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Background/aim We aimed to revealthe incidence and predictive role of insulin resistance and distorted oral glucose tolerance test in nondiabetic patients withBell’s Palsy (BP). Materials and methods Eighty-sixpatients with BP and 28 control subjects; all with normal blood glucose levels and no history of diabetes, were enrolled in the study. We investigated insulin resistance (IR) in all subjects, in terms of HOMA-IR greater than 2.7. Sixty-two of the patients also underwent an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Results The mean HOMA-IR value was significantly increased in patients, compared to the control group (3.2 vs 1.6; P < 0.01). IR was detected more in BP patients than in controls (P < 0.05). The patients with higher HOMA-IR values had more severe facial dysfunction at the initial presentation and complete recovery time took longer than the patients with normal HOMA-IR value (75 days vs 42 days; P < 0.05). Following a 2h-OGTT, impaired glucose tolerance and newly diagnosed DM were found in 60% of the patients. Recovery time was significantly longer in prediabetics and newly diagnosed diabetic patients than in patients with normal glycemia (68 days, 52 days, and 32 days, respectively; P < 0.01). Conclusion There is a strong linkage between HOMA-IR value and BP prognosis so HOMA-IR value may have a significant role of predicting BP prognosis at presentation.

Background/aim To evaluate the clinical and histopathological effects of fetal brain tissue derived mesenchymal stem cells (FBTMSC) and fibrin glue (FG) on the facial nerve (FN) regeneration in rats with traumatic FN injury. Materials and methods Twenty-eight Sprague Dawley rats were included in the study and divided into 4 groups. Traumatic FN injury (FP) was created by a surgical clamp compression to the main trunk of left FN in all groups. In the control group (group 1) no treatment was applied, in group 2 (FBTMSC group) 2 × 106 FBTMSC was injected, in group 3 (FG group) only FG was applied, in group 4 (FBTMSC and FG groups) both FBTMSC and FG were applied to the injured section of the nerve. The FN functions were evaluated clinically, immediately after the procedure and at 3rd, 5th, and 8th weeks postoperatively. The FNs of all subjects were excised after the 8th week; then the rats were sacrificed. The presence of stem cells in the injured zone was assessed using bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU), and apoptosis was determined by the TUNEL method. Results After the damage, total FP was observed in all subjects. Statistically significant functional improvement was observed in group 4 compared to all other groups (P < 0.005). TUNEL-positive cell count was statistically significantly higher in the control group than the other groups (P < 0.001). TUNEL-positive cell count was statistically significantly lower in group 4 than the other groups. The proportion of BrdU-stained cells in group 4 (5%) was higher than group 2 (2%). Conclusion Clinically and histopathologically FBTMSC applied with FG may play a promising role as a regenerative treatment in posttraumatic FP.

Defects in mucosal healing after sinonasal surgery cause infection, scar formation causing obstruction, relapse of the disease within a shorter period and revision surgery. The present study aimed to create a functional ciliated epithelium using a stem cell and stem cell sheet of adipose tissue origin and to show such regeneration ultra-structurally on experimentally injured rabbit nasal epithelium. This was an experimental animal study and basic research. A total of 18 white New Zealand rabbits were divided into three groups. The medial wall of the maxillary sinus of the subjects was peeled off bilaterally. No additional procedure was applied to the subjects in Group 1. In Group 2, adipose tissue-derived mesenchymal stem cell was implanted on the wound edges of the subjects. In Group 3, a stem cell sheet of three layers was laid onto the defect area. All subjects were killed after 3 weeks. The presence of the stem cell stained with bromo-deoxyuridine was assessed with a light microscope, whereas cilia density, ciliated orientation and cilia structure were evaluated with a scanning electron microscope. Ciliary densities in Group 2 and Group 3 were statistically superior compared to the control group (p

This article analyses the investor-centeredness in the regulatory and operative framework of political risk insurance arrangements. The dominant approach to the concept of political risk is profoundly market oriented and the operation of political risk arrangements, based on this approach, involves mechanisms of investment climate surveillance and supervision that further foster investor-centered values. This article argues that the authority of the agents that provide political risk insurance is dependent on the continued promotion of such values. In order to maintain their underwriting business, investment insurers are responsive to investors’ demand for a favorable investment climate in the host country and financial securities in the event of loss or damage – even when these demands are not legitimate. This is illustrated with reference to the operation of a major political risk insurance provider, the US government agency Overseas Private Investment Corporation.

Kimura's disease is a rare chronic inflammatory disorder with an unknown etiology which presents with the involvements of salivary glands and subdermal tissue in the head or neck region, in particular. Besides the most common manifestations of the disease; as the involvements of preauricular region, submandibular region, cervical lymph nodes and major salivary glands, nephrotic syndrome, as an additional systemic pathology, may be also seen due to glomerulonephritis. The differential diagnosis is made with the identification of characteristic histological features as follicular hyperplasia, eosinophil infiltration, and proliferation of the postcapillary venules. Although Kimura's disease may occasionally resemble angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia, both have different clinical and histological features. In this case report, we discuss the clinical, histopathological features and treatment of a 57-year-old male patient admitted with a slowly progressing mass in his right buccal region for almost two years, which was approximately 3x3 cm in diameter and soft to palpation, and was excised completely by an intraoral approach and reported histopathologically as Kimura's disease in the light of literature.

Rhabdomyoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor originating from striated muscle. It is usually located in heart among children. In adulthood, it is reported most commonly between the ages of 25-40 years, especially in males, and located in extracardiac regions. It is frequently located in head and neck region, mainly on tongue, base of mouth, soft palate, pharynx and larynx in adults. Since rhabdomyomas are slow growing, painless masses, the clinical picture may be asymptomatic or may change depending on the affected region. Sixty eight years old male patient was admitted to our clinic with the complaints of progressive swelling on neck and swallowing difficulty accompanying unable to close mouth properly and speech defects of 10 years. Since the mass completely fulfilling mouth base, submandibular spaces and submental areas bilaterally was determined after the investigations, total mass excision was performed under general anesthesia. The clinical picture and treatment of the patient whose pathological diagnosis was rhabdomyoma is reported here with the review of the literature.