Effects of different drying treatments on fungal population and ochratoxin A occurrence in sultana type grapes

This study aimed to determine the changes in mould and ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in sultanas under three different conventional drying conditions. Five different vineyards were chosen, and the three different treatments were applied to these grapes while drying. At the end of the drying process, total mould and black aspergilli (BA) populations in the samples varied from 2.45 to 5.61 log colony-forming units (CFU) g– 1 and from 0 to 4.92 log CFU g– 1, respectively. Significant increases (p < 0.05) occurred in mould loads depending on the extending drying period. However, independent of vineyard location, all the samples treated with cold dipping solution showed the lowest fungal loads. These results indicate that dipping solution treatment was the most effective drying method to minimise fungal infection of grapes. The expected results could not be achieved by drying grapes artificially contaminated with ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius spores. Seventy-one of 96 isolates (73.95%) obtained during drying were Aspergillus spp., and the remaining (n = 25, 26.05%) belonged to other genera, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma and Cladosporium. Grape juice-based agar medium was used to determine the realistic OTA production capacities of the isolated mould strains. The highest OTA production capacities were 809.70 ± 9.19, 87.58 ± 16.89 and 45.44 ± 18.78 ng g–1 in 50% grape juice agar (GJ50), all five of which were from A. niger isolates. OTA was not present in any sample during the drying period; however, OTA was detected in two samples at 0.32 ± 0.15 and 0.52 ± 0.36 µg kg– 1 after the end of the drying process. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method used for detecting OTA in samples were 0.1 and 0.3 µg kg– 1, respectively. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group

Effects of different drying treatments on fungal population and ochratoxin A occurrence in sultana type grapes

This study aimed to determine the changes in mould and ochratoxin A (OTA) occurrence in sultanas under three different conventional drying conditions. Five different vineyards were chosen, and the three different treatments were applied to these grapes while drying. At the end of the drying process, total mould and black aspergilli (BA) populations in the samples varied from 2.45 to 5.61 log colony-forming units (CFU) g– 1 and from 0 to 4.92 log CFU g– 1, respectively. Significant increases (p  0.05) occurred in mould loads depending on the extending drying period. However, independent of vineyard location, all the samples treated with cold dipping solution showed the lowest fungal loads. These results indicate that dipping solution treatment was the most effective drying method to minimise fungal infection of grapes. The expected results could not be achieved by drying grapes artificially contaminated with ochratoxigenic Aspergillus carbonarius spores. Seventy-one of 96 isolates (73.95%) obtained during drying were Aspergillus spp., and the remaining (n = 25, 26.05%) belonged to other genera, such as Penicillium, Trichoderma and Cladosporium. Grape juice-based agar medium was used to determine the realistic OTA production capacities of the isolated mould strains. The highest OTA production capacities were 809.70 ± 9.19, 87.58 ± 16.89 and 45.44 ± 18.78 ng g–1 in 50% grape juice agar (GJ50), all five of which were from A. niger isolates. OTA was not present in any sample during the drying period; however, OTA was detected in two samples at 0.32 ± 0.15 and 0.52 ± 0.36 µg kg– 1 after the end of the drying process. The limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) of the method used for detecting OTA in samples were 0.1 and 0.3 µg kg– 1, respectively. © 2016 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor ; Francis Group

The comparison of the serological methods in diagnosis of brucellosis

Bu çalışmada Başkent Üniversitesi Adana Uygulama ve Araştırma Hastanesi polikliniklerine bruselloz kliniğini düşündüren bulgularla başvurmuş olan hastalara ait 4707 serum örneği seroepidemiyolojik açıdan değerlendirildi. Mevsimsel dağılım açısından Serum Aglutinasyon Testi (SAT) pozitifliğinin en sık ya: aylarında olduğu görüldü. 4707 serumun 166 (%3.5)'sının SAT'ı 1/160 ve üzerindeki dilüsyonlarda pozitif. 4541 (%96.5)'nin SAT'ı negatif bulundu. Tüm serumların 3436 (%73.0)'sı kadın, 1271 (%2 7.0) 'i erkek hastalardan alınmıştı. Benzer şekilde SAT'ı 1/160 ve üzerindeki dilüsyonlarda pozitif olan serumların 109 (%65.7)'u kadın. 57 (%34.3)'si erkek hastalara ait idi. Bütün serumlarda brusellozım serolojik tanısında kullanılan Rose Bengal ile SAT karşılaştırmalı olarak çalışıldı. SAT negatif 4541 (%96.5) serumun 123 (%2.6)'ünde Rose Bengal pozitif. Rose Bengal negatif olan 44S4 (%95.3) serumun 66 <%1.4) 'sında da SAT I 160 ve üzerindeki dilüsyonlarda pozitif bulundu (p<0.001).In this study 4707: sera which are belong to patients presenting to Başkent University of Adana Hospital with clinical findings of brucellosis were evaluated seroepidemiologically. According to seasonal distribution the highest rate of the positive SAT was seen in summer. Of the 4707 sera, 166 (3.5%) were SAT positive between 1/160 and 1/1280 dilutions and 4541 (96.5%) were negative. Of whole these sera, 3436 (73.0%) were belong to female and 1271 (2 7.0%) were belong to male patients. Of the 166 sera, 109 (65.7%) were belong to female and 57(34.3%) were belong to male patients. In all sera Rose Bengal test and SAT were compared. Rose Bengal test was found positive in 123 (2.6%) of 4541 SAT negative sera and SAT was found positive in 1/160 dilutions and more in 66 (1.4%) of 4484 (95.3%) sera (p&lt; 0.001)

Effect of the warm and wet environment of the swimming-pool on the bacterial flora of the external ear canal and development of otitis externa in children who attend to swimming course

Amaç: Özellikle yaz aylarında yüzme havuzuna giren çocuklarda eksternal otit sıklığında bir artış görülmektedir. Bu çalışma serümen varlığı ya da yokluğunda normal dış kulak yolu florasının havuz ortamı tarafından değiştirilip değiştirilmediğini ve varsa bu değişikliklerin dış kulak yolu enfeksiyonları ile ilişkisini araştırmak amacı ile planlandı. Yöntem: 197 yüzme kursu öğrencisinin dış kulak yolundan kurs öncesi ve bir aylık kurs süreci sonunda sürüntü örnekleri alındı ve mikrobiyolojik olarak incelendi. Bulgular: Kurs öncesi en sık izole edilen bakteriler sırası ile; Staphylococcus epidermidis (%76.6), Diphteroid türleri (%47.3) ve alfa-hemotilik streptokoklar (%29.9) idi. Kurs sonunda izole edilen mikroorganizmaların oranları değişmekle birlikte görülme sıklığında bir değişim olmadı. (Staphylococcus epidermidis %75.9, Diphteroid türleri %56.3 ve alfa-hemotilik streptokoklar %41.1). Kurs süreci sırasında yalnızca bir hastada Pseudomonas aeruginosa’ya bağlı eksternal otit tablosu görüldü. Sonuç: Elde edilen bulgular ışığında uygun hijyenik koşulların sağlanması ve dış kulak yolu cildinin travmatize edilmemesi koşulu ile serümen varlığı ya da yokluğunun ve dış kulak yolu florasında meydana gelen değişikliklerin dış kulak yolu enfeksiyonlarının gelişiminde rol oynamadığı sonucuna varıldı.Objective: Especially in the summer season, there is an increased incidence of ear infections in the children who attend to the swimming pools. The most frequent ear infection in this group is otitis externa. This study was planned in order to examine whether the microbiologic flora of the normal external auditory canal (EAC) is changed by the pool environment in the presence or absence of cerumen; and to evaluate the relationship of these changes with the external otitis. Methods: Ear swab samples of EAC from 197 children were taken before and 1 month after the swimming course. These samples were evaluated at the microbiology laboratory after the otoscopic examination of each student. Results: The most frequently isolated microorganisms from the samples which were taken before the course were; Staphylococcus epidermidis (76.7%), Diphteroid spp. (47.3%) and alpha-hemolytic streptococci (29.9%) respectively. After the course period, it was determined that the percentage of isolated microorganisms changed, although the order of the frequency of the first three microorganism remained the same (Staphylococcus epidermidis 75.9%, Diphteroid spp. 56.3% and alpha-hemolytic streptococci 41.1%). Only one case of external otitis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was seen in the course period. Conclusions: It was concluded that an alteration in the microbiologic flora of the EAC and the presence or absence of cerumen do not play a role in the development of EAC infections provided that the hygienic conditions are constituted and EAC skin is not traumatized