A review about lycopene-induced nuclear hormone receptor signalling in inflammation and lipid metabolism via still unknown endogenous apo-10´-lycopenoids

Lycopene is the red pigment in tomatoes and tomato products and is an important dietary carotenoid found in the human organism. Lycopene-isomers, oxidative lycopene metabolites and apo-lycopenoids are found in the food matrix. Lycopene intake derived from tomato consumption is associated with alteration of lipid metabolism and a lower incidence of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Lycopene is mainly described as a potent antioxidant but novel studies are shifting towards its metabolites and their capacity to mediate nuclear receptor signalling. Di-/tetra-hydro-derivatives of apo-10´-lycopenoic acid and apo-15´-lycopenoic acids are potential novel endogenous mammalian lycopene metabolites which may act as ligands for nuclear hormone mediated activation and signalling. In this review, we postulate that complex lycopene metabolism results in various lycopene metabolites which have the ability to mediate transactivation of various nuclear hormone receptors like RARs, RXRs and PPARs. A new mechanistic explanation of how tomato consumption could positively modulate inflammation and lipid metabolism is discussed

Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice and serum eosinophil cationic protein levels in Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer.

INTRODUCTION: Helicobacter pylori is one of the main causes of gastroduodenal diseases, such as chronic gastritis and peptic ulcer. It has been shown that eosinophils increase in the stomach in H. pylori infection. Eosinophilic cationic protein (ECP) is a cytotoxic molecule secreted by the activated eosinophils. However, there are no sufficient data about the role of ECP in H. pylori infection and its effect on ulcer development. In this study we investigated the gastric eosinophilic infiltration, gastric juice and serum ECP levels in patients with chronic gastritis and gastric ulcer associated with H. pylori. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-four H. pylori-positive and 20 H. pylori-negative patients who underwent upper gastrointestinal system endoscopy after admitting with dyspeptic complaints were enrolled in the study. Twenty-one of the H. pylori-positive patients had gastric ulcer while 23 patients had none. During endoscopy, multiple gastric biopsies and juices were taken. In gastric biopsies, H. pylori and eosinophilic infiltration were assessed. Additionally, gastric juice and serum ECP levels were measured. RESULTS: Eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios in the H. pylori-positive group were greater than in the H. pylori-negative group (p < 0.01). There was no statistically significant difference regarding serum ECP levels between the two groups (p > 0.05). When H. pylori-positive patients were compared with regard to gastric ulcer presence, however, there was no significant difference in gastric eosinophil infiltration, gastric juice ECP levels, serum ECP levels, and gastric juice/serum ECP ratios (p > 0.05). CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that eosinophils and eosinophil-released ECP may contribute to inflammatory changes seen in chronic gastritis, whereas there is no proof that they play a role in ulcer development

Komşuluk Planlamasında Eko Verimlilik Ajandaları: Örnekler Üzerinden Bir Değerlendirme

Kentlerde altyapının inşası sürecinde izlenen yöntem ve teknikler, yapım ve uygulama şekli, mevcut şehri geliştirmek ve yaşanabilir hale getirmek açısından önem taşımaktadır. Bütünsel planlama yaklaşımı ile bölge ölçeğinden mahalle ölçeğine ve hatta mikro düzeye inebilen sistemsel bir çözüm ile kaliteli çevreler yaratmak mümkün olabilmektedir. Bu konuda yapılan çalışmalar, eko mahallelerin iklim değişikliği için gerekli olan mavi-yeşil altyapı, hammadde ve doğal kaynak verimliliği, geri dönüştürülebilir atık malzeme yönetimi ve enerji tasarrufu gibi eko verimliliğe dayalı stratejiler ile sürdürülebilirliği sağladığı yönündedir. Özellikle yerel düzeyde ekolojik tasarım, çevrenin kalitesini geliştirme şekli olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Bu noktada, eko tasarım rehberleri ve eko verimlilik ajandaları önem kazanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, eko komşuluğun yapısını ekolojik ağ örüntüsü-eko verimlilik kavramları üzerinden ele almaktadır. Çalışma, geleneksel komşuluk teorisinden başlayarak kentsel tasarımı yönlendiren kriterler, sürdürülebilirlik ve ekolojik yaklaşımlar çerçevesinde değerlendirilmektedir. Ekolojik tasarımı oluşturan ilkelerde eko verimliliği öne çıkaran uluslararası örnekler incelenmiş; kentsel sistemler bütünü içerisinde mavi-yeşil altyapı, ulaşım, atık ve enerji konularının öne çıktığı içerik analizi yöntemi ile kavramsal bir model önerisi geliştirilmiştir. Tümden gelim – tüme varım şeklinde kapsamlı bir yaklaşımla kent sistemi içerisinde eko kriterler belirtilerek, eko verimlilik- eko duyarlılık ilkelerini planlama/tasarıma dâhil eden bütüncül bir kavramsal model oluşturulması amaçlanmış, geliştirilecek eko komşuluk birimleri için işleyiş şeması ortaya konmuştur

Apo-14'-Carotenoic Acid Is a Novel Endogenous and Bioactive Apo-Carotenoid

L

Sexual functions and prolactin levels in patients with bipolar disorder

Objective: Mood stabilizers and antipsychotic drugs are known to have adverse effects on sexual function. However, patients often refrain from speaking about sexual complaints that may cause dose reduction and discontinuation of the drug without medical supervision. In this study we aimed to evaluate sexual functions of patients with bipolar disorder in remission period, considering prolactin levels and medications. Method: We recruited 52 patients with bipolar disorder in remission according to DSM-IV diagnostic criteria. Prolactin levels were measured in all patients. The Golombok Rust Inventory of Sexual Satisfaction (GRISS) was used to assess sexual dysfunction. Results: Mean prolactin levels were 24.71 ± 4.25 and 19.96 ± 5.52 ng/ml respectively for females and males. Patients taking mood stabilizer (MS) and mood stabilizer plus antipsychotic (AP) treatment had different prolactin levels (p<0.001). Total GRISS scores were not different for MS and MS+AP treatment groups. We didn't find a correlation between Total GRISS scores and prolactin levels. There was a significant deterioration in female non-sensuality, female dissatisfaction and anorgasmia subscales of female patients and significant deterioration in premature ejaculation, impotence and male dissatisfaction subscales of male patients. Discussion: In our sample, both men and women patients with bipolar disorder in remission have sexual dysfunctions. Our results suggest that prolactin levels are not sufficient to demonstrate the sexual dysfunction. To enhance patient compliance it is necessary to focus more on sexual symptoms of patients receiving MS and AP treatment

Optik fiber haberleşme sistemlerinin karşılaştırmalı olarak incelenmesi ve Türkiye’deki uygulamalarının araştırılması

Bu tezin, veri tabanı üzerinden yayınlanma izni bulunmamaktadır.Anahtar kelimeler : Optik fiber kablo, Haberleşme, İletim Sistemleri İletişim teknolojilerinin giderek hayatımıza daha fazla girdiği çağımızda en önemli devrim kuşkusuz fiber teknolojilerindeki gelişimdir. Günümüzde optik fiber kablonun kullanım alanları sayılamayacak kadar çoktur. Fiber kabloların en yoğun kullanıldığı alanlar arasında iletim sistemlerini, sağlık bilimlerini, bilgisayar, savunma ve otomotiv sanayilerini sayabiliriz. Optik fiber kabloların en önemli özelliği geniş kapasiteye sahip olması ve metalik olmamasıdır. Bakır tel ve koaksiyel kablo yardımıyla yapılan iletişim sistemleri ile, uydu ve R/L sistemlerinde oluşan dinleme, karışma, gürültü, iletim kapasitesi ve iletim hızı düşüklüğü, bant genişliği x uzaklık çarpımının ve esnekliklerinin az olması gibi olumsuz etkiler, optik fiber iletim sistemlerinde ortadan kaldırılmış ve böylece iletişimde yeni bir dönem açılmıştır. İnsan gözü, açıldığında maksimum enerjisi 400-800 nm civarında olan güneş ışığına adapte olur. Bu yüzden bu bölgedeki radyasyona görünen ışık denir. Optik fiber iletiminde ise kızılötesi ışınlar kullanılır. Optik fiberde iki tabaka vardır; öz ve örtü. Cam veya quartzdan oluşan öz, çevresini saran cam, quartz veya plastikten oluşan örtüden daha büyük bir kırılma indisine sahiptir. Tek bir ışının fiber içinde izlediği yola mod denir. Fibere değişik açılarla giren ışınlar farklı açılarla yansıyarak gideceğinden farklı yollar izlerler. Diğer uca farklı sürelerde ulaşırlar. Eksene açıyla gelen ışınlar ise öz içinde yansıyarak giderler. Kat edilen yol ışının geliş açısı büyüdükçe yani yansıma açısı küçüldükçe artar. Türkiye genelinde bugüne kadar 75.000 Km optik fiber kablo tesis edilmiştir. 2005 yılı sonuna kadar fiber optik kablo tesisinin 100.000 Km'ye ulaşması planlanmaktadır. Türkiye genelinde santraller arası bağlantının % 80'i optik fiber kablo ile yapılmıştır. Optik fiber kabloların % 80'i havai, % 20'si yeraltı olarak tesis edilmiştir. Botaş ve Teaş güzergahlarında bu kurumlarla ortaklaşa optik fiber kablo tesis edilmektedir.Key Words: Optical Fiber Cable, Communication, Communication Systems In our era communication technologies entered our life, the most important revolition is the development of fiber technologies. The use of area of fiber cables are so comman nowadays. We can count communication sistems, medical sciences, computers, defence and automative industries as the using area of optical fiber cables. The most important specialities of optical fiber cables are having wide capacitien and being not metalic. Human eye has during the evolution adapted to the sunlight, which has it maximal energy in the range 400-800 nm. Radition in this range is therefore called visible light. As for infrared light is used in the fiber optic transmission. There are two coating in the optical fiber; core and cladding. The core which consist of glass or quartz has a higher refractive index than the surronding cladding of glass, quartz or plastic. Negative effects in communication systems by copper wire and by coaxial cable and satellite systems and R/L systems such as being listened, noise, mixing, low transmission capasity and low transmission rate, bandwidth x distance product and elasticity which is little have been removed in the optic fiber transmission systems and therefore a new period was opened. The way which is used by one light in fiber is called mode. The lights that enter to fiber by different angles follow different ways because they reflect different angles. And they arrive to other side in different times. The lights that come to axis with an angle go trough core by reflecting. The way traversed increases if the arrival angle of the light increases namely if the reflection angle decreases. In Turkey 75.000 km optical fiber cables are built up till today. It is planned to arrive 100. 000 km fiber optical cable till the end of 2005. The 80 % of connection between switch boardsa re made with optical fiber cables in Turkey. The 80 % of optical fiber cables are aerial and the rest of them are built up as underground. Optical fiber cable is set up with BOT AS and TEAS in their route

Likopin indukálta retinsav receptor aktiváció egérben

Lycopene is an acyclic carotenoid containing eleven conjugated double bonds and lacks the β-ionine ring structure present typically in pro-vA carotenoids, therefore it is suggested to be non pro-vA carotenoid. Lycopene is a lipophilic carotenoid which is responsible for the red color of various fruits and vegetables and is commonly found in tomatoes, watermelon, pink-grapefruit and papaya. Emerging health benefits of lycopene have attracted accumulating attention to this carotenoid. Evidence is increasing that tomatoes / tomato preparations are able to ameliorate diseases with a chronic inflammatory background like cancer incidence for certain cancer types of the prostate, breast, colon, esophagus, stomach, rectum, oral cavity and pharynx. The mechanism of action of these beneficial effects induced by lycopene / tomato preparations remains still unknown, but it is suggested that nuclear hormone receptor mediated pathway activation via lycopene-breakdown products might be responsible. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential of lycopene, lycopene-metabolite or tomato extract versus control treatments for the induction of the retinoic acid receptor (RAR) in male mice using a transgenic retinoic acid response-element (RARE)-reporter mouse system. The investigation included whole body scanning of the mice as well as organ specific studies with bio-imaging, selected luciferase activity and qRT-PCR of retinoid target genes and proteins involved in carotenoid-metabolism. Lycopene-treatments induced RARE-mediated cell signaling indicated by quantified bio-imaging, increased luciferase activity. Lycopene supplementations caused the up-regulation of RARE-response in l. intestine, lung, WAT, liver and spleen using the bioimaging and this RARE-LUC activity could be confirmed with luciferase protein assays. The up-regulation of retinoid target gene activation within selected various organs of the mice was observed. Additional experiments focused on RARE-activation in female mice, tomato extract, apo-10-lycac, apo-14-lycac induced RARE-signaling in male mice, treatments displayed comparable RARE-activation like lycopene. In summary, we observed that lycopene, lycopene metabolites and tomato extract have the ability to strongly up-regulate RAR-mediated transcriptional activation pathways in the RARE-LUC reporter mice. However, the responsible biologically active potential lycopene metabolites in the organs are still non-identified.d