SOME ENGINEERING PROPERTIES OF SHELLED AND KERNEL TEA (Camellia sinensis) SEEDS

Background: Camellia sinensis is the source of tea leaves and it is an economic crop now grown around the World. Tea seed oil has been used for cooking in China and other Asian countries for more than a thousand years. Tea is the most widely consumed beverages after water in the world. It is mainly produced in Asia, central Africa, and exported throughout the World. Some engineering properties (size dimensions, sphericity, volume, bulk and true densities, friction coefficient, colour characteristics and mechanical behaviour as rupture force of shelled and kernel tea (Camellia sinensis) seeds were determined in this study. Materials and Methods: This research was carried out for shelled and kernel tea seeds. The shelled tea seeds used in this study were obtained from East-Black Sea Tea Cooperative Institution in Rize city of Turkey. Shelled and kernel tea seeds were characterized as large and small sizes. Results: The average geometric mean diameter and seed mass of the shelled tea seeds were 15.8 mm, 10.7 mm (large size); 1.47 g, 0.49 g (small size); while the average geometric mean diameter and seed mass of the kernel tea seeds were 11.8 mm, 8 mm for large size; 0.97 g, 0.31 g for small size, respectively. The sphericity, surface area and volume values were found to be higher in a larger size than small size for the shelled and kernel tea samples. The shelled tea seed’s colour intensity (Chroma) were found between 59.31 and 64.22 for large size, while the kernel tea seed’s chroma values were found between 56.04 68.34 for large size, respectively. The rupture force values of kernel tea seeds were higher than shelled tea seeds for the large size along X axis; whereas, the rupture force values of along X axis were higher than Y axis for large size of shelled tea seeds. The static coefficients of friction of shelled and kernel tea seeds for the large and small sizes higher values for rubber than the other friction surfaces. Conclusion: Some engineering properties, such as geometric mean diameter, sphericity, volume, bulk and true densities, the coefficient of friction, L*, a*, b* colour characteristics and rupture force of shelled and kernel tea (Camellia sinensis) seeds will serve to design the equipment used in postharvest treatments

An Investigation on Potential Use of Ice Thermal Energy Storage System as Energy Source for Heat Pumps

It has been crystalclear to everyone that ice storage systems provide significant advantages inreducing cooling costs, balancing energy supply and demand profiles, andshaving peak loads. As the main purpose of ice storage systems is for coolingpurposes, separate heating systems, such as furnaces, heat pumps, electricalheaters, etc., are required for buildings with heating demands. This workoffers to use an ice storage system in the heat pump as the energy source.Comprehensive thermodynamic and economic analyses are conducted to assess theproposed system. The proposed system is implemented in an office building inIstanbul, Turkey. Thermodynamic studies indicate that while the overallenergetic and exergetic coefficient of performance (COP) values for the icestorage integrated air conditioning (AC) are calculated to be 4.57 and 2.04,respectively, they are 3.99 and 2.12 for the ice storage integrated heat pump.While the yearly operating cost for the traditional AC is 1.9 million TL, it is0.5 million for the ice storage integrated AC. The annual natural gasconsumption cost for heating is 295,000 TL, and 375,000 TL for the ice storageintegrated heat pump. The payback period of the ice storage integrated AC andheat pump system is observed to be 4.5 years. It may provide almost 8 millionTL savings at the end of 10 years. At the end of the present study, it isreached that the ice storage system has a promising potential to use in heatpumps as a low-temperature energy source. Also, it provides a moreenvironmentally friendly heating operation as it does not require fossil fuelsby removing the furnaces or provides higher COP for heat pumps.&nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;</p

Evaluation of the relationship between metallurgical properties and metal-ceramic bond characteristics of Co-Cr alloys manufactured by different techniques

Statement of problem: Metal-ceramic restorations made from cobalt chromium (Co-Cr) alloy have been increasing, but studies on the effects of different manufacturing techniques on metal-ceramic interface characteristics and metal-ceramic bond strength are sparse. Purpose: The purpose of this in vitro study was to examine the metal-ceramic interface and the metal-ceramic bond strength of a Co-Cr alloy produced by casting, milling, and selective laser melting (SLM) with or without thermal cycling. Material and methods: Co-Cr alloys were prepared by casting, milling, and SLM. Two different SLM devices were used. Ninety-six specimens (25×3×0.5 mm) were manufactured. The structure of the oxidation surface of Co-Cr specimens was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and by X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRFS). After porcelain application, selected specimens were thermal cycled, and the strength of the metal-ceramic bond was measured by the 3-point bend test. All specimens were analyzed for failure type with a stereomicroscope. The elemental composition and morphology of the metal-ceramic interface were examined by XRFS and SEM with energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX). The results of bond strength were analyzed using a 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for manufacturing methods and testing conditions and the Tukey honest significant difference (HSD) test (α=.05). Results: The main effect of the interactions of the testing condition and manufacturing method variables on the bond strength variable was not statistically significantly different. No significant differences were found among the testing conditions tested (P=.638). Significant differences were found among the manufacturing methods tested statistically (P<.001). Statistically significant differences were found in the CAD-CAM and CONSEPT LASER groups, the CAD-CAM and SLM LASER groups, the CAD-CAM and CAST groups, and the CAST-SLM LASER groups (P<.05). Differences were observed among the interface morphologies of casting, milling, and the two SLM groups. Conclusions: The bond strength between Co-Cr alloy and ceramic is affected by the manufacturing method. The metal-ceramic bond strength is independent of thermal cycling. The bond strength value in all groups was over 25 MPa, which has been considered clinically acceptable. The interface metallurgical structures of Co-Cr alloys were affected by different manufacturing techniques

Evaluating the frequency of anatomical variations of the sinonasal region in pediatric and adult age groups according to gender: computed tomography findings of 1532 cases

Abstract Background The aim of the present study was to evaluate retrospectively the frequency of anatomical variations in sinonasal region, which were frequently seen in our cases, for whom coronal section paranasal computed tomography imaging (CPNCT) was taken, as well as the correlation of these variations with age and gender and correlations of identified anatomical variations with one another. In the study, CBCT scans of a total of 1532 (825 males and 707 females) cases were evaluated in order to determine the prevalence of anatomical variations of the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses. All the images were taken by a multi-detector CT device (Aquilion, Toshiba medical system, Tokyo, Japan). Results Most frequently detected three anatomical variations were septum deviation (79.7%), concha bullosa (40.9%), and ethmoid bulla (21.0%) according to the frequency order. When the frequency of anatomical variations was evaluated according to gender, septum deviation, concha bullosa, and anterior clinoid process pneumatization were more frequently observed in males and Onodi cell in females (p < 0.05). When the relationships of the anatomical variations with one another were evaluated, it was found that the possibility of the presence of concha bullosa in the septum deviation cases and the presence of ethmoid bulla in the cases with Haller cell septum were higher (p < 0.05). In terms of the anatomical variations that were evaluated by taking age as the independent variable, a statistically significant difference was observed in pterygoid process pneumatization, Haller cell, pneumatized crista galli, ethmoid bulla, and paradoxical middle concha between the adult and children age groups (p < 0.05). Conclusion In terms of the frequency of occurrence to various sinonasal region variations, statistically significant differences were observed between both genders and age groups. The correlations of the detected variations with each other were also remarkable. Consequently, it is believed that comprehensive studies and serious objective evaluations evaluating the change of frequency of anatomical variations according to age and gender besides their correlation with each other are required

Pharmacist's role in pharmacotherapeutic management of Alzheimer's disease

Alzheimer Disease (AD) characterized by the progressive cognitive and functional impairment, is the most common form of dementia affecting people worldwide. In this study, we aimed to investigate the profile of patients with AD, the perception of caregivers about the disease and the role of pharmacist in the pharmacotherapy of AD by implementing a questionnaire for the caregivers of 44 patients with AD. 70% of the evaluated patients with AD is female gender and in 52% of the cases, hypertension co-exists with AD. The combination of memantine/donepezil (34%) was found the most commonly used pharmacological treatment in the patients which was associated with various adverse effects such as headache, insomnia, fatigue, and hallucinations. An average of 70% of the caregivers benefit from the pharmacists in regard to the use of drugs (94%), information about disease and side effects (48%) and drug-drug interactions (42%). Additionally, the 77% of caregivers who benefit from pharmacists were well satisfied with this support. In conclusion, patients with AD and their caregivers need a professional assistance regarding the use of drugs and modalities how to fight with the disease. Pharmacists play a significant role in both following the pharmacotherapy of AD patients and the education of caregivers. Thus, pharmacist's role in the management of rational pharmacotherapy should be strengthened by providing a continued educational support

The beneficial effects of ivabradine against myocardial damage induced by isoproterenol in rats

We aimed to investigate the potential benefits of two doses of ivabradine (IVA)-an If sodium channel blocker against isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial damage in rats.The rats were randomly divided into 4 groups: Control group (n=8); Saline was administered, ISO group (n=12); 150 mg/kg ISO was administered for 2 days, ISO+IVA (1 mg/kg) group (n=12); 1 mg/kg IVA was administered for 4 days in addition to ISO. ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) group (n=12): 10 mg/kg IVA was administered for 4 days in addition to ISO. Thereafter, hemodynamic, histopathological, and biochemical studies were performed. In the ISO+IVA (1 mg/kg) and ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) groups, ISO-induced myocardial changes including an increase in density of granulation tissue and degenerated cardiomyocyte were equally decreased. HR was mildly reduced, and arterial blood pressures were slightly increased in the IVA-treated groups versus the ISO group. In the hearts of IVA-treated groups, malondialdehyde (MDA) levels were significantly reduced and glutathione (GSH) level and catalase (CAT) activity were mildly increased compared to the ISO group. Elevation of GSH and CAT activity were more pronounced in the ISO+IVA (10 mg/kg) group. Our results indicate that both 1 mg/kg and 10 mg/kg doses of IVA are effective against heart damage induced by ISO via its negative chronotropic, anti-oxidant (dose-dependent), anti-inflammatory and anti-degenerative properties. [Med-Science 2023; 12(3.000): 667-73

Human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis coinfection: clinical features and predictors of mortality

Background/aim: This study was undertaken to identify subjects with human immunodeficiency virus and tuberculosis (HIV/TB) coinfection in a group of HIV-positive patients followed at five different healthcare centers, and to determine the demographic and clinical characteristics of these subjects as well as the predictors of mortality

Determination of Antioxidant Capacity using Different Acidified Solvents and Element Contents of Allium Tuncelianum: A Regional and Varietal Study on Endemic Edible Garlic

Allium tuncelianum (Tunceli garlic), an endemic and threatened plant species in the Tunceli province of Eastern Turkey, is an important native source for local people. The antioxidant activities of the acidified extracts of water, acetonitrile, methanol, and ethanol of Allium tuncelianum were investigated using five antioxidant capacity tests. The results indicated that methanol extract efficiencies of garlic samples using the ABTS, CUPRAC, and reducing power capacities were higher than the other extracts. Water extract and acetonitrile extract values were highest for total phenolic content and metal chelating activities, respectively. Moreover, the element contents such as calcium (Ca), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), manganese (Mn), sodium (Na), and zinc (Zn) of Allium tuncelianum samples digested by microwave and ashing ovens were determined by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry and the results were compared statistically. The Ca, Cu, K, Mg, and Zn concentrations using the microwave method were found to be higher than the ashing procedure. However, the Fe, Mn, and Na concentrations using the ashing method were found to be higher than those using the the microwave protocol

Temporal overexpression of IL-22 and Reg3γ differentially impacts the severity of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

IL-22 is an alpha-helical cytokine which belongs to the IL-10 family of cytokines. IL-22 is produced by ROR gamma t+ innate and adaptive lymphocytes, including ILC3, gamma delta T, iNKT, Th17 and Th22 cells and some granulocytes. IL-22 receptor is expressed primarily by non-haematopoietic cells. IL-22 is critical for barrier immunity at the mucosal surfaces in the steady state and during infection. Although IL-22 knockout mice were previously shown to develop experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), a murine model of multiple sclerosis (MS), how temporal IL-22 manipulation in adult mice would affect EAE course has not been studied previously. In this study, we overexpressed IL-22 via hydrodynamic gene delivery or blocked it via neutralizing antibodies in C57BL/6 mice to explore the therapeutic impact of IL-22 modulation on the EAE course. IL-22 overexpression significantly decreased EAE scores and demyelination, and reduced infiltration of IFN-gamma+IL-17A+Th17 cells into the central nervous system (CNS). The neutralization of IL-22 did not alter the EAE pathology significantly. We show that IL-22-mediated protection is independent of Reg3 gamma, an epithelial cell-derived antimicrobial peptide induced by IL-22. Thus, overexpression of Reg3 gamma significantly exacerbated EAE scores, demyelination and infiltration of IFN-gamma+IL-17A+ and IL-17A+GM-CSF+Th17 cells to CNS. We also show that Reg3 gamma may inhibit IL-2-mediated STAT5 signalling and impair expansion of Treg cells in vivo and in vitro. Finally, Reg3 gamma overexpression dramatically impacted intestinal microbiota during EAE. Our results provide novel insight into the role of IL-22 and IL-22-induced antimicrobial peptide Reg3 gamma in the pathogenesis of CNS inflammation in a murine model of MS