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

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

Efficacy of c-arm scopy-guided erector spinae plane block (ESPB) in postoperative pain control and reduction of opioid side effects in spinal instrumentation surgery

Background: Spinal instrumentation surgery causes significant pain in patients. As a result, patients are exposed to excessive opioid use and the associated side effects, as well as prolonged hospital stay, resulting in economic burden. Local anaesthetics can help both reduce postoperative pain and minimize the side effects associated with systemically administered opioid analgesics. Objective: The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the effect of erector spinae plane block on analgesia in spinal instrumentation surgery and to reduce the side effects of excessive opioid use. Materials and Methods: We reported a retrospective study. Thirty patients, who underwent spinal instrumentation surgery from 2017 to 2018, were chosen from the hospital records. We performed spinal instrumentation and decompression by laminectomy to all patients under general anaesthesia. While 15 of these patients underwent erector spinae plane block, these patients received patient-controlled analgesia postoperative period. The other 15 patients received only patient-controlled analgesia postoperative period. We analyzed patients' data for differences in preoperative and postoperative visual analogue scores, nausea vomiting scores, constipation life quality scale, patient-controlled analgesia shot count and mean opioid consumption of patients. Results: The data of 30 patients undergoing lumbar spinal instrumentation surgery were retrospectively analyzed. There was no significant difference in the age, preoperative VAS, preoperative ODI and sex between the two groups (p?0,05). In addition, there were statistically significant differences in postoperative VAS, postoperative ODI, Nausea Vomiting Score, Constipation Life Quality Score (CLQS), petidin consumption and PCA shot count (p <0.05). In all variables with significant differences, the values ??in the block group were lower than the non-block group. Conclusion: ESPB provides effective analgesia and reduces side effects due to excessive opioid usage

Association of platelet count and platelet indices with cranial meningioma

Introduction and Objectives: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether platelet count (PLT) and platelet indices included mean platelet volume (MPV), platecrit (PCT), platelet distribution width  (PDW) values can be used as diagnostic markers in cranial meningiomas. Materials and Methods: The study included results of 29 patient and 47 healthy contributors. Based on pathologies, the patients were divided into two groups. The first group included meningioma patients and the second one included healthy individuals. Healthy contributors named control group. Platelet count and platelet indices were determined using Sysmex XN 550 haematology analyzer. The preoperative platelet count (PLT) and platelet indices included mean platelet volume (MPV), platecrit (PCT), platelet distribution width  (PDW) values were recorded from the routine laboratory tests. Results: There was no statistically significant difference in PLT between the meningioma and healthy groups (p = 0.217). There was a statistically significant difference in PCT between the meningioma group and the healthy group (p = 0.002). There was a statistically significant difference in PDW between meningioma group and healthy group (p = 0.001). In terms of MPV, there was a statistically significant difference between meningioma group and the healthy group (p = 0.001) Conclusion: Platelet count and indices are easily available in the routine blood tests. Despite the retrospective design and small sample size, our findings suggest that altered MPV, PDW and PCT levels might serve as potential biomarkers for the diagnosis of meningiomas

Computed tomography-based morphometric measurements of the atlas (C1) posterior arc

Study design: Single-center retrospective study Objectives: This study is performed to determine the anatomic feasibility of the C1 posterior arc screw and help select an optimal screw trajectory in treating patients with craniovertebral junction pathologies. Material and Methods: We reported a single-centre retrospective study. Forty patients (20 male and 20 female) who underwent cervical computed tomography (CT) were chosen from the hospital records. Based on CT images, we measured left laminar length (LLL), right laminar length (RLL), left laminar angle (LLA), right laminar angle (RLA), left laminar axial thickness (LLAT), right laminar axial thickness (RLAT), left laminar coronal thickness (LLCT), right laminar coronal thickness (RLCT), and craniocaudal angle (CCA) of the C1 posterior arc. Results: The mean values and standard deviations (SD) for nine parameters at the C1 posterior arc were determined. LLL, RLL, LLCT, and RLCT were statistically longer in men than women. RLAT was bigger in men but there was no statistical difference. RLA was statistically wider in women than men. LLA and CCA were wider in women but there was no statistical difference, LLAT was bigger in women but there was no statistical difference. There was no statistical difference in measurements by age. Conclusion:  The results of this study are important to avoid neurovascular injury and pedicle breakage because of choosing large screw while performing C1 laminar screw fixation

The efficacy of adalimumab on experimentally induced spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury

Objective: Paraplegia is a dangerous complication of thoracoabdominal aortic surgery. Various studies have been conducted on the prevention of this complication and some spinal cord protection methods have been proposed. However, there is not any modality that prevent the development of paraplegia certainly. In the I / R period, primary injury triggers secondary injury due to increased inflammation, apoptosis and free radical formation. In this study, we evaluated that the neuroprotective effect of adalimumab in spinal cord ischemia-reperfusion injury.  Materials and Methods: In total, 24 adult New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups: Group 1, control; Group 2, ischemia-reperfusion by infrarenal aortic clamping; Group 3, adalimumab treated followed by ischemia. Tissue and plasma tumor necrosis factor alpha, interleukin 6, interleukin 10, thiobarbituric acid reactive substance, total oxidant status and total antioxidant status levels were analyzed as a marker of inflammation and oxidation. Histopathological evaluation of the tissues was performed, and apoptosis was evaluated by TUNNEL method. Results: I/R injury significantly increases plasma and spinal cord tissue at TNF alpha, TOS, TBARS, IL6 levels and reduces plasma and spinal cord tissue to TAS and IL10 levels. Adalimumab treatment significantly reduces plasma and spinal cord tissue to TNF alpha, TOS, TBARS, IL6 and increases plasma and tissue to TAS and IL10 levels. Conclusion: Adalimumab treatment significantly reduces the spinal cord neuronal damage score and the number of apoptotic cells. This paper aims to demonstrate the important neuroprotective effects of adalimumab on rabbit spinal cord I/R injury

Isolation, Purification and Characterization of new cold active subtilisin-like protease from Bacillus sp. strain EL-GU1

Proteases are hydrolytic enzymes that slice peptide bonds between amino acid residues and these enzymes have various industrial applications including detergent, food, pharmaceutical, leather and diagnostic reagent industries. Among them, alkaline proteases, the most commercialized enzymes in the industry, are of particular interest due to their potential applications in the detergent industry as cleaning additives. In this study, a novel alkaline protease from Bacillus sp. strain EL-GU1 was reported showing highest activity at pH 6 and 25°C. The novel protease was purified by using ammonium sulfate precipitation and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing. Highest activity was observed as 3300 µmol/min-1mg-1 when casein used as a substrate. Kinetic parameters of the enzyme were determined; KM, Vmax, kcat and catalytic efficiency values were calculated as 1.4 mM, 1 mM/s, 2.10-7 s-1, 0.14 10-7 s-1M-1, respectively. These results indicated that the novel cold active protease from Bacillus sp. strain EL- GU1 can be a good candidate for the detergent industr

International Implementation of Digital Library Software/Platforms

Presented at the ASIS&T Annual Meeting, Vancouver BC, Canada, November 11, 2009.This panel will present an overview of adoption and implementation of digital library software/platforms and standards with an international perspective. Decision factors in adoption of particular software/platform and standards are reviewed. Impact of organizational, social, legal, and cultural factors are highlighted

Determination of Biological Treatability Processes of Textile Wastewater and Implementation of a Fuzzy Logic Model

This study investigated the biological treatability of textile wastewater. For this purpose, a membrane bioreactor (MBR) was utilized for biological treatment after the ozonation process. Due to the refractory organic contents of textile wastewater that has a low biodegradability capacity, ozonation was implemented as an advanced oxidation process prior to the MBR system to increase the biodegradability of the wastewater. Textile wastewater, oxidized by ozonation, was fed to the MBR at different hydraulic retention times (HRT). During the process, color, chemical oxygen demand (COD), and biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal efficiencies were monitored for 24-hour, 12-hour, 6-hour, and 3-hour retention times. Under these conditions, 94% color, 65% COD, and 55% BOD removal efficiencies were obtained in the MBR system. The experimental outputs were modeled with multiple linear regressions (MLR) and fuzzy logic. MLR results suggested that color removal is more related to COD removal relative to BOD removal. A surface map of this issue was prepared with a fuzzy logic model. Furthermore, fuzzy logic was employed to the whole modeling of the biological system treatment. Determination coefficients for COD, BOD, and color removal efficiencies were 0.96, 0.97, and 0.92, respectively