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This study aims to compare item and student parameters of dichotomously scored multidimensional constructs estimated based on unidimensional and multidimensional Item Response Theory (IRT) under different conditions of sample size, interdimensional correlation and number of dimensions. This research, conducted with simulations, is of a basic nature. The standard errors of the item and student parameters estimated according to both models were evaluated by the mean of the error squares. The results of the study indicate that there is no significant difference between the errors of the item parameters obtained from the unidimensional and multidimensional IRT in the cases of two-dimensional data structures and high interdimensional correlations. However, when the data structure are three and five dimensional, the item parameter errors resulting from the unidimensional IRT increase. Standard errors for item parameters decreased as the sample size increased. When the standard errors arising from ability parameters were analysIRTed, it was observed that multidimensional IRT estimated with lower errors for all conditions. As a result of the study, it is established that multidimensional IRT provides more accurate results in the analysis of multidimensional constructs, especially in the estimation of student parameters and in making decisions about students. Therefore, it is recommended that multidimensional models should be used for student ability estimation in national and international large-scale examinations.

This research aimed to reveal the relationship between the "marketing tactics" used by private schools, "school image" and "parent loyalty". Participants consisted of 812 parents, whose children were enrolled to private schools during the 2019-2020 academic year in Sivas. The research data were collected using "Marketing Tactics Scale", "School Image Scale", and "Parent Loyalty Scale". For the analysis of the data, descriptive statistics, correlation tests and structural equation modeling were used. The results of the analysis confirmed all the hypotheses developed in the theoretical model. Results showed that "marketing tactics" regarding "products and services", "school employees", "physical facilities", "price and payment" directly and indirectly affect "school image" and "parents' loyalty". It was also found that "school image" and "school employees-oriented marketing tactics" were perceived as the most effective predictors of the "parental loyalty".

Objectives: To investigate tear function and ocular surface disease (OSD) findings in patients with glaucoma who received antiglaucoma medication in one eye and trabeculectomy surgery in the other eye. Materials and Methods: The patient group included 38 eyes of 19 patients who had undergone trabeculectomy surgery with mitomycin C (MMC) treatment in one eye at least 6 months prior. These eyes were followed up without medication while the fellow eye continued receiving antiglaucomatous medication. The control group comprised 20 eyes of 20 healthy individuals. Demographic data, follow-up period after trabeculectomy, antiglaucoma medications, number of drops per day, and duration of medication were recorded. Tear break-up time (BUT), corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining, Schirmer II test, and conjunctival impression cytology were performed. Results: A statistically significant difference was observed in BUT, corneal and conjunctival fluorescein staining, Schirmer II test, and Nelson staging levels in both eyes of patients with glaucoma compared to the control group (p=0.05). Although not statistically significant, BUT, Schirmer II test, punctate staining, and Nelson staging results showed improvement with increasing postoperative time. Conclusion: In our patient group, antiglaucoma medications and trabeculectomy surgery with MMC induced OSD to a similar degree. No superiority was observed between trabeculectomy with MMC and antiglaucoma drops in terms of OSD incidence.

Abstract Disorders of gallbladder motility can lead to serious pathology. Bitter tastants acting upon bitter taste receptors (TAS2R family) have been proposed as a novel class of smooth muscle relaxants to combat excessive contraction in the airways and other organs. To explore whether this might also emerge as an option for gallbladder diseases, we here tested bitter tastants for relaxant properties and profiled Tas2r expression in the mouse gallbladder. In organ bath experiments, the bitter tastants denatonium, quinine, dextromethorphan, and noscapine, dose-dependently relaxed the pre-contracted gallbladder. Utilizing gene-deficient mouse strains, neither transient receptor potential family member 5 (TRPM5), nor the Tas2r143/Tas2r135/Tas2r126 gene cluster, nor tuft cells proved to be required for this relaxation, indicating direct action upon smooth muscle cells (SMC). Accordingly, denatonium, quinine and dextromethorphan increased intracellular calcium concentration preferentially in isolated gallbladder SMC and, again, this effect was independent of TRPM5. RT-PCR revealed transcripts of Tas2r108, Tas2r126, Tas2r135, Tas2r137, and Tas2r143, and analysis of gallbladders from mice lacking tuft cells revealed preferential expression of Tas2r108 and Tas2r137 in tuft cells. A TAS2R143-mCherry reporter mouse labeled tuft cells in the gallbladder epithelium. An in silico analysis of a scRNA sequencing data set revealed Tas2r expression in only few cells of different identity, and from in situ hybridization histochemistry, which did not label distinct cells. Our findings demonstrate profound tuft cell- and TRPM5-independent relaxing effects of bitter tastants on gallbladder smooth muscle, but do not support the concept that these effects are mediated by bitter receptors.

Aim of this study is to investigate whether renewable energy investment announcements impact the stock returns of 10 energy companies listed in Borsa Istanbul. Event study method is employed to analyze 25 renewable energy investment announcements during April 2015 and December 2023 period. Announcement date is defined as the event day and the 5 day period before and after the event day is selected as the event window. The length of the pre-event window in the timeline is chosen as 244 days. The total length of the period studied in the study is 250 days. The result of the study reveals that the renewable energy investment announcements of the energy companies listed in Borsa Istanbul seem to have no significant impact on the stock returns. Thus, Borsa Istanbul appears to be semi-strongly efficient.

Varlığın kategorize edilmesi ve yüksek hakikatin anlaşılması noktasında fark edilen kavramsal zenginlik dikkat çekicidir. Örneğin milattan üç yüz yıl önce Aristo’nun ortaya koymuş olduğu doğa bilimleri müktesebatı ve mantık ilkeleri yahut onun da gerisinde tasavvufi imgeleme yoğun etkisi olan Platon’un ideler âlemi, gölgeler ve asılları kurgusu hatta hocası Sokrates’in ahlakı temellendirme biçimi ve hususan ölüm cezasıyla yüzleştiğinde vicdani bir adaleti önceleyen tavrı göz önünde bulundurulduğunda soyut düşüncede, etik algısında lineer bir ilerlemeden bahsetmenin zor olduğu fark edilecektir. Tasavvuf ilmi dairesinde düşündüğümüzde vahdet-i vücûd yahut şühûd müktesebatı, İbnü’l-Arabî ile İmâm-ı Rabbânîarasında kurgulanan resmî anlatının çok öncesinde fikrî departmanını oluşturmuştur. Hallâc-ı Mansûr’un “O, Odur.”, “Ben sevdiğim şeyim, oyum; O da bendir. Biz adeta tek bir bedende birbirine katışmış iki ruhuz.” şeklinde karşımıza çıkan ifadeleri hem kadim zamandaki varlığın tek bir özde anlaşılma pratiklerine hem de mecazi dilin hakikate köprü olmak bakımından taşıdığı değerlere atıfta bulunmaktadır. Yüksek Zât yahut müteâl varlık fikri Hallâc-ı Mansûr’da kesin biçimde hatları çizilmiş bir tenzih alanında görülmesine rağmen Dīvān’ındaki ve Kitābü’ṭ-Ṭavāsīn’deki bazı ifadeleri okuyucunun zihnini karıştırabilir. Bu noktada kuşdili/manṭıḳu’ṭ-ṭayr, şathiyeşeklinde tabir edilen ifade/üslûp biçimlerini göz ardı etmemenin zorunluluğu kendiliğinden ortaya çıkar. Merkeze aldığımız şahsın, sufinin yahut sanatkârın anlaşılabilmesi ancak onun hayat hikâyesi ve eserleri vasıtasıyla oluşan büyük resme bakmakla mümkün olabilir. Buradan hareketle Hallâc-ı Mansûr’un hayatındaki kırılış noktaları, şeyhleri ve seyahatleri onun düşünce dünyasına damga vuran batıni rengi görmemize ve sekr merkezli varlık görgüsünü kavramamıza imkân tanır. Böylece Ene’l-Hak diyen birisinin niçin ve hangi maksatla bunu söylediğini kısmen de olsa anlamamıza düşünsel bir geçit açılabilir.

In this paper, we address the critical task of 24-h streamflow forecasting using advanced deep-learning models, with a primary focus on the transformer architecture which has seen limited application in this specific task. We compare the performance of five different models, including persistence, long short-term memory (LSTM), Seq2Seq, GRU, and transformer, across four distinct regions. The evaluation is based on three performance metrics: Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE), Pearson's r, and normalized root mean square error (NRMSE). Additionally, we investigate the impact of two data extension methods: zero-padding and persistence, on the model's predictive capabilities. Our findings highlight the transformer's superiority in capturing complex temporal dependencies and patterns in the streamflow data, outperforming all other models in terms of both accuracy and reliability. Specifically, the transformer model demonstrated a substantial improvement in NSE scores by up to 20% compared to other models. The study's insights emphasize the significance of leveraging advanced deep learning techniques, such as the transformer, in hydrological modeling and streamflow forecasting for effective water resource management and flood prediction. HIGHLIGHTS Transformer model surpasses persistence, LSTM, GRU, Seq2Seq in 24-h streamflow prediction.; Employed different data extension methods, zero-padding and persistence, to enhance predictive capabilities.; Evaluated model performance using Nash–Sutcliffe Efficiency, Pearson's r, and normalized root mean square error metrics.; Conducted region-specific analysis, demonstrating the transformer model's adaptability across varied hydrological environments.;

Background This research was conducted following the FDA’s approval of the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11. Our study aimed to evaluate parents’ intentions regarding vaccinating their children in response to the pandemic situation. This period was crucial for understanding parents’ initial reactions to health authority recommendations. Methods This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with 940 parents. The data were obtained using the Personal Information Form, the COVID-19 Anxiety Scale, and the Scale of Attitudes Towards COVID-19 Vaccine. Descriptive data analysis involved calculating frequency, percentage, mean, and standard deviation values. We employed Student’s t-test, one-way ANOVA tests for analysis. Additionally, various characteristics were analyzed using the two-way logistic regression method. Results In the study, 85.1% of the parents reported having received the COVID-19 vaccine themselves. However, only 20% stated they would accept the COVID-19 vaccine for their children. The intention to vaccinate their children was influenced by factors such as the parent’s age, level of COVID-19 anxiety, vaccination status, and knowledge about the COVID-19 vaccine. Conclusion Despite the FDA’s declaration, it was determined that more than two-thirds of parents were hesitant about the COVID-19 vaccine for their children.

This cross-sectional study examined the physical and mental health outcomes of individuals who use electronic cigarettes. Data were collected using an online survey incorporating the Personal Information Form, CES-Depression Scale, and SF-12 Quality of Life Scale. SPSS 25.0 software was used to evaluate the data and produce descriptive statistics. An independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA, and logistic regression analysis were applied to the analysis. The mean age of the participants was 38.85 ± 13.82 while 56.7% used only e-cigarettes. The physical quality of life scores of those using e-cigarettes 20 times a day or more were significantly higher, while the depression scores of those using e-cigarettes 1–10 times a day were significantly higher (p < .05). Regarding physical problems, the participants most frequently reported painful dry mouth and throat (35%), cough (30.8%), and/or headache (28.3%). Regarding physiological functions, the participants mostly reported poor taste (9.2%), sleep quality (9.2%), and mood (8.3%). Nicotine concentrations of 13 mg and above were associated with poorer taste (p = .044), general physical condition (p = .008), mood (p = .004), sleep quality (p = .044), and appetite (p = .041). The findings indicate that the public needs greater awareness about the health hazards of e-cigarettes.

This study focuses on storytelling in activist public relations. Stories emerge as an important "activist public relations" tool in non-governmental organizations' social change and awareness-raising efforts. The research aims to investigate both short and long-term effects of storytelling on emotions, awareness levels, and behavioral changes across different age groups. To illustrate the use of storytelling in activist public relations within the cosmetics industry, the researchers selected the short film "Save Ralph," produced by Humane Society International in 2021. The short film tells in an emotional tone, from the mouth of a rabbit, what happened to him during cosmetic experiments. The research, employing a qualitative research design, comprises three stages. Firstly, a survey was conducted among 30 women from various age groups to gather insights into their definitions of cosmetic products, usage frequency, and factors influencing their preferences. In the second stage, participants were shown the selected short film, followed by in-depth interviews. Lastly, follow-up interviews were conducted with the same group of women three months later. The findings revealed that storytelling had the most significant impact on emotions, awareness levels, and behavioral changes among women aged 18-23. This underscores the effectiveness of storytelling as a strategy for driving social change and raising awareness within activist public relations initiatives.

Energy harvesting devices are self-powered systems which are associated with input ambient energy and convert such energy to electrical one. In this study, we focus on input ambient energy deriving from compressed air. Using arbitrary pneumatic machine, the compressed air after work - with its typical parameters as overpressure 6 bar or higher and variable volume flow - is exhausted to atmosphere. This generates energy losses. We have constructed some device which transforms the loss of compressed air energy to electricity. It illustrates the principle of action very well and does not perturb operation of pneumatic machines being source of energy losses.

This research describes the synthesis by an environmentally-friendly method, microwave irradiation, development and analysis of three novel and one previously identified Schiff base derivative as a potential inhibitor of bovine xanthine oxidase (BXO), a key enzyme implicated in the progression of gout. Meticulous experimentation revealed that these compounds (10, 9, 4, and 7) have noteworthy inhibitory effects on BXO, with IC50 values ranging from 149.56 µM to 263.60 µM, indicating their good efficacy compared to that of the standard control. The validation of these results was further enhanced through comprehensive in silico studies, which revealed the pivotal interactions between the inhibitors and the catalytic sites of BXO, with a particular emphasis on the imine group (-C = N-) functionalities. Intriguingly, the compounds exhibiting the highest inhibition rates also showcase advantageous ADMET profiles, alongside encouraging initial assessments via PASS, hinting at their broad-spectrum potential. The implications of these findings are profound, suggesting that these Schiff base derivatives not only offer a new vantage point for the inhibition of BXO but also hold considerable promise as innovative therapeutic agents in the management and treatment of gout, marking a significant leap forward in the quest for more effective gout interventions.

G. mellonella is a promising species for use in the biodegradation of plastics. It is easy to breed and has high resistance to diverse climatic conditions, which is particularly valuable when considering its potential application in the decomposition of plastics. Thus, it demonstrated the capacity for biodegradation of the most common types of plastics, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, reports on whether consumed plastics or their decomposition products will adversely affect the structure and functioning of the internal organs are rather poor. The studies aimed to determine whether the consumption of PP by a greater wax moth larvae caused any ultrastructural changes in the organs of the animal’s body, evaluate the survival rate of the animals, and describe their reproduction. Thus, this study provided an understanding of histological and ultrastructural changes caused, or not caused, by the PP diet. We investigated three organs – midgut, silk gland, and fat body – under PP consumption by G. mellonella caterpillars (7th instar larvae). The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in selected organs, as well as the ability of larvae to survive and undergo metamorphosis were also examined. The animals were divided into four groups: G0-C, G0-S, G0-24, and G0-48. The research used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry. Our study showed that a diet containing PP did not affect internal organs at the ultrastructural level. Cells in the analyzed organs – midgut, silk gland, and fat body – showed no degenerative changes. An increase in the intensity of autophagy and cell vacuolization was noted, but they probably act as a survival pathway. These observations suggest that the final larval stage of the greater wax moth can potentially be applied in PP biodegradation.

Large Language Models (LLMs) combined with visual foundation models have demonstrated significant advancements, achieving intelligence levels comparable to human capabilities. This study analyzes the latest Multimodal LLMs (MLLMs), including Multimodal-GPT, GPT-4 Vision, Gemini, and LLaVa, with a focus on hydrological applications such as flood management, water level monitoring, agricultural water discharge, and water pollution management. We evaluated these MLLMs on hydrology-specific tasks, testing their response generation and real-time suitability in complex real-world scenarios. Prompts were designed to enhance the models’ visual inference capabilities and contextual comprehension from images. Our findings reveal that GPT-4 Vision demonstrated exceptional proficiency in interpreting visual data, providing accurate assessments of flood severity and water quality. Additionally, MLLMs showed potential in various hydrological applications, including drought prediction, streamflow forecasting, groundwater management, and wetland conservation. These models can optimize water resource management by predicting rainfall, evaporation rates, and soil moisture levels, thereby promoting sustainable agricultural practices. This research provides valuable insights into the potential applications of advanced AI models in addressing complex hydrological challenges and improving real-time decision-making in water resource management

Background/Aims: There is a significant increase in proinflammatory cytokine levels in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) patients entering cytokine storm. Neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), also increase in inflammatory diseases. The aim was to evaluate the NLR and PLR of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients receiving tocilizumab (TCZ) due to cytokine storm. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective, cross-sectional study conducted in between March and December 2020, adult patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 were analyzed Results; The mean age of 519 patients included in the study was 61.6 ± 17.0 years, with male predominance (64.7%). 70.7% of patients had at least one type of comorbidity and the most common comorbid conditions were chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (45.9%) and asthma (28.7%). 399 patients who were given TCZ (group 1) and 120 patients who were not given TCZ (group 2) were evaluated. Compared with group 2, group 1 had more male predominance and they were older (p

Abstract Background Herein, we analyzed the efficacy of main antibiotic therapy regimens in the treatment of healthcare-associated meningitis (HCAM). Materials/methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted in 18 tertiary-care academic hospitals Turkey, India, Egypt and Romania. We extracted data and outcomes of all patients with post-neurosurgical meningitis cases fulfilling the study inclusion criteria and treated with empirical therapy between December 2006-September 2018. Results Twenty patients in the cefepime + vancomycin-(CV) group, 31 patients in the ceftazidime + vancomycin-(CFV) group, and 119 patients in the meropenem + vancomycin-(MV) group met the inclusion criteria. The MV subgroup had a significantly higher mean Glasgow Coma Score, a higher rate of admission to the intensive care unit within the previous month, and a higher rate of antibiot herapy within the previous month before the meningitis episode (p 0.05) among the three cohorts. No regimen was effective against carbapenem-resistant bacteria, and vancomycin resulted in an EOT clinical success rate of 60.6% in the methicillin-resistant staphylococci or ampicillin-resistant enterococci subgroup (n = 34). Conclusions Our study showed no significant difference in terms of clinical success and mortality among the three treatment options. All regimens were ineffective against carbapenem-resistant bacteria. Vancomycin was unsuccessful in approximately 40% of cases involving methicillin-resistant staphylococci or ampicillin-resistant enterococci.

Life tables are one of the most common tools to describe the biology of insect species and their response to environmental conditions. Although the benefits of life tables are beyond question, we raise some doubts about the completeness of the information reported in life tables. To substantiate these doubts, we consider a case study (Corcyra cephalonica) for which the raw dataset is available. The data suggest that the Gaussian approximation of the development times which is implied by the average and standard error usually reported in life tables does not describe reliably the actual distribution of the data which can be misleading and hide interesting biological aspects. Furthermore, it can be risky when life table data are used to build models to predict the demographic changes of the population. The present study highlights this aspect by comparing the impulse response generated by the raw data and by its Gaussian approximation based on the mean and the standard error. The conclusions of this paper highlight: i) the importance of adding more information to life tables and, ii) the role of raw data to ensure the completeness of this kind of studies. Given the importance of raw data, we also point out the need for further developments of a standard in the community for sharing and analysing data of life tables experiments.

Introduction: Eating behavior models such as intuitive eating (IE) and mindful eating (ME) have recently gained importance in a role in providing glycemic control. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the effect of intuitive eating and mindful eating on the dietary treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and to investigate their relationship with glycemic control and obesity. Methods: A total of 153 patients who were diagnosed with T2DM within at least one year and aged between 19 and 64 years were included. Descriptive characteristics of the patients were questioned using face-to-face interviews and anthropometric measurements The Intuitive Eating Scale 2 (IES-2) was used to evaluate intuitive eating behaviors and the Mindful Eating Questionnaire (MEQ) was used to assess mindful eating behaviors. Results: The total IES-2 score was higher in patients with T2DM who had inadequate glycemic control (p

Ercan Kurtipek,1 Mehmet Mermer,1 Bilgenur Y&inodot;ld&inodot;r&inodot;m,1 Mehmet Akif Yazar,2 Mustafa Duran,3 Faysal Duksal4 1Department of Chest Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Konya City Hospital, Karatay, Konya, Turkey; 2Department of Anesthesiology and Reanimation, University of Health Sciences, Konya City Hospital, Karatay, Konya, Turkey; 3Department of Cardiology, University of Health Sciences, Konya City Hospital, Karatay, Konya, Turkey; 4Department of Chest Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Konya Beyhekim Training and Research Hospital, Selcuklu, Konya, TurkeyCorrespondence: Ercan Kurtipek, Department of Chest Diseases, University of Health Sciences, Konya City Hospital, Karatay, Konya, Turkey, Email kurtipek14@hotmail.comObjective: Extensive research has been conducted to identify the predictive criteria for COVID-19 disease. White blood cell, C-reactive protein, CRP/albumin ratio, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio and ferritin are among the indicators of increased inflammatory response; hence, they could be used to determine the prognosis of COVID-19 cases. Within the scope of this study, we aimed to elucidate the predictivity of NLR, CAR and other laboratory parameters on the duration of hospital stay and mortality in patients with COVID-19.Materials and Method: The data of 1516 COVID-19 patients who were hospitalized in our institution have been analyzed retrospectively. Patients were divided into two groups those who deceased within the first 10 days of hospitalization (Group I, ≤ 10 days) and those who deceased in the later period (Group II, > 10 days). Age, gender, time to mortality after hospitalization, neutrophil count, CRP, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), CRP/albumin ratio (CAR), and d-dimer values were obtained from blood samples taken during hospitalization.Results: NLR and CAR values were significantly higher in those who died in the first 10 days compared to the other group (p< 0.02 and p< 0.001, respectively). In addition, WBC, neutrophil, CRP and d-dimer levels were statistically significantly higher than the other group (p< 0.05). Logistic regression analysis results for NLR and CAR were significant. The cut-off values were calculated (5.74 and 4.27, respectively) for both parameters. Among the most common comorbid diseases were hypertension (HT) in 41%, coronary artery disease (CAD) in 41.7%, asthma-chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in 36.7%, diabetes mellitus (DM) in 36.1%.Conclusion: NLR and CAR may have a decisive influence in determining the length of stay in hospital for patients who die in hospital due to COVID-19. In addition, it is recommended that COVID-19 cases with diabetes be followed closely.Keywords: COVID-19, neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, CRP/albumin ratio, hospital mortality, predictive value

Lobesia botrana Denis & Schiff. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), also known as the European grapevine moth is a detrimental pest in grape production in Palearctic Region. Insecticides are used to control L. botrana infestation in grape-produced areas; however, repeated and intensive use of insecticide causes reduced efficacy in L. botrana management. In the present study, the efficacy of five commonly used insecticides (chlorpyrifos-ethyl, emamectin benzoate, indoxacarb, lambda-cyhalothrin, and spinosad) was evaluated in two field populations (AL and SAR) from Manisa, Turkey. In addition, detoxification enzyme activities including esterase (EST) and glutathion-S-transferase (GST) were measured via in vitro assays. LC50 values were found lower for chlorpyrifos-ethyl, emamectin benzoate, and spinosad and higher for indoxacarb and lambda-cyhalotrin in AL populations compared to SAR population. EST levels were slightly higher in AL population compared to SAR. GST levels were found higher in SAR population. However, no statistical difference was found in both detoxification enzyme activities and EST enzyme levels were higher than GST enzyme levels in both populations. Findings of the current study would help growers as well as the applicator to strategize their insecticide use in integrated pest management programs for L. botrana and possibly mitigate any insecticide resistance development.

The purpose of this study is to analyze how teacher questions were formed and how they are posed depending on their functions in Turkish EFL (English as a foreign language) classrooms. In the current study, the types of teacher questions were classified according to Farrell’s taxonomy involving two main categories entitled as echoic and epistemic along with seven divergent sub-categories named as comprehension checks, clarification requests, confirmation checks, referential, display, expressive and rhetorical. Three EFL teachers’ different types of online EFL lessons such as grammar, reading, listening and speaking were recorded online for data collection. All recordings were turned into written transcripts for data analysis. The transcribed data was analyzed by the content analysis according to Farrell’s taxonomy, which was developed from Ellis (1994), regarding teacher questions. Samples of transcribed lessons were examined by the researcher and the data was qualitatively analyzed accordingly. The findings of the current study revealed that display and referential questions were used more often by the participant EFL teachers among all teacher question types. Although there was a resemblance with previous research regarding the most frequent teacher question types in general, the preference of question types differed from each other when each teacher’s video recordings analyzed separately. In addition, it can also be stated that teachers tended to favor the comprehension check questions intermittently in the instructional phase of lessons by reason of assuring that students perceived what they intended to deliver. The details are further discussed and the implications are made in the article.

Süleyman Çelebi’nin (ö. 825/1422) ölümsüz mesnevisi Vesīletu’n-Necāt, Moğol işgali ve şehzadeler arası çekişmeler gibi siyasal ve sosyal sorunların zirve yaptığı zor zamanlar-da yani, Fetret Dönemi’nde kaleme alınmıştır. Manzum bir siyerin özelliklerini gösteren bu eser, kendi çağında cevabi ve savunmacı bir rolü üstlenmiş, Hz. Peygamber’in deyim yerindeyse hulk u hûyunu ilgili mantık dairesinde tavsif etmiştir. Mevlid, her eser gibi, birtakım etkilenişlerin ve benzerliklerin çemberinde kendi varlık alanını oluşturmuş-tur. Bu sebeple onun kaynakçasında Türk İslam edebiyatının kurucu metinleri söz sahi-bidir. ʿĀşıḳ Paşa’nın (ö. 733/1332) Ġarīb-nāme’si ile Ḳāḍī Ḍarīr’in (ö. 14. yüzyıl) Sīre-tu’n-Nebī’si ilk akla gelenlerdir. Ayrıca bazı kaynaklarda Mevlid’in, bir dönem için Bur-sa’da ikamet eden meşhur kıraat alimi İbnu’l-Cezerī’nin (ö. 833/1429) Ẕātu’ş-Şifāʾ fī Sīreti’n-Nebī ve’l-Ḫulefāʾ eserinden ilhamla yazılmış olabileceği ifade edilmişse de, bu konuda herhangi bir mukayese yapılmadığı görülmüştür. Araştırmamızın ilk bölümü hem kaynakların mukayesesi hem de ilgili benzerliğin değerlendirilmesiyle ilişkilidir. İkinci bölümde, kurucu bir metin olarak Mevlid’in estetik değeri, bazı gayeler ve ilkeler eşliğinde izah edilmeye çalışılmıştır. Eserdeki gayeler yahut ilkeler, Görünür: Taʿlimī, Reel Gaye; Pratik: Ekonomik- Kültürel Gaye ve nihayet Uhrevî: Metafizik Gaye başlıkları altında incelenmiştir. Bu bölümün pratik amacı, birçok kaynakla benzerlik gösteren Mevlid metninin, estetik yönü ve üslubu sayesinde otoriter bir metne dönüştüğünü göstermek-tir. Çalışmanın son bölümü ise Mevlid’in defaatle işlenmesinin altında yatan sebepler ve günümüzde dahi bu metnin Müslüman kimliğini ifadede ne derece etkili olduğuna dair bazı kayıtların aktarımına ayrılmıştır.

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Bu çalışma sinema sektörünün sadece bireylerin iyi vakit geçirmesini sağlayan bir kitle iletişim aracı değil aynı zamanda kimliklerin ve imajların inşası, meşruiyeti ve dolaşımı ile birçok farklı ideolojiye hizmet eden bir halkla ilişkiler aracı olduğu iddiası üzerinde yükselmektedir. Dolayısıyla sinema endüstrisi her yeni ürünü ile unutulmaya yüz tutmuş bir fikri canlandırma, olmayan bir fikri hayata geçirme, gerçekliği olduğu gibi resmetme ya da gerçekliği deforme etme gibi işlevlere sahip bulunmaktadır. Çalışmada sinema endüstrisindeki genel üretim kalıplarının dışında ve bu doğrultuda meşru söylem karşıtı anlam inşa eden Shooter (2007) filminden yola çıkılarak milliyetçiliğin hangi durumlarda hangi söylemlerle görünür hale gelerek temsil edildiği sorusuna yanıt aranmaktadır. Çalışma iki bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk bölümde sinema endüstrisinde imaj üretimi, rıza üretimi ve karşı propagandaya yönelik genel bir çerçeve çizilmekte ve bu uygulamaların resmi söylemi dolaşımda tutma pratiklerine yer verilmektedir. Bölümün devamında milliyetçilik ve milliyetçilik türleri hakkında kavramsal tartışmalara yer verilmekte ve sinema endüstrisinde milliyetçilik söyleminin bir halkla ilişkiler faaliyeti olarak kullanımı örneklerle aktarılmaktadır. Çalışmanın ikinci bölümünde araştırmanın örneğini oluşturan Shooter filminde milliyetçilik temelinde aktarılan mesajlar niteliksel yöntemlerden içerik analizi tekniği ile çözümlenmektedir. Araştırma sonucunda, ABD hükümetlerinin sınır ötesi operasyonlarının temelinde ülkenin yayılmacı milliyetçilik anlayışı bulunduğu ve bunun yurttaşların bir kısmı tarafından meşru bulunmadığı anlamının inşa edildiği ortaya çıkmaktadır.

Abstract Mutations in SLC6A1, encoding γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporter 1 (GAT-1), have been recently associated with a spectrum of epilepsy syndromes, intellectual disability and autism in clinic. However, the pathophysiology of the gene mutations is far from clear. Here we report a novel SLC6A1 missense mutation in a patient with epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder and characterized the molecular defects of the mutant GAT-1, from transporter protein trafficking to GABA uptake function in heterologous cells and neurons. The heterozygous missense mutation (c1081C to A (P361T)) in SLC6A1 was identified by exome sequencing. We have thoroughly characterized the molecular pathophysiology underlying the clinical phenotypes. We performed EEG recordings and autism diagnostic interview. The patient had neurodevelopmental delay, absence epilepsy, generalized epilepsy, and 2.5–3 Hz generalized spike and slow waves on EEG recordings. The impact of the mutation on GAT-1 function and trafficking was evaluated by 3H GABA uptake, structural simulation with machine learning tools, live cell confocal microscopy and protein expression in mouse neurons and nonneuronal cells. We demonstrated that the GAT-1(P361T) mutation destabilizes the global protein conformation and reduces total protein expression. The mutant transporter protein was localized intracellularly inside the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) with a pattern of expression very similar to the cells treated with tunicamycin, an ER stress inducer. Radioactive 3H-labeled GABA uptake assay indicated the mutation reduced the function of the mutant GAT-1(P361T), to a level that is similar to the cells treated with GAT-1 inhibitors. In summary, this mutation destabilizes the mutant transporter protein, which results in retention of the mutant protein inside cells and reduction of total transporter expression, likely via excessive endoplasmic reticulum associated degradation. This thus likely causes reduced functional transporter number on the cell surface, which then could cause the observed reduced GABA uptake function. Consequently, malfunctioning GABA signaling may cause altered neurodevelopment and neurotransmission, such as enhanced tonic inhibition and altered cell proliferation in vivo. The pathophysiology due to severely impaired GAT-1 function may give rise to a wide spectrum of neurodevelopmental phenotypes including autism and epilepsy.

Brown marmorated stink bug, Halyomorpha halys (Stål) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), is a generalist pest that causes serious injury to a variety of crops around the world. After the first detection in the USA, H. halys became a serious threat to growers resulting in significant crop damage. Understanding the effect of temperature on H. halys development will help to achieve successful control by predicting the phenological timing of the pest. Here, life table parameters (survival, development, reproduction, and daily mortality) of H. halys were evaluated for New Jersey and Oregon populations in the US. Parameters were determined from field-collected and laboratory-reared individuals. The results indicated that New Jersey populations had higher levels of egg-laying than Oregon populations and exhibited higher and earlier fecundity peaks. Survival levels were similar between populations. Linear and nonlinear fit were used to estimate the minimum (14.3 °C), optimal (27.8 °C), and maximum (35.9 °C) temperatures where development of H. halys can take place. An age-specific fecundity peak (Mx = 36.63) was recorded at 936 degree days for New Jersey populations, while maximum fecundity (Mx = 11.85) occurred at 1145 degree days in Oregon. No oviposition was recorded at the lowest (15 °C) or highest (35 °C) trialed temperatures. Developmental periods increased at temperatures above 30 °C, indicating that such higher temperatures are suboptimal for H. halys development. Altogether the most optimal temperatures for population increase (rm) ranged from 25 to 30 °C. Survival rates of H. halys at suboptimal low temperatures of 8 °C (i.e., 61%) is comparable to previous reports. The present paper provides additional data and context from a range of experimental conditions and populations. Such temperature-related H. halys life table parameters can be used to provide determine the risk to susceptible crops.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, 1 Haziran 2020 tarihli konut kredisi faiz oranı indirimi duyurusunun Gayrimenkul Yatırım Ortaklıklarının (GYO) pay getirileri üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmada, olay çalışması yöntemi kullanılmış ve olay penceresi -10,+10 olarak belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın örneklemi 33 adet GYO’dan oluşmaktadır. Analiz sonuçları, konut kredisi faiz oranı indirimi duyurusunun GYO paylarında anormal getiriye neden olduğunu göstermiştir.

G. mellonella is a promising species for use in the biodegradation of plastics. It is easy to breed and has high resistance to diverse climatic conditions, which is particularly valuable when considering its potential application in the decomposition of plastics. Thus, it demonstrated the capacity for biodegradation of the most common types of plastics, such as polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). However, reports on whether consumed plastics or their decomposition products will adversely affect the structure and functioning of the internal organs are rather poor. The studies aimed to determine whether the consumption of PP by a greater wax moth larvae caused any ultrastructural changes in the organs of the animal's body, evaluate the survival rate of the animals, and describe their reproduction. Thus, this study provided an understanding of histological and ultrastructural changes caused, or not caused, by the PP diet. We investigated three organs – midgut, silk gland, and fat body – under PP consumption by G. mellonella caterpillars (7th instar larvae). The level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in selected organs, as well as the ability of larvae to survive and undergo metamorphosis were also examined. The animals were divided into four groups: G0-C, G0-S, G0-24, and G0-48. The research used transmission electron microscopy (TEM), confocal microscopy, and flow cytometry. Our study showed that a diet containing PP did not affect internal organs at the ultrastructural level. Cells in the analyzed organs – midgut, silk gland, and fat body – showed no degenerative changes. An increase in the intensity of autophagy and cell vacuolization was noted, but they probably act as a survival pathway. These observations suggest that the final larval stage of the greater wax moth can potentially be applied in PP biodegradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]