Adiponectin and Cardiac Hypertrophy in Acromegaly

Background. Adiponectin is an adipocytes-derived hormone which has been shown to possess insulin-sensitizing, antiatherogenic, and anti-inflammatory properties. In acromegaly, the data on adiponectin is contradictory. The relationship between adiponectin levels and cardiac parameters has not been studied.Objectives. The aim of this study was to find out how adiponectin levels were affected in acromegalic patients and the relationship between adiponectin levels and cardiac parameters.Material and Methods. We included 30 subjects (15 male, 15 female), diagnosed with acromegaly and 30 healthy (10 male, 20 female) subjects. Serum glucose, insulin, GH, IGF-1 and adiponectin levels were obtained and the insulin resistance of the subjects was calculated. Echocardiographic studies of the subjects were performed.Results. We determined that adiponectin levels were significantly higher in the acromegalic group than the control group. In the acromegalic group, there was no statistically significant relation between serum adiponectin and growth hormone (GH), or insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) levels (p = 0.3, p = 0.1). We demonstrated that cardiac function and structure are affected by acromegaly. IVST, PWT, LVMI, E/A ratio, DT, ET, IVRT, VPR, and LVESV values were increased and the results were statistically significant. In the acromegalic group, adiponectin levels were positively related with left ventricle mass index (LVMI) but this correlation was found to be statistically weak (p = 0.03). In our study, there was a positive correlation between VAI and LVM. We also could not find any correlation between VAI and adiponectin levels.Conclusions. Although insulin resistance and high insulin levels occur in active acromegaly patients, adiponectin levels were higher in our study as a consequence of GH lowering therapies. Our study showed that adiponectin levels may be an indicator of the cardiac involvement acromegaly. However, the usage of serum adiponectin levels in acromegalic patients as an indicator of cardiac involvement should be supported with other, wide, multi-centered studies

Traditional Medicine Practices in Epilepsy: Sample of Canakkale

Objectives: The aim of this study was to define known Traditional Medicine (TM) practices in the city center of Canakkale.Methods: This descriptive research was conducted with patients aged 18 and above. The sample calculation formula for a known population was used. There were 553 individuals included in this study. Permissions were obtained from the relevant institutions. The data obtained by the researchers was generated using a face-to-face interview method, which was collected using a questionnaire over five months. The data was evaluated with SPSS 13.Results: In the study, 3.1% (n=17) of participants suffered from epilepsy either themselves or had at least one family member (mother, father, or siblings) with epilepsy; 8.3% (n=46) of the participants’ second degree relatives suffered with epilepsy; 6% (n=33) had friends or neighbors that had been diagnosed with epilepsy; and 26.4% (n=146) of the participants knew of at least one TM method of how to cope with epilepsy.Conclusion: Health care professionals need to know the cultural characteristics of the society they are working in and be aware of TM methods used in order to increase the chances of success in treating patients with epilepsy

Modular logic gates: cascading independent logic gates via metal ion signals

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Abstract Systematic cascading of molecular logic gates is an important issue to be addressed for advancing research in this field. We have demonstrated that photochemically triggered metal ion signals can be utilized towards that goal. Thus, independent logic gates were shown to work together while keeping their identity in more complex logic designs. Communication through the intermediacy of ion signals is clearly inspired from biological processes modulated by such signals, and implemented here with ion responsive molecules. © 2014 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Dynamic capabilities and knowledge management: an integrative role for learning?

Modern strategic management theories try to explain why firms differ, because new sources of competitive advantage are keenly sought in the dynamic and complex environment of global competition. Two areas in particular have attracted the attention of researchers: the role of dynamic capabilities, and the firm's abilities for knowledge management. In this paper, we argue that there is a link between these two concepts, which has not been fully articulated in the literature. The aim of the paper is therefore to ascertain the conceptual connection between them as a basis for future research. Our proposed framework acknowledges and critiques the distinct roots of each field, identifies boundaries, and proposes relationships between the constructs and firm performance

Construing Corporate Diversification and the Role of Information Technology for Diversified Firms in the Knowledge Economy

Traditional approaches to corporate diversification are inadequate for understanding the role of corporation and strategy in the knowledge economy. This paper discusses (1) the need to construe corporate diversification in terms of knowledge-based relatedness and knowledge management capabilities of firms and (2) the role of IT for diversified firms. Knowledge-based relatedness captures relatedness of the most strategic knowledge resources—product, customer, managerial, and IT knowledge resources—residing across businesses of the firm whereas knowledge management capability captures the ability of the firm to create, transfer, integrate, and leverage knowledge across its businesses. While knowledge-based relatedness provides a potential for performance through knowledge-based synergies, knowledge-management capability converts this potential into actual performance. IT knowledge relatedness is key to both creation and realization of knowledge-based synergies across the diversified firm

Rethinking the Basis of Diversification in the Digital Economy

A diversified firm needs to decide which businesses to include in its business portfolio and how to achieve synergies across those businesses so that its corporate performance is greater than the sum of individual performances of its businesses. We argue that traditional conceptualizations and underlying constructs of diversification—which have been developed and refined at the heights of the industrial economy—may be inadequate and inappropriate for understanding diversification, and diversification-performance relationship in the digital economy. We propose a knowledge-based conceptualization of diversification, and develop a research framework for understanding diversification-performance relationship in the digital economy. We argue that knowledge-based diversification strategies, which build and leverage related product, customer, managerial, and IT knowledge across business units, can lead to superior performance

Does IT Knowledge Relatedness Differentiate Performance of Multi-Business Firms?

This study develops and validates the IT knowledge relatedness construct to measure the extent to which a multi-business firm leverages related IT knowledge across its business units. It hypothesizes that synergies arising from IT knowledge relatedness differentiate performance of multi-business firms. This hypothesis is tested with primary data from senior IT executives of 315 Fortune 1000 firms. The findings support the hypothesis: IT knowledge relatedness has a positive and significant association with firm performance