A high-resolution late Holocene lake isotope record from Turkey and links to North Atlantic and monsoon climate

A high resolution proxy record of precipitation and evaporation variability through the past 1700 yr from δ18O analysis of a varved lake sequence from central Turkey shows rapid shifts between dry periods (AD 300–500 and AD 1400–1950) and wetter intervals (AD 560–750 and AD 1000–1350). Changes are consistent with changes in instrumental and proxy records of the Indian monsoon, dry summers in the Eastern Mediterranean being associated with periods of enhanced monsoon rainfall. In addition major shifts in the record are coherent with changes in North Atlantic winter climate with cold, wet periods in the Alps occurring at times of dry Turkish climate

Eastern Mediterranean hydroclimate over the late glacial and Holocene, reconstructed from the sediments of Nar lake, central Turkey, using stable isotopes and carbonate mineralogy

There is a lack of high-resolution records of hydroclimate variability in the Eastern Mediterranean from the late glacial and early Holocene. More knowledge of the speed of climate shifts and the degree to which they were synchronous with changes in the North Atlantic or elsewhere is required to understand better the controls on Eastern Mediterranean climate. Using endogenic carbonate from a sediment sequence from Nar Gölü, a maar lake in central Turkey, dated by varve counting and uranium-thorium methods, we present high-resolution (∼25 years) oxygen (δ18O) and carbon isotope records, supported by carbonate mineralogy data, spanning the late glacial and Holocene. δ18Ocarbonate at Nar Gölü has been shown previously to be a strong proxy for regional water balance. After a dry period (i.e. evaporation far exceeding precipitation) in the Younger Dryas, the data show a transition into the relatively wetter early Holocene. In the early Holocene there are two drier periods that appear to peak at ∼9.3 ka and ∼8.2 ka, coincident with cooling ‘events’ seen in North Atlantic records. After this, and as seen in other records from the Eastern Mediterranean, there is a millennial-scale drying trend through the Mid Holocene Transition. The relatively dry late Holocene is punctuated by centennial-scale drought intervals, at the times of 4.2 ka ‘event’ and Late Bronze Age societal ‘collapse’. Overall, we show that central Turkey is drier when the North Atlantic is cooler, throughout this record and at multiple timescales, thought to be due to a weakening of the westerly storm track resulting from reduced cyclogenesis in the North Atlantic. However, some features, such as the Mid Holocene Transition and the fact the early Holocene dry episodes at Nar Gölü are of a longer duration than the more discrete ‘events’ seen in North Atlantic records, imply there are additional controls on Eastern Mediterranean hydroclimate

Effect of calcium channel blockers on paraoxonase-1 (PON1) activity and oxidative stress

Background: In this study, we investigated the in vitro effects of calcium channel blockers (nifedipine, nitrendipine, isradipine, and amlodipine besylate) on the activity of paraoxonase-1 (PON1). Methods: PON1 was purified from human serum using simple chromatographic methods, including DEAE-Sephadex anion-exchange and Sephadex G-200 gel filtration chromatography. Results: The calcium channel blockers decreased the in vitro PON1 activity. The inhibition mechanism of amlodipine besylate was noncompetitive, whereas nifedipine, nitrendipine, and isradipine were competitive inhibitors. Conclusions: Our results showed that calcium channel blockers exhibit inhibitory effects on PON1 at low concentrations. The IC50 values for nifedipine, nitrendipine, isradipine, and amlodipine besylate were determined to be 0.121 mM, 0.130 mM, 0.255 mM, and 0.304 mM, respectively, and the Ki constants were calculated to be 0.222 ± 0.049 mM, 0.151 ± 0.067 mM, 0.286 ± 0.137 mM, and 0.321 ± 0.002 mM, respectively. © 2014 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Urban & Partner Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved

Human serum paraoxonase-1 (hPON1): In vitro inhibition effects of moxifloxacin hydrochloride, levofloxacin hemihidrate, cefepime hydrochloride, cefotaxime sodium and ceftizoxime sodium

In this study, we investigated the effects of antibacterial drugs (moxifloxacin hydrochloride, levofloxacin hemihidrate, cefepime hydrochloride, cefotaxime sodium and ceftizoxime sodium) on human serum paraoxonase-1 (hPON1) enzyme activity from human serum in vitro conditions. For this purpose, hPON1 enzyme was purified from human serum using simple chromatographic methods. The antibacterial drugs exhibited inhibitory effects on hPON1 at low concentrations. Ki constants were calculated to be 2.641 ± 0.040 mM, 5.525 ± 0.817 mM, 35.092 ± 1.093 mM, 252.762 ± 5.749 mM and 499.244 ± 10.149 mM, respectively. The inhibition mechanism of moxifloxacin hydrochloride was competitive, whereas levofloxacin hemihidrate, cefepime hydrochloride, cefotaxime sodium and ceftizoxime sodium were noncompetitive inhibitors. © 2014 Informa UK Ltd. All rights reserved

The determination of spider species (Araneae) in barley and wheat fields of Northern Cyprus

This study was carried out to determine the spider fauna in barley and wheat fields of Northern Cyprus. It was conducted in 36 cereal fields of 24 villages in the Lefkoşa, Girne, Güzelyurt, Gazimağusa, and İskele districts in the years 2012 and 2013. In the study, the Oxyopidae (2), Thomisidae (5), Salticidae (2), Araneidae (3), Philodromidae (2), Clubionidae (3), and Theridiidae (1) families from Araneae were determined. Seventeen of the 18 species, excluding Kochiura aulica (C. L. Koch), were found for the first time and included in the fauna of Northern Cyprus © TÜBITAK

Synthesis, biological evaluation and in silico studies of novel N-substituted phthalazine sulfonamide compounds as potent carbonic anhydrase and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

PMID = 3112950