Content and composition of fatty acids in normal and inflamed gingival tissues

The balance of essential fatty acid is important for good health and normal development. Essential fatty acids (EFA) are the precursors of prostaglandins (PGs), thromboxanes and leukotrienes (LT). The aim of this clinical study was to determine the total fatty acid level of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), saturated fatty acids (SFA) and each fatty acids level of inflamed and normal gingival tissues. Twenty-seven subjects were included the present study. Nineteen samples of inflamed human gingival tissue (nine of fibrous hyperplasia (FH), ten of peripheral giant cell granuloma (PGCG) and eight samples of normal human gingival tissue were analyzed. The characteristics of inflammation were assessed histologically. Variance analyses were performed to assess the differences among tissues. The total cellular fatty acid profiles of the tissues in inflamed human gingival tissue and in eight samples of normal human gingival tissue were determined by gas chromatography using Sherlock microbial identification system (MIS) software (Microbial ID, Newark, DE, USA) with a database of FAME profiles for eukary. PUFAs, MUFAs, and SFAs were quantified by Sherlock microbial identification system (MIS) or database gas chromatography (DGC). There were statistically significant differences between the concentrations in inflamed (FH, PGCG) and healthy gingival tissues for PUFA and MUFA (P<0.001, P<0,011, respectively). There were statistically significant differences among the concentrations in FH, PGCG, and healthy gingival tissues for SFA (P<0.0001). Arachidonic acid, docosahexaenoic acid, linoleic acid were increased in inflamed tissue. The results of this study showed that unsaturated fatty acids (PUFA and MUFA) significantly increased in inflamed gingival tissues.     

Screening of Biological Activities of a Series of Chalcone Derivatives against Human Pathogenic Microorganisms

In an effort to develop new antimicrobial agents, a series of chalcone derivatives, 3 – 60 , were prepared by Claisen–Schmidt condensation of appropriate acetophenones and 2‐furyl methyl ketones with appropriate aromatic aldehydes, furfural, and thiophene‐2‐carbaldehyde in an aqueous solution of NaOH and EtOH at room temperature. The synthesized compounds were characterized by means of their IR‐ and NMR‐spectral data, and elemental analysis. All compounds were tested for their antibacterial and antifungal activities by the disc diffusion method. For the most active compounds, also minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined.     

Genetic diversity of local geese of varying productivity and feather color in Kars

The local geese in the transition region between the Caucasus Mountains and Anatolia have economically significant differences in productivity and are identified by four feather colors, white, black, piebald, and yellow. This study was undertaken to determine the genetic structure, evolutionary relationships, and genetic diversity among these birds. DNA samples were obtained from 100 animals, and 50 random primers were screened. Genetic relationships were determined by random amplified polymorphic DNA polymorphisms obtained from a total of 48 loci, showing 40 bands (83.33%) that were polymorphic among all the populations investigated. A dendrogram constructed for this study revealed a close relationship between the white and the black birds. Additionally, the piebald birds showed close similarity to white and black geese, and the yellow birds displayed a clear distance from the other three populations.     

Are black flies of the subgenus Wilhelmia (Diptera: Simuliidae) multiple species or a single geographical generalist? Insights from the macrogenome

Organisms with vast distributions often represent geographical mosaics of cryptic species. The black fly Simulium (Wilhelmia) lineatum is among the most widely distributed members of the family Simuliidae, ranging from the British Isles to eastern China. Rather than viewing S. lineatum as a possible aggregate of multiple species, taxonomists have suggested a more inclusive taxon with additional synonyms. Accordingly, S. lineatum is an ideal candidate for testing the hypothesis that a wide geographical distribution signals the presence of more than one species. A cytogenetic approach was used to probe the macrogenome of S. lineatum and other taxa proposed by taxonomists as conspecific. The banding patterns in the polytene chromosomes of 480 larvae from 15 countries across the Palearctic Region revealed 128 rearrangements of the complement. All rearrangements were autosomal and 89% were inversions nonrandomly distributed among species and among chromosome arms. The analyses clarify long‐standing confusion over previously proposed names and reveal a longitudinal succession of four species sequentially replacing one another from west to east: Simulium lineatum s.s., Simulium balcanicum, Simulium turgaicum, and Simulium takahasii. Thus, S. turgaicum is recalled from synonymy and the other three species are validated. Within the most‐represented species, S. balcanicum, the frequency of inversions follows a longitudinal gradient with a north–south bias; as the distance between the sites increases along this north‐west–south‐east axis, the similarity of inversion frequencies between sites decreases. Validation of the concept that broadly distributed black flies are composites of structurally similar species provides a framework for guiding discovery of additional biodiversity. © 2014 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2014, 114 , 163–183.     

Is there any role of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor in the development of a hypercoagulable state in gastric cancer

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to investigate plasma levels of thrombin activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and TAFI's relationship with coagulation markers (prothrombin fragment 1 + 2) in gastric cancer patients. METHODS: Thirty-three patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and 29 healthy control subjects were prospectively enrolled in the study. Patients who had a history of secondary malignancy, thrombosis related disease, oral contraceptive use, diabetes mellitus, chronic renal failure or similar chronic metabolic disease were excluded from the study. A fasting blood sample was drawn from patients to determine the plasma levels of TAFI and Prothrombin Fragment 1 + 2 (F 1 + 2). In addition, data on patient age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and stage of disease were recorded. The same parameters, except stage of disease, were also recorded for the control group. Subsequently, we assessed the difference in the levels of TAFI and F 1 + 2 between the patient and control groups. Moreover, we investigated the relation of TAFI and F 1 + 2 levels with age, sex, BMI and stage of disease in the gastric cancer group. RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in any demographic variables (age, gender and BMI) between the groups (Table 1). The mean plasma TAFI levels of the gastric cancer group (69.4 [PLUS-MINUS SIGN] 33.1) and control group (73.3 [PLUS-MINUS SIGN] 27.5) were statistically similar (P = 0.62). The mean plasma F 1 + 2 level in the gastric cancer group was significantly higher than for those in the control group (549.7 [PLUS-MINUS SIGN] 325.3 vs 151.9 [PLUS-MINUS SIGN] 67.1, respectively; P < 0.001). In the gastric cancer group, none of the demographic variables (age, gender and BMI) were correlated with either TAFI or F 1 + 2 levels. Also, no significant associations were found between the stage of the cancer and either TAFI or F 1 + 2 levels. CONCLUSION: In our study, TAFI levels of gastric cancer patients were similar to healthy subjects. The results of our study suggest that TAFI does not play a role in pathogenesis of the hypercoagulable state in gastric cancer patients.