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Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is uncommon and has rapid expansile growth. Melanotic neuroectodermal tumor of infancy is a very rare and benign but locally aggressive neoplasm that originates from neural crest and is composed of relatively primitive pigment-producing cells. The lesion commonly affects the maxilla of infants during the first year of life. Common treatment methods include surgical excision and resection of the tumor. The aim of this article is to present the diagnosis and treatment of a patient with melanotic neuroectodermal tumor that occurred in the anterior maxilla of a 6-month-old male baby.

Background/Aims: There are few specific evaluation forms for evaluating the quality of life among patients with chronic constipation. Our study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the translated Patient Assessment of Constipation Quality of Life (PAC-QOL) questionnaire for the Turkish population because evidence of its reliability and validity is required to justify its use in other studies and clinical practice. Materials and Methods: This study included 154 patients with constipation who were treated at the Department of Gastroenterology, Dokuz Eylül University Hospital between January and June 2012. The translated PAC-QOL questionnaire was completed by patients at the clinic and also at a 2-week follow-up to test its reliability. Results: Cronbach's alpha coefficient (internal consistency) was 0.91 (good) for the translated PAC-QOL questionnaire. Time validity was evaluated using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) method, and the ICC value for all questions was confirmed as 0.68 at the 2-week follow-up. The validity of the tool in the study group was evaluated using factor analysis, and the results were highly significant (Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value: 0.857; Bartlett's test: p=0.001). Questions were categorized according to six factors based on the factor analysis, and these factors explained 65.1% of the total variation. For hypothesis verification of the tool, the correlation coefficient for PAC-QOL and PAC Symptoms (PAC-SYM) was r=0.577 (p<0.001), whereas the correlation coefficient for PAC-QOL and constipation severity score was r=0.457 (p<0.001). Conclusion: The PAC-QOL questionnaire was reliable, although not valid because of the limited sample group.

Background/Aims: Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) lacks effective medical treatment.Since tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) plays an important role in NASH pathogenesis, we aimed to investigate drugs affecting TNF-α as possible treatment options during the development of NASH. Materials and Methods: A total of 35 rats were divided into five groupsand evaluated over a 6week period. One group received a normal diet alone or in combination with the administration of infliximab, adalimumab or pentoxifylline Results: NASH was successfully established in the MCD diet group. Levels of TNF-α were effectively suppressed in the three groups that received anti-TNF agents. No statistically significant differences were observed between the three agents in terms of the histological NASH score. Conclusion: Our study showed that the anti-TNF agents infliximab, adalimumab, and pentoxifylline effectively suppress TNF-α. Although these drugs did not prevent the development of NASH, they were able to slightly reverse the NASH histopathology score and positively affect liver function tests