Trakya University

About: Trakya University is a education organization based out in Edirne, Turkey. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Medicine. The organization has 2727 authors who have published 5490 publications receiving 76048 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Thrace & Trakya Üniversitesi.

Transaxillary approach for thoracic outlet syndrome: results of surgery.

Abstract: Background Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is one of the most complicated diseases in thoracic surgery with regard to both diagnosis and treatment. Surgical removal of the first rib and cervical rib, if present, has been suggested as the treatment of choice in patients who do not benefit from physiotherapy. In this retrospective study, our surgical experience with TOS and the management of surgical complications are presented. Methods A total of 109 cases with the diagnosis of TOS were operated on between January 1995 and April 2010. Ninety-five of the cases were females (87.2 %) and 14 (12.8 %) were males with a mean age of 35.7 (16-58). Results A total of 131 operations were performed, of which 21 were bilateral and one was a recurrent operation. The diagnosis was neurogenic TOS in 107 (98.2 %) and vascular TOS in two (1.8 %) patients. All neurogenic TOS operations were performed via the transaxillary route. A posterior thoracoplasty approach was used for recurrent TOS in one case. A total of 23 (21.1 %) cases had a cervical rib. Fibromuscular bands were observed in 68 (62.3 %) cases. The rates for favorable and poor surgical outcome were 125 (95.4 %) and 6 (4.6 %), respectively. The most common complication was apical pneumothorax in 32 (24.6 %) cases, followed by wound infection in four (3 %), lymphatic leak, axillary hematoma and mild brachial plexus traction palsy in one (0.8 %) case. Mortality was not observed. Conclusions In our experience the exposure provided by the transaxillary approach is safe and superior to that offered by other approaches as it allows a wide range of surgical applications such as first rib resection, cervical rib resection and resection of fibrotic bands.

L-Carnitine ameliorates glycerol-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure in rats.

Abstract: There is increasing evidence indicating that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of rhabdomyolysis-induced myoglobinuric acute renal failure (ARF). During times of war and natural disasters, myoglobinuric ARF can assume epidemic proportions. Thus, early and effective renoprotective treatments are of utmost importance. It has been shown that L-carnitine, used as a safe and effective nutritional supplement for more than three decades, is effective in preventing renal injury in many renal injury models involving oxidative stress. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of L-carnitine in an experimental model of myoglobinuric ARF. Four groups of rats were employed in this study: group 1 served as a control; group 2 was given glycerol (10 mL/kg, i.m.); group 3 was given glycerol plus L-carnitine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), starting at the same time as the glycerol injection; group 4 was given glycerol plus L-carnitine (100 mg/kg, i.p.), starting 48h before the glycerol injection. After glycerol injections, the i.p. injections of L-carnitine were repeated every 24h for four days. Ninety-six hours after glycerol injections, blood samples and kidney tissues were taken from the anesthetized rats. Urea and creatinine levels in plasma, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in urine, and malondialdehyde levels and catalase enzyme activity in kidney tissue were determined. Histopathological changes and iron accumulation in the kidney tissue were evaluated. In this study, glycerol administration led to marked renal oxidative stress, as well as severe functional and morphological renal deterioration. L-carnitine, possibly via its antioxidant properties, ameliorates glycerol-induced myoglobinuric kidney injury.

Exploring Natural and Social Scientists’ Views of Nature of Science

Abstract: Science education researchers recently turned their attention to exploring views about nature of science (NOS). A large body of research indicates that both students and teachers have many naive views about the NOS. Unfortunately, less attention has been directed at the issue of exploring the views of the scientists. Also, the little research in the literature generally took into consideration NOS views of only natural scientists. This study primarily proposes to explore the views of scientists in both the natural and social sciences regarding the seven target aspects of NOS. The second aim of the study is to find out the similarities and dissimilarities between the views of scientists who majored in social sciences and those who majored in natural sciences in terms of the target aspects of NOS. The sample was 69 scientists representing 5 scientific disciplines from natural and social sciences. Interviews were employed for obtaining data. The data were analyzed by means of cognitive maps. This study revea...