Investigation of therapeutic effect of Saccharomyces boulardii and translocation in immunsupressed rats infected with Shigella sonnei

Aim: To investigate the therapeutic effects of Saccharomyces boulardii (S. boulardii) and detect blood and tissue penetrations of S. boulardii and Shigella sonnei (S. sonnei) in immunocompromised rats infected with S. sonnei. Methods: Forty rats were divided into four groups: Group A (immunosuppressed, not-treated); Group B (immunosuppressed, treated-with- S. boulardii); Group C (immunosuppressed, infected-with-S.sonnei, treated-with- S. boulardii); Group D (immunosuppressed, infected-with-S. sonnei). After taking samples for blood cultures, the rats were sacrificed. Large bowel, liver, spleen and mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) were removed for microbiological examination. Results: S. boulardii in group B and S. sonnei in group D were isolated from blood in some rats. Statistical analysis of our data, showed that the numbers of translocated colonies in the liver and spleen were relatively higher for S. boulardii in Group B and for S. sonnei in Group D, without reaching levels of statistical significance. For MLN, colony counts in Group B was higher than Group C and A showing statistical significance. Conclusion: The administration of S. boulardii showed promising results for the therapy of S. sonnei infection in immunosuppressed rats, but therapeutic usage of S. boulardii should be carefully assessed by taking into consideration the risk it poses versus potential benefits in risk groups

Evaluation of the Prevalence of Incidental HBV, HCV and HIV Infection Among Patients Presenting to the Emergency Department: A Prospective Cross-sectional Study

Aim: In this study, we randomized the patients without known hepatitis-B, hepatitis C and HIV infection who presented to the emergency department (ED). We measured the serum levels of HBsAg, Anti-HCV and Anti-HIV antibodies besides biochemical tests regarding the diagnostic process of the main complaint resulting in presentation to the ED. In this way, we aimed to determine the prevalence of occult chronic viral diseases among patients presenting to the ED and the risk of ED employees was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The study included 800 patients who had presented to the ED for any reason over two month and who had no history of infectious viral disease. Results: Four hundred and thirthy-four (54.2%) of the patients were male, 366 (45.8%) were female, and the mean age was 32.7 (+/- 16.9) years. The rate of presence of a person with an infectious viral disease at the patient's home was 1%, 0.5% and 0.0% for HBV, HCV, and HIV, respectively. The overall history of HBV vaccination was 15.5% in our study sample. HBsAg, anti-HCV and HIV-positivity were 2%, 0.8% and 0.0%, respectively. Conclusion: The prevalence of HBV- and HCV-positivity in patients admitted to the ED who did not have any known chronic viral disease was consistent with the general population prevalence. No significant change in the prevalence of HCV compared to previous years can be explained by the absence of a protective vaccine. The absence of HIV-positivity can be explained by the low rate of HIV-positivity in our country

Investigation of a healthcare-associated candida infections in a Turkish intensive care unit: risk factors, therapy and clinical outcome

Aim: Candida infections develop especially in intensive care unit (ICU) patients and increase the mortality rates. So, early and accurate diagnosis of Candida infections and determination of risk factors are very important. We aimed to retrospectively investigate Candida infections in terms of species and risk factors for candidemia caused by fungi. Methods: Candida infections in critically ill patients hospitalized in the ICU between January 2014 and December 2018 at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Training and Research Hospital were retrospectively analyzed. The isolated Candida species were evaluated according to the sample types. The cases were investigated in terms of mortality due to candidiasis, previously used antibiotics and isolated Candida species. Results: 34 Candida species isolated from fungal cultures in ICUs were included in the study. Candida albicans (73.5%) was the most prevalent species isolated (NAC 26.5%). Patients with Candida isolated in their urine samples (76%) had a higher mortality rate than patients with Candida from other regions. Conclusion: The results of our study suggest that the highest rate of candidiasis (88%) is in patients who received beta-lactam antibiotic treatment. In addition, we think that when Candida species are detected in the urine samples of critically ill patients in the ICU, care should be taken in terms of candidiasis

The effects of desert dust storms, air pollution, and temperature on morbidity due to spontaneous abortions and toxemia of pregnancy: 5-year analysis

Epidemiological studies have suggested an association between particulate air pollution, increased temperatures, and morbidity related to pregnancy outcomes. However, the roles of desert dust storms and climatological factors have not been fully addressed. The objectives of the present study were to investigate the association between desert dust storms, particulate matter with a diameter <= 10 mu m (PM10), daily temperatures, and toxemia of pregnancy and spontaneous abortion in Gaziantep, South East Turkey. The study was conducted retrospectively at emergency department of two hospitals in Gaziantep city. Data from January 1, 2009, to March 31, 2014, were collected. Patients, who were diagnosed with toxemia of pregnancy and spontaneous abortion by radiological imaging modalities, were included in the study. Daily temperature ranges, mean temperature values, humidity, pressure, wind speed, daily PM10 levels, and records of dust storms were collected. A generalized additive regression model was designed to assess variable effects on toxemia of pregnancy and spontaneous abortion, while adjusting for possible confounding factors. Our findings demonstrated that presence of dust storms was positively associated with the toxemia of pregnancy both in outpatient admissions (OR=1.543 95% CI=1.186-2.009) and inpatient hospitalizations (OR=1.534; 95% CI=1.162-2.027). However, neither PM10 nor maximum temperature showed a marked association with spontaneous abortion or toxemia of pregnancy in our study population. Our findings suggest that desert dust storms may have an impact on the risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes such as toxemia of pregnancy. Health authorities should take necessary measures to protect pregnant women against detrimental effects of these storms

Evaluation of the resistance patterns of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex strains to antituberculous drugs

Aim: To determine the resistance profile of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) strains to first-line antituberculous drugs. Methods: A total of 138 patients with MTBC growth from 2008-2018 were evaluated retrospectively. The Ehrlich-Ziehl-Neelsen (EZN) staining method was used for direct smear preparations, the BACTEC MGIT 460 TB system the Lowenstein-Jensen medium for culture planting and the BACTEC NAP test for the diagnosis of MTBC. Susceptibility tests were performed using the BACTEC MGIT 460 TB system with the streptomycin, isoniazid, rifampicin and ethambutol (SIRE) kit in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations. Results: Of the total 138 tuberculosis (TB) cases, 44 (31.9%) were female and 94 (68.1%) were male. MTBC was most frequently isolated from pulmonary specimens (90.6%). Acid-resistant bacilli (ARB) positivity was detected in 88 (63.8%) samples by EZN staining for culture-positive samples. In our study, without considering single or multiple drug resistance (MDR), total resistance rates in MTBC strains were determined for, isoniazid (INH), rifampicin (RIF), ethambutol (EMB), and streptomycin (SM); 10.1%, 4.3%, 2.9%, and 12.3% respectively. While the susceptibility to all drugs was 82.6%, multiple drug–resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) was 2.9%. Conclusion: These results are important since they are the first data reported from our province regarding the determination of the resistance profile to anti-TB drugs. Resistance rates in our study were very close to the 2016 data average of the Ministry of Health of Turkey. Determination of TB resistance profiles, as well as proper and regular treatment, will contribute to the control of MDR-TB

Detection of Brucella among Voluntary Blood Donors in Turkey by Using a New Real Time PCR Method

Bnicellosis is a worldwide zoonosis also the incidence of which has decreased in developed countries it is still effective in Asia, Africa, Central America and the Mediterranean basin (Turkey inside) that have insufficient public health and domestic animal health programs. There are many reports about Brucella endemics in Turkey. Although, human to human transmission is not frequently, it has been reported in association with blood transfusion, bone marrow transplantation and transplacental transmission in worldwide and Turkey. Human brucellosis is diagnosed based on clinical findings and laboratory studies that include bacteriological and serological tests. The conventional serological tests are insufficiently sensitive and specific to be used individually and often leading to difficulty in interpreting the results. In this study, researchers aimed the detection of possible Brucella carriers without manifest chnHcal finding among voluntary blood donors by using new real time PCR Method. Total 632 voluntary donor blood samples for four month were investigated for Brucella. The samples were subjected to both Wright and ELISA tests for Brucella. In the second step, leucocytes were separated from all samples and performed real time PCR based on BioRad I-Cycler. Although, the region is not high risk epidemiologic area for Brucellosis in. Turkey 4 out of total 632 samples were detected by Wright agglutination and Brucella IgG, IgM ELISA while 2 positive samples were found by I-Cycler based real time PCR detection. All of positive samples were collected from rural area donors. Even it is not in high prevalence, this results and earlier studies were shown brucellosis could be a risk for blood transfusion. Researchers advice especially donors from coming rural area must be performed a questionnaire for brucellosis findings and Brucella screening tests must be performed for blood donors in endemic areas

PDOZ: innovative personal electronic dosimeter for electron, gamma and neutron H*(d) dosimetry

The personal (or active) electronic dosimeters (PEDs) are devices used to determine the individual exposure to ionizing radiations and they are employed in hospitals, research laboratories and nuclear power plants. The PDOZ project is a personal electronic dosimeter able to detect, discriminate and measure the delivered dose by beta particles, gamma rays and neutrons. In this paper, several Monte Carlo simulations are described. The first one is regarding the ICRU sphere implemented to evaluate the ambient dose equivalent, H*(10), and the conversion factors for gamma rays and beta particles. The second simulation is carried out to study the prototype dosimeter response to gamma rays and beta particles and, also thanks to previous one, to obtain the conversion curve necessary to calculate the ambient dose equivalent from the silicon photomultipliers counts. In the last one, instead, the performance of a prototype dosimeter, composed by a small plastic scintillator coupled to two SiPMs, is evaluated and a simulation with different radioactive sources is made whose results are compared with the experimental measurements. All simulations are carried out by Geant4 including the optical photon transport

THE DETERMINATION OF YIELD AND SOME QUALITY CHARACTERISTICS OF UNGRAZED NATURAL PASTURE VEGETATION

WOS: 000426337900057This study was conducted with the aim of guiding future breeding studies on pastures by determining the effects of protection from grazing and contributing to the development of animal husbandry. It comprises the April 2007-September 2014 period of research carried out on a natural pasture protected in the ecological conditions of the Tokat province between 1993-2014. According to the eight year mean values of the study, the data of basal cover area acquired according to transect, quadrat and visual estimation methods was 81.25%, 73.35% and 74.25% respectively. Botanical composition based on the basal cover area and the weight, and hay yield was; 39.58%, 71.09%, 8.548 kg ha(-1) in legumes, 48.78%, 22.14%, 2.662 kg ha(-1) in grasses, and 11.61%, 6.77%, 815 kg ha(-1) in other families respectively. Total hay yield was determined as 12.025 kg ha(-1), 91% of which was formed by 34 species (10.940 kg ha(-1)). A grazing capacity of 16.7 Animal Unit (AU; 500 kg livestock) was observed, required area per animal was 0.3 ha and pasture quality degree was 8.4 (very good). Regarding other quality properties; crude protein content (CPC) was 19.76%, crude protein yield (CPY) 237.6 kg ha(-1), acid detergent fiber (ADF) 28.54%, neutral detergent fiber (NDF) 42.35%

Protective Effects of Carvacrol, Essential Composition of Thyme Plant, on Cyclophosphamide-induced Reproductive System Damage on Rats

Cyclophosphamide (CP) is an alkylating drug widely used clinically for the treatment of cancer and non - malignant diseases. However, the use of CP causes cytotoxicity in one or more tissues. In this study, it was aimed to determine possible protective effects of carvacrol (Car) which is the main component of thyme plant with antioxidant properties on CP (50 and 100 mg kg-1) testis toxicity. In the study, 35 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into 5 groups as 7 animals in each group. According to histological and biochemical findings, Car was found to provide meaningful protection in the prevention of testicular damage caused by CP. According to the results of the research, carvacrol is a highly effective antioxidant and cell protector. For this reason, Car may be an effective candidate for reducing side effects of anticancer drugs in chemotherapy protocols