Determining the prevalence of people's knowledge that third-hand smoke is harmful to health: A meta-analysis study.

INTRODUCTION: Although the health effects of first-hand smoke and second-hand smoke are well known, third-hand smoke (THS) is a relatively new concept. We estimated the prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful to health, including for some subgroups, in a meta-analysis. METHODS: We searched PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO Host, ProQuest, and YOKTEZ databases for the prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful to health using specified search words. A total of 12 publications (n = 8549 people) were included in the meta-analysis. The random effect model was used for meta-analysis, and Cochran's Q test and I2 values were used to determine heterogeneity. Subgroup analyzes and meta-regression were also performed. RESULTS: The prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful was 80.1%. The prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful for children was 82%, and the prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful for adults was 70.4%. For health professionals, the prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful for children was 89.8%, the highest prevalence value calculated in this meta-analysis. Cochran's Q test and I2 values indicated that the included studies were heterogeneous. CONCLUSIONS: In this meta-analysis, the overall prevalence of people's knowledge that THS is harmful was 80.1%, but large variations were found between samples.

Effects of microwave irradiation at various temperatures on biosludge disintegration.

The waste biological sludge disintegration by using microwave irradiation was investigated at a ramping rate of 2°C/min and 5 min holding time at various target temperatures. Significant disintegration of biosludge was observed and the highest disintegration degree was determined about 82% at the temperature of 110°C. Increase of target temperature elevated the energy needs to 98, 123 and 148 kWh/kg TS at the temperatures of 75°C, 90°C and 110°C, respectively. The gradual increase of sugar and protein in the sludge slurry with increasing temperatures indicates successful degradation. The microwave pretreatment increased the specific surface area of the sludge by particle size reduction. The specific surface area of raw sludge was 70 m2/kg and rose to approximately 253.7 m2/kg at 110°C with an increment ratio of 260%. Although a significant NH4-N release was not observed, PO4-P concentrations increased from 11.0 mg/L to 16.3, 20.7 and 29.2 mg/L at the temperatures of 75°C, 90°C, 110°C, respectively. While the specific filter resistance of waste biological sludge was about 1.0 × 1013, increasing the microwave target temperature, the ability of dewatering decreased and the highest SFR value of 5.1 × 1014 was observed at the temperature of 110°C.

CH4 production potential of autotrophic nitrification bacteria produced in the submerged nitrification bioreactor in the laboratory and kinetic analysis.

In this study, CH4 production capacity of nitrification bacteria (NB) obtained from the submerged biofilter in the laboratory was investigated. Biochemical methane potential (BMP) test was carried out with the NB amount of zero (control, CR), 5% (R1), 10% (R2), and 15% (R3) at a temperature of about 37 ± 0.5°C. Compared to the CR, significantly higher cumulative CH4 volume of about 290, 490, and 715 mL were determined in the R1, R2, and R3, respectively. All the applied kinetic models gave good results (R2 ≥0.97), while the Transference Function and First-order models provided the better R2 values. The delay phase (λ) was not observed in the AD process, and CH4 production started immediately on the first day of operation. The predicted k value of 0.133 day-1 was high in CR, while it was approximately between 0.078 and 0.112 day-1 for the higher amount of NB containing BMP units, which indicated that the AD required long reaction time.

Phytoremediation of nickel and chromium-containing industrial wastewaters by water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes).

This study was conducted to assess the phytoremediation potential of Pistia stratiotes for post-treatment of Ni(II) and Cr(III)-containing industrial wastewater effluents in mono (synthetic wastewater) and bimetallic systems (real wastewater). Differences were seen in metal uptake, growth performance, and metal accumulation of the plants. In the monometallic system, the highest removal efficiency was calculated as 77.50% for Cr(III) and 70.79% for Ni(II) at 5 mg L-1 concentration. At 1.25 mg L-1 concentration, the bioconcentration factor of P. stratiotes was calculated as 734.2 for Ni(II) and 799.0 for Cr(III). To assess the effects of metal stress on plants, photosynthetic pigments and percent growth rates were also investigated. The percent growth rate increased from 38.22 to 81.74% for Ni and decreased from 87.53 to 43.18% for Cr(III) when the metal concentrations increased from 1.25 to 5 mg L-1. Toxicity symptoms were less severe in plants exposed to low Ni concentrations. The greatest reduction in chlorophyll was observed at 5 mg L-1 Ni concentration. P. stratiotes showed better performance in the monometallic system. It was concluded based on present findings that P. stratiotes could potentially be used for the post-treatment of wastewaters containing Ni and Cr.Novelty Statement Previous phytoremediation studies were mostly conducted only in either mono- or multi-metallic systems. In this study, mono- and bimetallic systems were assessed together and the feasibility of research findings on a large scale was investigated in detail. Present findings may also aid in the development of phyto-remedial strategies and the identification of Ni and Cr toxicity in macrophytes. Pistia stratiotes are already known for its incredible potential in removing metals and other contaminants from wastewater effluents. However, most studies only present data regarding the plant performance in laboratory studies (synthetic wastewater), while this study provides some important additional information on natural effluent conditions, which transform the presented data more interesting from a practical point of view.

Live birth rate following endometrial preparation with daily versus depot GnRH agonist.

BACKGROUND: Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) downregulates gonadotropin secretion in the pituitary gland. It is used both in ovulation induction protocols and in artificial endometrium preparation. Frozen-thawed embryo transfer to artificially prepared endometrium (FET-APE) is a frequent procedure in vitro fertilization (IVF) which requires GnRHa. It can be used either as a daily low-dose injection or as a single depot injection. It is unclear which of these two regimens is superior for artificial endometrium preparation. METHODS: We evaluated the data of 72 patients who had undergone frozen embryo transfer following the 5th day Preimplantation Genetic Test-aneuploidy (PGT-A) between 2018-2021. All embryos were genetically screened, and euploid single embryos were transferred. Group 1 (n: 36) used depot GnRHa, and Group 2 (n: 36) used single daily injections for artificial endometrial preparation. The outcomes for Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (BHCG) positivity and live birth rates (LBR) was compared. RESULTS: The BHCG positivity for Group 1 and Group 2 was 75% and 80.6%, respectively. The LBR for Group 1 and Group 2 were found to be 58.3% and 63.9%, respectively. There was no statistically significant differences between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: In artificial endometrium preparation, depot GnRHa offers cheaper and more convenient alternative to single daily dose injections, particularly in busy clinical settings.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) is used to Frozen­thawed embryo transfer to artificially prepared endometrium (FET-APE). However, it is not known which of the depot and daily preparations is more effective. Our study to exclusively compare 5th day euploid single embryos transferred in FET-APE cycles using depot or daily injections of GnRHa to avoid any influences of oocyte or spermatozoa dependent factors on Beta Human Chorionic Gonadotrophin (BHCG) positivity and live birth rates (LBR). The results were similar. Since the results are similar, the depot GnRHa form can be preferred for ease of use. However, future studies on larger series and patients with different clinical characteristics may effects the results.

Repeated application of luteal phase oestradiol/GnRH antagonist priming increases IVF success for poor ovarian reserve patients.

We aimed to compare repeated LPP (luteal phase oestradiol LPP/GnRH antagonists protocol) treatment with different protocol results with poor ovarian response (POR) patients. Two hundred and ninety-three cycles with poor ovarian reserve who underwent LPP, microdose flare up protocol and antagonist protocol were included in the study. Of these, 38 patients were applied LPP in the first cycle and LPP in the second cycle. After the microdose or antagonist protocol applied in the first cycle, LPP was applied to 29 patients in the second cycle. There are 128 patients who received LPP only once and 31 patients who received microdose flare up only once. The clinical pregnancy rate was monitored higher in LPP application group in the second cycle than the patients who received only LPP and patients who received LPP after different protocols (p = .035). b-hCG positivity per embryo and clinical pregnancy rate were found to be significantly higher with the LPP application in the second protocol (p = .000, p = .001). Repeated LPP may be the first choice protocol for low ovarian reserve patients.

What is already known on this subject? There is no standard treatment protocol applied to patients with low ovarian reserve. In this patient group, the rate of lack of response to stimulation and cycle cancellation is high. Increasing FSH level in patients with poor ovarian reserve causes the formation of larger follicles by increasing the sensitisation of follicles in the late luteal phase.What do the results of this study add? Our study was conducted for the first time in the literature. We compared the results of second cycle LPP (luteal phase oestradiol LPP/GnRH antagonists protocol) application in patients with low ovarian reserve who resulted in failed IVF after commonly used LPP, microdose flare up protocol and antagonist protocols.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Luteal phase oestrogen LPP/GnRH antagonist may be the first choice in patients with poor ovarian reserve patients. In unsuccessful cases, the LPP protocol should be considered in the retreatment for the second time.

Association between previous anticoagulant use and mortality among hospitalized patients with COVID-19.

Although COVID-19 disease primarily affects the respiratory system, it has been seen in many studies that it causes thromboembolic (TE) events in many tissues and organs. So that, to prevent TE can reduce mortality and morbidity. In this context, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between the previous use of warfarin or other new direct oral anticoagulants (OAC) and mortality in patients hospitalized with a diagnosis of COVID-19 before hospitalization. A total of 5575 patients who were diagnosed with COVID-19 were hospitalized and started treatment between March 21 and November 30, 2020 were included in the study. The primary outcome was in-hospital all-cause mortality. A retrospective cohort study design was planned. Patients were followed up until death or censoring on November 30, 2020. The candidate predictors for primary outcome should be clinically and biologically plausible, and their relationships with all-cause death should be demonstrated in previous studies. We considered all candidate predictors included in the model in accordance with these principles. The main candidate predictor was previous OAC use. The primary analysis method was to compare the time to deaths of patients using and not using previous OAC by a multivariable Cox proportional hazard model (CPHM). In the CPHM, previous OAC use was found to be associated with a significantly lower mortality risk (adjusted hazard ratio 0.62, 95% CI 0.42-0.92, p = 0.030). In hospitalized COVID-19 patients, in patients who previously used anticoagulantswas associated with lower risk of in-hospital death than in those who did not.

Comparison of laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery and conventional multiport laparoscopic (CMPL) surgery for hysterectomy: long-term outcomes of abdominal incisional scar.

There is scarcity of data about the long-term results such as port-site hernia, body image scale and cosmesis scale outcomes between laparoendoscopic single-site (LESS) surgery and conventional multiport laparoscopy (CMPL) for hysterectomy. Eighty women, who underwent total hysterectomy by the LESS (n = 40) and CMPL (n = 40) technique due to benign and malign gynecological disorders, were evaluated with a cosmesis and body image questionnaire in an age-matched cohort study.Median follow-up time was 25 (6-30) months in both groups. The mean age of the patients was 49.3 ± 6.3 years. The mean body image scale scores were 5.3 ± 0.6 and 5.5 ± 1.2 in the LESS and CMPL groups, respectively (p = 0.268). The mean cosmesis and scar scale scores were significantly higher in the LESS group compared to the CMPL group (p = .011 and p < .001, respectively). Port-site hernia was detected in two patients in the LESS group, but not in the CMPL group. There was no cuff dehiscence in the LESS nor in the CMPL group. The LESS technique provides better cosmesis when compared with the CMPL technique. The body image perceptions in the two groups were similar. Women who wish to undergo the LESS surgery should be informed about the risk of incisional hernia.Impact statementWhat is already known on this subject? Short-term results of LESS hysterectomy such as complication rates, additional port requirement, conversion to CMPL or laparotomy, pain score and analgesic use were evaluated in various studies. Several studies have been published on the safety and efficacy of single-port laparoscopic hysterectomy (LH); however, it has been unclear whether single-port LH offers benefits over multiport LH regarding long-term patient satisfaction and cosmetic satisfaction.What do the results of this study add? In this prospective cohort study, we aimed to compare long-term results (at least six months) of abdominal incisional scar between LESS and CMPL surgery for hysterectomy. The LESS technique provides better cosmesis when compared with the CMPL technique, although, the body image perceptions in the two groups were similar.What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? LESS technique can be offered as an option for hysterectomy since it provides better long-term cosmesis compared to CMPL.

The association between CRP / Albumin ratio and in-stent restenosis development in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND: Although interventional methods are the first-line treatment options in ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), the incidence of stent restenosis (SR) is frequent. We investigated the relationship between CRP/albumin ratio (CAR), a novel indicator of inflammatory response, and SR in this study. METHOD: This study was carried out on the patients who underwent coronary angiography in our clinic between January 2017 and September 2017. Two groups were generated according to restenosis status (group 1: restenosis (-), group 2: restenosis (+)), and clinical biochemical and angiographical features were compared. As baseline demographic and angiographic characteristics are slightly different in two groups, propensity score matching analysis was performed to reduce bias. 45 SR patients were matched on a 1:1 basis were enrolled final cohort. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 55 ± 5.1 and 80% were male; Cox regression model was performed to demonstrate independent predictor of restenosis development; and during the one-year follow-up period, CAR (P < 0.001) was found an independent predictor of SR CONCLUSION: In this study, we demonstrate that there may be a strong relationship between SR development and CAR. We implied that inflammatory reaction may be an important diagnostic tool for prediction of SR development in STEMI patients.

Evaluation of ventricular repolarization parameters during migraine attacks.

AIMS: Migraine is a chronic neurovascular disorder characterized by intermittent episodes of severe headache. Abnormalities in the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems) have been detected during migraine-free periods in patients with migraine. In these patients, disrupted autonomic innervations of the heart and coronary arteries may lead to electrocardiographic changes during a migraine attack. T-wave peak-to-end interval (Tp-e interval) and Tp-e/QT ratio are relatively new markers of ventricular arrhythmogenesis and repolarization heterogeneity. In the present observational study, we investigated the changes in ventricular repolarization during migraine attacks and attack-free periods by performing 12­lead electrocardiography (ECG). METHODS: This study included 63 patients (54 [86%] women; mean age: 33.3 ±â€¯9.9 years) with migraine. The QT and corrected QT (QTc) intervals, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QT ratio of the patients during migraine attacks and attack-free periods were measured by performing 12­lead ECG. RESULTS: The QT and QTc intervals, Tp-e interval, and Tp-e/QT ratio were higher during migraine attacks than during attack-free periods (P < 0.001 for all). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that migraine attacks are associated with an increase in ventricular repolarization parameters compared with attack-free periods possibly because of the dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system.

The role of the right atrium in development of postoperative atrial fibrillation: A speckle tracking echocardiography study.

PURPOSE: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is relatively frequent in the postoperative period, and is associated with an increased frequency of adverse events. The role of right atrial (RA) volume and functions in the development of AF is unknown. In this study, we investigated the effect of RA echocardiographic indices on AF development in the postoperative period. METHOD: We enrolled 142 consecutive patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery, and assigned them into two groups depending on the occurrence or not of AF development in the postoperative period. RESULTS: A propensity score matching analysis was performed to balance the groups, and 37 pairs were eventually included in the analysis. The median age was 67.5 (63-75) years and 73.3% of them were males. In the univariate analysis, right atrial volume index (RAVi), right atrial strain during reservoir phase (RASr), left ventricular global longitudinal strain, right ventricular strain, left atrial volume index, left atrial strain during reservoir phase, and systolic pulmonary artery pressure were associated with AF development. In the regression analysis, we found that RAVi (OR: 3.1, 95% CI: 2.2-6.3, P: .033) and RASr (OR: 0.82, 95% CI: 0.67-0.93, P: .048) were independent predictors of AF development. CONCLUSIONS: RA structure and functions are closely associated with AF development in the postoperative period, and screening of RA functions prior to surgery may be useful for preventing AF development.

Does Guided Bone Regeneration Prevent Unfavorable Bone Shapes in Distraction Gap?

PURPOSE: Complications related to distraction osteogenesis can cause degradation of newly regenerated bone. Additionally, an unfavorable shape of the regenerated bone at the distraction gap can reduce the quantity of regenerated bone. The aim of the present study was to report on the prevention of unfavorable shapes of regenerated bone using guided bone regeneration during distraction. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bilateral alveolar distraction was performed in 10 beagle dog mandibles. One side of the mandible formed the experimental group and the other side served as the control group. In the experimental group, guided bone regeneration was performed simultaneously with distraction osteogenesis. In the control group, only alveolar distraction was applied. At the end of a 1-week latent period, all mandibles were distracted 10 mm (1 mm/day). After the distraction period, 3 months were allowed for consolidation. After consolidation, all the dogs were euthanized, and the shape of the regenerated bone was determined to be either favorable or unfavorable. Densitometric evaluation and area measurements were performed using computed tomography scans. Statistical evaluation was performed using the independent t test, with a significance level of P < .05. RESULTS: In the experimental group, no unfavorable bone shape developed in the distraction gap, and the new bone had a surface and volume similar to those of the segments. In contrast, in the control group, 4 mandibles had an unfavorable bone shape in the distraction gap and 4 showed favorable bone healing with no defect. The surface area of the regenerating bone in the experimental group was significantly greater than that in the control group. Also, the surface area differed significantly between the experimental and control groups (P < .05). However, the densitometric values did not differ between the 2 groups (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant use of guided bone regeneration with distraction osteogenesis could be an optimal method for generating a favorable bone shape within the distraction gap.

A Novel Marker of Inflammation: Azurocidin in Patients with ST Segment Elevation Myocardial Infarction.

(1) To investigate the role of azurocidin, an antimicrobial protein, in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI). (2) This single-center prospective observational study included patients with STEMI and healthy age- and sex-matched control subjects. Baseline demographic, clinical and biochemical data were compared between the two groups. Azurocidin levels at baseline were determined using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Multivariate linear regression analysis with enter method was used to test the association between azurocidin and independent variables, such as the thrombolysis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) score, synergy between percutaneous coronary intervention with TAXUS and cardiac surgery score, global registry of acute coronary events score, Killip class, C-reactive protein (CRP), and creatinine kinase-myocardial band (CK-MB). (3) A total of 76 patients with STEMI and 30 healthy control subjects were enrolled in the study. Mean ± SD azurocidin levels were significantly higher in patients compared with healthy controls (18.07 ± 13.99 versus 10.09 ± 5.29 ng/mL, respectively). In a receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis, an azurocidin cut-off level of >11.46 ng/mL had 74% sensitivity and 58% specificity in predicting myocardial infarction. Azurocidin levels had a positive correlation with TIMI score (r = 0.651). In multivariate linear regression analysis, the TIMI score was an independent predictor of the azurocidin level. (4) Azurocidin is an infection marker that may be important in patients with STEMI.

Effects of Levonorgestrel Intrauterine System on Patients with Female Sexual Dysfunction.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effects of a levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine device (LID) in patients with female sexual dysfunction and who were using this device for contraception. STUDY DESIGN: The results before device application and at the 6-month follow-up were compared using the female sexual function index (FSFI) test on a sample of 36 patients with female sexual dysfunction who had requested the use of the LID for contraception. RESULTS: The FSFI scores before the placement of an LID and at 6-month follow-up were determined to be 19.3±4.8 and 21.1±3.8 (p<0.001), respectively. In addition, the visual analog scale scores and menstruation duration were determined to be statistically significantly different before and after placement. When the FSFI subgroup evaluations were performed, the desire and arousal parameters before and after the application were determined to be statistically significantly different. CONCLUSION: The use of an LID for contraception resulted in positive effects in patients with female sexual dysfunction.

Value of vaginal cervical position in estimating uterine anatomy.

The anatomy of the uterus is defined with the angles of the vagina, cervix and uterine corpus. Hereunder there are angles of version and flexion. The cervical position observed during the vaginal speculum examination, may give information about the uterine anatomy. In this study, we investigated the place of the cervical position in the estimation of the uterine anatomy observed during the cervical examination. We enrolled 240 patients in our study, who applied to our routine gynecology outpatient clinic with various complaints. We divided these patients into two groups according to the cervical position (anterior cervical position and posterior cervical position) observed during the speculum examination. We recorded the uterine anatomy also with the transvaginal ultrasonography. During the speculum examination, we determined that 90% of the cases with posterior fornix position were anteverted and 10% retroverted; 64.2% of the cases with anterior fornix position were anteverted and 35.8% retroverted. According to these findings, cervical position observed during the speculum examination might be useful in the estimation of the uterine anatomy regarding the angles of the version. However, the ultrasonographic examination is essential for a definitive determination of the uterine anatomy. Clin. Anat. 30:404-408, 2017. © 2017 The Authors. Clinical Anatomy published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Association of Clinical Anatomists.

Cytohistological discrepancies of cervico-vaginal smears and HPV status.

OBJECTIVES: Discrepancies between abnormal cervical cytology or high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) status (cytolo-gy negative/HPV positive) and subsequent histological findings are a common occurrence. After using co-testing, the dis-crepancies between the HR-HPV status and cervical cytology have become an issue. In this study, we aimed to determine the characteristics of women with a discrepancy between histology and cytology/HR-HPV status, in terms of diagnosis, review and identification. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 52 women, patients of the University Hospital between 2013-2015, with cytohistologi-cal or HR-HPV status discrepancy were recruited for the study and retrospectively analyzed. The cytological samples were liquid-based Pap smears, classified according to the 2001 Bethesda system. The HR-HPV status was identified using the Hybrid Capture 2 HR-HPV DNA assay. The histological samples were obtained by cervical biopsy as well as large loop exci-sion of the transformation zone (LLETZ). RESULTS: A cytohistological discrepancy was demonstrated in patients with (-)cytology/HR-HPV(+), ASCUS, LSIL, ASC-H, HSIL, AGC-NOS: 17.3%, 23.07%, 26.9%, 9.5%, 17.3% and 5.7%, respectively. When the degree of atypia in cytology increases, the concurrency of cervical cytology with biopsy also increases. A positive HR-HPV co-test result (19/24, 79.1%) was observed in nearly all CIN2 ≥ (+) cases. Our study emphasizes the significance of HR-HPV testing to determine CIN2 ≥ (+) cases, even in the presence of a normal cytological result. CONCLUSIONS: In case of cytohistological or HR-HPV discrepancies, a careful review of the HR-HPV status and the degree of cytological atypia should be performed before further intervention.

The Effects of Ivabradine on Left Ventricular Synchronization and Tei Index in Patients with Systolic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: The aim of our study was to evaluate in stable outpatients with systolic heart failure (HF) the 3 months effect of ivabradine on LV synchronization and Tei index in stable outpatients with systolic HF. METHODS: We evaluated prospectively 40 (30 males, 10 females) patients with HF. All patients were evaluated before and after treatment by transthoracic M mode, two dimensional (2D), pulsed-wave (PW), continuous wave (CW), color flow and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) and tissue synchronization imaging (TSI). Standard deviation of Ts of the 12 LV segments (Ts-SD-12) is the most widely used parameter of intra-LV asynchrony. RESULTS: Thirty men and 10 women with mean ± SD age of 64.7 ± 9.9 years were included in this study. Most of the patients benefitted from some degree of clinical improvement, 12/16 (75.0%) from NYHA III to II and 18/24 (75.0%) from II to I, respectively. Resting heart rate was significantly reduced after ivabradine treatment (84.3 ± 11.4 vs. 66.5 ± 11.5 bpm, p < 0.001). E/E' and Tei index were significantly changed after ivabradine treatment (17.3 ± 9.0 vs. 14.8 ± 7.1, p = 0.02 and 0.86 ± 0.74 vs. 0.81 ± 0.69, p = 0.02). Intra-LV synchrony parameters Ts-SD-12 and Ts-12 were significantly reduced after ivabradine (46.8 ± 13.6 vs. 42.7 ± 13.1, p = 0.01 and 142.5 ± 44.0 vs. 128.5 ± 45.2, p = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated that adding ivabradine to the standard therapy reduced HR and significantly improved LV ventricular asynchrony and Tei index in systolic HF patients.

High-Dose Chemotherapy and Autologous Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation as Adjuvant Treatment in High-Risk Breast Cancer: Data from the European Group for Blood and Marrow Transplantation Registry.

The aim of this retrospective study was to assess toxicity and efficacy of adjuvant high-dose chemotherapy (HDC) and autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT) in 583 high-risk breast cancer (BC) patients (>3 positive nodes) who were transplanted between 1995 and 2005 in Europe. All patients received surgery before transplant, and 55 patients (9.5%) received neoadjuvant treatment before surgery. Median age was 47.1 years, 57.3% of patients were premenopausal at treatment, 56.5% had endocrine-responsive tumors, 19.5% had a human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative tumor, and 72.4% had ≥10 positive lymph nodes at surgery. Seventy-nine percent received a single HDC procedure. Overall transplant-related mortality was 1.9%, at .9% between 2001 and 2005, whereas secondary tumor-related mortality was .9%. With a median follow-up of 120 months, overall survival and disease-free survival rates at 5 and 10 years in the whole population were 75% and 64% and 58% and 44%, respectively. Subgroup analysis demonstrated that rates of overall survival were significantly better in patients with endocrine-responsive tumors, <10 positive lymph nodes, and smaller tumor size. HER2 status did not affect survival probability. Adjuvant HDC with AHSCT has a low mortality rate and provides impressive long-term survival rates in patients with high-risk BC. Our results suggest that this treatment modality should be considered in selected high-risk BC patients and further investigated in clinical trials.

Using narrow-band imaging with conventional hysteroscopy increases the detection of chronic endometritis in abnormal uterine bleeding and postmenopausal bleeding.

AIM: A preliminary study was designed to evaluate whether a narrow-band imaging (NBI) endoscopic light source could detect chronic endometritis that was not identifiable with a white light hysteroscope. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 86 patients with endometrial pathology (71 abnormal uterine bleeding and 15 postmenopausal bleeding) were examined by NBI endoscopy and white light hysteroscopy between February 2010 and February 2011. The surgeon initially observed the uterine cavity using white light hysteroscopy and made a diagnostic impression, which was recorded. Subsequently, after pressing a button on the telescope, NBI was used to reevaluate the endometrial mucosa. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 40 years (range: 30-60 years). Endometritis was diagnosed histologically. Six cases of abnormal uterine bleeding (6/71, 8.4%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.03-0.17) and one case of postmenopausal bleeding (1/15, 6%, 95%CI 0.01-0.29) were only diagnosed with chronic endometritis by NBI (7/86, 8.1%, 95%CI 0.04-0.15). CONCLUSION: Capillary patterns of the endometrium can be observed by NBI and this method can be used to assess chronic endometritis.

Are serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and ischaemia-modified albumin useful in diagnosing PCOS?

We assessed the serum levels of gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT), high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and ischaemia-modified albumin (IMA) in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Fifty-three patients with PCOS were included in our study along with 40 women with no PCOS as the control group. The patients were divided according to their body mass index (BMI). GGT levels were significantly higher in the women with PCOS than the women in the control group (p < 0.05). They were also significantly higher in the PCOS women who were normoweight and overweight than the normoweight and overweight women in the control group (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in the circulating levels of hsCRP and IMA between the women with PCOS and the controls or between the normoweight and overweight subgroups. GGT may be associated with the diagnosis of PCOS when the threshold is set at >15.5 U/L. With the application of this threshold, raised GGT levels had 83% sensitivity (95% CI 0.70-0.90) and 67.5% specificity (95% CI 0.52-0.79), for the diagnosis of PCOS. In our study, GGT levels were elevated in the PCOS patients independent of BMI and could thus be an important marker of PCOS.