Optical Coherence Tomography Angiography in Branch Retinal Artery Occlusion

Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is a non-invasive alternative method used in the diagnosis and follow-up of acute branch retinal artery occlusion to show changes secondary to ischemia. We report a case with acute branch retinal artery occlusion. A 52-year-old man presented with a complaint of sudden-onset visual loss in the right lower quadrant of the left eye for the previous three days. Best-corrected visual acuity was 0.4 temporally. Inferonasal visual field deficit was detected with confrontation. Pupillary light reactions were normal in both eyes and there was no relative afferent pupillary defect. Dilated fundus examination revealed retinal lesion suggesting superior temporal branch retinal artery occlusion. He was treated with dextran 40 and pentoxifylline. Follow-up fundus fluorescein angiography could not performed because of chronic renal failure; OCTA demonstrated superficial and deep capillary non-perfusion areas and telangiectases in areas corresponding to the artery occlusion

Sağlık yüksekokulu öğrencilerinin antibiyotik kullanma durumlarının incelenmesi

Objective: To determine the frequency of antibiotic use, behaviors related to antibiotic use the student nurses’ and influential factors. Method: This cross-sectional study was made by using questionnaire form, on 290 students in Zonguldak Karaelmas University School of Health. Data were evaluated by descriptive statistical methods and Chi-Square Test. Results: About 93.8% of the students were used the antibiotics during at least once.28.7% of the students also were used the antibiotics during the last a month. 77.9% of the students were started antibiotic use with doctor’s prescription. Female and second class students were higher rate started to the antibiotic use with doctor’s prescription (p<0.05). It was determined that 38.3% of the students who were used to antibiotics without doctor’s prescription were used the antibiotics themselves prescription. It was determined to the most frequently use of analgesic (66.4%) with antibiotics of students’ (50.4%).Conclusion: As a result of this study, it recommended that the students should be consolidated knowledge correctly use of antibiotics.Amaç: Çalışmanın amacı, öğrenci hemşirelerin antibiyotik kullanma sıklıklarını, antibiyotik kullanımına ilişkin davranışlarını ve bu davranışları etkileyen faktörleri belirlemektir. Yöntem: Kesitsel tipteki bu çalışma, Zonguldak Karaelmas Üniversitesi Sağlık Yüksekokulu’nda okuyan 290 öğrenci ile anket uygulanarak yapılmıştır. Veriler, tanımlayıcı istatistiksel yöntemler ve ki-testi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Öğrencilerin %93.8’i en az bir kez antibiyotik kullanmıştır. % 28.7’si de son bir ay içinde antibiyotik kullanmıştır. Öğrencilerin %77.9’u antibiyotik kullanımına doktor reçetesiyle başlamıştır. Kız öğrencilerin ve ikinci sınıf öğrencilerinin daha yüksek oranda antibiyotik kullanımına doktor reçetesiyle başladığı belirlenmiştir.(p<0.05). Reçetesiz antibiyotik kullanan öğrencilerin %38.3’ünün kendi kendine antibiyotik kullandığı belirlenmiştir. Öğrencilerin (%50.4) antibiyotik ile birlikte en sık analjezik (%66.4) kullandıkları belirlenmiştir. Sonuç: Çalışma sonucunda, öğrencilerin doğru antibiyotik kullanımı konusundaki bilgilerinin pekiştirilmesi önerilmektedir

Chemogenetic inhibition of MCH neurons does not alter memory performance in mice

Memory storage in the brain is one of the most extensively studied subjects in neuroscience. However, due to the highly complex structure of the memory-related systems in the brain, the mystery remains unsolved. Consolidation is one of the most important parts of the memory process, and one that can be affected by numerous neurodegenerative diseases. Hypothalamic melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) neuronal activity has been of particular interest to researchers in terms of the association between sleep, neurodegenerative diseases, and memory consolidation. We used Pmch-Cre animals to investigate the role of MCH neuronal activity in memory consolidation. In order to observe the differences in memory consolidation, we chemogenetically inhibited MCH neurons using the DREADD method and measured hippocampus-dependent memory performance with a novel object recognition test applicable to early memory impairment in Alzheimer's disease. Our results revealed no significant improvement or worsening with MCH inhibition, suggesting that the role of MCH should now be evaluated in a wider setting

Association of Serum Adropin Levels with Nutritional Status and Lipid Profile in Patients with Kidney Failure with Replacement Therapy

Objective. This study aimed to determine serum adropin levels and to examine the relationship of serum adropin levels with nutritional status and lipid profile in patients with kidney failure with replacement therapy (KFRT). Methods. The study consisted of 88 subjects, including 30 patients treated with hemodialysis (HD), 29 patients treated with peritoneal dialysis (PD), and 29 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation (TX). The study included assessing anthropometric measurements, handgrip strength, bioelectrical impedance analysis, malnutrition-inflammation score, dietary intake, resting energy expenditure, and biochemical parameters. The patients’ food consumption was recorded for three days. The malnutrition-inflammation score (MIS) was calculated to assess the patients’ nutritional status. Blood samples were collected for serum adropin and other biochemical parameters. Results. Adropin levels were significantly higher in the TX group when compared to the HD group. Patients with low adropin levels had higher MIS, serum ferritin, and lower low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) and total cholesterol (total-C) levels. Serum adropin levels were negatively correlated with the MIS and positively correlated with total-C, LDL-C, and HDL-C levels. Multiple linear regression analyses showed that the MIS (β=-0.25 p=0.038) and LDL-C level (β=0.29, p=0.007) were associated with serum adropin. Conclusions. Adropin may be considered as a new marker of nutritional status and possibly plays a role in the pathophysiological mechanisms and complications of patients with KFRT

Expression of cyclooxygenase-2 in ovarian serous carcinoma: Correlation with angiogenesis, nm23 expression and survival

Objective: To evaluate the expression of cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 in ovarian serous carcinomas (OSC) and its correlation with microvessel density (MVD), nm23 expression, clinicopathologic prognostic factors and survival. Methods: Specimens from 44 patients with OSC were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for COX-2 and nm23 expression. Tumor MVD was assessed with CD34 immunostaining. The survival data of the patients were found from data files. Results: 40 specimens (90.1%) showed positive COX-2 staining. Patients with high COX-2-expressed tumors had shorter overall survival, but it was not statistically significant. No correlation was found between COX-2 expression and clinicopathologic variables. There was no significant correlation between COX-2 and nm23 expression or MVD. Conclusions: COX-2 is frequently expressed in OSC. Although we could not confirm the prognostic significance of Cox-2 expression in the present cohort of OSC patients, the p value for overall Survival was just slightly greater than alpha, and this result can be referred as almost significant. We considered that the limited number of cases in Our study might affect the statistical analysis of our results. Further studies involving a larger number of patients are needed to clarify the prognostic significance of COX-2 expression in ovarian carcinomas

Açık Yeşil Alanlarin Kullanicilara Sunduğu Olanaklarin Değerlendirilmesi: Kocaeli/Türkiye Örneği

Kocaeli ili bir sanayi kenti olması nedeniyle çok çeşitli sosyo kültürel yapıdaki insanı içerisinde barındırmaktadır. Nüfusun bu çeşitliliği kent halkının kentsel mekanlardan beklentilerini de çeşitlendirmektedir. Bu araştırma Kocaeli kent halkının kentsel açık yeşil alanlar içerisinde yer alan parklardan memnuniyet ve memnuniyetsizlik durumlarını ve beklentilerini belirlemek amacıyla yürütülmüştür. Araştırmada rasgele seçilmiş, yüzyüze görüşmeye dayalı 650 kişi ile anket yapılmıştır. Anketlerden elde edilen veriler frekans dağılımı, faktör analizi, güvenirlilik analizi ve korelasyon analizi ile değerlendirilmiştir. Rekreasyonel faaliyetler memnuniyet faktöründe en önemli faktörü oluşturmuş ve kullanıcıların cinsiyet, meslek, gelir ve alanda geçirdikleri zaman ile ilişkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Kullanıcılar parkları, en fazla yaz aylarında (% 49.85), özellikle hafta sonlarında (% 57.80) ve yürümek, yemek yemek, spor amaçlı (% 28.05) olarak kullandıkları belirlenmiştir. Memnuniyetsizlik faktörlerinde ise yönetim ve alt yapı faktörleri ön plana çıkmıştır. Ankete göre kullanıcıların % 30.20 ‘lik büyük bir kısmı donatı elemanlarının, yönlendirme levhalarının ve güvenliğin yetersiz olduğu söylemektedir

DHEA supplementation improves endometrial HOXA-10 mRNA expression in poor responders

WOS: 000423956200002PubMed ID: 29278227Objective: The study was planned to investigate whether DHEA supplementation had an impact on endometrial receptivity in women who were poor responders (POR). Material and Methods: Twenty-eight POR women who were undergoing hysteroscopy and five fertile control subjects were included. The POR women were equally subdivided into two separate groups as patients who were currently using DHEA and those who were not. Endometrial samples of the subjects were obtained during hysteroscopy at the late follicular phase. Expression levels of endometrial HOXA-10, HOXA-11, and LIF mRNA were measured with the using real-time polymerase chain reaction. Spontaneous clinical pregnancy rates were also noted. Results: Compared with POR women who were not given DHEA, upregulated endometrial HOXA-10 (7.33-fold) and HOXA-11 (2.39-fold) mRNA expression were detected in POR women on DHEA. The increase in HOXA-10 mRNA was significant (p<0.03). The fold increase in HOXA-11 mRNA was found as 2.39, which indicated a positive upregulation. However, this fold increment was insignificant (p<0.45). An insignificant increase in spontaneous clinical pregnancy rates in POR women on DHEA (53.3%) was observed compared with POR women who were not given DHEA (43.8%). Conclusion: Oral DHEA supplementation in POR upregulates endometrial HOXA-10 mRNA expression, which is known to positively modulate endometrial receptivity.Turkish German Gynecologic Research and Education Foundation for HOXA and LIF genes kit

Logical Basis of Cerebrospinal Fluid and Serum S-100B Protein Measurement in Pregnant Women to Detect any Possible Cerebral Damage

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the study was to consider logical basis of serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) S100B measurement in pregnant females to detect any cerebral damage. STUDY DESIGN: CSF and serum samples from 14 pregnant patients (age: 20-34 years) were obtained during spinal anesthetic procedure of cesarean section. The serum samples from 9 non-pregnant patients (22–36 years) without an organic brain disease were used as normative data. S-100B levels in serum and CSF samples were measured with electrochemiluminescence immunoassay method. The CSF and blood serum levels of pregnants and blood serum levels of pregnant and nonpregnant females were compared using Kruskal-Wallis and Mann-Whitney U-tests. RESULTS: Serum S100B protein levels of pregnant females were significantly higher [0.66±0.06 ng/ml] than those observed in [0.06±0.00 ng/ml] nonpregnant females (p<.0001). There was a significant difference between the S100B protein levels of CSF and blood serum (p<0.05) in pregnant females. However the correlation between these two levels was insignificant (p=0.473). CSF S100B levels of pregnant subjcets were significantly higher than the serum levels of pregnant and nonpregnant subjects (p<0.0001). DISCUSSION: These results prove that the maternal serum and CSF S100B protein levels are independently related to each other in pregnancy

Ghrelin action on GnRH neurons and pituitary gonadotropes might be mediated by GnIH-GPR147 system

WOS: 000372259200003PubMed ID: 26684352Acylated ghrelin (AG) effect on GnRH secretion is mediated, at least in part, by GH secreta-gogue receptor (GHS-R) which is present in the GnRH neurons. As the acylation is mandatory for binding to GHS-R, unacylated isoform of ghrelin (UAG) action on gonadotropin secretion is likely to be mediated by other receptors or mediators that have not been identified yet. UAG, therefore, may act partially via a GHS-R-independent mechanism and inhibitory impact of UAG on GnRH neurons may be executed via modulation of other neuronal networks. Ghrelin and gonadotropin inhibitory hormone (GnIH), two agonistic peptides, have been known as important regulators of reproductive events. Potential impact of ghrelin on the activity of GnIH neurons is not exactly known. Both GnIH and ghrelin are potent stimulators of food intake and inhibitors of gonadotropin release. By binding G-protein coupled GnIH receptor (GnIH-R), GPR147, which is located in the human gonadotropes and GnRh neurons, GnIH exerts an inhibitory effect on both GnRH neurons and the gonadotropes. The GnIH-GPR147 system receives information regarding the status of energy reservoir of body from circulating peptides and then transfers them to the kisspeptin-GnIH-GnRH network. Due to wide distribution of this network in brain GnIH neurons may project on ghrelin neurons in the arcuate nucleus and contribute to the regulation of UAG's central effects or vice versa. Together, the unidentified ghrelin receptor in the hypothalamus and hypophysis may be GnIH-R. Therefore, it is reasonable that ghrelin may act on both hypothalamus and hypophysis via GnIH-GPR147 system to block gonadotropin synthesis and secretion