Effects of Sodium Metabisulphide Treatment and Modified Atmosphere Packaging on Cold Storage of Carrots

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sodium metabisulphide (SMBS) treatment and modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) on the quality of ‘Nanco F1’ variety of Nantes group carrots grown in Kırıkhan during cold storage. Harvested carrots were placed in imperforated bag, and/or MAP and applied SMBS (dose of 1%) after washing with tap water for 3 minutes and stored at 0±0.5 °C and 90±5.0% relative humidity for 5 months and analyzed every month. In addition, carrots were kept at 20±0.5 ºC and 75±5.0 % relative humidity for 7 days in order to study its shelf life. The weight loss, carrot color (L* and h°), appearance (1-9), rooting and sprouting rate, rooting and sprouting degree, incidence of fungal decay, physiological disorders, carrot firmness, total soluble solid content, pH value, titratable acid content and taste (1-9) were determined during shelf life and storage. According to the findings, weight loss in imperforated bag was higher than MAP treatments during storage. It was determined that using ImPBTW (imperforated bag and washing with tap water) and ImPBTW + SMBS treatments, ‘Nanco F1’ type carrots could be kept at 0 °C for 3 months and 85-90% relative humidity without any quality deterioration. It was also determined that using MAPTW (modified atmosphere packaging and washing with tap water) + SMBS treatment, ‘Nanco F1’ type carrots could be stored for 4 months and using MAPTW treatment, they could be stored for 5 months at 0 °C and 85-90% relative humidity without losing much of the quality for local and distant markets. Also, it was found that SMBS treatments were not sufficient to prevent rooting and sprouting

Adolescent brain maturation and cortical folding: evidence for reductions in gyrification

Evidence from anatomical and functional imaging studies have highlighted major modifications of cortical circuits during adolescence. These include reductions of gray matter (GM), increases in the myelination of cortico-cortical connections and changes in the architecture of large-scale cortical networks. It is currently unclear, however, how the ongoing developmental processes impact upon the folding of the cerebral cortex and how changes in gyrification relate to maturation of GM/WM-volume, thickness and surface area. In the current study, we acquired high-resolution (3 Tesla) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 79 healthy subjects (34 males and 45 females) between the ages of 12 and 23 years and performed whole brain analysis of cortical folding patterns with the gyrification index (GI). In addition to GI-values, we obtained estimates of cortical thickness, surface area, GM and white matter (WM) volume which permitted correlations with changes in gyrification. Our data show pronounced and widespread reductions in GI-values during adolescence in several cortical regions which include precentral, temporal and frontal areas. Decreases in gyrification overlap only partially with changes in the thickness, volume and surface of GM and were characterized overall by a linear developmental trajectory. Our data suggest that the observed reductions in GI-values represent an additional, important modification of the cerebral cortex during late brain maturation which may be related to cognitive development

Interhemispheric connections shape subjective experience of bistable motion

The right and left visual hemifields are represented in different cerebral hemispheres and are bound together by connections through the corpus callosum. Much has been learned on the functions of these connections from split-brain patients [1-4], but little is known about their contribution to conscious visual perception in healthy humans. We used diffusion tensor imaging and functional magnetic resonance imaging to investigate which callosal connections contribute to the subjective experience of a visual motion stimulus that requires interhemispheric integration. The "motion quartet" is an ambiguous version of apparent motion that leads to perceptions of either horizontal or vertical motion [5]. Interestingly, observers are more likely to perceive vertical than horizontal motion when the stimulus is presented centrally in the visual field [6]. This asymmetry has been attributed to the fact that, with central fixation, perception of horizontal motion requires integration across hemispheres whereas perception of vertical motion requires only intrahemispheric processing [7]. We are able to show that the microstructure of individually tracked callosal segments connecting motion-sensitive areas of the human MT/V5 complex (hMT/V5+; [8]) can predict the conscious perception of observers. Neither connections between primary visual cortex (V1) nor other surrounding callosal regions exhibit a similar relationship

Psychometric Properties of the Oncology Module of the KINDL Scale: First Results

WOS: 000352981600003PubMed ID: 25057002Purpose. The objective of this study was to assess the reliability and validity of the Oncology module of the generic KINDL scale (having 24 items with 6 domains). Methods. The psychometric properties of the KINDL Oncology module were evaluated from the aspect of internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity on an inpatient sample of 103 Turkish children (mean age 10.0 +/- 4.01 years) who had various oncological disorders. Results. The KINDL Oncology module (24 items) showed acceptable coefficients ranging from .57 (physical well-being) to .87 (treatment) for each domain. In confirmatory factor analysis of the original 4-domain structure, Root Mean Square Error of Approximation was found as .086, and Comparative Fit Index was .87. Good known groups results supported the construct validity of the instrument. Correlations between the domains of the mother KINDL and the domains of its oncology module were significantly high, indicating a satisfactory convergent validity. Conclusion. The Turkish version of the KINDL Oncology module showed good reliability and questionable validity in this study. However, further research on other language versions of the module is needed for its global use

Microstructural White Matter Alterations in Cognitively Impaired Patients at Early Stages of Multiple Sclerosis

PURPOSE: As conventional quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) parameters are weakly associated with cognitive impairment (CI) in early multiple sclerosis (MS), we explored microstructural white matter alterations in early MS or clinically isolated syndrome (CIS) comparing patients with or without CI. METHODS: Based on a preceding tract-based spatial statistics analysis (3 Tesla MRI) which contrasted 106 patients with early MS or CIS and 49 healthy controls, diffusion metrics (fractional anisotropy, FA, mean diffusivity, MD) were extracted from significant clusters using an atlas-based approach. The FA and MD were compared between patients with (Ci_P n = 14) and without (Cp_P n = 81) cognitive impairment in a subset of patients who underwent CI screening. RESULTS: The FA was reduced in Ci_P compared to Cp_P in the splenium of corpus callosum (p = 0.001), right parahippocampal cingulum (p = 0.002) and fornix cres./stria terminalis (0.042), left posterior corona radiata (p = 0.012), bilateral cerebral peduncles, medial lemniscus and in cerebellar tracts. Increased MD was detected in the splenium of corpus callosum (p = 0.01). The CI-related localizations overlapped only partially with MS lesions. CONCLUSION: Microstructural white matter alterations at disease onset were detectable in Ci_P compared to Cp_P in known cognitively relevant fiber tracts, indicating the relevance of early treatment initiation in MS and CIS

Frontal and parietal EEG alpha asymmetry: a large-scale investigation of short-term reliability on distinct EEG systems

EEG resting-state alpha asymmetry is one of the most widely investigated forms of functional hemispheric asymmetries in both basic and clinical neuroscience. However, studies yield inconsistent results. One crucial prerequisite to obtain reproducible results is the reliability of the index of interest. There is a body of research suggesting a moderate-to-good reliability of EEG resting-state alpha asymmetry, but unfortunately sample sizes in these studies are typically small. This study presents the first large-scale short-term reliability study of frontal and parietal EEG resting-state alpha asymmetry. We used the Dortmund Vital Study data set containing 370 participants. In each participant, EEG resting state was recorded eight times, twice with their eyes opened, twice with their eyes-closed, each on two different EEG systems. We found good reliability of EEG alpha power and alpha asymmetry on both systems for electrode pairs. We also found that alpha power asymmetry reliability is higher in the eyes-closed condition than in the eyes-open condition. The frontomedial electrode pair showed weaker reliability than the frontolateral and parietal electrode pairs. Interestingly, we found no population-level alpha asymmetry in frontal electrodes, one of the most investigated electrode sites in alpha asymmetry research. In conclusion, our results suggest that while EEG alpha asymmetry is an overall reliable measure, frontal alpha asymmetry should be assessed using multiple electrode pairs

Oxidative Stress And Periodontal Disease In Obesity

Periodontal disease is a chronic inflammatory disease of the jaws and is more prevalent in obesity. Local and systemic oxidative stress may be an early link between periodontal disease and obesity. The primary aim of this study was to detect whether increased periodontal disease susceptibility in obese individuals is associated with local and systemic oxidative stress. Accordingly; we analyzed periodontal status and systemic (serum) and local (gingival crevicular fluid [GCF]) oxidative status markers in young obese women in comparison with age-matched lean women., Twenty obese and 20 lean women participated. Periodontal condition was determined by clinical periodontal indices including probing depth, clinical attachment level, gingival index, gingival bleeding index, and plaque index. Anthropometric, hormonal, and metabolic measurements were also performed. Blood and GCF sampling was performed at the same time after an overnight fasting. Serum and GCF total antioxidant capacity (TAOC), and total oxidant status (TOS) levels were determined, and oxidative stress index (OSI) was calculated., Clinical periodontal analyses showed higher gingival index and gingival bleeding index in the obese group (P = 0.001 for both) with no significant difference in probing depth, clinical attachment level, and plaque index between the obese and the lean women. Oxidant status analyses revealed lower GCF and serum TAOC, and higher GCF and serum OSI values in the obese women (P < 0.05 for all). GCF TOS was higher in the obese women (P < 0.05), whereas there was a nonsignificant trend for higher serum TOS in obese women (P = 0.074). GCF TAOC values showed a negative correlation with body mass index, whereas GCF OSI was positively correlated with fasting insulin and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol levels (P < 0.05 for all). Clinical periodontal indices showed significant correlations with body mass index, insulin, and lipid levels, and also oxidant status markers., Our results suggest that young obese, otherwise healthy, women show findings of early periodontal disease (gingival inflammation) compared with age-matched healthy lean women, and that local/periodontal oxidative stress generated by obesity seems to be associated with periodontal disease.PubMedWoSScopu

PREDICTION OF LEAF WATER STATUS USING SPECTRAL INDICES FOR YOUNG OLIVE TREES

WOS: 000326911800012It is important to determine the plant water stress before it can reduce the yield or becomes visible. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between remotely sensed hyperspectral reflectance indices and leaf water status (LWS) of olive seedlings (Olea europaea L. cv. 'Ayvalik', 'D9', 'D36', 'Erdek Yaglik', 'Frantoio' and 'Gemlik') at different irrigation regime. A pot experiment was conducted in field conditions with 2-years old olive seedlings for the seasons 2011 and 2012. Four levels of water treatment were applied to the pots to bring about different stress conditions; no stress (I-100), mild stress (I-66), severe stress (I-33) and full stress (I-0). Leaf water potential (LWP) and relative water content (RWC) were determined to assess the LWS of the plants. In addition, canopy spectral reflectance was measured with a handheld spectroradiometer and several spectral vegetation indices were calculated using canopy reflectance data. Analysis showed that the irrigation requirement of Frantoio cultivar was the highest when compared to that of other cultivars, while the lowest amount of water was required by Ayvalik cultivar. According to the stepwise multiple linear regression (SMLR) analysis between spectral indices and LWS of olive seedlings, the coefficient of determination (R-2) of model between RWC and Photochemical Reflectance Index (PRI) was 0.70, while it was 0.81 between LWP and PRI, Soil Adjusted Vegetation Index (SAVI), Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and Normalized Pigment Chlorophyll Index (NPCI). Accordingly, it appeared that LWP could be detected more accurately than RWC using spectral indices. Results of this study indicated that the olive plant was very susceptible to water stress and the remotely sensed spectral data could be used to determine RWC and LWP as an indicator of water stress.General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policy (GDAR)Gida Tarim Ve Hayvancilik BakanligiThis research was funded by the General Directorate of Agricultural Research and Policy (GDAR)

The acute motor axonal neuropathy variant of Guillain–Barré Syndrome diagnosed after ankle trauma

A case of Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) was diagnosed in a patient admitted to the emergency department (ED) after ankle trauma was presented. GBS is generally defined as immune-mediated peripheral neuropathy that develops after an infection. Our patient presented to ED with ankle trauma that developed after fatigue. Lateral, medial, and posterior malleolar fractures were detected in the ankle. The patient with loss of motor strength in the distal muscles was diagnosed with acute motor axonal neuropathy variant of GBS. After GBS treatment, the patient's loss of muscle strength regressed, and then surgical treatment was performed. We aimed to present this case report, which emphasizes the systematic approach of the emergency physician without having a large differential diagnosis list

Nephrotoxic effects of varenicline as the most effective drug used for smoking cessation: a preliminary experimental study

Varenicline is a new most effective drug for smoking cessation. Its effect on kidney functions remains unclear. This study purposed to investigate whether varenicline causes nephrotoxicity in rats