71 research outputs found
Bioassay-guided isolation of wound healing active compounds from Echium species growing in Turkey
No full textEthnopharmacological relevance: The roots and root barks of Echium sp. have been used to treat ulcers, burns and wounds in traditional Turkish medicine. Aim of the study: On the basis of them traditional use and literature references, four Echium species were selected for evaluation of them wound healing potential. Isolation of active component(s) from the active extracts through the bioassay guided fractionation procedures. Material and methods: In vivo the wound healing activity of the plants was evaluated by linear incision experimental models. The chloroform extract of Echium italicum L. was fractionated by successive chromatographic techniques. Wound healing activity of each fraction was investigated following the bioassay-guided fractionation procedures. Moreover, the tissue samples of isolated compounds were examined histopathologically. The healing potential was comparatively assessed with a reference ointment Madecassol (R), which contains 1% extract of Centella asiatica. Results: Significant wound healing activity was observed from the ointment prepared with ethanol extract at 1% concentration. The ethanol root extract treated in groups of animals showed a significant increase (37.38%, 40.97% and 35.29% separately for E. italicum L, Echium vulgare Land Echium angustifolium Miller) wound tensile strength in the incision wound model. Subfractions showed significant but reduced wound healing activity on in vivo wound models. Shikonin derivatives "Acetylshikonin", "Deoxyshikonin" and "2-methyl-n-butyrylshikonin+lsovalerylshikonin", were isolated and determined as active components of active final subtraction from E. italicum L. roots. The results of histopathological examination supported the outcome of linear incision wound models. Conclusion: The experimental study revealed that Echium species display remarkable wound healing activity. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.Gazi University Scientific Research Foundation [02-2010/2011]This study was financially supported by Gazi University Scientific Research Foundation (Grant no: 02-2010/2011). The authors are very grateful to Professor Osman AYKUT, research assistant Gozde YUCEL and Asso. Professor Gulderen YILMAZ for their technical assistance
Cell Migration: GSK3β Steers the Cytoskeleton's Tip
No full textDirected cell migration polarizes the cytoskeleton, allowing the cell to move toward migratory cues. In this issue, Wu et al. (2011) demonstrate that the glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK3β) controls microtubule architecture and polarized movement of skin stem cells during wound healing in mammals by regulating the microtubule crosslinking protein ACF7
Efficacy Levels of Organic Acids are Used for Controlling Varroa (Varroa jacobsoni Qudemans) and Their Effects on Colony Development of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)
No full textThis study was carried out to determine the effects of using formic and oxalic acids against Varroa jacobsoni Q. which is the most hazardous parasite of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) alternately in different seasons on the efficiency in Varroa treatment and colony development of honey bees. About 35 honey bee colonies in same of queen ages (1 year old) from Buckfast race were used in the research. Colonies were equalized for natural varroa levels and adult-brood bee population, prior to the research. Colonies were selected randomly as 2 treatment groups with 14 colonies and one control group with 7 colonies in the autumn and then the treatment goups were divided into 2 for using organic acids alternately so, 5 research groups (O/F, O/O, F/F, F/O and control) were used for the following spring. Varroa levels, treatment effectiveness, adult bee and brood population growth of groups were determined in autumn and spring, before and after the research. In autumn and spring experiments, Varroa infestation levels of the treatment groups were significantly reduced after the oxalic and formic acid applications (p0.05)
Morphogens: Precise Outputs from a Variable Gradient
No full textThe morphogen gradient as a source of embryonic patterning is one of the best accepted concepts in developmental biology. Morphogens can be transcription factors or extracellular signals, but in both cases, they are thought to provide concentration thresholds that position different cell fates within the developing embryo. Several recent papers examine the patterning activities of Drosophila Bicoid, the first known molecular morphogen and reach different conclusions about the patterning power of a single morphogen gradient
Efficacy Levels of Organic Acids are Used for Controlling Varroa (Varroa jacobsoni Qudemans) and Their Effects on Colony Development of Honey Bees (Apis mellifera L.)
No full textBovine Papillomavirus Type 2 Infection and Microscopic Patterns of Urothelial Tumors of the Urinary Bladder in Water Buffaloes
No full textThis report describes the histopathology of two hundred and fifty-three mesenchymal tumors of the urinary bladder in cattle grazing on lands rich in bracken fern. Approximately 80% were hemangiomas and angiosarcomas. Hemangioma (capillary, cavernous, and large vessels) was the most frequent mesenchymal tumor and was more common than angiosarcoma. Although the appearance of endothelial cells can vary remarkably, epithelioid angiosarcomas, often containing multinucleated cells, were the most frequent malignant vascular tumors. Hemangiopericytoma and tumors of muscle and soft connective tissue origin, alone and/or in association with tumor-like lesions, were less frequently seen. Furthermore, forty-five cases of intravascular papillary endothelial hyperplasia (IPEH), a lesion not previously reported in the urinary bladder of cattle, were also described. Bovine papillomavirus type-2 DNA was amplified in tumor samples. Forty vascular tumors were investigated by dual-labeling immunofluorescence, and, for the first time, a coexpression of E5 and platelet-derived growth factor β receptor (PDGFβR) was shown to occur. The results show that the BPV-2 E5 oncoprotein binds to the activated form of the PDGFβ receptor thus playing an important role in mesenchymal as well as epithelial carcinogenesis of the urinary bladder. Furthermore, these findings demonstrate that BPV-2 infects both epithelial and mesenchymal cells
Integrated Production and Transportation Scheduling Problem With Multiple Plants, Multiple Vehicles and Perishable Products
No full textThe integrated production and transportation scheduling problem is one of the interesting topics in the literature. This paper addresses Integrated Production and Transportation Scheduling Problems with Multiple Plants, Multiple Vehicles, and Perishable Products (PTSP-MP-MV). To the best of our knowledge, this problem has not been studied in the literature. In this problem, each plant has a different capacity and a different production rate. There is a single machine and a limited number of homogeneous vehicles in each plant. Each vehicle can be used more than once because of the vehicle capacity and planning horizon restrictions. Only one type of product is produced, and this product has a limited lifespan. The objective of the problem is to minimize the total cost including production, distribution, and vehicle costs. We propose a mixed integer programming (MIP) formulation for the problem and strengthen it with several valid inequalities to improve lower bounds. The performance of the formulation is calculated using a newly generated set of test instances. Computational results show that small-sized instances with 5 and 10 customers can be solved optimally in less than 90 s. Satisfactory results are obtained for the test instances up to 20 customers whose optimality gap values are calculated as 0.54% nearly 1 h. It is also shown that the valid inequalities are improved lower bounds about 3%. © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.Acknowledgements. This study is derived from the author Gozde CAN ATASA-GUN’s PhD thesis entitled “The Coordinated Production and Transportation Scheduling Problem with Multiple Plants and Multiple Vehicles” (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Ismail KARAOGLAN) which is supported by Konya Technical University Coordinatorship of Scientific Research Projects with the project number of 18101021 and has not been published elsewhere.Konya Teknik Üniversitesi, KTÜN: 1810102
Systematic Integration Of Urban Farming Into Urban Metabolisms: Waste As A Resource For Urban Food Production
No full textAs the global population rise, climate conditions get more and more unpredictable, natural resources deplete; cities need to take action in order to sustain healthy living conditions as well as to ensure food safety. Currently, cities are solely dependent on external sources and suburban areas for natural resources and food as well as waste management. This linear metabolism results in cities consuming 60-80% of natural resources and producing 50% of waste globally. (Tsui et al., 2021) This problem can be overcome by introducing urban farming into cities by utilising waste and underused space as a resource for urban food production. Waste can be circulated in the city in order to generate a network of waste producing functions and farms. There are urban farming systems which can digest waste and produce supplements for urban food production. However, the quest of choosing an urban farming system based on existing vacant spaces and waste flows is a complicated task. The complexity is a result of variables in the equation which may effect decision making such as different systems, waste types, vacant space characteristics as well as the size of spaces and the quantity of available waste. Moreover, in sites consisting of numerous vacant spaces and waste sources decision making is even more complex and laborious. If human designers were to perform this task then they would need to iterate countless times for each vacant space, each waste source close to it and each potential urban farming systems. However, when it comes iterating and repeating the same steps, computers are explicitly faster, time-efficient and error free. Therefore a decision making tool which can assist designers to choose urban farming systems based on existing conditions can be a practical resource. This paper investigates how to integrate urban farming into cities by utilising under-used spaces and existing waste sources via using a decision making tool. The design rules and the methodology are formed based on literature review regarding different farming systems, varying waste flows and computational approaches. A prototype of the tool is generated and tested on 2 case studies in order to showcase the potential of such an approach combining food production with waste management. Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences | Building Technology | Sustainable Desig
Will Conventional Public Transport Users Adopt Autonomous Public Transport? A Model Integrating UTAUT Model and Satisfaction–Loyalty Model
No full textAs an emerging technology for sustainable, safe, energy-efficient, and smooth traffic flow, autonomous public transport (APT) has been widely studied in recent years. However, the influence of conventional public transport (CPT) on behavioural intentions toward APT is largely overlooked. While APT is in its nascent phase, users’ choices may be shaped by their perceptions and attitudes toward CPT. Therefore, identifying these perceptions and examining their effect on behavioural intention is crucial. In this study, the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) is integrated with the satisfaction-loyalty model to analyze the key factors influencing behavioural intentions toward APT. To obtain more precise findings, this study examined public transport by type, including rubber-tired systems, urban rail, and bus rapid transit, rather than as a single mode, unlike many previous studies. A survey (n = 1271) was employed to validate the theoretical model among CPT users in Istanbul. The results indicate that loyalty to CPT significantly influences behavioural intention toward APT. Moreover, users of different CPT types have distinct priorities influencing their intention to use APT. While users of rubber-tired systems prioritize effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating conditions, users of urban rail systems consider social influence, trust and loyalty to CPT to be decisive factors. Furthermore, users of bus rapid transit systems consider performance expectancy, effort expectancy, trust, and loyalty to CPT as key factors influencing their behavioural intention. The findings are expected to enrich theoretical research on behavioural intention toward APT and guide future integration and transition between CPT and APT
- …
