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SNP markers linked to genes controlling Ca and Mn uptake were identified in the common bean seeds using DArT-based association mapping (AM). The Ca concentration in the seeds varied between 475 and 3,100 mg kg -1 with an average of 1,280.9 mg kg -1 and the Mn concentration ranged from 4.87 to 27.54 mg kg -1 with a mean of 11.76 mg kg -1 . A total of 19,204 SNP markers were distributed across 11 chromosomes that correspond to the haploid genome number of the common bean. The highest value of ΔK was determined as K = 2, and 173 common bean genotypes were split into two main subclusters as POP1 (Mesoamerican) and POP2 (Andean). The results of the UPGMA dendrogram and PCA confirmed those of STRUCTURE analysis. MLM based on the Q + K model identified a large number of markers-trait associations. Of the 19,204 SNPs, five (on Pv2, 3, 8, 10 and 11) and four (on Pv2, 3, 8 and 11) SNPs were detected to be significantly related to the Ca content of the beans grown in Bornova and Menemen, respectively in 2015. In 2016, six SNPs (on Pv1-4, 8 and 10) were identified to be significantly associated with the Ca content of the seeds obtained from Bornova and six SNPs (on Pv1-4, 8 and 10) from Menemen. Eight (on Pv3, 5 and 11) and four (on Pv2, 5 and 11) SNPs had a significant association with Mn content in Bornova in 2015 and 2016, respectively. In Menemen, eight (on Pv3, 5, 8 and 11) and 11 (on Pv1, 2, 5, 10 and 11) SNPs had a significant correlation with Mn content in 2015 and 2016, respectively., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) is one of the oldest and most important pulse crops grown and consumed all over the world, especially in developing countries. Magnesium (Mg) and manganese (Mn) are essential plant nutrients in terms of human health and many health problems arise in their deficiencies. The objectives of this study were to characterize genetic variability in the seed Mg and Mn concentrations and identify single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers associated with these traits in 107 Cicer reticulatum and 73C. arietinum genotypes, using a genome wide association study. The genotypes were grown in four environments, characterized for Mg and Mn concentrations, and genotyped with 121,841 SNP markers. The population showed three-fold and two-fold variation for the Mg and Mn concentrations, respectively. The population structure was identified using STRUCTURE software, which divided 180 genotypes into two (K = 2) groups. Principal component analysis and neighbor joining tree analysis confirmed the results of STRUCTURE. A total of 4 and 16 consistent SNPs were detected for the Mg and Mn concentrations, respectively. The identified markers can be utilized in breeding of chickpea to increase Mg and Mn levels in order to improve human and livestock nutrition., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Due to its high nutritional value, chickpea is one of the most important and cost-effective legumes for human diet. Nutrient elements, such as Cu, P, K have numerous essential functions for the human metabolism. In this study, association mapping of loci linked to the seed Cu, P and K concentrations were performed on a population consisting of 107 Cicer reticulatum and 73 Cicer arietinum individuals in four environments (two locations x two years). A total of 121,840 SNPs were genotyped across 180 individuals by GBS analysis. The association mapping between the SNP markers and the seed Cu, P, K concentrations were identified and eight SNPs were found to be significantly associated with variations in three nutrient elements in more than two environments This research suggests that association mapping is a useful methodology for the identification of loci controlling the Cu, P and K uptake in chickpea seeds for further association mapping, molecular breeding, and marker-assisted selection and plant breeding studies and provides a broader understanding of the relationship between the investigated Cicer species and the effects of environmental conditions., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Thymus sipyleus Boiss. subsp. sipyleus var. sipyleus of the Lamiaceae, locally known as thyme scented lemon, which is an endemic taxon collected from Sivas in Anatolia, was investigated in this study due to its folk medicine use against rhinosinusitis. The aromatic characteristics of the plant material gave the idea for the detailed evaluation of the volatiles and essential oil thereof. Consequently, the oil was obtained by Clevenger type hydrodistillation followed by gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analyses for phytochemical characterization. To confirm the folk medicinal use against sinusitis, in vitro antimicrobial activities of the essential oil was evaluated by agar diffusion, microdilution and vapour diffusion methods against selected rhinosinusitis associated strains such as Staphylococcus aureus, methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), S. epidermidis, Streptococcus pyogenes, S. pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Haemophilus influenzae and Moraxella catarrhalis. Additionally, the in vitro anti-inflammatory activity was evaluated by 5-lipoxygenase (5-LOX) inhibitory effect of the essential oil spectrophotometrically. Furthermore, the composition of the volatiles of the vapour phase of the oil was determined by headspace-solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME-GC/MS) after 15 min and 24 h in accordance with antimicrobial vapour diffusion method conditions, respectively. According to the analytical results, the main component was determined as thymol (66.2%). Whereas in the HS-SPME method p-cymene (26.1%) and γ-terpinene (26%) were identified as the main volatile components within the 15. min., and thymol (75.3%) after 24 h, respectively. The antibacterial activity against rhinosinusitis pathogens varied between 160 and 1250 μg/mL minimum inhibitory concentrations, with the best inhibitory effects observed against the S. aureus, S. pyogenes and M. catarrhalis. The anti-inflammatory activity of the oil was determined as 12.1 ± 1.8% in 100 μg/mL. The results showed the in vitro antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory potential of the oil also in vapour phase against sinusitis supporting the traditional use., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Inhalation of crystalline silica nanoparticles causes pulmonary damage resulting in progressive lung fibrosis. Currently, there is no effective treatment for silicosis. Tamoxifen citrate is a selective estrogen receptor modulator, which is one of the adjuvant treatment choices for breast cancer. It is also known with its inhibitory effect on the production of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) and studied for the anti-fibrotic effect in some fibrotic diseases. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of tamoxifen citrate on the prevention of pulmonary fibrosis and the treatment of silicosis., Methods: A total of 100 adult female Wistar Albino rats (200-250 g) were used in this study. The rats were divided into five groups including 20 rats in each. Rats were exposed to silica for 84 d in all groups. In group 1, rats were sacrificed on the day 84 without receiving treatment. In group 2, rats received 1 mg/kg tamoxifen (tmx1 + 1), from the first day of the study for the whole 114 d of the study. In group 3, (tmx10 + 10) rats were given 10 mg/kg tamoxifen from the first day of the study for the whole 114 d of the study. In group 4 (tmx1), rats were started 1 mg/kg of tamoxifen on day 84 and were given until day 114. In group 5 (tmx10), rats were fed with 10 mg/kg tamoxifen starting from day 84 to day 114. All rats except group 1 were sacrificed on 114 day of the study. Lung inflammation and fibrosis scores, serum TGF β levels, lung smooth muscle antigen and tissue transforming growth factor β (t-TGF-β) antibody staining levels, and number of silicotic rats were compared between groups., Results: Silicosis was caused successfully in all rats in group 1. There were six silicotic rats in group 3 and it was the lowest number of all groups. Plasma TGF-ß levels and fibrosis score were significantly lower in all groups when compared with the control group. Tamoxifen could have preventive or treating effects in silicosis and found that lung fibrosis score was significantly lower in rats treated with tamoxifen., Conclusions: Tamoxifen treatment after and/or before induction of silicosis decreased lung fibrosis score with blood TGF-β levels. We hope that this study may introduce a new indication as prophylactic use of tamoxifen in high-risk groups for silicosis and for treatment of silicosis., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Cancer antigen-125 (CA-125) is not a specific tumor marker and it is synthesized by normal and malignant cells of different origins. Recently it has been shown that various diseases are associated with increased CA-125 levels, especially in the presence of serosal fluid. The aim of this study is to investigate serum and fluid CA-125 levels in patients with different diseases., Methods: A total of 133 patients and 23 healthy control cases were included in the study and divided into eight groups on the basis of disease and the presence of fluid in the serosal cavities. Serum and serosal fluid CA-125 levels were measured by a commercial enzyme immunoassay kit at the same time. Comparisons among the groups were made., Results: Abnormal levels of serum CA-125 were observed in 76% of ovarian cancer patients; 96% in patients with ascites and 56% in patients without ascites. Moreover, elevated serum CA-125 levels were detected in 52% of patients with hepatic diseases, in 100% of patients with nongynecologic peritoneal carcinomatosis, and in 87% of patients with pleural effusion. Serum and fluid CA-125 levels were significantly higher in cases of ovarian cancer with ascites than in the other groups (P < 0.01). A positive correlation between serum CA-125 levels and ascites amounts was observed in cases of ovarian cancer with ascites (P < 0.01, r = 0.81). Furthermore, no correlation was observed between ovarian mass volume and serum CA-125 levels in ovarian cancer patients with stage I disease without ascites (P = 0.08, r = 0.48)., Conclusions: Although CA-125 levels may be considered a sensitive tumor marker in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer, it was determined that high serum CA-125 levels were closely related to the presence of serosal fluids and serosal involvement, whatever the origin is. These results should be considered in the interpretation of CA-125 elevation in patients with ovarian cancer.