The present study was carried out using Dinçer and Olas safflower varieties at 5 different salt (NaCl) concentrations (0, 50, 100, 150, and 200 mM) for 14 days. The germination percentages of the ...cultivars under salt conditions as well as the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, CAT, POD and APX) and biochemical changes (protein and MDA) in the seedlings were determined. The germination percentage decreased with increased salt concentrations, and the greatest decrease in germination percentage was observed at a 200 mM salt concentration by 34% in both cultivars. The activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) increased at low salt concentrations, but decreased after 100 and 150 mM salt concentrations, respectively. Catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activities, as well as malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) contents, increased with increasing salt concentrations at Dinçer and Olas, but total soluble protein content decreased with increasing salt concentration. Peroxidase (POD) activity was not significantly affected by salt stress in safflower. Germination percentage showed negative correlations with CAT, MDA and H2O2 levels, and showed a positive correlation with soluble protein content under salt stress in safflower. The present results may be useful to identify mechanisms of salt tolerance involving antioxidant enzyme activities and biochemical changes in safflower seedlings.
Mevcut çalışma Dinçer ve Olas aspir çeşitleri kullanılarak 5 farklı tuz (NaCl) konsantrasyonunda (0, 50, 100, 150 ve 200 mM) 14 gün boyunca yapılmıştır. Çeşitlerin tuzluluk şartları altında çimlenme oranları ve fideciklerdeki antioksidan enzim aktiviteleri (SOD, CAT, POD ve APX) ve biyokimyasal değişiklikler (protein and MDA) belirlenmiştir. Tuz konsantrasyonu arttıkça çimlenme oranı azalmış ve her iki çeşit için çimlenme oranındaki en yüksek düşüş %34 ile 200 mM tuz konsantrasyonunda gözlenmiştir. Süperoksit dismutaz (SOD) aktivitesi düşük tuz konsantrasyonlarında artmış fakat Dinçer çeşidinde 100 mM ve Olas çeşidinde 150 mM tuz konsantrasyonlarında SOD aktivitesinin azaldığı gözlenmiştir. Dinçer ve Olas çeşitlerinde katalaz (CAT) ve askorbat peroksidaz (APX) aktivitesi, malondialdehit (MDA) ve hidrojen peroksit (H2O2) miktarlarının tuz konsantrasyonlarına bağlı olarak arttığı fakat toplam çözünebilir protein içeriğinin ise azaldığı belirlenmiştir. Peroksidaz (POD) aktivitesi aspirde tuz stresine bağlı olarak önemli bir değişim göstermemiştir. Aspirde tuz stresi sonucu çimlenme yüzdesindeki azalma CAT, MDA ve H2O2 ile negatif, çözünür protein miktarı ile pozitif korelasyon göstermiştir. SOD aktivitesindeki değişim ise POD, CAT, MDA ve H2O2 ile pozitif korelasyonları göstermiştir. Mevcut sonuçlar, aspirin tuzluluk toleransını regüle etmek için fideciklerdeki antioksidan enzim aktiviteleri ve biyokimyasal içeriklerdeki değişimler hakkında yararlı olacaktır.
In today's highly competitive global environment, even small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) need to make product and process innovations in order to outperform the competition and satisfy global ...customers. Investigating the success factors of innovation performance has become critical for the survival and competitiveness of SMEs. The aim of this study is to explore the impact of the degree of internationalization (DoI) on innovation performance through the mediating factors of market and entrepreneurial orientation in the context of emerging-market SMEs. We tested our model and hypotheses with 235 SMEs in the United Arab Emirates, which is an emerging market. The results obtained from partial least squares estimates indicate that the degree of internationalization positively affects innovation performance and, more importantly, that this relationship is indirect and fully mediated by market and entrepreneurial orientation for SMEs. These results shed light on the mechanism of the effect of DoI on innovation performance in the emerging-market SME context.
•This is the first study that analyze the link between internationalization and innovation performance through mediators.•A theoretical model is developed where MO and EO act as mediating factors between internationalization and innovation performance.•The proposed model is tested with a sample of 235 SMEs in the United Arab Emirates.•The findings of the study show that the influence of internationalization on innovation is indirect and fully mediated by market and entrepreneurial orientation.•This model has been tested in an under researched context which is emerging-market SMEs.
This study aimed to investigate the morphological, functional and molecular changes in frozen–thawed ram sperm using an extender containing different concentrations of hydrated carbon 60 fullerene ...(C60HyFn), a nanotechnological product. Semen taken from each of the seven Akkaraman rams were pooled. Semen collection was done twice a week and it continued for 3 weeks. Each pooled semen sample was divided into six equal groups and diluted with tris + egg yolk extender including 0 (control), 200, 400, 800 nM, 1 and 5 μM concentrations of C60HyFn at 37°C. They were then frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour at −140°C, stored in liquid nitrogen container (−196°C) and thawed at 37°C for 25 s before analysis. In comparison with control, C60HyFn addition prior to freezing procedure provided significant increases in total and progressive motility rates, glutathione peroxidase, catalase activities and percentage of highly active mitochondria, and significant decreases in dead and abnormal sperm rates, lipid peroxidation, caspase‐3 and DNA fragmentation levels in frozen–thawed ram semen. When compared to control, C60HyFn supplementation significantly down‐regulated the expression levels of miR‐200a and KCNJ11, and significantly up‐regulated the expression levels of miR‐3958‐3p (at the concentrations of 200, 400, 800 nM and 1 μM), CatSper1 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 nM and 5 μM), CatSper2 (at the concentrations of 1 and 5 μM), CatSper3 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 nM, 1 and 5 μM), CatSper4 (at all concentrations), ANO1 (at the concentrations of 800 nM, 1 and 5 μM) and TRPV5 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 and 800 nM). The addition of C60HyFn had no effect on global DNA methylation rates. As a result, C60HyFn supplementation to ram semen extenders may be beneficial in reducing some of the functional, structural and molecular damages in sperm induced by the freeze–thawing procedure.
This study was carried out to investigate the effect of the semen freeze-thawing process on the functionality and molecular structure of ram spermatozoa. The temperature of pooled and diluted semen ...at 38°C (group 1, control) was lowered to 5°C (group 2), and it was subjected to glycerolisation-equilibration (group 3), frozen and thawed (group 4). Compared to the control, deterioration in spermatological parameters and significant increases in lipid peroxidation and global DNA methylation levels were observed in groups 3 and 4. When compared with the control, significant downregulation in the levels of miR-485 of group 2, miR-29a of group 3 and let-7a, miR-485 and miR-29a of group 4, and significant upregulation in the levels of miR-107 of group 3 and miR-127 of groups 3 and 4 were detected. In comparison to the control, significant upregulation in the levels of CatSper1, CatSper2, CatSper3, CatSper4, ANO1 and TRPM3 of group 2, CatSper4, ANO1 and TRPM3 of group 3 and KCNJ11 of group 4, and significant downregulation in the CatSper 3 level of group 4 were determined. As a result, the semen freeze-thawing process causes motility and morphological disorders in rams. This may be due to molecular changes associated with lipid peroxidation in spermatozoa.
Male infertility is a global health problem, and the underlying molecular mechanisms are not clearly known. Ion channels and microRNAs (miRNAs), known to function in many vital functions in cells, ...have been shown to play a significant role in male infertility through changes in their expressions. The study aimed to evaluate the alterations of testicular and/or spermatozoal potassium voltage‐gated channel subfamily J member 11 (KCNJ11), Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR), miR‐let‐7a and miR‐27a expressions in carbamazepine‐related male infertility. Here, we showed that carbamazepine reduced sperm motility, increased abnormal sperm morphology, and impaired hormonal balance as well as increased relative testis weight and decreased relative seminal vesicle weight. On the other hand, downregulated KCNJ11 and upregulated miR‐let‐7a expressions were determined in testis (p < .05). Also, downregulated KCNJ11 and upregulated CFTR and miR‐27a expressions were found in spermatozoa (p < .05). Interestingly, altered testicular KCNJ11 and miR‐let‐7a expressions were correlated with decreased sperm motility and elevated sperm tail defect. Besides, spermatozoal CFTR and miR‐27a expressions positively correlated with sperm tail defects. The results indicated a significant relationship between ion channel and/or miRNA expression alterations and impaired sperm parameters due to carbamazepine usage.
This study aimed to investigate the morphological, functional and molecular changes in frozen-thawed ram sperm using an extender containing different concentrations of hydrated carbon 60 fullerene (C
...HyFn), a nanotechnological product. Semen taken from each of the seven Akkaraman rams were pooled. Semen collection was done twice a week and it continued for 3 weeks. Each pooled semen sample was divided into six equal groups and diluted with tris + egg yolk extender including 0 (control), 200, 400, 800 nM, 1 and 5 μM concentrations of C
HyFn at 37°C. They were then frozen in liquid nitrogen vapour at -140°C, stored in liquid nitrogen container (-196°C) and thawed at 37°C for 25 s before analysis. In comparison with control, C
HyFn addition prior to freezing procedure provided significant increases in total and progressive motility rates, glutathione peroxidase, catalase activities and percentage of highly active mitochondria, and significant decreases in dead and abnormal sperm rates, lipid peroxidation, caspase-3 and DNA fragmentation levels in frozen-thawed ram semen. When compared to control, C
HyFn supplementation significantly down-regulated the expression levels of miR-200a and KCNJ11, and significantly up-regulated the expression levels of miR-3958-3p (at the concentrations of 200, 400, 800 nM and 1 μM), CatSper1 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 nM and 5 μM), CatSper2 (at the concentrations of 1 and 5 μM), CatSper3 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 nM, 1 and 5 μM), CatSper4 (at all concentrations), ANO1 (at the concentrations of 800 nM, 1 and 5 μM) and TRPV5 (at the concentrations of 200, 400 and 800 nM). The addition of C
HyFn had no effect on global DNA methylation rates. As a result, C
HyFn supplementation to ram semen extenders may be beneficial in reducing some of the functional, structural and molecular damages in sperm induced by the freeze-thawing procedure.
The aim of the study was to compare postoperative vaginal cuff complications due to the use of barbed sutures (V-Loc™ 180 unidirectional suture; Covidien, Mansfield, MA) and standard braided sutures ...(Vicryl
®
; Ethicon Inc., Somerville, MA) during vaginal cuff closure of patients undergoing a total laparoscopic hysterectomy (TLH) due to benign diseases. Eighty-nine patients were in the standard suture group and 208 patients were included in the barbed suture group. Vaginal cuff dehiscence was identified in only three (3.3%) patients within the standard suture group and none in the barbed suture group. Five (5.6%) patients in the standard suture group and two (0.9%) patients in the barbed suture group developed postoperative cuff infection/cellulitis. Duration of the surgery was significantly shorter in the barbed suture group than in the standard suture group (p < .05). V-Loc™ 180 unidirectional barbed suture, which is used during TLH for vaginal cuff closure, is an applicable, safe and tolerable alternative to a standard suture.
IMPACT STATEMENT
What is already known on this subject: Barbed sutures are a relatively new type of suture that include sharp barbs inserted on monofilament material in various configurations, and are used for approximating tissues without any need for surgical knotting. They have increasingly been used in obstetrics and gynaecology in recent years, particularly in total laparoscopic hysterectomy and laparoscopic myomectomy. At present, there are a limited number of studies of V-Loc™ suture in the literature.
What the results of this study add: We demonstrated that barbed sutures used for enabling vaginal cuff integrity did not cause major morbidity and mortality for the patient. We suggest that V-Loc™ 180 barbed sutures offer a practical, safe and tolerable alternative for surgeons because they are easy to use, do not cause a significant increase in vaginal cuff complications, and shorten the operating time. Our study with V-Loc™ 180 unidirectional barbed suture is the second largest series after the study of Cong et al.
What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: We believe that the barbed suture, the surgery results of which are openly discussed in our study, will be more prominent in clinical practice owing to the shortened operating time, and that the use of these sutures does not cause a significant increase in vaginal cuff complications.
Predicting unfavorable outcome is of paramount importance in clinical decision making. Accordingly, we designed this multinational study, which provided the largest case series of tuberculous ...meningitis (TBM). 43 centers from 14 countries (Albania, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Hungary, Iraq, Italy, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Syria, Turkey) submitted data of microbiologically confirmed TBM patients hospitalized between 2000 and 2012. Unfavorable outcome was defined as survival with significant sequela or death. In developing our index, binary logistic regression models were constructed via 200 replicates of database by bootstrap resampling methodology. The final model was built according to the selection frequencies of variables. The severity scale included variables with arbitrary scores proportional to predictive powers of terms in the final model. The final model was internally validated by bootstrap resampling. A total of 507 patients’ data were submitted among which 165 had unfavorable outcome. Eighty-six patients died while 119 had different neurological sequelae in 79 (16 %) patients. The full model included 13 variables. Age, nausea, vomiting, altered consciousness, hydrocephalus, vasculitis, immunosuppression, diabetes mellitus and neurological deficit remained in the final model. Scores 1–3 were assigned to the variables in the severity scale, which included scores of 1–6. The distribution of mortality for the scores 1–6 was 3.4, 8.2, 20.6, 31, 30 and 40.1 %, respectively. Altered consciousness, diabetes mellitus, immunosuppression, neurological deficits, hydrocephalus, and vasculitis predicted the unfavorable outcome in the scoring and the cumulative score provided a linear estimation of prognosis.
In vitro propagated plants are delicate and lacking vigor to survive the acclimatization shock with great losses observed frequently. Comparison of potting substrates showed that survival of
...Podophyllum peltatum plantlets was higher (97%) in a non-sterile soil (NS)–sand (2:1 v/v) substrate than in Miracle–Gro potting mix
®-sand (2:1 v/v) with or without inocula of arbuscular mycorrhiza (AM). The non-sterile soil substrate was collected from areas of
P. peltatum wild-grown colonies located on the University of Mississippi Campus. Within the group of plantlets grown in the Miracle–Gro potting mix
®-sand substrate, the survival rate was significantly higher in plantlets inoculated with AM fungi. Plantlets inoculated with
Entrophospora colombiana had a superior survival rate (73%) than plantlets inoculated with
Glomus mosseae,
Gigaspora ramisporophora or
Scutellospora fulgida (57%).
Ex vitro G. ramisporophora inoculated plants yielded more podophyllotoxin and related lignans than the control, non-inoculated plants.
PDF