Functional brain networks in clinical high-risk for bipolar disorder and psychosis.

Abnormal connectivity in the brain has been linked to the pathophysiology of severe mental illnesses, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. The current study aimed to investigate large-scale functional networks and global network metrics in clinical high-risk for bipolardisorder (CHR-BD, n = 25), clinical high-risk for psychosis (CHR-P, n = 30), and healthy controls (HCs, n = 19). Help-seeking youth at CHR-BD and CHR-P were recruited from the early intervention program at Dokuz Eylul University, Izmir, Turkey.

Retina in Clinical High-Risk and First-Episode Psychosis.

Background And Hypothesis: Abnormalities in the retina are observed in psychotic disorders, especially in schizophrenia.

Study Design: Using spectral-domain optical coherence tomography, we investigated structural retinal changes in relatively metabolic risk-free youth with clinical high-risk (CHR, n = 34) and first-episode psychosis (FEP, n = 30) compared with healthy controls (HCs, n = 28).

Study Results: Total retinal macular thickness/volume of the right eye increased in FEP (effect sizes, Cohen's d = 0.

Automated linguistic analysis in youth at clinical high risk for psychosis.

Identifying individuals at clinical high risk for psychosis (CHRP) is crucial for preventing psychosis and improving the prognosis for schizophrenia. Individuals at CHR-P may exhibit mild forms of formal thought disorder (FTD), making it possible to identify them using natural language processing (NLP) methods. In this study, speech samples of 62 CHR-P individuals and 45 healthy controls (HCs) were elicited using Thematic Apperception Test images.

Computational analysis of linguistic features in speech samples of first-episode bipolar disorder and psychosis.

Background: In recent years, automated analyses using novel NLP methods have been used to investigate language abnormalities in schizophrenia. In contrast, only a few studies used automated language analyses in bipolar disorder. To our knowledge, no previous research compared automated language characteristics of first-episode psychosis (FEP) and bipolar disorder (FEBD) using NLP methods.

Automated linguistic analysis in speech samples of Turkish-speaking patients with schizophrenia-spectrum disorders.

Modern natural language processing (NLP) methods provide ways to objectively quantify language disturbances for potential use in diagnostic classification. We performed computerized language analysis in speech samples of 82 Turkish-speaking subjects, including 44 patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) and 38 healthy controls (HC). Exploratory analysis of speech samples involved 16 sentence-level semantic similarity features using SBERT (Sentence Bidirectional Encoder Representation from Text) as well as 8 generic and 8 part-of-speech (POS) features.

The Effect of Aortic Angulation on Clinical Outcomes of Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of aortic angulation (AA) on periprocedural and in-hospital complications as well as mortality of patients undergoing Evolut™ R valve implantation.

Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 264 patients who underwent transfemoral-approach transcatheter aortic valve replacement with self-expandable valve at our hospital between August 2015 and August 2022. These patients underwent multislice computer tomography scans to evaluate AA.

Comparison of Evolut-R 34 mm Valve and Smaller Evolut-R Valves in Patients Undergoing Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation and Determination of Mild Paravalvular Leak Predictors.

Objective: The main purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the in-hospital, 1-month and 1-year post-procedure outcomes of patients treated with Evolut-R 34 mm and Evolut-R 23/26/29 mm devices. Additionally, the study aimed to identify factors that could predict the occurrence of ≥ mild paravalvular leaks (PVL).

Methods: Between April 2015 and May 2022, 269 consecutive patients who underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) with Evolut-R 34 mm (n = 66, 24.

The red cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio: A simple index has high predictive accuracy for clinical outcomes in patients with acute pancreatitis.

Background/objectives: Ongoing research is seeking to identify the best prognostic marker for acute pancreatitis (AP). The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of the red blood cell distribution width-to-albumin ratio (RAR) in the prognosis of AP.

Methods: This 18-month prospective cohort study was conducted between June 2021 and December 2022 with patients diagnosed with AP.

Effect of the Prognostic Nutrition Index on Long-Term Outcomes in Unprotected Left Main Coronary Artery Revascularization.

Objective    The prognostic nutritional index (PNI) is a practical, applicable, prognostic scoring system. However, its clinical significance in unprotected left main coronary artery (ULMCA) patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to examine the relationship between malnutrition as assessed by PNI and major adverse cardiac events (MACE) in ULMCA patients undergoing PCI.

The effect of body mass index on complications in cardiac implantable electronic device surgery.

Background: Cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED) procedures are prone to complications. In our study, we investigated the effect of body mass index (BMI) on CIED-related complications.

Methods: 1676 patients who had undergone CIED surgery (de novo implantation, system upgrade, generator change, pocket revision or lead replacement) at two heart centers in Turkey and met the study criteria were included in our study.

In Vivo Relevance of a Biphasic In Vitro Dissolution Test for the Immediate Release Tablet Formulations of Lamotrigine.

Biphasic in vitro dissolution testing is an attractive approach to reflect on the interplay between drug dissolution and absorption for predicting the bioperformance of drug products. The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo relevance of a biphasic dissolution test for the immediate release (IR) formulations of a Biopharmaceutics Classification System (BCS) Class II drug, lamotrigine (LTG). The biphasic dissolution test was performed using USP apparatus II with the dual paddle modification.

Interventricular septal dissecting aneurysm resulting from congenital coronary fistula: A case report.

Dissected interventricular septal aneurysm is a rare complication that occurs in conditions such as acute myocardial infarction, sinus valsalva aneurysm, infective endocarditis, thoracic trauma, pericardiocentesis and balloon angioplasty. Only two cases of dissected interventricular septal aneurysm secondary to coronary fistula have been described in the literature. Here, we present a case of dissected interventricular septal aneurysm secondary to congenital coronary fistula.

Aging and cardiac implantable electronic device complications: is the procedure safe in older patients?

Background: In this study, we investigated whether there is a higher incidence of cardiac implantable electronic devices (CIED) procedures related complications in older (≥ 75 years) than in younger (< 75 years) patients.

Methods: This retrospective cohort study enrolled patients who had undergone CIED procedures (de novo implantation, system upgrade, generator substitution, pocket revision or lead replacement) at two heart centers in Turkey between January 2011 and May 2023. The primary composite endpoint included clinically significant hematoma (CSH), pericardial effusion or tamponade, pneumothorax, and infection related to the device system.

Catastrophic embolism of a suddenly ruptured isolated cardiac cyst hydatid: An unusual case report.

Hydatid cysts can be located in any organ or tissue system. Cardiac hydatid cyst is a rare, but fatal pathology. A 21-year-old male Syrian refugee patient with no previous known medical conditions was admitted to the hospital for chest pain and shortness of breath.

Unusual case report of malignant pheochromocytoma presenting with STEMI.

Background: Pheochromocytomas (PHEOs) are a group of tumours that leads to multiple symptoms and can induce hypercoagulability and promote thrombosis. Pheochromocytomas may also present without elevated serum and urinary markers. We aimed to provide tips and tricks for the diagnostic and therapeutic management of an unusual case of PHEOs.

The effect of treatment strategy on long-term follow-up results in patients with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation in Turkey: AFTER-2 subgroup analysis.

Background: We performed a subanalysis of the data from the AFTER-2 registry. In our study, we aimed to compare the long-term follow-up results of nonvalvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) patients in Turkey according to their treatment strategies.

Methods: All consecutive patients older than 18 years of age who presented to cardiology outpatient clinics, had at least one AF attack and did not have rheumatic mitral valve stenosis or prosthetic heart valve disease were included in our prospective study.

Evaluation of Hematological Parameters After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Although transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is safe and effective, mortality and bleeding events post procedure are important. The present study investigated the changes in hematologic parameters to evaluate whether they predict mortality or major bleeding. We enrolled 248 consecutive patients (44.

Choroidal structural analysis in ultra-high risk and first-episode psychosis.

Both structural and functional alterations in the retina and the choroid of the eye, as parts of the central nervous system, have been shown in psychotic disorders, especially in schizophrenia. In addition, genetic and imaging studies indicate vascular and angiogenesis anomalies in the psychosis spectrum disorders. In this ocular imaging study, choroidal structure and vascularity were investigated using enhanced depth imaging (EDI) optical coherence tomography (OCT) in first-episode psychosis (FEP), ultra-high risk for psychosis (UHR-P), and age- and gender- matched healthy controls (HCs).

Comparison of the real-life clinical outcomes of warfarin with effective time in therapeutic range and non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants: Insight from the AFTER-2 trial.

Background: It is unclear whether warfarin treatment with high time in therapeutic range (TTR) is as effective and safe as non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs). It is crucial to compare warfarin with effective TTR and NOACs to predict long-term adverse events in patients with atrial fibrillation.

Aims: We aimed to compare the long-term follow-up results of patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) who use vitamin K antagonists (VKAs) with effective TTR and NOACs.

A new trend to reduce adverse events in patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation: cusp overlap technique: a cross sectional study.

Background: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is currently the treatment of choice for the majority of patients at moderate or high surgical risk. However, some complications occur frequently with this procedure. In this study, we aimed to assess whether the cusp-overlap view (COP) technique may be associated with a reduced incidence of some of these complications compared with the classical three-cusp view (TCV) technique.

Evaluation of epicardial fat tissue and echocardiographic parameters in patients with silent enemy subclinical hypothyroidism.

Background: To evaluate epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) which is known to be closely associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, obesity, age, smoking) and which is a more specific marker of visceral adiposity than waist circumference using echocardiographic examination in subclinical hypothyroidism which is one of the most common endocrine system diseases in the community but is mostly missed due to its asymptomatic nature.

Materials And Methods: The study included 60 individuals aged 18-65 years, comprising 30 patients with newly diagnosed subclinical hypothyroidism and 30 age- and gender-matched control subjects that had a normal thyroid hormone profile. 2D transthoracic echocardiography was utilized for measuring EAT thickness and other basic echocardiographic parameters.

A novel predictor in endovascular treatment patients for cerebral perfusion and prognosis: CHA2DS2-VASC.

Objective: Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction(TICI) score is used to objectively evaluate cerebral perfusion after intervention in acute stroke with mechanical thrombectomy. In our study, we aimed to compare the results of patients with successful TICI perfusion score (TICI ≥ 2c) with the results of patients with poor TICI perfusion score (TICI < 2c) and to investigate the relationship of the CHADS-VASc scoring system with the final TICI perfusion score and other endpoints.

Methods: For this retrospective, single-center, cross-sectional study, 278 patients who underwent endovascular thrombectomy were screened consecutively by the interventional neurology department of hospital.

Importance of epicardial adipose tissue as a predictor of heart failure with preserved ejection fraction.

Objective: Epicardial adipose tissue is a special form of visceral fat surrounding the heart. It is associated with cardiac and metabolic diseases. Epicardial adipose tissue is associated with risk factors for heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, such as obesity, metabolic syndrome, hypertension, and diabetes.