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Summary An aqeuous extract of Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm., from which a tea is prepared and consumed as treatment for various diseases in northeastern Turkey, was tested for its anti-inflammatory [...]

Emulsification technique is one of the most important methods to the reduction of pollutants from diesel engine. In this research, a single cylinder diesel engine was operated with water in canola biodiesel as fuel and the effect of water emulsification on the engine performance and emissions were investigated. Emulsified biodiesel fuels of 3.5 and 10 water/water-biodiesel mixture fuel ratios by volume were used in a light-duty diesel engine, operating at various engine speeds. The results show that the brake engine torque, the brake engine power and the brake thermal efficiency decrease as the water percentage in the emulsion increases but the brake specific fuel consumption (BSFC) increases as the percentage of water increases in the emulsion fuel. In addition, carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrocarbons (HC) increase as the percentage of the water increases in the emulsion fuel. However, exhaust gas temperature, nitrogen oxides (NOx) and smoke emissions decrease as the percentage of water increases in the emulsion fuel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Cochlear implantation (CI) surgery is essential for restoring hearing in individuals with severe sensorineural hearing loss. Accurate placement of the electrode within the cochlea is essential for successful auditory outcomes and minimizing complications. This study aims to analyze the relationship between the round window niche (RWN) alignment, its visibility during surgery, and the impact on surgical techniques and outcomes., Methods: A retrospective study was conducted, examining high-resolution computed tomography (CT) scans of the temporal bone from 103 patients who underwent CI. RWN visibility was assessed using the St. Thomas Hospital (STH) classification. Anatomical parameters such as the angles of RWN alignment relative to the lateral semicircular canal (LSCC) plane and the distances to the facial nerve were measured and recorded., Results: The analysis revealed that RWN alignment angles did not significantly correlate with RWN visibility. However, specific anatomical distances, such as the anteroposterior distance between the round window membrane (RWM) and the facial nerve, were significantly associated with improved RWN visibility., Conclusion: Preoperative knowledge of RWN anatomy, particularly its relationship with the facial nerve, can reduce the complexity of CI surgery. Understanding these anatomical variations is essential for optimizing surgical outcomes. Future research should explore additional cochlear axis orientations to enhance surgical techniques and improve visibility assessments during CI procedures., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflicts of Interest: All authors certify that they have no affiliations with or involvement in any organization or entity with any financial interest or non-financial interest in the subject matter or materials discussed in this manuscript. Ethics Approval: Ethics committee approval was obtained from Local Scientific Research Ethics committee of istanbul educational and research hospital according to Helsinki Declaration with ethical committee approval document details: 2967/ 05.11.2021 with document code 2011-KAEK-50. Consent to Participate: Informed prior written consent to participate in the study was obtained from the parents or legal guardian of the children. Consent to Publish: The authors affirm that human research participants provided informed consent for publication of the images in all figures., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Increasing concerns about climate change and efforts on reducing reliance on fossil fuels have led to research on electric vehicles for sustainable solutions to increasing energy demands. This study comprehensively analyzes the impact of power plant emissions on the adoption of electric vehicles in relation to air pollution. The main pollutants emitted by power plants and the potential change in emissions with the deployment of electric vehicles are assessed. Energy consumption of the vehicles was calculated. A gasoline-powered and an electric vehicle are modelled in MATLAB Simulink software. The theoretical model results of the main pollutants are compared with the power plant emissions to analyze the effect on major pollutants. This investigation aims to identify the potential CO 2 emission and power requirement by transitioning to electric vehicles. Results show that energy consumption and CO 2 emissions can be 111% and 82% higher than GPVs depending on the electricity generation technologies., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Granulomatosis of polyangiitis (GPA) is a multisystem necrotizing vasculitis, which affects small- and medium-sized blood vessels and characterized by frequent involvement of the upper and lower respiratory tract and kidneys. Altough anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) are higly associated with GPA and play an important role in the pathogenesis of this disease, ANCA positivity is not essential for clinical diagnosis. We describe a patient with ANCA-negative granulamatosis of polyangiitis involving cerebellum, having complaints due to sinusitis., Competing Interests: Conflict of interestNo conflict of interest was declared by the authors., (© Association of Otolaryngologists of India 2024. Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.)

Objectives: In this retrospective study, we evaluated the effectiveness of the tumor volume, grade invasion depth in the prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis.Identification of diagnostic parameters reliably predicting cervical lymph node involvement can be useful in improving the management of laryngeal cancer., Methods: One hundred and seven patients with squamous cell carcinoma of larynx and who underwent surgery were assessed retrospectively. Age, sex, Tumor-Node-Metastasis (TNM) stage, grade, invasion depth and computerised tomography (CT) volume of the tumors were analysed. The association between these parameters and cervical lymph node metastasis was determined., Results: Thirty two patients (29.91%) had positive cervical lymph nodes. Lymph node metastasis is detected in 13 (46.43%) poorly differentiated tumors, and in 19 (24.05%) moderate-well differentiated tumors. Mean volume was 2.15±0.14 cc in lymph node negative patients and 2.97±1.05 cc in lymph node positive patients. Mean invasion depth was 10.1±0.87 mm in lymph node negative patients and in 11.3±1.05 mm lymph node positive patients. The tumor grade and volume predicted successfully lymph node metastasis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, however invasion depth was not associated with nodal metastasis (p=0.047, p=0.0022, p=0.916, respectively)., Conclusion: The tumor grade and volume could predict cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the larynx, whereas the depth of invasion did not. Calculation of the tumor volume radiologically can help predict lymph node metastasis by minimizing the variability in measurements such as the depth of invasion., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (© Copyright 2024 by The Medical Bulletin of Sisli Etfal Hospital.)

The present study experimentally investigates and compares the performance of a radiator system cooled by a water-ethylene glycol (70:30) based Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -TiO 2 nanofluid, with that of a radiator cooled by a water/EG mixture. The equal pumping power criterion of the pump with an equal mass flow rate was used for comparison. Mass flow rate and nanoparticle volume fraction on a radiator cooling system and the radiator's capacity have been studied. Five different nanofluids were prepared with different composition ratios of Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 -TiO 2 with a total of 0.45 % nanoparticles. The flowrate changed in the range of 0.02-0.032 kg/s. The results showed that the increase in heat transfer is mainly due to the flow velocity and the nanoparticles added in different proportions to the base liquid. The UA value and enhancement ratio of NF1 compared to EG/W is 14-18.5 %, for NF2 it is 14.9-21.8 %, for NF3 it is 15.1-23.4 %, for NF4 it is 15.6-27.5 %, and for NF5 it is 15.9-30 % at 0.02 kg/s and 0.032 kg/s. According to the experimental study results, nanofluids with low concentrations of nanoparticles can enhance the heat transfer rate up to 30 % as a comparison with water/EG., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

Objectives: The purpose of the study was to evaluate cochlea dimensions by the multiplanar reconstruction of high-resolution computed tomography that could be useful in diagnosing incomplete partition (IP) malformations., Methods: This study included 32 patients with 64 side cochleae diagnosed with IP defect and 38 cochleae as the control without any defect. Basal turn length (BL), cochlear height (CH), Mid-apical length (MAL), Mid-apical height, Cochlear length (A), and Cochlear width (B) were measured on reformat images., Results: Twenty cochleae of these patients have been diagnosed with IP type I, 34 with IP type II, and 10 with IP type III. The MAL values are shorter than the control group in IP types I and III (p<0.001, p<0.001). BL values are shorter in IP type III cases (p<0.001). In IP II cases, BL and MAL values overlapped with the control group. CH did not differ significantly from the control group in any IP type. A and B values were significantly lower than the control group for IP I and III (p<0.01). There is a positive correlation between A and B values for all IP types (p<0.01)., Conclusion: Quantitative data about differences in the size and shape of the cochlea in IP cases would help differentiate them from the normal cochlea. Since A and B values showed a positive correlation, it is suggested that A and B values can be used to estimate CDL for IP types., Competing Interests: None declared., (©Copyright 2023 by The Medical Bulletin of Sisli Etfal Hospital.)

Study Design: Retrospective case control., Purpose: The authors of this study assessed whether the prevalence of paraspinal fatty degeneration correlates with the presence of Modic type I and I/II change in patients with low back pain (LBP)., Overview of Literature: Modic changes are bone marrow and end plate changes visible on magnetic resonance imaging., Methods: A consecutive series of 141 patients who attended the neurosurgery outpatient clinic between April 2017 and September 2017 for nonspecific LBP were evaluated. Sixty-one patients with single-level Modic type I or I/II change constituted the patient group. Eighty age-, gender-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched patients without any Modic changes were recruited as the control group. A retrospective review was performed in 61 patients with Modic changes and 80 controls without Modic changes. The percentage of fatty muscle degeneration was graded by two reviewers using T2-weighted axial images at the L4-L5 level. The system was graded as follows: grade 0, normal; grade I, minimal focal or linear fat deposition; grade II, up to 25%; grade III, 25%-50%; and grade IV, more than 50%., Results: Sixty-one patients with nonspecific LBP and Modic type I or I/II change and 80 patients without Modic changes were evaluated. There was no difference between these groups in terms of age, gender, and BMI distribution. The mean muscle cross-sectional area in the patient and control groups were 1,507.37±410.63 and 1,681.64±379.69. Regarding fatty degeneration, a chi-square test of homogeneity was run, and the two multinomial probability distributions were not equal within the population analyzed., Conclusions: The novel finding of this investigation is that patients with Modic type I and I/II changes have greater amounts of fatty degeneration in their lumbar paraspinal musculature.

Purpose: Pediatric population may be more prone to complications in comparison to adults because of the variability of developmental changes of paranasal sinuses and skull base. Knowledge of standard columellar distances regarding age in addition to anatomical landmarks is an important guide during functional endoscopic sinus surgery. We aimed to identify standard distances from columella and anterior nasal spine to the anterior and posterior border of frontal and sphenoid sinus ostiums and provide an objective reference graph in regard to age in children., Methods: Subjects who are older than 1 year and younger than 18 years who had undergone a head-and-neck, maxillofacial or temporal bone region high resolution computed tomography scan during the last 3 years were obtained from radiological database. The distances from columella and anterior nasal spine to the anterior and posterior border of frontal and sphenoid sinus ostiums were measured and nasofrontal and nasosphenoid angles were calculated., Results: A total number of 119 children (73 boys, 46 girls) were reviewed. The average age was 7.7 ± 5.0 years. All subjects had normal sinonasal anatomy. We found statistically significantly positive correlation between age and all distances (p < 0.001). Although all measured distances of boys were greater than girls, this difference did not reach statistical significance. Additionally, nasosphenoidal angles were significantly obtuse in boys (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Our columellar distance graphic can provide further improvement of surgeon confidence while performing endoscopic sinus surgery or skull base surgery.

Aim: We have evaluated the anatomic measurements on sellar area of patients who were radiologically diagnosed with empty sella to determine the relation between the amount of pressure on the adenohypophysis and hormonal imbalances., Materials and Methods: Sixty-one cases were diagnosed with empty sella and had hormone tests and hypophysis magnetic resonance (MR). The cases were categorized into two groups - patients with hypophyseal hormone anomaly and patients without hormone anomaly. We have measured interclinoid distance, anteroposterior distance from the anterior diaphragm sella to the pituitary stalk, depth of the sella turcica, craniocaudal distance of the optic chiasm from the diaphragm sella, the heights of the right and left adenohypophysis, subcutaneous fat thickness measured orthogonal to the coronal suture and posteriorly at the level of C2-C3 for two groups on hypophysis and cranial MR imaging MRI., Results: Twenty-five hormone-positive cases (40.9%) (hormone test were abnormal) and 36 hormone-negative cases (59.1%) (hormone tests were normal) were included in the study. The most common hormone abnormality was thyroid-stimulating hormone, T3 and T4 deficiency in 12 cases (48%) and increase in prolactin level in 7 cases (28%). Right adenohypophysis height was 1.54 ± 0.840 mm for the 1 st group, and 1.96 ± 0.83 mm for the 2 nd group. The left adenohypophysis height was 1.66 ± 0.80 mm for the 1 st group, and 1.94 ± 0.94 mm for the 2 nd group. It was found out that the thickness at right and left side in the hormone-positive group diminished significantly., Conclusion: Adenohypophysis height and distance between stalk and optic nerve were good determiner for hormone defect., Competing Interests: There are no conflicts of interest.

Objective: Morphology and dimensions of the bony nasolacrimal canal duct (BNLD) as a key factor in the development of primary acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. We aimed to obtain detailed morphometric analysis of BNLD in children without nasolacrimal duct pathology by using computed tomography and provide standard measurements by means of age which could be utilized in planning management or in invasive interventions., Methods: Picture Archiving Communication Systems database of our hospital's radiology department was searched for this retrospective study. Subjects were under 18 years of age who had undergone a paranasal, maxillofacial, or temporal bone high-resolution computed tomography scan in last 2 years with various indications. Those with fractures including facial bones and/or nasolacrimal canal or history of nasolacrimal duct pathology were excluded from the study. We measured the diameter, angle, and surface area of BNLD., Results: A total number of 136 subjects (86 boys, 50 girls) were included in the study. The average age was 7.3 ± 5.1 years. We documented statistically significantly positive correlation between all measured diameters and ages (P < 0.001), whereas there was a negative association between mean angle and age (P < 0.001). Mean angle is defined as the angle between BNLD and nasal floor. The surface area of BNLD was found to be significantly increasing depending on age (P < 0.001). However, we could not find any significant association between gender and measured parameters (P > 0.050)., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that development of BNLD continues during childhood, regardless of gender.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine whether intravenous contrast-enhanced dual-phase fluorine-18--fluorodeoxyglucose (F-FDG) PET/CT scans provide additional diagnostic information compared with the MRI/CT in patients with laryngeal carcinoma during the initial staging., Patients and Methods: Forty-five consecutive patients (44 men, one woman; mean age±SD, 67.0±9.0 years, range: 45-80 years) with carcinoma of the larynx who had MRI/CT and intravenous contrast-enhanced PET/CT were enrolled. Each patient was scanned on the PET/CT system 1 h (early) and 2 h (delayed) after injection. The maximum standardized uptake values of the primary tumor, nodal, and distant metastatic lesions were measured using the dual-time-point method. Double-blinded F-FDG PET/CT and MRI/CT staging data were compared. The diagnostic accuracy of each modality was compared for primary tumors, nodal metastasis, and the tumor staging., Results: For primary tumor detection, the sensitivity of PET/CT was higher (100%) than MRI/CT (93.3%). The accuracy for N status was 88.8% for PET/CT, being superior to MRI, which had an accuracy of 66.6%. The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of nodal metastasis were 100 and 84.6% for PET/CT compared with 100 and 50% for MRI/CT, respectively. As an initial TNM-staging method, the PET/CT had a diagnostic accuracy of 86.6% compared with 44.4% for MRI/CT., Conclusion: The results suggest that contrast-enhanced dual-phase PET/CT imaging contributes additional diagnostic information compared with the conventional methods for the initial evaluation of primary laryngeal tumors. F-FDG PET/CT has a good diagnostic performance for the detection of regional nodal and distant metastasis, and also synchronous tumors in patients with laryngeal carcinoma.

Objective: To determine the predictability of sonography for detection of calcifications in thyroid nodules by histopathologic examination and to demonstrate the association between calcification pattern and malignancy., Methods: We prospectively evaluated 81 dominant nodules from 81 patients. Thyroid glands were assessed preoperatively with thyroid ultrasonography, and the presence of sonographic calcification was specified as intranodular macro (coarse) and micro calcification. Micro and macro calcification in surgery specimens were specified postoperatively as present or absent in the histopathological evaluation. The correlation between sonographic and histopathologic calcifications and the relationship between malignancy and calcification patterns were determined., Results: Calcification was detected histopathologically in 66.7% of the sonographically calcified nodules and in 12.8% of the sonographically noncalcified nodules. The sensitivity and specificity of sonography for detecting histopathologic calcification were 84.8 and 70.8%, respectively, while positive and negative predictive values were 66.7 and 87.2%, respectively. The sonographical and histopathological outcomes for detection of macro and micro calcification showed 85 and 50% compatibility, respectively. The difference in malignancy rates between sonographic macro and micro calcified nodules was not significant (p=0.976). Histopathologic detection of calcification showed no significant difference between malignant and benign nodules (p=0.129)., Conclusion: Histopathology confirmed a high rate of sonographic macrocalcifications. The micro and macro patterns of sonographic calcification showed no particular association with thyroid malignancy. The preoperative risk of malignancy should be determined in conjunction with other known sonographic risk factors and diagnostic tests., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate using Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) how pars plana vitrectomy (PPV) affects orbital circulation in diffuse diabetic macular edema (DME) associated with either the epiretinal membrane (ERM) or taut posterior hyaloid (TPH)., Methods: The sample included 46 eyes of 42 patients with DME associated with the ERM (n = 22, Group 1) or TPH (n = 24, Group 2). All participants received panretinal laser photocoagulation and antivascular endothelial growth factor injections preoperatively and underwent 23-gauge PPV combined with ERM or TPH removal and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling. Pre- and postoperative peak systolic velocity (PSV), end-diastolic velocity (EDV), and the resistivity index (RI) of the ophthalmic artery (OA), central retinal artery (CRA), posterior ciliary artery (PCA), and central retinal vein were measured with DUS., Results: Statistically significant decreases in the PSV and EDV of the OA, CRA, and PCA were detected in all groups. In Group 1, the PSV of the OA and CRA as well as the EDV and PSV of the PCA declined significantly. In Group 2, the EDV of the OA and both the PSV and EDV of the CRA and PCA decreased. Postoperatively, the CRA's PSV and EDV were lower in Group 2, while the preoperative and postoperative RI of the CRA and preoperative RI of the PCA were greater in Group 2 than in Group 1. Changes in the CRA's RI, PSV, and EDV were greater in Group 2 after surgery., Conclusions: 23-Gauge PPV combined with ERM or TPH removal and ILM peeling in DME reduces blood flow rates of both choroidal and retinal vessels. In eyes with TPH, the RIs of the CRA and PCA were significantly greater preoperatively and the changes in the CRA's RI, PSV, and EDV were greater postoperatively. The removal of the TPH may play a role in regulating blood flow.

Leuconostoc species are Gram-positive, non-motile, vancomycin-resistant bacteria placed within the family of Streptococcaceae. They naturally exist in food and are important in the sauerkraut, milk and wine industries due to their role in fermentation. Infections caused by Leuconostocs are generally reported in immunosuppressed patients with an underlying disease, or in those who were previously treated with vancomycin. Central venous catheter insertion is also a risk factor for introducing bacteria into the body. Although they are resistant to vancomycin, leuconostocs are sensitive to erythromycin and clindamycin. Here, we report a case with pleural empyema due to Leuconostoc mesenteroides in an otherwise healthy person whose occupation is known to be selling pickles.

Background: In this study, we retrospectively reviewed our experience in a meticulously selected group of patients undergoing redo off-pump coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) surgery from the descending aorta to the circumflex artery (Cx) and its branches., Methods: Between January 2001 and October 2013, 32 patients at our hospital underwent redo off-pump CABG from the descending aorta to the Cx and its branches via a left posterolateral thoracotomy. Of these patients, 27 were male (84.3%) and five were female (15.7%), with a mean age of 61.66 ± 8.63 years. All patients had a patent left internal thoracic artery-to-left anterior descending coronary artery (LITA-LAD) anastomosis. Thoracotomy was performed through the fifth intercostal space. The saphenous vein or radial artery was prepared as a graft at the same time as the left posterolateral thoracotomy from the contralateral extremity, without any positional problem., Results: The main reasons for surgery in this group of patients were new lesion formation in 19, graft occlusion in six, and both in seven patients. The average operating time was 143.90 ± 36.93 minutes, respiratory assist time was 5.08 ± 1.88 hours, intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 21.3 ± 4.41 hours and hospital stay was 5.06 ± 2.74 days. Thirty-eight bypasses were performed. The follow-up period was 56.17 ± 39.2 months. Six patients were lost in the follow-up period and four patients died. Twenty-two were alive and free of cardiac problems., Conclusion: Redo off-pump CABG via a left posterolateral thoracotomy provided a safe and effective surgical approach with lower rates of postoperative morbidity and mortality in patients who required revascularisation of the Cx and its branches.

Objective: To assess the relation between fetal and maternal blood type (ABO, Rh) incompatibility and development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM)., Materials and Methods: A total of 500 pregnant women underwent diagnostic test for GDM by a 100-g oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) after an 8 to 12-h overnight fast participated in this study. OGTT was performed between the 24-28 weeks of gestation, but participants who were at high risk for GDM were tested after the first prenatal visit. In the postpartum period, maternal and infant blood types were determined. Presence of GDM was evaluated in terms of matched and unmatched fetal and maternal ABO and Rh blood types separately., Results: GDM was detected in 235 participants. Unmatched ABO blood types between the mother-infant pairs were present in 44.7% (n=105) of GDM (+) and 35.8 % (n=95) of GDM (-) patients. Incompatible feto-maternal ABO blood type was positively correlated with development of GDM which was marginally significant. (p=0.045; R=1.2;95% CL; 1.004-1.48). However, Rh feto-maternal blood type incompatibility was not related with development of GDM., Conclusions: Feto-maternal ABO blood type incompatibility may be a weak risk factor for the development of GDM.

Background/Objectives. Patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms have a well-established increased risk of thrombosis. Many trials report identification of an underlying myeloproliferative neoplasm by investigation of the patients developing portal hypertensive esophagus and/or fundus variceal hemorrhage in the absence of any known etiology. This trial was designed to investigate the association between myeloproliferative neoplasms and portal hypertension and to detect the frequency of portal hypertension development in this subset of patients. Methodology. Twenty-nine patients previously diagnosed with polycythemia vera, essential thrombocytopenia, and primary myelofibrosis, who were under followup at the hematology outpatient clinic of our hospital, were included in the trial. Results. In our trial, we detected portal hypertension in 13.8% of the patients (n = 4), as a finding that was similar to those obtained in other studies performed to date. Conclusions. Considering the fact that diagnosis of myeloproliferative neoplasms usually takes a long time, treatment should be started (while, on the other hand, assessing the investigational and therapeutical choices for the complications) right after the bone marrow biopsy or cytogenetic studies required for establishing the final diagnosis have been performed.

Background and Objectives: The aim of the present study was to evaluate left ventricle systolic and diastolic function, using tissue Doppler echocardiography (TDE), in relation to blood glucose status in prediabetic patients who had no evidence of heart disease by conventional echocardiography (CE)., Subjects and Methods: We included 60 patients (30 female, 30 male) and 20 healthy controls (10 male, 10 female). All participants were randomised into four groups according to their oral glucose tolerance test. Group-I consisted of those patients who had only impaired fasting glucose (IFG). group-II consisted of patients who had only impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) and group-III consisted of patients who had both IFG and IGT, that is so-called combined glucose intolerance. Group-IV included the healthy controls. All subjects underwent both CE and TDE., Results: No significant differences were found among the four groups in terms of CE. There was no significant difference between group-IV and group-I with respect to the early peak diastolic velocity (Ea) of medial mitral annulus (11.65±0.66 vs. 9.72±1.58, p>0.05), whereas a statistically significant difference was found between group-IV and group-II (11.65±0.66 vs. 9.06±1.07, p<0.001) and between group-IV and group-III (11.65±0.66 vs. 9.74±1.09, p<0.05)., Conclusion: Diastolic myocardial dysfunction in prediabetic patients may be identified by quantitative TDE before the appearance of CE indices of myocardial dysfunction.

We investigated the potential protective effects of Nigella sativa (NS) on mortality, serum levels of proinflammatory cytokines, oxidative stress and histopathological changes in lung tissues, in cecal ligation and puncture (CLP)-induced sepsis model in rats. Sepsis induction by CLP, determination of serum cytokine levels by ELISA, spectrophotometric determination of oxidative stress parameters, and histological examination of lung tissues. The rat groups were: 1) CLP group, 2) sham group, 3) NS500-sham group, 4) NS125, 5) NS250, 6) NS500 groups. NS treatment significantly decreased proinflammatory cytokine levels in serum; LPO level, MPO activity, and pathological changes in lung tissues, in CLP-induced sepsis, while significantly increasing GSH levels and SOD activity in the lung tissue. NS treatment after CLP potentially reduced mortality and may exert effects through the reduction in tissue oxidative stress and serum cytokines. The histopathological changes were minimized in lung tissue by NS, under sepsis conditions. We can suggest that NS reverses the systemic inflammatory reaction to polymicrobial sepsis and thereby reduces multiple organ failure. It may be suggested that role of the NS ethanolic extract in preventing formation of CLP induced sepsis, is due to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects of the different compounds of the black seeds.

Background: To evaluate biochemically and histopathologically the effects of Nigella sativa (NS) in experimental ischemia and ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in rat ovaries., Methods: Thirty-six female rats were divided into 6 groups: group I = sham operation; group II = 500 mg/kg NS + sham operation; group III = bilateral ovarian ischemia; group IV = 500 mg/kg NS + ischemia; group V = 3-hour period of ischemia + 3-hour reperfusion, and group VI: 3-hour period of ischemia + 500 mg/kg NS 2.5 h after the induction of ischemia + 3-hour reperfusion. At the end of ischemia, the bilateral vascular clips were removed, and 3-hour reperfusion was continued. IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α cytokine levels in serum, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), myeloperoxidase (MPO), glutathione (GSH), and malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were determined., Results: I/R increased the MDA level and MPO activity while significantly decreasing the SOD activity and GSH level when compared to the sham. The 500-mg/kg dose of NS before I/R reversed the trend in MDA levels, MPO activity, SOD activity, and GSH levels. Ischemia and I/R increased the serum levels of IL-1β, IL-6, and TNF-α, while the administration of NS decreased the serum levels of these cytokines., Conclusions: The administration of NS is effective in reversing tissue damage induced by ischemia and/or I/R in ovaries., (Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

The antioxidant activities (AA), reducing powers (RP) and total phenolic contents (TPC) of methanol and water extracts of three lichen species, Usnea longissima Ach., Usnea florida (L.) Weber ex Wigg. and Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm. were determined in vitro. Of the extracts tested, the methanol extracts of Lobaria pulmonaria and Usnea longissima showed potent antioxidant activities. The methanol extract of L. pulmonaria also had the highest total phenolic contents (87.9 mg/g lyophylisate). For the methanol extract of this species, there was also a strong correlation between antioxidant activity and total phenolic contents. However, a similar correlation was not observed for U. longissima. Although the methanol extract of U. longissima had a lower phenolic content (38.6 mg/g lyophylisate), it exhibited potent antioxidant activity. On the other hand, there was a strong correlation between the reducing powers and the total phenolic contents of the extracts. The highest reducing power was determined for the methanol extract of L. pulmonaria., (Copyright 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)