Functional Selectivity in Cytokine Signaling Revealed Through a Pathogenic EPO Mutation.

Cytokines are classically thought to stimulate downstream signaling pathways through monotonic activation of receptors. We describe a severe anemia resulting from a homozygous mutation (R150Q) in the cytokine erythropoietin (EPO). Surprisingly, the EPO R150Q mutant shows only a mild reduction in affinity for its receptor but has altered binding kinetics. The EPO mutant is less effective at stimulating erythroid cell proliferation and differentiation, even at maximally potent concentrations. While the EPO mutant can stimulate effectors such as STAT5 to a similar extent as the wild-type ligand, there is reduced JAK2-mediated phosphorylation of select downstream targets. This impairment in downstream signaling mechanistically arises from altered receptor dimerization dynamics due to extracellular binding changes. These results demonstrate how variation in a single cytokine can lead to biased downstream signaling and can thereby cause human disease. Moreover, we have defined a distinct treatable form of anemia through mutation identification and functional studies.

Pyruvate kinase deficiency in 29 Turkish patients with two novel intronic variants.

Pyruvate kinase (PK) is a key enzyme of anaerobic glycolysis. The genetic heterogeneity of PK deficiency (PKD) is high, and over 400 unique variants have been identified. Twenty-nine patients who had been diagnosed as PKD genetically in seven distinct paediatric haematology departments were evaluated. Fifteen of 23 patients (65.2%) had low PK levels. The PK:hexokinase ratio had 100% sensitivity for PKD diagnosis, superior to PK enzyme assay. Two novel intronic variants (c.695-1G>A and c.694+43C>T) have been described. PKD should be suspected in patients with chronic non-spherocytic haemolytic anaemia, even if enzyme levels are falsely normal. Total PKLR gene sequencing is necessary for the characterization of patients with PKD and for genetic counselling.

An automated in vitro wound healing microscopy image analysis approach utilizing U-net-based deep learning methodology.

BACKGROUND: The assessment of in vitro wound healing images is critical for determining the efficacy of the therapy-of-interest that may influence the wound healing process. Existing methods suffer significant limitations, such as user dependency, time-consuming nature, and lack of sensitivity, thus paving the way for automated analysis approaches. METHODS: Hereby, three structurally different variations of U-net architectures based on convolutional neural networks (CNN) were implemented for the segmentation of in vitro wound healing microscopy images. The developed models were fed using two independent datasets after applying a novel augmentation method aimed at the more sensitive analysis of edges after the preprocessing. Then, predicted masks were utilized for the accurate calculation of wound areas. Eventually, the therapy efficacy-indicator wound areas were thoroughly compared with current well-known tools such as ImageJ and TScratch. RESULTS: The average dice similarity coefficient (DSC) scores were obtained as 0.958 ∼ 0.968 for U-net-based deep learning models. The averaged absolute percentage errors (PE) of predicted wound areas to ground truth were 6.41%, 3.70%, and 3.73%, respectively for U-net, U-net++, and Attention U-net, while ImageJ and TScratch had considerable averaged error rates of 22.59% and 33.88%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Comparative analyses revealed that the developed models outperformed the conventional approaches in terms of analysis time and segmentation sensitivity. The developed models also hold great promise for the prediction of the in vitro wound area, regardless of the therapy-of-interest, cell line, magnification of the microscope, or other application-dependent parameters.

The Inflammatory and Cytological Effect of Repeated Povidone-Iodine Application in Patients Receiving Intravitreal Injections.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of repeated povidone-iodine (PVI) application on the ocular surface parameters of patients who received intravitreal injections. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this prospective study, 52 eyes of 52 patients with age-related macular degeneration who underwent unilateral intravitreal injection at least three times in the last 1 year (intravitreal injection [IVI] group), 52 fellow eyes with no previous intravitreal injection (NIVI group), and 51 eyes of 51 healthy subjects (control) were included. Tear break-up time (TBUT), the Schirmer test, the Oxford staining score, the Ocular Surface Disease Index questionnaire, conjunctival impression cytology, and tear inflammatory cytokine levels (interleukin [IL]-1ß and IL-6) were analyzed in all participants. RESULTS: The IVI group had lower TBUT and higher Oxford staining score than the NIVI and control groups ( P <0.05). No significant difference was found between the groups in the Schirmer test ( P =0.161). Conjunctival impression cytology analysis revealed that the IVI group had a significantly lower goblet cell count and significantly higher Nelson staging result than the NIVI and control groups ( P <0.05). As a result of tear cytokine analysis, although IVI and NIVI groups had higher IL-1ß and IL-6 levels than the control group ( P <0.05), there was no difference between NIVI and IVI groups ( P ≥0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated PVI application caused cytotoxic injury to the ocular surface, resulting in goblet cell loss and squamous metaplasia of epithelial cells. As a result, the stability of the tear film layer was found to be impaired and ocular surface-related symptoms developed in patients.

Investigation of Two New Grafting Techniques for Dorsal Augmentation Rhinoplasty: An Experimental Study with New Zealand White Rabbits.

INTRODUCTION: Cartilage is an important source in supporting the structure of the nose for dorsal augmentation rhinoplasty. However, it is known that its viability is not always on the ideal level. Various wrapping materials are used to increase the strength of cartilage. Donor site morbidity, which develops following the harvesting of both cartilage and fascia as one such cover material, has attracted interest in recent years. OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential of dermis and tendon autografts as alternatives to fascia and cartilage. MATERIAL AND METHOD: The sample of the study included 16 New Zealand white rabbits. The right auricular cartilage of all rabbits was amputated, and it was transformed into diced cartilage autografts. The dermis autografts from the right gluteal areas of the rabbits were deepithelialized, and lumbosacral fascia autografts were harvested from the same incision. Additionally, the Achilles tendon of each rabbit was harvested and transformed into diced tendon autografts. Four different autografts were embedded under the skin of each rabbit from 4 different pouches opened in the back of the rabbit. These autografts included diced cartilage alone (Intervention 1), fascia-wrapped cartilage (Intervention 2), dermis-wrapped cartilage (Intervention 3) and fascia-wrapped tendon (Intervention 4) autografts. RESULTS: Intervention 1 had the most irregular appearance, the outcomes in Intervention 4 were volumetrically smaller and softer. Connective tissue formed between the diced pieces in all interventions, and it was observed that the dermis and fascia had a capsule-like appearance, and their viability was preserved. The differences between the initial and final measurements of the volumes of interventions 1, 2 and 3 were statistically significant (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between the initial and final volumetric measurements of intervention 4 (p > 0.05). More peripheral proliferation was observed in the interventions of fascia-wrapped and dermis-wrapped diced cartilage compared to the other interventions. The intervention including fascia-wrapped diced tendon grafts had displayed more fibrosis, fragmentation and collagen fibers, while it showed a lower amount of elastic fiber. There were no significant differences among the intervention in terms of other histological parameters. CONCLUSION: Tendon autografts may be a good option for dorsal augmentation rhinoplasty as they are easily harvested and have minimal donor site morbidity. Dermis autograft usage is more advantageous than fascia usage in terms of accessibility and convenience. NO LEVEL ASSIGNED: This journal requires that authors assign a level of evidence to each submission to which Evidence-Based Medicine rankings are applicable. This excludes Review Articles, Book Reviews and manuscripts that concern Basic Science, Animal Studies, Cadaver Studies and Experimental Studies. For a full description of these Evidence-Based Medicine ratings, please refer to the Table of Contents or the online Instructions to Authors www.springer.com/00266 .

Clinical and biological correlates of optical coherence tomography findings in schizophrenia.

There is a growing body of evidence indicating retinal layer thinning in schizophrenia. However, neuropathological processes underlying these retinal structural changes and its clinical correlates are yet to be known. Here, we aim to investigate the clinical and biological correlates of OCT findings in schizophrenia. 50 schizophrenia patients and 40 healthy controls were recruited. Retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell layer (GCL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and macular and choroidal thicknesses were recorded. A comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests was applied. Fasting glucose, triglycerides and HDL-cholesterol levels, TNF-α, IL-1ß and IL-6 levels were measured. Right IPL was significantly thinner in patients than the controls after controlling for various confounders (F = 5.42, p = .02). Higher IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α levels were associated with decreased left macular thickness (r = - 0.26, p = .027, r = - 0.30, p = 0.012, and r = - 0.24, p = .046, respectively) and higher IL-6 was associated with thinning of right IPL (r = - 0.27, p = 0.023) and left choroid (r = - 0.23, p = .044) in the overall sample. Thinning of right IPL and left macula were also associated with worse executive functioning (r = 0.37, p = 0.004 and r = 0.33, p = 0.009) and attention (r = 0.31, p = 0.018 and r = 0.30, p = 0.025). In patients with schizophrenia, IPL thinning was associated with increased BMI (r = - 0.44, p = 0.009) and decreased HDL levels (r = 0.43, p = 0.021). Decreased TNF-α level was related to IPL thinning, especially in the left eye (r = 0.40, p = 0.022). These findings support the hypothesis that OCT might provide the opportunity to establish an accessible and non-invasive probe of brain pathology in schizophrenia and related disorders. However, future studies investigating retinal structural changes as a biological marker for schizophrenia should also consider the metabolic state of the subjects.

Cyber-WISE: A Cyber-Physical Deep Wireless Indoor Positioning System and Digital Twin Approach.

In recent decades, there have been significant research efforts focusing on wireless indoor localization systems, with fingerprinting techniques based on received signal strength leading the way. The majority of the suggested approaches require challenging and laborious Wi-Fi site surveys to construct a radio map, which is then utilized to match radio signatures with particular locations. In this paper, a novel next-generation cyber-physical wireless indoor positioning system is presented that addresses the challenges of fingerprinting techniques associated with data collection. The proposed approach not only facilitates an interactive digital representation that fosters informed decision-making through a digital twin interface but also ensures adaptability to new scenarios, scalability, and suitability for large environments and evolving conditions during the process of constructing the radio map. Additionally, it reduces the labor cost and laborious data collection process while helping to increase the efficiency of fingerprint-based positioning methods through accurate ground-truth data collection. This is also convenient for working in remote environments to improve human safety in locations where human access is limited or hazardous and to address issues related to radio map obsolescence. The feasibility of the cyber-physical system design is successfully verified and evaluated with real-world experiments in which a ground robot is utilized to obtain a radio map autonomously in real-time in a challenging environment through an informed decision process. With the proposed setup, the results demonstrate the success of RSSI-based indoor positioning using deep learning models, including MLP, LSTM Model 1, and LSTM Model 2, achieving an average localization error of ≤2.16 m in individual areas. Specifically, LSTM Model 2 achieves an average localization error as low as 1.55 m and 1.97 m with 83.33% and 81.05% of the errors within 2 m for individual and combined areas, respectively. These outcomes demonstrate that the proposed cyber-physical wireless indoor positioning approach, which is based on the application of dynamic Wi-Fi RSS surveying through human feedback using autonomous mobile robots, effectively leverages the precision of deep learning models, resulting in localization performance comparable to the literature. Furthermore, they highlight its potential for suitability for deployment in real-world scenarios and practical applicability.

A retrospective magnetic resonance imaging analysis of bone and soft tissue changes associated with the spectrum of tarsal coalitions.

We aimed to investigate the bone and soft tissue changes accompanying tarsal coalition (TC) and aimed to evaluate their association with the location and type of coalition. Ankle magnetic resonance imagings of 65 patients with TC were included. The relationship between the location and type of coalition and bone marrow edema, subchondral cysts, sinus tarsi syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, posterior impingement syndrome, accessory bone, tibiotalar effusion, talar osteochondritis dissecans, ganglion cysts, and calcaneal spur were evaluated. Twenty-nine patients without coalition were selected as the control group, and the distribution of these variables between the two groups was analyzed. There were 33 females and 32 males in the coalition group (mean age: 42.0 ± 15.63 years), and 22 females and seven males in the control group (mean age: 44.79 ± 12.33 years). Coalition was most common in the talocalcaneal joint (n = 33, 50.8%), and the most common coalition type was non-osseous (n = 57, 87.6%). We find no significant difference between the pathologies defined in terms of coalition location and type. Sinus tarsi syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, subchondral cysts, and tibiotalar effusion were found to be more common in the coalition group (p = 0.028, p = 0.010, p = 0.023, and p = 0.006, respectively). The presence of coalition increased the probability of developing tarsal tunnel syndrome 9.91 times (95% CI: [1.25-78.59]; p = 0.029), and sinus tarsi syndrome 3.66 times (95% CI: [1.14-11.78]; p = 0.029). Tarsal coalition may predispose bone and soft tissue changes. In this study, sinus tarsi syndrome, tarsal tunnel syndrome, subchondral cysts and tibiotalar effusion were found to be more common in the coalition group.

An unexpected cause of chorea in an adolescent girl: systemic lupus erythematosus.

Involuntary movement disorders are rare in childhood. Hyperkinetic movement disorders including chorea stand as the leading cause. Although Sydenham chorea is the major diagnosis in most children and adolescents, appropriate differential diagnosis is fundamental for a final decision. A detailed and careful history as well as physical examination is the principal proceeding for accurate diagnosis. Herein, we report on an adolescent girl who was admitted to our hospital with chorea and subsequently diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Accompanying joint complaints in the patient's history, including growth retardation noticed during a physical examination and bicytopenia recognized in laboratory evaluation, increased the suspicion of SLE rather than Sydenham chorea in the patient. Central nervous system involvement defined as neuropsychiatric lupus presents wide clinical findings varying from stroke and seizures to psychosis and cognitive dysfunction. Although disease activity, persistently positive anticardiolipin antibodies, and lupus anticoagulant positivity are reported to be the most important risk factors in neuropsychiatric lupus, they are not always directly correlated. We present this patient in order to draw attention to the importance of physical examination and history in the differential diagnosis of chorea in childhood.

Profiles of multidrug-resistant organisms among patients with bacteremia in intensive care units: an international ID-IRI survey.

Evaluating trends in antibiotic resistance is a requisite. The study aimed to analyze the profile of multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) among hospitalized patients with bacteremia in intensive care units (ICUs) in a large geographical area. This is a 1-month cross-sectional survey for blood-borne pathogens in 57 ICUs from 24 countries with different income levels: lower-middle-income (LMI), upper-middle-income (UMI), and high-income (HI) countries. Multidrug-resistant (MDR), extensively drug-resistant (XDR), or pan-drug-resistant isolates were searched. Logistic regression analysis determined resistance predictors among MDROs. Community-acquired infections were comparable to hospital-acquired infections particularly in LMI (94/202; 46.5% vs 108/202; 53.5%). Although MDR (65.1%; 502/771) and XDR (4.9%; 38/771) were common, no pan-drug-resistant isolate was recovered. In total, 32.1% of MDR were Klebsiella pneumoniae, and 55.3% of XDR were Acinetobacter baumannii. The highest MDR and XDR rates were in UMI and LMI, respectively, with no XDR revealed from HI. Predictors of MDR acquisition were male gender (OR, 12.11; 95% CI, 3.025-15.585) and the hospital-acquired origin of bacteremia (OR, 2.643; 95%CI, 1.462-3.894), and XDR acquisition was due to bacteremia in UMI (OR, 3.344; 95%CI, 1.189-5.626) and admission to medical-surgical ICUs (OR, 1.481; 95% CI, 1.076-2.037). We confirm the urgent need to expand stewardship activities to community settings especially in LMI, with more paid attention to the drugs with a higher potential for resistance. Empowering microbiology laboratories and reports to direct prescribing decisions should be prioritized. Supporting stewardship in ICUs, the mixed medical-surgical ones in particular, is warranted.

Classification of COVID-19 electrocardiograms by using hexaxial feature mapping and deep learning.

BACKGROUND: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic since its first appearance in late 2019. Deaths caused by COVID-19 are still increasing day by day and early diagnosis has become crucial. Since current diagnostic methods have many disadvantages, new investigations are needed to improve the performance of diagnosis. METHODS: A novel method is proposed to automatically diagnose COVID-19 by using Electrocardiogram (ECG) data with deep learning for the first time. Moreover, a new and effective method called hexaxial feature mapping is proposed to represent 12-lead ECG to 2D colorful images. Gray-Level Co-Occurrence Matrix (GLCM) method is used to extract features and generate hexaxial mapping images. These generated images are then fed into a new Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architecture to diagnose COVID-19. RESULTS: Two different classification scenarios are conducted on a publicly available paper-based ECG image dataset to reveal the diagnostic capability and performance of the proposed approach. In the first scenario, ECG data labeled as COVID-19 and No-Findings (normal) are classified to evaluate COVID-19 classification ability. According to results, the proposed approach provides encouraging COVID-19 detection performance with an accuracy of 96.20% and F1-Score of 96.30%. In the second scenario, ECG data labeled as Negative (normal, abnormal, and myocardial infarction) and Positive (COVID-19) are classified to evaluate COVID-19 diagnostic ability. The experimental results demonstrated that the proposed approach provides satisfactory COVID-19 prediction performance with an accuracy of 93.00% and F1-Score of 93.20%. Furthermore, different experimental studies are conducted to evaluate the robustness of the proposed approach. CONCLUSION: Automatic detection of cardiovascular changes caused by COVID-19 can be possible with a deep learning framework through ECG data. This not only proves the presence of cardiovascular changes caused by COVID-19 but also reveals that ECG can potentially be used in the diagnosis of COVID-19. We believe the proposed study may provide a crucial decision-making system for healthcare professionals. SOURCE CODE: All source codes are made publicly available at: https://github.com/mkfzdmr/COVID-19-ECG-Classification.

The effects of lockdown measures due to COVID-19 pandemic on burn cases.

In this study, it was aimed to investigate the effects of lockdown measures implemented due to COVID-19 on aetiology, sociodemographic characteristics, and clinical status of burn cases. This study was carried out retrospectively at the Burn Unit of Dicle University Medical Faculty Hospital. The burn cases during the COVID-19 outbreak were compared with those of the previous 2 years. Statistical analyses were carried out using the IBM SPSS (Statistics Package for Social Sciences) Statistics 25. Descriptive statistics, independent samples t-test, Kolmogorov-Smirnov test, and Shapiro-Wilk test were used for data evaluation. Results were evaluated at 95% confidence interval and P < .05 significance level. It was determined that burn cases were reduced by half during the COVID-19 compared to the previous 2 years. Despite the increase in the number of third-degree burns and surgeries, it was determined that the length of hospital stay decreased by an average of two thirds. Hot liquids have been identified as the most important cause of burns in all years. New studies should be conducted in order to examine the social dimension of COVID-19 pandemic in burn cases and to prevent these cases completely. The short hospital stay preferred by clinicians after COVID-19 and possible problems that may arise should be investigated.

Effect of 0.12% Chlorhexidine Use for Oral Care on Ventilator-Associated Respiratory Infections: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Evidence suggests that the effect of 0.12% chlorhexidine (CHX) use for oral care on the development of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) and ventilator-associated tracheobronchitis (VAT) is lacking. Evidence-based approaches to the prevention of VAP and VAT are of paramount importance for improving patients' outcomes. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to (1) compare the effect of 0.12% CHX use for oral care on preventing VAP and VAT with the placebo group, as well as (2) compare its effect on oral health and prevention of oral microbial colonization with the placebo group. METHODS: Prospective, single-blinded, randomized controlled trial performed in 2 intensive care units at a hospital. The sample comprised 57 mechanically ventilated adults randomly allocated to the 0.12% CHX group and the placebo group. Barnason's oral assessment guide was used to evaluate the oral health of both groups before oral care during the first 24 hr of tracheal intubation (Day 0) and at Day 2 and Day 3. Oropharyngeal secretion, endotracheal tube aspirate, and nonbronchoscopic bronchoalveolar lavage samples were collected on Day 0 and Day 3. RESULTS: The rate of VAT development was not statistically different between the groups (p = .318). However, a significant difference existed in the rate of VAP development (p = .043). The frequency of oropharyngeal colonization significantly decreased in the 0.12% CHX group compared with the placebo group at Day 3 (p = .001). CONCLUSION: The use of 0.12% CHX for oral care could be effective for VAP prevention and reducing microbial colonization in mechanically ventilated patients.

Twenty children with non-Wilms renal tumors from a reference center in Central Anatolia, Turkey

Background/aim: Non-Wilms renal tumors (NWRTs) are rarely encountered in children. The aim of this study is to determine the treatment strategies, prognosis, outcomes, and survival of children with NWRTs at Erciyes University in Kayseri, Turkey. Materials and methods: Medical records of all patients (n = 20) treated for NWRTs over a 23-year period (1995­2018) were reviewed retrospectively. Results: There was male predominance (female/male: 7/13); the median age at diagnosis was 3.2 years old (0.1­13.5 years old). The major histological groups included mesoblastic nephroma (MBN), (n: 5, 25%), malignant rhabdoid tumor (MRT), (n: 5, 25%), renal cell carcinoma, (n: 3, 15%), inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (n: 2, 10%), multilocular cystic renal tumors (n: 2, 10%), metanephric adenoma (n: 1, 5%), renal neuroblastoma (n: 1, 5%), and bilateral renal Ewing sarcoma/primitive neuroectodermal tumor (ES/PNET) (n: 1, 5%). All of the patients with NWRTs had radical nephrectomy except the child with bilateral renal ES/PNET. Six children died because of progressive disease; the mortality rate was 30% (n: 6). Conclusion: We have made the first report of bilateral renal involvement of ES/PNET in the English medical literature. Physicians dealing with pediatric renal masses should be alert to the high mortality rate in children with MRT, MBN, and ES/PNET and they should design substantial management plans for NWRTs.

Biliary Rhabdomyosarcoma in an Infant Male With Neurofibromatosis Type 1.

Different types of malignancies can be seen in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1). Herein we present a rare combination of NF-1 and biliary rhabdomyosarcoma in a male infant. An 11-month-old boy, who was recently diagnosed with NF-1, presented to the outpatient clinic with a 3-month history of prolonged jaundice, and failure to thrive. Clinical examination showed >20 café au let spots distributed mainly over the abdominal trunk. Hepatomegaly (4 cm below the costal margin) was additionally observed. His father was diagnosed with NF-1. Radiologic imaging studies showed a 6×5×5 cm in diameter cystic mass with multiple septations in the segment 4A of the liver. Surgical excision of the left hepatic lobe followed by hepatojejunostomy was further performed. Histopathology examination showed embryonal type rhabdomyosarcoma originating from the biliary duct. Chemotherapy regimen consisting of cyclophosphamide, actinomycin D, and vincristine, and radiotherapy were then initiated. This treatment led to a significant improvement in the patient's clinical status, and radiologic finding portrayed attainment of complete resolution. He is still in complete remission without any sequelae for 8 years.

The relationship between the prognosis of children with acute arterial stroke and polymorphisms of CDKN2B, HDAC9, NINJ2, NAA25 genes.

Ischemic stroke is a significant health condition, whose frequency in childhood is increasing day by day. Although many factors are effective in development of the stroke, it has been showed that individuals having risk factors have a genetic predisposition. The aim of the study is to determine whether distinct genetic mutations are risk factors for children with history of ischemic stroke. Our sample data is taken from 58 patients (29 male and 29 female) who applied our hospital between 2012 and 2016 with diagnosis of acute or chronic arterial stroke and from 70 healthy children (32 male and 38 female) with similar particularities in the sense of age and sex, who have not any chronical disease. Blood samples are taken from each child participated in the study to conduct genetic analysis. It has been examined whether a mutation exists in gene locations of CDKN2B-AS1 (Rs2383206), HDAC9 (Rs11984041), NINJ2 (Rs12425791), NAA25 (Rs17696736). Moreover, whether there are significant difference between patient and control group has been investigated. In the genetic analysis of patients and control groups, no significant difference has been found for any of the genes. Mutations in gene locations of CDKN2B-AS1 (Rs2383206), HDAC9 (Rs11984041), NINJ2 (Rs12425791), NAA25 (Rs17696736) are not risk factors for ischemic stroke in childhood. However this study showed us, the patients who inherit CDKN2B-AS1 and HDCA9 gene mutations had poor prognosis. However, this study should be replicated for a wider sample of patient population.

The Prevalence of Mixed Genotype Infections in Turkish Patients with Hepatitis C: a Multicentered Assessment.

BACKGROUND: HCV virus infections are one of the major health problems in the world that can cause cirrhosis and liver cancer at a higher rate than other hepatitis data. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of mixed infections with different HCV genotypes in Turkey and also to evaluate the current HCV genotype and sub-type distributions by a multicentered assessment. METHODS: The HCV genotype data of 17,578 hepatitis C patients collected from 23 centers from different geographic regions covering all Turkey were collected. The data included information about the HCV genotypes in the last 10 years (between 2007 and 2016), demographic properties of the patients and the methods/systems used to determine the genotypes. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-eight of the patients (1.3%) had mixed genotype. The most common mixed genotype combination was 1b + 4 (0.83%) followed by 1a + 1b (0.26%). Genotype distribution varies according to geographical regions. However, genotype 1 (82.92%) was the most common genotype in all regions and all years. This was followed by genotype 3 (7.07%) and genotype 4 (5.43%). A variety of methods were used by the centers including sequencing, pyrosequencing, real-time PCR, in-house RFLP, reverse hybridization (LIPA), and hybridization. CONCLUSIONS: Infection with mixed HCV genotypes in Turkey is uncommon. Genotype distribution varies according to geographic regions; the most common genotype 1 is encountered all over the country, while genotypes 3 and 4 are only in some of the centers. Since there is limited information about mixed HCV infection, further investigations are needed to determine the clinical importance of mixed HCV infection.

Nanostructured organic semiconductor films for molecular detection with surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy.

π-Conjugated organic semiconductors have been explored in several optoelectronic devices, yet their use in molecular detection as surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-active platforms is unknown. Herein, we demonstrate that SERS-active, superhydrophobic and ivy-like nanostructured films of a molecular semiconductor, α,ω-diperfluorohexylquaterthiophene (DFH-4T), can be easily fabricated by vapour deposition. DFH-4T films without any additional plasmonic layer exhibit unprecedented Raman signal enhancements up to 3.4 × 103 for the probe molecule methylene blue. The combination of quantum mechanical computations, comparative experiments with a fluorocarbon-free α,ω-dihexylquaterthiophene (DH-4T), and thin-film microstructural analysis demonstrates the fundamental roles of the π-conjugated core fluorocarbon substitution and the unique DFH-4T film morphology governing the SERS response. Furthermore, Raman signal enhancements up to ∼1010 and sub-zeptomole (<10-21 mole) analyte detection were accomplished by coating the DFH-4T films with a thin gold layer. Our results offer important guidance for the molecular design of SERS-active organic semiconductors and easily fabricable SERS platforms for ultrasensitive trace analysis.

A Pilot Study Investigating the Impact of Topical Nasal Steroid Spray in Allergic Rhinitis Patients with Dry Eye.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to demonstrate the effect of nasal steroid treatment on intraocular pressure and dry eye in allergic rhinitis patients with dry eye. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-nine patients with a diagnosis of allergic rhinitis and dry eye were included. Symptoms and findings of patients before and after nasal steroid therapy were compared. RESULT: Ocular Surface Disease Index scores for dry eye symptoms showed significant improvement after nasal steroid treatment (p = 0.003). In the Schirmer test, no significant change was observed in the right or left eye (p = 0.167 and p = 0.489). For the tear film break-up time, no significant change was observed in the right or left eye (p = 0.076 and (p = 0.170). No significant change was observed in the right eye or the left eye in an intraocular pressure test (p = 0.893 and p = 0.495). CONCLUSION: In our study, symptoms of dry eye with allergic rhinitis were significantly improved with nasal steroid therapy, without affecting the intraocular pressure.

Cerebral Sinus Venous Thrombosis and Prothrombotic Risk Factors in Children: A Single-Center Experience From Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Cerebral sinus venous thrombosis (CSVT) is a rare cerebrovascular disease that may be life-threatening, especially in children. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical presentation, radiologic imaging, underlying conditions, treatment, and outcomes of children with CSVT. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In total, 23 consecutive children aged between 1 month to 18 years with CSVT, who were followed-up in Erciyes University Children's Hospital, were retrospectively enrolled in the study from January 2000 to December 2016. RESULTS: The median age of the 23 children (13 female patients, 10 male patients) at initial diagnosis was 60 months (1 to 204 mo). The most common clinical manifestation was headache/irritability (n=9). The most common site of the CSVT was the transverse sinus (n=16). The most common prothrombotic risk factor was protein C deficiency (n=4). Underlying risk factors were detected in 15 patients. Genetic risk factors such as protein C deficiency, infections, trauma, malignancies, autoimmune hemolytic anemia, neurometabolic disorders, asphyxia, and cardiac malformations were common risk factors. Six children died. Multiple sinus involvement and parenchymal hemorrhages were seen in 4 and in 3 of the 6 children who died, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Protein C deficiency seemed to be relatively high in the presented children. Multiple sinus involvement and additional parenchymal hemorrhages represent poor prognostic features.