Optimization of extraction conditions for active components in equisetum arvense extract

Response surface methodology was applied to predict optimum conditions for equisetum arvense extraction. Central composite design was used to monitor the effects of temperature, stirring speed, ethanol percent, extraction time, solid-liquid ratio on dependent variables such as, extract yield percent, total phenol content, total antioxidant capacity, silicic acid amount. According to the mathematical models obtained from the analysis, the highest values for yield percent, total phenol content, total antioxidant capacity and silicic acid amount were found to be 18.67 %, 123 mg gallic acid gr-1 dry weight extract, 1608 μM TEAC mg-1 dry weight extract and 0.0049 mg silicic acid mg-1 dry weight extract, respectively. The plant extracts were analyzed with HPLC to determine the phenolic content and compositional differences of extracts obtained at different extraction conditions. Plant extracts were also analyzed for their cytotoxic and antimicrobial activities. The high total antioxidant capacity and total phenolic content resulted in an increased cytotoxic effect on fibroblast cells. Equisetum arvense extracts showed antimicrobial activity against Staphylococcus epidermidis and Escherichia coli bacteria, however showed no effect against Candida albicans. © 2013 University of Bucharest

Evaluation of nutritional status in pediatric intensive care unit patients: the results of a multicenter, prospective study in Turkey

IntroductionMalnutrition is defined as a pathological condition arising from deficient or imbalanced intake of nutritional elements. Factors such as increasing metabolic demands during the disease course in the hospitalized patients and inadequate calorie intake increase the risk of malnutrition. The aim of the present study is to evaluate nutritional status of patients admitted to pediatric intensive care units (PICU) in Turkey, examine the effect of nutrition on the treatment process and draw attention to the need for regulating nutritional support of patients while continuing existing therapies.Material and MethodIn this prospective multicenter study, the data was collected over a period of one month from PICUs participating in the PICU Nutrition Study Group in Turkey. Anthropometric data of the patients, calorie intake, 90-day mortality, need for mechanical ventilation, length of hospital stay and length of stay in intensive care unit were recorded and the relationship between these parameters was examined.ResultsOf the 614 patients included in the study, malnutrition was detected in 45.4% of the patients. Enteral feeding was initiated in 40.6% (n = 249) of the patients at day one upon admission to the intensive care unit. In the first 48 h, 86.82% (n = 533) of the patients achieved the target calorie intake, and 81.65% (n = 307) of the 376 patients remaining in the intensive care unit achieved the target calorie intake at the end of one week. The risk of mortality decreased with increasing upper mid-arm circumference and triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.871/0.894; p = 0.027/0.024). The risk of mortality was 2.723 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h (p = 0.006) and the risk was 3.829 times higher in patients who did not achieve the target calorie intake at the end of one week (p = 0.001). The risk of mortality decreased with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score (OR = 0.894; p = 0.024).ConclusionTimely and appropriate nutritional support in critically ill patients favorably affects the clinical course. The results of the present study suggest that mortality rate is higher in patients who fail to achieve the target calorie intake at first 48 h and day seven of admission to the intensive care unit. The risk of mortality decreases with increasing triceps skin fold thickness Z-score

Üç boyutlu yazıcılarla basılmış polilaktit/gümüş nanotel nanokompozitlerin antimikrobik özellikleri.

Silver nanowire (Ag NW) loaded polylactide (PLA) nanocomposites were fabricated by simple solution mixing method and then 3D printed to obtain desired shapes. Morphological analysis, thermal analysis and antimicrobial performances of the fabricated nanocomposites with the addition of NWs were investigated. NWs showed good dispersion within the PLA matrix. Antibacterial properties of Ag NW/PLA nanocomposites were investigated against different standard bacterial strains of American Type Culture Collection (ATCC) using conventional microbiological methods. Ag NW based PLA nanocomposites were found to have high antibacterial effect against both Staphylococcus aureus ATCC#25923 (Gram positive bacteria) and Escherichia coli (ATCC#25922) (Gram negative bacteria). 4 wt. % Ag NW loaded nanocomposites were found to kill 100 % of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus bacteria in 2 hours and to continue its bactericidal effect for 24 hours against Escherichia coli and 8 hours against Staphylococcus aureus. Nanocomposites with higher Ag NW loadings showed better results yet small amount of Ag NW addition to PLA was found sufficient for nanocomposites to show reasonable antibacterial performance at low cost.M.S. - Master of Scienc

Self-Efficacy perceptions of pre-service primary teachers on physical education

Sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının beden eğitimi dersine yönelik öz-yeterlik algılarını belirlemeyi amaçlayan bu araştırma Artvin, Rize ve Giresun Eğitim Fakülteleri ile Fatih Eğitim Fakültesinin Sınıf Öğretmenliği programlarındaki aday sınıf öğretmenleri üzerinde yapılmıştır. Teorik bilgi, uygulama becerisi ve formasyon becerisi olmak üzere üç boyutlu olarak hazırlanan veri toplama aracı, sözü edilen programlarda Beden Eğitimi Öğretimi dersini tamamlamış olan öğrencilere uygulanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda, erkek sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının beden eğitimi dersine yönelik öz-yeterlik algılarının, teorik bilgi ve uygulama becerisi boyutları açısından kız adayların öz-yeterlik algılarından daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Ayrıca fakültede bu dersleri spor salonunda işleyen sınıf öğretmeni adaylarının bu derse ilişkin öz-yeterlik algıları her üç boyutta da bu dersleri spor salonunda işlemeyen adayların öz yeterlik algılarından daha yüksek çıkmıştır.The purpose of this study is to determine the self-efficacy perception of the pre-service teachers towards Physical Education. Subjects are 423 student teachers from four Educational Faculties in Artvin, Rize, Trabzon and Giresun. Data were gathered via "The Scale of Physical Education Self Efficacy Perception" which was developed by the researchers. The scale developed in three parts as theoretical knowledge, practice skills and formation skills. The scale was applied to the student teachers who had completed Physical Education courses in their faculty programs. Findings indicated that male student teachers had higher self-efficacy perception scores toward Physical Education than female student teachers in terms of theoretical knowledge and practice skills dimensions. Also, the students teachers who had get the Physical Education Courses in sport facilities had higher self-efficacy perception scores toward Physical Education than the student teachers who hadn‟t get this course in sport facilities

FEN BİLİMLERİ ENSTİTÜSÜ/LİSANSÜSTÜ TEZ PROJESİ

NANOKOMPOZİTLERİN ÜÇ BOYUTLU YAZICI İLE ÜRETİLMES

NANOKOMPOZİTLERİN ÜÇ BOYUTLU YAZICI İLE ÜRETİLMESİ

NANOKOMPOZİTLERİN ÜÇ BOYUTLU YAZICI İLE ÜRETİLMES

Olive leaf extract as a crosslinking agent for the preparation of electrospun zein fibers

Incorporating active agents, reinforcing structure by crosslinking, thus changing release properties, can be listed as possible modifications in preparation methods of biopolymer fibers. This study introduces oleuropein, major component of olive leaf extract (OLE), as a natural functional crosslinker for electrospun zein fibers, owing to its antioxidant and antimicrobial properties. Incorporation of OLE causes morphological and structural changes indicated by a decrease in fiber diameter up to 27%, an increase in intensity of NH bending region due to interaction with -OH groups and observation of characteristic oleuropein bands. Extract addition also enhances thermal stability. Zein fibers without OLE is fully degraded at 600C, whereas 10% of OLE loaded zein fibers is left undegraded. Fifty percent of initial phenolic content loaded into fibers is released which indicate the effect of OLE incorporation as accumulation of oleuropein. OLE-incorporated fibers immersed in PBS are less fused than pure zein fibers, due to the crosslinking effect

Ruscogenin interacts with DPPC and DPPG model membranes and increases the membrane fluidity: FTIR and DSC studies

Ruscogenin, a kind of steroid saponin, has been shown to have significant anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-thrombotic characteristics. Furthermore, it has the potential to be employed as a medicinal medication to treat a variety of acute and chronic disorders. The interaction of a drug molecule with cell membranes can help to elucidate its system-wide protective and therapeutic effects, and it's also important for its pharmacological activity. The molecular mechanism by which ruscogenin affects membrane architecture is still a mystery. Ruscogenin's interaction with zwitterionic dipalmitoyl phosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and anionic dipalmitoyl phosphatidylglycerol (DPPG) multilamellar vesicles (MLVs) was studied utilizing two non-invasive approaches, including: Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Differential Scanning Calorimetry. Ruscogenin caused considerable alterations in the phase transition profile, order, dynamics and hydration state of head groups and glycerol backbone of DPPC and DPPG MLVs at all concentrations. The DSC results indicated that the presence of ruscogenin decreased the main phase transition temperature (Tm) and enthalpy (Delta H) values of both membranes and increased half height width of the main transition (Delta T1/2). The FTIR results demonstrated that all concentrations (1, 3, 6, 9, 15, 24 and 30 mol percent) of ruscogenin disordered the DPPC MLVs both in the gel and liquid crystalline phases while it increased the order of DPPG MLVs in the liquid crystalline phase. Moreover, ruscogenin caused an increase in the dynamics of DPPC and DPPG MLVs in both phases. Additionally, it enhanced the hydration of the head groups of lipids and the surrounding water molecules implying ruscogenin to interact strongly with both zwitterionic and charged model membranes.This work was supported by Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination. (Project number is FGA-2021-22592).Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination; [FGA-2021-22592