Modelling the EEG based event-related brainwaves using statistical times series

Objective: The aim of this study was to test whether the alpha oscillation in the auditory event-related activity of the brain can be explained using an Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) model. Methods: The sample consisted of 17 (11 males, 6 females), right-handed, healthy, volunteer participants. Event-related activity was recorded under the omitted stimulus paradigm. Alpha response was obtained through digital filtering. The alpha response of each participant was separately analyzed. Results: The ARIMA (0,2,1) model was found to be applicable to alpha response that was evoked by stimulus omission. ARIMA (0,2,1) shows that this activity is short-lasting and it fluctuates stochastically. Conclusion: The present study showed that the alpha responses of single participants obtained under the omitted stimulus paradigm were best modeled by the ARIMA (0, 2, 1) type of time series model

The effect of earthquakes on the risk of suicide

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate whether a traumatic experience such as an earthquake has any effect on the probability of suicide, especially in those who seem psychologically healthy. Prevention and support parameters are evaluated. Method: Two groups of thirty-five people each were compared regarding their probability of committing suicide. One group had experienced an earthquake and the other had not. A Suicide Probability Scale and a questionnaire on the socioeconomic and health status of the groups were used. Results: The total scores of the Suicide Probability Scale show no significant difference between the groups. But there was a significant difference between the two groups in that those with earthquake experience had a dominant feeling of hopelessness. Conclusion: Earthquake experience was not a risk factor in suicidal ideation, especially for those who have no social network disturbance, no loss of life in the family, and no major psychiatric illness. Feeling prepared for the possibility of coming disasters and supporting each other seem to be factors that prevent negative feelings

Evaluation of the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis and the distribution bft gene subtypes in patients with diarrhea

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of enterotoxigenic Bacteroides fragilis (ETBF) in the patients with diarrhea in our region and to assess the association between diarrhea and bft gene subtypes. The presence of ETBF and bft gene subtypes were investigated in 200 stool samples from patients with diarrhea, diagnosed as gastroenteritis, which were sent to Clinical Microbiology Laboratory at Zonguldak Karaelmas University, Training and Research Hospital and in 200 stool samples from age-matched healthy subjects between April 14, 2009 and October 28, 2009. Nested - polymerase chain reaction was used to detect the presence of bft gene directly from stool samples. The bft gene subtypes were determined by PCR in case of ETBF detection. The presence of bft gene was detected in 29 (15%) of patients and 27 (14%) of control group. bft-1 and bft-2 were found in 24 and five stool samples from 29 diarrheic patients with ETBF, respectively. Among 27 control patients with ETBF, bft-1 and bft-2 were found in 24 and three samples, respectively. No bft-3 subtypes were identified in our study. ETBF was found as a single pathogen in 9% of the patients with diarrhea, while there was an accompanying pathogen in 6% of the patients. The proportion of coinfection with another pathogen among ETBF positive patients was 38%. Cooccurance with ETBF was present in nine of 18 patients with Rotavirus and two of five patients with Entamoeba histolytica. In conclusion; there was no statistically significant difference between the prevalence of ETBF in diarrheal patients and that of the control group. When the patients and controls were compared for each age group, no statistically significant difference in ETBF rates was found. There was no significant difference between groups with respect to bft subtypes; bft-1 was identified as the most common subtype. The rate of coinfection of ETBF and Rotavirus was high. © 2010 Elsevier Ltd.2009-20-01-11This study was supported by Zonguldak Karaelmas Üniversitesi Scientific Research Fund (Project Number: 2009-20-01-11). Nurver Ulger Toprak is acknowledged for providing the control clinical isolates

Comparison of the Calculated and Measured Osmolality in Intracranial Bleeding and Head Injury Patients

Not all clinical laboratories have an osmometer, and calculations for osmolality are a frequently used method for determining osmolality. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the performance of four formulas for the estimation of osmolality, with cryoscopic measurement as the reference standard in intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) and head injury (HI) patients who were not treated with mannitol. Forty HI and 31 ICH patients treated in the Neurosurgery Department were included in the study. Every 6 h over a period of 24 h, serum samples were collected from patients and osmolality was measured. In conclusion, our study shows that only formulas F1 [Osmolality = 1.86(Na) + 1.86(K) + Glucose + Urea] and F4 [Osmolality = 1.86(Na) + Glucose + Urea + Ethanol + 9] can be used to evaluate osmolality in ICH patients who were not treated with mannitol. In HI patients, none of the formulas should be used to calculate osmolality. © 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Determination of Staphylococcus aureus carriage in hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis patients and evaluation of the clonal relationship between carriage and clinical isolates

Background: This study was coinducted to investigate Staphylococcus aureus carriage in patients undergoing hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis and to evaluate the clonal relationship between carriage and clinical isolates. Methods: Surveillance for S aureus carriage was performed in 30 hemodialysis patients, 40 peritoneal dialysis patients, 13 workers in the unit, and 40 controls. The clonal relatedness of isolates was assessed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Results: Screening cultures yielded 8 (26.6%) isolates from the hemodialysis patients, 9 (22.5%) from the peritoneal dialysis patients, 4 (30.7%) from the staff, and 8 (20%) from the controls. All of the isolates were methicillin-susceptible except one from a hemodialysis patient. There was no significant difference in carriage rate among the study groups. A history of hospital admission in the previous 6 months and a history of infection was associated with an increased carriage rate. A total of 23 genotypes were established for the 28 isolates, demonstrating high clonal heterogenecity. Six clinical isolates from 4 hemodialysis patients and 4 clinical isolates from two peritoneal dialysis patients were molecularly evaluated to compare isolates obtained from infection with carriage isolates of the same patients. All but one of these clinical isolates were "indistinguishable/closely related" to the isolates obtained from the same patients as carriage isolates. Conclusion: Opur data show a clear association between S aureus carriage and S aureus infection. Determining the S aureus carriage state of patients undergoing dialysis can help guide infection prevention measures and treatment strategies. Copyright © 2011 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Psychometric study of Turkish version of Fatigue Impact Scale in multiple sclerosis patients

Background: The aims of this study were to test the validity, test-retest reliability, and internal consistency of Turkish version of FIS; the variables affecting FIS score. Materials and methods: 71 MS patients and 68 healthy subjects were included to the study. Results: Total FIS score and subscale scores were different statistically between MS patients and healthy volunteers in both first and second FIS applications (p 0.05). To assess the test-retest reliability, the scores of two FIS applications did not differ statistically (cognitive t = 1.948 p > 0.05, physical t = 1.420 p = 0.160, social t = 1.470 p = 0.146, total t = 1.990 p = 0.05). Intraclass correlation coefficients were 0.89 (99% confidence interval: 0.79-0.94) for cognitive, 0.95 (0.91-0.97) for physical, 0.91 (0.83-0.95) for social, and 0.93 (0.86-0.96) for total FIS scores (p < 0.001). EDSS correlated with physical subscores in both applications of FIS. Conclusion: Turkish version of FIS, which is valid and reliable, seems an appropriate tool for the assessment of the effects of fatigue in Turkish MS population. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Evaluation of emm gene types, toxin gene profiles and clonal relatedness of group A streptococci

The aim of this study is to evaluate antibiotic susceptibilities, emm gene types, toxin gene profiles and clonal relatedness of group A streptococci (GAS) isolates obtained from patients and carriers. A total of 79 clinical isolates from patients and 60 isolates from carriers were included in the study. Emm typing, toxin gene detection for speh, speB, speC, speG and smeZ genes and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed. Twenty-one distinct emm types were detected; the most common types were emmii, emm8g, emmi, emm77, emm4 and emm3. The detection rates of both emm types and the toxin genes didn't differ significantly between patients and carriers. The presence of speA and smeZ was significantly higher in emm1 and speG was significantly lower in emm\ when compared to the other emm types. The rate of clustering obtained with PFGE wasn't significantly different in patients and carriers. As a result, twelve of the 21 emm types detected in this study were covered by the 26-valent vaccine, constituting 77.7% of the emm typeable isolates; however the emm\ type which is one of the most common types in the present study is not among this coverage. © 2013 Association of Basic Medical Sciences of FBandH. All rights reserved

Levels of oxidized LDL, estrogens, and progesterone in placenta tissues and serum paraoxonase activity in preeclampsia

In vitro literature studies have suggested that atherosclerotic oxidized low density lipoprotein (OxLDL) inhibits trophoblast invasion. The objective of this study was to determine the levels of OxLDL and to examine the relationship between antioxidative estradiol, estriol, and prooxidative progestin in normal and preeclamptic placental tissues and measure the serum activity of antioxidative paraoxonase (PON1). The study included 30 preeclamptic and 32 normal pregnant women. OxLDL was determined with ELISA, estradiol, unconjugated estriol, and progesterone that were determined with chemiluminescence method in placental tissues. Serum PON1 activity was determined with spectrophotometric method. Levels of OxLDL (P = 0.027), estriol (P < 0.001), estradiol (P = 0.008), and progesterone (P = 0.00 9) were lower in the placental tissues of preeclamptic group compared to the normal pregnant women. Serum PON1 activity was higher in preeclamptic group (P = 0.040) and preeclamptic group without intrauterine growth restriction (P = 0.008) compared to normal pregnant women. Tissue estriol of preeclamptic group without/with IUGR (P < 0.001, P = 0.002) was lower than the normal group. Results of our study suggest that the events leading to fetoplacental insufficiency lead to a reduction in the levels of estriol limit deposition of OxLDL in placental tissues. The serum PON1 activity is probably important in the inhibition of OxLDL in preeclampsia. © 2013 Şerefden Açikgöz et al