Immunohistochemical Expression of Nitric Oxide Synthase Enzymes (iNOS, eNOS, nNOS) in the Estrual and Luteal Phases of the Sexual Cycle in the Cow Oviduct

Oztas, Emin/0000-0002-5573-9932;WOS: 000324379100008PubMed: 23410122This study was aimed to determine staining intensity, cellular localization and distribution of the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) enzymes during the sexual cycle in the cow oviduct. Oviduct samples belonging to 20 cows, 10 of which were in the estrual phase and 10 in the luteal phase of the sexual cycle, were examined by an immunohistochemical procedure to determine the presence of the NOS enzymes. In the epithelial cells of the isthmus, endothelial NOS (eNOS) expression showed a strong positive reaction during the estrual phase and a weak positive reaction during the luteal phase in the endothelium and smooth muscle of the blood vessels found in the serosa and lamina propria. eNOS expression was not observed in the epithelium of either the ampulla or the fimbria in the two particular phases of the sexual cycle. The eNOS reactions observed in the blood vessel wall in these regions were stronger during the estrual phase. eNOS activity was not observed in the tunica muscularis in any of the regions of the oviduct. During the estrual phase, it was observed that inducible NOS expression showed a stronger positive reaction in the epithelium and muscle layer of the isthmus and ampulla and in the epithelium of the fimbria, compared to the luteal phase. Neuronal NOS immunoreactivity was observed in the epithelial cells of all oviduct regions and in the muscle layer of the isthmus and ampulla and did not display any significant difference between the estrual and luteal phases.Ankara UniversityAnkara University [09B33380022008-2010]This study was supported by the Ankara University Scientific Research Project Unit. Project no: 09B33380022008-2010

Ultrastructure of pancreatic alpha and beta cells in young quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica) fed aflatoxin

WOS: 000252486400004PubMed: 18181361The present investigation was undertaken to assess the effects of aflatoxin (AF) containing diets on alpha and beta cells of the endocrine pancreas in young quails by means of light and electron microscopy. A total of thirty quails were divided into 3 groups, each comprising 10 animals. Total AF was incorporated into the diet of these groups, at dosages of 0 (control, group 1), 2.5 (group 2), and 5.0 (group 3) mg AF/kg feed. The chicks were housed in electrically heated battery cages and exposed to light for 24 h from hatching to 3 weeks of age. Quails consumed the diets and water ad libitum. Electron microscopic examinations demonstrated degranulation of alpha cells, decrease in the size and number of secreting granules, and increase in the number of free ribosomes and polisomes in the animals of group 2 and 3. In beta cells, the numbers of free ribosomes and polisomes decreased, whereas the number of mature granules increased in the animals of group 3. Mononuclear cell infiltrates were observed in the periphery of capillaries and around endocrine islets in the experimental groups. Furthermore, capillaries of the animals in group 2 and 3 were dilated at all sides of both alpha and beta islets. According to the results of this study, the addition of aflatoxin to the diets of quails at dosage of 2.5 and 5 mg AF/kg leads to significant changes in pancreatic alpha and beta cells. These changes may exhibit adverse effect on the metabolism of carbohydrates in poultry

Efficient Hardware Implementation of Real-Time Object Tracking

This paper presents a novel hardware architecture for the minimum output sum of squared error (MOSSE) tracker algorithm. The proposed hardware architecture is built using a high-level synthesis (HLS) approach to generate hardware blocks from C++ code. Furthermore, real-time testing and verification are done using an FPGA device fabricated at a 16nm technology node. The microbolometer thermal imaging sensor which has 17 ?m pixel pitch, 640×480 video resolution and 30 frames/second (fps) frame rate is used. Using the HLS tool, the maximum clock frequency and frame rate of 300 MHz and 60 fps are achieved respectively. Generated register transfer level (RTL) and Matlab simulations pose negligible differences between hardware and software implementations. Experimental results reveal that the proposed architecture balances hardware resource utilization and target tracking accuracy for consumer electronics applications. © 2022 IEEE

Field programmable gate arrays implementation of two-point non-uniformity correction and bad pixel replacement algorithms

Kocaeli University;Kocaeli University Technopark2021 International Conference on INnovations in Intelligent SysTems and Applications, INISTA 2021 -- 25 August 2021 through 27 August 2021 -- -- 172175In this paper, the hardware architecture for two-point non-uniformity correction (TPNUC) and bad pixel replacement (BPR) algorithms are presented based on field-programmable gate arrays (FPGA) for infrared focal plane arrays (IRFPA). An efficient hardware architecture modeled using C++ in the High-Level Synthesis (HLS) tool is presented. The design is tested on an FPGA fabricated at a 16 nm technology node. The design achieves a maximum frequency of 300 MHz and one pixel per clock. A thermal camera development platform (FullScale USB3A) with a resolution of 640×480 is used as the source for the raw video. The simulation results from MATLAB and FPGA posed close similarities. © 2021 IEEE

Update on treatment options for spinal brucellosis

We evaluated the efficacy and tolerability of antibiotic regimens and optimal duration of therapy in complicated and uncomplicated forms of spinal brucellosis. This is a multicentre, retrospective and comparative study involving a total of 293 patients with spinal brucellosis from 19 health institutions. Comparison of complicated and uncomplicated spinal brucellosis was statistically analysed. Complicated spinal brucellosis was diagnosed in 78 (26.6%) of our patients. Clinical presentation was found to be significantly more acute, with fever and weight loss, in patients in the complicated group. They had significantly higher leukocyte and platelet counts, erythrocyte sedimentation rates and C-reactive protein levels, and lower haemoglobulin levels. The involvement of the thoracic spine was significantly more frequent in complicated cases. Spondylodiscitis was complicated, with paravertebral abscess in 38 (13.0%), prevertebral abscess in 13 (4.4%), epidural abscess in 30 (10.2%), psoas abscess in 10 (3.4%) and radiculitis in 8 (2.7%) patients. The five major combination regimens were: doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and streptomycin 1g/day; doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and gentamicin 5mg/kg; doxycycline 200mg/day and rifampicin 600mg/day; doxycycline 200mg/day and streptomycin 1g/day; and doxycycline 200mg/day, rifampicin 600mg/day and ciprofloxacin 1g/day. There were no significant therapeutic differences between these antibiotic groups; the results were similar regarding the complicated and uncomplicated groups. Patients were mostly treated with doxycycline and rifampicin with or without an aminoglycoside. In the former subgroup, complicated cases received antibiotics for a longer duration than uncomplicated cases. Early recognition of complicated cases is critical in preventing devastating complications. Antimicrobial treatment should be prolonged in complicated spinal brucellosis in particular

The microbiological diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis: results of Haydarpasa-1 study

We aimed to provide data on the diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) in this largest case series ever reported. The Haydarpasa-1 study involved patients with microbiologically confirmed TBM in Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Syria and Turkey between 2000 and 2012. A positive culture, PCR or Ehrlich-Ziehl-Neelsen staining (EZNs) from the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was mandatory for inclusion of meningitis patients. A total of 506 TBM patients were included. The sensitivities of the tests were as follows: interferon- release assay (Quantiferon TB gold in tube) 90.2%, automated culture systems (ACS) 81.8%, Lowenstein Jensen medium (L-J) 72.7%, adenosine deaminase (ADA) 29.9% and EZNs 27.3%. CSF-ACS was superior to CSF L-J culture and CSF-PCR (p<0.05 for both). Accordingly, CSF L-J culture was superior to CSF-PCR (p<0.05). Combination of L-J and ACS was superior to using these tests alone (p<0.05). There were poor and inverse agreements between EZNs and L-J culture (=-0.189); ACS and L-J culture (=-0.172) (p<0.05 for both). Fair and inverse agreement was detected for CSF-ADA and CSF-PCR (=-0.299, p<0.05). Diagnostic accuracy of TBM was increased when both ACS and L-J cultures were used together. Non-culture tests contributed to TBM diagnosis to a degree. However, due to the delays in the diagnosis with any of the cultures, combined use of non-culture tests appears to contribute early diagnosis. Hence, the diagnostic approach to TBM should be individualized according to the technical capacities of medical institutions particularly in those with poor resources

Central Nervous System Infections In The Absence Of Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis

Previous multicenter/multinational studies were evaluated to determine the frequency of the absence of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in patients with central nervous system infections, as well as the clinical impact of this condition. It was found that 18% of neurosyphilis, 7.9% of herpetic meningoencephalitis, 3% of tuberculous meningitis, 1.7% of Brucella meningitis, and 0.2% of pneumococcal meningitis cases did not display cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis. Most patients were not immunosuppressed. Patients without pleocytosis had a high rate of unfavorable outcomes and thus this condition should not be underestimated.Scopu