True knot of the umbilical cord in advanced weeks of pregnancy: a case report

True knot of the umbilical cord is a very rare condition. Usually a true knot is noticed after delivery and does not lead to problems. It is relatively less common than the other umbilical cord anomalies. Most authors agree that there is little that can be done to prevent fetal death in undiagnosed true knot. In our case, the patient gave birth to a healthy male baby weighing 2700 grams by normal vaginal delivery after an ultrasound was suggestive of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The baby’s Apgar scores were 8 at one minute and 9 at five minutes. The umbilical cord measured 125 cm and contained two loose true knots. It was surprising that the baby could survive until term with these two knots and we hypothesize that this was the cause of the IUGR. Our case was interesting as neither neurologic sequela nor intrauterine death developed, despite two true umbilical cord knots

True knot of the umbilical cord in advanced weeks of pregnancy: a case report

True knot of the umbilical cord is a very rare condition. Usually a true knot is noticed after delivery and does not lead to problems. It is relatively less common than the other umbilical cord anomalies. Most authors agree that there is little that can be done to prevent fetal death in undiagnosed true knot. In our case, the patient gave birth to a healthy male baby weighing 2700 grams by normal vaginal delivery after an ultrasound was suggestive of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR). The baby’s Apgar scores were 8 at one minute and 9 at five minutes. The umbilical cord measured 125 cm and contained two loose true knots. It was surprising that the baby could survive until term with these two knots and we hypothesize that this was the cause of the IUGR. Our case was interesting as neither neurologic sequela nor intrauterine death developed, despite two true umbilical cord knots

Geographical Features and Seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Erzincan, Turkey

Background: We aimed to determine the geographical features and seroprevalence of Borrelia burgdorferi in Erzincan, Turkey, which has a high tick population due to its geographical position and climatic conditions. Methods: From January to December 2014, 368 people living in Erzincan, northeastern Turkey were enrolled. B. burgdorferi IgG antibodies were investigated in the collected serum samples using the ELISA method in 2015. Positive and borderline results were confirmed using the Western Blot (WB) method.  Results: Borrelia burgdorferi IgG positivity was found to be 4.1% by ELISA and 2.17% by WB. Of the seropositive people according to WB, 25% resided in areas within 2000m of rivers, 50% in areas with a slope of 0–5°, and 62.5% in areas with an altitude of lower than 1500 meters. Conclusion: The seroprevalence of Lyme borreliosis was high in Erzincan, particularly among people engaged in animal husbandry in rural areas. In addition, the seroprevalence of Borrelia varied according to geographical features, increasing in areas with a lower slope and altitude

A direct tissue-grafting approach to increasing endogenous brown fat

There is widespread evidence that increasing functional mass of brown adipose tissue (BAT) via browning of white adipose tissue (WAT) could potentially counter obesity and diabetes. However, most current approaches focus on administration of pharmacological compounds which expose patients to highly undesirable side effects. Here, we describe a simple and direct tissue-grafting approach to increase BAT mass through ex vivo browning of subcutaneous WAT, followed by re-implantation into the host; this cell-therapy approach could potentially act synergistically with existing pharmacological approaches. With this process, entitled “exBAT”, we identified conditions, in both mouse and human tissue, that convert whole fragments of WAT to BAT via a single step and without unwanted off-target pharmacological effects. We show that ex vivo, exBAT exhibited UCP1 immunostaining, lipid droplet formation, and mitochondrial metabolic activity consistent with native BAT. In mice, exBAT exhibited a highly durable phenotype for at least 8 weeks. Overall, these results enable a simple and scalable tissue-grafting strategy, rather than pharmacological approaches, for increasing endogenous BAT and studying its effect on host weight and metabolism

Synthesis and Characterization of Fe3O4-Mptms-Plga Nanocomposites for Anticancer Drug Loading and Release Studies

Magnetic nanocomposites (Fe3O4-MPTMS-PLGA) were synthesized by single oil emulsion method and characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray diffraction (XRD), and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Particle size of nanocomposites was between 117 nm and 246 nm. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used to investigate drug loading (paclitaxel, PTX) and release from Fe3O4-MPTMS-PLGA-PTX nanocomposites. The percentages of drug loading and encapsulation efficiency onto nanocomposites were found as 7.35 and 68.58, respectively. Cytotoxities of free anticancer drug and anticancer drug-loaded nanocomposites were determined by MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. In vitro cell culture studies indicated that Fe3O4-MPTMS-PLGA-PTX had significant toxicity on MG-63 cancer cells.WoSScopu

Evaluation of L929 fibroblast attachment and proliferation on Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS)-Immobilized chitosan in serum-containing/serum-free cultures

In this study, chitosan membranes prepared by the solvent casting method were modified with the Arg-Gly-Asp-Ser (RGDS) sequence of fibronectin using the photochemical immobilization technique. The results obtained from attenuated total reflection-Fourier transform infrared spectra and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies confirmed the successful immobilization of RGDS on chitosan membranes. The immobilized peptide concentration was determined by ninhydrin analysis on the order of 10(-7) mol/cm(2). In vitro cell culture studies were performed with L929 mouse fibroblasts to investigate the effect of biomodification on fibroblast cell behaviour in serum-free and 10% serum-containing media. The results obtained from cell culture studies pointed out the specific interactions between biosignal RGDS molecules and fibroblast cells. A triggered cell attachment and proliferation were observed on RGDS-modified chitosan membranes that were more distinguishable in serum-free medium. In addition, the photochemical immobilization technique was realized in the presence of a photomask that was used to immobilize the RGDS molecules in a defined micropattern. L929 mouse fibroblasts attached on the RGDS-micropatterned areas indicating integrin-mediated interactions

Evaluation of epidemiological, clinical, and laboratory characteristics and mortality rate of patients with Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever in the northeast region of Turkey

Background & objectives : Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever (CCHF), an illness characterized by fever and hemorrhage, is caused by a CCHF virus (CCHFV). It is an important public health problem in Turkey. The objective of this study was to evaluate the demographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics and mortality rates of CCHF patients in the northeast region of Turkey. Methods : A total of 206 patients, diagnosed with CCHF, from northeast region of Turkey were included and evaluated between 2011 and 2017. Real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunofluorescence (IFA) methods were used for the diagnoses. Results : Of the patients included in the study, 77.2% were farmers/livestockers, while 22.8% had other occupations. The incidence of tick bite or tick contact with bare hands was 52.9%. About 94.2% of the patients were living in rural areas and 5.8% in city centers. However, all the patients living in city centers had a history of visit to rural areas. The disease was more common in May, June, and July months. The most common symptoms at the time of admission included fatigue, fever, and widespread body pain, while laboratory findings were thrombocytopenia, leukopenia, and anemia. Bleeding, tachycardia, and rash were the most common findings on physical examination. Of all the patients, 95.6% were identified by RT-PCR and 4.4% by IFA methods. Severe cases constituted 22.3% (46) of the included patients. Throughout the course of this study, 7 (3.4%) patients died, and the remaining 96.6% (199) patients were discharged with a full recovery. Disease severity was significantly correlated with mortality rate and duration of hospitalization (p <0.001 and p = 0.013). Interpretation & conclusion : In this study, the mortality rate observed was lower than that reported in the literature because of accessibility of early supportive therapy. It would be beneficial in CCHF treatment to recognize the disease at an early stage, begin supportive treatment quickly, and educate the people living in high-risk areas as well as health care personnel working in these areas

Absence of the mecC gene in methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolated from various clinical samples: the first multi-centered study in Turkey

KARA, Murat/0000-0002-4144-2409; aydin, merve/0000-0002-1522-6083WOS: 000473414800014PubMed: 30745200Background: mecA is a predefined gene causing methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) isolates; however, it has been shown that some methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) strains do not carry this gene. Recently, in isolates found to be MRSA-positive but mecA-negative, a new resistance gene called mecC, which is a homolog of mecA, has been reported. This study aimed to investigate the mecC and mecA genes in MRSA strains isolated from different geographic regions in Turkey. Methods: the sample of the study consisted of 494 MRSA strains isolated from seven geographical regions in Turkey between 2013 and 2016. the strains were obtained from 17 centers, comprising 13 university hospitals, three education and research hospitals, and one state hospital. Methicillin resistance in S. aureus strains was determined using the agar disk diffusion method with a cefoxitin disk and the agar dilution method with oxacillin. the mecC and mecA genes in MRSA strains was investigated by Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). Results: of the MRSA strains investigated, 47.9% were isolated from intensive care units. Concerning sample type, 36.7% were detected in the respiratory tract (tracheal aspirate, sputum, etc.), 24.8% in blood, 18.7% in skin and soft tissues, 9.3% in nasal swabs, 5.4% in urine, 4.1% in ears, and 1% in sterile body fluid. Using PCR, mecC was not identified in any of the S. aureus strains isolated from different clinical microbiology laboratories. mecA gene positivity was found in 315 of the MRSA strains (63.8%). Staphylococcal Cassette Chromosome mec ( SCCmec) type was identified in 232 strains (46.9%), of which 136 (58.7%) were type II, 75 (32.4%) were type IV, 12 (5.1%) were type Mb, six (2.5%) were type I, and three (1.3%) were type III. Conclusion: This is the first multi-centered study to investigate MRSA strains isolated from different regions in Turkey. the mecC gene was not detected in any of the MRSA strains. We believe that this study will constitute an important basis for monitoring possible future changes. (C) 2019 the Authors. Published by Elsevier Limited on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences.Scientific Research and Project Unit of Erzincan Binali Yildirim University [SAG-A-240215-0121]This study was financially supported by the Scientific Research and Project Unit of Erzincan Binali Yildirim University (Project No: SAG-A-240215-0121). This research was presented as a poster in the 4th National Clinical Microbiology Congress in Antalya, Turkey, 2017

Conventional culture and molecular screening methods for detection of vancomycin-resistant enterococci activity

Introduction: Early identification of vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) colonization by screening patients is necessary in tends of preventing spread and development of infection. The purpose of this study was to investigate the presence of VRE using and real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and to compare the results and costs.Materials and methods: Patients in the risk group attending our hospital and planned for treatment with hospitalization were included. Two rectal swab specimens were taken. One swab specimen was inoculated into enterococci broth for CCSM. Resistant gene investigation was performed with the other specimen by using RT-PCR. The costs of the two methods were then compared.Results: VRE were detected in 75 (6.63%) of the 1130 patients screened using the two methods. Resistance gene was determined in 69 (6.1%) patients using RT-PCR and 32 (2.8%) with CCSM. RT-PCR results were negative in 6 patients with VRE growth determined using CCSM. VRE was detected with CCSM in all 26 patients in whom vanA genotype VRE were determined using RT-PCR, but no growth was determined with CCSM in any of the 43 patients in whom vanB genotype VRE were detected. Results obtained in 3 days using CCSM and within 4 hours using RT-PCR. Costs were 58 $with CCSM and 46$ with RT-PCR.Conclusion: VRE colonization being detected faster with RT-PCR than CCSM. When the costs in isolation of patients until VRE screening test results emerged were compared, VRE screening with RT-PCR was cost-effective. RT-PCR was markedly superior to CCSM in determining VanB type resistance. Due to the late results from CCSM and its failure to detect VanB type resistance, we think that RT-PCR can be an alternative to CCSM or that the two techniques can usefully be combined depending on the hospital conditions

Cobalt chromium alloy with immobilized BMP peptide for enhanced bone growth

10.1002/jor.21409Journal of Orthopaedic Research2991424-1430JORE