A Novel On‐Chip Method for Differential Extraction of Sperm in Forensic Cases

One out of every six American women has been the victim of a sexual assault in their lifetime. However, the DNA casework backlog continues to increase outpacing the nation\u27s capacity since DNA evidence processing in sexual assault casework remains a bottleneck due to laborious and time‐consuming differential extraction of victim\u27s and perpetrator\u27s cells. Additionally, a significant amount (60–90%) of male DNA evidence may be lost with existing procedures. Here, a microfluidic method is developed that selectively captures sperm using a unique oligosaccharide sequence (Sialyl‐LewisX), a major carbohydrate ligand for sperm‐egg binding. This method is validated with forensic mock samples dating back to 2003, resulting in 70–92% sperm capture efficiency and a 60–92% reduction in epithelial fraction. Captured sperm are then lysed on‐chip and sperm DNA is isolated. This method reduces assay‐time from 8 h to 80 min, providing an inexpensive alternative to current differential extraction techniques, accelerating identification of suspects and advancing public safety

Volume CXIV, Number 4, November 7, 1996

Objective: Turner syndrome (TS) is a chromosomal disorder caused by complete or partial X chromosome monosomy that manifests various clinical features depending on the karyotype and on the genetic background of affected girls. This study aimed to systematically investigate the key clinical features of TS in relationship to karyotype in a large pediatric Turkish patient population.Methods: Our retrospective study included 842 karyotype-proven TS patients aged 0-18 years who were evaluated in 35 different centers in Turkey in the years 2013-2014.Results: The most common karyotype was 45,X (50.7%), followed by 45,X/46,XX (10.8%), 46,X,i(Xq) (10.1%) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) (9.5%). Mean age at diagnosis was 10.2±4.4 years. The most common presenting complaints were short stature and delayed puberty. Among patients diagnosed before age one year, the ratio of karyotype 45,X was significantly higher than that of other karyotype groups. Cardiac defects (bicuspid aortic valve, coarctation of the aorta and aortic stenosis) were the most common congenital anomalies, occurring in 25% of the TS cases. This was followed by urinary system anomalies (horseshoe kidney, double collector duct system and renal rotation) detected in 16.3%. Hashimoto's thyroiditis was found in 11.1% of patients, gastrointestinal abnormalities in 8.9%, ear nose and throat problems in 22.6%, dermatologic problems in 21.8% and osteoporosis in 15.3%. Learning difficulties and/or psychosocial problems were encountered in 39.1%. Insulin resistance and impaired fasting glucose were detected in 3.4% and 2.2%, respectively. Dyslipidemia prevalence was 11.4%.Conclusion: This comprehensive study systematically evaluated the largest group of karyotype-proven TS girls to date. The karyotype distribution, congenital anomaly and comorbidity profile closely parallel that from other countries and support the need for close medical surveillance of these complex patients throughout their lifespa

Could flank pain be an indicator of COVID-19 infection?

BackgroundWe describe the incidental detection of patients infiltrates due to COVID-19 in lung basal sections in patients undergoing abdominal computed tomography (CT) with flank pain attending the urology outpatient clinic during the current pandemic.MethodsWe retrospectively analysed 276 patients admitted to the Siirt Training and Research Hospital Urology outpatients clinic between 15 March 2020 and 9 August 2020 with a complaint of flank pain and undergoing non-contrast abdominal CT. A total of 10 patients with COVID-19 compatible findings in CT were defined as the study group. A control group was formed from 10 patients with only urological pathologies (kidney stones, ureteral stones, and hydronephrosis) without a COVID-19 compatible appearance on CT.ResultsTen (3.6 %) patients were identified with COVID-19 and pneumonic infiltrations in the basal regions of the lungs; diagnosis was made by cross-sectional abdominal CT. The visual analog scale (VAS) score of flank pain was significantly higher in the control group (p<0.001); these subjects had urological pathology and no evidence of COVID-19 in the basal regions of the lungs on abdominal CT. There were no signs of COVID-19 disease detected during the admissions procedure in the urology outpatient clinic, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath.Conclusion During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to consider a diagnosis of COVID_19 in patients reporting non-severe flank pain if no urological pathology is evident on abdominal CT scans

Multitarget, quantitative nanoplasmonic electrical field-enhanced resonating device (NE2RD) for diagnostics

Recent advances in biosensing technologies present great potential for medical diagnostics, thus improving clinical decisions. However, creating a label-free general sensing platform capable of detecting multiple biotargets in various clinical specimens over a wide dynamic range, without lengthy sample-processing steps, remains a considerable challenge. In practice, these barriers prevent broad applications in clinics and at patients' homes. Here, we demonstrate the nanoplasmonic electrical field-enhanced resonating device (NE(2)RD), which addresses all these impediments on a single platform. The NE(2)RD employs an immunodetection assay to capture biotargets, and precisely measures spectral color changes by their wavelength and extinction intensity shifts in nanoparticles without prior sample labeling or preprocessing. We present through multiple examples, a label-free, quantitative, portable, multitarget platform by rapidly detecting various protein biomarkers, drugs, protein allergens, bacteria, eukaryotic cells, and distinct viruses. The linear dynamic range of NE(2)RD is five orders of magnitude broader than ELISA, with a sensitivity down to 400 fg/mL This range and sensitivity are achieved by self-assembling gold nanoparticles to generate hot spots on a 3D-oriented substrate for ultrasensitive measurements. We demonstrate that this precise platform handles multiple clinical samples such as whole blood, serum, and saliva without sample preprocessing under diverse conditions of temperature, pH, and ionic strength. The NE(2)RD's broad dynamic range, detection limit, and portability integrated with a disposable fluidic chip have broad applications, potentially enabling the transition toward precision medicine at the point-of-care or primary care settings and at patients' homes

Anthropometric findings from birth to adulthood and their relation with karyotpye distribution in Turkish girls with Turner syndrome

WOS: 000373099300016PubMed ID: 26788866To evaluate the anthropometric features of girls with Turner syndrome (TS) at birth and presentation and the effect of karyotype on these parameters. Data were collected from 842 patients with TS from 35 different centers, who were followed-up between 1984 and 2014 and whose diagnosis age ranged from birth to 18 years. Of the 842 patients, 122 girls who received growth hormone, estrogen or oxandrolone were excluded, and 720 girls were included in the study. In this cohort, the frequency of small for gestational age (SGA) birth was 33%. The frequency of SGA birth was 4.2% (2/48) in preterm and 36% (174/483) in term neonates (P<0.001). The mean birth length was 1.3cm shorter and mean birth weight was 0.36kg lower than that of the normal population. The mean age at diagnosis was 10.1 +/- 4.4 years. Mean height, weight and body mass index standard deviation scores at presentation were -3.1 +/- 1.7, -1.4 +/- 1.5, and 0.4 +/- 1.7, respectively. Patients with isochromosome Xq were significantly heavier than those with other karyotype groups (P=0.007). Age at presentation was negatively correlated and mid-parental height was positively correlated with height at presentation. Mid-parental height and age at presentation were the only parameters that were associated with height of children with TS. The frequency of SGA birth was found higher in preterm than term neonates but the mechanism could not be clarified. We found no effect of karyotype on height of girls with TS, whereas weight was greater in 46,X,i(Xq) and 45,X/46,X,i(Xq) karyotype groups. (c) 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc