Mudanças físicas e químicas durante a maturação de frutos de amora preta

Blackberry (Rubus L.) is a naturally growing fruit in Anatolia. Consumption of fresh and frozen blackberries has increased in the past few years in Turkey. The aim of this study is to analyze blackberry at three levels of ripeness taking into account some physical and chemical properties (color, dry matter, soluble solids, total sugar, titratable acidity, pH, total phenolics, total anthocyanin, and minerals) in order to understand this behavior during the ripening process. Blackberry fruits were harvested at green, red and ripe (mature) stages. The determination of fruit maturity was based on fruit surface color. The dry matter, total phenolics and Hunter L, b values decreased but soluble solids, total sugar and total anthocyanins increased with maturity. In the early fruit ripening stages, pH decreased, titratable acidity and Hunter a value increased while in the later stages, pH increased, titratable acidity and Hunter a value decreased considerably. Analysis of variance revealed (P < 0.01) differences in these parameters based on ripeness stages. No remarkable changes in potassium, calcium, zinc and manganese concentrations occured during the development of fruits. Differences were observed for magnesium (P < 0.01), iron (P < 0.01) and copper (P < 0.05) during ripening of blackberry.Amora preta (blackberry, Rubus L.) é uma fruta que cresce naturalmente na península de Anatolia. O consumo de suas frutas frescas ou congeladas aumentou nos últimos anos na Turquia. Este estudo teve por objetivo analisar amoras pretas colhidas em três níveis de maturação, levando em conta propriedades físicas e químicas das frutas (cor, matéria seca, sólidos solúveis, açúcar total, acidez titulável, pH, fenóis totais, antocianina total e sais minerais) para melhor compreender o processo de maturação. As frutas foram colhidas nos estágios verde, vermelho e maduro. A determinação do estágio maduro foi baseada na cor da superfície das frutas. A materia seca, os fenóis totais e os valores de Hunter L, b diminuiram mas os sólidos solúveis, açúcares totais e total de antocianina decresceram em função do nível de maturação. Nos estágios iniciais de maturação, o pH decresceu, a acidez titulável e o valor a de Hunter aumentaram enquanto nos estágios posteriores o pH aumentou, a acidez titulável e o valor a de Hunter decresceram consideravelmente. A análise de variância revelou diferenças nestes parâmetros (P < 0,01), baseada nos estágios de maturação. Não houve mudanças marcantes nos conteúdos de potássio, calico e magnésio durante o desenvolvimento dos frutos. Diferenças foram obsevadas para magnésio (P < 0,01), ferro (P < 0,01) e cobre (P < 0,05) durante a maturação das amoras pretas

CSF protein biomarkers predicting longitudinal reduction of CSF β-amyloid42 in cognitively healthy elders.

β-amyloid (Aβ) plaque accumulation is a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is believed to start many years prior to symptoms and is reflected by reduced cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of the peptide Aβ1-42 (Aβ42). Here we tested the hypothesis that baseline levels of CSF proteins involved in microglia activity, synaptic function and Aβ metabolism predict the development of Aβ plaques, assessed by longitudinal CSF Aβ42 decrease in cognitively healthy people. Forty-six healthy people with three to four serial CSF samples were included (mean follow-up 3 years, range 2-4 years). There was an overall reduction in Aβ42 from a mean concentration of 211-195 pg ml(-1) after 4 years. Linear mixed-effects models using longitudinal Aβ42 as the response variable, and baseline proteins as explanatory variables (n=69 proteins potentially relevant for Aβ metabolism, microglia or synaptic/neuronal function), identified 10 proteins with significant effects on longitudinal Aβ42. The most significant proteins were angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE, P=0.009), Chromogranin A (CgA, P=0.009) and Axl receptor tyrosine kinase (AXL, P=0.009). Receiver-operating characteristic analysis identified 11 proteins with significant effects on longitudinal Aβ42 (largely overlapping with the proteins identified by linear mixed-effects models). Several proteins (including ACE, CgA and AXL) were associated with Aβ42 reduction only in subjects with normal baseline Aβ42, and not in subjects with reduced baseline Aβ42. We conclude that baseline CSF proteins related to Aβ metabolism, microglia activity or synapses predict longitudinal Aβ42 reduction in cognitively healthy elders. The finding that some proteins only predict Aβ42 reduction in subjects with normal baseline Aβ42 suggest that they predict future development of the brain Aβ pathology at the earliest stages of AD, prior to widespread development of Aβ plaques

Cerebral Amyloid and Hypertension are Independently Associated with White Matter Lesions in Elderly.

In cognitively normal (CN) elderly individuals, white matter hyperintensities (WMH) are commonly viewed as a marker of cerebral small vessel disease (SVD). SVD is due to exposure to systemic vascular injury processes associated with highly prevalent vascular risk factors (VRFs) such as hypertension, high cholesterol, and diabetes. However, cerebral amyloid accumulation is also prevalent in this population and is associated with WMH accrual. Therefore, we examined the independent associations of amyloid burden and VRFs with WMH burden in CN elderly individuals with low to moderate vascular risk. Participants (n = 150) in the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) received fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) MRI at study entry. Total WMH volume was calculated from FLAIR images co-registered with structural MRI. Amyloid burden was determined by cerebrospinal fluid Aβ1-42 levels. Clinical histories of VRFs, as well as current measurements of vascular status, were recorded during a baseline clinical evaluation. We tested ridge regression models for independent associations and interactions of elevated blood pressure (BP) and amyloid to total WMH volume. We found that greater amyloid burden and a clinical history of hypertension were independently associated with greater WMH volume. In addition, elevated BP modified the association between amyloid and WMH, such that those with either current or past evidence of elevated BP had greater WMH volumes at a given burden of amyloid. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that cerebral amyloid accumulation and VRFs are independently associated with clinically latent white matter damage represented by WMHs. The potential contribution of amyloid to WMHs should be further explored, even among elderly individuals without cognitive impairment and with limited VRF exposure

Mapping states’ Paris climate pledges: Analysing targets and groups at COP 21

Prior to the 2015 Paris Conference of the Parties (COP), every state was requested to submit a pledge of their own design. To date, there has been a lack of large-n studies that provide a broad picture of these pledges. We employ Discourse Network Analysis to examine critically the climate pledges of all 162 actors at the Paris COP. Our research offers four main contributions. First, we provide data regarding the mitigation and adaptation components of every national pledge. Second, we identify six types of mitigation targets, and visually cluster every state according to these formats. Third, we argue that the pledges of the Umbrella Group of non-EU developed states, and of the group of oil exporting countries, showed greater internal similarity than the group comprising Brazil, China, India and South Africa. Finally, we critique the method as a means of analysing the new global climate governance context and argue that the method offers an innovative and unique means of understanding this complex policy landscape, when applied in a specific and focused manner

Kırka Boraks atıklarının soda liçi

Bor, çok geniş kullanım alanları ile, insanlığın bugünkü ve gelecekteki yaşamlarında, vazgeçilmez bir endüstriyel hammadde olarak önemini gittikçe arttıracaktır. Ülkemiz bu açıdan şanslı bir konumda olup, toplam dünya bor rezervlerinin yaklaşık %60 'mı içermektedir Bu nedenlerden dolayı, bor cevherlerimizin en verimli bir şekilde üretimi ülkemiz açısından çok fazla önem arz etmektedir. Kırka boraks konsantratöründe, her yıl yaklaşık %10-12 B2O3 tenörlü 250 bin ton yaş artık oluşmakta ve bunun yanında artık göletinde de benzer tenörlü yaklaşık 4 milyon ton birikmiş katı artık bulunmaktadır. Artıkların teknolojik koşullara uygun olarak değerlendirilmesi gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmada, kırka boraks artıklarının soda liçi ile değerlendirilmesinde etken olan parametreler ayrıntılı bir şekilde araştırılmıştır. Bu amaçla, boraks artıklarının Na2C03 ve NaHCC>3 liçi; değişik sıcaklık, çözücü"miktarları, katı/sıvı oranlan ve çözeltine sürelerinde denenmiş olup, düşük çözücü oranlarında, optimal sıcaklık ve sürede başarılı sonuçlar alınmıştır. Sonuçta, seyreltik soda çözeltisi ile yapılan deneylerde, artiklardaki boraks yüksek verimle çözünmüş ve elde edilen bulgulardan yararlanılarak, tesisin mevcut çalışma koşullarına uygun optimum öneri akım şemalan geliştirilmiştir. Aynca, bu yöntemle boraks artıklarının değerlendirilmesinde, çözücü olarak tronanın kullanılması ile ülkemizde büyük bir potansiyele sahip olan trona yataklan yem bir kullanım alam bulmuş olacaktır.Boron will continue its importance in the recent world and in the future as a very well-known and necessary industrial rawmaterial with common use areas. Our country is very advantegeous in this point and contains approximately 60 % of total world reserves of boron. Thus production of boron ores is greatly significant for our country. In the Kırka Tincal Concentrator, approximately 250 000 tons wet tailings with a grade of 10 -12 % are produced and separately 4 million tons tailings with similar grade are disposed. Beneficiation from the Kırka Tincal tailings is thereby necessary. In this study, the effective parameters m soda leaching of the Kırka Tincal tailings have been investigated in detail. For this aim, Na2CC>3 and NaHCC>3 leaching of the tailings at different temperature, concentration, solid/liquid ratio and leaching time were carried out. As a conclusion, in the experiments made with aqueous soda solutions, tincal were efficiently extracted and an optimum processing plant proposal was developed. Furthermore, with use of trona in this processing method of the tailings, the great trona deposits will find a different use

BASP1 labels neural stem cells in the neurogenic niches of mammalian brain

The mechanisms responsible for determining neural stem cell fate are numerous and complex. To begin to identify the specific components involved in these processes, we generated several mouse neural stem cell (NSC) antibodies against cultured mouse embryonic neurospheres. Our immunohistochemical data showed that the NSC-6 antibody recognized NSCs in the developing and postnatal murine brains as well as in human brain organoids. Mass spectrometry revealed the identity of the NSC-6 epitope as brain abundant, membrane-attached signal protein 1 (BASP1), a signaling protein that plays a key role in neurite outgrowth and plasticity. Western blot analysis using the NSC-6 antibody demonstrated multiple BASP1 isoforms with varying degrees of expression and correlating with distinct developmental stages. Herein, we describe the expression of BASP1 in NSCs in the developing and postnatal mammalian brains and human brain organoids, and demonstrate that the NSC-6 antibody may be a useful marker of these cells.We are grateful to Grigori Enikolopov for critically reviewing the manuscript, Dwight Martin for expert technical assistance, and Huda Zoghbi for the use of flow cytometer. This work was supported by the NIGMS (5R01GM120033), U.S. Army Medical Research (DAMD170110754), Cynthia and Antony Petrello Endowment, and Mark A. Wallace Endowment (M.M.S.); the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (T32DK07521-16) (L.N.M.); MINECO SAF-2015-70866R (J.M.E), FPI MICINN predoctoral Fellowship (I.D.); the Proteomics Center at Stony Brook University (NIH/NCRR 1S10 RR023680), and the BCM IDDRC Grant (P50HD10355) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development for use of the Microscopy Core facilities, the RNA In Situ Hybridization Core facility, and the Human Neuronal Differentiation Core facilit

Towards an operationalization of test-driven development skills: An industrial empirical study

Abstract Context: The majority of the empirical studies on Test-driven development (TDD) are concerned with verifying or refuting the effectiveness of the technique over a traditional approach, and they tend to neglect whether the subjects possess the necessary skills to apply TDD, though they argue such skills are necessary. Objective: We evaluate a set of minimal, a priori and in process skills necessary to apply TDD. We determine whether variations in external quality (i.e., number of defects) and productivity (i.e., number of features implemented) can be associated with different clusters of the TDD skills? set. Method: We executed a quasi-experiment involving 30 practitioners from industry. We first grouped the participants according to their TDD skills? set (consisting of a priori experience on programming and testing as well as in-process TDD conformance) into three levels (Low-Medium-High) using k-means clustering. We then applied ANOVA to compare the clusters in terms of external quality and productivity, and conducted post-hoc pairwise analysis. Results: We did not observe a statistically significant difference between the clusters either for external software quality ( F ( 2 , 27 = 1.44 , p = . 260 ), or productivity ( F ( 2 , 27 ) = 3.02 , p = . 065 ). However, the analysis of the effect sizes and their confidence intervals shows that the TDD skills? set is a factor that could account for up to 28% of the external quality, and 38% for productivity. Conclusion: We have reason to conclude that focusing on the improvement of TDD skills? set investigated in this study could benefit software developers in improving their baseline productivity and the external quality of the code they produce. However, replications are needed to overcome the issues related with the statistical power of this study. We suggest practical insights for future work to investigate the phenomenon further.hisresearchispartiallysupportedbytheAcademyofFinlandwithdecisionno.:278354,andbyFinnishDistinguishedProfessor(Fi.Di.Pro.) programme, ESEIL

A rare case of sarcoidosis involving the middle turbinates: an incidental diagnosis

BACKGROUND: Sarcoidosis is a chronic, systemic granulomatous disease of unknown etiology that features noncaseating granulomas in many body regions. Sinonasal involvement is rare but is also suspected to be underreported. CASE PRESENTATION: We present the case of a 39-year-old woman who was incidentally diagnosed with isolated sarcoidosis involving the middle turbinates. Histopathologic examination of resected concha bullosa material and an extensive panel of diagnostic tests revealed a diagnosis of isolated sarcoidosis. Since no systemic manifestations were detected, topical corticosteroid (nasal spray) was administered in the postoperative period. Throughout the 12 months after surgery, the patient remained free of symptoms and all nasal endoscopy examinations were normal. CONCLUSION: Although isolated nasal involvement of sarcoidosis is rare, otorhinolaryngologists should consider this condition in a differential diagnosis for sinonasal complaints