Analysis of alpha-actinin-3 r577x polymorphism in Turkish professional football players

İnsan genom projesinin tamamlanmasıyla genlerin atletik performans üzerine de etkisinin olduğu kabul edilmekle birlikte, genlerin atletik performans üzerine etkisi hala araştırma konusudur. Günümüze kadar atletik performansa etki ettiği düşünülen genetik bölgeler futbol, basketbol, judo, güreş gibi farklı disiplinlerdeki sporcular üzerinde birçok çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ancak Türk sporcular üzerinde yapılan bu çalışmalar literatür ile karşılaştırıldığında sayıları daha az olduğu görülmektedir. ACTN3 geni atletik performans ile ilgili en önemli ve günümüzde belki de en fazla incelenen genetik belirteçtir. Bu çalışmamızda aktif olarak futbol hayatlarını sürdürmekte olan 40 profesyonel futbolcuda ACTN3 R577X polimorfizminin genotipik ve allelik dağılımlarını belirlemeyi amaçladık. Futbolculardan DNA eldesi, rutin olarak biyokimyasal kontrolleri için verdikleri periferal kandan sağlanmış, DNA izolasyonları ticari kitler ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Genotiplendirme işlemi ise gerçek zamanlı PCR (Real- time PCR) tekniği ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. ACTN3 genotipi için futbolcuların 19’u RR (%47.5), 15’i RX (%37.5), 6’sı XX (%15) genotipindedir. ACTN3 polimorfizmin futbolcularda ki allelik dağılımları ise %66.25 R allel, %33.75 X alleli olarak bulunmuştur. Çalışma kohortumuzda patlayıcı güç fenotipi ile ilişkili olan ACTN3 RR genotipinin ve R allelinin daha baskın olduğu görü lmü ştü r. Türk futbolcular üzerinde gerçekleştirilen bu çalışma ile hem literatüre katkı sağlayacağının, hem de elde edilen sonuçlar sayesinde ileride yapılacak çalışmalara öncülük edeceğinin inancındayız.nsan genom projesinin tamamlanmasıyla genlerin atletik performans üzerine de etkisinin olduğu kabul edilmekle birlikte, genlerin atletik performans üzerine etkisi hala araştırma konusudur. Günümüze kadar atletik performansa etki ettiği düşünülen genetik bölgeler futbol, basketbol, judo, güreş gibi farklı disiplinlerdeki sporcular üzerinde birçok çalışma gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ancak Türk sporcular üzerinde yapılan bu çalışmalar literatür ile karşılaştırıldığında sayıları daha az olduğu görülmektedir. ACTN3 geni atletik performans ile ilgili en önemli ve günümüzde belki de en fazla incelenen genetik belirteçtir. Bu çalışmamızda aktif olarak futbol hayatlarını sürdürmekte olan 40 profesyonel futbolcuda ACTN3 R577X polimorfizminin genotipik ve allelik dağılımlarını belirlemeyi amaçladık. Futbolculardan DNA eldesi, rutin olarak biyokimyasal kontrolleri için verdikleri periferal kandan sağlanmış, DNA izolasyonları ticari kitler ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Genotiplendirme işlemi ise gerçek zamanlı PCR (Real- time PCR) tekniği ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. ACTN3 genotipi için futbolcuların 19’u RR (%47.5), 15’i RX (%37.5), 6’sı XX (%15) genotipindedir. ACTN3 polimorfizmin futbolcularda ki allelik dağılımları ise %66.25 R allel, %33.75 X alleli olarak bulunmuştur. Çalışma kohortumuzda patlayıcı güç fenotipi ile ilişkili olan ACTN3 RR genotipinin ve R allelinin daha baskın olduğu görülmüştür. Türk futbolcular üzerinde gerçekleştirilen bu çalışma ile hem literatüre katkı sağlayacağının, hem de elde edilen sonuçlar sayesinde ileride yapılacak çalışmalara öncülük edeceğinin inancındayız

Consciousness on a Spectrum : Rethinking Traditional Boundaries through Brain and Behavioral Dynamics

Le terme "état de conscience" désigne le type ou le niveau de conscience d'une personne à un moment donné. On peut classer les états de conscience selon différentes caractéristiques, comme le degré de vigilance (être éveillé ou sous anesthésie), la présence ou l'absence de stimuli sensoriels externes (être éveillé ou en train de rêver) et le degré de conscience de soi (être éveillé ou sous l'influence de substances psychédéliques). À l'heure actuelle, ces états sont catégorisés de manière discrète en fonction de caractéristiques spécifiques. Par exemple, une personne éveillée peut consciemment traiter les stimuli sensoriels et y réagir, ce qui est considéré comme impossible pendant le sommeil. Dans ma thèse, je remets en question cette croyance dominante et soutiens que les états de conscience se placent sur un continuum, plutôt que constituer des états discrets. Je défends l'idée que la classification actuelle ne rend pas pleinement compte de la richesse et de la variabilité de chaque état. Pour étayer cette argumentation, j’étudie l'interaction entre les dynamiques cérébrales et la capacité à traiter les informations de manière consciente. La première étude se penche sur les effets de la perception consciente sur les dynamiques cérébrales. Dans la vie quotidienne, nos expériences subjectives sont influencées par des stimuli complexes provenant de différentes modalités sensorielles, et l'intégration de ces éléments nous permet de comprendre le monde qui nous entoure. En utilisant l'imagerie par résonance magnétique fonctionnelle (IRMf), nous avons étudié les interactions entre différents réseaux cérébraux chez des participants ayant visionné un film audiovisuel. Les résultats suggèrent que les dynamiques cérébrales des participants se sont synchronisées lors du visionnage, ce qui renforce l'idée selon laquelle les expériences subjectives influencent les dynamiques cérébrales. Les études suivantes se concentrent sur la relation inverse et cherchent à comprendre si nos états cérébraux peuvent influencer notre perception consciente. Notre deuxième étude combine l'IRMf et l'électroencéphalographie (EEG) pour étudier les fluctuations des expériences conscientes pendant l'éveil, un état qui permet généralement le traitement conscient de l'information. Les variations des dynamiques cérébrales de base sont reliées à la perception consciente ou non d'un stimulus apparaissant ultérieurement. Les résultats montrent que certaines dynamiques cérébrales favorisent la perception consciente des stimuli. Nous concluons que même dans un état d'éveil propice au traitement de l'information, nous pouvons observer des variations de l'activité cérébrale et du comportement, ce qui suggère que l’éveil n’est pas un état de conscience homogène. Cette deuxième étude se focalise sur les fluctuations des expériences conscientes dans d'éveil. Mais qu’en est-il de notre perception consciente lors d’états de sommeil, pourtant considérés comme défavorables au traitement de l’information ? La troisième étude vise à comprendre si nous pouvons consciemment percevoir des stimuli pendant les différents stades du sommeil. Contrairement aux croyances largement répandues dans la littérature, nous démontrons que le cerveau endormi est capable d'accomplir des tâches complexes et de générer des réponses comportementales appropriées à tous les stades du sommeil. De plus, ces périodes transitoires de réactivité aux stimuli externes peuvent être prédites en se basant sur des marqueurs EEG pré-stimulus précédemment associés à des états conscients. Dans l'ensemble, cette thèse fournit des preuves expérimentales démontrant que le traitement conscient de l'information fluctue à l'intérieur des états de conscience traditionnellement définis, en fonction des dynamiques cérébrales en cours. Cela souligne la nécessité de nouvelles avancées théoriques et empiriques pour redéfinir ces états afin de comprendre pleinement leur complexité et la multitude de processus qu'ils englobent.The term "state of consciousness" refers to an individual's specific quality or level of awareness at a given moment. It encompasses various aspects of subjective experience, including perception, thoughts, emotions, and self-awareness. States of consciousness can be classified based on different features, such as the level of alertness (e.g., wakefulness versus anesthesia), the presence or absence of external sensory input (e.g., wakefulness versus dreaming), and the degree of self-awareness (e.g., wakefulness versus drug-induced states). Currently, these states are classified discretely based on the presence of specific characteristics. For instance, when someone is awake, they can consciously process and respond to sensory stimuli, which is considered impossible when they are asleep. This is evident in everyday situations where we might ask someone if they are sleeping and conclude that they are indeed asleep if they do not respond. In my thesis, I aim to challenge this prevailing belief and argue that states of consciousness exist on a continuum rather than as discrete states. I argue that the current discrete classification fails to capture the richness and variability of each state. To support this argument, I focus on the interaction between ongoing brain dynamics and the capacity to consciously process information. The first study investigates how conscious perception influences ongoing brain dynamics using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Our subjective experiences in everyday life are shaped by complex stimuli from different sensory modalities, and the integration of these elements enables us to understand the world around us. By utilizing naturalistic movies as a model of real-world environments, we demonstrate that global brain states, characterized by interactions among different brain networks, synchronize among participants and align with ongoing subjective experiences. Subsequent studies focus on the inverse relationship and seek to understand whether baseline brain states prior to stimulation can influence our conscious perception. Our second study combines fMRI and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate fluctuations in conscious experiences during wakefulness, a state that typically enables conscious processing of information and behavioral responsiveness. The results show that certain brain dynamics, previously associated with conscious states, favor the conscious perception of stimuli. We conclude that even in a state of wakefulness conducive to information processing, we can observe variations in brain activity and behavior, suggesting that wakefulness is not a homogeneous state. This second study focuses on fluctuations in conscious experience during wakefulness. But what about our conscious perception during sleep states, which are considered unfavorable for information processing? The third study aims to investigate the capacity for information processing and responsiveness during different sleep stages. Contrary to widely accepted beliefs in the literature, we demonstrate that the sleeping brain is capable of performing complex tasks and generating appropriate behavioral responses in all sleep stages. Moreover, these transient periods of responsiveness to external stimuli can be predicted based on pre-stimulus EEG markers previously associated with conscious states. Overall, this thesis provides experimental evidence demonstrating that conscious information processing fluctuates even within traditionally defined states of consciousness, depending on ongoing brain dynamics. This highlights the need for further theoretical and empirical advances to redefine these traditional states in order to fully capture their complexity and the multitude of processes they encompass

La conscience sur un spectre : repenser les frontières traditionnelles à travers les dynamiques cérébrales et comportementales

The term "state of consciousness" refers to an individual's specific quality or level of awareness at a given moment. It encompasses various aspects of subjective experience, including perception, thoughts, emotions, and self-awareness. States of consciousness can be classified based on different features, such as the level of alertness (e.g., wakefulness versus anesthesia), the presence or absence of external sensory input (e.g., wakefulness versus dreaming), and the degree of self-awareness (e.g., wakefulness versus drug-induced states). Currently, these states are classified discretely based on the presence of specific characteristics. For instance, when someone is awake, they can consciously process and respond to sensory stimuli, which is considered impossible when they are asleep. This is evident in everyday situations where we might ask someone if they are sleeping and conclude that they are indeed asleep if they do not respond. In my thesis, I aim to challenge this prevailing belief and argue that states of consciousness exist on a continuum rather than as discrete states. I argue that the current discrete classification fails to capture the richness and variability of each state. To support this argument, I focus on the interaction between ongoing brain dynamics and the capacity to consciously process information. The first study investigates how conscious perception influences ongoing brain dynamics using functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI). Our subjective experiences in everyday life are shaped by complex stimuli from different sensory modalities, and the integration of these elements enables us to understand the world around us. By utilizing naturalistic movies as a model of real-world environments, we demonstrate that global brain states, characterized by interactions among different brain networks, synchronize among participants and align with ongoing subjective experiences. Subsequent studies focus on the inverse relationship and seek to understand whether baseline brain states prior to stimulation can influence our conscious perception. Our second study combines fMRI and electroencephalography (EEG) to investigate fluctuations in conscious experiences during wakefulness, a state that typically enables conscious processing of information and behavioral responsiveness. The results show that certain brain dynamics, previously associated with conscious states, favor the conscious perception of stimuli. We conclude that even in a state of wakefulness conducive to information processing, we can observe variations in brain activity and behavior, suggesting that wakefulness is not a homogeneous state. This second study focuses on fluctuations in conscious experience during wakefulness. But what about our conscious perception during sleep states, which are considered unfavorable for information processing? The third study aims to investigate the capacity for information processing and responsiveness during different sleep stages. Contrary to widely accepted beliefs in the literature, we demonstrate that the sleeping brain is capable of performing complex tasks and generating appropriate behavioral responses in all sleep stages. Moreover, these transient periods of responsiveness to external stimuli can be predicted based on pre-stimulus EEG markers previously associated with conscious states. Overall, this thesis provides experimental evidence demonstrating that conscious information processing fluctuates even within traditionally defined states of consciousness, depending on ongoing brain dynamics. This highlights the need for further theoretical and empirical advances to redefine these traditional states in order to fully capture their complexity and the multitude of processes they encompass.Le terme "état de conscience" désigne le type ou le niveau de conscience d'une personne à un moment donné. On peut classer les états de conscience selon différentes caractéristiques, comme le degré de vigilance (être éveillé ou sous anesthésie), la présence ou l'absence de stimuli sensoriels externes (être éveillé ou en train de rêver) et le degré de conscience de soi (être éveillé ou sous l'influence de substances psychédéliques). À l'heure actuelle, ces états sont catégorisés de manière discrète en fonction de caractéristiques spécifiques. Par exemple, une personne éveillée peut consciemment traiter les stimuli sensoriels et y réagir, ce qui est considéré comme impossible pendant le sommeil. Dans ma thèse, je remets en question cette croyance dominante et soutiens que les états de conscience se placent sur un continuum, plutôt que constituer des états discrets. Je défends l'idée que la classification actuelle ne rend pas pleinement compte de la richesse et de la variabilité de chaque état. Pour étayer cette argumentation, j’étudie l'interaction entre les dynamiques cérébrales et la capacité à traiter les informations de manière consciente. La première étude se penche sur les effets de la perception consciente sur les dynamiques cérébrales. Dans la vie quotidienne, nos expériences subjectives sont influencées par des stimuli complexes provenant de différentes modalités sensorielles, et l'intégration de ces éléments nous permet de comprendre le monde qui nous entoure. En utilisant l'imagerie par résonance magnétique fonctionnelle (IRMf), nous avons étudié les interactions entre différents réseaux cérébraux chez des participants ayant visionné un film audiovisuel. Les résultats suggèrent que les dynamiques cérébrales des participants se sont synchronisées lors du visionnage, ce qui renforce l'idée selon laquelle les expériences subjectives influencent les dynamiques cérébrales. Les études suivantes se concentrent sur la relation inverse et cherchent à comprendre si nos états cérébraux peuvent influencer notre perception consciente. Notre deuxième étude combine l'IRMf et l'électroencéphalographie (EEG) pour étudier les fluctuations des expériences conscientes pendant l'éveil, un état qui permet généralement le traitement conscient de l'information. Les variations des dynamiques cérébrales de base sont reliées à la perception consciente ou non d'un stimulus apparaissant ultérieurement. Les résultats montrent que certaines dynamiques cérébrales favorisent la perception consciente des stimuli. Nous concluons que même dans un état d'éveil propice au traitement de l'information, nous pouvons observer des variations de l'activité cérébrale et du comportement, ce qui suggère que l’éveil n’est pas un état de conscience homogène. Cette deuxième étude se focalise sur les fluctuations des expériences conscientes dans d'éveil. Mais qu’en est-il de notre perception consciente lors d’états de sommeil, pourtant considérés comme défavorables au traitement de l’information ? La troisième étude vise à comprendre si nous pouvons consciemment percevoir des stimuli pendant les différents stades du sommeil. Contrairement aux croyances largement répandues dans la littérature, nous démontrons que le cerveau endormi est capable d'accomplir des tâches complexes et de générer des réponses comportementales appropriées à tous les stades du sommeil. De plus, ces périodes transitoires de réactivité aux stimuli externes peuvent être prédites en se basant sur des marqueurs EEG pré-stimulus précédemment associés à des états conscients. Dans l'ensemble, cette thèse fournit des preuves expérimentales démontrant que le traitement conscient de l'information fluctue à l'intérieur des états de conscience traditionnellement définis, en fonction des dynamiques cérébrales en cours. Cela souligne la nécessité de nouvelles avancées théoriques et empiriques pour redéfinir ces états afin de comprendre pleinement leur complexité et la multitude de processus qu'ils englobent

Coğrafi bilgi sistemleri (CBS) ve sistem simülasyon modelleri (SSM) kullanılarak katı atık deponi sahası tasarımlarının değerlendirilmesi

Türkiye'de katı atık yönetimi sorunu kentlerimizin karşılaştığı öncelikli sorunların başında gelmektedir. Deponi sahası yatırım maliyetlerinin yüksekliği ve finans kaynaklarının kıtlığı sorunun çözümünde karşılaşılan önemli güçlüklerdir. Bu güçlükler kısmen mevcut Katı Atıkların Kontrolü Yönetmeliği (KAKY)'nde şart koşulan tasarım yaklaşımından da kaynaklanmaktadır. Bu projede CBS ve SSM gibi modern bilimsel araçları entegre biçimde kullanabilen, çevresel risklerin kabul edilebilir düzeyde tutulmasını mümkün kılan ve aynı zamanda yatırım maliyetlerini gereksiz yere yükseltmeyen, atık ve saha koşullarına en uygun tasarım bileşenlerinin sistematik bir şekilde seçimini ve deponi tesisi tasarımının performans bazında değerlendirilmesini mümkün kılan bir yöntemin geliştirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmada geliştirilen söz konusu yöntemin kavramsal ana hatları ve mevcut koşullara uygun deponi sahası tasarım bileşenlerinin belirlenmesine yönelik örnek uygulamalar sunulmaktadır. Projede CBS'nin verıtabanı oluşturma ve veri işleme yeteneklerinden yararlanılmıştır. Tasarımların simülasyonları Visual HELP deponi sahası sızıntı suyu oluşum modeli ve VADSAT yer altı suyu (YAS) kalitesi simülasyon modelleri kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Tasarlanacak deponi sahasının alanı, kazı ve dolgu hacmi ise CBSnin veri işleme yeteneklerinden yararlanılarak hesaplanabilmiştir. VADSAT simülasyon modelinin ArcGIS altında CBS-SSM entegrasyon işlemi ArcGIS eklentisi oluşturularak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Alman sonuçlar, aynı tasarım özelliklerine sahip deponi sahalarının farklı iklim ve saha koşullarında farklı performans gösterdiklerini; dolayısıyla, çevresel riski ve maliyeti düşük bir deponi sahası tasarımının, KAKY'de benimsenen esnek olmayan "tek-tip"çi bir anlayışın aksine, atık özellikleri, deponi sahasının boyutları ve sahanın iklim, hidrojeolojik vb. özelliklerine göre ortaya koyacağı performans bazında değerlendirilmesi gerektiğini göstermektedir

Behavioral and brain responses to verbal stimuli reveal transient periods of cognitive integration of external world during sleep

Behavioral and brain responses to verbal stimuli reveal transient periods of cognitive integration of external world during sleep by Başak Türker, Esteban Munoz Musat, Emma Chabani et al

High Dream Recall Frequency is Associated with Increased Creativity and Default Mode Network Connectivity

International audienceIntroductionSeveral results suggest that the frequency of dream recall is positively correlated with personality traits such as creativity and openness to experience. In addition, neuroimaging results have evidenced different neurophysiological profiles in high dream recallers (HR) and low dream recallers (LR) during both sleep and wakefulness, specifically within regions of the default mode network (DMN). These findings are consistent with the emerging view that dreaming and mind wandering pertain to the same family of spontaneous mental processes, subserved by the DMN.MethodsTo further test this hypothesis, we measured the DMN functional connectivity during resting wakefulness, together with personality and cognitive abilities (including creativity) in 28 HR and 27 LR.ResultsAs expected, HR demonstrated a greater DMN connectivity than LR, higher scores of creativity, and no significant difference in memory abilities. However, there was no significant correlation between creativity scores and DMN connectivity.DiscussionThese results further demonstrate that there are trait neurophysiological and psychological differences between individuals who frequently recall their dreams and those who do not. They support the forebrain and the DMN hypotheses of dreaming and leave open the possibility that increased activity in the DMN promotes creative-thinking during both wakefulness and sleep. Further work is needed to test whether activity in the DMN is causally associated with creative-thinking

A health status and quality of life assessments among morbid and super morbid obese patients seeking bariatric surgery

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A Critical question for bariatric surgery candidates: why do you think you need surgery and are you ready for change?

[No abstract available]Publisher's Versio