Selcuk University

The goal of the current experiment was to investigate the effect of dietary concentrations of purple carrot powder (PCP) on performance, egg production, egg quality, and the antioxidant capacity of the yolk in laying quails. A total of one hundred and fifty 22-week-old Japanese laying quails were allotted to 5 dietary treatments each with 6 replicates of 5 quails. Quails were allocated to five dietary treatments (0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%) with PCP addition at an increasing level from 0 to 4000 mg/kg diet respectively, which were fed ad-libitum throughout the duration of the experiment. No differences were detected between dietary treatments for any of the performance parameters or egg production. Eggshell weight and eggshell thickness (P < 0.05) were linearly affected by PCP dietary, reaching maximum levels at 0.4% of PCP supplementation, while the percentage of damaged egg and egg-breaking strength remained similar for all experimental groups (P < 0.05). Quails receiving PCP diets showed a yellowness (b*) (P < 0.05) egg yolk color than those fed the control diet, without affecting the rest of the color parameters and egg internal quality. Increasing PCP levels in diets reduced linearly yolk TBARS (P < 0.01) and increased linearly DPPH (P < 0.01). The addition of PCP, a safe and readily available agricultural by-product, as a component of the diet of laying quail was effective without adversely affecting quail production. Moreover, the inclusion of PCP in the diet might benefit laying quails’ eggs by improving some quality traits and enhancing the yolk’s antioxidant capacity, which could improve their shelf-life and acceptability.

This study aims to evaluate the effect of synchronization and different superstimulation protocols on oocyte yield before ovum-pick up (OPU) to provide a homogeneous follicle population. Animals in all study groups except the control group applied a synchronization protocol including modified ovsynch+progesterone and dominant follicle ablation (DFA, on the 6th day following synchronization). In group 1, oocytes were retrieved by ultrasonography only on the 4th day after DFA. In group 2, 250 μg pFSH (100 μg IM, 150 μg SC) was administered as a single dose on the 2nd day following DFA, and oocytes were retrieved on the second day following this injection. In group 3, 250 μg pFSH was administered IM in four equal doses 12 hours apart on the 1st and 2nd days following DFA, and oocytes were retrieved 2 days after the last FSH injection. In group 4, 250 μg pFSH (IM) dissolved in Montanide ISA 206 adjuvant was administered as a single dose on the 2nd day following DFA, and oocytes were retrieved 2 days after this treatment. In the control group (group 5), oocytes were retrieved from animals without any hormonal treatment on a random day of the estrous cycle. In order to assess the follicle population in the ovary on the day of OPU, the number of follicles according to their diameter was determined by ultrasonography in all groups. The ratio of medium-sized follicles (3-8 mm) was higher in the synchronized groups (Groups 1, 2, 3, and 4) than in the control group (Group 5) (p<0.05). It was determined that the total number of oocytes obtained after OPU and the number of oocytes of suitable quality (Grade A and B) in in vitro embryo production were higher in the synchronized groups (Groups 2, 3, and 4) compared to the control group. It was found that the number of Grade-A quality oocytes was higher in the superstimulated groups (Groups 2, 3, and 4) than the other groups. As a result, it was found that the synchronization and superstimulation treatments prior to the OPU increased the ratio of medium-sized follicles and the total number of oocytes obtained. In addition to the synchronization protocol, it was determined that superstimulation treatments increased the oocyte quality obtained with OPU. Furthermore, it was observed that a single dose of FSH dissolved in Montanide ISA 206 adjuvant produced a superstimulation response similar to that produced by repeated doses of FSH.

Objective Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is an advanced magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique that provides quantitative diffusion data of water molecules in tissue. Usage of DTI in pediatric X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) may adjunct earlier detection of brain involvement. This study aimed to analyze the normal-appearing white matter in pediatric patients with X-ALD using DTI. Materials and Methods A retrospective database search was performed. Children with genetically diagnosed X-ALDs with a reportedly normal brain MRI between January 2010 and September 2021 were included. Fractional anisotropy (FA), radial diffusivity (RD), axial diffusivity (AD), and apparent diffusion coefficient were serially measured in 8 regions of the brain, and these measurements were compared with those in control patients. Results The study group included 21 X-ALD patients and 11 control patients. The mean age was 6.64 ± 5.14 years. FA values of the genu and body of the corpus callosum were significantly lower in the ALD group than controls. There was also a statistically significant difference in FA, AD, and RD values of cerebellar white matter in the two groups. Conclusion There is evidence of white matter damage on DTI in X-ALD patients with the normal-appearing white matter on conventional MRI sequences. The inclusion of DTI in routine MRI examinations of X-ALD patients may provide additional insight into possible white matter damage in that population.

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the differences in the thickness and internal structure of the masseter muscle in individuals with and without bruxism by ultrasonography. Materials and methods: A total of 60 female patients with and without bruxism whose ages were ranging between 20 and 35 were included in the study. The masseter muscle thickness was measured during rest and maximum bite position. Ultrasonographic internal structure of the masseter muscle is classified according to the visibility of echogenic bands. In addition, the echogenic internal structure of the masseter muscle was evaluated with quantitative muscle ultrasound. Results: The masseter muscle thickness was significantly higher in both positions in patients with bruxism (p < 0.05). There was no significant difference between two groups in the evaluation of echogenicity (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Ultrasonography is a useful and important diagnostic method for evaluating masseter muscle without using radiation.

Achillea (Asteraceae) species have been traditionally used for their different therapeutical properties. In this study, phytochemical composition of aerial parts of A. sintenisii which is endemic in Turkey was determined with Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS). To evaluate the wound healing potential, the cream formulation prepared from A. sintenisii was tested on the linear incision wound model in mice. In vitro enzyme inhibitory activity tests were performed on elastase, hyaluronidase, and collagenase. In the histopathological examination, angiogenesis and granulation tissue formation were significantly increased in A. sintenisii treatment groups compared to the negative control group. As a result of this study, it is thought that the enzyme inhibition and antioxidant activity of the plant may contribute to the wound healing process. According to LC/MS/MS analysis result, quinic acid (24.261 μg/mg extract) and chlorogenic acid (14.97 μg/mg extract) were identified as main constituents of the extract.

Autoimmune diseases arise from an immune response against self-antigens, but their pathophysiology is not fully understood. One of the proposed mechanisms is molecular mimicry, where infectious agents share similar antigens with host proteins leading to cross-reactivity. Our study aimed to investigate the presence of molecular mimicry between SARS-CoV-2 and human proteome using bioinformatics techniques. To accomplish this, we constructed sequences of 8 consecutive amino acids for structural proteins of SARS-CoV-2, such as spike, nucleocapsid, membrane, and envelope proteins. Next, we evaluated the mimicry of these sequences with the human proteome and analyzed their antigenicity, allergenicity, toxicity, TAP affinity, and IFNγ and IL-10 induction.We also calculated the affinity of the amino acid sequence DEDDSEPV, which showed molecular mimicry, to HLA receptors and found that it had a good binding energy. Based on our in silico analysis, we found that DEDDSEPV amino acid sequence might trigger autoimmunity due to its similarity with myosin-16 protein. Our study provides evidence for the possibility of SARS-CoV-2 inducing autoimmunity via molecular mimicry. Our findings can have significant implications for understanding the pathophysiology of autoimmune diseases and may contribute to the development of potential therapeutic strategies.

The feature selection (FS) is a binary optimization problem in the discrete optimization problem category. Maximizing the accuracy by using fewer features is the main aim of FS. Metaheuristic algorithms are widely used for FS in literature. Redundant and irrelevant features are selected/unselected by a binary metaheuristic optimization algorithm for FS. Search in a metaheuristic optimization algorithm is directed with a fitness function. The type and landscape of the search space affect the success of the algorithm. Generally, accuracy-based fitness functions of metaheuristic algorithms are used for FS. In this work, eleven existing and six novel fitness functions are analyzed on eleven various datasets with a novel binary threshold Lévy flight distribution (BTLFD) algorithm. The large datasets (Yale, ORL, and COIL20) have 1024 features. The medium datasets (SpectEW, BreastEW, Ionosphere, and SonarEW) has 22–60 features. The small datasets (Tic-tac-toe, WineEW, Zoo, and Lymphography) have 9–18 features. K-nearest neighbor is used as a classifier with five-fold cross-validation and the experimental results showed that three rarely used fitness functions produced more accurate solutions. In the comparisons, BTFLD outperformed 8 state-of-the-art metaheuristic algorithms on 21 datasets for FS.

Background: Cancer is a life-threatening condition with an economic burden on societies. Phytotherapy is rapidly taking place in cancer research to increase the success of treatment and quality of life. Thymoquinone (TQ) is the main active phenolic compound obtained from the essential oil of the Nigella sativa (black cumin) plant seed. For a long time, black cumin has been used traditionally for the remedy of different diseases because of its various biological effects. It has been shown that most of these effects of black cumin seeds are due to TQ. TQ became a popular research topic for phytotherapy studies for its potential therapeutic applications, and more research is going on to fully understand its mechanisms of action, safety, and efficacy in humans. KRAS is a gene that regulates cell division and growth. Monoallelic variants in KRAS result in uncontrollable cell division, leading to cancer development. Studies have shown that cancer cells with KRAS mutations are often resistant to certain types of chemotherapy and targeted therapies. Objective: This study aimed to compare the effect of TQ on cancer cells with and without KRAS mutation to better understand the reason why TQ may have different anticancer effects in the different types of cancer cells. Methods: TQ was investigated for its cytotoxic and apoptotic effects in laryngeal cancer cells (HEp-2) without KRAS mutation and compared to mutant KRAS-transfected larynx cancer cells and KRAS mutation-carrying lung cancer cells (A549). Results: We showed that TQ has more cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on laryngeal cancer cells without KRAS mutation than in cells with mutation. Conclusion: KRAS mutations decrease the effect of TQ on cell viability and apoptosis, and further studies are needed to fully understand the relationship between KRAS mutations and thymoquinone effectiveness in cancer treatment.

Background: This study investigates the effects of cryopreservation and supplementation of Azeri water buffalo's semen with proline (Lp) and fulvic acid (FA). Objectives: Therefore, this study aimed to assess motility parameters, sperm viability, oxidative stress parameters, and DNA damage to detect the optimum concentrations of Lp and FA for buffalo semen cryopreservation. Methods: Thirty semen samples of three buffalo bulls were diluted in Tris-egg yolk extender and divided into 12 equal groups including control (C), Lp-10, Lp-20, Lp-40, Lp-60, Lp-80 (containing 10, 20, 40, 60, 80 mM L-proline, respectively), FA-0.2, FA-0.5, FA-0.8, FA-1.1, FA-1.4 and FA-1.7 (containing 0.2%, 0.5%, 0.8%, 1.1%, 1.4% and 1.7% fulvic acid, respectively). Results: The velocity parameters, TM and PM were improved by FA-1.7, FA-1.4, Lp-40 and Lp-60 groups compared to the C group but no significant difference was found regarding the amplitude of lateral head displacement and straightness compared to the control groups. The percentage of sperm viability and PMF were increased by FA-1.7, FA-1.4, FA-1.1, Lp-40 and Lp-60 groups compared to C group, while in terms of sperm DNA damage FA-1.7, FA-1.4, FA-1.1, Lp-10, Lp-20, Lp-40 and Lp-60 groups showed better results compared to C group. The results also showed that FA-1.7, FA-1.4, FA-1.1, Lp-20, Lp-40 and Lp-60 groups could improve TAC, SOD, GSH and decrease MDA levels. Also, FA-1.7, FA-1.4, Lp-20 and Lp-40 groups could improve GPx levels but just FA-1.7, and Lp-40 groups could improve CAT levels compared to C group. Conclusions: Thus, it can be concluded that L-proline and fulvic acid supplementations can improve the quality parameters of post-thawed buffalo bull semen.

Background/Purpose: This research was performed to determine the effect of naringenin (NAR) in experimental hyperuricemia (HU) induced by potassium oxonate (PO) on uric acid levels and xanthine oxidase (XO), inflammation, apoptotic pathway, DNA damage, and antioxidant system in kidney tissue. Study Design: Wistar Albino rats were categorized into four groups: (1) Control group, (2) PO group, (3) [PO+NAR] (2 weeks) group, and (4) PO (2 weeks)+NAR (2 weeks) group. Methods: The first group was not administered any drug. In group 2, PO was administered intraperitoneally 250 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. In the third group, 100 mg/kg/day NAR was given intraperitoneally 1 hr after PO injection for 2 weeks. In the fourth group, PO was injected for the first 2 weeks, followed by NAR injection for the second 2 weeks. Serum uric acid levels, XO, nuclear factor-kappa B, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin-17, cytochrome c, 8-Hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and caspase-3 levels in kidney were determined. Results: HU increased the levels of inflammatory and apoptotic parameters, XO, and 8-OHdG levels in kidney. Administration of NAR caused a decrease in these values and an increase in GPx levels. Conclusions: The results of the study show that NAR treatment reduces serum uric acid levels, and apoptosis, inflammation, and DNA damage; increases antioxidant activity in kidney in experimental HU.

Aim We aimed to evaluate the effect of concomitant proton pump inhibitors (PPI) use with nivolumab on survival outcomes in metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) in second-line setting. Methods The study was designed as a multicenter and retrospective involving patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma receiving second-line nivolumab therapy. One hundred and nine patients with mRCC were divided into two groups based on whether they use PPI concomitantly with nivolumab: concomitant PPI users and non-users. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were compared between the groups with and without concurrent PPIs. Results Of 109 patients in our study, 59 were not using PPI concomitantly with nivolumab and 50 were using PPI concomitantly. The median PFS was 6.37 (5.2–7.5) months in the concomitant PPI group and 9.7 (4.5–15) months in the non-users (p = 0.03). The median OS was 14.6 (7.1–22.1) months in patients on PPI concurrently with nivolumab and 29.9 (17.1–42.7) months in the non-users (p = 0.01). Accordingly, PPI use for PFS (Non-use vs. Use = HR: 0.44, 95%Cl 0.28–0.96, p = 0.014) and PPI use for OS (Non-use vs. Use = HR: 0.68, 95%Cl 0.22–0.88, p = 0.01) were found to be as independent risk factors. Conclusions Concomitant use of PPIs is associated with worse survival outcomes in patients with mRCC treated with nivolumab. Clinicians should carefully consider the concomitant use of PPIs in such patients.

This article delves into the exciting topic of quantum wells and explores the impact of external electric field, impurity location, and system’s dimensions effects on the binding energy of shallow donor impurities in single, double, and multiple quantum wells. Using the Schrodinger equation considering a finite element method, we have conducted a theoretical analysis that provides new insights into this complex field. Our findings reveal that the binding energy of impurities is heavily influenced by a range of factors, including electric fields, compositions, well/barrier sizes, and impurity location. Thick-layered quantum wells are particularly sensitive to external electric fields, with significant effects on impurity binding energy compared to thin ones. Impurity location also plays a critical role in determining binding energy, with central positions resulting in the highest values. On the other hand, increasing quantum well thickness and In-content led to decreases in binding energy. Interestingly, we found that single-quantum wells exhibited lower binding energies than double and triple-quantum wells, making this study a valuable contribution to the exciting field of tunable and multiple-quantum well-based optoelectronic devices.

Background/objectives: Thiamine plays a pivotal role in energy metabolism. The aim of the study was to determine serial whole blood TPP concentrations in critically ill patients receiving chronic diuretic treatment before ICU admission and to correlate TPP levels with clinically determined serum phosphorus concentrations. Subjects/methods: This observational study was performed in 15 medical ICUs. Serial whole blood TPP concentrations were measured by HPLC at baseline and at days 2, 5 and 10 after ICU admission. Results: A total of 221 participants were included. Of these, 18% demonstrated low TPP concentrations upon admission to the ICU, while 26% of participants demonstrated low levels at some point during the 10-day study period. Hypophosphatemia was detected in 30% of participants at some point during the 10-day period of observation. TPP levels were significantly and positively correlated with serum phosphorus levels at each time point (P < 0.05 for all). Conclusions: Our results show that 18% of these critically ill patients exhibited low whole blood TPP concentrations on ICU admission and 26% had low levels during the initial 10 ICU days, respectively. The modest correlation between TPP and phosphorus concentrations suggests a possible association due to a refeeding effect in ICU patients requiring chronic diuretic therapy.

Background: Aortocoronary dissection is a potentially serious complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Methods: We examined the incidence, mechanisms, treatment, and outcomes of aortocoronary dissection among 12,117 CTO PCIs performed between 2012 and 2022 in a large multicenter CTO PCI registry. Results: The incidence of aortocoronary dissection was 0.2% (n = 27). Most aortocoronary dissections occurred in the right coronary artery (96.3%, n = 26). The baseline clinical characteristics of patients with and without aortocoronary dissection were similar, except for dyslipidemia, which was less common in patients with aortocoronary dissection (70.4% vs. 86.0%; p = 0.019). The retrograde approach was used more commonly among cases complicated by aortocoronary dissection (59.3% vs. 31.0%; p = 0.002). Technical (74.1% vs. 86.6%; p = 0.049) and procedural (70.4% vs. 85.2%; p = 0.031) success rates were lower among aortocoronary dissection cases, with a similar incidence of in-hospital major adverse cardiovascular events (3.7% vs. 2.0%; p = 0.541). Of the 27 patients with aortocoronary dissection, 19 (70.4%) were treated with ostial stenting and 8 (29.6%) were treated conservatively without subsequent adverse clinical outcomes. No patients required emergency surgery. Follow-up was available for 22 patients (81.5%): during a mean follow up of 767 (±562) days, the incidence of in-stent restenosis was 11.1% (n = 3). Conclusions: Aortocoronary dissection occurred in 0.2% of CTO PCIs performed by experienced operators, was associated with lower technical and procedural success, and was treated most commonly with ostial stenting. None of the patients required emergency cardiac surgery.

The mineralization processes of plant residues in the soil vary depending not only on many factors such as climate and soil properties but also significantly on the C/N ratios. Increasing the surface area of these materials can also affect the mineralization process. This study increased the surface area of sunflower and maize harvest residues by fine grinding and applied 0.5%, 1%, 2%, and 4% doses by weight to soil with high clay content. After the application, the ammonium and nitrate nitrogen contents of the soils brought to the field capacity water content were measured on the 30th, 60th, 90th, and 180th days during the 180-day incubation period. The NH4 and NO3 nitrogen amounts of the starting soil were 12.76 and 13.99 mg kg⁻¹, respectively. The highest NH4 and NO3 nitrogen were observed as 28.29 mg kg⁻¹ and 96.53 mg kg⁻¹ in the M4 application on days 90, respectively. The lowest nitrogen contents were determined as 3.74 mg kg⁻¹ in the M2 application on the 180th day and 8.65 mg kg⁻¹ in the control application on the 90th day. Applications have remarkably increased the mineral nitrogen content of the soil and hence soil MNSR. As a result, it has been determined that establishing more controlled processes in stubble management, converting the nitrogen from stubble materials into a useful form for the plant, and reducing chemical fertilizer costs can contribute to the improvement of agricultural sustainability.

Losing members is a significant issue faced by fitness centers. In this context, it is crucial to understand the variables that will reduce the members’ intention to terminate their membership. Perceived value, emotions, and customer trust can be momentous, as membership has a catalytic effect on satisfaction. However, only a little information is present on its effect in the fitness consumer literature. Therefore, this study aims to examine the theoretical relationship between perceived value, emotions, customer trust, consumer satisfaction, loyalty and word of mouth marketing in fitness businesses. Members from two fitness clubs located in Konya, Turkey (n = 406) were surveyed. Based on the results, the perceived value, trust and emotions were positively related to satisfaction. Likewise, satisfaction was positively related to customer loyalty. Finally, customer loyalty was positively related to word-of-mouth, while satisfaction was not related to word-of-mouth. The study results may contribute to our understanding of the psychology of Turkish fitness center members.

The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between depression, hopelessness and life satisfaction with death anxiety and the determinants of death anxiety in individuals who have had COVID-19. This descriptive and correlational study was conducted with 402 adult individuals. Personal Information Form, Thorson-Powell Death Anxiety Scale, Beck Depression Scale, Beck Hopelessness Scale and Satisfaction with Life Scale were used to collect the data. In the study, a positive relationship was found between death anxiety and depression and hopelessness, and a negative relationship was found between death anxiety and life satisfaction (p < .001). As a result, being female, having undergraduate or graduate education, having high levels of depression and hopelessness and low life satisfaction were found to be determinants of death anxiety.