Determination of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Wheat from Different Regions of Turkey by HPLC with Fluorescence Detection

This study examines the occurrence of aflatoxins (AFS) and ochratoxin A (OTA) in bread and durum wheat samples. A total of 141 samples were collected from eleven different regions of Turkey. An analytical method based on liquid extraction, immunoaffinity column (IAC) clean-up followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was used for the determination of AFs and OTA levels. As a result, AFs and OTA were detected in 2% and 9.2% of wheat samples at concentrations varying from 0.21 to 0.44 µg kg−1 and from 0.1 to 3.2 µg kg−1, respectively. Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) and aflatoxin B2 (AFB2) were found positive in samples ranging between 0.21–0.35 µg kg−1 and 0.094 µg kg−1, respectively. However, none of the samples contained aflatoxin G1 (AFG1) and aflatoxin G2 (AFG2). The study also recommended that contamination levels in wheat and wheat-based products should be routinely monitored in greater sample numbers to insure food safety

Ekspresija E-selektina u mišjem sjemeniku nakon njegove pokusne torzije (ishemije/reperfuzije).

Germ cell-specific apoptosis occurs after ischemia/reperfusion of the testis and is dependent on E-selectin expression. The aim of the study was to determine differences in E-selectin expression in testes tissues of control, sham and treatment groups after ischemia/reperfusion in mice. Mice were subjected to 720° testicular torsion for 1 h or 2 h duration (ischemia) followed by detorsion (reperfusion). After 2 h of reperfusion, the testes were fixed in Bouin fixative and immunohistochemical analysis performed for E-Selectin expression. E-selectin expression increased in the ischemic testis and contralateral testis after 2 h of reperfusion in mice. This increase in E-selectin expression may confirm that E-selectins play a key role in mediating of apoptosis in germ cells after ischemia/reperfusion. Thus, the blockage of E-selectins might be a strategy for rescue of post-ischemic testes.Apoptoza germinativnih stanica javlja se nakon ishemije i reperfuzije sjemenika, a ovisna je o ekspresiji E-selektina. Cilj ovog istraživanja bio je odrediti razlike u ekspresiji E-selektina u tkivu sjemenika kontrolne, placebo i pokusne skupine nakon ishemije/reperfuzije u miševa. Miševi su bili podvrgnuti torziji sjemenika od 7200 tijekom jednog ili dva sata (ishemija), nakon čega je slijedila detorzija (reperfuzija). Nakon dva sata reperfuzije tkivo sjemenika bilo je fiksirano u Bouinovom fiksativu i pretraženo imunohistokemijski na ekspresiju E-selektina. Ekspresija E-selektina povećala se u ishemičnih sjemenika nakon dva sata reperfuzije. Može se reći da povećanje ekspresije E-selektina potvrđuje njhovu ključnu ulogu u nastanku apoptoze germinativnih stanica nakon ishemije/reperfuzije pa bi blokada E-selektina mogla biti od važnosti za spašavanje sjemenika nakon ishemije

Simulation of water drops on a surface

We have designed and implemented a model for rendering and animating water drops moving on a surface under physical effects such as gravity, surface affinity and wind. For improved rendering, the output of the simulation (i.e. the animation sequence of the drops) is recorded for later offline image generation. ©2008 IEEE

Estimation of the geographical coordinates of objects on the image with multi-task convolutional neural networks

Determining GPS coordinates of the objects on the image is exceptionally complex problem. Images often contain enough information such as landmarks, cloud texture, grass type, road signs or architectural features that allow suggesting the location where the photo was taken. Previously, such issue was solved with image search methods. In contrast, the problem is stated as a classification task, subdividing the Earth's surface into geographical cells using a special type of space- filling curve. Thousands of differently scaled geographical cells, used to train the model. In this paper, several deep learning methods that follow the latter approach and take advantage of multitask learning are presented. Taking into account the content of the scene of the image, i.e. inside, outside, wild or urban setting, etc. is proposed. As a result, additional information with different spatial resolutions as well as more specific features for different environments are included in the learning process of the convolutional neural network. Reported metrics demonstrate the effectiveness of our out-of-the-box approach, while using a helper network to combine two datasets combined to spread scene labels on GPS dataset and receive more robust model. This model does not rely on search methods, which require an enormous amount of computational power, and implements a probabilistic approach

Mammary fibroadenoma in a lamb

A fibroadenoma was diagnosed in the left udder of a 3-month-old female Chios lamb. No recurrence was observed after surgery. Grossly, the tumor had a whitish-gray lobular appearance, and the lobules were interlaced with thin septa. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of proliferating fibroepithelial tissue, including differentiated ducts lined by whorls and interlacing bundles of abundant loose fibrovascular stroma. Immunohistochemistry revealed the ductal epithelium to be positive for pancytokeratin (AE1/AE3) and loose fibrovascular stroma was positive for vimentin and basal cells covering the ductal epithelium of alpha-smooth-muscle actin. Immunostaining for the estrogen and progesterone receptors was negative. A diagnosis of mammary fibroadenoma was made based on the histological and immunohistochemical findings

Comparative Cranial Geometric Morphometrics among Wistar Albino, Sprague Dawley, and WAG/Rij Rat Strains

This research utilizes geometric morphometrics to investigate shape variation in the skull, mandible, and teeth among three rat strains: Wistar Albino (WA), Sprague Dawley (SD), and WAG/Rij (WR). Through the analysis of 48 rats using 2D geometric morphometric techniques, significant differences in their skull morphology were identified. This study indicates a shift from a rectangular to an oval cranial shape across strains, with notable size and morphological variances. Particularly, the WR strain’s skull shape significantly differs from the SD and WA strains, suggesting distinct ecological or genetic pathways. Compared to the skull, mandible shape differences are less pronounced, but still significant. The WR strain exhibits a distinct mandible shape, potentially reflecting ecological adaptations like dietary habits. The teeth shape of WR rats is the most distinct. SD rats consistently exhibited larger sizes in both skull and mandible measurements, while WR rats were notably smaller. Interestingly, sexual dimorphism was not statistically significant in skull and teeth sizes, aligning with findings from previous studies. However, the mandible showed clear size differences between sexes, underscoring its potential for adaptive or behavioral studies. In summary, this study provides a comprehensive analysis of morphological variations in rat strains, highlighting the intricate interplay of size, shape, and ecological factors. These findings lay a foundation for deeper explorations into the adaptive, ecological, or genetic narratives influencing rat morphology

A characteristics framework for Semantic Information Systems Standards

Semantic Information Systems (IS) Standards play a critical role in the development of the networked economy. While their importance is undoubted by all stakeholders—such as businesses, policy makers, researchers, developers—the current state of research leaves a number of questions unaddressed. Terminological confusion exists around the notions of “business semantics”, “business-to-business interoperability”, and “interoperability standards” amongst others. And, moreover, a comprehensive understanding about the characteristics of Semantic IS Standards is missing. The paper addresses this gap in literature by developing a characteristics framework for Semantic IS Standards. Two case studies are used to check the applicability of the framework in a “real-life” context. The framework lays the foundation for future research in an important field of the IS discipline and supports practitioners in their efforts to analyze, compare, and evaluate Semantic IS Standard