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Background/aim: There are insufficient tools to assist in the diagnosis and treatment of vestibular migraine. Hence, the aim of this study was to perform the Turkish adaptation of the Vestibular Migraine Patient Assessment Tool and Handicap Inventory (VM-PATHI). Materials and methods: After the language and content validity was completed, a pilot study was conducted. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were conducted to test construct validity, and as a result of the validity analyses, Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient and test-retest analyses were conducted for reliability. Results: In the study, in which 289 participants were evaluated, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin coefficient was calculated as 0.903. The percentage of variance explained by the EFA was 67.246% and the range of factor load change was 0.433-0.828. The scale structure was tested with CFA and the model was confirmed with adequate goodness of fit index values. The Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficient of the scale was 0.931. Conclusion: The VM-PATHI is a valid and reliable tool for the subjective evaluation of vestibular migraine in Türkiye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: In this study, we designed and used 2 different type-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods for the detection of Brucella abortus. Materials and methods: There were 2 different primer sets (B4/B5 and AF/AR) selected and used for the amplification of 2 different genes that are present in all biovars of Brucella species, including bcsp31, encoding 31-kDa immunogenic cell surface proteins, and omp25, which is known to be one of the virulence factors encoding outer membrane proteins of 26-23 kDa. Results: The results showed that 273 (81.7%) and 317 (94.9%) out of 334 milk samples were positive for brucellosis, as detected by either both or one of the primer sets used in the present study, respectively. The detection limit of PCR assays for Brucella in milk samples was determined as 5 pg DNA for both of the primer sets. Conclusion: These results suggest that the use of the specific PCR assay with the primer sets used in the study is a rapid, reliable, and accurate technique in comparison to traditional and conventional methods for the detection and diagnosis of Brucella spp. in milk samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was conducted to determine the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of thermophilic bacteria isolated from Pasinler hot spring, Erzurum, Turkey. Fatty acid profiles, BOX PCR fıngerprints, and 16S rDNA sequence data were used for the phenotypic and genotypic characterization of thermophilic bacteria. Totally 9 different bacterial strains were selected based on morphological, physiological, and biochemical tests. These strains were characterized by molecular tests including fatty acid and BOX profiles, and 16S rDNA sequence. The data of fatty acid analysis showed the presence of 14 different fatty acids in the 9 bacterial strains examined. Additionally, 5 of these fatty acids, 15:0 iso, 15:0 anteiso, 16:0 iso, 17:0 iso, and 17:0 anteiso fatty acids, were found in all isolates. Based on fatty acid profiles, it was determined that the bacterial strains were classifıed into 2 phenotypic groups, and these data were confirmed by BOX PCR genomic fıngerprint profiles and 16S rDNA sequence analysis. The first group, identifıed as Bacillus licheniformis, was represented by 4 strains, and the second group, identifıed as Aeribacillus pallidus, was represented by 5 strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the hexane and methanol extracts of the aboveground parts and roots of some Astragalus species grown in the vicinity of Erzurum, located in the eastern Anatolia, Turkey. The methanol extract, which was obtained from the aboveground parts of Astragalus species, exhibited mild free radical scavenging activity providing 50% inhibition at the concentrations between 68.8 and 400.4 μg/ml. The hexane/dichloromethane extracts of the aboveground parts of Astragalus species did not show any free radical scavenging activity. However, the linoleic acid oxidation inhibition ability of the non-polar extracts seems to be higher than that of the polar methanolic extracts. The methanol root extracts were mild antioxidants but the non-polar root extracts of A. microcephalus Willd., A. macrocephalus Willd., A. erinaceus Fisch. & Mey. ex Fischer, A. psoraloides Lam., and A. argyroides Becker ex Stapf. were extremely active in DPPH test. IC50 values were 35.2 μg/ml, 21.0 μg/ml, 22.0 μg/ml 20.3 μg/ml, and 38.0 μg/ml, respectively. In the case of β-carotene-linoleic acid system, the extract obtained from A. psoraloides Lam. exhibited strong inhibition among studied Astragalus species. Furthermore, the extracts, which were obtained from the tested Astragalus species, were evaluated for their possible in vitro antibacterial, anticandidal, and antifungal activities based on disk diffusion assay. The results suggested that none of the extracts has antimicrobial activity on the tested microorganisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ethanol, methanol, and hexane extracts from Ocimum basilicum Labiatae (sweet basil) were investigated for their invitro antimicrobial properties. A total of 146 microbial organisms belonging to 55 bacteria, and four fungi, and a yeast species were studied using a disk-diffusion and minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) method. The result showed that none of the three extracts tested have antifungal activities, but anticandidal and antibacterial effects. Both the hexane and methanol extracts, but not the ethanol extracts, inhibited three isolates out of 23 strains of Candida albicans studied. All three extract of O. basilicum were different in terms of their antibacterial activities. The hexane extract showed a stronger and broader spectrum of antibacterial activity, followed by the methanol and ethanol extracts, which inhibited 10, 9 and 6% of the 146 bacterial strains tested, respectively. The minimal inhibition zones (MIC) of the hexane, methanol, and ethanol extracts ranged from 125 to 250 µl/ml, 62.50 to 500 µl/ml, and 125 to 250 µl/ml, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The methanol extract of Verbascum georgicum Bentham (Scrophulariaceae) was investigated for its in-vitro antimicrobial properties. A total of 143 microorganisms belonging to 56 bacteria and 4 fungi and a yeast species were studied using the disk-diffusion method and microdilution assays. The results indicated that the methanol extract of V. geopgicum had an inhibitory effect on the growth of all Candida albicans isolates and 17 strains in 10 different species of bacteria, namely Bacillus amyloliquefaciens, B. subtilis, B. cereus, B. pumilus, B. megaterium, B. lentimorbus, B. licheniformis, Pseudomonas putida, P. syringae and Escherichia coli, at different concentrations ranging from 37.5 to 300 µg/ml. However, it did not show antifungal activity against the isolates of the 4 fungal species tested. Thus, the results suggest that V. georgicum extract possesses compounds with antimicrobial properties that might be utilized for developing new drugs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]