The effect of germinated black lentils on cookie quality by applying ultraviolet radiation and ultrasound technology.

Black lentils contain protein, carbohydrates, dietary fiber, minerals, and vitamins, as well as phytochemicals and various bioactive compounds. Ultraviolet (UV) radiation and ultrasound (US) methods are innovative technologies that can be used to increase the efficiency of the germination process in grains and legumes. To improve the nutritional value and bioactive compounds of the cookies, black lentils germinated by applying UV radiation and US technology were used in the cookie formulation. Before the germination process, UV, US, and their combination (UV+US) were applied, and pretreated and unpretreated germinated black lentil flours were used at a level of 20% in the cookie formulation. The results revealed that pretreatment application increased the total phenolic content and antioxidant activity more than the lentil sample germinated without any treatment. In addition, the pretreatments applied further reduced the amount of phytic acid in black lentils and the lowest phytic acid content was obtained with the UV-US combination. Compared to cookies containing unpretreated germinated black lentil flour, higher L* values and lower a* values were obtained in the cookie samples containing pretreated germinated black lentil flour. Cookies containing all pretreated germinated lentils generally exhibited higher Ca and K content. This study demonstrated that UV radiation and US improved the nutritional value and bioactive components of the germinated black lentil flour and the cookies in which it was used, compared to the black lentils germinated without any treatment. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: Pretreatment of black lentils with UV/US application before germination resulted in a greater increase in total phenolic content and antioxidant activity compared to the control sample. The applied pretreatments caused a further decrease in the amount of phytic acid in black lentil samples. Black lentils germinated with the UV+US combination revealed higher Ca, Fe, K, and Mg content compared to the sample germinated without any treatment.

Nutritional composition and staling properties of gluten-free bread-added fermented acorn flour.

The present study aimed to improve the nutritional quality of gluten-free bread with the addition of acorn flour and to determine the characteristics of the final product. Formulations were adjusted with separately non-fermented and two different fermented acorn flours at different levels (0, 15, 30, and 45%). The breads were assessed in terms of their chemical and physical properties, and their staling characterization was also estimated. Results showed that the fermentation of acorn flour before adding it to the formulation affected some chemical properties, and the addition of increasing amounts of acorn flour generally had a positive effect on the chemical composition. Furthermore, the highest protein, total phenolic content, Ca, K, Mg, Mn, and Fe values were obtained from breads, including fermented acorn flour with chickpea yeast (FAC). However, compared to non-fermented acorn flour (AF), FAC and fermented acorn flour without chickpea yeast (FA) addition caused decreases in weight and volume of breads. Both crust L* and crumb L* values showed a significant reduction with increased acorn addition levels (from 71.88 and 77.22 to 42.26 and 41.15, respectively). The highest initial and final hardness values (T 0 and T ∞) were observed with FAC-added samples, and Avrami exponent n was higher than 1 for only FAC-added breads. Although fermented acorn addition had positive effects on the nutritional profile of breads, the sensory properties of the samples were negatively affected.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation in the management of restless legs syndrome symptoms: A single-blind, parallel-group clinical study.

The aim of this study was to investigate the additional effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the control of the symptoms of restless legs syndrome (RLS). A total of 46 randomly selected patients diagnosed with RLS were divided into two groups in a single-blind study to either receive pramipexole (0.25 mg daily) plus 10 sessions of TENS or only pramipexole (0.25 mg daily) for 4 weeks. The severity of the symptoms was determined according to the International Restless Legs Syndrome Rating Scale (IRLSRS) and the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) at the beginning of the treatment, post-treatment, and at an 8 week follow-up. A significant time interaction was observed between the groups for all measurement outcomes, revealing differences in favour of the experimental group's IRLSRS and PSQI scores. A notable improvement was also observed in the IRLSRS and PSQI scores in both groups at the end of treatment and during the 8 week follow-up period. In comparison with pramipexole monotherapy, the results of this study showed that the use of TENS therapy combined with a low dose of pramipexole (0.25 mg daily) is therapeutically beneficial in the treatment of RLS over an 8 week follow-up period.

The empathy level and caring behaviors perceptions of nursing students: A cross-sectional and correlational study.

PURPOSE: The aim of the study was to investigate the empathy level and caring behaviors perceptions of nursing students. METHOD: This cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted with 276 nursing students. RESULTS: The mean Empathic Tendency Scale score was 62.71 ± 5.10 (min. 20 to max. 100), indicating a low level of empathy. The mean of the Caring Assessment Questionnaire was 5.42 ± 0.80 (min. 1 to max. 7), showing a good perception of caring behaviors. There was a positive, low, and significant relationship between empathy and caring behaviors (r = 0.286, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: This study revealed that nursing students have low-level empathy and high-level caring behaviors. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Throughout the educational process, the students' caring competencies, which include empathy and caring behaviors, developed. It is suggested that humanistic and value-oriented pedagogical approaches be incorporated into nursing curricula.

Comparison of culture-dependent and culture-independent techniques in the detection of lactic acid bacteria biodiversity and dynamics throughout the ripening process: The case of Turkish artisanal Tulum cheese produced in the Anamur region.

Our objective was to analyze the diversity of the microbiota over 180 d of ripening of eight batches of artisanal goatskin Tulum cheeses by culture-dependent and culture-independent (PCR-DGGE) methods. V3 region of the bacterial 16S rRNA gene was amplified with the PCR after direct DNA isolation from the cheese samples. Nine different species and five genera were determined by culturing, while 11 species were identified in the PCR-DGGE technique. This diversity revealed the uniqueness of artisanal cheese varieties. The dominant genera in all the cheese samples were composed of Enterococcus species. The culture-dependent method revealed five genera (Enterococcus,Bacillus,Lactococcus,Lactobacillus, Sphingomonas) while three genera (Enterococcus, Streptococcus, Lactococcus) were detected in the culture-independent method. It was concluded that combining the two methods is important for characterizing the whole microbiota of the Tulum cheese varieties produced in the Anamur region.

Immature wheat grain as a potential prebiotic ingredient in set-type yoghurts: impact on antioxidative, textural properties and survival of different probiotics.

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of immature wheat grain (IWG) on the survival of Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM (LNCFM), Lactobacillus casei 431 (L431) and Lactobacillus acidophilus 20079 (L20079) in yoghurts under cold storage. Furthermore, the impact of IWG on physicochemical, textural and antioxidative properties of yoghurts was evaluated. Fortification of yoghurt with IWG positively affected LNCFM and L20079 counts during cold storage whereas no statistical improvement was observed in the viability of L431. The addition of IWG clearly supported the antioxidative activity and total phenolic content in yoghurt. No statistical differences were discovered regarding syneresis and water holding capacity in all probiotic applications. Although, enrichment with IWG enhanced the firmness of probiotic yoghurts, it simultaneously reduced the cohesiveness and viscosity index. This study demonstrated that IWG may be used as a food additive for enhancing probiotic LNCFM and L20079 survival and providing functional aspects in yoghurt.

Influence of wheat germ and ß-glucan on some chemical and sensory properties of Turkish noodle.

Wheat flour used in Turkish noodle (eriste) production was replaced with wheat germ (0, 10, 20 and 30 %) and ß-glucan (0 and 4 %). Noodle samples were analyzed for their moisture, ash, protein, fat, mineral contents, color values and sensory properties. Cooking properties as volume increase (VI), weight increase (WI) and cooking loss (CL) were also determined. Wheat germ increased the ash, protein, fat and mineral contents of the noodles. ß-glucan had an improving effect especially on Ca, Fe, Mg and P contents of noodle samples. While wheat germ raised VI values of the noodle, ß-glucan had a negative effect on VI. The CL of noodle samples varied between 5.8 % and 7.3 %. Decreasing sensory scores obtained at high level of wheat germ with and without ß-glucan. The present results showed that wheat germ and ß-glucan have a good potential for increasing nutritional quality of noodle.