Heart rate variability and heart rate turbulence in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease

Background: In chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) patients, functional and structural changes of the respiratory system greatly influence cardiovascular autonomic functions. Determining autonomic balance may be important in understanding the pathophysiology of COPD and useful clinically in the treatment of COPD patients. Heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate turbulence (HRT) are useful tools in assessing the autonomic neurovegetative function. Our aim in this study was to evaluate the HRV and HRT variables in COPD patients. Twenty five moderate to severe COPD patients and 25 healthy subjects were included in this study. Methods: Pulmonary function tests and echocardiographic examination, arterial blood gases analysis were performed, HRV and HRT analysis were assessed from a 24-hour Holter recording. Results: When HRV and HRT parameters were compared, COPD patients had significantly decreased sNN50 total, pNN50, SDANN, SDNN, SDNNI, rMSDD in time domain HRV parameters, and the values of the HRT onset was significantly less negative in COPD patients. Although the values of the HRT slope were lower in COPD patients, there was no significant difference between the two groups. We also found a correlation between HRT and HRV parameters. Conclusions: In addition to HRV parameters, HRT onset was significantly different in COPD patients. In our opinion, the combination of HRV variables and HRT onset may be simple and elegant ways of evaluating cardiac autonomic functions. New investigations of HRT and HRV in COPD patients have a potential importance for improving risk stratification and therapeutic approaches, and understanding the autonomic outcomes of the disease process

The effect of ellagic acid on the repair process of periodontal defects related to experimental periodontitis in rats

Objective: This study aims to evaluate the effect of ellagic acid (EA) by measuring the levels of alveolar bone resorption and inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in the periodontal tissues and serum on the periodontal repair process related to experimental periodontitis in rats. Methodology: Forty Wistar rats were divided into four study groups as follows: Group 1=healthy control (n=10); Group 2=EA control (15 mg/kg)(n=10); Group 3=periodontitis (n=10); Group 4=periodontitis+EA (15 mg/kg) (n=10). The periodontitis model was established by ligating bilateral mandibular first molars for 14 days. Then, rats were given normal saline or EA for another 14 days by gavage administration. Serum and gingiva myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity, 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine(8-OHdG), and glutathione (GSH) levels were analyzed by ELISA. İmmunohistochemical analysis was used to detect Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) immunoreactivities in the periodontal tissues. Alveolar bone loss (ABL) and attachment loss (AL) was evaluated by histomorphometry analysis. Results: ABL and AL were statistically higher in group 3 than in groups 1, 2 and 4 and in group 4 than in groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). MPO activities in gingival tissue and serum were significantly increased in group 3 compared to groups 1 and 2 (p<0.05). Significantly higher serum GSH levels, lower gingiva, and serum 8-OHdG levels, and MPO activity were observed in group 4 compared to group 3 (p<0.05). Rats with periodontitis (group 3) expressed significantly higher immunoreactivities of IL-6 and TNF-α and lower IL-10 immunoreactivity compared to those other groups (p<0.05). IL-6 and TNF-α immunoreactivities significantly decreased and IL-10 immunoreactivity increased in group 4 after the use of EA compared to group 3 (p<0.001). Conclusions: Our findings showed that EA provides significant improvements on gingival oxidative stress and inflammatory markers and alveolar bone resorption in the repair process associated with experimental periodontitis. Therefore, EA may have a therapeutic potential on periodontitis

Mullerian inhibiting substance expression in papillary thyroid cancer

SummaryObjectiveTo examine the expression of Mullerian inhibiting substance (MIS) in papillary thyroid cancer.Materials and methodsThe MIS expression was examined by studying the immunohistochemistry in deparafinized sections prepared from tissue blocks of patients who were diagnosed with papillary thyroid cancer, as given in the pathology archive records (n = 23).ResultsIn all the cases studied, 50% (n = 10) showed strong staining and 50% showed moderate staining. The percentage of staining was found to be 94.2 ± 3.1% in strongly stained cases and 92.2 ± 2.1% in moderately stained cases. Normal thyroid tissues neighboring the tumor did not display any staining.ConclusionThe MIS expression can be used as a significant tool in differential diagnosis of papillary thyroid cancer and also to shed light on its etiopathogenesis

Analysis of basic value levels of sport high school and general high school students according to receiving physical education and sports courses

The aim of this study was to analyze basic value level of Anatolian Sport High School and General High School students according to their receiving Physical Education and Sports courses. As 296 girls and 324 boys from General High School and 84 boys and 49 girls from Anatolian High School students, totally 753 students participated in research. In order to collect data related to independent and dependent variables, “Personal Information Form” and “Portrait Values Scale” were applied to high school students. Research data was evaluated by using Independent Sample T Test with statistics packet program. According to research results, meaningful difference in support of General High School was found at humanistic basic values which Power, Success, Excitement, Self-Management, Universalism, Benevolence, Compliance and Safety related to sub dimension according to Anatolian Sport High School and General High School students school types. Besides it was found that total points related to basic values vary according to gender and meaningful differences were found for the benefit of the girls. Meaningful differences were not found at Hedonism and Conventionalism sub levels

Modified outpatient dexamethazone, cytarabine and cisplatin regimen may lead to high response rates and low toxicity in Lymphoma

Objective: Our purpose was to investigate the efficacy of and establish a toxicity profile for a modified regimen of dexamethasone, cytarabine and cisplatin (DHAP) for lymphoma outpatients. Subjects and Methods: Fifty-one lymphoma patients, 26 with Hodgkin's disease and 25 with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, were included. The patients' median age was 32 years (range: 17-61). Twenty had progressive/refractory disease and 31 relapsed disease. Twenty-five were in clinical stage I/II and 26 in clinical stage III/IV before the initiation of salvage chemotherapy. DHAP consisted of dexamethasone (40 mg i.v. on days 1-4), cytarabine (2 g/m(2) i.v. as 3-hour infusion on days 2 in the evening and 3 in the morning) and cisplatin (35 mg/m(2) as 2-hour infusion on days 1-3) were administered every 21 days. A total of 154 cycles of modified DHAP were administered, with a median of 3 cycles per patient (range: 2-4). Results: The main toxicity was myelosuppression. WHO grade III-IV neutropenia and grade III-IV thrombocytopenia were observed in 27 (52.9%) and 21 (41%) patients, respectively. The overall response rate (85% for Hodgkin's disease and 95% for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma) was 88.3% (39.2% complete response and 49.1% partial response). Conclusion: The results showed that this outpatient schedule of DHAP was well tolerated and an effective salvage regimen

A new perspective on the future of Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology: Young Radiation Oncologists Group (TROD/GROG 001)

Radiation oncology is a field of medicine that has been rapidly growing with advances in technology, radiobiology, treatment algorithms and quality of life of modern radiotherapy over the last century. In the context of these advances, it is critical to be aware of the role of the young radiation oncologists and enable them to discover new perspectives. For this purpose, “The Young Radiation Oncologists Group” (GROG) has been established by the Turkish Society for Radiation Oncology (TROD), a subgroup which has focused on the professional developments, early career and integrating into the TROD family while supporting education and innovative research of young radiation oncologists. The purpose of this paper was to outline the structure and responsibilities of GROG and its scientific and social activities within TROD and in its own right.

Atrioventricular Septal Defects Repair: Comparison of Classic Single Patch and Double-Patch Techniques

Objective: Different patch techniques were virtually always used in the surgery of pediatric patients with complete atrioventricular septal defects. In this study, we described our single center, single surgeon experiences and results about the classic single patch and double patch techniques to repair complete atrioventricular septal defects. Materials and Methods: This retrospective descriptive study included 30 patients who underwent intracardiac repair of complete atrioventricular septal defect in Ankara Bilkent City Hospital Department of Pediatric Cardiovascular Surgery. The study was conducted between February 2019 to December 2021. Patients in group S underwent surgery using the traditional single-patch method, while group D included patients who underwent repair using the double patch approach (n = 10). Patients’ demographic and clinical information was taken from institutional databases and medical records. Postoperative complications were recorded. Results: When the preoperative/postoperative insufficiency levels of the valves were compared with the Wilcoxon Signed rank test, the findings were not statistically significant for the left atrioventricular valves, but were statistically significant for the right atrioventricular valves. (p=0.02) When we compared postoperative valve regurgitation of both techniques with the Kruskall-Wallis test, no significant difference was found between postoperative valve regurgitation and function, independent of preoperative findings. Conclusion: Both operation techniques did not make a difference between operative or late mortality and morbidity. Depending on the surgeon’s experience, ventricular septal defect size does not play a restrictive role in the selection of the technique to be used. The single-patch and double patch method as described here is methodical, comprehensible, repeatable, and reasonably long-lasting