Antioxidant effect of omega-3 fatty acids on exercise-induced oxidative stress in rats.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the effects of omega-3 supplementation on Catalase (CAT) activity, Malondialdehyde (MDA), advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) and reduced glutathione (GSH) levels in long-term aerobic exercises in rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 28 male Wistar albino rats (8 weeks old, 220-350 g body weight) were included in the study. The rats were given treadmill exercise for 20 minutes at an average speed of 15 cm/s, 5 days a week, for 8 weeks. The experiment was terminated at the end of the eighth week. Blood samples were taken. CAT, MDA, AOPP and GSH analyses were performed. SPSS v. 21 package program was used in the analysis of the data. The distribution of the data was examined with the normality homogeneity test, and it was determined that it was a normal distribution. As a result, the One-Way ANOVA test, one of the parametric tests, was used. Tukey test was used to determine the difference between groups. Significance levels were evaluated as (p < 0.05). RESULTS: Statistical analysis showed a statistically significant difference between groups in CAT, MDA and GSH levels (p < 0.05), while there were no differences between the groups in AOPP levels (p > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: In the conclusion of the study, it was determined that omega-3 supplementation caused a decrease in MDA level, an increase in CAT activity and GSH level in rats exposed to chronic long-term exercise. Thus, it can be said that omega-3 supplementation in chronic long-term exercise will provide antioxidant protection against potential oxidative damage.

Improving Inertial Sensor-Based Activity Recognition in Neurological Populations.

Inertial sensor-based human activity recognition (HAR) has a range of healthcare applications as it can indicate the overall health status or functional capabilities of people with impaired mobility. Typically, artificial intelligence models achieve high recognition accuracies when trained with rich and diverse inertial datasets. However, obtaining such datasets may not be feasible in neurological populations due to, e.g., impaired patient mobility to perform many daily activities. This study proposes a novel framework to overcome the challenge of creating rich and diverse datasets for HAR in neurological populations. The framework produces images from numerical inertial time-series data (initial state) and then artificially augments the number of produced images (enhanced state) to achieve a larger dataset. Here, we used convolutional neural network (CNN) architectures by utilizing image input. In addition, CNN enables transfer learning which enables limited datasets to benefit from models that are trained with big data. Initially, two benchmarked public datasets were used to verify the framework. Afterward, the approach was tested in limited local datasets of healthy subjects (HS), Parkinson's disease (PD) population, and stroke survivors (SS) to further investigate validity. The experimental results show that when data augmentation is applied, recognition accuracies have been increased in HS, SS, and PD by 25.6%, 21.4%, and 5.8%, respectively, compared to the no data augmentation state. In addition, data augmentation contributes to better detection of stair ascent and stair descent by 39.1% and 18.0%, respectively, in limited local datasets. Findings also suggest that CNN architectures that have a small number of deep layers can achieve high accuracy. The implication of this study has the potential to reduce the burden on participants and researchers where limited datasets are accrued.

Histopathological changes of nasal mucosa after nasal packing with Merocel.

OBJECTIVE: To determine histopathological changes in nasal mucosa associated with duration of nasal packing with Merocel tampons. METHODS: This study included 24 healthy rabbits, 6 rabbits per group. In group A, no tampon was applied. In group B, Merocel nasal tampons were applied and removed after 24 hours. In group C, the tampons were removed after 48 hours. In group D, the tampons were removed after 5 days. Specimens were obtained from the septum of each rabbit, including cartilage. Histopathological examination was performed. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in terms of inflammatory infiltration and loss of cilia between groups A and B. Significant differences were also observed in terms of inflammatory infiltration, haematoma, cilia loss, epithelium dysplasia and cartilage degeneration between groups B and C. There were significant differences in terms of cilia loss, epithelium dysplasia and subepithelial fibrosis between groups C and D. Cartilage degeneration was mild in one animal in group B and in two animals in group C, and was moderate in four animals in group C. CONCLUSION: It is recommended that Merocel nasal tampons are removed within 48 hours to preserve nasal mucosal function. Keeping the pack longer may cause cartilage degeneration and other complications.

The effects of blood glucose regulation and treatment regime on mean platelet volume in type 2 diabetic patients.

BACKGROUND: Mean platelet volume (MPV) is associated with cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in type 2 diabetic patients. However, the effects of blood glucose regulation and treatment regime on MPV has not been adequately studied in type 2 diabetic patients. Aims: We studied the effects of blood glucose regulation and treatment regimen on mean platelet volume in Type 2 diabetic patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: A total of 232 diabetic patients who were admitted to the hospital in short intervals of 3 months in the last 2 years were included in the study. When the second admission HbA1c was greater than the first admission HbA1c, they were classified as being in the deteriorated blood glucose regulation group, otherwise they were classified in the improved blood glucose regulation group. Also, the deteriorated and improved blood glucose regulation groups were classified based on therapy modalities as the sulfonylurea + metformin group and the insulin + metformin group. Paired t-test was used for comparison of the groups. RESULTS: Of the 232 patients, 98 (42.2%) were male and 134 (57.8%) were female. There were 126 (55.2%) patients using sulfonylurea + metformin, while 106 (44.8%) patients were using insulin + metformin. MPV levels were significantly increased in patients with deteriorating glucose regulation (p = 0.003). This increase in MPV was only seen in the oral hypoglycemic treatment group (p = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested a close relationship between poor glycemic control and increased platelet activity in type 2 diabetic patients with oral antidiabetic therapy when compared to the insulin and metformin therapy modality.

Histopathological and biochemical assessment of a novel diagnostic method for ovarian torsion.

Ovarian torsion is agynecologic emergency that affects females of all ages. Early diagnosis is important to preserve ovarian function. The false positive rate for sonographic diagnosis of ovarian torsion is 50%; therefore, a new real-time approach is required to improve diagnostic accuracy. We investigated diffuse reflectance spectroscopy for diagnosing ovarian torsion. Spectroscopic measurements were performed in vivo prior to, during and after detorsion. After bilateral oophorectomy, hemoxygenase and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity in ovarian tissue was evaluated and the tissues were examined for pathology. Spectroscopic data were compared to histopathological and biochemical data to assess the diagnostic value of the spectroscopic method for differentiating healthy and damaged ovarian tissue. We found a good correlation between spectroscopy and histopathology. We also found a correlation between the spectroscopic data and heme oxygenase enzyme activity. We found no correlation between the histopathological tissue damage score and myeloperoxidase enzyme activity. Diffuse reflectance spectroscopy may be of prognostic and diagnostic value for ovarian torsion in vivo.

Preparation of Transparent Conductive Electrode via Layer-By-Layer Deposition of Silver Nanowires and Its Application in Organic Photovoltaic Device.

Solution processed transparent conductive electrodes (TCEs) were fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of silver nanowires (AgNWs). First, the AgNWs were coated on (3-Mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane modified glass substrates. Then, multilayer AgNW films were obtained by using 1,3-propanedithiol as a linker via LBL deposition, which made it possible to control the optical transmittance and sheet resistance of multilayer thin films. Next, thermal annealing of AgNW films was performed in order to agent their electrical conductivity. AgNW monolayer films were characterized by UV-Vis spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, atomic force microscopy and sheet resistance measurement by four-point probe method. The high performances were achieved with multilayer films, which provided sheet resistances of 9 Ω/sq, 11 Ω/sq with optical transmittances of 71%, 70% at 550 nm, which are comparable to commercial indium tin oxide (ITO) electrodes. Finally, an organic photovoltaic device was fabricated on the AgNW multilayer electrodes for demonstration purpose, which exhibited power conversion efficiency of 1.1%.

Development of a Novel FIJI-Based Method to Investigate Neuronal Circuitry in Neonatal Mice.

The emergence of systems neuroscience tools requires parallel generation of objective analytical workflows for experimental neuropathology. We developed an objective analytical workflow that we used to determine how specific autonomic neural lineages change during postnatal development. While a wealth of knowledge exists regarding postnatal alterations in respiratory neural function, how these neural circuits change and develop in the weeks following birth remains less clear. In this study, we developed our workflow by combining genetic mouse modeling and quantitative immunofluorescent confocal microscopy and used this to examine the postnatal development of neural circuits derived from the transcription factors NKX2.2 and OLIG3 into three medullary respiratory nuclei. Our automated FIJI-based image analysis workflow rapidly and objectively quantified synaptic puncta in user-defined anatomic regions. Using our objective workflow, we found that the density and estimated total number of Nkx2.2-derived afferents into the pre-Bötzinger Complex significantly decreased with postnatal age during the first three weeks of postnatal life. These data indicate that Nkx2.2-derived structures differentially influence pre-Bötzinger Complex respiratory oscillations at different stages of postnatal development.

DIAGNOSTIC VALUE OF DUPLEX DOPPLER ULTRASOUND PARAMETERS IN PAPILLARY THYROID CARCINOMA.

CONTEXT: Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is the most common type of thyroid cancer due to its high fibrotic content; it can affect the blood flow resistance. OBJECTIVE: To introduce duplex Doppler ultrasonography (DDUS) parameters of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and their correlation with size. DESIGN: The study was designed as a prospective study. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thyroid nodules of the patients who were already scheduled for thyroid surgery either for malignant thyroid nodules or multinodular goiter were evaluated for DDUS parameters. Size, systolic to diastolic flow velocity (S/D) ratio, pulsatility index (PI), and resistive index (RI) of each nodule were recorded. Nodules were diagnosed as PTC or benign nodules based on histopathology. DDUS parameters were compared between PTCs versus benign nodules and micro PTCs (≤ 10 mm) versus large PTCs (> 10 mm). A correlation analysis was performed between the size and DDUS parameters. RESULTS: 140 thyroid nodules (30 PTCs, 110 benign nodules) were obtained. The mean S/D ratio, PI, and RI values were significantly higher in PTC than in benign nodules (p values were 0.0001, 0.0003, and 0.0001 respectively). The optimal cut-off values of S/D (0.732), PI (0.732), and RI (0.738) had accuracy rates of 71%, 69%, and 69%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between micro PTC and large PTC with regards to DDUS parameters. The size and DDUS parameters of PTC showed no significant correlation. CONCLUSIONS: PTC has a high resistive flow pattern regardless of its size; however the clinical utility of DDUS to differentiate a PTC from benign nodule is limited.

Effect of tauroursodeoxycholic acid on PUFA levels and inflammation in an animal and cell model of hepatic endoplasmic reticulum stress.

The aim of this study was to evaluate hepatic polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and inflammatory response in an animal and cell model of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress. Rats were divided into control, tunicamycin (TM)-treated, and TM + tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA)-treated groups. Hepatic ER stress was induced by TM and the ER stress inhibitor TUDCA was injected 30 min before induction of ER stress. Liver THLE-3 cells were treated with TM and TUDCA was administered in advance to decrease cytotoxic effects. Necroinflammation was evaluated in liver sections, while cell viability was determined using a 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay kit. ER stress was confirmed by immunofluorescence and Western blot analysis of C/EBP-homologous protein and 78-kDa glucose-regulated protein. Arachidonic acid (C20:4n-6), dihomo-γ-linolenic acid (C20:3n-6), eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5n-3), and docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3) in liver tissue and THLE-3 cells were determined by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). Phospholipase A2 (PLA2), cyclooxygenase (COX), and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) were measured in tissue and cell samples. Hepatic ER stress was accomplished by TM and was alleviated by TUDCA. TM treatment significantly decreased PUFAs in both liver and THLE-3 cells compared to controls. PLA2, COX, and PGE2 levels were significantly increased in TM-treated rats and THLE-3 cells compared to controls. TUDCA leads to a partial restoration of liver PUFA levels and decreased PLA2, COX, and PGE2. This study reports decreased PUFA levels in ER stress and supports the use of omega-3 fatty acids in liver diseases demonstrating ER stress.

Solution-Processable transparent conducting electrodes via the self-assembly of silver nanowires for organic photovoltaic devices.

Solution-processed transparent conducting electrodes (TCEs) were fabricated via the self-assembly deposition of silver nanowires (Ag NWs). Glass substrates modified with (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (APTES) and (3-mercaptopropyl)trimethoxysilane (MPTES) were coated with Ag NWs for various deposition times, leading to three different Ag NWs samples (APTES-Ag NWs (PVP), MPTES-Ag NWs (PVP), and APTES-Ag NWs (COOH)). Controlling the deposition time produced Ag NWs monolayer thin films with different optical transmittance and sheet resistance. Post-annealing treatment improved their electrical conductivity. The Ag NWs films were successfully characterized using UV-Vis spectroscopy, field emission scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy and four-point probe. Three Ag NWs films exhibited low sheet resistance of 4-19Ω/sq and high optical transmittance of 65-81% (at 550nm), which are comparable to those of commercial ITO electrode. We fabricated an organic photovoltaic device by using Ag NWs as the anode instead of ITO electrode, and optimized device with Ag NWs exhibited power conversion efficiency of 1.72%.

The effect of oxytocin and Kisspeptin-10 in ovary and uterus of ischemia-reperfusion injured rats.

OBJECTIVE: Ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injuries result in damage to endothelial and parenchymal cells. Oxytocin (OXY) stimulates uterine contraction during parturition and myoepithelial cells during suckling. OXY has been used as a protective antioxidant. Kisspeptin plays a key role in the central control of reproductive functions and onset of puberty. Recent studies show that these reproductive hormones have protective potential as antioxidant. The aim of this study is to investigate the potential protective effects of Kisspeptin and OXY as antioxidants on I/R injured ovary and uterus of female rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Rats were separated into five groups. Group 1, is control group; Group 2, rats were subjected to ischemia followed by reperfusion. Group 3, OXY administration 30 min prior to I/R applied rats; Group 4, Kisspeptin administration 30 min prior to I/R applied rats; Group 5, OXY and Kisspeptin administration 30 min prior to I/R. Ovary and uterus were removed for histopathological and biochemical observations. Malondialdehyde, glutathione levels, and superoxide dismutase activities were analyzed in order to observe antioxidant potential of OXY and Kisspeptin. Hematoxylin and Eosin staining was applied for histopathologic scoring. RESULTS: Stromal and granulosa cells in ovary, endometrial cells in uterus were damaged in I/R group. The cellular damage of ovary and uterus were reduced in OXY and Kisspeptin administered I/R group when compared to only Kisspeptin injected I/R group and I/R group. There is no significant difference between OXY and OXY + Kisspeptin injected I/R groups. MDA levels were decreased in Kisspeptin and/or Oxytocin applied I/R group compared to I/R group. SOD activity and GSH levels were increased in Kisspeptin and/or OXY applied I/R group compared to I/R group. CONCLUSIONS: The present results suggest that exogenous application of oxytocin and kisspeptin can have antioxidant effects on the uterus and ovary.

Fabrication of a transparent conducting electrode based on graphene/silver nanowires via layer-by-layer method for organic photovoltaic devices.

A solution-processed transparent conducting electrode was fabricated via layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition of graphene oxide (GO) and silver nanowires (Ag NWs). First, graphite was oxidized with a modified Hummer's method to obtain negatively-charged GO sheets, and Ag NWs were functionalized with cysteamine hydrochloride to acquire positively-charged silver nanowires. Oppositely-charged GO and Ag NWs were then sequentially coated on a 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane modified glass substrate via LBL deposition, which provided highly controllable thin films in terms of optical transmittance and sheet resistance. Next, the reduction of GO sheets was performed to improve the electrical conductivity of the multilayer films. The resulting GO/Ag NWs multilayer was characterized by a UV-Vis spectrometer, field emission scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM), optical microscope (OM) and sheet resistance using a four-point probe method. The best result was achieved with a 2-bilayer film, resulting in a sheet resistance of 6.5Ω sq-1 with an optical transmittance of 78.2% at 550nm, which values are comparable to those of commercial ITO electrodes. The device based on a 2-bilayer hybrid film exhibited the highest device efficiency of 1.30% among the devices with different number of graphene/Ag NW LBL depositions.

Serum paraoxonase activity and oxidative stress levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax.

INTRODUCTION: Anthrax is a bacterial disease caused by the aerobic sporeforming bacterium Bacillus anthracis. It has been suggested that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of B. anthracis. The aim of this study was to investigate serum paraoxonase 1 (PON1) activity, catalase activity, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels, and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fifteen patients with cutaneous anthrax and 15 healthy controls were enrolled in this study. The serum MDA levels, SOD levels, paraoxonase, arylesterase, and catalase activities were measured using a spectrophotometer. RESULTS: The serum SOD levels, paraoxonase, arylesterase, and catalase activities were significantly lower in patients with cutaneous anthrax than in controls (for all, p < 0.001), whereas MDA levels were significantly higher ( p < 0.001). No significant correlation was found between serum paraoxonase activity, arylesterase activity, SOD levels, and MDA levels (all, p > 0.05) in patients with cutaneous anthrax. CONCLUSIONS: The current study was the first to show decreased antioxidant levels and increased oxidant levels in patients with cutaneous anthrax. Therefore, decreased PON1 activity may play a role in the pathogenesis of cutaneous anthrax.

Apparent diffusion coefficient measurement of ovarian stroma: A potential tool for the diagnosis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of measuring the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) of ovarian stroma in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was approved by the institutional review board and informed consent was obtained from each women. A total of 17 women (mean age, 22.2 years±5.1 [SD]; range, 16-33 years) with a diagnosis of PCOS according to the Androgen Excess and PCOS Society criteria and 18 healthy women (mean age, 22.8 years±5.2 [SD]; range, 16-31 years) who served as a control group were included in this prospective study. ADC values of the ovarian stroma during the early follicular phase were calculated by two observers in the two groups. Comparisons were performed using the Student t-test. RESULTS: The mean ADC value in woman with PCOS (1.29±0.27×10-3 mm2/s; range: 0.59×10-3 - 1.88×10-3 mm2/s) was significantly lower than that in the control group (1.48±0.17×10-3 mm2/s; range: 1.12×10-3 - 1.86×10-3 mm2/s) (P<0.001). The ADC cutoff value for the determination of PCOS with maximum accuracy was 1.38×10-3 mm2/s (AUC: 0.720; 95% CI: 0.597, 0.843), yielding 78% sensitivity and 62.9% specificity. CONCLUSION: ADC values of ovarian stroma are lower in patients with PCOS than in control subjects. ADC measurement of ovarian stroma in women with PCOS might help improve the diagnosis of PCOS.

Improved capacitive deionization performance of mixed hydrophobic/hydrophilic activated carbon electrodes.

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is a promising salt removal technology with high energy efficiency when applied to low molar concentration aqueous electrolytes. As an interfacial process, ion electrosorption during CDI operation is sensitive to the pore structure and the total pore volume of carbon electrodes limits the maximum salt adsorption capacity (SAC). Thus, activation of carbons as a widely used method to enhance the porosity of a material should also be highly attractive for improving SAC values. In our study, we use easy-to-scale and facile-to-apply CO2-activation at temperatures between 950 °C and 1020 °C to increase the porosity of commercially available activated carbon. While the pore volume and surface area can be significantly increased up to 1.51 cm(3) g(-1) and 2113 m(2) g(-1), this comes at the expense of making the carbon more hydrophobic. We present a novel strategy to capitalize on the improved pore structure by admixing as received (more hydrophilic) carbon with CO2-treated (more hydrophobic) carbon for CDI electrodes without using membranes. This translates into an enhanced charge storage ability in high and low molar concentrations (1 M and 5 mM NaCl) and significantly improved CDI performance (at 5 mM NaCl). In particular, we obtain stable CDI performance at 0.86 charge efficiency with 13.1 mg g(-1) SAC for an optimized 2:1 mixture (by mass).

Evaluation of blood neutrophil to lymphocyte and platelet to lymphocyte ratios according to plasma glucose status and serum insulin-like growth factor 1 levels in patients with acromegaly.

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular, respiratory, and cerebrovascular diseases and malignancies are responsible for morbidity and mortality in acromegaly. Also these diseases are associated with chronic inflammation. The neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet to lymphocyte ratio (PLR) are currently gaining interest as new markers of inflammation. Moreover, increased morbidity and mortality are positively correlated with the presence of diabetes and levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in acromegaly. The objective of the present study was to investigate the relationship between these markers and acromegaly according to plasma glucose status and serum IGF-1 levels. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed data from 61 acromegaly patients who were in a newly diagnosed period (35 male, 26 female; mean age 38.13 ± 13.98). Patients with normal plasma glucose (n = 27), impaired fasting glucose (n = 18), and diabetes mellitus (n = 16) were categorized into three different groups. NLR and PLR were compared between the study groups and were evaluated according to IGF-1 levels. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences in NLR and PLR measurements among the study groups (p > 0.05). However, there were significant positive correlations between NLR and IGF-1 levels and between PLR and IGF-1 levels when all patients were evaluated (r = 0.334, p = 0.011 and r = 0.277, p = 0.035, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This is the first report studying the relationship of NLR and PLR with glucose status and IGF-1 levels in acromegaly patients. Our study results suggest that subclinical inflammation may play a role in increased incidence of mortality and morbidity, which depends on uncontrolled IGF-1 levels in patients with acromegaly.