Serum and peritoneal fluid levels of ischemia modified albumin in moderate/severe endometriosis

Background: Recently, the role of oxidative stress in progression of endometriosis has been reported. Ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) is a marker of protein oxidation and very limited number of studies has evaluated the role of IMA in endometriosis. This study was designed to evaluate the serum and peritoneal fluid IMA levels in moderate/severe endometriosis as a marker for oxidative stress.Methods: This study was designed as a prospective controlled clinical trial. The study group consisted of 35 cases who underwent laparoscopy and with a diagnosis of moderate/severe endometriosis. The control group (n=35) was cases without endometriosis that underwent laparoscopy for tubal sterilization. The serum and peritoneal fluid IMA levels were measured spectrophotometrically by colorimetric method with complex of albumin non-binding cobalt and dithioerthreitol.Results: Although the median serum IMA levels in study and control groups were similar (p=0.553), the levels of peritoneal fluid IMA were significantly higher in study group (p=0.044). In endometriosis cases with dysmenorrhea peritoneal fluid IMA levels were much higher than cases without dysmenorrhea (p=0.018).Conclusions: The increased levels of IMA in peritoneal fluid of endometriosis support the possible role of oxidative stress in endometriosis. With this study, peritoneal fluid IMA levels are initially documented in endometriosis cases

Suomen Punaisen Ristin turvatalopalveluiden saavutettavuus: Vammaisen nuoren oikeus olla nuori

Vammaisia koskevaa tutkimustietoa on alettu kunnolla julkistaa vasta vammaisten henkilöiden ihmisoikeuksien sopimuksen ratifioinnin jälkeen. Ratifiointi velvoittaa maan tekemään tutkimusta. Aiempi vammaisiin ihmisiin keskittynyt tutkimus on pitkälti graduja ja muita koulujen lopputöitä. Omasta vammaisuudestani johtuen olen aina ollut kiinnostunut siitä miten vammaiset ihmiset voitaisiin parhaalla mahdollisella tavalla integroida muuhun yhteiskuntaan ja sen tarjoamiin palveluihin. Samoin Suomen Punainen Risti on harjoittelupaikkana kiinnostanut minua aina. Onnistuin pääsemään SPR:lle harjoitteluun vasta viimeiseen kehittävään harjoitteluun ilmaistuani kiinnostukseni erityisesti turvatalopalveluita ja niiden kehittämistä kohtaan. Tämän työn tarkoitus on tarkastella Suomen Punaisen Ristin Espoon nuorten turvatalon palveluiden saavutettavuutta ja kehittää sitä. Erityisenä näkökulmana on saavutettavuus fyysisesti vammaisten nuorten näkökulmasta, mutta työssä on tuotu esiin saavutettavuuden useat ulottuvuudet. Opinnäytetyön tilaajana toimii Suomen Punaisen Ristin Espoon nuorten turvatalo, jossa ymmärretään saavutettavien palveluiden merkitys kaikille nuorille. Samalla tiedostetaan kuitenkin se tosiasia, että tilat, joissa turvatalo toimii ovat esteelliset. Turvatalolla ei myöskään ole fyysisesti vammaisia nuoria asiakkaina. Turvatalon työntekijät pohtivat mistä se johtuu, miten siihen voi vaikuttaa ja miten vammaisia nuoria voi palvella esteellisistä tiloista huolimatta. Opinnäytetyön tutkimusmenetelmänä käytettiin kvalitatiivista eli laadullist tutkimusta. Tutkimusaineiston keräämiseksi toteutettiin webropoll-kysely, joka lähetettiin sähköpostilinkkinä Espoon alueen, lastensuojelun, perhesosiaalityön, vammaissosiaalityön, ohjaamotalon ja nuorisopoliklinikan työntekijöille sekä koulujen kuraattoreille. tavoitteena oli selvittää kuinka monella on asiakkaanaan vammaisia nuoria ja ovatko he koksaan ohjanneet nuoria turvatalopalveluiden piiriin. Jos eivät, miksi? Kyselyyn tuli 25 vastausta. Vastaajamäärä jäi pienehköksi, koska kysely lähetettiin johtaville työntekijöille, jotka lähettivät sitä alaisilleen. Toteutetusta kyselystä ilmeni, että suurimmalla osalla vastanneista on ollut asiakkaanaan vammaisia nuoria tai perheitä, joissa on vammainen nuori, mutta vain harva on ohjannut heitä edelleen turvatalolle. Syyksi tähän kerrottiin huoli siitä miten nuori pärjää turvatalolla ja epätietoisuus siitä mitä kaikkia palveluita turvatalolla oikeastaan tarjotaan

The Effects of Career Construction Training on Career Adaptability, Vocational Identity Achievement, and Subjective Well-Being among First Year College Students

The need for preventative career interventions for well-being and vocational development of college students in today’s unstable economy and demanding world of work cannot be overstated. Addressing this need, this quasi-experimental study investigated the effectiveness of a Career Construction Training developed based on Career Construction Theory by Savickas (2013) in promoting career adaptability (CA), vocational identity achievement (VIA), and subjective well-being (SWB). Three main research questions were addressed: 1) Would the career construction training be effective in increasing CA among first-year college students? 2) Would the career construction training be effective in increasing VIA among first-year college students? and 3) Would the career construction training be effective in promoting SWB among first-year college students? The sample of the study consisted of a diverse group of 27 (13 men and 14 women) first-year students at University of Massachusetts Boston. Training group consisted of 16 students (8 women and 8 men) with a mean age of 18.57 years (SD = 1.07) and the control group consisted of 11 participants (5 men and 6 women) with a mean age of 19.09 years (SD = 1.22). The participants in the training group received the Career Construction Training for six weeks while the participants in the control group did not receive any intervention. All participants completed seven measurements in total including pre-test and six measurements following each session in order to monitor the changes throughout the training. The data were analyzed with 11 mixed-design non-parametric factorial ANOVA with within-subjects factor of time across seven measurement points and a between-subjects factor of group (i.e., training vs. control). The findings showed that there was no time by group interaction for any of the outcome variables, indicating that there was insufficient evidence that the training improved the CA, VIA, and SWB levels of the participants in the training group compared to the control group. However, the findings of the present study were limited by low power due to small sample size. The implications and limitations of the findings and recommendations for future research are discussed

Romantic relationship satisfaction, commitment to career choices and subjective well-being

This study explored the role of romantic relationship satisfaction and two dimensions of career commitment (vocational exploration and commitment and tendency to foreclose) in subjective well-being among 391 (169 females, 222 males) senior university students. The results of two separate multiple regression analyses yielded that life satisfaction was significantly predicted by relationship satisfaction and vocational exploration and commitment whereas positive and negative emotions were significantly predicted by relationship satisfaction, tendency to foreclose and vocational exploration and commitment. The implications, limitations and future directions for research were discussed. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin Uzunboyl

The effect of montelukast on soluble interleukin-2 receptor and tumor necrosis factor alpha in pediatric asthma

WOS: 000240040700014PubMed: 16948354Proinflammatory cytokines such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha and soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) are very important mediators in induction of inflammatory response in lung. The aim of this study was to investigate anti-inflammatory response of cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist montelukast on macrophage and T-cell activation by sIL-2R and TNF-alpha in mild atopic asthmatic children. Fifteen children with mild-to-moderate atopic asthma and 15 nonatopic children as control, enrolled in the study. Asthmatic children were treated with montelukast, 5-mg tablets for 1 month. Lung function test forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) was performed before and after treatment. Serum TNF-alpha, sIL-2R, and eosinophil cationic protein levels were determined in the control group and in asthmatic children before and after treatment. The mean eosinophil cationic protein value was significantly decreased (33.1 +/- 14.8 and 22.2 +/- 12.1; p < 0.05) and FEV1 was significantly increased (86.9 +/- 20.9 and 102.1 +/- 12.7, p < 0.05) after 1 month treatment with montelukast. The mean serum IL-2R levels were significantly higher in the before treatment group than in the after treatment group (1061.9 +/- 491 and 794 +/- 230.9; p < 0.05) or in control subjects (581.1 +/- 123; p < 0.01). The mean serum TNF-alpha level was higher in the before treatment group than in the after treatment group and control group (7.30 +/- 3.93, 5.20 +/- 1.46, and 4.95 +/- 1.27, p < 0.05). There was a significant correlation between TNF-a and sIL-2R in patients before montelukast treatment (r = 0.674; p < 0.01). This study indicates that montelukast improves clinical parameters and shows anti-inflammatory response by decreasing serum sIL-2R and TNF-alpha levels

AN ASSESMENT OF UNEXPECTEDLY HIGH HbA1c LEVEL IN A CASE WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES

WOS: 000382619500017The HbA1c test provides information about blood glucose levels of previous months depending on the erythrocyte lifetime when monitoring diabetic patients. However, various factors such as HbF and other hemoglobin variants can interfere with the measurement of HbA1c. In this study, an unexpectedly high HbA1c level was observed in a patient with type 1 diabetes. In the hemoglobin chain analysis, which explained the reason for the high value, high fetal hemoglobin levels were detected and interfered with HbA1c measurement with the HPLC method. This finding was in concordance with the literature. As a conclusion, it should be considered that hemoglobinopathy might be found in the patients who have higher levels of HbA1c which is not in agreement with the blood glucose. Thus, it can be said that HbA1c test is not a good marker for monitoring such diabetic patients. In such cases, fructosamine or other glycated end products may be a more reliable marker

The evaluation of cystatin C, IL-1 beta, and TNF-alpha levels in total saliva and gingival crevicular fluid from 11- to 16-year-old children

WOS: 000255961500012PubMed: 18454664Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the levels of cystatin C, interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) in the total saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) of periodontally healthy children (PHC) and children with gingivitis (CG) who were between I I and 16 years old. Methods: The study was carried out with 10 PHC and 25 CG. Unstimulated total saliva and GCF samples were obtained. Clinical parameters, including probing depth (PD), clinical attachment loss (CAL), plaque index (PI), gingival index (GI), and gingival bleeding index (GBI), were assessed. GCF samples were collected from four maxillary upper incisors. After sampling, biochemical analyses were performed using latex particle-enhanced turbidimetric immunoassay for cystatin C and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for IL-1 beta and TNF-alpha. The multivariate analysis of variance test was used for statistical evaluation. Results: In total saliva, cystatin C and TNF-a levels were higher in PHC, and IL-1 beta levels were higher in CG, but the differences were not statistically significant. In GCF, cystatin C levels were higher in PHC (P >0.05), whereas TNF-alpha and IL-1 beta levels were higher in CG (P >0.05). In the CG group, there were positive correlations between the GCF cystatin C level and the PI of the sampled site (r = 0.488; P 0.05), but there was no correlation between cystatin C levels and IL-1 beta or TNF-alpha levels in total saliva or GCF

Higher Heart-type Fatty Acid Binding Protein Levels are Related to More Severe and Extensive Coronary Atherosclerosis in Patients with Acute Myocardial Infarction

Aim: Heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), an early marker of cardiac necrosis, is released rapidly from myocardium as a consequence of ischemic injury. We hypothesized that more severe and extensive coronary atherosclerosis would result in more pronounced myocardial injury and necrosis in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Therefore, we sought the relationship between serum H-FABP levels and the severity and extent of coronary artery disease (CAD) assessed using the Gensini score. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with AMI who underwent invasive coronary angiography were divided into 2 groups according to the angiographic Gensini score, namely the moderate to severe CAD group (group 1) and the mild CAD group (group 2). A point of care test and Cardiodetect Quant device were used to detect whether H-FABP was positive and the quantitative measurements. The data obtained from this study were evaluated using the PASW statistic programme. Results: Mean serum H-FABP concentration was significantly higher in group 1 when compared to that in group 2. Furthermore, a strongly positive correlation was found between the Gensini score and serum H-FABP levels. Conclusion: The findings of our study suggest that the quantity of myocardial necrosis demonstrated by serum H-FABP levels is higher in patients with AMI who have more severe and extensive CAD. H-FABP levels are also positively correlated to the Gensini score. We propose that H-FABP, an early marker of myocardial necrosis, may also provide a clue about the severity and extent of CAD, especially in the setting of AMI

CRP at early follicular phase of menstrual cycle can cause misinterpretation for cardiovascular risk assessment

Buildings of inner courtyard, detail of roof; The Forbidden City was the Chinese imperial palace from the Ming Dynasty to the end of the Qing Dynasty. The nine-by-four bay Hall of Preserving Harmony (Baohe dian) was also a throne-room and the place where the seasonal festivals were held; in the 18th century the highest-level imperial civil service examinations took place here. This hall is smaller than the Hall of Supreme Harmony, rising only 22 m high, with a double-eaved, half-hipped roof. Although Chinese buildings were not designed to be viewed from the side, the gable ends of this hall and of most other major buildings in the Forbidden City are decorated with gilded relief carvings of interlocking circles and fluttering ribbons. Source: Grove Art Online; http://www.oxfordartonline.com/ (accessed 5/10/2011

The prognostic value of first-trimester cystatin C levels for gestational complications

Aims: This study is designed to evaluate predictive value of first-trimester cystatin C levels for long-term pregnancy complications