Postoperative complications and its relationship with the severity of postoperative pain in patients undergoing thoracic surgery

Aim: To investigate the complications that occur in our patients who underwent thoracic surgery, as well as the relationship between postoperative pain and complications. Method: Of the 117 patients who underwent surgery between January 2018 and December 2018, there were 99 patients with pain and the other parameters whose data’s were complete. Medical records of the patients were investigated in terms of age, gender, smoking status and frequency, diagnosis, treatment, length of stay in the hospital, postoperative complications and visual analog scale (VAS). The postoperative complications and VAS values were compared statistically. Results: The mean age of the patients was 50.52±18.46 years, 26 (26.3%) patients were female and 73 (73.7%) were male. The average length of stay in hospital was 4.08±3.06 days and average pain severity was 3.92±2.07. The most common diagnosis in our cases was lung cancer, and the most common complication was prolonged air leakage. There was a significant relationship between the severity of pain and the presence of postoperative complications in our patients (p=0.001). However, the correlation relationship was found to be low (r=0.322). Conclusion: The results of our study revealed that optimal postoperative pain control is an important factor for preventing postoperative complications

The relationship of monocyte to high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio and complete blood count parameters with radiologic staging of knee osteoarthritis

Aim: To evaluate the predictive ability of bioindicators derived from complete blood count (CBC) parameters and monocyte-high density lipoprotein-cholesterol ratio (MHR) in the diagnosis of radiological stage of knee osteoarthritis (OA) in this study. Method: This cross-sectional retrospective study was carried out between November 2017 and June 2021, in our physical therapy and rehabilitation clinics.  65 patients knee x-rays and routine laboratory results were included in the study. Each knee x-rays were assigned a grade from 0 to 4 (Kellgren-Lawrence Classification System (KL). Patients were divided into two groups according to severity of the knee OA as follows. Group 1: Mild-moderate OA (KL Grade1-2), Group 2: Severe OA (KL Grade 3-4). Results: Independent T test and Mann Whitney U test were used to assess whether there was a difference in CBC parameters and their derivatives between two groups. Platelet lymphocyte ratio (PLR), red cell distribution width (RDW) to platelet ratio (RPR) and platelet (PLT) counts indicated statistically significant differences between the groups, p-values were 0.04, 0.03 and 0.04 respectively. There were no significant differences in terms of MHR score between the groups. Conclusions: We could not find a relationship between MHR and radiological degree of knee osteoarthritis. However, there is a correlation between radiological stage of knee osteoarthritis and hemogram parameters like PLT and their derivatives such as PLR and RPR

Topological Reorganization of Odor Representations in the Olfactory Bulb

Odors are initially represented in the olfactory bulb (OB) by patterns of sensory input across the array of glomeruli. Although activated glomeruli are often widely distributed, glomeruli responding to stimuli sharing molecular features tend to be loosely clustered and thus establish a fractured chemotopic map. Neuronal circuits in the OB transform glomerular patterns of sensory input into spatiotemporal patterns of output activity and thereby extract information about a stimulus. It is, however, unknown whether the chemotopic spatial organization of glomerular inputs is maintained during these computations. To explore this issue, we measured spatiotemporal patterns of odor-evoked activity across thousands of individual neurons in the zebrafish OB by temporally deconvolved two-photon Ca2+ imaging. Mitral cells and interneurons were distinguished by transgenic markers and exhibited different response selectivities. Shortly after response onset, activity patterns exhibited foci of activity associated with certain chemical features throughout all layers. During the subsequent few hundred milliseconds, however, MC activity was locally sparsened within the initial foci in an odor-specific manner. As a consequence, chemotopic maps disappeared and activity patterns became more informative about precise odor identity. Hence, chemotopic maps of glomerular input activity are initially transmitted to OB outputs, but not maintained during pattern processing. Nevertheless, transient chemotopic maps may support neuronal computations by establishing important synaptic interactions within the circuit. These results provide insights into the functional topology of neural activity patterns and its potential role in circuit function

DETERMINASI JAMINAN LAYANAN DAN PERCEIVED QUALITY TERHADAP KEPUASAN KONSUMEN PENGGUNA JASA BENGKEL HONDA AHASS 0501 PT SELAMAT LESTARI MANDIRI KOTA SUKABUMI

The research was aimed at determining the influence of assurance and perceived quality toward customer satisfaction at AHASS 0501 machine shop. Samples of the research were 88 respondents and the technique of collecting data applied was questionnaire. The research method applied was random sampling method. The technique of analysis applied was multiple linear analysis, and simultaneous test (f test) was deployed for testing hypothesis. The determination coefficient test is resulted to 0.868 which means that the influence of service assurance and perceived quality toward customer satisfaction is aggregated to 75.3%, while the remaining of 24.7% is influenced by other factors not explained in the research. Based on f test which has been conducted, the profitability value is obtained as much as sig 0.000 2.37 so that H0 is rejected and H1 is accepted. It concludes that Service Guarantee (X1) and Perceived Quality (X2) significantly influence Customer Satisfaction (Y) altogether

Is acupuncture effective against pain in patients with Parkinson’s disease? A randomized controlled study

Aim: To investigate the efficacy of acupuncture application in the treatment of neck pain of musculoskeletal origin in patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). Methods: Forty-five patients were screened, of whom 40 were enrolled and 29 completed the study. The patients were divided into two groups, each consisting of 20 individuals. The acupuncture group (AG) received acupuncture therapy in addition to neck exercises, while the control group (CG) performed only neck exercises. Both groups were enrolled in an exercise program, every day of the week for five weeks. The AG also received 10 sessions of acupuncture, twice weekly.  The Hoehn and Yahr Scale, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Movement Disorder Society Unified Parkinson's Disease rating Scale-I (MDS-UPDRS-I), a Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and the Neck Disability Index (NDI) were applied as data collection tools before and at the end of treatment. Results: Significant improvement was determined in both groups in post-treatment VAS, MDS-UPDRS-I, HAQ, and NDI values compared to pre-treatment (p<0.05). The improvement in VAS, MDS-UPDRS-I, HAQ, and NDI values was significantly greater in AG than in CG (p<0.05). Conclusion: With its local and systemic effects, acupuncture is a safe procedure capable of use for analgesia. However, further randomized, placebo-controlled studies will permit a more detailed evaluation of its therapeutic efficacy

Positive and negative regulator Junb : impact on chromatin remodeling and stress response

The AP-1 transcription factor is a central player in a multitude of biological processes from normal development to neoplastic transformation causing cancer. Junb, a subunit of AP-1, is special by the fact that it has at the same time activator and repressor functions. While positively regulated Junb target genes are principally required for proper vascular development, negative regulation of cytokines is of crucial importance to suppress pro-inflammatory and tumorigenic phenotypes. In this work, I approached this double-edge role of Junb by addressing two scientific questions: the mode of operation of Junb as negative transcription regulator and its impact in the ER stress response and apoptosis. First, I could show that, in addition to the general view of being an inhibitor of AP-1 by absorbing Jun activity, Junb also represses genes by epigenetic mechanisms. Although Junb did regulate neither the levels of histone acetylation nor the expression of HDACs, DNMTs and co-repressor complexes, few genes showed differential induction by HDAC inhibitors in wild-type and Junb-deficient fibroblasts. Presumably, these genes may be regulated through a yet to be identified Junb-dependent mechanism involving HDACs. Moreover, Junb regulated the DNA methylation of the imprinting control region of the gene H19. The molecular mechanisms involved in Junb-dependent epigenetic regulation appear to be novel and very unusual for an AP-1 member and remains to be fully solved. Secondly, I investigated the role of Junb in ER stress, a condition that has been described to contribute to hypoxia tolerance and tumor progression. Although Junb deficiency resulted in minor changes in the ER stress-triggered unfolded protein response (UPR), Junb-ablated MEFs were resistant towards apoptosis. Very high levels of activated pro-survival kinases resulted in aberrant post-translational modification of BH3-only proteins Bim and Bad and subsequent failure in mitochondria permeabilization and caspases activation. A soluble factor, most likely Pdgfb, elicited a pro-survival autocrine loop causative for the apoptosis resistance in absence of Junb. In summary, the negative regulation of cytokines and growth factors by Junb accounts for most of the deleterious effects observed in absence of Junb, except for the angiogenesis phenotype. Thus, the understanding of how Junb represses genes and the targeting of this specific mechanism would represent a promising therapeutic approach to treat in the future inflammatory disease and cancer

Elevated photic response is followed by a rapid decay and depressed state in ictogenic networks

Objective: The switch between nonseizure and seizure states involves profound alterations in network excitability and synchrony. In this study, we aimed to identify and compare features of neural excitability and dynamics across multiple zebrafish seizure and epilepsy models. Methods: Inspired by video-electroencephalographic recordings in patients, we developed a framework to study spontaneous and photically evoked neural and locomotor activity in zebrafish larvae, by combining high-throughput behavioral tracking and whole-brain in vivo two-photon calcium imaging. Results: Our setup allowed us to dissect behavioral and physiological features that are divergent or convergent across multiple models. We observed that spontaneous locomotor and neural activity exhibit great diversity across models. Nonetheless, during photic stimulation, hyperexcitability and rapid response dynamics were well conserved across multiple models, highlighting the reliability of photically evoked activity for high-throughput assays. Intriguingly, in several models, we observed that the initial elevated photic response is often followed by rapid decay of neural activity and a prominent depressed state. Elevated photic response and following depressed state in seizure-prone networks are significantly reduced by the antiseizure medication valproic acid. Finally, rapid decay and depression of neural activity following photic stimulation temporally overlap with slow recruitment of astroglial calcium signals that are enhanced in seizure-prone networks. Significance: We argue that fast decay of neural activity and depressed states following photic response are likely due to homeostatic mechanisms triggered by excessive neural activity. An improved understanding of the interplay between elevated and depressed excitability states might suggest tailored epilepsy therapies. Keywords: astroglia; calcium imaging; depressed state; elevated state; epilepsy; high-throughput behavior; hyperexcitability; photic stimulation; seizure; zebrafis

Determinasi Jaminan Layanan dan Perceived Quality terhadap Kepuasan Konsumen Pengguna Jasa Bengkel Honda AHASS 0501

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of collateral and perceived quality on consumer satisfaction at AHASS 0501. Workshop This research method uses the type of sampling included in the random sampling sample. The analysis technique used is multiple linear analysis techniques, and for testing the hypothesis is a simultaneous test (f test). Based on the coefficient of determination test of 0.868 can be interpreted that the effect of service assurance and perceived quality on customer satisfaction is 75.3%. The remaining 24.7% is influenced by other factors not explained in this study. Based on the f test, a probability value of sig is obtained. 0,000 <0.05 and the F test calculation shows that the F count is greater than the F table which is 129,777> 2.37. Conclusions, Service Guarantee (X1) and Perceived Quality (X2) have a significant effect on Consumer Satisfaction (Y). Keywords: Guarantee, Quality Perception, Consumer Satisfactio

Protective effect of thymoquinone on smoking-induced vascular damage: An experimental study in rats

Aim: To investigate the protective effect of thymoquinone on smoking-induced vascular damage in rats. Method: A total of 28 rats were allocated in this experimental study. Rats were equally divided in four groups; as control group (n=7) and study groups including only smoking group (n=7), smoking plus thymoquinone group (n=7) and smoking plus dexamethasone group (n=7). The animals in study groups were subjected to regular cigarette smoke exposure during 2 months, hereby smoking-induced vascular injury model was established in the animals. The thoracic aorta of the animals were surgically resected and then evaluated histopathologically. The prepared aortic tissue samples were analyzed under light microscope in terms of thickness of aortic wall, endothelial continuity and injury as well as degenerative alterations on the endothelium. Results: Mean aortic wall thicknesses were 77.8 and 114.5 μ in only smoking group and smoking plus thymoquinone group respectively, and this difference was statistically significant. In only smoking group partial endothelial damage and complete endothelial damage were observed in 2 and 4 animals respectively whereas in smoking plus thymoquinone group no endothelial damage and partial endothelial damage were observed in 2 and 4 animals respectively. When these groups were compared in terms of endothelial damage, the difference was detected to be statistically significant. Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that thymoquinone has a protective effect on rat endothelium and alleviates the smoking-induced vascular damage in rats

Computational modeling of motile cilia generated cerebral flow dynamics in zebrafish embryo

Background: Motile cilia are hair-like microscopic structures which move the fluids along the epithelial surfaces. Cilia cover a wide range of regions in the nervous system, such as the nasal cavity, spinal cord central canal, and brain ventricles. Motile cilia-driven cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow in the brain ventricles has an important role in the brain development. Embryos lacking motile cilia develop neurological defects due to altered CSF flow. Aim: To investigate the effect of motile-cilia motion on the altered CSF flow, and to understand the role of CSF flow in the brain development and physiology. Methods: The dynamics of motile-cilia driven flow is analyzed employing computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. A 2D model is generated using the time-lapse microscopic movies showing movements of a fluorescently labeled motile-cilia in a zebrafish embryo (48-hour post-fertilization). The effects on the generated flow are elucidated by investigating the cilia beating angle, multiple cilia formations, and the phase difference between different ciliary beats. Results: Ciliary beating generated a directional flow in the form of a circulating vortex. The angle of ciliary beating significantly affected the flow velocity. As the angle between the wall and cilia decreases, the flow becomes more efficient by achieving higher velocities. Multiple cilia formations increased the flow velocity but the significance of multiple cilia is not as critical as the beating angle. Interestingly, phase difference between the multiple cilia beats increased the directional flow velocity. Conclusion: Motile-cilia generated flow dynamics are investigated, and it is concluded that out-of-phase multiple ciliary beating is the optimum form of beating in order to generate a directional flo