The autonomic innervation of the testicular parenchyma: a rat model

The specific roles and direct involvements of autonomic innervations on the spermatogenic process are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to investigate stereologically the relative importance of sympathetic innervations in testicular parenchyma rats in chemically sympathectomized with guanethidine. Treated animals (n=10) were injected intraperitoneally with guanethidine at doses of 10mg/kg/day for 15 days while control animals (n= 5) received an equivalent volume of saline. After routine histological procedures, 5μm thick sections of the testes were selected for examination. Organ volumes were estimated using the Cavalieri Principle of volume measurement by means of consecutive serial sections, using “J Images” software in a computer. At least 10 seminiferous tubules were selected randomly and measured per cross section for evaluation of epithelial heights, luminal diameter and total seminiferous tubule diameter. Testicular volumes and seminiferous tubule measurements of treated animals were found to be affected by the chemical sympathectomy with guanethidine with a a statistically significant difference between experimental and control group (p<0.01). Our findings indicate that chemical sympathectomy with-short term low dose guanethidine might display morphometric changes in the rat testis which indicate the presence of autonomic innervation of its parenchyma

Hepatoprotective effect of Foeniculum vulgare essential oil: A carbon-tetrachloride induced liver fibrosis model in rats

Hepatoprotective activity of Foeniculum vulgare (fennel) essential oil was studied using a carbon tetrachloride-  induced liver fibrosis model in rats. The hepatotoxicity produced by chronic carbon tetrachloride administration  was found to be inhibited by Foeniculum vulgare essential oil with evidence of decreased levels of  serum aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. Histopathological  findings also suggest that Foeniculum vulgare essential oil prevents the development of chronic liver  damage. The changes in body weights in the rats assigned to the study groups supported these biochemical  and histopathological findings. The results of this study clearly indicate that Foeniculum vulgare essential oil  has a potent hepatoprotective action against carbon tetrachloride-induced liver fibrosis in rats.

A New Stochastic Perspective of Tumor Growth Model

One of the diseases which has a high mortality rate is cancer. Constructing a reliable mathematical model plays a crucial role in understanding the truth behind the biological process and providing correct treatment strategies. This novel study aims to propose a mathematical model closer to the real-life situation taking into account stochastic behaviors. With the help of a developed algorithm, the proposed mathematical model is verified by comparing the well-known glioblastomas whose deterministic form has already been studied in the literature. Additionally, the convergence of the algorithm is guaranteed computationally. The study has been enriched by figures illustrating tumor cell evolution

ESG performance and investment efficiency: The impact of information asymmetry

This paper investigates the relationship between firms' engagement in environmental, social, and governance (ESG) activities and corporate investment efficiency, using 1,094 firms from 21 countries in Europe, covering the years 2002–2019. We conduct our estimations using fixed effects panel data techniques and address potential endogeneity with instrumental variables (IV) estimations. We provide evidence that overall ESG engagement is positively and significantly associated with investment efficiency. Analyzing overinvestment and underinvestment scenarios shows that ESG engagement decreases only overinvestment problems. Within the underinvestment scenario, we observe that ESG engagement is beneficial only for firms with higher information asymmetries. Thus, information asymmetry matters in the underinvestment case. We next show that four firm-level channels—information asymmetry, financial constraints, cash flows, and risk—link ESG performance to investment inefficiency. Additional analysis shows that firms with extreme ESG scores (i.e., very low and very high) do not experience significant reductions in investment inefficiency. Altogether, our findings draw attention to the critical role of ESG performance and information asymmetry in determining corporate investment efficiency

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the craniocervical junction; case report and review

Epithelioid hemangioendotheliomas are uncommon vascular neoplasms and their spinal location is even rarer. We report clinical course of a 31-year-old man with an epithelioid hemangioendothelioma at the cranio-cervical junction. A cervical magnetic resonance imaging revealed tumor that caused posterior cervical cord compression. C1,2,3 total laminectomy and surgical excision of the tumor was performed. Postoperative external beam radiation was performed on the surgical field especially around the right vertebral artery. At 2-year follow-up there was no neurological deficit and no tumor recurrence. Keywords: Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma, Craniocervical junction, Surgical excisio

Performance of Size 1 I-Gel Compared with Size 1 ProSeal Laryngeal Mask in Anesthetized Infants and Neonates

Purpose. The size 1 I-gel, recommended for small infants and neonates weighing 2–5 kg, has recently been released. There are no prospective studies available that assess the insertion conditions, sealing pressures, or ventilation quality of it. This study was designed to compare the performance of recently released size 1 I-gel with size 1 ProSeal LMA. Methods. Fifty infants and neonates, ASA I-II were included in this prospective, randomized, and controlled study. Patients were divided into two groups for placing I-gel or ProSeal LMA. The primary outcome was airway leak pressure, and secondary outcomes included insertion time, insertion success and conditions, initial airway quality, fiberoptic view of the larynx, and complications. Results. There were no significant differences in terms of airway leak pressure between the I-gel (27.44±5.67) and ProSeal LMA (23.52±8.15) (P=0.054). The insertion time for the I-gel was shorter (12.6±2.19 s) than for the ProSeal LMA (24.2±6.059 s) (P=0.0001). Insertion success and conditions were similar in groups. We encountered few complications. Conclusion. Our study demonstrates that the size 1 I-gel provided an effective and satisfactory airway as the size 1 ProSeal LMA. It may be a good alternative supraglottic airway device for use in small infants and neonates. This trial is registered with: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01704118

Anterior cervical fusion with interbody cage containing beta-tricalcium phosphate: Clinical and radiological results

Aim: Beta tricalcium phosphate (beta-TCP) is an osteoconductive, resorbable material. Its clinical effectiveness has been proved in many indications. This study was clinical and radiographic study report obtained in patients undergoing anterior cervical discectomy and fusion ACDF in which PEEK cages were filled beta-TCP in an injectable form. Material and methods: Between January 2010 and June 2011, 16 consecutive patients underwent ACDF using PEEK cages with beta-TCP. The cohort compromised 10 men and 6 women with a mean age of 45.2 years. The surgery was performed when the patient had myelopathy or radiculopathy with progressive neurological deficit, or failure of conservative treatment (a minimum of 3 months). The patients were evaluated by Odom criteria preoperatively and postoperative 3rd, 6th, 12th and 24th months. Preop and postop pain was evaluated with visual analogue scala (VAS). Disc height and fusion success rates were evaluated. Results: Preoperative average VAS score was 7.9 (7–10) for neck pain and 8 (7–10) for arm pain. At the final follow-up, these scores became 1.5 and 1.4 for neck and arm pain, respectively. The average improvement rate was 81% for neck pain and 82.5% for arm pain. Postop ODOM's criteria main rate was 3.4. Bone fusion was achieved in 14 segments (70%) at 3rd month, 19 segments (95%) at 12th month follow-up assessment. Conclusion: Clinical and radiological results revealed that B-TCP is a good alternative synthetic fusion material for cervical interbody fusion.Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study. Keywords: Anterior cervical fusion, Interbody cage, Beta-tricalcium phosphat

Can Royal Jelly Prevent Epidural Fibrosis Development After Laminectomy? an Experimental Study

WOS: 000343369600006Objective: One of the most important causes of the failed back surgery syndrome is the development of epidural fibrosis. In this study, the effects on the development of epidural fibrosis following experimental laminectomy of royal jelly, of which the positive effects on wound healing are known, were investigated. Material and Methods: Rats were divided into two groups, with eight rats in each group. While only laminectomy was performed in the first group, royal jelly was applied locally in the second group following the laminectomy. Vertebral columns were removed 6 weeks later. Results: Paraffin sections were examined under the light microscope by the neuropathologist and the grade of fibrosis were recorded. Each group was compared with the other group according to the level of fibrosis. The fibrosis grade in the group that royal jelly was used was found as significantly lower as compared to the control group. Conclusions: Although the positive effects of royal jelly on wound healing are known, this study of ours about the effects on the epidural fibrosis development following laminectomy is a first. Based on the results of this study, royal jelly decreases the grade of epidural fibrosis in rats following laminectomy. Since the royal jelly has no toxic effects on human body, we believe that the phase studies on humans for the medicine form of royal jelly can be carried out