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Byline: E. Eksioglu, E. Aydog, E. Unlu, A. Cakci, B. Keyik Sir, Brachial plexopathy is a rare condition, which is a significant cause of pain and disability in breast cancer [...]

Chronic complications are the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the diabetic population. The intrarenal resistive index (RI) has been reported to be increased in hypertensive subjects with microalbuminuria and limited data is present for diabetic subjects. 101 subjects with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus were included in the study. We grouped the study population according to the urinary albumin excretion (UAE). Group 1: UAE < 30 mg/day (n = 36); Group 2: UAE 30-300 mg/day (n: 37); Group 3: UAE > 300 mg/ day (n: 28). We also grouped the study population according to the intrarenal RI value. Group I consisted of subjects with RI ⩾ 0.70 and group II < 0.70. The mean intrarenal RI values of patients in group 3 were higher than those of group 1 and group 2 (0.72 vs. 0.69 p = 0.048; 0.72 vs. 0.69; p = 0.048 respectively). The duration of diabetes, hip circumference, and hs-CRP levels were statistically significantly higher in subjects with intrarenal RI ⩾ 0.70 compared to those with intrarenal RI < 0.70 (p: < 0.001, 0.048 and 0.0148 respectively). Presence of retinopathy and neuropathy was statistically significantly higher in subjects with intrarenal RI ⩾ 0.70 compared to those with intrarenal RI < 0.70. RI may predict the development of microvascular complications in diabetic subjects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Reductions in the size of the corpus callosum (CC) have been described for schizophrenia patients, but little is known about the possible regional differences in schizophrenia subtypes (paranoid, disorganised, undifferentiated, residual). Methods. We recruited 58 chronically schizophrenic patients with different subtypes, and 31 age-and-gender matched healthy controls. The callosum was extracted from a midsagittal slice from T1 weighted magnetic resonance images, and areas of the total CC, its five subregions, CC length and total brain volume were compared between schizophrenia subtypes and controls. Five subregions were approximately matched to fibre pathways from cortical regions. Results. Schizophrenia patients had reduced CC total area and length when compared with controls. Disorganised and undifferentiated schizophrenics had a smaller prefrontal area, while there was no significant difference for the paranoid and residual groups. The premotor/supplementary motor area was smaller in all schizophrenia subtypes. The motor area was smaller only in the disorganised group. A smaller sensory area was found in all subtypes except the residual group. Parietal, temporal and occipital areas were smaller in the paranoid and undifferentiated groups. Total brain volume was smaller in all schizophrenia subtypes compared with controls, but did not reach statistical significance. Conclusion. These findings suggest that the heterogeneity of symptoms may lead to the different CC morphological characteristics in schizophrenia subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is still no consensus on a normal value for the cross-sectional area of the ulnar nerve at the elbow. Such data would be valuable for the ultrasound diagnosis of ulnar neuropathy. Comparison of the symptomatic and contralateral asymptomatic sides has been recommended. The aim of this study was to investigate whether or not the asymptomatic ulnar nerve could be a reference value. High-resolution ultrasonic measurements of the cross-sectional areas of the ulnar nerves at the elbow were compared with 38 contralateral asymptomatic elbows of patients with unilateral ulnar neuropathy and 38 healthy controls. There were significant differences in the cross-sectional areas at all levels between the healthy control subjects and asymptomatic side of the ulnar neuropathy patients (p < 0.05). The findings of this study suggest that there is a limitation in using the asymptomatic side for obtaining reference values in ultrasonographic studies. Each ultrasonographic laboratory should determine its own reference values. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a new technique for needle insertion into the subscapularis muscle for botulinum toxin injection, nerve block with phenol, and electromyography. DESIGN: A new technique, which we have termed the inferior approach, was delineated by cadaver study. In the first step of the study, the thickest part of the subscapularis muscle and the route for the accurate course of the needle were determined by an anatomist on eight cadavers (16 sides). In the second step, using this technique, a physician attempted to inject India ink into the thickest part of the muscle on a separate 12 cadavers (24 sides). The anatomist then examined the accumulated ink by careful dissection of the involved muscle. RESULTS: The thickest part was determined to be at the lateral half of the muscle. With the exception of two muscles, all the cadavers were successfully injected using the defined route. If the route and injection sites are correct, there is no risk of injecting any muscle in that anatomic region other than the subscapularis. Furthermore, there were no neurovascular structures identified at risk in the area using the inferior approach. CONCLUSION: This new technique, termed the inferior approach, is both easy and anatomically safe: it did not involve any risk of damage to any major artery, vein, or nerve. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To determine the intra-rater reproducibility of normalized lifting strength (NLS) measurements.Methods: 30 healthy male volunteers with a mean age of 28.16 +/- 7.59 years participated in this study. Each subject was tested by the same physician twice in a week, with at least 48 hours between the test sessions. For the evaluation of intra-rater reproducibility, intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC), the standard error of measurement (SEM) and the smallest real difference (SRD) and Bland and Altman method were used.Results: Intra-rater ICCs of the NLS were 0.77 and 0.67 at 19.4 and 38.9 cm/s, respectively. The SEM% were 13.2% and 20.1% while the SRD% were 36.6% and 55.8% at these velocities, respectively.Conclusions: The reproducibility of NLS using the Biodex Lift Simulation Attachment was moderate in terms of the ICC and low in terms of the SRD. Thus the test, as described and applied is not sufficiently sensitive to detect clinically relevant changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the protective effect of Viburnum opulus L. fruit extract against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced oxidative stress during the lung transplantation. For this purpose, 30 female rats were firstly randomized to form of donor and recipients. After then, the rats were divided into three groups named as control, I/R, and V. opulus + I/R. Experimental rats were subjected to lung transplantation with ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Transplantation-related lung injury was evaluated by multiple parameters. A significant decrease was observed in the enzyme activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase (CAT), and the levels of glutathione and total antioxidant status (TAS), whereas the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), total oxidant status (TOS), and protein carbonyl were significantly increased in lung tissue samples of I/R group in comparison to the control group. However, treatment with V. opulus fruit extract resulted in significant reduction of MDA and protein carbonyl levels and increment of the antioxidant system. In conclusion, V. opulus fruit extract showed protective effects against I/R-induced oxidative stress during lung transplantation probably by the radical scavenging and antioxidant activity. Therefore, this fruit extract can be efficient in the prevention of I/R-related lung toxicity.

Peripheral nerve sonography has been regarded as an important tool for evaluating anatomic changes within nerves and muscles. Over the last few years, the role of Ultrasonographic Tinel (UST) sign in diagnostic sensitivity and its relationship with neurophysiologic findings has increased. Ultrasonographic Tinel sign helps to interpret the ultrasonographic and clinical findings and have proven useful in making a diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]