This technique appears to control hyperhidrosis on the palms and soles only if regular treatment is applied. Plantar hyperhidrosis appeared to resolve simultaneously when palmar hyperhidrosis was successfully treated.

The significantly higher tear film osmolarity in patients with thyroid ophthalmopathy was most likely due to the increased proptosis and lid fissure width. These conditions may lead to injury of the ocular surface.

This study aimed to investigate the relationship among lipid peroxidation, subsequent activation of scavenger enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase), and the presence of structural abnormality in 52 epileptic children receiving monotherapy (medically responsive) or polytherapy (medically intractable). Plasma lipid peroxidation in epileptic patients with abnormal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings significantly increased as compared with that of 16 healthy children (P < .05), whereas antioxidant enzymes were not significantly affected. Both medically controlled and intractable children with normal MRI had higher activities of superoxide dismutase than those of controls (P < .05). The activity of superoxide dismutase in epileptic patients with structural abnormality did not significantly change as compared with controls. Activity of glutathione peroxidase in all of the epileptic children was not significantly different from controls. The activity of antioxidant enzymes or plasma malonyldialdehyde levels did not correlate with duration of epilepsy, frequency of seizures (> one seizure per month or not), and the presence or localization (focal, multifocal, or generalized) of electroencephalographic or MRI abnormalities. Increased plasma lipid peroxidation may be causally related to the presence of structural abnormality rather than ongoing epileptic activity or therapy status.

Objective: To investigate fetal exposure to toxic metals [lead (Pb), cadmium (Cd)] and fetal levels of trace elements [zinc (Zn), copper (Cu), and iron (Fe)] in newborns from an industrial city. Relationships between meconium mineral contents and parental occupation and location of residence were also tested. Method: The meconium mineral contents of 117 healthy newborn infants were measured by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometer. Results: The median concentrations (interquartile range) of toxic metals and trace elements in the meconium were as follows: Pb: 46.5 (1,399) µg/g dry weight (wt), Cd: 2.3 (55.6) µg/g dry wt; Zn: 234 (3,049) µg/g dry wt; Cu: 11.8 (818.7) µg/g dry wt, and Fe 105 (2,980) µg/g dry wt. All the meconium samples contained both toxic metals and trace elements. The proportions of trace elements in the meconium samples with concentration higher than 100 µg/g dry wt of the substances tested were Zn 90%, Cu 64%, and Fe 53%. There were significantly positive correlations between the concentrations of toxic metals and trace elements. Also there were positive correlations between the levels of Zn, Fe, and parental occupations, and between the level of Fe and location of residence of the parents (proximity to the petroleum refinery or the dye industries). Conclusion: All the meconium samples were positive for toxic metals, and thus may reflect environmental pollution in the city. The occupation environments and the location of the family residence are linked with levels of trace elements in meconium.

Objective: To investigate the effects of one football training period on haemorheological variables in regularly trained footballers. Method: Ten subjects were randomly selected from the reserve team of a football club in the Turkish Premier League. During the last week of the football season, one day before a standard training session and two days after the previous league match, venous blood samples were taken (pre-exercise). After 90 minutes of standard training, further blood samples were taken (post-exercise). Blood lactate, blood viscosity, plasma fibrinogen, blood clotting time, acid-base variables, and plasma Na + , K + , and Ca 2+ were determined. Results: Haemoglobin, packed cell volume, and mean corpuscular volume were all significantly decreased, whereas white blood cells and platelets were both increased after training. Blood viscosity decreased but the reduction was not significant. Blood lactate, plasma glucose, and Na + content were significantly increased, but standard bicarbonate, actual bicarbonate, and Ca 2+ were significantly decreased. Blood clotting time had shortened significantly after training. Blood viscosity was inversely correlated with plasma glucose concentration (r = 20.48 and p = 0.032). Conclusions:The results show that blood viscosity tends to decrease as the result of this type of training. This is due to a reduction in packed cell volume and mean corpuscular volume. The increased blood lactate does not have an adverse effect on the blood viscosity of these subjects because protective mechanisms develop with regular training throughout the season.T he haemorheological effect of exercise is a triphasic phenomenon, including short, middle, and long term effects. In the short term, hyperviscosity occurs mostly due to fluid shifts and alterations in erythrocyte rigidity and aggregability. Middle term effects include reversal of the acute effects through plasma volume expansion, which lowers both plasma viscosity and packed cell volume. Long term effects are further improvement in blood fluidity, in parallel with classic training induced hormonal and metabolic alterations. 1The effects of exercise and training have been extensively investigated in humans using different experimental protocols.2-6 It has been shown that whole blood viscosity and plasma viscosity increase in response to a variety of exercise protocols. 7In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of one training period of football on haemorheological variables in regularly trained footballers. Our hypothesis was that, at the end of a football season, the raised blood lactate concentrations after training for 90 minutes would affect haemorheological variables, and hyperviscosity might occur. On the other hand, training might cause metabolic acidosis in the blood which, in turn, might affect red blood cell and whole blood rheology. MATERIALS AND METHODSTen subjects were randomly selected from the reserve team of a football club in the Turkish Premier League. They were asked about their performance and any health...

Our results indicate that herbal weight-loss products available without prescription and claimed to be purely herbal may contain pharmaceutical substances like sibutramine or temazepam in high doses. Moreover, they also may become contaminated with toxic metals. Since people commonly use these products unaware of its real constituents and without the suggestion or control of a physician, they might cause various health problems some of which might be harmful. Strict legal rules and control mechanisms must be established to minimize their possible harmful effects.

In this study, 2 probabilistic methods are presented for seismic hazard assessment in Turkey: Markov chains based on modeling the transition probabilities of states (related to the presence or absence of the earthquakes having magnitude M ≥ 4 during the time interval Δt = 0.07 years in each region of Turkey located between 36°N and 42°N and 26°E and 45°E), and the Poisson model, used for computing occurrence probability and recurrence periods of earthquakes. In particular, it should be stated that in this study, our purpose is not to compare the results obtained from these 2 methods. The main purpose is to show that earthquakes occurring in Turkey can be modeled successfully by both a Markov chain, in which we have a different zoning, and the Poisson model, which can determine seismic hazard.

Statistical evaluation of sweat intensity measurements and inspections revealed that d.c. administration had no placebo effect in the treatment of palmoplantar hyperhidrosis.