Foliar application of calcium nitrate, boric acid and gibberellic acid affects yield and quality of pomegranate (Punica granatum L.)

Effect of two doses of calcium nitrate (2 and 4%), boric acid (1.5 and 3%) and GA3 (50 and 75 ppm) on yield, fruit characteristics, cracking and sunburn of pomegranate cv. Hicaznar was carried out in a commercial orchard. Calcium nitrate, boric acid and GA3 applications have been done during blossoming period and one month after blossoming. The fruit yield has been increased by both doses of calcium nitrate and the 3% boric acid dose in the first year while GA3’s 50 ppm dose had an improving effect in the second year. In the first year, all treatments increased the average fruit weight while in the second year only the 2% calcium nitrate and 3% boric acid were found to be effective. The 3% boric acid treatments reduced the rate of cracking of the fruits in first year and in the second year all treatments reduced cracking and the best results were obtained in the applications of GA3 and calcium nitrate. The 4% calcium nitrate application reduced the sunburn in the pomegranate fruits and 2% calcium nitrate application increased the amount of the total soluble solids. © Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Przyrodniczego w Lublime. Lublin 2016

Performance-based assessment of multi-story unreinforced masonry buildings: The case of historical Khatib School in Erzurum, Turkey

Performance-based assessment (PBA) has become a matter of emphasis for multi-story unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings recently. It is however very hard to assess the performance of the multi-story URM buildings because of their complex engineering characteristics and structural performance. The primary goals of this study are to identify the seismic vulnerabilities of the URM buildings and to evaluate their structural performance based on the PBA principles. In this respect, a concept PBA layout is prepared for the URM buildings to describe better the performance assessment. In order to evaluate the structural behavior and seismic risk for the multi-story URM buildings, the study focuses on a case study of Historical Khatib School, which is located in Erzurum, Turkey, and it was assessed using the previously determined layout steps. © 2018 Elsevier Lt

Bioactive Seed Plants Database of Turkey

Objective: To date, many studies have been conducted on the chemical content and bioactivity of seed plants and are still being conducted. However, these studies are scattered in different access sources and therefore access to information may be late or incomplete. Therefore, in this study, we performed literature on seed plants of the Flora of Turkey of the research bioactivity containing information as can be queried remotely accessible, systematic storage of information by creating a database of Turkish and English and is intended to ensure that information. Material and Method: At the first stage of the study, bioactivity studies conducted on seed plants of the Flora of Turkey and published between 1928-2018 were accessed, deciphered and a bibliography was prepared. In the second stage of the study, a web-based database management system was developed in order to transfer the information contained in the content of bioactivity studies, the literature was obtained, and its contents were recorded in the database. Finally, the analysis of the contents recorded in the database was carried out. Result and Discussion: As a result of the scans, 1307 literature was included in the bibliography, while 1088 of them were found suitable for registration in the database, and a total of 49.486 lines of data were entered. When the data were examined in detail, it was seen that bioactivity studies of 430 genera and 1594 taxa belonging to 107 families were recorded. The families with the most taxa were determined as Lamiaceae (307 taxa), Asteraceae (271 taxa) and Fabaceae (125 taxa). 115 different activities were recorded in the database. The largest number of taxa; antimicrobial activity (962 taxa), antioxidant activity (950 taxa), cytotoxic activity (220 taxa), anti-inflammatory activity (160 taxa) and analgesic-Antinociceptive activity (113 taxa) are investigated in terms of. The species with the most bioactivity studies were determined as Urtica dioica (18 activities), Hypericum perforatum (17 activities) and Cistus laurifolius (16 activities). When the locality records were examined, it was determined that the most taxa were obtained from the Central Anatolia Region and the least taxa were obtained from the Southeastern Anatolia Region. © 2023 University of Ankara. All rights reserved

Heavy metal levels in muscle tissues of some fish species caught from north-east Mediterranean: Evaluation of their effects on human health

Sixteen different fish species were sampled from six sampling stations selected between Taşucu (Mersin)and Samandağ (Hatay)at North-East Mediterranean coasts of Turkey between March and May 2018. Mean muscle levels of Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Sn and Pb for fish species obtained from all sampling stations were 2.15–7.10, <0.0002 – 0.39, <0.001 – 19.02, <0.0006 – 0.50, <0.0006 – 0.74, 3.82–55.05, 1.08–15.06, <0.0004 – 0.92 and <0.0003 – 0.06 mg kg -1 wet weight respectively. Cadmium levels in muscle tissues of all the species studied were below detection limits. Mean muscle level of each metal was calculated for each station by keeping the human consumption in mind, weekly tolerable limits, target hazard quotients and cancer risk assessment of the metals were firstly determined in fish species obtained from North-East Mediterranean. The amount of metal intake by the consumption of analyzed samples was found to be below weekly tolerable limits, however target hazard quotients and cancer risk levels for As were found above the limits stated by United States Environmental Protection Agency. Moreover, 20.93% and 27.91% of 43 fish specimen obtained from Erdemli station had higher Zn levels than those proposed by Turkish Food Codex and World Health Organization respectively. © 2019Mersin University, Scientific Projects Unit, supported this research project. (Project Number: 2018-2-TP2-2918)

Sonochemical Synthesis of CoFe2-xNdxO4 Nanoparticles: Structural, Optical, and Magnetic Investigation

This investigation deals with CoFe2-xNdxO4 (x ? 0.2) nanoparticles (NPs) fabricated by sonochemically. The purity of all products was verified via X-ray powder diffraction. The crystallite size of the samples was calculated as less 12 nm. The spectral analyses also confirmed the presence of spinel ferrites. Both morphology and chemical purity of the spinel ferrite systems were confirmed by SEM, EDX, and elemental mapping analyses. The analyses of magnetization versus applied magnetic field, M(H), were performed. The following magnetic parameters like saturation magnetization Ms, squareness ratio (SQR = Mr / Ms), magnetic moment nB, coercivity Hc, and remanence Mr have been evaluated. The M(H) curves revealed the soft ferromagnetic nature for all CoFe2-xNdxO4 NPs. It is showed that the Nd3+ substitutions significantly affect the magnetization data. A decreasing trend in the Hc, Ms, nB, and Mr values was detected with Nd3+ substitution. © 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

Sonochemical synthesis of Eu3+ substituted CoFe2O4 nanoparticles and their structural, optical and magnetic properties

PubMedID: 31450366Magnetic, optic and microstructural properties of ultrasonically synthesized CoEuxFe2-xO4 (x ? 0.1)nanoferrites (NFs)have been examined in this study. After sonochemical synthesis, XRD and FT-IR analyses confirmed the purity, the structure (cubic spinel structure and Fd3m space group)and the spectral properties of the spinel ferrite samples. The spherical morphology and chemical compositions of the products were observed via transmission and scanning electron microscopes along with EDX and elemental mapping. Percent diffuse reflectance (%DR)was used for optical investigation. Optical band gaps (Eg)were estimated utilizing Kubelka-Munk theory and Tauc equation. Eg values are in a narrow band of 1.34 to 1.44 eV. The magnetic parameters like Ms (saturation magnetization), SQR = Mr/Ms (squareness ratio), nB (magnetic moment), Hc (coercivity)and Mr (remanence)have been evaluated by analyzing measurements of magnetization versus magnetic field performed at room (RT; T = 300 K)and low (T = 10 K)temperatures. It is showed that the different produced CoEuxFe2-xO4 (0.00 ? x ? 0.10)nanospinel ferrites present superparamagnetic (SPM)nature at RT. At low temperature, the various produced CoEuxFe2-xO4 (x ? 0.08)nanospinel ferrites display ferrimagnetic (FM)nature. With exception, the x = 0.10 sample exhibit SPM behavior at T = 10 K. It is noticed that the Eu3+ substitutions alter in a significant way on the magnetic data. A decreasing trend in the Ms, Mr and nB values was noted with Eu3+ substitutions. © 2019 Elsevier B.V

International Forum: The Turkish perspective on apheresis activity: The Turkish apheresis registry report

Therapeutic apheresis is an extracorporeal treatment that selectively removes abnormal cells or harmful substances in the blood that are associated with or cause certain diseases. During the last decades the application of therapeutic apheresis has expanded to a broad spectrum of hematological and non-hematological diseases due to various studies on the clinical efficacy of this procedure. In this context there are more than 30 centers performing therapeutic apheresis and registered in the apheresis database in Turkey. Herein, we, The Turkish Apheresis Registry, aimed to analyze some key articles published so far from Turkey regarding the use of apheresis for various indications. © 2023 Elsevier Lt

Phenolic profiles of currant (Ribes spp.) cultivars [Frenküzümü (Ribes spp.) Çeşitlerinin fenolik ıçerikleri]

The present work aimed the study of rutin, protocatechuic, catechin, p- hydroxy benzoic, chlorogenic, caffeic, kuersetin, luteolin, kamferol, p-coumaric, vanilin and ferulic acids composition in different currant varieties in Turkey. Red and black currant varieties (Goliath, Red Lake, Rovada, Rosenthal, and Booskop Giant) were analyzed for phenolic acids by using reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Results showed that p-coumaric acid (1.66-0.04 µg g-1) was the predominant phenolic acid extracted from currant varieties. In addition, other acids, namely rutin (35.41-7.23 µg g-1), Protocatechuic (3.28-2.84 µg g-1), Chlorogenic (65.49-2.38 µg g-1), and kuersetin acids (2.29-1.50 µg g-1) were obtained in extracts from currant fruit. © 2017, Centenary University. All rights reserved

Targeting cathepsin C in PR3-ANCA vasculitis

BACKGROUND: The ANCA autoantigens proteinase 3 (PR3) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) are exclusively expressed by neutrophils and monocytes. ANCA-mediated activation of these cells is the key driver of the vascular injury process in ANCA-associated vasculitis (AAV), and neutrophil serine proteases (NSPs) are disease mediators. Cathepsin C (CatC) from zymogens activates the proteolytic function of NSPs, including PR3. Lack of NSP zymogen activation results in neutrophils with strongly reduced NSP proteins. METHODS: To explore AAV-relevant consequences of blocking NSP zymogen activation by CatC, we used myeloid cells from patients with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome, a genetic deficiency of CatC, to assess NSPs and NSP-mediated endothelial cell injury. We also examined pharmacologic CatC inhibition in neutrophil-differentiated human hematopoietic stem cells, primary human umbilical vein cells, and primary glomerular microvascular endothelial cells. RESULTS: Patients with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome showed strongly reduced NSPs in neutrophils and monocytes. Neutrophils from these patients produced a negative PR3-ANCA test, presented less PR3 on the surface of viable and apoptotic cells, and caused significantly less damage in human umbilical vein cells. These findings were recapitulated in human stem cells, in which a highly specific CatC inhibitor, but not prednisolone, reduced NSPs without affecting neutrophil differentiation, reduced membrane PR3, and diminished neutrophil activation upon PR3-ANCA but not MPO-ANCA stimulation. Compared with healthy controls, neutrophils from patients with Papillon-Lefèvre syndrome transferred less proteolytically active NSPs to glomerular microvascular endothelial cells, the cell type targeted in ANCA-induced necrotizing crescentic glomerulonephritis. Finally, both genetic CatC deficiency and pharmacologic inhibition, but not prednisolone, reduced neutrophil-induced glomerular microvascular endothelial cell damage. CONCLUSIONS: These findings may offer encouragement for clinical studies of adjunctive CatC inhibitor in patients with PR3-AAV