Effect of Diet before Bariatric Surgery on Ghrelin Level through DNA Methylation.

INTRODUCTION: The ghrelin system, which generates the appetite hormone, is harmed by obesity, a problem of worldwide public health. An efficient way to cure obesity is through bariatric surgery. This randomized controlled study's objective was to assess preoperative diet-related DNA methylation of Ghrelin (GHRL) levels in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. METHODS: The 50 patients who volunteered to participate in the trial were randomly divided into two groups. The study group followed the very low-calorie diet for 2 weeks. The control group did not follow any diet. The physiological parameters, weight, and DNA methylation levels of the patients were assessed. RESULTS: The percentage of excess weight loss (EWL) in the control and study groups was determined as 47.1% and 51.5%, respectively. The study group's GHRL percentage of methylated reference was 76.8%, whereas the control group's was 67.3%. It was concluded that the EWL and GHRL gene DNA methylation of the diet-treated study group were significantly higher than the control group (p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: According to the findings, the pre-op diet had a favorable effect on the patient's behavior modification. It has also been shown to increase postoperative weight loss and DNA methylation of the Ghrelin gene. The ghrelin gene has been muted by methylation, making hunger regulation more manageable.

Orthopedic surgeons' knowledge regarding risk of radiation exposition: a survey analysis.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the knowledge levels of orthopedic surgeons working in Turkey about the uses and possible risks of fluoroscopy and assess methods for preventing radiation damage. METHODS: A questionnaire with a total of 12 questions was sent to 1121 orthopedic surgeons working in Turkey. The questionnaire evaluated participants' knowledge about the uses and risks of fluoroscopy and methods for preventing damage. One thousand and twenty-four orthopedic surgeons were found to be suitable for inclusion in the study. The effects of fluoroscopy on patients were not assessed in our study. RESULTS: The data obtained were statistically evaluated. Of the surveyed surgeons, 313 (30%) had used fluoroscopy in over 50% of their operations. The average number of fluoroscopy shots per case was 54.5. A lead apron was the most commonly used (88%) protection from the harmful effects of radiation. Fluoroscopy shots were performed with the help of operating room personnel (86%). A dosimeter was used 5% of the time. CONCLUSION: According to the survey results, the need for fluoroscopy was very high in orthopedic surgery. However, orthopedic surgeons have inadequate knowledge about the uses and risks of fluoroscopy and methods for preventing damage. Therefore, we believe that training on this topic should be provided to all orthopedic surgeons.

Computed tomography evaluation of the iliac crest apophysis: age estimation in living individuals.

Determination of the ossification properties of the iliac apophysis is important not only in the clinical evaluation of patients undergoing orthopedic surgery but also in age estimation studies for forensic purposes. The literature includes both anthropological and radiological (conventional radiography, ultrasonography, and magnetic resonance imaging modalities) investigations of the different staging systems used for these purposes. In this study, we assessed the utility of computed tomography (CT) of the iliac crest apophysis in estimating forensic age. CT scans of the iliac crest apophysis of 380 patients (187 females, 193 males, and 10-29 years of age) were evaluated according to the four-stage system. Further subclassification did not give data properly due to the reference length measurement of the iliac wing with CT. Thus, in our series, stage 2 was first seen in 12 years of age and stage 3 in those 14 years of age in both sexes and on both sides of the pelvis. Stage 4 was first seen in 17 years of both sexes but only on the right side; on the left side, it appeared in females 18 years of age and in males 17 years of age. Present data was found consistent with previous pelvic radiographic findings. First seen ages for stage 2 and 3 are 12 and 14 years respectively which presented valuable information for legally important age thresholds. However, disadvantages of CT, including high-dose radiation exposure to gonads, the difficulty of evaluating the iliac crest, and the age boundary of 17 years, could make this method infeasible, as compared with hand wrist and pelvic radiographic methods. CT of the iliac crest has probably a greater utility where preexisting CT scans of the pelvic region are available, and it may be considered as a supportive method for age-estimation purposes.