Search

The study of sparse linear arrays has started in the 1960’s and remains a hot topic. Since then, the problem has been approached in a variety of ways, and many different optimization algorithms have been used to design sparse arrays. In the early years of sparse array research, in addition to other methods that involve array pattern related measures, the problem had been handled in terms of the coarray structure. Such methods do not directly involve pattern-based objectives, and in some cases, they have closed-form structures; we call these methods as coarray based methods. Nowadays, coar-ray based methods are attracting considerable attention again. In this paper, the analysis and comparison of the most commonly known ones of those arrays are conducted. Moreover, the necessity and the success of those arrays are discussed by chasing answers to two questions with simulation results. First, while keeping the number of sensors fixed what is the optimum layout? Secondly , while keeping the aperture fixed what is the optimum number of sensors to be used?

The protozoan Dientamoeba fragilis is one of the most common parasites in the diges-tive system of humans worldwide. The host range and transmission routes of D. fragi-lis, including the role of animals, are still ambiguous with few reports from non- human primates, sheep, rodents, pigs, a cat and a dog. In this study, we used microscopic and TaqMan qPCR analyses to investigate D. fragilisin 150 faecal samples from pet budger-igars (Melopsittacus undulatus) in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey. Dientamoeba fragilis DNA was detected in 32 samples, resulting in a mean prevalence of 21.3%. In microscopic examination, trophozoites/cysts of D. fragilis were detected in 13 of 32 qPCR- positive samples. SSU rRNA sequence analyses of the qPCR- positive iso-lates identified genotype 1 of D. fragilis as predominant in budgerigars. Phylogenetic analyses of the SSU rRNA gene region clustered D. fragilis genotypes, as well as other trichomonads, in separate monophyletic clusters with bootstrap values ≥79.0. Our study provides the first evidence for the natural host status of pet budgerigars for D. fragilisand contributes to the knowledge of the epidemiology of this parasite. The high prevalence of genotype 1 of D. fragilis suggests that pet budgerigars are suitable reservoirs for zoonotic transmission. Our findings contribute to an increased aware-ness and knowledge of D. fragilis infections in the context of a one- health approach.

Introduction: There are many possible sources of medical information; however, the quality of the information varies. Poor quality or inaccurate resources may be harmful if they are trusted by providers. This study aimed to analyze the quality of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)- related intubation videos on YouTube. Methods: The term “COVID-19 intubation” was searched on YouTube. The top 100 videos retrieved were sorted by relevance and 37 videos were included. The video demographics were recorded. The quality of the videos was analyzed using an 18-point checklist, which was designed for evaluating COVID-19 intubation. Videos were also evaluated using general video quality scores and the modified Journal of the American Medical Association score. Results: The educational quality was graded as good for eight (21.6%) videos, moderate for 13 (35.1%) videos, and poor for 16 (43.2%) videos. The median safe COVID-19 intubation score (SCIS) was 11 (IQR = 5-13). The SCISs indicated that videos prepared in an intensive care unit were higher in quality than videos from other sources (p < 0.05). The length of the video was predictive of quality (area under the curve = 0.802, 95% CI = 0.658-0.945, p = 0.10). Conclusions: The quality of YouTube videos for COVID-19 intubation is substandard. Poor quality videos may provide inaccurate knowledge to viewers and potentially cause harm.

© 2021 Elsevier B.V.Waterborne pathogens (parasites, bacteria) are serious threats to human health. Cryptosporidium parvum is one of the protozoan parasites that can contaminate drinking water and lead to diarrhea in animals and humans. Rapid and reliable detection of these kinds of waterborne pathogens is highly essential. Yet, current detection techniques are limited for waterborne pathogens and time-consuming and have some major drawbacks. Therefore, rapid screening methods would play an important role in controlling the outbreaks of these pathogens. Here, we used label-free surface-enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) combined with multivariate analysis for the detection of C. parvum oocysts along with bacterial contaminants including, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus. Silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are used as SERS substrate and samples were prepared with simply mixed of concentrated AgNPs with microorganisms. Each species presented distinct SERS spectra. Principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical clustering were performed to discriminate C. parvum oocysts, E. coli, and S. aureus. PCA was used to visualize the dataset and extract significant spectral features. According to score plots in 3 dimensional PCA space, species formed distinct group. Furthermore, each species formed different clusters in hierarchical clustering. Our study indicates that SERS combined with multivariate analysis techniques can be utilized for the detection of C. parvum oocysts quickly.

This journal is © The Royal Society of ChemistryCOVID-19 has caused millions of cases and deaths all over the world since late 2019. Rapid detection of the virus is crucial for controlling its spread through a population. COVID-19 is currently detected by nucleic acid-based tests and serological tests. However, these methods have limitations such as the requirement of high-cost reagents, false negative results and being time consuming. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), which is a powerful technique that enhances the Raman signals of molecules using plasmonic nanostructures, can overcome these disadvantages. In this study, we developed a virus-infected cell model and analyzed this model by SERS combined with Principal Component Analysis (PCA). HEK293 cells were transfected with plasmids encoding the nucleocapsid (N), membrane (M) and envelope (E) proteins of SARS-CoV-2 via polyethyleneimine (PEI). Non-plasmid transfected HEK293 cells were used as the control group. Cellular uptake was optimized with green fluorescence protein (GFP) plasmids and evaluated by fluorescence microscopy and flow cytometry. The transfection efficiency was found to be around 60%. The expression of M, N, and E proteins was demonstrated by western blotting. The SERS spectra of the total proteins of transfected cells were obtained using a gold nanoparticle-based SERS substrate. Proteins of the transfected cells have peak positions at 646, 680, 713, 768, 780, 953, 1014, 1046, 1213, 1243, 1424, 2102, and 2124 cm−1. To reveal spectral differences between plasmid transfected cells and non-transfected control cells, PCA was applied to the spectra. The results demonstrated that SERS coupled with PCA might be a favorable and reliable way to develop a rapid, low-cost, and promising technique for the detection of COVID-19.

Purpose: To assess tomographic ganglion cell complex changes in patients with diabetic macular edema treated with intravitreal injections of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF). Methods: We analyzed data from 35 eyes of 35 previously untreated patients in whom diabetic macular edema improved after three loading doses of anti-VEGF injection and who did not receive repeated injections. We recorded spectral domain-optical coherence tomography assessments of ganglion cell complex and central macular thickness at baseline and monthly for three months, and on the sixth and ninth month after treatment. We compared the results with those of the unaffected eyes in the same patients and with those in a control group of patients with diabetic macular edema who were untreated. Results: The mean age of the patients in the treatment group was 60 ± 4.38 years. The foveal thicknesses measured using optical coherence tomography decreased significantly from baseline to the third month post-injection (p0.05) and 113.12 ± 11.15 µm on the ninth month (p>0.05). We found a significant difference between the patients and the control group in terms of mean ganglion cell complex thickness on the second- and third-months post-injection (p

Objective: This study aimed to report the visual outcomes of deeply located Leiomyosarcoma (LMS) in the extremities and treatment results. Methods: The histological diagnosis of each case was confirmed by the pathology council and only cases with LMS localized in the deep soft tissue of the limb were included in this study. Treatment-related factors such as all the visual features of the tumor, type of therapy, local and distant recurrence, follow-up time, and outcome were analyzed. Overall survival time was determined. Results: Evaluation was made of 17 patients, comprising 11 females and 6 males with a mean age of 64.35 years (range, 52-75 years). The localization of the primary lesion was the lower extremity in 14 patients (82.34%), and the upper extremity in 3 (17.34%). The average size of the lesions was 8.23 cm (range, 3-22 cm). All lesions were staged according to the TNM Classification of soft tissue sarcomas, as 3 (17.64%) patients in stage IIA, 9 (52.94%) in stage IIB, and 5 (29.41%) in stage IV. In the radiological features of the lesions, only two patients had scattered calcification and osseous pathology in the tumor tissue. The signal properties obtained in other soft tissue sarcomas on magnetic resonance images (MRI) were also present in these lesions. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy was applied to 5 of 17 patients, and surgical and adjuvant radiotherapy was applied to the remaining 12 patients. These patients were followed up for an average of 66 (23-111) months. Local recurrence occurred in 3 patients. The five-year disease-free survival rate was 58.8%, and the disease-survival rate was 64.7%. Conclusion: The most important result of this study was that the only effective factor on overall survival is tumor size (p

The objective of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of the sponge with boric acid particles combined with the negative pressure wound treatment (NPWT) system for chronic wounds with tissue defects. Our study was designed as a prospective randomised study. One hundred patients who were planned to have NPWT due to chronic wounds were included in this study from Orthopaedics and Traumatology and Plastic Surgery clinics. Patients were divided into two groups. In the first group, a new method, boric acid impregnated sponge, combined with the NPWT system, was used, and in the second group, sponge with silver nitrate was used. Besides the wide-broad spectrum antibacterial properties of silver nitrate, the antimicrobial, angiogenetic, and epithelial effects of boric acid were aimed to investigate by macroscopically and histopathologically. Thirty-six patients in the silver nitrate group and 44 patients in the boric acid group completed the study. A decrease in wound size and granulation was observed in both groups. Macroscopically, a decrease in wound size reduction, epithelialization and granulation were more prominent in the first group in which boric acid impregnated sponge was used than the second group in which silver sponge was used. Moreover, microscopically, the number of fibroblasts, collagen synthesis, and angiogenesis were significantly increased in Group 1. In this clinical study, the broad-spectrum antimicrobial properties of boric acid and its positive effect on the cells responsible for wound healing were found to be more pronounced compared to silver nitrate sponges. A combination of boric acid sponges with the NPWT system may be an alternative method for chronic wounds.

This cross-sectional study was carried out to investigate the self-perception of primary school students aged 10–14 and their attitudes toward obese children ( n = 693). There was a weak, positive, and highly significant correlation between the mean scores for the overall Attitude Toward Obese Children Scale, the Self-Perception Profile for Children Scale, and the Acceptance of Obese Peers subscale ( p = .000). There was a weak, positive, and highly significant correlation between all the subscales except for the Rejection of Obese Peer and Social Acceptance and Athletic Competence subscales ( p < .01). Self-perception in adolescence is effective throughout life in terms of community mental health. Therefore, it is of great importance to carry out education and awareness-raising studies in schools to gain students positive attitudes and behavior toward individuals with different characteristics.

The molecular prevalence and genotypes of Giardia duodenalis in cattle were investigated. A total of 450 fecal samples were collected from cattle in three provinces of Central Anatolia from August 2017 to July 2019. Genomic DNA was extracted from the fecal samples and used in molecular analysis carried out by nested PCR analyses of the β-giardin (bg) gene of G. duodenalis. Positive samples were further analyzed by nested PCR at two gene loci (triosephosphate isomerase (tpi) and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh)) for genotyping of G. duodenalis isolates. PCR analyses of the bg gene indicated that the overall prevalence of G. duodenalis was 30.2%. However, lower rates were determined with PCR analyses for gdh and tpi loci. The sequence analyses of the bg, gdh, and tpi genes revealed the presence of zoonotic assemblage A and livestock-specific assemblage E. Combined-sequence analyses revealed that assemblage E was the most common in the study area. Our study provides the first data on the wide prevalence of livestock-specific assemblages E in cattle in Turkey. The prevalence of assemblage A in cattle also reveals the importance of cattle for zoonotic transmission of giardiasis in Turkey.

There are lots of concrete columns and beams around in our living cities. Those items are mostly open to aggressively environmental conditions. Mostly, they are deteriorated by sand wind, humidity and other external applications. After a while these beam and columns need to be repaired. Within the scope of this study, for reinforcement of concrete columns, samples were designed and fabricated to be strengthened with carbon fiber reinforced composite materials and conventional concrete encapsulation and followed by, they were put into the axial compression test to determine load carrying performance before column failure. In the first stage of this study, concrete column design and mold designs were completed for a certain load carrying capacity. Later, the columns were exposed to environmental deterioration in order to reduce load carrying capacity. To reinforce these damaged columns, two methods were applied, the one “concrete encapsulation” and the other one “wrapping with carbon fiber /epoxy” material. In the second stage of the study, the reinforced columns were applied to axial compression test and the results obtained were analyzed. Cost and load carrying performance comparisons were made and it is found that even though carbon fiber/epoxy reinforced method is more expensive, this method enhances higher load carrying capacity and reduces reinforcement processing period.

Conventional Mills Cross architecture suffers from poor direction-of-arrival angle estimation accuracy in the dimension that the transmitter is aligned. To improve the estimation accuracy, a space-time coded, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) direction finding method, with complementary codes is presented. The performance of the suggested MIMO Mills Cross architecture has been evaluated by underwater field experiments. Field experiments confirm the feasibility of the proposed approach and illustrate the performance gains. Since the proposed approach does not require any changes in the conventional Mills Cross hardware, the performance improvement can also be realized by a software reconfiguration for existing legacy systems.

Dermanyssus gallinae, the poultry red mite is an obligatory blood-sucking ectoparasite and has been involved in the transmission of several pathogens between both animals and humans. In order to develop effective control strategies against D. gallinae, it is essential to determine their genetic compositions and investigate the potential vector roles of these mites. Therefore, we aimed to analyse the mt-COI gene regions of D. gallinae populations and investigate avian haemosporidian parasites in order to point out their risk potentials for the presence of possible transmission by these mites. In total, 1985 mites were collected from five laying hen breeding facilities in Central Anatolia Region in Turkey. The mt-COI sequence analyses of 100 individual mites identified 6 haplotypes (TD1 to TD6) in three haplogroups. Although the local lineages are common in the region, our findings also support the possibility of international transmission of D. gallinae. A total of 126 pools of D. gallinae were screened for investigation of three genera of avian haemosporidians. In total, five pools from three facilities were identified as positive for species of Plasmodium. These findings provide novel molecular data on the possible vector role of D. gallinae in the transmission of avian haemosporidians and draw attention to the risk potentials in poultry farms.

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a modified fibular flap technique in tibial intercalary defects secondary to tumour. The study included 13 patients diagnosed with osteosarcoma or Ewing sarcoma in the tibia diaphysis between January 2010 and November 2017. The intercalary defect formed in the tibia diaphyseal region was repaired with the combined method of fibular sliding and autoclaved autogenous bone graft. Functional evaluations were made using the Musculoskeletal Tumour Society (MSTS) scoring system. The patients comprised 8 females and 5 males with a mean age of 10 years (range, 7–14 years). The size of the intercalary defect formed was mean 13.6 cm (range, 11–17 cm). The mean operating time was 141 min (range, 131–162 min). Intraoperative blood loss was mean 400 cc (range, 300–500). These 13 patients were followed up for mean 58 months (range, 14–110 months). No infection developed in any patient. The overall mean time for the bone union was 5.4 months (range, 4.4–7.6 months) at the fibula–host junction and 11.6 months (range, 8–14 months) at the allograft–host junction. This technique appears to have significant advantages as an alternative method for the repair of intercalary defects in the tibia. These advantages include that it does not have a long operating time, does not create excessive tissue damage, and does not cause severe complications such as infection. Level of evidence: Level IV, therapeutic study.

© 2022 Elsevier B.V.Colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (ColR-Kp) causes high mortality rates since colistin is used as the last-line antibiotic against multi-drug resistant Gram-negative bacteria. To reduce infections and mortality rates caused by ColR-Kp fast and reliable detection techniques are vital. In this study, we used a label-free surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS)-based sensor with machine learning algorithms to discriminate colistin-resistant and susceptible strains of K. pneumoniae. A total of 16 K. pneumoniae strains were incubated in tryptic soy broth (TSB) for 4 h. Collected SERS spectra of ColR-Kp and colistin susceptible K. pneumoniae (ColS-Kp) have shown some spectral differences that hard to discriminate by the naked eye. To extract discriminative features from the dataset, autoencoder and principal component analysis (PCA) that extract features in a non-linear and linear manner, respectively were performed. Extracted features were fed into the support vector machine (SVM) classifier to discriminate K. pneumoniae strains. Classifier performance was evaluated by using features extracted by each feature extraction techniques. Classification results of SVM classifier with extracted features by an autoencoder (autoencoder-SVM) has shown better performance than SVM classifier with extracted features by PCA (PCA-SVM). The accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, and area under curve (AUC) value of the autoencoder-SVM model were found as 94%, 94.2%, 93.8%, and 0.98, respectively. Furthermore, the autoencoder-SVM model has demonstrated statistically significantly better classifier performance than PCA-SVM in terms of accuracy and AUC values. These results illustrate that non-linear features can be more discriminative than linear ones to determine SERS spectral data of antibiotic-resistant and susceptible bacteria. Our methodological approach enables rapid and high accuracy detection of ColR-Kp and ColS-Kp, suggesting that this can be a promising tool to limit colistin resistance.

© 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.Infections of avian haemosporidian parasites are regularly identified by molecular methods including multiplex PCR, which allows researchers to distinguish mixed infections of parasites from multiple genera. Here we extend the utility of a previously designed multiplex PCR by designing a primer set specific to parasites of the subgenus Haemoproteus (genus: Haemoproteus). The updated one-step multiplex PCR protocol we describe here allows for the detection of the genera Plasmodium and Leucocytozoon and the two subgenera (Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus) of the genus Haemoproteus. A sensitivity analysis showed that the multiplex PCR could amplify DNA of parasites in the subgenus Haemoproteus at very low levels of infection. We used this multiplex PCR to identify haemosporidian infections in 250 adult domestic pigeons (Columba livia) in Turkey. All samples were also screened by microscopy and a widely used nested PCR to compare with the results of multiplex PCR, to detect low levels of parasitemia, and to identify possible abortive infections. In total, 71 pigeons (28.4%) were found to be infected by all three methods. The multiplex PCR protocol successfully detected and discriminated both subgenera Haemoproteus and Parahaemoproteus infections. We compared our results with previous host species records to assess the host specificity of the parasite lineages we found. Our findings provide novel data on the prevalence of avian haemosporidians in domestic pigeons and demonstrate the utility of the new one-step multiplex PCR protocol for the determination of mixed avian haemosporidian infections. We expect that this protocol will contribute to a better understanding of the distribution, epizootiology, and ecology of avian haemosporidians.

Additional file 1: Figure S1. Sequencing coverage across the P. relictum genome. Each graph of the following figure represents the coverage of each non-archived chromosomes (i.e., chromosomes 1–14 and the apicoplast and mitochondrial genomes) from the P. relictum genome (chromosome name appears in upper left-hand side of each graph). Each panel within each of the graphs represents one sample with the sample name above the panel (names follow Additional file 5: Table S2). The y-axes were capped at 1000 sequenced bp (depth of coverage) to represent the low coverage regions at a more appropriate scale. However, the spikes often extended past 1000 bp. The x-axes are measured in kilobase pairs.

Additional file 2: Figure S2. Rarefaction curves of number of probed regions intersected by a read by at least 10 bp as a function of number of reads that mapped to any probed region (assigned reads). A rarefaction curve plotted for each sample showing the number of probed regions intersected by a read from the sample by at least 10 bp in relation to the number of reads that mapped to any probed region (assigned reads) for each sample (the “assigned reads” variable counts the same read more than once if it mapped to more than one probed region). Many of the samples reached asymptotes with relatively high number of probed regions sequenced suggesting more sequencing will not lead to large gains in coverage but may contribute to depth of coverage. Three samples of the parasite lineage SGS1 with parasitemia lower than 1% (1455, 1457, and 1458) group separately from the other SGS1 samples and the rarefaction curves suggest that they had lower numbers of probed regions intersected by a read than the other samples at similar levels of sequencing. This suggests that low parasitemia limited sequence capture success and that this limit likely cannot be fully overcome with greater sequencing. Moreover, sample 51242 (lineage GRW4) had the most sequencing of all the samples (> 15 million total reads; Additional file 5: Table S2), but still had a relatively low number of probed regions intersected by a read and relatively few assigned reads. Sample 51242 also had low parasitemia (< 1%) and represented the most divergent of the lineages (GRW4).

Background Sequencing parasite genomes in the presence of host DNA is challenging. Sequence capture can overcome this problem by using RNA probes that hybridize with the parasite DNA and then are removed from solution, thus isolating the parasite DNA for efficient sequencing. Methods Here we describe a set of sequence capture probes designed to target 1035 genes (c. 2.5 Mbp) of the globally distributed avian haemosporidian parasite, Plasmodium relictum. Previous sequence capture studies of avian haemosporidians from the genus Haemoproteus have shown that sequencing success depends on parasitemia, with low-intensity, chronic infections (typical of most infected birds in the wild) often being difficult to sequence. We evaluate the relationship between parasitemia and sequencing success using birds experimentally infected with P. relictum and kept under laboratory conditions. Results We confirm the dependence of sequencing success on parasitemia. Sequencing success was low for birds with low levels of parasitemia (Plasmodium relictum is composed of multiple lineages defined by their mitochondrial DNA haplotype including three that are widespread (SGS1, GRW11, and GRW4); the probes successfully isolated DNA from all three. Furthermore, we used data from 25 genes to describe both among- and within-lineage genetic variation. For example, two samples of SGS1 isolated from different host species differed by 11 substitutions across those 25 genes. Conclusions The sequence capture approach we describe will allow for the generation of genomic data that will contribute to our understanding of the population genetic structure and evolutionary history of P. relictum, an extreme host generalist and widespread parasite. Graphical Abstract

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate changes in the optic nerve, retina, and retinal vessel parameters in recovered COVID-19 patients and compare to the healthy subjects by using optical coherence tomography (OCT), optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A).METHODS: Fiftysix eyes of 29 patients recovered from COVID-19 infection and 47 eyes of 26 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. COVID-19 patients had to be fully recovered and were evaluated 1-3 months after COVID-19 infection. The primary outcome resulted from OCTA studies of the following vascular structures: vessel density (VD) in the foveal superficial capillary plexus (SFVD), foveal deep capillary plexus (DFVD), parafoveal superficial capillary plexus (SPVD), parafoveal deep capillary plexus (SPVD), radial peripapillary capillaries (RPC), whole disc (WD), inside disc (InD), superior,inferior, nasal, temporal peripapillary retinal VD and foveal avascular zone (FAZ) compared to those of controls. Structural spectral domain (SD)-OCT parameters were also evaluated, foveal macular thickness (FMT), parafoveal macular thickness (PMT), choroidal thickness (CT) and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL).RESULTS: The patients showed a significant reduction in SPVD compared to those in healthy subjects (P=0.008). COVID-19 patients featured an increased CT compared to that in controls (P CONCLUSION: The eye is among the organs affected in COVID-19 infection. OCT and OCTA is a valuable non-invasive method that can be used to monitor the effects of COVID-19 on the retina, choroid and optic disc.

Aim: Macroecological analyses provide valuable insights into factors that influence how parasites are distributed across space and among hosts. Amid large uncertainties that arise when generalizing from local and regional findings, hierarchical approaches applied to global datasets are required to determine whether drivers of parasite infection patterns vary across scales. We assessed global patterns of haemosporidian infections across a broad diversity of avian host clades and zoogeographical realms to depict hotspots of prevalence and to identify possible underlying drivers. Location: Global. Time period: 1994–2019. Major taxa studied: Avian haemosporidian parasites (genera Plasmodium, Haemoproteus, Leucocytozoon and Parahaemoproteus). Methods: We amalgamated infection data from 53,669 individual birds representing 2,445 species world-wide. Spatio-phylogenetic hierarchical Bayesian models were built to disentangle potential landscape, climatic and biotic drivers of infection probability while accounting for spatial context and avian host phylogenetic relationships. Results: Idiosyncratic responses of the three most common haemosporidian genera to climate, habitat, host relatedness and host ecological traits indicated marked variation in host infection rates from local to global scales. Notably, host ecological drivers, such as migration distance for Plasmodium and Parahaemoproteus, exhibited predominantly varying or even opposite effects on infection rates across regions, whereas climatic effects on infection rates were more consistent across realms. Moreover, infections in some low-prevalence realms were disproportionately concentrated in a few local hotspots, suggesting that regional-scale variation in habitat and microclimate might influence transmission, in addition to global drivers. Main conclusions: Our hierarchical global analysis supports regional-scale findings showing the synergistic effects of landscape, climate and host ecological traits on parasite transmission for a cosmopolitan and diverse group of avian parasites. Our results underscore the need to account for such interactions, in addition to possible variation in drivers across regions, to produce the robust inference required to predict changes in infection risk under future scenarios.

Understanding of airflow dynamics in the human pulmonary acinus is important for increasing targeted drug effectiveness and determining the health impact of toxic aerosols. However, there is a lack of quantitative data about the pulmonary airflow in realistic and flexible idealized geometries. This paper aims to numerically analyse the flow field of the pulmonary acinus using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model during transient breathing. Three-dimensional models with rhythmically expanding-contracting alveolar walls were developed for representing the pulmonary region of the human lung. Three different breathing scenarios were applied in the CFD simulations. The results showed that the transient flow conditions determined the transitions between flow types. The recirculating flow in the alveoli was observed for all cases and it was determined that its intensity depended on the breathing scenario. The flow velocity in the alveoli was slower than that of the channel flow. As we moved deeper into the lung, the flow pattern inside the alveoli exhibited a radial velocity profile. It was found that the alveolar flow exhibited a typical stenotic channel flow characteristics. As a result, the acinus models used in this study takes into account the alveolar wall motion based on physiological breathing conditions. To simulate or estimate the airflow dynamics, thus, the results obtained in this study can be easily utilized in the human lung airway models.

The Mediterranean tick, Hyalomma marginatum, is the most important vector of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever virus and several pathogens that cause animal and human diseases and economic losses to livestock production. Given the medical and veterinary importance of this tick species, we sequenced and characterized its mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) for the first time. We designed two new primer sets and combined long-range PCR with next generation sequencing to generate complete mitogenomes with deep coverage from 10 H. marginatum adults. The mitogenomes contained 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNAs (tRNAs), two ribosomal subunits, two control regions, and three tick-box motifs. The nucleotide composition of the H. marginatum mitogenomes were A+T biased (79.76%) and exhibited negative AT- and GC- skews across most PCGs. All PCGs were initiated by ATK codons and two truncated termination codons were seen in the COX2 and COX3 genes. All tRNAs exhibited typical cloverleaf structures, except for tRNACys and tRNASer1. A total of 62 polymorphic sites defined ten unique haplotypes. Phylogenetic analyses based on the 13 PCGs of 56 tick species revealed that four Hyalomma species (H. marginatum, H. asiaticum, H. rufipes, and H. truncatum) formed a monophyletic clade with strong support. The results of this study provide a comprehensive resource for further studies on the systematics, population genetics, molecular epidemiology, and evolution of ticks.

A total of 1340 fresh fecal samples from farm and pet animals in Central Anatolia and the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey were investigated using a PCR assay targeting the SSU rRNA of Blastocystis sp. An overall Blastocystis sp. prevalence of 19.4% (183/940) was found in farm animals, including cattle, sheep, water buffaloes, and chickens. Fecal samples of dogs, cats, and horses were negative. The highest prevalence of Blastocystis sp. was found in sheep (38.2%) among the farm animals. The SSU rRNA sequence analysis revealed two animal-specific subtypes, including ST10 in cattle and sheep and ST14 in water buffaloes. The zoonotic subtype ST7 was identified in chickens. Our results indicated a high prevalence of animal-specific subtypes in livestock and zoonotic subtype ST7 in chickens, highlighting the potential risk of chickens for zoonotic transmission of Blastocystis in the research area. This study is the first large-scale evaluation of Blastocystis in animal hosts in Turkey, and contributes to the molecular epidemiology and genetics of Blastocystis. Our results should be considered by authorities as an indication of the zoonotic importance of Blastocystis sp. and the need for surveillance in public health intervention programs.

Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT) and laser-activated irrigation (LAI) are adjunctive therapies developed to enhance the effectiveness of root canal disinfection. Sealer penetration into dentinal tubules is significant for preventing re-infection, and the sealer's penetration ability is affected by the chemo-mechanical preparation of the root canal. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of aPDT and LAI on dentinal tubule penetration of MTA-based root canal sealer.Forty single-rooted mandibular premolars were divided into four groups (n = 10): control, methylene blue 50 mg/L (MB50), curcumin 500 mg/L (C500), and Er,Cr:YSGG and sodium hypochlorite (LAI). The smear removal efficiency of the groups on intraradicular dentin was evaluated with a scanning electron microscope (SEM). Confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) was performed to determine the depth of penetration of MTA Fillapex into dentinal tubules. Data were analyzed statistically.The maximum penetration depth of the C500 group was significantly higher than that of the other groups in all three levels of root sections (p0.05). Regarding mean penetration depth, the highest values were obtained from the C500 group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the C500 and MB50 groups in the middle and coronal thirds of the root (p0.05). The LAI group showed the lowest penetrated area percentage in the middle and coronal third of the root (p0.05). The C500 and LAI groups were more effective in removing the smear layer than the control and MB50 groups.aPDT could enhance the penetration of MTA-based root canal sealer into dentin tubules.

Autologous fat grafting is a common procedure performed for cosmetic and reconstructive purposes. Unpredictable graft survival is a major drawback, and a variety of improvements on technique such as using antioxidants have been reported to increase retention. The authors examined whether a natural rosemary plant extract known with antioxidant properties, rosmarinic acid, could improve the survival of the adipose tissue. Inguinal fat pads were harvested from 24 Sprague Dawley rats and implanted to the parascapular area. Rats were divided into three groups: rosmarinic acid and ethanol as solvent (RA), ethanol (E), and serum physiologic (C). These substances were administered intraperitoneally daily for 1 week and once a week for 7 weeks. Volume and weight measurements, blood specimens, weight and volume records, and histopathologic examinations were performed and analyzed. The RA group demonstrated lower TOS, TGF-beta, TNF-alpha, and MDA values compared to E and C groups. TGF-beta increase was statistically insignificant, but TOS, TNF-alpha, MDA decrease was found statistically significant. Weight and volume losses were lower in the RA and E groups compared to the C group. The difference between the RA and E groups in terms of weight and volume loss was statistically insignificant. Histopathologically fat necrosis, inflammation, and fibrosis were less in the RA group compared to the E and C groups (p

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) levels in aqueous humor of patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG), pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PES) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG) . Materials and Methods: In this prospective study, MMP-2 levels were measured by immunoassay ELISA method in humorous aqueous samples taken from 117 eyes of 97 patients with PES, PEG, PAAG cases and cataract cases in the control group (CG). Each group was compared with the control group and each other. Results: The mean total MMP-2 levels detected in aqueous humor were 56.69 ± 51.3 ng / ml in the CG, 97.84 ± 81.12 ng / ml in the PES group, 108.00 ± 83.7 ng / ml in the PEG group and 83.89 ± 71.68 ng / ml in the POAG group. Despite the high levels of MMP-2 in the PES, PEG and POAG groups compared with the CG, there was no statistically significant difference for mean MMP-2 levels in aqueous humor between the PES, PEG and PAAG groups. Conclusion: In our study it was found that the mean MMP-2 levels were higher in the PE groups than both CG and POAG group. However, there was no statistically significant difference between the PE group and the POAG group. It has been concluded that the distruption of the MMP-2 turnover may be one of the important mechanisms in PEM accumulation in cases with PE and plays an important role in the IOP increase.

Purpose To determine the early effects of intravitreal anti-VEGF and dexamethasone application on blood flow velocities in patients with retinal vein occlusions. Methods The ophthalmic (OA) and the central retinal arteries (CRAs) of the affected and unaffected eyes of 21 patients with central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO), and 26 patients with branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO) were investigated by Color Doppler imaging (CDI). Peak systolic volume (PSV), end diastolic volume (EDV), and average blood velocity (Vmean) of the CRA and OA were measured and resistive indexes (RI) were calculated at pre-injection and the 1st week and 1st month post-injection. Results There was no statistically significant difference between the OA values for affected and unaffected eyes in the CRVO group before treatment. The CRA, EDV, and Vmean values were significantly lower in affected eyes. Blood flow velocities of both CRA and OA were not significantly different than in the fellow unaffected eyes in the BRVO group. The differences between PSV, EDV, and Vmean measurements of OA and CRA at different times pre- and post-injection in response to anti-VEGF and dexamethasone treatment in the CRVO group were significant; but there was no difference in RI value. OA blood flow velocity measurements were not statistically different post-injection in the BRVO group; however, the values of PSV and EDV of CRA decreased post-injection. Conclusion Intravitreal anti-VEGF and dexamethasone implant may induce retinal arteriolar vasoconstriction in patients with retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we present operation technique and outcomes of transaortic mitral valve repair in high-risk patients undergoing aortic valve replacement due to severe aortic stenosis. METHODS: Between January 2005 and March 2016, a total of 11 patients (7 females, 4 males; mean age 71.2±4.1 years; range, 65 to 77 years) with severe aortic valve stenosis (aortic valve area 5%, left ventricular ejection fraction