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Abstract Introduction Central nervous system involvement is a rare but serious manifestation of brucellosis. We present an unusual case of neurobrucellosis with transient ischemic attack, intracerebral vasculopathy granulomas, seizures, and paralysis of sixth and seventh cranial nerves. Case presentation A 17-year-old Caucasian man presented with nausea and vomiting, headache, double vision and he gave a history of weakness in the left arm, speech disturbance and imbalance. Physical examination revealed fever, doubtful neck stiffness and left abducens nerve paralysis. An analysis of his cerebrospinal fluid showed a pleocytosis (lymphocytes, 90%), high protein and low glucose levels. He developed generalized tonic-clonic seizures, facial paralysis and left hemiparesis. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated intracerebral vasculitis, basal ganglia infarction and granulomas, mimicking the central nervous system involvement of tuberculosis. On the 31st day of his admission, neurobrucellosis was diagnosed with immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G positivity by standard tube agglutination test and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in both serum and cerebrospinal fluid samples (the tests had been negative until that day). He was treated successfully with trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, doxycyline and rifampicin for six months. Conclusions Our patient illustrates the importance of suspecting brucellosis as a cause of meningoencephalitis, even if cultures and serological tests are negative at the beginning of the disease. As a result, in patients who have a history of residence or travel to endemic areas, neurobrucellosis should be considered in the differential diagnosis of any neurologic symptoms. If initial tests fail, repetition of these tests at appropriate intervals along with complementary investigations are indicated.

Background: This study aims at examining the effects of Pilates training on the transversus abdominis (TrA) and internal obliques (IO) muscle thickness and core endurance in different positions in patients with Parkinson's Disease., Methods: Patients were divided into 2 groups as Pilates training (n = 13) and control (n = 10) groups. Pilates training was performed twice a week for 6 weeks. The participants' muscle thickness and core endurance were measured at the beginning of the study (pretraining), and the effectiveness of Pilates training was then assessed in the 6th week (posttraining) and in the 12th-week follow-up. The thickness of the TrA and IO muscles was measured with a two-dimensional ultrasonography device. Core endurance was assessed with prone bridge and sit-ups tests., Results: The assessments of the Pilates training group after the 6-week showed a statistically significant increase in the prone bridge and sit-ups test performances, and an increase in the thickness of the IO muscle [during resting in the supine position and abdominal drawing-in maneuver (ADIM) in standing position] and the TrA muscle (during ADIM in the standing position) (p < 0.05). Pilates exercises were also shown to have improved core muscle endurance and thickness (IO thickness during ADIM in the standing position and TrA thickness during resting in the supine position, ADIM in the supine and standing position) in the Pilates training group after a period of 18 weeks (p < 0.05)., Discussion: Pilates training has a favorable effect on the core endurance, and the TrA and IO muscle thickness of patients with Parkinson's disease and this effect can be maintained until three months after the training.

In Nicotiana benthamiana, the expression of the Xanthomonas effector XANTHOMONAS OUTER PROTEIN Q (XopQ) triggers RECOGNITION OF XOPQ1 (ROQ1)-dependent effector-triggered immunity (ETI) responses accompanied by the accumulation of plastids around the nucleus and the formation of stromules. Both plastid clustering and stromules were proposed to contribute to ETI-related hypersensitive cell death and thereby to plant immunity. Whether these reactions are directly connected to ETI signaling events has not been tested. Here, we utilized transient expression experiments to determine whether XopQ-triggered plastid reactions are a result of XopQ perception by the immune receptor ROQ1 or a consequence of XopQ virulence activity. We found that N. benthamiana mutants lacking ROQ1, ENHANCED DISEASE SUSCEPTIBILITY 1, or the helper NUCLEOTIDE-BINDING LEUCINE-RICH REPEAT IMMUNE RECEPTORS (NLRs) N-REQUIRED GENE 1 (NRG1) and ACTIVATED DISEASE RESISTANCE GENE 1 (ADR1), fail to elicit XopQ-dependent host cell death and stromule formation. Mutants lacking only NRG1 lost XopQ-dependent cell death but retained some stromule induction that was abolished in the nrg1&#95;adr1 double mutant. This analysis aligns XopQ-triggered stromules with the ETI signaling cascade but not to host programmed cell death. Furthermore, data reveal that XopQ-triggered plastid clustering is not strictly linked to stromule formation during ETI. Our data suggest that stromule formation, in contrast to chloroplast perinuclear dynamics, is an integral part of the N. benthamiana ETI response and that both NRG1 and ADR1 hNLRs play a role in this ETI response., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of American Society of Plant Biologists.)

Background: Shoulder disability is a common problem following neck dissection. Even if nerve structures are preserved, this may occur after the surgery., Objective: The primary aim was to research changes in rotator cuff and scapular muscles strength, and scapular muscle endurance after neck dissection in patients with head and neck cancer. The secondary aim was to investigate the relationship between these changes and postoperative shoulder function., Methods: This cross-sectional and prospective follow-up study included 14 patients who underwent neck dissection (9 unilateral and 5 bilateral). Evaluations were performed preoperatively and at 3 months postoperatively. Muscle strength measurements, including trapezius, serratus anterior, and rotator cuff muscles, were obtained using a handheld dynamometer. The scapular muscle endurance test was used for muscle endurance assessment. Postoperative shoulder function was evaluated using Constant-Murley shoulder score., Results: A decrease in muscle strength and the scapular muscle endurance test was found at 3 months postoperatively, except for the subscapularis muscle strength (p< 0.05). There were moderate to strong correlations between Constant-Murley shoulder score and percentage changes in muscle strength and the scapular muscle endurance test, except for the upper trapezius muscle strength (p< 0.05)., Conclusions: Muscle strength and scapular muscle endurance may reduce following neck dissection. These reductions are associated with postoperative shoulder function. Thus, muscle strength and endurance training may be beneficial for early postoperative rehabilitation in patients with head and neck cancer.

In vitro maturation (IVM) of mammalian oocytes, which influences subsequent in vitro development of embryos, is affected by the macromolecule content in culture media for the success of oocyte maturation competence, in which the cytoplasmic and nuclear reprogramming events occur. The insulin-like growth factor family (IGFs) promotes the maturation of bovine oocytes and the expansion of cumulus cells and also inhibits apoptosis. This study was, therefore, designed to examine the effects of macromolecules (bovine serum albumin, BSA; fetal calf serum, FCS; and polyvinyl alcohol, PVA) on in vitro nuclear maturation, total cellular protein, glutathione peroxidase (GPx) enzyme activity, and the gene expression level of IGF1, IGF2, and their receptor in bovine oocytes. Oocytes obtained from bovine ovaries were cultured in bicarbonate-buffered medium 199 supplemented with 4 mg/mL BSA, 10% FCS, 1 mg/mL PVA, and without macromolecule supplement (control) during 22 h in the air with a humidified atmosphere and 5% CO2 at 38.5 °C temperature. Supplementation of BSA and FCS increased (χ2 = 9.84; p < 0.05) the percentages of oocytes that reached metaphase II compared to the control and PVA. The amount of protein per ml of cell extracts of oocytes matured in FCS supplemented culture media was higher (p < 0.05) than the oocytes in the PVA and control. The levels of GPx enzyme activity in cell extracts isolated from oocytes in each experimental group did not change over time, but the GPx enzyme activity in oocytes matured in PVA-supplemented culture media was lower (p < 0.05) than in oocytes in the other experimental groups. Transcript for the IGF1 gene was not detected in all experimental groups, but the supplementation of BSA and FCS significantly elevated the transcript level of the IGF2 gene. In addition, the maturation of oocytes with BSA-supplemented media increased the transcript level of the IGF1R gene, whereas the transcript level of the IGF2R gene was similar among macromolecule supplementation groups. The current study concluded that BSA and FCS could improve in vitro bovine oocyte development due to supporting nuclear maturation and increasing the total cellular protein content, GPx enzyme, and transcript activity.

The aim of this study was to classify placental characteristics of Akkaraman, Morkaraman, Karayaka, Awassi, Malya, and Bafra sheep breeds using the hierarchical clustering method. In total, 240 individual data records were used as experimental material. Placental characteristics such as total cotyledon surface area, small and large cotyledon length, small cotyledon depth, etc. were used as explanatory variables to classify the breeds' characteristics. Hierarchical clustering was used with the nearest neighbour method with Euclidean distance in order to classify the sheep breeds' variations. As a result, six breeds were separated into three clusters: the first cluster consisted of Bafra, Karayaka, and Awassi breeds; the second consisted of Akkaraman and Malya breeds; and the third cluster included only the Morkaraman breed. Bafra and Karayaka were pointed as the nearest breeds, with a similarity of 98.7% in terms of placental characteristics. The similarity rate of the Akkaraman and Malya breeds was at a level of 97.5%, whereas it was 96.8% for Bafra, Karayaka, and Awassi breeds. The similarity of Akkaraman, Karayaka, Awassi, Malya, and Bafra sheep breeds was estimated as 95.7%. The overall similarity was found to be at a level of 93.2% among sheep breeds. The outcomes of the study might be useful as a selection tool for reproductivity and can be used to select the breed to be reared.

The aim at this study was to determine the relationships among the lamb birth weight, the average cotyledon surface area (ACSA) and cotyledon size. Data were collected from 101 ewes. The general linear model and Pearson correlation coefficient were used for statistical comparison and determination of relationships between variables. Average birth weight (BW), placental weight (PW), cotyledon number (CN), placental efficiency (PE), cotyledon density (CD), cotyledon efficiency (CE) and ACSA were 4.175 ± .09 , 448.8 ± 13.4 , 53.34 ± 1.9 , 9.65 ± .3 , 0.125 ± .00 , 10.66 ± .34 and 7.81 ± .19  cm 2 , respectively. There was no difference between BW and PE for parity; however, PW, CN, CD, CE and ACSA were affected ( p < 0.05 ) by parity. ACSA was found to be the lowest ( 7.33 ± .99 ) with a parity of 2 and the highest ( 8.61 ± 1.5 ) with a parity of 4. Birth type affected significantly BW, CN, CD ( p < 0.05 ), PW ( p < 0.001 ) and ACSA ( p < 0.01 ). As the parity progressed, cotyledon depth (CDe) ( 0.74 ± .30 ) and cotyledon width (CWi) ( 2.64 ± .46 ) increased. ACSA, which is a new parameter for uterine capacity, had positive correlations with BW (0.498; p < 0.01 ), PW (0.415; p < 0.01 ), large cotyledon number (CNl) (0.685; p < 0.01 ), cotyledon length (CL) (0.932; p < 0.01 ), CWi (0.920; p < 0.01 ) and cotyledon depth (0.388; p < 0.01 ). The most important finding of this study was the positive correlation between the birth weight and the average cotyledon surface area. This study indicates that average cotyledon surface area and cotyledon size traits (CL and CWi) may be more effective parameters to produce heavier lambs. In conclusion, it is thought that lamb deaths will decrease as a result of triggering placental development with proper feeding during pregnancy. For this purpose, it is recommended to conduct new studies examining the relationship between pregnancy feeding and ACSA. Highlights. Cotyledon number and cotyledon density decrease with parity, while CE increases.The birth type has a significant effect on BW, PW, CN and CD.There are positive correlations between the placental weight and large cotyledon number, cotyledon length and cotyledon width.ACSA can be used as an important parameter to increase the weight of lambs.Especially in multiple birthing, ACSA has been found to be a more determinant index to express uterine capacity instead of PE or CE., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2020 Selçuk Özyürek and Doğan Türkyilmaz.)

Purpose: Our aim was to cross culturally adapt the MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction with physical therapy care for Turkish-speaking inpatients, provide information about its measurement properties, and determine the socio-demographic factors influencing satisfaction of Turkish patients. Method: This was a cross-sectional, measurement-focused study. The MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction was translated and adapted into Turkish. Two hundred four inpatients with different health conditions from different units of a large university hospital were assessed using the Turkish version of the MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction. Forty-two patients were reassessed after 72 h. Construct validity, internal consistency, convergent validity, criterion-referenced validity, floor and ceiling effects, and test-retest reliability were evaluated. Results: Factor analysis showed a two-factor structure. Cronbach's alpha values for the internal consistency ranged between 0.49 and 0.81. Corrected item-total correlations ranged between 0.29 and 0.72. Intraclass correlation coefficients ranged between 0.67 and 0.97, standard errors of measurement ranged between 0.34 and 2.61 points, and substantially good agreement was achieved. Eleven of twelve items were positively correlated with the global measures. No floor or ceiling effects were detected. The satisfaction level of inpatients was high. Conclusions: Our results suggested that the Turkish version of the MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction is a quite reliable and valid measurement to evaluate patient satisfaction with physical therapy care in Turkish-speaking inpatients. We determined that Turkish inpatients are highly satisfied with their physical therapy care, and they consider the patient-physical therapist relationship important.Implications for rehabilitationThe Turkish version of the MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction is a reliable and valid translation of the original MedRisk instrument for measuring patient satisfaction.However, it should be noted that three items from the original version were excluded.Clinicians and relevant researchers can use this instrument to evaluate satisfaction with physical therapy care among Turkish-speaking inpatients.

Auxin (indole-3-acetic acid, IAA) is an important phytohormone involved in root growth and development. Root-interacting beneficial and pathogenic fungi utilize auxin and its target genes to manipulate the performance of their hosts for their own needs. In order to follow and visualize auxin effects in fungi-colonized Arabidopsis roots, we used the dual auxin reporter construct DR5 :: EGFP-DR5v2 :: tdTomato and fluorescence microscopy as well as LC-MS-based phytohormone analyses. We demonstrate that the beneficial endophytic fungi Piriformospora indica and Mortierella hyalina produce and accumulate IAA in their mycelia, in contrast to the phytopathogenic biotrophic fungus Verticillium dahliae and the necrotrophic fungus Alternaria brassicicola . Within 3 h after exposure of Arabidopsis roots to the pathogens, the signals of the auxin-responsive reporter genes disappeared. When exposed to P. indica , significantly higher auxin levels and stimulated expression of auxin-responsive reporter genes were detected both in lateral root primordia and the root elongation zone within 1 day. Elevated auxin levels were also present in the M. hyalina /Arabidopsis root interaction, but no downstream effects on auxin-responsive reporter genes were observed. However, the jasmonate level was strongly increased in the colonized roots. We propose that the lack of stimulated root growth upon infection with M. hyalina is not caused by the absence of auxin, but an inhibitory effect mediated by high jasmonate content.

Background: Trunk muscle endurance exercises are commonly used for correcting the postural alterations. However, there is no study investigating the relationship between postural alignment and trunk muscle endurance in healthy young adults., Objective: The aim of this study was to examine whether the three-dimensional (3D) body posture is related to trunk muscle endurance in healthy young adults., Methods: Forty-two healthy young adults enrolled in this study. For 3D evaluation of the body posture, an internet-based postural assessment system was used. Alterations in posture (head, ribcage, and pelvis) were evaluated by using the Posture Index which represents the total score of postural displacements. The higher Posture Index scores indicate more severe displacements in the posture. Trunk muscle endurance measurements included side bridge, trunk flexors and trunk extensors endurance tests. Spearman's rho was used to evaluate the associations between measured parameters., Results: The median age of the participants were 22 (IQR: 21.0-23.0) years. The only significant correlation was detected between the side bridge endurance test and the total Posture Index score (rho =⁣-0.402, p= 0.008)., Conclusions: These results indicated that the alterations of the body posture was significantly related to lower lateral trunk muscle endurance scores. These findings support the importance of trunk muscles, especially lateral trunk musculature to have a better body posture.

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the three-dimensional (3D) profile of pelvic posture and postural displacements of the pelvis in adolescents with and without a history of low back pain (LBP). Materials and methods: Thirty-two adolescents participated in this study. Participants were asked if they had ever suffered LBP at some point in their lives. Participants were divided into two groups: with a history of LBP (LBP group) and without a history of LBP (control group). For 3D evaluation of pelvic posture, the PosturePrint system was used. Three digital photographs were obtained in an upright stance (anteroposterior, left-right lateral) and analyzed. Postural displacements of the pelvis were calculated as rotations in degrees and translations in millimeters. The posture index, which is the total postural displacements score, was recorded. Results: Overall, 40.6% of the participants reported a history of LBP, while 59.4% of the participants did not. Although the 3D profile of pelvic posture, postural displacements of pelvis, and posture index score were similar between groups, the majority of participants in both groups had altered pelvic and total body posture. Conclusion: The findings suggest that adolescents with LBP have a profile of pelvic posture similar to those of healthy adolescents without a history of LBP.

Background: Knee osteoarthritis has commonly been associated with a symptom of pain resulting in an inter-limb weight-bearing asymmetry during functional tasks. Patellar tendon strap is one of the non-pharmacologic interventions to alleviate knee pain., Objectives: To investigate the immediate effect of a patellar tendon strap on weight-bearing asymmetry during squatting in people with unilateral knee osteoarthritis., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: Ten patients with unilateral knee osteoarthritis and 10 healthy subjects were included in the study. Weight-bearing asymmetry of patients was assessed using a weight-bearing squat test during squatting at 30° and 60° both with and without patellar tendon strap. Pain intensity was assessed during squatting in unstrapped and strapped conditions with Visual Analog Scale., Results: The decrease in weight-bearing asymmetry values immediately after wearing patellar tendon strap during 30° (p = 0.006) and 60° (p = 0.011) of squatting tests was significantly higher in knee osteoarthritis patients than in healthy subjects. Reported pain intensity was similar in unstrapped and strapped conditions (p = 0.066)., Conclusion: The results of this study showed improved inter-limb weight-bearing symmetry during squatting. Further research with larger sample sizes investigating the effect of patellar tendon strap on weight-bearing asymmetry during functional activities in people with knee osteoarthritis is warranted., Clinical Relevance: Patellar tendon straps (easily fit and cheap unlike knee braces) had more improvements in inter-limb weight-bearing symmetry during squatting in people with knee osteoarthritis compared to healthy subjects. This study is a new insight for future studies to investigate clinical benefits of wearing patellar tendon straps in this population., (© The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.)

Background: Despite the popularity of core stabilization, there is limited evidence as to the relationship between performance on tests of isometric trunk muscle endurance and physical activity levels in adults., Objective: To investigate the relationship between isometric trunk muscle endurance and physical activity related energy expenditure in healthy young adults., Methods: A total of 51 participants (24 female) participated in the study. Median age and body mass index were; 22 years (Min-max: 18-26 years) and 21.8 kg/m2 (Min-Max: 18.59-28.98 kg/m2), respectively. Participants completed the International Physical Activity Questionnaire. Isometric trunk muscle endurance was assessed with holding times of isometric trunk flexor, extensor, and lateral side bridge tests. Collected data were summarized based on median and interquartile ranges. The Spearman's correlation test was used to ascertain the relationship between isometric trunk muscle endurance and physical activity related energy expenditure., Results: There were no gender differences in holding times of the trunk flexor and trunk extensor endurance tests (p> 0.05). Males showed higher endurance scores for side bridge test than females (p< 0.001). No difference was found in physical activity related energy expenditure between males and females. No correlation was observed between isometric trunk muscle endurance and physical activity related energy expenditure for either females or males (p> 0.05)., Conclusions: According to our findings, trunk muscle endurance is not related to physical activity related energy expenditure in healthy young adults.

Objective: The objective of this study was to analyze the content of the 'Turk-Orthopod' mailing list between 2000 and 2013., Methods: All messages posted to the 'Turk-Orthopod' mailing list were documented and categorized by 4 orthopedic surgeons who were active members of the mailing list into 11 categories based on the content of the messages., Results: A total of 15,699 messages were evaluated and included in the analysis. The mean number of daily messages in 2000 was 0.98 messages/day and increased to 7.23 messages/day in 2013. The most common type of message was announcements (37.5%) about national or international congresses, conferences, symposia, meetings, and panels. The second most common type of message was condolence messages (11.7%). Case discussions and academic discussions comprised 6.3% and 4.5% of the messages, respectively., Conclusion: The 'Turk-Orthopod' mailing list serves primarily as an information board and a powerful social media platform for communication among Turkish orthopedic surgeons. However, scientific case discussions and other professional issues comprise a minority of the messages.

Background: Sit-to-stand movement is an essential function for participation in many activities of daily living. Although this movement is one of the most important functional tasks, there is limited research investigating strategies of sit-to-stand movement in transtibial amputees., Objectives: To examine movement strategies of the sit-to-stand task in persons with transtibial amputation and healthy non-amputated individuals., Study Design: Cross-sectional study., Methods: A total of 12 male unilateral transtibial amputees and 19 healthy male subjects participated in this study. Sit-to-stand movement was evaluated in terms of weight transfer time, weight-bearing symmetry, sway velocity, and rising index by using Balance Master System., Results: Participants in both groups exhibited similar weight-bearing transfer time (p > 0.05). Transtibial amputees demonstrated significantly greater weight-bearing asymmetry, higher sway velocity, and lower rising index than healthy subjects during the sit-to-stand transfer movement (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: Transtibial amputees were unable to use the same movement strategies during a sit-to-stand task as healthy individuals; therefore, they had to develop new strategies to perform this task., Clinical Relevance: Little is known about the altered movement strategies during sit-to-stand task in transtibial amputees. The results of the study might provide some new insight into the motor components of the sit-to-stand movement in persons with transtibial amputation for both clinicians and researchers., (© The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2013.)