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Chemicals used for seed treatments help to increase the agricultural production by preventing pests and pathogens but also cause environmental and health problems. Thus, environmentally-friendly technologies need to be developed for a seed treatment that inactivates surface microflora and improves seed vigor. One such pulsed electric field (PEF) treatment applied to cucumber seeds in the range of 1.07-17.28 Joule (J) significantly enhanced a mean germination rate (MGR) by up to 9%, a normal seedling rate by 25.73%, and a resistance to 100 and 200 mM salt stresses by 96% and 91.67%, respectively, with a stronger and faster growth of roots and seedlings. PEF treatment provided 3.34 and 3.22 log-reductions in the surface microflora of total mold and yeast and total aerobic mesophilic bacteria, respectively. The electrical conductivity (EC) values of the control samples increased over time, from 4 to 24 h. Those of the PEF-treated samples after 4, 12, and 24th hours were also more affected by the measurement time not by the PEF treatment.

This study focuses on the writers and journals of the Ara Nesil period, which begins with the end of the Tanzimat period and ends with the beginning of Servet-i Fünûn. The main purpose of the study is to examine the position of the literature of the Ara Nesil in Turkish literature, its content, artistic features, language and the effects of the journals of this period on literature. Some of the writers of the Ara Nesil maintained the tradition of Divan literature by defending Old Turkish literature, while others tried to establish a balance between Old Turkish literature and the New Turkish literature after Tanzimat. Others were influenced by Western literature and developed a new language and style. This last group of writers were influential in the formation of the Servet-i Fünûn Period and contributed important works to Turkish literature. The literature of the Ara Nesil was a turning point not only for Turkish literature but also for social life. The literary figures of this period played a leading role in the renewal of our traditional literature by adopting modernism and westernization in Turkish literature. Thus, they prepared the beginning of a new era in Turkish literature. Many magazines were published during the Ara Nesil period. The writers of the Ara Nesil period contributed to the literature of the period by publishing their works in these journals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hardaliye, as one of the oldest and lesser known traditional beverages, is produced using red grape pomace from wine production. This drink production is achieved through lactic acid fermentation, with the addition of sour cherry leaves and mustard seeds—either heat-treated, grinded, or whole—in various concentrations. Hardaliye has a very short shelf life; thus, efforts have recently been made to process hardaliye with novel processing technologies in order to achieve shelf-life extension. Therefore, the high-hydrostatic-pressure (HHP) processing of hardaliye was performed to determine its impact on important properties, including in microbial inactivation and shelf-life extension, with respect to a Box–Behnken experimental design. Maximum log reductions of 5.38 ± 0.6, 5.10 ± 0.0, 5.05 ± 0.2, and 4.21 ± 0.0 with HHP were obtained for Brettanomyces bruxellensis, total mesophilic aerobic bacteria, Lactobacillus brevis, and total mold and yeast, respectively. The processing parameters of 490 MPa and 29 °C for 15 min were found as the optimal conditions, with the response variables of an optical density at 520 nm and the inactivation of L. brevis. The samples processed at the optimal conditions were stored at both 4 and 22 °C for 228 d. While the non-treated control samples at 4 and 22 °C were spoiled at 15 and 3 d, the HHP-treated samples were spoiled after 228 and 108 d at 4 and 22 °C, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of edible film from potato industry effluent having antimicrobial properties against Salmonella enteritidis and Escherichia coli O157:H7 by addition of Citrus sinensis volatile oil (VO), and changes of its textural properties under high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) are investigated. The optimum operational conditions are determined as 500 MPa pressure, 36.97 µL VO, and 15 min processing time with the minimum force value of 372.33 × g. Textural properties are also modeled through empirical modeling, best fit Box‐Behnken design, and artificial neuron network. Inhibition zones for Salmonella enteritidis and E. coli O157:H7 at the optimum HHP conditions are 1.50 ± 0.11 and 2.18 ± 0.07 cm, respectively. Textural properties of force and elongation at break of the HHP‐processed films range from 2.27 ± 0.52 to 5.23 ± 0.38 N, and from 8.57 ± 1.31 to 13.36 ± 1.36 mm, respectively. Thermal transition of the edible film is observed at 87.42 °C for 7.36 min. Addition of C. sinensis VO improves the antimicrobial properties, whereas HHP improves the textural properties of the film. It is suggested that the developed film has potential to be used as an edible food packaging material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of ultra-violet (UV) light to replace the traditional brewing process to make cold tea in terms of inactivation of endogenous microflora has not been explored. Thus, the efficacy of emerging technologies such as UV-C by tea leaves/water ranging from 1 to 3 %, number of lamps ranging from 2 to 8, and number of cycles ranging from 4 to 8 were performed to determine the inactivation of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB) and total mold and yeast (TMY) and changes in quality properties in cold drip white tea. The UV-light process was effective to reduce both TMAB and TMY. Increased number of cycles provided a significant amount of inactivation on both TMAB and TMY. The reduction of initial number of TMY was determined as 3.40±0.03 log cfu/mL with the number of lamps of 5, the number of cycle of 4, and tea leaves/water ratio of 1%, whereas TMAB were found as 3.12±0.08 log cfu/with the number of lamps of 2, the number of cycles of 6 and tea leaves/water ratio of 1%. The resulting datasets were used to predict the inactivation of TMAB and TMY in cold drip white tea using gradient boosting regression tree (GBRT), random forest regression (RFR), and artificial neuron network (ANN) models. The ANN model provided the lowest RMSE and highest R2 value for predicted inactivation of TMAB. TMY has not been predicted using either machine or neural networks. UV treatment possess a viable alternative for microbial inactivation without adverse effect on the quality properties of cold drip white tea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seed processing technologies are essential for seed safety and functionality through protection of physicochemical quality, pathogen inactivation, aflatoxin detoxification and alleviation of mutagenicity. Design of a pilot‐scale unit of pulsed electric fields (PEF) to treat sesame seeds with respect to quality parameters, Aspergillus parasiticus inactivation and aflatoxin reduction as well as alleviation of aflatoxin mutagenicity were prompted in this study. PEF energy ranged from 0.97 to 17.28 J achieved maximum reductions of peroxide value and acidity number of 67.4 and 85.7%, respectively, and did not change color L*, a*, b* and hue values. A 60% reduction of A. parasiticus counts occurred at the maximum PEF energy. Aflatoxins G1, G2, B1, and B2 contents decreased by 94.7, 92.7, 86.9, and 98.7%, respectively. Except for the samples treated by 2.16 J with 100 μg/plate and by 6.80 J with 10 μg/plate, PEF treatment provided elimination of aflatoxin mutagenity. It is concluded that PEF treatment can be used to treat sesame seeds with preservation of physicochemical properties, inactivation of A. parasiticus and decomposition of aflatoxins with reduced mutagenicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

* PURPOSE: To compare outcomes of big-bubble deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and penetrating keratoplasty (PK) for macular corneal dystrophy. * DESIGN: Prospective, randomized, interventional case series. * METHODS: SETTING: Single hospital. PATIENTS: Eighty-two eyes of 54 patients requiring keratoplasty for the treatment of macular corneal dystrophy without endothelial involvement were included. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Operative complications, uncorrected visual acuity, best-corrected visual acuity, contrast sensitivity function, higher-order aberrations, and endothelial cell density were evaluated. * RESULTS: The DALK and PK group consisted of 35 and 41 eyes, respectively. Best-corrected visual acuity after surgery was 20/40 or better 68.5% and 70.7% of the eyes in the DALK and PK groups, respectively (P>.05).No statistically significant differences between groups were found in contrast sensitivity function with and without glare for any spatial frequency (P > .05). Significantly higher levels of higher-order aberrations were found in theDALKgroup (P<.01). In both groups, a progressive and statistically significant reduction in endothelial cell density was found (P < .01). At the last follow-up, the mean endothelial cell loss was 18.1% and 26.9% in DALK and PK groups, respectively (P = .03). Graft rejection episodes were seen in 5 eyes (12.1%) in the PK group, and regrafting was necessary in 3 eyes (7.3%). Recurrence of the disease was documented in 5.7% and 4.8% of the eyes in the DALK and PK groups, respectively. * CONCLUSIONS: Deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty with the big-bubble technique provided comparable visual [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]