Recent publications
A novel and successful formulation of strawberry spread was developed in this research. The new products formulated with freeze-dried strawberry powder and different bulking agents (maltodextrin, polydextrose, inulin, modified potato starch, wheat starch) were investigated in terms of physicochemical, textural, rheological and sensory aspects. Casson and Ostwald de Waele models showed that the spreads were pseudoplastic fluids. MD and PD caused an increase in firmness, spreadability, stickiness, apparent viscosity, yield stress, consistency coefficient, and storage and loss modulus, while a decrease in particle size parameters, oil separation, plastic viscosity. Moreover, the hedonic sensory scores of spreads with MD and PD were higher. Overall, strawberry spread with MD could be developed as a novel confectionery food with better structure–texture and colour–appearance characteristics.
- Henriette Greiner
- Hanna Körber
- Eva-Maria Packeiser
- [...]
- Sandra Goericke-Pesch
Slow‐release GnRH agonist implants containing deslorelin (SRI) are registered for temporary suppression of male fertility. The effect of SRI treatment on canine testicular function is well characterised, although the effect of downregulation and subsequent recovery on epididymal function has not been studied yet. Therefore, twenty‐nine healthy male dogs were treated with a 4.7 mg SRI for five months. Subsequent to implant removal, groups of 4–5 dogs were surgically castrated either at implant removal (week 0) or 2, 4, 6, or 10 weeks later. Three subgroups were categorised according to pre‐surgical testosterone levels. Five healthy untreated dogs served as control. Epididymides were separated into head, body and tail. Epididymal duct diameter and epithelial height were measured using haematoxylin–eosin‐stained sections of each dog and part of epididymides. Besides, the presence of spermatozoa, the cilial height, the thickness of the muscle layers and the relative amount of connective tissue were semiquantitatively assessed. The downregulated epididymis was characterised by a reduced epithelial height and epididymal duct diameter, lower cilia and absence of sperm, but more connective tissue, supporting that epididymal function is significantly altered by SRI treatment. At recovery subsequent to implant removal, the histomorphology was comparable with untreated controls. The study indicates that recovery of the epididymal function, like spermatogenesis, depends on testicular testosterone production.
All organisms produce an intracellular Zn ²⁺ -dependent enzyme, phosphomannose isomerase (PMI) or mannose-6 phosphate isomerase, that catalyzes the reversible conversion of mannose-6-phosphate and fructose-6-phosphate during sugar metabolism and polysaccharide biosynthesis. Unexpectedly, we discovered an additional PMI function in Borrelia burgdorferi , the pathogen of Lyme disease, where the enzyme is localized on the cell surface and binds to collagen IV—a host extracellular matrix component predominantly found in the skin. The AlphaFold 3-based structural model of B. burgdorferi PMI (BbPMI) retains the active site with tetrahedrally-coordinated Zn ²⁺ seen in other PMIs of known structure, residing in an elongated crevice. Ligand docking shows that the crevice can accommodate the tip trisaccharide moiety of a glycosylated asparagine residue on the collagen IV 7S domain. Low doses of a well-known PMI benzoisothiazolone inhibitor impair the growth of diverse strains of B. burgdorferi in culture, but not other tested Gram-negative or Gram-positive pathogens. Borrelia cells are even more susceptible to several other structurally related benzoisothiazolone analogs. The passive transfer of anti-BbPMI antibodies in ticks can impact spirochete transmission to mice, while the treatment of collagen IV-containing murine skin with PMI inhibitors impairs spirochete infectivity. Taken together, these results highlight a newly discovered role for BbPMI in mediating host-pathogen interactions during the spirochete infectivity process. In turn, this discovery offers an opportunity for the development of a novel therapeutic strategy to combat Lyme disease by preventing the BbPMI interaction with its host receptor, collagen IV.
IMPORTANCE
All organisms produce an intracellular enzyme, phosphomannose isomerase (PMI), that converts specific sugars during metabolism. Unexpectedly, we discovered an additional PMI function in Borrelia burgdorferi , the Lyme disease pathogen, where the enzyme is localized on the cell surface and binds to collagen IV—a host extracellular molecule mainly found in the skin. Low doses of PMI chemical inhibitors impair the growth of diverse strains of B. burgdorferi in culture, but not other tested bacterial pathogens. The passive transfer of anti-BbPMI antibodies in ticks can impact B. burgdorferi transmission to mice, while the treatment of collagen IV-containing murine skin with PMI inhibitors impairs infectivity. Taken together, these results highlight a newly discovered role for BbPMI in mediating host-pathogen interactions during infection. In turn, this discovery offers an opportunity for the development of a novel therapeutic strategy to combat Lyme disease by preventing BbPMI function and interaction with host collagen IV.
Background
Bovine respiratory disease (BRD) is still one of the major problems for herd management due to the negative effects on herd health, costs due to treatment, reduced weight gain and calf loss. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of aerosolized florfenicol in calves with naturally infected BRD.
Methods
Forty‐five calves were included in the study and divided into three groups. Group 1 received florfenicol subcutaneous route. While Group 2 received florfenicol administered solely through nebulization, Group 3 received florfenicol via nebulization in addition to flunixin meglumine administered intramuscularly (IM). BRD pathogens were determined from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) samples. The treatment period was monitored with a clinical respiratory score, haematology, thorax ultrasonography and serum haptoglobin levels.
Results
Mycoplasma bovis was the main primary bacterial pathogen isolated from BAL fluid, Escherichia coli was the main secondary bacterial pathogen and bovine respiratory syncytial virus (BRSV) was found to be the primary viral BRD pathogen. The treatment period was shortened to the 2nd day in the groups with nebulization. Calves with clinical respiratory scores of 12 and above died in all groups. There was no significant difference in lung ultrasonographic scoring and haematology results before and after treatment within the groups. There was a significant decrease in the high haptoglobin values before and after the 3rd day of treatment. The study's main limitation was that there was no negative control group in this study due to ethical reasons.
Conclusion
It was concluded that florfenicol administered by inhalation in BRD patients is more effective, reduces the recovery time and will be a promising treatment strategy.
This study aims to improve the removal organic contaminants from biologically pre-treated textile wastewater using activated carbon (AC)–assisted Fenton oxidation. The optimum conditions for Fenton process were found to be pH 3.0, 2 mM Fe²⁺ and 10 mM H2O2. Reed activated carbon (RAC), produced from Phragmites australis, and commercial activated carbon (CAC) were used to enhance Fenton process under optimized conditions. Different doses and reaction times of RAC and CAC were tested to improve chemical oxygen demand (COD) and colour removal. The results showed that COD removal was 64% within the first 10 min, in the Fenton process. When RAC and CAC were added (2 g/L), COD removal increased to 83% and 88%, respectively. Colour removal was nearly complete at 436, 525, and 620 nm for both AC types. The total operational costs for textile wastewater treatment were calculated as 0.660 USD/m³ for Fenton process, 4.160 USD/m³ for CAC-assisted Fenton process, and 2.950 USD/m³ for RAC-assisted Fenton process. Additionally, artificial neural networks (ANNs) results demonstrated the success of the RAC and CAC-assisted Fenton systems, with determination coefficients (R²) of 0.9503 and 0.9440, respectively. In this context, high R² values indicate that the model predicts the results of the RAC and CAC-assisted Fenton systems well and demonstrates the high efficiency of these systems.
Graphical Abstract
Background
Although colonoscopy remains the gold standard for Ulcerative colitis (UC) diagnosis due to its invasive and costly nature, non-invasive biomarkers are gaining importance in disease activity monitoring and diagnosis. In our study, we aimed to evaluate the correlation of fecal calprotectin (FC) and fecal lactoferrin (FL) levels with the disease activity according to 3 different disease activity indices and to investigate the relationship between the presence of peri-nuclear anti-neutrophil antibody (p-ANCA) and disease activity.
Methods
Our study was planned as a prospective cohort study and 80 patients diagnosed with UC who were admitted to the Gastroenterology department between 01.05.2023 and 01.09.2023 at Ondokuz Mayıs University Hospital were included in the study. ‘Truelove and Witts’ (TLW) activity index, SEO index and Mayo Score were applied. FC and FL levels in stool samples were analysed by Enzyme-Linked ImmunoSorbent Assay (ELISA), while p-ANCA presence in blood samples was examined using the Indirect Immunofluorescent Antibody (IIFA) method.
Results
It has been demonstrated that both faecal biomarkers can distinguish severe disease, but according to ROC analysis, the discriminatory power of FC is higher than that of FL. The cutt-off values calculated for severe disease were found above 300µg/g for FC and above 130µg/g for FL. Also ANCA positivity and formalin-resistant ANCA positivity in the severe disease group were statistically higher than mild disease group.
Conclusions
In addition to the relationship between faecal biomarkers and disease activity, our results demonstrated that patients with severe disease exhibited high rates of ANCA positivity and formalin resistance.
Introduction: This study focuses on how news of neglect and abuse about
elderly individuals is given in digital media and the perception toward elderly
individuals.
Methods: Eight national newspapers in Turkey were included in the study
for the sample. The news texts were obtained from the digital archives of
the newspapers and the term ‘elderly’ was selected as the keyword to
accurately search the texts.
Result: The researcher analyzed and divided the collected data into the following
categories on elder abuse and neglect: the victim’s characteristics,
data of the person who inflicted neglect and abuse, the incident’s nature
and consequences, and the negative concepts mentioned in the incident.
The content analysis showed that the related statements and information
provided by the media were based on negative concepts and included personal
data, including visuals, about the victim.
Conclusions: The findings of the study suggest that elderly individuals,
who are a disadvantaged group, are highly exposed to neglect and abuse,
and most of them have suffered as they live alone and lack support systems.
This study indicated that the media has the potential to raise awareness
about neglect and abuse inflicted on the elderly, but it should act
more diligently and responsibly.
Introduction: This study explores the impact of observing Ramadan intermittent fasting (RIF) on body weight in Turkish residents, marking it as the first study conducted in Turkey to investigate the interplay of religious fasting with dietary changes amid the COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesized that observing Ramadan fasting would result in weight loss attributable to dietary changes, while decreased physical activity would correlate with weight gain during this period.
Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted among Muslims aged 18+ in Turkey who fasted at least two days during Ramadan 2021. Data were collected via Google Forms, with 1669 participants recruited through social media. Descriptive statistics summarized participant characteristics, and Pearson’s Chi-square tests assessed weight change differences. Binary logistic regression identified predictors of weight gain, adjusting for factors such as sex, age, physical activity, water consumption, and diet.
Results: Of the 1669 respondents (53.6% female), 49.4% perceived their weight as normal, while 47.0% classified themselves as overweight or obese. Logistic regression indicated that decreased physical activity (AOR = 1.618, p=0.001) and increased fat intake (AOR = 1.9, 95% CI 1.2–2.9) were significant predictors of weight gain.
Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the importance of promoting healthy eating and regular physical activity during Ramadan.
Frontline daratumumab-based triplet and quadruplet standard-of-care regimens have demonstrated improved survival outcomes in newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (NDMM). For patients with transplant-ineligible NDMM, triplet therapy with either daratumumab plus lenalidomide and dexamethasone (D-Rd) or bortezomib, lenalidomide and dexamethasone (VRd) is the current standard of care. This phase 3 trial evaluated subcutaneous daratumumab plus VRd (D-VRd) in patients with transplant-ineligible NDMM or for whom transplant was not planned as the initial therapy (transplant deferred). Some 395 patients with transplant-ineligible or transplant-deferred NDMM were randomly assigned to eight cycles of D-VRd or VRd followed by D-Rd or Rd until progression. The primary endpoint was overall minimal residual disease (MRD)-negativity rate at 10⁻⁵ by next-generation sequencing. Major secondary endpoints included complete response (CR) or better (≥CR) rate, progression-free survival and sustained MRD-negativity rate at 10⁻⁵. At a median follow-up of 58.7 months, the MRD-negativity rate was 60.9% with D-VRd versus 39.4% with VRd (odds ratio, 2.37; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.58–3.55; P < 0.0001). Rates of ≥CR (81.2% versus 61.6%; P < 0.0001) and sustained MRD negativity (≥12 months; 48.7% versus 26.3%; P < 0.0001) were significantly higher with D-VRd versus VRd. Risk of progression or death was 43% lower for D-VRd versus VRd (hazard ratio, 0.57; 95% CI, 0.41–0.79; P = 0.0005). Adverse events were consistent with the known safety profiles for daratumumab and VRd. Combining daratumumab with VRd produced deeper and more durable MRD responses versus VRd alone. The present study supports D-VRd quadruplet therapy as a new standard of care for transplant-ineligible or transplant-deferred NDMM. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT03652064.
Background
Revision rhinoplasty is a complex issue that involves in-depth listening to patients, gaining patients trust, understanding their psychology, and managing patients expectations and a detailed analysis of deformities. This study aim to measure the satisfaction levels of patients who will undergo revision rhinoplasty surgery and to reveal the main factors that determine satisfaction.
Methods
The medical records of patients who underwent revision rhinoplasty surgery from January 2021 to April 2022 were obtained from the data system of our institute. SCHNOS (Standardized Cosmesis and Health Nasal Outcomes Survey) questionnaire, consisting of 10 questions and revealing the functional and aesthetic status of the nose, was applied to the patients. Thus, the patients’ satisfaction with the operation was revealed through their responses to the survey before and after the surgery.
Results
When the pre- and post-operative SCHNOS scores of the patients were compared, it was determined that there was a significant decrease in the scores in the other groups, except those who were > 50 years old, those who had 4–5 operations, and those who had a history of psychiatric disease requiring medication use. Within subgroup analysis, the decrease in SCHNOS-Obstruction and SCHNOS-Cosmetic scores was statistically significant in those aged between 18 and 29 and 30–39 years, in those with both genders, in those with 2–3 operations, in those with aesthetic + functional reasons for the need for revision, and in those without a history of psychiatric illness requiring drug use.
Conclusions
This study highlights the complexities of septorhinoplasty, particularly in revision surgeries, where achieving optimal cosmetic results is challenging. While patients generally report improved satisfaction and reduced symptoms, factors like age, psychiatric history, and the balance of aesthetic and functional expectations significantly influence satisfaction levels.
Level of evidence: Not ratable
Biometric person identification systems identify individuals using personal characteristics such as fingerprints, eyes or facial recognition. However, in some critical situations, such as fires, serious traffic accidents, earthquakes or serious injuries, these features can become ineffective. In certain situations, dental characteristics may become the only valid biometric feature for identification. In these cases, forensic dentists work by examining dental structures to establish a person's identity. Currently, studies are being carried out to develop an automated recognition system based on computer vision to assist forensic dentists. However, due to the difficulties in processing panoramic X-ray images and challenges in accessing the data, person matching studies with these images are limited. This paper presents a novel method for matching people based on panoramic X-ray images. Dental person recognition studies can proceed either by investigating the similarity of teeth or by examining the similarity of jaws. In this work, a new approach that uses keypoint descriptors to perform tooth-jaw matching is proposed. This approach offers a high match rate by allowing to search for dental features on a jaw-by-jaw basis and requires less computational complexity than tooth-to-tooth matching. Unlike jaw-to-jaw approaches, it is possible to match individual teeth. The method presented in this study provides a novel approach with significant matching accuracy and efficiency. By evaluating the effectiveness of these methods on panoramic images, the study contributes to forensic dental identification methods in scenarios where traditional biometric features may fall short.
With advances in food technology and research, the usability and effectiveness of biopolymer blended films are evolving rapidly. Sustainable biopolymer films derived from natural sources such as chitosan, alginate, gelatin, pectin, starch, and protein have attracted great attention due to their biodegradability and environmental benefits. Recent studies have shown that the integration of vanillin into biopolymer films generally offers enhanced mechanical strength, barrier properties, UV protection properties, and bioactive characteristics for efficient protection of food quality and extending shelf life. This review focuses on the newest developments in sustainable biopolymer films integrated with vanillin, with an emphasis on their preparation methods, physical and chemical properties, action mechanisms, antimicrobial activity, antioxidant activity, and potential uses in food preservation and packaging, along with the metrics of publications. Using vanillin in biopolymer films for food packaging is safe and environmentally friendly, and it maintains food quality after it's been harvested, showing a significant advance with exciting prospects for further study. Overall, incorporating vanillin into biopolymer films signifies a promising step forward in creating environmentally friendly and effective solutions for food packaging.
Graphical abstract
In recent years, various studies have shown that boron-containing additives improve the rutting performance of the bituminous pavements. However, in these studies, it was stated that these additives would decrease the workability of the bitumen and increase energy required for the construction of the pavement. On the other hand, it has been shown in many studies that waxes increase the workability of the bitumen. In this study, it was aimed to obtain bitumen with high rutting resistance and workability by adding boron oxide (BO) and beeswax (BW) to bitumen. Therefore, modified bitumen was produced by adding BO and BW at different ratios to a 50/70 penetration grade base bitumen. Then, the chemical, physical, and rheological properties of modified bitumen samples were investigated by various experiments. As a result, it has been observed that BO increases the high-temperature performance and viscosity of bitumen; on the other hand, BW decreases rutting resistance and viscosity. When BO and BW were added together to the bitumen, the negative impact of BO on workability and the negative impact of BW on high temperature performance were significantly eliminated. Especially, in 1BO + 1BW and 3BO + 3BW bitumens, the high-temperature performance of the bitumen improved without decreasing the workability.
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