approximately Nine and a Half Years with Emphasis on Results for Women Aged 30-34

Sengul, Demet,Altinay, Serdar,Oksuz, Hulya,Demirturk, Hanife,Korkmazer, Engin Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.5

Purpose: To appraise the frequency of cervical cytological abnormalities in a population at normal risk via analysing the archive records of cytology for the period of approximately 9,5 years, comparing them with patient demographic charecteristics, and discuss the results for women under age of 35. Materials and Methods: A total of 32,578 cases of Pap smears were retrieved and analysed from our archive included the Pap tests performed between January 2001 and April 2010 at the Early Cancer Screening, Diagnosing and Education Center by the consent of three pathologists via utilizing the Bethesda System Criteria 2001 and the results were compared with some demographical characteristics. Results: Our rate of the cervical cytological abnormality was 1.83%, with ASCUS in 1.18%, LSIL in 0.39, HSIL in 0.16%, AGUS in 0.07%, squamous cell carcinoma in 0.02%, and adenoarcinoma in 0.006%. Cytological abnormalities were detected mostly in those with higher age, lower parity, and premenopausal period whereas the smoking status was without influence. Bacterial vaginosis (5.6%) was the most frequent infectious finding (Candida albicans 2.7%; Actinomyces sp. 1.3%; and Trichomonas vaginalis 0.2%) detected on the smears. The rate of abnormal cervical cytology was 9.5% among the women aged between 30-34. Conclusions: Early detection of the cervical abnormalities by means of the regular cervical cancer screening programmes is useful to attenuate the incidence, mortality, and morbidity of cervical cancer. Our prevalence of the cytological abnormalities was much lower than the one in Western populations in general but very similar to those reported from other Islamic countries that may be explained by the conservative lifestyle and the lower prevalence of HPV in Turkey. A remarkable rate of abnormal cervical cytology of women aged 30-34 was pointed out in the present study.

Characteristics of nanocomposite films deposited by atmospheric pressure uniform RF glow plasma

Aysegul Uygun,Lutfi Oksuz,Ayse Gul Yavuz,Ali Guleç,Songul Sen 한국물리학회 2011 Current Applied Physics Vol.11 No.2

Characteristics of nanocomposite films synthesized and deposited by atmospheric pressure Radio-Frequency (RF) (13.56 MHz) uniform glow discharge are examined. The nanocomposite thin film deposition is carried out in the presence of titanium dioxide (TiO_2) with polymerization of pyrrole,thiophene and furan monomers in acetonitrile medium containing lithium perchlorate (LiClO_4). The chemical, morphological, thermal and electrical characteristics of polypyrrole/TiO_2 (PPy/TiO_2), polythiophene/TiO_2 (PT/TiO_2) and polyfuran/TiO_2 (PF/TiO_2) composites are examined by FTIR spectroscopy,scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM-EDX), atomic force microscopy (AFM), thermogravimetry (TGA) and four-probe conductivity measurements. The presence of PT bands in the FTIR spectra of PT/TiO_2 indicates that plasma polymerization did not cause thiophene ring opening as was reported in the literature. The thermograms indicate that the PPy/TiO_2 composite has the best thermal stability, whereas PT/TiO_2 has the best electrical conductivity. Morphology studies reveal that the composite film deposition occurs uniformly through polymerization of the monomer onto TiO_2nanoparticles.

Neoadjuvant Treatment with Preoperative Radiotherapy for Extremity Soft Tissue Sarcomas: Long-Term Results from a Single Institution in Turkey

Dincbas, Fazilet Oner,Oksuz, Didem Colpan,Yetmen, Ozlem,Hiz, Murat,Dervisoglu, Sergulen,Turna, Hande,Kantarci, Fatih,Mandel, Nil Molinas,Koca, Sedat Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2014 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.15 No.4

Background: To assess the long term clinical outcome of preoperative radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy followed by limb sparing surgery in patients with non-metastatic soft tissue sarcomas (STS) of the extremities. Materials and Methods: Sixty patients with locally advanced STS were retrospectively analyzed. The median tumor diameter was 12 cm. All patients were treated with preoperative radiotherapy delivered with two different fractionation schedules (35Gy/10fr or 46-50Gy/23-25fr). Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was added to 44 patients with large and/or high grade tumors. Surgery was performed 2-6 weeks after radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was completed up to 6 courses after surgery in patients who had good responses. Results: Median follow-up time was 67 months (8-268 months). All of the patients had limb sparing surgery. The 5-year local control (LC), disease free (DFS) and overall survival (OSS) rates for all of the patients were 81%, 48.1% and 68.3% respectively. 5-year LC, DFS and cause specific survival (CSS) were 81.7%, 47%, 69.8%, and 80%, 60%, 60% in the chemoradiotherapy and radiotherapy groups, respectively. On univariate analysis, patients who were treated with hypofractionation experienced significantly superior LC, DFS and CSS rates with similar rates of late toxicity when compared with patients who were treated with conventional fractionation and statistical significance was retained on multivariate analysis. Conclusions: Treatment results are consistent with the literature. As neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy provides effective LC and CSS with acceptable morbidity, it should be preferred for patients with large and borderline resectable STS.

An Outbreak of Oropharyngeal Tularemia with Cervical Adenopathy Predominantly in the Left Side

Irfan Sencan,Idris Sahin,Sukru Oksuz,Davut Ozdemir,Oguz Karabay 연세대학교의과대학 2009 Yonsei medical journal Vol.50 No.1

Purpose: We describe the epidemiological and clinical characteristics and the efficacy of a delayed initiation to therapy in an oropharyngeal tularemia outbreak in Duzce, Turkey. Materials and Methods: Between March and June 2000, 22 patients with tularemia were diagnosed by microagglutination tests. Results: Oropharyngeal and ulceroglandular forms of the disease were discovered. Most of the cases were oropharyngeal (19 cases). The most common symptoms were sore throat (95.4%) and fever (90.9%). Lymphadenopathy (95.4%) and pharyngeal hyperemia (81.8%) were usually observed signs. The lymphadenopathies were localized especially in the left cervical region (66.7%), a finding that has not been previously reported in the literature. The time between the onset of the symptoms and diagnosis was 40.7±22.8 (10-90) days. The patients were treated with streptomycin plus doxycycline and ciprofloxacin. The patients' recoveries took up to 120 days. Conclusion: This report describes the first outbreak of tularemia in northwest Turkey. Tularemia may occur in any region where appropriate epidemiological conditions are found and should be kept in mind for differential diagnosis in oropharyngeal symptoms. Late initiation of therapy may delay complete recovery. In this outbreak, cervical lymph nodes predominantly localized on the 1eft side were found, which had not been previously reported.

Turkish Version of the Student Nurse Stress Index: Validity and Reliability

Gamze Sarikoc,Meral Demiralp,Emine Oksuz,Berrin Pazar 한국간호과학회 2017 Asian Nursing Research Vol.11 No.2

Purpose: This study aimed to adapt the Student Nurse Stress Index (SNSI) for the Turkish nursing students and investigate its psychometric properties. Methods: Research was conducted with 152 volunteer female students who attended a university college in Ankara, Turkey. Test-retest reliability was investigated for the scale internal consistency (Cronbach a) and stability. Also, content validity and construct validity of the SNSI were assessed. In order to determine the construct validity of SNSI, explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis was conducted. Results: The Turkish version of SNSI with 15 items comprised four factors (academic load, clinical concerns, personal problems, interface worries). The content validity index (CVI) score was .97. Factor loadings of Turkish version of SNSI varied between .532 and .868. The “personal problems” subscale explained 19.01% of the variance; “clinical concerns” explained 18.51%; “interface worries” explained 15.32%; “academic load” explained 14.14%. The total variance explained was 66.99%. The internal consistency coefficient of the SNSI was .86. Conclusion: Results showed that the SNSI had a satisfactory level of reliability and validity in nursing students in Turkey. Multicenter studies including nursing students from different nursing schools are recommended for the SNSI to be generalized.