Increased risk of eating disorders in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a case-control study

Abstract

Data on eating disorders in women with PCOS is insufficient. The objective of this case study was to examine the hypothesis that women with PCOS exhibit more impaired eating than healthy women. Women diagnosed with PCOS under the 2003 Rotterdam Diagnostic Criteria (n?=?40) were compared with a healthy control group (n?=?40). The groups also were divided into two as normal body weight and overweight/obese. The Eating Disorders Assessment Questionnaire (EDE-Q) and the Three Factor Eating Questionnaire (TFEQ-R21), were completed by all participants in order to evaluate eating behaviors in addition to eating disorders. Among the overweight/obese group, the average total and subscale scores of the EDE-Q as well as the total and sub-factor scores of the TFEQ-R21 were higher in women with PCOS compared to controls (p?<?.05). However, this statistically significant result was not shown among the women with normal weight (p?>?.05). In comparison to the controls, the PCOS women displayed higher values of the tool scores indicating abnormal restraint eating, body shape concern and weight concern subscale scores (p?<?.05). This result suggests that the evaluation of eating disorders should be added to routine screening and the monitoring of women with PCOS.     

Bilateral acute iris transillumination following a fumigation therapy: a village-based traditional method for the treatment of ophthalmomyiasis

Bilateral acute iris transillumination (BAIT) is a relatively new clinical entity characterized by bilateral acute loss of iris pigment epithelium, iris transillumination, pigment dispersion in the anterior chamber and atonic pupilla. We report herein a 50-year-old female who presented with bilateral ocular pain, severe photophobia and red eyes. One month ago, a fly hit her eye, and she instantly complained of a discomfort and sensation of a foreign body in both eyes. She used a fumigation therapy, a traditional method for the treatment of ophthalmomyiasis. During follow-up examinations, intraocular pressures increased over 40?mmHg bilaterally despite maximal medical therapy, which necessitated trabeculectomy surgery with mitomycin. This is a typical BAIT case with no antecedent fluoroquinolone use or viral disease, but a fumigation therapy. There might be a possible relationship between BAIT and traditional fumigation therapy or this association might be coincidental, both of which need further evaluation.     

Glossokinetic potential based tongue–machine interface for 1-D extraction

The tongue is an aesthetically useful organ located in the oral cavity. It can move in complex ways with very little fatigue. Many studies on assistive technologies operated by tongue are called tongue–human computer interface or tongue–machine interface (TMI) for paralyzed individuals. However, many of them are obtrusive systems consisting of hardware such as sensors and magnetic tracer placed in the mouth and on the tongue. Hence these approaches could be annoying, aesthetically unappealing and unhygienic. In this study, we aimed to develop a natural and reliable tongue–machine interface using solely glossokinetic potentials via investigation of the success of machine learning algorithms for 1-D tongue-based control or communication on assistive technologies. Glossokinetic potential responses are generated by touching the buccal walls with the tip of the tongue. In this study, eight male and two female naive healthy subjects, aged 22–34 years, participated. Linear discriminant analysis, support vector machine, and the k-nearest neighbor were used as machine learning algorithms. Then the greatest success rate was achieved an accuracy of 99% for the best participant in support vector machine. This study may serve disabled people to control assistive devices in natural, unobtrusive, speedy and reliable manner. Moreover, it is expected that GKP-based TMI could be alternative control and communication channel for traditional electroencephalography (EEG)-based brain–computer interfaces which have significant inadequacies arisen from the EEG signals.     

Effects of sunitinib and bevacizumab on VEGF and miRNA levels on corneal neovascularization

Aim: To evaluate the effects of sunitinib (0.5?mg/ml) and bevacizumab (5?mg/ml) on VEGF-A, VEGFR-2 and microRNA (miRNA) levels on corneal neovascularization (CNV).

Methods: In this study, CNV was induced by silver nitrate application to the cornea, and 40 Albino male rats were equally divided into four subgroups:

Group 1 (sunitinib): After silver nitrate application to the cornea, 0.5?mg/ml sunitinib eyedrop was administered twice daily for two weeks (n?=?10).

Group 2 (bevacizumab): After silver nitrate application to the cornea, 5?mg/ml bevacizumab eyedrop was administered twice daily for two weeks (n?=?10).

Group 3 (control): After silver nitrate application to the cornea, normal saline eyedrop was administered twice daily for two weeks (n?=?10).

Group 4 (vehicle): After silver nitrate application to the cornea, 1% DMSO eyedrop was administered twice daily for two weeks (n?=?10).

After two weeks from the silver nitrate application, corneas were evaluated by hand-held biomicroscope for their vascularization status. Then, corneas were excised and the expression levels of VEGFR-2, VEGF-A and the common miRNA markers for neovascularization (miR-15?b, miR-16, miR-23a, miR-126, miR-188, miR-210, miR-221, miR-222, miR-410 and miR-423) were evaluated by real-time PCR.

Results: It was seen that the CNV was decreased in sunitinib- and bevacizumab-administered groups compared to the control and DMSO groups. Also, in comparison with the control group; VEGF-A expression was downregulated by nearly 0.75 times in sunitinib group and nearly 0.52 times in bevacizumab group. VEGFR-2 expression was downregulated by 0.89 times in sunitinib group and 0.68 times in bevacizumab group, compared to the control group. miR-15?b, miR-16 and miR-126 levels were statistically lower in sunitinib and bevacizumab groups, but miR-188 and miR-410 levels were two-fold higher compared to the control group. The miR-210 level was found higher only in sunitinib group compared to the control group. There were no statistically significant changes in miR-23a, miR-221, miR-222 and miR-423 levels among the groups.

Conclusion: Topical application of bevacizumab (5?mg/ml) and sunitinib (0.5?mg/ml) decreases the levels of VEGFR-2 and VEGF-A in CNV. Further studies are needed for detailed analysis of genes which are targeted by up- or downregulated miRNAs in this study.     

Selected characteristics of an Ormocer and a conventional hybrid resin composite.

OBJECTIVES: The objective of this in vitro study was to evaluate surface roughness, hardness and wear resistance of an Ormocer (Admira), polymerized by a plasma arc system. A secondary objective was to investigate two placement technique bulk or incremental layers. METHODS: Blocks from Admira and Amelogen (a microhybrid composite) were prepared in cylinders, 3 mm in diameter, and 2 and 5 mm in thickness (bulk or incrementally placed) and polymerized by a plasma arc and a conventional light system. Surface roughness measurements were taken by a Surface Profilometer on the top of the specimens. Vickers hardness measurements, with a load of 600mN were taken on the top and bottom of 2 mm and top, intermediate and bottom of 5 mm thick specimens. For the wear test, specimes (8 mm in diameter and 2 mm in thickness) of Admira, Amelogen and amalgam were tested in a ball-on design, by circular movements of the antagonist (alumina ball; diameter 10 mm) under 10 N load. For the statistical evaluation of the results of surface roughness, microhardness and wear test; a paired samples t-test and Kruskal-Wallis analysis of variance test, were performed. RESULTS: Admira showed highest hardness values in all polymerization types at the top surface and this was statistically significant (p < 0.05). These highest hardness values were obtained with conventional polymerization (81.84 +/- 1.167 VHN). Meanwhile, the wear resistance of Admira was found to be higher than Amelogen (Wd(admira) = 0.024 +/- 0.00149 mm3; Wd(amelogen) = 0.032 +/- 0.00075 mm3). However, Admira demonstrated the highest surface roughness value compared to Amelogen, with plasma arc 5 s (0.65 +/- 0.023 microm). Amelogen was found to have the lowest surface roughness value with conventional 40 s (0.45 +/- 0.012 microm). SIGNIFICANCE: The results indicated that Ormocer, which was developed by Ormocer technology, demonstrated higher microhardness and wear resistance when compared to a hybrid composite; however, the polishability of Ormocer needs further investigation. Also the selection of visible light activated composite resins exhibited higher surface microhardness values when polymerized with conventional rather than with plasma arc.     

The comparison of various oral hygiene strategies in neuromuscularly disabled individuals

BACKGROUND: This study aims to investigate the effect of various oral hygiene strategies on the symptoms of inflammation in neuromuscularly disabled patients and to define the optimum hygiene method. METHODS: Fifty-nine neuromuscularly disabled participants, suffering from cerebral palsy, were randomly divided into five groups as follows: Group M: manual toothbrush (n=14), Group E: electrically powered toothbrush (n=9), Group MC: manual toothbrush and chlorhexidine gluconate (CHX) spray (n=13), Group EC: electrically powered toothbrush and CHX spray (n=9), and Group C: CHX spray (n=14). The oral hygiene applications were provided by the parents and staff. At baseline and after 21 days the plaque index (PI), the gingival index (GI), and bleeding on probing (BOP) were recorded. RESULTS: In intra-group comparisons of the pre- and post-application scores, in all groups the PI and GI scores and BOP percentages, except in Group C, were found significantly different (p<0.05). There were significant differences among the post-application scores, between Group M and Group E and between Group C and Group E in PI scores; between Group C and Group E the difference in GI scores were found statistically significant (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Although all oral hygiene strategies reduced plaque and gingival inflammation, the results of our study suggested the electrically powered toothbrush could be more recommendable to neuromuscularly disabled people in these strategies, while the combined procedures appeared to be neither beneficial nor favorable.     

An outpatient clinical study of dissociative disorder not otherwise specified

The relatively high prevalence of the diagnosis of dissociative disorder not otherwise specified is frequently considered to be disproportionate. The disproportionate rate of this diagnosis is thought to be related to nosologic and/or diagnostic issues in dissociative identity disorder. We sought to investigate and compare the symptom patterns of these two clinical entities. We conducted a cross-sectional study involving 1314 participants who were screened with the Dissociative Experience Scale (DES) and the Somatoform Dissociation Questionnaire (SDQ). Of the participants, 272 who scored above the cut-off points for the screening questionnaires (DES score > 30 and/or SDQ score > 40 points) were invited to complete a structured interview using the Dissociative Disorders Interview Schedule (DDIS); of this subsample, only 190 participants agreed to participate in the second phase of the study. The mean score for the DES was 18.55 ± 17.23, and the mean score for the SDQ was 30.19 ± 13.32. Of the 190 participants, 167 patients were diagnosed as having a dissociative disorder (87.8%). We found that DD-NOS was the most prevalent category of dissociative disorder.     

Feasibility of breast conserving surgery in multifocal breast cancers

Background

Multifocal breast cancers (MFBCs) present a challenge to surgeons. Although its feasibility is still controversial, breast-conserving surgery (BCS) is not contraindicated for MFBCs. The investigators retrospectively evaluated the feasibility of BCS and reviewed histopathologic findings in patients with MFBC.

Methods

A total of 222 patients with MFBC who were treated with either BCS (119 patients) or mastectomy (103 patients) at a single institution between January 2002 and December 2011 were retrospectively evaluated.

Results

The median follow-up time was 55 months (range, 10 to 102 months). Lymphovascular invasion and lymph node involvement were significantly less frequent in the BCS group (48.8% vs 62.2% for lymphovascular invasion, P = .04; 52.1% vs 71.8% for lymph node involvement, P = .002). There were no differences in local recurrence rates between the 2 groups. The overall survival rates were 92% in the BCS group and 72% in the mastectomy group (P = .000).

Conclusions

BCS is a feasible and safe procedure for the removal of multifocal tumors. Extended lymphovascular invasion is associated with mortality in patients who undergo mastectomy.