Evaluation of Youtube content regarding Varenicline and smoking cessation

Introduction. The use of varenicline, an effective way to quit smoking, has become a subject of discussion in the mainstream media, social media, and the internet due to the growing number of people trying to quit smoking. YouTube videos serve a significant purpose in the drive towards smoking cessation with the aid of the drug mentioned above. This study aimed to evaluate the content of videos related to varenicline on YouTube. Material and methods. Six different research terms were created for a search on YouTube. Two reviewers evaluated the videos for quality, reliability, and usefulness. After detecting useful and misleading videos, the factors affecting them as video parameters in these groups were compared. Results. Of the videos evaluated, 78% were classified as useful, while the remaining 22% were misleading. Video length, number of likes and the likes ratio showed no significant difference between these two groups (p=0.264; p=0.075; p=0.798). The DISCERN (DS) and Global Quality Scale (GQS) scores of misleading videos were significantly lower (p=0.001). The DS and GQS scores of the useful videos were 2.58±1.11 and 2.67±1.05, respectively. Conclusions. Misleading videos had a higher number of views and comments compared to useful videos. It was observed that independent YouTube users and media sources are producing more misleading videos. It is very concerning that cigarette quitters do not develop awareness in decision making about the misleading information from media and independent users. In contrast, health pages, physicians, and patient experiences can guide those trying to stop smoking

The effects of iron deficiency anemia on p wave duration and dispersion

OBJECTIVES: The association between P wave dispersion and iron deficiency anemia has not been documented in the literature. In this study, we evaluated P wave dispersion in patients with iron deficiency anemia and the possible relationships between P wave dispersion and other echocardiographic parameters. INTRODUCTION: The iron status of an individual may play an important role in cardiovascular health. Anemia is an independent risk factor for adverse cardiovascular outcomes. P wave dispersion is a simple electrocardiographic marker that has a predictive value for the development of atrial fibrillation. Apart from cardiovascular diseases, several conditions, such as seasonal variation, alcohol intake and caffeine ingestion, have been demonstrated to affect P wave dispersion. METHODS: The study included 97 patients who had iron deficiency anemia and 50 healthy subjects. The cases were evaluated with a clinical examination and diagnostic tests that included 12-lead electrocardiography and transthoracic echocardiography. RESULTS: Compared to the control group, patients with iron deficiency anemia showed significantly longer maximum P wave duration (Pmax) (91.1±18.0 vs. 85.8±6.7 msec, p=0.054), P wave dispersion (PWD) (48.1±7.7 vs. 40.9±5.6 msec,

Acylated and Desacylated Ghrelin, Preptin, Leptin, and Nesfatin-1 Peptide Changes Related to the Body Mass Index

This study examines the levels of acylated and desacylated ghrelin, preptin, leptin, and nesfatin-1 peptide changes related to the body mass index (BMI). The subjects were allocated to 5 groups depending on their BMIs as follows: Group I (BMI 40 kg/m2). Serum acylated and desacylated ghrelin, preptin, and leptin levels were measured by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and nesfatin-1 was measured by the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Desacylated ghrelin levels showed a gradual and statistically significant drop from Group I to Group V, while preptin and leptin levels exhibited a gradual and significant increase from Group I to Group IV. Serum nesfatin-1 levels gradually, but not significantly, increased from Group I to Group III and showed a significant decrease in Groups IV and V. In conclusion, leptin, preptin, and acylated ghrelin (AG) levels increased with higher BMI, whereas desacylated ghrelin (DAG) decreased and nesfatin-1 showed no clear relationship to BMI

Full-endoscopic removal of third ventricular colloid cysts: technique, results, and limitations

IntroductionColloid cysts (CCs) are rare benign lesions that usually arise from the roof of the third ventricle. They may present with obstructive hydrocephalus and cause sudden death. Treatment options include ventriculoperitoneal shunting, cyst aspiration, and cyst resection microscopically or endoscopically. This study aims to report and discuss the full-endoscopic technique for removing colloid cysts.Materials and methodsA 25°-angled neuroendoscope with an internal working channel diameter of 3.1 mm and a length of 122 mm is used. The authors described the technique of resecting a colloid cyst by a full-endoscopic procedure and evaluated the surgical, clinical, and radiological results.ResultsTwenty-one consecutive patients underwent an operation with a transfrontal full-endoscopic approach. The swiveling technique (grasping the cyst wall and rotational movements) was used for CC resection. Of these patients, 11 were female, and ten were male (mean age, 41 years). The most frequent initial symptom was a headache. The mean cyst diameter was 13.9 mm. Thirteen patients had hydrocephalus at admission, and one needed shunting after cyst resection. Seventeen patients (81%) underwent total resection; 3 (14%), subtotal resection; and 1 (5%), partial resection. There was no mortality; one patient had permanent hemiplegia, and one had meningitis. The mean follow-up period was 14 months.ConclusionEven though microscopic resection of cysts has been widely used as a gold standard, successful endoscopic removal has been described recently with lower complication rates. Applying angled endoscopy with different techniques is essential for total resection. Our study is the first case series to show the outcomes of the swiveling technique with low recurrence and complication rates

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p<0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p<0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Examination of Self-Confidence and Metacognition Levels of High School Students Case of Karabuk Province

The aim of the study is to determine the relationship between self-confidence and metacognition of high school students and to contribute to the development of students. The study conducted in accordance with this purpose is correlational research. 420 students from different high schools participated in the study. 48.1% (202) of the students are female and 51.9% (218) are male. It consists of 7 different high schools where the students participated in the study and studied in the province of Karabük. The research findings were expressed as n, (%), mean and standard deviation, and were considered significant at p <0.05 significance level. All statistical calculations were made in SPSS 22.0 V. statistics package program. Considering all the findings and related researches obtained, it is seen that metacognitive skill plays an important role in students' success. In addition to this, it was observed that the success levels of students who developed the metacognitive strategy increased. In modeling, teachers can draw the attention of students to this area by presenting slices from their own lives and enable them to learn their skills in this area. Based on this, education that will improve students' metacognitive skills should be provided in all educational processes

High Concentration Photovoltaics (HCPV) with Diffractive Secondary Optical Elements

Multi-junction solar cells can be economically viable for terrestrial applications when operated under concentrated illuminations. The optimal design of concentrator optics in high concentration photovoltaics (HCPV) systems is crucial for achieving high energy conversion. At a high geometric concentration, chromatic aberration of the primary lens can restrict the optical efficiency and acceptance angle. In order to correct chromatic aberration, multi-material, multi-element refractive elements, hybrid refractive/diffractive elements, or multi-element refractive and diffractive systems can be designed. In this paper, the effect of introducing a diffractive surface in the optical path is analyzed. An example two-stage refractive and diffractive optical system is shown to have an optical efficiency of up to 0.87, and an acceptance angle of up to ±0.55° with a 1600× geometric concentration ratio, which is a significant improvement compared to a single-stage concentrator system with a single material. This optical design can be mass-produced with conventional fabrication methods, thus providing a low-cost alternative to other approaches, and the design approach can be generalized to many other solar concentrator systems with different cell sizes and geometric concentration ratios