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Lipocalin Gene Expression Is Varied In Developmental Stages By Larval Nutritional Stress In Drosophila, Nazli Ayhan, Pinar Güler, Banu Şebnem Önder

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lipocalin genes NLaz, GLaz, and Karl are evolutionarily conserved genes in Drosophila melanogaster. There are studies on lipocalin gene expression differences under diverse diet conditions, but these studies have focused mainly on age-dependent expression profiles of these genes. The main aim of our study is to determine lipocalin expression in the developmental period by nutritional manipulation with an isofemale-based design. Three larval developmental periods have been researched under normal and restricted diets. We found significant differences between lines during their developmental time-related lipocalin expression. Here, we demonstrate that upregulations in the early developmental stages of lipocalin genes under stressful conditions …

Wild-Growing Rosa Heckeliana Tratt.: Phenolic Constituentswith Cytotoxic And Antioxidative Properties, Nursen Çoruh, Ni̇zametti̇n Özdoğan

Turkish Journal of Biology

Rosa heckeliana, as one of the wild-growing species of the family Rosacea, has a wide use in the folk medicine; however, scientifically there is very little known about it. Our objective was to examine the antioxidative and antiproliferative properties of Rosa heckeliana root extract and its phenolics. The phenolic constituents, namely catechin, caffeic acid, and ellagic acid, were obtained by the methods of extraction, fractionation, and purification through column chromatography. The DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays and total flavonoid content analysis were employed as the current antioxidant methods over the crude extract and fractionated parts. Among the extracts/fractions, the …

The Comparison Of Antioxidant Capacity And Cytotoxic, Anticarcinogenic,And Genotoxic Effects Of Fe@Au Nanosphere Magnetic Nanoparticles, Hande Yegenoglu, Belma Aslim, Burcu Guven, Adem Zengin, İsmai̇l Hakki Boyaci, Zeki̇ye Suludere, Uğur Tamer

Turkish Journal of Biology

Magnetic gold nanoparticles are used in various biomedical, biochemistry, and biotechnology applications due to their controllable size distribution, long-term stability, reduced toxicity, and biocompatibility. Different coating materials, such as proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and polyphenols, are applied to enhance the biocompatibility of nanoparticles. In this study, the effects of surface coatings of core-shell structured Fe@Au nanosphere magnetic nanoparticles with regard to antioxidant capacity and cytotoxic, anticarcinogenic, and genotoxic properties were investigated. The obtained results demonstrated that avidin-coated Fe@Au nanospheres had higher antioxidant capacities than uncoated nanospheres. Neither avidin-coated nor uncoated nanoparticles had a cytotoxic effect on normal cells (human gingival fibroblast …

Biocompatible Polymeric Coatings Do Not Inherently Reducethe Cytotoxicity Of Iron Oxide Nanoparticles, Ayli̇n Şendemi̇r Ürkmez, Ece Bayir, Eyüp Bi̇lgi̇, Mehmet Özgün Özen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Nanotechnology in biomedical research is an emerging and promising tool for different purposes, like high-resolution medical imaging, diagnostics, and targeted drug delivery. Although some experimental efforts focused on determination of the cytotoxicity of nanoparticles (NPs) are present, there are many controversial results. In this study, chitosan (CS)- and poly(acrylic acid) (PAA)-coated iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) were used to investigate the possible cytotoxicity of coated IONPs on model mammalian cell line SaOs-2 by evaluating cellular viability and membrane integrity. Increasing concentrations of IONPs increased the cytotoxic effect on SaOs-2 cells with both CS- and PAA-coated IONPs. Cell viability on day 3 …

High-Fat Diet And Glucose And Albumin Circadian Rhythms' Chronodisruption In Rats, Rafael Bravo, Americo Chini, Lierni Ugartemendia, Lourdes Franco, Mónica Mesa, Ana B. Rodriguez, Javier Cubero, Carmen Barriga

Turkish Journal of Biology

Obesity is one of the most widespread nutritional diseases in developed societies and it is considered a cardiovascular disease risk factor. The aim of the present work was to evaluate how a high-fat diet may influence the chronobiology of glucose and albumin circadian rhythms. Eighty-four male common Wistar rats were separated into two groups: a control group (n = 42) and a group fed a high-fat diet (n = 42); both for the control and the obesity-induced group we stablished 7 subgroups (6 rats per subgroup) to take blood samples at 0000, 0200, 0400, 1000, 1400, 1800, and 2200 hours. …

Cytotoxic And Apoptotic Effects Of Endemic Centaurea Fenzlii Reichardt On Themcf-7 Breast Cancer Cell Line, Ümi̇t Yirtici, Fati̇h Göger, Mehmet Sarimahmut, Aysun Ergene

Turkish Journal of Biology

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the cytotoxic activity of an extract obtained from Centaurea fenzlii Reichardt, and the fractions eluted from this extract, in breast cancer cells. After isolation and structural analysis of the fractions were conducted, a meaningful cytotoxic effect was indicated. The goal of the analysis was to reveal the mechanism by which this effect occurs through researching the apoptotic side of these fractions and determining the amount of several proteins that are the products of the genes. Test substances were applied to breast cancer cells and the inhibitory concentration value 50 (IC50) that …

Aftermath Of The Human Genome Project: An Era Of Struggle And Discovery, Zainab Hamdoun, Hashimul Ehsan

Turkish Journal of Biology

The collaboration between the Human Genome Project and the Sanger Institute, spurred on by their contemporary- Celera Genomics, in the race to sequence the human genome, opened the door to a generation of research concerned with the study of the nucleic manual. Following this monumental achievement, the genomic era was born, heralding the development of gene therapy, personalized medicine, pharmacogenomics, and CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing systems. These 'omic' disciplines offer a wide range of applications in the treatment of disease and the betterment of the quality of human life. Their notability, however, manifests in the unique mix of sociological and scientific discourse …

Histomorphometric Evaluation Of The Testicular Parenchyma Of Rats Submittedto Protein Restriction During Intrauterine And Postnatal Life, Jessica Oliveira, Alluanan Silva, Sandra Souza, Rosana Morais, Elizabeth Neves Melo, Frederico Maia, Valdemiro Silva Junior

Turkish Journal of Biology

The critical period of development is highly susceptible to disorders. Environmental contaminants, stress, and poor nutrition may permanently affect structurally and functionally an organism during adulthood. Protein restriction in intrauterine and neonatal periods may impair testicular cells and reduce steroidogenic activity. The current study investigated the effect of low protein diet during intrauterine and postnatal life on testicular function in immature and adult rats. Pregnant Wistar rats were fed either a normal protein diet or a low protein diet during pregnancy until birth and during lactation until weaning. The results showed that undernutrition during intrauterine life reduced epithelium height, tubular …

Reference Gene Expression In Human Osteosarcoma Cell Lines Treated By Egb And Ctx, Ming Ren, Qiwei Yang, Yuanyuan Song, Ao Wang, Qingyu Wang, Xiaonan Wang, Shuhong Hao, Zhitao Wang, Zhenwu Du, Guizhen Zhang, Jincheng Wang

Turkish Journal of Biology

The selection of stably expressed reference genes is crucial for quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay when assessing osteosarcoma treated with cyclophosphamide (CTX) and Ginkgo biloba L. extract (EGB). We aimed to identify the reference genes that are stably expressed in human osteosarcoma cell lines after the above treatments. We used qRT-PCR assay to determine the expression levels of 18S, ACTB, ALAS1, GAPDH, TBP, HPRT1, RPL29, HMBS, PPIA, PUM1, GUSB, and B2M in the cell lines MG-63, Saos-2, and U2OS, which were treated with CTX or EGB or both. We analyzed the expression stability of these genes using geNorm, …

Changes In Apoptosis-Related Gene Expression Profiles In Cancer Cell Lines Exposed To Usnic Acid Lichen Secondary Metabolite, Adnan Berk Di̇nçsoy, Demet Cansaran Duman

Turkish Journal of Biology

The presence of uninhibited side effects of cancer drugs often used in cancer treatment has stimulated the search for alternative therapeutic approaches. Therefore, anticarcinogenic effects of synthetic, herbal, and fungal drugs have been investigated for the treatment of various cancer types in recent studies. Lichens, symbiotic organisms of fungi and algae, synthesize metabolites with significant biological activities. The aim of the current study was to screen the anticancer potential of usnic acid on various types of nonmalignant cell lines (Vero, L929) and cancer cell lines (CaCo2, RD, Hep2C, HepG2, Wehi). The growth inhibitory effect of usnic acid was determined by …

An In Vitro Human Skeletal Muscle Model: Coculture Of Myotubes,Neuron-Like Cells, And The Capillary Network, Ayşe Burcu Ertan, Hali̇me Kenar, Tahsi̇n Beyza Beyzadeoğlu, Fatma Neşe Kök, Gamze Köse

Turkish Journal of Biology

This study reports the generation of a new human muscle tissue equivalent from skeletal muscle-derived stem cells and human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Skeletal muscle stem cells were isolated by the preplate technique and differentiated into neuron-like cells that were positive for neuronal beta-tubulin3 and nestin and negative for the astrocyte marker glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP). Coculture of skeletal muscle stem cells with the HUVECs under optimized fetal bovine serum and media conditions resulted in formation of a capillary network among the multinucleated myotubes. The neuron-like cells derived from the human skeletal muscle stem cells were seeded onto …

Exogenously Applied Polyamines Ameliorate Osmotic Stress-Induced Damages And Delay Leaf Rolling By Improving The Antioxidant System In Maize Genotypes, Ni̇hal Çalişkan, Asi̇m Kadioğlu, Nesli̇han Saruhan Güler

Turkish Journal of Biology

Leaf rolling (LR), particularly in crops, is a dehydration avoidance mechanism that results from water loss in plants under drought conditions. Two maize cultivars (Zea mays L.) differing in their tolerance to drought (cultivar Side was selected as stress-tolerant and cultivar Karaçay was selected as stress-sensitive) under PEG-induced drought stress were used in this study to understand the effects of polyamines (PAs) on LR response and the role of the antioxidant system in the delayed LR process. Aerial parts of the seedlings were excised prior to the experiment and then submerged in a Hoagland nutrient solution with or without 0.1 …

Ampicillin Activates Mpk1 Phosphorylation In Saccharomyces Cerevisiaeand Erk1/2 Phosphorylation In Hepg2 Cells, Yukyong Shin, Kiyoung Kim

Turkish Journal of Biology

Ampicillin has been widely used to treat bacterial infections. When we used ampicillin to eliminate bacterial contamination in yeast cultures, we observed induction of phosphorylation of MAP kinase 1 (Mpk1), a previously unknown function of ampicillin. We therefore investigated whether ampicillin activates the signal transduction pathway. Phosphorylation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae Mpk1 was induced by ampicillin in a dose- and time-dependent manner through the PKC1-CWI pathway. Mpk1 phosphorylation was maximal after treatment with 3 mM ampicillin for 90 min. Despite activation of Mpk1 phosphorylation, ampicillin did not influence yeast cell growth. Ampicillin reduced miconazole antifungal activity; miconazole had a minimum inhibitory …

Silver Nanoparticles Induced Genotoxicity And Oxidative Stress In Tomato Plants, Fazi̇let Özlem Çeki̇ç, Sefa Eki̇nci̇, Müslüm Süleyman İnal, Di̇lek Özakça

Turkish Journal of Biology

Among nanoparticles, silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) are intensively used in many materials owing to their antibacterial effects. In the present study different concentrations of AgNPs in Hoagland solution were applied to tomato seedlings. Total chlorophyll content, relative water content (RWC), antioxidant enzyme activities, and malondialdehyde content (MDA) as well as the genomic template stability (GTS) were analyzed. The intersimple sequence repeat polymerase chain reaction assay (ISSR-PCR) was used to determine the genotoxic effects of AgNPs on DNA. RWC did not change under AgNPs treatments; however, total chlorophyll content was significantly reduced by AgNPs applications. ISSR profiles demonstrated a consistent increase in …

Melatonin Diminishes Oxidative Damage In Sperm Cells,Improving Assisted Reproductive Techniques, Fabián Monllor, Javier Espino, Ana María Marchena, Águeda Ortiz, Graciela Lozano, Juan Francisco García, Jose A. Pariente, Ana B. Rodriguez, Ignacio Bejarano

Turkish Journal of Biology

Sperm preparation procedures are a potential generator of oxidative stress-induced DNA damage, which leads to a dramatic drop in fertility. An increasing number of studies suggest that melatonin reduces the oxidative stress induced by manipulation. However, very little is known about the preservative role of melatonin in sperm preparation medium during assisted reproduction procedures. For this aim to be achieved, semen was divided into two fractions and preincubated with and without 1 mM melatonin. Afterwards, both fractions were divided into two subfractions to perform swim-up in the presence and absence of 1 mM melatonin. Labeling with anti-CD46 and antiactive caspase-3 …

Screening Of Yeast Isolates From Flowers For Effective Ethanol Production, Asma Chaudhary, Shuichi Karita

Turkish Journal of Biology

The use of alternative substrates to produce biofuel is a striking option nowadays. This study aimed to screen bioethanol-producing yeast strains. From different flowers, 65 yeasts were isolated. Twelve isolates assimilated glucose by liberation of CO2 anaerobically. Out of these, only 5 yeast isolates fermented glucose in medium consisting of 0.8 g/L Mg2+ ions to produce 2.05 $\pm$ 0.03% ethanol. The selected five strains were identified as members of the genera Metschnikowia or Meyerozyma based on molecular characterization. Selected yeast strains were used for conversion of rice into bioethanol following dilute acid hydrolysis and fermentation. Consistent ethanol production was 1.80 …

Mesoporous Silica Nanoparticles Sba-15 Loaded With Emodin Upregulate The Antioxidative Defense Of Euproctis Chrysorrhoea (L.) Larvae, Milena Jankovic-Tomanic, Dajana Todorovic, Zoran Stanivukovic, Vesna Peric Mataruga, Ludger Wessjohann, Goran Kaludjerovic

Turkish Journal of Biology

The study presented here aims to elucidate the effects of emodin (EO = 1,3,8-trihydroxy-6-methylanthraquinone) in its free form and when loaded into a mesoporous silica nanocarrier SBA-15 (→ SBA-15 EO) on the activities of the main antioxidative enzymes, superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase, in larvae of a polyphagous insect pest, the browntail moth Euproctis chrysorrhoea (L.). The results show that only SBA-15 EO upregulates the activities of the tested antioxidative enzymes. These results point to significant differences in the effectiveness of the compound in the free versus the loaded form.

Synergistic Effect Of 24-Epibrassinolide And Salicylic Acid On Photosynthetic Efficiency And Gene Expression In Brassica Juncea L. Under Pb Stress, Sukhmeen Kaur Kohli, Neha Handa, Anket Sharma, Vinod Kumar, Parminder Kaur, Renu Bhardwaj

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lead (Pb) has wide-ranging effects on various essential physiological processes in plants including seed germination, root/shoot growth, photosynthetic efficiency, water status, and activities of enzymes. The effect of combined treatment of 24-epibrassinolide (10-7 M, EBL) and salicylic acid (1 mM, SA) on growth, photosynthetic attributes, and phenolic compounds in 30-, 60-, and 90-day-old plants of Brassica juncea L. under Pb stress (0.25 mM, 0.50 mM, and 0.75 mM) were studied. It was observed that Pb toxicity resulted in lowered growth and photosynthetic efficiency. The expressions of CHLASE, PSY, CHS, and PAL genes were altered. Presoaking treatment with the combination of …

Optimizations Needed For Lateral Flow Assay For Rapid Detection Of Pathogenic E. Coli, Di̇lek Çam, Hüseyi̇n Avni̇ Öktem

Turkish Journal of Biology

Lateral flow assay (LFA), or the immunochromatographic strip test, is popular to use for rapid and sensitive immunoassays. Gold nanoparticles (GNPs), due to tunable optical characteristics and easy manipulation of size or shape, represent an attractive approach for LFA technology. Since most enterohemorrhagic infections result from water and food contaminations of Escherichia coli O157:H7, selective and rapid detection of this organism in environmental and biological complexes is necessary. In this study, optimized parameters of antibody (Ab)-based LFA for rapid detection of pathogenic E. coli O157:H7 are described. GNPs were used as visualizing agents. The measuring parameters include the Ab concentration …

Improved Insulin-Secreting Properties Of Pancreatic Islet Mesenchymalstem Cells By Constitutive Expression Of Pax4 And Mafa, Ayşegül Açiksari, Gökhan Duruksu, Erdal Karaöz

Turkish Journal of Biology

For long-term treatment of diabetes type 1, transplantation of insulin-producing beta cells may be a promising method, but the limited number of islets for transplantation requires the development of different approaches. In this study, we aimed to generate beta-like insulin-producing cells. For this purpose, MafA, Pax4, and Ngn3 genes were transferred into pancreatic islet-derived mesenchymal stem cells, and the effect of their ectopic expressions on differentiation efficiency was examined. Stemness properties of pancreatic islet stem cells were characterized. The 3 genes were transfected by electroporation and expressed constitutively. The transfected cells were further stimulated to differentiate by using chemical induction. …

Overexpression Of The Ibor Gene From Sweet Potato (Ipomea Batatas `Hoang Long') In Maize Increases Total Carotenoid And Ss-Carotene Contents, Thi Luong Tran, Thi Huong Ho, Duc Thanh Nguyen

Turkish Journal of Biology

Nutritional quality of most maize varieties is very low due to the lack of lysine and tryptophan and extremely low provitamin A carotenoids including ß-carotene, Α-carotene, and ß-cryptoxanthin. In this study, we report the successful overexpression of the IbOr gene in H145 and H95 inbred maize lines under the control of maize seed-specific promoter globulin 1 (Glo1) for the purpose of improving ß-carotene in maize. The results showed that the total carotenoid and ß-carotene content of all analyzed transgenic maize plants were significantly higher than those of wild-type lines. For H145-IbOr transgenic maize, in the best line (H145-IbOr.10), the total …

“They Set Themselves To Undermine The Whole Thing”: Gender And Authority In The Work Of Union Female Nurses In The Civil War, Katelynn Ruth Vance

Master's Theses and Capstones

The Civil War marked American women’s entry into the arena of public nursing. The influential reformer and advocate for the mentally ill, Dorothea Lynde Dix, was appointed Superintendent of Female Nurses in 1861. Dix was tasked with supervising all female Union nurses, establishing hospitals, and coordinating the arrival and distribution of supplies for the Union army. The responsibilities of the position were immense. Despite attempts to centralize her authority over the female nurses, by the end of the war, Dix had lost her administrative influence. Lacking effective administrative oversight, upper-class female nurses relied on existing social networks in order to …

Moose Density, Habitat, And Winter Tick Epizootics In A Changing Climate, Kyle Ball

Master's Theses and Capstones

Unregulated hunting and habitat loss led to a near extirpation of moose (Alces alces) in New Hampshire in the 1800s. After state protection in 1901, the estimated population increased slowly to ~500 moose in 1977, then increased rapidly in the next 2 decades to ~7500 following an increase in browse habitat created by spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) and related timber salvage operations, and then halved from 1998-2016 despite highly available optimal habitat. The declining population was partially related to the specific management objective to reduce moose-vehicle collisions, and a possible change in deer hunter and moose behavior that influence population …

Discerning Differences Between Zooplankton Communities Based On Lake Trophic Status, Jonathan Dufresne

Master's Theses and Capstones

In 2007 the United States Environmental Protect Agency sampled 1157 lakes to determine the state of the nation’s lakes. The data they collected provided a unique opportunity to study the effects of eutrophication on zooplankton community structure across a range of lakes from a large geographical area. Using this data set two main questions were assessed: 1) what level of taxonomic identification is necessary to detect differences in zooplankton community composition as it relates to patterns in water quality and 2) in a dataset that has extensive spatial and temporal variability, how does one account for regional differences in zooplankton …

Applications Of Machine Learning And Computer Vision For Smart Infrastructure Management In Civil Engineering, Shounak Mitra

Master's Theses and Capstones

Machine Learning and Computer Vision are the two technologies that have innovative applications in diverse fields, including engineering, medicines, agriculture, astronomy, sports, education etc. The idea of enabling machines to make human like decisions is not a recent one. It dates to the early 1900s when analogies were drawn out between neurons in a human brain and capability of a machine to function like humans. However, major advances in the specifics of this theory were not until 1950s when the first experiments were conducted to determine if machines can support artificial intelligence. As computation powers increased, in the form of …

The Paladin Suite: Multifaceted Characterization Of Whole Metagenome Shotgun Sequences, Anthony Stephen Westbrook

Master's Theses and Capstones

Whole metagenome shotgun sequencing is a powerful approach for assaying many aspects of microbial communities, including the functional and symbiotic potential of each contributing community member. The research community currently lacks tools that efficiently align DNA reads against protein references, the technique necessary for constructing functional profiles. This thesis details the creation of PALADIN – a novel modification of the Burrows-Wheeler Aligner that provides orders-of-magnitude improved efficiency by directly mapping in protein space. In addition to performance considerations, utilizing PALADIN and associated tools as the foundation of metagenomic pipelines also allows for novel characterization and downstream analysis.

The accuracy and …

Simultaneous Measurements Of Soil Moisture And Streamflow In Small Catchments Reveal Varied Coupling Across Sites, Seasons, And Timescales, Brian Timothy Godbois

Master's Theses and Capstones

Soil moisture is an important component in the interaction of terrestrial and aquatic systems, as it may play a role in regulating streamflow and the delivery of nutrients from soils to streams. There are few studies that collect in situ soil moisture and stream discharge data simultaneously at the same location across different land uses at a fine enough temporal resolution to understand processes at sub-daily timescales. I examined the relationship between soil moisture and streamflow over varying timescales using concurrent, high temporal frequency (one hour) in situ measurements of soil volumetric water content and stream discharge at five headwater …

Effects Of The Biomedical Bleeding Process On The Behavior And Physiology Of The American Horseshoe Crab, Limulus Polyphemus, Meghan Owings

Master's Theses and Capstones

Horseshoe crabs are harvested by the biomedical industry in order to create Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) to test medical devices, vaccines and pharmaceutical drugs for pathogenic gram-negative bacteria. Previous studies of the impacts of the biomedical bleeding process on horseshoe crabs have primarily focused on mortality rates and sublethal impacts, using animals held in the laboratory. Therefore, the first goal of this project was to determine the effects of the bleeding process on horseshoe crab behavior once they are released back into their natural environment. In addition, previous studies have typically only investigated the impacts of the full bleeding procedure, …

Probabilistic Assessment Of Environmental Demands Of A Tidal Turbine Deployment System, Chao Yang

Master's Theses and Capstones

The area of tidal energy conversation has gained increased national and international attention in recent years as society makes strides to decrease reliability on fossil fuels and increase sustainability. Tidal energy installations require significant structural support systems to ensure efficient energy conversion. These installations are in areas that experience highly variable and large in magnitude environmental loads due to current speed, wave action and wind gusts.

Performance-Based Design (PBD) was initially developed in response to life safety concerns, costly levels of structure damage, and significant economy lose experience during extreme weather events such as earthquakes, hurricanes, and floods. In the …

Supplementation Of Sodium Butyrate To Post-Weaned Heifer Diets: Effects On Growth Performance, Nutrient Digestibility, And Health, Emily Margaret Rice

Master's Theses and Capstones

The objective of this study was to determine the effect of varying levels of sodium, butyrate (SB) on the growth, digestibility, and health of post-weaned heifers. Forty Holstein, dairy heifers with a mean age of 84 d and average body weight (BW) of 100.88 kg were housed, in a naturally ventilated freestall barn. Heifers were blocked by birth date and randomly assigned, to 1 of 4 treatments in a completely randomized block design: (1) 100 g of soybean meal carrier, (control; CON); (2) 0.25 g SB/kg of body weight + carrier (0.25SB); (3) 0.50 g SB/kg of BW +, carrier …