Heavy metal levels of mulberry (Morus alba L.) grown at different distances from the roadsides

The heavy metals pollution of mulberry cultivated soil, mulberry leaf and fruit, growing at different distances from the roadside were investigated in the Upper Coruh Valley of Turkey. The rate of heavy metals in soil, leaf and fruit were detected by Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrophotometer (ICP-OES). All of the heavy metals (Zn, Mn, Cu, Co, Cr, Pb, Cd and Ni) were found in soil and parts of plant and their highest level at a distance of 20 m from the roadside. At a distance of 20 m from the roadside, the soil was found to be contaminated by Zn (330.7 mg kg-1), Cu (217.5 mg kg-1), Pb (500.2 mg kg-1) and Cd (4.24 mg kg-1) pollutants. The concentration of Pb in mulberry fruit was found to be more than the permissible limits at a 20 and 100 m distances from the roadside with its 0.467 and 0.419 mg kg-1 values, respectively. At all of distances, the concentration of Ni in fruit was found higher than the permissible limits. The results reflected a strong relationship between soil and fruits for contamination with some heavy metals

Stressful life events, anxiety, depression and coping mechanisms in patients with Behcet's disease

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Detection of Helicobacter pylori in children with otitis media with effusion: A preliminary report

Objective: To determine the presence of Helicobacter pylori in the middle ear effusion of patients with otitis media with effusion (OME) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Study Design: A prospective study in patients with OME. Methods. The study was performed in 38 patients with OME who were admitted to the ENT Clinic, Firat University from June 2003 to April 2004. In all cases, a myringotomy operation (with or without placement of a ventilation tube) was carried out. The effusion samples aspirated from the middle ear were analyzed with PCR assay. Results: A total of 55 aspiration samples collected from 38 children ranging in age from 2 to 12 were included in the study. Fifteen of the subjects were girls, and 23 were boys. In 17 patients, both ears demonstrated effusions, whereas in 21 patients, only one ear had effusions. Nine (16.3%) of 55 the middle ear effusion samples were shown to be H. pylori positive by PCR. Conclusions. H. pylori was detected in the middle ear effusion of some patients with OME. These results may have interesting implications for a possible role of H. pylori in OME. In addition, these results suggest that further studies are needed to investigate the role of H. pylori in the etiology of OME. Key Words: Otitis media with effusion, H. pylori, polymerase chain reaction