Association of Intermittent and Continuous Hypoxaemia with Carotid and Brachial Arterial Intima-Media Thicknesses

ABSTRACT Objective: To assess the carotid and brachial arteries' intima-media thicknesses (IMTs) in cases with intermittent (obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome (OSAS)) and continuous (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)) hypoxaemia together with other confounding demographic and biochemical factors. Methods: The study was prospectively performed on 197 patients allocated in three groups: 80 with severe OSAS, 80 with severe COPD patients and 37 healthy controls. These groups were compared in terms of demographics, biochemical markers and IMTs of the right and left carotid and brachial arteries. Results: Carotid and brachial arterial IMTs were found to be higher in both patient groups than the control group (p < 0.001). Similarly, levels of haemoglobin, haematocrit, cholesterol, triglycerides, low-density lipoproteins (LDL), C-reactive protein and D (domain)-dimer were significantly increased in patient groups. Oxygen saturations (p < 0.001) and ejection fractions (p = 0.001) were found to be worse and D-dimer levels (p = 0.010) were elevated more prominently in COPD patients, whereas, cholesterol (p < 0.001), hemoglobin (p = 0.004) and LDL (p = 0.001) levels were higher in the OSAS group. Except the right carotid IMT, which was increased significantly in OSAS patients, IMT measurements were similar in the OSAS and COPD groups (p < 0.001). Conclusion: We have shown that both intermittent and continuous hypoxia result in remarkable alterations in carotid IMT and brachial IMT. Further prospective trials are warranted to confirm and extend these findings, including the biochemical markers, which may aid in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients suffering from hypoxaemia.

Common coeliacomesenteric trunk: a computed tomography radiological study.

BACKGROUND: There is an increasing trend for administration of invasive radiological interventions, laparoscopic surgery, and transplantation procedures in recent years, and determining the vascular variations prior to these procedures is crucially important. Coeliacomesenteric trunk (CMT) is among these variations. This study aimed to retrospectively evaluate this rare anomaly by computed tomography (CT). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1000 CT angiography images were analysed retrospectively, and the patients with mesenteric and coeliac arteries arising from the abdominal aorta with a single root were identified. The level that CMT arose, and its branching patterns were determined individually for all patients. RESULTS: Ten patients (6 males and 4 females) with a mean age of 50.2 years (17-87 years) had CMT in CT images. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge of variations in the CMT prior to vascular or laparoscopic interventions will contribute to early intervention in case of a complication, or to avoid from a potential damage.

Population Growth of Dysaphis pyri (Hemiptera: Aphididae) on Different Pear Cultivars With Discussion on Curve Fitting in Life Table Studies.

Population growth parameters of the Dysaphis pyri (Boyer de Fonscolombe) (Hemiptera: Aphididae) were evaluated on four different cultivars (Coscia, Ankara, Williams, and Santa-Maria) of pear (Pyrus communis L.) under field conditions in the Van region of Turkey. Aphids were kept on leaves of 10-yr-old pear trees in Plexiglas clip-cells (20 mm in diameter and 10 mm in height, with the upper side covered with muslin). For the description of the stage differentiation during population growth, we analyzed raw data of developmental time, survival, and fecundity using the age-stage, two-sex life table to take the variable developmental rate among individuals into account. Results indicated that the Coscia and Ankara cultivars are less favorable hosts for D. pyri because of the longer preadult developmental time, higher preadult mortality rate, and lower total fecundity on these cultivars. The intrinsic rate of increase (r), the net reproduction rate (R0), and the finite rate of increase (λ) values were lower on the Coscia and Ankara cultivars. We discussed the application of the Weibull function, polynomial model, and Enkegaard model in life table studies. Because these models are often inaccurate in describing survival and reproduction parameters, we suggest that their application in life table research should be reevaluated.

Polyorchidism and adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis: a case report with sonographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings and review of literature.

Supernumerary testis or polyorchidism is a rare congenital anomaly with about 200 reported cases in the literature. It may be associated with cryptorchidism, testicular torsion and neoplasms. Ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging are effective noninvasive methods of accurately detecting polyorchidism. In most cases, ultrasonography is diagnostic and magnetic resonance imaging plays confirmatory role by providing additional information if complicated with neoplasia. We report a case of 16-year-old man with right supernumerary testis associated with adenomatous hyperplasia of the rete testis, its sonographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings and management.