Investigation of Acute Phase Proteins in Cattle Infected with Mycobacterium bovis

Tuberculosis (TB) is a contagious and zoonotic disease that adversely affects human and animal health, caused by the formation of tubercules in a caseous character in the lungs, other tissues and organs. The causative of the disease is Mycobacterium bovis. An increase or decrease in acute phase protein (APP) levels is observed in various bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases in cattle.  Therefore, in this study, it was aimed to determine the changes in the levels of AFPs in cattle infected with M. bovis. In the study, 26 tuberculosis suspected and 10 healthy cattle blood serums collected from various enterprises in Samsun were used. Rose bengal plate test and complement fixation test were applied in serum by taking blood into heparin containing tubes from vena jugularis of cattle. Whole blood samples were subjected to gamma interferon ELISA test. Haptoglobin (Hp), serum amyloid A (SAA), albumin and total protein (TP) levels, which are among the acute phase proteins, were determined in the blood serums taken from the groups. As a result of the analysis, when the AFP levels of the cattle infected with M. bovis and the cattle in the healthy group were compared, it was determined that haptoglobin (p < 0.01), serum amyloid A (p < 0.01) and total protein (p < 0.01) levels, which are AFPs increased statistically significantly compared to the healthy group, while the albümin (p > 0.05) level decreased, but there was no statistically significant difference. Keywords: acute phase protein (APP);  cattle; mycobacterium bovis; tuberculosis (TB)

Changing the bonding force of impression tray to edentulous maxillary jaw simulator with impression valve system: In vitro study

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of an impression valve system (IVS) on the bonding force between an  impression tray and an edentulous maxillary jaw.Materials and Methods: In this in vitro study, a polyether.coated maxillary jaw simulator (PM) was used to model an edentulous maxillary jaw. The IVS was placed into individual impression trays. An irreversible hydrocolloid impression was taken of the PM when the IVS was open and closed. The impression tray bonding force was measured using a digital dynamometer. Student's t.test was used to determine the significance of the difference between these two groups.Results: The impression tray was more easily separated from the PM when the IVS was open (108 ± 3.9 N). The separation was more difficult when the IVS was closed (153.7 ±14.2 N). The difference between these two findings (P = 0.000) was significant.Conclusion: The use of an IVS facilitates the removal of the impression tray from the mouth when taking impressions from an edentulous maxillary jaw.Key words: Bonding force, impression tray, maxillary ja

PEGylated surfaces for the study of DNA-protein interactions by atomic force microscopy

DNA-protein interactions are vital to cellular function, with key roles in the regulation of gene expression and genome maintenance. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) offers the ability to visualize DNA-protein interactions at nanometre resolution in near-physiological buffers, but it requires that the DNA be adhered to the surface of a solid substrate. This presents a problem when working in biologically relevant protein concentrations, where proteins may be present in large excess in solution; much of the biophysically relevant information can therefore be occluded by non-specific protein binding to the underlying substrate. Here we explore the use of PLLx-b-PEGy block copolymers to achieve selective adsorption of DNA on a mica surface for AFM studies. Through varying both the number of lysine and ethylene glycol residues in the block copolymers, we show selective adsorption of DNA on mica that is functionalized with a PLL10-b-PEG113/PLL1000-2000 mixture as viewed by AFM imaging in a solution containing high concentrations of streptavidin. We show - through the use of biotinylated DNA and streptavidin - that this selective adsorption extends to DNA-protein complexes and that DNA-bound streptavidin can be unambiguously distinguished in spite of an excess of unbound streptavidin in solution. Finally, we apply this to the nuclear enzyme PARP1, resolving the binding of individual PARP1 molecules to DNA by in-liquid AFM

Effect of different segmentation methods using optical satellite imagery to estimate fuzzy clustering parameters for Sentinel-1A SAR images

Optical and SAR data are efficient data sources for shoreline monitoring. The processing of SAR data such as feature extraction is not an easy task since the images have totally different structure than optical imagery. Determination of threshold value is a challenging task for SAR data. In this study, SENTINEL-2A optical data was used as ancillary data to predict fuzzy membership parameters for segmentation of SENTINEL-1A SAR data to extract shoreline. SENTINEL-2A and SENTINEL-1A satellite images used were taken in September 9, 2016 and September 13, 2016 respectively. Three different segmentation algorithms which are selected from object, learning and pixel-based methods. They have been exploited to obtain land and water classes which have been used as an input data for parameter estimation. Thus, the performance of different segmentation algorithm has been investigated and analysed. In the first step of the study, Mean-Shift, Random Forest and Whale Optimization algorithms have been employed to obtain water and land classes from the SENTINEL-2A image. Water and land classes derived from each algorithm – are used as input data, and then the required parameters for the fuzzy clustering of SENTINEL-1A SAR image, were calculated. Lake Constance, Germany has been chosen as the study area. In this study, additionally an interface plugin has been developed and integrated into the open source Quantum GIS software platform. The developed interface allows non-experts to process and extract the shorelines without using any parameters. But, this system requires pre-segmented data as input. Thus, the batch process calculates the required parameters

Post EVAR endovascular revision of late onset stent graft collapse due to Type 1 endoleak in a complicated case with left limb occlusion and solitary kidney

Type 1 endoleak is one of the most frequent complication usually seen at the initial phase of EVAR procedure. B alloon dilatation is mostly used to oversize the proximal or the distal part of the orifice to stabilize the attachment of the graft stent to the aortic wall. Late onset of type 1 endoleak with graft stents may cause severe lumen compression of the stent and aneurysm enlargement which might cause a serious problem especially in a patient whose graft stents left iliac branch is thrombosed and the left leg is supplied by the bypass graft from right CFA. Although operation was advised by the endovascular specialists the procedure was done in our hospital as the patient preferred the endovascular method instead of open surgery

Perspectives on care and communication involving incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, relatives and professionals: a systematic literature review

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Our aim was to obtain a clearer picture of the relevant care experiences and care perceptions of incurably ill Turkish and Moroccan patients, their relatives and professional care providers, as well as of communication and decision-making patterns at the end of life. The ultimate objective is to improve palliative care for Turkish and Moroccan immigrants in the Netherlands, by taking account of socio-cultural factors in the guidelines for palliative care.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A systematic literature review was undertaken. The data sources were seventeen national and international literature databases, four Dutch journals dedicated to palliative care and 37 websites of relevant national and international organizations. All the references found were checked to see whether they met the structured inclusion criteria. Inclusion was limited to publications dealing with primary empirical research on the relationship between socio-cultural factors and the health or care situation of Turkish or Moroccan patients with an oncological or incurable disease. The selection was made by first reading the titles and abstracts and subsequently the full texts. The process of deciding which studies to include was carried out by two reviewers independently. A generic appraisal instrument was applied to assess the methodological quality.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Fifty-seven studies were found that reported findings for the countries of origin (mainly Turkey) and the immigrant host countries (mainly the Netherlands). The central themes were experiences and perceptions of family care, professional care, end-of-life care and communication. Family care is considered a duty, even when such care becomes a severe burden for the main female family caregiver in particular. Professional hospital care is preferred by many of the patients and relatives because they are looking for a cure and security. End-of-life care is strongly influenced by the continuing hope for recovery. Relatives are often quite influential in end-of-life decisions, such as the decision to withdraw or withhold treatments. The diagnosis, prognosis and end-of-life decisions are seldom discussed with the patient, and communication about pain and mental problems is often limited. Language barriers and the dominance of the family may exacerbate communication problems.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This review confirms the view that family members of patients with a Turkish or Moroccan background have a central role in care, communication and decision making at the end of life. This, in combination with their continuing hope for the patient’s recovery may inhibit open communication between patients, relatives and professionals as partners in palliative care. This implies that organizations and professionals involved in palliative care should take patients’ socio-cultural characteristics into account and incorporate cultural sensitivity into care standards and care practices<it>.</it></p

Magnetic resonance imaging study of corpus callosum abnormalities in patients with different subtypes of schizophrenia

Background. Reductions in the size of the corpus callosum (CC) have been described for schizophrenia patients, but little is known about the possible regional differences in schizophrenia subtypes (paranoid, disorganised, undifferentiated, residual).  Methods. We recruited 58 chronically schizophrenic patients with different subtypes, and 31 age-and-gender matched healthy controls. The callosum was extracted from a midsagittal slice from T1 weighted magnetic resonance images, and areas of the total CC, its five subregions, CC length and total brain volume were compared between schizophrenia subtypes and controls. Five subregions were approximately matched to fibre pathways from cortical regions.  Results. Schizophrenia patients had reduced CC total area and length when compared with controls. Disorganised and undifferentiated schizophrenics had a smaller prefrontal area, while there was no significant difference for the paranoid and residual groups. The premotor/supplementary motor area was smaller in all schizophrenia subtypes. The motor area was smaller only in the disorganised group. A smaller sensory area was found in all subtypes except the residual group. Parietal, temporal and occipital areas were smaller in the paranoid and undifferentiated groups. Total brain volume was smaller in all schizophrenia subtypes compared with controls, but did not reach statistical significance.  Conclusion. These findings suggest that the heterogeneity of symptoms may lead to the different CC morphological characteristics in schizophrenia subtypes

The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on the Psychological Well-Being of Caregivers of People with Dementia or Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

The aim of this systematic review was to investigate the effects of the COVID-19 lockdown on the psychological well-being of caregivers of people with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (PwD/MCI). Electronic databases were searched from inception to August 2022 for observational studies investigating the COVID-19 lockdown and psychological well-being of caregivers of PwD/MCI. Summary estimates of standardized mean differences (SMD) in psychological well-being scores pre- versus during COVID-19 were calculated using a random-effects model. Fifteen studies including 1702 caregivers (65.7% female, mean age 60.40 ± 12.9 years) with PwD/MCI were evaluated. Five studies found no change in psychological well-being parameters, including depression, anxiety, distress, caregiver burden, and quality of life. Ten studies found a worsening in at least one parameter: depression (six studies, n = 1368; SMD = 0.40; 95%CI: 0.09–0.71; p = 0.01, I2 = 86.8%), anxiety (seven studies, n = 1569; SMD = 1.35; 95%CI: 0.05–2.65; I2 = 99.2%), caregiver distress (six studies, n = 1320, SMD = 3.190; 95%CI: 1.42–4.95; p &lt; 0.0001; I2 = 99.4%), and caregiver burden (four studies, n = 852, SMD = 0.34; 95%CI: 0.13–0.56; p = 0.001; I2 = 54.1%) (p &lt; 0.05). There was an increase in depression, anxiety, caregiver burden, and distress in caregivers of PwD/MCI during the lockdown in the COVID pandemic. This could have longer term consequences, and it is essential that caregivers’ psychological well-being is assessed and supported, to benefit both themselves and those for whom they care

EFFECT OF DIFFERENT SEGMENTATION METHODS USING OPTICAL SATELLITE IMAGERY TO ESTIMATE FUZZY CLUSTERING PARAMETERS FOR SENTINEL-1A SAR IMAGES

Optical and SAR data are efficient data sources for shoreline monitoring. The processing of SAR data such as feature extraction is not an easy task since the images have totally different structure than optical imagery. Determination of threshold value is a challenging task for SAR data. In this study, SENTINEL-2A optical data was used as ancillary data to predict fuzzy membership parameters for segmentation of SENTINEL-1A SAR data to extract shoreline. SENTINEL-2A and SENTINEL-1A satellite images used were taken in September 9, 2016 and September 13, 2016 respectively. Three different segmentation algorithms which are selected from object, learning and pixel-based methods. They have been exploited to obtain land and water classes which have been used as an input data for parameter estimation. Thus, the performance of different segmentation algorithm has been investigated and analysed. In the first step of the study, Mean-Shift, Random Forest and Whale Optimization algorithms have been employed to obtain water and land classes from the SENTINEL-2A image. Water and land classes derived from each algorithm – are used as input data, and then the required parameters for the fuzzy clustering of SENTINEL-1A SAR image, were calculated. Lake Constance, Germany has been chosen as the study area. In this study, additionally an interface plugin has been developed and integrated into the open source Quantum GIS software platform. The developed interface allows non-experts to process and extract the shorelines without using any parameters. But, this system requires pre-segmented data as input. Thus, the batch process calculates the required parameters