The effects of hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis on serum homocysteine and C-reactive protein levels.

OBJECTIVES: In this study, we aimed to investigate plasma homocysteine (Hcy) and serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in hemodialysis (HD) and continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) patients, and the relation among them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was carriedout on 52 HD patients, 26 CAPD patients and a control group of 22 healthy persons. Blood samples were taken from the patients for Hcy and CRP measurements. RESULTS: Serum CRP level was found to be high in 48.1% of HD patients, 69.2% of CAPD patients and 4.5% of the healthy control group. Plasma Hcy level was found out to be above the normal limits in 73.1% of HD patients, 65.4% of CAPD patients and 9% of the healthy control group. There was a significant positive relation (r = 0.384, p < 0.001) between the levels of plasma Hcy and serum CRP in HD and CAPD patients. CONCLUSION: The high levels of Hcy and CRP were found out to be higher in HD and CAPD patients than in the control group. In order to determine the risk rate of Hcy and CRP for coronary artery disease, extensive investigations are required in patients with chronic renal failure that also have coronary artery disease

Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice and serum eosinophil cationic protein levels in Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori is one of the main causes of gastroduodenal diseases, such as chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer. It has been shown that eosinophils increase in the stomach in H. pylori infection. Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) is a cytotoxic molecule secreted by the activated eosinophils. However, there are no sufficient data about the role of ECP in H. pylori infection and its effect on ulcer development. In this study we investigated the gastric eosinophilic infiltration, gastric juice and serum ECP levels in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer associated with H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four H. pylori-positive and 20 H. pylori-negative patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy after admitting with dyspeptic complaints were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one of the H. pylori-positive patients had gastric ulcer while 23 patients had none. During endoscopy, multiple gastric biopsies and juices were taken. In gastric biopsies, H. pylori and eosinophilic infiltration were assessed. Additionally, gastric juice and serum ECP levels were measured. RESULTS: Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios in the H. pylori-positive group were greater than in the H. pylori-negative group (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference regarding serum ECP levels between the two groups (p > 0.05). When H. pylori-positive patients were compared with regard to gastric ulcer presence, however, there was no significant difference in gastric eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, serum ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that eosinophils and eosinophil-released ECP may contribute to inflammatory changes seen in chronic gastritis, whereas there is no proof that they play a role in ulcer development

Helicobacter pylori Eradication Lowers Serum Asymmetric Dimethylarginine Levels

Introduction. Microbial pathogens, one of them is Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori), have frequently been implicated in the atherogenesis. Endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO) is synthesized from L-arginine by nitric oxide synthase (NOS) and plays a pivotal role in the regulation of vascular tone. Asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) is the most potent endogenous NOS inhibitor. Elevated levels of ADMA have been reported in many circumstances associated with a high cardiovascular risk. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the eradication of H. pylori infection affects serum ADMA levels. Materials and Methods. Forty-two H. pylori-positive patients were enrolled in the study. Triple therapy for 14 days were given to all patients. Serum ADMA levels were measured at baseline and 2 months after therapy. Results. Eradication was achieved in 34 (81%) patients. The mean serum ADMA levels before and after therapy were 1, 77 ± 0, 30 and 1, 67 ± 0, 29 ng/mL in the group with H. pylori eradicated and 1, 63 ± 0, 28 and 1, 56 ± 0, 32 ng/mL in the noneradicated, respectively. We detected statistically significant decreased serum ADMA levels after therapy in H. pylori eradicated group. Conclusion. These findings have indicated that eradication of H. pylori infection may decrease the risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular events

The effects of peritoneal dialysis and hemodialysis on serum tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6, interleukin-10 and C-reactive-protein levels.

BACKGROUND: Markers of an acute phase reaction, such as C-reactive protein (CRP) or tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and interleukin (IL)-6, are predictive for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in normal subjects and in chronic renal failure patients. In this study, we aimed to investigate serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels in continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis (CAPD) and hemodialysis (HD) patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels were measured in 30 patients who were just diagnosed with end-stage renal failure and treated, with 16 CAPD (nine female, seven male) and 14 HD (eight female, six male) patients, before CAPD or HD treatment and after 3 months from the beginning of CAPD or HD in patients with no clinical signs of infection. The control groups were 20 healthy persons of similar age and sex. Serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in stable CAPD and HD patients and in healthy persons. RESULTS: The mean serum levels of TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP showed no significant differences between the CAPD and HD patients for the beginning values and the third month of treatment. However, serum TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-10 and CRP levels were higher than the control group in the CAPD and HD patients regarding the beginning values and the third month of treatment (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: CAPD and HD of the renal replacement therapy have no effects on serum CRP and cytokines

Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-6 and interleukin-8 are not increased in dyspeptic patients with Helicobacter pylori-associated gastritis.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a non-invasive microorganism causing intense gastric mucosal inflammatory and immune reaction. H. pylori-induced gastric mucosal cytokine overproduction has been clearly documented previously. The stomach has a large surface area and continuous spill-over of locally produced cytokines into the blood stream is a possibility. There are few and conflicting data on circulatory proinflammatory cytokine levels in patients with H. pylori infection. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-two dyspeptic patients were enrolled into the study. The presence of H. pylori infection was diagnosed with antral histopathologic examination. After overnight fasting; serum samples were obtained from each patient to determine circulating interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8 and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) levels. RESULTS: H. pylori was shown in 30 cases using Giemsa stain in antral histopathologic evaluation. Twelve cases were negative for H. pylori staining. Both the age and sex distribution had an insignificant difference in both H pylori-positive and H. pylori-negative groups. The mean circulatory levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-a in both groups were not different. The situation was same in respect to the serum levels of these cytokines and the degree of inflammation, H. pylori density and activation scores according to Sydney classification. CONCLUSION: We could not show elevated circulatory levels of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha in H. pylori-infected cases. We believe that H. pylori-related cytokine activation become concentrated on gastric mucosa and this pathogen-induced local inflammatory cascade does not cause changes in circulatory levels of these cytokines. Moreover, there is no correlation between the levels of serum cytokines and Sydney parameters

Kâğıt geri dönüşümünde enzim ve ultrasonik enerji kullanımı

Medeniyetin kurulmasında, bilgi depolama ve aktarımında tartısmasız bir yeri olan kâğıt, günümüzde artık çok çesitli amaçlar için hayatın her kademesinde yer almakta, giderek tüketimi inanılmaz boyutlara ulasmaktadır. Kâğıt sektöründe hammadde problemine çözüm için, sürdürülebilir ormancılık çalısmalarından daha ziyade, sürdürülebilir geri dönüsüm teknolojilerini gelistirmek gerekmektedir. Bu anlamda atık sınıfına giren kâğıtın, lifler dısında bulunan bütün bilesenlerini en ekonomik ve çevreci metotlarla ayırmak son derece önemlidir. Bu çalısmada, toner baskılı ofis kâğıtlarının mürekkep ve kirliliklerinden arındırılmasında enzim ve ultrasonik enerji kullanımı konusunda elde edilen bazı sonuçlar tartısılmıs ve geri dönüsüm açısından kâğıt sektörü çevresel açıdan irdelenmistir.Paper has undeniable key roles in establishing civilization, archiving and transferring knowledge. Paper is in all parts of daily life for different purposes today and its consumption is getting at unbelievable level. For solving the problems related to insufficient raw materials, the sustainable recycling technologies should be developed rather than concentrating on sustainable forestry practices. In this sense, extracting all materials from waste papers with economical and environmentally friendly methods are extremely important. In this study, some results obtained from an experimental study carried out on the deinking of toner printed office papers with the help of enzymes and ultrasonic energy were discussed and paper industry was examined in respect to recycling and environment

Modulation of the thalamus by microburst vagus nerve stimulation: a feasibility study protocol

Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) was the first device-based therapy for epilepsy, having launched in 1994 in Europe and 1997 in the United States. Since then, significant advances in the understanding of the mechanism of action of VNS and the central neurocircuitry that VNS modulates have impacted how the therapy is practically implemented. However, there has been little change to VNS stimulation parameters since the late 1990s. Short bursts of high frequency stimulation have been of increasing interest to other neuromodulation targets e.g., the spine, and these high frequency bursts elicit unique effects in the central nervous system, especially when applied to the vagus nerve. In the current study, we describe a protocol design that is aimed to assess the impact of high frequency bursts of stimulation, called “Microburst VNS”, in subjects with refractory focal and generalized epilepsies treated with this novel stimulation pattern in addition to standard anti-seizure medications. This protocol also employed an investigational, fMRI-guided titration protocol that permits personalized dosing of Microburst VNS among the treated population depending on the thalamic blood-oxygen-level-dependent signal. The study was registered on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT03446664). The first subject was enrolled in 2018 and the final results are expected in 2023

A literature review on financial literacy

Based on prior research, this paper provides insights regarding financial literacy. Amidst this research, some similarities and contrarinesses have been manifested by juxtaposing this literature in terms of (1) definitional issues on financial literacy, (2) its probable endegoeneity, (3) its determinants and consequences established by the extant research, (4)other probable estimators of financial decision making which would individually make differences aside from financial literacy, (5)manner of measuring it (i.e., subjectiveobjective measures versus proxies, (6) targeted population for finding evidence. This study indicates that (i) there is a need of a common and well-structured definition of financial literacy due to the interchangeably usage of various concepts, all of which mean the financial knowledge level of individual, (ii) objective measures seem to work best in measuring financial literacy among individuals, (iii) researchers should reconsider about proxies for financial literacy in the event that individual effect of proxy may be difficult to be seperated, (iv) it is better to consider that financial literacy may be potentially endogenous variable rather than the exogenous one, (v) studies should present an explicit explanation how the relationship between financial literacy and research problem (e.g., investment preferences) occurred, (vi) relative impact of financial literacy should be preemptively examined by incorporating other potential factors influencing financial decision making into research models