Estimating the production losses due to cystic echinococcosis in water buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Turkey

Veterinary Research Communications - The current study aimed at estimating the direct (condemned offal) and indirect (meat, milk, and fecundity losses) production losses due to cystic...     

Determination of Energy Use Efficiency of some Apple (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Malus x domestica</Emphasis>) Production in Turkey: a Case Study of Eğirdir Region

This research aims to make an analysis of energy use efficiency of apple (‘Starkrimson Delicious’ and ‘Golden Delicious’) production in E?irdir region of Turkey, during the production season of 2012. Production data this research was collected in 2013. In order to determine the energy use efficiency of apple, various surveys have been conducted in 71 apple farms, selected through Simple Random Sampling method, located in E?irdir region of Turkey. The data have been collected through face to face questionnaires and first hand observations. The energy input and output values in apple production have been calculated as 34,703.63 MJ ha^?1 and 95,034 MJ ha^?1, respectively. Energy inputs consist of diesel fuel energy by 29.04?%, chemical fertilizers energy by 24.28?%, machinery energy by 15.70?%, chemical energy by 9.84?%, human labor energy by 8.54?%, electricity energy by 5.63?%, irrigation energy by 3.97?%, farmyard manure energy by 2.88?% and lime energy by 0.12?%. Energy use efficiency, energy productivity, specific energy and net energy in apple production have been calculated as 2.74, 1.16 kg MJ^?1, 0.86 MJ kg^?1 and 60,330.36 MJ ha^?1, respectively. The total energy input consumed has been classified as direct, by 47.17?%, indirect, by 52.83?%, renewable, by 15.38?% and non-renewable, by 74.62?%.     

Molecular Characterization of Some Apple Accessions Using DNA Markers Associated with Fruit Skin and Flesh Colour

Apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) is one of the most widely grown and economically important fruit crops in the world. Skin colour is one of the most important criteria for marketing of apple fruits. Thus, improving fruit colouring is one of the main objectives of apple breeding programs. Even though environmental conditions may affect the colouring of apple, understanding the genetic basis of colouring is important to accelerate the breeding process. In recent years, molecular biology and genetic studies were conducted to explore the molecular basis of colouring in apple. Many genes responsible for the anthocyanin synthesis were identified and their associations with colouring of apple fruit flesh and/or skin were demonstrated. In addition, some DNA markers associated with fruit flesh and skin colour have been developed for screening apple cultivars and hybrids. In this study, 90 apple accessions of international, national, and local decents were selected from the genetic resources collection. Genomic DNA was isolated from leaf tissue of all acession and screened with four different DNA markers associated with fruit flesh and skin colour. Apple accessions in the collection were characterized and their genotypes and genetic potential for fruit colouration were determined by different DNA markers. Additionally, the use of these DNA markers in different apple accessions, well-characterized cultivars and uncharacterized local and national types were investigated.

     

Cold storage of oil rose (Rosa damascena Mill.) flowers

Oil rose flowers were stored at 0 °C in four different packaging materials [plastic box + stretch film (PB + SF), Xtend^®, Smartbag^® and polyethylene (PE)] for 60 days. During storage, weight loss, O₂ and CO₂ concentrations in the packages, petal color and sensorial attributes were investigated besides essential oil content and composition. Storage duration and packages had significant (p < 0.01) effects on weight loss. At the end of storage, the lowest weight loss was in PE package (1.696%) whereas the highest weight loss was in Xtend^® (10.081%). The essential oil content was significantly (p < 0.01) affected by storage duration and packages. In addition, the essential oil contents obtained from all packages for a storage period of 10 days and the essential oil contents obtained from unstored (control) petals were included in the same group. At the end of storage, the essential oil contents decreased by 91.3, 57.7, 80.0 and 64.3% in PB + SF, Xtend^®, Smartbag^® and PE packages, respectively as compared to control. In addition, storage duration and package types significantly (p < 0.01) affected petal color, O₂ and CO₂ concentrations in the packages and sensorial scores. The concentration of citronellol, a main component of rose oil, increased in all packages during storage of 10 days in comparison to the control group while it varied in other storage durations and package types. However, nerol and geraniol were lower than the control group during storage while concentrations of nonadecane, heneicosane and eicosane were higher. In conclusion, loss of oil yield and quality, due to various reasons and particularly due to fermentation in oil rose from the harvest of petals to their distillation, can be minimized with storage of petals in all package types for up to 10 days.     

Electrical stimulation of lumbar spinal nerve roots in dogs

The aim of this study was to test the applicability of electrical stimulation of lumbar spinal nerve roots and obtain normative electrical root stimulation (ERS) data for L7 nerve root and sciatic nerve in dogs. For that purpose ERS and sciatic nerve stimulations were performed consecutively, in totally 40 healthy dogs. ERS was applied in the L7/S1 intervertebral space via monopolar needle electrodes. Muscle responses were recorded from the gastrocnemius muscles on the left and right hind limbs. Sciatic nerve stimulation was performed at the greater trochanter level on the left hind limb, with records obtained from the left gastrocnemius muscle. Mean root latencies of the left and right side were 5.22?±?0.49 ms and 5.29?±?0.53 ms, respectively. There was no significant difference in root latency between the right and left sides. The mean terminal latency was 3.82?±?0.46 ms. The proximal motor nerve conduction velocity of the sciatic nerve was 63.15?±?3.43 m/s. The results of this study show that ERS provides objective data about the integrity of lumbar spinal nerve roots by evaluating the entire population of motor fibres and total length of the motor axon in dogs. ERS can be considered a useful diagnostic method for confirmation of diagnoses of lumbosacral diseases.     

Antimicrobial,Antioxidant, and Antimutagenic Activities of Five Turkish Pear Cultivars

The pear (Pyrus spp.) is one of the most important fruits consumed in daily life. The aim of this study was to determine the total phenolic and ascorbic acid contents, as well as the antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antimutagenic activities, of various pear cultivars. The fruits of five pear (Pyrus communis L.) cultivars (‘Deveci’, ‘Kizil’, ‘Egirsah’, ‘Gugum’, and ‘Banda’) were used in this study. It was determined that the peel and pulp of the ‘Kizil’ pear had the highest total phenolic content (402.5?mg/100?g and 215.2?mg/100?g, respectively), while those of the ‘Banda’ pear had the lowest total phenolic content (326?mg/100?g and 126.1?mg/100?g, respectively). Additionally, the ‘Kizil’ pear showed the highest antioxidant capacity in the 2,2’-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) and ferric-reducing ability assay (FRAP) (1.72 μmol TE/g FW and 161.25?μmol Fe II/g FW, respectively) and the highest ascorbic acid content (16.02?mg/100?g). The ‘Banda’ pear showed the highest antibacterial activity against the test bacteria. However, none of the pear extracts displayed antifungal activity. While all doses of the ‘Kizil’, ‘Gugum’, and ‘Banda’ pear extracts used in this study, except 80?μL/plate, exhibited antimutagenic activities, only the lowest dose (10?μL/plate) of the ‘Deveci’ pear extract showed the antimutagenic activity against induced mutagenesis in the Salmonella typhimurium TA 98 strain. Consequently, the five Turkish pear cultivars used in this study exhibited different levels of antimicrobial, antioxidant, and antimutagenic activities.     

Screw-nail withdrawal and bonding strength of paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa Steud.) wood

The effects of screw type, moisture content, and grain direction on the screw and nail withdrawal strength and bonding strength were investigated for paulownia (Paulownia tomentosa Steud.) wood grown in Turkey. The withdrawal strength was carried out according to the ASTM-D 143 and ASTM-D 1761 and Turkish Standard 6094 in three directions (tangential, radial, and longitudinal) on 60 samples. The moisture content of half of the samples was 12 % and that of the other half 28 %.The experiment of bonding strength (BS EN 205) was applied to both sanded surfaces jointed by poly-vinly acetate and Desmodur-VTKA adhesives. Results of the tests indicate that, the withdrawal strength values at 12 % moisture content were higher than the 28 % for screws whereas the withdrawal strength for 28 % moisture content was higher than 12 % for nails. The maximum withdrawal strength value was found in the chipboard screw. In the case of directions, the withdrawal strength values of radial direction were found to be higher than the others for all parameters. The lowest withdrawal strength values were found in the longitudinal directions for both nails and screws. For adhesive types, the highest bonding strength of D-VTKA was found to be 5.64 N mm^?2 and it was higher than the bonding strength with PVAc (5.33 N mm^?2). However, there were no significant statistical differences between the two adhesive types. The results show that paulownia wood can be used for different purposes such as house construction, roof systems, and box cases as it possesses enough strength.     

Screening of antioxidant activity of three Euphorbia species from Turkey

Euphorbia acanthothamnos, E. macroclada and E. rigida were investigated for their antioxidant activity. The antioxidant potential of extracts of E. acanthothamnos, E. macroclada and E. rigida was evaluated using different complementary antioxidant tests.