Molecular and biochemical analysis of trichome patterning in arabidopsis thaliana

In the Arabidopsis leaf epidermis, a de novo patterning mechanism is responsible for the non-random distribution of trichomes. Whether an epidermal cell becomes a trichome or not, is determined by the interplay of MYB-bHLH-WD40 proteins. These proteins are regulating the expression of genes required for initiation of trichomes. The trichome pattern formation in Arabidopsis leaves has been investigated by genetic analyses of trichome initiation mutants and yeast two-hybrid interactions among these trichome patterning proteins. Additionally, the comparison to similar mechanisms, such as root hair patterning has revealed further insights. However, biochemical information about specific intrinsic properties of the trichome patterning proteins and their direct protein-protein and DNA-protein interactions is still rare. In this study, bacterial expression and purification of the GL1, GL3, EGL3, TTG1 and TRY proteins, which serve as the key components of the MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex, is successfully performed for the first time. GST pull-down experiments conducted with these purified proteins reveal direct and novel interactions among the members of the MYB-bHLH-WD40 complex. Moreover, TTG2, a recently identified regulator of trichome development, is bacterially expressed, purified and analysed for its in vitro protein interactions via GST pull-down and affinity purification experiments. Specific antibodies against GL1, EGL3, TTG1, TTG2 and TRY proteins are also produced, purified and tested for detection of these proteins from Arabidopsis plant extracts. These pure proteins and antibodies pave the way to future biochemical experiments investigating protein-protein as well as protein-DNA interactions, protein mobility and posttranslational modifications, with the aim to answer open questions for understanding of the trichome patterning

A novel AP2 domain transcription factor from lycopersicon esculentum, functions in Tobacco Mosaic Virus pathogenesis

In this work, one of the established plant defense proteins namely that corresponding to the class EREBP-like transcription factors containing the AP2 domain was examined to identify a possible role in Tobacco Mosaic Virus Pathogenesis. Inparticular, a putative AP2-domain EREBP-like transcription factor JERF1- from tomato cDNA was subcloned into various expression vectors in order to test for its potential role in virus response in Solanacaea. The gene silencing experiments, in which death was observed subsequent to silencing of the JERF1 gene and TMV infection, have shown that this particular gene might be involved in the TMV infection cycle in Solanacaea. The results of a yeast mating assay conducted in this study has also implied that JERF1 is an interactor of plant P58IPK. This possibility would in turn suggests that JERF1 may be involved in plant-virus interaction. Overexpression, yeastprotein expression, and GFP-fusion constructs have also been prepared to support functional analyses of this putative transcription factor. It would follow to reason that this study of the recently sequenced JERF1 describes the first attempt to understand the function of this protein in plant-virus interaction

Protagonismo no palco das questões ambientais, estudo desenvolvido em grupos de teatro espontâneo

Orientador: Prof. Dr. Manoel Flores LesamaCoorientador: Prof. Dr. José Gustavo Sampaio GarciaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Federal do Paraná, Setor Litoral, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Ambientais. Defesa : Matinhos, 18/03/2019Inclui referências: p.157-159Resumo: Estudo realizado com dois grupos tendo como foco a temática ambiental, água, verificando a possibilidade de aplicação da metodologia do Teatro Espontâneo, criado por Jacob Levy Moreno a partir de suas experiências como Diretor de teatro inovador, mais tarde consagrado pela criação da teoria e da prática do Psicodrama. Busca-se averiguar a possibilidade de aplicação da metodologia do Teatro Espontâneo para o ensino das ciências ambientais no espaço formal e não formal. A análise leva ao tema do protagonismo e da ausência do protagonista espontâneo, que é analisado à luz da teoria de Wilhelm Reich, notadamente pelo seu conceito de couraça bio-psíquicaenergética e suas implicações para a educação. Apresenta-se a proposta de que o Teatro Espontâneo pode contribuir para a formação e o exercício do protagonismo, especialmente no campo das questões ambientais. Palavras-chaves: Educação, ciências ambientais, teatro, teatro espontâneo, psicologia, psicodrama, couraça, J. L. Moreno, W. Reich.Abstract: Study carried out with two groups focused on the environmental theme, water, verifying the possibility of applying the Spontaneous Theater methodology, created by Jacob Levy Moreno from his experiences as Director of innovative theater, later consecrated by the creation of theory and of the practice of Psychodrama. It is sought to investigate the possibility of applying the Spontaneous Theater methodology to the teaching of the environmental sciences in formal and non-formal space. The analysis leads to the theme of protagonism and the absence of the spontaneous protagonist, which is analyzed in the light of Wilhelm Reich's theory, notably for its concept of biopsychic- energy cuirass and its implications for education. The Spontaneous Theater can contribute to the formation and the exercise of the protagonism, especially in the field of environmental issues. Key words: Education, environmental, theater, spontaneous theater, psychology, psichodrama, harness, J. L. Moreno, W. Reich

Havasız arıtmanın fizikokimyasal dengelerle modellenmesi

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 1994Thesis (M.Sc.) -- İstanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, 1994Bu çalışmada, havasız reaktörlerin fîziko-kimyasal dengelerle modellemesi yapılarak elde edilen sonuçlar yardımı ile havasız arıtma uygulama çalışmalarına kolaylıklar sağlanması hedeflenmiştir. Birinci bölümde tezin konusu ve kapsamı açıklanarak, çalışmanın önemine değinilmiştir. İkinci bölümde, havasız arıtmada ve çeşitli substratlann fermantasyon özellikleri anlatılarak, avantaj ve dezavantajları ile çevre şartlarının anaerobik süreçlere etkileri açıklanmıştır. Üçüncü bölümde, anaerobik reaktörlerin modellemesi ile ilgili daha önce yapılan çalışmalar anlatılmıştır. Dördüncü bölümde, havasız antma sistemlerinin modellemesi fîziko-kimyasal dengelerle kurulmuştur. Mikroorganizma ve substrat konsantrasyonu arasındaki ilişkiyi belirlemek için Monod kinetiği anlatılmıştır. Ayrıca laboratuvar çalışması ve oradan çıkan sonuçlarla hesaplanan katsayıların bulunması anlatılmıştır. Anaerobik antma modellemesinin bilgisayar programlan da bu bölümde anlatılmıştır. Beşinci bölümde ise sonuçlar özetlenmiştir.Anaerobic digestion is a process which has been included in both municipal and industrial waste water treatment process trains since the nineteen thirties. It is an effective method for stabilizing concentrated biologically decomposable organic wastes. Moreover, digestion does not require aeration equipment such as blowers or mechanical aerators. Anaerobic decomposition of organic wastes is a stepwise process. Extracellular enzymes serve on important role in the initial solubilization of complex organic materials. However, in the fermentation of soluble industrial organic wastes this first step is bypassed The solubilized organics are subsequently decomposed by "acid forming bacteria" into short chain fatty acids, referred to as volatile acids, as well as carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and other minor products. Ultimately, the volatile acids are converted to methane, carbondioxide, and additional organisms by a generalized class of microbes referred to as the "methane forming bacteria". It is this conversion of volatile acids to methane and carbon dioxide that is considered to be the rate limiting reaction in the series. Although the formation of methane and carbon dioxide from complex organics is a series reaction, it is important to recognise that all three steps occur simultaneously in a plant-sized digester. An additional adventage derived from the digestion process is the production of a useful by-product, methane. Approximately sixty-five percent by volume of the digester gas is methane while the balance consists mostly of carbon dioxide. The anaerobic metabolism of a complex subsrate, including suspended organic matter, can be regarded as a three step process: l.step: Hydrolysis of suspended organics and soluble organics of high molecular weight. 2.step: Degradation of small organic molecules to various volatile fatty acids, ultimately acetic acid. 3.step: Production of methane, primarily from acetic acid but also from hydrogen and carbondioxide. Xlll Of the three steps, the second one is rather quick, while the two others are slow. This accounts for many instability problem encountered in anaerobic processes. Basicly, however, the anaerobic processes are not more unstable than aerobic, ones. One of the reason why this is a rather rare view, is that engineering design practise for anaerobic processes through the years have been operating with rather small safety factors and very poor process control. In anaerobic sludge treatment the solids retention time, 0C, and the hydraulic retention time, 0, are almost identical. The ratio 0C 1 0 might be increased to 1.5-2, due to withdrawal of digester supernatent. In anaerobic wastewater treatment, however, the ratio between solids retention time and hydraulic retention time can be increased to 10-100. This reduces the reactor volume considerably and makes anaerobic wastewater treatment economically interesting as compared to aerobic processes. For anaerobic processes the cost of aeration increases with increased concentration of organic matter, and above some 5-10 kgCOD/m3 the system becomes oxygen transfer limited, which results in increased hydraulic retention time in order to ensure sufficient oxygen supply to the process. For such industrial wastes, anaerobic treatment has long been economically attractive. Anaerobic digesters are complicated systems which may be approximated to physico-chemical systems (liquid + gaseous environment) that interact with biological systems (biomass and related metabolism). Defining a reliable model for a physico - chemical system is relatively easy because of the low number of variables, knowledge of parameter relationships and because interfering factors such as ionic strength can be taken into account. On the other hand, biological systems found in anaerobic digesters are difficult both to define and study because they comprise a great number of interacting microbial species and because metabolism and interactions between a species are far from being completely understood. Yet most anaerobic studies deal specifically with biological aspects while the limitations set by the physico - chemical system are hardly considered. This fact is partly understandable if one considers that most anaerobic studies carried out in the last two decades have been related to the mesophilc degradation of sludges with high natural buffer potential (organic nitrogen -» NH4HC03) which is very important in keeping environmental conditions relatively constant. Present emphasis on the anaerobic treatment of high and low buffer potential at temperatures ranging from 5 to 65 °C makes the study of physico -chemical system important both for the definition of the digester environmental conditions and for proces control. The complex biological system has been simulated by an ideal catalyst which is part of the physico - chemical system. The anaerobic digester is then modelled by a simple catalyst reactor where the substrate is converted to CH4,C02 insoluble compounds (to simulate biomass synthesis) and acetic acid (to simulate overload conditions). XIV The following assumptions are considered to hold valid for the digester model: 1. The digester is a completely stirred tank reactor. 2. An ideal catalyst convert substrate at rate independent of pH and temperature variations. 3. In-reactor catalyst consentration is constant. 4. Substrate is made of corbohydrates. Substrate convertion to CH4 and C02 is defined by the ratio a = moles CH4 1 {moles CH4 + moles C02 ) = 0.5 in general, a depends on substrate composition (C/O/H ratio) or on the oxidation state of carbon. 5. Fraction Y of the substrate is converted to insoluble compounds to simulate biomass synthesis. 6. To simulate imballance between acidfying and methanogenic populations the substrate which is not converted to CH4,C02 and biomass is discharged as acetic acid. 7. Gas and liquid phases are in equilibrium. 8. Steady state conditions prevail. 9. Influent inorganic carbon concentration and CH4 solubility in water are neglected. (CH4 solubility is low i.e. 14ppm by volume at 35 °C) 10. Cations M* are added to the influent as hydroxides. 1 1. The influence of ionic strength on activity coefficients are neglected. 12. Water vapour pressure is considered. Substrate (as C6HX206) and cation (as Na + ) concentrations in the influent, in- reactor acetic + acetate concentration and temperature were assumed as independent variables. pH and PCÛ2, were assumed as dependent variables. pH is important as methanogens have a narrow optimum pH range. Pco, is a relevent parameter for the determination of biogas quality and it is commonly thought that Pco variations are caused by the biological system. This possibility is not denied but this investigation is only concerned with the substential variations in Pco due to the physico - chemical system. It is considered that some or all of the following process variables should be monitored to insure an early warning of process upset. (1) rate of total gas production, (2) Gas composition, (3) volatile acid concentration, (4) pH, and (5) Alkalinity. XV Field testing the response of each of the variable to digester upset and failure would be difficult, if not impossible. However, a detailed study of the behaviour of all the common process variables utilized in the digester operation was performed using computer simulations. Organic, hydraulic, and toxic overloading were simulated. Moreover all of the process variables which have been used by plant operators as well as research workers to monitor the condition of a digester will ultimately register a sharp increase or decrease as a digester fails. It was possible to determine which process variables responded to the imposed digester overloading in sufficient time to permit corrective action to be taken. Digester process variables which were evaluated as potential process stability indicators. Rate of methane production, total substrate concentration, total volatile acids, %C02 in Dry Gas, pH, Bicarbonate Alkalinity, Organism concentration, Specific Growth Rate, Dry Gas Flow Rate, Total volatile acids: Total Alkalinity Ratio, Total Alkalinity, Dissolved Carbon Dioxide, Unionized Acetic Acid. Although all of the these variables yielded save process information, the first four offered the greatest potential from the standpoint of indicating stability. They demonstrate a definite response to the simulated organic, hydraulic and toxic digester overloading in sufficient time to allow an operator to sends the digester instability and implement corrective action. The simulated responses of (a) rate of methan production, (b) total substrate concentration, (c) percent Carbon Dioxide in the dry gas, and (d) pH to the three common types of overloading are presented in the figures below. Toxic overloading can occour when the contituents of certain industrial waste spills are pomped to a digester without being sufficiently diluted. The primary cause of hydraulic overloading in municipal digesters is an effective digester residence time which is too brief for a net organism growth. In effect the organisms are diluted from the reactor faster than they can reproduce. On the other hand, the rate of methane increases in the early stages of organic overloading and does not decline until process approaches failure. In effect, it provided an early warning of impending instability due to toxic overloading. The initial objective of this work was to construct a mathematical model for the anaerobic digested This model was programmed on a computer to evaluate process stability indicators and factors which increase digested stability. Mathematical modeling is an evolutionary process. Because of the inherent limitations in quantitavely describing the physical behaviour of process and operations, there is a continuous need to refine and improve a mathematical model. This model depicts the anaerobic digester as a continuous flow, completely mixed three-phase reactor in which organic compounds are biologically converted to methane and carbon dioxide. The model was formulated by first describing the reaction mechanisms and the coupling these expressions with the pertinent reactor equations for a conventional digestion tank. XV! An improved dynamic model of the anaerobic digester was presented which can be used for simulating digester design and operating conditions the simulations enable digester performance to be evaluated semiquantitatively under a variety of conditions. This form of analysis can frequantly reduce the amount of laboratory and pilot experimental studies by rapidly screening process alternatives. Alternatives which the simulations indicate as having the greatest potential can be further studied by pilot testing. The digester was modeled as a completely mixed continious flow reactor. Methane formation was considered as the rate limiting step. Therefore, the reaction kinetics were written solely for the volatile acid conversion step. Spesific growth rate was described by and inhibition function in which the unionized volatile acid acted as both the rate limiting and rate inhibiting substrate. The model included expressions for the interactions among the gas, liquid, and solid phases as well as a first order function for toxic dead. The model was programmed on a hybrid computer to fasilitate simulating digester overloading and control strategies. Control strategies which were evaluated from the myriad of simulations included a) gas scrubbing and recycle, b) base addition, c) sludge and organizms recycle, and d) flow reduction gas scrubbing and recycle a control action which has not as yet been field tested, appeared to overcome cation toxicity and carbonate precipiteation difficulties which can accompany digester pH adjustment.Yüksek LisansM.Sc

Analysis of fluoride pollution from fertilizer industry and phosphogypsum piles in agricultural area

Soil fluoride pollution due to small and large scale industrial plants and phosphogypsum (PG) as a by-product of a chemical fertilizer production plant (CFPP) in Bandırma district in Turkey was studied. The soil fluoride concentrations of the samples varied in the range of 75 mg/kg to 884 mg/kg with an average of 300 mg/kg ± 195 mg/kg. The average fluoride amount in the soils around the world has been exceeded in many areas in prevailing wind directions, varying in 394 mg/kg ± 884 mg/kg, while it was lower (30 mg/kg to 380 mg/kg) in other directions. Spatial soil fluoride map showed that the fluoride has been transported up to 15 km away by atmospheric transportation under the influence of prevailing winds. High fluoride concentrations measured in PG samples varied in the range of 2320 mg/kg to 3400 mg/kg. We conclude that atmospheric transportation of PG and fluoride containing missions of CFPP may be the cause of fluoride accumulation and the pollution in the soils located around

Türkiye’nin Abirliği’ne üyelik sürecinde Almanya’daki Türk lobi gücünün rolü

Türkiye – Avrupa Birliği (AB) ilişkilerinde giderek daha fazla önem kazanan konuların başında, Avrupa ülkeleri kamuoylarında genelde olumsuz olan “Türkiye imajı” nın düzeltilmesine yönelik “lobi” çalışmalarının yetersiz olması gelmekte. Tarihsel nedenlerle yüzyıllar öncesinden günümüze kadar süregelen bu olumsuz imajın düzeltilmesi, çeşitli ve sürekli bir şekilde lobi faaliyetlerini gerektirmektedir. Özellikle Avrupa ülkeleriyle “sivil toplum diyaloğu”nun geliştirilmesi, AB üyeliği perspektifi bakımından Türkiye için büyük önem arz etmektedir. Bu nedenle, Avrupa kamuoylarına yönelik iletişimin sağlanması bakımından “sivil toplum kuruluşları” (STK’lar) önemli bir rol üstlenmektedirler. Ancak STK’ların gelişmişlik düzeyleri bakımından Türkiye ile AB ülkeleri arasında büyük farklılıklar söz konusudur. Bunun temel nedeni ise Türkiye’deki STK’ların demokratik anlayışın bir sonucu olarak nitelik ve nicelik yönünden AB ülkelerinin hepsinin olmasa bile büyük bir bölümünün gerisinde kalmasıdır. Bu iletişim eksikliği, Türkiye-AB katılım müzakereleri sürecinin tıkandığı günümüzde açıkça görülmektedir. Bu konuda neler yapabilir sorusuna yanıt olarak çeşitli projeler önerilmektedir. Bu öneriler, diğer ülkelerin deneyimlerinden de yararlanılarak hazırlanmakta ve dolayısıyla genel olarak benzerlikler içermektedir. Ancak bunlar arasında, pek sık olmasa da, başta Almanya olmak üzere çeşitli Avrupa ülkelerinde yaşayan “Türk Göçmenler” in oluşturduğu potansiyel gücün değerlendirilmesine yönelik farklı projeler de yer almaktadır. Bu makalede, literatüre katkı sağlamak amacıyla, Almanya’daki Türk toplumu, özellikle farklı konumları nedeniyle 2. ve 3. nesil Türklerin, Türkiye ve Avrupa ülkeleri kamuoyları arasında kalıcı ve etkili bir iletişimin kurulmasındaki rolü incelenmektedir

Investigation of Heavy Metal Pollution on Agricultural Lands in the South of Marmara Region

Bu çalışmada; güney Marmara bölgesinde, tarım yapılan topraklarda bulunan ağır metaller araştırılmış, bu kapsamda bulunan ağır metal konsantrasyon değerlerinin yüksek olmasının sebepleri irdelenmiştir. Bu anlamda, bölgede fosforik asit üretimi esnasında yan ürün olarak açığa çıkan fosfojipsin depolanması ve taşınmasının oluşturabileceği çevresel etkilerin yanısıra, gübre maksadıyla kullanılmış olmasının üzerinde yoğunlaşılmıştır. Araştırma yapılan bölgeden rüzgarın taşınım yönüne bağlı olarak kirlenmenin taşınabileceği uzaklığı belirlemek amacıyla depolama sahasından gittikçe artan aralıklarla yaklaşık 15 km uzaklığa kadar 30 adet toprak numunesi alınmıştır. Alınan toprak numunelerindeki Fe, Mn, Ca, Cr, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb elementlerinin konsantrasyonları ICP-MS cihazında analiz edilmiştir. Toprak numuneleri, birbirlerine yakınlıkları ve rüzgar taşıma yönleri dikkate alınarak 9 gruba ayrılmıştır. Rüzgar taşıma yönünün dışında kalan 4 numuneyi içeren bölge şahit olarak seçilmiştir. Analizi yapılan 19 element arasında toprak kirlenmesine neden olan Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn gibi metallerin sırasıyla 395, 152, 181, 215, 263 mg/kg gibi yüksek konsantrasyonları, şahit bölge toprağı ile karşılaştırılarak farklılığın sebepleri açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır.This study explores the amount of heavy metals in the agricultural lands around the south of Marmara Region and makes an assesment on the reasons for high level of heavy metal concentration in soil. In this sense, this study concentrates on the environmental impact of storage and transportation of phosphogypsum, which is revealed as a by-product of phosphoric acid production. Moreover, the use of phosphogypsum as a fertilizer has also taken into consideration. In order to find out the range of pollution, thirty different samples of soil were taken in sequences of varying up to 15 kms. The direction of the sequences were determined according to the wind and the intervals of the the sequences were widening from the initial to the ultimate points. The concentrations of certain elements (Fe, Mn, Ca, Cr, Na, Mg, Al, P, K, V, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Se, Cd, Sb, Pb) in soil samples were analysed with ICP-MS. The soil samples were divided into nine different groups according to the wind direction and proximity. An area that covers four samples, which fell outside the direction of the wind, were selected as a reference. Among the 19 elements that cause to pollution, some metals (Cr, Cd, Ni, Cu, Zn) with high concentration (395, 152, 181, 215, 263 mg/kg, respectively) were compared to reference area for the purpose of clarifying the differences