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Bone problems are highly prevalent in laying hens. These problems affect the welfare, production and economic losses. Bone development begins in the embryonic period, and if the skeletal system develops well at that time, the subsequent production period can be affected positively. The present experiment aimed to investigate the effect of genotype on biomechanical parameters and composition of bone in the laying hen embryos. For this purpose, 360 fertilized eggs were obtained from two brown (Atak-S and Brown Nick) and two white (Atabey and Nick) layer breeders and incubated. Metatarsus, tibia and femur properties were examined on the embryonic d 19 and 21. Results showed that genotype played an important role in determining the biomechanical properties and mineral composition of the metatarsus, tibia and femur in the embryonic period. Examined bone characteristics improved with embryonic age. The least mineralization was observed in the metatarsus bone. In conclusion, bone properties were influenced from the genotype. However these differences were not related with laying hens being white or brown. The effect of the interaction between genotype and embryonic age on the bone properties should be considered., Yumurtacı tavuklarda kemik sorunları oldukça yaygındır. Bu sorunlar refahı, üretimi ve ekonomik kayıpları etkiler. Kemik gelişimi embriyonik dönemde başladığından bu dönemde iskelet sistemi iyi gelişirse, sonraki üretim periyodu olumlu yönde etkilenebilir. Bu çalışmada genotipin yumurtacı tavuk embriyolarında kemiğin biyomekanik özellikleri ve bileşimine etkisini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaçla iki kahverengi (Atak-S ve Kahverengi Nick) ve iki beyaz (Atabey ve Nick) yumurtacı damızlıklardan elde edilen 360 adet döllü yumurta toplanmış ve inkübe edilmiştir. Embiyonik dönemin 19 ve 21. günlerinde metatarsus, tibia ve femur özellikleri incelenmiştir. Sonuçlar, embriyonik dönemde genotipin metatarsus, tibia ve femurun biyomekanik özellikleri ve mineral bileşiminde önemli bir rol oynadığını göstermiştir. Embriyonik yaşın artmasıyla incelenen kemik özellikleri iyileşmiştir. En az minerilizasyon metatarsus kemiğinde gözlenmiştir. Sonuç olarak, kemik özellikleri genotipten etkilenmiştir. Fakat bu farklılıklar beyaz veya kahverengi yumurtacı tavuk olmasıyla ilişkili değildir. Genotip ve embriyonik yaş arasındaki etkileşimin kemik özellikleri üzerindeki etkisi dikkate alınmalıdır.

This work investigates the antifungal effect of plasma polymer films produced by low-pressure RF-generated plasma system using acrylic acid, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, and diethyl phosphite (DEP). Unmodified and plasma-modified polystyrene (PS) microplate wells were tested by 30 biofilm-positive Candida spp. isolated from blood samples and two control strains using a quantitative plaque assay method. Regardless of the precursors and plasma parameters, biofilm formation was inhibited for all plasma-modified microplate wells. The most significant anti-biofilm effect was observed on PS modified by DEP at 90 W plasma power with the inhibition of all Candida species' biofilm formation.

A biosensor was prepared with natural melanin nanoparticles (MNP) decorated on a screen-printed carbon electrode (SPCE). Hexavalent chromium was selected as a well-known heavy metal ion to be detected for testing the performance of novel biosensor. Natural MNP was extracted from cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) ink. Surface decoration of SPCEs with MNP was performed by two different methods. The first one was layer-by-layer assembly (LBL-A) for different cycle times(n). In the second one, plasma treatment of SPCE incorporated with evaporation-induced self-assembly (EI-SA) techniques including different incubation times in MNP solutions. The performance of both modified SPCEs were tested for amperometric detection of Cr(VI) in various water samples, and peak reduction of Cr(VI) was determined at 0.33 V. Amperometric results showed wide linear ranges of 0.1–2 ?M and 0.1–5 ?M of Cr(VI) for SPCEs modified with 14n-LBL-A and 12h-EI-SA, respectively. The sensitivities of SPCEs modified with 14n-LBL-A and 12h-EI-SA techniques were 0.27 ?A ?M?1 and 0.52 ?A ?M?1, respectively. In addition, both modified SPCEs selectively detected Cr(VI) in a model aqueous system composed of certain other heavy metals and minerals, and tap and lake water samples. The LOD and LOQ values for 12h-EI-SA were 0.03 ?M and 0.1 ?M, respectively. This showed that MNP-modified-SPCEs generated via EI-SA techniques have the potential to be an alternative to conventional detection methods such as ICP-MS.

Transmission performance of a CMUT element in terms of output pressure and displacements was evaluated. A SIMULINK model of single CMUT element based on mechanical model of MEMS capacitor was used and the analyses were performed under different ac and dc conditions. 2.6 µm thick Si, Poly-Si and Si3Ni4 membranes with a radius 60 µm were used to obtain results for underwater imaging application. Relation between membrane stress and outputs of CMUT was also investigated using SIMULINK model for commonly used CMUT membrane made of Si3Ni4 and polysilicon membrane under different electrical driving parameters. It was observed that different ac signal inputs (sine, square and sawtooth) showed different effects on CMUTs pressure and displacement characteristics. Our results indicated that the maximum output pressure and displacement were obtained in a square waveform. In addition, although stress on membrane increases the displacement and pressure of CMUT membrane made of Poly-Si, quality factor inversely proportional to stress on membrane. Membrane stress has adverse effect on Si3Ni4 membrane transmission outputs. The used model in this study might enable to determine optimum driving electrical inputs and stress on membrane to control CMUT outputs in terms of output pressure, displacement, quality factor and bandwitdh.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic neuroinflammatory disease of the central nervous system that leads to severe motor and sensory deficits in patients. Although some biomolecules in serum or cerebrospinal fluid have been suggested as biomarkers for MS diagnosis, following disease activity and monitoring treatment response, most of these potential biomarkers are not currently in clinical use and available for all patients. The reasons behind this are generally related to insufficient robustness of biomarker or technical difficulties, high prices, and requirements for technical personnel for their detection. Point-of-care testing (POCT) is an emerging field of healthcare that can be applied at the hospital as well as at home without the need for a centralized laboratory. Biosensor devices offer a convenient means for POCT. A biosensor is a compact analytical device that uses a bioreceptor, such as an antibody, enzyme, or oligonucleotide, to capture the analyte of interest. The interaction between the analyte and the bioreceptor is sensed and transduced into a suitable signal by the signal transducer. The advantages of using a biosensor for detecting the biomolecule of interest include speed, simplicity, accuracy, relatively lower cost, and lack of requirements for highly qualified personnel to perform the testing. Owing to these advantages and with the help of innovations in biosensor development technologies, there has been a great interest in developing biosensor devices for MS in recent years. Hence, the purpose of this review was to provide researchers with an up-to-date summary of the literature as well as to highlight the challenges and opportunities in this translational research field. In addition, because this is a highly interdisciplinary field of study, potentially concerning MS specialists, neurologists, biomedical researchers, and engineers, another aim of this review was to bridge the gap between these disciplines.

Biomimicry strategies, inspired from natural organization of living organisms, are being widely used in the design of nanobiomaterials. Particularly, nonlithographic techniques have shown immense potential in the facile fabrication of nanostructured surfaces at large-scale production. Orthopedic biomaterials or coatings possessing extracellular matrix-like nanoscale features induce desirable interactions between the bone tissue and implant surface, also known as osseointegration. In this study, nanopillared chitosan/gelatin (C/G) films were fabricated using nanoporous anodic alumina molds, and their antibacterial properties as well as osteogenesis potential were analyzed by comparing to the flat C/G films and tissue culture polystyrene as controls. In vitro analysis of the expression of RUNX2, osteopontion, and osteocalcin genes for mesenchymal stem cells as well as osteoblast-like Saos-2 cells was found to be increased for the cells grown on nano C/G films, indicating early-stage osteogenic differentiation. Moreover, the mineralization tests (quantitative calcium analysis and alizarin red staining) showed that nanotopography significantly enhanced the mineralization capacity of both cell lines. This work may provide a new perspective of biomimetic surface topography fabrication for orthopedic implant coatings with superior osteogenic differentiation capacity and fast bone regeneration potential., Turkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [1059B141601323]

Titanium (Ti) has been commonly used as a biomaterial for dental applications. However, they have struggled with the formation of polymicrobial infections leading to peri-implantitis. In this research, antimicrobial activity of titanium modified via diethyl phosphite (DEP) plasma onto Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Candida albicans (C. albicans), the two most frequently encountered pathogens in peri-implantitis, were investigated. Surface modification with DEP was achieved with plasma polymerization technique in a low-pressure/radio-frequency plasma using 75 W of plasma power and 10 min of exposure time under 0.15 mbar. Hydrophilicity, surface energy and roughness of Ti surface was increased and anionic Ti surface became amphoteric after surface modification according to physical and chemical examinations. This process significantly enhanced the antimicrobial efficiency of Ti towards S. aureus and C. albicans cells compared to control groups via contact killing. Moreover, DEP coating shown excellent compatibility with 93 % of L929 fibroblast cell viability. These findings revealed that amphoteric plasma polymer prepared from DEP offers promising solution for preventing biofilm formation on Ti.

Two types of ampicillin carrier platforms were prepared with polycaprolactone (PCL) and the release behavior of a hydrophilic model drug (ampicillin sodium salt) from those matrices was investigated. Spin coating and electrospinning techniques were used to prepare slab and mat platforms, respectively. Ampicillin sodium salt (ASS) at 5% (w:w) concentration was loaded into the slab or mat structures of PCL. The thickness of the slab was measured 3.349 ± 0.345 ?m and surface morphology of the slabs showed uniform PCL spherulites. On the other hand, fiber diameter of PCL and ASS loaded PCL (ASSLPCL) was measured 604 ± 176 nm and 549 ± 119 nm, respectively. The dynamic behavior of the controlled release was improved by a very thin film (

Purpose: Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is an age-related disorder of the extracellular matrix characterized by the accumulation of fibrillary deposits in the anterior chamber of the eye, which leads to the development of pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG). Early identification of subjects with higher susceptibility to PEX and PEG development is very important so that these conditions are managed at earlier stages, which requires that an objective biomarker is defined. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to determine if aqueous humor and tear fluid concentrations of clusterin, an extracellular chaperone, are objective biomarkers for PEX and PEG risk. Methods: Tear fluid was obtained from 80 patients with PEG, 80 patients with PEX, and 80 controls, using Schirmer strips. Aqueous humor was also collected during cataract surgery from 12 patients with PEG, 17 patients with PEX, and 22 controls, who also gave tear samples. Clusterin concentration was determined by ELISA. Results: Clusterin concentration in aqueous humor was significantly higher in patients with PEG than in PEX cases (P = .002) and controls (P = .004). Receiver operating characteristics analysis revealed that this parameter is a robust classifier to distinguish PEG and PEX cases. Tear fluid clusterin concentrations did not differ significantly between groups. Aqueous humor and tear fluid levels of clusterin were not significantly correlated. Conclusions: In conclusion, tear fluid clusterin level in patients with PEG and PEX was determined for the first time, which showed no difference between study groups. Aqueous humor clusterin level was markedly higher in patients with PEG.

The devices used in the departments of Radiology, Nuclear Medicine, and Radiation Oncology should check for precise dose at some periods. The purpose of study is to compare the materials used for dosimetric control using Monte Carlo (MC) simulation. For MC simulation, BEAMnrc and DOSXYZnrc were used. For photoelectric absorption and total absorption, XCOM was used. Five phantom materials were selected. These materials were PMMA, polystyrene, blood liquid, soft tissue, and water. The PDD's have calculated for each material by DOSXYZnrc. When Percent Depth Dose (PDD's) examined, we could see that the water and polystyrene behaved like soft tissue and blood. However, The PMMA material didn't match with water and other materials. As a result, dose distribution for any materials is independent of its atomic number. Density of material is more important for dose distribution at MV energies. For dosimetric control, density of material should be chosen close the water properties. PMMA material shouldn't use instead of water for dose control.

Objectives: Oxidative stress is a known risk factor for the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, the main cause of ischemic stroke. Glutathione S-transferase (GST) omega-1 and omega-2, members of phase II enzymes, play a role in the antioxidant system. The single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), C419A and A424G in GST omega genes can cause a decrease in enzyme activity. The aim of this study was to investigate the possible association between these polymorphisms and ischemic stroke risk in a Turkish population. Methods: The genotypes and allele frequencies for 239 patients and 130 controls were determined by the PCR/RFLP method. No significant differences were found between patients and controls in terms of genotype and allele frequencies. Results: The frequency of the polymorphic ‘A’ allele was 0.358 in patients and 0.342 in controls for the C419A polymorphism in the GSTO1 gene. The frequency of the polymorphic ‘G’ allele for GSTO2 A424G SNP was 0.370 in patients and 0.404 in controls. The combined homozygous wild type genotype ‘CCAG’ was significantly higher in control group than in the patients. Conclusion: No significant difference was observed between the stroke patients and controls in terms of genotypes and allele distributions. Double combine haplotype CCAA was found to be protective against ischemic stroke when compare to other haplotypes. However, different genotypes of GSTO1 and GSTO2 were observed to have effects on stroke risk in subgroups of diabetics and smokers. In conclusion, the current study is the first to report this finding., Middle East Technical University Research Project Fund

The ongoing discoveries of RNA modalities (for example, non-coding, micro and enhancer) have resulted in an increased desire for detecting, sequencing and identifying RNA segments for applications in food safety, water and environmental protection, plant and animal pathology, clinical diagnosis and research, and bio-security. Here, we demonstrate that single-molecule conductance techniques can be used to extract biologically relevant information from short RNA oligonucleotides, that these measurements are sensitive to attomolar target concentrations, that they are capable of being multiplexed, and that they can detect targets of interest in the presence of other, possibly interfering, RNA sequences. We also demonstrate that the charge transport properties of RNA:DNA hybrids are sensitive to single-nucleotide polymorphisms, thus enabling differentiation between specific serotypes of Escherichia coli. Using a combination of spectroscopic and computational approaches, we determine that the conductance sensitivity primarily arises from the effects that the mutations have on the conformational structure of the molecules, rather than from the direct chemical substitutions. We believe that this approach can be further developed to make an electrically based sensor for diagnostic purposes.

Purpose: Study objectives were set to (i) fabricate 3D-printed scaffolds/grafts with varying pore sizes, (ii) characterize surface and mechanical properties of scaffolds, (iii) characterize biomechanical properties of bovine trabecular bone, and (iv) evaluate attachment and proliferation of human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells on 3D-printed scaffolds. Materials and Methods: Poly(lactic acid) scaffolds were fabricated using 3D-printing technology, and characterized in terms of their surface as well as compressive mechanical properties. Trabecular bone specimens were obtained from bovine and characterized biomechanically under compression. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells were seeded on the scaffolds, and their attachment capacity and proliferation were evaluated. Results: Contact angles and compressive moduli of scaffolds decreased with increasing pore dimensions of 0.5 mm, 1.0 mm, and 1.25 mm. Biomechanical characterization of trabecular bone yielded higher modulus values as compared to scaffolds with all pore sizes studied. Human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells attached to the surfaces of all scaffolds yet proliferated more on scaffolds with 1.25 mm pore size. Conclusions: Collectively, given the similarity between 3D-printed scaffolds and native bone in terms of pore size, porosity, and appropriate mechanical properties of scaffolds, the 3D-printed poly(lactic acid) (PLA) scaffolds of this study appear as candidate substitutes for bone repair and regeneration.

The goal of this study was to use a novel surface chemistry for modifying gold surfaces to decrease the steric hindrance, minimize the nonspecific bindings while providing directed immobilization of proteins for advancing the transducer property and to provide a biosensing platform for surface plasmon resonance (SPR) applications. Mixed self-assembled monolayers (mSAMs) were prepared using 3,3′-Dithiodipropionic acid di (N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) (DSP) and 6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) and the selected model proteins bovine serum albumin (BSA) and lysozyme were tested for binding efficiency. First, binding of these two proteins at constant concentration to different DSP:MCH mSAMs were compared to deduce the best molar ratio for forming mSAM using a continuous flow system coupled to SPR. Coincidently the maximum protein binding DSP:MCH mSAM were the same for both proteins. The change in Response Unit (∆RU) signal due to protein binding between DSP SAM and maximum protein binding DSP:MCH mSAM for lysozyme binding was more in comparison to BSA binding. Second, the effect of BSA and lysozyme concentration on binding efficiency to maximum protein binding DSP:MCH mSAM were compared and discussed. Lysozyme and BSA were shown to reach saturations on the same monolayer at concentrations of 5.7x10−5 and 8.96x10−6 [M] respectively, hence the molar ratio for limit concentrations is 6:1. The DSP SAM, MCH SAM, and DSP:MCH mSAMs where maximum and minimum protein binding occurs were also characterized with XPS and Attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy. Blank gold surface, maximum protein binding DSP:MCH mSAM and BSA immobilized DSP:MCH mSAM on gold surface were also investigated utilizing tapping mode AFM., US-Egypt Joint Board on Scientific and Technological Cooperation

Despite the potential sensitivity and the wide range of applications for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), it is not used as a routine detection tool due mainly to the poor reproducibility of the enhanced SERS signals. In order to obtain reproducibly strong SERS data, both lithographic and non-lithographic approaches are intensively investigated to produce large-area nanopatterned SERS substrates displaying periodically arranged arrays of nanostructures. Herein, we report a facile method for the non-lithographic fabrication of plasmonic nanoparticle arrays by utilizing the barrier sides of anodized aluminum oxide (AAO) membranes. The nanobump-decorated surfaces (NBDS) of AAO barrier sides were treated with wet etching to create periodic arrays of nanocraters. Upon coating with an optimized thickness of Au, the nanocrater decorated surfaces (NCDS) displayed intensified SERS signals compared with the NBDS counterparts. This result was also confirmed with simulation studies and it was related to the increased surface roughness for the NCDS substrates. The fabricated Au@NCDS nanoplatforms were stable for extended periods and allowed enhanced and reproducible SERS signals with relative standard deviation values ∼10% from independently prepared samples. Our current studies are focused on the potential use of these SERS substrates for sensing biomarker molecules including myoglobin and troponin-T., TÜBA

In this study, a controlled drug release platform, amyloid-like bovine serum albumin (AL-BSA) with ampicillin sodium salt (amp), was developed. To develop this platform, 5%, 10%, and 20% (w/w) ratios of amp:BSA were used with electrospinning to prepare nanofibers with average diameters of 132 ± 69, 159 ± 60, and 179 ± 42 nm, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy demonstrated that AL-BSA could entrap large amounts of drug inside the nanofibers, which was attributed to the antimicrobial activity of the released drug against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus . The amount of drug released was measured by UV-VIS spectrophotometry. The nanofibrous matrix of the electrospun membrane showed controlled release behavior in all samples. The transport mechanism was Fickian for the low ratio of amp:BSA (5% w:w). When the drug ratio was increased to > 10% (w:w), thicker fiber structures formed, suggesting that the drug traveled a longer distance to reach the fiber surface; thus, the mechanism of transport shifted from Fickian to non-Fickian.

Quartz crystal microbalances (QCMs) have been used in the literature for mass sensitive biosensor applications. However, their performance, reliability and stability have been limited by the chemical treatment steps required for the functionalization and activation of the QCM surface, prior to antibody immobilization. Specifically, these steps cause increased film thickness, which diminishes performance by mass overload, and create a harsh environment, which reduces biological activity. In this work, we eliminated this chemical step by introducing a sensing layer modification using electrospun amyloid like-bovine serum albumin (AL-BSA) nanofibers on QCM surfaces. Owing to the self-functionality of AL-BSA nanofibers, these modified QCM surfaces were directly activated by glutaraldehyde (GA). To assess the performance of these modified electrodes, a model protein, lysozyme (Lys), was selected as the biological agent to be immobilized. Frequency measurements were performed in batch (dip-and-dry) and continuous (flow-cell) processes, and binding performances were compared. AL-BSA modified surfaces were characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), quartz crystal microbalance (QCM), contact angle (CA) and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR). Protein detection was measured based on the frequency shift before and after the covalent bonding of Lys. Under optimized conditions, the proposed immobilization platforms could bind 335 ng/mL and 250 ng/mL of Lys for batch and continuous processes, respectively. Our results demonstrate the potential usage of these self-functional electrospun AL-BSA infrastructure sensing layers on QCM surfaces. This modification enables the direct immobilization of bioactive agents by eliminating any surface functionalization process for further mass-sensitive biosensor applications.

Objective: In this work, a new methodology based on signal processing techniques for the quantitative analysis of uvulopalatal flap surgery is proposed. Clinical assessment studies of uvulopalatal flap surgery are based on not only the physician’s examination, but also the patient’s subjective feedback. Quantitative and objective evaluation studies are still lacking in the literature. Materials and Methods: Full night sleep records were analyzed for 21 patients before and after the surgery. The proposed algorithm consists of two independent parts. In the first part, the heart rate variability and complexity of the electrocardiogram were calculated. The second part includes calculating the electroencephalogram sub-band energy. Afterwards, the statistical methods were applied in order to determine the correlation of clinical and experimental parameters. Results: The low frequency/high frequency ratio and the sub-band energy of beta wave were significant for the patients having low postoperative delta sleep duration. Moreover, the sub-band energies of both alpha and beta waves, and theta wave were significant for the patients who had high post-operative delta sleep duration and blood oxygen saturation (SaO2)-parameter. Complexity was significant for the patients with low postoperative respiratory disturbance index and SaO2 parameter, and respiratory disturbance is correlated with snoring index. Conclusion: Respiratory disturbance index, which is not significant according to the pre- and post-operative clinical findings, was found to be directly related to the complexity feature. The most important result of this work is that the pre-operative complexity feature is correlated with respiratory disturbance and snoring index. This means that complexity feature can be a predictor prior to surgery., Amaç: Bu çalışmada, uvulopalatal flap cerrahisinin kantitatif analizi için sinyal işleme tekniklerine dayanan yeni bir metodoloji önerilmektedir. Uvulopalatal flap ameliyatı ile ilgili klinik değerlendirme çalışmaları, doktorların muayenesine bağlı olmakla birlikte, hastanın subjektif geribildirimini de içermektedir. Kantitatif ve objektif değerlendirme çalışması literatürde halen eksiktir. Gereç ve Yöntem: Ameliyat öncesinde ve sonrasında 21 hastanın tüm gece uyku kayıtları analiz edilmiştir. Önerilen algoritma, iki bağımsız bölümden oluşmaktadır. Birinci bölümde, kalp hızı değişkenliği ve elektrokardiyogramın karmaşıklığı hesaplanmıştır. İkinci bölüm ise, elektroensefalogram alt bantlarının enerjilerinin hesaplanmasını içerir. Ardından, klinik ve deneysel parametreler arasındaki ilintinin belirlenmesi için istatistiksel yöntemler uygulanmıştır. Bulgular: Düşük frekans/yüksek frekans oranı ve beta dalgasının alt bant enerjisi, ameliyat sonrası delta uyku süresi düşük olan hastalar için anlamlıdır. Ayrıca, hem ameliyat sonrası delta uyku süresi hem de kan gazında ölçülen O2 satürasyonu (SaO2) parametresi yüksek olanlar için alfa ve beta dalgalarının ve teta dalgasının alt bant enerjileri anlamlıdır. Ameliyat sonrası solunum bozukluğu endeksi ve SaO2 parametresi düşük olan hastalarda karmaşıklık anlamlıdır ve solunum bozukluğunun horlama indeksi ile ilintisi bulunmaktadır. Sonuç: Ameliyat öncesi ve sonrasındaki klinik bulgulara göre anlamlı olmayan solunum bozukluğu indeksinin karmaşıklık özelliği ile doğrudan ilişkili olduğu bulunmuştur. Bu çalışmanın en önemli sonucu, ameliyat öncesi karmaşıklık özelliğinin solunum bozukluğu ve horlama indeksi ile ilintili olmasıdır. Bu, karmaşıklık özelliğinin cerrahiden önce bir öngörü parametresi olabileceği anlamına gelmektedir

In this study, the impact of fluidized bed reactor diameters and plasma forming gases on inactivation efficiency of the Atmospheric Pressure Fluidized Bed Plasma (APFBP) system for aflatoxigenic spores of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus on hazelnuts were investigated. Hazelnuts were artificially contaminated with A. flavus and A. parasiticus and then treated with dry air or nitrogen plasma for up to 5 min in two different fluidizing bed reactors of APFBP system at various plasma parameters. The decontamination effect of APFBP on Aspergillus spp. spores increased with the applied reference voltage and the frequency. The killing effect of plasma on the spores decreased as the diameter of the fluidized bed reactor increased. The fungicidal effects on A. flavus (4.17 log) and A. parasiticus (4.09 log) were found for air plasma treatment after 5 min. Due to the formation of active plasma species in the presence of oxygen, the air plasma generated at APFBP system was more effective than nitrogen plasma on decontamination of Aspergillus spp. spores, as expected. The total inactivation of the natural background microbiota of hazelnuts was obtained within maximum 2 min APFBP treatment. The aflatoxigenic spores that remained on hazelnuts after plasma process were considered as damaged cells, because they could not continue growing during storage at 25 degrees C for 30 days. The damage caused by APFBP treatment on Aspergillus spp. spore cells was demonstrated by using scanning electron microscopy. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

As most of the unenriched cages will soon switch to enriched cages, it is important to characterize all the effects in the laying hens for sustainable production. Laying hens can be used in several production periods by applying molting. The aim of this study was to determine the cage type (unenriched and enriched) on performance, welfare, and microbiological properties of laying hens during the molting period and the second production cycle. Overall, 840 brown laying hybrids were used in the experiment. Laying hens were reared on two different cage types (unenriched cage (UEC) and enriched cage (EC)) in the same poultry house. When the hybrids were 75 weeks old, they were subjected to force molting with whole grain barley. Performance, welfare, microbiological, and serological data of laying hens were obtained from 73 to 107 weeks of age. Egg production, egg weight, feed conversion ratio, breaking strength, albumen and yolk index, Haugh unit, feather condition, and breaking force of femur and metatarsus were better in the post-molting period. However, keel bone deformities and Newcastle disease virus antibody titers are the worst in the post-molting period. Stiffness of femur and metatarsus was increased with period. These results indicate that necessary precautions should be taken against the problems that may occur in the direction of bone and health. During the molting period, hens kept in EC had lower egg production but they returned to egg production at a high rate. EC type had a positive effect on egg production, feed conversion ratio, feather and foot condition, and breaking force of metatarsus.

Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) may lead to the development of pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG), a potential cause of irreversible blindness, if left untreated. This type of glaucoma often presents with much higher intraocular pressure (IOP) values than observed in primary open angle glaucoma, and patients are often unaware of their condition. Therefore, early diagnosis is of utmost importance in PEX and PEG. Unfortunately, no valid objective biomarkers are available that can be used for this purpose. The excessive synthesis and deposition of elastic microfibrillar pseudoexfoliation material is observed in the pathophysiology of PEX, therefore, growth factors may play roles in this pathology. Thus, in this study, we sought to determine the roles of phenotypes and genotypes of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) as objective biomarkers for early diagnosis of PEX and PEG. Thus, we investigated possible associations involving tear and aqueous humor CTGF concentrations and four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the CTGF gene in PEX and PEG. The study was designed as a 2-year case-control study in the Turkish population. Study population was composed of 214 patients with PEG, 214 patients with PEX, and 214 age-matched controls for CTGF SNP analysis. Tear fluid study group consisted of 78 patients with PEG, 77 patients with PEX, and 78 controls. Aqueous humor analysis included 8 patients with PEG, 17 patients with PEX, and 23 controls. Tear fluid was collected using Schirmer strips, and aqueous humor samples were taken during cataract surgery. CTGF concentration was determined by ELISA, and total protein concentration was determined by Bradford assay in tear and aqueous humor samples. PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis was used for genotyping of rs6918698 G/C and rs9399005 C/T, while real-time PCR was used for rs9402373 C/G and rs12526196 T/C. Intraocular pressure, visual field score, mean deviation, and pattern standard deviation parameters were also evaluated. CTGF concentration in tear fluid was significantly higher in PEG patients compared with controls (P = 0.001), while it was lower in PEX patients. Similarly, total protein concentration in tear fluid was significantly increased in PEG patients relative to PEX patients (P = 0.026) and controls (P = 0.004). CTGF concentration in aqueous humor did not differ markedly between the groups, whereas total protein was significantly higher in the PEG group compared with the PEX group (P = 0.012) and controls (P = 0.003). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that total protein in aqueous humor was a robust classifier for evaluating the presence of PEG against controls (Area under the curve = 0.897, P = 0.001). The genotypes of the studied SNPs were not significantly correlated with CTGF concentration in aqueous humor or tear fluid, and did not exhibit significant association with PEG or PEX. In conclusion, this was the first study to investigate tear fluid CTGF concentration in PEX and PEG, which came out not to be a good classifier for PEG or PEX. Total protein level in tear fluid and CTGF SNPs also did not predict PEG or PEX status successfully.

The aim of this study is to obtain an automated medical diagnosis-support system about epilepsy by classifying EEG signal epochs as ictal, inter-ictal and normal. EEG signals were analyzed in their sub-bands obtained via discrete wavelet transform. Linear and non-linear methods are used for extracting features of normal, ictal and inter-ictal states. Support vector machine classification is realized by using time domain features which are autoregressive coefficients and linear prediction error energy; and information theory based features which are Shannon entropy and approximate entropy. In order to improve accuracy, linear and non-linear features are combined and then SVM trained by these features. By the proposed method, 99.0%, 96.0%, 100% accuracy, sensitivity and specificity are obtained for epileptic and non-epileptic classification, while accuracy, sensitivity and specificity of 98.2%, 95.0 and 99.0% are obtained for normal, ictal, and inter-ictal activity classification, respectively.

CMUT output characteristics with different top electrode coverages were investigated by driving different excitation signals. Membrane displacements were obtained using a Simulink model. Membrane displacements were examined for three cases of electrode coverage, one-quarter, half and entire of the membrane area. The diameter and thickness of the CMUT membrane used in the simulation were 60 pm and 2.6 pm. First, the collapse voltages were found by using numerical calculations. Then these values were analyzed using the Simulink model. It was understood that electrode coverage affected the collapse voltage of CMUT. After that, analyzes were made for AC signals of different types (sawtooth, sine, and square) and different amplitudes DC bias voltages and AC excitation signals. Our results showed that CMUT has the highest displacement in the case of 100% electrode coverage when excited in square signal is used.

In this study, polyethylene glycol (PEG) conjugated melanin nanoparticles (MNPs) were prepared (PEG-MNPs). A model chemotherapy drug, doxorubicin (DOX), was loaded into the PEG-MNPs with varied concentrations (0.125, 0.250, 0.500 mg/mL). TEM images showed that, DOX-PEG-MNPs are spherical-shaped and 15 ± 2.2 nm in diameter. FTIR spectroscopy analysis demonstrated that MNPs were successfully modified with PEG. The UV–Vis spectroscopy results showed that the drug loading capacity of MNPs was 0.7 mg/ml of DOX in 2 mg/ml of PEG-MNPs. The time course data showed that, the release behavior of DOX from MNPs was primarily diffusion controlled. In vitro cytotoxicity assays demonstrated that MNP and PEG-MNP did not show any toxic effect on mouse fibroblast cells while DOX-PEG-MNP was able to inhibit the proliferation of human breast cancer cells. The results confirm that the application area of MNPs in controlled and prolonged drug release could be extended to the different types of cancer therapeutics.

Simulation-based medical education provides a learner-centered environment in which novice, intermediate and advanced practitioners can learn or practice their skills without harming patients. Medical device phantoms are specially designed objects that are used in simulation based trainings as well as technical features such as evaluating, analyzing and adjusting the performance of devices. Ballistic gelatin is a member of the 250A-Bloom hydrogel family, which mimics human muscle tissue in terms of mechanical properties. In this study, ballistic gelatinbased phantoms were produced and examined on medical device images. According to the results, it is suggested to use phantom models as a medical device phantom in device training. The main advantages of these models are that their production is practical and economical., Simülasyon temelli tıbbi eğitim; acemi, orta ve ileri düzey pratisyenlerin hastalara zarar vermeden becerilerini öğrenebilecekleri veya pratik yapabilecekleri, öğrenen merkezli bir ortam sağlar. Tıbbi cihaz fantomları, cihazların performansını değerlendirmek, analiz etmek ve ayarlamak gibi teknik özelliklerinin yanında simülsyon temelli eğitimlerde de kullanılan ve özel olarak tasarlanan nesnelerdir. Balistik jelatin, mekanik özellikleri açısından insan kas dokusunu taklit eden 250A-Bloom hidrojel ailesinin bir üyesidir. Bu çalışmada balistik jelatin esaslı fantomlar üretilmiş ve tıbbi cihaz görüntülerinde incelenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, hazırlanan fantom modellerinin cihaz eğitimlerinde bir tıbbi cihaz fantomu olarak kullanılması önerilmektedir. Bu modellerin en büyük avantajları üretiminin pratik ve ekonomik olmasıdır.

The detoxification effects of cold atmospheric-pressure (AP,3000 L/h of air, 25 kHz, 655 W-1.7 min) and low-pressure (LP,air-100 W-30 min) plasmas and gamma irradiation(GMI,10 kGy-10 min) treatments on different concentrations of pure aflatoxin B1(AFB1) and AFB1 + B2 (TotAFs) as well as same toxins spiked on hazelnut were investigated. Both plasmas reduced 72–73% of AFB1 (3 ppb) spiked on hazelnuts while GMI reduced 47% of AFB1. TotAFs (6 ppb) reductions on hazelnut after both plasmas were 70–71%, which was also higher than that of GMI (15.5%). However, the reductions in pure AFB1 at 1–50 ppb and TotAFs at 1.03–51.5 ppb after GMI (97–100%) were higher than those of AP (55–75%) and LP (69–90%) plasmas. AP plasma has the potential to be an alternative to conventional detoxification methods because it is both effective on aflatoxins in foods and maintains the sensory attributes of food evaluated by a sensory panel. Industry relevance The use of plasma technology in foods for detoxification purposes is an economic alternative to conventional and other non-thermal processes as well as meeting the industry's demand for sustainable development. This study showed that different cold plasmas are capable of reducing the aflatoxins as pure forms as well as in food. The results contributed to the understanding of cold plasma detoxification effects on aflatoxins and could be a basis for a possible industrial implementation.

Transferring medical images from one center to another is common use in telemedicine. These high-quality images stored in DICOM format require higher bandwidth for transmission and large storage space in PACS (Picture Archiving and Communication System) memory. Therefore, reducing the image size by preserving diagnostic information has become a need. In this sense, medical image compression is a technique that overcomes both transmission and storage cost by suggesting lossy and lossless compression algorithms. There are numerous compression methods developed for region-based studies generally used in the radiography, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) images. In this review, information about region based medical image compression and recent studies with different approaches are expressed.

In this work, sensitivity, instantaneous dynamic range and bandwidth measurement results of the Compressive Digital Receiver (CDR) implemented on a real hardware, will be reported for the first time. Developed CDR is a compressive sensing based sub-Nyquist sampling receiver which can monitor 2.25GHz bandwith instantaneously by using four ADC's each of which is sampling at 250MHz and has 14 bits resolution. It is observed that the sensitivity and dynamic range of the CDR changes with respect to frequency. For 2.25GHz bandwidth, the best and worst sensitivity values of the CDR are reported as -62dBm and -41dBm, respectively. Single-signal dynamic range of CDR is measured as at least 60dB for the whole band. The best and worst values of the two-signal dynamic rage values are observed as 45dB and 20dB, respectively., Bu çalışmada, ilk defa bir donanım üzerinde gerçeklenen SATSAÇ (Sıkıştırılmış Algılama Tabanlı Sayısal Almaç) sisteminin performansını tanımlayan duyarlılık, anlık dinamik alan ve bant genişliğine dair ölçüm sonuçları paylaşılacaktır. Geliştirilen SATSAÇ sistemi, her biri 250MHz ile örnekleme yapan 14 bit çözünürlükte dört adet ADC (Analog to Digital Converter) ile Nyquist limiti altında örnekleme yaparak en az 2.25GHz’lik bir bandı, sıkıştırılmış algılama teknikleri ile anlık olarak gözlemleyebilmektedir. Yapılan ölçümlerde, SATSAÇ sisteminin duyarlılık ve dinamik alan değerlerinin frekans bandına göre değişiklik gösterdiği gözlemlenmiştir. 2.25GHz’lik bant boyunca, en iyi duyarlılık seviyesi -62dBm, en kötü duyarlılık seviyesi -41dBm olarak ölçülmüştür. Tüm bant boyunca tek-sinyal dinamik alan en az 60dB olarak ölçülmüş olup, iki-sinyal dinamik alan en iyi 45dB, en kötü 20dB olarak gözlemlenmiştir.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is the most common respiratory sleep disorder. Mental fatigue and attention control difficulties during the day have been reported in several studies for patients who are diagnosed with OSA. At this study we recorded EEG signals during resting-state and selective attention ( Simon - Flanker ). Statistical analysis of time domain features of EEG signals showed that mobility and complexity are features that changed with respect to both Epworth score and AHI in patients with OSA., Obstrüktif uyku apnesi (OUA) uykuda en sık görülen solunum rahatsızlığıdır. OUA hastalarında gün içinde zihinsel yorgunluk ve dikkat kontrolü zorluğu literatürde rapor edilmiştir. Bu çalışmada dinlenim durumu ve seçici dikkat testlerinden elde edilen EEG sinyallerinin zamansal analizi sonucunda katılımcıları Epworth ve AHI kriterlerine göre ayırabilecek bir öznitelik aranmıştır. Bu araştırmada 10 katılımcıdan elde edilen sonuçlar rapor edilmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlar Hjorth parametrelerinden devingenlik ve karmaşıklığın Epworth ve AHI kriterine göre sınıflanan gruplar arasında farklı olduğunu göstermiştir.

Nanobacteria or calcifying nanoparticles are 80–500 nm sized nano-organisms that are physically associated with carbonate apatite mineral formations. They have been indicated in various diseases, including kidney stone formation, Alzheimer’s disease, and atherosclerosis. Nanoparticles contain calcium and apatite-binding protein fetuin-A, a calcification inhibitor. However, recent evidence indicates that fetuin-A can form nucleation seeds or nidi that grow in size through ion sedimentation to become larger amorphous nanoparticles in the presence of excess calcium and apatite ions. Fetuin-A also functions as an inhibitor of meprin, a metalloproteinase implicated in inflammation and neurodegenerative diseases. During inflammation, meprin functions to regulate chemokine activity of monocyte chemotactic protein 1, which is associated with chronic inflammatory diseases, including atherosclerosis, renal inflammatory diseases, and multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, calcium phosphate nanocrystals that contain fetuin-A are pro-inflammatory to macrophages and promote vascular smooth muscle cell mineralization, potentiating a vicious cycle of inflammation and calcification. Thus, mineral stress and inflammation appear to be associated with each other. Furthermore, fetuin-A deficient mice exhibited reduced experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis severity. Thus, fetuin-A plays a direct role in the neuroinflammatory response. Indeed, the level of fetuin-A in cerebrospinal fluid has been defined as a biomarker of disease activity in MS. MS is a chronic, inflammatory, demyelinating, and neurodegenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) with an unknown etiology. The “inside-out” model of MS, supported by recent data, states that the initial axonal degeneration in the CNS occurs before demyelination, which then stimulates an auto-immune attack. It was shown very recently that influx of calcium from the extracellular space through nanoscale ruptures of the axonal plasma membrane predict axon degeneration in neuroinflammation. Calcium is an activator of calpains, proteases that function to break down the cytoskeleton, leading to neurodegeneration. Nanoruptures of the plasma membrane were suggested to occur at the early stages of axon damage, especially at nodes of Ranvier, which are devoid of myelin. Here, I propose that calcifying nanoparticles may have a role in the etiology and/or pathophysiology of MS. The initial event causing neurodegeneration may be due to the nanoparticles that have been suggested to easily cross the blood-brain barrier. Following this, the nanoparticles may create nanoruptures in the axonal membrane and also increase the calcium concentration around and within the neurons by forming nidi for calcification, eventually causing neurodegeneration. Nanoparticles can self-replicate; hence, they may represent an infectious causative agent for the development of MS.

[No abstract available]

In this study, physicochemical parameters of hazelnuts after atmospheric-pressure (AP:air, 3000 L/h, 655 W, 25 kHz, 1.7 min) and low-pressure (LP:air, 25 Pa, 100 W, 13.56 MHz, 30 min) cold plasmas, and gamma irradiation (GMI:10 kGy, 10 min) treatments, and untreated and treated hazelnuts after accelerated storage for 30 days(60 degrees C) were investigated. All treatments significantly reduced moisture (26-47%), a(w) (16-48%), oil (13-15%), soluble phenolic content (SPC; 26-36%) and total tocopherols (TT; 8-38%) compared to untreated hazelnut (Control-1) while no significant changes determined between treatments and Control-1 in terms of L*a*b*, protein, total sugars (TS) and total phenolic compounds. However, TS of all treatments after storage were significantly increased (3.2-33%) while aw (7-27%) and TT (13-31%) of all treatments were significantly decreased compared to both Control-2 and before storage (p < 0.05). Among treatments, cold plasmas showed great potential for conservation of most tested parameters.

Aim In this study, we investigated initial electron parameters of Siemens Artiste Linac with 6 MV photon beam using the Monte Carlo method. Background It is essential to define all the characteristics of initial electrons hitting the target, i.e. mean energy and full width of half maximum (FWHM) of the spatial distribution intensity, which is needed to run Monte Carlo simulations. The Monte Carlo is the most accurate method for simulation of radiotherapy treatments. Materials and methods Linac head geometry was modeled using the BEAMnrc code. The phase space files were used as input file to DOSXYZnrc simulation to determine the dose distribution in a water phantom. We obtained percent depth dose curves and the lateral dose profile. All the results were obtained at 100 cm of SSD and for a 10 × 10 cm2 field. Results We concluded that there existed a good conformity between Monte Carlo simulation and measurement data when we used electron mean energy of 6.3 MeV and 0.30 cm FWHM value as initial parameters. We observed that FWHM values had very little effect on PDD and we found that the electron mean energy and FWHM values affected the lateral dose profile. However, these effects are between tolerance values. Conclusions The initial parameters especially depend on components of a linac head. The phase space file which was obtained from Monte Carlo Simulation for a linac can be used as calculation of scattering, MLC leakage, to compare dose distribution on patients and in various studies.

Purpose Pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) is characterized by the accumulation of microscopic extracellular material in the anterior chamber of the eye and can lead to the development of pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEG) in some patients. The pathogenesis of PEX is not fully understood, and there are no objective biomarkers for its early diagnosis. Recent research has indicated that oxidative stress and inflammation might play a role in the pathophysiology of the production of pseudoexfoliation material. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to analyze the possible association between three genetic variants of paraoxonase 1 (PON1), a well-recognized antioxidant and anti-inflammatory enzyme, and PEX/PEG. Methods The study population consisted of patients with PEX (n = 150), patients with PEG (n = 150), and control subjects (n = 150). PON1 −107T/C, 192Q/R, and 55L/M genotypes were determined using PCR followed by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis. The correlation between these genetic alterations and clinical visual characteristics was also investigated. Results The minor allele frequencies and genotype distributions of PON1 did not differ significantly between the PEG, PEX, and control groups. Moreover, PON1 genotypes did not significantly influence visual clinical parameters in stratification analysis. On the other hand, in correlation analysis, pattern standard deviation was significantly correlated with the −107T/C genotypes in PEX group. In addition, intraocular pressure was correlated with the 55L/M genotypes and mean deviation was correlated with the −107T/C genotypes in the control group. Furthermore, intraocular pressure was significantly inversely correlated with sex (r = − 0.116, P = 0.011) in the overall study group. Logistic regression analysis showed that having a PON1 −107TC or CC genotype is significantly associated with PEX (OR = 1.909, P = 0.020). Conclusions This study, for the first time, analyzed the relationship between PON1 genetic variants, clinical visual parameters, and PEX/PEG. The results indicated a possible role for the PON1 promoter variant in PEX.

Forty-five third-generation human right femur models (Synbone) were used. The results of fixing the new H beam implant and cannulated screws were compared by using biomechanical test with various stabilizes loads. 3 types of fractures were created in the femur models according to the standard Pauwels classification. In 2 different implants after linear fixation of the fracture to assess the hardness and stability of the bone models, the femoral bone models were subjected by mechanical tests based on static and dynamic pressure and torsional tests. As a result of tests, no significant difference was found (respectively, p = 0.046, p = 0.127) in tests of static pressing and torsional between the sizes of the rigidity of the two methods of fixation. Under dynamic load conditions, the sizes of BL and the new implant system, compared with the cannulated screw significantly decreased (p = 0.041), and when comparing the change in the location of the sizes of CL-, significant differences were found (p = 0.018). As a result, if there is no significant difference under static and dynamic load, instability of the new system with respect to the classical system is established. The fact that the early load on the surface surrounding the operating area is not allowed in practice, the reliability of the new implant is shown from a clinical point of view. We consider using the new H beam implant as an alternative of cannula screws of osteosynthesis in the surgical treatment of femoral neck fractures. © 2019 Ministry of Health. All rights reserved.

With the technological developments in the microelectronic systems used in military computers, the number of circuit elements per unit area increases enabling the production of faster and more efficient processors. To be able do this, these circuit elements are required to withstand higher current densities and thus higher temperatures are generated by Joule heating. Overheating (in general non-uniformly) at some specific areas in chips, adversely affects the performance and reliability of electronic devices. Therefore, it is critical to control temperature distribution within the chip and the efficient heat management is one of the most important issues for today’s high power electronic devices and thus, every improvement in the area is very valuable. In this context, to increase the lateral heat conduction, the graphene-copper heterostructures (graphene-copper laminate structures for heat spreaders and graphene-copper porous structures for heat sinks/exchangers) are studied both experimentally and through computational studies. For the experimental studies, first graphene is synthesized on Cu via CVD. The thermal diffusivity measurements, which were performed through the laser flash method, show that the presence of graphene did not make a contribution to the thermal properties in graphene-copper laminate system. These results were also confirmed by the computational studies which showed that to see an increase in the thermal conductivity, the ratio of graphene/copper should be higher than 1/20. Within the scope of these findings, 3D graphene-Cu porous heterostructures are studied to increase the graphene’s contribution to the thermal diffusivity. 3D graphene-Cu porous heterostructures showed an increase in the thermal diffusivity by 10% at the room temperature and 30% at 400 °C. Graphene’s positive effect on the thermal properties is attributed to its high thermal conductivity and the protection of Cu structure against the oxidation at higher temperatures. Our studies show that the graphene-copper porous structures developed in this study can be a good lightweight candidate for a heat sink/exchanger with corrosion resistant and high thermal conductivity.

The decontamination effects of non-thermal atmospheric-pressure (AP) and low-pressure (LP) plasma systems were investigated on hazelnuts artificially contaminated with Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus spores. Furthermore, AP-plasma treatment conditions were also optimized. Spore reductions of 5.6 and 4.7 log cfu/g in Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus, respectively, were achieved after 100 W-30 min of LP-air-plasma treatment. Similarly, 5.5 and 5.4 log cfu/g of reductions in Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus, respectively, were achieved after AP-air-plasma treatment at 3000 L/h of gas flow rate, frequency of 25 kHz and reference voltage of 100% (655 W) for 5-cycles (1.7 min). Deformation of spores and loss of spore integrity after plasma treatments were demonstrated with scanning electron microscope (SEM). This study showed that LP and AP plasma treatments might be an alternative method for inactivation of aflatoxin- producing fungi. Industrial relevance Non-thermal (cold) plasma is a promising technology for decontamination of foods due to its safety, ease of use and low temperature processing capability. The results of this study showed that plasma system can be incorporated into a food processing chain, and when initial Aspergillus spp. spores were 7.8–7.9 cfu/g in hazelnut, plasma treatment with reductions of up to 5.6 log cfu/g can compete with other decontamination methods.

The development of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) based immunosensor for thrombin detection was aimed. For this purpose, 3,3' Dithiodipropionic acid di (N-hydroxysuccinimide ester) (DSP):6-mercapto-1-hexanol (MCH) mixed self-assembled monolayers (mSAMs) were formed on gold surfaces for immobilization of anti-thrombin antibody. The performance of the immunosensor was determined against the target protein thrombin at various concentrations using flow cell coupled SPR. The linear detection range of the immunosensor was 30.0-100.0 nM with an R-2 value of 0,992. Limit of Detection (LOD) and Limit of Quantification (LOQ) were determined to be 6.0 nM and 30.0 nM, respectively. The selectivity of the immunosensor was tested against a non-target model protein, human serum albumin (HSA) and the obtained Delta RU value was found to be below the Delta RU value corresponding to the LOQ concentration for thrombin. The immunosensor's capability to detect thrombin in diluted complex serum matrix was also tested and the obtained Delta RU value (159 +/- 16) was compared with ARU value obtained for thrombin detection in PBS solution (137 +/- 19). Based on the results, it was shown that DSP:MCH interface is a promising immobilization platform for binding biological recognition elements for the development of biosensors. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

In order to improve their bacterial antifouling property, silicone surfaces were functionalized through the plasma polymerization (PP) technique using diethyl phosphite as the precursor. The functionalized surfaces were characterized using contact angle measurements, contact angle titration, Fourier transform infrared-Attenuated total reflection spectroscopy and in vitro cytotoxicity assay. The amount of non-specific protein adsorption and the conformational changes of surface-Adsorbed proteins were investigated. Antifouling properties of the surfaces were evaluated in vitro and in vivo. PP functionalization generated a hydrophilic and amphoteric surface with a very good protein and bacterial antifouling property and caused less conformational changes on the secondary structure of surface-Adsorbed proteins. In in vivo conditions, no slime layer was formed around bacteria that adhered on the PP-functionalized surface. It is concluded that the amphoteric nature of the PP-functionalized surface is the reason for the good antifouling property., Turkish Ministry of Industry and Technology [0035.STZ.2009-1] ; Deltamed Life Sciences and Plasma Technologies R&D Inc.

Burns, trauma, cancer, etc., which deteriorate the integrity of the skin. Skin expansion surgeries that are used for therapeutic purposes with natural inspiration in cases are usually inflated with a saline infusion of a silicone balloon placed under the skin. Although imitating nature is the most challenging part of this treatment, knowing whether there is a physiological limit or not is the answer that will produce physical activity on the ground. In other words, when the physical force is above a certain value, the balloon is inflated excessively, resulting in complications such as necrosis due to impaired perfusion when the pressure effect applied to the ball by the pulling forces and balloon is over, or balloon exposition due to deep tearing at higher levels. For this reason, its deep physical properties and knowledge of the changes during application will give a very valuable insight into whether a pathological effect will occur. Optical, electrical and tensile responses will emerge in response to the physical changes that can occur in the bubble as the balloon is inflated. While many versions of these three responses are the subject of many studies separately in the literature, the biggest obstacle to the simultaneous execution of the researches is undoubtedly the low cost and high cost of synchronous devices. The topic of this article is the design of an effective system that can be used for research in this sense and the validity of the tests made., Deri bütünlüğünün bozulduğu, yanık, travma, kanser vb. olgularda, tedavi amaçlı kullanılan deri genişletme cerrahileri, genellikle deri altına yerleştirilen silikon bir balonun salin infüzyonu ile şişirilmesi ile gerçekleştirilir. Bu yöntemle er ne kadar doğa taklit edilmek istense de fiziksel etkinin oluşturacağı cevabın, fizyolojik sınırlarda olup olmadığının bilinmesi bu tedavinin en zorlayıcı kısmıdır. Fiziksel zorlama belirli bir değerin üzerinde olduğunda çekme-gerilim kuvvetleri ve uygulanan basınç ile kapasitenin üzerine çıktığında nekroza, ya da daha ileri seviyelerde derinin ani yırtılmasına sebep olarak balonun ekspoze olması gibi komplikasyonlarla sonuçlanmaktadır. Bu nedenle derinin fiziksel özellikleri ve uygulama esnasındaki değişimlerinin bilinmesi, patolojik bir etkinin gerçekleşip gerçekleşmeyeceği konusunda çok değerli bir öngörü ortaya koyacaktır. Balonunun şişirilmesiyle meydana gelebilecek fiziksel değişimlere cevaben optik, elektriksel ve çekme yanıtları ortaya çıkacaktır. Literatürde birçok çalışmaya ayrı ayrı bu üç yanıtın çeşitli versiyonları konu olmuş olsa da araştırmaların üçünün eş zamanlı yapılabilmesinin önündeki en büyük engel kuşkusuz senkron çalışan cihazların getirdiği kısıtlardır. Bu makalenin konusu bu anlamda yapılacak araştırmalar için kullanılabilecek efektif bir sistemin tasarımını ve yapılan testlerle geçerliliğinin ortaya koyulmasıdır.

In this study, nanofibers containing an amyloid-like bovine serum albumin (AL-BSA) carrier and a model drug (ampicillin) were produced by electrospinning. The release behavior of ampicillin was compared from electrospun nanofibers prepared as either coaxial or single-needle types. SEM images showed that the membranes had a uniform and smooth structure and the core/shell fibers were found to be thicker than the core fibers. Core/shell production was proved by transmission electron microscopy images. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated the existence of compatibility between ampicillin and the AL-BSA matrix. The in vitro antimicrobial properties of ampicillin were studied through the comparison of bacterial inhibition zones and ampicillin was found to be more effective against Gram-positive Staphylococcus aureus than Gram-negative Escherichia coli. Moreover, in vitro drug release tests were conducted to explore the relationship between the shell thickness and the drug release rate. A burst release was observed for all membranes owing to the small fiber diameters and thus short diffusion lengths. For core membranes, the drug release mechanism followed Fickian transport, which was close to zero-order kinetic. A typical biphasic release mechanism was observed for the core/shell nanofibers. Overall, we present the first evidence of AL-BSA as a potential core/shell drug mediator.

Amine-based plasma polymer thin films (NH2-PPTFs) are favorable due to their potential ability for binding a variety of biomolecules, especially in biotechnologic studies. In this context, to understand the effect of different amine sources on quartz tuning forks’ (QTF) surface functionalization and isolation, we prepared PPTFs by single-step plasma polymerization process. The amino-group concentration of PPTF’s was proportionally increased by increasing discharge powers, whereas not affected from exposure time. It was observed that the resistivity increased with the increasing molecular weight of the precursor. In conclusion, NH2-PPTF-modified QTFs present as a great candidate for future biotechnologic applications.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of hydraulic calcium silicate endodontic cements, MTA Angelus, MTA Fillapex, and Theracal LC, on erythrocyte and liver oxidative stress parameters of rats. Methods: Right upper incisor of each rat was extracted and polyethylene tubes containing the dental cements, or left empty for the control group, were inserted into the extraction socket. Blood and liver samples of each animal were obtained after 7, 30, or 60 days. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) levels and catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activities were determined by spectrophotometry. Results: Erythrocyte and liver TBARS levels, and CAT and SOD enzymatic activities were significantly increased in dental cement applied groups compared with controls on day 7. The highest erythrocyte and liver TBARS concentrations were observed in the MTA Angelus group on day 7 of exposure. On day 30, erythrocyte CAT activity remained markedly high, but the other parameters returned to almost normal levels. On day 60, all parameters were similar between the control and the experimental groups. Conclusions: This is the first study to show that TBARS levels and antioxidant enzyme activities are transiently increased as a result of dental cement application., Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, hidrolik kalsiyum silikat içerikli endodontik simanların (MTA Angelus, MTA Fillapex ve Theracal LC), sıçanların eritrositlerinde ve karaciğerlerindeki oksidatif stres parametreleri üzerine etkisini değerlendirmektir. Yöntem: Her sıçanın sağ üst kesici dişi çekildi; diş simanlarını içeren ya da kontrol grubu için boş bırakılan iki ucu açık polietilen tüpler diş çekim soketine yerleştirildi. Her hayvanın kan ve karaciğer örnekleri 7, 30 veya 60 gün sonra elde edildi. Tiobarbitürik asit reaktif maddeler (TBARS) seviyeleri ve katalaz (CAT), süperoksit dismutaz (SOD) ve glutatyon peroksidaz (GPx) aktiviteleri spektrofotometri ile belirlendi. Bulgular: Eritrosit ve karaciğer TBARS seviyeleri ve CAT ve SOD enzim aktiviteleri 7. günde diş simanı uygulanmış gruplarda kontrollere kıyasla anlamlı şekilde artmıştı. En yüksek eritrosit ve karaciğer TBARS konsantrasyonları, maruziyetin 7. gününde MTA Angelus grubunda gözlendi. 30. günde, eritrosit CAT aktivitesi belirgin olarak yüksek kaldı, ancak diğer parametreler neredeyse normal seviyelere döndü. 60. günde, tüm parametreler kontrol grubu ile deney grupları arasında benzerdi. Sonuç: Bu, TBARS düzeyleri ve antioksidan enzim aktivitelerinin, diş simanı uygulamasının bir sonucu olarak geçici olarak arttığını gösteren ilk çalışmadır., Research and Development

The simulation has become an important tool for healthcare practitioners who have difficulty in accessing patients to learn ultrasound imaging modes. The ultrasound phantoms are specially designed objects that are used or imagined to evaluate, analyze and adjust the performance of test devices. These phantoms for ultrasonography devices are expensive, and low-cost alternatives have provided an educational experience that does not give the best result. Ballistic gelatin is a member of the 250-Bloom hydrogel family that resembles human muscle tissue in terms of its mechanical properties. The 250-Bloom Ballistic Gelatin (BG) is prepared with different mixing ratios to be made the mechanical tests such as gunshot, compression and electrical conductivity measurement. The results are compared with the mechanical results of human muscle tissue in order to measure the similarity of the 250-Bloom BG we prepared to human muscle tissue. It is showed that the 250-Bloom BG phantom model has very close mechanical properties to human muscle tissue at time-dependent characteristics of mechanical test results. It is also measured how long it can last without degradation with the time required to use it in the simulation and it is coated with the thermal insulation material needed to extend the degradation period. Based on these results, 250-Bloom BG phantom is recommended as a model for the creation of phantom limb model. Consequently, this model is a much more affordable alternative and easy to produce, it facilitates to work with any organ model in ultrasound imaging for healthcare practitioners.

Medical image segmentation is one of the most important research areas of clinical diagnosis. Especially, brain is the most critical organ that is tracked, investigated and analyzed mostly by using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI). Developing a highly accurate automated segmentation of brain region is a very difficult task due to involving noise and deviation. In recent years, various image segmentation techniques have been developed in the literature such as clustering, thresholding (intensity-based), active contours (surface-based), expectation maximization (probability-based). In this study, these commonly used algorithms are handled in order to see the performance of the segmentation while degrading the image quality and saving from memory for brain MR images. For this purpose, the level of acceptable degradation is obtained by compressing MR slice images with different quality factors by using JPEG algorithm. Peak signal to noise ratio (PSNR), bits per pixel (BPP), mean, variance parameters of the MR images are used to characterize the corresponding compressed image degradation quality. On the other hand, segmented intracranial area, white matter (WM), gray matter (GM) regions are compared with the non-compressed MR images for various compression ratios. Then, the area overlap ratio for these regions is obtained in order to get segmentation performance results. It is believed that detected optimum parameters can be used as prior indicators to determine which segmentation algorithm (or which group, i.e. intensity or surface-based) should be chosen. Besides, it will be able to occupy less space in memory by compressing image for appropriate parameters.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency is known as an important risk factor in pathogenesis of atherosclerosis, which contributes to stroke development. Genetic variations including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in enzymes involved in vitamin D metabolism can affect susceptibility to the development of stroke. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the association between polymorphisms of vitamin D metabolizing enzymes (rs927650 SNP in CYP24A1, and rs10741657 SNP in CYP2R1 genes,) and ischemic stroke risk in Turkish population. Materials and methods: To test this hypothesis, we designed a case-control study which consisted of 256 ischemic stroke patients and 132 controls. Genotypes were determined by PCR-RFLP technique. Results: No significant differences were found between patients and controls in terms of CYP24A1 rs927650 and CYP2R1 rs10741657 genotype frequencies. Polymorphic allele frequencies of CYP24A1 rs927650 and CYP2R1 rs10741657 were 0.414 and 0.660 in stroke patients, respectively. Conclusion: This is the first study conducted regarding the association of CYP24A1 rs927650 and CYP2R1 rs10741657 genetic polymorphisms and ischemic stroke risk. The polymorphic genotypes of these polymorphisms, together with hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and obesity, were found as significant risk factors for ischemic stroke.

Image processing techniques are frequently used for extracting quantitative information (cell area, cell size, cell counting, etc.) from different types of microscopic images. Image analysis in the field of cell biology and tissue engineering is time consuming, and requires personal expertise. In addition, evaluation of the results may be subjective. Therefore, computer-based learning / vision-based applications have been developed rapidly in recent years. In this study, images of the viable pre-osteoblastic mouse MC3T3-E1 cells in tissue scaffolds, which was captured from a bone tissue regeneration study, were analyzed by using image processing techniques. Tissue scaffolds were bio-printed from alginate and alginate-hydroxyapatite polymers. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope images of the tissue scaffolds were processed in the study. Percentages of live and dead cell area in the scaffolds were determined by using image processing techniques at two different time points of the culture., Görüntü işleme teknikleri, çeşitli mikroskobik görüntülerdeki kantitatif bilgilerin (hücre boyutu, alanı, sayısı, vb.) elde edilmesinde sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır. Özellikle doku mühendisliği ve hücre biyolojisi alanında yapılan çalışmalarda elde edilen görüntülerin analizi, uzmanlık gerektirmesi ve zaman alıcı bir işlem olması nedeniyle oldukça zordur. Aynı zamanda analizlerin sübjektif sonuçları içerme olasılığı da yüksektir. Bu nedenle, bilgisayarlı öğrenme/görme tabanlı uygulamalar son yıllarda hızla gelişmektedir. Bu çalışmada, kemik doku rejenerasyonunun hedeflendiği bir araştırmadan elde edilen preosteoblastik, fare MC3T3-E1 hücrelerinin doku iskelelerindeki canlılıklarına ait görüntüler, görüntü işleme teknikleri kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Hücre içeren doku iskeleleri, aljinat ve aljinat-hidroksiapatit’in biyobaskılanması ile elde edilmiştir. Çalışmada, doku iskelelerinin lazer taramalı konfokal mikroskop görüntüleri kullanılmıştır. Görüntü işleme teknikleri kullanılarak kültürün iki ayrı zamanı için doku iskelelerindeki canlı ve ölü hücre alan yüzdeleri hesaplanmıştır.

Tissue engineering aims to bring together biomaterials, cells, and signaling molecules within properly designed microenvironments in order to create viable treatment options for the lost or malfunctioning tissues. Design and production of scaffolds and cell-laden grafts that mimic the complex structural and functional features of tissues are among the most important elements of tissue engineering strategy. Although all tissues have their own complex structure, an even more complex case in terms of engineering a proper carrier material is encountered at the tissue interfaces, where two distinct tissues come together. The interfaces in the body can be examined in four categories; cartilage-bone and ligament-bone interfaces at the knee and the spine, tendon-bone interfaces at the shoulder and the feet, and muscle-tendon interface at the skeletal system. These interfaces are seen mainly at the soft-to-hard tissue transitions and they are especially susceptible to injury and tear due to the biomechanical inconsistency between these tissues where high strain fields are present. Therefore, engineering the musculoskeletal tissue interfaces remain a challenge. This review focuses on recent advancements in strategies for musculoskeletal interface engineering using different biomaterial-based platforms and surface modification techniques., Turkish Academy of Sciences

Template-synthesized gold nanotube membranes (GNMs) are versatile platforms with controllable ionic or molecular transport properties. Conductivity and transport across these membranes can be tuned by applying electronic or chemical modification strategies. In a previous study, we have reported the modulation of cationic transport through GNMs by chemisorbing a ferrocene (Fc)-linked alkyl thiol to gold surface films, as well as to the nanotube walls. The modulation was achieved by controlling the oxidation state of Fc, but it degraded with time as Fc(+) is not stable in aqueous medium, and the extent of modulation varied with nanotube diameter. Herein, we present the dependence of Fc(+) decay on the nanotube diameter of GNMs. For this purpose, it was necessary to remove the Fc-thiol monolayers from gold surface films and leave the Fc-thiol groups lining the nanotube walls intact. This was achieved by applying a mild argon plasma treatment to both faces of a Fc-thiol-modified GNM sample. Our results suggest that for all cases, the Fc(+) decay obeys first order decay kinetics and as the nanotube diameter increases, the Fc(+) decay becomes faster and it resembles a flat surface-like decay pattern. We suspect that the hydrophobic character of the Fc-thiol within the constrained nanotube environment and differing counterion tendencies toward this milieu play roles in this observation. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The objective of this study is to improve the blood compatibility of polysulfone (PSF) based hemodialysis membranes through generating antioxidative surfaces with superoxide dismutase (SOD)/catalase (CAT) enzyme couple immobilization. Enzymes were attached both covalently and ionically on the plasma treated and polyethyleneimine (PEI) deposited membranes, respectively. The loss of enzymes from PEI modified surface at the end of 4 h was found to be relatively higher during storage in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at pH 7.4 when compared to the enzymes on the plasma treated surface. The kinetic studies indicated that SOD catalyzed the reaction in the diffusion-limited regime at all substrate concentrations and its inactivation by hydrogen peroxide was prevented in the presence of CAT. SOD/CAT coated PSF membranes were capable of reducing the levels of reactive oxygen species in blood and can significantly prolong activated partial thromboplastin time. In addition, both the adsorption of human plasma proteins and platelet activation on all modified membranes decreased significantly compared to the unmodified PSF membranes. Proposed modification methods did not affect high permeability, high mechanical strength or the non-toxic properties of the PSF membranes., L'Oreal Turkey Women in Science Program; Izmir Institute of Technology (2010IYTE03)