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İnformal öğrenme ortamlarının en yaygın örneklerinden biri bilim merkezleridir. Belirli öğrenme hedefleri göz önünde bulundurularak tasarlanan bilim merkezi sergileri, öğrencilerin fen öğrenimlerini kolaylaştıran ögelerden biridir. Bu çalışmada, bir bilim merkezindeki nanoteknoloji konulu sergi düzeneği kullanılarak uygulanan etkinlikle bu teknolojiye ait kavramların anlaşılmasına etkisi araştırılmıştır. Araştırma ortaokul 5, 6 ve 7. sınıf öğrencilerinden oluşan 109 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Katılımcıları aktif kılan öğretim tekniklerinden tahmin-gözlem-açıklama (TGA) tekniği kullanılmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden durum çalışmasının kullanıldığı çalışmada veriler tematik analiz kullanılarak kodlanmış ve anlamlı kategoriler oluşturulmuştur. Çalışmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre, TGA tekniği ile sergi düzeneklerinin kullanıldığı nanoteknoloji etkinliğini uygulayan öğrencilerde gözlemlenebilir düzeyde kavramsallaştırmadan tanecik düzeyinde kavramsallaştırmaya doğru bir geçiş olduğu gözlenmiştir. Bu nedenle, nanoteknolojinin daha küçük yaşlarda bilinmesi ve anlaşılması için bilim merkezi sergi düzeneklerinin kullanıldığı etkinliklerin yapılması önerilebilir.

Hücrenin hayatta kalmasıyla ilgili hücre içi yollar, gelişim ve nörodejeneratif bozukluklar sırasında nöronal fizyolojiyi düzenler. Bu süreçlerde önemli bir rolle ortaya çıkan yollardan biri Nüklear Faktör-κB (NF-κB) sinyal yolağıdır. Bu yolağın aktivitesi, NF-κB transkripsiyon faktörlerinin nüklear translokasyonuna ve anti-apoptotik gen ekspresyonunun düzenlenmesine yol açar. Farklı uyaranlar, farklı hücre içi kademeler (kanonik, kanonik olmayan ve atipik) yoluyla bu yolağı aktive ederek NF-κB transkripsiyon faktörlerinin belirli dimerlerinin translokasyonuna katkıda bulunabilir ve bu dimerlerden her biri farklı genlerin transkripsiyonunu düzenleyebilir. Son çalışmalar, bu yolun aktivasyonunun, hücrenin hayatta kalması veya nöronal dejenerasyon gibi zıt yanıtları düzenlediğini göstermiştir. Bu bariz çelişkili etkiler, yolak uyarısı, hücrelerin kaynağı veya hücresel bağlam gibi koşullara bağlıdır., Intracellular pathways involved in cell survival regulate neuronal physiology during development and neurodegenerative disorders. One of the pathways that appears to play an important role in these processes is the nuclear factor-κB signaling pathway. The activity of this pathway leads to nuclear translocation of NF-κB transcription factors and regulation of anti-apoptotic gene expression. Different stimuli can contribute to the translocation of certain dimers of NF-κB transcription factors by activating the pathway through different intracellular cascades (canonical, non-canonical and atypical), and each of these dimers can regulate the transcription of different genes. Recent studies have shown that activation of this pathway regulates opposite responses such as cell survival or neuronal degeneration. These obvious contradictory effects are dependent on conditions such as pathway stimulation, source of cells or cellular context.

Objectives Central diabetes insipidus (CDI) is a rare but important disease of varying etiology that poses challenges in diagnosis and follow-up. Identifying diagnostic difficulties in patients with CDI will help ensure an optimal approach to their management and follow-up. This study aimed to characterize the clinical and etiological characteristics of CDI in pediatric patients. Methods We analyzed the admission and follow-up data of CDI patients aged 0–18 years who were followed in our center between 2010 and 2019. Results The study included 56 patients with a mean age at diagnosis of 7.92 ± 5.11 years and symptom duration of 8.65 ± 21.3 months. The patients were grouped by etiology into those with organic causes, such as structural anomalies, tumors, and trauma (group 1, n=41) and other causes (group 2, n=15). The prevalence of idiopathic CDI was 16%. At least one pituitary hormone deficiency was detected in 60.7%, the most common being thyroid stimulating hormone deficiency. Patients in group 1 had a higher mean age at diagnosis, shorter symptom duration, and higher frequency of other pituitary hormone deficiencies compared to group 2. Additionally, germinoma was detected 1 year subsequent to normal MRI findings at diagnosis and another patient was diagnosed with Langerhans cell histiocytosis (LCH) 5 years after diagnosis. All patients responded well to replacement therapies, but two patients with germinoma died during follow-up. Conclusions In the pediatric age group, intracranial organic pathologies are an important etiology of CDI, and despite a short symptomatic period, determining the cause may be challenging and prolonged. Patients presenting at a young age with a long history of symptoms and no other pituitary hormone deficiency are unlikely to have organic CDI. However, organic causes such as LCH should be evaluated at all ages. Patients with idiopathic disease are candidates for further etiological studies, and repeated cranial imaging is important during follow-up.

Hyperprolactinaemia refers to increased circulating prolactin and is divided into functional and pathological hyperprolactinaemia. Prolactinoma is the most common cause of severe hyperprolactinaemia. Prolactinomas are rare in children. Treatment outcomes and long-term follow-up data in children are insufficient. Dopamine agonists are the first step in the treatment of prolactinomas. There are no recommendations supported by a high level of evidence regarding the dose and duration of cabergoline treatment.Patients with hyperprolactinaemia were evaluated for etiological, clinical, and follow-up characteristics. The case files of patients with high prolactin levels who were followed up in our clinic between 2001 and 2019 were reviewed retrospectively.27 cases (20 female, 7 male) with hyperprolactinemia were detected. The median age of the cases was 15 years (0.3-17.4). Prolactinoma was detected in 40.7% of the cases (n=11). Among these cases, six were macroadenomas. The median prolactin level was 118 ng/mL (34-4340) in those with prolactinoma and 60 ng/mL (22-200) in the hyperprolactinaemia group (p=0.007). In the prolactinoma group, the median age at presentation in macroadenoma cases (13.8 years) was lower than in microadenoma cases (17 years) (p=0.06). There was a negative correlation between prolactin level and height SDS (r=-0.770, p=0.06). In all cases, the median initial cabergoline dose was 0.5 mg/week, and prolactin levels returned to normal within an average of 2.6±2.4 months. Cabergoline treatment achieved a 50% reduction in adenoma size in the first year of treatment without high doses.Prolactinoma consists of an important group among hyperplolactinemia in children. In our study, prolactinoma was detected in 40.7% of children with hyperplolactinemia, and children with prolonged use (over 4 years) tolerated cabergoline well and prolactin levels normalized without high doses. Follow-up is required for relapse after discontinuing the treatment.