COVID-19 in pediatric nephrology centers in Turkey

Background/aim: There is limited data on COVID-19 disease in children with kidney disease. We aimed to investigate the characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 in pediatric nephrology patients in Turkey. Materials and methods: This was a national, multicenter, retrospective cohort study based on an online survey evaluating the data between 11th March 2020 and 11th March 2021 as an initial step of a detailed pediatric nephrology COVID-19 registry. Results: Two hundred and three patients (89 girls and 114 boys) were diagnosed with COVID-19. One-third of these patients (36.9%) were between 10–15 years old. Half of the patients were on kidney replacement therapy: kidney transplant (KTx) recipients (n = 56, 27.5%), patients receiving chronic hemodialysis (n = 33, 16.3%) and those on peritoneal dialysis (PD) (n = 18, 8.9%). Fifty-four (26.6%) children were asymptomatic. Eighty-two (40.3%) patients were hospitalized and 23 (28%) needed intensive care unit admission. Fifty-five percent of the patients were not treated, while the remaining was given favipiravir (20.7%), steroid (16.3%), and hydroxychloroquine (11.3%). Acute kidney injury developed in 19.5% of hospitalized patients. Five (2.4%) had MIS-C. Eighty-three percent of the patients were discharged without any apparent sequelae, while 7 (3.4%) died. One hundred and eight health care staff were infected during the study period. Conclusion: COVID-19 was most commonly seen in patients who underwent KTx and received HD. The combined immunosuppressive therapy and frequent exposure to the hospital setting may increase these patients’ susceptibility. Staff infections before vaccination era were alarming, various precautions should be taken for infection control, particularly optimal vaccination coverage

POU3F3-related disorder: Defining the phenotype and expanding the molecular spectrum

POU3F3 variants cause developmental delay, behavioral problems, hypotonia and dysmorphic features. We investigated the phenotypic and genetic landscape, and genotype-phenotype correlations in individuals with POU3F3-related disorders. We recruited unpublished individuals with POU3F3 variants through international collaborations and obtained updated clinical data on previously published individuals. Trio exome sequencing or single exome sequencing followed by segregation analysis were performed in the novel cohort. Functional effects of missense variants were investigated with 3D protein modeling. We included 28 individuals (5 previously published) from 26 families carrying POU3F3 variants; 23 de novo and one inherited from an affected parent. Median age at study inclusion was 7.4 years. All had developmental delay mainly affecting speech, behavioral difficulties, psychiatric comorbidities and dysmorphisms. Additional features included gastrointestinal comorbidities, hearing loss, ophthalmological anomalies, epilepsy, sleep disturbances and joint hypermobility. Autism, hearing and eye comorbidities, dysmorphisms were more common in individuals with truncating variants, whereas epilepsy was only associated with missense variants. In silico structural modeling predicted that all (likely) pathogenic variants destabilize the DNA-binding region of POU3F3. Our study refined the phenotypic and genetic landscape of POU3F3-related disorders, it reports the functional properties of the identified pathogenic variants, and delineates some genotype-phenotype correlations

Biosensor with integrated antenna and measurement method for biosensing applications

The present invention relates to a biosensor (1) which enables the concentration of a desired molecule inside a liquid in the medium, and essentially comprises at least one metallic plate (2) which functions as a ground plate, and which is preferably manufactured from aluminum, at least one dielectric substrate (3) which is located on top of the metallic plate (2), at least one split-ring resonator (4) which is realized on top of the dielectric substrate (3), and which is coated with a dielectric layer, at least two symmetrical antennas (5) which are realized on the same plane with the split-ring resonator (4) on the substrate (3), at least two ports (6) where a network analyzer is connected with the antennas (5) via SMA (SubMiniature Version A) connectors

Türkiye'nin Batılılığı Tartışmaları: Dış Politika Ve Avrupa Birliği Üyeliği Kapsamında Karşılaştırmalı Bir Araştırma

Türkiye'nin Batılılığı Tartışmaları: Dış Politika ve Avrupa Birliği Üyeliği Kapsamında Karşılaştırmalı Bir Araştırma başlıklı bu proje, hem kimlik konusunda hem de dış politika yönelimleri bakımından, Türkiye ve Avrupa Araştırma Alanı'ndaki akademisyen ve araştırmacıları bir araya getirerek, bu konularda değişen ve devam eden trendleri akademik olarak araştırma kapasitesini geliştirecektir. Önerilen projenin amacı, son dönemde yalnızca Türkiye ve Avrupa Birliği (AB) ilişkilerine dair tartışmalarda değil, genel olarak Türkiye-Batı ilişkilerine dair tartışmalarda da kendini gösteren Türk dış politikasındaki yönelimleri Türkiye'nin batılılığı bağlamında yapan yurt içi ve yurt dışı değerlendirmeleri araştırmaktır. Bu araştırma tarihsel, bilimsel ve akademik bir incelemeye ve bilgiye dayanacaktır. Dolayısıyla, araştırmanın yöntemi konu ile ilgili hem Türkiye'deki hem de Avrupa'daki paydaşlar arasında sağlıklı ve etkin bir diyalog yoluyla, tarihsel, karşılaştırmalı, disiplinlerarası araştırma kapasitesini geliştirmeye yönelik ortamlar yaratmaya katkıda bulunmak prensibine dayalı olacaktır

Split-Ring Resonator-Based Strain Sensor on Flexible Substrates for Glaucoma Detection

This paper presents split-ring resonator-based strain sensors designed and characterized for glaucoma detection application. The geometry of the sensor is optimized such that it can be embedded in a contact lens. Silver conductive paint is to form the sensors realized on flexible substrates made of cellulose acetate and latex rubber. The devices are excited and interrogated using a pair of monopole antennas and the characteristics of devices with different curvature profiles are obtained. The sensitivity of the device, i.e. the change in resonant frequency for a unit change in radius of curvature, on acetate film is calculated as -4.73 MHz/mm and the sensitivity of the device on latex is 33.2 MHz/mm. The results indicate that the demonstrated device is suitable for glaucoma diagnosis

Applicability of calf subcutaneous tissue to subcutaneous injection in young adults.

Abstract AIM: The aim of the study is to provide usage of subcutaneous tissue of lateral calf area (region of M. Gastrocnemius) in addition to the existing injection regions and to compare tissue thicknesses of the lateral upper arm, anterior and lateral thigh, anterior abdomen regions and calf regions. BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous injection (SC) is an application of 0.5cc drug with an injection (No. 25 and 8-15-18mm long) to the connective tissue under the skin. Individuals to which SC injection is frequently applied, should rotate the injection areas. METHODS: This research uses the descriptive method. One hundred and sixty-one students (aged; 20.09±2.268) were used as test subjects. Demographic data was obtained from the students who agreed to participate in the research. Body Mass Index (BMI) was calculated. Skin thickness measured using the Holtain Skinfold Caliper. SPSS 20 package software was used for statistical analysis of the data. For comparison of the tissue thicknesses between genders, the t-test was used for independent groups. In order to determine the interactions between anthropometric measurements within each other and other numerical measurements (age, length. BMI, etc.). Pearson Correlation coefficient and related P value was performed. Statistical P value is taken as 0.05. RESULTS: Consideration of subcutaneous injection applicability of the calf region depended on the injector lengths: 8mm, 15mm and 18mm, 86.3%, 59.6% and 47.8% of the population, respectively were found applicable for this region. CONCLUSIONS: The calf region could be recommended as SC injection region with an 8mm injector. According to the findings it can be said that the calf region of female genders is more applicable than male genders for SC injection. Calf region could be proposed as anticoagulation treatment