A new lyotropic liquid crystalline system: Oligo(ethylene oxide) surfactants with [M(H2O)n]Xm transition metal complexes

Coordinated water molecules induce the aggregation and self-assembly of the lyotropic liquid crystalline phase formed from non-ionic surfactants CnH2n+1(CH2CH2O)mOH and transition metal aqua complexes ([Ni(H2O)6](NO3)2, [Co(H2O)6](NO3)2, [Cd(H2O)4](NO3)2, and [Co(H2O)6]Cl2) into hexagonal (see schematic representation) and/or cubic structures. While the NiII and CoII complexes undergo recrystallization and phase separation at high complex concentrations, the ZnII and CdII complexes form cubic phases above metal/surfactant molar ratios of 3.2/1 at room temperature

Gaseous ozone application on microbial properties of broiler feeds

Ozone is generally used for preservation and disinfection in many different areas, especially in the food, chemical industry, and health sector due to decompose into oxygen and leave no residue. In this study, the impacts of ozone application on the microbiological of commercially produced broiler feeds were investigated. For this purpose, Aspergillus niger NRRL 326 was introduced into the starter, grower, and finisher diets. Then the effects of gaseous ozone application at different doses (0.9 and 5.6 g h?1) and durations (15 and 30 min) were investigated. A. niger and total mould-yeast numbers were decreased in the feed samples as a result of the ozone application and statistically, a significant difference was found (p <.05). In this study, ozone dose, duration, and their interactions were found to be effective on the decrease of mould-yeast counts in all treated broiler feeds. However, the effect of ozone was higher on pelleted form feeds (grower and finisher). It might be concluded that the disinfection properties of ozone can change according to the physical and chemical structure of feed material and the surface area which contact with ozone.Highlights Ozone application can result in a moderate reduction in A. niger and total mould-yeast counts The most reduction on microbial load was observed in the feed applicated with 5.6 g h?1 gaseous ozone for 30 min. Ozone treatment might be useful to preserve and extend the shelf-life of broiler feeds Ozone efficiency also depends on the contact surface of the application area apart from the treatment time and dose. © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.The manuscript hereby presented is a part of the MSc thesis of Orcun CELIK. The authors are grateful for the technical support of the Agricultural Faculty, Tekirdag Namik Kemal University, Turkey. This research did not receive any specific funding. Also, this study was achieved with the support of PCS Electronic in ?stanbul (Turkey), in particular Mehmet EFE who is the ozone master

Spectroscopic investigation of nitrate-metal and metal-surfactant interactions in the solid AgNO3/C12EO10 and liquid-crystalline [M(H2O)n](NO3)2/C12EO 10 systems

Interactions of the nitrate ions in various metal nitrate salts with CnH2n-1(CH2CH2O)mOH (CnEOm)-type nonionic surfactants have been investigated both in the solid and in the liquid-crystalline (LC) systems. In the ternary system, the mixture of salt/water/CnEOm has a mesophase up to a certain concentration of salt, and the nitrate ions in this phase are usually in a free-ion form. However, upon the evaporation of the water phase, the nitrate ion interacts with the metal center and coordinates as either a bidentate or unidentate ligand. It is this interaction that makes the AgNO3 ternary system undergo a phase separation by releasing solid Ag(CnEOm)xNO3 complex crystals. In contrast, the salt/surfactant systems maintain their stable LC phases for months. Note also that the salt/surfactant systems consist of transition-metal aqua complexes in which the coordinated water molecules play a significant role in the self-assembly and organization of the nonionic surfactant molecules into an LC mesophase. Throughout this work, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy has been extensively used to investigate the interactions of the nitrate ions with a metal center and the metal ions with the surfactant molecules. Polarized optical microscopy and X-ray diffraction techniques have been applied to investigate the nature of the crystalline and LC phases

Assessment of proportion of hidden patients having symptoms of overactive bladder and why has it been hidden in female outpatients admitted to hospital

Purpose: To determine the proportion of patients with undetected symptoms of overactive bladder by using the overactive bladder-validated 8 (OAB-V8) screening questionnaire and investigate these symptoms were undetected in female patients who were hospitalized. Methods: We invited 2,250 female patients hospitalized in the Aegean region of Turkey to answer a self-administered questionnaire. The questionnaire included questions on evidence of lower urinary tract symptoms (OAB-V8), relevant medical history, and demographic data. Patients with a total OAB-V8 score ≥ 8 were defined as having OAB symptoms. Results: The proportion of patients with OAB symptoms in this study was 40.6%. Nearly 57% of the patients with OAB symptoms had not been previously admitted to any hospital for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). The two most common reasons why women with OAB symptoms did not admit themselves to a hospital because of LUTS were as follows: "I did not think I had a disease" and "The symptoms did not bother me," with a response rate of 74.7%. The mean OAB-V8 scores of the patients with these two responses were significantly lower than those of the other patients (P < 0.001). Conclusions: This is the first study to demonstrate a significant proportion of women with undetected OAB symptoms. The main reasons the women did not admit themselves to a hospital were their unawareness of the disease and because the LUTS were not bothersome. Public awareness programs on this disease may resolve this problem. © 2016 Korean Continence Society

Skin and lung fibrosis induced by bleomycin in mice: a systematic review

Objective. Scleroderma, or systemic sclerosis (SSc), is a chronic autoimmune connective disease with an unknown etiology and poorly understood pathogenesis. The striking array of autoimmune, vascular, and fibrotic changes that develop in almost all patients makes SSc unique among connective tissue diseases. Although no animal model developed for SSc to date fully represents all features of human disease, some animal models that demonstrate features of SSc may help to better understand the pathogenesis of the disease and to develop new therapeutic options. In this review, we aimed to evaluate skin fibrosis and lung involvement in a bleomycin (BLM)-induced mouse model and to evaluate the differences between studies. Methods. A systematic literature review (PRISMA guideline) on PubMed and EMBASE (until May 2023, without limits) was performed. A primary literature search was conducted using the PubMed and EMBASE databases for all articles published from 1990 to May 2023. Review articles, human studies, and non-dermatological studies were excluded. Of the 38 non-duplicated studies, 20 articles were included. Results. Among inducible animal models, the BLM-induced SSc is still the most widely used. In recent years, the measurement of tissue thickness between the epidermal-dermal junction and the dermal-adipose tissue junction (dermal layer) has become more widely accepted. Conclusions. In animal studies, it is important to simultaneously evaluate lung tissues in addition to skin fibrosis induced in mice by subcutaneous BLM application, following the 3R (replacement, reduction, and refinement) principle to avoid cruelty to animals

The European Union, borders and conflict transformation: the case of Cyprus

Much of the existing literature on the European Union (EU), conflict transformation and border dynamics has been premised on the assumption that the nature of the border determines EU intervention and the consequences that flow from this in terms of EU impact. The article aims to transcend this literature through assessing how domestic interpretations influence EU border transformation in conflict situations, taking Cyprus as a case study. Moreover, the objective is to fuse the literature on EU bordering impact and perceptions of the EU’s normative projection in conflict resolution. Pursuing this line of inquiry is an attempt to depart from the notion of borders being constructed solely by unidirectional EU logics of engagement or bordering practices to a conceptualization of the border as co-constituted space, where the interpretations of the EU’s normative projections by conflict parties, and the strategies that they pursue, can determine the relative openness of the EU border

Metal-free syn-dioxygenation of alkenes

Reactions employing inexpensive reagents from sustainable sources and with low toxicity are becoming increasingly desirable from an academic and industrial perspective. A fascinating example of a synthetic transformation that requires development of alternative procedures is the osmium catalysed dihydroxylation. Recently there has been considerable interest in achieving this reaction through metal-free procedures. This review describes the methods available for metal-free syn-dioxygenation of alkenes