Molecular Typing and Virulence Analysis of Pseudomonas Aerugınosa Isolated From Burn Infections Recovered From Duhok and Erbil Hospitals/Iraq.

In this study, 225 isolates of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were recovered from burn wounds in major hospitals in Duhok and Erbil, Iraq, between April 2015 and September 2015. A total of 136 of these isolates were from men, comprising 60.4% of the total, whereas 89 (39.6%) were recovered from women. One hundred of these isolates were selected (50 from each province of Erbil and Duhok) and subjected to 16 different antibiotics using the disc diffusion method. The isolates showed a high level of resistance to most of the tested antibiotics, with 90% of the isolates being multidrug resistant. Imipenem was considered as the most effective antibiotic against these isolates with a resistant rate of 47%. The genome of all of these isolates were successfully amplified and produced a single band for the 16S rDNA locus with a molecular weight of about 956 base pairs, which was used to confirm, at the molecular level, that all these isolates were indeed P. aeruginosa. The results of the detection of five virulence-related genes including opr1, toxA, exoS, lasB, and nan1 revealed that 10 of these isolates, accounting for 10%, lacked any of the tested virulence markers. The opr1 gene, as a marker for the presence of a pathogenicity island, was the most dominant marker among all the virulence markers and was detected in 90 isolates (90%), followed by the toxA and exoS genes, which were both observed in 86 (86%) isolates, whereas the lasB gene was found in 82 (82%) isolates and the nan1 gene in 35 (35%) of the isolates, respectively

Detection of seasonal asymptomatic dermatophytes in Van cats

AbstractThe Van cat is a domestic landrace found in the Van province of eastern Turkey. In this study, we aimed to determine the seasonal carriage of dermatophytes in Van cats without clinical lesions. A total of 264 hair specimens were collected from clinically healthy cats in and around the Van Province. Of these samples, 30.3% were obtained in spring, 30.6% in summer, 16.6% in autumn, and 22.3% in winter; 45.1% of samples were from male cats and the rest from female ones. Of the studied cats, 118 were younger than 1 year, 78 were 1–3 years old, and 68 were older than 3 years. The specimens were subjected to direct microscopic examination with 15% potassium hydroxide and cultured on Sabouraud dextrose agar and dermatophyte test medium supplemented with cycloheximide and chloramphenicol. Dermatophyte identification was carried out based on macroscopic and microscopic colony morphology, urease activities, in vitro hair perforation test, growth at 37°C, and pigmentation on corn meal agar. Dermatophytes were isolated from 19 (7.1%) of the 264 specimens examined. The most frequently isolated fungi were Trichophyton terrestre (4.1%), followed by Microsporum gypseum (1.1%), M. nanum (1.1%), and T. mentagrophytes (0.7%), and these fungi may represent a health risk for humans in contact with clinically healthy Van cats. M. canis was not isolated from any of the specimens. Our results show no significant (p>0.05) association between carriage of dermatophytes and the gender of cats. The carriage rate of dermatophytes was high in spring and winter, and the only possible risk factor for infection was age of the animal

Istraživanje prisutnosti proizvodnje sluzi, VanA gena i gena za rezistenciju na antiseptike u stafilokoka izoliranih iz goveđeg mastitisa u Alžiru

Staphylococcus strains are frequently associated with clinical and subclinical bovine intra-mammary infection. The virulence factors of staphylococcus have not been widely studied in Algeria. The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of slime production, VanA gene and antiseptic resistance genes in staphylococci strains isolated from bovine mastitis in Algeria. The study examined 35 Staphylococci strains obtained from the inflammatory secretion of mammary glands of cows with mastitis. Slime production was determined by detecting the icaA and icaD genes using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and Congo red agar (CRA) method. The presence of qacAB and qac C antiseptic resistance genes and the VanA resistance gene in these isolates was investigated by PCR. The results of the current study revealed that of the 35 Staphylococci isolates, 42.85% (15/35) and 17.14% (6/35) of the isolates harboured the slime production gene by analysing icaA and icaD genes, respectively and 71.42% (25/35) by the CRA method. However, VanA and antiseptic resistance genes (qacAB and qac C) were not detected in any of the isolates. Therefore, the majority of Staphylococcus strains were capable of producing slime, and the CRA detection rate was higher than the PCR method for the biofilm-producing capacity of Staphylococcus strains. Thus, the presence of the ica genes in Staphylococcus strains confirms its role as a virulence factor in the pathogenesis of bovine mastitis.Sojevi stafilokoka često su povezani s kliničkim i supkliničkim intramamarnim infekcijama goveda. Faktori virulencije stafilokoka nisu dobro istraženi u Alžiru. Cilj ove studije bio je odrediti učestalost proizvodnje sluzi, VanA gena i gena za rezistenciju na antiseptike u sojevima stafilokoka izoliranih iz goveđeg mastitisa u Alžiru. Istraživanja su obuhvatila 35 soja stafilokoka dobivenih iz upalnog sekreta mliječnih žlijezda krava s mastitisom. Proizvodnja sluzi ustvrđena je metodom lančane reakcije polimeraze (PCR) istraživanjem ıcaA i ıcaD gena, odnosno metodom s Kongo crvenim agarom (CRA). Prisutnost qacAB i qac C gena za rezistenciju na antiseptike i VanA gena za rezistenciju u tim izolatima ispitana je pomoću PCR. Rezultati ove studije otkrili su da je od 35 izolata stafilokoka, 42,85 % (15/35) i 17,4 % (6/35) sadržavalo gen za proizvodnju sluzi putem analize ıcaA i ıcaD gena, odnosno 71,42 % (25/35) CRA metodom. Međutim, VanA i geni za rezistenciju na antiseptike (qacAB i qac C) nisu detektirani niti u jednom izolatu. Stoga se iz podataka može zaključiti da je većina sojeva stafilokoka bila sposobna proizvoditi sluz, a detekcija CRA metodom je bila više od PCR metode za kapacitet proizvodnje biofilma sojeva stafilokoka. Stoga, prisutnost ica u sojevima stafilokoka potvrđuje njegovu ulogu kao faktora virulentnosti u patogenezi goveđeg mastitisa

Survey on the Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Deposited on Textile Fabrics

Background: According to the recent studies, the antibacterial activities of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were studied on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. In this study antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles that used for coating textiles, on E.coli and S.aureus was investigated.Methods: Silver nanoparticles were coated on textile fabric by corona treatment and the antibacterial properties of fabrics were quantitatively evaluated by using a Gram-positive bacterium S. aureus and Gram-negative bacterium E. coli.Results: The textiles coated with silver nanoparticles had favorable antimicrobial effect against both E. coli and S. aureus. The value of antibacterial activity was appropriated with corona power and deposition that was used for absorption of Silver nanoparticle on samples.Conclusions: These results suggest that silver nanoparticles could be used as an effective antibacterial material.

Survey on the Antibacterial Effect of Silver Nanoparticles Deposited on Textile Fabrics

Background: According to the recent studies, the antibacterial activities of silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs) were studied on Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus and Gram-negative Escherichia coli. In this study antibacterial effect of silver nanoparticles that used for coating textiles, on E.coli and S.aureus was investigated.Methods: Silver nanoparticles were coated on textile fabric by corona treatment and the antibacterial properties of fabrics were quantitatively evaluated by using a Gram-positive bacterium S. aureus and Gram-negative bacterium E. coli.Results: The textiles coated with silver nanoparticles had favorable antimicrobial effect against both E. coli and S. aureus. The value of antibacterial activity was appropriated with corona power and deposition that was used for absorption of Silver nanoparticle on samples.Conclusions: These results suggest that silver nanoparticles could be used as an effective antibacterial material.

Evaluation of The Factors Affecting the Benefiting Level from The Young Farmers Project Support in TR 71 Region of Turkey

In Turkey, various agricultural support policies were applied some time to increase the production, sometimes to reduce the over-production and to compensate the production. However, these policies have not been fully attained since they have been implemented without first solving the major structural problems of agriculture. Parallel to developments in the world's countries, entrepreneurship needs to be embraced by the young population and young entrepreneurs must be supported. Turkey attaches great importance to the supports in recent years regarding the determination of entrepreneurial individuals, and the promotion of entrepreneurship. For this purpose, in order to support young people in the agriculture sector, "Young Farmer Projects Support (YFPS)" was added to the "National Agricultural Project" in 2016. This support policy aims to encourage young farmers to stay in agriculture by supporting young farmers and to prevent migration from the village to the city. In this context, a survey has been carried out in the TR 71 Region of Turkey (Aksaray, Kırıkkale, Kırşehir, Nevsehir and Nigde provinces), and a total of 248 young farmers (139 supported, and 109 non-supported) were interviewed. The logit model was used in the analysis of the data. According to Logit model results, the factors such as gender, marital status, farming situation of young farmer, farming situation of young farmer’s family, residence population, social security status, agricultural education certificate status and ownership of property which are influencing on individuals benefiting from young farmer support were found statistically significant

A Map of Dielectric Heterogeneity in a Membrane Protein: the Hetero-Oligomeric Cytochrome b 6 f Complex

The cytochrome b6f complex, a member of the cytochrome bc family that mediates energy transduction in photosynthetic and respiratory membranes, is a hetero-oligomeric complex that utilizes two pairs of b-hemes in a symmetric dimer to accomplish trans-membrane electron transfer, quinone oxidation–reduction, and generation of a proton electrochemical potential. Analysis of electron storage in this pathway, utilizing simultaneous measurement of heme reduction, and of circular dichroism (CD) spectra, to assay heme–heme interactions, implies a heterogeneous distribution of the dielectric constants that mediate electrostatic interactions between the four hemes in the complex. Crystallographic information was used to determine the identity of the interacting hemes. The Soret band CD signal is dominated by excitonic interaction between the intramonomer b-hemes, bn and bp, on the electrochemically negative and positive sides of the complex. Kinetic data imply that the most probable pathway for transfer of the two electrons needed for quinone oxidation–reduction utilizes this intramonomer heme pair, contradicting the expectation based on heme redox potentials and thermodynamics, that the two higher potential hemes bn on different monomers would be preferentially reduced. Energetically preferred intramonomer electron storage of electrons on the intramonomer b-hemes is found to require heterogeneity of interheme dielectric constants. Relative to the medium separating the two higher potential hemes bn, a relatively large dielectric constant must exist between the intramonomer b-hemes, allowing a smaller electrostatic repulsion between the reduced hemes. Heterogeneity of dielectric constants is an additional structure–function parameter of membrane protein complexes

Sığır mastitis süt örneklerinden stafilokok türlerinin ve S. aureus’un teşhisine yönelik ikili bir PZR tekniği

Mastitis süt sığırcılığı endüstrisinin en fazla ekonomik kayba neden olan problemidir. Stafilokok türleri en sık izole edilen etkenler olup, Staphylococcus aureus ise süt sığırlarında en önemli kontagiyöz etkendir. Bu çalışmanın amacı stafilokok türleri ve S. aureus’un kültür ve süt örneklerinden teşhisi için ikili bir PZR tekniğinin geliştirilmesidir. Çalışmada pozitif kontrol olarak, S. aureus (ATCC 25923) ve S. epidermidis (ATCC 12228) DNA’sı kullanıldı. Geliştirilen tekniğin denenmesi amacıyla Veteriner Hekimlerce laboratuvarımıza gönderilen örneklerden bir adet koagulaz negatif stafilokok bir adet de S. aureus pozitif süt örneği klinik örnek olarak kullanıldı. Çalışmada sütten ve kültür örneklerinden stafilokok ve S. aureus’un teşhisi ve ayrımı için ikili ve hızlı bir PZR tekniği geliştirildi. Geliştirilen bu tekniğin stafilokok türleri ve S. aureus’un bir kaç saat içinde hem süt hem de kültür örneklerinden tanısı ve ayrımı için alternatif, güvenilir ve hızlı bir tanı yöntemi olarak özellikle sonuçların çiftlik bazında kullanılmak üzere klinik ve subklinik olgularda ineğin tedavi edilmesi ya da kesime gönderilmesine karar verilmesi amacıyla kullanılabileceği ortaya konuldu.Mastitis is the most costly disease in dairy industry. Staphylococcus spp. is the most frequently isolated microorganisms and Staphylococcus aureus is one of the most important contagious mastitis agents in dairy cattle. The aim of this study is developing a duplex PCR technique for detection of Staphylococcus spp. and S. aureus from culture and milk samples. S. aureus (ATCC 25923) and S. epidermidis (ATCC 12228) DNAs were used as positive control. For the purpose of testing the developed technique, one coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and one S. aureus positive milk sample was used as a clinical sample that they were sent by Veterinary Practitioners. In this study, a duplex and rapid PCR protocol is developed for detecting and separating these organisms from culture and from milk samples. This procedure can be used as an alternative, reliable and fast detection and identification method for Staphylococcus spp. and S. aureus in few hours for deciding treating or culling the cows in farm base in clinical mastitis cases and can be a useful diagnostic method for subclinical mastitis cases too

Investigation of antibiotic susceptibility and presence of plasmids in staphylococci isolated from cow milk with subclinical mastitis

Çalışmanın amacı, subklinik mastitisli inek sütlerinden izole edilen Stafilokok izolatlarının bazı antibiyotiklere duyarlılığının araştırılması ve izolatlarda plazmit varlığının belirlenmesidir. Bu amaçla, toplam 51 Stafilokok izolatı incelendi. İzolatlar subklinik mastitisli ineklerden alınan 173 süt örneğinden izole edildi. Bu izolatlardan 47 (%92.15)'si koagulaz negatif, 4 (%7.84)'ü ise koagulaz pozitif olarak değerlendirildi. İzolatlar, mastitiste sıklıkla kullanılan 6 farklı antibiyotiğe duyarlı bulundu. İzole edilen 51 adet Stafilokok izolatından 3 (%5.88)'ünün oksitetrasikline, 3 (%5.88)'ünün sulfametoksazol-trimetoprim kombinasyonuna, 6 (%11.76)'sının novobiyosin'e, 11 (% 21.56)'inin eritromisin'e, 24 (%47.05)'ünün penisilin-G'ye dirençli; 27 (%52.94)'sinin penislin-G'ye, 40 (%78.43)'ının eritromisin'e, 45 (%88.23)'inin novobiyosin'e, 48 (%94.11)'inin oksitetrasikline, 48 (%94.11)'inin sulfametoksazol-trimetoprim kombinasyonuna, 51 (%100.00)'inin amoksisilinklavulanik asit kombinasyonuna duyarlı olduğu tespit edildi. İzolatların 16 (%31.37) tanesinde plazmit tespit edildi. Plazmit taşıyan izolatın 1 (%6.25)'i eritromisine, 2 (%12.50)'si oksitetrasikline, 4 (%25.00)'ü penisilin-G'ye dirençli idi. İzolatların 12 (%75.00)'si penisilin-G'ye, 14 (%87.50)'ü oksitetrasikline, 15 (%93.75)'i eritromisin'e ve tamamının (%100) novobiyosin, amoksisilinklavulanik asit ve sulfametoksazol-trimetoprim kombinasyonlarına duyarlı bulundu. Sonuç olarak koagulaz negatif suşların 16 (%31.37)'sında plazmit tespit edilmesine rağmen, koagulaz pozitif suşlarda plazmit tespit edilmedi.The purpose of this study was to investigate the susceptibility of Staphylococci isolates from cow milk with subclinical mastitis to some antibiotics and to determine the presence of plasmids in isolates. For this purpose, a total of 51 Staphylococci isolates were examined. These isolates were isolated from 173 milk samples of dairy cows with subclinical mastitis. It was found that 47 (92.15%) isolates were coagulase-negative and 4 (7.84%) were coagulase-positive. These isolates were found to be susceptible to 6 different antibiotics frequently used in mastitis. Three (5.88%) of the 51 Staphylococci isolates were resistant to oxytetracycline, 3 (5.88%) to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, 6 (11.76%) to novobiocin, 11 (21.56%) to erythromycin, and 24 (47.05%) to penicillin-G. Twenty seven (52.94%) isolates were susceptible to penicillin-G, 40 (78.43%) to erythromycin, 45 (88.23%) to novobiocin, 48 (94.11%) to oxytetracycline, 48 (94.11%) to sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and 51 (100%) to amoxycillin-clavulanic acid. Plasmids were detected in 16 (31.37%) of the isolates. One (6.25%) isolate with plasmid was resistant to erythromycin, 2 (12.50%) to oxytetracycline and 4 (25.00%) to penicillin-G. Twelve (75.00%) of them were found to be susceptible to penicillin-G, 14 (87.50%) to oxytetracycline, 15 (93.75%) to erythromycin, and all of them (100.00%) to novobiocin, amoxicillinclavulanic acid and sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim. In conclusion, although plasmids were found in 16 (31.37%) of the coagulase-negative isolates, there were no plasmids in coagulase-positive isolates

Süt sığırlarında sub-klinik mastitisin tanısında kültür ve PCR yöntemlerinin karşılaştırılması

Sığır mastitisleri süt sığırcılığı endüstrisinde ekonomik kayıpların en önemli nedenidir. Mastitiste etkeninin hızlı ve kesin tanısı hastalığın tedavisi ve kontrolü açısından çok önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı subklinik sığır mastitislerinde etkenin tanısı için kültür ve polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu tekniklerinin karşılaştırılmasıdır. Bu amaçla, 540 ineğin California Mastitis Test ile muayenesinden sonra, pozitif bulunan 79 adet süt örneği, klasik kültür metodu ve direkt sütten yapılan polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu ile analiz edildi. Kırk üç örnekte her iki yöntemde de mikroorganizma belirlenirken, sadece 7 örnekte iki teknik arasından fark görüldü. Bu 7 örnekte kültür yöntemiyle sadece Koagülaz Negatif Stafilok belirlenirken, polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu ile Koagülaz Negatif Stafilok dışında S. dysgalactiae yönünden de pozitif bulundu. Bu çalışmanın sonuçları polimeraz zincir reaksiyonunun kültür yönteminden daha duyarlı olduğunu ve direkt olarak süt numunesinden hedef etkenin bir kaç saat içinde saptanabileceğini gösterdi. Hızlı ve güvenilir moleküler tekniklerin kullanımı mastitiste sürüden çıkarma veya tedavi etme konusunda hızlı karar verilebilmesinde yardımcı olabilir.Bovine mastitis is the greatest source of economic loss in the dairy industry. Rapid and definitive detection of causative agent is very important for treatment and control of the disease. The aim of this study was to compare culture and polymerase chain reaction techniques for diagnosis of agents in subclinical bovine mastitis. For this purpose, after conducting the California Mastitis Test on 540 cows, 79 milk samples were analysed by the classical culture method and simplex polymerase chain reaction. Forty-three of samples were found positive by both methods, diferences were found only seven samples. While coagulase negative staphylococci these seven samples were determined by culture method, coagulase negative staphylococci and S. dysgalactiae were determined together by polymerase chain reaction. The results of this study indicate that the polymerase chain reaction is more sensitive than culture method and could detect pathogens at the species level within a few hours from directly milk samples. Rapid and relieable molecular techniques can be useful method in farm level detection for fast decision about the culling or treatment