From Sophisticated Analysis to Colorimetric Determination: Smartphone Spectrometers and Colorimetry

Smartphone-based spectrometer and colorimetry have been gaining relevance due to the widespread advances of devices with increasing computational power, their relatively low cost and portable designs with user-friendly interfaces, and their compatibility with data acquisition and processing for “lab-on-a-chip” systems. They find applications in interdisciplinary fields, including but not limited to medical science, water monitoring, agriculture, and chemical and biological sensing. However, spectrometer and colorimetry designs are challenging tasks in real-life scenarios as several distinctive issues influence the quantitative evaluation process, such as ambient light conditions and device independence. Several approaches have been proposed to overcome the aforementioned challenges and to enhance the performance of smartphone-based colorimetric analysis. This chapter aims at providing researchers with a state-of-the-art overview of smartphone-based spectrometer and colorimetry, which includes hardware designs with 3D printers and sensors and software designs with image processing algorithms and smartphone applications. In addition, assay preparation to mimic the real-life testing environments and performance metrics for quantitative evaluation of proposed designs are presented with the list of new and future trends in this field

Prevalence of carpal tunnel syndrome in cases with migraine and tension type headache

Background: Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS) is the most frequent entrapment neuropathy; also Tension Type Headache (TTH) and migraine headache are the most common forms of headaches. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between carpal tunnel syndrome and migraine and/or TTH, and if so, to determine the factors causing this relationship.  Methods: This study included 201 patients who were electro-physiologically diagnosed with idiopathic CTS and 100 controls. In addition to being examined for headaches, each patient’s Body Mass Index (BMI) was determined, and each was evaluated with Boston Questionnaire Form (BQF) and a Beck Depression Scale (BDS).  Results: The CTS group had significantly more patients with TTH and migraine headache than did the control group. In addition, the CTS group had a significantly higher frequency of headaches, and significantly higher BDS and BMI than did the controls. There were no significant differences in headache type and frequency of headache between those with mild CTS and those with mild-serious CTS. In addition, the Boston scores of CTS patients with headache were higher than those CTS patients without headache. Further, the monthly income levels of patients with CTS were lower than those of the control group.Conclusion: We found that primary headache is more frequent in CTS patients than in controls. This may be due to somato-autonomic reflexes and other common risk factors that can be seen in both CTS patients and those with headache, including obesity, depression and low level of income.

Biyoloji Öğrenmeye Yönelik Akademik Motivasyon Ölçeği: Ölçek Geliştirme Çalışması

This study aimed to develop "Academic Motivation Scale for Learning Biology (AMSLB)" for high school students. The sample of the study consisted of randomly selected 472 students studying at the 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grades of a science high school and five Anatolian high schools located in the central district of Kars. The scale development process included three steps: (1) exploratory factor analysis, (2) replication of the exploratory factor analysis with a different sample, and (3) confirmatory factor analysis. According to the analyses results, the scale was composed of 19 items and 4 sub-scales. These sub-scales were named as Intrinsic Motivation, Amotivation, Extrinsic Motivation - Career and Extrinsic Motivation - Social. The internal consistency of the scale was computed by using Cronbach Alpha and it was revealed that the results derived from this dataset had high reliability.Bu çalışma ile lise öğrencileri için “Biyoloji Öğrenmeye Yönelik Akademik Motivasyon Ölçeği (BAMÖ)” geliştirmek amaçlanmıştır. Araştırmanın örneklemini Kars il merkezinde bulunan, Fen ve Anadolu liselerinden rastgele seçilen 472 adet lise 9, 10, 11 ve 12. sınıf öğrencileri oluşturmaktadır. Ölçme aracının geliştirilmesi süreci, (1) açımlayıcı faktör analizi, (2) açımlayıcı faktör analizinin farklı bir örneklemle tekrarlanması ve (3) doğrulayıcı faktör analizini içerecek şekilde üç aşamada gerçekleştirilmiştir. Analiz sonuçlarına göre, ölçeğin 19 maddeden ve 4 alt boyuttan oluştuğu belirlenmiştir. Bu alt boyutlar, İçsel Motivasyon, Motivasyonsuzluk, Dışsal Motivasyon – Meslek ve Dışsal Motivasyon – Sosyal olarak adlandırılmıştır. Daha sonra ölçme aracının iç tutarlığı Cronbach Alpha ile hesaplanmış ve bu veri setinden elde edilen sonuçların oldukça yüksek güvenirliğe sahip olduğu görülmüştür

Rebaudioside A inhibits pentylenetetrazol-induced convulsions in rats

AbstractThe safety of patients with epilepsy consuming sweetening agents, which is becoming increasingly prevalent for various reasons, is a topic that should be emphasized as sensitively as it is for other diseases. Patients with epilepsy consume sweetening agents for different reasons such being diabetic or overweight. They can occasionally be exposed to sweetening agents unrestrainedly through consuming convenience food, primarily beverages. This study aimed to investigate the effects of rebaudioside A (Reb-A), which is a steviol glycoside produced from the herb Stevia rebaudiana (Bertoni), on epileptic seizures and convulsions induced by pentylenetetrazole (PTZ). Forty-eight male rats were used. Twenty-four rats were administered 35 mg/kg PTZ to trigger epileptiform activity; the remaining 24 rats were administered 70 mg/kg PTZ to trigger the convulsion model. The epileptiform activity was evaluated by spike percentage, whereas convulsion was evaluated by Racine's Convulsion Scale and the onset time of the first myoclonic jerk. Statistical analysis revealed a statistically significant decrease in the Racine's Convulsion Scale score and increase in the latency of first myoclonic jerk in a dose-dependent manner for the rat groups in which PTZ epilepsy had been induced and Reb-A had been administered. For the groups that were administered Reb-A, the spike decrease was apparent in a dose-dependent manner, based on the spike percentage calculation. These results indicated that Reb-A has positive effects on PTZ-induced convulsions

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor provides protection against cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy in streptozotocin-induced diabetes in rats

WOS: 000349959600012PubMed ID: 25638453Aims: Cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy (CAN) is a relatively common and detrimental complication of diabetes mellitus (DM). Dysregulation of neuropeptides, such as calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), are thought to play significant roles in diabetes-related cardiovascular disease. Accumulating evidence indicates the neuroprotective effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) in different neurological disorders. The purpose of the study is to investigate the role of CGRP and VIP and possible effects of G-CSF on CAN in type I DM model in rats. Methods: Diabetes was induced by intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin (STZ) for 14 rats. Seven rats served as controls and 6 rats were administered G-CSF alone. DM group was randomly divided into 2 groups and received either 1 mL/kg saline (DM + saline group) or 100 mu g/kg/day G-CSF (DM + G-CSF group) for 4 weeks. Following electrocardiography (ECG), GCRP and VIP levels were measured in plasma samples. Results: Diabetes promoted a significant prolongation in the corrected QT interval (cQT) (P < 0.001) whereas G-CSF administration significantly shortened cQT interval (P < 0.05). Plasma VIP and CGRP levels of saline treated DM group were significantly lower than those of control group (P < 0.05). G-CSF treatment significantly prevented the reduction in plasma VIP and CGRP levels (P < 0.01 and P < 0.05, respectively). Also, correlation analysis showed a significant negative correlation between the cQT and neuropeptide levels. Conclusions: This study suggests that G-CSF can be effective in CAN by means of neuro-protection, and plasma VIP and CGRP levels can be used for the assessment of autonomic and sensory functions in diabetes. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Restless leg syndrome developing due to usage of mirtazapine and paroxetine

İstanbul Bilim Üniversitesi, Tıp Fakültesi.Huzursuz bacak sendromu (HBS) etyopatogenezi net olarak bilinmeyen, son yıllarda sıklığı giderek artan ve uyku düzenini ciddi şekilde etkileyerek yaşam kalitesini bozan bir hastalıktır. Bu yazıda, antidepresan ilaçların kullanımına bağlı gelişen HBS olguları sunuldu. Daha önce herhangi bir yakınması olmayan 32 ile 56 yaşlarında iki kadın hastada farklı nedenlerden dolayı başlatılan paroksetin ve mirtazapin tedavileri sonrası HBS gelişti. Ayırıcı tanılar sonrasında her iki hastada herhangi bir risk faktörü tespit edilmemesi üzerine hastalara antidepresan kullanımına bağlı gelişen HBS tanısı konuldu. Bu tedavilerin sonlandırılması ile hastaların şikayetleri geçmiştir. Antidepresan ilaçların kullanım sıklığı giderek artmaktadır. Sonuç olarak, bu ilaçların neden olabileceği HBS dikkate alınmalıdır.Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is an illness of which its ethiopathogenesis is not known clearly, frequency has been increasing gradually in recent years, and which impairs the quality of life by affecting the sleep pattern severely. In this study, we present RLS cases which developed due to usage of antidepressant medicines. Restless leg syndrome developed after paroxetine and mirtazapine treatments which had been started due to different reasons in two female patients aged 32 and 56 who had no previous complaints. Since no risk factors were detected in both patients after differential diagnoses, patients were diagnosed as RLS developing due to antidepressant usage. Patients’ complaints ended after these treatments were ceased. Frequency of usage of antidepressant medicines has been increasing gradually. As a result, RLS which may be caused by these medicines should be taken into consideration