Search

In agricultural production, one of the limiting factors on plant growth and yield is soil salinity. The plant growth regulators are of considerable importance in alleviating the negative effect of salt stress. The study was carried out to determine the effects of salicylic (SA) and gibberellic acid (GA3) on the growth and some physiological characters in canola (Brassica napus L.) under salinity conditions in greenhouse. For this purpose, a factorial experiment set up as completely randomized design was conducted with three levels of SA (0, 0.5 and 1 mM) and GA3 (0, 50 and 100 mg l-1) and four levels of NaCl (0, 50, 100 and 150 mM) with three replications. In the study, leaf area, plant height, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll content and the loss of leaf turgor were investigated. Salt treatments reduced significantly all of the considered parameters, compared with the control. Salinity caused a significant reduction of 63 and 67%in plant height and leaf area, respectively, as compared to the control plants. On the contrary, electrolyte leakage was markedly increased (six-fold) with increasing NaCl levels. Gibberellic acid increased significantly plant height and reduced the loss of leaf turgor, without a significant improve in other parameters. The results indicated that application of SA and GA3 to salinity stressed plants did not significantly affect canola vegetative growth. However, GA3 caused a partial decrease in the adverse effect of salinity.

Yedi ebeveyn hat ile bunlar ı n 21 F, melezini içeren bir diallel m ı s ı r populasyonunda verim ve verim komponentleri için, genel ve özel uyum yetenekleri ve melez populasyonlardaki heterosis incelenmi ştir. Çal ışmada ele al ı nan bütün özelliklerde ortalama heterosis önemli ve tepe püskülü ç ı kış süresi hariç pozitif yönde olup, melezlerin verimi ebeveynler ortalamas ı ndan %88,56 oran ı nda daha fazla olmuştur. Koçanda tane say ı s ı ve s ı rada tane say ı s ı nda da yüksek heterosis gözlenmi ştir. Ebeveynlerin genel uyum yetenekleri etkilerine göre, YUZ P709 ve FR 64A hatlar ı tane verimi ve verim komponentleri yönünden en uygun ebeveynler olarak belirlenmi ştir. Uyum yetenekleri analizi, genel uyum yeteneğ i varyans ı n ı n tane verimi d ışı ndaki bütün özelliklerde; özel uyum yetene ğ i varyans ı n ı n ise koçanda s ı ra say ı s ı hariç bütün özelliklerde önemli oldu ğ unu göstermiştir. Koçanda s ı ra say ı s ı n ı n kal ı t ı m ı nda eklemeli gen etkileri, tane veriminin kal ı t ı m ı nda eklemeli olmayan gen etkileri daha önemli rol oynamaktad ı r. incelenen diğ er özelliklerde ise hem eklemeli ve hem de eklemeli olmayan gen etkileri önemli bulunmu ştur.

Purpose: To evaluate the clinical and radiographic results of simultaneous implant placement using transcrestal sinus floor elevation (TSFE) with and without enamel matrix derivative (EMD) application., Materials and Methods: Twenty-four patients were randomly assigned into two groups: The EMD&#43;TSFE group (n &#61; 13 patients, 20 implants) received TSFE with EMD application, and the TSFE group (n &#61; 11 patients, 20 implants) received TSFE without EMD application. The patients were recalled at 3 (T3) and 12 (T12) months postsurgery. The residual bone height (RBH), implant protrusion length (IPL), peri-implant sinus bone level (SBL), endo-sinus bone gain (ESBG), and implant stability (ISQ) were measured. Multivariate regressions were performed for the groups., Results: At T3, the ESBG was 3.72 ± 0.85 mm in the EMD&#43;TSFE group and 3.10 ± 0.05 mm in the TSFE group, and there were statistically significant differences (P < .05). However, there were no statistically significant differences in ESBG at T12 between the groups (P > .05). ISQ values did not show a statistical difference between the groups at T1 and T3, but at T3 in the TSFE&#43;EMD group, there was a statistical increase in the intragroup evaluation compared to the TSFE group., Conclusions: The use of EMD in TSFE procedures is effective in new bone formation at the apical part of the implant during the early healing period, but in the long term, no significant difference was shown between cases in which EMD was or was not used in terms of new bone formation and primary and secondary stabilization.

Background: YKL-40 (also known as Chitinase 3-like 1) is a glycoprotein produced by inflammatory, cancer and stem cells. Its physiological role is not completely understood but YKL-40 is elevated in the brain and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in several neurological and neurodegenerative diseases associated with inflammatory processes. Yet the precise characterization of YKL-40 in dementia cases is missing., Methods: In the present study, we comparatively analysed YKL-40 levels in the brain and CSF samples from neurodegenerative dementias of different aetiologies characterized by the presence of cortical pathology and disease-specific neuroinflammatory signatures., Results: YKL-40 was normally expressed in fibrillar astrocytes in the white matter. Additionally YKL-40 was highly and widely expressed in reactive protoplasmic cortical and perivascular astrocytes, and fibrillar astrocytes in sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD). Elevated YKL-40 levels were also detected in Alzheimer's disease (AD) but not in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). In AD, YKL-40-positive astrocytes were commonly found in clusters, often around β-amyloid plaques, and surrounding vessels with β-amyloid angiopathy; they were also distributed randomly in the cerebral cortex and white matter. YKL-40 overexpression appeared as a pre-clinical event as demonstrated in experimental models of prion diseases and AD pathology. CSF YKL-40 levels were measured in a cohort of 288 individuals, including neurological controls (NC) and patients diagnosed with different types of dementia. Compared to NC, increased YKL-40 levels were detected in sCJD (p < 0.001, AUC = 0.92) and AD (p < 0.001, AUC = 0.77) but not in vascular dementia (VaD) (p > 0.05, AUC = 0.71) or in DLB/Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) (p > 0.05, AUC = 0.70). Further, two independent patient cohorts were used to validate the increased CSF YKL-40 levels in sCJD. Additionally, increased YKL-40 levels were found in genetic prion diseases associated with the PRNP-D178N (Fatal Familial Insomnia) and PRNP-E200K mutations., Conclusions: Our results unequivocally demonstrate that in neurodegenerative dementias, YKL-40 is a disease-specific marker of neuroinflammation showing its highest levels in prion diseases. Therefore, YKL-40 quantification might have a potential for application in the evaluation of therapeutic intervention in dementias with a neuroinflammatory component.

Animals are characterized by a set of highly conserved developmental regulators. Changes in the cis- regulatory elements of these regulators are thought to constitute the major driver of morphological evolution. However, the role of coding sequence evolution remains unresolved. To address this question, we used the Atonal family of proneural transcription factors as a model. Drosophila atonal coding sequence was endogenously replaced with that of atonal homologues ( ATHs ) at key phylogenetic positions, non- ATH proneural genes, and the closest homologue to ancestral proneural genes. ATHs and the ancestral-like coding sequences rescued sensory organ fate in atonal mutants, in contrast to non- ATHs . Surprisingly, different ATH factors displayed different levels of proneural activity as reflected by the number and functionality of sense organs. This proneural potency gradient correlated directly with ATH protein stability, including in response to Notch signaling, independently of mRNA levels or codon usage. This establishes a distinct and ancient function for ATHs and demonstrates that coding sequence evolution can underlie quantitative variation in sensory development and function.

Background: A short period of ischemia can induce remarkable tissue resistance to the deleterious effects of subsequent ischemia and reperfusion. We performed a study to investigate the effect of ischemic preconditioning on retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats., Methods: Ten Wistar albino rats were divided into two groups of five animals (10 eyes): one group underwent 5 minutes of ischemic preconditioning (achieved by clamping the common carotid arteries at the time of vertebral artery cauterization), and the other did not (control group). In both groups, the vertebral arteries were occluded bilaterally with an electric needle coagulator under an operating microscope. Forty-eight hours later the rats were reanesthesized, and both common carotid arteries were clamped to interrupt blood flow. The duration of ischemia was 30 minutes. The clamp was then removed to enable reperfusion for 4 hours. The animals were killed by decapitation, and retinal sections were evaluated under light and electron microscopy. The signs of ischemia-reperfusion injury (cellular degeneration, vacuolization between retinal layers, increase in retinal thickness due to edema, mononuclear cell infiltration and apoptotic cell count) were recorded., Results: Light microscopy of retinal sections from rats in the ischemic preconditioning group showed a well-preserved retinal structure. The mean thickness values (and standard deviation [SD]) for the inner nuclear layer (104.0 microm [2.54 microm] vs. 49.0 microm [ 10.83 microm]) and inner plexiform layer (134.8 microm [10.13 microm] vs. 88.5 microm [17.46 microm]) were significantly higher in the control group than in the preconditioning group (p = 0.009), indicating increased retinal thickness in the former group due to tissue edema resulting from ischemia-reperfusion injury. The mean mononuclear cell count (6.67 [SD 1.97] vs. 2.5 [SD 1.0]) and apoptotic cell count (18.2 [SD 5.7] vs. 5.3 [SD 1.0]) were significantly higher in the control group than in the preconditioning group (p = 0.002), indicating an inhibitory effect of ischemic preconditioning on leukocyte infiltration and apoptotic cell death., Interpretation: Ischemic preconditioning attenuated ischemia-reperfusion injury in the rat retina.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rimexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension compared to that of 1% prednisolone acetate in the control of inflammation in eyes undergoing cataract extraction with phacoemulsification followed by posterior chamber intraocular lens implantation., Methods: Forty-eight patients who underwent uncomplicated cataract extraction with phacoemulsification followed by posterior chamber IOL implantation constituted the study group of this prospective, randomized, double-masked investigation. Patients were randomly assigned to two treatment groups; rimexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension (27 subjects) or prednisolone acetate 1% (21 subjects). Postoperatively, patients used topical rimexolone or prednisolone drops four times a day for 15 days. Patients were examined at the first postoperative day (day 1), and days 3, 7 and 15. The major efficacy parameters assessed clinically on each visit were anterior chamber cells, anterior chamber flare and conjunctival hyperemia. Safety of the rimexolone was evaluated by IOP values and the presence of adverse effects., Results: Regarding all three efficacy parameters, rimexolone was found to be clinically and statistically equivalent to prednisolone acetate. Intraocular pressure values during the postoperative period were also similar in both groups., Conclusion: Rimexolone 1% ophthalmic suspension is both an effective and safe topical steroid in controlling postoperative inflammation after cataract extraction with phacoemulsification.

Purpose: To compare the basal serum levels of nitric oxide (NO) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and different stages of diabetic retinopathy (DR) with the levels in nondiabetic control subjects., Methods: The 39 patients with type 2 diabetes included in this study were divided by stage of DR into 3 groups: group A, those without DR; group B, those with background/preproliferative DR; and group C, those with proliferative DR. Eleven nondiabetic subjects made up the control group (group D). The NO concentration was determined indirectly by measuring the serum level of nitrite (NO2-) plus nitrate (NO3-) (NOx = NO2- plus NO3-) using a spectrophotometric method based on the Griess reaction., Results: The patients with type 2 diabetes had significantly higher levels of serum NOx than the nondiabetic controls (p = 0.0001). In addition, the levels in the patients with proliferative DR were significantly higher (p = 0.002) than the levels in the patients with nonproliferative or no DR., Conclusion: Our study demonstrated both elevated levels of serum NOx in diabetic patients as compared with nondiabetic controls and a relationship between NOx and DR severity. Hence, abnormal NO metabolism may have a role in the pathogenesis of DR.