Relationship between intracellular pathogens Toxoplasma gondii and Borrelia burgdorferi infections and migraine

Aim: In this study, the serological values of our patients followed up with a diagnosis of migraine were compared with the results of healthy controls in terms of possible association with intracellular pathogens, Toxoplasma gondii and Borrelia burgdorferi. Methods: Fifty patients with migraine, randomly selected among migraine patients without any additional disease, who applied to Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital between January 1, 2015 and August 31, 2019 were included in the study. Fifty subjects without headache were included as control group. The history of infectious diseases of the patient and control groups (Toxoplasma gondii, Borrelia burgdorferi- causing Lyme disease) was determined by serological diagnostic methods. Results: The study group consisted of 64 women with a mean age of 45.5±13.1 (15-76) years. Migraine and control groups were found to be similar in terms of age (p=0.059) and gender (p=0.211) distributions. The frequency of Toxoplasma gondii positivity in the migraine group was 28% (n=14) and 10% (n=5) in the control group. The frequency of Lyme was 19.6% (n=11) in the migraine group and 14.3% (n=8) in the control group. The frequency of Toxoplasma gondii positivity was statistically significantly higher in the migraine group (p=0.022), while the frequency of Lyme was found to be similar in the migraine and control groups (p=0.450). Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that there are statistically significant differences between migraine and control groups only in terms of Toxoplasma gondii positivity rates, not Lyme. However, we believe that larger sample studies are needed to determine the detailed relationship between migraine and Toxoplasma gondii infection

Variación estacional de la actividad reproductiva y de la composición bioquímica de ostra plana (Ostrea edulis) en Homa Lagoon, bahía de Izmir, Turquía

The reproductive cycle of the flat oyster, Ostrea edulis Linnaeus, 1758, in Homa Lagoon, Izmir Bay, Turkey was examined from August 2008 to July 2009. Gonad samples were analysed histologically in order to determine the sex ratio and gonad development stage. Overall, the sex ratio was recorded as 2.2% female, 42.6% male, 37% hermaphrodite and 17.9% inactive. Glycogen content showed considerable variations between August and February, but decreased gradually thereafter. However, glycogen did not directly affect the reproductive cycle. Total lipid content was positively correlated with temperature and inversely correlated with salinity. In addition, this parameter was influenced by the reproductive activity, which is correlated with the fluctuation of the condition index and gonad index (P < 0.05). However, the relationship between the protein index and the gonad index was negative (P < 0.05). The results of this study showed that protein was the major energy resource. The condition index varied between 2.69±0.91 (February) and 12.29±1.45 (April) during the year. With respect to meat yield, oyster quality changed from “fine” to “special”, except in December and February.El ciclo reproductivo de la ostra plana, Ostrea edulis Linnaeus, 1758, en Homa Lagoon, Bahía de Izmir, Turquía, fue examinado entre agosto de 2008 y julio de 2009. Las gónadas se analizaron histológicamente para determinar la proporción de sexos y su estado de desarrollo. La proporción de sexos encontrada fue 2.2% hembras, 42.6% machos, 37% hermafroditas y 17.9% inactivos. El contenido de glucógeno mostró considerables variaciones entre agosto y febrero, pero después de estos meses se produjo un aumento gradual. Sin embargo el glucógeno no afectó directamente el ciclo reproductivo. El contenido total de lípidos se correlacionó positivamente con la temperatura e inversamente con la salinidad. Además, este parámetro estuvo influenciado por la actividad reproductiva, que se correlaciona con la fluctuación del índice de condición y del índice gonadal (P < 0,05). Sin embargo la relación entre el índice de proteína y el índice gonadal fue negativa (P < 0,05). Los resultados de este estudio mostraron que la proteína era la principal fuente de energía. El índice de condición varió entre 2.69±0.91 (febrero) y 12.29±1.45 (abril) durante el año. En lo que respecta a la producción de carne, la calidad de las ostras pasó de “fine” to “special”, excepto en diciembre y febrero

Immunohistochemical assessment of mda and 8-ohdg expression in the skin, lungs and kidneys of lambs naturally infected with sheeppox virus confirmed with pcr

This study aimed to assess the role of free radicals in the pathogenesis and progression of sheeppox with the immunohistochemical investigation of MDA and 8-OhdG expressions. The study material comprised of 24 lamb carcasses (suspected of being infected with sheeppox), which were referred to the Pathology Department for routine diagnosis, and 6 healthy lambs used for control purposes. Commercial MDA and 8-OHdG were used for labeling with the avidin-biotin-Peroxidase complex technique by the manufacturer"s instructions. By using PCR the correct-sized amplicon was obtained from eight of the samples. Characteristic pock nodules were detected in the skin, lung, and liver tissues. In histopathological examinations, sheeppox cells and Guarneri bodies, which are quite typical for the diagnosis of the disease, were found in the internal organs. All of the sheeppox-infected cases yielded positive results for MDA and 8-OHdG immunostainings. When compared to the control group, the sheeppoxinfected group displayed statistically higher levels of MDA and 8-OHdG expressions. In conclusion, increased MDA and 8-OHdG expressions in the visceral organs of lambs naturally infected with the sheeppox virus demonstrated that sheeppox is associated with the disruption of the antioxidant/oxidant balance and the occurrence of significant oxidative stress-induced damage to macromolecules such as lipids and the DNA. The positive correlation detected between the severity of the disease and the expression of these biomarkers showed that free radicals are actively involved in the development of pox lesions

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Hyperprolactinemia in Children and Adolescents: National Survey

Conclusion: We present the largest cohort of children and adolescents with hyperprolactinemia in the literature to date. Hyperprolactinemia is more common in females and cabergoline is highly effective and practical to use in adolescents, due to its biweekly dosing. Indications for surgery in pediatric cases need to be revised

Sex difference and intra-operative tidal volume: Insights from the LAS VEGAS study

BACKGROUND: One key element of lung-protective ventilation is the use of a low tidal volume (VT). A sex difference in use of low tidal volume ventilation (LTVV) has been described in critically ill ICU patients.OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to determine whether a sex difference in use of LTVV also exists in operating room patients, and if present what factors drive this difference.DESIGN, PATIENTS AND SETTING: This is a posthoc analysis of LAS VEGAS, a 1-week worldwide observational study in adults requiring intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery in 146 hospitals in 29 countries.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Women and men were compared with respect to use of LTVV, defined as VT of 8 ml kg-1 or less predicted bodyweight (PBW). A VT was deemed 'default' if the set VT was a round number. A mediation analysis assessed which factors may explain the sex difference in use of LTVV during intra-operative ventilation.RESULTS: This analysis includes 9864 patients, of whom 5425 (55%) were women. A default VT was often set, both in women and men; mode VT was 500 ml. Median [IQR] VT was higher in women than in men (8.6 [7.7 to 9.6] vs. 7.6 [6.8 to 8.4] ml kg-1 PBW, P &lt; 0.001). Compared with men, women were twice as likely not to receive LTVV [68.8 vs. 36.0%; relative risk ratio 2.1 (95% CI 1.9 to 2.1), P &lt; 0.001]. In the mediation analysis, patients' height and actual body weight (ABW) explained 81 and 18% of the sex difference in use of LTVV, respectively; it was not explained by the use of a default VT.CONCLUSION: In this worldwide cohort of patients receiving intra-operative ventilation during general anaesthesia for surgery, women received a higher VT than men during intra-operative ventilation. The risk for a female not to receive LTVV during surgery was double that of males. Height and ABW were the two mediators of the sex difference in use of LTVV.TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered at Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT01601223

Sympathetic Skin Responses from the Neck Area in Patients with Unilateral Migraine

Introduction: In this study, in patients with unilateral migraine headache and in normal controls, it was aimed to assess the sympathetic function during attack, post attack, and interval periods and to compare these findings by recording sympathetic skin responses from the neck area, which was not studied before

Demografik Değişkenler Açısından Sağır Olmayan Yetişkinlerin Sağır Bireylere Yönelik İnanışları: Betimleyici Bir Ön Çalışma

Toplumda nadiren temas edilen gruplara yönelik tutum ve sosyal mesafe, geçmişten günümüze kadar sosyal psikolojinin ve gelişim psikolojisinin yakından çalıştığı konulardan biri olmuştur. Sağır bireyler toplumda görece daha seyrek temas edilen sosyal gruplardandır (Dikyuva, Makaroğlu ve Arık, 2015; İlkbaşaran, 2016). Özellikle Türkiye'de yürütülen ve çeşitli demograk özellikleri ile bu gruplara yönelik tutum ve inançları inceleyen sınırlı sayıda çalışma (örn.,Kemaloğlu, 2016) bulunmaktadır. Alan yazında özellikle çeşitli demograk özellikler ile tutumlar ve inançlar arasındaki ilişkiyi betimleyerek resimleyen yeni çalışmalara ihtiyaç vardır. Buradan yola çıkılarak bu çalışmada çeşitli demograk özelliklerin sağır bireylere yönelik inançlar ile ilişkisi incelenmiştir. Böylelikle gelecek çalışmalar için ilgili değişkenlerin ilişkisini ön bir çalışma yaparak betimlemek hedeenmiştir. Araştırmaya yaş ortalaması 27.44 olan 18-62 yaş arasında 164 kişi katılmıştır. Sağırlara yönelik tutumu ölçmek Berkay, Gardner ve Smith'in (1995) Sağırlar Hakkındaki Düşünceler Ölçeği [Opinions About Deaf Peoples Scale] kullanılmıştır. Sonuçlar, örneklemimizin çok küçük bir kısmının birinci derece (n=6) ve/veya ikinci derece (n = 13) yakınlarının sağır bireyler olduğunu, bu kişilerden de yalnızca dördünün işaret dili aracılığıyla iletişim kurabildiğini göstermiştir. Katılımcıların günlük hayatlarında sağır bir bireyle temas etme ortalamaları (M = 2.02 / 5'li Likert tipi ölçüm üzerinden) oldukça düşüktür. Yaş ve sağırlara yönelik tutum arasında bir ilişki yoktur. Eğitim düzeyi (r = .22) ve ailede kişi başına düşen maddi gelir (r = .24) yükseldikçe sağırlara yönelik tutum olumlu yönde artmaktadır. Kadınların sağırlara yönelik tutumları (M = 4.31) erkeklerden (M = 3.99) daha olumludur, p < .001. Bu çalışma cinsiyet, eğitim düzeyi ve maddi gelir gibi demograk özelliklerin sağırlara yönelik düşünceler ile ilişkili olduğunu göstermiştir.Attitudes and social distance to the groups that are rarely contacted in society have been one of the subjects that social psychology and developmental psychology work closely from past to present. Communities of deaf individuals are relatively infrequent social groups in society. In particular, it carried out in Turkey and examining the associations between attitudes and beliefs towards these groups, and various demographic characteristics, there are a limited number of studies. In the literature, there is a need for new studies that depict the relationship between various demographic characteristics and attitudes and beliefs. In this study, we examined the relationship between various demographic characteristics and beliefs towards deaf individuals. In this way, we aimed to describe the relationship between the related variables by making a preliminary study. One hundred and sixty-four people between the ages of 18-62, whose mean age is 27.44, participated in the study. We used the Opinions About Deaf Peoples Scale by Berkay, Gardner and Smith (1995) to measure beliefs and attitudes towards adult deaf people. The results showed that a very small portion of our sample was deaf individuals of the rst degree (n = 6) and/or second degree (n = 13) relatives, and only four of them were able to communicate through Turkish Sign Language. In the daily life of the participants, the average of contact with a deaf person (M = 2.02 / 5 Likert type measurement) is very low. There is no relationship between age and attitude towards the deaf. When education level (r = .22), and per capita income in the family (r = .24) increase, attitudes towards the deaf become positive. The attitudes of women towards deaf people (M = 4.31) were more positive than men (M = 3.39), p <.001. This study showed that some demographics such as sex, education level, and income are associated with opinions about deaf people

Cognitive profile and academic achievement of children with absence epilepsy

The main aim of this study was to examine the cognitive profile and academic achievement of children with absence epilepsy. It is investigated whether all scale intelligence score, intelligence subscale scores, and academic achievement of the children with absence epilepsy differed from healthy peers and Turkish norm values. Nineteen children with absence epilepsy and 19 healthy children participate in the study. TheWechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV) is used to measure their intelligence scores. A teacher assessment form (Teacher's Report Form (TRF)) is obtained from the participants' teachers for the measurement of academic achievement, and the students' report cards are collected as an additional measure of it. Participants with absence epilepsy have significantly lower scores of total intelligence score (Mean (M) = 76.68, Standard Deviation (SD) = 25.18), verbal comprehension score (M = 81.68, SD = 25.29), perceptual reasoning score (M = 85.47, SD = 20.61), processing speed score (M = 77.95, SD = 18.61), and working memory (M = 83.74, SD = 19.04), which are measured by WISC-IV, than healthy peers (respectively M = 105.84, SD = 16.20; M = 105.47, SD = 18.12; M = 103.63, SD = 12.88; M = 104.05, SD = 12.98; M = 104.74, SD = 18.97) and normvalues (M = 100, SD = 10). No difference is observed between the subscale scores ofWISC-IV for within group with absence epilepsy. Moreover, they have lower Turkish language (M = 73.65, SD = 19.19) and mathematics (M = 76.26, SD = 22.29) grade report scores than healthy peers (respectively M = 90.76, SD = 12.01; M = 88.64, SD = 15.93). There is no difference between the two groups in terms of the academic achievement obtained from the TRF. It is necessary to support children with absence epilepsy academically. We analyzed whether the current pattern has changed by comparing the intelligent scores and academic achievement of children with absence epilepsy who have recovered after treatment with their healthy peers. In fact, there is no difference between the children with absence epilepsy who have recovered after treatment and their healthy peers in terms of total intelligence score and its subscale scores. Similarly, there is no difference between them in terms ofmathematics score on their report. Only the difference in the score of Turkish language continues in the same direction