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Nitrate And Iron Nutrition Effects On Some Nitrate Assimilation Enzymes And Metabolites In Spirulina Platensis, Merve Esen, Razi̇ye Öztürk Ürek

Turkish Journal of Biology

Effects of different sodium nitrate and iron concentrations on the production of some metabolites and pigments and the activities of some nitrate assimilation enzymes [nitrate reductase (NR), nitrite reductase (NiR), glutamine synthetase (GS), and glutamate synthase (GOGAT)] were investigated in the growth medium of Spirulina platensis (Gamont) Geitler. For this purpose, S. platensis was cultivated on Zarrouk's medium containing different sodium nitrate concentrations (10-180 mM). A 100 mM sodium nitrate concentration stimulated growth of this organism as well as the production of pigments and other metabolites and enzyme activities. In the presence of 100 mM sodium nitrate, different concentrations of …

Triumph Or Tragedy: Progress In Cancer, Ayşe Şebnem Erenler, Hi̇kmet Geçki̇l

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cancer is probably the number one research area among all human endeavors, receiving the largest portion of science funding in most countries. This is because cancer remains one of the oldest conundrums among all human maladies. Although we now have a greater understanding of the biological and molecular basis of cancer, its diagnosis and therapy still pose great challenges. In this review, our aim is not to establish a comprehensive understanding of cancer, which is essentially impossible, but to outline, in a more provocative way, why cancer research in the pursuit of a cure did not live up to its …

Invadopodia: Proteolytic Feet Of Cancer Cells, Gi̇zem Bati, Devri̇m Pesen Okvur

Turkish Journal of Biology

The leading cause of death in cancer patients is metastasis. Invasion is an integral part of metastasis and is carried out by proteolytic structures called invadopodia at the cellular level. In this introductory review, we start by evaluating the definition of invadopodia. While presenting the upstream signaling events involved, we integrate current models on invadopodia. In addition, we discuss the significance of invadopodia in 2D and 3D and in vivo. We finally point out technical challenges and conclude with open questions in the field.

Glycosylation Changes Leading To The Increase In Size On The Common Core Of N-Glycans, Required Enzymes, And Related Cancer-Associated Proteins, Sabi̇re Karaçali, Savaş İzzetoğlu, Remzi̇ye Deveci̇

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glycan parts of glycoconjugates on the surfaces of cells regulate many kinds of interactions between the cells and their immediate environments. Alterations in glycosylation on the cancer-associated glycoproteins are responsible for changes in their molecular interactions and biological functions. Glycosylation changes occur in the core and/or at the nonreducing end of the oligosaccharide chains of N-glycans. In this review, we focus on the branching of the common core structure of N-glycans, the responsible enzyme, and the extensions of some of the branches causing size increases on the surface of tumor cells. Abnormal branching, elongation of the branches, and increasing size …

Progesterone Receptor Modulators In Breast Cancer, Ronald D. Wiehle

Turkish Journal of Biology

Breast cancer has been treated successfully with selective estrogen receptor antagonists (SERMs) such as tamoxifen, receptor-depleting agents such as fulvestrant, and aromatase inhibitors such as anastrozole. Selective progesterone receptor modulators (SPRMs or PRMs) have not been studied as much and are currently under investigation for inhibition of mammary carcinogenesis in animal models and breast cancer prevention trials in women. They might follow tamoxifen and aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant treatment of breast cancers with acquired resistance. These uses have not provoked ground-breaking progress or studies and PRMs do not have a high profile. Most in vitro and in vivo studies …

Failure Of Immunological Cells To Eradicate Tumor And Cancer Cells: An Overview, Rohit Sharma, Daizee Talukdar, Parth Malik, Tapan K. Mukherjee

Turkish Journal of Biology

Inflammation can be broadly understood as a successive immune response of an organism's immune system towards nonnative or foreign antigens. This is a protective mechanism of the immune system, mediated by diverse immunological cells, to ensure homeostasis of an individual. Once activated, these immunological cells release a number of cytokines, chemokines, reactive oxygen species, reactive nitrogen species, histamines, prostaglandins, and other materials leading to inflammation. Tumor cells express altered proteins due to mutations of their genes, DNA modifications such as histone modification, DNA methylation, or other mechanisms of altered protein expression. The body's immunological cells actively recognize these altered proteins, …

The Role Of Abc Transporters In Anticancer Drug Transport, Serhan Karvar

Turkish Journal of Biology

The main clinical problem in cancer treatment is the development of multidrug resistance. Tumors can be intrinsically drug-resistant or develop resistance to chemotherapy. Multidrug resistance can develop by diverse mechanisms including decreased rate of drug uptake, increased drug efflux, alterations in drug metabolism, mutation of drug targets, activation of DNA repair mechanisms, and evasion of apoptosis. The use of modern genomic, proteomic, bioinformatic, and systems biology approaches has resulted in a substantial increase in our ability to identify molecular mechanisms that are involved in multidrug resistance in cancer and to find drugs that may block or reverse the development of …

Multidrug Resistance In Chronic Myeloid Leukemia, Mi̇ray Ünlü, Yağmur Ki̇raz, Fatma Necmi̇ye Kaci, Mehmet Ali̇ Özcan, Yusuf Baran

Turkish Journal of Biology

Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) is characterized by the accumulation of Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) myeloid cells. Ph+ cells occur via a reciprocal translocation between the long arms of chromosomes 9 and 22 resulting in constitutively active Bcr-abl fusion protein. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are used against the kinase activity of Bcr-abl fusion protein for the effective treatment of CML. However, the development of drug resistance, directed by different genetic mechanisms, is the major problem of clinical applications of TKIs. These mechanisms include mutations in the TKI binding site of Bcr-abl, overexpression of Bcr-abl, overexpression of ATP binding cassette transporters, aberrant ceramide …

Noncoding Rnas And Cancer, Hesna Begüm Akman Tuncer, Ayşe Eli̇f Erson Bensan

Turkish Journal of Biology

New and diverse groups of noncoding RNAs are beginning to be discovered. These noncoding RNAs are grouped based on their sizes, genomic positions, or distinctive functions ranging from the regulation of chromatin structure and gene expression to genome stability maintenance. Among noncoding RNAs, microRNAs are the best studied and understood small RNAs with direct and indirect roles in normal and in cancer cells. Given the high rate of transcription from noncoding parts of the genome, other noncoding elements are also of great interest. It is also of interest to understand that there may be interesting cases of crosstalk and/or coregulation …

Cancer Stem Cells: Emerging Actors In Both Basic And Clinical Cancer Research, Di̇dem Karakaş, Buse Cevatemre, Engi̇n Ulukaya

Turkish Journal of Biology

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are a small subset of cancer cells within a tumor that are responsible for tumorigenesis and contribute to drug resistance. The CSC displays an anchorage-independent survival, active DNA-repair capacity, and relative quiescence and is capable of self-renewing and maintaining tumor growth and heterogeneity. At the molecular level, there are several signaling pathways (e.g., Wnt/Beta-catenin, Notch, and Hedgehog) to control CSC properties and alteration of these pathways has been recognized as an essential step for CSC transformation. Emerging evidence suggests that CSCs are clinically relevant. These cells are resistant to conventional chemotherapy and radiation treatment. Therefore, CSCs …

Evaluation Of Muc1, Ck20, And Htert Expression In Peripheral Blood Of Gastrointestinal Cancer Patients In Search Of Diagnostic Criteria, Si̇bel Küçükyildirim Çeli̇k, Beri̇l Erdem, Emel Sağlar, Zülfi̇kar Polat, Hati̇ce Mergen

Turkish Journal of Biology

The goal of this study was to identify the optimal marker or marker combinations for detection of gastrointestinal malignancies using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain (RT-PCR) reaction. To detect the presence of tumors, we analyzed mucin 1 (MUC1), cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 20 (CK20), and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) mRNA in the peripheral blood of 31 patients with gastrointestinal (esophagus, stomach, and colorectal) cancer and 30 healthy individuals. In RT-PCR analysis of the peripheral blood, 77.4% (24/31), 61.29% (19/31), and 45.16% (14/31) of cancer patients were positive for MUC1, CK20, and hTERT mRNA, respectively. According to our results, any one of …

Identification Of New Genes Required For The Maintenance Of Chromosome Integrity In Drosophila Melanogaster, Francesca Ceprani, Franco Spirito, Roberto Piergentili

Turkish Journal of Biology

Although genome-wide RNA interference (RNAi) screens for mitotic genes are not new in the literature, most of them lack the cytological characterization of the cell karyotype as for chromosome integrity. Here, the effects of RNAi on chromosome structure in S2 cultured cells of Drosophila melanogaster were analyzed. The cytological phenotype of 1132 genes selected by coexpression with known mitotic genes was scored. Cytological and statistical analysis of the treated cells allowed the identifying of 81 loci whose inactivation brings a level of chromosome breakage significantly higher than in the control. Many of the genes characterized in the present work had …

Loss Of Heterozygosity In Ing3 And Ing5 Genes In Breast Cancer, Esra Gündüz, Gökhan Nas, Muradi̇ye Acar, Eyyüp Üçtepe, Mi̇kdat Bozer, Murat Öznur, Reyhan Bayrak, Mehmet Gündüz

Turkish Journal of Biology

The tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) ING3 and ING5, members of the inhibitor of growth gene family, are effective in inhibition of cell growth and induction of apoptosis. However, in many cancer types, one of the alleles of a TSG is lost through carcinogenesis, while the remaining allele is usually inactivated through a process called loss of heterozygosity (LOH). Previous studies in head and neck cancer revealed that allelic loss and reduced expression is a common pattern of ING gene family members. Fifty paraffin-embedded breast cancer tissues were analyzed by polymerase chain reaction and denatured-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis for LOH status. The …

Analysis Of “Bimbam”, A Novel Glucocorticoid-Induced Bh3-Only Transcript In Cell Lines And Children With Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia, Muhammad Mansha, Muhammad Wasim, Ali Raza Awan, Asma Abdul Latif

Turkish Journal of Biology

Glucocorticoids (GCs) induce apoptosis and cell cycle arrest in lymphoid cells and are fundamental components of therapeutic regimens of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). We previously identified a panel of GC-induced candidate genes in children with ALL and in other biological systems using whole genome expression profiling. Of those, a novel transcript from the BCL2L11/Bim locus, named \"Bimbam\", was functionally analyzed in the current study. The postulated Bimbam mRNA consists of the 5' portion of Bim including the BH3-containing exon 8 and the 3' portion of Bam, a small 2-exon gene embedded in the BCL2L11/Bim locus. The expression and GC induction …

Induction Of Apoptosis In The Cervical Cancer Cell Line Hela By A Novel Metabolite Extracted From The Fungus Aspergillus Japonicus Saito, Apoorva Prabhu, Prerana Venkat, Bharath Gajaraj, Varalakshmi Kilingar Nadumane

Turkish Journal of Biology

Natural bioactive compounds have been found superior to chemical compounds for use in pharmaceutical applications. Such natural compounds include biologically active compounds present as a part of fungal metabolism that originate through different biochemical pathways and contain different structural groups like benzopyranones, phenols, toxins, and steroids. One such novel compound is a secondary metabolite extracted from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus japonicus Saito. The compound exhibited anticancer properties and was found to be harmless to normal human lymphocytes. The metabolites were separated by thin layer chromatography and screened for their cytotoxic potential through 3-(4,5-dimethythiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide assay in the cervical cancer …

Cancer Chemopreventive Effect Of Dietary Zataria Multiflora Essential Oils, Abolfazl Dadkhah, Faezaeh Fatemi, Mohammad Reza Mohammadi Malayeri, Azadeh Rasooli

Turkish Journal of Biology

Zataria multiflora Boiss., with the common name Avishan-e-Shirazi, is native to Iran. This herb has been found to possess varied pharmacological properties. In the present study, for the first time, colon chemopreventive effects of Z. multiflora essential oils (0.01% and 0.1% in the diet) in rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine (DMH) were demonstrated. For this purpose, the oxidative stress/antioxidant parameters (lipid peroxidation, glutathione, superoxide dismutase, catalase, and ferric reducing ability of plasma) concomitant with xenobiotic metabolizing enzymes (CYP450 and GST) were considered. Moreover, the colonic Beta-catenin protein was examined in colon tissues followed by histopathological analysis. The results showed that the …

Anticancer Activities And Mechanism Of Action Of 2 Novel Metal Complexes, C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd And C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni, Ali̇ Aydin, Nesri̇n Korkmaz, Şaban Teki̇n, Ahmet Karadağ

Turkish Journal of Biology

The discovery of anticancer activity in cisplatin triggered the development of novel drugs containing metals such as platinum or ruthenium. Extremely diverse structural chemistry and the interaction of metal complexes with biomolecules resulted in the exploration of novel metal complexes with drug potential. In the present study, the anticancer and cytotoxic activities and the mechanisms of action were investigated for C_{16}H_{34}N_{8}O_{5}Ag_{2}Cd (AN1) and C_{11}H_{16}N_{7}O_{2}Ag_{3}Ni (AN7), 2 newly synthesized dicyanidoargentate(I) complexes. The anticancer and cytotoxic activities of AN1 and AN7 on several cancer cell lines were tested by cell proliferation and cytotoxic activity assays, respectively. The apoptotic and replication inhibitory potentials …

Preservice Teachers' Attitudes And Efficacy Beliefs Toward Inclusion Of Students With Autism Spectrum Disorders In The Midwestern Region Of The United States, Amy Cavanaugh Cramer

Dissertations

Problem Statement. The increased prevalence of children identified with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) will likely result in these students being placed more frequently in general education classrooms. As a result, general education teachers will be responsible, and must be willing and adequately prepared, for teaching students with ASD. Attitudes are one of the most important predictors for successful inclusion. Teachers indicate a willingness to include students with ASD. However, they do not feel prepared for inclusion for students with ASD.

Teacher training and efficacy beliefs are related to teachers' ability to educate students with disabilities. Since teacher training occurs at …

Dominant Characteristics And Predictive Factors That Motivate A Theology Career Choice In A Private Denominational University In São Paulo, Brazil, Gerson Pires Araujo

Dissertations

Problem. More than six times the number of applicants than can be accepted attempt to enter the theology program on the campus of the Adventist Brazilian University of São Paulo (UNASP). The number of applicants is increasing every year and the majority cannot follow their chosen career.

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate and identify the dominant characteristics and the discriminant factors that motivated the career choice of freshman theology students in a private denominational university in Brazil. The study also analyzed the demographic characteristics of those students and their perceived sense of mission for a ministerial …

The Effects Of A Cooperative Learning Environment On Preservice Elementary Teachers' Interest In And The Application Of Music Into Core Academic Subjects, John Okley Egger

Theses and Dissertations--Music

The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of cooperative learning on preservice elementary teachers’ interest in, and the application of music into, core academic subject lesson plans. Participants (N = 59) were preservice elementary teachers enrolled in four class sections of a music method course designed for elementary education majors at a large southern university. All members participating in the study were placed by section for eight weeks in one of two groups-an individualistic learning group or cooperative learning group.

During the first 6 weeks of the study, participants worked on the Music Integration Project. …

Adobe Medicus 2014 1 January-February, Health Sciences Library And Informatics Center

adobe medicus

No abstract provided.

A Remote Sensing Analysis Of The Effects Of Watershed Disturbance And Riparian Integrity On Stream Fish Communities In The Red River Of The North Basin, Nicholas Kludt

Theses and Dissertations

The relationships between fish species guilds, riparian cover, and vegetation disturbances in the surrounding landscape were examined across the 11 western tributaries of the Red River of the North. Archival stream sampling data, collected from 1993-2011 by North Dakota state agencies, were analyzed relative to temporally-appropriate land-cover predictors generated from National Land Cover Database and National Agricultural Imagery Program products.

The 0-30 m riparian cover width was the most influential landscape predictor influencing fish structure. The 0-30 m riparian cover displayed interactive effects with 30-50 m riparian cover width and watershed land-cover disturbance. These riparian scales were identified by a …

Identifying Landscape-Level Trends In Prairie Songbirds With Fragmented Habitats, Jessica Shahan

Theses and Dissertations

Grassland songbirds are experiencing significant population declines due to habitat loss and degradation. This study investigated the relationship between landscape-level patterns and prairie-level patterns in presence/absence, richness, and diversity for seven individual species, the total grassland songbird community, and three community subgroups. Overall, grassland songbirds did respond to landscape-level variables, although the strength of the relationship and the variables involved differed by species and functional group.

Bmp-2 Overexpression Augments Vascular Smooth Muscle Cell Motility By Upregulating Myosin Va Via Erk Signaling, Ming Zhang, Min Yang, Liping Liu, Wayne Bond Lau, Hai Gao, Mankun Xin, Lixiao Su, Jian Wang, Shujuan Cheng, Qian Fan, Jinghua Liu

Department of Emergency Medicine Faculty Papers

Background. The disruption of physiologic vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration initiates atherosclerosis development. The biochemical mechanisms leading to dysfunctional VSMC motility remain unknown. Recently, cytokine BMP-2 has been implicated in various vascular physiologic and pathologic processes. However, whether BMP-2 has any effect upon VSMC motility, or by what manner, has never been investigated. Methods. VSMCs were adenovirally transfected to genetically overexpress BMP-2. VSMC motility was detected by modified Boyden chamber assay, confocal time-lapse video assay, and a colony wounding assay. Gene chip array and RT-PCR were employed to identify genes potentially regulated by BMP-2. Western blot and real-time PCR …

Miniaturized Antenna Design For Wireless Biomedical Sensors, Mohannad M. Alharbi

Theses and Dissertations

This thesis is focused on the design and simulation of miniaturized antennas for wireless biomedical sensors. The motivation of the work was to provide a solution for wireless systems that are embedded or placed on the body. Currently, small antennas are on demand to be implanted inside the body or placed closely to the body. The performance of such antennas, gain and efficiency, is affected by the lossy tissues that surround them. The goal of this work was to design antennas that are placed on a living body and integrated with a sensor system implanted in living tissue, to measure …

2014 Greenleaf Review (No. 27), Sigma Tau Delta

The Greenleaf Review

No abstract provided.

A Study On Problems Of Hijras In West Bengal Based On Neutrosophic Cognitive Maps, Kaylan Mondal, Surapati Pramanik

Neutrosophic Sets and Systems

No abstract provided.

Water Governance Challenges In New Mexico's Middle Rio Grande Valley: A Resilience Assessment, Melinda Harm Benson, Dagmar Llewellyn, Ryan Morrison, Mark Stone

Law of the Rio Chama

No abstract provided.

Dams, Duties, And Discretion: Bureau Of Reclamation Water Project Operations And The Endangered Species Act, Reed D. Benson

Law of the Rio Chama

No abstract provided.

Calendar Year 2014 Report To The Rio Grande Compact Commission, Dick Wolfe, Tom Blaine, Patrick R. Gordon, Hal Simpson

Law of the Rio Chama

No abstract provided.