Amaç: Kritik koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVİD-19) hastalarının mortalite tahmininde Akut Fizyoloji ve Kronik Sağlık Değerlendirmesi-II (APACHE-II) skoru, Sıralı Organ Yetmezliği Değerlendirmesi (SOFA) skoru, Glasgow koma skalası (GCS), 4C mortalite skoru ve COVİD-19 Raporlama ve Veri Sistemi’nin (CO-RADS) araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Laboratuvarca doğrulanmış COVİD-19 enfeksiyonu veya klinik ve radyolojik olarak doğrulanmış COVİD-19 enfeksiyonu olan erişkin yoğun bakım ünitesine (YBÜ) kabul edilen hastalar dahil edildi. Klinik özellikler, sonuçlar, APACHE-II skoru, SOFA skoru, Uluslararası Şiddetli Akut Solunum ve Ortaya Çıkan Enfeksiyonlar Konsorsiyumu/Dünya Sağlık Örgütü (International Severe Acute Respiratory and Emerging Infections Consortium/World Health Organization) 4C mortalite skoru ve CO-RADS sınıflandırması yatış esnasında kaydedildi. Bulgular: Bu çalışmaya 276 hasta dahil edildi. Ölen hastalarda yaş ortalaması daha yüksekti. En sık hastaneye yatış nedeni solunum yetmezliğiydi (%67). En sık eşlik eden hastalıklar hipertansiyon (%51,8), kalp hastalığı (%43,4) ve diyabet (%33,6) idi. Hastaların %61,5’inde organ yetmezliği mevcuttu. Ortalama APACHE-II, SOFA, GCS ve 4C mortalite skorları ölen hastalarda daha yüksekti. Mortalite için 4C mortalite ve SOFA skorları, sırasıyla eğri altındaki alan 0,736 ve 0,706 alan ile daha yüksek öngörü bulundu. 4C mortalite skoru %78,9 duyarlılık ve %58,1 özgüllüğe sahipken, SOFA’nın duyarlılığı %78,9 ve özgüllüğü %53,3 idi. Sonuç: 4C mortalite ve SOFA skorları, YBÜ’deki COVİD-19 hastalarında mortalitenin tahmin ettirici bir göstergesi olabilir.

Aims: This study sought to evaluate the relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and traditional and nontraditional lipid parameters, including atherogenic index of plasma, cardiogenic ri...

Ulcerative colitis (UC) is an incurable disease represented by relapse and remission. Noninvasive biomarkers are required to predict disease activation. This study aimed to identify noninvasive biomarkers, such as the c-reactive protein-albumin (CRP/ALB) ratio, platelet-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), that might forecast disease activation in UC. This retrospective study included 443 participants: 192 patients with active UC, 166 in remission, and 85 healthy controls. Mayo Endoscopic Subscore was employed to assess endoscopic disease activity. Serum CRP, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), ALB levels, and complete blood count characteristics were documented. Three ratios of inflammation-related indicators were identified as CRP/ALB, PLR, and NLR. A positive correlation was found between ESR, CRP, neutrophil count, platelet count, levels of CRP/ALB, PLR, NLR, and endoscopic activity. The CRP/ALB ratio demonstrated more efficacy than the NLR and PLR in differentiating the UC patients from the controls (p = 0.007, p = 0.003, respectively) and the active group from the remission group (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). Regression analysis revealed that the CRP/ALB was significantly able to distinguish active UC from the remission group and the controls (p < 0.001, p < 0.001, respectively). The CRP/ALB ratio could be useful as an independent predictive biomarker for disease activity in UC.

In recent years, the use of graphene oxide (GO) in advanced application areas has attracted great interest. GO consists of a carbon basal plane containing various functional groups. Thanks to its properties, GO can improve the properties of the materials to which it is added. Therefore, GO is used in various photocatalytic, sensor and battery applications. Moreover, large-scale production of graphene, which has outstanding propertiessuch as high electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity, and high surface area, is possible by reduction of GO. Therefore, quality and controllable GO production is required. GO is generally produced with the Hummer's Method, which is a suitable chemical method for industrial production. In Hummer's Method, graphite oxide is obtained by oxidizing of graphite with the help of oxidizing agents. Afterwards, GO is obtained by exfoliating of the graphite oxide. However, the original Hummer Method has many disadvantages due to the emission of harmful, dangerous gases and its low efficiency. Many Hummer's methods have been derived by researchers from past to present. As a result of various modifications, the Modified Hummer's Method, which includes efficient, non-toxic and harmless production method steps, was preferred in GO production. Each stage of production process affects the properties and structures of the obtained GO. Understanding the effect of GO production parameters on GO structure, is important for its use in electronics, optics, biological, and graphene production applications. In Hummer's Method, after the oxidation of graphite, washing with HCl followed by distilled water is applied to remove impurities. The final step, which is the washing process, is an important step for the final structure properties of GO. In this study, the effect of pH value on the obtained GO structure was investigated by using the Modified Hummer's Method that we developed. Structural characterization studies of GO samples from solutions at different pH levels were performed using X-Ray Diffractometry (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Ultraviolet - Visible Spectrophotometer (UV-Vis). According to the obtained results, it was determined that the difference in pH level of solution changed the structure of GO and affected the degree of exfoliation. Keywords: Graphene oxide, pH, Purification, Modified Hummer’s, XRD, FTIR.

Serum uric acid (SUA) level has been associated with the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD), but the role of the SUA/creatinine (SUA/Cre) ratio remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate whether the SUA/Cre ratio is superior to isolated SUA as a marker for CKD. A retrospective observational study including 524 participants was conducted to compare SUA and SUA/Cre ratio in groups with and without CKD. Participants were categorized into 3 groups according to CKD stage: no CKD (n = 84), CKD stage 1-2 (n = 124), and CKD stage 3-4 (n = 316). Multivariate and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the association of SUA and SUA/Cre ratio with the presence of CKD. According to the ROC curve, SUA level showed a stronger correlation than the SUA/Cre ratio (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.768 vs AUC = 0.261; p < .001). Although both the SUA/Cre ratio and SUA level were associated with renal dysfunction, SUA was found to be a better marker of CKD.

Background/Objectives: The Naples Prognostic Score (NPS) is a composite index of nutritional and inflammatory status that has demonstrated prognostic value across various critical illnesses. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic significance of NPS in patients with acute pancreatitis (AP). Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 452 patients diagnosed with AP between January 2024 and March 2026 were classified as mild (MAP), moderately severe (MSAP), or severe (SAP) according to the revised Atlanta classification. NPS was calculated from admission serum albumin, total cholesterol, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. Results: Of the 452 patients, 276 (61.1%) had MAP, 124 (27.4%) had MSAP, and 52 (11.5%) had SAP. NPS was significantly higher in SAP patients than in MAP and MSAP patients (for both comparisons; p < 0.001). ROC analysis showed an AUC of 0.758 (95% CI: 0.693–0.824) for predicting SAP, with an optimal cut-off of NPS ≥ 3 yielding a sensitivity of 80.8% and a specificity of 61.3%. Patients were stratified into low (0–2) and high (3–4) NPS groups. High NPS was significantly associated with SAP (χ² = 33.044, p < 0.001), with a negative predictive value of 96.1%. In multivariable analysis, high NPS was an independent predictor of SAP (OR: 4.346, 95% CI: 2.018–9.362; p < 0.001). Conclusions: NPS, calculated from four routine laboratory parameters available at admission, is a simple, rapid, and independent predictor of disease severity in AP and may support early risk stratification in the emergency setting.