Obstructive sleep apnea as a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a common medical condition that occurs in approximately 5% to 15% of the population. It is usually associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Diagnosis of OSA is based on polysomnography, and its severity is measured with an apnea-hypopnea index. Most of the adverse effects of OSA on the cardiovascular system are reversible with treatment. In addition to continous positive airway pressure therapy, precautions such as weight loss, avoidance of central nervous system depressants, treatment of nasal congestion and sleeping in the lateral position may help to treat OSA. (Cardiol J 2007; 14: 534-537)

Does Previous Perianal Surgery for Benign Diseases Have an Impact on Timing of Hospital Admission in Patients with Colorectal Cancer?

Objective. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common and fatal malignancies worldwide. Although the clinical presentation varies according to the location of the tumor, hematochezia, tenesmus, changes in the defecation habit, chronic constipation, abdominal pain, and distension are the most common findings of CRCs. We aimed to investigate whether patients with CRC who had a surgical history for benign anal disease have more negative tumoral features or not. Material and Methods. Two-hundred fifty two patients who underwent surgery for CRC between 2010 and 2016 at general surgery clinic in Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital included in this study. Patients were classified into two groups; patients who had undergone surgery for benign perianal disease such as hemorrhoid, anal fissure, perianal abscess and fistulae (Group 1) and patients without past history for perianal surgery (Group 2). Results. A total of 252 CRC patients with a mean age of 64.2 years were included in the study. There were 95 (37.7%) females and 157 (62.3%) males. There were 25 (9.9%) patients who had surgical history for benign perianal disease. There were no statistically differences in tumor size, lymph node positivity, presence of distant metastasis, and tumor stage between the groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion. Although not statistically significant, CRC patients with a history of surgery for benign perianal disease had less lymphatic metastases and tumor size than those without prior perianal surgery. We think that this finding is important in that it indicates the importance of detailed and appropriate evaluation of patients with CRC

What should be the PSA threshold value? 2.5 or 4 ng/mL?

Background: In this study, author aimed to detect of threshold value of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) to distinguish malignant or benign prostatic lesions in PSA evaluation.Methods: A total of 61 patients underwent TRUSBP due to high PSA values (2.5-4 ng/mL) at the clinic between 2012-2017. Digital rectal examinations of all patients were normal. Cases with PSA elevation were divided into groups according to the pathology by benign (group 1) or malign (group 2). Author evaluated the predictive factors with the exception of digital rectal examination findings in two groups.Results: Benign prostate hyperplasia was detected in 35 patients (57.4%) and prostate adenocarcinoma was detected in 26 patients (42.6%). The patient’s age, tPSA, fPSA and PSA density were 62.07 years, 3.55 ng/mL, 0.65 ng/mL and 0.09 ng/ml2 in group 1 and 58.54 years, 3.55 ng/mL, 0.74 ng/mL and 0.10 ng/ml2 in group 2, respectively. Patient’s age was statistically significant between in two groups (p<0.05). Number of received cores and rate of f/tPSA were 12.24-12 and 20.51-18.45% in group 1 and 2, respectively. tPSA, fPSA and PSA density, number of received cores and rate of f/tPSA were similar in both groups. In group 2, prostate adenocarcinoma was most common detected with Gleason score 3+3 in 19 of 26 patients (73.1%).Conclusions: There is a need different assessment to distinguish of malignant lesions from benign lesions. Nowadays, it was impossible to make this difference in patients without digital rectal examination findings, so accepted threshold of PSA should be 2.5 ng/mL

Prediction of Kinase-Substrate Associations Using The Functional Landscape of Kinases and Phosphorylation Sites

Protein phosphorylation is a key post-translational modification that plays a central role in many cellular processes. With recent advances in biotechnology, thousands of phosphorylated sites can be identified and quantified in a given sample, enabling proteome-wide screening of cellular signaling. However, for most (\u3e 90%) of the phosphorylation sites that are identified in these experiments, the kinase(s) that target these sites are unknown. To broadly utilize available structural, functional, evolutionary, and contextual information in predicting kinase-substrate associations (KSAs), we develop a network-based machine learning framework. Our framework integrates a multitude of data sources to characterize the landscape of functional relationships and associations among phosphosites and kinases. To construct a phosphosite-phosphosite association network, we use sequence similarity, shared biological pathways, co-evolution, co-occurrence, and co-phosphorylation of phosphosites across different biological states. To construct a kinase-kinase association network, we integrate protein-protein interactions, shared biological pathways, and membership in common kinase families. We use node embeddings computed from these heterogeneous networks to train machine learning models for predicting kinase-substrate associations. Our systematic computational experiments using the PhosphositePLUS database shows that the resulting algorithm, NetKSA, outperforms two state-of-the-art algorithms, including KinomeXplorer and LinkPhinder, in overall KSA prediction. By stratifying the ranking of kinases, NetKSA also enables annotation of phosphosites that are targeted by relatively less-studied kinases. Availability: The code and data are available at compbio.case.edu/NetKSA/

PSA density as a parameter in prostate biopsy decision of patients with prostate sized 80 mL or larger

Background: Patients with high prostate volume (>80 ml) and high PSA levels make it difficult to decide on prostate biopsy. In this study, author aimed to detect of predictive factors to distinguish malignant or benign prostatic lesions in patients with prostate size over 80 ml.Methods: A total of 299 patients underwent TRUSBP at the clinics between 2012-2017. Cases with prostate volume over 80 ml were divided into groups according to the pathology by benign (group 1) or malign (group 2). Author evaluated the predictive factors in two groups. Patient’s age, grading and findings of digital rectal examination, prostate volume, number of received cores, total (tPSA) and free PSA (fPSA) before biopsy, rate of percentage of free to total prostate specific antigen (f/tPSA) and PSA density was compared in both groups.Results: Benign prostate hyperplasia was detected in 217 patients (72.58%) and prostate adenocarcinoma was detected in 82 patients (27.42%). The patient’s age, tPSA, fPSA and PSA density were 63.81 years, 9.71 ng/ml, 1.78 ng/ml and 0.10 g/ml2 in group 1 and 69.10 years, 38.32 ng/ml, 5.86 ng/ml and 0.42 ng/ml2 respectively. Patient’s age, tPSA, fPSA and PSA density was statistically significant between in two groups (p80 ml) has a significant influence in PSA values and results of the biopsy, PSA density is extremely important in performing prostate biopsy decisions

Hidatidinė kepenų cista ir vartų venos bei viršutinės pasaito arterijos: chirurginio gydymo galimybė

Hydatid cyst is a parasitic infestation by a tapeworm of the genus Echinococcus granulosus which can be localized in all vascularized tissues and causes cystic lesions. We present a case of hydatid liver cyst with portal vein and superior mesenteric artery invasion. Hydatid cysts are still commonly seen in Turkey. We believe that the most efficacious and least morbid treatment alternative for such rare complications of hydatid cysts is surgery.Turkijoje vis dar dažnos hidatidinės cistos. Tai parazito Echinococcus granulosus klinikinė manifestacija, kuri lokalizuojasi visuose vaskuliarizuotuose audiniuose ir sukelia cistinius darinius. Straipsnyje aptariamas hidatidinės kepenų cistos atvejis, apimantis kepenų vartų veną ir viršutinę pasaito arteriją. Daroma išvada, kad efektyviausias ir mažiausiai komplikacijų sukeliantis šios retos patologijos gydymas yra chirurgija

Contents

This Working Paper should not be reported as representing the views of the IMF. The views expressed in this Working Paper are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily represent those of the IMF or IMF policy. Working Papers describe research in progress by the author(s) and are published to elicit comments and to further debate. This paper investigates the determinants of fiscal policy behavior and its time-varying volatility, using panel data for a broad set of advanced and emerging market economies during the period 1990–2012. The empirical results show that discretionary fiscal policy is influenced by policy inertia, the level of public debt, and the output gap in both advanced and emerging market economies. In addition, the paper finds that macro-financial factors—such as real exchange rate, financial development, interest rates, asset prices, and natural resource rents—and demographic and institutional factors—such as the old-age dependency ratio, the quality of institutions, and policy anchors such as fiscal rules and IMF-supported stabilization programs—tend to have a significant effect on fiscal policy behavior. The results also indicate that higher government debt leads to more volatile fiscal behavior, while fiscal rules and higher institutional quality reduce the volatility of fiscal policy over time

Obturacyjny bezdech senny jako czynnik ryzyka rozwoju chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego

Obturacyjny bezdech senny jest stosunkowo często występującym schorzeniem, które dotyka około 5-15% populacji. Zaburzenie to zazwyczaj ściśle wiąże się ze zwiększonym ryzykiem rozwoju chorób układu sercowo-naczyniowego. Diagnostyka obturacyjnego bezdechu sennego opiera się na badaniu polisomnograficznym, a jego nasilenie mierzy się za pomocą wskaźnika bezdechów i spłyceń oddychania. Większość działań niepożądanych wywoływanych przez obturacyjny bezdech senny w odniesieniu do układu sercowo-naczyniowego ma, w toku włączonego leczenia, charakter odwracalny. Oprócz terapii za pomocą wentylacji w trybie ciągle dodatniego ciśnienia w drogach oddechowych w celu kompleksowego leczenia obturacyjnego bezdechu sennego zaleca się również zmniejszenie masy ciała, unikanie leków o depresyjnym wpływie na centralny układ nerwowy, leczenie niedrożności jamy nosowej, a także spanie w pozycji bocznej. (Folia Cardiologica Excerpta 2008; 3: 74-78

Prevalence of sleep disorders in the Turkish adult population epidemiology of sleep study

Sleep disorders constitute an important public health problem. Prevalence of sleep disorders in Turkish adult population was investigated in a nationwide representative sample of 5021 Turkish adults (2598 women and 2423 men, response rate: 91%) by an interviewer‐administered questionnaire. Insomnia was defined by the DSM‐IV criteria, habitual snoring and risk for sleep‐related breathing disorders (SDB) by the Berlin questionnaire, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) by the Epworth sleepiness scale score, and restless legs syndrome (RLS) by the complaints according to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Study Group criteria. Mean age of the participants was 40.7 ± 15.1 (range 18 to 90) years. Prevalence rates (men/women) were insomnia 15.3% (10.5%/20.2%; P &lt; 0.001), high probability of SDB 13.7% (11.1%/20.2%; P &lt; 0.001), EDS 5.4% (5.0%/5.7%; P: 0.09), RLS 5.2% (3.0%/7.3%; P &lt; 0.001). Aging and female gender were associated with higher prevalence of sleep disorders except for habitual snoring. Prevalence rates of the sleep disorders among Turkish adults based on the widely used questionnaires were close to the lower end of the previous estimates reported from different parts of the world. These findings would help for the assessment of the health burden of sleep disorders and addressing the risk groups for planning and implementation of health care

Baicalin Downregulates Porphyromonas gingivalis Lipopolysaccharide-Upregulated IL-6 and IL-8 Expression in Human Oral Keratinocytes by Negative Regulation of TLR Signaling

published_or_final_versio