Search

Abstract Background Chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.), a critical diploid legume in the Fabaceae family, is a rich source of protein, vitamins, and minerals. However, heavy metal toxicity severely affects its growth, yield, and quality. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) play a crucial role in regulating plant responses to both abiotic and biotic stress, including heavy metal exposure, by suppressing the expression of target genes. Plants respond to heavy metal stress through miRNA-mediated regulatory mechanisms at multiple physiological, biochemical, and molecular levels. Although the Fabaceae family is well represented in miRNA studies, chickpeas have been notably underrepresented. This study aimed to investigate the effects of heavy metal-induced stress, particularly from 100 µM concentrations of cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), lead (Pb), and 30 µM arsenic (As), on two chickpea varieties: ILC 482 (sensitive) and Azkan (tolerant). The assessment focused on physiological, biochemical, and molecular parameters. Furthermore, a systematic characterization of the miR172 gene family in the chickpea genome was conducted to better understand the plant’s molecular response to heavy metal stress. Results Variance analysis indicated significant effects of genotype (G), treatment (T), and genotype-by-treatment (GxT) interactions on plant growth, physiological, and biochemical parameters. Heavy metal stress negatively impacted plant growth in chickpea genotypes ILC 482 and Azkan. A reduction in chlorophyll content and relative leaf water content was observed, along with increased cell membrane damage. In ILC 482, the highest hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) levels in shoot tissue were recorded under As, Cd, and Ni treatments, while in Azkan, peak levels were observed with Pb treatment. Malondialdehyde (MDA) levels in root tissue were highest in ILC 482 under Cd and Ni exposure and in Azkan under As, Cr, and Cd treatments. Antioxidant enzyme activities, including superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), peroxidase (POD), and ascorbate peroxidase (APX), were significantly elevated under heavy metal stress in both genotypes. Gene expression analysis revealed upregulation of essential antioxidant enzyme genes, such as SOD, CAT, and APX, with APX showing notable increases in both shoot and root tissues compared to the control. Additionally, seven miR172 genes (miR172a, miR172b, miR172c, miR172d, miR172e, miR172f, and miR172g) were identified in the chickpea genome, distributed across five chromosomes. All genes exhibited conserved hairpin structures essential for miRNA functionality. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these miR172 genes into three clades, suggesting strong evolutionary conservation with other plant species. The expression analysis of miR172 and its target genes under heavy metal stress showed varied expression patterns, indicating their role in enhancing heavy metal tolerance in chickpea. Conclusions Heavy metal stress significantly impaired plant growth and physiological and biochemical parameters in chickpea genotypes, except for cell membrane damage. The findings underscore the critical role of miR172 and its target genes in modulating chickpea’s response to heavy metal stress. These insights provide a foundational understanding for developing stress-tolerant chickpea varieties through miRNA-based genetic engineering approaches.

Modeling activities enriched with 3D printers are effective in providing teachers with the skills they should have and in using the technology in mathematics education. In this regard, in the present study, ten-week modeling activities were carried out with 3D printers that are widely used in different fields along with educational environments and the engineering and modeling skills used by pre-service teachers were revealed. In the study, eight teacher candidates studying in the 2nd grade of the Department of Elementary Mathematics Education in the Yozgat Bozok University Education Faculty took part. The study was designed as a case study defined as the study of specific situations in a certain context. Individual interviews, video recordings of the application and produced models were used as data collection tools to determine emerging engineering and modeling skills of teachers during Model-Eliciting Activities (MEAs). At the end of the study, it was revealed that pre-service teachers used engineering skills in designing, modeling and model producing. When the participants' views on the use of technology before and after the MEAs conducted with 3D printers were examined, it was observed that MEAs had a positive effect on the pre-service teachers' interest and motivation related to technology.

In this study, a content analysis of research is aimed in the field of mathematics education of Turkish researchers. To this aim, the investigation of 359 article were made which were accessed from web in full text between 1987 and 2009 years and which were published in the field of mathematics education from 32 different journals. 27 of these journals were national and 5 of them were indexed in Web of Science (SSCI). For this particular aim, a paper classification form, developed by Sozbilir, Kutu and Yasar was revised and used for research in mathematics education. Each publication has been subjected to content analysis through this form and the data were recorded in a database. The data were analyzed using SPSS 16.0 software. The results chart, frequency, and percentage table is presented as a descriptive manner. As a result, a large increase in mathematics education since 2002 is concerning studies, quantitative research is more preferred, as the subject of research is in the forefront of learning activities, studies, using more than one data collection tool and as a method of data analysis are in the forefront of the use and frequency were determined.

Soft tissue sarcomas, which originate from the mesenchymal tissue, represent a rare disease group with more than 100 subtypes. Primary treatment is surgical excision. In locally-advanced or metastatic cases, systemic treatment is the only therapeutic approach. Because of their heterogeneity, prognosis and response to the chemotherapy may be relatively different. Monotherapy with doxorubicin and its combination with ifosfamide continue to be the standard approach in the first-line treatment of advanced disease. Histology-directed therapy has become popular with the introduction of novel cytotoxic agents. Successful results have been achieved with recent developments in the field. Currently, the median overall survival rate in advanced stage disease barely exceeds 12 months in spite of the novel treatment options. In this review, our objective was to summarize the current data on cytotoxic treatments in the metastatic soft tissue sarcomas.

Introduction: Probiotics have recently been included in nutritional recommendations for achieving glycemic control in diabetic patients. Probiotic foods are not standardized, and their effectiveness can vary significantly between products and species. Therefore, the results of this study may not be generalizable to all probiotics consumed. This study aimed to determine the consumption of probiotics by type 2 diabetes patients and the relationship between probiotic consumption and their fatigue levels and glycemic control. Methods: This study was conducted in a university hospital in the Central Anatolian Region of Turkey. A total of 235 diabetic patients were included in the cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a patient information form, a self-report probiotic consumption information form, and the Visual Analog Scale for Fatigue. Results: The majority of the patients (83.4%) consumed probiotic products, and the most frequently consumed probiotic products by them were yogurt (80%), ayran (67.7%), and pickles (57.9%). The fatigue levels of probiotic-consuming and non-consuming patients were similar (p > 0.05), but the energy levels of probiotic-consuming patients were higher (p<0.05). The fasting blood glucose and HbA1c levels of the patients taking probiotics were low, but this difference was insignificant (p>0.05). Conclusion: Since probiotics are beneficial to diabetes patients, it is essential to provide information about them and support the use of probiotics per expert recommendations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid, sensitive and specific methods were developed for the determination of diclofenac in pharmaceutical preparations by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV) and gas chromatography (GC) with mass spectrometry (MS) detection. The linearity was established over the concentration range of 5â35 μg/mL for LSV and 0.25â5 μg/mL for GCâMS method. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was less than 4.39% and 4.62% for LSV and GCâMS, respectively. Limits of quantification (LOQ) were determined as 4.8 and 0.15 μg/mL for LSV and GCâMS, respectively. No interference was found from tablet excipients at the selected assay conditions. The methods were applied for the quality control of commercial diclofenac dosage forms to quantify the drug and to check the formulation content uniformity. Keywords: Diclofenac, Sweep voltammetry, Chromatographyâmass spectrometry, Pharmaceutical preparation

This article describes a differential pulse voltammetric (DPV) method for the determination of diclofenac in pharmaceutical preparations and human serum. The proposed method was based on electro-oxidation of diclofenac at platinum electrode in 0.1 M TBAClO4/acetonitrile solution. The well-defined two oxidation peaks were observed at 0.87 and 1.27 V, respectively. Calibration curves that obtained by using current values measured for second peak were linear over the concentration range of 1.5-17.5 μg mL-1and 2-20 μg mL-1 in supporting electrolyte and serum, respectively. Precision and accuracy were also checked in all media. Intra- and inter-day precision values for diclofenac were less than 3.87, and accuracy (relative error) was better than 4.12%. The method developed in this study is accurate, precise and can be easily applied to Diclomec, Dicloflam and Voltaren tablets as pharmaceutical preparation. In addition, the proposed technique was successfully applied to spiked human serum samples. No electro-active interferences from the endogenous substances were found in human serum.

Glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (D-glucose 6-phosphate: NADP+ oxidoreductase, EC 1.1.1.49; G6PD) from rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) erythrocytes was purified, using a simple and rapid method, and some characteristics of the enzyme were investigated. The purification procedure consisted of three steps: haemolysate preparation, ammonium sulphate precipitation, and 2',5'-ADP Sepharose 4B affinity gel chromatography, which took one working day. Thanks to the three consecutive procedures, the enzyme, having the specific activity of 14.51 EU/mg proteins, was purified with a yield of 70.40% and 1 271.19-fold. In order to control the purification of the enzyme SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was carried out. SDS polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed a single band for the enzyme. Optimal pH, stable pH, optimal temperature, molecular weight, and KM and Vmax values for NADP+ and glucose 6- phosphate (G6-P) were also determined for the enzyme. In addition, the effect of NADPH on the enzyme was investigated and Ki value and the type of inhibition were determined by means of Lineweaver-Burk graph obtained for NADPH.

Background: Although the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) is routinely recommended during pregnancy, the number of people who have the test is decreasing. Failure to perform the OGTT poses a risk for both mother and baby health. Objective: This study was conducted to investigate the effects of the education given on the Oral Glucose Tolerance Test in the first antenatal follow-up of pregnant women on having the test. Methodology: In this study, 385 pregnant women (192 in the control group and 193 in the education group) were included. The present study was designed as a quasi-experimental study. The education group was provided with comprehensive education on the oral glucose tolerance test by the researcher after the questionnaire and then an education brochure on the oral glucose tolerance test. The pregnant women in both groups were contacted by phone between the 30th and 37th weeks of pregnancy and were asked whether they had the test or not. In data analysis, descriptive statistics, Chi-square independence test and Binary regression analysis were conducted. Results: Before the education, most pregnant women in both groups would not have OGTT in their current pregnancy (p>0.05). In the second interview after the education, 79.3% of the participants in the education group had oral glucose tolerance test, whereas only 38.5% of the participants in the control group had oral glucose tolerance test (p<0.05). The binary regression analysis results showed that the rate of having oral glucose tolerance test was higher in those with high school and university education (p<0.05). Conclusion: The findings indicated that the education provided using written, verbal, and visual methods based on scientific evidence in the first antenatal follow-ups increased the rate of having oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to identify the prevalence of COVID-19 infection and anxiety levels in type 2 diabetes patients. Materials and Methods: A total of 201 diabetes patients who presented to the internal medicine and endocrinology and metabolic diseases outpatient clinics of a university hospital between 19 October and 19 December 2020 were included in this descriptive and cross-sectional study. The data were collected using a Patient Identification Form and the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale. Chi-squared test and Fisher's exact test were used to compare the patients' COVID-19 infection status and anxiety levels based on some variables. Results: It was determined 37.8% of the participants had COVID-19 infection before. Among the participants who had COVID-19 infection, 51.3% stated that the COVID-19 infection aggravated their diabetes symptoms, and 13.2% said they received intensive care support due to the infection. Besides, it was found that 17.9% of the participants had high levels of anxiety. The participants who had COVID-19 before had a lower percentage of having any diabetes-related complication than those who never had COVID-19 before (p<0.05). Moreover, the rates of those who had COVID-19 before, those who thought of having adequate information about COVID-19 infection, and those who participated in the use of masks against the risk of COVID-19 infection were lower among the participants who had high levels of COVID-19 anxiety (p<0.05). Conclusions: It was discerned that the diabetes patients had a higher frequency of having experienced COVID-19 infection, and nearly onefifth of them had high levels of COVID-19-related anxiety. In this respect, following up diabetes patients at home during the COVID-19 pandemic and offering telehealth services to diabetes patients who are unable to visit healthcare facilities due to the pandemic is recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]