Morpho-physiological combining ability among tropical and temperate maize germplasm for drought tolerance

In this study, seven maize inbred lines representing different tropical, drought tolerant populations and two adapted temperate maize inbred lines were crossed in a half-diallel mating design to determine combining abilities. The genotypes were tested in well-watered (WW) and managed water stressed (WS) conditions in 2013 and 2014. General combining ability (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) mean squares were significant for all investigated traits and demonstrated both additive and non-additive genetic effects in both conditions. Higher desired leaf rolling, leaf senescence, stomatal conductance and leaf chlorophyll content GCA effects of tropical inbreds under WS conditions showed the presence of the valuable allels related to drought stress. SCA analysis revealed that the best hybrids for water use efficiency and irrigation water use efficiency were tropical x temperate crosses. Stress tolerance index and drought resistance index identified G5 x G9, a tropical x temperate hybrid, as the most tolerant hybrid to drought. Our study suggests that tropical drought tolerant germplasm has the potential to contribute useful genetic diversity to temperate maize breeding programs

Development of the Postbariatric Surgery Quality of Life Scale

Background: This study adapted a methodological approach to develop the Postbariatric Surgery Quality of Life Scale (PBSQLS) to determine the postoperative quality of life in patients undergoing bariatric surgery. Materials and Methods: The study population (N = 395) was composed of patients who had undergone bariatric surgery between January 2016 and July 2019 in Sakarya Training and Research Hospital in Sakarya, Turkey; and the sample consisted of those who wanted to participate in the study, were aged 18 and older, literate, and had no cognitive and mental health issues. Results: In this study, the varimax rotation process revealed that the PBSQLS had 18 items, three subfactors with similar characteristics, and a total variance loading of 61.358. In addition, the Postbariatric Surgery of Complications Scale (PBSCS) had one single-factor structure, seven items, and a variance loading of 36.213. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found as 0.884 and 0.702 for the PBSQLS and PBSCS, respectively. Conclusion: The PBSQLS and PBSCS developed as a result of this study can be applied in international studies by ensuring its language and society adaptation and will contribute positively to the literature in this field.WOS:0005300005000012-s2.0-8509793165

Defective Treg generation and increased type 3 immune response in leukocyte adhesion deficiency 1

In 15 Turkish LAD-1 patients and controls, we assessed the impact of pathogenic ITGB2 mutations on Th17/Treg differentiation and functions, and innate lymphoid cell (ILC) subsets. The percentage of peripheral blood Treg cells, in vitro-generated induced Tregs differentiated from naive CD4+ T cells were decreased despite the elevated absolute counts of CD4+ cells in LAD-1 patients. Serum IL-23 levels were elevated in LAD-1 patients. Post-curdlan stimulation, LAD-1 patient-derived PBMCs produced more IL-17A. Additionally, the percentages of CD18-deficient Th17 cells expanded from total or naïve CD4+ T cells were higher. The blood ILC3 subset was significantly elevated in LAD-1. Finally, LAD-1 PBMCs showed defects in trans-well migration and proliferation and were more resistant to apoptosis. Defects in de novo generation of Tregs from CD18-deficient naïve T cells and elevated Th17s, and ILC3s in LAD-1 patients' peripheral blood suggest a type 3-skewed immunity and may contribute to LAD-1-associated autoimmune symptoms