[The investigation of intestinal parasites in foreign high school students]

Intestinal parasites are important health problem especially in undeveloped or underdeveloped countries with low socio-economic status,. In this study, stool and cellophane tape samples were analyzed for intestinal parasites in 192 foreign students who were came from 28 different countries and attending a high school with the age of 15 to 21 (age mean: 17.92 ± 1.30) in Kayseri. At least one or more intestinal parasite species were found in 73 (38 %) of them. The distribution of parasites which were detected in stool samples as follow; Blastocystis hominis; 63 (32.8%); Giardia intestinalis, 13 (6.7 %); Endolimax nana, 8 (4.1%); Entamoeba coli, 7 (3.6%); Iodamoeba butschlii, 1 (0.52%). There was no any parasite in cellophane tape samples.

[Distribution of intestinal parasites in patients presenting at the parasitology laboratory of the medical school of Erciyes University between the years of 2005 and 2008]

In this study carried out from January 2005-June 2008, a total of 28,911 stool samples were examined using native-Lugol and flotation/sedimentation methods and 7,164 cellophane tape preparations were examined directly. Intestinal parasites were found in 6,975 (24.13%). Of the patients, 52.90% were female and 47.10%, male. Blastocystis hominis, 5,701 (19.72%); Entamoeba coli, 910 (3.15%); Giardia intestinalis, 568 (1.96%); Endolimax nana, 363 (1.26%); Entamoeba hartmann i, 357 (1.23%); Entamoeba histolytica/dispar, 253 (0.87%); Chilomastix mesnilii, 92 (0.32%); Enterobius vermicularis, 58 (0.20%); Iodamoeba butschlii; 40 (0.14%); Taenia sp., 35 (0.12%); Ascaris lumbricoides, 34 (0.12%); and Hymenolepis nana, 17 (0.06%) were found to be the most common parasites.

A case with Weaver syndrome operated for congenital cardiac defect

An 11-month-old Turkish female infant with Weaver syndrome together with atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus which was operated successfully is reported. Weaver syndrome is a very rare disorder of unknown etiology characterized by accelerated growth of prenatal onset, advanced osseous maturation, special craniofacial features, umbilical hernia, and hoarse low-pitched cry. Congenital cardiac defect is not a usual finding. The presented case is the first reported child with Weaver syndrome in the literature operated for a congenital cardiac defect.

An alternative repair technique for aortic periprosthetic leakage

In case of aortic periprosthetic leakage, there are several methods of repair. When valve replacement or refixation is not suitable an alternative repair technique, 'curtaining' with a Dacron patch to prevent leakage is presented.

Positive inotropic, negative chronotropic, and coronary vasoconstrictor effects of acetylcholine in isolated rat hearts: role of muscarinic receptors, prostaglandins, protein kinase C, influx of extracellular ca2+, intracellular Ca2+ release, and endothelium

The involvement of nitric oxide (NO), muscarinic receptors, prostaglandins, calcium influx via slow calcium channels, Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, protein kinase C, and endothelium in the positive inotropic, negative chronotropic, and coronary vasoconstrictor effects of acetylcholine (ACh) has been investigated in isolated rat hearts. The perfusion of hearts with ACh (10(-7), 5 x 10(-7), and 10(-6) M) produced marked decreases in heart rate and coronary flow and a marked increase in contractile force. Similar effects have been observed during the perfusion of hearts with ACh in the presence of Nomega-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (L-NAME), which is an inhibitor of NO synthesis. The positive inotropic, negative chronotropic, and coronary vasoconstrictor effects of ACh were abolished by muscarinic receptor blocker atropine. In hearts pretreated with cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin, ACh significantly decreased heart rate but did not significantly affect coronary flow and contractile force. In the presence of calcium channel antagonist verapamil or protein kinase C inhibitor staurosporine, ACh produced a significant drop in heart rate but did not significantly affect coronary perfusion pressure and force of contraction. In the presence of the inhibitor of the release of Ca2+ from intracellular stores dantrolene sodium, ACh produced a significant increase in coronary perfusion pressure and a marked decline in heart rate, but did not significantly affect force of contraction. Furthermore, the disruption of endothelium by perfusing the hearts with saponin abolished the vasoconstrictor effect of ACh but did not alter negative chronotropic and positive inotropic effect. Our results suggest that ACh causes vasoconstrictor, negative chronotropic, and positive inotropic effects in isolated rat hearts. Cardiac effects of ACh are related to muscarinic receptor activation, and prostaglandins modulate ACh-induced vasoconstriction and positive inotropy. Our data also suggest that protein kinase C and calcium influx from extracellular source may be responsible for the vasoconstrictor and positive inotropic effect of ACh. The calcium release from intracellular stores may mediate the positive inotropic effect, and the vasoconstrictor effect of ACh depends on an intact endothelium.

Protein adsorption behaviour of ionogenic poly(HEMA) membranes: a fluorescence study

A series of ionogenic poly(HEMA) membranes which were prepared by bulk copolymerization of 2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate (HEMA) and anionic or cationic comonomers, acrylic acid (AA), and dimethylaminoethylmethacrylate (DMAEMA), were characterized by equilibrium swelling measurements, surface free energies, and protein adsorption studies. It was found that their equilibrium water content (EWC) values are greater than 40% which increases with increasing comonomer concentration. That is why the surface free energy is approximately the same (approximately 60 erg cm-2) for all surfaces and does not depend mainly on the composition of the polymer matrix. The adsorption of two plasma proteins that have received much attention, i.e. BSA and fibrinogen, on these membranes was followed by fluorimetric measurements as a function of time. The uptake of proteins from dilute solutions appeared to be directly related to the type and density of surface charge, and also structural properties of the proteins.