Determination of protein and gluten quality-related parameters of wheat flour using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS) [Yaki{dotless}n Ki{dotless}zi{dotless}lötesi Spektroskopisi (NIRS) kullanarak bu?day unlari{dotless}ni{dotless}n protein ve glutenle ilgili kalite parametrelerinin belirlenmesi]

Wet chemistry analyses done for quality control purposes in wheat and flour processing are time-consuming. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) as an alternative technology to conventional methods allows us to obtain results in a few seconds. In this study, NIRS was used in the development of calibration models for protein, wet and dry gluten contents and Zeleny sedimentation of flours from the grinding of 120 varieties of bread wheat collected from different regions of Turkey. Therefore, spectra in the range of 1100 to 2500 nm of the flours were acquired by scanning with the NIRSystems 6500 monochromator. Multiple linear regression (MLR) and partial least squares (PLS) regression were applied to the spectral data in log 1/R, and first derivative and second derivative of log 1/R formats. Reasonable results were obtained for protein, wet and dry gluten contents, and Zeleny sedimentation with r = 0.985, 0.976, 0.953, and 0.924, respectively. © TÜBİTAK

Effect of photosonication treatment on inactivation of total and coliform bacteria in milk

The combined effect of simultaneously applied acoustic energy and ultraviolet irradiation (UV-C), named photosonication, on the population reduction of total and coliform bacteria in raw milk was investigated. Photosonication was carried out at 100% (120 ?m; 240 W) amplitude of ultrasound accompanied by UV light of 13.2 W cm-2 while sonication was carried out at 100% amplitude without UV light. An ultrasonic processor (400 W and 24 kHz with a 22 mm diameter probe) and 3 ultraviolet lamps (4400 ?W cm-2 per lamp) were used. The exposure time was 15 min for all treatment, and samples were taken after 0, 3, 6, 9, 12 and 15 min. Thermal treatment (at 65 °C for 30 min) achieved a 3.29 log and 5.31 log-reduction for total and coliform bacteria, respectively. However, the reduction achieved was 4.79 log cfu mL-1 and 5.31 log cfu mL-1 for total and coliform bacteria, respectively, in photosonication while 1.31 log cfu mL-1 and 4.01 log cfu mL-1 for total and coliform bacteria, respectively in sonication. During photosonication, UV light contributed to an increase of lethality. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd

A Polymorphism in the IL-5 Gene is Associated with Inhibitor Development in Severe Hemophilia A Patients

OBJECTIVE: A severe complication in the replacement therapy of hemophilia A (HA) patients is the development of alloantibodies (inhibitors) against factor VIII, which neutralizes the substituted factor. The primary genetic risk factors influencing the development of inhibitors are F8 gene mutations. Interleukins and cytokines that are involved in the regulation of B-lymphocyte development are other possible targets as genetic risk factors. This study assesses the possible involvement of 9 selected single nucleotide gene polymorphisms (SNPs) with interleukins (IL-4, IL-5, and IL-10), transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), and interferon gamma (IFN-γ) in inhibitor development in severely affected HA patients carrying a null mutation in the F8 gene. METHODS: A total of 173 HA patients were screened for intron 22 inversion and null mutations (nonsense and deletions). Genotyping of a total of 9 SNPs in genes IL-4, IL-5, IL-10, TGF-β1, and IFN-γ in 103 patients and 100 healthy individuals was carried out. RESULTS: An association analysis between 42 inhibitor (+) and 61 inhibitor (-) patients showed a significant association with the T allele of rs2069812 in the IL-5 gene promoter and patients with inhibitors (p=0.0251). The TT genotype was also significantly associated with this group with a p-value of 0.0082, odds ratio of about 7, and confidence interval of over 90%, suggesting that it is the recessive susceptibility allele and that the C allele is the dominant protective allele. CONCLUSION: The lack of other variants in the IL-5 gene of patients and controls suggests that rs2069812 may be a regulatory SNP and may have a role in B-lymphocyte development, constituting a genetic risk factor in antibody development

Bone-Specific Alkaline Phosphatase Levels among Patients with Multiple Myeloma Receiving Various Therapy Options

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the impact of the different therapy regimens used in multiple myeloma (MM) on bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BALP) levels. METHODS: One hundred and thirteen patients with MM were included in the study. Patients were grouped according to the regimens they received, as follows: group 1, melphalan and prednisolone (MP); group 2, vincristine, adriablastin, and dexamethasone (VAD); group 3, thalidomide plus dexamethasone; and group 4, bortezomib plus dexamethasone. BALP levels were measured before treatment and at the third and sixth months of treatment. A fifth group consisted of patients in the post-treatment remission period at study entry (no-treatment group). RESULTS: The BALP levels at the third and sixth months of the treatment were significantly higher than the pre-treatment levels in the bortezomib and the no-treatment groups, whereas no significant difference was observed in the MP, VAD, and thalidomide groups. CONCLUSION: Considering that BALP is a surrogate marker of bone formation, our study suggests that bortezomib more efficiently leads to the improvement of bone disease in myeloma than other treatment options

Inhibitor screening for patients with hemophilia in Turkey

Development of factor VIII inhibitors remains the most serious and life-threatening complication of hemophilia therapy. The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of inhibitor development in Turkish patients with hemophilia. Totally 1226 patients were screened [HA: 1057, HB: 105, von Willebrand's disease (vWD): 641. Ages ranged from 1 to 55 years (mean: 16.5 years). Sixty-two percent of patients (657/1057) were severe hemophilia. This study showed that inhibitor prevalence in Turkish hemophiliacs exposed to factor concentrates and fresh frozen plasma (FFP) is 11.2% for all HA and 15.8% for severe HA versus 1.9% for HB after eliminating transient inhibitors. Totally 122 patients were found inhibitor positive [high responder (HR) inhibitor= 60 and low responder (LR) inhibitor= 59 for HA/2 LR for HB/1 LR for vWD]. Thanks to this project, patients with inhibitor development can be treated with specific products such as recombinant factor VIIa or activated protrombin complex concentrates for their bleeding episodes or in their elective operations

The Association Between JAK2V617F Mutation and Bone Marrow Fibrosis at Diagnosis in Patients with Philadelphia-Negative Chronic Myeloproliferative Neoplasms

OBJECTIVE: Bone marrow fibrosis is the second most common complication causing morbidity and mortality in patients with Philadelphia negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs). The aim of this study was to investigate the association of JAK2V617F mutation with the bone marrow (BM) fibrosis at diagnosis in patients with MPNs. METHODS: In total, 149 patients with MPNs were retrospectively evaluated to determine if there was an association between the histological grade of bone marrow fibrosis and JAK2V617F mutation. RESULTS: In all, 67.7% of the patients carried the mutated JAK2 gene. The presence of JAK2V617F mutation was not associated with the occurrence of bone marrow fibrosis (P = 0.552) or its grade at diagnosis (P = 0.65). CONCLUSION: Molecular mechanisms or genetic defects other than JAK2V617F may underlie the occurrence of bone marrow fibrosis in patients with MPNs