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The study aimed to evaluate the carcass trait, meat quality and fatty acid profile of Awassi lambs under cultivated pasture fattening with a concentrated feed (CPF) and intensive fattening (IF) system. A total of 76 male Awassi lambs (36 lambs in the CPF group and 40 in the IF group, 85 days average age) were distributed in complete random design into two experimental groups. The final body weight was lower, but the average daily gain was higher for the lambs on the CPF compared to the lambs on the IF system. There were no significant differences (p>0.05) between CPF and IF system for dressing percentage (50.31 and 51.51%) and shrinkage loss (3.45 and 2.50%), pelvic limb (34.9 and 30.3%), thoracic limb (20.8 and 18.3%), flank (9.4 and 7.6%), neck (4.4 and 5.9%), and LTL section area (15.6 and 13.0 cm2), except for ribs (25.0 and 33.7%), which were higher in the intensive system. Also, meat pH and color value were not changed by the fattening systems. The fatty acid profile of the longissimus thoracis et lumborum muscles was assessed. The significant differences between groups were noted in margaric (1.00 and 1.80), heptadecenoic (0.51 and 0.99), eicosenoic (80.14 and 0.20), and linolenic fatty acids (0.21 and 0,19). In conclusion, the results of this study imply that carcass traits and meat quality were similar between CPF and IF systems in Awassi male lambs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research was conducted to investigate in situ degradation characteristics of maize, sorghum and sorghum- Sudan grass hybrids. whole plant of maize (TTM-815, DK-711), sorghum (SS-506, FS-5) and sorghum × Sudan grass hybrids (P-988, Grazer N2) were grown under semi-arid conditions and harvested at different maturity stages (mid-flowering (MF), milk-line (ML) and hard-dough (HD)) and ensiled. Three replicate silage samples were incubated at 0, 12, 24, 36, 48, 72 and 96 h. in three rumen fistulated Holstein heifers. Effects of species had a large impact on rumen degradation characteristics values (a, b, (a+b), c), effective dry matter degradability (EDMD) and metabolizable energy (ME) MJ/kg for maize (M), sorghum (S) and sorghum × Sudan grass hybrids (SSH) silages. Effective dry matter degradability (EDMD2) of dry matter was found as 286.65, 259.37, 265.0 g/kg for species silages, respectively (P<0.0001). Acid detergent fiber (ADF) was found to be the best single predictor of effective dry matter degradability of sorghum × Sudan grass hybrids silages (P<0.05, R=0.448). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marchalina hellenica is a sap sucking scale insect endemic to the Aegean basin and it has been introduced to several regions in Greece and Turkey to increase pine honey production. It is also considered as a pest since heavy infestation may leave the host trees vulnerable to secondary pests. An understanding of its natural predators would facilitate planning biocontrol programs. Although there are several studies reporting the predators of M. hellenica in its native range, there is no study identifying those in its introduced range. We aimed to determine predators of M. hellenica in Burdur, one of its introduced sites in Turkey. We carried out sampling through regular visits in an M. hellenica-infested locality nearby Burdur Lake. Through field and laboratory observations, we identified 19 species predating upon M. hellenica. Comparing predators reported in previous studies in its native range and those we found in the present study showed that 12 of the species that we found are new reports for the species predating upon M. hellenica. The highest number of predator individuals belonged to the monophagous Neoleucopis kartliana. Myrrha octodecimguttata, Chilocorus bipustulatus and Harmonia quadripunctata were also the most frequently observed predators.

Yarn residual torque or twist liveliness occurs when the twist is imparted to spin the fibers during yarn formation. It causes yarn snarling, which is an undesirable property and can lead the problems for further processes such as weaving and knitting. It affects the spirality of knitted fabrics and skewness of woven fabrics. Generally, yarn residual torque depends on yarn twist, yarn linear density, and fiber properties used. Composite yarns are widely produced to exploit two yarns with different properties such on optimum way at the same time and these yarns can be produced by wrapping sheath fibers around filament core fiber with a certain twist. In this study, the effect of filament fineness used as core component of composite yarn on residual torque was analyzed. Thus, the false twist textured polyester filament yarns with different filament fineness were used to produce composite yarns with different yarn count. The variance analysis was performed to determine the significance of twist liveliness of filament yarns and yarn count on yarn twist liveliness. Results showed that there is a statistically significant differences at significance level of α=0.05 between filament fineness and yarn residual torque of composite yarns.

The paper is devoted to the Dirichlet problem for monotone, in general multivalued, elliptic equations with nonstandard growth condition. The growth conditions are more general than the well-known p⁢(x){p(x)} growth. Moreover, we allow the presence of the so-called Lavrentiev phenomenon. As consequence, at least two types of variational settings of Dirichlet problem are available. We prove results on the existence of solutions in both of these settings. Then we obtain several results on the convergence of certain types of approximate solutions to an exact solution.

The research was carried out to determine the effect of bacterial inoculant (Lactobacillus)buncheri) on the chemical composition and the quality of the silages prepared from different forage crops and their mixtures. Sole silage of alfalfa, white clover, common vetch, soybean, chickpea, perinnal rygrass, wheat, triticale, oat and wild mustard, furthermore 15 different silageItype obtained from different proportions mixture such as (vetch 50%Itritikale 50%, vetch 50%Iwheat 50%, vetch 50%Ioat 50%, perinnel rygrass 60%Iwhite clover 40%, alfalfa 50%Iwheat50%) and Lactobacillus)buncheri doses of 5x105 CFU/g/fresh material were used as matarials in the research. The following measurment were recorded on silage materials: Crude protein ratio (CPR), neutral detergen fiber (NDF), acid detergant fiber (ADF), pH, degistieble dry matter ratio (DDMR) and relative feed value (RFV). Interaction of the spices, their mixtures and application of the inoculant in all examined traits were found statistically significant. Furthermore, all examined traits were statistically significantly influenced by application of the inoculant. Application of L. buncheri inoculant producing acetic acid decreased (CP ratio, DDMR and RFV) the silage and forage quality features, but increased NDF, ADF and pH ratioIas a result, it was determined that these application had a positive effect on the quality of the silage. Also, It was determined that wild mustard (Sinapsis)arvensis) may be used as a forage crop to make silage or added certain amount in rations due to contein high CPR, DDMR, RFV and low ratio NDF and ADF. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study defoliation damage in Taurus cedar (Cedrus libani A. Rich) stands in Turkey (Isparta region) caused by cedar shoot moth (Dichelia cedricola Diakonoff - Lep.: Tortricidae) was examined using multi-temporal Landsat data. Undamaged, low-damaged and heavily-damaged areas were located by assessing the variation of the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index derived from satellite imagery. Threshold boundaries for different damage levels were defined using mean NDVI values obtained from sub-areas spanning over the whole range of NDVI values. The reliability of the classification based on damages was statistically tested by comparing mean annual ring widths measured on increment cores extracted from sample trees exposed to different damage levels. Significant differences were found in mean annual ring widths among different areas previously classified based on NDVI data. Mean annual ring width in 2001 (an outbreak year) was 1.64 mm for undamaged area, 1.04 mm for low-damaged area, and 0.54 mm for heavily-damaged area. These findings indicate that damage mapping and monitoring mass damage caused by insect defoliation in Taurus cedar stands can be performed remotely by using NDVI values and Landsat TM data.

In this study, particle decay in a cleanroom is investigated numerically. A commercial CFD package, FLUENT, is used in the analysis. The governing equations are solved by using the k-å turbulence model. For particle dispersion, the discrete phase model (DPM) is applied. Four different air change rates (3-10-25-43 ACH) with three particle diameters (0,5-5-10 ìm) are considered. It is shown that 10 ACH satisfies the needs in terms of recovery time.

Bacteria-carrying particles released by surgical staff are the main factors leading to surgical site infections (SSI). Operating rooms must be designed to reduce risks of such infections. In this numerical study, the effect of different ceiling heights on particle dispersion and deposition are studied for an operating room with laminar airflow (LAF) system. Two different particle diameters (12 and 20 ìm) are tested under three different ceiling heights (2.43–2.8–3.0 m) at a constant air change rate (ACH=20). Numerical predictions are performed by using the commercial software ANSYS Fluent 16.0. The results reveal that decreasing of the ceiling height reduces the amount of particle deposited on the surgical table.

The present paper deals with an anisotropic Kirchhoff problem under homogeneous Dirichlet boundary conditions, set in a bounded smooth domain of ℝN (). The problem studied is a stationary version of the original Kirchhoff equation, involving the anisotropic -Laplacian operator, in the framework of the variable exponent Lebesgue and Sobolev spaces. The question of the existence of weak solutions is treated. Applying the Mountain Pass Theorem of Ambrosetti and Rabinowitz, the existence of a nontrivial weak solution is obtained in the anisotropic variable exponent Sobolev space , provided that the positive parameter λ that multiplies the nonlinearity f is small enough.

The purpose of this academic study is to compare some anthropometric characteristics of the women in respect of their playing football or not and waist. For this purpose, 63 women included 34 not doing sports and 29 playing football for different clubs in Van are incorporated into the study . The control group is choosen among the students of Yüzüncü Yıl University. Human subjects’ average height is 160,62 ± 5,52 cm, average age is 19,87± 2,50 year and average weight is 54,78± 9,26 kg. Average sport history of the persons playing sport has been identified to be 4,31± 2,22 year. Besides, the girt of breast, waist, hip, thighbone, calf has been measured. Vertical jumping, left and right hand grip strengths, resting heart pulse, body fat percentage, body fat mass, body mass index values were measured. For analysing these values, One- Way Anova and t test were used. Consequently, it has been detected that there is significant difference on behalf of the women playing sport in vertical jumping length of football players and sedentery ones, at a level of p

Abstract Background SLIT-ROBO families of proteins mediate axon pathfinding and their expression is not solely confined to nervous system. Aberrant expression of SLIT-ROBO genes was repeatedly shown in a wide variety of cancers, yet data about their collective behavior in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is missing. Hence, we quantified SLIT-ROBO transcripts in HCC cell lines, and in normal and tumor tissues from liver. Methods Expression of SLIT-ROBO family members was quantified by real-time qRT-PCR in 14 HCC cell lines, 8 normal and 35 tumor tissues from the liver. ANOVA and Pearson's correlation analyses were performed in R environment, and different clinicopathological subgroups were pairwise compared in Minitab. Gene expression matrices of cell lines and tissues were analyzed by Mantel's association test. Results Genewise hierarchical clustering revealed two subgroups with coordinate expression pattern in both the HCC cell lines and tissues: ROBO1, ROBO2, SLIT1 in one cluster, and ROBO4, SLIT2, SLIT3 in the other, respectively. Moreover, SLIT-ROBO expression predicted AFP-dependent subgrouping of HCC cell lines, but not that of liver tissues. ROBO1 and ROBO2 were significantly up-regulated, whereas SLIT3 was significantly down-regulated in cell lines with high-AFP background. When compared to normal liver tissue, ROBO1 was found to be significantly overexpressed, while ROBO4 was down-regulated in HCC. We also observed that ROBO1 and SLIT2 differentiated histopathological subgroups of liver tissues depending on both tumor staging and differentiation status. However, ROBO4 could discriminate poorly differentiated HCC from other subgroups. Conclusion The present study is the first in comprehensive and quantitative evaluation of SLIT-ROBO family gene expression in HCC, and suggests that the expression of SLIT-ROBO genes is regulated in hepatocarcinogenesis. Our results implicate that SLIT-ROBO transcription profile is bi-modular in nature, and that each module shows intrinsic variability. We also provide quantitative evidence for potential use of ROBO1, ROBO4 and SLIT2 for prediction of tumor stage and differentiation status.

Abstract In view of variational approach, we discuss a nonlinear elliptic system involving the -Laplacian. Establishing the suitable conditions on the nonlinearity, we proved the existence of nontrivial solutions.

There is currently a lack of research on the application of newly developed irrigation techniques in root canal treatment of primary teeth. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of various irrigation activation techniques on two key parameters: apical debris extrusion (ADE) and dentinal tubule penetration depth (DTPD) of the root canal filling material. A total of 96 primary mandibular second molars were randomly divided into 4 groups: Group 1-Conventional Needle Irrigation (CNI), Group 2-XP-Endo Finisher (XPF), Group 3-EndoActivator (EA), and Group 4-Passive Ultrasonic Irrigation (PUI). In all groups, the One Reci single-file system was used for root canal preparation. For ADE measurement, each group was rinsed with distilled water. For DTPD assessment, sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl) was applied. ADE quantification was performed by collecting debris in pre-weighed Eppendorf tubes. A combination of fluorescent dye and root canal filling material (DiaPex Plus) was used for root canal filling. In order to examine DTPD, horizontal cross-sections of the coronal and apical regions of the teeth were taken with a thickness of 1 mm. The maximum and mean DTPD was examined by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Data were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis, One-way ANOVA, and Mann-Whitney U tests ( p = 0.05). As a result, PUI had the highest mean ADE and CNI had the lowest mean ADE, while CNI had the highest mean DTPD in both the coronal and apical regions, whereas PUI had the lowest mean DTPD in the coronal region, and EA had the lowest mean DTPD in the apical region. There were no statistically significant differences in DTPD and ADE among the four groups. Comparing intragroup maximum DTPD across all groups, it was significantly higher in the coronal region than in the apical region ( p < 0.05). ADE and DTPD of root canal filling materials in primary teeth did not differ significantly among CNI, XPF, EA and PUI irrigation activation techniques., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (©2024 The Author(s). Published by MRE Press.)

Purpose: OXA-48 producing Klebsiella pneumoniae is an emerging threat and outbreaks due to specific sequence types have been commonly reported. Here, we report an outbreak due to multidrug-resistant ST395 K. pneumoniae ST395. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first outbreak of K. pneumoniae ST395 harbouring bla OXA-48 genes in our country., Methods: The strains were characterized by antimicrobial susceptibility, extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and carbapenemase production, plasmid-mediated colistin, high-level aminoglycoside, and quinolone resistance. Also multidrug efflux pumps and porin coding genes were investigated. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), multilocus sequence typing (MLST), wzi typing and plasmid analysis were used for the epidemiological relationships., Results: All strains were positive for bla OXA-48 with at least one of the β-lactamase genes (bla CTX-M , bla TEM , bla SHV ) and harboured IncL plasmids. 16 of 20 (80%) isolates carried qnrA. All isolates were positive for aac(6')-1b, acrAB-tolC, ompK35, and ompK36 genes but none of them harboured 16s rRNA methyltransferase, mcr-1-5, qepA, oqxAB, and mdtK genes. All strains had the same PFGE pattern, that is, wzi type K2 and found to be ST395 with MLST., Conclusion: The association of ST395 with OXA-48-producers could be an emerging threat for Turkey and continuous monitoring is crucial to prevent the spread of these powerful strains., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None declared., (Copyright © 2023 Indian Association of Medical Microbiologists. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Cytokine storm is an important cause of death in COVID-19 patients. A recent clinical study showed that administration of recombinant interferon lambda 1 (IFN-λ1 or IL-29) may prevent severe COVID-19. On the other hand, IL-6 has been associated as a prognostic marker of worsening for COVID-19 patients. The objective of this study is to screen IFN-λ1, IL-6 and antibody levels in consecutive serum sample sets of COVID-19 patients. A total of 365 serum samples collected from 208 hospitalized COVID-19 patients were analyzed for IFN-λ1 and IL-6 levels as well as SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies and anti-S1 IgG antibodies. Analyses of serum samples for cytokine levels showed that IFN-λ1 (>8 pg/mL) and IL-6 (>2 pg/mL) were detected in approximately 64% and 21% patients, respectively. A decrement in IFN-λ1 levels and IL-6 levels above 35 pg/mL can be sign of clinical severity and upcoming dead. An increment in IL-6 levels wasn't detected in every COVID-19 patient but a decrement in IL-6 levels was related to clinical improvement. Importantly, the detection of IFN-λ1 level together with an increase in anti-S1 IgG antibody response were observed in clinically improved patients. Screening severe COVID-19 patients for IFN-λ1, IL-6, and anti-S1 IgG antibody levels during their hospital stay especially in intensive care units may be beneficial to monitor the clinical status and management of treatment strategies. Importantly, detection of IFN-λ1 together with protective IgG antibody response can be an indication of clinical improvement in severe COVID-19 patients and these patients may be discharged from the hospital soon., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of concentrate-based feeding (CF) and artificial pasture-based grazing (APG) management systems on milk yield, fatty acids, nutritional indices, and milk physicochemical characteristics of Awassi ewes. The research involved 300 heads of Awassi ewes, which were divided into two groups. Awassi sheep were managed in a CF and APG system to test the milk yield characteristics. The results showed a significant ( P < 0.01 ) difference in milk yield and lactation length between CF and APG management systems of ewes. The average daily milk yield showed a nonsignificant difference for both management systems, and no significant changes ( P > 0.05 ) in the chemical composition of CF and APG management systems were observed. Palmitic (C16:0), myristic (C14:0), stearic (C18:0) capric (C10:0), and lauric (C12:0) acids were the major saturated fatty acids found in milk from both management systems. The level of linoleic acid (C18:2 n-6) was significantly different in both treatments ( P < 0.05 ), but the linolenic (C18:3 n-3) acid level was nonsignificant in milk from the CF and APG management systems. The hypocholesterolemic / hypercholesterolemic (h / H) fatty acid and thrombogenicity (TI) ratios were significantly different ( P < 0.05 ); however, the atherogenicity (AI) had no significant difference between confined and grazing systems. In conclusion, it can be said that the lactation length and lactation milk yield were prolonged by the APG management system, though the milk composition and quality were not significantly affected., Competing Interests: The contact author has declared that none of the authors has any competing interests., (Copyright: © 2022 Ayhan Ceyhan et al.)

Aims & Objectives: This study was conducted with family members of patients' in the intensive care unit (ICU) to identify their anxiety level, social support and satisfaction with the ICU., Background: Admission of critical patients to the ICU usually involves the participation of family members., Design: A descriptive-correlational design was used and reported according to the STROBE checklist., Methods: The sample consisted of 250 family members in ICUs in a city of Turkey. Data were collected by the Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and the Family Satisfaction in the Intensive Care Unit scale., Results: A negative correlation was found between family satisfaction of the ICU and state anxiety (r = -0.349, p < 0.001), and a negative relationship between the satisfaction of the ICU and trait anxiety of the participants (r = -0.151, p < 0.05). There was a significant relationship between the state anxiety level (Adjusted R² = 0.080, F = 8.247, p < 0.001), trait anxiety level (Adjusted R² = 0.185, F = 19.821, p < 0.001), the perceived social support (Adjusted R² = 0.094, F = 9.640, p < 0.001) and satisfaction (Adjusted R² = 0.013, F = 4.161, p < 0.001) of family members and their sociodemographic characteristics., Conclusions: The study concluded that anxiety levels of relatives of the families were high, their social support and satisfaction with the intensive care unit were at a moderate level. There was a correlation between anxiety levels, satisfaction with the intensive care unit, and the perceived social support of families., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Holistic care for the psychosocial needs of families who have a member in the ICU should be planned to increase satisfaction. Nurses should observe families closely for anxiety, allow them to ask questions and include them in the care of their family member., (© 2021 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objective: Lutetium-177 (Lu 177 ) prostate-specific membrane antigen (Lu 177 PSMA) is a novel targeted treatment for patients with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The purpose of the study was to determine the molecular volumetric Gallium-68 (Ga 68 ) PSMA PET/CT parameters that can predict patients who will respond to treatment., Methods: These single-center retrospective data were obtained from metastatic CRPC patients receiving intravenous 6.0-8.5 GBq Lu 177 PSMA treatment every 6-8 weeks for a maximum of 3-8 cycles, with baseline Ga 68 PSMA PET/CT scan, clinical data, and information on treatment responses. All lesions were divided into two groups according to the increase and decrease in PSMA expression levels of 600 bone lesions and 85 lymph nodes that were compatible with metastasis of 23 patients after the treatment. The primary endpoint of our study was the evaluation of the relation between the baseline SUVmax, PSMA TV, TL PSMA values, and the treatment response of the two groups. The threshold values were determined for the parameters that had significant relations. In the present study, the prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response and treatment-induced toxicities were also evaluated as the secondary endpoint., Results: It was found that SUVmax, PSMA TV, and TL PSMA values in bone metastases showed significant differences between the groups with decreased and increased PSMA expression levels after the treatment. The AUC value for SUVmax was significant (AUC = 0.677; p < 0.001). The cutoff value was > 10.50 (sensitivity = 91.8%, Specificity = 41.5%) for SUVmax, > 1.50 cm 3 (sensitivity = 49.1%, specificity = 70%) for PSMA TV and > 8.50 g (sensitivity = %60.9, specificity = %72.2) for TL PSMA. The median SUVmax value before the treatment in all metastatic lymph nodes was found to be 7.1 (5.4-12.4), and the median SUVmax after the treatment was 2.5 (1.6-12.1) (p < 0.001)., Conclusion: It was shown in the present study that Lu 177 PSMA treatment response may be higher in CRPC patients with metastatic bone lesion with high baseline PSMA expression level, and better treatment response may be achieved in patients with lymph node metastases than in bone metastases., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to The Japanese Society of Nuclear Medicine.)

Objectives: The metabolic activities of tumors can be calculated volumetrically during positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging using metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG). This study aimed to evaluate the roles of MTV and TLG in predicting the malignancy risk of incidental thyroid nodules detected by PET/CT imaging., Methods: Active metabolic areas of each section were manually drawn by region of interest to calculate the MTV of nodules, and all obtained values were then summed. TLG, the product of mean standardized uptake value and MTV, was calculated by multiplying two values. All participants underwent thyroid ultrasonography imaging. All nodules were divided into risk classes according to the European Thyroid Image Reporting and Data System (EU-TIRADS) that was developed by the European Thyroid Association. The American Thyroid Association Guidelines were used to determine which thyroid nodules would undergo thyroid fine-needle biopsy (FNAB). Results were classified according to the Bethesda scoring system., Results: TLG levels were significantly higher in malignant or malignant-suspicious nodules than in benign nodules (p=0.013). Although MTV levels were high in malignant or malignant-suspicious nodules than in benign and non-diagnostic nodules, it was statistically insignificant at limit values (p=0.079). Areas under curve (AUC) were 0.726 (p=0.005) and AUC: 0.668 (p=0.039) for TLG and MTV, respectively. The 2.3 g cut-off value of TLG has a sensitivity of 85.7% and specificity of 59.0%. The 1.7 mL cut-off value of MTV has a sensitivity of 78.6% and specificity of 60.4%., Conclusion: We believe that TLG evaluation will be useful in predicting high-risk malignancy or malignancy suspicion based on EU-TIRADS risk classification of incidental thyroid nodules detected in PET/CT images. We believe that unnecessary thyroid FNABs can be avoided for thyroid incidental nodules if such relation and cut-off values are determined and that it will be useful in hastening the operation of the necessary patients.

Myroides spp. are low-grade opportunistic pathogens. Outbreaks due to Myroides spp. have rarely been described in the literature to date. We report a healthcare-associated outbreak of urinary tract infections (UTIs), caused by Myroides odoratimimus, in a Turkish hospital. As of March 2019 until May 2019, 6 strains of M. odoratimimus were isolated from the urine samples of patients, all of whom were hospitalized in intensive care units. After identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing using the VITEK 2 system, MALDI-TOF-MS and 16S rRNA-based sequencing methods were performed for confirmation and species-level identification. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) was performed in order to investigate the clonal relatedness of the isolates. All the patients were immunocompromised and underwent urinary catheterization. None of the patients had urinary neoplasm, surgery, or calculi. VITEK 2 and MALDI-TOF-MS systems revealed that the isolates belonged to the Myroides genus; however, the aforementioned systems neglected to identify the isolates at the species level. The isolates were all successfully identified as M. odoratimimus through 16S rRNA-based sequencing. The isolates were resistant to every antibiotic tested. All isolates had an indistinguishable PFGE pattern, thus indicating cross-transmission between cases. Although M. odoratimimus is rarely isolated from human specimens, clinicians should be aware of its ability to cause UTIs and infectious outbreaks.

Objective: In this study, the accuracy of bedside thoracic ultrasonography (TUSG) performed by emergency physicians with patients in the supine position was compared with that of thoracic computed tomography (TCT) for the determination of thoracic injuries due to trauma., Methods: Patients who suffered the multiple traumas, whose thoracic trauma was identified on physical examination or TCT imaging were included in the study. TUSG was performed following a physical examination by the emergency physician who managed the trauma patient. Subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax, pulmonary contusions (PCs), hemothorax, pericardial effusion and tamponade, sternal and clavicular fractures and rib fractures were identified by TUSG. TCT imaging was performed after the ultrasonography examination was completed., Results: Eighty-one patients were included in the study. TCT scans showed subcutaneous emphysema in 16 (19.8%) patients, pneumothorax in 21 (25.9%), PCs in 27 (33.3%), hemothorax in 20 (24.7%), sternum and clavicular fractures in 6 (7.4%) and rib fractures in 21 (25.9%). The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography varied for detecting the following pathologies: subcutaneous emphysema (56% and 95%), pneumothorax (86% and 97%), hemothorax (45% and 98%), PCs (63% and 91%), sternal fractures (83% and 97%), clavicular fractures (83% and 100%) and rib fractures (67% and 98%), respectively., Conclusion: In conclusion, ultrasound was found to be highly specific but only moderately sensitive for the identification of thoracic injuries., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial activity and occurrence of bacteriocin structural genes in Enterococcus spp. isolated from different cheeses and also investigate some of their virulence factors. Enterococcus strains were isolated from 33 different cheeses. Enterococcus faecium (6 strains) and Enterococcus faecalis (5 strains) enterocin-producing strains were identified by 16S rDNA analyses. Structural genes entA, entB, entP and entX were detected in some isolates. Multiple enterocin structural genes were found in 7 strains. None of the tested enterococci demonstrated anyβ-haemolytic activity and only one strain had gelatinase activity. Six strains showed multiple antibiotic resistance patterns and in addition, vanA and several virulence genes were detected in many strains. Only E. faecalis MBE1-9 showed tyrosine decarboxylase activity and tdc gene was detected only in this strain.

In this multicenter prospective cohort study, it was aimed to evaluate the bacterial and viral etiology in community-acquired central nervous system infections by standart bacteriological culture and multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods. Patients hospitalized with central nervous system infections between April 2012 and February 2014 were enrolled in the study. Demographic and clinical information of the patients were collected prospectively. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples of the patients were examined by standart bacteriological culture methods, bacterial multiplex PCR (Seeplex meningitis-B ACE Detection (Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, Listeria monocytogenes, Group B streptococci) and viral multiplex PCR (Seeplex meningitis-V1 ACE Detection kits herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV1), herpes simplex virus-2 (HSV2), varicella zoster virus (VZV), cytomegalovirus (CMV), Epstein Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus 6 (HHV6)) (Seeplex meningitis-V2 ACE Detection kit (enteroviruses)). Patients were classified as purulent meningitis, aseptic meningitis and encephalitis according to their clinical, CSF (leukocyte level, predominant cell type, protein and glucose (blood/CSF) levels) and cranial imaging results. Patients who were infected with a pathogen other than the detection of the kit or diagnosed as chronic meningitis and other diseases during the follow up, were excluded from the study. A total of 79 patients (28 female, 51 male, aged 42.1 ± 18.5) fulfilled the study inclusion criteria. A total of 46 patients were classified in purulent meningitis group whereas 33 were in aseptic meningitis/encephalitis group. Pathogens were detected by multiplex PCR in 41 patients. CSF cultures were positive in 10 (21.7%) patients (nine S.pneumoniae, one H.influenzae) and PCR were positive for 27 (58.6%) patients in purulent meningitis group. In this group one type of bacteria were detected in 18 patients (14 S.pneumoniae, two N.meningitidis, one H.influenzae, one L.monocytogenes). Besides, it is noteworthy that multiple pathogens were detected such as bacteria-virus combination in eight patients and two different bacteria in one patient. In the aseptic meningitis/encephalitis group, pathogens were detected in 14 out of 33 patients; single type of viruses in 11 patients (seven enterovirus, two HSV1, one HSV2, one VZV) and two different viruses were determined in three patients. These data suggest that multiplex PCR methods may increase the isolation rate of pathogens in central nervous system infections. Existence of mixed pathogen growth is remarkable in our study. Further studies are needed for the clinical relevance of this result.

Objective: In this study, we aimed to identify oxidative stress and the disruption in the oxidant-antioxidant balance in the acute phase of stroke and, therefore, to detect markers that will guide in the diagnosis and treatment of stroke., Materials and Methods: Eighty-six patients who were admitted to Antalya Training and Research Hospital Emergency Department between June 2013 and December 2013 and who were diagnosed as having stroke were enrolled in this study. The control group consisted of 40 healthy volunteers. Blood samples collected from all participants were screened for albumin, ischemic modified albumin (IMA), IMA/albumin ratio (IMAR), total antioxidant status, total oxidant status (TOS), and oxidative stress index (OSI)., Results: Sixty (70%) patients were diagnosed as having acute cerebral infarction (ACI) and 26 (30%) as having acute intracerebral hemorrhage (AIH). Statistically significant difference was found between AIH and control groups in terms of albumin, IMAR, TOS, OSI levels (P < .001, P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). Statistically significant difference was found between ACI and control groups in terms of albumin, IMA, IMAR, TOS, and OSI levels (P < .001, P = .045, P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively). There was no difference between ACI patients with detected acute infarcts on cranial computed tomographic scans (n = 31) and ACI patients with normal cranial computed tomography results (n = 29) in terms of oxidant-antioxidant levels. There was a significant difference between patients admitted within 3 hours and healthy adults regarding the levels of IMAR, TOS, and OSI (P < .001, P < .001, and P < .001, respectively)., Discussion and Conclusion: It was seen that oxidant-antioxidant balance was impaired in favor of oxidants in ACI and AIH. In addition, impairment in oxidant-antioxidant balance was found in the early stages of ACI. Therefore, these biomarkers can be used especially in the early diagnosis of thrombolytic therapy candidates in ACI., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Acute pulmonary embolism (PE) carries a high risk of morbidity and mortality. Delays in diagnosis or therapy may result in sudden, fatal deterioration; therefore, rapid diagnosis and an appropriate therapeutic approach are needed. We aimed to investigate the effect of delaying thrombolytic administration on the mortality rate in a suspected PE. We retrospectively analyzed 49 consecutive patients who were aged 18 years or older and received thrombolysis for a high-risk PE without a major contraindication. All patients were classified according to the time of onset of the thrombolytic therapy. Patients experiencing cardiopulmonary arrest were analyzed from the time of admission to thrombolytic administration with 10-minute cutoff values. Data were analyzed by a regression analysis and a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis for significant and independent associated risk factors and in-hospital mortality. Mortality was seen in 17 of the 49 cases. Thirteen of these had received thrombolytic therapy 1 hour after their emergency department (ED) admission. Among all cases, the mortality rate was 35%. The ROC analysis indicated that a > 97-second delayed thrombolytic administration time was associated with mortality with 53% sensitivity and 91% specificity (area under the curve, 0.803; 95% confidence interval, 0.668-0.938). In the logistic regression, a 5-minute delay in thrombolytic therapy (beta = 1.342; 95% confidence interval, 1.818-2.231; p = 0.001) was associated with in-hospital mortality in the multivariable model. No major bleeding complications were seen in PE survivors. We conclude that early onset thrombolytic therapy in the ED for high-risk and hemodynamically worsening patients appears safe and life-saving., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Taiwan.)

Objective: The objective of the study was to compare the efficacy of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) and computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of the fracture of the bones that form the elbow joint and the determination of treatment method in elbow injuries., Methods: Forty-nine patients aged 5 to 65 years, who were admitted with low-energy elbow injuries, had at least 1 fracture of the elbow joint bones, and underwent CT scanning, were included in this study. Before the initiation of the study, orthopedic surgeons and emergency physicians determined a common treatment based on the fracture characteristics. Patients were first evaluated with direct radiography, and then with POCUS by trained emergency physicians. Emergency physicians made treatment decisions based on the ultrasonography results. Then, CT scans were performed. The CT images were interpreted by radiologists. Orthopedic surgeons made treatment decisions based on the CT interpretations., Results: Forty-nine patients with elbow injury were included in the study. Eighteen (37%) patients were women, and 31 (63%) were men. The mean age was 21 ± 15 years. Compared with CT, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of POCUS in fracture detection were 97%, 88%, 94%, and 93%, respectively. Although the sensitivity and specificity of POCUS in the decision for reduction were 95% and 100%, respectively, it was 93% and 100% in the decision for surgery., Conclusion: In conclusion, POCUS was shown to be successfully applied in the diagnosis and management of elbow injuries, in which direct radiography was inefficient and CT scans were required., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)