Effects of weight loss on ventricular systolic and diastolic functions and left ventricular mass assessed by tissue doppler imaging in obese geriatric women: preliminary report

Background and aims: Obesity is one of the most common diseases in the world. Particularly in elderly subjects, the effects of weight loss on cardiac functions have not been previously investigated by means of pulsed wave tissue doppler imaging (PWTDI). Using PWTDI, we examined the effects of weight loss on cardiac functions and left ventricular (L V) mass in obese geriatric women. Methods: Thirteen obese women aged 66-83 years (mean age 71.2+/-4.9 yrs) with a body mass index 35.6-49 kg/m(2) (mean body mass index 39.9+/-4.3 kg/m(2)) were evaluated by echocardiography and PWTDI. Only subjects with uncomplicated obesity were included. All measurements, including anthropometric variables, systolic and diastolic indices, and LV Mass, were made before and after a 6-month Orlistat plus hypocaloric diet. Myocardial systolic wave (Sm) velocity, isovolumic acceleration (IVA), myocardial precontraction time (PCTm) and the PCTm to contraction time (CTm) ratio were calculated as systolic indices. Early diastolic wave (Em), late diastolic wave (Am), Em to Am ratio, myocardial relaxation time (RTm), deceleration time (DT) and isovolumic relaxation time (IVRT) were determined as diastolic measurements. Results: Subjects lost an average of 8.4+/-1.2 kg. LV mass decreased significantly after weight loss (p<0.001). In addition, IVRT decreased significantly (p=0.038). Only RTm decreased significantly (p=0.016), whereas other PWTDI parameters of LV remained the same. In the right ventricle, Sm velocity, IVA, Em, and Am velocities were similar. However, the PCTm to Am ratio decreased significantly (p=0.006), and the Em to Am ratio increased (p=0.04) and RTm decreased significantly (p=0.016) after weight loss. Conclusions: In obese geriatric women, weight loss improves ventricular diastolic functions and decreases LV mass. It also contributes to partial improvement in right ventricular systolic function. (Aging Clin Exp Res 2010; 22: 206-211) (C) 2010, Editrice Kurti

Population Growth of Bosmina longirostris Fed Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus subspicatus in Different Densities

In this study, the effects of the different densities of Chlorella vulgaris (0.05 x 106, 0.1 x 106, 0.2 x 106, 0.4 x 106, or 0.8 x 106 cells/ml) and Scenedesmus subspicatus (0.05 x 106, 0.1 x 106, 0.2 x 106, or 0.4 x 106 cells/ml) on culture of the water flea, Bosmina longirostris, were investigated. The experiment was carried out in a photoperiod of 16 h light:8 h dark at 25±1°C. At the beginning of the experiment, one B. longirostris individual (<24 h old) was put into each vessel, and the number of individuals and rate of population increase were determined for 30 days. Increasing the food density increased the number of individuals and the rate of population. The maximum number of B. longirostris individuals (7.1±2.08 ind/ml) and maximum rate of population increase (0.2±0.004/day) was in the group fed 0.2 x 106 cells/ml S. subspicatus. The effect on the number of the individuals was statistically significant (p<0.05)

How the design of Complete Streets affects mode choice: Understanding the behavioral responses to the level of traffic stress

Following a federal policy statement in 2010 supporting bicycle and pedestrian accommodation in federal-aid transportation projects, many cities across the US have implemented Complete Streets principles and invested in developing better-planned infrastructure that can be safely accessed by a diversity of modes of transportation by all types of users, in a mix of land uses. However, most of the travel demand forecasting models and planning tools used in practice are not sensitive to changes in demand for non-motorized modes such as walking and cycling in response to road infrastructure improvements. Hence, there is a need for models and tools that are capable of evaluating impacts of infrastructure changes that include Complete Streets implementations on the travel behavior, and estimate shifts in mode choices from motorized to non-motorized modes. This paper proposes a specific data collection plan, a multi-modal choice model, and strategies to update traditional trip-based transportation models to forecast rates of non-motorized trips for evaluating Complete Streets plans at a higher level. Concretely, we estimate elasticities to Level of Traffic Stress, which defines the comfort or discomfort experienced by walkers and bikers, segmented by income levels and trip purposes. We then use them to compute the new non-motorized mode shares that would be achieved by improving CS attributes leading to lower levels of traffic stress. The proposed modeling framework has been successfully applied to the Maryland Statewide Transportation Model, producing reliable non-motorized trip rates, and can be extended to other methodological frameworks used by public agenciesThis research was sponsored by the Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (Project No: MD-21- SHA/UM/5-25, Erdogan et al., 2021), and the Urban Mobility & Equity Center (UMEC), based at Morgan State Universit

COMFORTABLE AND PROTECTIVE HYBRID WEFT-KNIT PLATED FABRIC FROM GLASS AND WOOL/ACRYLIC YARNS

In this study, hybrid weft-knit plated fabrics were produced by co-feeding glass and wool/acrylic blend yarns. While the wool/acrylic yarn in contact with skin is expected to provide comfort, the glass yarn next to the environment is to provide protection. The physical, structural, air permeability, bursting strength, and the protection against flame properties of glass plus wool/acrylic plated fabric were compared with the reference fabrics consisting completely of glass or wool/acrylic blend yarn. Two factors: the yarn composition and the cam setting of the knitting machine were considered. Two-ply of glass yarn was fed to the each face of the reference glass fabric, and a single-ply of wool/acrylic yarn was fed to the each face of the reference wool/acrylic fabric. On the other hand, while the hybrid plated fabric’s back face accommodated two-ply of glass yarn, its front face involved a single-ply of wool/acrylic yarn. Two different cam settings, loose and tight, were selected. The physical and the structural properties of the fabrics were measured. Then, air permeability, bursting strength, and the protection against flame tests were performed. Test results were subjected to detailed statistical data analysis and how they were affected by the yarn composition and the cam setting was presented with visual and self-explanatory graphs

THE PREVALANCE OF MUCOSAL INVOLVEMENT IN PATIENTS WITH LICHEN PLANUS

Amaç: Liken planus toplumun yaklaşık %1-4\'ünü etkileyen inflamatuar mukokutan birdermatozdur. Literatürde liken planusun mukoza tutulumu sıklığı ile ilgili oldukçadeğişken veriler bulunmaktadır. Dolayısıyla kliniğimizdeki liken planuslu olgulardamukoza tutulumu sıklığının araştırılması amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve yöntem: Eylül 2002-Aralık 2006 yılları arasında Dokuz Eylül ÜniversitesiTıp Fakültesi Dermatoloji Bölümü\'ne başvuran, klinik ve histopatolojik olarak likenplanus tanısı almış 53 olgu oral mukoza ve anogenital mukoza tutulumu açısındanretrospektif olarak değerlendirilmiştir.Bulgular: Olguların 34\'ünde (%64,2) mukoza yerleşimli liken planus döküleribelirlenmiştir. Dökülerin yerleşimi değerlendirildiğinde; 23 olguda sadece oral, 3 olgudasadece genital, 7 olguda oral + genital, 1 olguda ise oral+anal mukoza tutulumu saptanmıştır.Sonuç: Liken planuslu olgularda mukoza tutulumunun oldukça sık olması, rutin deribilimselbakıda oral ve anogenital mukoza muayenesinin önemini vurgulamaktadır.Objective: Lichen planus, which affects 1- 4% of the general population, is aninflammatory mucocutaneous disease. There are fairly variable data in the literatureabout the prevelance of the mucosal involvement of lichen planus. For this reason, weaimed to evaluate prevalance of mucosal involvement of patients with lichen planus.Material and method: Fifty-three patients, who applied to Dokuz Eylül UniversityHospital\'s Dermatology Department between September 2002 and December 2007,were diagnosed lichen planus clinically and pathologically and they wereretrospectively evaluated for oral and anogenital mucosal involvement.Results: Mucous membrane involvement was seen in 34 (64,2%) patients. Theassesment of the localisation of the lesions was; 23 patients only oral, 3 patients onlygenital, 7 patients oral and genital both, 1 patient oral and anal mucous membraneboth.Conclusion: The fact that themucosal involvement is verycommon in patients who have lichenplanus emphasizes the importance of routine examination of oral and anogenitalmucosae

Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Some Hydrazide-Hydrazone Derivatives as Anticancer Agents

In this study, a series of hydrazide-hydrazone derivatives (3a-3u) were synthesized and evaluated for their anticancer activities against prostate cancer cell line (PC-3), breast cancer cell line (MCF-7), colon cancer cell line (HT-29) and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) using MTT assay. In particular, compound 3h having a pyrrole ring was found to be the most potent derivative with IC50 = 1.32, 2.99, 1.71 µM against PC-3, MCF-7, HT-29 cancer cell lines respectively using paclitaxel as a standard compound. Furthermore, compound 3h was subjected to further biological studies such as caspase-3 activity and Annexin-V assay to evaluate their inhibitory potentials. The activity results displayed that compound 3h increased caspase-3 activation and the number of cells to early apoptosis. The additional studies like pharmacokinetics, bioavailability scores and drug-likeness properties were also evaluated. The in silico pharmacokinetics predictions displayed that the bioavailability of these compounds may be high

Evaluation of nutritional status in pediatric intensive care unit patients: the results of a multicenter, prospective study in Turkey

IntroductionMalnutrition is defined as a pathological condition arising from deficient or imbalanced intake of nutritional elements. Factors such as increasing metabolic demands during the disease course in the hospitalized patients and inadequate calorie intake increase the risk of malnutrition. The aim of the present study is to evaluate nutritional status of patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Turkey, examine the effect of nutrition on the treatment process and draw attention to the need for regulating nutritional support of patients while continuing existing therapies.Material and MethodIn this prospective multicenter study, the data was collected over a period of one month from PICUs participating in the PICU Nutrition Study Group in Turkey. Anthropometric data of the patients, calorie intake, 90-day mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay and length of stay in intensive care unit were recorded and the relationship between these parameters was examined.ResultsOf the 614 patients included in the study, malnutrition was detected in 45.4% of the patients. Enteral feeding was initiated in 40.6% (n = 249) of the patients at day one upon admission to the intensive care unit. In the first 48 h, 86.82% (n = 533) of the patients achieved the target calorie intake, and 81.65% (n = 307) of the 376 patients remaining in the intensive care unit achieved the target calorie intake at the end of one week. The risk of mortality decreased with increasing upper mid-arm circumference and triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.871/0.894; p = 0.027/0.024). The risk of mortality was 2.723 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h (p = 0.006) and the risk was 3.829 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at the end of one week (p = 0.001). The risk of mortality decreased with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.894; p = 0.024).ConclusionTimely and appropriate nutritional support in critically ill patients favorably affects the clinical course. The results of the present study suggest that mortality rate is higher in patients who fail to achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h and day seven of admission to the intensive care unit. The risk of mortality decreases with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score

Diagnosis of comorbid migraine without aura in patients with idiopathic/genetic epilepsy based on the gray zone approach to the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 criteria

BackgroundMigraine without aura (MwoA) is a very frequent and remarkable comorbidity in patients with idiopathic/genetic epilepsy (I/GE). Frequently in clinical practice, diagnosis of MwoA may be challenging despite the guidance of current diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 (ICHD-3). In this study, we aimed to disclose the diagnostic gaps in the diagnosis of comorbid MwoA, using a zone concept, in patients with I/GEs with headaches who were diagnosed by an experienced headache expert.MethodsIn this multicenter study including 809 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of I/GE with or without headache, 163 patients who were diagnosed by an experienced headache expert as having a comorbid MwoA were reevaluated. Eligible patients were divided into three subgroups, namely, full diagnosis, zone I, and zone II according to their status of fulfilling the ICHD-3 criteria. A Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis was performed to bring out the meaningful predictors when evaluating patients with I/GEs for MwoA comorbidity, using the variables that were significant in the univariate analysis.ResultsLonger headache duration (&lt;4 h) followed by throbbing pain, higher visual analog scale (VAS) scores, increase of pain by physical activity, nausea/vomiting, and photophobia and/or phonophobia are the main distinguishing clinical characteristics of comorbid MwoA in patients with I/GE, for being classified in the full diagnosis group. Despite being not a part of the main ICHD-3 criteria, the presence of associated symptoms mainly osmophobia and also vertigo/dizziness had the distinguishing capability of being classified into zone subgroups. The most common epilepsy syndromes fulfilling full diagnosis criteria (n = 62) in the CART analysis were 48.39% Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy followed by 25.81% epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone.ConclusionLonger headache duration, throbbing pain, increase of pain by physical activity, photophobia and/or phonophobia, presence of vertigo/dizziness, osmophobia, and higher VAS scores are the main supportive associated factors when applying the ICHD-3 criteria for the comorbid MwoA diagnosis in patients with I/GEs. Evaluating these characteristics could be helpful to close the diagnostic gaps in everyday clinical practice and fasten the diagnostic process of comorbid MwoA in patients with I/GEs