Piriformis syndrome as an overlooked cause of pain in a patient with axial spondyloarthritis: a case report

( Ezgi Akyildiz Tezcan ),( Kemal Erol ),( Ilknur Albayrak Gezer ) 대한류마티스학회 2024 대한류마티스학회지 Vol.31 No.2

Piriformis syndrome is a neuromuscular disorder characterized by hip, buttock, and leg pain. Axial spondyloarthritis is a rheumatic disease primarily affecting the sacroiliac joint and the spine. Due to their anatomical proximity, the potential relationship between piriformis syndrome and sacroiliitis has been discussed for some time. However, literature review revealed that there is no study on piriformis syndrome in individuals with axial spondyloarthritis. Here, we present the case of a 30-year-old female with axial spondyloarthritis who developed severe low back, hip, and buttock pain that persisted despite initial treatment for axial spondyloarthritis. We first re-evaluated her condition through physical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, and an injection test for piriformis syndrome. Following a comprehensive assessment, the patient was diagnosed with both axial spondyloarthritis and piriformis syndrome. Subsequently, a tailored treatment plan was devised, addressing both conditions, and after a 3-month course of treatment, we obtained significant reduction in pain of the patient. This is the first case report in literature, where we used injection test to confirm the diagnosis of the piriformis syndrome in a patient with axial spondyloarthritis. We therefore strongly advocate considering piriformis syndrome as a potential etiology for pain in individuals with axial spondyloarthritis consistently. This recognition is important as piriformis syndrome does not respond adequately to non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and may lead to unnecessary use of biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs. Timely identification and intervention are imperative in ensuring optimal patient care.

Evaluation of changes in the maxillary alveolar bone after incisor intrusion

Ezgi Atik,Hande Gorucu-Coskuner,Bengisu Akarsu-Guven,Tulin Taner 대한치과교정학회 2018 대한치과교정학회지 Vol.48 No.6

Objective: This study was performed to investigate the changes in alveolar bone after maxillary incisor intrusion and to determine the related factors in deep-bite patients. Methods: Fifty maxillary central incisors of 25 patients were evaluated retrospectively. The maxillary incisors in Group I (12 patients; mean age, 16.51 ± 1.32 years) were intruded with a base-arch, while those in Group II (13 patients; mean age, 17.47 ± 2.71 years) were intruded with miniscrews. Changes in the alveolar envelope were assessed using pre-intrusion and post-intrusion conebeam computed tomography images. Labial, palatal, and total bone thicknesses were evaluated at the crestal (3 mm), midroot (6 mm), and apical (9 mm) levels. Buccal and palatal alveolar crestal height, buccal bone height, and the prevalence of dehiscence were evaluated. Two-way repeated measure ANOVA was used to determine the significance of the changes. Pearson’s correlation coefficient analysis was performed to assess the relationship between dental and alveolar bone measurement changes. Results: Upper incisor inclination and intrusion changes were significantly greater in Group II than in Group I. With treatment, the alveolar bone thickness at the labial bone thickness (LBT, 3 and 6 mm) decreased significantly in Group II (p < 0.001) as compared to Group I. The LBT change at 3 mm was strongly and positively correlated with the amount of upper incisor intrusion (r = 0.539; p = 0.005). Conclusions: Change in the labial inclination and the amount of intrusion should be considered during upper incisor intrusion, as these factors increase the risk of alveolar bone loss.

The Place of Narrative in Traditional Turkish Theater: The Example of Rural Chamber Plays

Ezgi Metin Basat 고려대학교 응용문화연구소 2023 에피스테메 Vol.- No.29

When traditional Turkish theater studies are analyzed, it becomes clear that genres are contextually classified as having rural or urban settings. Plays with sural settings are divided into theatrical village plays; the plays with urban settings, on the other hand, are divided into Karagöz, ortaoyunu, and Meddah. Rural chamber plays, which constitute the subject of this study, appear as a type of theatrical village plays. These plays are different in terms of time and content from the theatrical village plays that predominately have ritualistic features and follow the natural calendar. Rural chamber plays are entertaining plays that bring the community together at henna nights, weddings, or a suitable house for the villagers. The body and verbal comedy predominate in the plays, and the game setting is selected from a living area in the village; actors and audience are made up of village residents. With these features, plays fall outside the definition of Western modernist theater. However, they are quite remarkable in that they are a unique genre that includes the concepts of "theater,", "performance" and "theatricality" that changed in the 19th century. These plays, which embody all the dynamics of the Eastern Theater, are crucial as they bring the lifestyle, residents, and settings of a rural area to a theatrical space. Due to urbanization, the reduction of living space in rural areas, and changes in how people view entertainment, this playing technique, which is now all but extinct, contains significant information for creating and redefining the notions of traditional Turkish theater. It is critical to consider, redefine, and evaluate these plays, which reflect the village's agenda in terms of content and structurally the relationship between play, theater, and performance in terms of both cultural heritage and creating a distinct type of theater. The play examples included in this study were chosen from those that were played by residents of the villages of Gülef and Musallar, which are located within the boundaries of the province of Kastamonu. The plays were archived by the participant observation method in the field study. For this reason, they are original examples in terms of demonstrating the traditional theater genres that have been living in Türkiye recently.

Place in Narrative: Hababam Class Series (1975-1981)

Ezgi İnal 고려대학교 응용문화연구소 2023 에피스테메 Vol.- No.29

The first and original series of Hababam Class films are important productions that humorously introduce Turkish culture and the young generation of the young Türkiye of that period, their problems, expectations, perceptions of life, positive and negative aspects. The films adapted from Rıfat Ilgaz's book series Hababam Class were released as six films between 1975 and 1981, followed by five films between 2004 and 2021. In this study, the first series of six films between 1975-1981 will be analyzed in terms of the relationship between place and narrative. The place, which gains meaning with the presence of facts, events and characters, and its framework in the narrative, is also able to directly affect the series of events in the film. It has not been overlooked that the interior and exterior of the Hababam Class films, regarded as cult series in Turkish cinema history, are a special dramatic element that influences the plot, tension and emotions of the characters, and that connection between the spatial frame and the narrative has been intuited by the audience in every film. Therefore, the representation of the places in the film and their indicators of the time-memory relationship express both the real and the fictional in the narrative through a series of connections. In this study, based on Umberto Eco's view that "the perception of place is directly dependent on cultural codes", a semiotic analysis of the places in the Hababam Class movies has been made based on Barthes' principles of plain meaning and connotation. It has been determined that the place indicators in these films take place as an important element in the narrative.

Effect of Water and Chemical Stresses on the Silver Coated Polyamide Yarns

Ezgi Ismar,Shahood uz Zaman,Xuyuan Tao,Cédric Cochrane,Vladan Koncar 한국섬유공학회 2019 Fibers and polymers Vol.20 No.12

E-textiles; new emerging hybrid systems and devices require novel standards regarding their reliability anddurability in order to gain the attraction and satisfaction for the customers and market readiness. Launderability of e-textiles isone of the key problems for their reliability and maintenance. Standards should fulfill the requirements for both: the textileand electronic parts of e-textile products. In this article, an analysis of water and detergent influence on the conductive yarnswhich are generally used as a connection in e-textile products is investigated. During the washing process various stresses(mechanical, temperature, chemical, etc.) damage the connection elements such as electrically yarns that make all together atextile circuit board (textile motherboard). All those stresses are moreover interdependent. Water or chemical stresses aresupposed to be strongly damaging and should be discussed in details. During the washing procedure it is important tounderstand the water and detergent effects on the conductive yarns. Therefore, experimental studies are conducted by dippingconductive yarns in those solutions and by extended characterization. Structural changes of yarns are tested by FTIR-ATR,and peaks before and after dipping in the solutions were noted. Results point out the level of damage on the yarn surfacecaused by chemical stresses due to dipping in solutions. Furthermore, yarn surfaces were analyzed with optical microscopy. Remaining solutions after removing the dipped yarn were also analyzed by UV-Visible Spectroscopy to check any possibleremoval of silver coating from the yarn into solution, due to water or water detergent solutions. UV-Visible Spectroscopyvalidated our results obtained by FTIR-ATR peaks. By these experiments, time duration e-textiles can withstand in liquidsolution without any loss of conductivity can be evaluated and predicted.

Synthesis and Properties of Calix[4]arene Polymers Containing Amide Groups:Exploration of Their Extraction Properties Towards Dichromate and Nitrite Anions

Ezgi Akceylan,Aydan Yilmaz,Mustafa Yilmaz 한국고분자학회 2013 Macromolecular Research Vol.21 No.10

The article describes the synthesis and extraction properties of three new diamide substituted calix[4]arene based polymers (3a, 4a, and 5a). The examination of their recognition abilities towards some selected oxyanions shows that the new calix[4]arene polymers are more effective receptors than their amide derivatives for dichromate anions and nitrite. It has been observed that receptor 4a is a better extractant for dichromate and nitrite anions at low pH.

The Effects of Systemic Psoriasis Therapies on the C-Reactive Protein and the Neutrophil-Lymphocyte Ratio

( Ezgi Aktaş Karabay ),( Aslı Aksu Çerman ),( Damla Demir ),( Ilknur Kıvanç Altunay ) 대한피부과학회 2019 Annals of Dermatology Vol.31 No.6

Background: Currently, no generally accepted laboratory marker for monitorizing the disease activity and therapy response of psoriasis is known. Objective: The aim of the study is to evaluate the effects of systemic therapies on C-reactive protein (CRP) and the neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in psoriasis. Methods: One hundred patients with psoriasis treated with narrow band ultraviolet B, acitretin, cyclosporine, methotrexate, adalimumab, etanercept, and ustekinumab were prospectively evaluated. At baseline and at week 12, CRP, NLR, and Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI) were evaluated. Results: A statistically significant decrease was observed in PASI scores, CRP, and NLR values from the baseline to the 12-week visit (p=0.001, p=0.001, p=0.001, respectively). The reduction in PASI scores and NLR values was positively correlated (r=0.460, p=0.001). The comparisons between treatment groups revealed that the median decrease in NLR values was statistically higher in the adalimumab group than in the methotrexate group (p=0.007). And the median decrease in PASI scores was significantly higher in the adalimumab group compared with the methotrexate and acitretin therapy group (p=0.007, p=0.042, respectively). Conclusion: In the present study, systemic therapy of psoriasis was demonstrated to decrease the levels of CRP and NLR, which are known to be indicators of systemic inflammation and cardiovascular comorbidities. (Ann Dermatol 31(6) 601∼610, 2019)

An investigation on the structures and the basement depth estimation in the western Anatolia, Turkey using aeromagnetic data

Ezgi Erbek 한국지질과학협의회 2021 Geosciences Journal Vol.25 No.6

This paper provides an investigation on describing the location of the boundaries and the vertical-horizontal dimensions of the causative bodies for Western Anatolia, Turkey. The selected study area has a crucial importance due to its location defined as one of the most rapid extensive regions in the world. Hence, it is essential to explore its structural properties and estimate the basement depth. To this end, several techniques such as tilt angle derivative, total horizontal of tilt, analytic signal are applied to aeromagnetic data of the study area. Firstly, the tilt angle derivative map is obtained from the arctangent of the ratio of vertical derivative to total horizontal derivative of the magnetic field. The map clearly shows the boundaries of the magnetic sources and they generally run along southwestnortheast directions due to the extensional regime. Moreover, using the half distance method on this map, depth of upper Turgutlu granitoid (TG) is calculated to be 4.5 km and 3.2 km for west and east, respectively. With those results, it is determined the locations of hot springs which are characterized by the low values in the tilt angle derivative map. Secondly, analytical signal method is employed to compute the basement depth. It is observed that the basement depth varies 1.4 km to 8.7 km beneath sea level. All the results and observations provide valuable insights about the region. They have a promising potential for 3D geophysical modeling of the study area as well.

Effect of Gender on Character Evaluation: Factors Affecting Enjoyment

Ezgi Ulusoy,이혜은 한국인터넷방송통신학회 2019 Journal of Advanced Smart Convergence Vol.8 No.1

This study attempted to extend Korean Wave literature by investigating (a) the influence of protagonists’ personality characteristics and the role of empathy under the affective disposition theory, and (b) the power of some external factors in the entertainment media selection. After watching an episode of the popular Korean drama, Secret Garden, participants completed a survey in the United States. Results demonstrated that (a) the effect of personality characteristics varied across gender and (b) external factors affects the entertainment media selection positively. Findings indicate that media enjoyment is dependent on the audience’s external factors.

Bureaucrats, Ayatollahs, and Persian Politics: Explaining the Shift in Iranian Nuclear Policy

( Ezgi Uzun ),( Halit Mustafa Tagma ) 한국국방연구원 2012 The Korean Journal of Defense Analysis Vol.24 No.2

Defying a 2003 agreement to halt its nuclear program, Iran resumed its nuclear activities in 2005 despite the objections and sanctions of a concerned international community. Theoretical frameworks in international relations may suggest the strategic environment, regime type, and international institutions as key variables to explain foreign policy-making. In this article, it is argued that nuclear decision-making in Tehran cannot be understood through a "black-box" model that would assume Iran to be a unitary rational actor that knows its capabilities, interests, and wants. Instead, one must investigate the changes in the domestic decision-making and bargaining process through a bureaucratic politics model. Although some point out hardliner President Ahmadinejad as the sole decision-maker, we argue that a single individual could not have changed the course of the entire country; there were coalitions and struggles among multiple actors within the regime. Analyzing two different eras within the case of Iran, we argue that the shift in bureaucratic coalitions among the Supreme Leader, the President, the Revolutionary Guards, the Atomic Energy Agency of Iran, and the Supreme National Security Council explains the shift in Iranian foreign policy. In our conclusion, we draw several implications of this argument for the scholarly literature and offer policy-prescriptive advice.