Synthesis of Graphene on Gold

Here we report chemical vapor deposition of graphene on gold surface at ambient pressure. We studied effects of the growth temperature, pressure and cooling process on the grown graphene layers. The Raman spectroscopy of the samples reveals the essential properties of the graphene grown on gold surface. In order to characterize the electrical properties of the grown graphene layers, we have transferred them on insulating substrates and fabricated field effect transistors. Owing to distinctive properties of gold, the ability to grow graphene layers on gold surface could open new applications of graphene in electrochemistry and spectroscopy.Comment: 8 pages, 4 figure

Technoeconomic Evaluation for an Installed Small-Scale Photovoltaic Power Plant

Solar energy production and economic evaluation are analyzed, in this study, by using daily solar radiation and average temperature data which are measured for 3 years in the Osmaniye province in Turkey. Besides, this study utilizes the photovoltaic- (PV-) based grid connected to a power plant which has an installed capacity of 1 MW investment in electricity production. Economic values show that the net present value (NPV), the first economic method in the research, is about 111941 USD, which is greater than zero. Therefore, the payback year of this investment is approximately 8.3. The second one of these methods, the payback period of the simple payback period (PBP), is 6.27 years. The last method, which is the mean value of the internal rate of return (IRR), is 10.36%. The results of this study show that Osmaniye is a considerable region for the PV investment in electricity production. As a result, investment of a PV system in Osmaniye can be applicable

Evaluation of oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil supplementation on growth performance, digestive enzymes, intestinal histomorphology and gut microbiota of Black Sea salmon, Salmo labrax

This study aimed to determine the effect of dietary oregano (Origanum vulgare) essential oil (EO) on the growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, intestinal histomorphology, and intestinal microbiota of the Black Sea salmon juvenile (Salmo labrax). Fish were fed diets different levels of oregano EO such as 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg kg-1. For this purpose, a total of 675 fish were distributed randomly in triplicate into 5 experiment groups in 15 experiment tanks. Fish with average initial weights of 3.52±0.01 g were fed by hand at 3% of live weight for 90 days. At the end of the study, feeding with oregano EO supplementation did not significantly affect the growth performance of fish. Except for pepsin, there were no significant differences in the activity of digestive enzymes among the control and oregano EO groups. Besides, oregano EO at the doses of 50 or 400 mg kg-1 may have the potential to increase the surface area required for digestion by increasing intestinal villi length. Moreover, all doses of oregano EO showed antimicrobial properties by decreasing the count of lactic acid bacteria in the intestine. Supplementation with 100 and 200 mg kg-1 oregano EO in diets decreased the total coliform, Escherichia coli and lactic acid bacteria counts when compared to the control group. The results showed that oregano EO may positively affect digestion and absorption without adverse effects on the growth performance of Black Sea salmon juvenile. © 2022 Osman Tolga Özel et al., published by Sciendo

Influence of laurel (Laurus nobilis) essential oil on gut function of Black Sea salmon (Salmo labrax) juveniles

The present work investigated the efects of dietary incorporation of laurel (Laurus nobilis) essential oil on the zootechnical performance and digestive physiology of juvenile Black Sea salmon (Salmo labrax). In this trial, 15 fberglass tanks (39×39 cm square and 33 cm high) were used. Forty-fve fsh (3.52±0.01 g) were placed randomly per tank. Fish were fed for 90 days with the diet containing 50, 100, 200, or 400 mg kg−1 laurel (Laurus nobilis) essential oils, respectively. The work was performed in the recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) operating with freshwater. Fish were manually fed 3% level of live weight during the experiment period. Final weight (FW), weight gain (WG), feed conversion rate (FCR), and specifc growth rate (SGR) were not afected by laurel essential oil supplementation. Dietary laurel essential oil (50 mg kg−1) afected positively the surface area of fsh intestinal villus that required for digestion. Both villus height and villus width were afected positively in fsh fed with 50 mg laurel essential oil kg−1. While incorporation with 100 mg laurel essential oil kg−1 increased the total α-amylase enzyme, 50 mg laurel kg−1 increased lipase enzyme. Moreover, 50 mg laurel essential oil kg−1 increased lactic acid bacteria (LAB) count in fsh. Besides, 50 mg laurel essential oil kg−1 reduced the number of total coliform and E. coli

A rare cause of intestinal obstruction due to an exophytic gastrointestinal stromal tumor of the small bowel

Introduction: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors constitute a distinct group of rare gastrointestinal tract tumors that originate from the interstitial cells of Cajal. These jejunoileal lesions are a rare cause of obstruction but can be associated with substantial morbidity. Case: A 59-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with abdominal pain and distention. Physical examination revealed tenderness and rebound in right lower quadrant. Computed tomography revealed a mass in lower right quadrant. A 9x9x4 cm exophytic ileal mass was observed at exploration. Preoperative diagnose was a small bowel tumor and then segmental resection and primary anastomosis were performed. Histopathological investigation revealed spindle cells that stained strongly for C-117, consistent with a diagnosis of a malign gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Conclusion: We conclude that exophytic small bowel gastrointestinal stromal tumors are rare lesions, which should be kept in mind by physicians among the diagnosis of small bowel obstructions in order to reduce substantial morbidity and mortality

Ganglion Impar block improves neuropathic pain in coccygodynia: A preliminary report

Aim of the study To define the effectiveness of ganglion Impar block in improving neuropathic pain. Materials and methods Patients who had pain around the coccyx for more than three months and did not respond to conservative treatment were included in this study. All the patients underwent fluoroscopy guided transsacrococcygeal ganglion Impar block with injecting 3 mL of 0.5% bupivacaine, 2 mL saline, and 1 mL (40 mg) of methylprednisolone. Patients were evaluated with visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, Leeds assessment of neuropathic symptoms and signs scale (LANSS) for neuropathic pain, Beck depression Inventory (BDI) for mood and Short-form 12 (SF-12) for quality of life before, 1 month 3 months and 6 months after the injection. Patients’ painless sitting duration was also recorded. Results A total of 28 patients were included in the final analyses. VAS and LANSS scores improved significantly throughout the follow-up periods. BDI scores also improved while SF-12 scores did not show significant changes. Painless sitting period of the patients’ improved significantly. Conclusions Ganglion Impar block is effective in decreasing the neuropathic component of chronic coccygodynia. This improves painless sitting in patients but its reflections on quality of life is not clear

The efficacy of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer

Aim: To investigate the accuracy of multiparametric prostate magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) in determining the diagnosis and treatment options of prostate cancer (PCa), and its pathology correlation. Methods: Between October 2017 and January 2018, 73 patients were subjected to an mpMRI at our clinic. Of these patients, 11 were radical prostatectomy (RP) after treatment, and four were post- radiation therapy (RT) follow-up. The remaining 58 patients were assigned to the PSA elevation and / or positive digital rectal examination (DRE) patient group in this study and their outcomes were evaluated. Results: Of the 58 patients included in the study, 13 were found to have a PI-RADS 5 on mpMRI and in 9 (90%) of 10 patients undergoing simultaneous biopsy, PCa was detected. The biopsy results of all cases evaluated as PI-RADS 1 were benign. All of the patients who were ISUP 3 and above had a PI-RADS 5. Patients with a PI-RADS score of 4 and above being ISUP 2 and above was statistically significant (p=0.011). A case had undergone a previous radical prostatectomy assessment revealed that tPSA increased to 2 ng/ml during the follow-up, and so RT was added to the treatment; although LAP was identified in the left iliac region on an mpMRI performed upon the continued increase of tPSA. During the follow-ups of the patient who had regional RT, the tPSA dropped below 0.01 ng/ml. Conclusion: The results of our study show that mpMRI can gain a new and important place in urology due to the guidance it provides in biopsies, facilitating targeted biopsy, its effectiveness in determining treatment modalities and its importance in post-PCa treatment follow-ups