Survey of general practitioners' knowledge about Helicobacter pylori infection

BACKGROUND: Helicobacter pylori, occurring throughout the world and causing gastroduodenal diseases, is one of the most common chronic bacterial agents in humans. The purpose of this study was to measure the general practitioners' (GPs) knowledge and practices pertaining to H. pylori infection. METHODS: A cross-sectional type questionnaire survey was conducted in all of 19 primary health care centres (PHCC) in Samsun, Turkey, between November 1 and December 31, 2003. The questionnaire was sent to 124 GPs and 109 (87.9 %) of those filled in. They were requested to answer the questions on the knowledge, sources of medical information, diagnostic tests and treatment to H. pylori. RESULTS: Medical journals were the most frequently used source of information on H. pylori, being cited by 86 (78.9%) of GPs. Ninety-two (84.4%) of the GPs reported having used one or more tests and 17 (15.6%) never used any test for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection. Only 9.8% had used stool antigen test for diagnosis. GPs reported that they would prescribe symptomatic treatment without ordering diagnostic tests for 29 (26.6%). 54.1% of the GPs explain that they sent patients with H. pylori infection to a specialist, and most used a triple drug regimen containing a PPI. Treatment duration varies between 7 to 28 days. 80.7 of the GPs treat patients for 14 days. CONCLUSION: GPs may not have enough knowledge about the importance of stool antigen test or possibility of usage of this test. GPs have not sufficient knowledge about the difference between symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. It is thought that GPs preferred to treat the patients with suspected ulcer empirically or to send them to a specialist because of the limited diagnostic conditions. The efforts to educate the GPs about the algorithms regarding the management of H. pylori infection during post-graduation period should be improved in PHCCs

Convex Hulls under Uncertainty

We study the convex-hull problem in a probabilistic setting, motivated by the need to handle data uncertainty inherent in many applications, including sensor databases, location-based services and computer vision. In our framework, the uncertainty of each input site is described by a probability distribution over a finite number of possible locations including a \emph{null} location to account for non-existence of the point. Our results include both exact and approximation algorithms for computing the probability of a query point lying inside the convex hull of the input, time-space tradeoffs for the membership queries, a connection between Tukey depth and membership queries, as well as a new notion of \some-hull that may be a useful representation of uncertain hulls

Computing Volumes and Convex Hulls: Variations and Extensions

Geometric techniques are frequently utilized to analyze and reason about multi-dimensional data. When confronted with large quantities of such data, simplifying geometric statistics or summaries are often a necessary first step. In this thesis, we make contributions to two such fundamental concepts of computational geometry: Klee's Measure and Convex Hulls. The former is concerned with computing the total volume occupied by a set of overlapping rectangular boxes in d-dimensional space, while the latter is concerned with identifying extreme vertices in a multi-dimensional set of points. Both problems are frequently used to analyze optimal solutions to multi-objective optimization problems: a variant of Klee's problem called the Hypervolume Indicator gives a quantitative measure for the quality of a discrete Pareto Optimal set, while the Convex Hull represents the subset of solutions that are optimal with respect to at least one linear optimization function.In the first part of the thesis, we investigate several practical and natural variations of Klee's Measure Problem. We develop a specialized algorithm for a specific case of Klee's problem called the “grounded” case, which also solves the Hypervolume Indicator problem faster than any earlier solution for certain dimensions. Next, we extend Klee's problem to an uncertainty setting where the existence of the input boxes are defined probabilistically, and study computing the expectation of the volume. Additionally, we develop efficient algorithms for a discrete version of the problem, where the volume of a box is redefined to be the cardinality of its overlap with a given point set.The second part of the thesis investigates the convex hull problem on uncertain input. To this extent, we examine two probabilistic uncertainty models for point sets. The first model incorporates uncertainty in the existence of the input points. The second model extends the first one by incorporating locational uncertainty. For both models, we study the problem of computing the probability that a given point is contained in the convex hull of the uncertain points. We also consider the problem of finding the most likely convex hull, i.e., the mode of the convex hull random variable

THE EFFECT OF PREOPERATIVE ANXIETY ON FETAL CORD BLOOD TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA, INTERLEUKIN-6, AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Backgrounds: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship in pregnant women who undergo elective cesarean section between the preoperative anxiety (POA) levels and neonatal results and TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 levels, the pro-inflammatory cytokines in cord blood. Subjects and methods: Sixty-six volunteer patients, aged 18 to 40, who underwent elective cesarean surgery were included in the study. Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was evaluated at the anesthesia outpatient clinic and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) was determined one hour before cesarean section. Plasma levels of TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 in the umbilical cord blood were determined using the ELISA method. Fetal cord blood gas, birth weight, and APGAR scores at the 1st and 5th minutes after birth were recorded. Results: The mean preoperative maternal SAI and TAI scores were 46,6+-10,9 and 41,4+-7,8, respectively. There was a significant correlation between POA and fetal birth weight and fetal cord blood TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 parameters. The inflammatory marker levels in the cord blood of fetuses in the high anxiety groups were significantly higher (p<0.001). Fetal birth weight was significantly lower in the high anxiety groups (p<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in cord blood gas values. Conclusions: Our results show that an increase in the levels of TNF-alfa,IL-6, and IL-8 cytokines in fetal cord blood in pregnant women with high anxiety levels and this situation causes negative effects on the newborn

THE EFFECT OF PREOPERATIVE ANXIETY ON FETAL CORD BLOOD TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR-ALPHA, INTERLEUKIN-6, AND NEONATAL OUTCOMES IN PREGNANT WOMEN

Backgrounds: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship in pregnant women who undergo elective cesarean section between the preoperative anxiety (POA) levels and neonatal results and TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 levels, the pro-inflammatory cytokines in cord blood. Subjects and methods: Sixty-six volunteer patients, aged 18 to 40, who underwent elective cesarean surgery were included in the study. Trait Anxiety Inventory (TAI) was evaluated at the anesthesia outpatient clinic and State Anxiety Inventory (SAI) was determined one hour before cesarean section. Plasma levels of TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 in the umbilical cord blood were determined using the ELISA method. Fetal cord blood gas, birth weight, and APGAR scores at the 1st and 5th minutes after birth were recorded. Results: The mean preoperative maternal SAI and TAI scores were 46,6+-10,9 and 41,4+-7,8, respectively. There was a significant correlation between POA and fetal birth weight and fetal cord blood TNF-alfa,IL-6 and IL-8 parameters. The inflammatory marker levels in the cord blood of fetuses in the high anxiety groups were significantly higher (p<0.001). Fetal birth weight was significantly lower in the high anxiety groups (p<0.05), whereas there was no significant difference in cord blood gas values. Conclusions: Our results show that an increase in the levels of TNF-alfa,IL-6, and IL-8 cytokines in fetal cord blood in pregnant women with high anxiety levels and this situation causes negative effects on the newborn

Consumer perception of marbling and beef quality during purchase and consumer preferences for degree of doneness

Objective Understanding consumer perception of meat quality in developing countries is an important issue since consumer perception of quality could be highly variable. In the current study, consumers’ purchasing preferences affected by marbling and perception of quality were evaluated in a survey study. Furthermore, consumers’ preferences for degree of doneness were investigated using both survey and consumer panel studies. Methods The study was carried out in two phases. Firstly, a survey was conducted in Adana Province, Turkey to collect data related to the attributes affecting consumers’ meat purchase decision and consumers’ degree of doneness preferences. In the second phase, boneless ribeye was used to investigate consumers’ degree of doneness preferences in a consumer panel. In addition, proximate analyses of the samples were conducted. Results The survey study using pictures of marbling illustrations indicated that higher degrees of marbling might be considered too fatty to be purchased by consumers. Consumers’ perceptions regarding the relationship between marbling and beef quality further indicated that marbling might not be acknowledged as a cue of a higher quality meat. Nevertheless, the results of the importance of some attributes related to intrinsic and extrinsic quality cues showed that consumers were looking for the cues that indicated not only quality but also safety of the meat during meat purchase. The results of both survey and consumer panel studies revealed that consumers might prefer higher degrees of doneness while consuming meat since a majority of the consumers’ preference of degree of doneness was at least well done. Conclusion This study revealed that consumer purchasing preferences might vary between countries regarding marbling and perception of quality. Furthermore, higher degrees of doneness could be the preference of these consumers. Thus, further studies are needed to increase consumer satisfaction in these countries

Tägliche Aktivitäten berufstätiger Männer und Frauen sowie nicht berufstätiger Frauen in Ankara, Türkei

This study was conducted to compare the daily activities of working women, working men and the housewives. A total of 129 men, 133 women and 54 housewives were included in the study. All the participants were married and have at least one child less than 5 years of age. The working women and men were working at the same institution, and the housewives were the neighbors of the working women. Both the working women and the housewives spend more time than men on in-house activities such as cooking, cleaning, dishwashing or ironing and child care; whereas men usually take the responsibility of out-of-house activities such as shopping or following the government office activities, and planning of house budget. Nevertheless, compared to the housewives, the working women take more responsibility in planning the budget, read more books, participate in more social activities, but have less time for sleeping, resting and watching television.Ova je studija provedena kako bi se usporedile dnevne aktivnosti zaposlenih žena, zaposlenih muškaraca i kućanica. Ukupno 129 muškaraca, 133 žene i 54 kućanice bilo je uključeno u istraživanje. Svi su sudionici vjenčani i imaju bar jedno dijete mlađe od pet godina. Zaposlene žene i muškarci radili su u istoj ustanovi, a kućanice su bile susjede zaposlenim ženama. Utvrđeno je da i zaposlene žene i kućanice provode više vremena od muškaraca obavljajući kućanske poslove poput kuhanja, čišćenja, pranja posuđa ili glačanja te brinući o djeci; dok muškarci uglavnom preuzimaju odgovornost za poslove izvan kuće, kao što su kupovanje, rješavanje administrativnih poslova u uredima uprave i planiranje kućnog proračuna. No, u usporedbi s kućanicama, zaposlene žene preuzimaju više odgovornosti za planiranje kućnog proračuna, više čitaju knjige, više sudjeluju u društvenim aktivnostima, ali imaju manje vremena za spavanje, odmor i gledanje televizije.Diese Studie soll einen Vergleich zwischen den Tagesaktivitäten berufstätiger Frauen und Männer einerseits und den Aktivitäten von Hausfrauen andererseits ermöglichen. An der Untersuchung nahmen 129 berufstätige Männer, 133 berufstätige Frauen und 54 Hausfrauen teil. Alle Probanden waren verheiratet und hatten mindestens ein Kind im Alter bis zu fünf Jahren. Die berufstätigen Untersuchungsteilnehmer waren alle im selben Unternehmen beschäftigt; bei den Hausfrauen handelte es sich um Nachbarinnen der befragten berufstätigen Frauen. Es erwies sich, dass die Frauen beider Gruppen mehr Zeit mit Hausarbeiten wie Kochen, Putzen, Geschirrspülen und Bügeln sowie mit der Sorge um die Kinder zubringen als Männer. Die Männer übernehmen hauptsächlich außerhalb des Hauses anfallende Arbeiten wie Einkäufe und Behördengänge sowie Planung der Haushaltskasse. Hingegen im Vergleich zu den Hausfrauen übernehmen die berufstätigen Frauen mehr Verantwortung bei der Budgetplanung, lesen mehr Bücher und zeigen eine größere Teilnahme an gesellschaftlichen Aktivitäten. Dies bedeutet allerdings, dass sie weniger schlafen und weniger Zeit zum Entspannen und Fernsehen haben

The Clinical Value of Flow Cytometric DNA Content Analysis in Patients with Soft Tissue Sarcomas

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate: (1) the correlation between grade and ploidy or S-phase fraction (SPF), (2) the prognostic value of DNA flow cytometric study in soft tissue sarcomas

The relationship between oxidative stress and coronary artery ectasia

Background: Whereas coronary artery ectasia (CAE) is a rare abnormality of the coronary arteries, co-existent coronary artery disease (CAD) is commonly seen in CAE patients. Since a causative relationship has been shown to exist between oxidative stress and CAD, we sought to determine whether any relationship exists between oxidative stress and CAE. Methods: Fourty four patients with CAE (without CAD) and 86 controls (without any coronary disease) were recruited from among 1,520 patients undergoing coronary angiography. CAE subgroups were determined in accordance with the Markis classification system. Mean values for serum total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS) and the oxidative stress index (OSI) were statistically compared between these two study groups and among CAE subgroups, with p = 0.05 set as the threshold for statistical significance. Results: TOS and OSI were significantly increased (p = 0.018 and 0.0002) and TAS decreased (p = 0.031) in the CAE versus control group. TOS and TAS were independently related to CAE (p = 0.037 and 0.039), with an r2 of 0.127. Interestingly, however, among CAE subgroups, no differences were observed. Conclusions: Oxidative stress might be implicated in the pathogenesis of CAE. Clinically-defined CAE subgroups did not differ in terms of oxidative stress status. However, the clinical implications of these findings are unclear and warrant further investigation. (Cardiol J 2010; 17, 5: 488-494