In silico sequence analysis and homology modeling of predicted beta-amylase 7-like protein in Brachypodium distachyon L.

Beta-amylase (β-amylase, EC 3.2.1.2) is an enzyme that catalyses hydrolysis of glucosidic bonds in polysaccharides. In this study, we analyzed protein sequence of predicted beta-amylase 7-like protein in Brachypodium distachyon. pI (isoelectric point) value was found as 5.23 in acidic character, while the instability index (II) was found as 50.28 with accepted unstable protein. The prediction of subcellular localization was revealed that the protein may reside in chloroplast by using CELLO v.2.5. The 3D structure of protein was performed using comparative homology modeling with SWISS-MODEL. The accuracy of the predicted 3D structure was checked using Ramachandran plot analysis showed that 95.4% in favored region. The results of our study contribute to understanding of β-amylase protein structure in grass species and will be scientific base for 3D modeling of beta-amylase proteins in further studies

Determination of some heavy metals and mineral nutrients of bay tree (Laurus nobilis L.) in Bartin city, Turkey

Concentrations of Al, Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb in Laurus nobilis L. were examined for assessment of the impact of heavy metal exposure during winter periods, since these metals have the highest toxic potential. In this study, leaf (washed and unwashed), bark and branch samples of L. nobilis and soil samples were collected from 13 different localities, belonged to three stations. In conjunction with analyzing impact of the heavy metal exposure on the city using L. nobilis as a biomonitoring tool, the uptake and composition of mineral nutrients of L. nobilis were also investigated for determining the effects of heavy metals on mineral nutrition metabolism of the plant. The heavy metal and mineral nutrient concentrations of the collected samples were measured by using ICP-OES. The obtained data was analyzed with SPSS statistics program. As a result of measurements, the lowest and highest heavy metal accumulations and the amount of mineral nutrients measured in plants were as follows; Al (14.69-122.44 mg/kg d. wt), Cd (0.23-0.89 mg/kg d. wt), Cu (1.64-14.25 mg/kg d. wt.), Ni (0.001-0.45 mg/kg d. wt.), Pb (2.06-5.28 mg/kg d. wt.) and B (1.04- 6.67 mg/kg d. wt.), Ca (1195.34-4919.03 mg/kg d. wt.), Fe (17.13-203.25 mg/kg d. wt.), K (538.99-3778.37 mg/kg d. wt.), Mg(48.1-268.5 mg/kg d. wt.), Na (24.91-77.43 mg/kg d. wt.) and Zn (4.75-15.74 mg/kg d. wt.). According to the experimental data, the volume of the air pollution was analyzed and found significant in the city. Also, it was noticed that the metabolism of mineral nutrients of L. nobilis was altered by heavy metals. Finally, it was proved that L. nobilis is a suitable organism to be used as a biomonitoring tool for conducting research on heavy metal pollution

Mineral element uptake status of endemic Isoetes anatolica Prada & Rolleri populations from Bolu-Turkey

Isoetes genus is commonly known as the "quillworts" and considered to be "fern allies". There are about 200-250 species, with a cosmopolitan distribution but often scarce to rare. Isoetes genus members often grow in extremely sensitive aquatic environments such as temporary ponds, streams and lakes. They are therefore good indicators of environmental quality. Isoetes anatolica Prada & Rolleri is an endemic plant grows on calcareous sediment/soil on the edges of seasonal ponds located in a mountainous area near the southern coast of the Black Sea at 1400 m above sea level at Bolu, Turkey. In this study, mineral element uptake statuses of I. anatolica populations were studied on the background of plant-sediment/soil-water interactions. The study materials were collected from the place where this narrow endemic species only lives in the world (Abant Region, Bolu/Turkey) by using standard methods and plant and sediment/soil mineral element measurements (Al, B, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni and Zn) were done. ICP-OES was employed for the measurements during the study. Interrelations between mineral element contents in the sediment/soil, water and plant were discussed. The data revealed that I. anatolica is capable of accumulating considerable amounts of certain mineral elements (B, Ca, Mn and Na).Marmara University, Commission of Scientific Research Project (FEN-D-040712-0291

Prolactin receptor (PRLR) gene polymorphism in Chios, White Karaman and Awassi sheep breeds

The objective of the present study was to determine the polymorphism in the prolactine receptor (PRLR) gene in Chios, White Karaman and Awassi, which are native sheep breeds in Turkey. By means of PRLR gene sequence homology between sheep and humans, two primer pairs were designed for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification within intron 1 and exon 10 of the PRLR gene in sheep. A total of 160 amplicons (99 for intron 1 and 61 for exon 10) were subjected to DNA sequence analysis. For intron 1, 6 different haplotypes were determined. For exon 10, 7 different haplotypes were obtained. Some variations determined for exon 10 (g.14A>T p.Q14L; g.160G>A p.D160N; g.166G>A p.E166K; g.167A>T p.E167V; g.176A>T p.H176L; g.206G>A p.S206N; g.208G>A p.G208R) led to changes in the amino acids, but no amino acid changes were determined in g.2A>T, g.81A>G, g.138A>G, g.186C>T, g..207T>C. It was noted in particular that White Karaman and Awassi were similar to each other in both PRLR exon 10 and intron 1 haplotypes, whereas the Chios breed had a different variation.TubitakTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK); Council of Firat UniversityFirat University [1070894]The sequence experiments were carried out at the Ankara University Biotechnology Institute Genomics Unit. The Project was supported by Tubitak and Scientific Research Projects Council of Firat University (Project code Tubitak 1070894; Fubap: 1502)

Does chlorhexidine affect the shear bond strengths of orthodontic brackets?

AbstractBackground/purposeThe purpose of this study was to examine the effect of 1% chlorhexidine (CHX) gel on the shear bond strength (SBS) of orthodontic brackets bonded with Transbond XT (XT, 3M Unitek) and Transbond Plus Self-Etching Primer (TSEP, 3M Unitek).Materials and methodsIn total, 75 extracted premolars were collected and randomly divided into five groups of 15 teeth each. Brackets were bonded to teeth using a different experimental technique for each group as follows: (I) (control): etch/dry/Transbond XT; (II) CHX gel/etch/dry/Transbond XT; (III) etch/dry/CHX gel/Transbond XT; (IV) dry/TSEP; and (V) CHX gel/dry/TSEP. All products were used according to the manufacturers’ instructions. An Instron Universal Testing Machine was used to directly apply an occlusal shear force onto the enamel-bracket interface at a speed of 0.5 mm/min. Residual adhesive on each tooth was evaluated using an adhesive remnant index (ARI). Analysis of variance was used to compare the SBS of the groups, and a Chi-squared test was used to compare ARI scores.ResultsGroup I had the highest mean SBS (16.47 ± 4.2 MPa), followed by Groups II (16.24 ± 4.5 MPa), III (13.08 ± 4.50 MPa), IV (11.95 ± 2.7 MPa) and V (11.16 ± 2.8 MPa). No statistical differences were observed between Groups I and II (P > 0.05) or between groups IV and V (P > 0.05). However, SBS scores for Groups IV and V were significantly lower than those of Groups I and II (P > 0.05). No significant difference was observed in ARI scores among any of the groups (P > 0.05). Prior application of CHX gel did not significantly affect the SBS of orthodontic bonding adhesives.ConclusionsCHX gel is thought to obviate initial caries lesions during fixed orthodontic treatment

Evaluation of The Relationship of Necrotizing Enterocolitis and Mortality in Premature Babies

INTRODUCTION: Necrotizing enterocolitis is one of the most common serious gastrointestinal problems in neonatal intensive care units. In this study, the relationship between necrotizing enterocolitis cases and mortality was evaluated. METHODS: This study included 157 cases of necrotizing enterocolitis of stage II and above, who were followed up and treated in Department of Pediatrics, Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between June 2019 and June 2021. RESULTS: 51% (80) of the cases were female and 49% (77) were male, birth weight was 1147+-436 g, gestational age was 27.9+-3.1 weeks, maternal age was 29.2+-7.4, and maternal pregnancy number was 3.59+-2.2. Distribution by birth weight, ≤1000 gr 41.4%(65), 1001-1500 g 40.8%(64), 1501-2000 g 13.4%(21), 2001-2500 g 3.2%(5) and 2501 g and above 1.3% (2) found. The distribution of the cases according to the gestation age was found to be ≤27 weeks 42.7% (67), 28-32 weeks 49% (77), 33-36 weeks 7.6% (12), and 37 weeks and above 0.6% (1). There was no statistically significant relationship between gender and maternal age and mortality. As the birth weight and gestational age decreased and the number of maternal pregnancies increased, mortality and frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis were found to increase statistically significantly (p<0.05). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: Decreased birth weight and gestational age in premature infants in the neonatal period cause a serious increase in both the frequency of necrotizing enterocolitis and the mortality rate due to necrotizing enterocolitis

Şikâyet Yönetim Süreci Sonrası Memnuniyeti Etkileyen Faktörler Üzerine Uygulamalı Bir Araştırma

Müşteri beklentilerinin karşılanmamasısonucu oluşan tatminsizliğin ifade edilmesi olarak tanımlanan müşteri şikâyetlerinin özenle ele alınıp çözülmesi, pazarlama biliminde müşteri memnuniyetinin sağlanmasıve müşterilerin elde tutulmasında önemli bir yöntem olarak görülmektedir. Bu çalışmanın ana hedefi; işletmelerin müşteri şikâyetlerini ele alışıve çözme süreci sonrasında müşteride meydana gelen memnuniyeti etkileyen faktörlerin tespit edilmesidir. Ayrıca şikâyet yönetim süreci sonunda müşteride oluşan memnuniyet durumu ile tekrar satın alma ve olumsuz ağızdan ağıza iletişim davranışıarasındaki ilişkileri aydınlatmak amaçlanmaktadır. Bu kapsamda yüz yüze anket yöntemi ile toplanan veriler SPSS paket programıile analiz edilmişve bulgular yorumlanmıştır. Araştırma çerçevesinde; “Şikayet Süreci Memnuniyeti”, “Olumsuz Ağızdan Ağıza İletişim”, “Tekrar Satın Alma Eğilimi”, “Kurum güvenirliği”, “A Tipi Kişiliğe Sahip Olma Düzeyi”, “Algılanan Sonuca Yönelik Adalet”, “Algılanan Prosedüre Yönelik Adalet”, “Algılanan Etkileşime Yönelik Adalet” olarak belirlenen değişkenler arasındaki ilişkiler korelasyon analizi ile incelenmişve sonuçlar yorumlanmıştır. Bu çerçevede algılanan kurum güvenilirliği, A tipi kişiliğe sahip olma düzeyi, algılanan etkileşime yönelik adalet, prosedüre yönelik adalet ve sonuca yönelik adalet ile şikâyet sürecinden duyulan memnuniyet arasında olumlu ilişkiler tespit edilmiştir. Bunların yanında şikâyet süreci sonrasıoluşan memnuniyet düzeyi ile tekrar satın alma eğilimi ve olumsuz ağızdan ağza iletişim davranışlarıarasında anlamlıilişkiler tespit edilmiştir

Is there any genetic predisposition of MMP-9 gene C1562T and MTHFR gene C677T polymorphisms with essential hypertension?

The current study was conducted to determine whether there is a relation between hypertension and two different polymorphisms, including C1562T of the Matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) gene and C677T of the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene. Genomic DNA obtained from 224 persons (125 patients with hypertension and 99 healthy controls) were used in the study. Polymorphisms were determined by using polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism and electrophoresis. The results were statistically analyzed and were found to be statistically significant. The frequencies of the C1562T genotypes were found to be, in controls CC 75.8 % and CT 24.2 % and in patients CC 71.2 %, and CT 28.8 %. The frequencies of C677T genotype were found to be, in controls CC 56.6 %, CT 38.4 and TT 5.1 % in controls and in patients CC 52 %, CT 30.4 % and TT 17.6 %. In conclusion, we may suggest that there is no relation between the essential hypertension and C1562T polymorphism of MMP-9 gene; on the other hand C677T polymorphism (genotype TT) of MTHFR gene can be regarded as a genetic indicator for the development of essential hypertension.Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan (MEXT), Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research (KAKENHI): 2450132

Geodetic measurements on Havran-Balıkesir fault zone: First results

Havran-Balıkesir Fay Zonu (HBFZ), Batı Anadolu’daki önemli fay zonlarından birisidir. Edremit’in doğusundan, Balıkesir’e kadar KKD–GGB yönünde uzanan HBFZ iki ana fay ve altı segmentten oluşmaktadır. Fay zonu üzerinde kapsamlı paleosismolojik çalışmalar gerçekleştirilmiş ve zonun segmentlerindeki depremsizlik süreleri sismik bir boşluk (asismik hareket, krip) olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bu nedenle, HBFZ ‘nin depremsizlik sürelerinin detaylı olarak araştırılması amacıyla, çalışma bölgesinde 55 noktadan oluşan bir GNSS ağı oluşturulmuştur. Ağdaki 21 noktada 2022 yılında bir kampanya GNSS ölçüsü gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ağda yer alan diğer sürekli ve kampanya tipi 34 noktanın ise geçmiş yıllara ait GNSS verileri çeşitli kurumlardan temin edilmiştir. Elde edilen tüm veriler GAMIT/GLOBK yazılımıyla değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma bölgesinin Avrasya plakası sabit hız alanı 4-25 mm/yıl aralığında ve 0.18 mm/yıl doğruluğunda elde edilmiştir. Hız alanı kullanılarak, bölgenin iki boyutlu güncel jeodezik gerinim alanı hesaplanmıştır. Gerinim alanı incelendiğinde, çalışma bölgesinde KD-GB yönlü sıkışma bileşeninin baskın olduğu görülmüştür. Ek olarak, tarihsel ve aletsel dönem deprem kataloglarından yararlanılarak çalışma bölgesinin sismotektonik haritaları oluşturulmuştur. Bu sonuçlar, ilk sonuçlar olarak sunulmaktadır. HBFZ’ nin güncel deformasyonlarının ve deprem potansiyelinin belirlenmesi için jeodezik çalışmalar devam etmektedir.The Havran-Balıkesir Fault Zone (HBFZ) is one of the important fault zones in Western Anatolia. The HBFZ extending from the east of Edremit to Balıkesir in the NNE-SSW direction consists of two main faults and six segments. In the paleoseismological studies carried out on the fault zone and the earthquake -free times in the segments of the zone have been evaluated as a seismic gap (seismic movement, crip). When the geodetic studies of the region are examined, there is no geodetic study focused on HBFZ. For this reason, a GNSS network consisting of 55 points was created in the study area in order to investigate the earthquake-free times of HBFZ in detail. In 2022, a campaign-style GNSS measurement was carried out at 21 points in the network. The GNSS data of the other 34 continuous and campaign-type points in the network for the previous years were obtained from various institutions. All obtained data were evaluated with GAMIT/GLOBK software. The Eurasian plate fixed velocity field of the study area was obtained in the range of 4-25 mm/year and with an accuracy of 0.18 mm/year. By using the velocity field, the two-dimensional current geodetic strain area of the region was calculated. When the strain area is examined, it is observed that the NE-SW direction compression component is dominant in the study region. In addition, seismotectonic maps of the study area were generared by using earthquake catalogs of historical and instrumental periods. These results are presented as first results. Geodetic studies are continuing to determine the current deformations and earthquake potential of HBFZ