Comparative phosphoproteomic analysis reveals signaling networks regulating monopolar and bipolar cytokinesis.

The successful completion of cytokinesis requires the coordinated activities of diverse cellular components including membranes, cytoskeletal elements and chromosomes that together form partly redundant pathways, depending on the cell type. The biochemical analysis of this process is challenging due to its dynamic and rapid nature. Here, we systematically compared monopolar and bipolar cytokinesis and demonstrated that monopolar cytokinesis is a good surrogate for cytokinesis and it is a well-suited system for global biochemical analysis in mammalian cells. Based on this, we established a phosphoproteomic signature of cytokinesis. More than 10,000 phosphorylation sites were systematically monitored; around 800 of those were up-regulated during cytokinesis. Reconstructing the kinase-substrate interaction network revealed 31 potentially active kinases during cytokinesis. The kinase-substrate network connects proteins between cytoskeleton, membrane and cell cycle machinery. We also found consensus motifs of phosphorylation sites that can serve as biochemical markers specific to cytokinesis. Beyond the kinase-substrate network, our reconstructed signaling network suggests that combination of sumoylation and phosphorylation may regulate monopolar cytokinesis specific signaling pathways. Our analysis provides a systematic approach to the comparison of different cytokinesis types to reveal alternative ways and a global overview, in which conserved genes work together and organize chromatin and cytoplasm during cytokinesis.EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organization) Installation Grant; Young Scientist Award Program BAGEP of the Science Academy (Turkey); TUBITAK-Marie Curie Co-funded Brain Circulation Schem

The Turkish adaptation and psychometric properties of the geriatric anxiety scale

Purpose of the Study: To translate and adapt the Geriatric Anxiety Scale (GAS), a 30-item self-report measure of anxiety among older adults, into Turkish and examine its basic psychometric properties. Design and Methods: We tested the translated GAS in a sample of community-dwelling older adults in Konya, Turkey (N = 100; M age = 71.4 years, SD = 6.5; range = 65-88) without a history of mental disorder and sufficient cognitive abilities. To assess the convergent validity, Turkish versions of the Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) were administered. Results: The mean GAS total score was 13.33 (SD = 11.86). Due to low item-total correlations (< .30), two items (items 2 and 3) were removed from the Turkish version of the GAS. The internal reliability (Cronbach's alpha) was excellent for the total score (.91) and acceptable for the subscales (somatic = .71; cognitive = .85; affective = .84). Regarding the convergent validity, the GAS total score was significantly and positively correlated with the total scores of the BAI (r = .87, p < . 05) and GDS (r = .57, p < . 05), with large effect sizes. Implications: The newly translated Turkish version of the GAS has promising utility in an older adult Turkish sample. Future studies of this measure are warranted. © 2018 Mental Illness

Investigating the measurement structure of the Turkish version of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale-9

The Turkish version of the Dysfunctional Attitudes Scale-9 (DAS-9) items assesses an individual’s level of endorsement of dysfunctional attitudes associated with depression. The purpose of this study was to evaluate factorial reliability and validity of the Turkish version of the DAS-9. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses and the MIMIC model were used to investigate the psychometric properties of the DAS-9. The exploratory factor analysis results indicated a two-factor structure: (a) personal/internal rigid thoughts, and (b) dysfunctional thoughts involving other people and the external world. Participants at a high risk for depression endorsed the factor scores significantly higher than participants at a lower risk. Overall, the results suggest that the scale is a reliable and valid measure that can be used by clinicians and researchers to measure level of dysfunctional attitudes. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Sustainable Concretes for Structural Applications

For the production of a high-performance concrete (HPC) matrix, a large amount of binder is normally used. The production of ordinary Portland cement (OPC) as the binder of concrete accounts for 7% of CO2 emission, which has notable environmental impacts, and subsequently results in unsustainable concrete. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of replacing OPC with calcium sulfoaluminate cement (CSA) or ground granulated blast-furnace slag (GGBS) as sustainable binders on the engineering properties of HPC. Additionally, the effect of introducing double hooked-end (DHE) steel fibers at a fiber volume fraction of 1% on the properties of HPC was assessed. The compressive strength, splitting tensile strength, flexural strength, and modulus of elasticity of HPC were evaluated. Moreover, a scanning electron microscopy (SEM) method was used to study the microstructure of the concretes. The results indicate that the replacement of OPC with CSA cement results in an improvement in the mechanical properties of HPC particularly at later ages of curing, while combination CSA cement with OPC and GGBS in the binary and ternary systems degrades the concrete’s strengths. The addition of 1% DHE steel fibers significantly increased the engineering properties of concrete. The results show that the bond between a cement matrix and steel fibers has been enhanced due to the expansive behavior of CSA cement. The SEM observation also shows the significant influence of CSA cement on the microstructure of concrete by forming a rich amount of ettringite which subsequently results in an improvement in the properties of concrete