http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/13953 Thu, 23 Apr 2026 06:51:14 GMT 2026-04-23T06:51:14Z http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14721 Investigation of Antiviral Potential of Food Carotenoids and Apocarotenoids against RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase of Hepatitis C Virus FİDAN, Özkan Hepatitis C disease have been a global health threat and affects a significant portion of world population. Hepatitis C have also been a silent health threat for Turkiye, where there are around half million people infected with Hepatitis C Virus (HCV). Disease burden and mortality are expected to increase gradually in the next 20 years in Turkiye. Unavailability of enough data on the currently-available drugs in routine clinical practice, their side effects and interactions with other drugs, and their efficacies on the less common genotypes indicates the necessity of alternative treatment options. Natural products from herbal and medicinal plants can indeed provide an alternative as being drug-like dietary supplements. In particular, the carotenoids and apocarotenoids are underexplored in their antiviral potential, including anti-HCV activities. Therefore, we focused on the virtual screening of various carotenoids and apocarotenoids against the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of HCV. Molecular docking experiments showed strong binding affinities of the ligands to both palm and thumb domains of RdRp of HCV. In fact, some of them such as neoxanthin, crocin, canthaxanthin and cryptoflavin bound quite strongly to both domains compared to native ligands and current antiviral drugs. MD simulation for neoxanthin-RdRp complex confirmed the stability of the ligand within the binding cavity of RdRp throughout 100 ns simulation. This clearly indicated the potential of carotenoids, specifically neoxanthin, as RdRp inhibitor in treating HCV. Thus, this study not only discovered anti-HCV drug candidates with the properties of easy-to-access and low cost, but also paved the way for the development of carotenoid or apocarotenoid based dietary supplement candidates for the prevention and treatment of HCV. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14721 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14719 Generation and Transmission of Action Potential in Nerve Cells and Neuron Populations Based on the Realistic Hodgkin-Huxley Neuron Model TEKİN, Ramazan There are several types of nerve cells in the central nervous system. Thanks to the synaptic connections, these cells form large and complicated networks. However, these cells have a stereotypical electrical activity called action potential (AP) or spike. In this work, the mechanisms of formation of this typical electrical signal and the methods of transferring from one cell to another were investigated using Hodgkin-Huxley neuron model. It has been seen that the formation of AP is based on the principle of "all or nothing law" and ion channel dynamics are critical in the typical form of AP. It has been shown that signal transduction between nerve cells is transmitted by post-synaptic potential and that these signals may be cell depolarizing or polarizing. Finally, it has been discussed that these electrical activities are quantities that can be measured by various methods at the micro and macro level. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14719 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14718 Measurement of Indoor Seasonal and Regional Radon (222Rn) Gas Activity in Çanakkale (Turkey) BÜYÜKSARAÇ, Aydın; KULUÖZTÜRK, Muhammed Fatih Radon gas, which undergoes radioactive decay, can cause damage to the lung tissue and lung cancer over time in indoor environments where it is inhaled. Radon gas radioactivity concentrations were measured using CR-39 passive solid state nuclear track detectors (SSNTD) in the basement and ground floor simultaneously in summer and winter periods in 17 dwellings in Çanakkale Center and Kepez regions (Turkey). Accordingly, an average of 163.67 Bq.m-3 in basements in summer, 63.26 Bq.m-3 in ground floors in summer, 148.73 Bq.m-3 in basements in winter, and 77.57 Bq.m-3 in ground floors in winter. In addition, annual effective dose equivalent (AEDE) values and excess lifetime cancer risk (ELCR) parameters were calculated using radon activity concentrations. Accordingly, the basement and mean AEDE values in the summer period were found to be 4.52 µSv.y-1 and 1.59 µSv.y-1, respectively. In winter, it was found as 3.75 µSv.y-1 and 1.95 µSv.y-1. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14718 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14716 Residual Stress Measurement of a Single-step Sintered Planar Anode Supported SC-SOFC Using Fluorescence Spectroscopy SAYAN, Yunus; KİM, Jung-Sik; WU, Houzheng The fluorescence spectroscopy technique was used to measure the residual stress between the cathode and electrolyte of an anode supported planar single-chamber solid oxide fuel cell. The cell was made of (NiO-CGO): (CGO): (LSCF-CGO), as anode:electrolyte:cathode and the test was carried out after sintering at room temperature. The measured stress between these layers arises from the sintering stress caused by differential shrinkage from layers during sintering and the thermal expansion co-efficient mismatch between the layers during cooling. Therefore, the residual stress in the cathode and electrolyte layer of the cell due to co-efficient of thermal expansion mismatch during cooling was calculated analytically so as to find sintering stress. According to findings a maximum compressive residual stress of 1084 MPa occurred at the place contiguous to electrolyte layer. The estimated residual stresses in the cell’s cathode and electrolyte layer owing to CTE mismatch for the duration of cooling was calculated as -324 MPa and 15.96 MPa, respectfully. Furthermore, total mean residual compressive stress between cathode and electrolyte was obtained from fluorescence spectroscopy as -703.795. Thus, the main contribution of this residual stress is the stress growth during sintering (-395.755 MPa) due to different shrinkage behavior of adjacent layers. Sat, 01 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT http://dspace.beu.edu.tr:8080/xmlui/handle/123456789/14716 2022-01-01T00:00:00Z