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Urban flooding caused by urbanization and climate change is a critical challenge for city infrastructures. Infiltration trenches are a green infrastructure system that collects and temporarily stores rainwater. In this study, the efficiency of 12 infiltration trenches in Kayseri province of Turkey was analyzed using InfoWorks ICM. These analyses are characterized by 5 different return periods and 4 different distributions of rainfall over time. The model was validated with a historical rainfall event and showed good results according to statistical validation methods. The study also provides alternative solutions by including the effect of different infiltration ratios and simulations of different infiltration trench designs. Infiltration trenches, which were appropriately located, reduced flood depth and initial flooding time even during high return periods. By analyzing multiple infiltration trenches together, testing different scenarios and combining field application and modeling, the study provides outputs that will help urban flood management applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Mindfulness is commonly defined in the public and professional realms as a secular therapeutic technique, but less attention has been paid to the practitioners at the vanguard of the contemporary UK mindfulness milieu and the extent to which their personal beliefs align with this profile. Drawing on a nationwide survey of 768 teachers of mindfulness, as well as 82 semi-structured interviews and a focus group with selected mindfulness practitioners, this article presents a detailed sociological portrait of UK mindfulness teachers, including their religious and spiritual identities, understandings of mindfulness, and strategies for negotiating these across personal and professional domains. The analysis reveals a far more spiritual cohort than might have been assumed, raising questions about the nature, function and significance of increasingly widespread mindfulness teaching practices in Western societies, and offering insights into the evolution of contemporary relations between 'the secular', 'the religious' and 'the spiritual' within the modern world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The depletion of petroleum-based fossil resources and ever-increasing environmental problems are serious issues in the production of polymeric materials. An increasingly important approach is to obtain the building blocks used in the production of these materials from renewable sources of natural origin. In the present study, bio-sourced tartaric acid-based tartarimides were evaluated as monomeric diol compounds to synthesize polyurethane polymers. Structurally diverse tartarimides were conveniently obtained from the condensation reactions of tartaric acid with various primary amine compounds. The diol structure of the generated tartarimides allowed to access polyurethanes along with the polymerizations of diisocyanate monomers. Copolymers in the range of 22.9 kDa to 29.3 kDa molecular weights were obtained with moderately high total monomer conversions (up to 96%). Depending on the tartarimide and diisocyanate monomers employed during polymerization, copolymers with different physical and thermal properties were generated. By utilizing tartarimides carrying furan and alkene functionalities, side chain reactive polyurethanes were synthesized. These reactive polymers were evaluated in post-polymerization modification and crosslinking processes by using radical thiol-ene and Diels-Alder based click reactions. The results obtained in this study demonstrated that the bio-sourced tartarimides could provide a convenient access to structurally tailorable polyurethane polymers that are important materials in various applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Cittaslow emerged as a response to globalisation's devastating effects, particularly to small cities' local economies and the fast-paced and homogenised lifestyle in urban areas. Cittaslow has been promoting a local development approach based on a community's way of life. However, the present literature on Cittaslow mainly focuses on tourism and destination development. The concept of Cittaslow itself appears to have become a global brand for small cities. Considering this, the paper aims to extend current knowledge of Cittaslow. The main research goal of this paper is to examine the extent to which Cittaslow provides a sustainable urban development policy. For the investigation, qualitative research is structured using the requirement of excellence. Cittaslow policies are evaluated based on sustainable urban development. Two cities from different countries are selected to compare these policies in diverse planning contexts. Field studies and interviews were conducted in two small cities: Abbiategrasso, a neighbouring city of Milan and Seferihisar, located within the Izmir Metropolitan Region. The findings indicate that Cittaslow policies focus on sustainable development. However, there are various complex issues in the related official documents. In both cities, interviews indicate numerous initiatives to implement Cittaslow policies and improve their quality of life. Seferihisar encountered difficulties because of its recognition as a designated 'slow city' brand. Without a comprehensive planning strategy, Cittaslow cities may risk jeopardising their unique local way of life. The main focus is to provide recommendations for enhancing current Cittaslow policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this study, the fatty acid content, phenolic compounds, and antimicrobial activity of seed oils from Ege Özbaş (EO), Sarıbağlar 407 (S407) and Akhisar 98 (A98) tobacco plants grown in the Aegean region were investigated. The ozonation process altered fatty acid and phenolic compound compositions and affected antimicrobial activities against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria in the oils. Tobacco seed oils (TSOs) were extracted via cold pressing (CP) and Soxhlet extraction (SE). Fatty acids and phenolic compounds were analyzed using GC-FID and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Non-ozonated oils averaged 73% linoleic acid, 13% oleic acid, 9% palmitic acid, and 3% stearic acid, while ozonated oils contained 41% linoleic acid, 18% oleic acid, 22% palmitic acid, and 11% stearic acid. The presence of 33 phenolic compounds was investigated and 22 common phenolic compounds were detected in both ozonated and non-ozonated TSOs, including gallic acid, protocatechuic acid, chlorogenic acid, 3-hydroxybenzoic acid, (-)-epicatechin, 2,5-dihydroxybenzoic acid, caffeic acid, verbascoside, luteolin-7-glucoside, hesperidin, and rosmarinic acid. The increased antimicrobial activity of fatty acids and phenolic compounds following ozonation suggests the potential for developing creams to treat skin diseases and wounds caused by antibiotic-resistant pathogens, and to reduce the effects of aging skin wrinkles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

As cousins, we discovered a treasure trove of family papers, revealing the intricate relationship between precarity and privilege of our family from Salonica navigating the post-Ottoman transition. Recognising the potential of family history to provide a more intimate and complex historiography, this article offers our initial study of these family papers. By highlighting the challenges posed by the scarcity of such documents in Middle Eastern studies, emphasising women's roles in preserving family memory and focussing on the interplay between personal and political domains, we identify the preparation of a family tree as a gendered and socioeconomic project of preserving the past and shaping the present. By tracing our family's origins, including unsettling discoveries, we address matters of identity and memory before embarking on our analysis. By reconstructing the biographies of two generations, we characterise the family's socioeconomic struggle to sustain their precarious privilege amid shifting frontiers and along their journey from Ottoman Salonica to Kemalist Turkey. Ultimately, this article underscores the significance of family history as a transnational, intergenerational, intersectional and social history that enriches our understanding of the post-Ottoman transition through the lives of ordinary (and some extraordinary) Ottomans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This paper addresses the 'Digital Divide' concerning disparities in adopting information and communication technologies (ICTs) at the regional level in Türkiye. Acknowledging the multiscale dimension of the digital divide, two main research questions are addressed: (1) Is there a digital divide between regions in Türkiye? If so, (2) How does the digital divide affect the development disparities in Türkiye? The ICT Development Index (IDI) and Socio-Economic Development Index (SEDI) are utilized together to answer these questions. Results reveal a positive correlation between them and significant discrepancies between Türkiye's eastern and western regions. Remarkably, the digitalization gap is narrower than the socio-economic development gap. The findings suggest that while digital technologies have diffused rapidly in Türkiye, their socio-economic benefits have been absorbed more slowly. This study aims to contribute to the literature on the digital divide and information and communication technology for development (ICT4D) at the regional level, providing insights for policymakers to address regional digital inequalities in Türkiye. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aimed to examine the relationships between the variables of health literacy, healthy aging, and life satisfaction in individuals aged 65 and older and determine the mediating role of healthy aging in the relationship between health literacy and life satisfaction. Individuals aged 65 and older living in Burdur province of Turkey constituted the study population and a questionnaire was applied to 1371 older people in the study. According to the analysis results, it was determined that olders' perceptions of life satisfaction and healthy aging increased as their perceptions of health literacy increased, and their life satisfaction increased as their perceptions of healthy aging increased. In addition to, it was found that the mediating role of healthy aging in the relationship between health literacy and life satisfaction was statistically significant and positive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Purpose: Sagittal imbalance is common in degenerative and congenital spinal diseases. Some studies have examined spinal deformities in the spina bifida. However, sagittal spinopelvic parameters in tethered cord syndrome (TCS) and split cord malformation (SCM) have been poorly evaluated in the literature. In this study, we investigated sagittal spinopelvic differences in TCS due to fatty filum terminale and SCM patients. Material and Methods: A total of 78 patients with spina bifida occulta (30 SCM and 48 TCS due to fatty filum terminale) were included in the study. Radiological images of these patients were retrospectively evaluated. We evaluated the pelvic incidence, pelvic tilt, sacral slope, sagittal vertical axis (SVA), T1 pelvic angle, lumbar lordosis (LL), thoracic kyphosis, thoracolumbar alignment, and change in those parameters with age. Results: Correlation coefficients between age and LL, T1 pelvic angle, and the SVA in patients with TCS due to fatty filum terminale were statistically significant. In addition, correlation coefficients between age and LL and the SVA in patients with SCM were statistically significant. Notably, LL was increased at a statistically significant level with age in patients with TCS and SCM. Conclusion: Improved knowledge of spinal balance parameters in patients with TCS and SCM may be helpful in understanding the clinical course of these pathologies, and provide information regarding the success of surgery at the follow-up period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Phenomenon: Physician immigration from other countries is increasing as developed countries continue to be desirable destinations for physicians; however, the determinants of Turkish physicians' migration decisions are still unclear. Despite its wide coverage in the media and among physicians in Türkiye, and being the subject of much debate, there is insufficient data to justify this attention. With this study, we aimed to investigate the tendency of senior medical students in Türkiye to pursue their professional careers abroad and its related factors. Approach: This cross-sectional study involved 9881 senior medical students from 39 different medical schools in Türkiye in 2022. Besides participants' migration decision, we evaluated the push and pull factors related to working, social environment and lifestyle in Türkiye and abroad, medical school education inadequacy, and personal insufficiencies, as well as the socioeconomic variables that may affect the decision to migrate abroad. The analyses were carried out with a participation rate of at least 50%. Findings: Of the medical students, 70.7% had emigration intentions. Approximately 60% of those want to stay abroad permanently, and 61.5% of them took initiatives such as learning a foreign language abroad (54.5%) and taking relevant exams (18.9%). Those who wanted to work in the field of Research & Development were 1.37 (95% CI: 1.22–1.54) times more likely to emigrate. The push factor that was related to emigration intention was the "working conditions in the country" (OR: 1.89, 95% CI: 1.56–2.28) whereas the "social environment/lifestyle abroad" was the mere pull factor for the tendency of emigration (OR: 1.73, 95% CI: 1.45–2.06). In addition, the quality problem in medical schools also had a significant impact on students' decisions (OR: 2.20, 95% CI: 1.83–2.65). Insights: Although the percentage of those who want to emigrate "definitely" was at the same level as in the other developing countries, the tendency to migrate "permanently" was higher in Türkiye. Improving working conditions in the country and increasing the quality of medical faculties seem vital in preventing the migration of physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In industrial applications, annular fins are commonly made of homogeneous materials such as aluminum, struggling to provide uniform temperature distribution along their length. Recognizing the potential of Functionally Graded Materials (FGMs) to enhance thermal performance by combining two different materials with a gradual variation, this study proposes their use as fin materials to achieve optimum performance. The study consists of three major components: (1) numerical analyses to determine the optimum volume composition of FG fins, (2) the fabrication process of aluminum and FG fins utilizing powder metallurgy and the hot-pressing technique, and (3) experiments to evaluate the thermal performance of FG and aluminum fin arrays attached to a horizontal cylinder of 250 mm length under natural convection. Heat ranging from 25 W to 150 W is applied to the cylinder during these experiments. Based on the experiments, the thermal performances of fins are evaluated in terms of net free convection heat transfer rate, the Nusselt number, and fin effectiveness. Overall, experimental results demonstrate that the net convection heat transfer rate depends on fin spacing, material, and the base-to-ambient temperature difference. Specifically, FG fin arrays enhance the net heat transfer rate by 59%, while aluminum fin arrays increase it by 33% compared to finless cylinders. Moreover, FG fins outperform aluminum fin arrays by 40% in convective heat transfer coefficient h. Due to being the first experimental study, this study sets itself apart. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Although teachers' autonomy support and structure are considered essential elements of the classroom environment to promote effective learning strategies, prior research has sometimes provided conflicting results. This inconsistency may stem from how autonomy support and structure relate to some outcomes but not others. Alternatively, this variability might be attributed to nonlinear relations, which have been scarcely tested thus far. In this cross-sectional study, we revisited this issue by examining both the linear and curvilinear relations of autonomy support and structure to challenge-seeking, novelty avoidance, and procrastination. Participants were 3,271 adolescents (Mage = 15.91, SD = 0.34 years; 59.8% females) from 116 classrooms. Multilevel polynomial regression analyses revealed that, compared to structure, autonomy support was a more reliable predictor of challenge-seeking, both at the student and the classroom levels. In contrast, structure predicted novelty avoidance and procrastination more reliably at both levels than autonomy support. Response surface analyses indicated that the most desired pattern existed at the line of congruence. Our findings suggest that both autonomy support and structure are needed to enhance students' learning strategies. However, the degree of necessity may vary for specific outcomes, with one potentially being more crucial than the other. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Phenomenon: As the first stage of a large-scale educational design research (EDR) study focused on the complex problem of providing authentic experiential "hands-on, minds-in" learning opportunities online during a pandemic or other exigency, we conducted a literature review and we interviewed Turkish academic staff and students about their experiences during the first year of the COVID-19 Pandemic. ApproachWe interviewed faculty members, faculty members of medical education departments, and medical students from both public and private medical schools in Türkiye between October 1 and December 31, 2020. Working in pairs, we analyzed the transcripts of 49 interviews using open qualitative coding methods with satisfactory levels of coefficients of agreement. FindingsWe defined six major themes from the qualitative analysis: 1) Fear and concern were the most common reactions when first encountering the pandemic; 2) Teaching methods during the pandemic were primarily unidirectional from faculty to students. This largely one way transmission of information occurred both synchronously and asynchronously; 3) Technological support during the pandemic shutdowns was found to be challenging for both faculties and students; 4) Evaluation of learning during the pandemic was opportunistic and had questionable rigor; 5) Healthy communication was valued by both faculty and students using an array of different tools including social media; and 6) The pandemic had both negative and positive impacts on the educational processes experienced by students and provided by faculty and resulted in recommendations for new approaches to teaching and learning in the future. Medical students were primarily concerned about the susceptibility to COVID-19 of themselves and others, and how the pandemic would affect their progress toward completing their studies. Faculty were primarily concerned about the capacity of online learning to provide clinical learning opportunities and the difficulties of assessing student clinical skills using online modalities. Medical education specialists were primarily concerned about the quality of educational opportunities offered online. InsightsOur findings were similar to other studies conducted in the USA, China, United Kingdom, and other countries. However, the interviews revealed interest among faculty and medical education specialists for further investigation of experiential or active learning models that could be applied in medical education regardless of whether the delivery mode is face-to-face, online, or most likely, blended. In the next stage of our larger scale EDR study, we will design and construct prototype learning environments that incorporate experiential, active, and authentic learning design principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The volume of trade between two regions is shaped by the cost of trade, which is a function of infrastructural and political barriers. Governments can invest in the upgrade of their country's logistics infrastructure to mitigate these barriers, decrease trade costs, and increase domestic trade volumes; but they need to decide which infrastructural project(s) to invest under limited budget. A bilevel, bicriteria optimization model is proposed to overcome this challenge. The inner model anticipates total trade flows among all regions of the country with a profit maximization lens of the transporters. The outer model selects the projects based on minimizing total investment costs and maximizing total trade flows. The novelty in this approach is in incorporating the implicit 'trade barriers' through a 'trade cost model' borrowed from the economics literature. The proposed framework is implemented in a case study originating from the Canadian Northern Corridor concept which aims to boost domestic trade between the provinces and the territories of Canada. The numerical study indicates that investments to upgrade and increase connectivity in the logistics infrastructure of western Canada should be prioritized over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Marine mucilage, also known as sea-snot, is an environmental disaster with ecological, economical, and public health-related impacts, which is occurring with increasing frequency and severity worldwide. One of the latest mucilage occurrences, the mucilage outbreak of Spring 2021 in the Sea of Marmara, lasted for well over three months and covered more than area of 1160 $k{m^2}$ k m 2 , and was repeated in 2022, although to a smaller extent in terms of duration, coverage area, and severity. Remotely sensed images acquired by Earth observation sensors provide a convenient and promising alternative for environmental monitoring of marine mucilage, with respect to field and laboratory work which are costly, require expert knowledge, and which have to be conducted in a small time-window and have limited generalizability due to the under-sampling of a large medium with a highly dynamic character. This work presents an unmixing-based approach using nonnegative matrix factorization for marine mucilage monitoring from remotely sensed hyperspectral data. The proposed method enables to identify the spectral signature of mucilage, and its variants where applicable, and the precise detection and estimation of mucilage concentrations in affected regions. Additionally, the proposed approach facilitates monitoring the temporal variations of mucilage presence, distribution, and accumulation, between data acquired from the same region at different dates or times. This enables quantitative spatio-temporal mapping of distributions and the potential of assessing the severity of outbreaks, without the requirement of manually prepared ground truth maps or carefully selected thresholds. Real hyperspectral data acquired by the PRISMA mission are used to validate the proposed approach qualitatively and quantitatively. The paper also discusses future directions and recommendations to enhance the performance and applicability of the proposed approach for marine mucilage analysis, and environmental monitoring in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) occurs due to high blood glucose damage to the retina and leads to blindness if left untreated. KATP and related genes (KCNJ11 and ABCC8) play an important role in insulin secretion by glucose-stimulated pancreatic beta cells and the regulation of insulin secretion. KCNJ11 E23K (rs5219), ABCC8–3 C/T (rs1799854), Thr759Thr (rs1801261) and Arg1273Arg (rs1799859) are among the possible related single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). The aim of this study is to find out how DR and these SNPs are associated with one another in the Turkish population. This study included 176 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus without retinopathy (T2DM-rp), 177 DR patients, and 204 controls. Genomic DNA was extracted from whole blood, and genotypes were determined by the PCR-RFLP method. In the present study, a significant difference was not found between all the groups in terms of Arg1273Arg polymorphism located in the ABCC8 gene. The T allele and the TT genotype in the −3 C/T polymorphism in this gene may have a protective effect in the development of DR (p = 0.036 for the TT genotype; p = 0.034 for T allele) and PDR (p = 0.042 and 0.025 for the TT genotype). The AA genotype showed a significant increase in the DR group compared to T2DM-rp in the KCNJ11 E23K polymorphism (p = 0.046). Consequently, the T allele and TT genotype in the −3 C/T polymorphism of the ABCC8 gene may have a protective marker on the development of DR and PDR, while the AA genotype in the E23K polymorphism of the KCNJ11 gene may be effective in the development of DR in the Turkish population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The sense of force can be assessed using a force reproduction task (FRT), which consists of matching a target force with visual feedback (TARGET phase) and reproducing it without visual feedback (REPRODUCTION phase). We investigated the relevance of muscle proprioception during the TARGET phase (EXP1) and the influence of the sensory source used for the force feedback (EXP2). Accordingly, EXP1 compared the force reproduction error (RE) between trials with (LV) and without (NoLV) local tendon vibration applied on the first dorsal interosseous during the TARGET phase, while EXP2 compared RE between trials performed with visual (VISIO) or auditory (AUDIO) feedback. The FRT was performed with the index finger at 5% and 20% of the maximal force (MVC). RE was greater with LV compared with NoLV at 5% (p = 0.004) but not 20% MVC (p = 0.65). The involvement of muscle proprioception in RFT was further supported by the increase in RE with LV frequency (supplementary experiment). RE was greater for VISIO than AUDIO at 5% (p < 0.001) but not 20% MVC (p = 0.054). This study evidences the relevance of proprioceptive inputs during the target PHASE and the influence of the force feedback modality on RE, and thereby on the assessment of the sense of force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Inflammation is a natural response of the organism, involving events responsible for releasing chemical mediators and requiring treatments of symptoms such as pain, redness, heat, swelling, and loss of tissue function. Piroxicam (PRX) is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug with the effect of nonselective COX inhibitor activity; however, it shows poor bioavailability caused by the poor and slow water solubility. In this study, we developed PRX nanosuspensions with 200–500 nm in diameter to increase the bioavailability of PRX by improving its solubility. PRX nanosuspensions were fabricated by High pressure homogenization method with PVA, SDS and Tween 80. The nanosuspensions were characterized by XRD, FTIR, DSC, and in vitro release. In vivo pharmacokinetic properties and anti-inflammatory effects were also investigated in rabbits. PRX nanosuspensions significantly increased the solubility (14.89 ± 0.03 mg/L for pure PRX and 16.75 ± 0.05 mg/L for PRX nanosuspensions) and dissolution rate as compared to the pure PRX (p < 0.05). Orally administered PRX nanosuspension (AUC 0-t is 49.26 ± 4.29 μg/mL × h) significantly improved the bioavailability of PRX (AUC 0-t is 28.40 ± 12.11 μg/mL × h). The anti-inflammatory effect of PRX nanosuspension was also investigated in rabbits and it was observed that PRX nanosuspension treatment significantly improved the inhibition of COX-2 and NFκB expression as compared to the PRX treatment (p < 0.05). The results in this study indicate that PRX nanosuspension is a promising nanomedicine for enhancing the anti-inflammatory activity of PRX and has a high potential for the treatment of inflammation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Environmental toxins are known to be one of the important factors in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). This study was designed to investigate the possible contribution of fluoride (F) exposure to oxidative stress and neurodegeneration in rats with PD induced by rotenone (ROT). A total of 72 Wistar albino male rats were used in the experiment and 9 groups were formed with 8 animals in each group. ROT (2 mg/kg) was administered subcutaneously (sc) for 28 days. Different doses of sodium fluoride (NaF) (25, 50 and 100 ug/mL) were given orally (po) for 4 weeks. Malondialdehyde (MDA), glutathione (GSH), nitric oxide (NO), oxidative DNA damage (8-OHdG) and cholinesterase (AChE/BChE) enzyme activities were evaluated in serum and brain tissue homogenates. Rats treated with ROT and NaF had significant increases in serum and brain MDA, NO content, and decreases in GSH. In addition, the combination of ROT and NaF triggered oxidative DNA damage and resulted in increased AChE/BChE activity. Findings suggest that NaF and ROT may interact synergistically leading to oxidative damage and neuronal cell loss. As a result, we believe that exposure to pesticides in combination with NaF is one of the environmental factors that should not be ignored in the etiology of neurological diseases such as PD in populations in areas with endemic fluorosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study aimed to use social media to investigate the relationship between the demographic, obstetric and gynaecological characteristics and the awareness of gynaecological cancer among women. The data were collected between 1st March and May 2018 using an internet-baseline survey/surveymonkey/google form. The sample was consisted of 1227 women who were literate, active social media users and had volunteered to participate in the study via social media. The GCAS scores of women who were in the age range 20–24 years, primary school graduates, no social security, were not pregnant, had a miscarriage, did not examine their external genital organs, had not entered the menopause and who did not use any family planning methods, were lower than the other women. The GCA of the women was found to be high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Mercury (II) ions have significant ecological impacts. In the current study, magnetized iron oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles were green synthesized and encapsulated with alginate (ALG). The nanoparticles were converted into a composite (Fe3O4/ALG). The Fe3O4/ALG beads were used to remove Hg (II) from industrial wastewater. Characterization was performed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy—energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), and thermogravimetric analysis-differential thermal analysis (TGA-DTA). A central composite design (CCD) approach was performed to define the experimental conditions providing the highest global adsorption efficiency and to optimize the pH, temperature and adsorbent mass. Hg (II) concentrations were determined by flame and electrothermal atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS and ETAAS). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 1.2 mg L−1 and 3.5 mg L−1 for FAAS and 0.2 µg L−1 and 0.5 µg L−1 for ETAAS, respectively. Additionally, Langmuir, Freundlich, and Temkin isotherm models were employed to determine the adsorption mechanism. The adsorption capacity of Fe3O4/ALG was determined to be 49.18 mg g−1 by the Langmuir model. Kinetic studies revealed that the adsorption of Hg (II) best fitted the pseudo-second order model. The Gibb's free energy (ΔG°) values showed that the adsorption of Hg (II) on Fe3O4/ALG occurred spontaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Base isolation applications are becoming popular in the seismic design of resilient structures and infrastructures. Even though the response of the bearings is widely studied under cyclic displacements, limited information is available for bearing response under sustained lateral loads. These types of loads can develop sustained lateral displacement in the bearing. During the holding time under sustained lateral displacement, the creep or stress relaxation may significantly change the properties of the bearings and may affect the response in the reloading stage. This research paper aims at assessing the influence of short-term lateral creep on the hysteretic response of rubber bearings, and ball rubber bearings. To this end, experimental testing on different elastomeric bearings under imposed lateral displacement is performed. For each device, the lateral response is measured, and the advantages and disadvantages are discussed in terms of strength, stiffness, energy dissipation and equivalent damping. The loss of load under sustained lateral displacement is experimentally assessed and the effects of creep in the design procedure of a base isolated system are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This research aims to experimentally investigate the thermal performance of iron oxide nanofluids having different particle shapes for multiple impinging jet flow. The heat transfer performance of nanofluids with spherical like, faced nanocube and nanowires shapes prepared by hydrothermal synthesis was investigated experimentally. The weight percentage of the nanofluids examined in this study is 0.2 wt%, and different jet-to-jet spacing (B) and jet-to-plate distance (H) values were tested for each nanofluid. The experiments were carried out for laminar flow conditions, the temperature distribution was obtained through thermocouples, and the Nu number was calculated for each case. In experiments using nanowires, it was observed that the highest Nu numbers were obtained for jet-target/diameter ratio 2 for all cases (jet spaces and Reynolds numbers). Maximum Nu number enhancement was approximately 27.3% compared to pure water for the specified conditions. This value is quite significant since it was obtained with a relatively low concentration of nanofluids. It was observed that the particle size and morphology shape significantly impact nanofluids' performance in heat transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The use of inhaler device (UID) and the satisfaction and adherence of patients to treatment were evaluated by Istanbul city community pharmacists to obtain real-life data from patients with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Pharmacists educated by pulmonary disease specialists asked patients who combined medications with inhaler devices to fill out a questionnaire prepared by the specialists. Each patient's UID was checked, and their errors were corrected by showing them the already prepared standard video of their inhaler device. Afterward, the UID was repeated and rechecked. The visual analog scale (VAS), feeling of satisfaction with the inhaler (FSI-10) questionnaire, and the Morisky Green Levine (MGL) scale were used for symptom control, satisfaction, and adherence, respectively. Then, we compared the results of three different types of inhalers: metered dose inhalers (MDI), dry powder inhalers (DPI), and dry powder inhalation capsules (DPI Caps). Twenty-seven (19.3%) patients used MDI, 42 (30%) used DPI caps, and 71 (50.7%) used DPI. UID before training was better in patients with DPI than in those with MDI and DPI Cap (p < 0.001). After training, the UID increased in all three groups (p < 0.001). The VAS scores were high in the DPI Caps group than the other groups (p < 0.001). The FSI-10 score was not significantly different among the groups (p > 0.05). Full-adherence was observed in 36.8% of the MDI group, 39.1% of the DPI Caps group, and 21.7% of the DPI groups (p > 0.05). The partnership between community pharmacists and pulmonary disease specialists improved patients' UID. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of the perception of distrust in the healthcare system on vaccine hesitancy and to determine the association between the sociodemographic characters of the participants and their perception of distrust and their vaccine hesitancy. The population consisted of individuals who were 20 years old and above and were residing in Turkey. A total of 986 people participated in the study. The data were collected through a questionnaire that was prepared on Google Forms. As a result of the regression analysis, distrust in the healthcare system explained 20.7% of total variance in vaccine hesitancy and an increase in the perception of distrust in the healthcare system statistically increased the vaccine hesitancy. In the study, it was also determined that the participants' perceptions of distrust in the healthcare system caused statistically significant differences based on the variables of marital status, employment status, alcohol consumption, age, education level and income level. It was revealed that the participants' perceptions of vaccine hesitancy caused a statistically significant difference only based on age and the frequency of applying to the health institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this study, the classification performance of the extreme gradient boosting algorithm on a small-sized dataset was improved by using a synthetically generated dataset created with kernel density estimation to classify wine samples. The concentration of 29 elements in wine samples produced in Turkey (domestic) and Italy (imported) was determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and obtained results were used to generate the dataset. Classification of wine samples was firstly assessed with extreme gradient boosting, which is known for overfitting in small-sized datasets, resulting in poor classification performance. To improve the classification performance, a synthetic dataset was created and the algorithm was trained on the synthetic dataset instead of the original dataset. With the proposed method, the accuracy of the model was improved from 76.7% to 81.7%. The precision values for Turkish and Italian wines were increased from 78.4% to 84.1% and from 70.9% to 79.4%, respectively. The variable importance determined by the extreme gradient boosting algorithm showed that beryllium and cesium were significantly more important compared to other elements followed by tin, phosphorus, cobalt, lead, calcium, copper, zinc, and aluminum as the top 10 elements to classify Turkish and Italian wine samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study decomposes the trend-cycle components of the stock market indices of the United States and China in a time series framework over the period of 1980–2021, and 1992–2021 years, respectively. Using the extended Kalman filter (EKF) method, the changing dynamics of stock market prices can be analysed more effectively since stock market prices can have a nonlinear pattern, and the EKF allows estimated system parameters to change over time under the nonlinear state-space model. As the impacts of shocks to trend and cycle on the stock market can be observed more efficiently due to flexible time-varying parameter estimation, the EKF offers more reasonable results than other decomposition tools. The empirical findings of this study prove that the EKF extracts the trend and cycle components by giving quite consistent forecasts for stock market prices in both advanced and emerging market countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The international recognition of Turkey through the Treaty of Lausanne is often seen as the foundational moment of Turkey in international diplomacy. This article approaches diplomatic history from a decentred perspective. It highlights the activities of various non-state actors and semi-official figures who became engaged in international politics during the Turkish War of Independence (1919–1923). They used citizen diplomacy, public propaganda, as well as other clandestine and public channels of transnational diplomacy to strive against the Allied peace terms. Notwithstanding their divergent political visions and agendas, these unofficial diplomats strengthened—though not always intentionally—the international recognition of the Turkish nation-state formation, only to be absorbed by the Ankara government's growing monopoly on foreign policy. Informed by the New Diplomatic History approach, this article illustrates the important role of unofficial, transnational dynamics that escapes state-centred accounts of Ottoman-Turkish diplomacy during the aftermath of the First World War. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

To evaluate the effects of lipid-containing Rohto Dry Aid eye drops and sodium hyaluronate eye drops on the ocular surface and in vivo confocal microscopy (IVCM) findings in patients using systemic isotretinoin. This retrospective study included 71 patients using systemic isotretinoin for acne vulgaris. Ocular surface and tear functions were evaluated with the tear break-up time (TBUT), corneal fluorescein staining (CFS), and the ocular surface disease index questionnaire (OSDI). Meibography was used for the staging of Meibomian gland dysfunction (MGD) while IVCM was used for the analysis of corneal micro-structural changes. The data of 36 patients using Rohto Dry Aid (the Rohto group) and 35 patients using sodium hyaluronate (the SH group) were recorded. Pre-treatment, first month and third month data were analyzed. Longer TBUT, lower OSDI score, and less CFS were observed in the first and third months after treatment in the Rohto group (p < 0.001). There was no significant change in TBUT and CFS in the first month (p > 0.05) in the SH group (p < 0.05) but lower TBUT and more CFS were observed in the third month. There was no significant change in the OSDI score in the SH group. There was a significant decrease in dendritic cells, activated keratocytes, and nerve tortuosity with IVCM in both groups. However, no significant difference was found between the two groups. Rohto Dry Aid, with its support of the lipid layer, is an effective and safe treatment agent that can improve both ocular surface and IVCM findings in evaporative dry eye cases with MGD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Nestor Makhno was an anarchist political prisoner who was released from prison with the February Revolution. He was able to convince anarchists in Huliaipole by numbing the "Social Committee" with anti-authoritarian theory. He succeeded in the first mass experiment of a united front of all classes in the village in Huliaipole, which would form the basis of his political struggle. In the process, the Peasant League became the Peasant Soviet. This article studies the social base of the Makhno Movement, and evaluates its political praxis against the background of its libertarian theoretical claims, especially in the context of its endeavors to differentiate itself from the Bolsheviks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Since the beginning of the Industry 4.0 era, Augmented Reality (AR) has gained significant popularity. Especially in production industries, AR has proven itself as an innovative technology renovating traditional production activities, making operators more productive and helping companies to make savings in different expense items. Despite these findings, its adoption rate is surprisingly low especially in production industries, due to various organizational and technical limitations. Various AR platforms have been proposed to eliminate this gap, however, there is still not a widely accepted framework for such a tool. This research presents the reasons behind the low adoption rate of AR in production industries, and analyzes the existing AR frameworks. Based on the findings from these analyses and a conducted field study, a cloud-based AR framework, which provides tools for creating AR applications without any coding and features for managing, monitoring and improving industrial processes is proposed. The design and development phases are presented together with the evaluation of the platform in a real-world industrial scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Propofol and dexmedetomidine (DEX) are widely used for anesthesia and sedation. We investigated the effects of propofol and DEX separately and in combination on the metabolic profile of carnitine in cultured normal human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B). Cells of the propofol group were cultured with 2 µg/ml propofol in RPMI-1640 medium. Cells of the DEX group were cultured with 0.2 ng/m DEX in RPMI-1640 medium. Cells of the propofol + DEX group were cultured with 2 μg/ml propofol + 0.2 ng/ml DEX in RPMI-1640 medium. The control group was untreated. Cells were incubated for 3 h following treatments. The effects of the drugs on cell viability were assessed using the MTT method and by microscopic examination following staining with acridine orange/ethidium bromide. The effects of drugs on carnitine, acetyl carnitine and 25 acylcarnitine derivative profiles were analyzed using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrophotometry. Neither propofol nor DEX affected cell viability. Administration of propofol, DEX or propofol + DEX to BEAS-2B cells caused no significant change in the concentrations of carnitine and acylcarnitine derivatives compared to the control group. We found that propofol and DEX exhibit no negative effects on the carnitine metabolism by BEAS-2B cells in vitro at clinically relevant concentrations. Our findings establish a baseline for clinical studies of the effects of propofol and DEX on carnitine metabolism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

As the cryptocurrency trading market has grown significantly in recent years, the number of comments related to crypto-currency has increased tremendously in social media platforms. Due to this, sentiment analysis of the cryptocurrency-related comments has become highly desirable to give a comprehensive picture of peoples' opinions about the trend of the market. In this regard, we perform cryptocurrency-related text sentiment classification using tweets based on positive and negative sentiments. For increasing the efficacy of the sentiment analysis, we introduce a novel deep neural network hybrid architecture which is composed of an embedding layer, a convolution layer, a group-wise enhancement mechanism, a bidirectional layer, an attention mechanism, and a fully connected layer. Local features are derived using a convolution layer, and weight values associated with intuitive features are developed using the group-wise enhancement mechanism. After feeding the improved context vector to the bidirectional layer to grab global features, the attention mechanism and the fully connected layer have been employed. The experimental findings indicate that the proposed architecture outperforms the state-of-the-art architectures with an accuracy value of 93.77%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Various analytical methods have been employed to assess the nanoparticle (NP) toxicity and to better understand cell interactions. In this study, a rapid single particle – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry (SP-ICP-MS) method is utilized to evaluate silver nanoparticle (AgNP) uptake by human monocytic/macrophage-like U937 cells. For this purpose, the cells were incubated with 40 nm and 70 nm AgNPs at 100 and 1000 ng mL−1 for 48 h. After cells were incubated with 40 nm and 70 nm AgNPs at the lower dosage (100 ng mL−1), the silver mass per cell was determined to be 1.5 ± 0.1 fg/cell (approximately 4 nanoparticles) and 3.6 ± 0.1 fg/cell (approximately 2 nanoparticles), respectively. Furthermore, for 100 ng mL−1 AgNP exposure, the results showed that silver was present both in the medium and in cell lysate only as AgNP. However, when cells were treated with 40 nm and 70 nm AgNPs at 1000 ng mL−1, approximately 10% and 40% of the total Ag concentration in cell lysate were AgNP and the rest was Ag+, while AgNP was the only species in the medium. The results show that 40 nm AgNP dissolved significantly more in cells compared to 70 nm AgNP. Moreover, ultracentrifugation, ICP-MS, and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) were employed with scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) to validate and confirm the SP-ICP-MS results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is an aggressive brain malignancy and harbors a microenvironment limiting immune cells activity. CAR-T cells are being tested in the treatment of cancers and there exist reports which demonstrate dramatic regression of multicentric GBMs following intrathecal treatment with CAR-T cells. In this article, a triple approach for immune treatment of GBM is proposed. First, GBM tumor specimens for each patient will be saved and cultured to obtain tumor lysates. Then, levamisole will be applied, which possesses immunostimulating, anti-glycolytic, and anti-angiogenic features. Following priming the immune system, GBM patients will be injected with lysates of their own tumor cells plus lysates from a GBM cell line, U251. After 3 months of this treatment, CAR-T cells (transduced with IL13Rα2-CAR) will be applied via intratumoral approach. As such, genetically-modified and native immunocytes may 'meet' in the vicinity of deeply-invading tumor cells and demonstrate greater efficacy via cell-cell interactions. By this, a self-propagating cyclic process – a cancer-immunity cycle – may be initiated to eradicate cancer cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Evaluating the quality of occupational safety and health (OSH) services by experts is essential for both employee health and workplace productivity. In this study, first, the quality of OSH services is evaluated with a questionnaire using the SERVPERF method. Then, a questionnaire prepared according to the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method is applied to OSH experts and the relative importance of the main dimensions and items in the SERVPERF method are determined. The weights of the items in the SERVPERF method are calculated with the AHP and fuzzy-analytic hierarchy process (FAHP). The quality scores obtained by the SERVPERF, AHP and FAHP methods are analyzed comparatively. The results show that the work environment-related measures and physical facilities in the workplaces are more inadequate, whereas assurance and empathy are better. Moreover, the items with the lowest value in the SERVPERF method get the highest score in the AHP and FAHP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Zinc borate is an important additive to polymers and lubricants. The process variables such as reactant concentration, presence of template in precipitating medium and drying method determine the composition and particle size of zinc borates. In the present study, zinc borate precipitate obtained by mixing aqueous zinc nitrate and borax decahydrate solutions was dried either by conventional method or by freeze drying. The products were well characterized by advanced methods. Zinc borate from 1 mol dm−3 reactants had (2.1 ± 0.5)×(2.5 ± 0.5)×(1.3 ± 0.2) μm and (0.5 ± 0.1)×(1.3 ± 0.1)×(0.028 ± 0.01) μm dimensions by conventional and freeze drying respectively. Individual particles smaller in size is obtained since the particles are not agglomerated due to absence of surface tension of liquid water for case of freeze drying. Planar particles agglomerated into 20 to 60 μm crystals in the presence of template Span 60 in 1 mol dm−3 reactants for conventional drying. Nano zinc borate particles with primary particle size of (46 ± 9) nm were obtained by decreasing the reactant concentration to 0.1 mol dm−3. The primary particle size was decreased to (40 ± 3) nm by addition of Span 60 to dilute solutions. However zinc borate nanoparticles obtained from dilute solutions adhered to each other forming agglomerates during conventional drying. Their freeze drying would allow formation of a freely flowing nano powder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study was aimed at determining the relationship between personality traits, menopausal symptoms and marital adjustment in postmenopausal women. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 599 postmenopausal women who presented to the family health centers between September 2018 and February 2019. Data were collected with the Personal Information Form, Marital Adjustment Test, Cervantes Personality Scale and Menopause Rating Scale. The mean marital adjustment score of the postmenopausal women was 44.03 ± 10.75. The correlation analysis revealed significant negative correlations between marital adjustment, and personality traits and menopausal symptoms. Education level, economic status, duration of menopause, neurotic and inconsistent personality traits, somatic, psychological and urogenital symptoms were determined to be statistically significant predictive factors of marital adjustment in postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

In this retrospective study, patients with epithelial gynaecologic cancer with pulmonary recurrence (PR) were evaluated from five national gynaecologic oncology clinics. Patients with a diagnosis of primary endometrial, ovarian/fallopian tube/peritoneal, cervical or vaginal/vulvar tumours who developed an initial PR were included in the study A total of 122 patients were included in the study. The median follow-up time after recurrence was 7.5 (range, 1–84) months. The 2-year PRS was 48% in the main cohort. The risk of death was more than seven times higher in patients who did not receive salvage chemotherapy compared with those who did (hazard ratio: 7.6, 95% CI: 3.0–18.9; p <.001). When squamous cell carcinoma was compared with the other tumour types, the risk of death increased more than three times (hazard ratio: 3.7, 95% CI: 1.4–9.6; p =.007). What is already known on this subject? Pulmonary recurrence (PR) from gynaecologic malignancies is rare and can cause major clinical problem. Therefore, defining the clinical and pathologic characteristics and recurrence patterns are essential. What the results of this study add? This study demonstrates non-squamous subtype and salvage chemotherapy at PR were associated with improved survival. What of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? To the best of our knowledge, our study is the largest study to investigate the clinico-pathologic characteristics, recurrence patterns, treatment options, and post-recurrence survival (PRS) in patients with PR from epithelial gynaecologic cancers. Future research should examine the underlying causes of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

We aimed to evaluate whether adjuvant radiotherapy had a survival benefit for patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma with intermediate-risk factors. This study included patients who underwent radical hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy according to Wertheim–Okabayashi for stage IB1-IIA2 cervical carcinoma. Each patient had at least one intermediate-risk factor including tumour diameter ≥4 cm, deep stromal invasion, and positive lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI). Patients with lymph node metastasis, parametrial invasion, and positive surgical margins according to the final paraffin section were excluded. In total, 183 patients were included. Seventy-three (39.9%) patients had one, 85 (46.4%) had two, and 25 (13.7%) had three intermediate risk factors. Sixty-seven (36.6%) patients received adjuvant radiotherapy. There was a statistically significant difference in terms of stage, LVSI, and endometrial/uterine invasion between the groups that did and did not receive adjuvant radiotherapy (p =.024, p =.018, and p =.001, respectively). These two groups were homogenised by performing propensity score matching (PSM) analysis. In the new matched cohort (n = 134), 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) was 89.5% in the group that received adjuvant radiotherapy and 82% in the group that did not (HR: 0.484, 95% CI: [0.171–1.369]; p =.171). Also, receiving adjuvant radiotherapy was not associated with an improvement in oncologic outcomes in patients with one, two, or more intermediate risk factors. In univariate analysis, none of the risk factors was associated with DFS. In conclusion, adjuvant radiotherapy had no favourable effect on survival outcomes in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma with only intermediate risk factors. What is already known on this subject? Radiotherapy after radical hysterectomy in cervical carcinoma is accepted as the standard of care when high-risk factors – positive surgical margins, lymph node metastasis, and parametrial involvement – are found in the surgical specimen. However, the necessity of adjuvant radiotherapy in patients with intermediate-risk factors – deep stromal invasion, positive LVSI, tumour diameter ≥4 cm – is controversial. What do the results of this study add? We compared patients who received adjuvant radiotherapy and those who did not. No significant difference was found between the two groups in terms of oncologic outcomes. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of pelvic and extrapelvic recurrence rates. The number of positive intermediate-risk factors did not affect survival. Moreover, age, tumour type, stage, number of removed lymph nodes, grade, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and endometrial/uterine invasion were not associated with DFS among patients with stage IB–IIA cervical carcinoma with only intermediate-risk factors. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? Debate remains over the prognostic factors and the adjuvant treatment options in patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma who possess intermediate-risk factors. Adjuvant radiotherapy can be ignored if initial adequate surgery has been performed in this patient group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Aim: To determine the prevalence of occult hepatitis B (HBV) infection (OBI) in patients with nonviral liver disease. Materials & methods: This study included 83 HBsAg-negative patients followed up at a gastroenterohepatology clinic. The presence of HBV DNA was investigated by using an in-house nested-PCR method applied to liver parenchymal biopsy samples obtained from patients who underwent due nonviral chronic liver disease. Results: OBI was detected in 19 (22.9%) of the 83 cases, in 11 (44%) of 25 anti-HBc-positive patients, and 15 (31.9%) of 47 anti-HBc and/or anti-HBs antibodies-positive patients. Conclusion: There is a considerable prevalence of OBI among patients with nonviral chronic liver disease. Therefore, it is suggested that closely monitoring HBV can be useful to prevent or more effectively manage possible OBI-related complications among patients with nonviral chronic liver disease, especially those who are HBsAg seronegative or anti-HBV antibody seropositive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

Stochastic simulation is a commonly used tool by practitioners for evaluating the performance of inventory policies. A typical inventory simulation starts with the determination of the best-fit input models (e.g. probability distribution function of the demand random variable) and then obtains a performance measure estimate under these input models. However, this sequential approach ignores the uncertainty around the input models, leading to inaccurate performance measures, especially when there is limited historical input data. In this paper, we take an alternative approach and propose a simulation replication algorithm that jointly estimates the input models and the performance measure, leading to a credible interval for the performance measure under input-model uncertainty. Our approach builds on a nonparametric Bayesian input model and frees the inventory manager from making any restrictive assumptions on the functional form of the input models. Focusing on a single-product inventory simulation, we show that the proposed method improves the estimation of the service levels when compared to the traditional practice of using the best-fit or the empirical distribution as the unknown demand distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] more...

The present study aimed to develop a ready-to-eat restructured European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax) meat product. The response variables have been addressed as a function of MTGase addition (0, 0.16, 0.32%), pressure weight (0, 2.54, 5.09 gf/cm2), and setting time (4, 14, 24 h) at 4°C to restructured fish meat using response surface methodology (RSM) based design of experiments. The optimizing process was characterized by using two physical (deviation in diameter, pore) and two sensorial (appearance, texture) analyses. In addition to image processing and sensory analysis, microbiological quality, water activity, pH value, and variations after heat application were examined. The use of MTGase and pressure weight combination improved textural properties and sensory results. The RSM study demonstrated that 17.72 hours of setting time, 3.46 gf/cm2 of pressure weight, and 0.30% MTGase were the optimal parameters of restructured fish meat product. Optimum product results were statistically matched with the solutions; pore level: %0.89±0.01, deviation in diameter: %1.94±0.00, appearance: 8.55±0.07, and texture: 8.45±0.05. These results were also supported by microstructure findings and other quality parameters. The restructured fish product that meets with the positive appreciation of the consumer can be improved by adding spices, forming different shapes, and available for commercial production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

The Self-Evaluation of Negative Symptoms Scale (SNS) is a self-report scale that evaluates a patient's subjective experience on all five domains of the negative symptoms. This study aimed to present the adaptation and validation study of the Turkish version of SNS(SNS-TR). Seventy-five patients and 50 controls were recruited for this study. After the approval of the translation, participants were asked to fill out SNS-TR by themselves. They were interviewed with the Brief Negative Symptoms Scale (BNSS), Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS), and Calgary Depression Scale for Schizophrenia (CDSS). SNS-TR showed good internal consistency in the reliability analysis with Cronbach's alpha= 0.873. Subscale-total score correlation coefficients were significant (p < 0.01). In the validity analyses, the total and subscale scores of SNS-TR showed positive correlations with the total and subscales of BNSS, with only one exception of BNSS lack of distress subscales. The total score of SNS-TR demonstrated a significant correlation with PANSS-total, PANSS-negative subscale, PANSS-general subscale, and CDSS scores. Confirmatory factor analysis showed acceptable values for the five-factor structure, similar to the original version. To conclude, our study indicates that SNS-TR is an easily applicable self-evaluation tool with good psychometric properties for assessing negative symptoms. SNS is a novel and easily applicable self-report scale for examining negative symptoms in schizophrenia patients, allowing them to evaluate their subjective experience on all five domains of the negative symptoms. It shows good internal consistency (α= 0.873) which is similar to the original version (α = 0.867). Confirmatory factor analysis scores were found in acceptable ranges and SNS-TR confirm the five-factor structure. Using this scale in clinical practice would empower both the physician's examinations and patient participation through treatment and follow-up course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...

This study investigated the effect of vardenafil, tadalafil, and udenafil from phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitors (PDE-5Is) on bone morphogenic-protein (BMP)2 and 4 levels, along with angiogenesis in ovariectomized rat's kidney. Rats were randomly divided into five groups (n = 10). Sham: abdomen was opened, and closed. OVX: ovaries were removed. OVX + vardenafil, OVX + tadalafil, and OVX + udenafil groups: ovaries were removed and closed, and after 6 months from postoperative, 10 mg/kg of vardenafil, tadalafil, and udenafil were administrated as daily a single-dose for 60 days, respectively. Histopathologic and immunohistochemical examinations were performed for angiogenesis, and biochemical analysis for vascular endothelial growth-factor (VEGF), VitaminD3, BMP2 and 4 levels in rat's kidney. VEGF, BMP2 and 4, VitaminD3, and angiogenesis were high in the all inhibitor groups compared with the sham and OVX (p <.05). However, BMP4 levels were only high in the OVX + tadalafil group (p <.05). The results indicated that vardenafil, udenafil, and especially tadalafil increased VEGF, BMP2, and VitaminD3 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] more...