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Muhammad Saqib,1 Phong A Tran,2 Batur Ercan,3– 5 E Yegan Erdem1,6 1Department of Mechanical Engineering, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey; 2Queensland University of Technology (QUT), Brisbane, QLD, 4000, Australia; 3Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey; 4Biomedical Engineering Program, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey; 5BIOMATEN, Center of Excellence in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, 06800, Turkey; 6National Nanotechnology Research Center (UNAM), Ankara, TurkeyCorrespondence: E Yegan Erdem, Bilkent University, Mechanical Engineering, EA 122, Bilkent, Ankara, 06800, Turkey, Tel +90 312 290 3068, Email yeganerdem@bilkent.edu.trAbstract: Janus particles have been at the center of attention over the years due to their asymmetric nature that makes them superior in many ways to conventional monophase particles. Several techniques have been reported for the synthesis of Janus particles; however, microfluidic-based techniques are by far the most popular due to their versatility, rapid prototyping, low reagent consumption and superior control over reaction conditions. In this review, we will go through microfluidic-based Janus particle synthesis techniques and highlight how recent advances have led to complex functionalities being imparted to the Janus particles.Keywords: anisotropy, droplet-based, asymmetric, nanoparticles, multi-functionality

Saba Atefyekta,1 Batur Ercan,2,3 Johan Karlsson,1 Erik Taylor,2 Stanley Chung,2 Thomas J Webster,1,4 Martin Andersson1 1Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden; 2Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 3Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey; 4Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Abstract: Implant-associated infections are undesirable complications that might arise after implant surgery. If the infection is not prevented, it can lead to tremendous cost, trauma, and even life threatening conditions for the patient. Development of an implant coating loaded with antimicrobial substances would be an effective way to improve the success rate of implants. In this study, the in vitro efficacy of mesoporous titania thin films used as a novel antimicrobial release coating was evaluated. Mesoporous titania thin films with pore diameters of 4, 6, and 7 nm were synthesized using the evaporation-induced self-assembly method. The films were characterized and loaded with antimicrobial agents, including vancomycin, gentamicin, and daptomycin. Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were used to evaluate their effectiveness toward inhibiting bacterial colonization. Drug loading and delivery were studied using a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, which showed successful loading and release of the antibiotics from the surfaces. Results from counting bacterial colony-forming units showed reduced bacterial adhesion on the drug-loaded films. Interestingly, the presence of the pores alone had a desired effect on bacterial colonization, which can be attributed to the documented nanotopographical effect. In summary, this study provides significant promise for the use of mesoporous titania thin films for reducing implant infections. Keywords: mesoporous titania, antibacterial, drug delivery, implant coating

Dennis Mathew,1 Garima Bhardwaj,1,2 Qi Wang,3 Linlin Sun,3 Batur Ercan,3 Manisavagam Geetha,1 Thomas J Webster3,4 1Department of Biomedical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India; 2Centre for Biomaterials Science and Technology, School of Mechanical and Building Sciences, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India; 3Department of Chemical Engineering and Program in Bioengineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 4Center of Excellence for Advanced Materials Research, University of King Abdulaziz, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Background: Plasma-spray deposition of hydroxyapatite on titanium (Ti) has proven to be a suboptimal solution to improve orthopedic-implant success rates, as demonstrated by the increasing number of orthopedic revision surgeries due to infection, implant loosening, and a myriad of other reasons. This could be in part due to the high heat involved during plasma-spray deposition, which significantly increases hydroxyapatite crystal growth into the nonbiologically inspired micron regime. There has been a push to create nanotopographies on implant surfaces to mimic the physiological nanostructure of native bone and, thus, improve osteoblast (bone-forming cell) functions and inhibit bacteria functions. Among the several techniques that have been adopted to develop nanocoatings, electrophoretic deposition (EPD) is an attractive, versatile, and effective material-processing technique. Objective: The in vitro study reported here aimed to determine for the first time bacteria responses to hydroxyapatite coated on Ti via EPD. Results: There were six and three times more osteoblasts on the electrophoretic-deposited hydroxyapatite on Ti compared with Ti (control) and plasma-spray-deposited hydroxyapatite on Ti after 5 days of culture, respectively. Impressively, there were 2.9 and 31.7 times less Staphylococcus aureus on electrophoretic-deposited hydroxyapatite on Ti compared with Ti (control) and plasma-spray-deposited hydroxyapatite on Ti after 18 hours of culture, respectively. Conclusion: Compared with uncoated Ti and plasma-sprayed hydroxyapatite coated on Ti, the results provided significant promise for the use of EPD to improve bone-cell density and be used as an antibacterial coating without resorting to the use of antibiotics. Keywords: bacteria, nanotechnology, electrophoretic deposition, inhibition

Batur Ercan,1 Dongwoo Khang,2 Joseph Carpenter,3 Thomas J Webster1 1Department of Chemical Engineering, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA; 2School of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for PRC and RIGET, Gyeongsang National University, Jinju, South Korea; 3School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA Abstract: Surface roughness and energy significantly influence protein adsorption on to biomaterials, which, in turn, controls select cellular adhesion to determine the success and longevity of an implant. To understand these relationships at a fundamental level, a model was originally proposed by Khang et al to correlate nanoscale surface properties (specifically, nanoscale roughness and energy) to protein adsorption, which explained the greater cellular responses on nanostructured surfaces commonly reported in the literature today. To test this model for different surfaces from what was previously used to develop that model, in this study we synthesized highly ordered poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) surfaces of identical chemistry but altered nanoscale surface roughness and energy using poly(dimethylsiloxane) molds of polystyrene beads. Fibronectin and collagen type IV adsorption studies showed a linear adsorption behavior as the surface nanoroughness increased. This supported the general trends observed by Khang et al. However, when fitting such data to the mathematical model established by Khang et al, a strong correlation did not result. Thus, this study demonstrated that the equation proposed by Khang et al to predict protein adsorption should be modified to accommodate for additional nanoscale surface property contributions (ie, surface charge) to make the model more accurate. In summary, results from this study provided an important step in developing future mathematical models that can correlate surface properties (such as nanoscale roughness and surface energy) to initial protein adsorption events important to promote select cellular adhesion. These criteria are critical for the fundamental understanding of the now well-documented increased tissue growth on nanoscale materials. Keywords: nanophase topography, surface energy, collagen type IV, fibronectin, adsorption, modeling, nanoscale roughness, proteins

Deborah Gorth,1 Sabrina Puckett,1 Batur Ercan,1 Thomas J Webster,1 Mohamed Rahaman,2 B Sonny Bal31School of Engineering and Department of Orthopaedics, Brown University, Providence, RI, 2Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Missouri University of Science and Technology, Rolla, MO, 3Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USAAbstract: A significant need exists for orthopedic implants that can intrinsically resist bacterial colonization. In this study, three biomaterials that are used in spinal implants – titanium (Ti), poly-ether-ether-ketone (PEEK), and silicon nitride (Si3N4) – were tested to understand their respective susceptibility to bacterial infection with Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphlococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli and Enterococcus. Specifically, the surface chemistry, wettability, and nanostructured topography of respective biomaterials, and the effects on bacterial biofilm formation, colonization, and growth were investigated. Ti and PEEK were received with as-machined surfaces; both materials are hydrophobic, with net negative surface charges. Two surface finishes of Si3N4 were examined: as-fired and polished. In contrast to Ti and PEEK, the surface of Si3N4 is hydrophilic, with a net positive charge. A decreased biofilm formation was found, as well as fewer live bacteria on both the as-fired and polished Si3N4. These differences may reflect differential surface chemistry and surface nanostructure properties between the biomaterials tested. Because protein adsorption on material surfaces affects bacterial adhesion, the adsorption of fibronectin, vitronectin, and laminin on Ti, PEEK, and Si3N4 were also examined. Significantly greater amounts of these proteins adhered to Si3N4 than to Ti or PEEK. The findings of this study suggest that surface properties of biomaterials lead to differential adsorption of physiologic proteins, and that this phenomenon could explain the observed in-vitro differences in bacterial affinity for the respective biomaterials. Intrinsic biomaterial properties as they relate to resistance to bacterial colonization may reflect a novel strategy toward designing future orthopedic implants.Keywords: silicon nitride, nanostructure, anti-infective, biofilm, protein adsorption

Amancherla Rajyalakshmi1, Batur Ercan2,3, K Balasubramanian1, Thomas J Webster2,31Non-Ferrous Materials Technology Development Centre, Hyderabad, India; 2School of Engineering, 3Department of Orthopedics, Brown University, Providence, RI, USAAbstract: One of the important prerequisites for a successful orthopedic implant apart from being osteoconductive is the elicitation of a favorable immune response that does not lead to the rejection of the implant by the host tissue. Anodization is one of the simplest surface modification processes used to create nanotextured and nanotubular features on metal oxides which has been shown to improve bone formation. Anodization of titanium (Ti) leads to the formation of TiO2 nanotubes on the surface, and the presence of these nanotubes mimics the natural nanoscale features of bone, which in turn contributes to improved bone cell attachment, migration, and proliferation. However, inflammatory cell responses on anodized Ti remains to be tested. It is hypothesized that surface roughness and surface feature size on anodized Ti can be carefully manipulated to control immune cell (specifically, macrophages) responses. Here, when Ti samples were anodized at 10 V in the presence of 1% hydrofluoric acid (HF) for 1 minute, nanotextured (nonnanotube) surfaces were created. When anodization of Ti samples was carried out with 1% HF for 10 minutes at 15 V, nanotubes with 40–50 nm diameters were formed, whereas at 20 V with 1% HF for 10 minutes, nanotubes with 60–70 nm diameters were formed. In this study, a reduced density of macrophages was observed after 24 hours of culture on nanotextured and nanotubular Ti samples which were anodized at 10, 15, and 20 V, compared with conventional unmodified Ti samples. This in vitro study thus demonstrated a reduced density of macrophages on anodized Ti, thereby providing further evidence of the greater efficacy of anodized Ti for orthopedic applications.Keywords: anodization, titanium implants, TiO2 nanotube

The diversity of sensors in remote sensing allows for faster and easier detection of changes and issues across different scales, in contrast to conventional ground-based systems. One of the most important distinguishing features among these sensors is their varying resolutions, contributing to the versatility of remote sensing technologies across diverse environmental applications. In this study, the effectiveness of PlanetScope and Sentinel-2 satellite images with different image resolutions in detecting damage caused by a harmful insect (beet webworm moth - Loxostege sticticalis) in sunflower fields in Lüleburgaz district of Kırklareli in the Trace region was evaluated. Damage rates in sunflower fields were analyzed using various spectral indices (Enhanced Vegetation Index and Chlorophyll Index Green) and spectral transformation (Tasseled Cap Greenness) in conjunction with in situ data. Based on the spectral analysis, the satellite image dated 26 July, which showed the most severe damage, was used in the damage assessment analysis. The damaged areas were compared by classifying both satellite images with the Random Forest algorithm. According to the results of the classification accuracy assessment, PlanetScope satellite imagery showed the highest accuracy, with 90% overall accuracy and 84% Kappa statistics, making it a more suitable sensor choice for agricultural applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Thyroid hormones (THs) have important effects on many organ systems, including the hippocampus, by modulating gene transcription. Therefore, deviations from the normal reference range of this hormone cause vital changes. However, it is not well understood how these hormones affect the expression of genes involved in the Akt1/Gsk3ß signaling pathway in hippocampus tissue. The study investigated the changes in gene expression in eight genes related to neurodegeneration in the hippocampus tissue of rats with TH disorder (Gsk3ß-mRNA, Cdk5-mRNA, Akt1-mRNA, Mapt-mRNA P35 [Anxa]-mRNA, Capn1-mRNA, Bace1-mRNA, and Psen2-mRNA). Methods Twenty-two male rats were split into three groups as control, hypothyroidism, and hyperthyroidism. Propylthiouracil was given in drinking water for 21 days to induce hypothyroidism. L-thyroxine was administered for 21 days to induce hyperthyroidism. The levels of genes in the hippocampus were measured with the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction method. Results While free thyroxine (fT4) levels in blood plasma were found to be lower in the hypothyroidism group than in the control group, fT4 levels in blood plasma were found to be higher in the hyperthyroidism group. The mRNA expression levels of Cdk5, Mapt, P35, Akt1, Psen2, and Bace1 genes evaluated in hippocampus tissue showed significant differences between the groups. Conclusion THs are essential for the expression of certain genes, and these genes need to be expressed within a certain range for the body to function properly. Changes in hormone levels can partially change the expression of Akt1/Gsk3ß-mRNA, which is also associated with learning and memory.

Background: In our research, we examined how the induction of long-term potentiation (LTP) in the hippocampus of hypothyroid rats afects the mRNA levels of several proteins involved with neurodegeneration, including Gsk3, Cdk5, Akt1, Mapt, P35 (Anxa), Capn1, Bace1, and Psen2. Methods: Wistar-albino rats, consisting of 12 males, were used in the research, and they were separated into 2 groups: control (n=6) and hypothyroidism (n=6). To induce hypothyroidism, propylthiouracil was added to drinking water at a dosage of 20 mg/kg/day. The test stimulus intensity was calculated, basal recordings were acquired, and LTP was induced by administering 100 Hz high-frequency stimulation (HFS) for 1 second with a 5-minute delay when the rats were aged 60 days. The population spike (PS) amplitude and excitatory postsynaptic potential (EPSP) slope were measured in the granule cell layer of the dentate gyrus. Using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction, the mRNA levels of neurodegenerative genes were assessed in induced hippocampal tissues after the LTP protocol. The free T4 levels in plasma were measured using a plate reader with the commercial ELISA kit. Results: Following HFS, LTP was solely induced in the EPSP slope and PS amplitude in the control group. The impaired LTP response of the hypothyroidism group was accompanied by an increase in Akt1-mRNA expression and a decrease in Gsk3ß expression, whereas the value genes’ mRNA expression levels did not difer significantly from those of the control group. Conclusion: The hypothyroidism-related LTP impairment could be caused by a reduction in PI3K/AKT signaling. Further investigation of this path is required to elucidate the pathophysiology of impaired synaptic plasticity in hypothyroidism.

Aim: The increase in the frequency of thyroid diseases in old age makes it necessary to reveal the relationship between aging and irregularities in thyroid hormone levels. In the present study, the effects of experimental hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis induced in middle aged rats on spatial learning and memory performance were investigated. Materials and Methods: In this study, 45 Wistar albino 12-month-old rats weighing 400-450 g were used. The rats were divided into three groups according to thyroid hormone levels; euthyroid (n=16), hyperthyroid (n=16) and hypothyroid (n=13). Thyrotoxicosis was induced by intraperitoneal (i.p.). administration of L-thyroxine at a dose of 0.2 mg/kg/day. Hypothyroid state was induced by daily administration of 0.05% 6-n-propyl-thiouracil (PTU) in the drinking water of rats. Spatial memory and learning performance of rats were evaluated by Morris water maze test. Thyroid hormone levels were determined with a commercial ELISA kit. Results: One-way ANOVA test revealed that the mean distance to the platform (p

We consider a system of fractional delayed differential equations. The ordinary differential version of the system without delay is introduced in the Lengyel-Epstein reaction-diffusion system. We evaluate the system with and without delay and explore the stability of the unique positive equilibrium. We also prove the existence of Hopf bifurcation for both cases. Furthermore, the impacts of Caputo fractional order parameter and time delay parameter on the dynamics of the system are investigated with numerical simulations. It is also concluded that for different values of time delay parameter, the decreament of the Caputo fractional order parameter has opposite effects on the system in terms of stability.

Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disease, which may be accompanied by scoliosis, cardiac, endocrine and pulmonary comorbidities. We present our anesthesia experiences using total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) method in scoliosis surgery of four patients with Friedreich ataxia. Patients were monitored with central venous pressure (CVP), bispectral index (BIS),invasive blood pressure and near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). The risk of malignant hyperthermia and difficult airway are increased in patients with Friedreich's ataxia. We were prepared for difficult airway and provided dantrolene preoperatively. Neuromuscular blocker was used for anesthesia induction in one case, we did not use it in the other cases. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy may accompany patients with Friedreich's ataxia. Therefore, detailed preoperative examination, intraoperative close bleeding, blood gas analysis, hemodynamic monitoring and postoperative multimodal analgesia for hemodynamic stability in patients with Friedreich's ataxia were performed. We aimed to discuss our anesthesia management with four patients with Friedreich's ataxia who underwent scoliosis surgery.

Purpose: Hyperthyroidism causes adverse changes in hippocampal-dependent learning/memory functions in developmental and adult periods. In the present study, the healing effect of selenium was investigated on learning disability in offspring of mothers given L-thyroxine during lactation. Materials and Methods: 12 pregnant rats were used in the study. The pregnant rats were randomly assigned into three groups (n=8/group): Male offspring of dams administered L-thyroxine (0.2 mg/kg/day) during the lactation was formed as lactational hyper-thyroidism group (LHG), male offspring of dams administered selenium between 39-60 days after induced lactational hyperthyroid-ism was formed as lactational hyperthyroidism+selenium group (LH+SeG), male offspring of dams administered SF during the lacta-tion period was formed the control group (KG). Spatial learning/memory functions were measured with the Morris water maze (n=16/group). All measurements were made when offspring rats were 60-66 days. Results: Post-hoc test with one-way ANOVA revealed that LHG rats were found on the platform by traveling longer distances and swimming longer than the control group (p0.005). There was also not any significant difference between the groups in terms of the time spent in the target quadrant in the probe trial. Conclusion: The study findings show that high thyroid hormone levels in mother rats during lactation have long-term negative effects on hippocampal-dependent learning function in offspring rats, and selenium has a healing effect on these disorders.

The mechanical characteristics of polyester and flax woven fabric-reinforced, diatomite-substituted, cement-based composites have been examined at different ages within the scope of this study. The use of calcined diatomite in combination with a cement-based matrix aims to improve the mechanical performance within the composite as well as reduce carbon emissions. The consistency of cement-based and diatomite-substituted matrices with water-to-binder proportions of 0.28 and 0.45 was maintained at a fixed flow diameter of 235 mm with the adjusted use of a superplasticizer. The stress–strain graphs of the composites were obtained using an axial tensile testing machine and Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDT). The tensile strength, ductility, toughness development, and multi-crack performance of WFRC were obtained as a function of fabric type and aging. The effects of aging on tensile properties are discussed separately for each fabric type. Polyester woven fabric-reinforced composites were found to be superior to flax WFRC in terms of several mechanical properties at all ages. The substitution of diatomite further improved the tensile performance of the polyester woven fabric-reinforced composites. The fabric-matrix interface densification role of diatomite was determined by SEM/EDS line analysis. Evidence of a pozzolanic reaction between portlandite and diatomite was obtained through microstructure studies. Carbon emission analysis revealed that equivalent CO _2 emissions could be reduced using diatomite in woven fabric reinforced composites. However, diatomite substitution caused a cost increasing effect.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of selenium on thyroid hormone-related deiodinase enzyme levels. Materials and Methods: The experiments were carried out on adult male Wistar rats aged 2 months. In total, 32 rats were used in the study. The rats were divided into 4 groups; control (Control, n=8, saline was applied), hypothyroid (6-n-propyl thiouracil (Ptu), n=8, 1mg/kg/day Ptu), hypothyroid+sodium selenite (Sena, n=8, Ptu+0.5mg/kg/day sodium selenite) and hypothyroid+seleno-L- methionine (Semet, n=8, Ptu+0.7mg/kg/day seleno-L-methionine) group. All drugs were administered with gastric gavage technique for 21 days. After the experiment, the blood samples taken from the rats sacrificed in a heparin tube were centrifuged at 4000 rpm for 5 minutes and their plasmas were separated. The hippocampus of the decapitated rats was removed. Hippocampus (deiodinase 2) DIO2 and (deiodinase 3) DIO3 protein levels were measured with western blot method. Se values on plasma and hippocampus were measured with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. Plasma-free Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) levels were measured using a commercial ELISA kit. Results: Hippocampus DIO2 enzyme levels increased in the Ptu group compared to the control group (p=0.04) and DIO3 decreased (p=0.001). In the selenium (Se) supplemented groups, this difference in hypothyroidism disappeared. Conclusion: These findings suggest that selenium supplementation may improve thyroid hormone levels in patients with hypothyroidism.

Önceki çalışma bulgularımız, normal tiroit hormon düzeylerinin sinaptik plastisitenin göstergeleri olan uzun dönemli güçlenme (UDG) ve uzun dönemli baskılanma (UDB) yanıtları arasındaki dengenin oluşmasında rol oynayabileceğini göstermektedir. Sinaptik plastisitenin bir diğer formu olan depotansiyasyon (DP) ise şu ana kadar bu bağlamda çalışılmamıştır. Bu çalışmada, tiroid hormonları ile sinaptik plastisite arasındaki ilişkiyi anlamak için, hipokampüse infüze edilen T4 ve T3 hormonlarının DP büyüklüğünü değiştirip değiştirmediği araştırılmıştır. Deneyler, yüksek frekanslı uyarım (YFU) sırasında SF, T4 ve T3 infüze edilen ve düşük frekanslı uyarım (DFU) sırasında SF, T4 ve T3 infüze edilen 2 aylık Wistar albino erkek sıçanlardan oluşan (n=7/grup) 3 grup olarak gerçekleştirildi. Depotansiyasyonu indüklemek için, YFU kalıbı olarak 1 sn süreli 100 Hz frekanslı 4 tekrarlı uyarımı takiben 5 dk sonra, DFU kalıbı olarak 1 Hz frekanslı 900 pulse uyarım kullanıldı. Böylece uyarılan nöron havuzundaki sinapslarda hem yeni sinaps oluşumu hem de silinmesi elektriksel olarak tetiklendi ve kayıtlandı. T4 hormonunun YFU sırasında uygulanmasının popülasyon spike (PS) genliğini kontrol grubuna göre değiştirdiği (p0,05) bulundu. T4 hormonunun YFU veya DFU sırasında uygulanmasının eksitatör postsinaptik potansiyel (EPSP) eğimindeki zamansal değişimlerinin ve T3 hormonunun YFU veya DFU sırasında uygulanmasının PS genliği ve EPSP eğimindeki zamansal değişimlerinin SF infüzyonu yapılanlar ile aynı olduğu bulundu. Bu sonuçlar, T4’ün YFU sırasında uygulanmasının DP yanıtı üzerinde anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olduğunu, DFU sırasında T4 uygulanmasının ise, DP yanıtı üzerinde anlamlı bir etkiye sahip olmadığını düşündürmektedir.

Çalışmadaki amaçla; bir kişinin gerçekte var olan kısa bir videosundan veya birkaç fotoğrafından bile, o kişinin yüz fotoğrafını içeren sahte videolar oluşturulabileceği kanıtlanmaktadır. Bu birkaç fotoğraf veya kısa bir video alınıp derin öğrenme teknikleriyle eğitilerek sahte fotoğraflar ve videolar oluşturulabilir. Sahte videolarda kişinin yüzüyle başka bir kişinin yüz değişimi uygulanabilir veya kişinin yüzüne yeniden canlandırma (hareketlendirme) yapılabilir. Yeniden canlandırmada ise kaynak bir kişinin yüzüne başka bir kişinin videosundaki yüz hareketleri uygulanabilir. Hatta StyleGAN gibi teknikler ile gerçek insan yüz fotoğraflarından oluşan bir fotoğraf kümesi kullanılarak var olmayan insan fotoğrafları bile üretilebilir. Yaygın olarak Derin sahtelik (Deepfake) teknolojisi olarak bilinen bu teknikler, bu çalışmada yüzde kullanılan çeşitleri ve yapıları ile birlikte ele alınmıştır. Bu teknikler, eski dönemlerde yaşamış bilim adamlarının, ünlülerin var olan fotoğraflarına yeniden canlandırma yapılıp konuşturularak çocuklar için eğitim amaçlı kullanılabilir. Kuklacılıkta bu yöntem kullanılabilir. Oyuncuların (Aktörlerin-Aktrislerin) yerine sahnelerde, onların fotoğraflarıyla bilgisayarda yeniden canlandırma yapılabilir. Portreler canlandırılabilir (hareketlendirilebilir). Bu çalışmanın benzer araştırmalardan ayrıldığı nokta ise eğitim için kullanılacak olan verinin diğer çalışmalardaki verilerden daha az olması ve sahte video oluşturma çeşitlerinin, yapılarının birlikte ele alınmasıdır. Veri eğitimi için kullanılan materyal GPU ve veri seti olarak ise VoxCeleb veri seti, birkaç kısa video ve birkaç fotoğraftan oluşmaktadır. Kullanılan yöntem ise Çekişmeli üretici ağlar ve Otomatik kodlayıcılar gibi üretken ağlardır. Yapılan çalışma kullanılan video ve fotoğraflarda yüzün karşıya (öne) dönük veya hafif sağa ya da hafif sola dönük iken, yüz hareketinin belirli bir alanda sınırlı olduğunda ve yüzün yavaş hareket ettiğinde yapay zekayı daha iyi eğittiği ve bu eğitim verileri kullanılarak oluşturulan sahte videoların daha başarılı olduğunu göstermiştir.

Metastasis or the progression of malignancy poses a major challenge in cancer therapy and is the principal reason for increased mortality. The epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of the basement membrane (BM) allows cells of epithelial phenotype to transform into a mesenchymal-like (quasi-mesenchymal) phenotype and metastasize via the lymphovascular system through a metastatic cascade by intravasation and extravasation. This helps in the progression of carcinoma from the primary site to distant organs. Collagen, laminin, and integrin are the prime components of BM and help in tumor cell metastasis, which makes them ideal cancer drug targets. Further, recent studies have shown that collagen, laminin, and integrin can be used as a biomarker for metastatic cells. In this review, we have summarized the current knowledge of such therapeutics, which are either currently in preclinical or clinical stages and could be promising cancer therapeutics. Data availability: Not applicable

The aim of this study was to determine the relations of some affecting factors with milk production in Anatolian buffalo enterprises in Samsun province, Turkey. The questionnaires were applied by interviews to thirty nine buffalo farmers those selected by random sampling method. Effects of experience (EF) and education level (EL) of farmer, number of milking animal (NM), concentrate feeding application (CF), weaning period (WP), milking frequency per day (MP), udder disinfection premilking (UDP) on daily milk yield (DMY) were found to be insignificant. Further studies including more factors and data might be suggested to reveal detailed information between farm practices and milk production in water buffaloes.

Amaç: Bu çalışmada tiroksin hormonunun uzun dönemli güçlenme UDG yanıtları, N-metil-D aspartat NMDA reseptörü ve P38-Mitojenle Aktive Olan Protein Kinaz P38 MAPK üzerine olan etkisinin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışma, 2-4 aylık erkek ve dişi Wistar albino sıçanlar üzerinde yapıldı. Sıçanlar üretan anestezisi altında stereotaksik çatıya yerleştirildi. Alan potansiyelleri perforan yolun uyarılmasına yanıt olarak dentat girustan kaydedildi. Bazal alan potansiyellerini takiben 15 dk süre ile hipokampüse tiroksin infüzyonu yapıldı. İnfüzyonu takiben 100 Hz frekanslı uyarım 5 dakika ara ile 4 kez uygulandı. Son tetanik uyarımdan 60 dakika sonra sıçanların hipokampüsleri çıkarıldı. Hipokampüs örneklerinden NR1, NR2A, NR2B ve P38 MAPK'a ait gen anlatımlarının incelenmesi gerçek zamanlı kantitatif polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu RT-qPCR yöntemi ile yapıldı.Bulgular: Yüksek frekanslı uyarım verilmesi esnasında tetiklenen populasyon spike PS genliği ve eksitatör post sinaptik potansiyel EPSP eğiminin, tiroksinin hipokampüse infüze edilmesiyle her iki cinsiyette kontrole göre azaldığı belirlendi. Bununla uyumlu olarak, NR2B ve P38 MAPK düzeyleri için her iki cinsiyette kontrole göre artış olduğu belirlendi.Sonuç: Çalışma bulguları, tiroksin infüzyonunun sinaptik plastisiteyi inhibe ettiği ve bu inhibisyona NR2B ve P38 MAPK ekspresyonundaki değişimlerin aracılık ettiğine dair kanıtlar sunmaktadır

Many chronic diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease are related to the type and quality of foods, which are consumed. Particularly, various plant origin products are stated as beneficial against such kind of chronic diseases with secondary metabolites such as their phenolic structures. Satureja cuneifolia is a plant, which is consumed as an herbal tea in some regions of Turkey and that’s why investigate of its biological activity is important. In our study, the anti-diabetic and anti-Alzheimer potentials of the methanol and water extracts of S. cuneifolia plant were measured via some enzymes inhibition experiments as in vitro. The antioxidant ability of the same extracts was measured via radical scavenging and reducing power methods. Also, the total phenolics and flavonoids of the plant were identified. Finally, the extracts were analyzed by the LC-MS/MS analysis and the phenolic content of S. cuneifolia was clarified. Keywords: Anti-Alzheimer, Antidiabetic, Antioxidant activity, Satureja cuneifolia, LC-MS/MS

Emission control regulations have been essential in reducing vehicular exhaust emissions. However, the contribution of exhaust and non-exhaust emissions to ambient particulate matter (PM) has not yet been accurately quantified due to the lack of standardized sampling and measurement methods to set regulations. The identified sources and the source profiles generated have not been comparable as none of the emission data collection techniques and the receptor models applied in the literature have produced a standard or reference method to simultaneously identify and quantify the non-exhaust emission sources. This study utilized and thoroughly characterized PM samples including 32 major and trace elements from a mixed fleet in a mountain highway tunnel atmosphere in Bolu, Türkiye. This work proposed a two-stage, simple, and robust method based on road dust enrichment factor (EF) and elemental carbon (EC) tracer methods (EFECT) for the identification and prediction of the exhaust (exh), and non-exhaust (n-exh) emissions in PM. The indicated method revealed that road dust resuspension emissions are the most significant contributor to the concentrations of crustal elements. This method was used successfully to determine the real-world elemental contributions of road dust resuspension (rdrs), emissions (em), exhaust (exh), and non-exhaust (n-exh) emission sources to the elemental concentrations in PM samples. This study provided significant insights into generating actual source profiles, source-specific emission factors, and the source apportionment results for vehicular emission sources worldwide. Considering this, PM data of any particle size fraction (PM10, PM10-2.5, and PM2.5, for example) can be used as input for the EFECT, provided that the data include the analytical results of elemental carbon in both the atmospheric PM and road dust samples having similar PM sizes.

Background: Microfluidic sperm sorting procedure or sperm chip technique is a chemical-free method of selecting sperm using a disposable chip. It is a new gentle alternative for sperm processing which has been produced to obtain sperm with higher rates of motility and better morphology, as well as to reduce DNA fragmentation in sperm with high DNA fragmentation to nearly undetectable levels. We aimed to evaluate sperm chip techniques on clinical pregnancy rates in patients who underwent intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Methods: The patients in whom fresh embryo transfer (ET) on Day-3 or 5 after ICSI had been performed were analyzed in this prospective randomized cohort study. Results: Of those, 102 patients underwent ICSI with sperm isolated using sperm chip technique (study group) while 111 patients underwent ICSI with sperm isolated using swim-up technique (control group). No significant difference was observed between the groups in terms of fertilization rate in patients who underwent ET on the 3rd or 5th day. In the patients having ET on Day-3, Grade 1 embryos were obtained similarly between the sperm chip group and the control group. Grade 1 embryos transferred on Day-5 were observed significantly more frequently in the study group (p = 0.050). However, clinical pregnancy rates did not show significant differences between the groups in patients who were transferred on both the 3rd and 5th days. Conclusions: Although sperm selection using by sperm chip technique provides advantage in terms of blastocyst quality, use of this technique does not enhance success in terms of clinical pregnancy. Clinical Trial Registration: Approval was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov with NCT03355937 approval number.

In this study, we aimed to (i) synthesize new 2-methylindole analogs containing various amino structures, pyrrolidine, piperidine, morpholine, and substituted phenyl groups through structural and molecular modifications, (ii) evaluate the pharmaceutical potential of 2-methylindole analogs via assessing enzyme inhibitory activity against glutathione S-transferase (GST), acetylcholinesterase (AChE), and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), (iii) predict ADMET and pharmacokinetic properties of the synthesized 2-methylindole analogs, (iv) reveal the possible interactions between the synthesized 2-methylindole analogs with GST, AChE, and BChE enzymes using several molecular docking software. In vitro enzyme inhibition assays showed that the synthesized indole analogs exhibited moderate to good inhibitory activities against GST, AChE, and BChE enzymes. Briefly, the inhibitory activities of the analogs 4b and 4i against AChE, 4a and 4b against BChE, and analogs 1 and 4i against GST were detected to be higher or close to the standard inhibitor compounds. The analog 4b was detected to have the best inhibitory activity against both AChE and BChE enzymes with the lowest IC50 values as 0.648 µM for AChE and 0.745 µM for BChE. The analyses of enzyme inhibition relationship with the synthesized analogs could help to design new analogs for the inhibitors of cholinergic and glutathione pathways based on the indole derivatives.

Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, oral kontraseptiflerin adezyon moleküllerinin serum seviyelerine olan etkisini araştırarak, sentetik östrojenlerin ateroskleroza karşı koruyucu etkisi olup olmadığı saptamaktır.Gereç ve Yöntem: Ek hastalığı bulunmayan, kontrasepsiyon amaçlı en az 3 aydır oral kontraseptif kullanan, 18-45 yaş aralığında olan hastaların serum interlökin 6 (İL-6), tümör nekrozis faktör alfa (TNF alfa), damarsal hücre yapışma molekülü 1 (VCAM-1), hücreler arası adezyon molekülü (ICAM-1), E selektin, P selektin, c reaktif protein (CRP) seviyeleri ve eritrosit sedimentasyon hızları (ESH); ek hastalığı bulunmayan, düzenli adet gören, 18-45 yaş aralığında olan sağlıklı gönüllülerle karşılaştırıldı.Bulgular: Her iki grubun VCAM-1, ICAM-1, E selektin, P selektin, TNF alfa, İL 6, ESH seviyeleri arasında anlamlı fark saptanmadı. Oral kontraseptif kullanan grupta serum CRP seviyeleri anlamlı olarak daha yüksek saptandı.Sonuç: Oral kontraseptiflerin adezyon moleküllerinin serum seviyelerini değiştirdiği gösterilemiştir. Serum crp seviyelerinin değişimleri ise karaciğer ilk geçiş etkisine bağlanmaktadır.

Objective: We aimed to assess resistin gene polymorphisms, namely 420C > G and 62G > A and their effect on the risk of endometrial cancer (EC). Materials and methods: Between January 2012 and January 2015, of the total of 183 patients diagnosed with EC, 94 patients were enrolled into the study. Patients with diabetes mellitus, hypertension and history of any other cancer were excluded. To identify the importance of nucleotide polymorphism including 420C > G and 62G > A in the resistin gene, 94 healthy volunteers were included as the control group. Results: Among the Resistin 420 gene polymorphism profiles, 420 GC (47.9%) was the most common gene polymorphism in the EC group. Also, the polymorphism of 420 CC (57.7%, p: 0.002) lead the list in the control group followed by the 420GC (37.5%) polymorphism. Resistin 62 gene polymorphism analysis demonstrated that the 62GC polymorphism was significantly more common in the EC group (p C and 62G > A gene polymorphisms play a role in EC development. Keywords: Endometrial cancer, Gene polymorphism, Resistin, SNP

Background: Our aim in this study was to evaluate whether endometrial receptivity assay (ERA) test improves single, autologous euploid frozen-thawed embryo transfer (FET) outcomes in patients with repeated implantation failure. Methods: This was a retrospective cohort study which was conducted in a University affiliated private hospital. The study included 135 patients with repeated implantation failure who underwent single, autologous euploid ERA adjusted and non-adjusted FET. Patients were stratified into three groups, patients with receptive endometrium based on the ERA test, patients with non-receptive endometrium based on the ERA test and patients who did not receive the ERA test (control group). The three groups were compared in terms of FET outcomes. Results: Of 135 patients, 73 had the ERA test results available and 62 did not have the ERA test. Of 73 patients, 28 had non-receptive endometrium and 45 had receptive endometrium. The three groups are all the same in terms of age, body mass index, type of infertility, duration of infertility, number of previously embryo transfers and infertility causes (p > 0.05). Live birth rates were 46%, 50% and 51% for receptive, non-receptive and control groups, respectively (p > 0.05). Implantation and clinical pregnancy rates were similar between the groups, as well. Conclusions: Adjusting the embryo transfer day according to the ERA test results seems to improve FET outcomes in patients with repeated implantation failure.

Antioxidant activities of Satureja boissieri extracts were detected by using specific in vitro techniques. Standard antioxidant compounds such as ascorbic acid, BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydroxytoluene) were used to compare with the results obtained from ethanol and water extracts of the plant samples. Both extracts presented high antioxidant actions on ABTS cation radical and DPPH free radical scavenging methods. Furthermore, the antimicrobial activity of S. boissieri was defined by using three fungi species, three Gram-positive and four Gram-negative bacteria species. The reducing power antioxidant activities of samples were measured by CUPRAC and FRAP techniques. Also, phenolic compounds of S. boissieri leaves were identified by UHPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The high concentration of hesperidin (5051 ± 247 ppb) and rosmarinic acid (4364 ± 214 ppb) was characterized quantitatively. According to the results, high phenolic content can be thought of as one of the responsible parameters for effective biological activity. Also, its flavonoid and phenolic contents are good natural sources for using in the food industry and pharmacological process.