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In photosynthetic eukaryotes, thousands of proteins are translated in the cytosol and imported into the chloroplast through the concerted action of two translocons-termed TOC and TIC-located in the outer and inner membranes of the chloroplast envelope, respectively. The degree to which the molecular composition of the TOC and TIC complexes is conserved over phylogenetic distances has remained controversial. Here, we combine transcriptomic, biochemical, and genetic tools in the green alga Chlamydomonas (Chlamydomonas reinhardtii) to demonstrate that, despite a lack of evident sequence conservation for some of its components, the algal TIC complex mirrors the molecular composition of a TIC complex from Arabidopsis thaliana. The Chlamydomonas TIC complex contains three nuclear-encoded subunits, Tic20, Tic56, and Tic100, and one chloroplast-encoded subunit, Tic214, and interacts with the TOC complex, as well as with several uncharacterized proteins to form a stable supercomplex (TIC-TOC), indicating that protein import across both envelope membranes is mechanistically coupled. Expression of the nuclear and chloroplast genes encoding both known and uncharacterized TIC-TOC components is highly coordinated, suggesting that a mechanism for regulating its biogenesis across compartmental boundaries must exist. Conditional repression of Tic214, the only chloroplast-encoded subunit in the TIC-TOC complex, impairs the import of chloroplast proteins with essential roles in chloroplast ribosome biogenesis and protein folding and induces a pleiotropic stress response, including several proteins involved in the chloroplast unfolded protein response. These findings underscore the functional importance of the TIC-TOC supercomplex in maintaining chloroplast proteostasis.

This study aims to evaluate the implementations of cooperative learning method in teaching limit and derivatives and the opinions of prospective teachers and instructors about these implementations. The research is designed as a case study and conducted with 28 prospective teachers (20 female, 8 male) who were attending the course of calculus in the department of science and technology teaching. The data obtained by interviews and observations were analyzed via content analysis. According to results, it was found out that the implementations of cooperative learning method created a positive effect on prospective teachers and made them learn the subjects more easily. On the basis of the results mentioned above, it can be recommended to use the cooperative learning method in teaching the subjects of limit and derivatives in teacher education. This study focused on teaching the subjects of limit and derivative; however similar studies can be carried out with different mathematics topics.

While comprising only 2% of all ischemic strokes, cerebellar strokes are responsible for substantial morbidity and mortality due to their subtle initial presentation and the morbidity of posterior fossa swelling. Furthermore, low temporal muscle thickness (TMT) has recently been identified as a prognostic imaging parameter to assess patient frailty and outcome. We analyzed radiological and clinical data sets of 282 patients with cerebellar ischemic stroke. Our analysis showed a significant association between low TMT, reduced NIHSS and mRS at discharge (p = 0.035, p = 0.004), and reduced mRS at 12 months (p = 0.001). TMT may be used as a prognostic imaging marker and objective tool to assess outcomes in patients with cerebellar ischemic stroke.

This study aimed to investigate the phytochemical composition and biological activity of Salsola tetragona Delile. (Amaranthaceae), a medicinal plant. The study evaluated the antioxidant potential of the crude extract and five fractions of S. tetragona using DPPH•, ABTS•+, CUPRAC, and metal chelating assays. The anti-inflammatory activity was determined using a protein denaturation assay, and the antibacterial activity was determined by the Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) for the growth of Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus strains. The MTT test and an in vitro scratch assay evaluated the effects on cell viability and cell migration. The potential anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity was assessed by analyzing the effects on the interaction between ACE2 and Spike protein. The bioactive compounds present in the plant were identified using LC-HR/MS analysis. The crude hydromethanolic extract (STM) and five fractions of S. tetragona, n-hexane (STH), dichloromethane (STD), ethyl acetate (STE), n-butanol (STB), and aqueous (STW) showed significant antioxidant activity in four different tests. In the anti-inflammatory assay, the ethyl acetate fraction exhibited significantly higher activity than Aspirin® (IC50 = 13 ± 5 µg/mL). The crude extract and its fractions showed positive antibacterial activity with similar MICs. In the cytotoxicity assay against the breast cancer cell line MCF7, the dichloromethane fractions (STD) were very effective and demonstrated superiority over the other fractions (IC50 = 98 µg/mL). Moreover, the potential of the extract and fractions as anti-SARS-CoV-2, the ethyl acetate, and dichloromethane fractions demonstrated important activity in this test. LC-HR/MS analysis identified 16 different phenolic compounds, Eleven of which had not been previously reported in the genus Salsola. The results suggest that the extracts of S. tetragona have the potential to become new sources for developing plant-based therapies for managing a range of diseases.

The prospect of massive parallelism of optics enabling fast and low energy cost operations is attracting interest for novel photonic circuits where 3-dimensional (3D) implementations have a high potential for scalability. Since the technology for data input–output channels is 2-dimensional (2D), there is an unavoidable need to take 2D-nD transformations into account. Similarly, the 3D-2D and its reverse transformations are also tackled in a variety of fields such as optical tomography, additive manufacturing, and 3D optical memories. Here, we review how these 3D-2D transformations are tackled using iterative techniques and neural networks. This high-level comparison across different, yet related fields could yield a useful perspective for 3D optical design.

Abstract In Parkinson’s disease and other synucleinopathies, the elevation of α-synuclein phosphorylated at Serine129 (pS129) is a widely cited marker of pathology. However, the physiological role for pS129 has remained undefined. Here we use multiple approaches to show for the first time that pS129 functions as a physiological regulator of neuronal activity. Neuronal activity triggers a sustained increase of pS129 in cultured neurons (200% within 4 h). In accord, brain pS129 is elevated in environmentally enriched mice exhibiting enhanced long-term potentiation. Activity-dependent α-synuclein phosphorylation is S129-specific, reversible, confers no cytotoxicity, and accumulates at synapsin-containing presynaptic boutons. Mechanistically, our findings are consistent with a model in which neuronal stimulation enhances Plk2 kinase activity via a calcium/calcineurin pathway to counteract PP2A phosphatase activity for efficient phosphorylation of membrane-bound α-synuclein. Patch clamping of rat SNCA −/− neurons expressing exogenous wild-type or phospho-incompetent (S129A) α-synuclein suggests that pS129 fine-tunes the balance between excitatory and inhibitory neuronal currents. Consistently, our novel S129A knock-in (S129AKI) mice exhibit impaired hippocampal plasticity. The discovery of a key physiological function for pS129 has implications for understanding the role of α-synuclein in neurotransmission and adds nuance to the interpretation of pS129 as a synucleinopathy biomarker.

In this study, we sought to demonstrate the benefit of postpartum hemorrhage prophylaxis treatment and the superiority of methylergonovine-oxytocin combination over oxytocin in terms of hemodynamic stability and amount of bleeding during cesarean section. In this retrospective study, 400 patients who had a cesarean section in the same clinic were divided into two groups and included in this study. The first group consisted of nulliparous patients (n=141) who gave birth by cesarean for the first time and the second group consisted of multipar patients (n=259) who gave birth by cesarean section before. Then both main groups; women who received only oxytocin infusion in the intraoperative and postoperative periods were divided into (monotherapy group), women who received methylergonovine and oxytocin therapy in the intraoperative and postoperative periods were divided into 2 more subgroups (combined group). For comparison, samples for preoperative and postoperative complete blood counts were obtained from all patients in each group. When the postoperative Hb levels of nulliparous pregnant women were compared, it was seen that the decrease in Hb levels was less in the group that received methylergonovine in addition to oxytocin (p=0.031). Similarly, Hb decrease was observed less in the group given methylergonovine in addition to oxytocin in multiparous pregnant women (p=0.045). The group that received methylergonovine in addition to oxytocin provided more hemodynamic stability in both the nulliparous and multiparous cesarean section groups, which we divided according to the number of cesarean sections, compared to the group that received oxytocin; significantly reduced the level of bleeding. We think that this form of treatment will also reduce the risk of uterine atony; therefore (if there is no coronary disease) we recommend it to be used under spinal anaesthesia. [Med-Science 2022; 11(4.000): 1608-12]

Background: Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation (nVNS) using a hand-held stimulator placed on the neck is an FDA-approved treatment for primary headache disorders. The safety of nVNS is unknown in stroke patients. Objective: To assess the safety and feasibility of nVNS for the acute treatment of stroke. Methods: TR-VENUS (clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT03733431) was a randomized, sham-controlled, open-label, multicenter trial conducted in patients with acute ischemic stroke (IS) or intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). Patients were randomly assigned to standard-dose nVNS, high-dose nVNS, or sham stimulation. The primary endpoint was a composite safety outcome defined as bradycardia or reduction in mean arterial blood pressure during treatment or progression of neurological or death within 24 h of treatment. The feasibility endpoints were the proportion of eligible subjects receiving nVNS within 6 h of symptom onset and the proportion completing all pre-specified treatment doses. Efficacy assessments included infarct growth from baseline to 24 h after treatment. Results: Sixty-nine patients (61 IS, 8 ICH) completed the study. The composite safety outcome was achieved in 32.0% in sham and 47.7% in nVNS group (p = 0.203). Treatment was initiated in all but two randomized patients. All dosed subjects received 100% of prespecified stimulations. A non-significant reduction in infarct growth was observed in the high-dose nVNS group (184.2% in sham vs. 63.3% in high-dose nVNS; p = 0.109). Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that nVNS may be safe and feasible in the setting of acute stroke. These findings support further development of nVNS as a potential treatment for acute ischemic stroke.

As the popularity of electric vehicle (EV) technology continues to develop rapidly, so does the demand for charging stations, which are expected to be the main source of energy for electric vehicles in smart cities. An ideal charging network of stations would facilitate easy access to charging stations for drivers by ensuring that there is always a station nearby, and do that with the minimum number of stations to reduce infrastructure costs. Motivated by striking a balance between these two, we propose a novel multi-objective model for the EV charging station placement problem under a renewed constraint of a network that aims to make it easy for drivers to reach a station from anywhere in a city within a reasonable distance. We apply the model to Eskisehir in Turkey and then solved it with the weighted sum scalarisation method. We demonstrate and discuss the results which show practicality of the model.

Giris Bir esitsizlik gostergesi olan yoksulluk gida, egitim, bannma eksikligi gibi farkli aclardan incelenegelmistir. Ancak ayni zamanda regl ve kadin yoksullugunun da toplumsal cinsiyet esitsizligi kapsaminda incelemek gerekmektedir. Toplumsal cinsiyet [...]

Technology has been affecting education for a long time. Websites occupy a significant place and web-based learning is an important example. The Internet today plays several critical roles in education such as: providing information, fostering communication, providing an environment for creativity, and delivering instruction. Currently, websites are gaining importance in education. This paper presents information about web-based learning, using websites in education, and reports information about what researchers have discovered in this regard. In addition, a critical topic, which is web accessibility, is discussed related to multimedia elements. Consequently, a website can be used as a source of information, as a tool for assessment, and as a platform to produce and share a product.

The main purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of ethical leadership on teachers' job satisfaction, and affective commitment in an education sector. This study proposes that ethical leadership has a significant and positive effect on overall job satisfaction and affective commitment. Moreover, it suggests that ethical leadership has an influence on overall job satisfaction and affective commitment. In this study, the relationships among the variables were evaluated using correlation, and regression analysis. The results which is based on a sample of 150 teachers from four private schools in Pakistan demonstrate that overall job satisfaction has a significant and positive influence on affective commitment, whereas, marriage as a demographic variable has a positive effect on overall job satisfaction and affective commitment.

BackgroundAutoimmunity may play a major role in the pathogenesis of idiopathic granulomatous mastitis (IGM). The therapeutic potential of ozone therapy has recently been shown in rheumatological diseases, and this study aimed to assess the clinical efficacy of ozone therapy (OT) in refractory IGM.MethodsPatients with biopsy-verified IGM and incomplete response after steroid therapy (n = 47) between 2018 and 2021 were enrolled. Of these, 23 cases in cohort A had standard treatment with further steroid therapy (ST), and 24 were treated with systemic OT via autohemotherapy (AHT) in addition to steroid therapy (cohort B).ResultsThe median age was 33 years (range, 24–45). Patients in cohort B had a higher complete response rate after completion of a four-month ozone therapy than those in the ST-group (OT-group, 37.5% vs. ST-group, 0%; p = 0.002). At a median follow-up of 12 months (range, 12–35), the patients treated with OT had a lower one-year recurrence in the affected breast than cases in cohort A treated with ST (OT-group, 21% vs. ST-group, 70%; p = 0.001). No significant side effects were observed in patients in cohort B related to AHT. Furthermore, OT significantly decreased the total steroid treatment duration (median week of steroid use; 26 weeks in cohort A vs. 12 weeks in cohort B; p = 0.001).ConclusionSystemic OT increases the complete response rate and decreases the duration of steroid treatment in patients with refractory IGM. Therefore, ozone therapy is an effective, well-tolerated, and safe novel complementary therapeutic modality.

Farmland abandonment is often associated with biophysical, political, or socio-economic changes, like droughts, economic reforms, rural-urban migration, or armed conflicts. Syria has seen several such changes in the period between 2000–2011, however, few assessments of how these factors have interacted with land abandonment have been carried out. In this study we investigate land abandonment patterns in northeast Syria, using a land use classification based on satellite data to indicate agricultural drought impacts and land abandonment. We combine these data with information on land use and migration patterns collected through a unique fieldwork, including surveys and interviews with Syrian farmers who had migrated to Turkey. Our analysis shows that drought coincided with a strong drop in cultivated croplands in 2008 and 2009. We also found a comparatively high cropland abandonment between 2001 and 2013, however no strong increases during or after drought years. Local insights indicate that migration took place during both normal years and drought years, and that most migrants had abandoned their lands after leaving Syria. We suggest that long-term mismanagement of water resources along with changes in the political economy, drove land abandonment in northeast Syria between 2001 and 2010. After 2011, armed conflict likely drove abandonment, but rates remained similar to the pre-conflict period. We discuss the potential of land abandonment as an indicator of rural migration in areas where migration data is sparse and conclude that more research is needed to understand the migration-land abandonment nexus, particularly in the Middle East.