Trakya Region Research Articles

ABCG2 Gene Polymorphism in Holstein Cows of Turkey

Summary ABCG2 protein or Breast Cancer Resistant Protein (Bcrp), located in membrane of mammary glands alveolar epithelial cells, is one of the most important active transport proteins and responsible for passing of drugs from blood to milk. It is encoded by ABCG2 (Bcrp). These transport proteins are very important for veterinary medicine. Single nucleotide polymorphism, which is caused by changing amino acid (Y581S), in ABCG2 gene that encodes Bcrp, affect milk yield and milk properties in Israeli Holstein. It is known that fat and protein proportion in milk were increased, but milk yield was decreased in Israeli Holstein which have ABCG2 A allele. In this study, allele frequency of ABCG2 was investigated in Holstein cows of Turkey and for this purpose 207 Holstein cows from Trakya region were genotyped. A allele (0.9807) had been found dominant in all investigated animals. C allele (0.0193) had been determined at only 8 animals. On the other hand CC homozygous had not been found in investigated animals.

Correlation Between Maternal Plasma Thrombomodulin and Infant Birth Weight in Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy

To evaluate the association between maternal plasma thrombomodulin levels and infant birth weights in pregnancy-induced hypertension. Plasma thrombomodulin levels were measured in 80 pregnant women living in the Trakya region of Turkey. Of these patients, 30 were with severe preeclampsia, 10 with HELLP syndrome, 10 with eclampsia, and 30 were normotensive healthy pregnant women. Plasma thrombomodulin levels were determined by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. The correlation analysis between thrombomodulin and birth weight and placental weights was done using analysis of variance and Bonferroni test (significance at P < .05). Kruskal-Wallis statistical analysis was performed in comparison of the descriptive and laboratory data (significance at P < .05). The plasma thrombomodulin values in hypertensive disorders in pregnancy were found to be highly correlated with the infant birth weights (P < .001). In HELLP syndrome, the highest thrombomodulin levels (94.69 + 10.41 ng/mL) were associated with the lowest infant birth weight (1509.70 + 187.55 g) in the study population. Thrombomodulin in eclampsia (81.37 + 3.59 ng/mL) showed an association with infant birth weight (2078 + 132.65 g). Although thrombomodulin levels in severe preeclampsia (67.15 + 3.72 ng/mL) were associated with the values (1748.20 + 132.62 g) in infant birth weight, thrombomodulin levels of the control group demonstrated the mean (48.06 + 2.45) with the highest infant birth weight (3228.85 + 84.83) in the total group. Elevated plasma thrombomodulin levels in hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were well correlated with related infant birth weights of these pathologies. Plasma thrombomodulin levels might point out placental vascular endothelial damage reflecting on infant birth weights.

Desalination of produced water from oil production fields by membrane processes

Water co-produced with oil and gas is termed produced water. Produced water is very difficult wastewater to treat and characteristics changes by well to well. In this study, treatability of produced water generated from oil production fields in Trakya region which is operated by National Oil and Natural Gas Company of Turkey was investigated. The aim of this study is to investigate the pre-treatment alternatives of reverse osmosis and nanofiltration membranes and find the most appropriate treatment combination. Management of produced water was also evaluated. Dissolved air floatation (DAF), acid cracking (AC), coagulation (CA) with lime and precipitation, cartridge filters (CDF) (5 and 1 μm), microfiltration (MF) and ultrafiltration (UF) were used as pre-treatment techniques, and nanofiltration (NF) and reverse osmosis (RO) were carried out to reduce salt content of produced water as a final treatment. Different combinations were tried to determine the best pre-treatment combination regarding both the best effluent water quality and high permeate flux. According to the experimental results, treatment combinations provided required treatment to reach discharge standard for COD which is 250 mg/L for petroleum industry in Turkey. However, different treatment combinations should be applied to reach the discharge standard for sodium.

Association of Angiotensinogen T174M and M235T Gene Variants with Development of Hypertension in Turkish Subjects of Trakya Region

ABSTRACTGenetic determinations of human essential (primary) hypertension are discussed by reviewing the candidate genes. Angiotensinogen (AGT) gene, coding the precursor of potent vasoactive hormone angiotensin II, in renin-angiotensin-system (RAS) has been reported to be associated with the onset of hypertension. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of variation in the 174 and 235 sites in exon 2 in AGT gene in the developing of primary hypertension in Turkish subjects from Trakya region.Our study involved 136 subjects, 84 hypertensive and 52 gender and age matched controls. T174M and M235T polymorphisms of the AGT gene were investigated using allele specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).The frequency of genotypes of the variant T174M in the patients with primary hypertension was TT=%73.8, TM=%26.2, and MM=%0.0, that were not different from the controls TT=%73.1, TM=%25.0, and MM=%1.9. And for M235T; the genotype frequencies in patients with primary hypertension were MM=%19.0 MT=%54.8, and TT=%26.2, which were again not significantly different from that of the controls MM=%26.9 MT=%46.2 and TT=%26.9.In conclusion this study shows that T174M and M235T variants of the AGT gene were not associated with primary hypertension in Turkish subjects from Trakya region.

The impact of Neonatal Resuscitation Program courses on mortality and morbidity of newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia

Objective. Neonatal care provided within the first few minutes of life plays a major role in the reduction of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP) courses had been held since 1996. The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of the NRP on morbidity and mortality of newborn infants with perinatal asphyxia. Methods. This retrospective study comprised newborn infants who were born in hospitals at Trakya region of Turkey during the last 3 years and were diagnosed as perinatal asphyxia and were referred to our Neonatal Unit. Those patients who were referred before NRP course (pretraining period) were designated as Group 1, those who were referred after the first NRP course (transition period) as Group 2, and those who were referred after the second NRP course (post-training period) as Group 3. Chart review was performed with regard to gestational age, birth weight, Apgar scores, resuscitation type, stage of hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), existence of meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS), progress of the disease, duration of hospitalization. Results. The study comprised 66 patients; 35 in Group 1, 18 in Group 2 and 13 in Group 3. The number of cases who had not been resuscitated was 10 in the pretraining period, 3 in the transition period and 1 in the post-training period which decreased significantly. The first minute Apgar scores in three groups were as follows; 2.08 ± 1.2, 2.2 ± 1.1 and 3.7 ± 1.4, and this increase was statistically significant. The fifth minute Apgar scores also increased from 5.43 ± 1.5 in the pretraining period to 6.5 ± 1.9 in the post-training period, but this increase was not statistically significant. The number of patients with Stage 1 and 2 HIE decreased more in Group 3 ( n = 11 in Stage 1 HIE, n = 17 in Stage 2 HIE) compared to those in Group 1 ( n = 7 in Stage 1 HIE, n = 5 in Stage 2 HIE) but the difference was not statistically significant. The duration of hospitalization decreased in post-training period (15.1 ± 10.3 days in pretraining period, 12.0 ± 8.9 days in transition period, 6.1 ± 1.2 days in post-training period). Conclusions. After NRP courses, the number of patients with perinatal asphyxia and with no resuscitation and also the duration of hospitalization decreased significantly, whereas the first minute Apgar scores increased significantly.

Incidence of virus diseases in maize fields in the Trakya region of Turkey

A survey on maize virus diseases was conducted in the Trakya region of Turkey by examining 32 496 and 46 871 plants in 2004 and 2005, respectively. Rates of symptomatic plants were estimated at 3.7 to 63.6%, depending on locations. Biological and serological test results revealed the presence of barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV), maize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV), sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV), and Johnson grass mosaic virus (JGMV). One hundred forty-two samples were collected randomly from 6492 symptomatic plants in 2004. Seventy-two out of the 142 samples were infected with MDMV, two were infected with BYDV-PAV, 19 with MDMV and BYDV-PAV, two with MDMV, BYDV-PAV and SCMV, and only one sample contained the four viruses. In 2005, 100 other leaf samples were collected randomly from 11 739 symptomatic maize plants. Serological tests revealed that 50% of the samples were infected with MDMV and SCMV; however, five showed mixed infections of two or three combinations of tested viruses. Individual MDMV, SCMV, BYDV-PAV and JGMV infections were detected in five, three, two and four samples, respectively. Presence of MDMV was confirmed by Western blot analysis and IC-RT-PCR. SCMV was also detected by IC-RT-PCR. This is the first study reporting the detection of SCMV and JGMV on maize plants in Turkey.

Sudden natural deaths in Edirne, Turkey, from 1984 to 2005

The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristics of sudden natural deaths (SND) in forensic autopsy cases which were performed in Trakya University Department of Forensic Medicine, Edirne, Turkey. For each case, a complete autopsy, toxicological screening and histological examination were performed. Deaths due to unnatural causes, alcohol, drug overdose and undetermined causes (negative autopsy) were excluded from the study. Autopsy reports of 959 consecutive forensic cases performed in a 22-year period were reviewed. Two hundred and seventy-eight (278) SNDs were identified, involving 232 males (83.4%) and 46 females (16.6%). The age group of 50-59 years accounted for 21.58% of the cases. In the majority (55%) the cause of death was related to the cardiovascular system--principally ischemic heart disease. The second most common cause of SND was related to the respiratory system (19.1%), especially pneumonia. Most of the SNDs occurred in the winter months. Ethyl alcohol was detected in 5.3% of cases. In conclusion, sudden natural deaths related to the cardiovascular system are shown to be a significant problem in the Trakya region of Turkey.

Economic analysis of sunflower production in Turkey

SUMMARY Sunflower is the main crop in the rotation system in Trakya region which is located in the European part of Turkey. As this area is the main sunflowerproducing region in Turkey, a large survey was organized there in order to determine the uses of agricultural resources and their effectiveness in sunflower production in Turkey. Data compiled via a questionnaire circulated to 182 agricultural enterprises in Edirne, Kirklareli and Tekirdag provinces in the region in the 2005 production year were used in the study. The examined locations were classified in 3 groups according to input uses for sunflower production per unit area. Cobb-Douglas type production functions were calculated for each group. It was found that farm size/land area was the main production factor in each 3 groups. In the analyzed enterprises, the sum of production elasticity coefficients was found to be 0.978 for group I (Tekirdag), 0.938 for group III (Edirne) and 0.856 for group II (Kirklareli). The production elasticity coefficients for inputs were positive for group I and the coefficients for herbicide, fertilizer and hoeing costs were negative for group II. For group III, the production elasticity coefficients for seed, fertilizer and hoeing costs were negative.

Prospective Evaluation of Rickettsioses in the Trakya (European) Region of Turkey and Atypic Presentations of Rickettsia Conorii

In 2004 between the months of May-November, 11 patients with spotted fever group (SFG) rickettsioses were admitted to the Trakya University Hospital in Edirne, Turkey. SFG rickettsioses were diagnosed clinically. Before treatment, punch biopsy from skin lesions, especially from the eschar, was performed. Serum specimens were tested by IFA using a panel of nine rickettsial antigens, including SFG rickettsiae and R. typhi. Western blotting and standard PCR were also performed. The average age of the 11 patients (4 male and 7 female) was 51 years. All the patients had high fever; 10 (91%) had maculopapular rash; 8 (73%) had rash in the palms or on the soles. Five patients had a unique eschar; two had double eschars (64%). Two patients presented with multiple organ failure and one of them died. All the patients had significant antibody titers against SFG rickettsiae. PCR experiments of skin biopsies were positive in six (60%) of 10 skin biopsy samples and DNA sequencing of the positive PCR products gave 100% homology with Rickettsia conorii Malish 7 for opmA and gltA. Trakya Region in an endemic area for rickettsioses. In this series, three patients presented with life-threatening diseases and one of them died. This patient was the first fatal case (2.8%). Atypic and serous life-threatening presentations of rickettsioses must be kept in mind for the differential diagnosis of febrile disease in Turkey.

Common reed (Phragmites communis) is a natural host of important cereal viruses in the Trakya region of Turkey

Common reed (Phragmites communis Trin.), a perennial grass, is a widespread weed in the Trakya region of Turkey. Reed leaf samples were collected in 2004 and 2005, and tested for the presence of theMaize dwarf mosaic virus (MDMV),Sugarcane mosaic virus (SCMV),Barley yellow dwarf virus-PAV (BYDV-PAV),Cereal yellow dwarf virus-RPV (CYDV-RPV) andWheat dwarf virus (WDV) by DAS-ELISA, PTA-ELISA and Western blot analysis. MDMV was identified in five out of sixP. communis samples that exhibited characteristic virus-like symptoms in 2004. The remaining sample was co-infected with MDMV and BYDV-PAV. Transmission electron microscopy confirmed the presence of flexuous rod-shaped virus particles in four samples that reacted positively for MDMV in ELISA. In 2005, ELISA revealed that nine out of 234 samples that were collected in two different locations were infected with MDMV, nine with SCMV, and three with BYDV-PAV. No sample contained CYDV-RPV, JGMV and WDV. Our results confirm that the common reed is a host of BYDV-PAV and indicate, for the first time, that it is also a natural host of MDMV and SCMV.P. communis most likely acts as a reservoir of these three viruses in the Trakya region in Turkey.

Water-yield relationships of potato under different irrigation methods and regimens

Yield response to irrigation of different crops is of major importance in production planning where water resources are limited. This study aims to determine the effect of different irrigation methods and irrigation regimens on potato yield in the Trakya Region, Turkey, during 2003 and 2005. Potato was grown under furrow and drip irrigation methods and three regimens: irrigation applied when 30, 50, or 70% of the available water was consumed. The seasonal potato evapotranspiration ranged on 501 to 683 mm in 2003, and 464 to 647 mm in 2005. The furrow and drip irrigation methods had no significant effect on tuber yield for both years. Irrigation regimens influenced tuber yield (P &lt; 0.05) in 2005, and the highest tuber yield was registered for 30% irrigation regimen, reaching 35.13 t ha-1 in 2003, and 44.56 t ha-1 in 2005. Water use efficiency values increased from 4.70 to 6.63 kg m-3 for furrow-irrigated treatments, and from 5.19 to 9.47 kg m-3 for drip-irrigated treatments.

Suicides in Trakya Region, Turkey, from 1984 to 2004

The aim of this study is to investigate some features of suicide cases in Trakya region, Turkey. During the 21-year period from January 1984 to September 2004, there were 137 suicide cases autopsied by the Department of Forensic Medicine, Trakya University. Suicides comprised 16.1% of all forensic autopsies. Twenty-seven per cent of the cases were aged between 21 and 30 years and the mean age was 39.7 years. Males constituted 78.1% of the cases. The most frequent method of suicide was hanging (40.1%), followed by firearms, and poisoning. Overall, suicide rates in males showed an increase in the last five years. Most of the suicides occurred in the winter months. In conclusion, since suicides present a major public health problem, detection and prevention methods must be developed for high-risk groups.

Association Between ACE Gene Insertion (I)/Deletion (D) Polymorphism and Primary Hypertension in Turkish Patients of Trakya Region

ABSTRACTHypertension is immensely common in Turkish subjects in Trakya region. The renin angiotensin system (RAS) helps maintain blood pressure and salt homeostasis and appears important in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) is a key component of RAS. Insertion/Deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the ACE gene has been implicated in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular diseases. In addition to this, the association between ACE I/D polymorphism and hypertension is controversial, when numerous studies have addressed the role of ACE I/D polymorphism in the development of hypertension, there were different studies showed that no correlation has been found between ACE I/D polymorphism and in the development of hypertension. The objective of our study was to investigate the relation between the ACE gene I/D polymorphism and primary hypertension in Turkish subjects in Trakya region. We analyzed the ACE gene I/D polymorphism in 79 patients with primary hypertension as a primary hypertensive group and 38 age matched healthy individuals as a control group by using a polymerase chain reaction assay, and agarose gel electrophoresis system. The genotype distributions were not different between the patients and normal control groups in the men. But the frequency of ACE Deletion/Deletion (DD) genotype in patients with primary hypertension (35.5%) was significantly higher than in controls (21.4%) in the women. This result suggested that ACE DD genotype may be associated with primary hypertension in the women, not in the men, and showed the possibility of ACE DD genotype as a potent risk factor for primary hypertension for the women not for the men.

Bazı Ekmeklik Buğday (Triticum aestivum L. em Thell) Çeşitlerinde Ana Sap ve Fertil Kardeşlerin Bitki Tane Verimi ve Verim Öğeleri Yönünden Karşılaştırılması

This research was carried out in experimental field of Field Crops Department of Faculty of Agriculture of Namik Kemal University in randomized split blocks design with three replications in 2002/2003 growing season. Three bread wheat cultivars (Pehlivan, Flamura-85 and Golia) with different plant height and maturing period commonly grown in Trakya region were used as experimental material in this study. The objectives of this study were to compare plant grain yield and some other yield components such as plant height, spike length, the number of spikelet per spike, the number of grain per spike, the grain weight per spike and 1000 grain weight of main stem and fertil tillers in the cultivars used in the study. Based on the results of this study, main stems of all cultivars had the highest plant height, spike length, the number of spikelet per spike, the number of grain per spike, the grain weight per spike and 1000 grain weight. In term of these characters, performance of first tillers, second tillers and third tillers were second, third and fourth in the rank respectively. The highest plant grain yield was obtained from plants with 4 tillers including main stem. Plants with no tiller (only main stem) had the lowest plant grain yield. The results of this study indicate that tiller number in wheat grown in Tekirdag conditions should be 4 including main stem to maximize grain yield.

The incidence of recurrence and hypothyroidism after radioiodine treatment in patients with hyperthyroidism in Trakya, a mild iodine deficiency area, during the period 1991–2003

The purpose of this retrospective study was to evaluate the incidence of recurrence and the success of radioiodine treatment (RIT) in the Trakya region of Turkey, an area with mild iodine deficiency, and to compare the effect of dose regimen selection (fixed (FD) or calculated dose (CD)) on treatment success. The study sample included 148 patients (40 male, median age 50) treated with radioiodine between the years 1991-2003. Patients were categorized into three diagnostic groups: Graves' disease (GD) (n = 65), solitary toxic adenoma (TA) (n = 29), and toxic multinodular hyperthyroidism (TMH) (n = 54), and each divided into two subgroups according to treatment method; the first group was treated with a FD of 370 MBq (10 mCi), and the second with CD. The largest group was GD (44%), followed by TMH (36%). Median duration of follow-up was 28 months (range 6-147). FD was given to 52.7% of all patients and CD was given to 47.3%. There was a partial difference in the dose regimen between all groups, but did not reach statistically significant levels (FD vs. CD: 65%-35%; 38%-62%; 46%-54%; GD, TA, TMH respectively, p > 0.05). Total cure rate in FD and CD was 46 (59%) and 37 (52.9%), respectively. The rates of hypothyroidism for GD, TA, and TMH groups were 28 (43.1%), 6 (20.7%) and 16 (29.6%), respectively. The incidence of hypothyroidism did not vary significantly between any groups (p > 0.05). At the end of the follow-up period, a total of 104 patients (70.3%) were treated successfully. There was no significant difference in the cure rate between any groups (p > 0.05). The treatment success in all groups and subgroups did not differ significantly between FD and CD. Our lower cure rate than in previous studies may be related to iodine deficiency. Higher doses of radioiodine may be required to increase final treatment success in endemic goiter areas. If this true, dosimetry and calculated dose regimen would be required in all groups of patients instead of an FD concept. However, our findings should be verified in larger series of patients, with longer follow-up period, and urinary iodine concentration measurements.

Possibilities of direct drilling and reduced tillage in second crop silage corn

Reduced tillage techniques and direct seeding method that can replace the conventional methods, were examined in the western part of Turkey (Trakya Region) during the years of 1999 and 2000. In the experiment five tillage methods and no-tillage (DRD) were used. All tillage methods and direct seeding were applied in the dry soil conditions except conventional method. The tillage methods are heavy-duty disc harrow (DIS), plough (PLO), rotary tiller (ROT), tillage combination of tine, rotor and roller (TIC) and conventional tillage method in which plough is used in wet soil condition. The effects of the treatments on soil penetration resistance, mean emergence dates, percentage of emerged seedlings, plant height, stem diameter and silage corn yield were measured. All the parameters tested were found to be statistically significant. Direct seeding method gave the best result for mean of emergence dates (4.93 days) and percentage of emerged seedlings (95.48%). The best result for silage yield (69.32 Mg ha −1) was found in tillage combination. The lowest yield (58.92 Mg ha −1) was found in the heavy-duty disc harrow tillage method. Direct seeding gives the best results for tillage efficiency parameters, such as fuel consumption, effective power requirement and field efficiency. Reduced tillage and direct seeding methods can be used in second crop silage corn in the region.

Methanol related deaths in Edirne

In this retrospective autopsy study, a detailed analysis of methanol related deaths in Trakya region of Turkey is presented and departmental autopsy records, toxicology and histopathology results are analyzed. We found that methanol poisonings comprise 2.83% of all forensic autopsies ( n:18), 88.8% of the cases were male, most of the victims were aged between 41 and 45. Blood methanol concentrations range widely from 55 to 479 mg per 100 ml. Ethyl alcohol was detected in 44.4% of the cases. Most of the cases died in hospital and were poisoned through the consumption of alcoholic beverages from illicit sources and colognes. It is important for physicians to be aware of methanol poisoning symptoms and for forensic pathologists to obtain samples for toxicology during autopsies. Some preventative strategies including to routine control of the stores, to prevent the production of illegal alcoholic beverages, etc. should be developed.

Evaluation of natural coagulation inhibitor levels in various hypertensive states of pregnancy

Objective To evaluate the role of natural coagulation inhibitors in various classifications of pregnancy associated hypertension in Turkish population living in Trakya region of Turkey. Study design Serum uric acid levels, plasma protein C (PC), protein S (PS), antithrombin III (AT III) activities and activated protein C resistance (APCR) were measured in 80 pregnant women with hypertension (preeclampsia, n = 32; severe preeclampsia, n = 25; eclampsia, n = 14; chronic hypertension, n = 9) and 58 healthy pregnant women. Tukey and Tamhane multiple comparison tests, Kruskal–Wallis, χ 2 and Fisher's exact tests were performed for comparison of means and/or medians. Results Serum uric acid levels were significantly elevated in women with preeclampsia and severe preeclampsia, but PS activity decreased in women with severe preeclampsia (33.2 ± 18.9% versus 50.4 ± 22.7%, p = 0.015) and chronic hypertension (29.5 ± 14.5% versus 50.4 ± 22.7%, p = 0.045) compared to healthy controls. There was no significant difference in APCR, and PC or AT III activity between the groups. Platelet counts were significantly lower in women with severe preeclampsia, compared to controls and women with chronic hypertension. Conclusion(s) Serum uric acid levels and plasma protein S activity may be useful as indices of severity of pathology in pregnancy associated hypertension.

Evaluation and analysis of traffic noise from the main roads in the Trakya region of Turkey

This study concerns analysis and evaluation of traffic noise in the Trakya region of Turkey. Road traffic noise is one of the most significant sources of noise pollution in this region. Measurements of traffic noise levels in the Trakya region implicated that noise levels in this region were higher than those set by the Turkish Noise Control Regulations. This paper presents the results of the road traffic noise measurements, traffic noise characteristics of the Trakya region, Turkish noise standards and policy and noise mitigation strategies aiming for quiet cities. For the covering abstract see ITRD E129315.

In vitro Regeneration and Callus Formation of Different Hybrid of the (Sunflower) Helianthus annuus L. Yielding in Turkish Trakya Region

In vitro Regeneration and Callus Formation of Different Hybrid of the (Sunflower) Helianthus annuus L. Yielding in Turkish Trakya Region