Distribution of some elements in Veronica scutellata L. from Bolu,Turkey: soil-plant interactions

Veronica scutellata L. occurs in moist and wet habitats, such as ponds, marshes and other wetlands. This study was conducted on this species to examine its mineral element uptake status in terms of interactions between soil and plant. Experimental materials were taken from the Southern coast of Black Sea at coordinates 40º36’N and 31º16’E at an altitude of 1400 m above sea level from Bolu – Turkey; using standard methods and plant (root, stem and leaf parts) and soil mineral element measurements (Al, B, Ca, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni and Zn) were done. During the study, ICP-OES was employed for the measurement of mineral elements. It was observed that considerable amounts of B, Ca, K, Mg, Mn, Na and Zn are accumulated by the plant

Modelling the impact of earthquake activity on real estate values: a multi-level approach

Purpose – This paper seeks to look at the impact of recent earthquake activity on house prices and their spatial distribution in the Istanbul housing market. Design/Methodology/Approach – The paper employs a multi-level approach within an event study framework to model changes in the pattern of house prices in Istanbul. The model allows us to isolate the effects of earthquake risk and explore the differential impact in different submarkets in two study periods - one before (2007) and one after (2012) recent earthquake activity in the Van region, which although in Eastern Turkey, served to alter the perceptions of risk through the wider geographic region. Findings – The analysis shows that their are variations in the size of price discounts in submarkets resulting from the differential influence of recent earthquake activity on perceived risk of damage. The model results show that the spatial impacts of these changes are not transmitted evenly across the study area. Rather it is clear that submarkets at the cheaper end of the market have proportionately larger negative impacts on real estate values. Practical implications – The methods introduced in this study can be used by real estate agents, valuers, and insurance companies to help them more accurately assess the likely impacts of changes in the perceived risk of earthquake activity (or other environmental events such as flooding) on the formation of house prices in different market segments. Originality/value – The paper represents an attempt to develop a novel extension of the standard use of hedonic models in event studies to investigate the impact of natural disasters on real estate values. The value of the approach is that it is able to better capture the granularity of the spatial effects of environmental events than the standard approach

Upregulated wnt-11 and mir-21 expression trigger epithelial mesenchymal transition in aggressive prostate cancer cells

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related death among men. microRNAs have been identified as having potential roles in tumorigenesis. An oncomir, miR-21, is commonly highly upregulated in many cancers, including PCa, and showed correlation with the Wnt-signaling axis to increase invasion. Wnt-11 is a developmentally regulated gene and has been found to be upregulated in PCa, but its mechanism is unknown. The present study aimed to investigate the roles of miR-21 and Wnt-11 in PCa in vivo and in vitro. First, different Gleason score PCa tissue samples were used; both miR-21 and Wnt-11 expressions correlate with high Gleason scores in PCa patient tissues. This data then was confirmed with formalin-fixed paraffin cell blocks using PCa cell lines LNCaP and PC3. Cell survival and colony formation studies proved that miR-21 involves in cells’ behaviors, as well as the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. Consistent with the previous data, silencing miR-21 led to significant inhibition of cellular invasiveness. Overall, these results suggest that miR-21 plays a significant role related to Wnt-11 in the pathophysiology of PCa

Application of different models to the lactation curves of unimproved Awassi ewes in Turkey

The objective of this study was to investigate the use of four different mathematical functions (Wood, Inverse Polynomial, Quadratic and Cubic models) for describing the lactation curve of unimproved Awassi ewes. Data were collected from 136 ewes from the same flock raised on the State Farm of Gözlü in the Konya Province of Turkey. The differences in estimated total milk yields between the models were not statistically significant. All models were adequate in describing total milk yield, though total milk yield estimated using the Cubic model was very close to total milk yield calculated by the Fleischmann method. Age effects on model parameters were not significant. The Inverse Polynomial model overestimated the peak yield significantly. Estimated peak yields of the Wood and Cubic model were similar while that obtained from the Quadratic model was significantly lower than that of the other models. Day of peak yield estimated by the models varied between 10.2 and 56.4 days. The differences between days of peak yield estimated using the different models were significant. R2 values of the models ranged from 0.724 to 0.977. The Cubic model gave the best R2 value. The lowest mean square prediction error was found using the Cubic model. Correlation coefficients between total milk yield calculated by the Fleischmann method and estimated total milk yield from the other models ranged from 0.933 to 0.998. The highest correlation coefficient was found for the Cubic model. As a result, the Cubic model showed the best fit to the data collected from unimproved Awassi ewes and allowed a suitable description of the shape of the lactation curve. South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 35(4) 2005: 238-24

Forward Vaccinology: CTL Targeting Based upon Physical Detection of HLA-Bound Peptides

Vaccine-elicited cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) recognizing conserved fragments of a pathogen’s proteome could greatly impact infectious diseases and cancers. Enabling this potential are recent advances in mass spectrometry that identify specific target peptides among the myriad HLA-bound peptides on altered cells. Ultrasensitivity of these physical detection methods allows for the direct assessment of peptide presentation on small numbers of tissue-derived cells. In addition, concurrent advances in immunobiology suggest ways to induce CTLs with requisite functional avidity and tissue deployment. Elicitation of high-avidity resident-memory T cells through vaccination may shift the vaccinology paradigm both for preventive and therapeutic approaches to human disease control

Climate-related reporting by publicly listed companies in The Netherlands: an attention-action mapping

Against the backdrop of increasing calls for mandatory and voluntary climate-related disclosures by companies, this article provides insight into how the (integrated) annual reports of companies listed on the AEX index in the Netherlands, communicated companies’ engagement with climate issues from 2016 to 2018. Drawing on research in the cognitive psychology domain, the article examines companies’ reported attention to climate change as well as their climate-related actions. It shows that although there are noticeable climate attention and action differences among AEX companies, over time the companies as a whole have started doing more in relation to climate – for example, in terms of attention, there is increase in the inclusion of climate considerations in strategy making and, in terms of action, there is increase in the inclusion of climate in material risks. The article discusses the research findings, which have implications for effective governance by corporate boards

To green or not to green: Establishing the economic value of green infrastructure investments in The Wicker, Sheffield.

Establishing the value of urban green infrastructure resources draws on a complex evaluation of social, economic and ecological influences. As a result planners have found it difficult to develop robust economic arguments to promote investments in urban greening. The Valuing Attractive Landscapes in the Urban Economy (VALUE) project facilitated a trans-national programme of investigations to establish economic values for a range of green infrastructure investments. This paper presents the results of a large-scale willingness to pay (WTP) survey (N: 510) for investments on Blonk Street, The Wicker, Sheffield. Using 3D visualisations of three alternative urban greening scenarios the research addressed the influence of green infrastructure on aesthetic quality, functionality and amenity. The evidence suggests that participants were WTP up £10.56 or 2% more in monthly rent or additional mortgage payments to live in locations that have a high quality green infrastructure environment. The survey also examined the relationships between a range of socio-economic factors and WTP for green infrastructure (GI). WTP more rent was associated particularly with those in younger age groups and those with lower educational attainment. The paper concludes that investment in urban GI that is visibly greener, that facilitates access to GI and other amenities and that is perceived to promote multiple functions and benefits on a single site (i.e. multi-functionality) generate higher WTP values. The findings of the study support the wider literature evaluating the economic value of GI which argues that investment in urban greenspace can have a significant impact on local housing and commercial markets where it produces more attractive and functional landscapes

Molecular Detection of Targeted Major Histocompatibility Complex I-Bound Peptides Using a Probabilistic Measure and Nanospray MS3 on a Hybrid Quadrupole-Linear Ion Trap

A nanospray MS3 method deployed on a quadrupole linear ion trap hybrid can detect targeted peptides with high dynamic range and high sensitivity from complex mixtures without separations. The method uses a recognition algorithm that is a modification of the relative (Kullback−Leibler, KL) entropy characterization of probabilistic distance to detect if reference MS3 fragmentation patterns are components of acquired MS3 spectra. The recognition reflects the probabilistic structure of physical MS measurements unlike the Euclidean or inner product metrics widely used for comparing spectra. It capably handles spectra with a significant chemical ion background in contrast to the Euclidean metric or the direct relative entropy. The full nanospray MS3 method allows both the detection and quantitation of targets without the need to obtain isotopically labeled standards. By avoiding chromatographic separations and its associated surface losses, the detection can be applied to complex samples on a very limited material scale. The methodology is illustrated by applications to the medically important problem of detecting targeted major histocompatibility complex (MHC) I associated peptides extracted from limited cell numbers

A Jupiter-mass planet around the K0 giant HD 208897

For over 10 years, we have carried out a precise radial velocity (RV) survey to find substellar companions around evolved G,K-type stars to extend our knowledge of planet formation and evolution. We performed high precision RV measurements for the giant star HD 208897 using an iodine (I2) absorption cell. The measurements were made at T\"UB\.ITAK National Observatory (TUG, RTT150) and Okayama Astrophysical Observatory (OAO). For the origin of the periodic variation seen in the RV data of the star, we adopted a Keplerian motion caused by an unseen companion. We found that the star hosts a planet with a minimum mass of m2sini=1.40MJ, which is relatively low compared to those of known planets orbiting evolved intermediate-mass stars. The planet is in a nearly circular orbit with a period of P=353 days at about 1 AU distance from the host star. The star is metal rich and located at the early phase of ascent along the red giant branch. The photometric observations of the star at Ankara University Kreiken Observatory (AUKR) and the HIPPARCOS photometry show no sign of variation with periods associated with the RV variation. Neither bisector velocity analysis nor analysis of the Ca II and Halpha lines shows any correlation with the RV measurements