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Modern genetics and biochemistry have revolutionized our understanding of plant biology. However, biochemical genetics can be traced to the foundation of Mendelian genetics indeed one of the milestone discoveries of Mendels seven characteristics of pea plants could later be ascribed to be due to mutation in starch branching enzyme. Here we review both current and historical strategies for the elucidation of plant metabolic pathways and the genes which encode their component enzymes and regulators. We utilize this historical review to discuss a range of classical genetic phenomena including, epistasis, canalization and heterosis as viewed through the lens of contemporary high-throughput data obtained via the array of approaches currently adopted in multi-omics studies.

Main conclusion Higher acclimated freezing tolerance improved winter survival, but reduced reproductive fitness of Arabidopsis thaliana accessions under field and controlled conditions. Abstract Low temperature is one of the most important abiotic factors influencing plant fitness and geographical distribution. In addition, cold stress is known to influence crop yield and is therefore of great economic importance. Increased freezing tolerance can be acquired by the process of cold acclimation, but this may be associated with a fitness cost. To assess the influence of cold stress on the fitness of plants, long-term field trials over 5 years were performed with six natural accessions of Arabidopsis thaliana ranging from very tolerant to very sensitive to freezing. Fitness parameters, as seed yield and 1000 seed mass, were measured and correlation analyses with temperature and freezing tolerance data performed. The results were compared with fitness parameters from controlled chamber experiments over 3 years with application of cold priming and triggering conditions. Winter survival and seed yield per plant were positively correlated with temperature in field experiments. In addition, winter survival and 1000 seed mass were correlated with the cold-acclimated freezing tolerance of the selected Arabidopsis accessions. The results provide strong evidence for a trade-off between higher freezing tolerance and reproductive fitness in A. thaliana, which might have ecological impacts in the context of global warming.

WOS: 000382525900010 PubMed: 27358595 Aim of the study: Data are available indicating that red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is higher in cancer patients compared to healthy individuals or benign events. In our study, we aimed to investigate the influence of different RDW levels on survival in lung cancer patients. Material and methods: Clinical and laboratory data from 146 patients with lung cancer and 40 healthy subjects were retrospectively studied. RDW was recorded before the application of any treatment. Patients were categorised according to four different RDW cut-off values (median RDW, RDW determined by ROC curve analysis, the upper limit at the automatic blood count device, and RDW cut of value which used in previous studies). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to examine the effect of RDW on survival for each cut-off level. Results: The median age of patients was 56.5 years (range: 26-83 years). The difference in median RDW between patients and the control group was statistically significant (14.0 and 13.8, respectively, p = 0.04). There was no difference with regard to overall survival when patients with RDW = 14.0 were compared to those with RDW < 14.0 (p = 0.70); however, overall survival was 3.0 months shorter in low values of its own group in each of the following cut-off values: >= 14.2 (p = 0.34), >= 14.5 (p = 0.25), >= 15 (p = 0.59), although no results were statistically significant. Discussion: We consider that the difference between low and high RDW values according to certain cut-off values may reflect the statistics of larger studies although there is a statistically negative correlation between RDW level and survival.

Introduction: Coronary artery ectasia is characterized as the dilation of a segment of coronary artery at least 1.5 times the adjacent segment in which infl ammation, neurohormonal activity and atherosclerosis are held responsible for the pathogenesis. The association between the coronary artery ectasia and infl ammatory markers has been shown, however there is nodata related to Pentraxine 3 (PTX-3). In this study, we investigated the association between serum PTX-3 and high sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels in patients with coronary artery ectasia. Patients and Methods: The study population consisted of 66 patients who underwent coronary angiography with the suspicion of coronary artery disease and 32 controls. Patients were divided in two groups as the coronary artery ectasia group (n= 34) and coronary artery disease group (n= 32). PTX-3 and hs-CRP levels were measured. Results: Serum PTX-3 levels were comparable between coronary artery disease and coronary artery ectasia groups (0.67 ± 0.29 vs. 0.66 ± 0.34, p= 0.63), coronary artery disease and coronary artery ectasia groups had signifi cantly increased PTX-3 levels when compared to the control group (0.67 ± 0.29 vs. 0.32 ± 0.24, p< 0.001; 0.66 ± 0.34 vs. 0.32 ± 0.24, p< 0.001; respectively). Similarly, hs-CRP levels were comparable in coronary artery disease and coronary artery ectasia groups (1.4 ± 0.7 vs. 1.2 ± 0.5, p= 0.19), coronary artrey disease and coronary artery ectasia groups had signifi cantly increased hs-CRP levels when compared to the control group (1.4 ± 0.7 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5, p< 0.001; 1.2 ± 0.5 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5, p< 0.001 respectively). The correlation analysis revealed that serum PTX-3 was associated with hs-CRP (Rho= 0.24, p= 0.016). Conclusion: PTX-3, a novel infl ammatory marker, is elevated in patients with coronary artery ectasia and may be promising biomarker in refl ecting the infl ammatory status in patients with coronary artery ectasia., Giriş: Koroner arter ektazisi, koroner arterlerin tamamının veya bir bölümünün arterin normal kısmındaki çapına göre 1.5 kat veya daha fazla olmasıyla karakterize durum olup patofi zyolojisinde infl amasyon, nörohormonal aktivite ve ateroskleroz sorumlu tutulmaktadır. Koroner arter ektazisiyle infl amatuvar belirteçlerin ilişkisini gösteren çalışmalar mevcuttur, ancak koroner arter ektazisinin yeni tanımlanan bir infl amatuvar belirteç olan pentraksin-3 (PTX-3) ile ilişkisi konusunda yeterli veri yoktur. Bu çalışmamızda koroner arter ektazisi hastalarında serum PTX-3 ve yüksek duyarlı (high sensitive) C-reaktif protein (hs-CRP) seviyeleri arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemeyi amaçladık. Hastalar ve Yöntem: Bu çalışmaya anjinal semptomları ve pozitif iskemi bulguları olduğu için koroner anjiyografi yapılan 66 hasta ve 32 kontrol hastası dahil edilmiştir. Hastalar koroner arter hastalığı grubu (n= 32) ve koroner arter ektazisi grubuna ayrılmıştır (n= 34). Serum PTX-3 ve hs-CRP seviyeleri ölçülmüştür. Bulgular: Koroner arter ektazisi ve koroner arter hastalığı grubunda kontrol grubuna göre hs-CRP seviyesi yüksekti (koroner arter hastalığı ve kontrol hastası grubu için, 1.4 ± 0.7 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5, p< 0.001; koroner arter ektazisi ve kontrol hastası grubu için, 1.2 ± 0.5 vs. 0.8 ± 0.5, p< 0.001). Koroner arter hastalığı ve koroner arter ektazisi grubunda PTX-3 seviyeleri arasında (0.67 ± 0.29 vs. 0.66 ± 0.34, p= 0.63) belirgin fark olmamasına karşın koroner arter hastalığı (0.67 ± 0.29 vs. 0.32 ± 0.24, p < 0.001) ve koroner arter ektazisi (0.66 ± 0.34 vs. 0.32 ± 0.24, p< 0.001) grubundaki hastaların PTX-3 seviyesi kontrol grubuna göre daha yüksekti. Korelasyon analizi sonucu serum PTX-3 ve hs-CRP seviyeleri birbirleriyle ilişkili bulundu (Rho= 0.24, p= 0.016).Sonuç: Koroner arter ektazisi olan hastalarda yeni bir infl amatuvar belirteç olan PTX-3 yüksek bulunmuştur. Bu durum infl amasyonun koroner arter ektazisi patofi zyolojisinde önemli bir role sahip olduğunu düşündürmektedir.

The word “Metaphor”, which is equivalent to the terms “istiare” in Arabic or “eğretileme, transfer of idioms” in Turkish, consists of two parts. “Meta” means “later” or “with” whereas “phora” means transfer or conveyance of word. In the recent years metaphor has been the subject and focuses of several studies, and is used to express a concept or situation with another concept or situation. Starting from 1980s, researchers have studied metaphor and concurrently they examined usage of language. It is now been believed that using metaphors is appropriate in order to be able to understand any phenomenon. Metaphor can be used in encouraging learning and improving creative thinking; it can also provide hints for in-the-class methods, techniques and situations. In this context, metaphors are also essential components for Turkish language textbooks. The purpose of this study is to detect the uses of metaphor in Turkish language textbooks of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students. For this purpose the Turkish language textbooks of 6th, 7th and 8th grade students prepared by the Ministry of National Education (MEB) were examined with “content analysis method. Considering that metaphors are effective in learning and improving creative thinking, the importance of using metaphors in textbooks is beyond discussion. The data collected throughout this study show that the metaphors detected in 7th and 8th grade Turkish language textbooks are less in number compared to those found in 6th grade Turkish language textbooks. Another important conclusion is that distribution of metaphors among units is not even. The conclusion of the study is that Turkish language textbooks are not prepared in a sensitive and choosy manner with this respect.

Ventricular dyssynchrony is an co-determinant of progression and exacerbation of heart failure (HF). The co-existence of ventricular dyssynchrony with hypertension (HT) and HF were shown, however there is no data regarding the effect of circadian rhythm of blood pressure (BP) on ventricular synchrony. Therefore, we aimed to study the left ventricular synchrony in dipper and non-dipper normotensive and hypertensive participants.Participants (n = 142) were categorized into four groups as "Normotensive-Dipper" (NT-D) (n = 40), "Normotensive-Non-dipper" (NT-ND) (n = 30), "Hypertensive-Dipper" (HT-D) (n = 38) and "Hypertensive-Non-dipper" (HT-ND) (n = 34). Left ventricular dyssynchrony was investigated by color-coded tissue Doppler imaging.Non-dippers had higher 24-h and night-time BP both in normotensives and hypertensives. The incidence of ventricular dyssynchrony (a Ts-SD-1234.4 ms) was higher in the hypertensive group (47.2% vs 24.3%, p = 0.005). The frequency of ventricular dyssynchrony was higher in the HT-ND group than the HT-D group (58.8% vs 36.8%, p = 0.05); however, the frequency of ventricular dyssynchrony was similar among the normotensives (26.7% vs 22.5%, p = 0.45). Ts-SD-12 and Ts-12 were higher in NT-ND group than the NT-D group.Non-dipping BP pattern was associated with impaired left ventricular contraction synchrony in both normotensive and hypertensive participants, which may be related with short- and long-term effects of HT on myocardium.

International audience; In this paper, we describe the derivation and the validation of original RESP atomic partial charges for the N, N-dimethyl-dodecylamine oxide (LDAO) surfactant. These charges, designed to be fully compatible with all the AMBER force fields, are at first tested against molecular dynamics simulations of pure LDAO micelles and with a fragment of the lipid kinase PIK4A (DI) modeled with the QUARK molecular modeling server. To model the micelle, we used two distinct AMBER force fields (i.e. Amber99SB and Lipid14) and a variety of starting conditions. We find that the micelle structural properties (such as the shape, size, the LDAO headgroup hydration, and alkyl chain conformation) slightly depend on the force field but not on the starting conditions and more importantly are in good agreement with experiments and previous simulations. We also show that the Lipid14 force field should be used instead of the Amber99SB one to better reproduce the C(sp3)C(sp3)C(sp3)C(sp3) conformation in the surfactant alkyl chain. Concerning the simulations with LDAO-DI protein, we carried out different runs at two NaCl concentrations (i.e. 0 and 300 mM) to mimic, in the latter case, the experimental conditions. We notice a small dependence of the simulation results with the LDAO parameters and the salt concentration. However, we find that in the simulations, three out of four tryptophans of the DI protein are not accessible to water in agreement with our fluorescence spectroscopy experiments reported in the paper.

Background Atherosclerosis is a complex inflammatory process in which inflammatory markers are involved. Although pentraxin 3 (PTX-3), a newly identified inflammatory marker, was associated with adverse outcomes in stable angina pectoris, no association between PTX-3 and the complexity of coronary artery disease (CAD) has been reported. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess the association between the level of PTX-3 and the complexity and severity of CAD assessed with SYNTAX and Gensini scores in patients with stable angina pectoris. Methods The study population consisted of 2 groups: 161 patients with anginal symptoms and evidence of ischemia who underwent coronary angiography and 50 age- and sex- matched control subjects without evidence of ischemia were included. Patients were grouped into 3 groups according to the complexity and severity of coronary lesions assessed by the SYNTAX score (30 patients with a SYNTAX score of 0 were excluded). Serum PTX-3 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured. Results The PTX-3 levels demonstrated an increase from low to high SYNTAX groups ( r = 0.72, P < 0.001). Whereas the low SYNTAX group had statistically significantly higher PTX-3 levels when compared with the control group (0.50 ± 0.01 vs 0.24 ± 0.01 ng/mL, P < 0.001), the hs-CRP levels were not different (0.81 ± 0.42 vs 0.86 ± 0.53 mg/dL, P = 0.96). However, the intermediate SYNTAX group had higher hs-CRP levels compared with the low SYNTAX group (1.3 ± 0.66 vs 0.86 ± 0.53 mg/dL, P = 0.002). Serum PTX-3 levels and hs-CRP levels were correlated with the SYNTAX scores and Gensini scores (for SYNTAX: r = 0.87 [ P < 0.001] and r = 0.36 [ P = 0.01]; for Gensini: r = 0.75 [ P < 0.001] and r = 0.27 [ P = 0.002], respectively), and according to the results of univariate and multivariate analyses, for “intermediate and high” SYNTAX scores, age, diabetes mellitus, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, hs-CRP, and PTX-3 were found to be independent predictors, whereas for the presence of “high” SYNTAX score only PTX-3 was found to be an independent predictor. The receiver operating characteristic curve analysis further revealed that the PTX-3 level was a strong indicator of high SYNTAX score with an area under the curve of 0.91 (95% confidence interval, 0.86-0.96). Conclusions Pentraxin 3, a novel inflammatory marker, was more tightly associated with the complexity and severity of CAD than hs-CRP and was found to be an independent predictor for high SYNTAX score.

OBJECTIVE: Cardiac Syndrome X CSX is defined as typical chest pain, objective signs of ischemia and normal coronary arteries. The association between CSX and inflammation is well known. Red cell distribution width RDW , an index of erythrocyte size, is recently found to be associated with inflammation. We investigated the association between RDW and high sensitive C reactive protein hs-CRP in patients with CSX.METHODS: Total 104 patients were included in the study. Those with evidence of ischemia total of 70 underwent coronary angiography. Patients with a normal coronary angiogram were grouped as the CSX group n=35 and those with significant coronary disease were grouped as the coronary artery disease CAD group n=35 . A total of 34 patients were taken as the control group. RDW and hs-CRP levels were measuredRESULTS: RDW was increased in the CSX group when compared to the Control group 13.9 ± 1.2 vs 12.9 ±0.7, p < 0.001 . However, there was no difference between the CSX and CAD groups 13.9 ± 1.2 vs. 14,1 ± 1,1, p: 0. 63 . Both groups had higher hs-CRP levels than the Control group. RDW is correlated with hs-CRP r=0.24, p: 0.014 .CONCLUSION: RDW, a novel inflammatory marker, is elevated in CSX and may be promising biomarker in reflecting the inflammatory status in CSX patients., AMAÇ: Kardiyak Sendrom X KSX , angina pektoris ve objektif iskemi bulgularına rağmen normal koroner arterlerin saptandığı bir tablodur. KSX’ in patogenezinde inflamasyonun rol oynadığı bulunmuştur. Eritrosit dağılım genişliği RDW , dolaşımdaki eritrositlerin büyüklüğünü gösteren bir indeks olmasının yanında, son çalışmalarda inflamasyonu gösteren bir parametre olarak değerlendirilmeye başlanmıştır. Biz bu çalışmada KSX olan hastalarda inflamasyon ile RDW arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırdıkYÖNTEMLER: Bu çalışmaya iskemik bulguların saptandığı koroner anjiyografisi normal olan 35 KSX hastası KSX grubu , ciddi koroner arter hastalığı bulunan 35 hasta KAH grubu ve 34 kontrol hastası alındı. Her üç gruptan RDW ve hs-CRP çalışıldıBULGULAR: KSX grubunda RDW değerleri kontrol grubuna göre artmış bulundu 13.9 ± 1.2 vs 12.9 ±0.7, p < 0.001 . Ancak KSX grubu ile KAH grubu arasında fark bulunmadı 13.9 ± 1.2 vs. 14,1 ± 1,1, p: 0. 63 . Aynı şekilde KSX ile KAH grubu arasında hs-CRP değerleri arasında fark yoktu 1.03 ± 0.5 vs. 1.05 ± 0.5, p: 0.92 . Kontrol grubunda hs-CRP düzeyi KSX ve KAH grubuna göre anlamlı bir şekilde düşük bulundu. RDW ile hs-CRP arasında pozitif korelasyon olduğu bulundu r=0.24, p: 0.014 . SONUÇ: RDW, klinikte uzun süredir bilinen ancak inflamatuvar marker olarak yeni kullanılan bir parametre olup KSX olan hastalarda yükselmektedir.

Objectives: Cardiac syndrome X (CSX) is a clinical entity that is defined as normal coronary arteries with angina pectoris and objective sins of ischemia. The correlation between CSX and inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) is well established, however an association with pentraxin- 3 (PTX-3) has not been examined. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between PTX-3 and CSX. Study design: A total of 122 patients (58 female, 64 male, mean age 49.6+-5.8 years) with suspected of coronary artery disease (CAD) were included in the study. Those with evidence of ischemia (50 patients with positive treadmill tests, 32 patients with positive myocardial perfusion scintography) underwent coronary angiography (82 patients). Patients with a normal angiogram were considered the CSX group (n=41) and patients with coronary lesions were referred to as the CAD group (n=41). Patients without signs of ischemia served as the control group. Serum PTX-3 and hs-CRP levels were measured in all patients. Results: The CSX group had significantly increased PTX-3 levels relative to the control group (0.46+-0.16 vs. 0.23+-0.09 ng/ml, p

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the level of pentraxin-3 (PTX-3) and the severity of metabolic syndrome (MS). Subjects and Method: One hundred and two patients with MS and 101 consecutive age- and sex-matched control subjects were included in the study. The MS patients were classified into three groups based on the number of MS criteria, i.e. group 1: patients with 3 MS criteria, group 2: patients with 4 MS criteria, and group 3: patients with 5 MS criteria. Serum PTX-3 and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) levels were measured. Results: Group 1 had higher PTX-3 levels compared to the control group (0.58 ± 0.11 ng/ml vs. 0.36 ± 0.15 ng/ml, p < 0.001). PTX-3 levels were higher in group 3 than in both group 1 (0.90 ± 0.06 ng/ml vs. 0.58 ± 0.11 ng/ml, p < 0.001) and group 2 (0.90 ± 0.06 ng/ml vs. 0.63 ± 0.12 ng/ml, p < 0.001). Group 3, however, had higher hs-CRP levels than both group 1 (1.89 ± 0.45 mg/dl vs. 1.40 ± 0.44 mg/dl, p = 0.007) and group 2 (1.89 ± 0.45 mg/dl vs. 1.47 ± 0.58 mg/dl, p = 0.01). The control group had lower hs-CRP levels than group 1 (0.81 ± 0.47 mg/dl vs. 1.40 ± 0.44 mg/dl, p < 0.001) and group 2 (0.81 ± 0.47 mg/dl vs. 1.47 ± 0.58 mg/dl, p < 0.001). Serum PTX-3 levels correlated with serum hs-CRP levels (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). Conclusions: PTX-3, a novel inflammatory marker, was found to be associated with the severity of MS.

Purpose: The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between the criteria comprising metabolic syndrome (MS) and neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR), a simple and reliable indicator of inflammation. Method: Seventy patients with MS and 71 age- and sex-matched control participants were included. Patients were classified into 3 groups based on the number of MS criteria: group 1 (with 3 criteria), group 2 (with 4 criteria), and group 3 (with 5 criteria). The NLR was calculated from complete blood count. Results: Patients with MS had significantly higher NLR compared to the control group. Moreover, the group 3 patients had higher NLR than those in groups 2 and 1 ( P = .008 and P = .078, respectively), whereas there was no difference between the patients meeting 3 and 4 MS criteria ( P = .320). Besides, NLR increased as the severity of MS increased ( r = .586, P < .001). The cutoff level for NLR with optimal sensitivity and specificity was calculated as 1.84. Serum glucose and high-sensitive C-reactive protein level were found to be independent predictors of an NLR value greater than 1.84. Conclusion: The present study indicated a significant correlation between the criteria of MS and inflammation on the basis of NLR. Furthermore, there an increase in NLR as the severity of MS increases.

Electrocardiography (ECG) may be a practical guiding tool for prognostic infarct sizing in ST elevation acute myocardial infarction (STEAMI). In this study, we sought to find a relation between the infarct size and the change in the QRS axis after thrombolytic therapy.Patients with STEAMI who received thrombolytic therapy were selected retrospectively. The mean QRS axes of two ECGs (before and 90 minutes after thrombolytic therapy) were calculated. Creatinine kinase MB (CKMB) was used as the marker of infarct size.We did not detect any correlation between infarct size and change in the QRS axis with respect to any myocardial infarction MI localizations (p=0.80). However, in the isolated inferior MI group, there was a good correlation between CKMB and change in the QRS axis (r=-0.52 p=0.049).The change in the QRS axis is rarely emphasized, providing a practical and promising tool for evaluating both the efficiency of the thrombolytic therapy and prognostic infarct sizing.Elektrokardiyografi (EKG) ST yükselmeli akut miyokard infarktüsü (STYAMİ) ile gelen hastalarda prognostik infarkt genişliğini belirlemede pratik ve yönlendirici bir araç olabilir. Bu çalışma ile infarkt genişliği ile trombolitik tedavi sonrası QRS aks değişim miktarı arasında bir ilişki olup olmadığını bulmaya çalıştık.Bu çalışmada trombolitik tedavi alan STYAMİ hastaları retrospektif olarak seçildi. İki EKG’de (trombolitik tedavi öncesindeki ve tedavi sonrası 90. dakikadaki) ortalama QRS aksı bir formül yardımıyla hesaplandı. İnfarkt genişliğini belirlemede belirteç olarak kreatinin kinaz MB (CKMB) kullanıldı.Tüm Mİ altgrupları gözönüne alındığında infarkt genişliği ile QRS aksı değişimi arasında korelasyon saptamadık (p=0.80). Sadece izole inferior Mİ grubunda CKMB ile QRS aksı değişimi arasında iyi derece korelasyon saptadık (r=−0.52 p=0.049).QRS aksı değişimi, trombolitik tedavinin etkinliğinin değerlendirilmesinde ve prognostik infarkt genişliğinin belirlenmesinde çok vurgulanmamış, pratik ve gelecek vadeden bir araç gibi gözükmektedir.

PEGylation is an effective mechanism to prolong the bloodstream lifetime, and thus efficacy, of drug delivery liposomes. The mechanism through which poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) increases bloodstream lifetime is, however, not completely understood. The interaction with salt ions found in the bloodstream is known to play a role in this. We have used all-atom molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of PEGylated lipid density, salt concentration, and the interaction with KCl and CaCl(2) salts in addition to NaCl. Increasing the PEGylated lipid concentration in the formulation from 1:18 to 1:9 molar density decreased the extent to which the Cl(-) ions penetrated the PEG layer, thus causing the PEG layer to become effectively positively charged. The interaction of the PEG with the K(+) ions was weaker than for the Na(+) ions, and nonexistent for the Ca(2+) ions. This work expands on our previous work where we studied the gel and liquid crystalline membranes in physiological salt concentration. Our results provide both an explanation for the experimental observation that PEGylation inhibits calcium-induced liposome fusion and further insight into the mechanisms through which PEG may inhibit uptake of the liposome by the reticuloendothilial system (RES).

WOS: 000385060700005 PubMed: 25720573 It was reported that hematological markers of systemic inflammatory response might be prognostic in various cancer types. We aimed to evaluate the platelet/lymphocyte ratio (PLR) as a prognostic factor and its effect on overall survival in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Clinicopathological characteristics and basal (pretreatment) PLR of 145 patients with NSCLC were evaluated retrospectively. The preoperative or pretreatment blood count data were obtained from the recorded computerized database. PLR was defined as the absolute platelet count divided by the absolute lymphocyte count. A total of 145 patients were enrolled. Median age was 57 years(range 26-83). Receiver operating characteristic curves for overall survival prediction were plotted to verify the optimum cut-off point for PLR. The recommended cut-off values for PLR was 198.2 with a sensitivity of 65.0 % and a specificity of 71.4 %. Median overall survival was 34.0 (95 % confidence interval (CI) 14.7-53.3) months in the group with low PLR (< 198.2), while it was 11.0 (95 % CI 5.6-16.3) months in the group with high PLR (aeyen 198.2). The difference between the groups was statistically significant (p < 0.0001). Our study supports the view that a high basal PLR is a poor prognostic factor in NSCLC. However, the validity of the cut-off values for PLR identified in our study needs further prospective trials.

The structure and dynamics of phospholipid reverse micelles are studied by molecular dynamics. We report all-atom unconstrained simulations of 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-phosphatidylcholine (DOPC) reverse micelles in benzene of increasing sizes, with water-to-surfactant number ratios ranging from W0 = 1 to 16. The aggregation number, i.e., the number of DOPC molecules per reverse micelle, is determined to fit experimental light-scattering measurements of the reverse micelle diameter. The simulated reverse micelles are found to be approximately spherical. Larger reverse micelles (W0 \textgreater 4) exhibit a layered structure with a water core and the hydration structure of DOPC phosphate head groups is similar to that found in phospholipid membranes. In contrast, the structure of smaller reverse micelles (W0 ≤ 4) cannot be described as a series of concentric layers successively containing water, surfactant head groups, and surfactant tails, and the head groups are only partly hydrated and frequently present in the core. The dynamics of water molecules within the phospholipid reverse micelles slow down as the reverse micelle size decreases, in agreement with prior studies on AOT and Igepal reverse micelles. However, the average water reorientation dynamics in DOPC reverse micelles is found to be much slower than in AOT and Igepal reverse micelles with the same W0 ratio. This is explained by the smaller water pool and by the stronger interactions between water and the charged head groups, as confirmed by the red-shift of the computed infrared line shape with decreasing W0.

International audience; The micellar structure of sophorolipids, a glycolipid bolaamphiphile, is analyzed using a combination of small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), and molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Numerical modeling of SAXS curves shows that micellar morphology in the noncharged system (pH< 5) is made of prolate ellipsoids of revolution with core–shell morphology. Opposed to most surfactant systems, the hydrophilic shell has a nonhomogeneous distribution of matter: the shell thickness in the axial direction of the ellipsoid is found to be practically zero, while it measures about 12 Å at its cross-section, thus forming a “coffee bean”-like shape. The use of a contrast-matching SANS experiment shows that the hydrophobic component of sophorolipids is actually distributed in a narrow spheroidal region in the micellar core. These data seem to indicate a complex distribution of sophorolipids within the micelle, divided into at least three domains: a pure hydrophobic core, a hydrophilic shell, and a region of less defined composition in the axial direction of the ellipsoid. To account for these results, we make the hypothesis that sophorolipid molecules acquire various configurations within the micelle including bent and linear, crossing the micellar core. These results are confirmed by MD simulations which do show the presence of multiple sophorolipid configurations when passing from spherical to ellipsoidal aggregates. Finally, we also used Rb+ and Sr2+ counterions in combination with anomalous SAXS experiments to probe the distribution of the COO– group of sophorolipids upon small pH increase (5 < pH < 7), where repulsive intermicellar interactions become important. The poor ASAXS signal shows that the COO– groups are rather diffused in the broad hydrophilic shell rather than at the outer micellar/water interface.

Aim: Metabolic syndrome is defined as a clinical entity characterized by insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, glucose intolerance or diabetes mellitus, dyslipidemia and hypertension. In the present study, we aimed to evaluate right ventricular function in metabolic syndrome patients with tissue Doppler echocardiography.Material and Method: The study population consisted of 28 metabolic syndrome patients and sex-age matched 30 control subjects. All the study population underwent echocardiography and right ventricular function was assessed by tissue echocardiography. Results: The mean age of the metabolic syndrome patients was 48±6.7 and control group was 46±8.3 and there was no statistical significant difference. When compared to the control group, right ventricular function assessed by tissue doppler was found to be significantly lower in metabolic syndrome patients (10.3±2.4 vs 16.4±3.6; p, Amaç: Metabolik sendrom, insülin direnciyle başlayan abdominal obezite, glukoz intoleransı veya diabetes mellitus, dislipidemi, hipertansiyon gibi aterosklerotik risk faktörlerini içeren klinik bir durum olarak tanımlanır. Bu çalışmamızda metabolik sendromlu hastalarda sağ ventrikül fonksiyonları doku Doppler ekokardiyografi ile değerlendirmeyi amaçladık.Gereç ve Yöntem: Çalışmamıza 28 metabolik sendrom hastası ve hastalar ile yaş ve cinsiyet açısından eşitlenmiş 30 kontrol dahil edilmiştir. Tüm çalışma grubuna ekokardiyografi yapılmış olup sol ventrikül fonksiyonları normal olan hastalarda sağ ventrikül fonksiyonları doku Doppler ile değerlendirilmiştir.Bulgular: Metabolik sendrom hastalarının ortalama yaşı 48±6.7 olup kontrol grubunun yaş ortalaması ise 46±8.3’dü ve aralarındaki fark istatistiksel anlamlı değildi. Sağ ventrikül doku doppler sistolik dalga (Sm) değerleri metabolik sendrom hastalarında kontrol grubu ile karşılaştırıldığında anlamlı düşük saptandı (10.3±2.4 vs 16.4±3.6; p

International audience; GPCRs undergo large conformational changes during their activation. Starting from existing X-ray structures, we used Normal Modes Analyses to study the collective motions of the agonist-bound β2-adrenergic receptor both in its isolated "uncoupled" and G-protein "coupled" conformations. We interestingly observed that the receptor was able to adopt only one major motion in the protein:protein complex. This motion corresponded to an anti-symmetric rotation of both its extra- and intra-cellular parts, with a key role of previously identified highly conserved proline residues. Because this motion was also retrieved when performing NMA on 7 other GPCRs which structures were available, it is strongly suspected to possess a significant biological role, possibly being the "activation mode" of a GPCR when coupled to G-proteins.

OBJECTIVE: Slow coronary flow SCF is defined as late opacification in the epicardial coronary artery without significant stenosis on the coronary angiographic images. The association between SCF and inflammation and inflammatory markers such as high sensitivity-C reactive protein hs-CRP is well known. Pentraxin-3 PTX-3 , a new acute phase reactant, is a member of pentraxine family like hs-CRP. We investigated the association between PTX-3 and hs-CRP in patients with SCF.METHODS: The study included 25 patients with SCF and 26 patients with coronary artery disease CAD whose diagnoses were made by coronary angiography. The control group consisted of 24 healthy subjects admitted cardiology outpatient clinic without any sign of ischemia. From the all study population PTX-3 and hs-CRP levels were measured.RESULTS: The SCF group had significantly increased PTX-3 and hs-CRP levels than the control group 0.52 ± 0.2 ng/ml vs 0.20 ±0.08 ng/ml, p< 0.001; 1.1±0.4 mg/dl vs 0.6±0.5 mg/dl, p< 0.001, respectively . However there were no differences in levels of PTX-3 and hs-CRP between the SCF and the CAD groups 0.52 ± 0.2 ng/ml vs 0.58 ± 0.18 ng/ml, p: 0.24; 1.1 ± 0.4 mg/dl vs 1.1 ± 0.6 mg/dl; p: 0.32, respectively . Correlation analysis revealed a positive correlation between serum PTX-3 levels and hs-CRP levels r=0.34, p: 0.003 .CONCLUSION: PTX-3, a novel inflammatory marker, is elevated in patients with SCF and may be reflecting the inflammatory status in patients with SCF., AMAÇ: Koroner yavaş akım YKA , anjiyografisinde normal koroner arterlere sahip olup opak maddenin koronerlerin distaline geç ulaşması ile karakterizedir. YKA’ın inflamasyon ve yüksek duyarlıklı C reaktif protein hs-CRP gibi inflamatuvar belirteçler ile ilişkisi bilinmektedir. Pentraksin-3 PTX-3 , yeni bir akut faz reaktanı olup CRP gibi pentraksin ailesinin bir üyesidir. Biz bu çalışmada YKA hastalarında PTX-3 düzeyini araştırdık.YÖNTEMLER: Çalışmaya YKA saptanan 25 hasta ve koroner arter hastalığı KAH olan 26 hasta alındı. Yavaş koroner akım ve KAH tanısı koroner anjiyografi ile konuldu. Kardiyoloji polikliniğine başvurmuş iskemik bulguların gözlenmediği 24 sağlıklı birey kontrol grubu olarak alındı. Tüm grubun PTX-3 ve hs-CRP çalışıldıBULGULAR: KYA grubundaki hastaların PTX-3 ve hs-CRP seviyesi kontrol grubuna göre daha yüksekti sırasıyla 0.52 ± 0.2 ng/ml ve 0.20 ±0.08 ng/ml, p< 0.001; 1.1±0.4 mg/dl ve 0.6±0.5 mg/dl, p< 0.001 . Ancak KYA grubu ile KAH grubu arasında serum PTX-3 ile hs-CRP seviyesinde fark bulunmadı sırasıyla 0.52 ± 0.2 ng/ml ve 0.58 ± 0.18 ng/ml, p: 0.24; 1.1 ± 0.4 mg/dl ve 1.1 ± 0.6 mg/dl; p: 0.32 . Korelasyon analizi sonucu serum PTX-3 ve hs-CRP seviyeleri birbirleriyle ilişkili bulundu. Rho=0.34, p: 0.003 .SONUÇ: PTX-3, yeni bir inflamatuvar marker olup YKA olan hastalarda yükselmiştir ve bu hastalarda inflamatuvar durumu yansıtmada bir belirteçtir.