Effect of Reiki on Symptom Management in Oncology

Reiki is a form of energy therapy in which the therapist, with or without light touch, is believed to access universal energy sources that can strengthen the body's ability to heal itself, reduce inflammation, and relieve pain and stress. There is currently no licensing for Reiki nor, given its apparent low risk, is there likely to be. Reiki appears to be generally safe, and serious adverse effects have not been reported. So in this article provides coverage of how to use Reiki in oncology services

Complementary and Alternative Therapies Used by Turkish Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Chemotherapy

Background: Most breast cancer patients use complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), usually in parallel with their conventional treatments. This study was planned to determine the prevalence and determining factors for use of CAM by breast cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy. Patients and Methods: This descriptive study was carried out between October 2010 and May 2011, and included 96 patients at the Istanbul University Institute of Oncology. The Patient Characteristics form and Complementary and Alternative Medicine Scale were used for data collection. Descriptive and non-parametric tests were performed, and logistic regression analysis was used to predict factors affecting CAM use. Results: Praying was the most frequently used form of CAM, and most of the herbal supplements used by patients were harmless. Herbal use was higher among patients who had local disease (relative risk (RR) 4.48%, 95% confidence interval (Cl) 1.12-17.95), and worship was more common among those who had not undergone surgery (RR 4.66%, 95% Cl 1.64-13.20). Conclusion: The CAM approaches used by patients were found to be safe. However, sage and flax seed usage for estrogen-and progesterone-positive patients and exercise for patients with spinal metastasis can be inappropriate approaches. It is important to question and inform patients about CAM use during treatment.Istanbul University Department of Scientific Research ProjectsIstanbul University [20701]This study was supported by the Istanbul University Department of Scientific Research Projects (project no. 20701)

Gender Difference in Apnea and Hypopnea Component in Obstructive Sleep Apnea

Introduction We aimed to analyze the apnea and hypopnea structure separately with demographic parameters and sleep architecture in men and women with sleep apnea. Materials and Methods Patients referred for snoring, witnessed apnea and/or day time sleepiness to Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Research and Educational Hospital Sleep Center and gone under polysomnography (PSG) between December 2010 and June 2012 were taken in order. PSG reports were analyzed retrospectively. The patients with sleep efficiency less than 40% were excluded. The BMI, neck circumference (NC), abdominal circumference (AC) and PSG values were recorded. Results Totally 406 patients (250 male, 156 female patients) were studied. NC was found more in males whereas AC and BMI were found significantly more in females. Mean age, apne-hypopnea index (AHI), oxygen desaturation index (ODI) for 3% were similar in two genders. Percentage of total light sleep (Stage 1+2) was significantly more in males while Stage 3 (slow wave sleep: SWS) was more in females. Total apneas were significantly more in males and hypopneas were significantly more in females. The factors associated with AHI were NC and BMI in males and AC and BMI in females. Discussion We found that, females are more hypopneic and men are more apneic, in a study group of similar apne-hypopnea indexed patients. The different distribution of fat in genders seems to effect the apnea/hypopnea predominance. The clinical significance of the apnea and hypopnea indexes separately can be related with SWS percentage. Prospective studies are needed to evaluate the effect of apneas and hypopneas on morbidity and mortality in both genders

The effect of placental angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors on pregnancy outcome in patients with early onset preeclampsia

Objective: The aim was to evaluate the possible effects of anti-angiogenic factors including soluble endoglin (sEng), placental growth factor (Pgf), and soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) in both normotensive pregnant patients and preeclampsia (PE) patients. Material and Methods: The study was carried out at the Departments of Gynecology and Obstetrics and Biochemistry of Yozgat Bozok University Training and Research Hospital. Eighteen women with PE who were pregnant for at least 20 weeks comprised the study group. The control group consisted of 33 pregnant women with no complications and with similar demographic features. In the study, laboratory parameters, demographic characteristics, sEng, sFlt-1, and Pgf levels, delivery type, APGAR scores of the infants, and birthweight were determined and a comparison was made between the groups. Results: It was found that the sEng level was significantly lower in the PE group compared to the control group (p<0.05). In addition, the Pgf, birthweight, and 1st and 5th-minute APGAR scores were significantly lower in the PE group compared to the control group (p[removed

A Case of Primary Pulmonary Lymphoma

Primary pulmonary lymphoma, which is constitutes only 0,5% of all lung tumors, is a rare tumor arising from in­trapulmonary lymphatics. Due to presentation with mass and consolidation, many diseases, require to be consid­ered in the differential diagnosis such as primary or meta­static lung cancer, pneumonia, pulmonary sequestration and atelectasis radiologically. A 44 years old male patient with complaints for two years, with 65x68 mm pulmo­nary mass lesion in left upper lobe and lingular segments which has boundaries could not be distinguished by heart border, was interned. Diagnostic thoracotomy applied and histopathology was obtained as pulmonary lymphoma. Wedge resection including lingula and lower lobe api­cal segments was performed. In this study, we aimed to present a case hospitalized with complaints of cough and fatigue and diagnosed as primary pulmonary ( low-grade B-cell) lymphoma

Sexual function and depression in polycystic ovary syndrome: Is it associated with inflammation and neuromodulators?

Numerous studies have been carried out on depression and sexual dysfunction concomitant with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Increasing evidence has revealed the importance of inflammation in the etiology of PCOS. In addition, it has been known that some neuromodulators affect depression and sexual function. However, their effects on PCOS are not known. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship of depression and sexual function with cytokines and neuromodulators in PCOS patients. The present study included 20 fertile and 30 infertile patients diagnosed with PCOS and 30 healthy volunteers. Metabolic and endocrine parameters, interleukin (IL)-1β, IL-6, TNFα, γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA), Glutamate, Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) serum levels, Beck Depression Index (BDI) and Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) scores of the patients were compared between the groups. TNFα, IL-1β, IL-6, glutamate, GABA, and BDI scores were found to be significantly higher (p 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted with potential factors that may affect sexual dysfunction. The results indicated that high waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (> 0.80) with an odds ratio of 1.81 in PCOS patients, and body mass index (BMI) with an odds ratio of 2.3 and high WHR (> 0.80) with an odds ratio of 1.97 in all patients were found to be independent risk factors affecting sexual dysfunction. The results of the present study suggested that chronic low-dose inflammation seen in PCOS may interact with some neuromodulators, leading to the development of depression. However, no relationship was found between these parameters and sexual function. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

The relationship between oxidative stress and preeclampsia. The serum Ischemia-modified albumin levels and thiol/disulfide homeostasis

Objective: Preeclampsia (PE) is a dangerous complication of pregnancy and still a major cause of maternal-fetal morbidity and mortality. Its etiology remains largely unknown, but researchers have suggested oxidative stress-mediated inflammation for the same. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between oxidative stress and PE as well as the usability of oxidative stress indicators such as serum ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) levels and thiol/disulfide balance in the prediction of PE. Materials and Methods: The study included 47 pregnant women with PE and 57 healthy pregnant women. We measured their serum IMA, native thiol, total thiol, and disulfide levels. Additionally, we determined the optimal cutoff values via the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Results: There were no differences between the two groups with respect to the maternal age, body mass index, gravida, and parity. The native and total thiol levels were found to be low when the disulfide and IMA levels were high in the patients with PE (p<0.05). When the IMA level was corrected by the albumin level (IMAR), the significant difference between the two groups disappeared. We also found that the native and total thiol concentrations were correlated with the systolic and diastolic blood pressures. The optimal cut-off values calculated for the prediction of PE were as follows: 178.45 µmol/L (with sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 83%) for native thiol, 232.55 µmol/L (with a sensitivity of 75% and specificity of 85%) for total thiol, and 29.05 µmol/L (with sensitivity of 65% and specificity of 72%) for disulfide. Conclusion: The balance of thiol/disulfide may play a role in the pathogenesis of PE and could be used as a biological marker for PE. © 2020 by Turkish Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology Turkish Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology published by Galenos Publishing House

Annelerin 0-24 Aylık Çocuklarını Besleme Davranışları: Kırıkkale İli Örneği

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Kırıkkale İl sınırları içinde yaşayan 0 -24 aylık çocukların anne sütü alma ve ek besinlere başlama duru-munda annelerin davranışlarını belirlemektir.Yöntem: Tanımlayıcı tipte olan bu çalışma, Kırıkkale İli merkez ve köylerinde yaşayan, 0-24 aylık çocuğu olan ve araştırmaya katılma-yı kabul eden 200 anneye 36 soru ve 5 bölümden oluşan bir anket formu uygulanmıştır.Bulgular: Annelerin %52’si kent merkezinde yaşamaktadır. Araştır-maya katılan annelerin %72.5’inin doğum sonrası ilk besin olarak bebeğine anne sütü verdiği, %57.5’inin çocuklarına ilk 6 ay anne sütü verdiği, annelerin %92.5’i anne sütü hakkında bilgi aldığı sap-tanmıştır. Annelerin %47.5’nin hemşire/ebelerden bilgi aldığı be-lirlenmiştir. Annelerin %36’sının 6 ay ve üzeri zamanda ek gıdaya başladığı saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Sonuç olarak, annelerin yarıdan fazlasının çocuklarına ilk altı ay sadece anne sütü verdiği, 6. aydan sonra ek gıdalara başla-dığı saptanmıştır

The frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy and Pompe disease in children with isolated transaminase elevation: results from the observational VICTORIA study

IntroductionElevated transaminases and/or creatine phosphokinase can indicate underlying muscle disease. Therefore, this study aims to determine the frequency of Duchenne muscular dystrophy/Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD/BMD) in male children and Pompe disease (PD) in male and female children with isolated hypertransaminasemia.MethodsThis multi-center, prospective study enrolled patients aged 3–216 months with serum alanine transaminase (ALT) and/or aspartate transaminase (AST) levels &gt;2× the upper limit of normal (ULN) for ≥3 months. Patients with a known history of liver or muscle disease or physical examination findings suggestive of liver disease were excluded. Patients were screened for creatinine phosphokinase (CPK) levels, and molecular genetic tests for DMD/BMD in male patients and enzyme analysis for PD in male and female patients with elevated CPK levels were performed. Genetic analyses confirmed PD. Demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics of the patients were analyzed.ResultsOverall, 589 patients [66.8% male, mean age of 63.4 months (standard deviation: 60.5)] were included. In total, 251 patients (188 male and 63 female) had CPK levels above the ULN. Of the patients assessed, 47% (85/182) of male patients were diagnosed with DMD/BMD and 1% (3/228) of male and female patients were diagnosed with PD. The median ALT, AST, and CPK levels were statistically significantly higher, and the questioned neurological symptoms and previously unnoticed examination findings were more common in DMD/BMD patients than those without DMD/BMD or PD (p &lt; 0.001).DiscussionQuestioning neurological symptoms, conducting a complete physical examination, and testing for CPK levels in patients with isolated hypertransaminasemia will prevent costly and time-consuming investigations for liver diseases and will lead to the diagnosis of occult neuromuscular diseases. Trial RegistrationClinicaltrials.gov NCT04120168