Uncovering a Regulatory Switch Controlling Tomato Fruit Ripening

AP2 is a major regulator of tomato fruit ripening and in the fruit pericarp, AP2a regulates the expression of CNR in a negative attitude [7]. Levels of CNR and AP2 gene expression in Wild-type tomato and Mutant type tomato were compared in order to investigate the mechanism of ethylene action [1]. This study is explained the relationship with types (Rin, Nor, Mutant and Wild) and time (breakpoints) for AP2 and CNR levels. The linear model and weighted least square model are created with the type and time variables for these levels. It was found that, AP2 level is not affected by time point. However, CNR level can be changed with type and time points.

Lipid Peroxidation and Paraoxonase Activity in Nocturnal Cyclic and Sustained Intermittent Hypoxia

Purpose Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been known to be associated with atherosclerosis and hypoxia which was suggested to have an important role in this process by the way of increased oxidative stress. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate the effects of nocturnal hypoxia pattern (intermittent versus sustained) on serum lipid peroxidation and paraoxonase (PON) activity. Methods Blood collections were performed in 44 OSA, 11 non-apneic, nocturnal desaturated COPD, and 14 simple snorer patients after full-night polysomnographic recordings. Nocturnal sleep and respiratory parameters, oxygen desaturation indexes, serum malondialdehyde (MDA) levels by measuring with the help of the formation of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), and PON activity were assessed in all subjects. Results OSA and COPD patients showed nocturnal hypoxemia, with a minimum oxygen saturation (SaO2) in ranges of 53–92 % and 50–87 %, respectively. The mean levels of TBARS was 15.7±3.6 nmol and 15.3±3.4 nmol malondialdehyde (MDA)/ml in OSA and COPD patients, respectively, while the mean level of the control group was 4.1±1.2 nmol MDA/ml. The mean PON activity was found to be 124.2± 35.5 U/l in OSA patients and 124.6±28.4 U/l in COPD patients. The mean PON activity of the control group was 269.0±135.8 U/l. The increase in TBARS levels and the decrease in PON1 levels were statistically significant in both OSA and COPD patients according to controls (p<0.001 for TBARS as well as PON1). Conclusion The results of this study revealed that both OSA and non-apneic, nocturnal desaturated COPD patients showed increased levels of lipid peroxidation and decreased PON activity despite the differences in nocturnal hypoxia pattern

The influence of vitamin D deficiency on eradication rates of Helicobacter pylori

Background. Helicobacter pylori eradication therapy improves the healing of various gastro-duodenal diseases such as chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer, and also reduces gastric cancer incidence. Several studies have reported on risk factors other than antibiotic resistance related to Helicobacter pylori eradication failure. Objectives. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether or not the serum levels of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25(OH)D) influence eradication rates of H. pylori. Material and methods. 220 patients diagnosed with H. pylori gastritis using endoscopic biopsy had their 25-OH vitamin D levels measured via the electrochemiluminescence method before beginning eradication therapy of H. pylori. Gastric biopsies obtained at endoscopy were examined for H. pylori strains and histopathologic findings. All patients were treated with bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for 14 days. H. pylori eradication was determined via the 14C-urea breath test performed 4 weeks after the end of therapy. Based on the 25-OH vitamin D levels, the patients were divided into 2 groups: group 1 (deficient) had a vitamin D level of = 10 ng/mL. Results. Eradication was successful in 170 (77.2%) patients and failed in 50 (22.7%) patients. The prevalence of 25(OH)D deficiency was 30.5%. Mean 25(OH)D levels were significantly lower in the eradication failure group compared to the successful treatment group (9.13 +/- 4.7 vs 19.03 +/- 8.13; p = 0.001). There were significantly more patients with deficient 25(OH)D levels in the failed treatment group compared to the successful treatment group (p = 0.001). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that 25-OH vitamin D deficiency may be considered a risk factor related to eradication failure of H. pylori, which may lead to a need for supplementation of vitamin D before eradication of H. pylori

The predictors of COVID-19 mortality in a nationwide cohort of Turkish patients

he COVID-19-related death rate varies between countries and is affected by various risk factors. This multi center registry study was designed to evaluate the mortality rate and the related risk factors in Turkey. We retrospectively evaluated 1500 adults with COVID-19 from 26 centers who were hospitalized between March 11 and July 31, 2020. In the study group, 1041 and 459 cases were diagnosed as definite and highly probable cases, respectively. There were 993 PCR-positive cases (66.2%). Among all cases, 1144 (76.3%) were diagnosed with non-severe pneumonia, whereas 212 (14.1%) had severe pneumonia. Death occurred in 67 patients, corre sponding to a mortality rate of 4.5% (95% CI:3.5–5.6). The univariate analysis demonstrated that various factors, including male sex, age ?65 years and the presence of dyspnea or confusion, malignity, chronic obstructive lung disease, interstitial lung disease, immunosuppressive conditions, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, and sepsis, were positively associated with mortality. Favipiravir, hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin were not associated with survival. Following multivariate analysis, male sex, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, malignancy, sepsis and interstitial lung diseases were found to be independent risk factors for mortality. Among the biomarkers, procalcitonin levels on the 3rd-5th days of admission showed the strongest associations with mortality (OR: 6.18; 1.6–23.93). This study demonstrated that the mortality rate in hospitalized patients in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic was a serious threat and that those patients with male sex, severe pneumonia, multiorgan dysfunction, malignancy, sepsis and interstitial lung diseases were at increased risk of mortality; therefore, such patients should be closely monitored

New CagL amino acid polymorphism patterns of helicobacter pylori in peptic ulcer and non-ulcer dyspepsia

Background and Objectives: Helicobacter pylori infection is associated with chronic gastritis, ulcers, and gastric cancer. The H. pylori Type 4 secretion system (T4SS) translocates the CagA protein into host cells and plays an essential role in initiating gastric carcinogenesis. The CagL protein is a component of the T4SS. CagL amino acid polymorphisms are correlated with clinical outcomes. We aimed to study the association between CagL amino acid polymorphisms and peptic ulcer disease (PUD) and non-ulcer dyspepsia (NUD). Materials and Methods: A total of 99 patients (PUD, 46; NUD, 53) were enrolled and screened for H. pylori by qPCR from antrum biopsy samples. The amino acid polymorphisms of CagL were analyzed using DNA sequencing, followed by the MAFFT sequence alignment program to match the amino acid sequences. Results: Antrum biopsy samples from 70 out of 99 (70.7%) patients were found to be H. pylori DNA-positive. A positive band for cagL was detected in 42 out of 70 samples (PUD, 23; NUD, 19), and following this, these 42 samples were sequenced. In total, 27 different polymorphisms were determined. We determined three CagL amino acid polymorphism combinations, which were determined to be associated with PUD and NUD. Pattern 1 (K35/N122/V134/T175/R194/E210) was only detected in PUD patient samples and was related to a 1.35-fold risk (p = 0.02). Patterns 2 (V41/I134) and 3 (V41/K122/A171/I174) were found only in NUD patient samples and were linked to a 1.26-fold increased risk (p = 0.03). Conclusions: We observed three new patterns associated with PUD and NUD. Pattern 1 is related to PUD, and the other two patterns (Patterns 2 and 3) are related to NUD. The patterns that we identified include the remote polymorphisms of the CagL protein, which is a new approach. These patterns may help to understand the course of H. pylori infection.Istanbul Aydin University Scientific Research Projects Uni

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

Two-Year Progress of Pilot Research Activities in Teaching Digital Thinking Project (TDT)

This article presents a progress report from the last two years of the Teaching Digital Thinking (TDT) project. This project aims to implement new concepts, didactic methods, and teaching formats for sustainable digital transformation in Austrian Universities’ curricula by introducing new digital competencies. By equipping students and teachers with 21st-century digital competencies, partner universities can contribute to solving global challenges and organizing pilot projects. In line with the overall project aims, this article presents the ongoing digital transformation activities, courses, and research in the project, which have been carried out by the five partner universities since 2020, and briefly discusses the results. This article presents a summary of the research and educational activities carried out within two parts: complementary research and pilot projects

A common but not well-known cause in anal fissure development and treatment failure: Isotretinoin treatment for acne vulgaris

To investigate the underrecognized effects of isotretinoin as a cause of anal fissures (AF) and compare AF patients undergoing systemic isotretinoin treatment (SIT) and those not receiving this treatment. This study was conducted with 118 patients with newly diagnosed AF, 54 undergoing SIT (Group 1) and 64 not undergoing SIT (Group 2). The same clinical treatment modalities including first-line conservative and medical treatments during the first eight weeks, followed by interventional methods (botulinum injection or sphincterotomy) for unresponsive/recurrent cases were used for all patients. A comparative analysis was also performed. Age and body mass index (BMI) were statistically low in group 1 (p=0.003; p=0.032). Similarly, the VAS pain and Wexner constipation scores and the duration of symptoms were lower in group 1 than Group 2 (p=0.003, p<0.001, and p<0.001, respectively). Atypical fissure localization was clearly associated with group 1 (p=0.012), and although SIT did not increase the surgery rate, atypical fissures and longer symptom duration constituted the most important factors determining requirement of surgical. SIT, a very successful treatment for nodulocystic acne disease, can facilitate AF development in younger individuals with a low BMI even without significant constipation

Okul öncesi eğitiminde dijital öykü anlatımının kullanılması: bir olgu bilim çalışması

It has become a great concern about how children may be affected and how teachers should use computers in their classroom activities effectively with the increased role of computers in early childhood‟s learning. It is important to consider how it can be used more effectively integrated into early childhood curriculum since technological devices are widely used to maximize learning activity. This study aimed to show how digital storytelling can be used as an effective teaching and learning tool in kindergarten classrooms. In the phenomenological framework, the study investigates the experiences of early childhood teachers who attended the digital storytelling workshop. In addition, the study investigated how the early childhood teachers incorporated digital storytelling in their classroom and what the challenges and successes the early childhood teachers faced during the implementation of digital storytelling. After the teachers attended the digital storytelling workshop, in-depth phenomenological interviews, observations, and focus group interview methods were conducted to collect data. Phenomenal data were collected from five kindergarten classrooms including approximately 20 students and a teacher in each classroom. This study presents examples to illustrate how early childhood teachers integrate digital storytelling as an instructional tool into curriculum to enhance young children learning. The results show that there is an emphasis on certain essential points so as to assist early childhood teachers to exploit technological tools in their learning environments. The findings have implications on early childhood teachers, curriculum and for future research.Ph.D. - Doctoral Progra

Detection of pncA gene mutations in pyrazinamide-resistant mycobacterium tubercilosis complex isolates

Tüberküloz hala dünyada mortalite ve morbiditerıin en önde gelen nedenlerinden biri olarak bilinmektedir. Mycobacterium tuberculosis'ln ilaç direncinden dolayı tüberküloz kontrolü daha zor olmaktadır. Pirazinamid, tüberküloz tedavisi için kullanılan birinci seçenek ilaçlardan biridir. Mycobacterium tuberculosis pirazinamidi, pirazinamidaz enzimini kullanarak aktif hale çevirir. Bu enzim pncA geninde kodlanır ve pncA genindeki mutasyonlar aktif enzimin yokluğuna ve böylece pirazinamide karşı dirence neden olur. Bu çalışmada, kord oluşumu, NAP testi PCR-RFLP yöntemi ile kökenlerin M. tuberculosis kompleks olduğu gösterilmiştir. BACTEC yöntemiyle ve pirazinamidaz testiyle pirazinamid duyarlılık sonuçları uyumlu bulunan kökenlerde, pncA genindeki mutasyonlar DNA dizi analizi yöntemiyle saptanmıştır. Amacımız klasik duyarlılık testleriyle saptanan pirazinamid dirençli kökenlerdeki pncA gen mutasyonlarını tespit etmek ve literatürdeki mutasyonlarla sonuçlarımızı karşılaştırılmaktır. iki pirazinamid duyarlı kökende ve 10 pirazinamid dirençli kökenin üçünde mutasyon bulunamadı. Pirazinamid dirençli kökenlerin ikisinde aynı bölgede mutasyon(GGC 71 GAC), ikisinde farklı bölgelerde mutasyonlar (ACA479 AAA), (CAC 152 CCC) bulundu. Pirazinamid dirençli kökenlerin üçünde ise aynı bölgede delesyon (CTG-AAT (102-269)) bulundu. Sonuç olarak, çalışmamızda 152. kodondaki mutasyon daha önceki literatürlerde bildirilmişken, iki mutasyon ve bir delesyon daha önceden bildirilmemiştir.Tuberculosis still remains one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Controlling tuberculosis becomes more difficult because of the drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Pyrazinamide has become one of the first-line drugs for the treatment of tuberculosis. Mycobacterium tuberculosis converts pyrazinamide to its active form by using the enzyme pyrazinamidase. This enzyme is coded for on the pncA gene, and mutations in the pncA gene result in absence of active enzyme, conferring resistance to the drug pyrazinamide. In the present study, the strains were identified as M. tuberculosis complex by cord factor, NAP test and PCR-RFLP. Then, pyrazinamide susceptibility was studied by BACTEC methodology and pyrazinamidase test. The mutations of pncA gene have been detected with DNA sequencing. Our aim was to identify the mutation of pncA gene in pyrazinamide resistant isolates detected by the classical susceptibility tests and to compare our results with the mutations in literature reported before. In two PZA susceptible and in three of 10 pyrazinamide resistant strains, no mutations were determined. Two of the pyrazinamide resistant strains had mutations in the same region (GGC 71 GAC). Two of the pyrazinamide resistant strains had different mutations (ACA 479 AAA), (CAC 152 CCC). Three of the pyrazinamide resistant strains had deletion in the same region (CTG-AAT (102-269)). As a result, mutation in 152. codon was reported in previous studies; two new mutations and a deletion were determined responsible for pyrazinamide resistance in our study