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Symptoms of psychological distress (including anxiety and depression) are highly prevalent and are known to be influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. Yet, there is still limited knowledge on the epigenetics of anxiety/depression as a trait rather than as disorders and in particular, the possible role of altered global DNA methylation with these phenotypes. An alternative to traditional methods, quantifying DNA methylation at repetitive elements such as LINE-1 in the genome may provide a more cost and time effective way of examining global DNA methylation. In fact, global LINE-1 DNA methylation have previously been associated with psychiatric traits including schizophrenia and autism spectrum disorders, yet research gaps remain in relation to anxiety/depression.

Nonresponsive parental feeding practices that are controlling or coercive (e.g., pressure, restriction, instrumental feeding) are thought to interfere with a child’s ability to self-regulate their food intake and are associated with variation in appetite avidity and adiposity. Nonresponsive parental feeding practices that undermine a child’s autonomy of food intake may also predispose to eating disorders (EDs) that directly influence weight status (e.g. Binge Eating Disorder). However, virtually nothing is known about the relationship between parental feeding practices and the onset of ED symptoms in adolescence, and how parental feeding practices interact with a child’s underlying appetite to predispose to EDs. This project is part of a large programme of fellowship research into appetite, parental feeding practices and EDs, supported by MQ and the Rosetrees Trust. The aims of this particular project are to establish if: (i) childhood appetite and parental feeding practices (and their interaction) are risk factors for the development of EDs in adolescence and early adulthood; and (ii) childhood appetite and later ED symptoms share common genetic aetiology. Similar analyses are being undertaken in 3 other cohorts in the UK, Netherlands and Norway. To date we have undertaken analyses of the prospective associations between parental feeding practices in early childhood (4-5 years) and the onset of ED symptoms in early adolescence (12-14 years) in two cohorts in the UK and Netherlands. This study will aim to replicate these findings with ED symptoms measured in during older adolescence and early adulthood, and to examine the association between early parental feeding practices and ED symptoms among twin pairs discordant for ED symptoms.

Individual differences in appetitive traits (ATs) (such as satiety responsiveness and enjoyment of food) emerge in early life, are moderately stable across childhood, and are robustly associated with variation in adiposity across the weight spectrum. Appetitive traits may also predispose to eating disorders (EDs) that directly influence weight status, such as Anorexia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder, but currently their relationship is not well known.

Eating disorders (EDs) are increasingly prevalent and serious mental health conditions with potentially life-threatening consequences though their aetiologies are poorly understood. EDs and weight-related disorders, such as obesity and underweight, share a number of similar features and some genetic factors, suggesting a degree of common aetiology. Appetitive traits such as satiety sensitivity and enjoyment of food partially mediate genetic predisposition to obesity; appetitive traits may also play a role in the well-established genetic susceptibility to EDs, but the extent of shared genetic aetiology underlying appetitive traits and EDs has never been examined.

In two large population-based studies, we will examine prospective associations between a range of appetitive traits in early childhood and behavioural eating disorder symptoms (subclinical BED symptoms, compensatory behaviors and disordered eating behaviors) in early adolescence.

Using data from two large population-based cohorts, we aim to examine the prospective associations between parental feeding practices at child age 4-5 years and eating disorder symptoms (subclinical binge eating disorder symptoms, compensatory behaviours, and disordered eating behaviours) in early adolescence (12-14 years). If possible, data from both cohorts will be pooled to obtain an estimate of overall effect size.

Meyvecilikte anaç kullanımı yüksek verim ve kalite için vazgeçilmez bir unsurdur. Kayısıda Prunus armeniaca türü içerisinde klon anacı geliştirmeye yönelik yapılan çalışmalardan sonuç alınamaması nedeniyle çöğür anaçları kullanılmaktadır. Kayısıda anaç olarak kullanılacak genotiplerin köklenmesinin zor olması dolayısıyla gerek çelikle çoğaltma gerekse mikroçoğaltma çalışmalarından istenen sonuçlar alınamamıştır. İn vitro şartlarda klonal olarak çoğaltılabilecek bir P. armeniaca anacının geliştirilmesi bu çalışmanın en önemli amacıdır. Elde edeceğimiz zerdali klon anacı, kayısının kendi türü içerisinde ilk klon anacı olmasının yanı sıra erik, şeftali ve badem türleri için de anaç olarak kullanılabilecektir. Bu çalışmamızda, materyal olarak Konya'da yaptığımız arazi çalışması sırasında belirlediğimiz, anaçlık özellikleri üstün olan 42-01 zerdali genotipinin in vitro mikro çoğaltım özellikleri araştırılmıştır. Ana bitkiden alınan çelikler laboratuvar ortamında yüzey sterilizasyona tabi tutulmuş ve eksplantlar 0,5 mg/l BA+0,01 mg/l IBA+0,5 mg/l GA içeren NRM (Nas ve Read, 2004) ortamında kültür tüplerinde kültüre alınmıştır. Eksplantlar, sürgün kültür ortamında rejenerasyon denemelerinde kullanılabilecek sayıda sürgün elde edilinceye kadar 3'er haftalık aralıklarla aynı sürgün kültür ortamında alt kültüre alınmıştır (Başlangıç safhası). Başlangıç safhasında yeterli sayıda 1-1,5 cm uzunluğunda sürgün elde edildikten sonra, kültürlerin in vitro' da sürdürülebilirliğini, stabilizasyonunu ve en iyi mikro çoğaltım katsayısını sağlayacak kültür ortamını belirlemek amacıyla, başlangıç aşamasından alınacak eksplantlar farklı kombinasyonlarda BA (0, 0.5, 1.0 mg l-1) ve IBA (0, 0.01, 0.025 mg l-1) içeren NRM ve MS ortamları üzerinde alt kültüre alınmıştır. Daha sonra farklı konsantrasyonlarda (0.0, 1.0 ve 2.0 mg l-1) IBA içeren 1/1 ve ½ yoğunluktaki MS ve NRM ortamlarına köklendirmeye alınmıştır. Köklenmiş ve sağlıklı bitkicikler kademeli bir şekilde dış ortama alıştırılmıştır. Çalışmada, ortalama bitki canlılığı oranı, 0,0 mg/l BA + 0,01 mg/l IBA+ 0,5 mg/l GA içeren MS (%38,90) ve 0,0 mg/l BA + 0,025 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA içeren NRM (%30,56) dışında, diğer tüm uygulamalarda %69,44-100,00 arasında değişmiştir. Eksplant başına ortalama en yüksek sürgün sayısı 1,0 mg/l BA + 0,00 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA içeren MS ortamında kaydedilmiştir (5,97 adet/eksplant). Sürgün uzunluğu bakımından en uzun sürgünler 0,5 mg/l BA + 0,01 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA içeren MS ortamından elde edilmiştir ( 2,77 cm). Optimum köklenme oranı, 2,0 mg/l IBA içeren ½ MS ortamında (%61) kaydedilmiştir. 2,0 mg/l IBA içeren ½ NRM ortamında eksplant başına 6,33 kök sayısı not edilmiştir. Kök uzunluğu bakımından en iyi sonucu 2,0 mg/l IBA içeren ½ NRM uygulamasında kaydedilmiştir (2,46 cm)., The use of rootstocks in fruit growing is an indispensable factor for high yield and quality. In apricot, in Prunus armeniaca specie, seedling rootstocks are used due to the lack of results from the studies realized to develop clone rootstocks. Due to the difficulty in rooting the genotypes to be used as rootstock in apricot, the desired results could not be obtained from either with cutting propagation or with micropropagation. Development of a P. armeniaca rootstock that can will be reproduced clonally in conditions in vitro is the most important aim of this study. The zerdali clone rootstock we will obtain, in addition to being the first clone rootstock in own specie of apricot, also can be used as rootstock for plum, peach and almond species. In this our study, as a material, the in vitro micro-propagation properties of the 42-01 zerdali genotype, which we determined during the field study we realized in Konya, with superior rootstock features were investigated. Cuttings taken from the mother plant were subject to surface sterilize under laboratory conditions and explants were cultured in culture tubes in NRM (Nas and Read, 2004) medium containing 0,5 mg/l BA + 0,01 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA. Explants were taken subcultured in the same shoot culture medium at 3-week intervals until the number of shoots that will could be used in regeneration experiments in the shoot culture medium was obtained. After obtaining a sufficient number of shoots of 1-1,5 cm lenght in the initial stage, in order to determine the culture medium that will provide the sustainability, stabilization and the best micro propagation coefficient of the cultures on in vitro, explants will taken from the initial stage were taken to subculture on NRM and MS media containing different combinations of BA (0, 0.5, 1.0 mg/l) and IBA (0, 0.01, 0.025 mg/l). Later, it was be rooted in 1/1 and ½ density MS and NRM media containing IBA at different concentrations (0.0, 1.0 and 2,0 mg/l). Rooted and healthy plantlets was gradually acclimated to the external environment. In the study, mean plant survival rate was ranged from 69,44% to 100% in all other applications, except MS (38,90%) containing 0,0 mg/l BA + 0,01 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA and NRM (30,56%) containing 0,0 mg/l BA + 0,025 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA. The average hightest number of shoots per explant was recorded in MS medium containing 1,0 mg/l BA + 0,00 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA. (5,97 number/ explant). The longest shoots in terms of shoot length were obtained from MS medium containing 0,5 mg/l BA + 0,01 mg/l IBA + 0,5 mg/l GA (2.77 cm). Optimum rooting rate was recorded in MS medium containing 2.0 mg/l IBA (%61). Numbers of root per explant in ½ NRM medium containing 2.0 mg/l IBA were noted as 6.33.