Purpose It is unclear how high-intensity physical activity (HIPA) affects the knee joint, specifically the femoral cartilage (FC). Therefore, the aims of this study were to evaluate FC thickness via ultrasound among elite athletes involved in different types of HIPA, and to determine whether there is a correlation between serum cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (sCOMP) and rectus femoris (RF) thickness. Method A total of 132 male individuals participated in this study and were assigned to two groups, the sedentary (n = 43, 23.9 ± 3.7) and athlete groups (n = 89, 22.7 ± 4.6), which did not significantly differ in age. The athletes were elite and performed HIPA during sports such as volleyball (n = 20), soccer (n = 21), basketball (n = 28), and weightlifting (n = 20). RF thickness and three (mid-point) measurements were obtained for each knee. The mean FC thickness for each knee was defined as the sum of the medial, lateral condyles, and intercondylar areas. Blood samples for sCOMP analyses were also obtained. Results All the measurements of the FC of both knees were significantly higher in the athletes than in the sedentary individuals (p < 0.001 and p = 0.001). The mean right and left FC values were also higher in the athletes (p < 0.001). Multiple linear regression analysis showed that participation in sporting activities was a significant predictor associated with the right and left mean FC thickness (p < 0.001 for both). No significant differences in the sCOMP levels were found between the two groups. Conclusion It was found that the mean FC was higher among athletes than among sedentary individuals. As a result, it is suggested that sports' participation is an independent factor associated with the right and left mean FC thickness. Level of evidence III.

The aim of this study was to evaluate whether retinal neural network was impaired and cognitive functions were disturbed in restless legs syndrome (RLS) considering the hypothesis that there may be a dysfunction in dopaminergic pathways in RLS like in Parkinson's disease. Therefore, we evaluated retinal neural network with optical coherence tomography (OCT) and presence of cognitive impairment with Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA). Methods: OCT evaluations were performed for 30 RLS patients and 30 healthy controls. Ganglion cell complex was segmented to retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), and inner plexiform layer (IPL) automatically by the device, and recorded. Additionally, all the patients and the controls were evaluated using MOCA. Results: No statistically significant difference was detected between RLS and controls in RNFL, GCL, IPL, and choroidal thicknesses. However, total MOCA score and all of its subscale scores were significantly lower in the RLS patients compared with the controls. No significant correlation was detected between OCT and MOCA parameters. Conclusion: No degeneration was detected in retinal neurons (RNFL, GCL, and IPL) of RLS patients. However, impairments were seen in MOCA total and subscale scores of these patients. On the other hand, no significant correlation was detected between MOCA scores and RNFL, GCL, or IPL thicknesses. These findings suggest decrease in cognitive functions of RLS patients probably due to dopaminergic dysfunction regardless of anatomical neural degeneration. Longitudinal follow-up studies are warranted to evaluate whether neuronal degeneration will develop.

Zinc-doped hydroxyapatite (HA) nanoparticles were synthesized by microwave assisted method and used with ionizing radiation for inhibition of proliferation of breast cancer cells. Zinc-doped HAs were produced in four different compositions in order to determine the best doping rate in terms of physical and biological properties. Nanoparticle characterizations were performed with X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Viability of MDA-MB-231

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Severe palmar and/or axillary hyperhidrosis may adversely affect the patients. Thoracoscopic sympathectomy is frequently preferred for the treatment of severe hyperhidrosis. Patient positioning in surgery may cause a number of complications. In this article, we report a male patient who developed hypoesthesia on the palmar side of the first three fingers of the left hand after thoracoscopic bilateral sympathectomy for hyperhidrosis. Nerve conduction studies revealed non-significant results. Hypoesthesia was thought to be related to hyper-abduction position of arms. This complication disappeared two months after surgery. Appropriate patient positioning may prevent these complications. Hiperhidrozis tedavisinde torakoskopik bilateral sempatektomi:Bir hasta pozisyonlama komplikasyonu ÖZ Şiddetli palmar ve/veya aksiller hiperhidrozis hastaları olumsuz etkileyebilir. Torakoskopik sempatektomi şiddetli hiperhidrozis tedavisinde sıklıkla tercih edilir. Cerrahide hasta pozisyonlaması bazı komplikasyonlara neden olabilir. Bu yazıda, hiperhidrozis için torakoskopik bilateral sempatektomi sonrası sol elin ilk üç parmağının palmar tarafında hipoestezi gelişen bir erkek hasta sunuldu. Sinir ileti çalışmaları anlamlı olmayan sonuçlar gösterdi. Hipoestezinin kolların hiper-abdüksiyon pozisyonu ile ilişkili olabileceği düşünüldü. Bu komplikasyon cerrahiden iki ay sonra ortadan kayboldu. Uygun hasta pozisyonlaması bu komplikasyonları önleyebilir.

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No biomarker is currently available for early detection of anthracycline-induced cardiotoxicity. The purpose of this study was to assess whether the plasma levels of microRNA34a (miR34a) could predict cardiotoxicity in breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy.Forty-four breast cancer patients who received anthracycline-based chemotherapy for the first time were included in the study. Before and after taking chemotherapy, patients were examined for cardiac troponin-I, miR34a, and precursor miR34a levels, and echocardiographic strain analyses were performed. There was a statistically significant increase in troponin-I, miR34a, and pre-miR34a levels after treatment with anthracyclines. The mean increase in miR34a and pre-miR34a was 2.5 and 2.3 fold, respectively. Echocardiographic analysis of patients showed a significant decrease in global longitudinal strain (GLS) measurements compared to the baseline after anthracycline treatment. An increase in the levels of miR34a/pre-miR34a was detected in patients who were estimated to have cardiac damage according to GLS change, but this increase was not statistically significant. After doxorubicin treatment, an increase in miR34a level in plasma was demonstrated without correlation with cTn-I and GLS. A higher miR34a/pre-miR34a ratio was detected in patients with myocardial deformation than in those without myocardial deformation, but it was not statistically significant.