The effect of local corticosteroid injection on F-wave conduction velocity and sympathetic skin response in carpal tunnel syndrome

The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of steroid injection for the treatment of the carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS), with F-wave parameters and sympathetic skin response (SSR). Seventeen hands of 10 women patients were treated with local steroid injection with 2-month follow-up. All patients underwent single injection into the carpal tunnel. Response to injection was measured nerve conduction studies (NCSs), median nerve F waves, and SSR before and after treatment. To determine the normal values, 42 hands of 21 healthy women were also studied. There was a significant improvement of sensory and motor nerve conduction values when compared to baseline values (P < 0.01). At the end of follow-up period, the median sensory distal latency and the sensory latency differences between the median and the ulnar nerve were improved 35 and 65%, respectively. The maximum, mean F-wave amplitudes and chronodispersion showed a slight improvement with respect to baseline values and controls, but statistical significance was not achieved after treatment. Although no statistically significant improvements were observed in SSR parameters, slightly decreased amplitudes and increased habituation of SSR were noted at the end of the treatment. The present study shows that the local steroid injection results in improvement in NCSs values, but the F-wave parameters were not effectual in short-term outcome of CTS treatment. These findings suggest that the sensory latency differences between the median and the ulnar wrist-to-digit 4 are better parameters in the median nerve recovery after treatment than the median sensory distal latency. Furthermore, the SSR does not seem to be a sensitive method in follow-up of CTS treatment

Correlates of loneliness among university students

Background The purpose of this study was to investigate level of loneliness, essential needs during university education, and relationships between loneliness, essential needs, and characteristics of university students. A sample comprising 721 students participated in the study. The mean age was 21.58 (SD = 1.73) with a range from 18 to 25. The majority of the students were female (70.6%) and were living in students' dormitory (67.5%) with low (87.8%) income, away from their parents. Methods The UCLA-R loneliness scale and sociodemographic questionnaire which includes an open-ended question on essential needs during university education were administered. Pearson-Product-Moment correlations were used to explore the relationships between participants' loneliness, needs, and characteristics. Results It was found that 60.2% of the participants experienced loneliness. Economical support (81.6%), social interaction (46.9%) and psychosocial support (35%) were the essential needs during university education reported by the participants. The study findings indicate that there were significant relationships between the needs of economical support, social interaction, and loneliness level of university students. Results also show that there were significant relationships among romantic relationship, parents' status and loneliness. Participants' loneliness levels were relatively higher who had not any romantic relationship and were not from married families. Conclusion The findings of this study provided essential information, about Turkish university students, concerning: level of loneliness and relationships that exist among loneliness, needs and sociodemographic characteristics. The findings also suggest implications for psychosocial practice. Because of the mean of loneliness were found to be high (45.49 ± 10.07), for this study, professionals need to pay attention to Turkish university students' psychosocial state, and need to empower them in establishing social relations

Ultrasound homojenizasyonun karaciğer homojenatlarında süperoksit dismutaz, glutasyon peroksidaz, katalaz aktiviteleri ve lipid peroksit düzeylerine etkileri

Amaç: Çalışmada mekanik ve ultrasound (sonikasyon) homojenizasyon tekniklerinin karaciğer süperoksit dismutaz, glutasyon peroksidaz, katalaz aktiviteleri ile lipid peroksitleri ve total protein düzeylerine etkileri araştırılmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Bu amaçla taze dana karaciğeri küçük parçalara ayrılarak mekanik homojenizasyon (2 dk) ve sonikasyon (2, 4, 6, 8 ve 10 sn) grupları oluşturuldu. Süperoksit dismutaz, glutasyon peroksidaz, katalaz enzim aktiviteleri ile lipid peroksitleri ve total protein düzeyleri homojenatların süpernatantında spektrofotometrik yöntemlerle belirlendi. Bulgular: Süperoksit dismutaz, glutasyon peroksidaz, katalaz aktiviteleri ile total protein düzeylerinin, mekanik homojenizasyon gruplarında, sonikasyon grubuna göre önemli düzeyde farklı (P<0.05) olduğu tespit edildi. Sonikasyon grubu süperoksit dismutaz ve glutasyon peroksidaz aktiviteleri, mekanik homojenizasyon grubuna göre yüksek, katalaz aktiviteleri ise düşük bulundu (P<0.05). Glutasyon peroksidaz aktivitesi, 8 sn sonikasyon grubunda, 2, 4, 6 ve 10 sn'lik gruplara göre düşük (P<0.05) belirlenirken, katalaz 8 sn sonikasyon grubu diğer sonikasyon gruplarına göre en yüksek (P<0.05) aktivite düzeylerini gösterdi. Total protein düzeyleri 8 sn sonikasyon grubunda diğer gruplara göre düşük olarak gözlemlendi, istatistiksel fark ise 2, 6 ve 10 sn (P<0.05) gruplar arasında belirlendi. Lipid peroksidasyonu 8 sn grupta diğer gruplara göre yüksek seyrettiği, ancak istatistiksel farkın 2 sn (P<0.05) grup ile oluştuğu belirlendi. Öneriler: Karaciğer homojenatlarında, antioksidan enzim aktiviteleri ile lipid peroksidasyon ve total protein düzeyleri üzerine mekanik homojenizasyon ve sonikasyon tekniklerinin etkilerinin farklı olduğu, ayrıca, 8 sn sonikasyon uygulamasının, tüm parametreler için kritik bir nokta olabileceği düşünülmüştür.Aim: In this study, effects of ultrasound homogenisation (Sonication) technique on the activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, levels of lipid peroxidation and total protein in liver homogenates were investigated. Materials and Methods: Postmortem healthy fresh calf liver was used as the material. Liver was sliced and grouped as mechanical homogenisation (2 min) and sonication group (2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 second sonication). Activities of superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase, levels of lipid peroxidation and total protein were measured in supernatant of homogenisated samples by spectrophotometric methods. Results: Superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, catalase activities and total protein levels in mechanical group were significantly different from sonication groups (P&lt;0.05). In sonication groups, superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities were higher and catalase activity was lower from mechanical group (P&lt;0.05). As regards glutathione peroxidase activity, 8 sec sonication group was the lowest compared to 2, 4, 6 (P&gt;0.05) and 10 sec (P&lt;0.05) groups whereas 8 sec catalase activity was the highest compared to other sonication groups (P&lt;0.05). Total protein level was the lowest in 8 sec group compared to the other sonication groups which significant difference was determined in 2, 6 and 10 sec (P&lt;0.05) groups. Lipid peroxidation level was the highest in 8 sec sonication group compared to other sonication groups with a significance in 2 sec group (P&lt;0.05). Conclusions: In liver homogenates, antioxidant enzyme activities, lipid peroxidation and total protein levels were significantly different between mechanical and ultrasound homogenisation groups. Sonication for 8 seconds suggested to be critical point

Effects of Perioperative Hypothermia on Extubation, Recovery Time, and Postoperative Shivering in Breast Surgery

Women undergoing breast surgery seem to be under the risk for hypothermia (central body temperature 36°) due to the uncertainty caused by the preoperative preparation time and the variety of operations, leading to neglect of warming precautions. The study examines the perioperative hypothermia (PH) in breast surgery and the relationships between the depth of decrease in body temperature and individual or clinical variables. This prospective, cross-sectional, observational study includes 120 female patients 18-65 years of age who were given general anesthesia for breast surgery. The incidence of hypothermia was 68.1%. The given patients were discriminated as body temperature 36°, hypothermia was significantly related with lower weight, body mass index, American Society of Anesthesiology (ASA) score, baseline body temperatures, higher extubation, and recovery times. When patients' temperature decreases by >1 or 1.5°, lower age and longer durations of operation and anesthesia were also significant variables. The incidence of shivering is quite high at temperatures below 36°C or at 1 and 1.5°C reductions from baseline (72.7%, 84%, 94.1%, respectively). Body temperature changes of the patients had no effect on nausea-vomiting and pain scores. It turned out that the incidence of PH and shivering is high in women who underwent breast surgery. We think that the depth of decrease in body temperature should be taken into account when evaluating the predictors or clinical consequences of hypothermia, except for the 36°C limit for body temperature. Copyright 2023, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers

The effect of counselling programmes involving expressive activities with semi-structured groups on self-concealment levels of adolescents

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of counselling programmes based on expressive activities with semi-structured groups, on the self-concealment levels of adolescents. The research was carried out using a pretest-posttest control group design. The dependent variable of the present research, is the psychological counselling programme conducted with a semi-structured group based on expressive activities. The research was carried out with 18 6th and 7th grade secondary school students (10 female and 8 male). The Self-Concealment Scale was used as data collection tool. In this research, the use of nonparametric tests was preferred, as the sample was smaller than 30. Therefore, it was determined whether there is a statistically significant difference between the arithmetic means of the experimental and control groups' pretest, posttest and trail test scores by use of Wilcoxon signed-rank test, to determine the effects of a psychological counselling programme with semi-structured group based on expressive activities. Also, it was determined whether there was a statistically significant relationship between the pretest, posttest and trail intervention scores received by the intervention and control group students from the Self-Concealment Scale, using Mann-Whitney U test. The research results revealed that the "psychological counselling programme based on expressive activities with semi-structured groups" was significantly effective in alleviation of self-concealment levels, and this effect was also maintained in follow-up evaluations. The obtained results are discussed in the light of related literature findings and recommendations are proposed accordingly