Association of sleep duration with socio‐economic status and behavioural problems among schoolchildren

Aim: In this population‐based study, we aimed to determine the total sleep duration (TSD), its association with socio‐economic status (SES) and behavioural symptoms among schoolchildren. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was performed among schoolchildren in Istanbul. A structured questionnaire evaluating the sleep schedule variables was filled out by their parents. SES was determined according to the Turkish SES scale. Results:  The mean age of 2669 children was 8.2 ± 2.4 years, and 51% of the students were girls. The mean TSD was 10.20 ± 1.04, and the mean bedtime was 21.57 ± 0.56 (both in hours, minutes ± SD). Boys tended to go bed later (p = 0.004) and slept less than girls (p = 0.02). The duration of sleep disruptions increased (p < 0.001), whereas TSD decreased with age (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression revealed that waking time and TSD decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with higher SES among both girls and boys. Sleep fragmentation was associated with habitual snoring, parasomnias, daytime sleepiness and conduct symptoms. Conclusion: Decreased total sleep duration is more prominent in boys, older children and children among higher socio‐economic status. Insufficient sleep attributed to shortened total sleep duration by age and higher socio‐economic status might have a negative effect on both sleep hygiene and psychological well‐being in schoolchildren.     

Effects of the Histamine H2 Receptor Antagonist Famotidine on the Healing of Colonic Anastomosis in Rats

BACKGROUND:

Failure of anastomotic healing is one of the major complications in colorectal surgery. Because histamine plays an important role in immune and inflammatory reactions, we demonstrate the effects of famotidine on the healing of colonic anastomosis in rats.

METHODS:

Twenty-eight Sprague-Dawley rats were used in the study. Excision and end-to-end anastomosis was performed in the distal colon of the rat. The Famotidine Group received 2 mg/kg/day famotidine; the Control Group received the same amount of saline. Bursting pressure of anastomoses and hydroxyproline content of perianastomotic tissues were evaluated on the third and seventh days following surgery.

RESULTS:

Bursting pressures and hydroxyproline contents for the Famotidine Group were significantly lower than the equivalent parameters for the Control Group on both the third and seventh days post-surgery.

CONCLUSIONS:

According to our findings, famotidine exerts detrimental effects on the anastomotic bursting pressure and hydroxyproline content of perianastomotic tissues in the colon of rats.     

Stem Cell Therapy in Spinal Cord Injury: In Vivo and Postmortem Tracking of Bone Marrow Mononuclear or Mesenchymal Stem Cells

Objective

The aim of this study was to address the question of whether bone marrow-originated mononuclear cells (MNC) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) induce neural regeneration when implanted intraspinally.

Materials and Methods

The study design included 4 groups of mice: Group 1, non-traumatized control group; Groups 2, 3 and 4 spinal cord traumatized mice with 1 g force Tator clips, which received intralesionally either no cellular implants (Group 2), luciferase (Luc) (+) MNC (Group 3) or MSC (Group 4) obtained from CMV-Luc or beta-actin Luc donor transgenic mice. Following the surgery until decapitation, periodical radioluminescence imaging (RLI) and Basso Mouse Scale (BMS) evaluations was performed to monitor neural activity. Postmortem immunohistochemical techniques were used to analyze the fate of donor type implanted cells.

Results

All mice of Groups 3 and 4 showed various degrees of improvement in the BMS scores, whereas there was no change in Groups 1 and 2. The functional improvement was significantly better in Group 4 compared to Group 3 (18 vs 8, p?=?0.002). The immunohistochemical staining demonstrated GFP⁺Luc⁺ neuronal/glial cells that were also positive with one or more of these markers: nestin, myelin associated glycoprotein, microtubule associated protein or myelin oligodendrocyte specific protein, which is considered as indicator of donor type neuronal regeneration. Frequency of donor type neuronal cells; Luc + signals and median BMS scores were observed 48–64 % and 68–72 %; 44–80 %; 8 and 18 within Groups III and IV respectively.

Discussion

MSCs were more effective than MNC in obtaining neuronal recovery. Substantial but incomplete functional improvement was associated with donor type in vivo imaging signals more frequently than the number of neuronal cells expressing donor markers in spinal cord sections in vitro. Our results are in favor of functional recovery arising from both donor MSC and MNCs, contributing to direct neuronal regeneration and additional indirect mechanisms.     

Which factors affect the likelihood of miscarriage after single euploid blastocyst transfer?

Research questionWhich parameters affect the likelihood of miscarriage after single euploid frozen–thawed blastocyst transfer (FBT)?DesignIn this retrospective study, clinical and laboratory data from 1051 single euploid FBTs were evaluated. Exclusion criteria were endocrine or systemic pathologies, uterine anomalies or pathologies, unilateral or bilateral hydrosalpinx, karyotypic abnormalities (either maternal or paternal) or thrombophilia. Patients were divided into two groups according to pregnancy outcome: live birth and miscarriage.ResultsBody mass index (BMI) (25.98 ± 0.5 versus 24.36 ± 0.21, P = 0.019), duration of infertility (6.62 ± 0.54 versus 4.92 ± 0.18, P = 0.006) and number of previous miscarriages (1.36 ± 0.13 versus 0.79 ± 0.05, P < 0.001) were significantly higher in the miscarriage group (n = 100) than in the live birth group (n = 589). Although the trophectoderm and inner cell mass (ICM) percentage scores were not statistically different among the miscarriage and live birth groups, the percentage of day-6 biopsied embryos was significantly higher in the miscarriage group. Binary logistic regression analysis revealed that BMI (OR 1.083, 95% CI 1.013 to 1.158, P = 0.02) and number of previous miscarriages (OR 1.279, 95% CI 1.013 to 1.158, P = 0.038) were independent factors for miscarriage. Patients with elevated BMI and a higher number of miscarriages were at increased risk of miscarriage.ConclusionAfter a single euploid FBT, BMI and number of previous miscarriages are predictors of miscarriage. Lifestyle interventions before FBT may decrease miscarriage rates.     

Griscelli syndrome: Report of Three Cases

The clinical features of three children with Griscelli syndrome and autopsy findings of two are presented. The patients were 5 years, 9 months, and 3 months old, respectively. Clinical features included partial albinism, hepatosplenomegaly, and various neurological symptoms. Light and electron microscopic studies of the skin were compatible with Griscelli syndrome. Postmortem examination of the viscera and central nervous system revealed lymphohistiocytic infiltration with erythrophagocytosis. Bilateral diffuse involvement of the central nervous system, cranial nerve, and spinal cord was detected in both cases.     

Morphologic Evidence of Apoptosis in Childhood Acute Myeloblastic Leukemia Treated with High-Dose Methylprednisolone

We have previously demonstrated that various subtypes of AML children respond to high-dose methylprednisolone (HDMP; 20-30 mg/kg/day) which could induce in vivo differentiation of myeloid leukemic cells to mature granulocytes. In this study we have evaluated whether apoptosis occurs in AML cells of patients treated by HDMP using morphological criteria. For light and electronmicro-scopic examination bone marrow aspirates were obtained four days and two weeks after methylprednisolone (30 mg/kg/day) treatment from two children with newly diagnosed AML (AML-M3 and AML-M4). In both patients maturation of leukemic cells has previously been reported four days (in patient with AML-M3) and two weeks (in patient with AML-M4) after HDMP treatment. Electronmicroscopy revealed the characteristic ultrastructural changes of various stages of apoptosis four days after HDMP treatment in a case with AML-M3. Morphologic evidence of apoptosis induced by HDMP were also detected on Wright-stained and toluidine blue stained semithin sections of BM preparations in a patient with AML-M4 and AML-M3 respectively. These findings suggest that HDMP which could induce in vivo terminal differentiation in myeloid leukemic cells is also able to induce apoptosis in patients with AML. The possibility of HDMP-induced apoptosis should be evaluated in a larger series of patients with AML and other types of malignant tumors.     

The effects of piroxicam to the muscosal barrier of the bladder after overdistension – an experimental study in rabbits

The effects of piroxicam on the duration and severity of damage to the mucosal barrier of the urinary bladder after overdistension was investigated.Overdistension of the bladder was induced for 3 h in 16 New Zealand male rabbits by giving Ringer's lactate infusion (40 ml/kg/h) and furosemide (1 mg/kg) to the peritoneal cavity. Insertion of 8 Fr Foley catheter was used for obstruction of the bladder neck. In both control (C) and piroxicam (P) groups, 20 mL of 2% solution of Trypan blue in 0.9% NaCl solution was instilled into the bladder for 1 hr at 0, 24, 48 h and 7 days after overdistension. In group P daily intramuscular injection of 5 mg/kg piroxicam, and isotonic saline in group C was administrated for 7 days. Full-thickness samples were taken from the bladder at 0, 24, 48 h and 7 days after overdistension. The bladder wall was deep blue throughout in both groups at 0, 24, and 48 h. The severity and duration of inflammatory reaction was lower and nearly normalized on the 7th post procedure day in piroxicam group.Conclusion: Inflammatory reaction can be prevented by administration of anti-inflammatory drugs such as piroxicam but the prevention of increased permeability is unclear after overdistension of the bladder.     

Comparison of off-pump versus conventional coronary revascularization

Between May 1999 and August 2001, 231 patients underwent off-pump coronary bypass, of whom 171 required revascularization of the anterior vessels of the heart. They were compared with a group matched for age, sex, and risk factors undergoing revascularization of the same group of vessels under cardiopulmonary bypass. Mortality was comparable in both groups but the incidence of cerebrovascular accident, respiratory insufficiency, and renal failure was less in the off-pump group. Postoperative drainage and blood transfusion requirements were significantly less in the off-pump group. Intensive care and hospital stay were shorter in the off-pump patients. A considerable number of patients are potential candidates for off-pump coronary bypass, the only contraindication being technical limitations. Follow-up at 6 to 24 months indicates that off-pump coronary bypass can be performed safely with a decrease in morbidity and more rapid return to normal lifestyle.     

Polydimethylsiloxane (silicone oil) used as intraocular tamponade: Elementary analysis and clinical results

Eight samples of silicone oils (polydimethylsiloxane) were analyzed with gel permeation chromatography and inductively coupled plasma spectroscopy. Only 2 silicone samples were found to be almost ideal for intraocular use. In the mean extraction time of 4 months, no difference was observed clinically between pure oils and the others. It is concluded that periodic analysis of silicone oils used in ophthalmic surgery must be performed to establish biocompatibility standards. The authors have stated that they do not have a significant financial interest or other relationship with any product manufacturer or provider of services discussed in this article.