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Phenotypic responses to piscivory in invasive gibel carp populations
No full textThe establishment of introduced fishes can be inhibited by the biotic resistance from species in the receiving environment, including strong consumptive resistance from specific piscivorous fishes. In response to predation pressure, prey fish population responses include predator-induced morphological changes, where an extreme example is seen in the crucian carp Carassius carassius, which forms deep-bodied morphs in predator presence that reduces individual predation risk. As its congener, gibel carp Carassius gibelio is a highly invasive fish across in its non-native range in Eurasia. Here we test whether their introduced populations also respond to the presence of piscivorous fishes by altering their body shape and trophic ecology by testing differences across 16 non-native lentic populations in Turkey that provided groups of piscivorous fish presence versus absence. In piscivore presence, gibel carp had a higher ratio of body length-to-depth than in piscivore absence, but with their body condition factor being higher in absence. Stable isotope mixing models predicted that gibel carp had diets that were more animal based (gastropods and zooplankton) in piscivore absence, but plant based in piscivore presence. Moreover, diet predictions of piscivore diet suggested gibel carp were consistently consumed less than other prey fishes. These results suggest that these alien gibel carp were responding to piscivory as per crucian carp, reducing their predation risk at the individual level by forming deep-bodied morphs. We suggest these morphological responses then decrease the strength of the biotic resistance against their invasion at the population level
A new strategy to achieve high antimicrobial activity: green synthesised silver nanoparticle formulations with Galium aparine and Helichrysum arenarium
No full textSilver nanoparticles (AgNPs), which have recently gained attention due to their antimicrobial activity, can also be produced by green synthesis. The aims of this study were to (i) characterise green synthesized AgNPs using microwave-assisted aqueous extracts of Galium aparine (G-AgNPs) and Helichrysum arenarium (H-AgNPs) and (ii) investigate the combined antimicrobial effects of the G- and H-AgNPs in different ratios. Nanoparticle formation and reactions were determined with UV-Vis spectroscopy. The G-AgNPs were 52.0±10.9 nm in size, with a 0.285±0.034 polydispersity index (PDI), and a -17.9±0.9 mV zeta potential. For H-AgNPs these characteristics were 23.9±1.0 nm, 0.280±0.032, and -21.3±2.7 mV, respectively. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed that the particles were monodisperse and spherical. The Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) results showed the presence of reducing agents that stabilised the AgNPs. Three different nanoformulations (NF-1, NF-2, and NF-3) were prepared by combining these two synthesised nanoparticles in different ratios and their antimicrobial activity was tested against E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans, and A. flavus. Our study is the first to show that combining AgNPs from two different biological sources can produce effective nanoformulations with improved antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus. These nanoformulations showed lower minimum inhibitory concentrations (31.25 µg/mL against E. coli with all NFs; 62.5 µg/mL for NF-1 and 125 µg/mL for NF-2/3 against S. aureus) than G-AgNPs (62.5 µg/mL for E. coli) or H-AgNPs (125 µg/mL for S. aureus) alone. Their high combined inhibitory effect against E. coli (NF-1-3) was synergistic and against S. aureus (NF-2 and NF-3) potentially additive. Considering such promising results, we believe our study provides some direction for new research and strategies in antimicrobial therapeutics.Srebrne se nanočestice (AgNP), koje su već neko vrijeme u središtu pažnje zbog svojih antimikrobnih svojstava, mogu proizvoditi i zelenom sintezom. Cilj je ovog istraživanja bio (i) opisati (karakterizirati) zelenu sintezu različitih AgNP-a pomoću vodenih ekstrakata čekinjaste broćike (Galium aparine) (G-AgNPs) i pješčarskoga smilja (Helichrysum arenarium) (H-AgNPs), dobivenih metodom mikrovalne ekstrakcije, te (ii) utvrditi antimikrobno djelovanje kombinacije tih dvaju nanosustava u različitim omjerima. Oblikovanje nanočestica i kemijske reakcije utvrđene su pomoću UV-Vis spektroskopije. Veličina G-AgNP-a bila je 52,0±10,9 nm, njihov polidisperzivni indeks (PDI) 0,285±0,034, a zeta potencijal -17,9±0,9 mV. Osobine H-AgNP-a bile su sljedeće: veličina 23,9±1,0 nm, PDI 0,280±0,032, a zeta potencijal -21,3±2,7 mV. Mikroskopijom atomskih sila (engl. atomic force microscopy, krat. AFM) i pretražnom elektronskom mikroskopijom (engl. scanning electron microscopy, krat. SEM) potvrđeno je da su čestice monodisperzivne i sferične. Rezultati infracrvene spektroskopije s Fourierovom transformacijom (engl. Fourier transform-infrared spectroscopy, krat. FT-IR) potvrdili su prisutnost reduktivnih agenasa koji su stabilizirali srebrne nanočestice. Zatim su pripremljene tri formulacije nanočestica (NF-1, NF-2 i NF-3) kombinacijom sintetiziranih nanočestica u različitim omjerima, a njihova antimikrobna djelotvornost testirana je na mikroorganizmima E. coli, S. aureus, C. albicans i A. flavus. Naše je istraživanje prvo koje dokazuje da kombinacija srebrnih nanočestica dobivenih iz dvaju bioloških izvora može biti djelotvorna te da ima poboljšano antibakterijsko djelovanje protiv E. coli i S. aureus u odnosu na zasebne nanosustave. Minimalna inhibicijska koncentracija kombinacija iznosila je 31,25 µg/mL za E. coli u svim nanoformulacijama te 62,5 µg/mL za S. aureus s NF-1, odnosno 125 µg/mL s NF-2 i NF-3, a minimalne inhibicijske koncentracije G-AgNP-a odnosno H-AgNP-a zasebno su iznosile 62,5 µg/mL za E. coli (G-AgNP), odnosno 125 µg/mL za S. aureus (H-AgNP). To kombinirano antibakterijsko djelovanje protiv E. coli bilo je sinergijsko, a protiv S. aureus naizgled aditivno. S obzirom na ovako obećavajuće rezultate, smatramo da naše istraživanje daje smjer za razvoj novih strategija u antibakterijskom liječenju
Improvement of weavdthering and thermal resistance of wood-plastic composites with iron oxide nanoparticles
No full textThis study comprehensively investigated the effect of iron-oxide nanoparticles (NPs) on weathering durability and thermal resistance of wood-plastic composites (WPCs). The hydrophobic nature of NPs improved the dimensional stability of WPCs. The small size of NPs deposits the voids in the matrix, which helps to increase the mechanical properties, even after weathering test. The decrease of modulus of rupture (MOR) reached up to 16% for control samples, while it was 2% for IO40-1. Despite the intensive weathering conditions, NPs cover the surface of materials like a UV shield, improving WPCs' UV resistance. Moreover, the increase in the wood and NPs content limited the UV degradation, which resulted in lower color changes. The attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) analysis also proved that there were nearly no changes in the characteristic bands of polymer (2916 and 2846 cm−1) and wood (1512 cm−1). The microscopic investigation, however, revealed the deterioration on the surface of WPCs after weathering exposure. Even though UV degradation is inevitable, iron oxide NPs significantly preserved the WPCs surface. However, there were also crack formations, which were also inhibited. On the other hand, NPs decelerated the thermal degradation by acting as a heat barrier. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) analysis revealed an increase in the degradation temperature. Limit oxygen index (LOI) values also increased up to 27.6%, which demonstrated an improvement against flammabilit
Adaptive MIMO fuzzy PID controller based on peak observer
No full textIn this paper, a novel peak observer based adaptive multi-input multi-output (MIMO) fuzzy proportional-integral-derivative (PID) controller has been introduced for MIMO time delay systems. The adaptation mechanism proposed by Qiao and Mizumoto [1] for single-input single-output (SISO) systems has been enhanced for MIMO system adaptive control. The tracking, stabilization and disturbance rejection performances of the proposed adaptation mechanism have been evaluated for MIMO systems by comparing with non-adaptive fuzzy PID and classical PID controllers. The obtained results indicate that the introduced adjustment mechanism for MIMO fuzzy PID controller can be successfully deployed for MIMO time delay systems
The Importance of Parables in Buddhısm: Examples Related to the Understandıng of Some Buddhıst Belıefs and Practıces
No full textBudizm, MÖ altıncı yüzyılda verimli topraklarıyla ünlü Ganj vadisinde Budda’nın keşifleri çerçevesinde oluşmuş bir dindir. Budda, aşırı lüks bir hayat ve devamındaki altı yıllık bir arayışın sonucunda uzun bir meditasyon oturuşuyla aydınlanmaya ulaşmıştır. O, bir takım uç tecrübeler yaşayarak ve yoğun zihinsel çaba sergileyerek keşfettiği orta yol tekniğini öğrencilerine aktararak öğretisini yaymaya çalışmıştır. Öğrencileri de ondan öğrendiklerini başka insanlara anlatmış, böylelikle inananların sayısı her geçen gün artmıştır. Budizm’in yayılışındaki en etkin unsurlardan birisi Budda’nın kullandığı anlaşılır dil ve üsluptur. Budda dinin temel ilke ve esaslarını etrafındakilere anlatırken sade bir dil kullanmıştır. Ayrıca karmaşık konuların daha iyi anlaşılmasını sağlamak için kıssalar, hikâyeler ve öyküler anlatmış; sık sık benzetmeler kullanmıştır. Böylelikle çevresinde toplanan insanların anlam dünyalarına daha iyi nüfuz edebilmiştir. Budda’nın birçok kıssa kullandığı bilinmektedir. Bunlardan en meşhurları arasında ‘zehirli okla yaralanan adam’, ‘kör adamlar ve fil’, ‘sal/sandal’, ‘hardal tohumu’ gibi örnekler sayılabilir. ‘Zehirli okla yaralanan adam’ hikâyesinde Budda, öğrencilerini vakitlerini ve enerjilerini açıklanması mümkün olmayan karmaşık ve metafizik konulara harcamamaları konusunda uyarmıştır. Bu hikâyede insanoğlunun önündeki mevcut hayati sorunlara yoğunlaşarak bunların çözümü için çareler üretmeye gayret etmesi vurgulanmaktadır. Hint alt kıtasında ortaya çıkmış ve buradan bütün dünyaya yayılmış yaygın bir anlatı olan 'körlerin fil tarifi’ hikâyesinde söz konusu toplumda, kültürde ve çevrede algılamanın seviyesine vurgu yapılır. Bu hikâye farklı bakış açısına sahip oldukları ve farklı düşünceleri savundukları için kavga eden grupları betimlemede kullanılır. ‘Sal’ hikâyesinde, Budist öğreti olarak da bilinen dhammayı çok iyi bir şekilde öğrenmenin, idrak etmenin ve içselleştirmenin önemi üzerinde durulur. ‘Hardal tohumu’ hikâyesinde, genel olarak dünyanın geçiciliği, dünya malına çok fazla ehemmiyet göstermeme, fiziksel ölümün evrensel bir hakikat olduğu üzerinde durulur. Bu örneklerden yola çıkarak kıssaların Budist inanç ve uygulamaların anlaşılmasındaki yeri ve önemini ortaya koymaya çalışacağız.Buddhism is a religion that was formed in the sixth century BC, within the framework of Buddha’s discoveries in the Ganges valley, famous for its fertile lands. After a life of extreme luxury and a subsequent six-year pursuit, Buddha attained enlightenment through a long sitting meditation. He tried to spread his teaching by patiently transferring the middle way technique, which he discovered by experiencing a number of extreme experiences and exerting intense mental effort, to his students. His students also explained to other people what they had learned from him. Thus, the number of believers increased day by day. One of the most influential elements in the spread of Buddhism is the comprehensible language and wording used by Buddha. He used simple language to explain the basic principles of religion to those around him. Buddha also told parables, tales and stories to provide a better understanding of complex issues; often used metaphors or similes. Thus, he was able to better penetrate the minds of people gathered around him. It is known that Buddha used many short parables or stories. The most famous of these are ‘the man injured with poisoned arrow’, ‘blind men and elephant’, ‘raft/boat’, and ‘mustard seed’. In the story of the ‘man injured by a poisoned arrow’, Buddha warned his disciples not to waste their time and energy on complex and metaphysical matters that cannot be explained. In this story, it is emphasized that human beings try to find solutions for their solution by concentrating on the current vital problems in front of them. In the story of ‘elephant description of the blind men’, which is a common narrative that emerged in the Indian subcontinent and spread all over the world from there, the level of perception in the society, culture and environment is emphasized. This story is used to describe groups fighting because they have different points of view and advocate different ideas. In the story of ‘raft’, the importance of learning, understanding and internalizing the dhamma, also known as the Buddhist teaching, is emphasized. In the story of the ‘mustard seed’, it is generally emphasized that the transience of the world, not paying too much attention to worldly goods, and that physical death is a universal truth. Based on these and similar examples, we will try to reveal the place and importance of parables related to understanding Buddhist beliefs and practices
The Addition of Opuntia ficus-indica Ethanolic Extract to a Skimmed Milk-Based Extender Impacts Ram Sperm Quality
No full textRecently, researchers have focused on the use of natural antioxidants to improve semen quality as a key element for successful artificial insemination. In this context, the first aim of this study was to determine the antioxidant activity and composition (minerals, vitamins, and sugars) of Opuntia ficus-indica cladode ethanolic extract (ETHEX). A further purpose of the study was to investigate the effect of ETHEX supplementation on the quality of liquid ram semen extended with skim milk (SM) at 5°C. The antioxidant activity of ETHEX was studied using free radical 1, 1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH•) assay. The mineral composition and the sugar and vitamin contents of ETHEX were determined using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and HPLC-DAD-RID analytical instruments. As a second part, semen was collected from five Boujaâd rams with an artificial vagina. The ejaculates with more than 70% motility were pooled, extended with skim milk (SM) extender without (control) or supplemented with 1-8% of ETHEX (37°C; 0.8 × 109 sperm/mL). Sperm quality parameters were assessed at 8, 24, 48, and 72 h. The results showed that ETHEX had a higher antioxidant activity compared to those of ascorbic acid and butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT). Furthermore, ETHEX contains a considerable amount of minerals, vitamins, and sugars. The inclusion of 1 or 2% ETHEX in SM increased the sperm motility, viability, and membrane integrity and decreased the abnormality of spontaneous and catalyzed lipids peroxidation (p < 0.05) up to 72 h. In addition, semen diluted with 1 and 2% ETHEX decreased the level of DNA fragmentation compared to the control group (p < 0.05). In conclusion, the ETHEX could be recommended to improve the quality of liquid ram spermatozoa. However, its effects on artificial insemination should be further studied
An adjustment degree of fitting on fuzzy linear regression model toward manufacturing income
No full textThe regression analysis is a common tool in data analysis, while fuzzy regression can be used to analyze uncertain or imprecise data. Manufacturing companies often having difficulty predicting their future income. Thus, a new approach is required for the prediction of future company income. This article analyzed the manufacturing income by using the multiple linear regression (MLR) model and two fuzzy linear regression (FLR) model proposed by Tanaka and Zolfaghari, respectively. In order to find the optimum of the FLR model, the degree of fitting (H) was adjusted in between 0 to 1. The performance of three models has been measured by using mean square error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE) and mean absolute percentage error (MAPE). Detailed analysis proved that Zolfaghari’s FLR model with the degree of fitting of 0.025 outperformed the MLR and FLR with Tanaka’s model with the smallest error value. In conclusion, the manufacturing income is directly correlated with six independent variables. Furthermore, three independent variables are inversely related to manufacturing income. Based on the results of this model, it appears to be suitable for predicting future manufacturing income
Genetic diversity of the cosmopolitan long-legged fly Syntormon pallipes in Turkey
No full textSyntormon pallipes is one of the cosmopolitan species in the family Dolichopodidae. It has an important role in agriculture and forest ecosystems. We studied the genetic diversity of 10 populations of this species using seven ISSR primers and found 269 polymorphic loci. The polymorphism rate ranged between 34.6% and 72.1%. A molecular variance analysis showed that the main source of genetic variation originates from within the populations. In addition, the genetic differentiation value (GST) was found to be low, with a value of 0.13. The gene flow level (Nm) is high with a value of 3.11 per generation
Effect of abdominal hot pack application on gastrointestinal motility recovery after comprehensive gynecologic staging surgery
No full textObjective: To evaluate whether abdominal hot water pack application improves gastrointestinal motility following gynecological oncology surgery.Methods: The study was registered at (NCT04833699). (). In this randomized controlled trial, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) to the hot water pack group (standardized enhanced recovery protocols plus rubber water bag with a fluffy cover filled with boiled tap water [80(degrees)C] and placed on the abdomen at 3, 6, 9, and 12 h postoperatively for 30 min each time) or the control group (standardized enhanced recovery protocols). A subumbilical or supraumbilical vertical midline incision was made to perform staging surgery procedures, including hysterectomy, salpingo-oophorectomy with retroperitoneal lymphadenectomy. The primary outcome was the time to first passage of flatus from the end of the staging procedure.Results: In total, 121 women were randomized to the control (n = 62) or hot water pack (n = 59) group. The use of an abdominal hot water pack significantly reduced the mean time to passing first flatus (25.2 +/- 3.6 vs. 30.6 +/- 3.9 h; hazard ratio [HR] = 4.4; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 2.8-7.1; P < 0.0001), mean time to first bowel movements (28.4 +/- 4.0 vs. 34.4 +/- 4.5 h; HR = 4.9; 95% CI: 3.0-7.9; P < 0.0001), mean time to first defecation (33.4 +/- 4.9 vs. 41.0 +/- 7.6 h; HR = 4.3; 95% CI: 2.1-6.8; P < 0.0001), and mean time to tolerating solid diet (2.1 +/- 0.6 vs. 2.8 +/- 1.0 days; HR = 4.4; 95% CI: 2.2-8.7; P < 0.0001) compared to the control group. The postoperative ileus incidence was significantly lower in the hot water pack group (3.4%) than the control group (16.1%) (P = 0.01).Conclusion: Abdominal hot water pack application improved gastrointestinal function recovery in women following surgical staging procedures for gynecological malignancy
Mortality in psoriatic arthritis patients, changes over time, and the impact of COVID-19: results from a multicenter Psoriatic Arthritis Registry (PsART-ID)
No full textBackground: This study aimed to assess the mortality of PsA before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods: From the prospective, multicenter PsART-ID (Psoriatic Arthritis Registry-International Database), patients from Turkey were analyzed by linking the registry to the Turkish Cause of Death Registry. The outcome of interest was death from any cause, pre-pandemic (since the onset of registry-March 2014-March 2020), and during the pandemic (March 2020-May 2021). The crude mortality rate and standardized mortality ratio (SMR) were determined.
Results: There were 1216 PsA patients with a follow-up of 7500 patient-years. Overall, 46 deaths (26 males) were observed. In the pre-pandemic period, SMR for PsA vs the general population was 0.95 (0.61-1.49), being higher in males [1.56 (0.92-2.63)] than females [0.62 (0.33-1.17)]. The crude mortality rate in PsA doubled during the pandemic (pre-pandemic crude mortality rate: 5.07 vs 10.76 during the pandemic) with a higher increase in females (2.9 vs 8.72) than males (9.07 vs 14.73).
Conclusion: The mortality in PsA was found similar to the general population in the pre-pandemic era. The mortality rates in PsA doubled during the pandemic. Whether PsA patients have more risk of mortality than the general population due to COVID-19 needs further studies. Key Points • Decrease in mortality in PsA might be expected with the more effective treatment options and better disease control. • A crude mortality rate is comparable to the general population and not increased until the pandemic. • Currently, there is a 2-fold increase in crude mortality rate possibly due to the COVID-19