B semileptonic decays with 2+1 dynamical quark flavors

We study semileptonic B decays, using MILC dynamical configurations with $N_f=2+1$. NRQCD heavy and AsqTad light quark actions are used. We obtain the semileptonic form factors $f_+(q^2)$ and $f_0(q^2)$ in the chiral limit.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, talk presented at Lattice 2005 (Heavy quark physics

Progress Calculating Decay Constants with NRQCD and AsqTad Actions

We combine a light AsqTad antiquark with a nonrelativistic heavy quark to compute the decay constants of heavy-light pseudoscalar mesons using the ensemble of 3-flavor gauge field configurations generated by the MILC collaboration. Preliminary results for $f_{B_s}$ and $f_{D_s}$ are given and status of the chiral extrapolation to $f_B$ is reported. We also touch upon results of the perturbative calculation which matches matrix elements in the effective theory to the full theory at 1-loop order.Comment: Talk delivered at Lattice2003(heavy), 3 page

B Decays on the Lattice and Results for Phenomenology

Lattice Monte Carlo simulations now include the effects of 2 light sea quarks and 1 strange sea quark through the use of an improved staggered fermion action. Consequently, results important to phenomenology are free of the approximate 10% errors inherent in the quenched approximation. This talk reports on calculations of the B and Bs decay constants and B -> pi l nu form factors. Accurate determinations of these quantities will lead to tighter constraints on CKM matrix elements.Comment: Contributed to the Proceedings of American Physical Society's 2004 Meeting of the Division of Particles and Fields (DPF2004), Riverside, CA, 26-31 August 2004. 3 page

Kızılçam (Pinus brutia Ten.) Akdeniz Bölgesi alçak rakım ıslah programı kapsamındaki odun hammedesi üretimini artırmak için kızılçam odun kalitesinde (yoğunluk, lif karakterleri, ilkbahar ve yaz odun oranı) kalıtsallık ve genetik kazanç belirlenmesi

TÜBİTAK TOVAG01.09.2008Uzun vadede Kızılçamda odun hammaddesi üretimini artırmak amacıyla, Ceyhan Orman Fidanlığında altı adet klonal tohum bahçesinden toplanan tohumlarla kurulan 168 üvey kardeş aileli Kızılçam (Pinus brutia) döl denemesi kullanılarak, bu türdeki odun özgül ağılığı, lif boyu ve büyüme karakterlerinin genetik kontrolü çalışılmıştır. Gerekli odun örnekleri denemenin yedinci yaştaki aralama esnasında kesilen ağaçlardan elde edilmiştir. Bu çalışmadaki ulaşılmak istenen ana amaçlar; (1) odun özgül ağırlığı ve büyüme karakterleri açısından test edilen aileler arasındaki farklılıklar ile bu farklılığa ait bileşenlerin araştırılması, (2) özgül ağırlığın kalıtımsal özelliği ile büyüme karakteri ve lif uzunluğu ile arasındaki genetik korelasyoların belirlenmesi, (3) fenotipik, ayıklanmış ve genotipik tohum bahçelerinin kurulmasıyla elde edilecek genetik kazancın hesaplanması için özgül ağırlık ve gövde hami açısından 168 aileye ait ıslah değerlerinin ortaya konması olarak belirlenmiştir. Odun özgül ağırlığı açısından 168 aile birbirinden oldukça farklı değerler göstermiştir (0.35 ile 0.44 arasında). Elde edilen bu farklılık tahmin edilen aile (0.55+0,03) ve bireysel (0.42+ 0,07) kalıtım derecelerinin yüksek değerlere ulaşmasını sağlamıştır. Benzer sonuçlar büyüme karakterlerinde ve lif uzunluğunda da gözlenmiştir. Ancak ilkbahar odunun yaz odununa oranında aileler arasında bir fark ortaya çıkmamıştır. Özgül ağırlık ile büyüme karakterleri arasındaki genetik ve fenotipik korelasyonlar istatistiki olarak anlamsızken, lif karakteri özgül ağırlık ile azda olsa negatif, büyüme karakterleriyle ise pozitif bir ilişki göstermiştir. Yedinci yaştaki tek bir karaktere göre yapılan seleksiyonda kontrol materyaline göre fenotipik tohum bahçelerinden elde edilen genetik kazanç, gövde hacmi için % 8.4 olarak hesaplanırken, bu değer özgül ağırlık açısından oldukça düşük olup (%0.37) istatistiki olarak anlamsızdır. Her bir tohum bahçesinde 20 klon bırakılacak şekilde bir genetik ayıklama yapılması sonucunda tohum bahçelerinden elde edilecek genetik kazanç ise gövde hacmi için % 16.1 ve özgül ağırlık içinde %1.7 olarak tahmin edilmiştir. Islah değerlerine göre bir ve ikinci seri denemelerde en yüksek ıslah değerine sahip 30 klonla kurulacak genotipik tohum bahçelerinden elde edilecek 9 genetik kazanç, gövde hacminde % 35, özgül ağırlıkta %5.2 ve lif boyu içinse %12 olarak bulunmuştur. Özgül ağırlık ile büyüme karakterleri arasında genetik ve fenotipik bir ilişkini olmaması her iki karakter açısından da bir seleksiyon yapılabilmesine olanak sağlamıştır. Her iki karakter açısından en yüksek 10 ailenin seçilmesiyle elde edilen genetik kazanç gövde hacmi için % 27.7 iken özgül ağırlık için % 5.6 olarak hesaplanmıştır.In long term, to increase wood production in Turkish red pine (Pinus brutia), genetic control of wood specific gravity (WSG), fiber length and growth traits was investigated. Open pollinated Ceyhan progeny trial, which was established with the seeds collected from 168 clones originated from six clonal Turkish red pine seed orchards was used to realize this investigation. Wood samples were taken by destructive sampling during the rouging of this trial at the age of seven. Specifically; (1) to examine the magnitude of family differences and its components for wood specific gravity (WSG) and growth traits (height, diameter and stem volume); (2) to determine WSG inheritance and its genetic correlation with growth traits; and (3) to estimate breeding values of 168 families for the WSG and to predict genetic gain if selection is based on phenotypic, rouged and genotypic seed orchard by reselecting the best parents with respect to WSG. Differences among the 168 families for mean WSG was large (ranged from 0.35 to 0.44), as indicated by high individual (0.42+0.07) and family mean (0.55+0.03) heritabilities. Family differences and high heritabilities were also observed for all growth traits and fiber length. Genetic correlations between WSG and growth traits were statistically insignificant (near zero), while low and insignificant negative phenotypic correlations among the same traits were observed. On the other hand, although the same correlation was negative for wood specific gravity and fiber length, a positive genetic correlation between fiber length and growth traits was observed. Realized genetic gain for single trait selection at age of seven was insignificant (0.37 %) for WSG and 8.4 % for stem volume in phenotypic seed orchards. Average genetic gain in breeding zone after roguing, by leaving the best 20 clones in each seed orchard, reached 1.7 % for WSG and 16.1 % for stem volume. Genetic gain (relative to controls) at the age of seven obtained from the first generation genotypic seed orchards consisting the best 30 clones was estimated 5.2 % for WSG, 35 % for stem volume and 12% for fiber length. Multi-trait selection was also proposed in this 11 study for the same traits. Selection of best 10 families for the highest WSG and stem volume breeding values produce 5.6 % genetic gain for WSG and 27.7 % genetic gain for stem volume

Placenta, Secret Witness of Infant Morbidities: The Relationship Between Placental Histology and Outcome of the Premature Infant

Objective: The microscopic and macroscopic features of the placenta can contribute to the clinical understanding of premature delivery. The aim of our study was to figure out the relationship between the histopathological findings of the placentas of premature deliveries and its effects on neonatal morbidity and mortality. Material and Method: The placentas of 284 singleton preterm infants with <35 weeks of gestation were examined. three groups created as the normal, chorioamnionitis and vasculopathy according to histopathological findings in placentas subjects. Results: The mean gestational age of the infants in the study group was 30.5 ± 3.2 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1588 ± 581 g. The pathology was normal in ninety-six (33.8%), vasculopathy in 153 (53.9%) and chorioamnionitis in 35 (12.3%). The gestation age of the infants was lower in the chorioamnionitis group. Moreover, retinopathy of prematurity, early onset neonatal sepsis, and duration of respiratory support were found to be higher in the chorioamnionitis group. In the vasculopathy group, preeclampsia and small for gestational age were found to be significantly higher. Conclusion: Histopathological findings of the placentas from preterm deliveries provided important data in determining the etiology of preterm delivery and outcomes of infants. Infants delivered by mothers with chorioamnionitis were particularly found to be more preterm, and these preterm infants would have a longer hospital stay, higher respiratory support requirement, and more serious morbidities

Global Retinoblastoma Presentation and Analysis by National Income Level.

Importance: Early diagnosis of retinoblastoma, the most common intraocular cancer, can save both a child's life and vision. However, anecdotal evidence suggests that many children across the world are diagnosed late. To our knowledge, the clinical presentation of retinoblastoma has never been assessed on a global scale. Objectives: To report the retinoblastoma stage at diagnosis in patients across the world during a single year, to investigate associations between clinical variables and national income level, and to investigate risk factors for advanced disease at diagnosis. Design, Setting, and Participants: A total of 278 retinoblastoma treatment centers were recruited from June 2017 through December 2018 to participate in a cross-sectional analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed in 2017. Main Outcomes and Measures: Age at presentation, proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, and tumor stage and metastasis. Results: The cohort included 4351 new patients from 153 countries; the median age at diagnosis was 30.5 (interquartile range, 18.3-45.9) months, and 1976 patients (45.4%) were female. Most patients (n = 3685 [84.7%]) were from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Globally, the most common indication for referral was leukocoria (n = 2638 [62.8%]), followed by strabismus (n = 429 [10.2%]) and proptosis (n = 309 [7.4%]). Patients from high-income countries (HICs) were diagnosed at a median age of 14.1 months, with 656 of 666 (98.5%) patients having intraocular retinoblastoma and 2 (0.3%) having metastasis. Patients from low-income countries were diagnosed at a median age of 30.5 months, with 256 of 521 (49.1%) having extraocular retinoblastoma and 94 of 498 (18.9%) having metastasis. Lower national income level was associated with older presentation age, higher proportion of locally advanced disease and distant metastasis, and smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma. Advanced disease at diagnosis was more common in LMICs even after adjusting for age (odds ratio for low-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 17.92 [95% CI, 12.94-24.80], and for lower-middle-income countries vs upper-middle-income countries and HICs, 5.74 [95% CI, 4.30-7.68]). Conclusions and Relevance: This study is estimated to have included more than half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017. Children from LMICs, where the main global retinoblastoma burden lies, presented at an older age with more advanced disease and demonstrated a smaller proportion of familial history of retinoblastoma, likely because many do not reach a childbearing age. Given that retinoblastoma is curable, these data are concerning and mandate intervention at national and international levels. Further studies are needed to investigate factors, other than age at presentation, that may be associated with advanced disease in LMICs

The global retinoblastoma outcome study : a prospective, cluster-based analysis of 4064 patients from 149 countries

DATA SHARING : The study data will become available online once all analyses are complete.BACKGROUND : Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular cancer worldwide. There is some evidence to suggest that major differences exist in treatment outcomes for children with retinoblastoma from different regions, but these differences have not been assessed on a global scale. We aimed to report 3-year outcomes for children with retinoblastoma globally and to investigate factors associated with survival. METHODS : We did a prospective cluster-based analysis of treatment-naive patients with retinoblastoma who were diagnosed between Jan 1, 2017, and Dec 31, 2017, then treated and followed up for 3 years. Patients were recruited from 260 specialised treatment centres worldwide. Data were obtained from participating centres on primary and additional treatments, duration of follow-up, metastasis, eye globe salvage, and survival outcome. We analysed time to death and time to enucleation with Cox regression models. FINDINGS : The cohort included 4064 children from 149 countries. The median age at diagnosis was 23·2 months (IQR 11·0–36·5). Extraocular tumour spread (cT4 of the cTNMH classification) at diagnosis was reported in five (0·8%) of 636 children from high-income countries, 55 (5·4%) of 1027 children from upper-middle-income countries, 342 (19·7%) of 1738 children from lower-middle-income countries, and 196 (42·9%) of 457 children from low-income countries. Enucleation surgery was available for all children and intravenous chemotherapy was available for 4014 (98·8%) of 4064 children. The 3-year survival rate was 99·5% (95% CI 98·8–100·0) for children from high-income countries, 91·2% (89·5–93·0) for children from upper-middle-income countries, 80·3% (78·3–82·3) for children from lower-middle-income countries, and 57·3% (52·1-63·0) for children from low-income countries. On analysis, independent factors for worse survival were residence in low-income countries compared to high-income countries (hazard ratio 16·67; 95% CI 4·76–50·00), cT4 advanced tumour compared to cT1 (8·98; 4·44–18·18), and older age at diagnosis in children up to 3 years (1·38 per year; 1·23–1·56). For children aged 3–7 years, the mortality risk decreased slightly (p=0·0104 for the change in slope). INTERPRETATION : This study, estimated to include approximately half of all new retinoblastoma cases worldwide in 2017, shows profound inequity in survival of children depending on the national income level of their country of residence. In high-income countries, death from retinoblastoma is rare, whereas in low-income countries estimated 3-year survival is just over 50%. Although essential treatments are available in nearly all countries, early diagnosis and treatment in low-income countries are key to improving survival outcomes.The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and the Wellcome Trust.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/homeam2023Paediatrics and Child Healt

The immunoexpression patterns of fibroblast growth factors in the pregnant and postpartum rat ovary

Fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) are polypeptides involved in the regulation of oogenesis and folliculogenesis by inducing ovarian mitogenic, homeostatic and angiogenic activity. This study was aimed at determining the localisation of FGF ligands (FGF1 and FGF2) and FGF receptor 2 (FGFR2) in the rat ovary by immunohistochemical analyses, at pregnancy and the postpartum period. During pregnancy and the postpartum period, positive FGF1 immunoreactions were observed in the nucleus and cytoplasm of germinative epithelial cells, granulosa cells of follicles in different developmental stages, theca interna cells, interstitial cells, luteal cells and atretic follicles. FGF2 immunoreactivity was strong in the cytoplasm of the endothelial cells and smooth muscle cells of the ovarian blood vessels and in the smooth muscle cells of the ovarian cortex and medulla. Strong FGFR2 immunoreactivity was observed in the stromal cells surrounding the blood vessels and rete ovarii. Immunoreaction intensity of the FGF1, FGF2 and FGFR2 had relatively similar abundances between the periods examined. Considering that FGFs act as local regulators in oogenesis, folliculogenesis, follicular atresia, ovulation, corpus luteum formation and regression and angiogenesis, this study supports the idea that FGFs may also be involved in these physiological functions in rat ovaries during pregnancy and postpartum period

Immunohistochemical Expression of Estrogen and Progesterone Receptors in the Lacrimal Glands of the Rats

Seks steroid hormonları (östrojen ve progesteron) spesifik reseptörleri aracılığıyla lakrimal bez fonksiyonlarının önemli düzenleyicisidirler. Bu hormonların eksikliği göz kuruluğu ile karakterize keratokonjuktivitis sikka (KCS) hastalığına neden olmaktadır. Sunulan çalışma, erişkin erkek sıçanların intraorbital ve ekstraorbital lakrimal bezinde östrojen reseptör α (ERα), östrojen reseptör β (ERβ) ve progesteron reseptörlerinin (PR) immunohistokimyasal lokalizasyonlarını ortaya koymak amacıyla planlandı. Anastezi altında 8 adet erkek sıçandan elde edilen lakrimal doku örneklerine rutin histolojik prosedürü takiben Strep-ABC immunohistokimyasal boyama tekniği uygulandı. İntraorbital ve ekstraorbital bez epiteli, akıtıcı kanal epiteli, miyoepitel ve kan damarların endotel hücrelerinin hem sitoplazmasında hem de çekirdeğinde değişen derecelerde ERα, ERβ ve PR immunreaktivitesi saptandı. Her iki bezin bütün yapısal komponentlerinde ERα en yoğun olarak çekirdekte bulunurken, ERβ’nın en yoğun sitoplazmada lokalize olduğu tespit edildi. PR immunreaktivitesinin ise hem intraorbital hem de ekstraorbital bez epitelinin lateral membranlarında ve intraorbital bezin miyoepitel hücrelerinde kuvvetli boyanma olduğu gözlendi. Aynı zamanda intraorbital bezlerde kan damarlarının etrafında bulunan mast hücrelerinde pozitif ERβ immunreaksiyonu saptanırken, ekstraorbital bezin intersitisyel bağ dokusu içinde ERα, ERβ ve PR pozitif stromal hücrelere rastlandı. Sonuç olarak, erkek sıçanlarda intraorbital ve ekstraorbital bezin bütün yapısal komponentlerinde değişen derecelerde ERα, ERβ ve PR immunreaktivitesinin saptanması lakrimal bezin yapısal ve fonksiyonel bütünlüğünü sürdürmede östrojen ve progesteron hormonlarının reseptör bazlı etkisinin olduğu fikrini desteklemektedir.Sex steroid hormones (estrogen and progesterone) are important regulators in lacrimal gland functions with the help of its specific receptors. The deficiency of these hormones causes disease of keratokonjunctivitis sicca (KCS) which is characterized with eye dryness. This study was aimed to show the immunohistochemical localization of the ERα, ERβ and PR in intraorbital and extraorbital lacrimal glands of the rat. Following the routine histological procedure, the Strep-ABC immunohistochemical staining method was performed to the lacrimal gland samples obtained from 8 rats under anesthesia. Changing degrees of ERα, ERβ and PR immunoreactivity were determined in cytoplasm and nucleus of the secretory epithelium, duct epithelium, myoepithelial cells and endothelial cells of the intraorbital and extraorbital gland. It was determined that ERα was found intensely in the nucleus of the all structural components of the two glands, whereas ERβ was found intensely located in the cytoplasm. PR immunoreactivity was shown strongly in the lateral membranes of both gland epithelium and in the myoepithelial cells of the intraorbital glands. Also, positive ERβ immunoreaction was detected in the mast cells around the blood vessels in the intraorbital glands, whereas ERα, ERβ and PR positive stromal cells were detected in the interstitial connective tissue of the extraorbital gland. As a conclusion, changing degrees of ERα, ERβ and PR immunoreactivity found in all structural components of both glands supports the idea that the receptor based estrogen and progesterone hormones have an effect on the maintainance of the structural and functional integrity of the lacrimal gland