The effect of oral administration of monosodium glutamate on epileptogenesis in infant rats

Aim: Glutamate is an excitatory neurotransmitter that is widely distributed throughout the brain. An increase in glutamate concentration or sensitivity of glutamate receptors triggers neurodegenerative diseases, epilepsy in particular. Monosodium glutamate is a substance added to foods to enhance flavour. We investigated the effect of monosodium glutamate on epileptogenesis, as well asheight and weight, in rats that were just weaned. Methods: Twenty-four male and female 21-day-old Wistar Albino rats were divided into two groups: one with monosodium glutamate added to the drinking water, and a control in which NaCl was added to the drinking water. The electrical stimulation threshold values were determined in animals to which the hippocampal kindling process was applied, and the stimulations at these threshold values were invariably applied to the animals until they were kindled. Results: The electrical stimulation threshold values of the monosodium glutamate group did not statistically change, whereas the number of required stimulations for kindled rats was significantly lower compared with the control group. Conclusion: These results reveal that long-term oral administration of glutamate salts causes an increase in excitability in the central nervous system during ontogenetic development. © 2020 Epileptic Disorder

A review of ECG-based diagnosis support systems for obstructive sleep apnea

Humans need sleep. It is important for physical and psychological recreation. During sleep our consciousness is suspended or least altered. Hence, our ability to avoid or react to disturbances is reduced. These disturbances can come from external sources or from disorders within the body. Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) is such a disorder. It is caused by obstruction of the upper airways which causes periods where the breathing ceases. In many cases, periods of reduced breathing, known as hypopnea, precede OSA events. The medical background of OSA is well understood, but the traditional diagnosis is expensive, as it requires sophisticated measurements and human interpretation of potentially large amounts of physiological data. Electrocardiogram (ECG) measurements have the potential to reduce the cost of OSA diagnosis by simplifying the measurement process. On the down side, detecting OSA events based on ECG data is a complex task which requires highly skilled practitioners. Computer algorithms can help to detect the subtle signal changes which indicate the presence of a disorder. That approach has the following advantages: computers never tire, processing resources are economical and progress, in the form of better algorithms, can be easily disseminated as updates over the internet. Furthermore, Computer-Aided Diagnosis (CAD) reduces intra- and inter-observer variability. In this review, we adopt and support the position that computer based ECG signal interpretation is able to diagnose OSA with a high degree of accuracy

Sultan Abdülaziz Devrinde Tersâne-i Âmire’de Zırhlı Gemi İnşa Projeleri

Bu makalede Osmanlı Devleti’nin Sultan Abdülaziz devrinde başlatmış olduğu zırhlı gemi inşa teşebbüsleri ve bunun neticesinde Tersâne-i Âmire’de inşa edilen zırhlı gemilerin teknik özelliklerine yer verilecektir. Tersanede inşa edilen ilk zırhlı geminin hangisi olduğuna dair farklı bilgiler kıyaslanarak bir neticeye varılacaktır. Çalışmada Osmanlı Bahriye’sinin en önemli karar alma mercii olan Meclis-i Bahriye’nin defterlerinden ve Başkanlık Osmanlı Arşivi’nin çeşitli fonlarında bulunan evraktan istifade edilmiştir. Makalenin kapsamı yalnızca Osmanlı Devleti’nin zırhlı gemi projesi ve bu proje kapsamında inşa edilmiş olan zırhlı gemiler ile sınırlı olduğundan Sultan Abdülaziz devrinde İngiltere ve Fransa’dan satın alınan zırhlı gemilere dair bilgilere sadece ihtiyaç duyuldukça yer verilmiştir. Çalışma aynı zamanda Osmanlı Devleti’nin teknolojik gelişmeleri ve bilhassa da askerî teknolojilerin gelişimini yakından takip ettiğini ortaya koymaktadır. Osmanlı Devleti, teknolojilerin doğrudan satın alınarak transfer edilmesi yanında, ülkede üretilmesi yolunda da kayda değer bir çaba sarf etmiştir