Cholinesterases, ?-glycosidase, and carbonic anhydrase inhibition properties of 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione derivatives: Synthetic analogues for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus

In this study, using the Cu(OTf)2 catalyst, 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione derivative molecules were carried out in one step and with high yield (86–91%). The previously synthesized 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione derivatives, carbonic anhydrase I and II isozymes (hCA I and II), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) and ?-glycosidase (?-Gly) enzymes with Ki values in the range of 4.88–15.94 nM for hCA I, 7.04–20.83 nM for hCA II, 68.25–158.27 for AChE, 60.17–91.27 for BChE and 0.36–2.36 nM for ?-Gly, respectively. In silico studies were performed on the molecules inhibiting hCA I, hCA II, AChE, BChE and ?-Gly receptors. When we evaluated the data obtained in this work, we determined the inhibition type of the 1H-pyrazolo[1,2-b]phthalazine-5,10-dione derivatives at the receptors. Reference inhibitors were used for all enzymes. © 2020 Elsevier Inc.Yildiz Teknik Ã?niversitesiThe synthesis part of this study was supported by Yildiz Technical University Research Fund. Project Number: 2012-01-02-GEP01

Insecticidal effects of some essential oils against Tribolium confusum (du Val.) and Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say), (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae and Bruchidae) adults

In this study, insecticidal effects of the essential oils obtained from plants Ocimum basilicum L., Rosmarinus officinalis L. and Artemisia dracunculus L. on confused flour beetle (Tribolium confusum du Val., 1863 (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae)) and bean weevil (Acanthoscelides obtectus (Say), 1831 (Coleoptera: Bruchidae)) adults were tested in laboratory conditions. In this context, T. confusum and A. obtectus adults were exposed to essential oils at 10 and 20 µL/petri doses for 24, 48, 72 and 96 h. All of the essential oils used in the study caused mortalities at different rates in two application doses but end of the 96 h all mortality rates were obtained similar (O. basilicum 98.3%, R. officinalis 98.3%, A. dracunculus 93.3% against T. confusum adults; O. basilicum 100%, R. officinalis 100%, A. dracunculus 100% against A. obtectus adults). It was determined that the effects of essential oils on A. obtectus adults were greater than T. confusum adults. Especially when the dosage was 20 µL, the death rate increased up to over 95% after 96 h for all types. The mortality rates increased with increasing exposure period at the 48, 72 and 96 h. in all applications. The results of the study suggest that essential oils from O.basilicum and R.officinalis could have a potential as control agents against A. obtectus and T.confusum adults under storage conditions. © 2020, African Association of Insect Scientists

The Aromatic Thermosetting Copolyester for Schottky Diode Applications in a Wide Temperature Range

The aromatic thermosetting copolyester (ATSP) was deposited on p-Si substrates by the spin coating method, and the thickness of thin film layer was about 50 nm. It was employed to fabricate metal-polymer-semiconductor (MPS) heterojunctions as interfacial layers between metal contact and p type Si. The morphological properties of the Al/ATSP/p-Si heterojunctions were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and an Atomic Force Microscope. The electrical characteristics of the heterojunctions were analyzed within a wide temperature range between 100 K and 500 K and frequency range. The current–voltage–temperature (I–V–T) characteristics of the MPS heterojunctions were explained by the Thermionic Emission (TE) theory and Norde function. Critical electrical parameters including leakage current (I0), barrier height (?b) and ideality factor (n) and series resistance (Rs) were calculated by I–V–T characteristics in dark conditions. The value of n and ?b was obtained as 2.56 and 0.78 eV at 300 K. The n and ?b values were obtained as strong function of the temperature depending on barrier inhomogeneity. The temperature dependent rectification ratios of the Al/ATSP/p-Si heterojunctions were calculated and discussed in the details considering effective operating temperatures. The capacitance–voltage (C–V) and conductance–voltage (G–V) characteristics were measured at 300 K. To obtain Fermi energy (EF), donor concentration (Na), maximum electric field (Em), ?b and interface states (Nss), were performed on the bases of voltage and frequency at 300 K. From the electrical analysis results, it is proposed that the MPS device can be employed in electronic devices at low and high temperatures. © 2019, The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society

A Novel Group Decision-Making Method Based on Linguistic Neutrosophic Maclaurin Symmetric Mean (Revision IV)

Linguistic neutrosophic number (LNN) is a specific form of neutrosophic number whose elements are expressed by linguistic terms. Maclaurin symmetric mean (MSM) operator is one of the basic collection operators in the modern knowledge fusion theory. Its most important feature is to consider the interrelationships among multiple input arguments. Multiple attribute group decision-making (MAGDM) with linguistic neutrosophic information is considered. First, we present some basic concepts, then we combine the MSM operator with linguistic neutrosophic environment and develop a sequence of linguistic neutrosophic MSM operators which are the linguistic neutrosophic Maclaurin symmetric mean (LNMSM) operator, the weighted linguistic neutrosophic Maclaurin symmetric mean (WLNMSM) operator, linguistic neutrosophic dual Maclaurin symmetric mean (LNDMSM) operator, and the weighted linguistic neutrosophic dual Maclaurin symmetric mean (WLNDMSM) operator. We look into some features of them such as monotonicity, boundedness, and idempotency and then discuss some special situations of these operators. A new idea based on the WLNMSM operator is proposed to solve an MAGDM problem where evaluation information is composed of LNNs. It is worth mentioning that the weight information of the decision-makers (DMs) and the attributes are completely unknown. In conclusion, a comparison analysis is performed with the existing methods. The developed method is based on both the WLNMSM operator which considers the interrelationships among any number of input arguments and LNNs which is a combination of the neutrosophic numbers, linguistic variables. At the same time, it also has the advantages of mentioned components. So, it enables preventing the loss or distortion of the original decision information in the decision-making process. © 2020, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Determination of Suitable Sowing Date and Varieties for High Seed Production in Quinoa

Yüksek tane verimi ve kalitesini etkileyen teknik ve fizyolojik olgunluğun sağlanabilmesi için doğru ekim zamanı tespitlerinin yapılması büyük önem taşımaktadır. Mevcut çalışma ile Iğdır sulu koşullarda ekilen kinoada yüksek tohum üretimi için uygun ekim zamanı ve çeşitlerin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla 15 kinoa genotipi ile öncesinde yürütülen adaptasyon çalışmasında en yüksek tohum verimine sahip Mint Vanilla ve Titicaca çeşitleri 10’ar gün aralıklarla (Mart’ın ortası, Mart’ın son haftası, Nisan’ın ilk haftası ve Nisan’ın ortası) ekilerek test edilmiştir. Çalışma 2017 ve 2018 yıllarında tesadüf bloklarında bölünmüş parseller deneme desenine göre 3 tekerrürlü olarak kuruldu. Analiz sonucunda; incelenen bazı parametreler üzerine yılların, ekim zamanların ve çeşitlerin etkisi önemli bulunmuştur. Buna göre bin tane ağırlığı (BTA) ve sapta ham protein (HP) oranı hariç diğer parametrelerin 2018 yılında daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. En yüksek salkım oranı, BTA, tohum verimi, hasat indeksi, tohumda ve sapta HP oranı Titicaca’da belirlenirken, olgunlaşma süresi, sap kalınlığı, bitki boyu, dal sayısı, saman ve biyolojik verim ise Mint Vanilla’da tespit edilmiştir. Diğer ekim zamanları ile kıyaslandığında olgunlaşma süresi, BTA ve hasat indeksi birinci ekim döneminde, sap kalınlığı, bitki boyu, dal sayısı, saman ve biyolojik verim ise ikinci ekim döneminde daha yüksek bulunmuştur. Sonuç olarak tohum verim ve kalite değerlerinde düşüşlerin yaşanmaması için ekimlerin geciktirilmeden (Mart’ın üçüncü haftasında) yapılması ve tohum üretimi için Titicaca çeşidinin bölge için uyun olduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.It is of great importance to determine the correct sowing dates to ensure technical and physiological maturity that affects high grain yield and quality. With present study, it was aimed to determine the suitable sowing date and varieties in quinoa grown under Igdir irrigated conditions for high seed production. For this purpose, in the adaptation study carried out with 15 quinoa genotypes, Mint Vanilla and Titicaca varieties with the highest seed yield were tested by sowing at 10-day intervals (mid-March, last week of March, early April and mid-April). The study was established according to split plot experimental design on completely randomized blocks with 3 replications in 2017 and 2018. As a result of analysis; the effects of years, sowing dates and varieties on some parameters examined were found to be significant. Accordingly, it was observed that the other parameters except for thousand grain weight (TGW) and crude protein (CP) ratio in stem were higher in 2018. While the highest panicle ratio, TGW, seed yield, harvest index, CP ratio in grain and stem were determined in Titicaca, ripening time, stem thickness, plant height, number of branches, straw and biological yield were determined in Mint Vanilla. Compared to other sowing dates, ripening period, TGW and harvest index were found to be higher in the first sowing period, but stem thickness, plant height, branch number, straw and biological yield in the second sowing date. Consequently, it was concluded that sowings should be done without delay (in the third week of March) to avoid significant decreases in seed yield and quality characteristics and that Titicaca for seed production was the suitable variety for this region.Bu çalışmanın ilk yılı Iğdır Üniversitesi Bilimsel Araştırma Projeleri Birimi tarafından desteklenmiştir. Proje Numarası: 2017-FBE-L08

ICP-MS and HPLC analyses, enzyme inhibition and antioxidant potential of Achillea schischkinii Sosn.

PubMed: 31677859Achillea schischkinii Sosn. is an endemic plant species and it belongs to Asteraceae family. It is distributed widely in the Central and East Anatolia. This study was carried out for evaluation of the antioxidant activity, enzyme inhibition effect, elemental and phenolic content of A. schischkinii. Briefly, acetylcholinesterase (AChE), butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), ?-glycosidase (?-Gly), and glutathione S-transferase (GST) enzymes were strongly inhibited by A. schischkinii. IC50 values for AChE, BChE, ?-Gly, and GST enzymes were found as 19.3 mg/mL, 15.4 mg/mL, 69.3 mg/mL, and 34.7 mg/mL respectively. The antioxidant activity of the sample was evaluated by four different in vitro bioanalytical methods. Besides, the concentrations of twelve elements in A. schischkinii were analyzed by ICP-MS technique. Zn (50.6 ppm), Mn (23.0 ppm), and Cu (12.7 ppm) were found as major elements. Furthermore, catechin (20.8 µg/mg extract), trans-ferulic acid (18.3 µg/mg extract), and gallic acid (11.2 µg/mg extract) were characterized as major phenolic compounds by using HPLC. Practical applications: Acetylcholinesterase, butyrylcholinesterase, ?-glycosidase, and glutathione s-transferase enzymes have crucial functions on metabolism. Enzyme inhibition or activation mostly attributed to some health disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Diabetes mellitus, cancer and hyperglycemia. Phenolic contents are responsible for effective biological activity. This study evaluated the phenolic content and antioxidant activity of Achillea schischkinii as well as the inhibition effect against four metabolic enzymes. The results would be beneficial for using the plant in the food industry and pharmacological process. © 2019 Elsevier Inc

Fortification of milk with plant extracts modifies the acidification and reducing capacities of yoghurt bacteria

The acidification and reducing capacities of yoghurt bacteria were evaluated in different plant extract-enriched milk samples. The milk samples enriched with thyme and grape seed extracts exhibited the highest values of acidification capacity for Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. bulgaricus (LB) (0.0065 pH unit/min) and Streptococcus thermophilus (ST) (0.0068 pH unit/min). The highest values of reducing capacity were observed in thyme (-0.98 mV/min), grape (-1.92 mV/min) and green tea (-0.75 mV/min)-enriched samples for LB, ST and mixed culture of LB + ST, respectively. The fortification of yoghurt with plant extracts modified the acidification and reducing activities of starters, thus changing the fermentation time and quality attributes of the product. © 2019 Society of Dairy TechnologyFDK-2018-6762This study was supported by Van Yuzuncu Yil University, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences (Project number, FDK-2018-6762). We thank Prof. Dr. Abdulkadir Halkman from Department of Food Engineering, Ankara University for kindly providing the bacteria strains used in this study

Physicochemical characteristics of wild and cultivated apricots (Prunus armeniaca L.) from Aras valley in Turkey

In east Anatolia region in Turkey, there are special microclimates, which famous for its fruit production. One of the most important microclimates in the region is Aras valley. The major fruit in the valley is apricot, which grown both cultivated and wild forms. This study aimed to assess some important fruit morphological and biochemical characteristics of 26 wild apricots and cv. Aprikoz grown in Kagizman district in Aras valley. Harvest date, tree growth habit, fruit weight, fruit shape, fruit firmness, fruit color, flesh/seed ratio, aroma, kernel taste, soluble solid content, titratable acidity, maturity index, vitamin C, total phenolic, total carotenoid and antioxidant capacity were determined. The wild grown apricots exhibited a wide variation on most of the fruit morphological and biochemical characteristics. Harvest date, fruit shape, fruit weight, fruit firmness and fruit color were the most distinct morphological characteristics of wild grown apricots. Harvest dates and fruit weight were found between 02 July (KA18) and 06 August (KA13); 16.28 g (KA6) and 33.14 g (KA2) among wild grown apricots, respectively. The main cultivar cv. Aprikoz harvested at 04 July and had 38.67 g fruit weight. The wild apricots had flesh/seed ratio between 8.41 (KA21) and 12.25 (KA10) while cv. Aprikoz had 11.69 flesh/seed ratio. Total antioxidant capacity, total carotenoid and total phenolic content were the highest in most of wild apricot fruits than cv. Aprikoz. Our results showed that there is potential for promoting wild apricot fruit from specific geographical regions because they contained elevated concentrations of antioxidant polyphenolic compounds. © 2020, Springer Nature B.V

The rate of Cu doped TiO2 interlayer effects on the electrical characteristics of Al/Cu:TiO2/n-Si (MOS) capacitors depend on frequency and voltage

In order to determine the surface states (Nss), series resistance (Rs), and (Cu:TiO2) interlayer effects on the electrical characteristics of the Al/Cu:TiO2/n-Si metal oxide semiconductor (MOS) capacitors, both capacitance (C) and conductance (G) values were measured for frequency ranges of 10 kHz–1 MHz and ±5 V voltage ranges. In addition, to know Cu doping concentration effect on the MOS capacitor, the Al/Cu:TiO2/n-Si was fabricated with various rates Cu:TiO2 interlayer (5, 10, 15%) grown on n-Si susbtrate by spin-coating. The increase in capacitance via decreasing frequencies was attributed to the existence of Nss and their relaxation time. The frequency dependent diffusion potential (Vd), doping of donor atoms (Nd), Fermi energy (EF), barrier height (?b) and depletion layer width (Wd) values were extracted from the linear part of reverse bias C- 2-V curves. While the value the Rs decreased with increasing frequency, the Nss values increased for the three MOS capacitors. The profiles of Nss and Rs depending on voltage were also plotted by Nicollian-Brews methods and using high-low frequency (CHF-CLF) capacitance, respectively. The mean values of Nss for three capacitors were found at about 1012 eV- 1cm- 2 as suitable electronic devices. The lower values of the Nss can be attributed to passivation effect of Cu:TiO2 interlayer. © 2020 Elsevier Lt

Biological synthesis of silver nanoparticles using Rheum ribes and evaluation of their anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial potential: A novel approach in phytonanotechnology

PubMed: 31791838This paper reports the anticarcinogenic and antimicrobial properties of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) obtained by green synthesis using the extract of Rheum ribes (R. ribes), a medicinal plant. For the synthesis of Ag NPs, the ethanolic extracts of R. ribes were used as a reducing as well as the stabilizing agent. For the characterization of Ag NPs, advanced analytical methods such as transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-Ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and UV–vis spectrophotometry were performed. The synthesized Ag NPs obtained from R. ribes were evaluated as a cytotoxic agent against MDA-MB-231 breast carcinoma cell line. The IC50 values of the nanoparticles were ranged from 165 to 99 µg/mL against MDA-MB 231 cell line for 24 h and 48 h, respectively. The results show that the use of Ag NPs at low concentrations show the toxic effect in the cancer cells. In addition, the results of experiments on gram-positive (Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus), Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and Bacillus subtilis (B. subtilis)) and gram-negative (Escherichia coli (E. coli)) bacteria showed that the Ag NPs had high antimicrobial activity. The results suggest that Ag NPs can be developed as potential anticancer and antibacterial agents. © 2019 Elsevier B.V