Turcichondrostoma,a new genus for the Leuciscidae (Teleostei: Cypriniformes) from Southwestern Anatolia

Turcichondrostoma, a new genus, from the Southwestern Anatolia is distinguished by having fewer gill rakers on first gill arch and morphologies of premaxilla and dentary bones. In addition, as a result of the phylogenetic analyses based on combine data set (mtDNA COI + Cytb) sequences (1706 bp.), Turcichondrostoma genus was recovered with high posterior probability value (BI PP:1.0) and strong-supported bootstrap value (ML BP: 100%) among the former Chondrostoma groups. Also, high K2P mean genetic distance values (more than 7.84%) differentiated genus Turcichondrostoma from the other genera of former Chondrostoma group. The results of both morphological-osteological and molecular analyses are congruent with each other. The results of this study revealed that the genus Turcichondrostoma is easily distinguished from the genera in Chondrostoma group.     

Geographical distribution and origin of acetylcholinesterase mutations conferring acaricide resistance in Tetranychus urticae populations from Turkey

Two-spotted spider mite, Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae), is a cosmopolitan pest species that can feed on more than 1000 host plant species. Historically, organophosphate (OP) and carbamate insecticides have been used to control this extremely polyphagous pest. However, its ability to develop acaricide resistance rapidly has led to failure in control. Mutations in acetylcholinesterase gene (ace), the target-site of OP and carbamate insecticides, have been reported to be one of the major mechanisms underlying this developing resistance. In this study, mutations previously associated with resistance (G119S, A201S, T280A, G328A, F331W/Y) in ace have been screened in 37 T. urticae populations collected across Turkey. All mutations were found in various populations, except G119S. Almost all populations had F331W/Y mutation (being fixed in 32 populations), whereas only two populations harboured A201S mutation, but not fixed. On the other hand, more than half of the populations contained T280A and G328A mutations. In addition, the presence of same haplotypes in populations originating from distinct geographic locations and a wide variety of ace haplotypes might indicate multiple origins of F331W and F331Y mutations; however, this needs further investigation. The results of area-wide screening showed that ace mutations are widely distributed among T. urticae populations. Therefore, the use of this group of insecticides should be limited or only rotational use might be regarded as a resistance management tool due to its different mode of action from other main acaricide groups in T. urticae control across Turkey.

     

Bala wāsṭa: aspirant professionals,class-making,and moral narratives of social mobility in Lebanon

While there is a growing anthropological interest in professionals as experts and powerful actors, there is little ethnographic inquiry into invocations of professionalism by less privileged communities. This article examines how professionalism in Lebanon was increasingly appropriated by low-income communities in ways not referring to any particular profession or occupational domain. As a locally defined category, professionalism indexed an urban middle-class subjectivity of performing specific sets of symbolic capital, moral dispositions, and cross-sectarian relationalities. Lebanese civil society, led by middle-class cultural elites, promoted professionalism as a moral alternative to reliance on wāsṭa (intermediary connections through family or kinship), a practice associated with a corrupt sectarian political system. What I call aspirant professionals – young, low-income, university-educated Lebanese – increasingly participated in empowerment NGOs to learn professionalism in pursuit of social mobility and respectability. Aspirant professionals did not simply emulate the middle-class culture of professionalism; rather, their class-making process generated its own moralities, subjectivities, and practices. Through a critical examination of aspirant professional subjectivity, this article contributes to anthropological studies on professionalism, NGOs, and class.     

Ni-induced Changes in Nitrate Assimilation and Antioxidant Metabolism of Verbascum olympicum Boiss.: Could the Plant be Useful for Phytoremediation or/and Restoration Purposes?

Verbascum olympicum Boiss. (Scrophulariaceae) were studied as a candidate plant for remediating the Ni polluted soils. The metabolic responses, such as nitrate assimilation (nitrate reductase and glutamine synthetase activity) and antioxidant system activity [superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity], of this species exposed to nickel in Hoagland's nutrient medium were investigated as remediation performance parameters. The accumulation of nickel and the variations in the content of some elements (B, Cu, Fe, Mg, Mn, Mo and Zn) and some growth parameters, such as the water content, biomass production, and contents of chlorophyll and soluble protein, were also examined. The accumulation of Ni in both the roots and leaves varied depending on the exposure times and doses. Increased oxidative stress was suggested by the increases in the activities of SOD, CAT and APX. Although some element contents were inhibited by Ni treatments, these inhibitory effects was decreased depending on the time, and even these elements are accumulated in roots. These results are the novelties in the use of this species in biotechnology.     

Evaluation of silent information regulator T (SIRT) 1 and Forkhead Box O (FOXO) transcription factor 1 and 3a genes in glaucoma

Molecular Biology Reports - Analysis of the reactive oxygen species (ROS)-detoxifying biomarkers may elucidate the mitochondrial dysfunction in glaucoma pathogenesis. Therefore, we purposed to...     

Nitrite-induced methemoglobinemia in Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus

Exposure of Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus (mean weight, 55.72 ± 4.30 g), to two sublethal NO₂–N concentrations was studied for 24 and 48 h in a static test. In nitrite exposure tests, the percentages of methemoglobin, external nitrite, plasma nitrite, hemoglobin and hematocrit were assessed. Nitrite exposure in the range of 0.50 and 1.38 mg l⁻¹ NO₂–N caused an increase in methemoglobin levels; however, methemoglobin percentages ranging from 16% to 42% represented a mild methemoglobinemia. Levels of methemoglobin were unrelated to environmental and plasmatic nitrite concentrations. The nitrite concentration in the blood did not seem to be linked to time of exposure. Nitrite exposure in Nile tilapia was associated with a marked reduction in hemoglobin and hematocrit.     

Effects of Shock Waves on Oxidative Stress, Antioxidant Enzyme and Element Levels in Kidney of Rats

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) on kidney oxidative stress and trace element levels of adult rats. Twelve male Wistar albino rats were divided equally into two groups. First group was used as control. The right-side kidneys of animals in second group were treated with 2,000 18-kV shock waves under anesthesia. Localization of the right kidney was achieved following contrast medium injection through a tail vein under flouroscopy control. The animals were sacrificed 72?h after the ESWL treatment, and the kidneys were taken. Malondialdehyde level was higher in the ESWL group than in the control. Reduced glutathione levels, superoxide dismutase, and glutathione peroxidase activities were lower in the ESWL group than those of the control. Fe, Cu, Pb, Mn, Cd, and Ni levels were lower in the ESWL group than in the control, although Mg level was higher in the ESWL group than in the control. In conclusion, the result of the present study indicated that ESWL treatment produced oxidative stress in the kidney and caused impairments on the antioxidant and trace element levels in the kidneys of rats.     

The acute toxicity of fenitrothion on narrow-clawed crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823) in association with biomarkers of lipid peroxidation

The aim of this research was to evaluate the acute toxicity of fenitrothion to the crayfish (Astacus leptodactylus Eschscholtz, 1823), which is chosen as an alternative aquatic organism to fish by using the static test system and evaluate the basic lipid peroxidation parameters for the first 24 h. Crayfish of 27.3 ± 0.56 g mean weight and 10.0 ± 0.72 cm mean length were selected for the bioassay experiments. The experiments were repeated three times in 20 liters of tap water. The temperature of water was 21 ± 1°C. The data obtained were statistically evaluated by using a computer program developed by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, based on Finney's probit analysis method and the 96-h LC(50) value for crayfish was calculated to be 15.75 μg/L. The 95% lower and upper confidence limits for the LC(50) were 9.45 to 25.01 μg/L. In addition to the acute toxicity bioassay experiments, 24-h oxidative stress parameters such as malondialdehyde (MDA) levels and ferrous oxidation assay (FOX HP [hydrogen peroxide] equivalents) were also determined. Only MDA levels of hepatopancreas decreased at 5, 10, and 20 μg/L of fenitrothion doses. We can conclude that fenitrothion is highly toxic to crayfish, a nontarget organism in the ecosystem, and the lipid peroxidation indicators can be easily used for monitoring environmental effects.     

Distribution of HLA-B27 and CYP2D6*4 mutations in the middle Black Sea area (Tokat) of Turkey

We analyzed distribution of HLA-B27 and CYP2D6*4 mutations in 249 patients from Tokat province in Turkey with symptoms of arthritis, sacroiliac, joint and back pain, using a LightCycler 480 II Real-Time PCR thermal cycler. The Genes-4U was applied for studying HLA-B27 mutation, and the Tib-Molbiol commercial kit was used to examine the CYP2D6*4 mutation. Among the 249 patients, 18.5% had the HLA-B27 mutation. The CYP2D6*4 mutation was found in 22.0% (six homozygotes). Ten patients had both mutations. These frequencies are similar to what has been reported from other populations.