C-reactive protein and homocysteine levels are associated with abnormal heart rate recovery in women with polycystic ovary syndrome

Objective: To determine heart rate recovery (HRR) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and its relation to C-reactive protein (CRP) and homocysteine (Hcy) levels. Design: Prospective clinical study. Setting: University hospital. Patient(s): Sixty-eight women with PCOS and 68 healthy women were included this study. Intervention(s): Heart rate recovery was evaluated. We measured serum levels of CRP and Hcy. The presence of insulin resistance was investigated using homeostasis model assesment (HOMA-IR). Main Outcome Measure(s): Heart rate recovery, CRP, Hcy. Result(s): Heart rate recovery was significantly decreased in women with PCOS compared with control group women. Subjects with abnormal HRR had significantly greater levels of CRP and Hcy. The PCOS patients with HRR in the top tertile compared with the bottom quartile tended to have lower mean CRP and Hcy levels. The HRR was significantly and negatively correlated with age, CRP, Hcy, HOMA-IR, and body mass index. C-reactive protein and Hcy are independent determinants of HRR. Conclusion(s): The CRP and Hcy levels may affect the development and progression of abnormal HRR in PCOS

Homocysteine concentrations in follicular fluid are associated with poor oocyte and embryo qualities in polycystic ovary syndrome patients undergoing assisted reproduction

background: A poor quality of oocytes and embryos and a low fertilization rate have been found in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients. An inverse association between follicular fluid homocysteine (Hcy) levels and oocyte and embryo quality has also been demonstrated. We examined the relationship between follicular fluid Hcy concentrations and oocyte and embryo quality in PCOS patients undergoing assisted reproduction. methods: Fifty-two PCOS patients were included in the study, and underwent GnRH agonist/recombinant FSH treatment. The Hcy, folate, vitamin B12, malonyldialdehyde (MDA) and estradiol (E2) levels were measured in follicular fluid from single oocytes at time of retrieval. One follicle per ovary was sampled and 94 were analysed. Plasma hormones were also measured. Oocytes and embryos were graded (1–3) using standard approaches. results: The concentrations of Hcy, E2, vitamin B12, folate and MDA in plasma were higher than in follicular fluid (all P , 0.001). Significant differences were observed in follicular Hcy levels between Grade 3 and Grade 2 oocytes (P , 0.001). Hcy levels were lower in Grade 1–2 embryos than that in Grade 3 embryos; follicular fluid vitamin B12 levels were lower in patients showing high concentrations of follicular fluid Hcy (P , 0.01). The follicular fluid Hcy levels were negatively correlated with follicular fluid vitamin B12 (r ¼ 20.44), folate (r ¼ 20.68) and fertilization rate (r ¼ 20.85), and positively correlated with follicular fluid MDA (r ¼ 0.51). conclusions: Concentrations of Hcy in follicular fluid on the dOPU may be a useful marker for fertilization rate, and oocyte and embryo quality in PCOS patients undergoing assisted reproduction

Plasma interleukin-18 levels are increased in the polycystic ovary syndrome: relationship of carotid intima-media wall thickness and cardiovascular risk factors

Objective: To determine serum interleukin (IL)-18 levels and to find out whether IL-18 is associated with carotidintima-media wall thickness (IMT) and various cardiovascular risk factors in women with polycystic ovary syndrome(PCOS).Design: A prospective, controlled study.Setting: University hospital.Patient(s): Sixty women with PCOS and 60 healthy women were included this study.Intervention(s): Serum levels IL-18, homocysteine (Hcy), C-reactive protein (CRP), IL-6, malonyldialdehyde(MDA), lipid and hormone profiles were measured. Carotid IMT was evaluated for both common carotid arteries.Main Outcome Measure(s): Serum IL-18, carotid IMT, Hcy, CRP, IL-6,MDA, and homeostasis model assessmentof insulin resistance.Result(s): The evaluation, which was made without the obesity influence taken into consideration, revealedthat patients with PCOS have increased serum IL-18 levels than that of the control group (214 102 vs. 170 78 pg/mL). The interaction between PCOS and obesity was seen to have statistical significance (F ¼ 67.8).Body mass index (BMI), waist to-hip ratio, Hcy, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance are independentdeterminants of plasma IL-18 in patients with PCOS. Elevated serum IL-18 levels were positivelyand significantly correlated with a greater carotid IMT. For Hcy and carotid IMT, the interaction betweenPCOS and obesity was found in a two-way ANOVA variation analysis (F ¼ 48.5 and F ¼ 81.5, respectively).Conclusion(s): Elevated serum IL-18 levels were associated with cardiovascular risk factors and carotid IMT inpatients with PCOS

The status of Turkish synchrotron radiation source machine design

Kurtuluş Öztürk, Özgül (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: 5th International Particle Accelerator Conference: (IPAC 2014); Dresden, Germany, 15 - 20 June 2014Turkish synchrotron radiation source named TURKAY, is a part of the TAC (Turkish Accelerator Center) Project, is at conceptual design process. The radiation properties of a SR sources are strongly depends on the magnetic lattice of the storage ring. The storage ring is designed to obtain low emittance electron beam at 3 GeV energy. Optimization of the lattice properties, including the nonlinear dynamics, is described in detail. Radiation properties are calculated by the example of some existing undulators from the other SR facilities.ALBA - CELLS, American Physical Society Division of Physics of Beams (APS-DPB), Asian Committee for Future Accelerators (ACFA), ASTeC / STFC, Centro Ferm

Comparison of the ultrashort gonadotropinreleasing hormone agonist-antagonist protocol with microdose flare-up protocol in poor responders: a preliminary study

Objective: To determine the potential effect of the ultrashort gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist/GnRH antagonist protocol versus the microdose GnRH agonist protocol in poor responders undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Material and Methods: The patients in the Agonist-Antagonist Group (n=41) were administered the ultrashort GnRH-agonist/antagonist protocol, while the patients in the Microdose Group (n=41) were stimulated according to the microdose flare-up protocol. The mean number of mature oocytes retrieved was the primary outcome measure. Fertilization rate, implantation rate per embryo and clinical pregnancy rates were secondary outcome measures. Results: There was no differenc between the mean number of mature oocytes retrieved in the two groups. There were also no statistical differences between the two groups in terms of peak serum E-2 level, canceled cycles, endometrial thickness on hCG day, number of 2 pronucleus and number of embryos transferred. However, the total gonadotropin consumption and duration of stimulation were significantly higher with the Agonist-Antagonist Group compared with the Microdose Group. The implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were similar between the two groups. Conclusion: Despite the high dose of gonadotropin consumption and longer duration of stimulation with the ultrashort GnRt-t agonist/antagonist protocol, it seems that the Agonist-Antagonist Protocol is not inferior to the microdose protocol in poor responders undergoing ICSI.Amaç: ICSI uygulanan zayıf over cevaplı hastalarda ultra kısa GnRH agonist/GnRH antagonist protokolünün mikrodoz GnRH agonist protokolüne karşı potansiyel etkisini belirlemek. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Mikrodoz grubundaki (n=41) hastalar mikrodoz flare up protokolüne uygun olarak stimüle edilirken AgonistAntagonist grubundaki (n=41) hastalara da ultra kısa GnRH-agonist/ antagonist protokolü uygulandı. Bu çalışmanın primer sonuç değeri toplanan ortalama matür oosit sayısı iken, fertilizasyon oranı, embryo başına implantasyon oranı ve klinik gebelik oranı da sekonder sonuç değerleriydi. Bulgular: İki grup arasındaki toplanan ortalama matür oosit sayıları arasında fark yoktu. Serum E2 düzeyleri, iptal edilen sikluslar, hCG günü endometrial kalınlığı, 2 pronukleus sayıları ve transfer edilen embryo sayılarında da iki grup arasında istatistiksel farklılıklar yoktu. Bununla birlikte Agonist-Antagonist grubunda total gonadotropin tüketimi ve stimülasyon süresi Mikrodoz grubuyla karşılaştırıldığında belirgin olarak daha yüksekti. İki grup arasındaki implantasyon ve klinik gebelik oranları ise birbirine benzerdi. Sonuç: Ultra kısa GnRH agonist/ antagonist protokolü ile yüksek doz gonadotropin tüketimi ve daha uzun süreli stimülasyona rağmen ICSI uygulanan zayıf over cevaplı hastalarda Agonist-Antagonist Protokolünün mikrodoz protokolünden daha az etkili olmadığı görülmektedir. (J Turkish-German Gynecol Assoc 2010; 11: 187-93

A Preliminary Study on Protease Activity of Russian Sturgeon, Acipencer gueldenstaedtii Brandt and Ratzenburg, 1833, at Early Life Stages

The fish feed industry continues to researches for optimum diet demands for candidate species culture. For this purpose, in vitro analyze methods may be more efficient than in vivo assays. This study includes two different stages; the first one is about the effect of commercial feeding protocol on protease enzyme alteration and the second one is about the inhibitory effects of different protein sources on early life proteases of Russian sturgeon, A. gueldenstaedtii, juveniles. In the first step, feeding with live prey and transition period to artificial feed significantly affected the daily amount of protease in digestive system ( P < 0.05). In the second part, some protein sources used in micro diets were tested in vitro for examination of their possible inhibitory effects on the proteases of Russian sturgeon larvae. The minimum inhibitory effect was obtained from fish meal (15.44%), but however, soybean protein concentration, soybean meal, corn gluten and rice bran inhibited the proteases significantly higher than FM and its combinations (63.55, 71.81, 72.24, and 80.77%, respectively). Additionally, dual combinations between fish meal and soybean meal/soybean protein concentration with the ration of three to one ( 3: 1) was moderate (26.38 and 22.13 %), whereas blood meal extremely produced a 97.28% inhibitory ratio