Acute brucella melitensis M16 infection model in mice treated with tumor necrosis factor-alpha inhibitors

Introduction: There is limited data in the literature about brucellosis related to an intracellular pathogen and anti-tumor necrosis factor alpha (anti-TNFα) medication. The aim of this study was to evaluate acute Brucella infections in mice receiving anti-TNFα drug treatment. Methodology: Anti-TNFα drugs were injected in mice on the first and fifth days of the study, after which the mice were infected with B. melitensis M16 strain. Mice were sacrificed on the fourteenth day after infection. Bacterial loads in the liver and spleen were defined, and histopathological changes were evaluated. Results: Neither the liver nor the spleen showed an increased bacterial load in all anti-TNFα drug groups when compared to a non-treated, infected group. The most significant histopathological findings were neutrophil infiltrations in the red pulp of the spleen and apoptotic cells with hepatocellular pleomorphism in the liver. There was no significant difference among the groups in terms of previously reported histopathological findings, such as extramedullary hematopoiesis and granuloma formation. Conclusions: There were no differences in hepatic and splenic bacterial load and granuloma formation, which indicate worsening of the acute Brucella infection in mice; in other words, anti-TNFα treatment did not exacerbate the acute Brucella spp. infection in mice. © 2015 Kutlu et al

An elementary optical gate for expanding entanglement web

We introduce an elementary optical gate for expanding polarization entangled W states, in which every pair of photons are entangled alike. The gate is composed of a pair of 50:50 beamsplitters and ancillary photons in the two-photon Fock state. By seeding one of the photons in an $n$-photon W state into this gate, we obtain an $(n+2)$-photon W state after post-selection. This gate gives a better efficiency and a simpler implementation than previous proposals for $\rm W$-state preparation.Comment: 5 pages, 2 figures. To appear in Phys. Rev.

New spiro (thio) barbiturates based on cyclohexanone and bicyclo [3.1.1]heptan-6-one by nonconcerted [1+5] cycloaddition reaction and their conformational structures

Crossed-aldol condensation reaction of aromatic aldehydes with ketones such as; acetone and cyclohexanone leads to the efficient formation of cross conjugated α,β-unsaturated ketones in excellent yield. The intermolecular and then intramolecular Michael addition reaction of α,β-unsaturated ketones derived from acetone and cyclohexanone with (thio)barbituric acids lead to synthesis new type of 7,11-diaryl-2,4-diazaspiro[5.5]undecane-1,3,5,9-tetraone and 2,4-diaryl-1'H-spiro[bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane-3,5'-pyrimidine]-2',4',6',9(3'H)-tetraone, respectively in good yield. Structure elucidation is carried out by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR, UV-Visible, mass spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography techniques. A possible mechanism of the formation is discussed. The structural conformation also demonstrated by coupling constants derived from dihedral angles between vicinal and geminal protons. The 1H NMR spectra of NH protons of spiro compounds derived from barbituric acid show a broad singlet peak instead, these protons in the spiro compounds derived from thiobarbituric acid show two distinct peaks. KEY WORDS: Crossed-aldol condensation, Michael addition, [1+5] Cycloaddition, Barbituric acid, Conformation, Spiro barbiturate Bull. Chem. Soc. Ethiop. 2014, 28(3), 423-440.DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v28i3.1

Teleportation of qubit states through dissipative channels: Conditions for surpassing the no-cloning limit

We investigate quantum teleportation through dissipative channels and calculate teleportation fidelity as a function of damping rates. It is found that the average fidelity of teleportation and the range of states to be teleported depend on the type and rate of the damping in the channel. Using the fully entangled fraction, we derive two bounds on the damping rates of the channels: one is to beat the classical limit and the second is to guarantee the non-existence of any other copy with better fidelity. Effect of the initially distributed maximally entangled state on the process is presented; and the concurrence and the fully entangled fraction of the shared states are discussed. We intend to show that prior information on the dissipative channel and the range of qubit states to be teleported is helpful for the evaluation of the success of teleportation, where success is defined as surpassing the fidelity limit imposed by the fidelity of 1-to-2 optimal cloning machine for the specific range of qubits.Comment: 12 pages, 7 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev.

Strong coupling constants of bottom and charmed mesons with scalar, pseudoscalar and axial vector kaons

The strong coupling constants, $g_{D_{s}DK_0^*}$, $g_{B_{s}BK_0^*}$, $g_{D^{\ast}_{s}D K}$, $g_{B^{\ast}_{s}BK}$, $g_{D^{\ast}_{s}D K_1}$ and $g_{B^{\ast}_{s}BK_1}$, where $K_0^*$, $K$ and $K_1$ are scalar, pseudoscalar and axial vector kaon mesons, respectively are calculated in the framework of three-point QCD sum rules. In particular, the correlation functions of the considered vertices when both $B(D)$ and $K_0^*(K)(K_1)$ mesons are off-shell are evaluated. In the case of $K_1$, which is either $K_1(1270)$ or $K_1(1400)$, the mixing between these two states are also taken into account. A comparison of the obtained result with the existing prediction on $g_{D^{\ast}_{s}D K}$ as the only coupling constant among the considered vertices, previously calculated in the literature, is also made.Comment: 20 Pages, 3 Figures and 8 Table

Efecto de diferentes métodos de extracción sobre la actividad antioxidante del azafrán, contenido total de fenoles y crocina y efecto protector del extracto de azafrán sobre la estabilidad oxidativa de los aceites vegetales comunes

Saffron consists of bioactive compounds with health-promoting properties and is mainly used in medicine, flavoring and coloring. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of extraction methods on the antioxidant activity of saffron (Crocus sativus L.) extracts (SE) and to evaluate the antioxidant performance of SE in vegetable oils. Saffron stigmas were extracted in water, ethanol, methanol, and their combinations using maceration extraction (ME), ultrasonic-assisted extraction (UAE), microwave-assisted extraction (MAE), and the combination of UAE with MAE. The results showed that the sample extracted by methanol/water (50:50) using the combination of UAE with MAE methods had the highest amount of total phenolic content (31.56 mg/g GAE) and antioxidant activity (83.24% inhibition). The extract with the highest antioxidant activity was freeze-dried before incorporation into oil samples. Freeze-dried SE contained trans-crocin-4 and trans-crocin-3 (most abundant constituents), kaempferol, and picrocrocin. Moreover, the addition of SE at 1000 ppm resulted in a significant increase in the oxidative stability of canola (CAO), sunflower (SO), and corn oil (COO).El azafrán contiene compuestos bioactivos con propiedades promotoras de la salud de uso destacado en medicina, saborizante y colorante. En este estudio, nuestro objetivo fue investigar el efecto de los métodos de extracción sobre la actividad antioxidante de los extractos (EA) de azafrán (Crocus sativus L.) y evaluar el rendimiento antioxidante de EA en aceites vegetales. Los estigmas de azafrán se extrajeron en agua, etanol, metanol y sus combinaciones, mediante extracción por maceración (EM), extracción asistida por ultrasonidos (EAU), extracción asistida por microondas (EAM) y la combinación de EAU con EAM. Los resultados mostraron que la muestra extraída con metanol/agua (50:50) usando la combinación de métodos EAU con EAM tuvo la mayor cantidad de fenoles totales (31.56 mg/g GAE) y actividad antioxidante (83.24 % de inhibición). El extracto que incluía la mayor actividad antioxidante se liofilizó antes de incorporarlo a las muestras de aceite. El SE liofilizado contenía trans-crocina-4 y trans-crocina-3 (los constituyentes más abundantes), kaempferol y picrocrocina. Además, la adición de 1000 ppm de EA dio como resultado un aumento significativo en la estabilidad oxidativa del aceite de canola (C), girasol (G) y maíz (M)

Open borders, closed minds: the discursive construction of national identity in North Cyprus

The article investigates the discursive construction of a Turkish Cypriot national identity by the newspapers in North Cyprus. It questions the representation and reconstruction processes of national identity within the press and examines the various practices employed to mobilize readers around certain national imaginings. Using Critical Discourse Analysis, the article analyses news reports of the opening of border crossings in Cyprus in 2003, based on their content, the strategies used in the production of national identity and the linguistic means employed in the process. In this way, the nationalist tendencies embedded in news discourses, as well as discriminatory and exclusive practices, are sought out

Öngerilmeli Viskoelastik Örtü Tabakasi Ve Levhadan Oluşan Sistemin Hareketli Yük Etkisindeki Dinamik Davranışı

Konferans Bildirisi-- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Teorik ve Uygulamalı Mekanik Türk Milli Komitesi, 2017Conference Paper -- İstanbul Technical University, Theoretical and Applied Mechanical Turkish National Committee, 2017Bu makalede rijit bir ortam üzerindeki öngerilmeli viskoelastik örtü tabakası ve levhadan oluşan sistemin harmonik değişen hareketli yük etkisindeki dinamik davranışı ele alınmıştır. Sistemin bileşenlerindeki viskoelastisitenin, tabaka kalınlıklarının ve öngerilmenin bu davranışa etkisi incelenmiştir. Viskoelastik ortamlarda dalga yayılımının kesin denklemleri çerçevesinde uygun problemin matematiksel formülasyonu yapılmış ve elde edilen sınır değer probleminin çözümü integral Fourier dönüşümü uygulanarak bulunmuştur. Araştırma parçalı homojen cisim modeli çerçevesinde yapılmıştır. Makalede incelenen sisteme ait malzeme parametrelerinin, levha kalınlıklarının ve ön gerilmenin kritik hıza ve gerilme yayılımına etkilerine yönelik sayısal sonuçlar elde edilmiş ve yorumlanmıştır.This paper investigates the dynamic response to a time-harmonic moving load of a system comprising prestressed viscoelastic covering layer and a viscoelastic layer on a rigid foundation. The effects of the viscoelasticity of the materials, plate thickness and initial stress on the dynamic response of system are investigated. Mathematical formulation of the sought problem is performed within the framework of the equation of wave-propagation on viscoelastic spaces and the solution of the obtained boundary value problem is found by applying Fourier transformation. The research is performed within the scope of the piecewise-homogeneous body model. The effects of material parameters, plate thicknesses and initial stress on numerical results related to critical velocity and stress distribution are presented and discussed