Effects of erdosteine on experimental acute pancreatitis model

Objective: to create acute pancreatitis condition experimentally in rats using cerulein, and to reveal histopathological effects in pancreatic tissue with erdosteine

Study Design: an experimental study

Place and Duration of Study: department of General Surgery, Duzce University, Turkey, from June to October 2014

Methodology: thirty male Wistar albino rats were divided into three groups. No procedures were applied to Group 1. The rats in Group 2 and Group 3 were injected cerulein, to establish an experimental pancreatitis model and the blood amylase and lipase values were examined. The rats in Group 3 were given 10 mg/kg erdosteine. This treatment was continued for another 2 days and the rats were sacrificed. The pancreatic tissues were examined histopathologically for edema, inflammation, acinar necrosis, fat necrosis, and vacuolization

Results: the lipase and amylase values and the histopathological examination of pancreatic tissues evidenced that the experimental acute pancreatitis model was established and edema, inflammation, acinar necrosis, fat necrosis, and vacuolization were observed in the pancreatic tissues. The statistical results suggest that erdosteine can decrease the edema, inflammation, acinar necrosis, fat necrosis and vacuolization scores in the tissues

Conclusion: the severity of acute pancreatitis, induced by cerulein in rats, is reduced with the use of erdosteine

Comparison of two main treatment modalities for acute ankle sprain

Objective: Acute ankle sprains are one of the most common injuries in emergency departments. Immobilization is widely accepted as the basic treatment modality for acute ankle sprains; however, immobilization method remains controversial. In this study, we aimed to compare two treatment modalities: splint and elastic bandage for the management of acute ankle sprains

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in the emergency department. Fifty-one consecutive patients who were admitted to the emergency department owing to the complaint of ankle sprain and who were treated with an elastic bandage or a splint were included in the study. After bone injury was ruled out, treatment choice was left to the on-shift physicians' discretion. The extent of edema was evaluated before and after the treatment by using a small, graduated container filled with warm water. Volume differences were calculated by immersing both lower extremities in a container filled to a constant level. Pain was evaluated using the visual analogue scale

Results: There were 25 patients in the elastic bandage group and 26 patients in the splint group. VAS scores of these groups before and after the treatment were similar. Although edema size before and after the treatment were similar between the groups, edema size reduction was significantly more in the elastic bandage group [p=0,025]

Conclusions: This study showed that treatment of acute ankle sprains with an elastic bandage was more effective than splint in reducing edema. Therefore, an elastic bandage could be preferred over a splint for the treatment of acute ankle sprains

Sexual perception: an overlooked psychological barrier to nursing

Patient care is one of the most important functions of nursing. Nurses are responsible legally and ethically to take care of male patient without any discrimination. Sexuality perceptions and embarrassment effect negatively on intimate care particularly between male patients and female nurses. In this study we aimed to; determine nurses' attitudes, towards male patient and evaluate some factors that can improve this situation. This cross sectional study was performed from March-June 2009, in Gulhane Military Medical Academy School of Nursing. A total of 300 female nursing students voluntarily participated out of 310 students, and responded to the questionnaires. The questionnaire comprised of 29 questions 8 questions were about socio-demographic characteristics of participants, and 21 questions were about attitude towards male patient. Results showed that [71.3%] students indicated that performing any application to a male patient was as easy as performing on a female patient 78.3% indicated that same age male patients were the most difficult age group for taking care. Calculated attitude point of Year III students about body cleaning, rectal lavage, perineal cleansing, rectal tube application, and naso-gastric tube applications are higher than other students'. Similarly; the attitude was more positive among the students that chose their school intentionally, than others as regards taking care of a male patient which was considered as easy as performing to a female patient. Many students have negative attitudes towards specific physical care needs of male patients, especially genital area related applications. Applied education methods, professionalism and providing ethical information and insight can resolve this gap

Estimation of phylogenetic relationships of Phlomis species based on seed protein polymorphism

In this study, phylogenetic relationships among 39 Phlomis taxa were investigated based on seed protein profiles produced by sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). A total of 21 polypeptide bands were scored, of which, 19 were polymorphic among the taxa of the genus Phlomis. A distance matrix was generated from the similarity matrix which was computed by using Jaccard’s similarity coefficients, based on polymorphic bands and then an UPGMA tree was established through cluster analysis performed on the distance matrix. Genetic distances ranged from 0.00 to 0.50 within subsection Dendrophlomis; from 0.00 to 0.625 within subsection Gymnophlomis and from 0.00 to 0.769 within subsection Oxyphlomis. The UPGMA tree formed four groups. The topology of the tree is in agreement with the taxonomic view regarding the section Phlomis as it is divided into three subsections as Dendrophlomis, Gymnophlomis and Oxyphlomis based on morphological characters. The grouping pattern of the tree also indicated that subsection Dendrophlomis is more closely related to subsection Gymnophlomis than subsection Oxyphlomis.

Phylogenetic relationships among species of the subsection Dendrophlomis Bentham

This study used randomly amplified polymorphic DNA markers to determine genetic relationships among species of the subsection Dendrophlomis. Twenty accessions of the eleven Phlomis taxa were evaluated to determine genetic variability using fourteen ten mer primers selected from a 125 random oligonucleotide set. These 14 selected primers generated 85 RAPD bands that ranged in size from 200 to 1200 base pairs. Of the total bands, 88 percent (75) were polymorphic among the samples. Genetic distances among accessions were computed to produce a dendrogram based on UPGMA. Genetic distances ranged from 0.133 (between P. amanica and P. monocephala) to 0.494 (between P. chimerae and P. lunariifolia). The UPGMA tree based on distances has two major groups. The first comprised 9 taxa that were clustered into two subgroups. The first subgroup consisted of P. viscosa, P. lycia, P. amanica and P. monocephala while the second comprised P. lunariifolia, P. bourgaei, P. longifolia var. longifolia, P. grandiflora var. grandiflora and P. grandiflora var. fimbrilligera. The second group comprised 2 species, P. leucophracta and P. chimerae. Species-specific bands were observed for P. lycia, P. leucophracta, P. lunariifolia, P. bourgaei, P. chimerae and P. longifolia var longifolia.