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Oak (Quercus spp.) forests are among the most important forest types in Turkey. In the past, oak forests were managed through coppice clear-cutting, but in recent decades they have mostly been converted to high forest. This study was aimed at explaining how arthropod diversity is affected during conversion from coppice to high oak forest and during the early stages of coppice succession. We tested the hypothesis that arthropod richness, abundance and diversity in coppice oak sites varied according to stand age and a number of other forest characteristics. Arthropod communities were sampled in 50 plots using four different methods: pitfall traps, sweep nets, sticky cards and cloth shaking. A total of 13 084 individuals were collected and classified into 193 Recognizable Taxonomic Units (RTUs), with the most RTUs and the greatest number of specimens captured by sweep netting. We identified 17 taxa within RTU’s with more than 1% of the captured arthropods, which constituted 75% of the total specimens. The number of RTUs varied significantly according to trap type. Arthropod richness and Shannon-Wiener biodiversity index (H′) increased with elevation and precipitation. In young (1-40 yrs-old) and middle-aged (41-80 yrs) stands, arthropod biodiversity was not significantly affected by stand type, but slightly increased with diameter at breast height and tree height. Forest characteristics, such as the litter layer, understory and crown diameter, weakly influenced arthropod richness and abundance. Cluster analysis revealed that stand types and trap types differed taxonomically. Principal component analysis showed that stand types were clearly separated by the stand parameters measured. Insect families (Formicidae, Thripidae, Lygaeidae, Dolichopodidae, Luaxanidae, Cicadellidae and Ichneumonidae) could potentially be used as indicators of coppice oak conditions. As the coppice oak changes to mature forest, further studies are needed to better assess the relation between arthropods, forest types and structural characteristics of stands.

The magnetic characters of VPd2Br4 spinel were calculated using different spin orientations, and electronic properties were investigated using different potential approaches. The ferromagnetic (FM) phase was the most stable magnetic state according to magnetic orientation calculations. The lattice parameter of VPd2Br4 spinel in the FM phase was obtained as 11.17 Å. Elastic analyses showed that the FM phase was mechanically stable. Cauchy's pressure (C12–C44), B/G ratio, and Poisson's ratio (ν) values were obtained as 22.819 GPa, 5.89, and 0.419 at 0 GPa pressure, respectively. Therefore, VPd2Br4 spinel was ductile at 0 GPa pressure. As a result of elastic calculations, Debye temperature was obtained as 136 K. The total magnetic moment value of VPd2Br4 spinel in the FM phase was obtained as 2.00 µB/f.u. The V-atom with a magnetic moment value of 1.868 µB was the most partial contribution to the total magnetic moment. According to electronic properties, minority electron states of VPd2Br4 spinel had semiconductor character, while majority electron states showed metallic character. The band gaps in the minority electron states were calculated as 1.358 eV, 1.705 eV, 2.011 eV, and 2.253 eV according to the GGA, GGA + 1 eV, GGA + 2 eV, and GGA + 3 eV approaches, respectively. These band gaps in the minority electron states and the metallic characters in the majority electron states indicated that VPd2Br4 spinel had 100% spin polarization. Thus, using different approaches, VPd2Br4 spinel was obtained as a true half-metallic material in the FM phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: Pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) is an IgE-mediated allergic reaction to certain foods due to prior sensitization to pollen allergens. The data about the prevalence of PFAS in adults in Turkey is not sufficiently reported. Our objective was to investigate the frequency and clinical features of PFAS in adult patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis (SAR). PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 222 patients with SAR were enrolled in our outpatient allergy clinic at Hacettepe University, during a ten-month period. A questionnaire was used to evaluate patients and to categorize those who experienced obvious allergy symptoms consistent with PFAS. Atopy was assessed by a standard skin prick test panel including common aeroallergen extracts. RESULTS: Among 222 patients with a diagnosis of SAR, 31 had patient reported PFAS (31/222, 14%). Among them, 23 (74.2%) were females, and their mean age was 32.29±9.24 years. The most common symptoms were isolated oropharyngeal symptoms (58.1%), followed by urticaria (51.6%) after culprit food ingestion. The most frequent culprit foods were eggplant, walnut, kiwi, peach, and melon. The predominant sensitizing aeroallergen was grass pollen. CONCLUSIONS: PFAS can be frequently observed in adults who are followed up for SAR. The most frequently involved foods are eggplant, walnut, kiwi, peach, and melon in Ankara Province. The symptoms of PFAS are usually localized in the oropharyngeal area and are self-limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Both obesity and periodontal diseases are significant diseases that affect the quality of life. Recent studies have focused on the relationship between obesity and periodontal disease. The aim of this study is to determine the pathophysiological relationship between obesity and periodontal disease by evaluating the clinical periodontal parameters and oxidative status. Subjects and Methods. The study included 80 individuals divided into four groups including 20 individuals in each group as following; periodontally healthy patients with normal weight, (NH), patients with chronic periodontitis and normal weight (NCP), periodontally healthy patients with obesity (OH) and patients with chronic periodontitis and obesity (OCP). Clinical periodontal parameters were recorded, and serum, saliva and gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) samples were obtained. Local and systemic levels of total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI) were assessed biochemically. Results. No statistically significant difference was found among the groups regarding TAS, TOS and OSI values in serum and saliva samples (p>0.05). GCF-TAS values in NH group were statistically significantly higher compared with other groups (p<0,05). GCF TOS values increased in obese groups (OH, OCP) compared with non-obese groups (NH, NCP) (p<0.05). Our results suggest that obesity and chronic periodontitis do not effect oxidant/antioxidant levels in serum and saliva. Conclusions. Many factors such as daily living conditions of the individual, stress and nutritional habits TAS and TOS levels of the individual may affect oxidative stress parameters. However, these factors could not be standardized in the study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]