No abstract

Human urotensin-II (hU-II) is the most potent mammalian vasoconstrictor identified to date. Although it is expressed mainly in the brain and spinal cord, it is also detected in other tissues, such as the kidney. It has been speculated that U-II might be an important physiological mediator of vascular tone and blood pressure in humans. To our knowledge, no studies have investigated the level of U-II in children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). Considering the renal synthesis and vasoactive role of U-II, we aimed to measure the plasma and urinary levels of U-II in children with MCNS, and investigate the correlation with other clinical and laboratory findings. Twenty-six children with clinical MCNS, ranging in age from 2 to 7 years, were compared with 16 healthy age- and sex-matched controls. The median age of the children was 4.73+/-2.36 years. U-II level was measured by RIA. Plasma U-II concentrations (pg/ml) were decreased during relapse (20.11+/-14.43 in relapse, 38.94+/-23.86 in remission, P<0.05), whereas urinary U-II levels (pg/mg urinary creatinine) were significantly higher in relapse than in remission (37.31+/-28.43 in relapse, 31.09+/-21.10 in remission, P<0.05). We could not detect any relationship between U-II levels and other clinical and laboratory parameters. Our data indicate that the important changes in plasma and urinary U-II levels during relapse may be the result of heavy proteinuria rather than playing a role in mediating the clinical and laboratory manifestations of MCNS in children.

Background: Smoking is an important health threat in Turkey. This study aimed to determine the frequency of and main factors associated with smoking in persons of 15 years and over, and the frequency of passive smoking in homes in the South-east Anatolian Project (SEAP) Region in Turkey.

This study aimed to determine the preparedness and preparedness perception of nurses against disasters. This study was carried out in the hospitals of Gümüşhane Provincial Health Directorate between 01/11/2014 -24/11/2015 as a cross-sectional study. The universe of the study consisted of 226 nurses working in the clinics of Gümüşhane Public Hospitals Association affiliated hospitals. The entire universe was included without using any sampling method. The study was completed with 171 nurses and response rate was 75,67 %. "Personal Information Form and "Perception of Disaster Preparedness Scale in Nurses" were used to collect data. Data were collected between December 2014 -January 2015. Nurses had moderate perception according to the perception of disaster preparedness scale. It was found that those who had the highest perception in the disaster response phase were the nurses working in the intensive care + operating room. Besides, preparedness perceptions of nurses participating in disaster drills were found to be higher than non-participants. It was concluded that the nurses' perceptions of disaster preparedness were moderate. It is recommended that nurses' perceptions of preparedness against disasters must be kept high by providing adequate and regular training and drills on disaster preparedness.

Background: Nearly 10% of the population of Turkey lives in the Southeast Anatolian Project (SEAP) region. The population growth rate and the rate of unintended pregnancies are high and family planning services are insufficient in this region. Lifetime induced abortion rate is also high in this region.