Comparative analysis of metallothionein proteins (MTs) from different grass species

Plant metallothioneins (MTs) are small proteins, having rich cysteine residues andappear to play key roles in metal homeostasis. In current study, MTs of 9 grass species (Brachypodium distachyon, Festuca rubra, Hordeum vulgare, Oryza sativa japonica, Oryza sativa indica, Saccharum officinarum, Sorghum bicolor, Triticum aestivum, and Zea mays) were used for in silico comparative analysis. Physicochemical analyses showed that pIvalues and GRAVY index were found to be in the range of (4.44) - (7.36) and (-0.037) - (-0.376), respectively. All MTs investigated in this study exhibited hydrophilic characterand 8 of 9 MTs had acidic nature. Also, there were no sequences containing tryptophan(Trp) residues. While the highest and lowest similar sequence identities were foundbetween S. bicolor & S. officinarum (0.928), and Z. mays & H. vulgare (0.183), respectively. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that one main group observed including two subgroups.The highest bootstrap value was observed between S. bicolor and S. officinarum (92%). Interestingly, H. vulgare appears not to be within any grass species group

q Dependence of Self-Energy Effects of the Plane Oxygen Vibration in YBa₂Cu₃O₇

We have measured the temperature dependence of the peak position and linewidth of the 42.5 meV phonon branch in a twinned single crystal of YBa2Cu3O7 as a function of wave vector q. In the 100/010 direction in the Brillouin zone, considerable softening and broadening occur below the superconducting transition temperature Tc at some values of q. We observe an order of magnitude smaller softening and no linewidth broadening for q in the 110/110 direction. Possible implications of these findings for the symmetry of the superconducting order parameter are discussed

The bite force and craniofacial morphology in patients with acromegaly: a pilot study

Objectives: Acromegaly is a metabolic disorder caused by increased growth hormone secretion. As a consequence of acromegaly some typical craniofacial morphology changes appear. This pilot study was conducted to compare the bite force and the characteristic size and shape of the craniofacial components of acromegalic patients with the healthy Turkish individuals. In additon, the correlations between bite force and craniofacial morphology of patients with acromegaly and control individuals were evaluated. Study Design: The maximum bite force of the participants was recorded with strain-gage transducer. Lateral xray scans were made under standard conditions, in centric occlusion. On cephalograms, the linear and angular measurements was performed. Results: Patients with acromegaly showed increased anterior and posterior total face height, ramus length, width of frontal sinuse, gonial angle and a negative difference between maxillary and mandibular protrusions. In addition, females with acromegaly showed larger lower anterior face height and sella turcica, decreased facial angle, increased mandibular plane angle. The cephalometric measurements, except one did not showed correlation with the bite force in acromegalic patients. In control group, significant correlations were observed between anterior total face height and anterior lower face height, mandibular plane angle and gonial angle. Conclusions: The greater changes were observed in the mandible. The maximum bite force of patients with acromegaly showed no difference from healthy individuals. The non-significant difference of bite force between healthy participants and acromegalic patients provide important information for dental treatment and prosthetic rehabilitation of acromegalic patients

Phonon and Magnetic Neutron Scattering at 41 Mev in YBa₂Cu₃O₇

We report inelastic neutron scattering measurements at excitation energies Latin small letter h with strokeω~41 meV in YBa2Cu3O7. We separate magnetic and phonon contributions to the scattering cross section by a detailed analysis of the momentum dependence of the scattered intensity. The previously reported broad peak around q=(π/a,π/a) in the normal state can be entirely accounted for by a phonon which primarily involves vibrations of the in-plane oxygen. Magnetic scattering centered around 41 meV and q=(π/a,π/a) appears in the superconducting state only. Theoretical implications of these findings are discussed

Giant Hydatid Cyst Originating from Psoas Muscle Extending to the Iliac Bone, Inguinal, and Femoral Canals: A Case Report and Current Literature Review

Retroperitoneal hydatid cysts are extremely rare and difficult to distinguish from other intra-abdominal pathologies, such as synovial sarcoma. In this study, we present a rare case of a complicated retroperitoneal hydatid cyst originating from the psoas muscle without any other focus. A 59-year-old male patient presented to the outpatient clinic with complaints of constipation and a feeling of gradually increasing swelling in the left lower quadrant of the abdomen and left groin area, progressing toward the left leg. In the examinations performed, a multiloculated giant hydatid cyst that filled the left pelvis in the retroperitoneal region, deviated the intra-abdominal organs to the right side, and extended to the left femoral and inguinal canals was detected. The patient underwent surgical excision and was followed up during the postoperative period. No evidence of recurrence was found at the patient’s 3rd and 6th month follow-ups. Primary muscle hydatid cysts necessitate a distinct approach to treatment and management when compared with hydatid cysts in other bodily organs. While recurrences remain a potential concern after resection, it is noteworthy that the window for the formation of fertile cysts typically spans up to 10 months. Thus, it is advisable to conduct regular postoperative follow-up examinations during the first year following surgery to ensure comprehensive monitoring and care

Vortex Structures in YBa₂Cu₃O₇ (Invited)

Extensive small angle neutron scattering experiments have been conducted on the vortex system in YBa2Cu3O7 in a magnetic field range of 0.5 T≤H≤5 T, and with various orientations of the magnetic field with respect to the crystallographic axes. For H parallel to the c axis, the vortex lattice is oblique with two nearly equal lattice constants and an angle of 73°between primitive vectors. One principal axis of the vortex lattice coincides with the (110) direction of the crystal lattice. It is shown that this structure cannot be explained in the framework of a purely electrodynamic (London) model, and that it is intimately related to the in-plane anisotropy of the superconducting coherence length. When the field is inclined with respect to the c axis, the uniaxial anisotropy due to the layered crystal structure of YBa2Cu3O7 becomes relevant. The interplay between the square in-plane anisotropy and the uniaxial anisotropy leads to both a continous structural transition and a reorientation of the vortex lattice as a function of inclination angle. For the largest inclination angles, the vortex lattice decomposes into independent chains

Vortex Lattice Symmetry and Electronic Structure in YBa₂Cu₃O₇

We report a small angle neutron scattering study of the vortex lattice in YBa2Cu3O7 in magnetic fields of 0.5≤H≤5 T applied along and close to the c axis. Over the entire field range, the vortices form an oblique lattice with two nearly equal lattice constants and an angle of 73°between primitive vectors. Numerical calculations suggest that variations of the superconducting order parameter near the vortex core are important in stabilizing this structure. An analysis that accounts for the fourfold symmetry of the vortex core qualitatively explains both the symmetry and the orientation of the observed vortex lattice. A quantitative explanation of our data will require calculations based on a realistic gap equation

Evaluation of macular choroidal and microvascular network changes by activity scores and serum antibodies in thyroid eye patients and healthy subjects

AIM: To investigate the choroidal thickness and the microvascular network changes around the macula in thyroid eye disease (TED) patients at different stages and the relationship of those changes with risk factors, serum antibodies and the severity of TED. METHODS: A total of 85 participants were enrolled. All participants underwent ophthalmology and endocrinology examinations. Subfoveal choroidal thickness (SFCT), superficial (s) and deep (d) foveal avascular zone (FAZ) area, mean (m) and central (c) superficial vascular density (SVD), deep vascular density (DVD) measurements of the enrolled cases were performed with Topcon swept source optical coherence tomography (OCT)/OCT angiography (OCTA) DRI OCT Triton. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to explore the associations between SFCT, FAZ area, SVD, DVD and the relevant factors of TED. RESULTS: Those with active TED patients had higher c-DVD and m-DVD levels (P<0.05), however there is no statistically significant difference in SFCT between active and stable TED patients. Among the serum antibodies, it was observed that s-FAZ and d-FAZ increased, c-SVD and m-SVD decreased in patients with high thyroid stimulating hormone-receptor autoantibodies (TRAB) level, whereas SFCT thickened in patients with high levels of both TRAB and human thyroglobulin (hTG). There was no significant difference in SFCT, FAZ, SVD and DVD measurement at gender, between hyperthyroid and euthyroid patients and among those with or without thyroid papillary carcinoma. CONCLUSION: The results show that both disease activation and serum antibodies differentially affect both superficial and deep retinal vascular density. It has also been shown that high serum antibody levels affect choroidal thickness independent of clinical activity

STMS markers related to Ascochyta blight resistance in chickpea

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the important legume crops and is cultivated in large-scale throughout Türkiye as well as the world. Ascochyta blight, caused by the fungal phytopathogen Ascochyta rabiei, is the leading reason for the highest yield losses among the diseases known for chickpea. The pathogen exhibits high genetic diversity in Türkiye. Therefore, resistancy using Sequence Tagged Microsatellite Site (STMS) markers related with the genes that provide resistant against Ascochyta blight was investigated for the 205 chickpea breeding lines grown in different parts of Türkiye. The analysis for Ascochyta blight resistance was performed using Ta2, Ta146 and Ts54. It was demonstrated that Ta2, Ts54 and Ta146 were the STMS markers having distinguishable features for the detection of Ascochyta blight resistance and were shown to be used in credible fashion for the selection of resistant chickpea breeding lines