QUADRICEPS FEMORIS ANGLE OF ELITE AND NON-ELITE ATHLETES IN OLYMPIC STYLE WEIGHTLIFTING

OBJECTIVE: To find out the quadriceps femoris angle (Q-angle) values of elite and non-elite athletes in Olympic style weightlifting. METHODS: This study included 22 male elite athletes that won medals in international Olympic style weightlifting championships and 22 male non-elite athletes who won medals in national Olympic style weightlifting championships. A goniometer was used to determine the angle of the quadriceps femoris muscle while the athletes were in supine position and the muscle was inactivated.  Anthropometric measurements of right-left thigh and lower leg length, right-left thigh and calf girth, and pelvic width of athletes were obtained. One repetition maximum of snatch, clean and jerk and leg strength of the athletes was recorded. To study demographic characteristics and some anthropometric values of lower extremity of the athletes, t-Test was conducted for independent groups. To compare anthropometric measurements of right-left lower extremity and right-left Q-angle values, paired sample t-Test was used. Right-left Q-angle values and relations among other variables were studied by Pearson correlation analysis. SPSS was used for all analyses. RESULTS: Mean age was 19.73±2.97 years and 18.73±1.55 years for of elite and non-elite athletes respectively. No significant difference was observed in demographic characteristics and in some anthropometric values of lower extremity of elite and non-elite athletes (p>0.05). However, right-left Q-angle values of non-elite athletes (10.14±1.55o and 10.14±1.52o, respectively) were higher than the right-left Q-angle values of elite athletes (8.32±1.39o and 8.32±1.32o, respectively) [p<0.003]. CONCLUSIONS: Olympic style weightlifting, which is maintained in elite level, affects the quadriceps femoris angle

Comparison of cardiac, extrapyramidal and metabolic side effects of ziprasidone versus risperidone in patients with acute exacerbation of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorders

Antipsikotik ilaçların göreceli etkinlik ve yan etki profillerinin belirlenmesi için daha fazla karşılaştırma çalışmasına gereksinim duyulmaktadır. Bu çalışmada şizofreni ve şizoaffektif bozukluk akut alevlenmesi olan hastalarda ziprasidon ile risperidon tedavilerinin klinik etkinliğini, ekstrapiramidal, metabolik ve kardiyak yan etkilerini karşılaştırmayı amaçladık. Ruhsal Bozuklukların Tanımlanması ve Sınıflandırması El Kitabı, Gözden Geçirilmiş Dördüncü Baskı tanı ölçütlerine göre şizofreni veya şizoaffektif bozukluk akut alevlenmesi olan hastalar, 6 hafta süreyle ziprasidon 80-160 mg/gün (n=11) veya risperidon 4-8 mg/gün (n=11) almak üzere rastgele dağıtıldılar. Etkinlik değerlendirmeleri için pozitif ve negatif sendrom ölçeği toplam puanı, pozitif semptomlar alt ölçeği ve negatif semptomlar alt ölçeği kullanıldı. Yan etki değerlendirmeleri için ölçeklerle hareket bozukluğu değerlendirmeleri, laboratuvar testleri, beden ağırlığı ve beden kitle indeksi ölçümleri, elektrokardiyografi ve radyonüklid ventrikülografi incelemeleri yapıldı. Her iki antipsikotik ilaç da klinik bulgularda anlamlı düzelme sağladı. Başlangıç ve sonlanım etkinlik değerlendirmelerinde her iki tedavi grubu arasında anlamlı fark yoktu. Risperidon ile parkinsonizm bulgularında anlamlı artış oldu. Ziprasidon beden ağırlığı, glukoz ve lipid düzeyleri üzerine daha olumlu etkiler gösterdi. Risperidon ile prolaktin düzeylerinde anlamlı yükselme oldu. Ziprasidon risperidona göre daha fazla QTc uzamasına neden oldu. Başlangıç ve sonlanım sol ventrikül sistolik ve diyastolik fonksiyonlarının ölçümlerinde, her iki tedavi grubu arasında anlamlı fark yoktu. Anahtar kelimeler: Ziprasidon, risperidon, yan etkilerMore comparison studies of antipsychotic drugs are needed to discern the relative efficacy and side effect profiles of these compounds. In this study we aimed to compare clinical efficacy, extrapyramidal, metabolic and cardiac side effects of ziprasidone and risperidone treatments in patients with acut exacerbation of schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. Patients with the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision acut exacerbation of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder were randomly assigned to receive ziprasidon 80-160 mg/day (n=11) or risperidone 4-8 mg/day (n=11) for 6 weeks. Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale total score, positive symptoms subscale and negative symptoms subscale were used for efficacy measures. Movement disorder scale evaluations, laboratory tests, body weight and body mass index measures, electrocardiography and radionuclide ventriculography scan were used for side effect assessments. Both antipsychotic drugs improved clinical symptoms significantly. The two treatment groups did not differ significantly in efficacy measures at beginning and endpoint assessments. There was significantly increase in parkinsonism symptoms with risperidone. Ziprasidon exhibited more beneficial effects on body weight, glucose and lipid levels. There was significantly increase in prolactin levels with risperidone. Ziprasidone induced more QTc prolongtion than risperidone. The two treatment groups did not differ significantly in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function measures at beginning and endpoint assessments. Key words: Ziprasidone, risperidone, side effect

Home accidents and influencing factors Ev kazalari ve etkileyen faktörler

Home accidents are not registered and evaluated sufficiently and regularly in Turkey but it is known that it is probably the most common type of accident for Turkey. The aim of this study was to define home accidents that occurred in last six months and influencing factors in Izmir, Turkey. This cross sectional study was carried out in a slum settlement area, Inonu District, Izmir. The population was 10.207 in 2003 and there were 1.765 households. Sample size was 331 households. The data was collected from 5 strata on sub districts and interviews were conducted face to face. In this research 1.332 people living in 326 houses, which were apartments (47.2%) and slum settlements (52.8%), were reached. The prevalence of home accidents in the last 6 months was 10.9% (145 cases) among the participants. The most frequent type of home accidents were falls (30.3%), including falling from high (8 cases) and cuts (29.7%). There were also severe accidents such as electrical shock (4 cases) and fire (3 cases). Only 30% of the cases applied to a health institution and 3 of them (2.1%) were hospitalized. Nine cases resulted in disability, which gives a rate of 7 per thousand, and there was no fatality. Affecting factors for home accidents were more common in women (14.5%) compared to men (7.3%, p:0.001). There were more home accidents in people under age 5 (28.8%) compared to the other ages (9.2%) (p:0.000). Age also influenced, the type of the accident; 0-4 age group has more falls and hits (71.9%) than other injuries than group of age 15 and above (39.8%) (p:0.003). In logistic regression analyses age, gender, and house type remained independent risk factors for home accidents. OR of being under 5 years old was 4.2 (95% CI 2.6-6.7); OR of being female was 2.2 (95% CI 1.5-3.1) and OR for living in an apartment was 1.5 (95% CI 1.04-2.2) for home accidents. Home accidents are very common for women and children. There should be relevant measures taken regarding the risk factors by the primary care workers by visiting the houses. Surveillance system should be set up to detect these accidents within the framework of environmental health care