Selective microextraction of erythrosine (E127) in foodstuffs using a new generation high-density type-V deep eutectic solvent

A novel and selective (deep eutectic solvent) DES-based microextraction method was established for the first time, utilizing a synthesized new generation High-Density Type-V DES for monitoring the dye Erythrosine (E127) in various foodstuffs and drugs. Type-V DES was created from acetophenone and diphenylamine at 3:1 M ratio. The pH, DES amount, and vortex time were optimized using Box-Behnken Design (BBD) of Response Surface Methodology (RSM). The quadratic microextraction model with R2 = 0.9982 was obtained. The limit of detection, preconcentration factor and linear dynamic range were determined to be 12 ?g/L, 50 and 41–4000 ?g/L, respectively. Effects of matrix components were examined. The developed High-Density Type-V Deep Eutectic Solvent Microextraction (HD-V-DES-ME) method was applied to foodstuffs and drugs to monitor their E127 contents and subsequently validated by applying spiked tests to real samples, with recoveries ranging between 94 and 101 %. The indexes of environmental friendliness and practicality for the method were evaluated using the Analytical GREEnness metric approach tool (AGREE) and the Blue Applicability Grade Index tool (BAGI), respectively. © 2024 Elsevier Lt

Potential of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) for prediction of acrylamide formation in French fries in the potato breeding process

Breeding goals of potatoes for deep-frying purposes include high starch contents, good suitability for long-term storage, and low tendency to form reducing sugars as acrylamide precursors. Due to the extensive number of samples, an accurate analysis of acrylamide in French fries and its precursors in tubers is difficult to implement in the breeding process. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the suitability of NIRS measurements after minimal sample processing for the prediction of reducing sugar contents in the tubers or acrylamide contents in French fries. An external validation with more than 650 samples consisting of 194 potato genotypes resulted in a prediction accuracy of 51 % for acrylamide and 76 % for reducing sugar content. RPD values of less than 1.5 for acrylamide and between 1.64 and 2.23 for reducing sugar prediction rendered low medium to medium model quality. Nevertheless, acrylamide prediction models based on NIRS measurement of mashed tubers categorised over 80 % of unknown samples correctly as being below or above the European threshold value, indicating suitability as rapid test procedure in the breeding process.German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR); German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) [01DL17001A B]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) [ARDEB 115O949, TEYDEB 9150014]We are grateful to the technical staff of the Max Rubner-Institut. Especially we would like to thank Ukhnaa Damdindash, Elke Grothe, Annika Lange, Jorg Niggemeier, Sophia Reh, Rolf Riesenberg, Joel Schafer, Jared Solty, Petra Weitkamp and Claudia Wortmann for their excellent technical assistance. Moreover, we thank Dr. Marcus Schmidt for linguistic revision. This paper is dedicated to Matthias Lange in memoriam, who had technical responsibility of the Potato Group at Max Rubner-Institute during this research. This work was funded by the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum fuer Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) and the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (Bundesministerium fuer Bildung und Forschung, BMBF) with the Project number 01DL17001A & B. The Turkish side of the project was funded by The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) with Project numbers ARDEB 115O949 and TEYDEB 9150014

Sparsity-aware complex-valued least mean kurtosis algorithms

Complex-valued least mean kurtosis (CLMK) algorithm and its augmented version (ACLMK) have recently become popular as workhorse tools in the processing of complex-valued signals due to their superior performances. Unfortunately, they are not yet suitable for sparse system identification problems. In this paper, combining the well-known sparsity-promoting strategies into the cost function based on the negated kurtosis of the error signal, we introduce a suit of sparsity-aware CLMK algorithms, named /0 0-norm CLMK (/0-CLMK), / 0-CLMK), / 0-ACLMK, zero-attraction CLMK (ZA-CLMK), ZA-ACLMK, reweighted ZA-CLMK (RZA-CLMK), and RZA-ACLMK. Simulation results on synthetic and real-world sparse system identification scenarios in the complex domain show that the proposed algorithms outperform the existing sparsity-aware algorithms in terms of convergence rate, tracking, and steady-state error

I·nvestigation of the biological activities of chitin and chitosan obtained from Drassodes lapidosus (Araneae: Gnaphosidae)

Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Biyoloji Ana Bilim DalıDoğa da bulunan en önemli biyopolimerlerden biri de kitin ve türevleridir. Kitin ve onun bir türevi olan kitosan, biyolojik olarak uyumlu, toksik olmayan, çeşitli özellikleri sayesinde fen ve mühendisliğin birçok alanında oldukça yaygın olarak kullanılan bir üründür. Bu çalışmanın amacı Drassodes lapidosus türü örümcek kullanılarak elde edilecek olan kitin ve kitosanın antimikrobiyal ve antioksidan özelliklerini belirlemektir. Antimikrobiyal özellikleri belirlemek için E. coli, S. enterica subsp. enteritica, S. aureus patojen suşları kullanılmıştır. Antioksidan özellikleri belirlemek için DPPH radikal süpürücü aktivite, Bakır (II) indirgeyici kapasite ve İndirgeme gücü ölçümü yöntemleri kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre D. lapidosus örümcek türü kullanılarak elde edilen kitin ve kitosan patojen suşlar üzerinde 13-16 mm çapında zonlar oluşturarak antimikrobiyal etki göstermiştir. Ayrıca çalışılan yöntemlerle önemli düzeyde antioksidan özellikler gösterdikleri belirlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak D. lapidosus örümcek türü kullanılarak elde edilecek olan kitin ve kitosanın antimikrobiyal ve antioksidan gibi önemli biyolojik aktivite gösterdiği belirlenmiştir.One of the most important biopolymers found in nature is chitin and its derivatives. Chitin and its derivative, chitosan, are a product that is widely used in many fields of science and engineering, thanks to its biocompatible, non-toxic and various properties. The aim of this study is to determine the antimicrobial and antioxidant properties of chitin and chitosan obtained from the Drassodes lapidosus spider. To determine antimicrobial properties, E. coli, S. enterica subsp. enteritica, S. aureus pathogenic strains were used. DPPH radical scavenging activity, Copper (II) reducing capacity and Reducing power measurement methods were used to determine antioxidant properties. According to the results obtained, chitin and chitosan obtained using the D. lapidosus spider species showed an antimicrobial effect on pathogenic strains by creating zones with a diameter of 13-16 mm. In addition, it was determined that they showed significant antioxidant properties by the methods studied. As a result, it was determined that chitin and chitosan obtained using the D. lapidosus spider species showed important biological activities such as antimicrobial and antioxidant

An Overview of Zygmunt Bauman's "The Individualized Society" Thesis Through the TV Series "Yalan Dünya"

Sociological analysis of social problems that affect the flow of life is crucial for giving meaning to human life and improving its quality. Individualization is one of the most significant issues faced by contemporary societies. The bitter consequences of individualization are experienced as the members of society become indifferent to each other, individuals become alienated from themselves, and they experience loneliness within communities. Zygmunt Bauman, one of the thinkers focusing on this subject, believes that people who are increasingly individualized should struggle to add meaning and purpose to their lives, and that they can re-express themselves with an uninterrupted effort they can sustain in this dire human condition they are in. Zygmunt Bauman, one of the critical and productive sociologists of the age we live in and considered by some circles as the \"theorist of postmodernity\", is a Polish sociologist and philosopher. He is known for his works that reveal both the adaptation of postmodern philosophy to the field of sociology and its evaluation at the theoretical level. Among them, one of his important works is The Individualized Society. In this work, he discussed how the individual will continue to exist in the society in the process of individualization, and focused on the changing character of today's social and political life. In the study, the \"Yalan Dünya\" series, which is thought to have the potential to reflect social reality, is examined. In the study, in which the sociological analysis method was used, the data were collected with the monograph technique, and the characters in the series were analyzed by associating them with Bauman's \"The Individualized Society\" thesis. As a result of the research, significant similarities were seen between Bauman's concept of individuation and the characters of the series. These similarities were interpreted in line with the problematic of the research

Investigation of Static and Fatigue Characteristics of Thermoplastic CF-UD/PEKK Material for Rotorcraft Lug Parts

In rotary wing aircraft, composite lug structures are perforated structures that connect the rotor and blades. They play a significant structural role in rotary wing aircraft. In this study the effect of lay-up parameters on mechanical strength of a thick composite part that represents a blade root. This part is autoclave manufactured polyetherketoneketone matrix carbon fiber reinforced (CF/PEKK) composites, which have recently been researched for usage in defense and aerospace is investigated. The chosen material carbon-fiber-reinforced polyetherketoneketone composites (CF-PEKK) have an excellent mechanical, physical, thermal performance. Aerospace sector has a special interest on this material due to material's low density and versatility. In this study, static and fatigue performance of rotorcraft lug part were investigated by applying non-destructive-test (NDT) methods and the mechanical strength values were discussed according to the experimental results. It has been observed that the component parts with -/+ 45 degrees layup has the highest mechanical strength. As a result of the static and fatigue tests, it is seen that satisfactorily performance in the view of the both static and dynamic loading states.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUEBIdot;TAK) under the Frontier R&D Laboratory Support Program [5189901]This study is a part of the project (# 5189901) supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TUEB & Idot;TAK) under the Frontier R&D Laboratory Support Program and hosted in Turkish Aerospace Industries, Inc.

Isolation and characterization of plant-pathogenic Streptomyces species associated with potato common scab disease in Turkiye

Potato common scab (PCS), a significant potato disease, negatively impacts tuber quality. The present study was conducted to isolate and characterize pathogenic Streptomyces species associated with PCS disease in Turkiye based on their morphological, physiological and molecular characteristics. Field-grown potatoes that exhibited scab lesions were collected from four provinces in 2020-2021, and 200 bacterial isolates were obtained from netted, superficial and deep-pitted common scab lesions. Pathogenicity assays, including in vitro tuber slice and in planta radish seedling bioassays, identified 150 pathogenic isolates. Morphological and physiological characterization of 92 selected isolates revealed several Streptomyces species that exhibited diverse mycelium colours, sporulation patterns and pigmentation. Molecular analysis using 16S rRNA sequencing, species-specific primers, PCR-RFLP of the 16S-23S (ITS) region with Hpy99I restriction enzyme, and multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) based on atpD, recA, rpoB and trpB genes revealed that S. scabiei was the dominant species, followed by S. europaeiscabiei, S. caniscabiei, S. bottropensis, S. stelliscabiei and S. turgidiscabies. PCR analysis revealed the presence of the thaxtomin synthetase genes (txtAB) in all tested samples, while the necrogenic protein (nec1) and tomatinase (tomA)-encoding genes were absent from three and two isolates, respectively. Phylogenetic analysis of 32 representative isolates conducted with sequences from 16S rRNA, species-specific PCR and MLSA confirmed their morphological identification and clustered them with reference strains. This study contributes to the understanding of distribution of Streptomyces species associated with PCS, and to our knowledge, is the first molecular confirmation of S. caniscabiei and S. turgidiscabies causing potato scab in Turkiye.Nigbreve;de OEmer Halisdemir University, Scientific Research Projects Unit [TGT 2020/19-BAGEP]; Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye [121O224]The current study was part of the doctoral thesis of N.U., which was partially supported by Ni & gbreve;de OEmer Halisdemir University, Scientific Research Projects Unit (BAP project no. TGT 2020/19-BAGEP) and the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUB & Idot;TAK project no. 121O224). We would like to express our gratitude to Professor Kenan Karagoez (A & gbreve;r & imath; & Idot;brahim Cecen University, Tuerkiye) and Dr Marketa Mareckova (Crop Research Institute, Czech Republic) for providing the reference Streptomyces isolates. We would also like to thank Dr Qurat ul ain Sajid for her assistance in molecular analyses

Response to chronic sustained hypoxia: increased cytosolic gelsolin and decreased plasma gelsolin levels

An actin binding protein, gelsolin (GSN) has two isoforms, plasma (pGSN) and cytosolic (cGSN). Changes in pGSN and/or cGSN levels have been shown to be associated with the pathogenesis of several diseases. The aim of this study was to evaluate changes in intracellular and extracellular GSNlevels with HIF-1 in animals exposed to chronic sustained hypoxia (CSH), in addition to apoptosis and the cellular redox status. The rats in the Sham group were exposed to 21% O-2, and the rats in the hypoxia groups were exposed to 13 and 10% O-2, respectively. Plasma pGSN, HIF-1 alpha, Total Antioxidant Status (TAS) and Total Oxidant Status (TOS), and lung tissue pGSN, HIF-1 alpha, TAS, TOS, GSN levels, and apoptotic cell numbers were measured. HIF-1 alpha levels were found to increase significantly in the tissue, especially in the group with severe hypoxia, both in biochemical and histological examinations. pGSN levels were also significantly decreased in both plasma and tissue. Significant increases in tissue were observed in cGSN. It was observed that while the antioxidant activity was dominant in the tissue, the oxidant activity was dominant in the plasma. In particular, the response to hypoxia regulated by HIF-1 is very important for cellular survival. The results of this study showed that the increase in cGSN and TAS levels in the lung tissue together with HIF-1 alpha can be considered as the activation of mechanisms for cellular protection.Research Fund of Nigde Omer Halisdemir University [SAT 2022/6-BAGEP]This study was supported by the Research Fund of Nigde Omer Halisdemir University (Grant No. SAT 2022/6-BAGEP)

Assessing Accessible Open and Green Areas for Emergency Gathering and Temporary Shelter: The Case of Lefkoşa, TRNC

This study focuses on the potential of accessible open and green areas (OGAs) to serve as gathering spaces and temporary shelters during emergency response to disasters such as flood, earthquake, storm, terrorism, battle, etc. Specifically, the city of Lefkoşa in Northern Cyprus (TRNC) is studied in this context. A systematically constructed approach is employed, starting with the identification of the Dense Urban Core (DUC) within an 800 m access zone of OGAs and with a population density of more than 260 ha based on the Lefkoşa Urban Development Plan (LUDP). The study then determines the OGA requirements for gathering and temporary shelters during and after disasters, based on the floor area ratio, maximum building footprint ratio and projected population density given by LUDP. As a result of the study, the OGA requirements within the scope of the DUC were calculated to be minimum of 92 ha for gathering places, and minimum of 687 ha for temporary shelters. In this context, the city's disaster resilience index of the city is determined respectively to be 0.46 and 0.10. It is expected that this study will contribute to the integration of urban OGA development plans with disaster management efforts

Exploring the antecedents, manifestations and coping strategies of boredom in the language classroom: A dynamic perspective

In the realm of foreign language learning, emotions play a pivotal role, yet boredom remains a largely overlooked aspect, with scant research exploring its dynamics in classroom settings. Addressing this gap, this study delves into the Turkish English as a Foreign Language (EFL) context to investigate the multifaceted nature of boredom, examining its fluctuations, antecedents, manifestations and coping strategies. Four elementary level EFL learners engaged in self-ratings, reflective journals, and focus group interviews to provide insight. The findings highlight the dynamic nature of boredom, which fluctuates within and across classes and is influenced by factors such as long lectures, language proficiency, presentations and uninteresting topics. Ultimately, boredom manifests in various formats, including students using their phones, talking to friends, dealing with other things and daydreaming. Strategies such as giving full focus, a sense of understanding, note-taking and avoiding distractions were utilised to cope with boredom. Through this exploration, this study contributes to the evolving discourse on boredom in language learning, offering tailored strategies to assist language educators in addressing this often-neglected aspect of the classroom experience