This paper describes a method to detect the presence of bacteria in aqueous samples, based on the capture of bacteria on a syringe filter, and the infection of targeted bacterial species with a bacteriophage (phage). The use of phage as a reagent provides two opportunities for signal amplification: (i) the replication of phage inside a live bacterial host and (ii) the delivery and expression of the complementing gene that turns on enzymatic activity and produces a colored or fluorescent product. Here we demonstrate a phage-based amplification scheme with an M13KE phage that delivers a small peptide motif to an F(+), α-complementing strain of Escherichia coli K12, which expresses the ω-domain of β-galactosidase (β-gal). The result of this complementation-an active form of β-gal-was detected colorimetrically, and the high level of expression of the ω-domain of β-gal in the model K12 strains allowed us to detect, on average, five colony-forming units (CFUs) of this strain in 1 L of water with an overnight culture-based assay. We also detected 50 CFUs of the model K12 strain in 1 L of water (or 10 mL of orange juice, or 10 mL of skim milk) in less than 4 h with a solution-based assay with visual readout. The solution-based assay does not require specialized equipment or access to a laboratory, and is more rapid than existing tests that are suitable for use at the point of access. This method could potentially be extended to detect many different bacteria with bacteriophages that deliver genes encoding a full-length enzyme that is not natively expressed in the target bacteria.

This study aimed to determine complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) recommended by midwives and nurses and used by mothers on their 0 to 1-year-old infants. A cross-sectional survey design was used. The sample of the study consisted of 65 midwives and mothers of 349 infants registered at these health-care centres. The frequency of CAM use on a regular basis by mothers participating in the study on their infants was 24.6%, whereas the frequency of CAM use for a while was 41.3%. Of the mothers using CAM, 81.5-98.5% stated that the method they were employing was useful. The mothers used CAM on their infants, and the midwives and nurses recommended CAM use. However, the midwives and nurses themselves should be first trained to be able to inform individuals/mothers about CAM. Evidence-based studies on CAM are needed.

No abstract

Native kidney function can still contribute to the total renal function after preemptive renal transplantation, and the primary problems of native kidneys such as tubular disorders may persist or reappear in the post-transplantation period. Bartter syndrome is a rare hereditary tubulopathy characterized by renal salt wasting, hypokalemia, metabolic alkalosis, and normotensive hyperreninemic hyperaldosteronism. In this case report, we described a patient who presented with episodes of recurrent hypokalemia, hypomagnesemia, and metabolic alkalosis in the post-transplantation period, probably due to the tubular disorder of the native kidneys. The primary kidney disease had not been adequately investigated in the pre-transplant period, and Bartter syndrome was the most likely diagnosis. Identifying primary kidney disease in the pre-transplantation period is important for patient follow-up. key wORdS: Bartter syndrome, Preemptive renal transplantation, Recurrent hypokalemia ÖzPreemptif böbrek nakli sonrasında nativ böbrek fonksiyonu toplam böbrek fonksiyonuna hala katkı sağlayabilir ve tübüler bozukluk gibi nativ böbreklerdeki sorunlar nakil sonrası dönemde devam edebilir veya tekrarlayabilir. Bartter sendromu renal tuz kaybı, hipokalemi, metabolik alkaloz ve normotansif hiperreninemik hiperaldosteronozm ile karakterize nadir görülen kalıtsal bir tübülopatidir. Bu olgu raporunda, muhtemelen nativ böbrekteki tübüler bozukluğa bağlı nakil sonrasında tekrarlayan hipokalemi, hipomagnezemi ve metabolik alkaloz nedeni ile izlenen bir hastayı sunduk. Hasta böbrek nakli öncesi primer böbrek hastalığı açısından yeterince değerlendirilmemişti ve Bartter sendromu burada en muhtemel tanıydı. Böbrek nakli öncesinde primer böbrek hastalığının tanımlanması hastaların takibi için önemlidir.