Development and Validation of the Subjective Well-Being Resources Scale.

Subjective well-being (SWB) is an important construct of positive psychology and it is known that these resources should be supported to prevent mental health disorders. However, there is no measurement tool to assess individual differences concerning SWB resources. The present study aims to develop a valid and reliable scale to measure SWB resources. For this aim, two studies were conducted. As a result, the five-factor (personal, religious, health, social, and external resources) construct explaining 45.3% of the variance was derived and validated with both exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. The factors were related to mental health indicators and personality as expected. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale was .83), and the test re-test reliability was .88. As a result of the analysis, it is concluded that the Subjective Well-Being Resources Scale is valid and reliable and can be used to measure SWB resources.

The process of pollen transformation into bee bread: changes in bioactivity, bioaccessibility, and microbial dynamics.

Bee pollen and bee bread go hand in hand with health-promoting functional food consumption. Although many studies report high bioactivities of those products, the biotransformation of pollen into bee bread has not been fully understood. Limited findings are available about polyphenol bioaccessibility and microbiological interactions during the fermentation process. This study evaluated the microbial flora, antioxidant properties, and polyphenol and soluble protein bioaccessibility of pollen and bee bread harvested from the same apiary over a certain timeline. Total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and soluble protein content were reported using an in vitro digestion model involving post-gastric, serum-available, and colon-available fractions. The results obtained with the in vitro digestion model refer to the effect of the harvesting period on greater bioaccessibility of polyphenols in bee bread than in pollen at the same apiary. Lactic acid bacteria and yeast found in the samples were mostly identified as Lactobacillus kunkeei, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, and Candida magnoliae using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS). The discrimination between the pollen and bee bread samples collected in the same apiary and at different harvesting periods was also revealed by Principal Component Analysis (PCA). A harvesting time-based approach was applied to the biotransformation process of pollen and bee bread, and insights into microbial dynamics and bioaccessibility were revealed for the first time under the same beehive conditions.

Optimization of 4,6-α and 4,3-α-Glucanotransferase Production in Lactococcus lactis and Determination of Their Effects on Some Quality Characteristics of Bakery Products.

In this study, the production of 4,6-α (4,6-α-GTase) and 4,3-α-glucanotransferase (4,3-α-GTase), expressed previously in Lactococcus lactis, was optimized and these enzymes were used to investigate glycemic index reduction and staling delay in bakery products. HP-SEC analysis showed that the relevant enzymes were able to produce oligosaccharides from potato starch or malto-oligosaccharides. Response Surface Methodology (RSM) was used to optimize enzyme synthesis and the highest enzyme activities of 15.63 ± 1.65 and 19.01 ± 1.75 U/mL were obtained at 1% glucose, pH 6, and 30 °C for 4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase enzymes, respectively. SEM analysis showed that both enzymes reduced the size of the starch granules. These enzymes were purified by ultrafiltration and used to produce bread and bun at an enzyme activity of 4 U/g, resulting in a decrease in the specific volume of the bread. It was found that the estimated glycemic index (eGI) of bread formulated with 4,6-α-GTase decreased by 18.01%, and the eGI of bread prepared with 4,3-α-GTase decreased by 13.61%, indicating a potential delay in staling. No significant differences were observed in the sensory properties of the bakery products. This is the first study showing that 4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase enzymes have potential in increasing health benefits and improving technological aspects regarding bakery products.

The effect of heart failure on gut microbial richness and diversity.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: With recent advances in genome sequencing technology, a large body of evidence has accumulated over the last few years linking alterations in microbiota with cardiovascular disease. In this study, we aimed to compare gut microbial composition using 16S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) sequencing techniques in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and stable heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction and patients with CAD but with normal ejection fraction. We also studied the relationship between systemic inflammatory markers and microbial richness and diversity. METHODS: A total of 40 patients (19 with HF and CAD, 21 with CAD but without HF) were included in the study. HF was defined as left ventricular ejection fraction <40%. Only stable ambulatory patients were included in the study. Gut microbiota were assessed from the participants' fecal samples. The diversity and richness of microbial populations in each sample were assessed by the Chao1-estimated OTU number and the Shannon index. RESULTS: The Chao1-estimated OTU number and Shannon index were similar between HF and control groups. There was no statistically significant relationship between inflammatory marker levels (tumor necrosis factor-alpha, interleukin 1-beta, endotoxin, C-reactive protein, galectin-3, interleukin 6, and lipopolysaccharide-binding protein) and microbial richness and diversity when analyzed at the phylum level. CONCLUSION: In the current study, compared to patients with CAD but without HF, stable HF patients with CAD did not show changes in gut microbial richness and diversity. At the genus level Enterococcus sp. was more commonly identified in HF patients, in addition to certain changes in species levels, including increased Lactobacillus letivazi.

Extracellular recombinant production of 4,6 and 4,3 α-glucanotransferases in Lactococcus lactis.

4,6 α-Glucanotransferase (4,6-α-GTase) and 4,3 α-glucanotransferases (4,3-α-GTase) produced by Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) in the GH70 enzyme family have become important due to their catalytic effect on starch and maltodextrins. Their high level of production is necessary for their application at industrial scale. In this respect, both enzymes were expressed extracellularly using Lactococcus lactis as GRAS host. 4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase genes from Limosilactobacillus reuteri E81 and Limosilactobacillus fermentum PFC282 respectively were transformed into the plasmid pLEB124 vector having the signal peptide usp45 under the P45 continuous promoter and successfully expressed in Lactococcus lactis MG1363. Western blot screening showed that the relevant enzymes were able to be successfully secreted extracellularly. The Vmax and Km of 4,6-α-GTase were 2.58 µmol min-1 and 0054 mg min-1 whereas 3369 µmol min-1 and 0032 mg min-1 for 4,3-α-GTase respectively. NMR analysis demonstrated the formation of new bonds within the corresponding enzymes. Also, both enzymes were active on maltose, maltoheptaose, maltohexaose and starch and produced malto-oligosaccarides observed by TLC analysis. In conclusion, this study demonstrated first time the extracellular production of 4,6-α-GTase and 4,3-α-GTase with GRAS status that can be useful for starch retrogradation delay and glycaemic index reduction.

Front-of-pack labels: "Directive" versus "informative" approaches.

Front-of-pack labels (FOPLs) aim at communicating to consumers the health value of food items in support of public health policies. Two main types can be discerned: directive and semidirective FOPLs using color schemes (e.g., Nutri-Score) and informative FOPLs (e.g., Nutrinform Battery). Directive approaches tend to show a "wear-out effect" and, additionally, they tend to have various underlying conceptual problems. Usually, their nutritional scores are calculated using changing, arbitrary algorithms and involve a reductionist set of parameters of debatable validity. Thus, they overstate the effects of selected nutritional factors, such as saturated fat and energy, while overlooking the food matrix and the more holistic aspects of nourishment. Moreover, they do not reflect the portion that is consumed, ignore the preparation steps at home, and fail to serve as a useful basis for composing a healthy diet. Also, so long as the nutritional formulations match the algorithmic standards, they tend to allow ultra-processed products. Thus, this might confuse and mislead consumers. Overconfidence in green-colored labels could even result in unbalanced dietary choices, whereas avoidance of red products may eliminate certain foods from the diet that are rich in essential nutrients (e.g., cheese), leading to opposite results than aimed for. The latter is particularly relevant to vulnerable populations, such as the young, pregnant women, and older adults, or for individuals with specific needs. Taken together, directive FOPLs such as Nutri-Score contradict the declared intent of the European Commission to empower consumers to undertake healthy and balanced diets based on easily accessible and robust information. Although informative systems usually also keep the focus on a few selected nutritional parameters, they have are less paternalizing and obviate the need to classify foods as healthy or unhealthy. They also focus attention on the individual portions that are consumed (even if the definition of portion size remains contentious). Given the importance of dietary patterns, rather than individual foods or nutrients, directiveFOPLs of the Nutri-Score type represent a regretful case of nutritionism. Finally, attempts to associate the adoption of a FOPL with an improvement in the health status are few and mainly applied in virtual settings; none of which are longitudinal, nor have they been able to identify a causal link.

Production of volatiles relation to bread aroma in flour-based fermentation with yeast.

The aim of this study is to produce a bread aroma mixture in flour-based fermentation that can potentially be added in bread dough forming after selection of yeast strains and optimization of the fermentation conditions. S. cerevisiae PFC121 produced bread aroma compounds in higher amounts compared to other 20 strains. Also, this strain provided a more balanced volatiles in bread samples that gained consumer appreciation. When the PLS analysis were evaluated, 3-methyl-1-butanol, 2-phenylethyl alcohol, nonanal, and benzaldehyde were closely related with the whole wheat flour. Conversely, 2-methyl-1-propyl acetate, and 2-methyl-1-propanol were observed to be correlated with the fermentation temperature. PCA showed that 20 °C fermentation temperature was effective on the accumulation of benzaldehyde and nonanal. Extending the fermentation time increased alcohol and ester accumulation. In conclusion, S. cerevisiae PFC121 is a potential strain to produce bread related volatiles at the fermentation conditions that are wheat flour, 30 °C, 6 pH and 48-h.

Production and characterization of yeast extracts produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces boulardii and Kluyveromyces marxianus.

In recent years, prejudice in society against monosodium glutamate (MSG) has directed food manufacturers to alternative sources. Yeast extracts are considered as "natural" due to the production process and stand out due to their nutritional properties as well as giving a flavor similar to MSG. In this study, chemical, functional and flavor properties of yeast extract powders produced from Saccharomyces cerevisiae TGM10, Saccharomyces boulardii S11 and Kluyveromyces marxianus TGM66 were evaluated. Results revealed that the most protein-rich sample was S. cerevisiae TGM10 extract (69.17%), followed by S. boulardii S11 (66.16%) and K. marxianus TGM66 (62.42%) extracts, respectively and S. cerevisiae TGM10 extract was also the richest yeast extract for essential amino acids. Additionally, flavor-enhancing amino acids such as glutamic acid, aspartic acid, alanine and glycine were dominant in S. cerevisiae TGM10 extract (47.41 g/100 g protein). Sensorial evaluation of yeast extracts demonstrated that salty taste, umami taste and meaty flavor scores of yeast extracts were lower than MSG whereas for fruity flavor, yeast extracts had the highest scores. These findings revealed the potential of three yeast strains to produce yeast extracts in order to increase the nutritional value and flavor of foods.

The relationship between oxidative stress markers and endometrial hyperplasia: A case-control study

Objective: Endometrial hyperplasia (EH) is considered an endometrial cancer precursor. This study aimed to determine the role of oxidative stress and thiol groups with antioxidant properties in EH pathogenesis. Materials and Methods: In our prospective case-control study, participants were washed with 5 mL of saline before the endometrial biopsy. Endometrial washing fluid was taken into microtubules, and thiol and disulfide levels were analyzed using the Ellman reagent. Results: A total of 108 patients were in the EH group and 84 patients in the control group. The total and native thiol levels were higher values in the control group (p<0.001, for both). Disulfide levels were higher in the EH group (p<0.001). Native/total thiol ratio and disulfide/total thiol ratio were higher in the EH group (p<0.001, for both). The analysis performed in the control group revealed a significant positive correlation between estradiol and disulfide levels (r=0.322, p=0.033). No significant correlation was found between estradiol and disulfide in the EH group. Conclusion: Oxidative stress level was higher in the washing fluids of patients with EH and this stress plays a role in the EH etiology.

The influence of backslopping on lactic acid bacteria diversity in tarhana fermentation.

Tarhana is produced at batch systems in which the microbiota has changed accordingly to the microbial load from ingredients. In order to stabilize the microbiota, the effects of backslopping carried out under different temperature regimes (25 and 30 °C), pH (3.70 and 4.00) and inoculation rates (5, 10 and 15%) on lactic acid bacteria (LAB) diversity were determined in tarhana dough. LAB and Total Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria (TAMB) numbers increased in all tarhana dough samples subjected to backslopping. Temperature and pH significantly affected the microbiological diversity of tarhana whereas the different inoculation rates did not. Tarhana dough showed complex tarhana microbiota following backslopping at pH 4.00 independently on the temperature applied. When backslopping was carried out at pH 3.70 and 25 °C, tarhana microbiota stabilized and became steady after several cycles. The LAB species found in all dough samples after the final backslopping were Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus alimentarius and Lactobacillus brevis which were able to carry out the fermentation in all conditions tested. In order to obtain a stable presence of LAB populations at industrial level for tarhana production, this work showed that backslopping is recommended at pH 3.70 and 25 °C with any inoculation ratios.

Potential Health Benefits of Ropy Exopolysaccharides Produced by Lactobacillus plantarum.

The ability of Lactobacillus plantarum to produce exopolysaccharides (EPS) of various structures and properties is effective in showing both starter and probiotic culture qualification. In this study, the potential health promoting functions of the ropy EPS produced by Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from tarhana were tested. A stimulation of the pro-inflammatory IL-12 and TNF-α cytokines was observed in the presence of the ropy EPS suggesting an in vitro immune modulation. Similarly, the tested EPS demonstrated promoted the growth of the probiotic strains in fermentation medium. A medium level of radical scavenging activities of ropy EPS was observed whereas the superoxide and hydroxyl scavenging activities were more effective. The ropy EPS also showed α-glucosidase inhibition and cholesterol removal characteristics depending on their concentration. These findings revealed the potential health-promoting functions of ropy EPS from L. plantarum strains and EPS from L. plantarum PFC311 and PFC310 strains demonstrated multiple health-improving effects that can be further evaluated in food and other industries.

Characterization of Pediococcus acidilactici PFC69 and Lactococcus lactis PFC77 Bacteriocins and Their Antimicrobial Activities in Tarhana Fermentation.

Tarhana is a traditional cereal product fermented by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and yeast strains that has gained special interest recently as an infant nutrition. Tarhana contains wheat flour, yogurt, and various vegetables that might create a microbiological toxicological risk, especially for Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. In this study, characterization of the metabolites responsible for antibacterial activity of Pediococcus acidilactici PFC69 and Lactococcus lactis PFC77 strains obtained from tarhana was performed, and antibacterial effects were detected against B. cereus ATCC 11778 and S. aureus ATCC 29213 during the fermentation. A total of 12,800 AU/mL antibacterial activity was observed for the supernatants of the PFC69 and PFC77 strains that were found to be stable at high temperature and in low pH conditions and sensitive to proteases, suggesting the antimicrobial metabolite is a bacteriocin. These bacteriocins were further purified and their molecular sizes were determined as 4.5 and 3.5 kDa, respectively. Importantly, inoculation of PFC69 and PFC77 to tarhana dough significantly decreased B. cereus ATCC 11778 and S. aureus ATCC 29213 amounts from the fifth day of fermentation compared to the control dough samples. P. acidilactici PFC69 and L. lactis PFC77 strains were concluded as bioprotective cultures for tarhana and these strains were offered for other cereal-based fermentations.

Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire-Scoliosis.

STUDY DESIGN: It is cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Body Image Disturbances Questionnaire. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to adopt the English version of the Body Image Disturbance Questionnaire-Scoliosis (BIDQ-S) into Turkish language. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: BIDQ-S is originally adopted from BIDQ scale which is designed to be used for healthy subjects in order to assess concerns and distress about physical appearance, and impairment on daily functioning. However, there is no culturally adopted and validated BIDQ-S for the Turkish population. METHOD: Translation and back translation method was used to guide the translation process of the BIDQ-S from English to Turkish. In order to determine and confirm the factor structure of the Turkish BIDQ-S exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis were performed. Convergent validity of the Turkish BIDQ-S- was determined by calculating the correlations of BIDQ-S, and the factors emerged, with the indicators of subjective well-being which consists of three components: positive affect (PA), negative affect (NA), and satisfaction with life (SWL) and of health related quality of life measured by Scoliosis Research Society Questionnaire (SRS-22). RESULTS: The data from the present study demonstrated that different from the original, German and Chinese versions two factor solutions were found. The Turkish BIDQ-S also showed satisfactory internal consistency value with Cronbach α equals to 0.88 construct validity. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, current study shows that Turkish BIDQ-S is a valid and reliable questionnaire for assessing the body image concerns in patients with scoliosis in Turkish population. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 4.

REBT with context of basic psychological needs: RESD-A Scale.

BACKGROUND: Accurate psychometrics benefit from assessing given constructs within specifically defined contexts. The assessment of context-specific irrational beliefs as put forth in rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT), under the three basic psychological needs described in self-determination theory (SDT), represents a new path for research. Under the umbrella of 'positive psychology', a new scale for adolescents combining REBT and SDT is the first step towards conceptualizing irrational beliefs within the three basic psychological needs. The integration of REBT and SDT would provide a more fully integrated view of adolescent mental health, and as such could provide a more cost-effective approach for preventing cognitive, emotive and behavioural disturbances in young people. AIMS: The main aim of this paper is to outline the development and validation of the Rational Emotive Self Determination Scale for Adolescents (RESD-A), which measures irrational beliefs about the three basic psychological needs (autonomy, competence and relatedness). METHOD: To achieve this main study aim, we report the results of four studies that test the factor structure, internal consistency, construct, predictive validity, and test-re-test reliability of the 51-item RESD-A, within samples of Turkish adolescents. RESULTS: Data analyses confirmed the theoretical expectations and yielded promising results for the validity and reliability of the RESD-A. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that assessment of irrational beliefs in the context of autonomy, competence and relatedness is possible and valuable for the treatment of adolescents.

Structural and technological characterization of ropy exopolysaccharides produced by Lactobacillus plantarum strains isolated from Tarhana.

Exopolysaccharide producing starter cultures enable manufacturing "clean labeled" foods with improved textural and nutritional properties. The structural and technological analyses were performed on the ropy exopolysaccharides of six Lactobacillus plantarum. The incubation temperature, time and pH affected the exopolysaccharide production and high exopolysaccharide was produced in the presence of sucrose and maltose. The viscosity of exopolysaccharide was high at acidic conditions except PFC311E that showed viscous at neutral pH. Lactobacillus plantarum strains produced between 120 and 400 mg/L exopolysaccharide in which the highest was observed at L. plantarum PFC311. Exoploysaccharides were degraded over 300 °C except PFC311E that degraded at 295.7 °C. The NMR analyses revealed that the exopolysaccharides were synthesized by α1-6, α1-3 and α1-4 bonds with glucose, galactose and fructose moieties. In conclusion, L. plantarum PFC311 produced ropy exopolysaccharide with different structural, rheological and thermal properties and reveals potential to be used in food industry.

Language and the Symptoms of Mental Illness Connection via Abstract Representations of the Self and the World.

The aim of the present study is to provide additional knowledge about the mediatory processes through which language contributes to the symptoms of mental illness. Although recent studies have provided insight about the relationship between language and the indicators of mental illness, the role of intervening variables in this connection has been ignored. The present investigation tested a structural equation model in which the need for the absolute truth about self and worry mediated the relationship of the gap between inner psychological experience and language with anxiety and depression. The results have provided support for the model and showed that the gap predicts both the need for absolute truth and worry which, in turn, predict the levels of anxiety and depression. The results have been discussed in the light of previous research, and implications for future research have also been considered.

Mediational role of rumination and reflection on irrational beliefs and distress.

BACKGROUND: The cognitive restructuring of maladaptive beliefs within many cognitive behavioural psychotherapies typically encourages the client to undertake self-reflection. However, whilst self-consciousness can aid self-regulation, it is also implicated in a broad Grange of psychopathologies. The extent to which self-consciousness is associated with psychological distress is yet to be fully determined, but recent literature suggests that irrational beliefs, as proposed within rational emotive behaviour theory (REBT) may play an important role. AIMS: The aim of the study was to test the mediational effects of self-consciousness, specifically reflection and rumination, on the relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. Based on past research, it was hypothesized that reflection and rumination would mediate the positive relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. We expected irrational beliefs to interact with rumination to positively predict psychological distress, and irrational beliefs to interact with reflection to negatively predict psychological distress. METHOD: The present research tested a structural equation model (SEM) in which rumination and reflection mediated the relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. RESULTS: Results indicated that rumination mediates the positive relationship between irrational beliefs and psychological distress. However, in contrast to our hypotheses, significant mediation did not emerge for reflection. CONCLUSIONS: This study is the first to show how irrational beliefs and rumination interact to predict psychopathology using advanced statistical techniques. However, future research is needed to determine whether similar mediational effects are evident with rational beliefs as opposed to irrational beliefs.

The effect of fermentation time on the volatile aromatic profile of tarhana dough.

Tarhana is a traditional food produced by fermentation of a dough prepared by mixing wheat flour, yoghurt, tomato, paprika, onion and mint. The fermentation of mixture of natural products gives the tarhana an aromatized desired food characteristic. Therefore, we aimed to determine the effects of fermentation time at home and commercial scale on the aromatic volatile profile of tarhana. In this respect, nine different tarhana dough samples were prepared at home and commercial scale and analysed for volatile and organic acid composition during fermentation which were then evaluated by principal component analysis. In all dough samples, the lactic, succinic and acetic acids were the most produced organic acids while the amounts of ketones decreased, and the alcohols, in particular the esters, increased within fermentation. Particularly, ethyl-lactate and ethyl-acetate increased significantly as well as ethyl-caprylate, ethyl-capronate and ethyl-hexanote responsible for fruity and flower flavour were also accumulated. Tarhana doughs were clustered in two main groups after five days of fermentation with principal component analysis and these clusters remained stable until the end of fermentation. As a conclusion, fermentation time determines the desirable tarhana by ensuring the formation of aromatic volatiles particularly esters. It is necessary to ferment tarhana for at least five days in order to obtain typical aromatic properties.

Characterization of a 4,6­α­glucanotransferase from Lactobacillus reuteri E81 and production of malto-oligosaccharides with immune-modulatory roles.

A wide number of Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) species produce α-glucans with their ability to synthesize glucansucrases (GS) which use sucrose as substrate for the glucan production. Recently another group of enzymes in LAB gained special interest for their ability to produce α-glucans targeting the substrates containing α1-4-linkages and synthesizing new (α1-6) or (α1-3)-linkages as α­glucanotransferases. In this study, a putative 4,6­α­glucanotransferase (GTFB) from sourdough isolate Lactobacillus reuteri E81 was identified and expressed in Escherichia coli. The biochemical characterization of the GTFB-E81 confirmed its function as it cleaved the α1-4-linkages in different substrates and produced new gluco-oligomers/polymers containing α1-6 linkages together with the α1-4-linkages detected by NMR analysis. GTFB-E81 produced malto-oligosaccharides targeting maltose and maltoheptaose as substrates with up to DP 8 detected by TLC and ESI-MS/MS analysis. The functional roles of these malto-oligosaccharides were determined by testing their immune-modulatory functions in HT29 cells and they triggered the production of anti-inflammatory 1L-4 and pro-inflammatory IL-12 cytokines.