The Importance of Carotid–Cochlear Interval in the Etiology of Hearing Loss

Carotid–cochlear interval (CCI) is the minimal distance between petrous segment of internal carotid artery (ICA) and basal turn of cochlea. Pulsations of the ICA might create fluid pressure changes and direct stimulation of hair cells on the basilar membrane of basal turn of cochlea which is responsible for mid-tone frequencies. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether CCI has a role in the etiology of mid-tone hearing loss and to obtain reference measurements of CCI on MRI. A total of 117 subjects were consecutively enrolled into this retrospective study during a 4 month period. All examinations were performed on a 1.5 T MRI system. The images were transferred to the workstation and reformatted. The CCI was measured on reformatted 3D FIESTA images. The audiologic findings were correlated. We reviewed the temporal MRI studies of 90 consecutive patients [M/F: 48/42, Mean age 45.6 ± 16.6 (10–78)]. As a total 180 sides were evaluated. The CCI ranged from 0 to 9 mm. The CCI didn’t exhibit a significant association with subject age or gender. There were no significant differences between readers or sides. There were statistically significant correlation between CCI and level of frequency and degree of hearing loss (p = 0.004 and p = 0.002). The knowledge of CCI is essential prior to otosurgical procedures. There was linear correlation among CCI and level of frequency and degree of hearing loss. CCI of the group including all types of middle frequency hearing loss was longer compared to the normal group.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">AXIN2</Emphasis> polymorphism and its association with prostate cancer in a Turkish population

Polymorphism of AXIN2, a component of Wnt signaling, has been shown to play a role in tumorigenesis and dysregulated in cancer cells. In order to find out if AXIN2 polymorphism is a risk factor for prostate cancer, we analyzed eight polymorphic regions of this gene in 84 patients with prostate cancer and compared the results with 100 healthy controls in a Turkish population using PCR–RFLP methods. The genotype frequencies and risk factors of prostate cancer and control groups were analyzed by Chi-square test. We found a statistically significant result between prostate cancer risk and AXIN2 Intron2-956 + 16A/G (rs35285779) SNP. The frequency of the homozygous G/G (0%) and heterozygous A/G (18%) genotypes was significantly less in patients with prostate cancer than in healthy controls (7 and 32%, respectively) (P < 0.05) for this SNP. When compared with the wild-type A/A genotype of the controls, prostate cancer patients with the A/G and G/G genotype showed reduced risk of cancer; the adjusted odds ratio (OR) for patients with the homozygous G/G genotype was 0.87 (95% CI: 0.81–0.95) and for heterozygous A/G genotype was 0.42 (95% CI: 0.20–0.85). We found no statistically significant association between controls and prostate cancer for other seven SNPs of AXIN2 including Exon1-148 C/T (rs2240308), Exon1-432 T/C (rs2240308), Exon5-1365 G/A (rs9915936), Exon5-1386 C/T (rs1133683), Intron5-1712 + 19 T/G, Exon7-2062 C/T, and Intron7-2141 + 73 G/A (rs4072245) (P > 0.05). These results suggest that the AXIN2 Intron2 rs35285779 SNP is associated with development of prostate cancer as a protective SNP, while an association between other seven SNPs of the AXIN2 and risk of prostate cancer was not observed.     

Balcova heart study: rationale and methodology of the Turkish cohort

Objectives

Turkey is facing increasing rates of cardiovascular disease (CVD). The study is designed to meet the growing need to obtain information about the recent status and trends of CVD risk factors and their impact on mortality.

Methods

Balcova heart study (BHS) is a prospective cohort study, focusing on reducing the CVD risk factors of people over 30?years old living in Balcova District, Izmir, Turkey. Information about risk factors, anthropometric and biochemical measurements was collected in community centers. Interventions were planned, based on the 10-year coronary heart disease (CHD) risk and lifestyle characteristics with the collaboration of university and municipality.

Results

Mean age of the 16,080 participants was 52?years. The percentage of current smoking was 41.6 in men and 31.1 in women. One-third of the men were physically inactive. Hypertension was reported as 25% in men and 33% in women.

Conclusions

The project is unique for being the first community-based cohort on CVD risk factors in a Turkish setting. This project will have a valuable contribution on not only determining CVD risks, but also incorporating interventions for prevention.     

Evaluation of macular choroidal and microvascular network changes by activity scores and serum antibodies in thyroid eye patients and healthy subjects

AIM: To investigate the choroidal thickness and the microvascular network changes around the macula in thyroid eye disease (TED) patients at different stages and the relationship of those changes with risk factors, serum antibodies and the severity of TED.METHODS: A total of 85 participants were enrolled. All participants underwent ophthalmology and endocrinology examinations. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), superficial (s) and deep (d) foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, mean (m) and central (c) superficial vascular density (SVD), deep vascular density (DVD) measurements of the enrolled cases were performed with Topcon swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT)/OCT angiography (OCTA) DRI OCT Triton. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the associations between SFCT, FAZ area, SVD, DVD and the relevant factors of TED.RESULTS: Those with active TED patients had higher c-DVD and m-DVD levels (P<0.05), however there is no statistically significant difference in SFCT between active and stable TED patients. Among the serum antibodies, it was observed that s-FAZ and d-FAZ increased, c-SVD and m-SVD decreased in patients with high thyroid stimulating hormone-receptor autoantibodies (TRAB) level, whereas SFCT thickened in patients with high levels of both TRAB and human thyroglobulin (hTG). There was no significant difference in SFCT, FAZ, SVD and DVD measurement at gender, between hyperthyroid and euthyroid patients and among those with or without thyroid papillary carcinoma.CONCLUSION: The results show that both disease activation and serum antibodies differentially affect both superficial and deep retinal vascular density. It has also been shown that high serum antibody levels affect choroidal thickness independent of clinical activity.     

Subclinical inflammation after laser in situ keratomileusis in corneal grafts

PURPOSE: To evaluate postoperative inflammatory reaction in the eye after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK) in corneal grafts. SETTING: Department of Ophthalmology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland. METHODS: Ten eyes of 9 patients with penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) and significant postoperative refractive errors and astigmatism had LASIK 22 months or more after the PKP. All patients were treated with the VISX Star excimer laser and the Bausch & Lomb Hansatome microkeratome. Preoperative and early postoperative inflammation was evaluated by quantifying the aqueous flare intensity with a laser flare photometer (Kowa FM-500). A full ophthalmic assessment was also performed before LASIK and up to 6 months postoperatively. RESULTS: The inflammatory response was mild and limited to the first postoperative hour. The mean anterior chamber flare increased from 6.0 photons/millisecond (ph/ms) preoperatively to 14.0 ph/ms at 1 hour and then decreased to 6.7 ph/ms (hour 3), 6.8 ph/ms (day 1), and 8.2 ph/ms (day 7). The mean spherical equivalent (SE) refraction decreased from -3.81 diopters (D) (range -9.63 to -0.25 D) to -0.46 D (range -1.13 to +0.38 D), and the mean preoperative astigmatism decreased from 3.0 D (range 6.5 to 0.5 D) to 0.7 D (range 0.0 to 2.0 D). At the last examination, 9 eyes were within +/-1.0 D (6 within +/-0.5 D) and all were within +/-1.5 D of the intended SE refraction. Three eyes achieved full cylinder correction, and 7 were within +/-1.0 D of the intended correction. Eight eyes had a best corrected visual acuity of 20/40 or better (unchanged or gain of 1 to 4 lines [6], loss of 1 line [1], and loss of 3 lines [1]), and 8 had an uncorrected visual acuity of 20/50 or better. CONCLUSIONS: Uneventful LASIK induced subtle, short-lasting anterior chamber flare when measured by the laser flare meter. In corneal grafts, LASIK appeared to be a safe and effective procedure for residual refractive errors.     

Evaluation of colour parameters and antioxidant activities of fruit wines

The evaluation of oenological colorimetric indexes, CIELAB parameters, total phenols and antioxidant activities has been studied in different fruit wines made from black mulberry, blackberry, quince, apple, apricot, melon, red raspberry, bilberry, sour cherry and strawberry.The highest value of antioxidant activities and total phenolic contents were determined in bilberry, blackberry and black mulberry wines (61.80%, 1161 mg/l gallic acid equivalents; 60.00%, 1232 mg/l gallic acid equivalents; 58.10%, 1081 mg/l gallic acid equivalents), respectively. The highest values for A420 nm, A520 nm, A620 nm, the proportion of blue, wine colour, wine total colour of pigments, wine polymeric pigment colour and K-K values logarithmic colour intensity) were determined in bilberry fruit wine. Positive correlation was found between antioxidant activities and total phenols (r=0.958, P = 0.001). The results of grouping of different parameters in n-dimensional space with different fruit wines demonstrated the importance of bilberry, blackberry and black mulberry wines as natural antioxidants and colourants.     

Protective effect of catechin and quercetin on chlorpyrifos-induced lung toxicity in male rats

The mature male Wistar rats (n = 36, 300–320 g) were divided into six groups having six animals, i.e., Group I (control), Group II (catechin, 20 mg/kg bw), Group III (quercetin, 20 mg/kg bw), Group IV (chlorpyrifos 5.4 mg/kg, 1/25 LD50), Group V (catechin + chlorpyrifos) and Group VI (quercetin + chlorpyrifos). Rats were given chlorpyrifos, catechin and quercetin daily via gavage for 4 weeks. Chlorpyrifos increased the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase (CAT), and decreased glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and glutathione-S-transferase (GST) activities in lung tissues compared to the control group. In the catechin plus chlorpyrifos- and quercetin plus chlorpyrifos-treated groups, there were statistically significant increases in CAT and SOD activities, while no statistically significant changes were observed in MDA, GST and GPx activities relative to the control. Compared to the chlorpyrifos-treated group, however, the catechin plus chlorpyrifos- and quercetin plus chlorpyrifos-treated groups showed significantly increased GST and GPx activity, while the activity of MDA, SOD and CAT was significantly decreased. Light microscopic investigations revealed that 4 weeks of chlorpyrifos exposure induced numerous histopathological alterations in the lung. Milder histopathological changes were observed in animals co-treated with catechin plus chlorpyrifos or quercetin plus chlorpyrifos. Thus, it appears that catechin and quercetin ameliorate chlorpyrifos-induced lung toxicity but are not completely protective.     

Synthesis and biological activity of new cycloalkylthiophene-Schiff bases and their Cr(III) and Zn(II) complexes

A series of some novel Ethyl 2-((1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)methyleneamino)-5,6-dihydro-4H-cyclopenta[b]thiopehene-3-carboxylate, Ethyl 2-((1-hydroxynaphthalen-2-yl)methyleneamino)-4,5,6,7-tetrahydrobenzo[b]thiophene-3-carboxylate, Ethyl 2-((1-hydroxynaphtalen-2-yl)methyleneamino)-5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-4H-cyclohepta[b]thiophene-3-carboxylate and their Cr(III) and Zn(II) complexes have been synthesized. All of these substances have been examined for antibacterial activity against pathogenic strains Listeria monocytogenes 4b (ATCC-19115), Staphylococcus aureus (ATCC25923), Proteus OX2 Wrah (ETS.40-A-4), Escherichia coli (ATCC-1280), Salmonella typhi H (NCTC-901.8394), Pseudomonas putida sp., Brucella abortus (A.99, UK-1995) RSKK-03026. Sh. boydii type 11 (Pasteur51.6), Sh. boydii type 16 (cHe 67.11), Sh. boydii type 6 (RSKK-96043), and antifungal activity against Candida albicans (Y-1200-NIH, Tokyo). Some of the compounds exhibited activity comparable to ampicillin ofloxacin, nystatin, kanamycin, sulphamethoxazol, amoxycillin, and chloroamphenicol. Most of the studied compounds were found effective against bacteria studied and yeast.     

MER1, a novel organic arsenic derivative,has potent <Emphasis Type="Italic">PML-RARα-</Emphasis> independent cytotoxic activity against leukemia cells

Arsenic trioxide (ATO) is an inorganic arsenic derivative that is highly effective against PML-RARα-positive leukemia but much less against other hematological malignancies. We synthesized an organic arsenic derivative (OAD), S-dimethylarsino-thiosuccinic acid (MER1), which offers a superior toxicity profile and comparable in vitro activity relative to ATO. In Swiss Webster mice, maximally-tolerated cumulative dose of MER1 when given IV for 5 days was 100 mg/kg/d. We demonstrated that MER1 induced apoptosis and dose- and time-dependent inhibition of survival and growth in a panel of myeloid leukemia cell lines. Unlike ATO, this activity was independent of PML-RARα status and was not associated with induction of myeloid maturation. In NB4 and HL60 cells, MER1 and ATO induced caspase activation and dissipation of mitochondrial transmembrane potential. At the same time, MER1 induced generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase and proved to be more potent than ATO at inducing apoptosis. ROS generation and intracellular glutathione levels were key modulators of MER1-induced cytotoxicity as evidenced by abrogation of apoptosis in myeloid leukemia cell lines pretreated with the disulfide bond-reducing agent dithiothreitol or the radical scavenger N-acetyl-L-cysteine. Collectively, these data indicate that MER1 induces apoptosis in PML-RARα-positive and -negative myeloid leukemia cells by enhancing oxidative stress. This agent, therefore, combines low in vivo toxicity with formidable in vitro pro-apoptotic ROS-mediated activity, and may represent a novel OAD suitable for clinical development against a variety of hematological malignancies.     

Knowledge,Behaviors, and Attitudes About Human Papilloma Virus Among Nursing Students in Izmir,Turkey

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is transmitted through sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer. The aim of this study was to determine knowledge, behaviors, and attitudes about human papillomavirus (HPV) in nursing students in a baccalaureate program. This study was conducted with a sample of 624 students. Data were collected via questionnaires administered during the first class time. Students’ knowledge about HPV was high; 90.5% knew HPV can cause cervical cancer; 94.6% recognized it as a sexually transmitted disease. Although; 87.7% stated a vaccine is available to protect women from HPV, nearly all participants (98.1%) had not received HPV vaccination. Findings show students’ level of knowledge about HPV’s risk factors and modes of transmission were high. However, this knowledge did not translate into engagement in health related behaviors such as being vaccinated against HPV.