Comparative Antibacterial Effects of a Novel Copper and Silver- Based Core/Shell Nanostructure by Sonochemical Method

In this study, the antibacterial effect of novel copper (Cu) and silver (Ag) metal-based core-shell nanostructures against Escherichia coli (E. coli-Gram negative) was investigated. The novel copper- and silver-based nanostructures were prepared separately by using nontoxic, biodegradable, and biocompatible biopolymers chitosan and guar gum-polyvinyl alcohol (GG-PVA), which were modified by inorganic phases SiO2 and sepiolite. On the other hand, guar gum-PVA (GG-PVA) was modified by sepiolite, and this nanostructure was prepared only for silver. Besides, Cu was dispersed in a different biopolymer chitosan by sonochemical method in the presence and absence of SiO2. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to characterize the surface chemistry and morphology of the core/shell nanostructure. Nanoscale zero-valent Cu (NZVCu) was found under thin CuO film according to the XPS results. SEM images showed that spherical Cu/CuO@SiO2 nanostructures (∼100 nm) were homogenously dispersed in the chitosan by using sonochemical method. Antibacterial property of the core-shell nanostructures was analyzed by well-diffusion method against Escherichia coli (E. coli-Gram negative). Cu/CuO@SiO2 nanostructures were found very effective against the E. coli due to high ratio of NZVCu in the nanostructure

The Viscosity Behaviour of PEGylated Locust Bean Gum/Rosin Ester Polymeric Nanoparticles

In this study, PEGylated locust bean gum–rosin glycerol ester polymeric nanoparticles (PEG-LBG/RE PNPs) were synthesized by using simple ultrasonic irradiation method. The nanoparticles were characterized by using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The viscosity behaviors of nanoparticles were studied in different conditions (pH, sonication time, and salt). The experimental results were calculated by Huggins, Kraemer, Tanglertpaibul-Rao, and Higiro models to understand the colloidal stability, the miscibility mechanism, and coefficients of nanoparticles. The results confirmed that the homogenous distribution of nanostructure was related to sonication time (30 min) and the presence of NaOH salt. With the addition of NaOH, the nanosystem based on ionotropic gelation technique was made more homogeneous. The results made us think that nanoparticles can be a good candidate for drug delivery systems in biomedical and pharmaceutical applications

Preparation, Characterization, and Swelling Behavior of PEGylated Guar Gum @ Ag Nanoparticles

In this study, polyethylene glycol/guar gum @ silver nanoparticles (PEG/GG@AgNPs) were synthesized by using simple sonication method. The nanoparticles were characterized using Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). The swelling behaviors of nanoparticles were studied in different pHs (5.5 and 7.4). The experimental results were calculated by Fickian diffusion and Schott kinetic models to understand the swelling mechanism and coefficients of the nanoparticles. The results showed that the linear equation of the Fickian diffusion kinetic model was best fit to explain the water diffusion mechanism of the nanoparticle with high correlation coefficient (R2 = 0.982–0.987). The results confirmed that the swelling degree of nanoparticles were 9.71 g/g at pH 5.5. Also, the results confirmed that PEG/GG@AgNPs can be a good candidate for drug delivery systems in pharmaceutical applications

Comparison of conventional and CT-based planning for intracavitary brachytherapy for cervical cancer: target volume coverage and organs at risk doses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To compare intracavitary brachytherapy (ICBT) planning methods for cervical cancer, based on either orthogonal radiographs (conventional plan) or CT sections (CT plan); the comparison focused on target volume coverage and dose volume analysis of organs at risk (OARs), by representing point doses defined by the International Commission on Radiation Units and Measurement (ICRU) and dose volume histograms (DVHs) from 3D planning.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We analyzed the dosimetric data for 62 conventional and CT-based ICBT plans. The gross tumor volume (GTV), clinical target volume (CTV) and organs at risk (OAR)s were contoured on the CT-plan. Point A and ICRU 38 rectal and bladder points were defined on reconstructed CT images.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients were categorized on the basis of whether the >95% isodose line of the point-A prescription dose encompassed the CTV (group 1, n = 24) or not (group 2, n = 38). The mean GTV and CTV (8.1 cc and 20.6 cc) were smaller in group 1 than in group 2 (24.7 cc and 48.4 cc) (<it>P <</it>0.001). The mean percentage of GTV and CTV coverage with the 7 Gy isodose was 93.1% and 88.2% for all patients, and decreased with increasing tumor size and stage. The mean D2 and D5 rectum doses were 1.66 and 1.42 times higher than the corresponding ICRU point doses and the mean D2 and D5 bladder doses were 1.51 and 1.28 times higher. The differences between the ICRU dose and the D2 and D5 doses were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 for the bladder, but not for the rectum.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The CT-plan is superior to the conventional plan in target volume coverage and appropriate evaluation of OARs, as the conventional plan overestimates tumor doses and underestimates OAR doses.</p

Exploring Attitudes Toward “Sugar Relationships” Across 87 Countries: A Global Perspective on Exchanges of Resources for Sex and Companionship

The current study investigates attitudes toward one form of sex for resources: the so-called sugar relationships, which often involve exchanges of resources for sex and/or companionship. The present study examined associations among attitudes toward sugar relationships and relevant variables (e.g., sex, sociosexuality, gender inequality, parasitic exposure) in 69,924 participants across 87 countries. Two self-report measures of Acceptance of Sugar Relationships (ASR) developed for younger companion providers (ASR-YWMS) and older resource providers (ASR-OMWS) were translated into 37 languages. We tested cross-sex and cross-linguistic construct equivalence, cross-cultural invariance in sex differences, and the importance of the hypothetical predictors of ASR. Both measures showed adequate psychometric properties in all languages (except the Persian version of ASR-YWMS). Results partially supported our hypotheses and were consistent with previous theoretical considerations and empirical evidence on human mating. For example, at the individual level, sociosexual orientation, traditional gender roles, and pathogen prevalence were significant predictors of both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS. At the country level, gender inequality and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. However, being a woman negatively predicted the ASR-OMWS, but positively predicted the ASR-YWMS. At country-level, ingroup favoritism and parasite stress positively predicted the ASR-OMWS. Furthermore, significant cross-subregional differences were found in the openness to sugar relationships (both ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS scores) across subregions. Finally, significant differences were found between ASR-YWMS and ASR-OMWS when compared in each subregion. The ASR-YWMS was significantly higher than the ASR-OMWS in all subregions, except for Northern Africa and Western Asia

Zihinsel canlandırmanın açı niteliğinin tiksinme duygusu üzerine etkisinin incelenmesi

Tan, Ezgi (Dogus Author)Several researchers have studied the relative effects of 'field' and 'observer' perspectives on the experience of emotions such as social anxiety, anger, depression and trauma. A review of existing literature revealed that the effect of imagery shift on disgust has not been taken into account. The aim of this exploratory study is to investigate the effect of imagery perspective on experience of disgust. It was hypothesized that disgust level and imagery perspective would be associated with levels of imagination difficulty, disgust, unpleasantness run away and urge for neutralization, and accordingly, it was hypothesized that field perspective would predict higher levels of imagination difficulty, disgust, unpleasantness run away and urge for neutralization. 120 participants (22 male and 98 female) were recruited for the present study and were randomly assigned to four different experimental conditions which are High Disgust Stimuli-Field Perspective, High Disgust Stimuli-Observer Perspective, Neutral Disgust Stimuli-Field Perspective, and Neutral Disgust Stimuli-Observer Perspective groups. In order to examine pretest conditions and differences between groups prior to experimental manipulations, they were asked to complete self-report ratings. Then, they completed the visual analog scale following the imagination phase and picture presentation. The interaction between imagery perspective and disgust level was examined by using between subjects analysis of variances. Results indicate that there is a significant difference between high and neutral disgust stimuli regarding disgust reactions while there is no association found between participants' imagery perspective and experience of disgust. The findings also reveal that neither field nor observer perspective could differentiate imagination difficulty, unpleasantness, disgust, run away and urge for neutralization level. Although no significant effect of imagery perspective was found in this study, it is a pioneering study that focuses on the disgust, and imagery perspective. The results are discussed in terms of potential weaknesses and possible significance forfuture studies.Bu araştırmanın genel konusu zihinsel canlandırmanın açı niteliğinin tiksinme duygusu ile olan ilişkisidir. Belirli bir olayı, olayın yaşandığı günkü gibi "göz" veya "dış" bir açıdan canlandırmanın sosyal kaygı, depresyon, öfke ve travma gibi duygular üzerindeki görece etkisine odaklanan artan sayıda araştırma vardır. Taranan araştırmalar sonucunda, açı değişkeninin tiksinme duygusu üzerindeki etkisinin incelenmediği görülmüştür. Sunulan araştırmanın amacı, açı niteliğinin ve tiksindirici uyaran düzeyinin canlandırma netliği, rahatsızlık hissi, tiksinme düzeyi, kaçınma davranışı, nötralizasyon/temizlenme isteği üzerindeki etkisi incelenmektedir. Tiksindirici uyaran düzeyinin etkisinin yanı sıra, göz açısı ile canlandıran grubun daha yüksek seviyede canlandırma netliği, rahatsızlık hissi, tiksinme düzeyi, kaçınma davranışı, nötralizasyon/temizlenme isteği göstermesi beklenmektedir. Araştırmadaki örneklem, 22'si erkek, 98'i kadın olmak üzere 120 üniversite öğrencisinden oluşmaktadır. Katılımcılar dört farklı deneysel gruba rastlantısal olarak dağıtılmıştır. Manipülasyon öncesi deneysel gruplar arasındaki farklılıkları ölçmek amacıyla öz-değerlendirme ölçekleri ile bilgi toplanmıştır. Daha sonra katılımcılara yüksek ve düşük (nötr) tiksinme unsurları içeren fotoğrafları göz ya da dış açısı ile canlandırmaları ve bilgisayar ekranındaki soruları yanıtlamaları istenmiştir. Araştırma sonuçlarına göre tiksindirici uyaranın seviyesinin rahatsızlık hissi, tiksinme düzeyi, kaçınma davranışı, nötralizasyon/temizlenme isteği üzerinde etkisi bulunmuşken, canlandırma açısının canlandırma netliği, rahatsızlık hissi, tiksinme düzeyi, kaçınma davranışı, nötralizasyon/temizlenme isteği üzerinde etkisi bulunmamıştır. Anlamlı bir bulguya ulaşılmamış olsa da canlandırma açısı ve tiksinme araştırmaları için öncülük eden bu araştırmanın sonuçları potansiyel sınırlılıkları ve gelecek araştırmalar için önemi çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır.PREFACE, iii -- ABSTRACT, iv -- ÖZ, vi -- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, viii -- TABLE OF CONTENTS, ix -- LIST OF TABLES, xi -- LIST OF FIGURES, xii -- LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS, xiii -- CHAPTER -- 1. INTRODUCTION, 1 -- 1.1 Mental Imagery and Emotions, 3 -- 1.1.2 Mental Imagery and Imagery Perspective, 4 -- 1.2 Explanation of Disgust, 8 -- 1.2.1 Disgust Reactions, 10 -- 1.2.3 Disgust and Related Psychological Disord, 11 -- 1.2.4 Functions of Disgust, 12 -- 1.2.5 Psychometric Assessment and Domains of Disgust, 14 -- 1.3 Aims of the Study, 15 -- 2. METHOD, 17 -- 2.1 Participants, 17 -- 2.2 Instruments, 17 -- 2.2.1 Demographic Information Form, 18 -- 2.2.2 Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI), 18 -- 2.2.3 Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), 18 -- 2.2.4 Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision (PI-WSUR), 19 -- 2.2.5 Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised (DS-R), 19 -- 2.2.6 Contamination Cognitions Scale (CCS), 19 -- 2.2.7 Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire (OBQ), 20 -- 2.3 Procedure, 20 -- 3. RESULTS, 25 -- 3.1 Examination of Pretest Measures and Differences Between Groups Before Experimental Manipulation and Correlations Among Measures, 25 -- 3.2 Comparison of Experimental Groups (Disgust and Neural Stimuli) In Terms of Unpleasantness, Disgust, Run Away and Urge for Neutralization, 28 -- 3.3 Comparison Between Field Perspective and Observer Perspective Groups in Terms of Imagination Difficulty, Unpleasantness, Disgust, Run Away and Urge for Neutralization, 29 -- 3.4 Comparison of Groups According to Stimuli’s Disgust Level and Imagery Perspective on Imagination Difficulty, Unpleasantness, Disgust, Run Away and Urge for Neutralization, 30 -- 4. DISCUSSION, 32 -- 4.1 Main Aims and Major Findings, 32 -- 4.1 Conclusion, 34 -- 4.3 Limitations of the Present Study, 34 -- 4.4 Clinical Implications and Future Directions, 35 -- REFERENCES, 37 -- APPENDICES, 49 -- A. Consent Form, 49 -- B. Demographic Information Form, 51 -- C. Beck Depression Inventory, 53 -- D. Beck Anxiety Inventory, 58 -- E.Padua Inventory-Washington State University Revision, 59 -- F. Disgust Sensitivity Scale-Revised, 61 -- G. Contamination Cognitions Scale, 63 -- H. Obsessive Beliefs Questionnaire, 64 -- CURRICULUM VITAE, 6

Dianthus rinaceus Boiss. Var. Erinaceus bitkisinden endofitik mikroorganizmaların izolasyonu, tanımlanması ve antimikrobiyal özelliklerinin belirlenmesi

Bu çalışmada, endemik bir bitki olan Dianthus erinaceus'tan endofitik mikroorganizmaların izole edilmesi, tanımlanması ve bunların antimikrobiyal aktivitelerinin değerlendirilmesi hedeflenmiştir. D. erinaceus bitkisi Nif dağından toplanmış ve uygun koşullarda laboratuvara getirildikten sonra yaprak, gövde ve kökleri içeren farklı bitki parçalarından yüzey sterilizasyonundan sonra endofitik fungus ve bakteri izolasyonu yapılmıştır. D. erinaceus bitkisinin farklı dokularından 6 fungus ve 10 bakteri olmak üzere toplamda 16 izolat elde edilmiştir. Endofitik fungus ve bakteri izolatları polifazik yaklaşımlar kullanılarak tanımlanmıştır. Bakteriyal tanımlamalar Bacillus, Kocuria, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas ve Ralstonia türlerini içeren 5 farklı genusu açığa çıkartmıştır. Fungal tanımlamada ise Eurotiomycetes grubuna ait 2 tür (Aspergillus spp. ve Penicillium spp.) ve Dothideomycetes grubuna ait 1 tür (Alternaria spp.) olmak üzere 3 farklı genus tanımlanmıştır. Aynı zamanda bitkiden izole edilen fungus ve bakterilerin antimikrobiyal bileşik üretme kapasiteleri araştırılmıştır. İzolatların fermentasyon sıvılarından elde edilen Etil asetat (EtOAc) ve bütanol ekstrelerinin aktiviteleri disk difüzyon ve broth mikrodilüsyon yöntemleriyle belirlenmiştir. Buna göre 8 bakteri ve 4 fungus türünün test organizmalarına karşı iyi bir antimikrobiyal etkisinin olduğu saptanmıştır. Özellikle fungal izolatlardan Dek20f gram negatiflere karşı yüksek aktivite gösterirken, bakteriyal izolatlardan Deg11b C.albicans'a karşı antifungal etki göstermiştir.Therefore the aims of this study were to isolation and identification of the endophytic microorganisms from an endemic plant, Dianthus erinaceus and evaluate their antimicrobial activities. The whole plant samples of D. erinaceus were collected from Nif Mountain, İzmir in July 2016. Different plant parts including leaves, stems and roots were subjected to surface sterilization with bleach and ethanol to eliminate the surface microorganisms. Then the outer tissues are removed with a sterilized scalpel and inner tissues are sliced thinly than placed on isolation media. Plates were incubated at 27°C for 6 weeks. A total of 10 bacterial and 6 fungal endophytes were isolated from the different tissues of the D. erinaceus, the endemic plant species of the Nif Mountain in the Aegean Region. Endophytic fungi and bacteria isolates were identified using polyphasic taxonomy. Bacterial identifications revealed 5 different bacterial genera including Bacillus, Kocuria, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas and Ralstonia. Identification of fungal strains revealed that 3 of the fungal isolates were belonging to the Eurotiomycetes classis (Aspergillus spp. and Penicillium spp.) and 1 belong to the Dothideomycetes classis (Alternaria spp.). Furthermore all isolates were subjected fermentation in 250 ml erlenmeyer flasks in order to assess their antimicrobial activities. Cell free culture filtrates were extracted three times with an equal volume of ethylacetate and butanol (1:1, v/v) separately. Some gram negative, gram positive and yeast were used test organisms. Antimicrobial activities of the crude extracts were determined by disc diffusion and broth microdilution method. Butanol extracts showed considerable activity against test microorganisms. A total of 8 bacteria and 4 fungi showed activity against test microorganisms. Fungal strain DEK20f was shown to be more effective against gram-negative bacteria than gram positive. On the other hand, bacterial isolate DEG11b showed a strong antifungal activity against C. albicans