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Widespread construction of cold storage buildings is important to ensure sustainability of the agricultural industry and reduce food loss. However, the number of cold storage buildings in most developing countries is insufficient because of financial difficulties. Currently, the most critical factor for encouraging investors to finance such projects is the payback period. In this study, the power consumption and profitability of cold storage buildings were investigated based on their capacities using data from selected cold stores in Turkey. The optimal storage capacity was calculated by simulation, and the relationship between the payback period and the capacity of cold stores was analysed using the obtained results. It was found that the amount of power consumed per unit volume for stores with capacities from 100 to 2100 t of apples was 63.8% while that from 2100 to 10000 t was 33.3%. Additionally, the optimal cold storage capacity was determined to be 3500 t with a two-year payback period.

Objectives: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children with hematological malignancies. The monitoring of serum galactomannan (GM) antigen is considered useful in the diagnosis of IA . The aim of this study was to determine the utility of serum GM monitoring in the early diagnosis of IA and the role of positive antigenemia in the management of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Methods: The cases of 141 children who were being treated for ALL in the Division of Pediatric Hematology of the Medical School of Ege University between January 2006 and February 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Cases of proven and probable IA were defined according to the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria. Results: The incidence of proven and probable IA was 3.5% (5/141). The incidence of positive GM antigenemia among 3264 serum samples was 5.5% (n = 179). Of the cases detected, 21.7% were true-positive, 52.1% were false-positive, and the remaining 26.1% were classified as ‘undetermined.’ An increase in the incidence of true-positive tests and induction of antifungal therapy was determined through multiple consecutive positive tests. Conclusions: GM may be detected in the serum before the clinical signs of IA appear, but its sensitivity and specificity are variable. False-positivity is a significant disadvantage, and consecutive positive GM must be taken into account in the case of clinical and imaging findings that are relevant to IA.

Invasive fungal infections are most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients and usually affect the respiratory system. Gastrointestinal system involvement of mucormycosis and invasive aspergillosis is rarely reported in childhood. Here we describe a 5 year old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who developed invasive fungal infection particularly affecting the lower gastrointestinal system to emphasise the difficulties in diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients.

Empirical antifungal therapy is most often given to patients with leukemia. However breakthrough fungal infections under antifungal therapy are not uncommon. Four children, with hematologic malignant disease developed mycotic breakthrough infections while on empirical caspofungin treatment for a median of 14 (range 11–19) days. Trichosporon asahii was detected in the blood culture of two patients and Geotrichum capitatum in the other two (one patient also had positive cerebrospinal fluid culture). Because the patients’ clinical situation worsened, voriconazole was empirically added for two patients three and five days before the agent was detected. The first sterile blood culture was obtained 3–7 days of voriconazole treatment. All patients reached clear cultures but one patient died. One patient with central nervous system infection with G. capitatum had severe neurological sequelae. Very severe fungal infections can occur during empirical caspofungin therapy. Therefore, patients should be followed closely. Keywords: Geotrichum capitatum, Trichosporon asahii, Invazive fungal infection, Febrile neutropenia

Brevibacterium spp. are catalase-positive, non-spore-forming, non motile, aerobic Gram-positive rods that were considered apathogenic until a few reports of infections in immunocompromised patients had been published. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of B. casei catheter-related bloodstream infection in a child with acute leukemia. We aim to enhance the awareness of pediatric hematology and infectious disease specialists about this pathogen and review of the literature. Keywords: Brevibacterium casei, Bloodstream infection, Child, Leukemia

Objective: Congenital neutropenia is a rare disorder. The survival and quality of lives of these patients were improved with avoidance of infections, GCSF usage and appropriate usage of antibiotics in infections. In this study, the precautions for infections and the treatment compliance, the level of knowledge about the disease and the reasons that may affect the different behavior and compliance in our patients and caregivers were planned to be determined. Case report: Questionnaires prepared in order to determine how the social, cultural and economic conditions of the families of children with Congenital Neutropenia could affect their behavior and knowledge levels were filled in one-on-one video interviews with the caregivers. Methodology: Behaviors and attitudes of families were questioned, their level of knowledge about the disease was evaluated with a system defined over 40 points, and they were evaluated as very good (40-35), good (34-30), moderate (29-25), bad (25-20) and very bad (

Cluster of differentiation 44 (Cd44), a hyaluronan receptor, and the secreted hyaluronan-binding protein Inter-α-trypsin Inhibitor Heavy chain 3 (Itih3) play an important role in cancer and oxidative stress. Smoking of tobacco reduces Itih3 in the plasma and activates hyaluronan signaling through Cd44, but the impact of Cd44 on Itih3 expression is unknown. Here, we studied changes induced by the tobacco component nicotine on the glutathione (GSH) antioxidant system and Itih3 gene expression in Cd44 knockout mice. Cd44 deficiency decreased baseline total GSH and oxidized glutathione (GSSG) levels in the liver compared to wildtype mice. However, contrary to wildtype mice, chronic oral nicotine administration (200 μg/ml) failed to further reduce total GSH and GSSG in Cd44 mice. Sex differences with lowered glutathione levels in females was also detectable only in wildtype but not Cd44 knockout mice. Itih3 mRNA levels in the liver and hypothalamus were not affected by nicotine, Cd44 genotype or sex. Nonetheless, the correlation between Itih3 and total GSH levels in the liver (r = 0.42, p

Quercetagetin (3,3ʹ,4ʹ,5,6,7-hexahydroxyflavone) is a characteristic flavonol that has six hydroxy (–OH) group based on the chemical structure of the flavone backbone. Herein, we report a concise, efficient, and scalable synthesis of biologically important quercetagetin with antioxidant and antibacterial activities. The synthesis has been achieved in three steps from starting materials 1 and 2 in 27 % overall yield. The chemical structure of synthetic quercetagetin has been confirmed by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, and high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS) analyses. Antioxidant activity of synthetic quercetagetin and control compounds quercetin, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), and Trolox has been compared using DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays. The synthetic quercetagetin exhibits the highest antioxidant activity when compared with control compounds. Furthermore, the synthetic quercetagetin has displayed potent antibacterial activity against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) strains with MIC value of 16 µg/mL when compared with standard antibiotic drugs Ampicillin and Kanamycin (with MIC values of >256 µg/mL). To distinguish bactericidal and bacteriostatic effects of synthetic quercetagetin, time-kill kinetic studies have been performed and the results exhibit that the synthetic quercetagetin possesses bacteriostatic action.

Herein, a novel long wavelength monostyryl BODIPY derivative (BDZ-1) has been synthesized by rational design and used to detect oxalyl chloride, a highly reactive and harmful chemical to humans and other living organisms, with high sensitivity and selectivity. The purple solution of BDZ-1 changed to pink color immediately upon the addition of oxalyl chloride and the weak red fluorescence changed to strong orange fluorescence simultaneously. In addition, the practicability of BDZ-1 was further explored by using a smartphone application, allowing the sensitive and selective on-site detection of oxalyl chloride., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Invasive aspergillosis (IA) is an important cause of mortality and morbidity in children with hematological malignancies. The monitoring of serum galactomannan (GM) antigen is considered useful in the diagnosis of IA . The aim of this study was to determine the utility of serum GM monitoring in the early diagnosis of IA and the role of positive antigenemia in the management of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL)., Methods: The cases of 141 children who were being treated for ALL in the Division of Pediatric Hematology of the Medical School of Ege University between January 2006 and February 2015 were reviewed retrospectively. Cases of proven and probable IA were defined according to the European Organization for the Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) criteria., Results: The incidence of proven and probable IA was 3.5% (5/141). The incidence of positive GM antigenemia among 3264 serum samples was 5.5% (n=179). Of the cases detected, 21.7% were true-positive, 52.1% were false-positive, and the remaining 26.1% were classified as 'undetermined.' An increase in the incidence of true-positive tests and induction of antifungal therapy was determined through multiple consecutive positive tests., Conclusions: GM may be detected in the serum before the clinical signs of IA appear, but its sensitivity and specificity are variable. False-positivity is a significant disadvantage, and consecutive positive GM must be taken into account in the case of clinical and imaging findings that are relevant to IA., (Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Invasive fungal infections are most commonly seen in immunocompromised patients and usually affect the respiratory system. Gastrointestinal system involvement of mucormycosis and invasive aspergillosis is rarely reported in childhood. Here we describe a 5 year old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia who developed invasive fungal infection particularly affecting the lower gastrointestinal system to emphasise the difficulties in diagnosis and management of invasive fungal infections in immunocompromised patients.