Current practice and novel approaches in organ preservation

Organ transplantation remains the only treatment option for patients with end-stage organ failure. The last decade has seen a flurry of activity in improving organ preservation technologies, which promise to increase utilization in a dramatic fashion. They also bring the promise of extending the preservation duration significantly, which opens the doors to sharing organs across local and international boundaries and transforms the field. In this work, we review the recent literature on machine perfusion of livers across various protocols in development and clinical use, in the context of extending the preservation duration. We then review the next generation of technologies that have the potential to further extend the limits and open the door to banking organs, including supercooling, partial freezing, and nanowarming, and outline the opportunities arising in the field for researchers in the short and long term

Headache characteristics in COVID-19 pandemic-a survey study

Background Headache is the most common COVID-19-related neurological symptom. We aimed to reveal diagnostic clues of headache for COVID-19 infection and to investigate the course of primary headaches during the pandemic. Methods We developed a detailed web-based questionnaire screening the characteristics and course of headaches besides clinical COVID-19 features. The participants were grouped according to being diagnosed with COVID-19 infection or not, and having previous or new-onset headaches. The COVID-19 related headache features and their associations with other clinical features were investigated. A binary logistic regression model was performed to differentiate the characteristics of headache related to COVID-19. Findings A total of 3458 participants (2341 females;67.7\%, 1495 healthcare workers;43.2\%) with a mean age of 43.21 +/- 11.2 years contributed to the survey. Among them, 262 participants had COVID-19 diagnosis and 126 (48.1\%) were male. The rate of males in the group without COVID-19 was 31\% (991 out of 3196 participants) showing significant gender difference between groups (p < 0.000). COVID-19 related headaches were more closely associated with anosmia/ageusia and gastrointestinal complaints (p < 0.000 andp < 0.000), and showed different characteristics like pulsating, pressing, and even stabbing quality. Logistic regression analyses showed that bilateral headache, duration over 72 h, analgesic resistance and having male gender were significant variables to differentiate COVID-19 positive patients from those without COVID-19 (p = 0.04 for long duration andp < 0.000 for others). A worsening of previous primary headaches due to the pandemic-related problems was not reported in the majority of patients. Interpretation Bilateral, long-lasting headaches, resistance to analgesics and having male gender were more frequent in people with COVID-19 in conjunction with anosmia/ageusia and gastrointestinal complaints. These features may be helpful for diagnosing the headache related to COVID-19 during the pandemic

Sour Cherry By-products: Compositions, Functional Properties and Recovery Potentials - A Review

Karaaslan, Mehmet/0000-0001-8097-9535; Yilmaz, Fatih Mehmet/0000-0002-1370-1231; Gorguc, Ahmet/0000-0003-3018-4595WOS: 000504300200001PubMed: 30040438Sour (tart) cherry is an industrial fruit where a considerable amount of by-products remain after processing. Sour cherry by-products consist of pomace (skin and flesh) and seeds (pit, stone) which remain after the fruit juice and IQF processes. Sour cherry pomace is characterized with a high content of phenolic compounds and the seed constitutes a high oil yield with beneficial effects on human health because of their antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties. There has been a great interest in sour cherry by-products due to the increasing production rate of sour cherry worldwide and the increasing efforts on seeking bioactive compounds from natural sources as functional food. Thus, there have been a number of studies regarding the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed, especially in the last five years. the present review summarizes the chemical, biological, functional, and technological properties of the sour cherry pomace and sour cherry seed with their current and potential applications

Headache characteristics in COVID-19 pandemic-a survey study

Background Headache is the most common COVID-19-related neurological symptom. We aimed to reveal diagnostic clues of headache for COVID-19 infection and to investigate the course of primary headaches during the pandemic. Methods We developed a detailed web-based questionnaire screening the characteristics and course of headaches besides clinical COVID-19 features. The participants were grouped according to being diagnosed with COVID-19 infection or not, and having previous or new-onset headaches. The COVID-19 related headache features and their associations with other clinical features were investigated. A binary logistic regression model was performed to differentiate the characteristics of headache related to COVID-19. Findings A total of 3458 participants (2341 females;67.7%, 1495 healthcare workers;43.2%) with a mean age of 43.21 +/- 11.2 years contributed to the survey. Among them, 262 participants had COVID-19 diagnosis and 126 (48.1%) were male. The rate of males in the group without COVID-19 was 31% (991 out of 3196 participants) showing significant gender difference between groups (p < 0.000). COVID-19 related headaches were more closely associated with anosmia/ageusia and gastrointestinal complaints (p < 0.000 andp < 0.000), and showed different characteristics like pulsating, pressing, and even stabbing quality. Logistic regression analyses showed that bilateral headache, duration over 72 h, analgesic resistance and having male gender were significant variables to differentiate COVID-19 positive patients from those without COVID-19 (p = 0.04 for long duration andp < 0.000 for others). A worsening of previous primary headaches due to the pandemic-related problems was not reported in the majority of patients. Interpretation Bilateral, long-lasting headaches, resistance to analgesics and having male gender were more frequent in people with COVID-19 in conjunction with anosmia/ageusia and gastrointestinal complaints. These features may be helpful for diagnosing the headache related to COVID-19 during the pandemic

The Trends in Utilizing Nonvitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants in Patients With Nonvalvular Atrial Fibrillation: A Real-Life Experience

Dabigatran and rivaroxaban are novel nonvitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) approved for thromboprophylaxis in atrial fibrillation (AF). In Turkey, like other countries, the efficacy of translation of the clinical trial results and current guideline recommendations into daily clinical practice is yet to be discovered. Using data from medical records of three tertiary care cardiology centers, we identified patients with nonvalvular AF on dabigatran or rivaroxaban treatment. Baseline characteristics and utilization trends were compared between dabigatran and rivaroxaban groups. Secondarily, clinical events including ischemic stroke and/or transient ischemic attack, systemic embolism, and bleeding were evaluated. Among 294 patients with AF included, dabigatran was utilized in 177 (60.2%) and rivaroxaban in 117 (39.8%). Overall, 76% of patients had received long-term warfarin therapy. The use of 110 mg twice a day (55.4%) was the prevailing strategy in dabigatran group, whereas in rivaroxaban group 20 mg every day (67.5%) was the preferred option. Of the patients, 37.3% had severe valvular disease in which mitral regurgitation was the predominant valve abnormality. Scores of CHADS(2), CHA(2)DS(2)VASc, and HAS-BLED were similar in both the groups. Of the patients, 24% in dabigatran group and 13.7% in rivaroxaban group were prescribed the lower dose inappropriately. The two NOACs did not differ significantly in terms of clinical events. The results of this study indicate that in daily practice, the physicians' behavior in utilizing the NOACs is shaped by the clinical trials and the guideline recommendations. On the other hand, in dose selection, this adherence is not of high quality

Comparison of Initial CT Findings and CO-RADS Stage in COVID-19 Patients with PCR, Inflammation and Coagulation Parameters in Diagnostic and Prognostic Perspectives br

Objectives: This study aims to determine whether COVID-19 patients with different initial reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), computed tomography (CT) and laboratory findings have different clinical outcomes. Materials and Methods: In this multi-center retrospective cohort study, 895 hospitalized patients with the diagnosis of COVID-19 were included. According to the RT-PCR positivity and presence of CT findings, the patients were divided into four groups. These groups were compared in terms of mortality and need for intensive care unit (ICU). According to the COVID-19 Reporting and Data System (CO-RADS), all patients' CT images were staged. Multivariate binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the relationship between CO-RADS and predictive inflammation and coagulation parameters. Results: RT-PCR test positivity was 51.5%, the CT finding was 70.7%, and 49.7% of the patients were in the CO-RADS 5 stage. The need for ICU and mortality rates was higher in the group with only CT findings compared to the group with only RT-PCR positivity, (14.9% vs. 4.0%, p 0.05; respectively). Mortality was 3.27 times higher in patients with CO-RADS 4 compared to those with CO-RADS 1-2. Being in the CO-RADS 4 stage and LDH were discovered to be the most efficient parameters in determining mortality risk. Conclusion: Performing only the RT-PCR test in the initial evaluation of patients in SARS-CoV-2 infection may lead to overlooking groups that are more at risk for severe disease. The use of a chest CT to perform CO-RADS staging would be beneficial in terms of providing both diagnostic and prognostic information

Original Article The prevalence and diagnostic criteria of health-care associated infections in neonatal intensive care units in Turkey: A multicenter point- prevalence study

Background: Healthcare-acquired infections (HAIs) in the neonatal period cause substantial morbidity, mortality, and healthcare costs. Our purpose was to determine the prevalence of HAIs, antimicrobial susceptibility of causative agents, and the adaptivity of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) criteria in neonatal HAI diagnosis