This study investigated the effects of lactose-free and regular kefir on Drosophila melanogaster lifespan, by applying four doses (5%, 10%, 15%, 20%) to assess their impact on aging through mathematical modeling. We hypothesized that kefir's probiotic content could extend lifespan through its bioactive compounds, with the observed differences potentially attributable to lactose content and dosage. Wild-type flies were divided into groups: a control group fed with a standard diet (SDB), and groups fed regular or lactose-free kefir at varying concentrations. Each group comprised 100 male and 100 female flies, with three replicates, maintained at 25°C and 60% humidity. Daily survival data were collected and analyzed using the Gompertz model to evaluate lifespan and aging rates. Results showed that regular 15% kefir increased average lifespan from 61.2 to 68.2 days for females, and 63.5 to 70.0 days for males, while lactose-free kefir at the same dose extended it to 72.4 and 73.9 days, respectively. Aging rates decreased most significantly at 15% lactose-free kefir, indicating slower aging. However, at 20%, lifespan gains diminished, indicating a complex dose-response relationship that warrants further investigation. These findings suggest kefir's anti-aging potential, with lactose-free kefir showing greater efficacy (18.3% increase in females and 16.4% increase in males), and highlight the importance of dose optimization in aging research.

Extruded foods are shaped, cooked products made by forcing ingredients through a high-temperature, high-pressure extruder. This study optimized extrusion conditions for snacks made from acha-peanut blends enriched with carrot and orange-fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) flours. Using material balancing, four formulations were developed to meet a 19 g/day target: A (100% acha), AP (81.08% acha + 18.92% peanut), APC (64.21% acha + 20.64% peanut + 15.15% carrot), and APO (64.55% acha + 20.74% peanut + 14.71% OFSP). A two-level factorial Central Composite Design was employed to study the influence of moisture (14–22%) and temperature (100–120 °C) on the physical characteristics and acceptability of the snacks. Results indicated that 100% acha (A) snacks had the largest diameters (13.3–14.9 mm) and lowest densities (apparent: 0.41–0.54 g/ml; bulk: 0.13–0.17 g/ml), leading to high porosity (0.68–0.80), expansion ratios (4.43–4.97), and overall acceptability (6.85–8.25). AP snacks exhibited slightly smaller diameters (12.7–13.9 mm), higher densities (apparent: 0.46–0.60 g/ml; bulk: 0.13–0.21 g/ml), moderate expansion ratios (4.23–4.67), and acceptability scores (7.50–8.00). APC snacks had increased densities (apparent: 0.54–0.60 g/ml; bulk: 0.16–0.28 g/ml), smaller diameters (9.5–11.7 mm), lower porosity (0.53–0.71), and reduced expansion ratios (3.17–3.90), with acceptability scores (6.55–8.15). APO snacks yielded the densest snacks (apparent: 0.60–0.71 g/ml; bulk: 0.29–0.41 g/ml) with the smallest diameters (7.9–9.0 mm), lowest expansion ratios (2.63–3.00), and the least acceptability (6.50–8.10). Regression analysis indicated that higher moisture content decreased density and acceptability, while increased temperature enhanced porosity and expansion especially in AP and APO snacks. Optimal extrusion conditions were identified as: A (14.57% moisture, 113.33 °C), AP (19.90%, 120 °C), APC (18.93%, 118.79 °C), and APO (17.72%, 113.94 °C). Further studies are suggested to evaluate the quality and shelf-life stability of the optimized products.

The whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, damages various crops by releasing honeydew and spreading. Although farmers and pest control experts primarily rely on insecticides to manage whiteflies, the notable issue is their tendency to develop resistance to major insecticide categories, posing a significant challenge. This result has led to the improvement of new drugs or insecticide mixtures. In addition, some plant-based studies have been conducted to control whiteflies, and RNA interference (RNAi) technology has been used in recent years. This study aimed to identify the relationships between tobacco, cotton, tomato, and linen miRNAs and odorant-binding protein (OBP) and chemosensory protein (CSP) genes in whiteflies by using in silico approaches. We determined that 115 miRNAs belonging to these plants targeted 13 CSP and 8 OBP genes of B. tabaci. Obtaining findings are important to reduce dependency on chemicals and pesticides in pest management.

The aim of the present study was to determine the the effects of carazolol injection during mating following progestagen + eCG administration on conception rate in breeding season Lacaune ewes. Sixty-two Lacaune ewes were used in the study. On day 0, an intravaginal sponge containing 20 mg flugestone acetate was inserted and left in place for 10 days. On day 10, the sponges were removed, and each ewe received an intramuscular injection of eCG at a dose of 480 IU. Ewes in estrus were mated with a proven rams (ewe:ram ratio of 5:1). Fifty-nine mated ewes were randomly assigned into two groups: control and treatment. In the carazolol group (n = 30), ewes received an intramuscular injection of carazolol (0.01 mg/kg; Simpanorm, Fatro, Italy) on the day of estrus, post-mating. In the control group (n = 29), ewes were not administered any treatment. Pregnancy diagnosis was conducted in all ewes on days 30 and 60 post-mating using transabdominal ultrasonography with a Hitachi EUB-405 device equipped with a 3.5 MHz convex probe. The estrus rate, conception rate, total pregnancy rate, and early fetal death rate were evaluated across all groups. The study results indicated no statistically significant differences between the control group and the carazolol group regarding conception rates (62.1% vs. 66.7%) and total pregnancy rates (79.3% vs. 83.3%). In addition, as a result of repeated ultrasound examinations, no early fetal death was found in the study. In conclusion, carazolol injection during mating following progestagen + eCG administration did not increase on fertility in breeding season Lacaune ewes.

Ruminant hayvanların beslenmesinde kullanılan rasyonlar belirli oranlarda kaba ve kesif yem içermelidir. Besin madde içeriği bakımından zengin olan kesif yemler genelde rasyon maliyetini artırmaktadır. Hayvancılık işletmelerinde bu yüksek maliyetten kurtulmak kaliteli kaba yem üretimine bağlıdır. Ülkemizde faaliyet gösteren hayvancılık işletmeleri yem (besleme) maliyetlerinin azaltılması ve ürün kalitesinin yükseltilmesi amacı ile farklı kaba yem arayışı içindedirler. Bu çalışmanın konusunu teşkil eden soya bitkisi, ruminant rasyonlarında hasıl veya silaj formunda kullanılma potansiyeli olan bir kaba yem türüdür. Bir baklagil yem bitkisi olan soya bitkisi protein içeriğinin yüksek olması (yaklaşık %20) ile kaba yem grubu yemler içinde önemli bir yere sahiptir. Soya bitkisi bu özelliği ile ruminant rasyonlarında temel protein kaynağı olarak kullanılan bazı yem kaynaklarının bir kısmı yerine ikame edilebilmektedir. Nitekim bazı çalışmalarda soya silajının en kaliteli protein kaynağı olarak kabul edilen soya küspesinin yerine bile kısmen de olsa kullanılabileceği ortaya konulmuştur. Bu derlemede soya bitkisinin ruminant rasyonlarında kaba yem kaynağı (hasıl ve silaj) olarak kullanılma potansiyeli hakkında bilgi verilmiştir.

Population growth has increased demand and diversified use of Irish potato which have increased its demand. The crop has become a major source of food and income for many households across the world. However, despite the high potential of about 30 tonnes per hectare (ha), smallholder farmers in Kenya realize low Irish potato yields ranging from 4-8 tonnes per ha due to limited uptake of agricultural technologies. The low yields calls for a profound understanding of the factors influencing the uptake agricultural technologies. The study analyzed the effects of the adoption of agricultural technologies on Irish potato yield in Ol Kalou Sub County. The study considered chemical fertilizer, certified seeds, fungicides, and farm machinery as the four main agricultural technologies that that affect yield. A descriptive cross-sectional research design was used to obtain data from a study population of 21,942 smallholder Irish potato farmers in Ol Kalou Sub County. A multiple-stage sampling technique was employed to generate a sample size of 385 respondents who provided primary data. Data collected was analyzed using endogenous switching regression model using STATA version 17. The study found that the average treatment effect on treated (ATT) was 10.21 bags per acre. In addition, the Endogenous switching regression model showed that the expected yield for the adopter increased by 51.83%. Out of the four technologies, the use of chemical fertilizers had the highest effect of 37% on yield. The study concluded that the adoption of agricultural technologies increases the yield of Irish potatoes. The study recommends that national and county governments should develop policy regulations such as training and extension services, market access, price support and public-private partnerships encouraging farmers to uptake agricultural technologies. The study also recommends that both levels of government should subsidize agricultural technologies, hence reducing the cost of adoption.

Tarımsal mekanizasyon, tarım alanlarını geliştirmek, her türlü tarımsal üretimi yapmak ve ürünlerin işlenmesini de gerçekleştirmek amacıyla kullanılan tüm enerji kaynağı, mekanik araç ve gerecin tasarımı, yapımı, geliştirilmesi, pazarlanması, yayım ve eğitimi, işletilmesi ve kullanılması konularını içermektedir (Zeren ve ark., 1995). Tarımsal mekanizasyon göstergeleri kullanılarak tarımsal mekanizasyon düzeyinin belirlenmesi, yörelerin ve ülkelerin tarımsal mekanizasyon seviyelerinin ortaya konmasında önem arz etmektedir. Bu çalışmada Kırşehir ili Çiçekdağı ilçesinin tarımsal mekanizasyon özellikleri incelenmiştir. Çalışmada, Türkiye İstatistik Kurumu’nun (TUİK) 2023 ve 2024 yıllarına ait verileri ile Çiçekdağı İlçe Tarım Müdürlüğü’nden elde edilen veriler materyal olarak kullanılmıştır. Bu kapsamda Çiçekdağı ilçesinin tarım alet ve makine sayıları (traktör sayısı, biçerdöver sayısı, birinci ve ikinci sınıf toprak işleme alet ve makine sayısı, ekim-dikim ve bakım makinesi sayısı, bitki koruma makinesi sayısı ve hasat-harman makinesi sayısı) da çalışmaya dahil edilmiştir. Mekanizasyon düzeyi; traktör, biçerdöver, tarım aletleri sayısı tespit edilmiş olup ve tarımsal mekanizasyon düzeyi göstergeleri; traktör/1000 ha, ha/traktör, kW/ ha ve ortalama traktör gücü (kW) olarak belirlenmiştir.Verilere göre, traktör sayısı 1000 hektar başına 35,97’den 38,74’e yükselmiş olup , traktör başına düşen arazi alanı ise 27,79 hektardan 25,81 hektara gerilemiştir. Traktör başına düşen güç 2,49 kW/ha’dan 2,68 kW/ha’ya artarken, ortalama traktör gücü 69 kW seviyesinde sabit kalmıştır.

The tomato is a significant vegetable in the world on the basis of consumption, nutrition, and extensive use in processed foods. During plant growth and development, amino acids especially exogenous application of proline (Pro), plays a crucial role to increase stress tolerance under various abiotic stresses. Among abiotic stressors, temperature is considered as an important and alarming stressor for plant development and growth. Sometime a significant drop in crop productivity is the outcome of harsh temperature increment. An investigation was carried out at the Horticulture Lab, College of Agriculture, University of Sargodha, during 2021-22 to inspect the role of foliar application of proline under heat stress in tomato plants. Tomato seedlings with true leaves were exposed to high temperatures (25°C [control], 40°C, and 45°C) with exogenous proline sprays of (0, 0.5, 1 and 1.5 mili-molars). Various growth attributes like morphological i-e number of leaves, leaf area cm2, shoot fresh weight (mg), shoot dry weight (mg), root fresh weight (mg), root dry weight (mg), and physiological [photosynthetic rate (µ mol/m-2s-1)], chlorophyll contents (spad), stomatal conductance (µ mols m-2 s-1 transpiration rate (µ mol/m-2 s-1),)] were studied. The findings indicated that foliar application of proline at 1.5 mM under heat stress on 40oC and 45oC was found to be more advantageous to improve growth attributes like number of leaves (12.2), leaf area (8.3 cm2), shoot length (10.39 cm), shoot fresh weight (1.88 mg), shoot dry weight (0.28 mg), root dry weight (0.20 mg), and remediated the detrimental effect of heat stress in tomato plants. The variation between control and proline treated heat-stressed plants supported that proline may have a function in alleviating heat stress.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of palm oil, African walnut oil and their blends on hematological, inflammatory, and some oxidative stress markers in high fat diet (HFD) obese-induced Wistar rats. Obesity was induced for 60 days and treated for 28 days using edible oils [palm oil, African walnut oil, palm oil: African walnut oil (50:50) and palm oil : African walnut oil (60:40)] and orlistat (10 mg/Kg). Thereafter the animals were sacrificed, blood was collected for hematological studies and the preparation of the serum, while the organs harvested were used to prepare organ homogenates. Serum and organ homogenates were used for the evaluation of inflammation and oxidative stress markers. Results showed that the oils utilized were confirmed to be of high quality through their good stability indices (peroxide value: 2.52-3.87meq O2/Kg; p-anisidine value: 8.24-12.33, TOTOX value: 13.37-19.46,). Looking at the haematological study, animals that received the HFD presented the lowest (p<0.05) hematocrit and Platelet. PO:WO (50:50 and 60:40) significantly (p<0.05) decreased the granulocytes concentration in the blood of rats. PO:WO (50:50) significantly (p<0.05) increased the lymphocyte concentration while 100% PO increased the mid-size white blood cells level in the animals. Serum levels of inflammation markers were higher (p<0.05) in the negative control group (354.44-385.82 pg/mL) compared to the other groups (147.22-271.55 pg/mL). The analysis of oxidative stress parameters revealed that the administered oils and orlistat generally exhibited good protections compared to the normal and negative control groups, which might be due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids and bioactives such as β-carotene and vitamin E which have good antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It can be concluded that these oils have a role in protecting against obesity through their effects on oxidative stress, hematology, and inflammatory cytokines.

Bu çalışmada Trabzon hurması (Diospyros kaki L.) püresinin akış davranışını en iyi tanımlayan reolojik modelin belirlenmesi amacıyla pürenin reolojik özellikleri çeşitli pH’larda (4,0, 5,5 ve 7,0), konsantrasyonlarda (%15, %17,5 ve %20), sıcaklıklarda (25, 50 ve 75°C) ve kayma hızında (8,4–28 s−1) araştırılmıştır. Deneysel veriler Power Law, Herschel-Bulkley, Casson ve Mizhari-Berk modellerine uygulanmıştır. Reolojik modellerin akış davranışını açıklamadaki uygunluğunu doğrulamak için belirleme katsayısı (R2), hata kareleri ortalamasının kare kökü (RMSE) ve indirgenmiş ki- kare (ꭓ2) olmak üzere üç istatistiksel ölçüt kullanılmıştır. Herschel-Bulkley ve Mizhari-Berk, hurma püresinin tüm işlem koşullarında deneysel verilere en iyi uyum sağlayan modeller olduğu görülmüştür. Ancak Mizhari-Berk modeli R2 ≥ 0.983, RMSE ≤ 0.0683 ve ꭓ2 ≤ 0.0160 istatistiksel parametre değerleriyle hurma püresinin akış davranışını en iyi tanımlayan model olmuştur. Trabzon hurması püresi psödoplastik (kayma incelmesi) ve Newtonyen olmayan bir davranış (n<1) sergilemiştir.