Effect of amifostine on pulmonary contusion from blunt chest trauma in rats

Purpose: To investigate the efficacy of different doses of amifostine (AMI) and dexamethasone (DXM) on bilateral pulmonary contusion in rats.Methods: Forty-two Sprague Dawley rats were divided into six groups of seven animals each (control, pulmonary contusion (PC), PC + AMI 400 mg/kg, PC + AMI 200 mg/kg, PC + AMI 400 mg/kg + DXM, and PC + DXM-treated groups). RelAssay commercial kit was used to determine total oxidant status (TOS), total antioxidant status (TAS), and oxidative stress index (OSI). Nitric oxide (NO), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) activity associated with blunt trauma induced pulmonary damage were determined by enzyme -linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Blood gas was determined using a blood gas analyzer, while histopathological examinations were performed on the tissues by hematoxylin and eosin (H & E) staining method.Results: Significant improvement in biochemical parameters and histopathological findings were observed in the groups treated with dexamethasone and high-dose amifostine (400 mg/kg; p 0.05). Conclusion: High-dose amifostine combined with dexamethasone mitigates trauma-induced damage in rat by preventing the elevation of key inflammatory markers. Further preclinical and clinical studies are required to determine the efficacy of amifostine in humans and to compare its activity with other agents

A programme evaluation of ‘First Steps’: A peer-conceived, developed and led self-management intervention for people after a Parkinson's diagnosis

ObjectiveA diagnosis of Parkinson's often leads to uncertainty about the future and loss of perceived control. Peer support may offer a means to address these concerns and promote self-management. DesignA programme evaluation of the feasibility and potential effects of ‘First Steps’, utilising a pragmatic step wedge approach. Comparing First Steps (intervention) to (control) conditions. Setting: In the community at four sites in southern England. Participants: Newly diagnosed (≤ 12months) people with Parkinson's. Intervention: First Steps was a 2-day peer-conceived, developed and led intervention to support self-management. Main measures: At 0, 12 and 24 weeks anxiety and depression (Hospital, Anxiety and Depression Scale, HADS), daily functioning (World Health Organisation Disability Assessment Schedule, WHODAS), physical activity, quality of life (EQ5D), carer strain and service utilisation were assessed. ResultsBetween February 2018 and July 2019, 36 participants were enrolled into intervention and 21 to control conditions, all were included in statistical analysis. Lost to follow up was n = 1 (intervention) and n = 1 adverse event was reported (control, unrelated). Of the 36 allocated to the intervention n = 22 participants completed both days of First Steps during the study period. Completion of outcome measures was >95% at 24 weeks. Small effects favouring the intervention were found for HADS (odds ratio (OR) = 2.06, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.24:17.84), Carer Strain Index (OR = 2.22, 95% CI 0.5:9.76) and vigorous (d = 0.42, 95% CI −0.12:0.97) and total physical activity (d = 0.41, 95% CI −0.13:0.95). EQ5D, WHOSDAS and service utilisation, was similar between groups. ConclusionsFirst Steps was feasible and safe and we found potential to benefit physical activity, mental health and carer strain. Further research with longer-term follow up is warranted

Bir Dağıtım Sistemi Statik Senkron Kompanzatörün (DSTATKOM) Adım Adım Tasarım Prosedürü

DSTATKOM, dağıtım sistemlerinde güç kalitesi problemlerini düzeltmek için kullanılan güç iyileştirici cihazlardan biridir. DSTATKOM’ un performansı tamamıyla güç devresinin ve kontrolcü algoritmasının uygun seçimiyle ilgilidir. DSTATKOM’un güç devresi DA bara kapasitöründen, doğrultucudan ve pasif filtreden oluşur. DSTATKOM’un kontrol devresi referans sinyal çıkartımından, DA bara gerilim kontrolünden, AA gerilim kontrolünden ve anahtarlama sinyali üretiminden oluşur. Kompanze eden akım referans sinyalleri genellikle Anlık Simetrik Bileşen Teorisi (ASBT) ve dq teori tabanlı metot kullanarak ölçülen değerlerden üretilir. Gerilim kontrollü doğrultucuda (GKD) DA barayı sabit gerilimde tutmak içinDSTATCOM is one of the power conditioning devices that is used to mitigate power quality problems in distribution systems. The overall performance of the DSTATCOM is strictly related with the proper selection of power circuit configuration and controller algorithm. The power circuit of DSTATCOM consists of dc link capacitor, inverter and passive filter. The control circuit of DSTATCOM consists of reference signal extraction, DC link voltage control, AC voltage control and switching signal generation. Compensating current reference signal is generally derived from the measured quantities by the use of the Instantaneous Symmetrical Component Theory (ISCT) and dq theory based method. A proportional–integral (PI) controller is generally used to maintain a constant voltage at the dc-link of a Voltage-Source Inverter (VSI). Furthermore, by connecting a delta connected inductor-capacitor-inductor (LCL) passive filter at inverter output, the high order harmonics generated by the DSTATCOM can be easily and effectively eliminated. This study presents the design procedures for power and control circuits of 300 kVA DSTATCOM in detail

Farklı Bal Kabağı Anaç Adayları ile Aşılı Hıyar Çeşitlerinin Menderes Ovasında Verim ve Kalite Performanslarının Belirlenmesi

Amaç: Anaç ıslah programında geliştirilen bal kabağı anaç adaylarının örtüaltı hıyar yetiştiriciliğinde verim ve meyve kalite özellikleri bakımından performanslarının ticari anaçlarla ve aşısız bitkilerle karşılaştırarak, en uygun ümitvar anaç adaylarının belirlenmesidir. Materyal ve Metot: Araştırmada, tür içi 10 adet melez bal kabağı anaç adayı ve iki ticari kabak anacı (TZ148 ve RS841) ile Maya ve Sardes ticari çeşitleri kalem olarak kullanılmıştır. Tüm anaçlar, Sardes ve Maya çeşitleri ile aşılanmıştır. Ayrıca, aşısız Maya ve Sardes çeşitleri, kontrol bitkileri olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Meyve kalite ve verim unsurlarının belirlenmesine yönelik olarak; meyve boyu (cm), meyve çapı (cm), meyve şekil indeksi, meyve eti sertliği (kg/cm2 ), suda çözünebilir kuru madde (%), titre edilebilir asitlik (mval/100 ml), ortalama meyve ağırlığı (g), bitki başına meyve sayısı (adet), erkenci verim (kg/da) ve dekara verim (kg/da) değerleri incelenmiştir. Bulgular: Araştırma sonucunda; aynı anaç üzerine aşılanan farklı hıyar çeşitlerinde incelenen meyve kalite özelliklerinin önemli düzeyde farklılıklar gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Ümitvar kabak anaçlarıyla aşılanan hıyar bitkilerinin, aşısız kontrol bitkilerine göre erkenci verim ve dekara verim değerleri yönünden daha iyi sonuçlar verdiği saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Bu çalışmadan elde edilen sonuçlar, aşılı hıyar bitkisi üretiminde geliştirilen RS9 ve RS13 hibrit bal kabağı anaç adaylarının, aşılı hıyar fidesi üretiminde ticari anaç potansiyellerinin oldukça yüksek olduğunu göstermiştir.Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the yield and fruit characteristics of the pumpkin rootstock candidates with commercial rootstocks and nongrafted plants in order to determine the most appropriate rootstock candidates. Material and Methods: In this research, 10 hybrid pumpkin rootstock candidates, two commercial rootstocks (TZ148 and RS841 cv.) were used as rootstocks. The rootstocks were grafted with Sardes and Maya commercial varieties and the nongrafted Sardes and Maya cultivars were used as the control. In order to determine the effect of rootstocks on cucumber fruit quality and yield components; fruit length (cm), fruit diameter (cm), fruit firmness (kg/cm2 ), soluble solids content (%), the titratable acidity (mval/100 ml), mean fruit weight (g), fruit number per plant, early and total yield (kg/da) parameters were examined. Results: It was determined that the properties examined in different cucumber varieties on the same rootstock differed significantly. In general, the cucumber plants grafted onto promising pumpkin rootstocks shown better results in terms of yield compared to nongrafted control plants. Conclusion: The results obtained from this study show that despite the preference of Cucurbita maxima x Cucurbita moschata hybrid rootstocks in grafted cucumber production, native RS9 and RS13 hybrid pumpkin candidates have economic potentials in the production of grafted cucumber seedlings

The protective effect of Ferula elaeochytris on age-related erectile dysfunction

Ethnopharmacological relevance Ferula elaeochytris Korovin (FE) is a perennial medicinal plant of Apiaceae family. Ferula elaeochytris Korovin, known as ‘Çakşır’ in Anatolia, is widely used as an aphrodisiac as well as antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-diabetic. Aim of the study: Erectile dysfunction (ED) is a serious public health problem that has a high prevalence and negatively affects the quality of life in elderly men. In the treatment and prophylaxis of many diseases, because of widely increasing use of plant extracts as therapeutic agents, preclinical studies related to plant extracts are becoming more important by the day. In this study, we aimed to investigate the protective effect of Ferula elaeochytris Korovin (FE) root extract on age-related ED. Materials and methods Seventy-two male Wistar albino rats were equally divided into four groups: 4-month aged rats (Y), 24-month aged rats (AG), and FE-administered (20 and 40 mg/kg/day; oral gavage; over 8 weeks) 24-month aged rats (AG + FE). The measurements included: changes in smooth muscle cells and collagen fibrils, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), penile neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) expression, serum testosterone concentrations (ST), neurogenic- and endothelial-dependent relaxations of the corpus cavernosum (CC), intracavernosal pressure/mean arterial pressure (ICP/MAP), area under the curve (total ICP), total antioxidant status (TAS), and total oxidant status (TOS) on corpus cavernosal tissue. Results These results have an important role in the development of ED. ICP/MAP, total ICP, eNOS/nNOS expressions and ST levels increased in AG+40 mg FE group compared to the AG group, whereas TNF-α levels decreased and oxidative and antioxidant parameters balanced. Conclusions Our findings show that FE may have a useful effect on decelerating the development of age-related ED