Use of Mycorrhiza to Reduce Mineral Fertilizers in Soilless Melon (Cucumis melo L.) Cultivation

Intensive use of mineral fertilizers in soilless growing systems can have adverse effects on the environment and human health and could be economically expensive. Aim of this study was whether it can be reduced mineral nutrients in soilless grown melon by using mycorrhizae inoculation. The experiment has been carried out in the early spring growing period in a greenhouse in the Mediterranean climate. The eight treatments have been applied:  (1) 100% Full nutrition (control), (2) 100% Full nutrition+mycorrhiza, (3) 80% nutrition, (4) 80% nutrition+mycorrhiza (5) 60% nutrition (6) 60% nutrition+mycorrhiza (7) 40% nutrition, (8) 40% nutrition+mycorrhiza. Effects of mycorrhiza on melon plant growth, yield, fruit quality, and leaf nutrient concentrations were investigated. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi colonization is accompanied by plant growth increases in reduced nutrient levels. The mycorrhiza inoculation had a significant enhancing effect on total yield in soilless grown melon plants. The highest increasing effect on melon yield was observed in the “80% nutrient+mycorrhiza”, and AM- inoculated plants produced 49.5% higher melon yield (12.4 kg m-2) than that of control plants without mycorrhizae (8.3 k gm-2). AM-inoculation was also able to establish an improvement in Brix and EC of melon fruit. In the nutrient contents of leaves, there were slight increases in AM-inoculated plants, except P. The P content was significantly increased in AM-inoculated 80% nutrient plants as comparison to that of its control

Risk Factors for Immediate-Type Local Anesthetic Hypersensitivity Reactions in Pediatric Patients: A Retrospective Case-Control Study

Background: Local anesthetics (LA) are relatively safe and rarely cause immediate hypersensitivity reactions. The data on immediate LA hypersensitivity and its risk factors in children are limited

Antibiotic allergy in children with cystic fibrosis: A retrospective case-control study

Antibiotic allergy is a big problem that may affect the treatment and life quality of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF). Aim To evaluate predictive factors for confirmed antibiotic hypersensitivity in children with CF. Methods In this case-controlled study, we examined 15 patients with CF who had been confirmed with antibiotic allergy. Additionally, we included a control group of age- and gender-matched 45 CF patients with no antibiotic allergy. The diagnosis of antibiotic allergy was confirmed in the presence of a compatible history and a positive response in the drug skin test or provocation test. Multiple drug hypersensitivity was classified according to the temporal relationship of antibiotics: (i) distant, (ii) simultaneous, and (iii) sequential. The data were analyzed by conditional logistic regression. Results beta-lactam allergy was confirmed in eight patients (ceftazidime n = 5, piperacillin-tazobactam n = 3) and non-beta-lactam allergy was confirmed in two patients (ciprofloxacin n = 1, azithromycin n = 1). Additionally, multiple drug hypersensitivity in five patients (distant n = 4, sequential n = 1), among whom two patients showed hypersensitivity against ceftazidime/piperacillin-tazobactam+ ciprofloxacin/levofloxacin, two patients showed hypersensitivity against ceftazidime+ ciprofloxacin n = 2, and one patient showed hypersensitivity against piperacillin-tazobactam+ amikacin+ trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. All patients (n = 13) with confirmed beta-lactam allergy were meropenem tolerant. Multivariate analysis indicated that immediate reactions (, p < 0.001) and allergic evaluation in the first six months after the reaction (p = 0.036) were significant risk factors for the prediction of antibiotic hypersensitivity. Conclusion Beta-lactam antibiotic allergy is the most commonly confirmed drug allergy in children with CF. However, unlike normal children, ceftazidime and piperacillin-tazobactam account for the majority

Risk Factors for the Development of IgE-Mediated Food Allergy in Preschool Children with Asthma

Background Food allergy is a component of the atopic march and may have effects on asthma. This study aimed to evaluate the risk factors for confirmed immunoglobulin E-mediated food allergies and their impact on the clinical picture in preschool children with asthma. Methods Clinical history and allergic assessment results were obtained from medical records and analyzed retrospectively. Preschool children with asthma were included in the study and the characteristics of food allergy and asthma were evaluated. The patients were grouped as those with food allergy (Group I, n = 60) and those without (Group II, n = 98). Results In patients with food allergy and asthma, the number of episodes requiring systemic steroids in the last year (p = 0.002), atopic dermatitis (p = 0.001), parental atopic disease (p = 0.009) and aeroallergen sensitivity rates (p < 0.001) was higher than patients without food allergies. The use of medium or high doses of inhaled steroids to achieve asthma control was more frequent in patients with food allergies (p = 0.014). Parental history of atopic disease [p = 0.007, odds ratio (OR): 3.27, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.37-7.77)], atopic dermatitis (p = 0.017, OR: 2.80, 95% CI: 1.19-6.57), starting complementary food after 6 months (p = 0.004, OR: 3.9, 95% CI: 1.5-10.0) and having aeroallergen sensitivity (p < 0.001, OR: 6.01, 95% CI: 2.21-16.29) were identified as significant risk factors for food allergy. Conclusion Asthmatic preschool children with food allergies are more likely to have a parental atopic disease, atopic dermatitis, aeroallergen sensitivity and starting complementary food after 6 months. These patients experience more asthma attacks and need higher doses of steroids

Synthesis and characterization of oligo-2-[(2-hydroxymethylphenylimino) methyl] phenol and oligo-2-[(2-hydroxymethylphenylimino) methyl]-5-bromo-phenol

Oligo-2-[(2-hydroxymethylphenylimino) methyl] phenol O-(2-HMPIMP) and oligo-2-[(2-hydroxymethylphenyl imino) methyl]-5-bromo-phenol O-(2-HMPIMBP) were synthesized by the oxidative polycondensation reaction using air as an oxidant in an aqueous alkaline medium at 70 degrees C. They were characterized by H-1-NMR, FT-IR, UV-vis, TC, size exclusion chromatography (SEC) and elemental analysis. According to the SEC analyses, the number-average molecular weight (M-n), weight-average molecular weight (M-w) and polydispersity index (PDI) values of O-2-HMPIMBP and O-2-HMPIMP are 1100, 1600 g mol(-1) and 1.45; and 6000, 6250 g mol(-1) and 1.04, respectively. According to TG analyses, the weight losses of O-2-HMPIMP and O-2-HMPIMBP are 98.31% and 96.91%, respectively, at 900 degrees C

Risk Stratification as a Predictive Factor for Cephalosporin Allergy: A Case-Controlled Study

Background: Compared to penicillin, cephalosporin allergies are less common in children, and their diagnostic approach is less standardized. A recent European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology position paper provided a risk stratification system for patients with suspected beta-lactam hypersensitivity reactions. Objective: This study aimed to evaluate risk stratification and predicting factors for confirmed cephalosporin hypersensitivity. Methods: The case-controlled study included patients with confirmed cephalosporin hypersensitivity (skin tests, n = 53; drug provocation, n = 19). For each patient, 2 age- and gender-matched control subjects were included in the study. Data were retrieved from patients' records and analyzed retrospectively. Risk stratification was performed according to the severity of index reactions, which was initially divided as high and low risk and then further divided as immediate and nonimmediate. Results: According to risk stratification, the patient and control groups were divided as follows: high-risk immediate (66.7% vs. 13%, respectively), high-risk delayed (1.4% vs. 8.3%, respectively), low-risk immediate (16.7% vs. 16%, respectively), and low-risk delayed (15.3% vs. 62.9%, respectively). Immediate reactions (odds ratio [OR]: 12.1, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 9-24.8,

Evaluation of oxidative stress biomarkers together with myeloperoxidase/paraoxonase-1 and myeloperoxidase/high density lipoprotein cholesterol in ST-elevation myocardial infarction

Oxidative stress is closely associated with atherosclerosis and acute coronary syndromes. The purpose of this study was to evaluate well-known and proportional oxidative stress biomarkers in ST-Elevation Myocardial Infarction (STEMI) patients