Identification of structural properties of the Incirli Pedestrian Bridge and structural response analysis

Incirli Pedestrian bridge links the Bakirköy and Bahçelievler districts of Istanbul by crossing over the D100 highway and being exposed to heavy pedestrian traffic in peak-hours, since it is the only way to reach the Metrobus line for the people live in the neighboring area. The D100 is a state road with a total of 1852 km length, which extends from Kapıkule border crossing in Western Turkey to the Gürbulak border crossing point at Eastern Turkey. The highway has particular importance to Istanbul since it is one of the largest and busiest highways in the city. In the case of an emergency, D100 will be one of the most used alternatives to run efficient logistics operations in the city. Thus, studying the structural safety of pedestrian bridges over the D100 highway during earthquakes is very important, and this is the objective of this study. Towards this objective, the seismic safety of one of such bridges, the Incirli pedestrian bridge is studied by using vibration measurements, field inspections, a measurement-calibrated analytical model, and a site-specific design-spectra based analysis. The transfer matrix formulation is used to derive the properties of an equivalent SDOF structure. The elastic design spectra used is based on the latest Turkish seismic design code for the location, the TSC2018. Using the measured natural frequency of the structure and the elastic design spectra, the earthquake forces that are expected under several scenario earthquakes with different return periods are calculated, and the stress levels at the most critical sections of vertical structural elements are evaluated. It is determined that, under the expected large Istanbul earthquake, the bridge is unsafe in its longitudinal direction, but safe in its transverse direction

Curcumin-meropenem synergy in carbapenem resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae curcumin-meropenem synergy

Background and Objectives: The frequency of multiple resistant bacterial infections, including carbapenems, is increasing worldwide. As the decrease in treatment options causes difficulties in treatment, interest in new antimicrobials is increasing. One of the promising natural ingredients is curcumin. It is known to be effective in bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Burkholderia pseudomallei through efflux pump inhibition, toxin inhibition and enzymes. However, because its bioavailability is poor, it seffectiveness occurs in combination with antibiotics. In the study, the interaction of meropenem and curcumin in carbapenemase producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, resistant to meropenem, were used in this study. From those 15 MBL, 6 KPC, 17 OXA-48 and 1 AmpC resistance pattern were detected by combination disk method. Meropenem and Curcumin MIC values were determined by liquid microdilution. Checkerboard liquid microdilution was used to determine the synergy between meropenem and curcumin. Results: Synergistic effects were observed in 4 isolates producing MBL, 3 isolates producing KPC, 4 isolates producing OXA-48, and 1 isolates producing AmpC (totally 12 isolates) according to the calculated FICI. No antagonistic effects were observed in any isolates. Conclusion: Curcumin was thought to be an alternative antimicrobial in combination therapies that would positively contribute to the treatment of bacterial infection. The effectiveness of this combination should be confirmed by other in vitro and clinical studies

A 5-year surveillance of healthcare-associated infections in a university hospital: A retrospective analysis

Objectives: Nosocomial infections or healthcare-associated infections are a significant public health problem around the world. This study aimed to assess the rate of laboratory-confirmed healthcare-associated infections, frequency of nosocomial pathogens, and the antimicrobial resistance patterns of bacterial isolates in a University Hospital. Methods: A retrospective evaluation of healthcare-associated infections in a University Hospital, between the years 2015 and 2019 in Tekirdag, Turkey. Results: During the 5 years, the incidence densities of healthcare-associated infections in intensive care units and clinics were 10.31 and 1.70/1000 patient-days, respectively. The rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia, central line-associated bloodstream infections, and catheter-associated urinary tract infections in intensive care units were 11.57, 4.02, and 1.99 per 1000 device-days, respectively. The most common healthcare-associated infections according to the primary sites were bloodstream infections (55.3%) and pneumonia (20.4%). 67.5% of the isolated microorganisms as nosocomial agents were Gram-negative bacteria, 24.9% of Gram-positive bacteria, and 7.6% of Candida. The most frequently isolated causative agents were Escherichia coli (16.7%) and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (I 5.7%). The rate of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase production among E. coli isolates was 51.1%. Carbapenem resistance was 29.8% among isolates of P. aeruginosa, 95.1 % among isolates of Acinetobacter baumannii, and 18.2% among isolates of Klebsiella pneumoniae. Colistin resistance was 2.4% among isolates of A. baumannii. Vancomycin resistance was 5.3% among isolates of Enterococci. Conclusion: Our study results demonstrate that healthcare-associated infections are predominantly originated by intensive care units. The microorganisms isolated from intensive care units are highly resistant to many antimicrobial agents. The rising incidence of multidrug-resistant microorganisms indicates that more interventions are urgently needed to reduce healthcare-associated infections in our intensive care units

Controlling of grid connected photovoltaic lighting system with fuzzy logic

In this study, DC electrical energy produced by photovoltaic panels is converted to AC electrical energy and an indoor area is illuminated using this energy. System is controlled by fuzzy logic algorithm controller designed with 16 rules. Energy is supplied from accumulator which is charged by photovoltaic panels if its energy would be sufficient otherwise it is supplied from grid. During the 1-week usage period at the semester time, 1.968 kWh energy is used from grid but designed system used 0.542 kWh energy from photovoltaic panels at the experiments. Energy saving is determined by calculations and measurements for one education year period (9 months) 70.848 kWh. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Curcumin-meropenem synergy in carbapenem resistant klebsiella pneumoniae curcumin-meropenem synergy

Background and Objectives: The frequency of multiple resistant bacterial infections, including carbapenems, is increasing worldwide. As the decrease in treatment options causes difficulties in treatment, interest in new antimicrobials is increasing. One of the promising natural ingredients is curcumin. It is known to be effective in bacteria such as Pseudomonas aerugi-nosa, Escherichia coli, Burkholderia pseudomallei through efflux pump inhibition, toxin inhibition and enzymes. However, because its bioavailability is poor, it seffectiveness occurs in combination with antibiotics. In the study, the interaction of meropenem and curcumin in carbapenemase producing strains of Klebsiella pneumoniae was tested. Materials and Methods: Thirty-nine Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates, resistant to meropenem, were used in this study. From those 15 MBL, 6 KPC, 17 OXA-48 and 1 AmpC resistance pattern were detected by combination disk method. Meropenem and Curcumin MIC values were determined by liquid microdilution. Checkerboard liquid microdilution was used to determine the synergy between meropenem and curcumin. Results: Synergistic effects were observed in 4 isolates producing MBL, 3 isolates producing KPC, 4 isolates producing OXA-48, and 1 isolates producing AmpC (totally 12 isolates) according to the calculated FICI. No antagonistic effects were observed in any isolates. Conclusion: Curcumin was thought to be an alternative antimicrobial in combination therapies that would positively con-tribute to the treatment of bacterial infection. The effectiveness of this combination should be confirmed by other in vitro and clinical studies. © 2021 The Authors. Published by Tehran University of Medical Sciences

The Efficiency of the Triple P Program for Parents of Children with Type-1 Diabetes

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the Triple P-Positive Parenting Training Program, which was applied to the parents of children and adolescents with a type 1 diabetes (T1D) diagnosis aged 3-12 years, on parental attitude, parental mental health, and child behaviour

Results of Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction Assay to Identify Urethritis Pathogens

Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the results of multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test applied to identify the pathogens in male patients who attended our urology clinic with a pre-diagnosis of urethritis related with sexual intercourse. Materials and Methods: In this study, we included a total of 91 male patients, who sought medical advice in our clinic between August 2015 and October 2016 due to complaints of urethral discharge, dysuria and urethral itching, having a visible urethral discharge during the physical examination or a positive leukocyte esterase test (Combur-Test®-Roche) in the first urine sample. In the urethral swab samples of these patients, urethritis pathogens were searched with a multiplex PCR test. The multiplex PCR kit, which is able to identify nine pathogens and produced by PathoFinder® (Holland), was used in the process. The pathogens that could be detected by the kit were Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Mycoplasma hominis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Ureaplasma urealyticum, Gardnerella vaginalis, Trichomonas vaginalis, Treponema pallidum, and Candida albicans. Results: The average age of the subjects was 35.1 (19-57) years. Sixty one out of 91 patients (67%) were found to have a pathogen in the urethral swab sample. In 45 patients (49.4%), only one pathogen, in 12 (13.1%) - two different pathogens and in 4 (4.3%) patients, 3 different pathogens were detected. The pathogens found were as follows: Ureaplasma urealyticum in 22 patients (27.1%), Gardnerella vaginalis in 15 (18.6%), Neisseria gonorrhoeae in 13 (16.1%), Mycoplasma genitalium (10 patients; 12.3%), Mycoplasma hominis (8 patients; 9.9%), Chlamydia trachomatis (8 patients; 9.9%), Trichomonas vaginalis (3 patients; 3.8%), and Candida albicans (2 patients; 2.4%). None of the patients were identified with Treponema pallidum. None of the pathogens were identified in 30 patients (32.9%) whose samples were examined by PCR method. Conclusion: Sexually transmitted pathogens that are quite difficult to identify and that cause urethritis are possibly defined with only one swab sample in a short time using multiplex PCR method providing new possibilities and scopes for the diagnosis