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Background: Since the binding of estradiol to its receptor promotes breast cancer cell proliferation (in the ER+ tumours), many molecules targeting this protein have been synthesized to counteract the estradiol action. Ferrocene derivatives have proved their efficiency against hormone-dependent breast cancer cells (MCF-7). Objective: In this study, we aimed to find new ferrocene derivatives having pharmacochemistry properties as potential drugs against human breast cancer cells. Methods: A series of 29 N-ferrocenylmethylaniline derivatives A0-A28 were synthesised, and their anti-proliferative activity against both hormone-dependent (MCF-7) and independent (MDA-MB 231) human breast cancer cell lines were performed using the MTT test. Molecular docking and drug-likeness prediction were also performed for the five most active derivatives towards MCF-7. A QSAR model was also developed for the perdition of the anti-proliferative activity against MCF-7 cell lines using molecular descriptors and MLR analysis. Results: All studied derivatives demonstrated better cytotoxicity against MCF-7 compared to the MDA-MB-231 cell lines, and compounds A2, A9, A14, A17 and A27 were the most potent ones but still less active than the standard anticancer drug, crizotinib. The QSAR study revealed good predictive ability, as shown by R2 cv = 0.848. Conclusion: In vitro and in silico results indicated that derivatives A2, A9, A14, A17, and A27 possess the highest anti-proliferative activity; these results can be used to design more potent N-ferrocenylmethylaniline derivatives as anti-proliferative agents.

Binary solvent microextraction (BSME) coupled to gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS) was employed to determine 4-n-nonylphenol in domestic wastewater and detergent. The developed BSME meth...

Objectives Peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) agonists used for the treatment of Diabetes Mellitus (DM), has important roles on the regulation of metabolism including ketogenesis in fasting and low glucose states. Recently PPARγ was proven to have anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory effects on neuronal cells. Methods In the present study, effects of pioglitazone (PPARγ agonist) on cell survival, energy metabolism and mitochondrial functions were investigated in glucose deprived fasting model applied SH-SY5Y (ATCC/CRL 2266) cell lines. Before and after pioglitazone treatment; energy metabolites (glucose, lactate, ketone (βOHB), lactate dehydrogenase activity), mitochondrial citrate synthase activity and cell viability were investigated. Results and Conclusions PPARγ agonist addition to glucose deprived, ketone added neurons provided positive improvements in energy metabolites (p

In this study; the essential oils were obtained from the flowers and leaves of Atropa belladonna L. plants through the hydrodistillation method in a Clevenger type device. The chemical composition ...

Thiamethoxam (Thmx) is a globally used neonicotinoid pesticide contaminated in freshwater ecosystems with residues detected in fishery products. Astacus leptodactylus is a popular freshwater crustacean that is cultivated and exported in many countries. In this study, we investigated the acute toxic effects of Thmx on A. leptodactylus using various biomarkers (acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterase, glutathione S-transferase, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase, glutathione reductase, and adenosinetriphosphatases). The 96-h LC50 value of Thmx was calculated as 8.95 mg active ingredient L–1. As the dose of Thmx increased, oxidative stress was induced by the inhibition/activation of antioxidant enzymes, while the activities of acetylcholinesterase, carboxylesterase and adenosinetriphosphatases were inhibited. As a result, it can be said that Thmx has highly toxic effects on crayfish, therefore they are under threat in the areas where this pesticide is used.

Background/aim Sjögren’s syndrome (SS) is an autoimmune disease and its pathogenesis is still not completely clear. The wingless (Wnt)/β-catenin pathway has recently been shown to play an important role in inflammation. This study aims to determine the serum and saliva levels of Dickkopf (DKK)1 and sclerostin and to evaluate Wnt-1 and Wnt-3a expression in the salivary gland in patients with primary SS. Materials and methods This study included 30 patients diagnosed with SS, 30 patients diagnosed with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and 29 healthy controls. Serum and saliva levels of DKK1 and sclerostin were measured and the expressions of Wnt1 and Wnt3a in the salivary gland were measured immunohistochemically. Results Serum DKK1 and sclerostin levels were lower in the SS and SLE groups compared to the control group (both p < 0.001). Saliva DKK1 levels were higher in the SS group compared to the control and SLE groups (p = 0.004 and p = 0.009, respectively). Wnt1 and Wnt3a expression were found in salivary gland tissue samples in 71.4% of primary SS patients and relatively frequent than control group. Conclusions Serum DKK1 and sclerostin levels in primary SS and SLE were decreased. Moreover, levels of Wnt1 and Wnt3a expression in the salivary gland were also elevated in primary SS. Therefore, it can be concluded that the Wnt/β-catenin pathway activities may be altered in case of glandular inflammation.

Objective The vitamin D receptor gene (VDR) polymorphisms and the risk of various infections have been studied. An association with brucellosis and vitamin D levels has been investigated but not yet with VDR gene polymorphisms. We aimed to examine the association between VDR gene polymorphisms and susceptibility to childhood brucellosis. Methods This case–control study included patients with brucellosis and healthy controls. After extracting genomic DNA using a Qiagen blood DNA isolation kit, five VDR single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), including Cdx-2, FokI, BsmI, ApaI, and TaqI gene, were amplified. Genetic distribution of these SNPs of VDR gene in patient and control groups were compared. Results A total of 38 patients with brucellosis and 89 healthy controls were evaluated. The genotype distribution of Cdx2, FokI, BsmI, and ApaI polymorphisms were similar between patients and healthy controls. However, the CC homozygous genotype for VDR gene TaqI was significantly overexpressed in patients compared with controls (23.7 vs. 7.9%; p = 0.042). The frequency of the C allele of the TaqI genotype was significantly different between patients and controls (p = 0.018). On the other hand, presence of the A allele in the BsmI was associated considerably with an increased risk of brucellosis (p = 0.037). VDR polymorphism distribution was similar according to age, presence of complicated disease, and presence of bacteremia. The heterozygote TaqI polymorphism was more common in patients presented as subacute and chronic symptoms (p = 0.036). Conclusion Our results indicated the possible role in TaqI polymorphism of the VDR gene for the risk of brucellosis at the time of exposure to infection.

Objectives To determine the effects of hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF)-1 inhibitors on carbonic anhydrase-IX (CA-IX) enzyme and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in melanoma. The HIF-1 pathway induces tumor growth and metastasis by stimulating the expression of CA-IX enzyme and VEGF proteins. Methods We evaluated the inhibition effects of Acriflavine and Echinomycin on CA-IX enzyme and VEGF in WM115 (primary) and SKMEL30 (metastatic) cell lines in normoxic and hypoxic conditions with Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay. The cytotoxic activity of HIF-1 inhibitors was performed by using WST-1 assay. All experiments were performed at 450 nm using Epoch™ Microplate Spectrophotometer. Results IC50 values were observed with a concentration of 3 μmol/L for Echinomycin and Acriflavine in the WST-1 assay. Decreased CA-IX and VEGF levels were determined in both normoxia and hypoxia after inhibitors’ treatment with WM115 and SKMEL30 cell lines (p Conclusions Due to the importance of our study, using HIF-1 inhibitors may be an alternative treatment for melanoma. Also to design new HIF-1 inhibitor derivatives is a promising approach for further studies targeting CA-IX enzyme and VEGF.

The immobilization of the biocatalysts onto magnetic nanoparticles has been extensively applied as the external magnetic field facilitates the enzyme recovery from the reaction mixture. In the present study, glutaraldehyde-modified magnetite-cornstarch nanoparticles (MCNs) were successfully synthesized, elaborately characterized by ZetaSizer and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, and used for the immobilization of a thermoalkalophilic esterase from Geobacillus sp. The optimal immobilization conditions were obtained at 65°C, 2:3 molar ratios of Fe2+ :Fe3+ , and 1 g cornstarch resulted in approximately 90 nm magnetic particles in size. Also, immobilization yield and immobilization efficiency of the esterase were found as 74% and 82%, respectively. Scanning electron microscopy micrographs showed that MCNs were uniform, spherical in shape, and well dispersed and esterase immobilized MCNs displayed similar morphology as free MCNs. The maximum activity of free and immobilized esterase was obtained at 65°C and pH 9. Immobilization onto glutaraldehyde-modified MCNs significantly enhanced the esterase thermostability. Additionally, the immobilized esterase kept its residual activity of 75% after three sequential cycles, suggesting that it has favorable operational stability.

Acyclovir may cause acute kidney injury (AKI) due to the accumulation of relatively insoluble acyclovir crystals in renal tubules. The aim of this study was to evaluate risk factors associated with acyclovir-related AKI in children. Between January 2010 and December 2019, pediatric recipients of intravenous (IV) acyclovir were evaluated retrospectively. There were a total of 472 patients [249 (52.7%) boys] of which 32 (6.8%) had AKI [15 (46.8%) boys]. Patients with AKI had greater mean age, baseline creatinine level, and duration of treatment compared to patients without AKI (p 100.5 months, 1500 mg/m2/day dosage, concomitant use of nephrotoxic drugs). Acyclovir dosing should be evaluated in prospective, multicenter studies in order to identify the lowest possible therapeutic doses that do not increase AKI risk. What is Known: • Although acyclovir is mostly well tolerated, nephrotoxicity may be seen due to the accumulation of acyclovir crystals in renal tubules. • Older age, obesity, and concomitant use of other nephrotoxic drugs are reported to be risk factors for acyclovir-induced AKI in children. What is New: • In this study, pediatric patients with acyclovir-induced AKI were older, received treatment longer, received concomitant nephrotoxic drugs more commonly, and had higher acyclovir dosage and baseline creatinine levels compared to those without AKI. • Being older than 100.5 months of age, use of 1500 mg/m2/day dosage and use of nephrotoxic drugs concomitantly appear to be the prominent risk factors for AKI development in children treated with acyclovir.

Today, the use of essential oils is increasing day by day, and it is considered as raw materials in many industries. Therefore, this study aims to identify the essential oil profile, antioxidant an...

This study aimed to develop the oleogels of tea wax (TWO), rapeseed wax (RWO), orange peel wax (OWO), rose wax (RsWO), and beery wax (BWO), and to compare their properties with sunflower wax oleogel (SWO). Since the literature lacks most of these new oleogels, the gained information would be valuable. The wax oleogels were analyzed for their main physicochemical, thermal, structural, rheological, and sensory properties. The minimum gelation concentrations (C*) ranged from 1.0% (SWO) to 25% (RWO), with gelation times of 0.3-205 min, respectively. While polarized light microscopy images showed large crystal aggregates, X-ray diffraction patterns proved the presence of beta ' polymorph crystals and some amorphous solids. Rheological analyses indicated that the samples had a weak-gel structure, and were stable until around 30-70 degrees C temperatures. Further, the oleogel samples showed a thixotropic rheological behavior with force-related recovery at 10 degrees C. Quantitative sensory descriptive analysis (QDA) proved that there were some differences among the samples for sensory hardness, spreadability, liquefaction, rancid, waxy, and cooling attributes. Also, tea aroma in TWO, bitterness in OWO, and rose aroma in RsWO were quite dominant. In conclusion, RWO and OWO seemed unsuitable for food applications due to very high C* and bitterness, while RsWO and BWO could be used in food formulations.

Pit and fissure sealants (PFSs) are the optimal treatment options to prevent occlusal caries. The aim of this in-vitro study was to evaluate the effect of ozone pretreatment on dental PFS retention...

Although the pathogenesis of systemic sclerosis is not exactly known, it is thought that immune activation has prominent roles in pathogenesis. Secukinumab is a monoclonal antibody against interleukin (IL)-17A. Metformin, a widely used antidiabetic medication, has anti-proliferative, immunomodulating and anti-fibrotic activities. The purpose of our study is to determine the therapeutic efficacy of secukinumab and metformin on bleomycin (BLM) induced dermal fibrosis. Fifty Balb/c female mice were divided into 5 groups: (group 1 control, 2 sham, 3 secukinumab, 4 metformin and 5 secukinumab + metformin). The mice in the control group received 100 μL phosphate-buffered saline (PBS), while the mice in other groups received 100 μL (100 μg) BLM in PBS subcutaneously (sc) every day for 4 weeks. In addition, mice in groups 3 and 5 received secukinumab at a dose of 10 mg/kg/wk sc, and mice in the groups 4 and 5 received oral metformin 50 mg/kg/d for 28 days. All groups of mice were sacrificed at the end of the 4th week and tissue samples were taken for analysis. In addition to histopathological analysis, skin tissue messenger RNA (mRNA) expressions of IL-17 and collagen 3A were measured by real-time polymerase chain reaction. Repeated BLM injections had caused dermal fibrosis. In addition, the mRNA expressions of IL-17 and collagen 3A were increased in the BLM group. Secukinumab and metformin ameliorated dermal fibrosis. They decreased dermal thickness and tissue IL-17A and collagen 3A mRNA levels. Secukinumab and metformin exhibit anti-fibrotic effects in the BLM-induced dermal fibrosis.

Ammonia is an important nutrient in primary production, but high ammoniaconcentration is directly or indirectly toxic to many species of aquatic organisms.Ammonia and other toxic metabolites can be managed by adsorption and ionexchange. Zeolite is naturally occurring structured, aluminosilicate with highcation exchange and ion adsorption capacity. The purpose of this study was todetermine the effects of zeolite on the ammonium adsorption at different particlesizes (0.075 mm, 3-5 mm) and adsorbent dosages (5 g/l, 10 g/l, 15 g/l) fromaquatic solution. This research was conducted by trial groups with 3 repetitionsduring 330 min. Water temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen and ammonium valueswere measured during the trial period at regular intervals. Depending on therelevant literature, TAN (Total Ammonium Nitrogen) and adsorption efficiencywere also calculated. This study values showed a decrease of TAN concentrationin all the groups with increasing contact time. For different particle size andadsorbent dosage of zeolite, the best efficiency (44.1%) is determined at added 15g/l and 0.075 mm zeolite group (P˂0.05). Our results revealed that zeolite mightbe used for ammonia removal in aquaculture., Amonyak, birincil üretimde önemli bir besin maddesidir, ancak yüksek amonyak konsantrasyonu, birçok sucul organizmatürüne doğrudan veya dolaylı olarak toksiktir. Amonyak ve diğer toksik metabolitler adsorpsiyon ve iyon değişimi ile yönetilebilir.Zeolit doğal olarak oluşan, yüksek katyon değişimi ve iyon adsorpsiyon kapasitesine sahip bir alüminosilikattır. Bu çalışmanınamacı, farklı partikül büyüklüğü (0,075 mm, 3-5 mm) ve adsorbant miktarına (5 g/l, 10 g/l, 15 g/l) bağlı olarak zeolit ile suculortamdan amonyum adsorpsiyonunun sağlanmasıdır. Araştırma, 3 tekerrürlü deneme grupları üzerinden 330 dakika boyuncayürütülmüştür. Deneme süresi boyunca, düzenli aralıklarla su sıcaklığı, pH, çözünmüş oksijen ve amonyum değerleri ölçülmüş,TAN (Toplam Amonyum Azotu) ve adsorpsiyon verimi ilgili literatüre bağlı olarak hesaplanmıştır. Çalışma değerleri artan temassüresi ile tüm gruplarda TAN konsantrasyonunun azaldığını göstermiştir. Zeolitin farklı partikül büyüklüğü ve adsorbant miktarıiçin en iyi verim (% 44,1) 15 g/l ve 0,075 mm zeolit grubunda belirlenmiştir (P˂0,05). Sonuç olarak, zeolitin su ürünleriyetiştiriciliğinde amonyak giderimi için kullanılabileceği belirlenmiştir.

Abstract Investigations on the effect of single or double A-site cation engineering on the photovoltaic performance of bismuth perovskite-inspired materials (A3Bi2I9) are rare. Herein, we report novel single- and double-cation based bismuth perovskite-inspired materials developed by (1) completely replacing CH3NH3+ (methylammonium, MA+) in MA3Bi2I9 with various organic cations such as CH(NH2)2+ (formamidinium, FA+), (CH3)2NH2+ (dimethylammonium, DMA+), C(NH2)3+ (guanidinium, GA+) and inorganic cations such as cesium (Cs+), rubidium (Rb+), potassium (K+), sodium (Na+) and lithium (Li+) and (2) partially replacing MA+ with Cs+ in different stoichiometric ratios. Compared to single-cation based bismuth perovskite devices, the double-cation bismuth perovskite device showed an increment in the device power conversion efficiency (PCE) up to 1.5% crediting to the reduction in the bandgap. This is the first study demonstrating double-cation based bismuth perovskite showing bandgap reduction and increment in device efficiency and opens up the possibilities towards compositional engineering for improved device performance. Graphic Abstract

This study tested the possible protective and therapeutic effects of Viscum album extract and probiotics against carbon tetrachloride (CCl4)-induced acute/chronic liver injury. Male Wistar rats were assigned to seven groups: Control, acute CCl4, acute V. album + CCl4, acute V. album + Probiotics + CCl4, chronic CCl4, chronic CCl4 + V. album, and chronic CCl4 + V. album + Probiotics. Acute and chronic liver injuries were induced by 2 mg/kg CCl4 (i.p.) and 1 mg/kg CCl4 (i.p.), respectively. The extract and probiotics were administered daily to related groups. Serum enzyme activities, lipid profile, total protein, albumin, bilirubin, heme oxgenase-1 and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine levels were measured. Liver tissue sections stained with Hematoxylin-Eosin. Acute or chronic CCl4-exposure caused to significant changes in concentrations/activities of the measured parameters. The oral administration of extract and probiotics showed protective and therapeutic effects against CCl4-induced liver-injury. The supplementation of intestinal flora by the use of probiotics may enhance the efficacy of orally given therapeutic extracts.

In this study, two quorum sensing (QS) system genes, las and rhI; N-3-oxo-dodecanoyl homoserine lactone (AHL; 3-O-C12-HSL); and QS-related virulence factors and correlation between them were assessed in 30 fish origin P. aeruginosa isolates. The detection of two QS system of the isolates, and eight gene regions consisting of four intact (lasI/R, rhlI/R) and four internal (lasI/R, rhlI/R) genes were tested by PCR assay. According to findings, las and rhI QS system genes were detected in 27 and 30 isolates, respectively, while 3-O-C12-HSL was determined in 13 isolates. A total of 22, 27, and 18 isolates were capable of pyocyanin production, protease, and elastase activity, respectively. Biofilm formation was detected using three methods in all 30 isolates: 12 by Congo red agar, 14 by microtiter plate, and 29 by tube test. Twitching and swarming motility types were detected in 30, but the swimming motility was determined in 25 isolates. The rhI QS system genes detected in all of the isolates having three types including motility, PYA production, and protease and elastase activities. The las QS system genes were detected in 27 of the motility, 17 of PYA production, 25 of protease, and 16 of elastase activity having isolates. In conclusion, the high number of P. aeruginosa isolates from fish tested have two QS systems and related virulence factors. There was also correlation between them.

The boron active belite cement is a cement type different from the Portland Cement due to the presence of B2O3 at 3–4%. The prominent properties are low hydration temperature, low early strength, and high final strength for the boron active belite cement concrete. The aim of this study is to observe self-compacting concrete properties, which includes boron active belite cement and silica fume, at the high temperatures. Withal, the cement types were decided as CEM I, CEM II, and boron active belite cement. Some mechanical and durability properties of manufactured samples were also investigated, experimentally. The samples were designed for 0.35 water/binder ratio and 2% hyper plasticizer, while the silica fume is replaced 7.5% for cement. Some rheological properties of self-compacting concrete, such as the experiments of flow diameter, flow time (t50), V-flow time, L-box and J-ring were observed at fresh stage. As high temperature related parameters, the samples were planned to be tested for 100, 200, 300, 400, 600 and 750°C, to acquire the compressive strength, tensile splitting strength, ultrasonic pulse velocity, and the unit weight. All the samples met the mentioned relevant criteria of self-compacting concrete. Withal, the presence of the boron active belite cement was enhanced by the flowability of the fresh concrete. The long time resulting compressive and splitting tensile strengths of the samples, which were produced with boron active belite cement implied greater values, then the CEM I and CEM II ones. The increasing high-temperature, decreased the strengths for all samples, and weight loss for the boron active belite cement used samples.

Objective Secukinumab, a new treatment agent, selectively neutralizes interleukin (IL)-17A. It is used in the treatment of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), psoriatic arthritis (PsA), and psoriasis. It is known that the agents used in the treatment of rheumatic diseases have effects on hematological parameters. In this study, we aimed to determine whether hematological parameters are affected in secukinumab therapy in patients with AS and PsA. Methods Thirty-six patients on secukinumab treatment were included in the study by scanning the database of our hospital. Data on patients' age, gender, complete blood count (CBC), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), uric acid, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), urea, creatinine values, and additional drug treatments were recorded from our database. The 0- and 6-month values of patients were analyzed. Results Sixteen males (44.4%) and 20 females (55.6%) were included in our study. The average age was calculated to be 39.8±8.9 years. Of these, 30 patients receiving secukinumab treatment were diagnosed with AS, and 6 patients were diagnosed with PsA. Twenty-three patients (63.9%) were continued with secukinumab treatment at the 6th month. When CBC, glucose, urea, creatine, AST, ALT, ESR, CRP, and uric acid values of the patients at 0 and 6 months were compared, there was no significant difference. Conclusion In our study, no significant difference was found between 0 and 6 months in terms of CBC, AST, ALT, urea, creatinine, uric acid, glucose, CRP, and ESR levels in patients receiving secukinumab. However, an increase in hemoglobin values was observed in patients who continued the treatment. These results may suggest that secukinumab treatment has no negative effects on hematological parameters.

The early steps of DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair in human cells involve the MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex and its cofactor, phosphorylated CtIP. The roles of these proteins in nucleolytic DSB resection are well characterized, but their role in bridging the DNA ends for efficient and correct repair is much less explored. Here we study the binding of phosphorylated CtIP, which promotes the endonuclease activity of MRN, to single long (∼50 kb) DNA molecules using nanofluidic channels and compare it to the yeast homolog Sae2. CtIP bridges DNA in a manner that depends on the oligomeric state of the protein, and truncated mutants demonstrate that the bridging depends on CtIP regions distinct from those that stimulate the nuclease activity of MRN. Sae2 is a much smaller protein than CtIP, and its bridging is significantly less efficient. Our results demonstrate that the nuclease cofactor and structural functions of CtIP may depend on the same protein population, which may be crucial for CtIP functions in both homologous recombination and microhomology-mediated end-joining., Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117 (35), ISSN:0027-8424, ISSN:1091-6490

Penconazole is one of the most widely used fungicides all over the world, and since it spreads to large environments, its toxic effects on non-target organisms are of great concern. The toxic effects of penconazole on crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus), which is a bioindicator in freshwater ecosystems and consumed economically, are not known. Therefore, in this study, the purpose was to contribute to the literature on the potential harmful effects of penconazole on a non-target species, Astacus leptodactylus. For this aim, the acute toxicity (96 h) of penconazole was examined. The 96-h LC50 value of penconazole was detected as 18.7 mg L−1. Four concentrations of penconazole (18.7 mg L−1, 9.35 mg L−1, 4.68 mg L−1, 2.34 mg L−1) were applied to crayfish for 96 h. The results showed that penconazole had destructive effects on esterase mechanisms by inhibiting acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and carboxylesterase (CaE) activities. Significant increases were observed in all antioxidant parameters (superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR), glutathione S-transferase (GST), reduced glutathione (GSH), malondialdehyde (MDA)) in all doses except the lowest concentration (2.34 mg L−1). All adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) activities (Na+/K+-ATPase, Mg2+-ATPase, Ca2+-ATPase, total ATPase) had significant dose-related inhibition in both gill and muscle tissues. In summary, our findings show that acute penconazole administration to crayfish causes significant toxic effects on esterase, antioxidative parameters, and metabolic enzymes.

Azoxystrobin is a broad-spectrum fungicide used worldwide. Since azoxystrobin spreads to large areas, its toxic effects on non-target organisms have aroused interest. In this study, the acute toxic...

Thalassemia major is the most severe form of thalassemia and occurs with the impaired synthesis of β-globin which causes the accumulation of unpaired alpha globin chain. Patients with beta thalassemia major can only survive with periodically safe blood transfusions leading to the accumulation of iron in the bloods of patients, and this causes several endocrinopathies. Although iron overload in thalassemic patients has been extensively studied, there is little information about the levels of other trace elements. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences of serum concentrations of sodium, magnesium, calcium, manganese, iron, copper, and zinc for patients with major β-thalassemia. Concentration of elements was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry system. The statistical difference between the elemental concentrations of the patient and control groups was found by the Mann-Whitney U test. In addition, the relationship between concentrations of the measured elements for each group was determined by the Spearman correlation test. The results revealed that iron, zinc, magnesium, and manganese serum levels of thalassemic patients were significantly higher than the control group while calcium concentration was statistically lower than the control group. There was no significant difference observed for copper and sodium levels of patients when compared to the healthy control group.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a disabling inflammatory disorder. Ginger is used for food and medicine to treat arthralgia, sprains, and muscle aches. Anti-inflammatory effects of ginger have been observed. The aim of our study was to detect the effects of ginger on experimentally induced inflammatory arthritis.Female Wistar albino rats (n = 21) were randomly separated into three groups (control, arthritis, and arthritis + ginger). Arthritis was generated by an appropriate method using type 2 collagen and Freund's adjuvant (collagen-induced arthritis model). The ginger group was treated starting at the first collagen injection with ginger root extract for 32 days by oral gavage (50 mg/kg/daily). Interleukin (IL)-6, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), sclerostin, dickkopf-related protein-1 (DKK-1), and obestatin serum levels were studied by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Tissue TNF-α, IL-17, cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB) levels were detected using the Western blot method.Mean arthritis score and serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-17 were significantly decreased in ginger group than in the arthritis group. Increased sclerostin serum level and decreased DKK-1 serum levels were detected in ginger group compared with arthritis group. The decreases of IL-17, TNF-α, COX-2, and NF-κB tissue levels were statistically significant in the ginger group compared with arthritis group. Histopathological evaluation of the ginger group showed a decrease in the inflammation score compared to arthritis group.It can be concluded that ginger has protective properties in the development of inflammatory arthritis. The antiarthritic acts of ginger are related to NF-κB activity and Wnt pathway. Thus, it may be suggested that ginger is a candidate to research in human RA treatment.

In this study, it was aimed to determine the effects of zeolite and bentonite on the ammonium adsorption at different temperatures. In this research three trial groups with 3 repetitions were created for three different water temperatures (18±0.1°C, 24±0.0°C, 27±0.0°C). Experimental groups were prepared by adding NH4+ amount of 10.5 mg/l in 2 liters of water. After that, zeolite, zeolite+bentonite and bentonite were added into the bottles as 10 gram per liter. Water temperature, pH and TAN (Total Ammonium Nitrogen) values were determined during the trial period. At the end of trial TAN values at 27 °C were recorded as 10.103±0.11 mg/l, 9.227±0.13 mg/l and 7.933±0.17 mg/l in zeolite, zeolite+bentonite and bentonite groups, respectively. At the end of trial TAN values at 24 °C were recorded as 10.027±0.17 mg/l, 9.282±0.15 mg/l and 8.336±0.15 mg/l in zeolite, zeolite+bentonite and bentonite groups, respectively. At the end of trial TAN values at 18 °C were recorded as 9.012±0.28 mg/l, 7.702±0.14 mg/l and 6.594±0.14 mg/l in zeolite, zeolite+bentonite and bentonite groups, respectively. Maximum ammonium removal capacity, qe, was found to be 0.50 mg/g in the bentonite (18 °C). The TAN values determined at 18 °C were statistically more significant (p

All-inorganic perovskites (CsPbI3 and CsPbI2Br), owing to their greater thermal stability compared to organic–inorganic hybrid perovskites, are becoming popular in perovskite photovoltaics, but the...

Leaf senescence is an important developmental process for the plant life cycle. It is controlled by endogenous and environmental factors and can be positively or negatively affected by plant growth regulators. It is characterised by major and significant changes in the patterns of gene expression. Auxin, especially indole-3-acetic acid (IAA), is a plant growth hormone that affects plant growth and development. The effect of IAA on leaf senescence is still unclear. In this study, we performed microarray analysis to investigate the role of IAA on gene expression during senescence in Arabidopsis thaliana. We sprayed IAA on plants at 3 different time points (27, 31 or 35 days after sowing). Following spraying, PSII activity of the eighth leaf was evaluated daily by measurement of chlorophyll fluorescence parameters. Our results show that PSII activity decreased following IAA application and the IAA treatment triggered different gene expression responses in leaves of different ages.

In this study, a novel analytical method was developed for the determination of trace level bisphenol A (BPA) in bottled water and wastewater samples. Switchable solvent-based liquid phase microextraction (SSLPME) was combined with quadrupole isotope dilution (ID4) to improve the accuracy/precision and lower the detection limit. In the first step of this study, double isotope dilution (ID2), triple isotope dilution (ID3), quadrupole isotope dilution (ID4), standard addition-double isotope dilution (SA-ID2) and standard addition-triple isotope dilution (SA-ID3) were applied for the determination of BPA to check their effectiveness in terms of accuracy and precision. ID4 was selected as the best strategy to quantify the analyte. In order to improve the detection power, a microextraction strategy was adopted for the system and the developed combination called SSLPME-ID4-GC-MS was successfully applied for the trace quantification of BPA. Under the optimum conditions, percent recovery results were calculated as 99.4 ± 0.7% and 99.9 ± 0.8% for bottled water and wastewater samples spiked with BPA at 223.8 and 169.9 ng g−1, respectively.

INTRODUCTION The aim of the present study was to assess the predictive value of the age, creatinine, ejection fraction score for in-hospital mortality in patients with cardiogenic shock secondary to ST-elevation myocardial infarction. MATERIAL AND METHODS This single-center, retrospective study was based on a comprehensive analysis of the hospital records of 318 consecutive cardiogenic shock patients. The age, creatinine, ejection fraction score was calculated for each patient using the equation of age/ejection fraction +1 if creatinine level is >2 mg/dl. The study population was stratified into tertiles: T1, T2, and T3, based on the age, creatinine, ejection fraction score. The primary endpoint of the study was the incidence of in-hospital mortality. RESULTS The incidence of in-hospital mortality was significantly greater in patients with a high age, creatinine, ejection fraction score (T3 group) compared with the intermediate (T2 group) or the low score group (T1 group) [86.8% (n = 92 patients) vs. 57.5% (n = 61 patients) vs. 34.9% (n = 37 patients), respectively; P < 0.05 for each]. In multivariable models, after adjusting for all covariables, the risk of in-hospital mortality was 3.21 (95% confidence interval: 2.29-4.58) for patients allocated to the T3 group. The optimal cutoff for the age, creatinine, ejection fraction score for in-hospital mortality was 2.24, with a sensitivity of 74% and a specificity of 77%. CONCLUSION To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that has demonstrated a prognostic value of the age, creatinine, ejection fraction score in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction-related cardiogenic shock.

The objective of the study was to evaluate the effect of the erbium:yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) laser on diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) that had not responded to standard care. We retrospectively evaluated 22 nonhealing DFUs that received at least 4 weeks of standard wound care, demonstrated poor healing response, and subsequently were treated with an erbium:YAG laser. We measured the percent wound area reduction (PWAR) for the 4 weeks before initiating laser therapy and the PWAR for 4 weeks after the initiation of laser therapy. Erbium:YAG laser treatment consisted of 2 components: debridement and resurfacing. The laser settings were the same for all treatments. We used the paired t test to compare pretreatment with posttreatment wound area reduction. During the 4-week period before the initiation of laser therapy, the average PWAR was –33.6%. Four weeks after initiating treatment with the erbium:YAG laser, the average PWAR was 63.4% (p = .002) and 72.7% of wounds had ≥50% PWAR. By 12 weeks, 50% of wounds had healed. Erbium:YAG laser therapy accelerated DFU healing in a cohort of patients with ulcers that had been unresponsive to standard of care therapy.

A new drying strategy identified as “drying in an oven under a magnetic field” was used for efficient processing of samples. Mycotoxin species and elements (Al, Ba, Co, Cu, Zn, Se, Sr, Mo, Cd, Sn, ...

Purpose Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS/RNS) production and the NF-κB activation are critically involved in inflammatory responses, but knowledge about the temporal dynamics during acute and chronic inflammation is limited. Here, we present a comparative longitudinal in vivo study of both parameters in an experimental model of acute and chronic T cell–driven delayed-type hypersensitivity reaction (DTHR) using noninvasive optical imaging. Procedures Trinitrochlorobenzene (TNCB)-sensitized NF-κB-luciferase-reporter and wild-type mice were TNCB challenged on the right ear to elicit acute DTHR and then repetitively challenged (up to five times) to induce chronic DTHR. Mice were treated with the ROS-scavenging and NF-κB inhibiting molecule N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or underwent sham treatment. ROS/RNS production was noninvasively analyzed in vivo using the ROS-/RNS-sensitive chemiluminescent probe L-012, and NF-κB activation was measured using NF-κB-luciferase-reporter mice. H&E staining, CD3 and myeloperoxidase (MPO) immunohistochemistry (IHC), and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analyses were employed to investigate immune cell infiltration and expression of NF-κB- and ROS-/RNS-driven genes. Results In acute DTHR, we found strongly elevated ROS/RNS production and NF-κB activation 12 h after the 1st TNCB ear challenge, peaking at 24 h after the challenge. In chronic DTHR, ROS production peaked as early as 4 h after the 5th TNCB challenge, whereas NF-κB activity peaked after 12 h. The increase in ROS/RNS production in acute DTHR was higher than the increase in NF-κB activity but the relationship was inverse in chronic DTHR. Treatment with the ROS scavenger NAC had differential effects on ROS/RNS production and NF-κB activation during acute and chronic DTHR. Ex vivo cross-validation by histopathology and qPCR analysis correlated closely with the in vivo imaging results. Conclusions Noninvasive in vivo imaging is capable of assessing the temporal dynamics of ROS/RNS production and NF-κB activation during progression from acute to chronic DTHR and enables monitoring of anti-inflammatory treatment responses. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11307-019-01412-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objectives Alchemilla species are used in Turkish folk medicine for the treatment of many diseases together with diabetes. Alchemilla persica, belonging to this genus, is widely distributed in Eastern Anatolia as well as in Caucasia, northern and northeastern Iran, and northern Iraq. Materials and Methods Methanolic-water extracts of the aerial parts and roots of A. persica were evaluated for their hypoglycemic activities in mice with alloxan-induced diabetes in order to verify its usage in folk medicine. Results None of the tested extracts exhibited a significant lowering effect on blood glucose levels. However, the aerial parts notably increased blood glucose levels at doses of 100 mg/kg and 200 mg/kg. Conclusion A. persica usage as an antidiabetic is not confirmed in the present study.

AIM: To observe the protective effect of astaxanthin (AST) against hydroquinone (HQ) mediated cell death in the apoptotic cascade and evaluate intracellular Ca(2+) release, caspase-3, and -9 activation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in ARPE-19 cells. METHODS: We cultured ARPE-19 cells in special mediums and performed MTT tests to determine protective effect of AST, before exposing the cells to HQ in an incubator. We analyzed intracellular Ca(2+) release experiments, mitochondrial membrane depolarization, glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) and ROS experiments, and apoptosis assay. RESULTS: ROS production ranges depend on the amount of cell death. We computed the correlation between ROS ranges and cell death by 20,70-dichlorofluorescein fluorescence, and Ca(2+) levels by Fura-2-AM. HQ-induced cell death found out to rise ranges of caspase-3 and -9, and mitochondrial depolarization. These three steps were delayed by AST management. CONCLUSION: ARPE-19 cells are avoided from HQ-induced ROS production and caspase-3 and -9 activation by AST. AST may limit the range of caspase synthesis, Ca(2+) release and excess production of ROS with antiapoptotic effect. This study proposes a new therapeutic approach for the treatment of age-related macular degeneration.

During the Covid pandemi time people understood the disinfeciton and sterlization of the environment and food for safe and healthy life. In this direction, researchers have started to research and develop focus on new technologies. In particular, ozone is an environmentally friendly preservation technique with its strong bactericidal and viridal effect, without leaving any harmful residues in terms of health. The usage area of ozone application, which is a strong oxidant, is increasing day by day. Ozone (O 3 ), which has proven to have a higher potential than chlorine and other disinfectants, was first used in the disinfection of drinking water. Today, its usage areas have expanded considerably. Especially in our daily lifes living area, hospitals clinics food industry, and it has started to be used in the disinfection of surfaces, equipment and drinking water in contact with food, disinfection of ambient air, removing unwanted odors, and preventing contamination on the surface of fruits, vegetables, meat, chicken and seafood.

The primary excitatory and inhibitory neurotransmitters glutamate (Glu) and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) are thought to be involved in the response of the brain to changes in glycemia. Therefore, their reliable measurement is critical for understanding the dynamics of these responses. The concentrations of Glu and GABA, as well as glucose (Glc) in brain tissue, can be measured in vivo using proton (1H) magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS). Advanced MRS methodology at ultrahigh field allows reliable monitoring of these metabolites under changing metabolic states. However, the long acquisition times needed for these experiments while maintaining blood Glc levels at predetermined targets present many challenges. We present an advanced MRS acquisition protocol that combines commercial 7T hardware (Siemens Scanner and Nova Medical head coil), BaTiO3 dielectric padding, optical motion tracking, and dynamic frequency and B0 shim updates to ensure the acquisition of reproducibly high-quality data. Data were acquired with a semi-LASER sequence [repetition time/echo time (TR/TE) = 5,000/26 ms] from volumes of interest (VOIs) in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and hypothalamus (HTL). Five healthy volunteers were scanned to evaluate the effect of the BaTiO3 pads on B1+ distribution. Use of BaTiO3 padding resulted in a 60% gain in signal-to-noise ratio in the PFC VOI over the acquisition without the pad. The protocol was tested in six patients with type 1 diabetes during a clamp study where euglycemic (~100 mg/dL) and hypoglycemic (~50 mg/dL) blood Glc levels were maintained in the scanner. The new protocol allowed retention of all HTL data compared with our prior experience of having to exclude approximately half of the HTL data in similar clamp experiments in the 7T scanner due to subject motion. The advanced MRS protocol showed excellent data quality (reliable quantification of 11–12 metabolites) and stability (p > 0.05 for both signal-to-noise ratio and water linewidths) between euglycemia and hypoglycemia. Decreased brain Glc levels under hypoglycemia were reliably detected in both VOIs. In addition, mean Glu level trended lower at hypoglycemia than euglycemia for both VOIs, consistent with prior observations in the occipital cortex. This protocol will allow robust mechanistic investigations of the primary neurotransmitters, Glu and GABA, under changing glycemic conditions.

Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin-like 7 (TRPM7), Transient Receptor Potential Melastatin-like 8 (TRPM8) and Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid-like 1 (TRPV1) channels are expressed in neurological tissues such as brain cortex, dorsal root ganglion and hippocampal neurons and involved in several neurological diseases. The SH-SY5Y neuronal cell line is frequently used as a cellular model of neurodegenerative diseases including Parkinson's disease. The differentiated SH-SY5Y cells have much neuronal structure, function and exaggerated neuronal marker expression. However, we have less data about how differentiation induces TRP channel expression and how TRP channels have a role in cellular functions in Parkinson's disease model in SH-SY5Y cells. Hence, we aimed to investigate the effects of differentiation phenomena on TRPM7, TRPM8 and TRPV1 cation channel expression and related Ca2+ signaling. We also made some other analysis to elucidate TRP channels' function in MPP induced apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential levels, intracellular reactive oxygen species production, caspase 3 and caspase 9 enzyme activities in differentiated or undifferentiated SH-SY5Y neuronal cells. Herein we concluded that TRPM7, TRPM8 and TRPV1 cation channels have pivotal effects on differentiation and MPP induced Parkinson's disease model in SH-SY5Y cells.

β-thalassemia major is a significant health problem in the world that obliges patient to repeated blood transfusions. Frequent transfusions cause toxic iron overload and the association between serum iron levels and β-thalassemia major have been extensively studied in literature. Nonetheless, data on trace elements is still limited. The aim of this work was to study the relationship between some trace element levels in serum and β-thalassemia major. The quantifications of Al, K, Sn, Sb, Ni, Cr, Cd, Ba, Co, As and Se elements were carried out by Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometry system. Mann Whitney U test is performed in order to test the statistical difference between patient and control groups in terms of their element concentrations. Significant differences were observed for the concentrations of Al, K, Sn and Sb elements and for the correlation between concentrations of K-Sb elements. The study indicates higher levels of Al and Sb, and lower levels of K and Sn elements of patients when compared to control group. These findings reveal the altered profile of serum trace element concentrations and so, further studies are required to evaluate the potential of trace elements as biomarkers and/or to administrate their levels in blood to reduce the related complications.

In this research, it was aimed to determine the adsorption, saturation reaching and desorption effects of ammonium, which is one of the parameters that should be kept in control for aquarium life, by clinoptilolite type zeolite which is a natural filtration material. In the aquarium water, Z1: 20 mg/l TAN and Z2: 40 mg/l TAN concentrations were determined to have adsorption up to Z1: 10 mg/l TAN and Z2: 24 mg/l TAN concentration at the end of the experiment period. After this phase, where zeolites had reached saturation, desorption system was created, and 2 groups were formed with 5-liter research aquariums and 3 repetitions. During the five-days test, water parameters were determined daily and at the same time of day (10.00). At the beginning of the experiment, mean values of 0.4 ± 0.00 mg / l TAN in Z1 and Z2 groups were determined at the end of the experiment as 1.55 ± 0.176 mg/l (15.5%) and 2.153 ± 0.27 mg/l (13.5%) TAN in Z1 and Z2 groups, respectively. When the data obtained in this study were evaluated, zeolite was determined to make desorption periodically in proportion with the amount of retained ammonium, when it reached the saturation. In intensive aquaculture systems or aquarium conditions, recondition of zeolite for necessary periods is recommended to be performed by considering these data.

Knowledge of DNA sequences is indispensable for basic biological research. Many researchers use DNA sequencing for various purposes including molecular biology research and sequence comparison for individual identification. Automated DNA sequencing devices use four colored chromatograms or base-calling signals to indicate strength of hybridization for each base channel. Typically, relative strengths of peaks at each base location are used to quantify the quality and/or reliability of individual readings. However, assessment of overall quality of whole DNA trace files remains to be an open problem. Therefore, classification of raw DNA trace files as high or low quality is an important issue for efficient utilization of resources. In this study, we have used several supervised machine learning approaches, including logistic regression and ensemble decision trees, to identify high- or acceptable-quality chromatogram files and compared their prediction performances. In order to test and develop our ideas, we have used a public DNA trace repository consisting of 1626 high- and 631 low-quality files marked by our expert molecular biologist. Our results indicate that, although all of the methods tried offer comparable and acceptable performances, random forest decision tree algorithm with adapting boosting ensemble learning shows slightly higher prediction accuracy with as few as four features.