Soluble CD40 Ligand Levels in Otherwise Healthy Subjects With Impaired Fasting Glucose

Unlike diabetes mellitus and impaired glucose tolerance, it is not clear whether the subjects with impaired fasting glucose (IFG) are at increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases. The CD40-CD40 ligand interaction is involved in the mechanism of atherosclerosis. We investigated whether soluble CD40L (sCD40L) as well as high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) levels are increased in subjects with IFG having no confounding factors for inflammation or atherosclerosis. Twenty four IFG subjects with no additional disorders and 40 appropriate healthy controls were studied. sCD40L and hsCRP levels in the IFG and control groups were similar. Blood pressures, total and LDL-cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were also similar, whereas HDL-cholesterol was lower and HOMA-IR indexes were higher in the IFG group. Though the sample size was small, the present data show that sCD40L seems not to alter in subjects with IFG suggesting that it might not be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis

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

Protective efficiacy of taurine against pulmonary edema progression: experimental study

Re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an acute, rare and potentially lethal complication [1,2]. Its beginning is sudden and dramatic. The mechanism is not yet fully understood [1]. Some authors suggest that it may occur after rapid re-inflation of a collapsed lung [1]. It was reported by other authors that it may relate to surfactant depletion or may result from hypoxic capillary damage, leading to increased capillary permeability [1,3]. In RPE, unilateral lung injury is initiated by cytotoxic oxygen metabolites and temporally associated with an influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils [1]. These toxic oxygen products are the results of re-oxygenation of a collapsed lung. Treatment of re-expansion pulmonary edema is basically preventive [4]

Protective efficiacy of taurine against pulmonary edema progression: experimental study

Re-expansion pulmonary edema (RPE) is an acute, rare and potentially lethal complication [1,2]. Its beginning is sudden and dramatic. The mechanism is not yet fully understood [1]. Some authors suggest that it may occur after rapid re-inflation of a collapsed lung [1]. It was reported by other authors that it may relate to surfactant depletion or may result from hypoxic capillary damage, leading to increased capillary permeability [1,3]. In RPE, unilateral lung injury is initiated by cytotoxic oxygen metabolites and temporally associated with an influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils [1]. These toxic oxygen products are the results of re-oxygenation of a collapsed lung. Treatment of re-expansion pulmonary edema is basically preventive [4]

Silene dumanii (Caryophyllaceae), a new species from East Anatolia, Turkey

Silene dumanii Kandemir, G. Ecevit Genç & I. Genç sp. nova (Caryophyllaceae) from East Anatolia (Turkey) is described and illustrated. Diagnostic characters, detailed illustrations and taxonomic comments on the species as well as its geographical distribution are given

A new species of Silene (Caryophyllaceae) from east Anatolia, Turkey

Silene nerimaniae G. Ecevit Gen, A. Kandemir & I. Gen. sp. nov. (Caryophyllaceae) from east Anatolia (137: Erzincan-Turkey) is described and illustrated. Diagnostic characters, a description, detailed illustrations and taxonomic comments on the species are given. It is compared with the closely related taxon Silene araratica Schischk. ssp. araratica. The geographical distribution of the new species and related species is mapped

Karyological study of the genus Gundelia (Compositae) in Turkey

Karyotypes in 12 taxa of Gundelia are compared, based on Feulgen-stained somatic metaphase chromosomes. The karyotypes of G. anatolica, G. asperrima, G. cilicica, G. colemerikensis, G. dersim, G. glabra, G. komagenensis, G. mesopotamica, G. munzuriensis and G. vitekii are described for the first time. Karyological analyses indicate relationships among the species with respect to their asymmetry indices. All Gundelia species studied were diploid with 2n = 2x = 18 chromosomes. All karyotypes are symmetrical, consisting of metacentric and submetacentric chromosomes. The submetacentric chromosomes of all the investigated specimens contain a secondary constriction. Three chromosome types were identified according to the position of the secondary constrictions. The chromosomes ranged in size from 2.00 mu m to 7.02 mu m. The total haploid chromosome length (THL) varied from 24.97 mu m (G. asperrima) to 42.56 mu m (G. rosea). To determine the karyological relationships among taxa, PCoA (Principal Coordinate Analysis) with six uncorrelated parameters was performed

Seed morphology of perennial taxa of Euphorbia section Pithyusa (Euphorbiaceae) in Turkey

A comprehensive study based on seed morphology of perennial Euphorbia (Euphorbiaceae) sect. Pithyusa species occurring in Turkey is presented. A total of 14 species were studied. Seed characteristics were examined using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) as well as dissecting light microscopy. Significant features are: seed size, seed shape, shape of caruncle and seed surface ornamentation. Three different seed surface types (smooth, pitted, and wrinkled) were observed. Four main seed shapes (ovoid, oblong, quadrangular, and globose), as well as seven types of seed coat ornamentation (reticulate-areolate, areolate, alveolate, falsifoveate, pusticulate, colliculate and smooth) were found. The number of testa cells per 100 mu m(2) and also its range, from 8-12 to 57-63, are given

Karyological studies of six taxa of the genus Allium L. (Amaryllidaceae) from Turkey

Karyotype structures in representative taxa of the genus Allium L. are compared, based on Feulgen-stained somatic metaphase chromosomes. The karyotypes of Allium arlgirdense, A. anacoleum and A. microspathum (in subg. Allium), and A. rhetoreanum and A. shirnakense (in subg. Melanocrommyum) are described for the first time. The karyological analyses indicate the relationships among the species with respect to asymmetry indices. All Allium taxa studied are diploid with 2n = 2x = 16 chromosomes. One B chromosome is detected in the chromosomes of A. microspathum. All chromosome sets of the studied taxa consist of seven median chromosomes and one submedian chromosomes and all submetacentric pairs bear a satellite on the short arms. The lengths of the chromosomes show remarkable differences particularly at the subgenus level. The three subgenus of genus Allium show a clear tendency to have karyotypes distinct on asymmetry grounds. Karyotype asymmetry relationships are discussed according to the bidimensional scatter plots of A(1)-A(2) and CVCL-M-CA

Allium serpentinicum and A. kandemirii (Alliaceae), two new species from East Anatolia, Turkey

Genc, i. & Ozhatay, N. 2013: Allium serpentinicum and A. kandemirii (Alliaceae), two new species from East Anatolia, Turkey. - Ann. Bot. Fennici 50: 50-54