The effect of folic acid supplementation and folate deficiency on embryo implantation.

Implantation is a critical stage of pregnancy, which occurs in a short period of interaction between the receptive endometrium and the embryo. Folic acid (FA) is a synthetic derivative of folate and is recommended as a pre-conceptional supplement. However, the impact of different doses of FA supplementation and folate deficiency during the early stages of pregnancy requires further investigation. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible effects of FA supplementation and folate deficiency on expression of Estrogen Receptor Alpha (ER-α), Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor-A (VEGFA), and Integrin alpha V and beta3 (Integrin αVß3). A total of 32, 6-8-week old Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups of control, folate-deficiency, low-dose, and high-dose FA supplement groups. After five weeks of FA supplementation and folate deficiency model formation, mated rats were sacrificed on the 5th gestational day (GD), and implantation sites were collected. The expression of ER- α, VEGFA, and Integrin αVß3 in the implantation sites were examined with immunohistochemistry and real-time PCR. The results revealed that the mRNA levels of ESR1, VEGFA, and Integrin αV and ß3 were significantly increased in the high-dose FA group and significantly decreased in the folate deficiency group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Based on these results, it can be concluded that FA supplementation before pregnancy has positive effects on the maintenance of pregnancy, and folate deficiency may lead to implantation disorders.

Use of dose-volume histograms for metabolic response prediction in hepatocellular carcinoma patients undergoing transarterial radioembolization with Y-90 resin microspheres.

INTRODUCTION: Voxel-based dosimetry offers improved outcomes in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with transarterial radioembolization (TARE) using glass microspheres. However, the adaptation of voxel-based dosimetry to resin-based microspheres has been poorly studied, and the prognostic relevance of heterogeneous dose distribution remains unclear. This study aims to explore the use of dose-volume histograms for resin microspheres and to determine thresholds for objective metabolic response in HCC patients treated with resin-based TARE. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed HCC patients who underwent TARE with Y-90-loaded resin microspheres in our institution between January 2021 and December 2022. Voxel-based dosimetry was performed on post-treatment Y-90 PET/CT images to extract parameters including mean dose absorbed by the tumor (mTD), the percentage of the targeted tumor volume (pTV), and the minimum doses absorbed by consecutive percentages within the tumor volume (D10, D25, D50, D75, D90). Assessment of metabolic response was done according to PERCIST criteria with F-18 FDG PET/CT imaging at 8-12 weeks after the treatment. RESULTS: This study included 35 lesions targeted with 22 TARE sessions in 19 patients (15 males, 4 females, mean age 60 ± 13 years). Objective metabolic response was achieved in 43% of the lesions (n = 15). Responsive lesions had significantly higher mTD, pTV, and D25-D90 values (all p < 0.05). Optimal cut-off values for mTD, pTV, and D50 were 94.6 Gy (sensitivity 73%, specificity 70%, AUC 0.72), 94% (sensitivity 73%, specificity 55%, AUC 0.64), and 91 Gy (sensitivity 80%, specificity 80%, AUC 0.80), respectively. CONCLUSION: Parameters derived from dose-volume histograms could offer valuable insights for predicting objective metabolic response in HCC patients treated with resin-based TARE. If verified with larger prospective cohorts, these parameters could enhance the precision of dose distribution and potentially optimize treatment outcomes.

Current barriers and recommendations on the diagnosis of transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy: a Delphi study.

Objectives: This study has been conducted to investigate the non-invasive diagnostic journey of patients with a transthyretin amyloid cardiomyopathy (aTTR-CM) in Turkey, identify the challenges and uncertainties encountered on the path to diagnosis from the perspectives of expert physicians, and develop recommendations that can be applied in such cases. Methods: This study employed a three-round modified Delphi method and included 10 cardiologists and five nuclear medicine specialists. Two hematologists also shared their expert opinions on the survey results related to hematological tests during a final face-to-face discussion. A consensus was reached when 80% or more of the panel members marked the "agree/strongly agree" or "disagree/strongly disagree" option. Results: The panelists unanimously agreed that the aTTR-CM diagnosis could be established through scintigraphy (using either 99mTc-PYP, 99mTc-DPD, or 99mTc-HMPD) in a patient with suspected cardiac amyloidosis (CA) without a further investigation if AL amyloidosis is ruled out (by sFLC, SPIE and UPIE). In addition, scintigraphy imaging performed by SPECT or SPECT-CT should reveal a myocardial uptake of Grade ≥2 with a heart-to-contralateral (H/CL) ratio of ≥1.5. The cardiology panelists recommended using cardiovascular magnetic resonance (CMR) and a detailed echocardiographic scoring as a last resort before considering an endomyocardial biopsy in patients with suspected CA whose scintigraphy results were discordant/inconclusive or negative but still carried a high clinical suspicion of aTTR-CM. Conclusion: The diagnostic approach for aTTR-CM should be customized based on the availability of diagnostic tools/methods in each expert clinic to achieve a timely and definitive diagnosis.

The variation of quantitative parameters and Deauville scores with different reconstruction algorithms in FDG PET/CT imaging of lymphoma patients.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: 18F-FDG PET with the Deauville score (DS) is a unique semiquantitative method for lymphoma. However, type of standard uptake values (max, mean, and peak) reconstruction algorithms could affect DS. We compared the Bayesian Penalized Likelihood reconstruction algorithm (BPL) with Ordered Subsets Expectation Maximization (OSEM) on quantitative parameters and DS in lymphoma. We investigated the effect of the size of the lymph node on quantitative variation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Raw PET data of 255 lymphoma patients were reconstructed separately with Q.Clear (GE Healthcare), a BPL, and SharpIR (GE Healthcare), an OSEM algorithm. In both images, each patient's liver, mediastinal blood pool, and SUVs (SUVmax, SUVmean, and SUVpeak) of a total of 487 lesions selected from the patients were performed. DSmax, DSmean, and DSpeak were compared. RESULTS: In our study, DS increased significantly with BPL (p < 0.001), and the DS increased to 4-5 in thirty patients evaluated as 1-2-3 with OSEM. It was found that the quantitative values of the lymph nodes increased statistically with BPL (p < 0.001), and the liver from the reference regions were significantly decreased (p < 0.001). In addition, difference in lymph node was independently associated with size of lesion and was significantly more pronounced in small lesions (p < 0.001). The effects of BPL algorithm were more pronounced in SUVmax than in SUVmean and SUVpeak. DS-mean and DS-peak scores were less changed by BPL than DS-max. CONCLUSION: Different reconstruction algorithms in FDG PET/CT affect the quantitative evaluation. That variation may affect the change in DS in lymphoma patients, thus affecting patient management.

Performance, immune response, and meat quality in Newcastle-vaccinated quail fed with colored corn in place of yellow maize.

This work investigated the effects of the usage of colored corn as a replacement for 50% and 100% yellow corn in the diet of Japanese quail. Two hundred and forty-day-old Japanese quails were indiscriminately separated into four experimental groups consisting of six replicates each containing 10 quails. Experimental groups designed: the control group (C) (basal diet-0% colored corn, vaccinated), negative control group (NC) (basal diet-0% colored corn, no vaccine), 50% CC group (basal diet-50% colored corn, vaccinated), and 100% CC group (basal diet-100% colored corn, vaccinated). At the end of the 35-day period, the highest body weight and body weight gain (BWG) were recorded in the 50% CC (P < 0.05). The highest feed intake (FI) was recorded in the 100% CC group, the lowest FI in C (P > 0.05), and the best feed conversion ratio (FCR) in the 50% CC group (P < 0.05). While L* was not affected, a* and b* values were significantly affected by feeding colored corn (P < 0.05). Meat pH, cooking loss (CL), and water holding capacity (WHC) values were significantly affected, and the highest pH and CL values were in the C group and the highest WHC value in NC (P < 0.05). Colored corn had no influence on MDA7th concentration of breast meat. The antibody titers against NDV were significantly superior in the vaccinated groups than in the NC (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the use of colored corn in quail had an affirmative effect on meat quality and growth performance but not on the immune response of quail against NDV.

YouTube as a Source of Information on Lipedema: Property, Quality, and Reliability Assessment.

Background/Aim: YouTube provides information on several health-conditions including lipedema. The aim of this study was to investigate the properties, quality, and quantity of YouTube videos on lipedema. Methods: We explored YouTube using the key word lipedema and the initial top 50 videos were included to review. The properties comprising informers, target, and domains of videos covering number of views, likes, dislikes, duration, viewing rate (VR), and video power index (VPI) were recorded. A modified DISCERN tool and global quality scale (GQS) were used to assess the reliability and quality of videos, respectively. Results: The top 50 videos had a mean of 35,805 views, 282 likes, 12 dislikes, and 30 comments. The mean VPI (96.4) and VR (63.8%) were high. The videos were generally uploaded by health professionals for patient/public and health professional targets with the same ratio (50%). The majority of video contents was related to general information (68%) followed by surgical treatment (62%). Only a small ratio of their content (22%) was about nonsurgical management. The reliability and quality of the videos were intermediate to low. The median DISCERN and GQS scores were higher in the videos uploaded by health professional group compared with nonhealth professionals, but the number of views, VPI, and VR were similar between the groups with regard to the source. Conclusion: YouTube videos on lipedema are mostly provided by health professionals targeting both public/patients and health care providers but the content is limited and the quality and reliability of them were low to intermediate. Therefore, the lipedema specialists are suggested to work together to create up-to-date, high-quality, accessible online educational content to meet the needs of both patients/public and the health professionals. In addition, control mechanisms and careful peer reviewing of the videos informed by nonhealth professionals are warranted to avoid misleading information.

Stereotactic body radioablation therapy as an immediate and early term antiarrhythmic palliative therapeutic choice in patients with refractory ventricular tachycardia.

BACKGROUND: Stereotactic body radioablation therapy (SBRT) has recently been introduced with the ability to provide ablative energy noninvasively to arrhythmogenic substrate while reducing damage to normal cardiac tissue nearby and minimizing patients' procedural risk. There is still debate regarding whether SBRT has a predominant effect in the early or late period after the procedure. We sought to assess the time course of SBRT's efficacy as well as the value of using a blanking period following a SBRT session. METHODS: Eight patients (mean age 58 ± 14 years) underwent eight SBRT sessions for refractory ventricular tachycardia (VT). SBRT was given using a linear accelerator device with a total dose of 25 Gy to the targeted area. RESULTS: During a median follow-up of 8 months, all patients demonstrated VT recurrences; however, implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) and anti-tachycardia pacing therapies were significantly reduced with SBRT (8.46 to 0.83/per month, p = 0.047; 18.50 to 3.29/per month, p = 0.036, respectively). While analyzing the temporal SBRT outcomes, the 2 weeks to 3 months period demonstrated the most favorable outcomes. After 6 months, one patient was ICD therapy-free and the remaining patients demonstrated VT episodes. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings showed that the SBRT was associated with a marked reduction in the burden of VT and ICD interventions especially during first 3 months. Although SBRT does not seem to succeed complete termination of VT in long-term period, our findings support the strategy that SBRT can be utilized for immediate antiarrhythmic palliation in critically ill patients with otherwise untreatable refractory VT and electrical storm.

The Radiation Dose Absorbed by Healthy Parenchyma Is a Predictor for the Rate of Contralateral Hypertrophy After Unilobar Radioembolization of the Right Liver.

Purpose: To investigate the predictors of contralateral hypertrophy in patients treated with unilobar transarterial radioembolization (TARE) with yttrium-90-loaded resin microspheres due to unresectable right-liver tumors. Methods: Patients who underwent right unilobar TARE with resin microspheres between May 2019 and September 2021 were screened retrospectively. Contralateral hypertrophy was evaluated by calculating the kinetic growth rate (KGR) in 8-10 weeks after TARE. The predictors of increased KGR were determined with linear regression analysis. Results: A total of 24 patients (16 with primary and 8 with metastatic liver tumors) were included in the study. After right unilobar TARE, mean volume of the left lobe increased from 368.26 to 436.16 mL, while the mean volume of the right lobe decreased from 1576.22 to 1477.89 mL. The median KGR of the left lobe was 0.28% per week. The radiation dose absorbed by the healthy parenchyma of the right lobe was significantly higher in patients with increased KGR (31.62 vs. 18.78 Gy, p = 0.037). Linear regression analysis showed that the dose absorbed by healthy parenchyma was significantly associated with increased KGR (b = 0.014, p = 0.043). Conclusion: Patients who received right unilobar TARE for liver malignancies could develop a substantial contralateral hypertrophy, and the radiation dose absorbed by the healthy parenchyma of the right lobe was significantly associated with increased KGR in the left lobe. TARE could have a role for inducing contralateral hypertrophy as it offers the advantage of concurrent local tumor control along with its hypertrophic effect.

Development and validation of a nomogram for predicting the likelihood of metastasis in prostate cancer patients undergoing Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT due to biochemical recurrence.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a nomogram based on commonly used clinical data for predicting the likelihood of metastasis in gallium-68 prostate-specific membrane antigen PET/computed tomography (Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT) scans of prostate cancer patients with confirmed biochemical recurrence (BCR). METHODS: One-hundred thirty-five ( n = 135) patients who underwent Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT due to BCR were included in the study. Predictors of metastasis in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT were determined with multivariable logistic regression analysis. Coefficients derived from the regression model were used to develop a prediction nomogram. The performance of the prediction model was evaluated with receiver operating characteristic analysis. Internal validation was performed with 50 bootstrap resamples, and the nomogram's clinical benefit was assessed with decision curve analysis. RESULTS: Multivariable logistic regression analysis revealed that ISUP group, prostate-specific antigen (PSA) before PET and PSA doubling time were independent predictors of metastasis in Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT. A prediction nomogram was developed according to this model [the area under curve: 0.866; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.788-0.944]. The best cutoff value of the nomogram-derived likelihood for predicting metastasis was 60%, with a bootstrap-corrected accuracy of 78.8%. An online version of the nomogram was implemented on pro-gram.nzm.co ( https://pro-gram.nzm.co ). CONCLUSION: The proposed nomogram provides a practical approach for predicting the likelihood of imaging-based metastasis according to Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT in patients with BCR, with results ≥60% being the most accurate cutoff for referring patients to Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT. If validated in a larger cohort, this tool can serve as a guide for the appropriate use of Ga-68 PSMA PET/CT.

Development and Validation of Two New Methods for the Determination of Rilmenidine in Bulk and Pharmaceutical Preparation.

In the present study, two new methods were developed and validated for the determination of rilmenidine in bulk and pharmaceutical preparation. Both methods are based on a derivatization reaction using 4-chloro-7-nitro-1,2,3-benzoxadiazole (NBD-Cl) as a fluorogenic substance. The drug reagent derivatives were formed by the reaction of rilmenidine with NBD-Cl at pH 9.0 at 70°C for 40 min. The reaction mixtures were analyzed by spectrofluorimetry in the first method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) in the second method. Derivatives were determined at λex 493 nm and at λem 536 nm in the spectrofluorimetric method. The separation was performed place on a Phenomenex, C18 column (250 × 4.6 mm, 5 µm i.d) using a mobile phase comprising 0.2% formic acid and acetonitrile gradient elution mode in the HPLC method. Analytes were detected by a fluorescence detector at the same wavelength. The methods were validated for limit of quantitation, linearity, robustness, recovery, limit of detection, precision and accuracy. Calibration curves for the first and second methods were found to be linear in the range of 2.0-12.0 and 250-2000 ng/mL, respectively. Detection limits for the spectrofluorimetric and HPLC methods were calculated as 0.16 and 18.28 ng/mL, respectively. The validated methods were applied successfully to the determination of rilmenidine in bulk and pharmaceutical preparation.

Tc-99m pyrophosphate scintigraphy for cardiac amyloidosis: concordance between planar and SPECT/CT imaging.

The imaging protocol and the optimal cut-off points for quantitative assessment of technetium-99m pyrophosphate (Tc-99m PYP) cardiac amyloidosis scintigraphy remain controversial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between planar and SPECT images, and to investigate the contribution of SPECT/CT to diagnostic precision. All patients referred to our department for Tc-99m PYP cardiac imaging between April 2019 and April 2022 were included in the study. Heart-to-contralateral lung (H/CL) ratios were calculated from anterior planar images at both 1- and 3 h, and visual grading was done in SPECT/CT images at both time points. A total of 141 patients were included in the study (median age 59 years, 54% female). There was a strong positive correlation between H/CL ratios calculated at 1- and 3 h (Pearson's ρ = 0.842, p < 0.001). The highest level of concordance between planar and SPECT/CT images was achieved at a H/CL cut-off point of 1.5 for 1-h images, and 1.4 for 3-h images. SPECT/CT imaging contributed to diagnostic precision in both 1- and 3-h images by reducing the rate of equivocal results from 83% (n = 117) to 25% (n = 35), and from 77% (n = 108) to 27% (n = 38), respectively. Our findings have three implications: (1) planar imaging at both 1- and 3 h could be redundant, (2) a lower H/CL cut-off point for 3-h planar images could improve concordance between planar and SPECT imaging, and (3) SPECT/CT in both 1- and 3 h could improve the diagnostic precision by offering markedly reduced equivocal results.

First Manic Attack During COVID-19 Treatment: A Case Report.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared that the infection of novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China, is a pandemic. Various studies have shown that SARS-CoV-2 infection can trigger psychiatric effects such as anxiety, depression, and bipolar disorder. Here, we reported a case with no significant psychiatric history who experienced first-episode mania during the COVID-19 treatment. On the third day of hospitalization, the patient's mood was elevated, she thought she can treat other patients with her special power, she was talkative and irritable. Olanzapine 20 mg was started and the patient's score on the Young Mania Rating Scale decreased on the 17th day. Psychiatric outcomes associated with covid 19 are just emerging and it seems likely to be a potential engagement for psychiatric professionals in the future. More studies are required in terms of the treatment, course, and follow-up of psychiatric sequelae in these patients.

Use of Stereotactic Radioablation Therapy as a Bailout Therapy for Refractory Ventricular Tachycardia in a Patient with a No-entry Left Ventricle.

In patients with mechanical aortic and mitral valves and left ventricular (LV) tachycardia (VT), catheter ablation is technically challenging due to the limited access to the LV. Promising new alternatives to radiofrequency ablation include pulsed-field electroporation, percutaneous or surgical sympathetic neuromodulation, and noninvasive stereotactic radioablation therapy (SBRT). We herein describe the effect of SBRT as a bailout therapy on the management of a challenging VT case in the presence of double left-sided mechanical valves.

Silicon stimulated bioactive and physiological metabolisms of purple corn (Zea mays indentata L.) under deficit and well-watered conditions.

Purple corn (PC) is known to be rich in many bioactive and polyphenolic compounds and these compounds' role in developing tolerance to unfavorable conditions is a matter of curiosity nowadays. We performed series of experiments to highlight the possible beneficial effects of Si priming [0, 0.75, 1.5, 3 and 6 mM] on PC's A (photosynthesis rate), E (transpiration rate), WUE (water use efficiency), SPAD, LN (leaf number), SL (seedling length), SW (seedling weight), proline, MDA (malondialdehyde), TAC (total anthocyanin content), TAA (total antioxidant activity), TPC (total phenolic content), Chl A-B (chlorophyll A-B) and carotenoids both under deficit and well-watered conditions. There was a 1-week period between each trait sampling. Among all Si treatments, 1.5 mM (TAC, WUE, MDA) was the most effective under drought while effects of 0.75 mM (A, E, TPC, MDA) were mostly remarkable under well-watered conditions. 6 mM silicon priming triggered the mechanism of drought tolerance of PC by increasing proline and TAA levels while it decreased MDA concentrations. Maximum WUE was obtained from 1.5 mM Si, and the highest carotenoid level was obtained from 3 mM Si treatment under drought. Drought stress made the growth parameters decrease although Si primed seedlings were stronger than the non-primed ones (0.75, 3 mM). Silicon had enhancive effects on TAC, carotenoids, WUE and proline concentrations under well-watered conditions as well. According to our results, Si priming had remarkable effects on drought tolerance and also had beneficial effects under well-watered conditions; hence may be an alternative approach to prevent water waste in the possible PC breeding areas.

Umbilical cord mesenchymal stromal cells engraft and transdifferentiate into cardiomyocyte-like cells following acute myocardial ischemia⋆.

OBJECTIVE: Human umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (hUC-MSCs) gained importance in acute/chronic ischemic cardiomyopathy because of their outstanding regenerative potential in various pathologic conditions. The present study was designed to determine to what extent hUC-MSCs contribute to myocardial regeneration in acute experimental myocardial infarction (MI) in rats. METHODS: Animals were assigned into two groups; the control group received intramyocardial PBS injections, while the hUC-MSC group received calcein-AM-labeled 8.8 × 106/kg hUC-MSCs. Three weeks following the acute MI induction, rats were sacrificed after assessing the left ventricular (LV) function using echocardiography. For the assessment of infarct size, the triphenyl tetrazolium chloride (TTC) test was used in isolated hearts. Collagen-rich scar tissue was demonstrated using Masson's trichrome staining, followed by the detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI), α-sarcomeric actin (α-SA), von Willebrand factor (vWF), CD68 and CD206 expressions in control and cell-injected sections. RESULTS: Echocardiography revealed a significant difference (P = 0.037) in the LV ejection fraction between groups. TTC assays demonstrated a significant difference (P = 0.006) between the groups regarding the ratio of the infarcted LV area. Calcein-AM-loaded cells were identified mostly in ischemic myocardium. Transplanted cells also expressed human-specific cTnI, providing concrete proof of transdifferentiation into cardiomyocytes, and α-SA. vWF+ cells verified the neovascularization in the ischemic myocardium. Finally, a slight shift from pro-inflammatory to anti-inflammatory macrophages (CD68+/CD206+) was noted in both groups. CONCLUSIONS: We found that the intramyocardial transplanted hUC-MSCs engrafted and partially transdifferentiated into cardiomyocytes, reduced scar formation, and induced angiogenesis through the association of pro/anti-inflammatory macrophages.

Comparison of 99mTc-MIBI planar scintigraphy, SPET/CT and ultrasonography in detection of parathyroid adenoma in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism.

OBJECTIVE: Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) is a common endocrine disease that is caused by a single adenoma in most of the cases. Surgical management is the mainstay and definitive treatment for parathyroid adenoma (PA). Minimally invasive surgical techniques are as effective as bilateral neck exploration with a lower risk of complications and better cosmetic results in patients with solitary PA. Accurate preoperative localization with imaging modalities is paramount for determining patients candidate for minimally invasive surgery. In this study we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of technetium-99m-methoxyisobutylisonitrile ( 99mTc-MIBI) planar scintigraphy (PS), single photon emission tomography/computed tomography (SPET/CT) and ultrasonography (US) in patients with PHPT. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with biochemical evidence of PHPT who underwent pre-operative imaging with parathyroid scintigraphy and US for detection and localization of PA and proceeded to surgery were included in the study. All patients underwent dual phase 99mTc-sesta MIBI parathyroid scintigraphy (early and delayed planar images and delayed SPET/CT). Data analysis was performed to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy and PPV of planar images, SPET/CT and US alone and combined US and SPET/CT. Histopathology was used as gold standard. RESULTS: Sensitivity, specificity, PPV and diagnostic accuracy for detection of PA, 80,4%, 42,8%, 91,1% and 75,8% for PS; 80,4%, 57,7%, 91,1% and 77,5% for delayed SPET/CT; 88,2%, 85,7%, 97,8% and 87,9% for US and 94,1%, 71,4%, 96% and 91,3% for SPET/CT+US. Combined US and SPET/CT has been shown to increase sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy. The overall sensitivity of PS and SPET/CT didn't vary however additional information which is helpful for planning minimally invasive surgery gained from tomographic images. CONCLUSION: The combined use of US and SPET/CT has incremental value in accurately localizing PA over either technique alone. In the preoperative assessment of patients with PHPT combination of imaging methods allows selection of patients who would be suitable for minimally invasive surgery.

Make Your Move Experience: A Worksite Wellness Pilot in South Texas.

PURPOSE: To describe the implementation of Make Your Move Experience (MYME) between 2015 and 2017. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING: Make Your Move Experience is a culturally sensitive worksite wellness program in South Texas designed to encourage sedentary workers to engage in physical activity. PARTICIPANTS: In total, 681 individuals from 19 different organizations. INTERVENTION: UTHealth School of Public Health in Brownsville staff recruited individuals within local organizations to join MYME. At the end of the 3 months, organizations in which employees met MYME goals earned an incentive-bike rack or hydration station-selected to be permanent features of the local environment and facilitate physical activity. MEASURES: Participant self-reported gender, physical activity level prior to joining MYME (beginner or experienced), and weekly miles of biking, walking, or running completed. ANALYSIS: Mean number of miles biked, walked, and ran each month were compared between (1) beginners and experienced, (2) men and women, and (3) in fall 2016 and spring 2017 using t tests. RESULTS: Beginners initiated physical activity by walking. Men biked more miles than women did (P < .05 all 3 years). Bike riders cycled fewer miles (20.2 miles vs 44.9 miles; P = .03) and walkers covered fewer miles (195.4 miles vs 266.7 miles; P = .04) in fall 2016 compared to spring 2017. CONCLUSIONS: Participation in MYME, a culturally appropriate intervention delivered at the worksite, facilitated an increase in physical activity levels among sedentary individuals.

Development of controlled release dexketoprofen tablets and prediction of drug release using Artificial Neural Network (ANN) modelling

Dexketoprofen trometamol (DT) is an active S (+) enantiomer of ketoprofen, and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. DT has a short biological half-life and the dosing interval is quite short when there is a need to maintain the desirable effect for longer time periods. Consequently, a controlled release DT tablet was designed for oral administration aiming to minimize the number of doses and the possible side effects. Calculations of the parameters for controlled release DT tablets were shown clearly. Controlled release matrix-type tablet formulations were prepared using hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) (low and high viscosity), Eudragit RS and Carbopol, and the effects of different polymers on DT release from the tablet formulations were investigated. The dissolution rate profiles were compared and analyzed kinetically. An Artificial Neural Network (ANN) model was developed to predict drug release and a successful model was obtained. Subsequently, an optimum formulation was selected and evaluated in terms of its analgesic and anti-inflammatory activity. Although the developed controlled release tablets did not have an initial dose, they were found to be as effective as commercially available tablets on the market. Dissolution and in vivo studies have shown that the prepared tablets were able to release DT for longer time periods, making the tablets more effective, convenient and more tolerable.

Are cytologic and histopathologic features of hot thyroid nodules different from cold thyroid nodules?

BACKGROUND: We aimed to compare the cytology and histopathology results of hot, cold, and warm nodules in patients who had thyroidectomy due to toxic multinodular goiter (TMNG). METHODS: Five hundred and nine thyroid nodules from 413 patients who had operation with TMNG were included in this retrospective study. The nodules were categorized as hot, cold, and warm groups. The cytology and histopathology results were compared. RESULTS: The 509 thyroid nodules were grouped as hot (n = 364 [71.5%]), cold (n = 122 [24.0%]), and warm (n = 23 [4.5%]) according to scintigraphy. Cytological evaluations of 364 hot nodules were as follows: 80 (22%) nondiagnostic (ND), 259 (71.2%) benign, 17 (3.6%) atypia of undetermined significance/follicular lesion of undetermined significance (AUS/ FLUS), 2 (0.5%) follicular neoplasm/suspicious for follicular neoplasm (FN/SFN), 2 (0.5%) suspicious for malignancy (SM), and 4 (1.1%) malignant. The cytology of 122 cold nodules were ND in 25 (20.5%), benign in 86 (70.5%), AUS/FLUS in 8 (6.6%), FN/SFN in 1 (0.8%), and finally SM in 2 (1.6%). The 23 warm nodules were determined as ND, benign, and FN/SFN in 7 (30.4%), 15 (65.2%) and 1 (4.3%), respectively. There were no differences according to cytological results between groups (P = .616). However, malignancy rate was 3.8% in hot nodules, it was found as 6.6% in cold nodules. The malignancy was detected in 4.3% of warm nodules. There were no differences in malignancy rates between groups (P = .459). CONCLUSION: We demonstrated similar malignancy rates in hot nodules when compared with cold and warm nodules.