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Diplodia sapinea, the causal agent of Diplodia shoot blight, is one of the most common and dangerous necrotrophic pathogen of pines worldwide. Movement of plant materials such as cones, seeds and seedlings infected with the pathogen plays an important role in the dissemination of the disease over long distances. While the incidence and damage caused by the pathogen is increasing in Turkey, to our knowledge, the presence of the pathogen on pine seeds and the risk of transmission to nurseries and forest areas through seed movement have not been studied before. This study was carried out between 2017 and 2018 in order to investigate the presence and incidence of Diplodia sapinea in Anatolian black pine (Pinus nigra subsp. pallasiana) and Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) seeds collected from four abandoned seed orchards in Turkey. Seeds obtained from an active P. nigra seed orchard and a P. sylvestris seed stand were also included in the study. D. sapinea was detected on both P. nigra and P. sylvestris seeds collected from the abandoned seed orchards. On average 70% of the seeds (72% and 57% for P. nigra and P. sylvestris respectively) were infected with the pathogen. The pathogen was not detected on seeds from the active P. nigra seed orchard, yet was detected on 0.50% of seeds from the P. sylvestris seed stand. Thousand-seed-weights as well as germination of seeds from the abandoned seed orchards were lower than those of active seed sources. Taken together, these findings suggest that D. sapinea could have an important role in the reduction of seed quality in the abandoned seed orchards. More importantly, results confirm the potential for dissemination of D. sapinea on P. nigra and P. sylvestris seeds.

ÖZ: Bu araştırmanın temel amacı, beliren ve orta yetişkinlik döneminde bulunan bireylerin minnettarlık ile ilgili görüşlerinin belirlenmesi ve bu iki grubun görüşleri arasındaki benzerliklerin ve farklılıkların ortaya konulmasıdır. Araştırmada, nitel araştırma desenlerinden olgubilim yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma 2019-2020 yılları arasında Türkiye’nin değişik bölgelerinde yaşayan, farklı yaşlarda, mesleklerde ve öğrenim düzeylerinde yer alan; 20 beliren (18-25 yaş arası) ve 20 orta yetişkinlik (26-45 yaş arası) döneminde bulunan 40 katılımcı ile yürütülmüştür. Bu araştırmanın katılımcıları amaçlı örnekleme yöntemleri içerisinde yer alan tabakalı amaçsal örnekleme yöntemine göre seçilmiştir. Veriler araştırmacılar tarafından hazırlanan kişisel bilgi formu ve yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu aracılığıyla online olarak yapılan görüşmeler ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizinde içerik analizi yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonuçlarına göre beliren ve orta yetişkinlik döneminde bulunan bireylerin; minnettarlığın tanımı, minnettarlık hissedilen durumlar, minnettarlığın ifade edilmesi, minnettarlığın davranışsal ve duygusal karşılığı, sosyal yaşama katkısı ve önündeki engellere dair yaklaşımlarının büyük oranda benzer olduğu anlaşılmıştır. Ancak az da olsa bu iki grubun minnettarlığa bakış açılarının birbirlerinden ayrıldığı noktalar göze çarpmaktadır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bu bulgular, alanyazın ışığında tartışılmış ve sonuçlarla ilgili öneriler geliştirilmiştir. ABSTRACT: The main purpose of the current study is to determine the opinions of individuals who are in their emerging and middle adulthood periods about thankfulness and to elicit the similarities and differences between the opinions of these two groups. The current study employed the phenomenological design, one of the qualitative research designs. The current study was conducted with the participation of 20 individuals who were in their emerging adulthood period (18-25 years old) and 20 individuals who were in their middle adulthood period (26-45 years old); thus, a total of 40 participants, in the years 2019 and 2020. The participants were of the different ages, professions and education levels and lived in different regions of Turkey. The participants of the current study were selected by using the stratified purposeful sampling method, one of the purposive sampling methods. The data were collected by using the personal information form prepared by the researchers and a semi- structured interview form administered online. In the analysis of the collected data, content analysis method was used. As a result of the analysis, it was concluded that the individuals who were in their emerging adulthood and middle adulthood periods have largely similar opinions about the definition of thankfulness, the situations where thankfulness is felt, expression of thankfulness, behavioural and emotional exhibition of thankfulness, its contribution to social life and obstacles to it. Yet, there are some points where the two groups of participants’ perceptions of thankfulness differ. These findings obtained in the current study were discussed in reference to the literature and suggestions were made in light of the findings.

Abstract Purpose In this study, we aimed to evaluate the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance (AMR) patterns of bacterial pathogens in COVID-19 patients and to compare the results with control groups from the pre-pandemic and pandemic era. Methods Microbiological database records of all the COVID-19 diagnosed patients in the Ege University Hospital between March 15, 2020, and June 15, 2020, evaluated retrospectively. Patients who acquired secondary bacterial infections (SBIs) and bacterial co-infections were analyzed. Etiology and AMR data of the bacterial infections were collected. Results were also compared to control groups from pre-pandemic and pandemic era data. Results In total, 4859 positive culture results from 3532 patients were analyzed. Fifty-two (3.59%) patients had 78 SBIs and 38 (2.62%) patients had 45 bacterial co-infections among 1447 COVID-19 patients. 22/85 (25.88%) patients died who had bacterial infections. The respiratory culture-positive sample rate was 39.02% among all culture-positive samples in the COVID-19 group. There was a significant decrease in extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Enterobacterales (8.94%) compared to samples from the pre-pandemic (20.76%) and pandemic era (20.74%) (p = 0.001 for both comparisons). Interestingly, Acinetobacter baumannii was the main pathogen in the respiratory infections of COVID-19 patients (9.76%) and the rate was significantly higher than pre-pandemic (3.49%, p

Introduction:Glomerular hyperfiltration is related to several clinical conditions, such as prediabetes and prehypertension, and associated with poor prognosis in long-term follow-up. This study aims to elucidate the relationship between glomerular hyperfiltration and short-term prognosis in patients with STsegment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) treated by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI).Methods:A total of 1.402 patients (24% women, n=338) who had been diagnosed with STEMI and treated by primary PCI were enrolled in the present study. Glomerular hyperfiltration was defined an estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) above the 95th percentile based on age- and sex-specific distributions, and a low-filtration rate was defined as an estimated GFR below the 5th percentile. GFR was assessed using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration equation. The major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) considered in this work included acute stent thrombosis, re-infarction, cardiogenic shock, and cardiac death within 30 days.Results:MACE was observed in 178 patients (12.6%). High and low GFRs led to higher risks of developing major cardiovascular events [odds ratio (OR): 1.92, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.19-3.08, p

We present the case of a 37-year-old woman who underwent bilateral penetrating keratoplasty for congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy at the age of 10 years. Over the subsequent 27 years, the patient’s vision slowly deteriorated. Our examination revealed decompensation of the right corneal graft. We addressed this with regraft surgery. We then learned that the patient had been suffering from progressive hearing loss since adolescence. Tonal audiometry revealed hearing perceptive deafness of 25 dB, which was more prominent in the left ear. Because the patterns of progressive sensorineural hearing loss and congenital hereditary endothelial dystrophy have both been linked to the same gene, slc4a11, we tested our patient for mutations in this gene. The test was positive for a heterozygous slc4a11 gene fifth exon mutation on chromosome 20p13-p12, which causes a frameshift. A combined clinical and genetic evaluation confirmed a diagnosis of Harboyan syndrome. After the genetic diagnosis of the disease, she was evaluated for the need for a hearing aid due to her hearing loss. The patient was also informed about genetic counseling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was designed to test the dietary pot marigold (Calendula officinalis) extract on growth performance and expression of genes related to digestive enzymes, antioxidant capacity and immune system in rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) for 60 days. 240 fish (initial weight 15.33 ± 0.26 g) were randomly divided into 12 tanks (volume of 200 L, 20 fish per tank, in triplicates). Experimental diets were supplemented with 0 (C), 0.5 (PM05), 1 (PM1) and 2 (PM2) g kg−1 pot marigold extract. Fish were fed ad libitum until the fish reached apparent satiation with nutritionally balanced diets (48% crude protein and 18% crude lipid) three times (08.00 am, 1.00 pm and 6.00 pm) daily. At the end of the study, the fish were individually weighed to measure growth parameters, including final weight (FW), weight gain (WG), specific growth rate (SGR), protein efficiency ratio (PER), and feed conversion ratio (FCR). For gene expression analyses, the liver (antioxidant and non-specific immune parameters) and intestinal tissues (digestion) were sampled from fish (3 from each tank). Results showed that PM treatments had greater growth indices in comparison to the C group. (P < 0.05). The highest FW, WG, SGR and PER values were recorded in the PM1 treatment (P < 0.05). Similarly, the lowest, i.e. best FCR levels were obtained in the PM1 group (P < 0.05). Intestinal trypsin expression levels were significantly higher in the PM05 and PM1 treatments than in the C group, with the highest expression in the PM1 treatment (P < 0.05). Lipase expression reached the highest level in the PM1 treatment, while amylase was upregulated in all PM treatments compared to the C group (P < 0.05). Hepatic superoxide dismutase (SOD) expression levels were increased in the PM05 group, followed by PM1 and PM2 treatments (P < 0.05). Also, catalase (CAT) expression values were higher in the treatment groups than in the C group (P < 0.05). The glutathione peroxidase (GPX) expression level in the PM2 treatment was increased compared to the C group, while GPX in the PM05 and PM1 groups was significantly lower than in the C group (P < 0.05). Expression levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), tumour necrosis factor (TNF-α) and interleukin 8 (IL-8) genes relating to immunity exhibited overexpression in treatment groups compared to the C group. In conclusion, it can be concluded that diets supplemented with pot marigold extract, especially at 1 g kg−1 level, can promote healthy growth for rainbow trout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The negative effects of global warming also directly affect aquatic populations. Consequences such as evaporation due to chronic temperature increase, increase in salinity, and increase in stock density per unit volume are potential stress factors. While creating the trial design, an attempt was made to simulate the effects of global warming, especially on species living in salty and brackish water biotopes. In this study, changes in the gills of rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) acclimated to 0, 20, and 38 ‰ of saline in the laboratory were examined histologically and immunohistochemically and blood serum osmolarity. In addition, the water temperature was changed, and experiments were carried out at 16, 19, and 22 °C for each salinity group in parallel with the increase in salinity. However, to simulate the decrease in water volume and intensive stocking due to the potential impact of climate change, the study was carried out using 15 fishes in low-volume aquariums (45 L). Tap water that had been kept for at least 3 days was used in the aquariums. To protect the water quality, independent aquariums with sponge filters were used, and since the aim was to keep dissolved oxygen low, no ventilation system other than the sponge filter was used. In order to minimize the deterioration in water quality during the trial, a 15% water change was performed by performing a bottom flush every 4 days and water of the same temperature and salinity was added as much as the reduced volume. In addition, since increasing stock density due to temperature increase and water decrease will cause the amount of dissolved oxygen to decrease, pure oxygen was not entered into any tank throughout the experiment, and the concentration was requested to be at a low level (7 ± 0.13 mg/L) in all groups. The trials were terminated at the end of the 71st day. Increased serum osmolarity values were observed due to the increase in salinity, and the highest serum osmolarity value was measured at 644 mOsm/kg in the 38 ‰ salinity group. Differences between the groups were found to be statistically significant (p < 0.05). It was observed that the number of cells containing Na+/K+-ATPase increased depending on salinity. Also, the number of chloride cells reached the maximum level in the 38 ‰ salinity group. Due to increasing salt levels, an increase in mucus cells, limited onset hyperplasia, aneurysm, lamellar separation, and necrosis were observed in the gill tissue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Varroa destructor represents a significant threat to honey bees, leading to substantial yield losses and declines in colony health. Defense behaviors, including grooming (auto and allogrooming), serve as crucial mechanisms against Varroa infestations, yet the genetic basis of these behaviors remains elusive. This study examines the expression levels of hymenoptaecin (hym), neurexin-1 (AmNrx1), and CYP9Q3, potentially associated with defense behavior, in colonies of the Muğla honey bee ecotype (Apis mellifera anatoliaca) subjected to a Varroa selection program. Worker bees from 23 control groups and 23 colonies under selection were evaluated by using qPCR analysis. Results reveal a significant upregulation of hym, AmNrx1, and CYP9Q3 genes in the selected group, with fold changes of 2.9, 2.95, and 3.26 respectively compared to controls (p < 0.01). This suggests that selection against Varroa induces alterations in gene expression linked to Varroa exposure behaviors. These findings advocate for the potential use of hym, AmNrx1, and CYP9Q3 genes in preselection for future Varroa-resistant programs in honey bees. Supported by previous studies, these genes may facilitate the establishment of populations with enhanced defense behaviors, such as autogrooming and allogrooming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To reveal the malignancy rates of pancreatic cyctic lesions and success rates of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in differentiating between malignant vs non-malignant cystic lesions of the pancreas. Methods: In this study, 138 patients were included. CT, MRI, EUS and pathology reports of the related patients were scrutinised and descriptive statistical methods were used. Sensitivity and specificity values of CT, MRI and EUS were calculated by taking the postoperative histopathology results as the gold standard. Results: In assessment the data of patients with neoplastic or non-neoplastic pancreatic cysts, the highest sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy in the malignant-benign distinction of the lesions was determined in CT. Although EUS had similar sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy rates as CT, its specificity was considered to be lower than CT. MRI had lower sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy rates compared to both of modalities (EUS and CT). The sensitivity, specificity and diagnostic accuracy of EUS guided FNA biopsies were found to be quite low than other diagnostic modalities. Conclusion: While CT and EUS showed high correlation with each other in terms of overall diagnostic compliance, there was a moderate correlation between MRI and EUS.

Aim CT has an important place in diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 due to the RT-PCR test's high false-negative rate and the faster evaluation of CT, although the RT-PCR test is the gold standard. This study aims to understand chest CT features and distributions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 proven by RT-PCR. Materials and Methods This study is retrospective and includes one hundred adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who admitted to the hospital. The Chest CT findings of these patients were retrospectively recorded. Radiological Society of North America reporting guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia was referenced to classify chest CT findings. Results In SARS-CoV-2 patients confirmed by RT-PCR, the mean age of 79 pneumonia patients (54.0216.99) was higher than age of patients without pneumonia (42.4717.78). Prevalences of ground-glass opacity, consolidation, posterior dominance, bilaterality, peripheral distribution, multifocality, vascular enlargement, pleural effusion, lymphadenopathy, tree-in-bud pattern, halo sign and reverse halo sign were 74.68%, 3.79%, 17.72%, 43.03%, 70.88%, 84.81%, 84.81%, 12.65%, 2.53%, 1.26%, 2.53%, 8.86%, and 3.79%, respectively. Conclusion This study's findings indicate that common chest CT findings in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia are ground glass opacities with multifocal, multilobar, peripheral and bilateral involvement. No significant result was shown in favor of posterior or lower lobe dominance. According to the present study, SARS-CoV-2 patients are more likely to get pneumonia as they get older.

Aim CT has an important place in diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 due to the RT-PCR test's high false-negative rate and the faster evaluation of CT, although the RT-PCR test is the gold standard. This study aims to understand chest CT features and distributions in patients with SARS-CoV-2 proven by RT-PCR. Materials and Methods This study is retrospective and includes one hundred adult patients with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection who admitted to the hospital. The Chest CT findings of these patients were retrospectively recorded. Radiological Society of North America reporting guidelines for SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia was referenced to classify chest CT findings. Results In SARS-CoV-2 patients confirmed by RT-PCR, the mean age of 79 pneumonia patients (54.0216.99) was higher than age of patients without pneumonia (42.4717.78). Prevalences of ground-glass opacity, consolidation, posterior dominance, bilaterality, peripheral distribution, multifocality, vascular enlargement, pleural effusion, lymphadenopathy, tree-in-bud pattern, halo sign and reverse halo sign were 74.68%, 3.79%, 17.72%, 43.03%, 70.88%, 84.81%, 84.81%, 12.65%, 2.53%, 1.26%, 2.53%, 8.86%, and 3.79%, respectively. Conclusion This study's findings indicate that common chest CT findings in SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia are ground glass opacities with multifocal, multilobar, peripheral and bilateral involvement. No significant result was shown in favor of posterior or lower lobe dominance. According to the present study, SARS-CoV-2 patients are more likely to get pneumonia as they get older.

Bu çalışmada ağırlıklı olarak, son yıllarda artan çevreci yaklaşıma uygun yeşil nanomalzemelerin üretimi ve çevre mühendisliğindeki kullanım alanlarına değinilmektedir. Bilim insanları, özellikle nüfus artışı ve endüstrileşme sonucunda ortaya çıkan çevre kirliliği sonucunda, bu kirliliği durdurmak ya da en aza indirgemek için çalışmalar gerçekleştirmektedir. Bu çalışmaların büyük bir kısmı geleneksel kimyasal içerikli yöntemlere dayanmaktadır. Ancak, bu durumda bir taraftan kirleticiler etkin bir şekilde giderilirken bir taraftan da ikincil bir kirlenme ortaya çıkmaktadır. Bu yüzden doğal yollarla üretilmiş nanopartiküller önem kazanmıştır. Çevreci yaklaşımla sentezlenen nanopartiküler, tamamen biyolojik kökenli materyaller kullanılarak oluşturulmaktadır. Böylece çevre için zararlı çözücü maddeler yerine tamamen doğal bileşenler kullanılmakta ve arıtım verimi yüksek nanomalzemeler üretilmektedir. Sonuç olarak, yeşil kimya ve nanoteknoloji kavramları birleştirilerek gerçekleştirilen bu nanomalzemelerin gelecekte daha çok kullanılacağı düşünülmektedir.

Abstract Background Laminin, one of the largest glycoproteins of the basement membrane, is an important component of the extracellular matrix. Functions of the basement membrane include regulation of cell signaling behaviors and structural support. Laminin plays a critical role in the regulation of insulin action in muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. The study mainly investigates an association between the change in serum laminin levels and insulin resistance and non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis. Methods This prospective study included a total of 90 participants; 60 patients diagnosed with Grade 2–3 non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy controls between December 2019 and December 2020. Routine laboratory tests including glucose, insulin, homeostatic model of assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and C-reactive protein and laminin levels were measured in the serum of the patient and control groups. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for the measurement of laminin levels. Results The median serum laminin levels were lower in patients with hepatic steatosis, compared to the control group (72 ng/L vs. 82 ng/L, respectively; p = 0.003). In the patients with insulin resistance, median laminin levels were lower, regardless of the presence of non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis (67 ng/L vs. 85 ng/L, respectively; p = 0.007). There was a weak, negative correlation between the laminin levels and HOMA-IR. Conclusions Our study results suggest that, although there is no exact link between laminin and non-alcoholic hepatosteatosis, serum laminin levels are lower in patients with insulin resistance by regulating the insulin effect through integrins.

Sakroiliitin en sık nedeni spondiloartritler(SpA) olsa da travma, enfeksiyon, maligniteler ve kristal artropatilerde de görülebilir. Axial iskelet tutulumu süregen gutta beklense de sakroiliak eklem bölgesinde tutulum daha da nadirdir. Gut ilişkili sakroiliit için beklenen yaş aralığı 45-80 olmakla beraber 40 yaşın altında oldukça nadirdir. Sunduğumuz olgu literatürdeki en genç olgu olmakla beraber sakroiliit etiyolojisinde SpA dışındaki nedenleri hatırlatması açısından önemlidir.

Brucellosis is an important infectious disease that aff ects animal and public health in many developing countries, including Turkey. The control and eradication of brucellosis are contingent upon methods that provide a fast and reliable diagnosis. In this context, molecular methods which enable the enzymatic amplification of bacterial conserved gene regions are advantageous. In this study, samples of cattle and sheep blood serum sent to our laboratory from enterprises at risk of brucellosis in diff erent settlements of the Central Anatolia and the Black Sea Regions of Turkey were analyzed. In our study, we aimed to investigate brucellosis using serological methods and Real-Time PCR (RT-PCR), and to analyze these methods comparatively. To this end, RBPT, SAT and CFT tests, as well as the Brucella RT-PCR, which enables the amplification of the BCSP31 gene found in all Brucella species, were used. In the 368 serum samples analyzed, Brucella positivity was determined as 11.41%, 10.05% and 9.8% by RBPT, SAT and CFT, respectively, while the RT-PCR gave the same rate of positivity (9.8%) as CFT. When CFT is taken as a reference test, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive value and diagnostic accuracy of the RTPCR were determined as 100%; and it was found to be perfectly compatible with CFT, with a kappa value of 1.000. The number of bacterial genomes that could be detected by the RT-PCR in the presence of DNA of the Brucella melitensis biotype 3 (Ether) reference strain was determined as 3.94x103 copies. Linear regression analysis revealed that the amplification efficiency (92.71%) of the RT-PCR was within the desired limits (90-110%) and that the RT-PCR was repeatable (CV 2.9%) and reproducible (CV 1.8%). This study indicates that the RT-PCR is a useful method for application in the diagnosis of bovine and sheep brucellosis thanks to its high analytical efficiency; it also emphasizes the importance of blood serum samples as preferable clinical materials in this context.

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine if neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio could predict long term morbidity and mortality in patients who hospitalized for non-ST segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS) and had coronary slow flow on coronary angiography. Methods: In this observational study, 111 patients who presented with NSTE-ACS and diagnosed with coronary slow flow phenomenon on angiographic examination were included. Neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR) calculated as the ratio of the number of neutrophils to the number of lymphocytes. Patients classified into three groups according to NLR values. The term coronary slow flow phenomenon was depicted by calculating Thrombolysis in Myocardial Infarction frame count.Patients were followed up and the occurrence of recurrent angina, recurrent myocardial infarction, and long-term mortality was determined using medical records, phone calls, or face-to-face interviews. P values

Background and purpose: Although the critical role of affect in the leader-member relationship has been widely accepted, few studies investigated the impact of within-person affect variations in daily leader-member exchange (LMX) or addressed potential cross-level and intra-individual moderators of this relationship. This study examines the effects of followers’ positive and negative affect on their daily LMX in public health care organizations. The moderator roles of emotional labor and trait emotional intelligence were also investigated.

İşlenen konulara göre yağlı boya tuval resimleri, dönemin sanatı, üslubu, sosyal yaşamı, inancı ve tarihi hakkında bilgi veren taşınabilir en önemli kültür varlıklarından biridir. Bu çalışmada çeşitli nedenlerden dolayı yağlı boya tuvallerde görülen kirlenmelerin biyopolimerik yapıda hidrojeller kullanılarak temizlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Hidrojeller toksik madde içermemesi ve bunun yanında hızlı ve kolay bir teknikle hazırlanması yönünden birçok avantaja sahiptir. Hazırlanan hidrojeller ile tarihi eser niteliği taşıyan tuval resimlerindeki kirlenmeler yapıya zarar vermeden temizlenmiştir. Kolay ve bol bulunan aljinat ve doğal sakız biyopolimerleri ile hidrojel yapısında temizleme malzemesi hazırlanmıştır. Temizleme işlemlerinin test edilmesi için kimyasal yöntemler ile yaşlandırışmış tuvaller toz, kül ve is ile kirletilmiştir. Kullanılan hidrojel malzemeler kirletilen ve yaşlandırılan tuvallere uygulanması neticesinde sonuçlar farklı mikroskobik ve spektroskopik yöntemlerle incelenmiştir. Optik mikroskop, Taramalı Elektron Mikroskobu (SEM) ve Fourier Dönüşümlü Kızılötesi Spektrofotometresi (FT-IR) analiz yöntemleri kullanılarak malzemelerin karakterizasyonu gerçekleştirilmiştir.