Hasibe Cingilli Vural

Radioactivity concentrations and dose assessments of therapeutic peloids from some Turkish spas

Abstract The activity concentrations of natural radionuclides in peloids were studied to assess the radiologic hazard from 18 Turkish spas. The peloids are mainly used for therapeutic treatments, rheumatic diseases and aesthetic purposes. The concentrations of the natural radionuclides 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs were determined with a gamma ray spectrometer using a HPGe detector. The average activity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K, and 137Cs in the peloids studied were 110.69, 71.52, 576.48 and 0.447 Bq/kg, respectively. The radium equivalent activities in the peloid samples ranged from 63.3 to 766.77 Bq/kg. The absorbed dose rate (Dout) varied between 37.52 and 330.67 nGy/h and most of the observed spa doses are greater than the worldwide recommended values. The annual effective dose values range from 0.26 to 2.78 μSv/y. The annual gonadal dose equivalents of the samples vary from 224.07 to 2283.55 with a mean of 821.99 μSv/y.

GENETIC IDENTIFICATION OF SOYBEAN (GLYCINE MAX (L.) MERR.) GROWING IN TURKEY FOR MOLECULAR BREEDING USING MOLECULAR MARKERS

ABSTRACT The Soybean (Glycine max) is a species of legume which is a plant in the family Fabaceae. It is an annual plant that has been used in China and in other countries for 5 000 years as a food and a component of drugs. Soy contains significant amounts of all the essential amino acids for humans, and therefore is a good source of protein. Soybeans are the primary ingredient in many processed foods, including dairy product substitutes. The feasibility of detecting yields quality in soybean genotypes by a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method is determined. PCR is a sensitive method for analyzing DNA and it is considered the most important method for detection of soybeans in processed or raw foods. Namely, PCR is a commonly applied nucleic amplification method which is specific and sensitive enough to detect even tiny amounts of organism-specific DNA sequences. This study focuses on the PCR detection in food, describes rapid and reliable DNA extraction methods which can be applied to a variety of food samples and details of PCR amplification protocols for sensitive and specific detection of soybean genotypes growing in Turkey. All soybean samples were evidenced by all PCR primers as soybean products.

A Real-Time Quantitative PCR Assay for Quantification of c-Myc DNA in Patients who Suffers from Leukemia

The MYC cancer gene contains instructions for the production of the c-Myc protein. The c-Myc protein is known as a transcription factor or a regulator of other genes. It is a protein that binds DNA at specific sites and instructs genes whether or not they should be transcribed into messages for cells to make additional or other new proteins. Quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) addresses the evident requirement for quantitative data analysis in molecular medicine, biotechnology, microbiology, archaeometry and diagnostics and has become the method of choice for the quantification of cDNA and nDNA. Therefore, we used Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based assays can target either DNA (the genome) or cDNA, namely used for research both DNA. We optimized a method for monitoring quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) of c-Myc cancer gene in patients with leukemia. We describe qRT-PCR a series of protocols that illustrate the essential technical steps required to generate quantitative data that are reliable and reproducible. In addition, our aim is to also quantify extracted DNA and determine its purity and the validation of extracted DNA from patients with leukemia including active Myc gene family. We also believe these protocols will be accessible to the researchers to provide them reliable data in this protocol. These analytical methods are essential for accurate gene quantification. With reference to, advantages of qRT-PCR are a large dynamic range of quantification, no requirement for post-PCR sample handling and the need for very small amounts of starting material. The specificity, reproducibility and detection limit of the assay was examined. The assay was used to monitor c-myc DNA levels in patients with leukemia.

Comparison of winter and summer canola (Brassica napus) genotypes in Turkey.

We examined genetic relationships between canola (Brassica napus) genotypes cultivated in winter and spring in Turkey. Genomic DNA was isolated from the seeds by two modified CTAB protocols: EZ1 nucleic acid isolation method and a commercial kit (Dneasy Plant Mini Kit, Qiagen). Diversity and genetic relationships in the genotypes were analyzed with RAPD markers; 156 reliable bands were found for both genotypes, of which 24% were polymorphic. Fifteen primers gave at least one consistent polymorphic band. The dendogram developed by pooling data of RAPD analysis of summer and winter genotypes had similar patterns. This technique allowed us to examine the relationship between canola genotypes.

Study on Polymorphism and Activities of GSTM1 and CYP1A1 Genes in Connection with Various Cancer Types in Turkey Population

ABSTRACT The metabolism of drugs and chemical carcinogens involves a variety of isoenzymes such as members of the Cytochrome P450 (CYP) and Glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) families, with polymorphisms described in these genes appearing to be responsible for differences in individual susceptibility to cancer. Furthermore, the cytochrome P450 family (CYPs) and the glutathione S-transferase (GSTs) enzymes also play an important role in the metabolism of environmental carcinogens and of estrogen and can affect various cancer types. In this study we examine the role of the genes CYP1A1 and GSTM1, in different cancer types in Turkey population. The aim of our work was to evaluate the association between CYP1A1 and GSTM1 genetic polymorphisms and activities of genes indicative for susceptibility to various cancer types in Turkey population. The polymorphic inheritance of human drug-metabolizing enzymes, such as those encoded by the GST and CYP systems, has been implicated in all the cancer risk and prognostic. The study population consisted of 80 different incident cancer cases and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping analyses were performed by PCR based methods. In conclusion, in our population GSTM1 was associated with breast, gastric, endometrium, testis, parotis, lymph node, pancreas, tyroid, and lung cancer risk in Turk population. The analysis of patients by histological types of different cancer showed no association between histopathologic types of cancer and CYP1A1 gene polymorphism (p=0.6). Genetic researches using specific biomarkers are expected to be helpful in evaluation the risks for every cancer type.