Brain function assessment in different conscious states

Background: The study of brain functioning is a major challenge in neuroscience fields as human brain has a dynamic and ever changing information processing. Case is worsened with conditions where brain undergoes major changes in so-called different conscious states. Even though the exact definition of consciousness is a hard one, there are certain conditions where the descriptions have reached a consensus. The sleep and the anesthesia are different conditions which are separable from each other and also from wakefulness. The aim of our group has been to tackle the issue of brain functioning with setting up similar research conditions for these three conscious states.Methods: In order to achieve this goal we have designed an auditory stimulation battery with changing conditions to be recorded during a 40 channel EEG polygraph (Nuamps) session. The stimuli (modified mismatch, auditory evoked etc.) have been administered both in the operation room and the sleep lab via Embedded Interactive Stimulus Unit which was developed in our lab. The overall study has provided some results for three domains of consciousness. In order to be able to monitor the changes we have incorporated Bispectral Index Monitoring to both sleep and anesthesia conditions.Results: The first stage results have provided a basic understanding in these altered states such that auditory stimuli have been successfully processed in both light and deep sleep stages. The anesthesia provides a sudden change in brain responsiveness; therefore a dosage dependent anesthetic administration has proved to be useful. The auditory processing was exemplified targeting N1 wave, with a thorough analysis from spectrogram to sLORETA. The frequency components were observed to be shifting throughout the stages. The propofol administration and the deeper sleep stages both resulted in the decreasing of N1 component. The sLORETA revealed similar activity at BA7 in sleep (BIS 70) and target propofol concentration of 1.2 μg/mL.Conclusions: The current study utilized similar stimulation and recording system and incorporated BIS dependent values to validate a common approach to sleep and anesthesia. Accordingly the brain has a complex behavior pattern, dynamically changing its responsiveness in accordance with stimulations and states. © 2010 Ozgoren et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Global Variation of Nutritional Status in Children Undergoing Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis : A Longitudinal Study of the International Pediatric Peritoneal Dialysis Network

While children approaching end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are considered at risk of uremic anorexia and underweight they are also exposed to the global obesity epidemic. We sought to investigate the variation of nutritional status in children undergoing chronic peritoneal dialysis (CPD) around the globe. The distribution and course of body mass index (BMI) standard deviation score over time was examined prospectively in 1001 children and adolescents from 35 countries starting CPD who were followed in the International Pediatric PD Network (IPPN) Registry. The overall prevalence of underweight, and overweight/obesity at start of CPD was 8.9% and 19.7%, respectively. Underweight was most prevalent in South and Southeast Asia (20%), Central Europe (16.7%) and Turkey (15.2%), whereas overweight and obesity were most common in the Middle East (40%) and the US (33%). BMI SDS at PD initiation was associated positively with current eGFR and gastrostomy feeding prior to PD start. Over the course of PD BMI SDS tended to increase on CPD in underweight and normal weight children, whereas it decreased in initially overweight patients. In infancy, mortality risk was amplified by obesity, whereas in older children mortality was markedly increased in association with underweight. Both underweight and overweight are prevalent in pediatric ESKD, with the prevalence varying across the globe. Late dialysis start is associated with underweight, while enteral feeding can lead to obesity. Nutritional abnormalities tend to attenuate with time on dialysis. Mortality risk appears increased with obesity in infants and with underweight in older children.Peer reviewe

Comparison of pollen production and quality characteristics of cultivated and wild almond species [Comparación de producción y características de calidad del polen de especies de almendro cultivadas y silvestres]

There are several wild almond species in Turkey included Amygdalus orientalis (Mill.), Amygdalus turcomanica (Lincz.), Amygdalus fenzliana (Fritsch) Lipsky, Amygdalus trichamygdalus (Hand.-Mazz.) Woronow, Amygdalus arabica (Olivier), and Amygdalus webbii (Spach). These species offer a great value for the almond improvement; we studied the pollen viability, germination ratio and pollen yield for seven genotypes of A. orientalis, seven genotypes of A. turcomanica all growing under natural conditions in Southeastern Anatolia (Gaziantep and Şanli{dotless}urfa provinces, Turkey). Almond cultivars (Prunus dulcis [Mill.] D.A. Webb) obtained from Pozanti{dotless} Agricultural Experimental Station, Çukurova University, were also used in the experiment. The pollen viabilities of various almond genotypes were determined by 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) tests. At the end, pollen germination ratios were established according to Petri dishes method in vitro conditions (1% agar + 0, 10, 15 and 20% sucrose) while pollen yield was estimated with hemacytometric methods. The results indicated that pollen viability ratios were close to each other in both methods for the genotypes A. orientalis and A. turcomanica. Pollen germination ratios were found to be dependent on the sucrose content as well as on the genotypes used. The pollen of almond cultivars showed similar germination ratios in all of the sucrose concentrations while those pollens of A. orientalis and A. turcomanica genotypes displayed higher germination ratios in 10% sucrose. The number of anthers in one flower was higher in cultivars whereas the number of pollen grains was lower in other almond species. While the number of pollen grains in one flower was relatively high in A. orientalis genotypes, pollen quality was high in all the three species under research. The results suggested that these two species, namely A. orientalis and A. turcomanica could be employed for future almond breeding programs

Determination of pollen production and quality attributes of some almond cultivars (Prunus dulcis) and selected wild almond (Amygdalus orientalis) genotypes

This study was carried out to establish pollen production, viability and germination ratios for five almond genotypes of Amygdalus orientalis Mill. (Orientalis 5, Orientalis 6, Orientalis 7, Orientalis 9 & Orientalis 10) and four cultivars of Prunus dulcis Mill., (Nonpareil, Texas, Ferragnes & Ferraduel). For determination of pollen viability of selected almond genotypes, 2.3.5 Triphenyltetrazolium chloride and Fluorescent diacetat tests were made. Pollen germination ratios in vitro conditions were determined with petri dishes methods. For A. orientalis genotypes, pollen viability ratios according to the TTC test were found to be 61.80% and 72.88% in 2006 and 2007, respectively whereas the same ratios according to the FDA test carried out in 2006 and 2007 were 63.44% and 57.50%, respectively. The number of anthers in one flower, the number of pollen in one anther and the number of pollen in one flower were found higher in cultivars, whereas these traits turned out to be lower in A. orientalis genotypes. 'Orientalis 6' was notable pollen viability, the number of anthers in one flower, the number of pollen in one anther and the number of pollen in one flower, while the highest pollen germination percentage was recovered from 'Orientalis 9' had in 2006 and from 'Orientalis 5' in 2007. Morphological homogeneity (%) was found to be high in all orientalis types both experimental years. The results obtained with A. orientalis genotypes proved that they could well be employed as pollinizer for hybrid improving work to be made with almond cultivars. © 2012 Friends Science Publishers

Evaluation of carcinogenic effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF)

PubMed ID: 20846133The purpose of this study was to investigate the carcinogenic effects of electromagnetic fields on human. There are many effects of electromagnetic fields on human such as cancer, epidemiology, acute and chronic effects. These effects vary according to the field strength and environmental conditions. There have been many instances of harmful effects of electromagnetic fields from such seemingly innocuous devices as mobile phones, computers, power lines and domestic wiring. The balance of epidemiologic evidence indicates that mobile phone use of less than 10 years does not pose any increased risk of brain tumour or acoustic neuroma. For long-term use, data are sparse, and the following conclusions are therefore uncertain and tentative