Volume of subcortical brain regions in social anxiety disorder: mega-analytic results from 37 samples in the ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group.

There is limited convergence in neuroimaging investigations into volumes of subcortical brain regions in social anxiety disorder (SAD). The inconsistent findings may arise from variations in methodological approaches across studies, including sample selection based on age and clinical characteristics. The ENIGMA-Anxiety Working Group initiated a global mega-analysis to determine whether differences in subcortical volumes can be detected in adults and adolescents with SAD relative to healthy controls. Volumetric data from 37 international samples with 1115 SAD patients and 2775 controls were obtained from ENIGMA-standardized protocols for image segmentation and quality assurance. Linear mixed-effects analyses were adjusted for comparisons across seven subcortical regions in each hemisphere using family-wise error (FWE)-correction. Mixed-effects d effect sizes were calculated. In the full sample, SAD patients showed smaller bilateral putamen volume than controls (left: d = -0.077, pFWE = 0.037; right: d = -0.104, pFWE = 0.001), and a significant interaction between SAD and age was found for the left putamen (r = -0.034, pFWE = 0.045). Smaller bilateral putamen volumes (left: d = -0.141, pFWE < 0.001; right: d = -0.158, pFWE < 0.001) and larger bilateral pallidum volumes (left: d = 0.129, pFWE = 0.006; right: d = 0.099, pFWE = 0.046) were detected in adult SAD patients relative to controls, but no volumetric differences were apparent in adolescent SAD patients relative to controls. Comorbid anxiety disorders and age of SAD onset were additional determinants of SAD-related volumetric differences in subcortical regions. To conclude, subtle volumetric alterations in subcortical regions in SAD were detected. Heterogeneity in age and clinical characteristics may partly explain inconsistencies in previous findings. The association between alterations in subcortical volumes and SAD illness progression deserves further investigation, especially from adolescence into adulthood.

A comparison of chlorhexidine and povidone-iodine solutions in neonatal intensive care units.

BACKGROUND: Povidone-iodine (10%; PI) and 2% chlorhexidine in 70% isopropyl alcohol (CHG-IA) solutions are among the most widely used disinfectants in the neonatal intensive care units. This study compares the use of these disinfectants and helps decide which is superior to the other for neonatal use. METHODS: All term and preterm infants born and hospitalized in Bursa Uludag University Hospital between July 2018-March 2020 were included. The infants were randomized into two disinfectant groups before birth. The application site was cleaned with the assigned disinfectant before intervention. The infants were screened for rates of neonatal sepsis, thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, free thyroxine (fT4) levels, skin reactions to the assigned solution, and acute neurological side effects. RESULTS: We enrolled 208 term and preterm infants (PI:104 vs. CHG-IA: 104) in the study. The prematurity rates were identical (PI: 74.0%; CHG-IA: 72.1%; p = 0.755). Neonatal sepsis rates among these groups were not statistically different (PI: 8.7%; CHG-IA: 4.8%; p = 0.406). The median TSH value of the PI group was high (4.05 mIU/L) in comparison with that of the CHG-IA group (3.09 mIU/L; p = 0.016). No cutaneous or neurological side effects were recorded in patients treated with CHG-IA solution. CONCLUSIONS: Although these two solutions were equally protective against infections, the CHG-IA solution was a better alternative to PI for neonatal use. Considering that the PI solution may be responsible for impaired thyroid function, the CHG-IA solution is a good alternative because it provides sufficient protection with a safer adverse effect profile.

Radiation Exposure in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Newborns and Staff.

OBJECTIVE: Portable X-rays remain one of the most frequently used diagnostic procedures in neonatal intensive care units (NICU). Premature infants are more sensitive to radiation-induced harmful effects. Dangers from diagnostic radiation can occur with stochastic effects. We aimed to determine the radiation exposure in premature infants and staff and determine the scattering during X-ray examinations in the NICU. STUDY DESIGN: In this prospective study, dosimeters were placed on premature infants who were ≤1,250 g at birth and ≤30 weeks of gestational age who stayed in the NICU for at least 4 weeks. The doses were measured at each X-ray examination during their stay. The measurements of the nurses and the doctors in the NICU were also performed with dosimeters over the 1-month period. Other dosimeters were placed in certain areas outside the incubator and the results were obtained after 1 month. RESULTS: The mean radiation exposure of the 10 premature infants, monitored with dosimeters, was 3.65 ± 2.44 mGy. The mean skin dose of the six staff was 0.087 ± 0.0998 mSV. The mean scattered dose was 67.9 ± 26.5 µGy. CONCLUSION: Relatively high exposures were observed in 90% of the patients and two staff. The radiation exposure levels of premature infants and staff may need to be monitored continuously. KEY POINTS: · The premature infants are exposed to radiation due to the bedside X-rays.. · The radiation exposure levels of premature infants and staff may need to be monitored continuously.. · Measures and alternative methods to reduce radiation exposure should be encouraged..

Challenges in the Head and Neck Department in the Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Patients Presenting to a Single Tertiary Hospital of Somalia With Extreme War Injuries.

In this study, the authors aimed to share their experience with 46 patients who were wounded due to terrorism and war in Somalia. The authors also evaluated the etiological diversity of terror-related and war-related injuries. The study included 46 patients treated at the 150-bed Turkey-Somalia Tertiary Hospital between 2019 and 2021. The authors reviewed medical records including data regarding age, sex, trauma etiology, and type of fracture and trauma. For all patients, surgical technique and plate and screw applications were recorded. The authors also assessed complications and outcomes for the patients. The study included 5 women (10.9%) and 41 men (89.1%). The mean age was 30.36 years. It was found that 2 patients (4.35%) presented to the emergency department with stab injuries, 33 patients with blast injuries from improvised explosive devices (71.73%), and 11 patients with firearm injuries. There were 31 patients with maxillary and mandibular fractures, 17 of which had both maxillary and mandibular fractures. There were 14 patients with maxillary fracture alone, including 3 patients with tripod fracture and 7 patients with inferior and lateral rim fracture. There was a mandibular fracture in 17 patients, including 5 patients with parasymphysis fracture, 7 patients with ramus fracture, and 5 patients with multifocal comminuted fracture. It is a challenging process to treat terror-related injuries in our tertiary hospital in Somalia, where all resources are imported from foreign countries. In such settings, authorities should make protective equipment obligatory to prevent civil and military casualties. Trauma hospitals and experienced trauma surgeons should be available.

General guidelines for CRISPR/Cas-based genome editing in plants.

CRISPR (clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats)/Cas (CRISPR-associated) technology is a versatile genome editing tool that has been used to improve agriculturally important plant traits. Due to its precision, CRISPR/Cas9 is more effective than either conventional plant breeding methods or standard genetic engineering approaches for the rapid development of new varieties resilient to climate change. In addition to knowledge in tissue culture-based plant transformation, effective gene-specific single guide RNA (sgRNA) design, prediction of its off-target effect and utilization of vectors, promoters, Cas proteins and terminators is required for CRISPR/Cas9. Various bioinformatics tools are available for the best sgRNA design and screening of the off-targets. Various tools are used in the delivery of CRISPR/Cas components into cells and the genome. Moreover, some recent studies proved the simultaneous silencing of different paralogs in the same family or several genes working in the same pathway by using multiple-target sgRNA designs. This review summarizes the type of promoters, Cas proteins, recognition sequences, and terminators available for the development of knock-out and overexpression plant lines. It also provides a general guideline for the development of genome-edited plants from the design of sgRNAs to the selection of non-transgenic genome-edited T2 generation.

Comparison of FreeSurfer and CAT12 Software in Parcel-Based Cortical Thickness Calculations.

Several approaches have emerged to measure the cortical thickness (CT), which can be broadly divided into surface-based and voxel-based algorithms. We aimed to compare parcel-based CT estimation of the widely used FreeSurfer (FS) software and CAT12 software, which is a widely used voxel-based approach, and evaluate the test-retest (TRT) reliability of both methods. MRI images of 417 healthy individuals were analyzed. TRT reliability was performed on 60 participants. The mean CT of the parcels of the Desikan-Killiany atlas were calculated both in FS and CAT12. Linear mixed model was performed to compare the two methods and the TRT reliability, and paired-sample t-test for post-hoc analyses. Linear regression analyses were utilized to examine the regressions between the two methods and between different sessions with each method. CT values calculated using the two methods were significantly correlated (R2adj = 0.67). The significant interaction effect between the method and the parcels were due to larger CT values of FS in 32 of 68 parcels, whereas CT values of CAT12 were higher in 31 of 68 parcels. The TRT reliabilities of both approaches were excellent (FS R2adj = 0.95, CAT12 R2adj = 0.93). We conclude that both techniques can provide equally valid results for groups comparisons or follow-up studies as long as they are not mixed with each other.

Volumetric changes within hippocampal subfields in Alzheimer's disease continuum.

Neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease continuum (ADC) starts from the transentorhinal cortex and progresses within hippocampal circuitry following the connectivity of its subfields transsynaptically. We aimed to track volumetric changes of the hippocampal subfields by comparing three stages of the ADC. MRI data of 15 patients diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease dementia (ADD), 15 patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and 15 individuals with subjective cognitive impairment (SCI) were analyzed. The hippocampal formation was subdivided into CA1, CA3, subiculum (SUB), and dentate gyrus (DG) using FreeSurfer and volumetric values were obtained. The volumetric values were analyzed with ANCOVA and intracranial volume was selected as a covariate. ANCOVA results of the hippocampal subfields displayed statistically significant differences among the three groups in bilateral CA1, SUB, and DG volumes (Right CA1: F = 7.316, p = 0.002; left CA1: F = 6.768, p = 0.003; right SUB: F = 9.390, p < 0.001; left SUB: F = 5.925, p = 0.005; right DG: F = 9.469, p < 0.001; left DG: F = 9.354, p < 0.001), while CA3 volumes were not significantly different among the groups. Post hoc comparisons revealed that volume reductions in bilateral CA1, DG, and SUB were present in ADD compared to both MCI and SCI groups. No significant volumetric changes were found between the SCI and MCI groups. While our results are generally consistent with the literature in terms of the CA1 and SUB findings, they additionally point to the importance of the significant volume loss in DG and the resilience of the CA3 sector.

Serum irisin and adropin levels may be predictors for coronary artery ectasia.

BACKGROUND: There is strong evidence that oxidative stress and inflammation may contribute to the coronary artery ectasia (CAE) pathophysiology. Recent studies have shown that serum irisin and adropin levels are associated with oxidative stress and inflammation. In the light of this information, we aimed to investigate the possible relationship between serum irisin, adropin levels and CAE. PATIENTS & METHODS: A total of 50 consecutive patients with CAE and 50 consecutive patients with normal coronary anatomy (NCA) were enrolled into the study. Serum irisin, adropin and other clinical parameters were compared between groups. RESULTS: Adropin (p < .001) and irisin (p < .001) levels were lower in the CAE group. Low adropin (p = .014) and irisin (p < .001) levels were detected as an independent risk factor for CAE in multiple regression analysis. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that serum adropin (p < .001) and irisin (p < .001) leves was significant predictor of CAE. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study showed that serum irisin and adropin level was lower in the CAE group than in the NCA group. Irisin and adropin could play a role in the pathogenesis of CAE.

Assessment of Functional Outcomes of an Autospreader Flap and Spreader Graft in Rhinoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: Nasal obstruction after rhinoplasty occurs due to narrowing of the internal nasal valve. Narrowing is due to osteotomy performed to close the open roof of nose after dorsum hump resection. Spreader grafts and autospreader flaps are used to prevent such narrowing. in this study, we aimed to compare the effects of these 2 rhinoplasty techniques on olfactory function, nasal air passage opening, quality of life, and patient satisfaction. METHODS: In this prospective study, 48 rhinoplasty patients were randomly divided into 2 groups according to graft technique used, either spreader graft or autospreader flap. These 2 groups were compared for patient satisfaction. The sinonasal outcome test-22, peak nasal flowmetry, and Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test were applied to all patients before and 8 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: The study enrolled 48 patients. Nasal airflow increased in both groups postoperatively. in the preoperative and postoperative comparison of odor functions, postoperative odor functions were similar in both groups. In the autospreader flap group, the preoperative rhinoplasty outcome evaluation questionnaire score was 4.1 ±â€Š2.2 versus 21.3 ±â€Š2.6 in the third postoperative month. The preoperative rhinoplasty outcome evaluation score was 3.9 ±â€Š2.1 in the spreader graft group and 19.7 ±â€Š1.9 in the third postoperative month. CONCLUSIONS: In the present study, postoperative nasal airflow improved in the patients in both the spreader graft and autospreader flap groups. in the patient satisfaction surveys after rhinoplasty, the satisfaction of the patients in the autospreader flap group was higher than that of the patients in the spreader graft group.

What Neonatal Intensive Care Nurses Have Experienced in COVID-19 Pandemic in Turkey.

Neonatal intensive care nurses have faced additional difficulties in adapting to a new work environment with a stressful situation brought about by the pandemic. The aim of this study is to evaluate the experiences of nurses working in neonatal intensive care units during the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Experiences were determined using phenomenology, a form of qualitative research. The study involved 14 neonatal intensive care nurses. The data were analyzed on the MAXQDA qualitative data analysis software in accordance with Colaizzi's 7-step method. Four themes were identified after the interviews: the experiences related to working conditions, neonatal care, psychosocial effect, and social life. In addition, 17 subthemes were created. The study revealed that neonatal intensive care nurses experienced physical, psychological, and social difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is thought that these results have become even more important to reduce the workload of nurses and to increase the quality of nursing care, especially in times of crisis such as pandemics.

Regional oxygen saturation and acute kidney injury in premature infants.

BACKGROUND: Decreased renal blood flow plays a vital role in the etiology of acute kidney injury (AKI). In this study, we aim to investigate the role of renal regional oxygen saturation (rSO2 ) reductions in predicting AKI in the first 24 h of life. METHODS: One hundred premature babies with a gestational age of ≤32 weeks were included. Renal and cerebral rSO2 s were monitored for 24 h by near-infrared spectroscopy. Infants were followed up for the first 7 days for the diagnosis of AKI. RESULTS: Infants' median gestational age was 29 (23-32) weeks, and their birthweight was 1,192 ± 355 g. It was found that the renal rSO2 values were lower in the first 24 h of life in patients who developed AKI, and this decrease was statistically significant in the first 6 h of life. CONCLUSIONS: The low renal rSO2 values in the early hours of life in premature babies may have a role in predicting AKI.

The Epidemiological and Clinical Characteristics of 81 Children with COVID-19 in a Pandemic Hospital in Turkey: an Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected millions of people throughout the world since December 2019. However, there is a limited amount of data about pediatric patients infected with the disease agent, the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). METHODS: The epidemiological, laboratory, radiological, and treatment features of the pediatric patients who were positive for SARS-CoV-2 based on the reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test, were investigated retrospectively. RESULTS: The median age of 81 children included in the study was 9.50 years (0-17.75 years). The most frequent symptoms at the time of admission were fever (58%), cough (52%), and fatigue or myalgia (19%). The abnormal laboratory findings in these cases were decreased lymphocytes (2.5%, n = 2), leucopenia (5%, n = 4), and increased lactate dehydrogenase (17.2%, n = 14), C-reactive protein (16%, n = 13), procalcitonin (3.7%, n = 3), and D-dimer (12.3%, n = 10). Three (4%) patients had consolidation in chest computed tomography, and three (4%) had ground-glass opacities. None of the patients needed intensive care except for the newborns. The median time to turn SARS-CoV-2 negative in the RT-PCR test was 5 (3-10) days. The median length of hospital stay was 5 (4-10) days. The time to turn SARS-CoV-2 negative in the RT-PCR test and the length of hospital stay were significantly longer for those aged five years or younger than others (P = 0.037, P = 0.01). CONCLUSION: Compared to adults, COVID-19 is milder and more distinctive in children. As a result, more conservative approaches might be preferred in children for the diagnostic, clinical, and even therapeutic applications.

The validity of simplified self-report pain intensity assessment tools in preschool-age children undergoing adenotonsillectomy.

PURPOSE: To assess the validity of simplified pain scales, including the Simplified Faces Pain Scale (S-FPS) and Simplified Concrete Ordinal Scale (S-COS) in preschool-age children who underwent adenotonsillectomy (T&A) by comparing the values of simplified pain scales with the Faces Pain Scale-Revised (FPS-R) and the Faces, Legs, Activity, Cry, Consolability (FLACC) observational pain scale. METHODS: The present study consisted of 100 pediatric patients between the ages of 3 and 6 years old who had T&A. A two-step pain assessment approach with S-FPS and S-COS and FPS-R and FLACC pain scales was performed with children with the help of their parents or caregivers at the 1st, 6th and 12th hours, and over the 7 days after surgery. RESULTS: The mean scores of S-FPS and S-COS were higher than the mean FPS-R scores for each time point for all age groups. The total number of children reporting no pain was higher for FPS-R than S-FPS and S-COS for each age group and the difference was significant for 3-, 4- and 5- year olds. S-FPS, S-COS and FPS-R showed a moderate correlation with FLACC in all age groups, whereas the correlation values were not significantly different between the tests. CONCLUSION: In the present study, we found that S-FPS and S-COS were valid options for estimating pain in preschool children including 3- and 4-year-olds who underwent T&A.

Comparison of Early and Long-Term Effects of Piezosurgery With Conventional Techniques for Osteotomies in Rhinoplasty.

OBJECTIVE: Osteotomy is a critical step of rhinoplasty. Various osteotomy techniques have been developed to reduce postoperative edema and ecchymosis and achieve optimal aesthetic results. In this study, we aimed to compare the early and long-term effects of piezoelectric surgery with conventional osteotomy. METHODS: In this prospective study, 72 rhinoplasty patients were randomly divided into 2 groups according to osteotomy technique used, either conventional osteotomy or piezosurgery. These 2 groups were compared for postoperative edema, ecchymosis, and pain on the first and seventh postoperative days. The sinonasal outcome test-22 (SNOT-22), peak nasal flowmetry, and Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test were applied to all patients before and 8 weeks after surgery. RESULTS: The study consisted of 72 patients, 42 of whom were female and 30 were male. The mean age was 28.1 ±â€Š6.5 (range 18-49 years). On the first postoperative day, edema and ecchymosis were significantly less in the piezosurgery group (P < 0.001). VAS results showed that only the piezosurgery group experienced less pain on the first postoperative day (P < 0.001). Nasal airflow of the patients was evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively, nasal airflow decreased postoperatively in both groups, but this decrease was not statistically significant, and no significant difference was found between the groups. The preoperative and postoperative comparison of odor functions was similar in both groups after the operation, and there was no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: Piezosurgery in the early period after rhinoplasty has been shown to decrease eyelid edema, periorbital ecchymosis, and pain compared to conventional osteotomy techniques. However, the superiority of piezosurgery in terms of nasal airflow, olfactory functions and quality of life were not found in the long term.

The effects of maternal preeclampsia on inflammatory cytokines and clinical outcomes in premature infants.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of maternal preeclampsia on inflammatory cytokines and neonatal outcomes in premature infants. METHODS: The study included preterm infants born at gestational age ≤32 weeks in a tertiary university hospital between January 2016 and January 2017. The study group consisted of infants born from mothers with preeclampsia (Group-1), and the control group consisted of infants born from normotensive mothers (Group-2). Demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of the infants were recorded. IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and TNF-α cytokine levels were measured from umbilical cord blood samples. RESULTS: A total of 108 infants were included in the study, of which 34 were in the Group-1 and 74 in the Group-2. Gestational ages (29 vs 30 weeks) of the infants in both groups were similar. There was no significant difference between the cytokine levels of infants with and without preeclampsia. The rate of small for gestational age, retinopathy of prematurity, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia were significantly higher at the infants with preeclampsia. CONCLUSION: Maternal preeclampsia leads to an increase at the neonatal morbidities in premature infants without causing a significant alteration at the cytokine levels in cord blood.

New-generation fish oil and olive oil lipid for prevention of oxidative damage in preterm infants: Single center clinical trial at university hospital in Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Parenteral nutrition (PN) has been widely used in preterm infants. The lipid solutions used for PN, however, are associated with oxidative stress and morbidity. The aim of this study was to compare the effectiveness of a new-generation lipid emulsion (SMOFLipid) and olive-oil based lipid emulsion for prevention of PN-associated oxidative damage. METHODS: Preterm infants < 32 weeks of gestational age were included in this prospective randomized study. All infants were randomized to SMOFlipid or olive-oil based lipid emulsion (ClinOleic). Lipid peroxidation products were evaluated in all infants. In addition, total antioxidant capacity (TAC), and both pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines were studied at days 0, 7 and 14. RESULTS: A total of 89 infants (SMOFlipid, n = 42; ClinOleic, n = 47) were enrolled. TAC was higher in the SMOFlipid group compared with the ClinOleic group at all time points, and the difference on day 7 was statistically significant. Although the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 was higher in the SMOFlipid group, this difference was not significant. Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) was lower in the SMOFlipid group (14.1%) than in the ClinOleic group (31.2%), but this finding was non-significant p > 0.05. The rate of severe BPD was significantly lower in the SMOFlipid group. CONCLUSION: To our best of knowledge, this is the first study to suggest that SMOFlipid might decrease oxidative damage and oxidative-stress-associated morbidity compared with olive oil-based emulsion in preterm infants.

[Results of the use of micafungin in newborns]. / Yenidoganlarda mikafungin kullanimi sonuçlari.

Invasive candidiasis is a common and serious infection in premature newborns. Preventing and treating fungal infections is very important to improve the prognosis of premature infants. Fluconazole and amphotericin B are used as the first choice in the treatment of invasive fungal infections of the newborns. In some cases, fluconazole and amphotericin B cannot be used due to nephrotoxicity, hepatotoxicity or resistant strains. Micafungin, which is among recently developed echinocandins, is the drug of choice in these cases. The use of micafungin in newborns is new and there is a limited experience about the effect of high dose usage in the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to evaluate the electronic files of patients who used micafungin for the treatment of culture-proven or possible invasive fungal infection during their hospital stay in the neonatal intensive care unit during a 24-month period (2016-2017) in the third-level intensive care unit. A total of 15 patients (10 premature and 5 term babies) were included in the study. The mean birth weight of the patients was 1732 ± 999 g and the mean gestational age was 32.2 ± 5.8 weeks. All patients had long-term intensive care and increased risk of invasive candidiasis infection. Central venous catheterization and multiple antibiotics usage were the most common risk factors in these patients. The other risk factors included intubation, total parenteral nutritional use and surgical procedure application. Candida species were isolated from the cultures of four patients. Candida species isolated from patients were Candida albicans, Candida glabrata, Candida catenulata, Candida parapsilosis. The mean time for onset of micafungin was 29.9 ± 16.6 days. Mean duration of micafungin therapy was 22.4 ± 11.2 days. Eight patients received amphotericin B, three patients received fluconazole therapy and four patients did not receive any antifungal therapy before the onset of micafungin. None of these patients had an abnormal kidney or liver function tests due to micafungin use. As a conclusion, high dose (10 mg/kg/day) micafungin is a safe and effective treatment choice both in the treatment of neonatal culture proven or probable invasive candida infections that were caused by refractory Candida strains, and in the case of nephrotoxicity and hepatotoxicity.

What should be the protein target for adjustable Human Milk fortification in premature infants?

OBJECTIVE: To assess the short- and long-term effects of the adjustable fortification (ADJ) regimen on growth parameters in premature infants and to evaluate the amount of protein supplements given to reach the targeted blood urea nitrogen (BUN) levels. METHODS: In this retrospective study, preterm babies who were born at ≤32 weeks gestational age and fed with human milk, were evaluated in two groups. Infants in Group-I were fed only standard fortification (STD). Infants in Group-II were fed the ADJ regimen. The study was conducted between 2011 and 2016. RESULTS: There were 123 infants in the STD group and 119 in the ADJ group. The mean gestational age of the patients in Group-I was 29.7±1.8 weeks, and mean birth weight was 1266.1±347.1 g. The mean gestational age of the patients in Group-II was 29.5±1.9 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1217.5±345.5 g. The daily increase in weight and weekly increase in HC were significantly higher in the ADJ group infants. Weight and HC of infants in the ADJ group were significantly higher at 40 weeks. At one year corrected age, weight, length, and HC measurements of both groups were similar. In Group-II, 63% of patients required additional protein supplementation up to 1.6 g/day to achieve the target BUN levels. CONCLUSION: A higher protein intake through the ADJ regimen improves the physical growth rate of premature infants in the NICU and after discharge. However, sometimes, the targeted growth and BUN values cannot be achieved despite the administration of protein at the recommended increased doses. Increasing protein supplementation up to 1.6 g/day is safe, feasible, and beneficial for these infants.

Does blindness affect ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of blindness on ocular vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) responses. METHODS: Thirty-one subjects with unilateral blindness (UB group) and 25 age and sex-matched healthy subjects (control group) were recruited for the present study. The oVEMP responses including latency, amplitude and amplitude asymmetry ratio (AR) were measured and compared between the blind side, the contralateral eye of the UB group and the control subjects. RESULTS: Ocular VEMP recordings were obtained from 29 of 31 patients (93.5%) for the blind side of the UB group. There was no significant difference in terms of latency, amplitude and AR value between the blind side and the contralateral eye of the UB group and the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Clear oVEMP recordings can be elicited as long as the eyeball and extraocular muscles are preserved in a blind eye.

Assessment of vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials and video head impulse test in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with or without polyneuropathy.

This study aimed to compare cervical vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (cVEMP), ocular vestibular-evoked myogenic potentials (oVEMP) and video head impulse test (vHIT) results between patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) or diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) and healthy controls to determine vestibular end-organ pathologies. The participants in the present study consisted of three groups: the type 2 DM group (n = 33 patients), the DPN group (n = 33 patients), and the age- and sex-matched control group (n = 35). Cervical VEMP, oVEMP and vHIT were performed for each participant in the study and test results were compared between the groups. Peak-to-peak amplitudes of cVEMP (p13-n21) and oVEMP (n10-p15) were significantly lower in the DM and DPN groups than the control group. The values of vHIT were not statistically different between the groups. To our knowledge, the present study is the first report investigating oVEMP and cVEMP responses combined with vHIT findings in patients with DM and DPN. Vestibular end-organ pathologies can be determined via clinical vestibular diagnostic tools in spite of prominent vestibular symptoms in patients with type 2 DM as well as patients with DPN.