Reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ-T) in patients with Behçet’s disease

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-T, ©Prof. Rob Horne) for patients with Behçet's disease. METHODS: This methodological study enrolled a sample of 125 patients. The scale was adapted to Turkish through a process including translation, comparison with versions in other languages, back translation, and pretesting. Construct validity was evaluated by factor analysis. Medication adherence evaluated as poor, moderate and good according to the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). BMQ-T scores compared along medication adherence status groups. RESULTS: In our study, as in the original scale, the factor analysis confirmed that the BMQ-T had a four-factor structure explaining 54.73% of the total variance. The BMQ-T had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: Specific Necessity=.812; Specific Concerns=.672; General Harm=.677; General Overuse=.656), adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients: Specific Necessity=.715; Specific Concerns=.680; General Harm=.678; General Overuse=.327). Specific Necessity and Specific Concerns scores were significantly different between medication adherence status groups. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the BMQ-T were consistent with those reported in the original study. The BMQ-T was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluating beliefs about medicines in patients with Behçet's disease

Transfusion-transmitted virus prevalence in subjects at high risk of sexually transmitted infection in Turkey

ObjectiveTo assess the possible sexual transmission of virus and to identify the prevalence of TTV viremia in Turkey and its association with other hepatotropic viruses.MethodsSerum samples were collected from 81 subjects (74 prostitutes and seven homosexual men) at high risk of sexually transmitted infection and from 81 healthy controls (74 females and seven males). Sera of patients and controls were tested for TTV, hepatitis A virus, hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, and human immunodeficiency virus. Also, serum alanine and aspartate aminotransferases were measured.ResultsThe prevalence rates of TTV viremia in the risk group and control group were 86.4% and 82.7%, respectively. There was a statistical difference in mean age between TTV-infected and uninfected subjects (38.6 ± 9.9 versus 32.2 ± 6.1 years, respectively, P < 0.001). Prevalence rates of TTV infection in subjects with positive anti-HAV and positive anti-HBc were high when compared with subjects who were negative for these.ConclusionWe suggest that TTV infection has a diverse route of transmission, and its prevalence increases with age; also, the prevalence rate of TTV is high in certain risk groups. The prevalence rates of TTV in the group at risk for sexual transmission (86.4%) and in the control group (82.7%) were among the highest ever reported in the world. Also, we suggest that TTV generally does not cause clinical disease, in spite of this high prevalence

First description of early developmental stages of the native invasive fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Annelida, Amphinomidae): A cue to the warming of the mediterranean sea

Observations on the reproductive behavior and larval development of the bristled fireworm Hermodice carunculata, a common inhabitant of shallow marine rocky bottoms in the Southern Mediterranean Sea, are reported here. In recent years, an increase in abundance and a northward expansion of the populations along the Southern Italian coast were jointly detected, presumably linked to rising water temperature in the Mediterranean Sea. After making in situ observations on two consecutive spawning events, live worms and fresh spawn were brought into the lab, kept at either 27°C or 22°C and followed through development. Complete and normal development was observed only at 27°C. By contrast, embryonic and larval development appeared to be slowed down at 22°C, stopping at the protrochophora stage. Early development of H. carunculata suggests the existence of a long pre-metamorphic, planktotrophic period in the water column that can explain the genetic cohesion of this species and the low genetic divergence found among populations across the Atlantic Ocean. The observed increase in abundance, invasiveness potential, and geographical northern distribution of the bearded fireworms is probably determined by a progressive northward latitudinal shift of the sea surface temperature coincident with the temperature threshold required for the developmental and reproductive success of the worm

3D Nanofabrication inside rapid prototyped microfluidic channels showcased by wet-spinning of single micrometre fibres

Microfluidics is an established multidisciplinary research domain with widespread applications in the fields of medicine, biotechnology and engineering. Conventional production methods of microfluidic chips have been limited to planar structures, preventing the exploitation of truly three-dimensional architectures for applications such as multi-phase droplet preparation or wet-phase fibre spinning. Here the challenge of nanofabrication inside a microfluidic chip is tackled for the showcase of a spider-inspired spinneret. Multiphoton lithography, an additive manufacturing method, was used to produce free-form microfluidic masters, subsequently replicated by soft lithography. Into the resulting microfluidic device, a threedimensional spider-inspired spinneret was directly fabricated in-chip via multiphoton lithography. Applying this unprecedented fabrication strategy, the to date smallest printed spinneret nozzle is produced. This spinneret resides tightly sealed, connecting it to the macroscopic world. Its functionality is demonstrated by wet-spinning of single-digit micron fibres through a polyacrylonitrile coagulation process induced by a water sheath layer. The methodology developed here demonstrates fabrication strategies to interface complex architectures into classical microfluidic platforms. Using multiphoton lithography for in-chip fabrication adopts a high spatial resolution technology for improving geometry and thus flow control inside microfluidic chips. The showcased fabrication methodology is generic and will be applicable to multiple challenges in fluid control and beyond

The effect of epidural anesthesia on muscle flap tolerance to venous ischemia

Background: Venous ischemia is a major cause of failure after free tissue transfers and replantations. The combination of general and epidural anesthesia leads to vasodilatation and improves tissue perfusion. Postoperative pain relief and sympathetic blockage are additional benefits of epidural anesthesia. The purpose of this study was to determine whether epidural anesthesia has benefits on microcirculation and neutrophil functions in muscle flaps subjected to venous ischemia. METHOD:: Thirty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three groups: group I, general anesthesia; group II, spinal anesthesia; and group III, epidural anesthesia. Cremaster flaps were prepared, postcapillary venules were selected under intravital videomicroscopy, and flaps were subjected to venous ischemia. Images were recorded from preselected postcapillary venules before venous ischemia (baseline) and following reperfusion. Neutrophil rolling and adhesion, functional capillary density, and diameters of postcapillary venules were evaluated. Results: The increase in rolling neutrophils in group III was significantly lower than in groups I and II at 60 and 120 minutes. Change of adherent neutrophils in group III was significantly lower than in groups I and II at 15, 60 and 120 minutes. There was significantly more reduction in inner diameter of postcapillary venules in groups I and II compared with group III. Functional capillary density in groups I and II was significantly lower than in group III. Conclusion: Epidural anesthesia regulated neutrophil functions, salvaged functional capillaries, and prevented vasoconstriction of postcapillary venules in cremaster muscle flaps subjected to venous ischemia. Spinal and general anesthesia, however, were found to be ineffective in improving microcirculation of muscle flaps subjected to venous ischemia. © 2009 by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons

Exposure of mediterranean countries to ocean acidification

This study examines the potential effects of ocean acidification on countries and fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The implications for seafood security and supply are evaluated by examining the sensitivity of the Mediterranean to ocean acidification at chemical, biological, and macro-economic levels. The limited information available on impacts of ocean acidification on harvested (industrial, recreational, and artisanal fishing) and cultured species (aquaculture) prevents any biological impact assessment. However, it appears that non-developed nations around the Mediterranean, particularly those for which fisheries are increasing, yet rely heavily on artisanal fleets, are most greatly exposed to socioeconomic consequences from ocean acidification. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

The complete mitochondrial genome of the foodborne parasitic pathogen Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cyclospora cayetanensis is a human-specific coccidian parasite responsible for several food and water-related outbreaks around the world, including the most recent ones involving over 900 persons in 2013 and 2014 outbreaks in the USA. Multicopy organellar DNA such as mitochondrion genomes have been particularly informative for detection and genetic traceback analysis in other parasites. We sequenced the C. cayetanensis genomic DNA obtained from stool samples from patients infected with Cyclospora in Nepal using the Illumina MiSeq platform. By bioinformatically filtering out the metagenomic reads of non-coccidian origin sequences and concentrating the reads by targeted alignment, we were able to obtain contigs containing Eimeria-like mitochondrial, apicoplastic and some chromosomal genomic fragments. A mitochondrial genomic sequence was assembled and confirmed by cloning and sequencing targeted PCR products amplified from Cyclospora DNA using primers based on our draft assembly sequence. The results show that the C. cayetanensis mitochondrion genome is 6274 bp in length, with 33% GC content, and likely exists in concatemeric arrays as in Eimeria mitochondrial genomes. Phylogenetic analysis of the C. cayetanensis mitochondrial genome places this organism in a tight cluster with Eimeria species. The mitochondrial genome of C. cayetanensis contains three protein coding genes, cytochrome (cytb), cytochrome C oxidase subunit 1 (cox1), and cytochrome C oxidase subunit 3 (cox3), in addition to 14 large subunit (LSU) and nine small subunit (SSU) fragmented rRNA genes