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Purpose: To compare the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficiency of gonioscopy-assisted transluminal trabeculotomy (GATT) and trabeculectomy (TRAB) with mitomycin C in patients with primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and pseudoexfoliative glaucoma (PEXG). Methods: In this retrospective comparative study, consecutive patients with POAG or PEXG who underwent GATT or TRAB by a single surgeon and with a follow-up period of at least 1 year were included. Surgical success rates, change in best-corrected visual acuity, IOP, the need for antiglaucoma medication, surgical complications, and the need for additional glaucoma surgery were compared. Surgical success was defined as an IOP reduction of ≥30% or an IOP of ≤18 mmHg. Complete success was defined as without medication. Qualified success was defined as with or without topical medication. Results: The mean baseline IOP was 27.4 ± 8.3 and 24.6 ± 7.6 mmHg (P = 0.13) with the mean number of medications being 3.7 ± 1.0 and 3.7 ± 1.1 (P = 0.98) in TRAB and GATT, respectively. At 12 months, the mean IOP was 15.3 ± 3.5 and 12.5 ± 4.6 mmHg (P = 0.24) with the mean number of medications being 0.9 ± 1.2 and 0.8 ± 1.4 (P = 0.76) after GATT and TRAB, respectively. IOP was lowered from baseline by 52.7% ± 17.5% after TRAB and 45.7% ±18.6% after GATT (P = 0.12). There was no decrease in best-corrected visual acuity in either group. The qualified surgical success rate was 94.4% in the GATT group and 94.9% in the TRAB group (P = 0.75). Percentage of complete success was 64.1% and 52.8% (P = 0.22) after TRAB and GATT, respectively. Conclusion: In patients with POAG and PEXG, GATT was as effective and safe as TRAB in lowering IOP and reducing the number of antiglaucomatous drugs.

Background and Objectives: Kinematic and kinetic data from gait analysis are commonly used for clinical decision making in cerebral palsy (CP). However, these data may not fully capture the underlying causes of movement pathologies or effectively monitor post-treatment changes. Joint reaction forces (JRFs), estimated through simulation-based methods, provide valuable insights into the functional state of musculoskeletal components. Despite their importance, comprehensive evaluations of lower limb JRFs in CP are limited, and comparisons with typically developing (TD) individuals remain underexplored. This study aimed to provide a detailed comparison of lower limb JRFs between children with CP exhibiting mild crouch gait and age-matched TD children during self-selected walking speeds. Materials and Methods: Open-access gait datasets from eight children with CP and eight TD children were analyzed. A full-body musculoskeletal model was scaled to individual anthropometric data in OpenSim. Joint angles and moments were obtained using inverse kinematics and inverse dynamics, respectively. Ankle, knee, and hip JRFs were calculated using OpenSim’s Joint Reaction tool. Root-mean-square differences and Pearson correlation coefficients quantified the differences between CP and TD JRFs. Results: The anterior–posterior and vertical components of the hip JRFs in CP were lower than in TD children. CP knee JRFs exceeded TD values across all anatomical axes. For the ankle, the anterior–posterior JRF was lower in CP, whereas the vertical component was higher compared to TD. Conclusions: Children with CP experience distinct lower limb JRF patterns compared to TD children. While some findings align with previous studies, discrepancies in other components highlight the influence of model and patient-specific characteristics. These results emphasize the need for standardization in reporting patient data and systematic evaluations to improve the interpretation and applicability of JRF analyses in CP research and treatment planning.

Takım sporlarından biri olan voleybol, her geçen gün uluslararası ve ulusal arenadaki yerini güçlendirirken teknolojiye ayak uyduran da bir spor dalı haline gelmiştir. Takım sporlarında kullanılan teknoloji, müsabaka sırasında hakemlerin karar alma süreçlerinde hem olumlu hem de olumsuz etkilere sahip olabilmektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışmanın temel amacı, Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu’nun üst liglerinde kullanılan video değerlendirme sisteminin hakem karar alma süreçlerine etkisine etkisinin incelenmesidir. Belirlenen bu amaç doğrultusunda yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılarak yürütülen bu araştırmanın evrenini, Türkiye Voleybol Federasyonu’nun üst liglerinde görev yapan A ve AB klasmanındaki toplam 21 hakem oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın örneklem grubunu ise araştırmaya gönüllü olarak katılan ulusal ve uluslararası olmak üzere toplam 21 hakem oluşturmaktadır. A ve AB klasmanındaki voleybol hakemleriyle yürütülen bu araştırmada sonuç olarak; video değerlendirme sisteminin voleybol müsabakalarının objektif olarak yönetilmesine olanak sağladığı belirlenmiştir. Ancak bu sistemin bazı maçlarda bulunmaması veya hakem kararlarında değişikliğe sebep olması, çalışmaya katılan hakemlerin kararlarını olumsuz etkilememiş olup, maçlar esnasında video değerlendirme sisteminde yaşanan aksaklıkları en aza indirmek için hakemlerin, özellikle görüntü çözünürlüğünün artırılması yönünde bu sisteme bazı eklemeler yapılması gerektiğini belirtmişlerdir.

Objectives: To assess the prevalence of substandard products, a quality study based on the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) standards was conducted on the veterinary medicinal product ivermectin.Methods: From September 2020 to January 2021, a cross-sectional quality analysis was carried out on 19 samples of pharmaceutical products. These samples were obtained from all veterinary retail outlets in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The analysis included organoleptic assessment for packaging-related information and physical appearance, as well as high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-based physicochemical analysis for identity, assay, packaging uniformity, and HLB ratio. The procedures followed were in accordance with the USP recommendations. The quality analysis took place at the national veterinary drug quality test center.Results: The quality analysis revealed the presence of substandard products in terms of packaging uniformity (16.7%), API assay (15.8%), and filling to a volume (16.67%). However, both sampled products demonstrated the expected API, recommended physical appearance, and consistent packaging information. The prevalence ratio values for all H1B1a/(H1B1a+H1B1b) chemical species were greater than 0.95.Conclusion: The findings from this study clearly indicate the alarming presence of substandard veterinary pharmaceutical products. This highlights the need for strengthening the regulatory surveillance system.

Educational technology research has found that parents of young children widely share concerns about extended screen time, lack of physical activity, and lack of social interaction. Kid Space was developed to address these concerns by enabling multi-modal and immersive collaborative play-based learning. Kid Space utilizes multiple sensing technologies with an immersive physical space through a human-scale wall projection and incorporates a conversational AI agent to interact with children, understand individual progress, and personalize learning experiences in a blended physical and digital environment. To evaluate Kid Space in the wild, we conducted a multi-method user study involving a quasi-experimental design and exploratory case study with 14 students and three educators in an elementary school. Mixed methods for data collection and analysis were used to understand the students' and educators' perceptions of Kid Space and its impact on the students’ educational outcomes (learning engagement, experience, and performance). The findings showed (1) positive perceptions toward Kid Space, (2) high levels of engagement - with decreased screen time (41% of the time), increased physical activity (99.3% of the time), and increased social interactions with conversational AI agent and the other collaborating student (52% of the time), and (3) significant learning gains after experiencing Kid Space (24% gain, paired t-test: p

ÖZ Minimal invaziv diş hekimliğinin bir ilkesi olarak başlangıç mine çürük lezyonlarını remineralize etmek için klinik olarak çürük önleme stratejilerine olan ihtiyaç çok belirgindir. Florür içeren materyallerle yapılan remineralizasyon uygulamaları, mevcut çürük yönetimi felsefelerinin temel taşı iken; başlangıç lezyonlarının daha derin remineralizasyonunu teşvik ettiğini, yüksek florür içerikli ürünlerle ilişkili potansiyel riskleri azalttığını ve ömür boyu çürük kontrolünü kolaylaştırdığını iddia eden bir dizi yeni remineralizasyon stratejileri geliştirilmektedir. Bu sistemler, genel olarak florürün etkinliğinin artmasını teşvik ederek çürük lezyonlarını onaran biyomimetik mine rejenerasyon teknolojileri ve yaklaşımları olarak kategorize edilebilir.

Objective This study aimed to investigate postgraduate pediatric dental students’ knowledge, practice, and attitudes toward teledentistry and identify potential applications of this technology in pediatric dentistry. Methods An online questionnaire was sent to all students through Google Forms. The questionnaire included questions about socio-demographic information, knowledge, practice, and attitudes regarding teledentistry and the use of teledentistry during coronavirus disease 2019. Results Before the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic, only 8.2% of students knew teledentistry. However, this increased to 45% after the pandemic, with differences depending on the student's clinical experience. Teledentistry was reported as useful for medicine taking, follow-up consultations, and diagnosing soft tissue problems. Conclusions Integrating teledentistry topics into the dental curriculum can increase awareness and adoption of this technology in pediatric dentistry. Dental students need to be aware of its potential applications.

Background: Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of visual deterioration in patients with diabetes mellitus. Various treatment options have been used for DME, including intravitreal injection of steroids and anti-vascular endothelial growth factors. Objectives: To evaluate and compare the functional and anatomical outcomes of intravitreal ranibizumab (IVR) and intravitreal aflibercept (IVA) treatments in patients with DME. Design: Retrospective study. Methods: Four hundred three eyes of 235 naïve patients who underwent IVR or IVA treatment for DME followed up to 36 months included in the study. Best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT) were measured at baseline, year 1, 2 and 3. Primary endpoint of the study was the change in BCVA and CMT each year from baseline and requirement of additional treatment (laser/steroid injection). Results: There were 198 eyes in IVR group and 205 eyes in IVA group. The changes in mean BCVA were 0.09 ± 0.32 versus 0.17 ± 0.41 Logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution (logMAR) ( p = 0.042) at year 1, 0.09 ± 0.37 versus 0.12 ± 0.45 logMAR ( p = 0.512) at year 2 and 0.13 ± 0.36 versus 0.15 ± 0.48 logMAR ( p = 0.824) at year 3 in IVA and IVR groups, respectively. The baseline mean BCVA were lower ( p = 0.004) in IVA group. The mean total number of injections was 7.93 ± 3.38 versus 7.42 ± 3.05 ( p = 0.112). Conclusion: At year 1, change in mean BCVA was statistically significantly higher in IVA group; however this difference did not persist at years 2 and 3. Although the mean total number of injections was similar between groups, the requirement for adjuvant steroid treatment was significantly higher in ranibizumab group, which may affect the number of visits and treatment costs. Both ranibizumab and aflibercept treatments achieved a good long-term visual and anatomical response in DME patients.

Prosody is an important indicator of reading development, but many teachers are unclear about how it can help students improve their reading fluency. Beyond demonstrating expressive or flowing reading, specific components of "reading prosody" can distinctly reveal how well word recognition and comprehension processes coalesce, providing teachers with useful information for their instruction. In this article, we review the research on reading prosody to clarify how differences in "intonation," "amplitude," and "timing" components distinguish struggling and strong readers. In addition, we discuss reading prosody considerations for classroom assessment and intervention by sharing insights drawn from educators trained to evaluate it systematically. We aim to clarify how teachers can use these reading prosody components to enhance classroom reading fluency practices.

The fear of failure stops students from thinking logically and processing information in mathematics. Creating an appropriate classroom climate based on every student's ability is crucial to overcoming the prejudices associated with mathematics. In this regard, this study aims to create the best classroom climate approach that will increase interest in mathematics and ensure academic success. For this purpose, mathematicians' views on the classroom climate approach and how they create them were discussed by using qualitative techniques. It was considered that teachers participating in this research are working in 9th grade in state high schools affiliated with the Turkish Republic of North Cyprus Ministry of Education, accepting students through examination. The researchers collected teacher views through a semistructured interview form and analyzed them using context analysis. The findings showed that teachers were in a hurry to teach and generally paid attention to creating a comfortable classroom climate in which students could express their thoughts and opinions. This situation also revealed a lack of adequate classroom climate approach skills among teachers. Therefore, the classroom climate approaches discussed in this study are expected to make a significant contribution to this field by offering solutions to teachers in creating a supportive classroom climate.

Bu çalışmanın amacı, okul öncesi öğretmenlerinin açık uçlu materyallerle (AUM) ilgili görüşlerini ve bu görüşlerin uygulamadaki yansımalarını belirlemektir. Nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılarak yürütülen araştırma durum desenindedir. Çalışmanın katılımcılarının belirlenmesinde amaçlı örnekleme tercih edilmiştir. Çalışmanın yürütüldüğü okul, Ankara ili Etimesgut ilçesinde yer alan bir devlet okuludur. Okul, AUM’in kullanımıyla çocukların yaratıcılık, kavramsal düzey ve genel gelişimsel düzeyini geliştirmeye yönelik Eylül 2019-Haziran 2022 zaman aralığını kapsayan Learn by Design isimli Avrupa Birliği Projesi (ERASMUS+ KA229) yürütmektedir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunu 2020-2021 eğitim öğretim döneminde, projeyi aktif olarak uygulayan yedi okul öncesi öğretmeni oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmayı daha da derinleştirebilmek ve projenin uygulamadaki yansımalarını ortaya çıkarabilmek amacıyla, aynı döneme ait proje sosyal medya ürün-çıktı paylaşımları da (fotoğraf ve videolar) dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmadan elde edilen veriler, içerik analizi yöntemiyle analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmada AUM’un eğitim ortamlarına entegre edilmesinin çocuklarda çeşitli olumlu sosyal davranışların yanı sıra öğrenme motivasyonu ve genel mutluluk halinde artış sağladığı; veli-okul iletişimini ve etkileşimini güçlendirerek ebeveyn katılımını arttırdığı; çocukları çok yönlü destekleyerek bütüncül gelişimlerine katkı sunduğu; kaliteli oyun deneyimleri sağlayarak çocukları yaratan, keşfeden, kendi öğrenmesinden sorumlu, özgür ve yetkin bireyler olma yolunda desteklediği ortaya konmuştur.

Sustained implementation of effective behavior support systems and practices is critical for improving academic and behavior outcomes for students with and without disabilities. Although implementation studies have identified variables facilitating sustained implementation of Tier 1 behavior support systems in schools, little research exists examining Tier 2 and 3 behavior support systems. The purpose of this 5-year prospective study was to identify practice, school, and district variables facilitating sustained implementation of Tiers 2 and 3 behavior support systems in schools. The sample included 646 schools implementing positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) across 23 U.S. states. Using structural equation modeling, we found several key variables to be predictive of sustained implementation (sustained implementation and implementation quality) of Tier 2 (Tiers 1 and 2 fidelity in Year 1 and a general Tiers 2 and 3 sustainability factor) and Tier 3 behavior support systems (Tier 1 and Tier 3 fidelity in Year 1 and a general Tiers 2 and 3 sustainability factor). Implications for how district and school leadership teams can improve sustained implementation of Tiers 2 and 3 behavior support systems are discussed.

Amaç: Çocuk diş hekimleri, dental tedaviler sırasında hastalarının ağrı ve anksiyetesini kontrol altına almak için pek çok yöntem kullanmaktadır. Dikkat dağıtma yöntemi, çocuk hastalarda bu amaçla sık kullanılan davranış yönlendirme tekniklerinden biridir. Bu çalışmanın amacı, görsel ve işitsel dikkat dağıtma sağlayan 3D video gözlüğün 6-10 yaş arası çocuklarda süt molar dişlerin çekimi sırasında kullanımının anksiyete ve ağrı üzerine olan etkinliğinin değerlendirilmesidir. Gereç ve Yöntem: 6-10 yaş aralığındaki 60 çocuk, her grupta 15 kız, 15 erkek olacak şekilde rastgele 2 gruba ayrıldı. 1. grupta bulunan 30 hastaya “Anlat-göster-uygula” yöntemi uygulanarak; 2. grupta bulunan 30 hastaya ise 3D video gözlük ile çizgi film izletilerek diş çekimi yapıldı. Çocukların anksiyete değerlendirmeleri tedaviye başlamadan önce, lokal anestezi sırasında ve lokal anestezi yapıldıktan sonra nabız ve oksijen saturasyon ölçümleri ve MCDAS (Modified Child Dental Anxiety Scale) skorları ile yapıldı. Ağrı algısı, hem lokal anestezi sonrası hem de diş çekimi sonrasında Wong-Baker (W-B) skalası ile kaydedildi. Bulgular: “Anlat-göster-uygula” ve “3D video gözlük” grupları karşılaştırıldığında nabız ve MCDAS skala değerleri bakımından aralarında anlamlı farklılık bulunmadı. Tüm zamanlarda yapılan ölçümlerde “3D video gözlük” grubunun saturasyon değerleri, “Anlat-göster-uygula” grubuna göre anlamlı derecede daha düşük bulundu. “3D video gözlük” grubunda diş çekimden sonra kaydedilen W-B değerlerinin “Anlat-göster-uygula” grubuna göre anlamlı derecede düşük olduğu görüldü. “3D video gözlük” grubunda diş çekiminden sonra ölçülen W-B değerinin lokal anestezi sonrasındaki değere göre düşük olduğu gözlendi. Sonuç: Çocuklarda diş çekimi sırasında “3D video gözlük” kullanımının anksiyete değerlerinde beklenen azalmayı sağlamadığı; ağrı algısını ise başarılı bir biçimde azalttığı görülmüştür.

Abstract Background Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) are both reversible processes, and regulation of phenotypical transition is very important for progression of several cancers including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Recently, it is defined that cancer cells can attain a hybrid epithelial/mesenchymal (hybrid E/M) phenotype. Cells with hybrid E/M phenotype comprise mixed epithelial and mesenchymal properties, they can be more resistant to therapeutics and also more capable of initiating metastatic lesions. However, the mechanisms regulating hybrid E/M in HCC are not well described yet. In this study, we investigated the role of the potential crosstalk between lncRNA HOTAIR and c-Met receptor tyrosine kinase, which are two essential regulators of EMT and MET, in acquiring of hybrid E/M phenotype in HCC. Methods Expression of c-Met and lncRNA HOTAIR were defined in HCC cell lines and patient tissues through HCC progression. lncRNA HOTAIR was overexpressed in SNU-449 cells and its effects on c-Met signaling were analyzed. c-Met was overexpressed in SNU-398 cells and its effect on HOTAIR expression was analyzed. Biological significance of HOTAIR/c-Met interplay was defined in means of adhesion, proliferation, motility behavior, invasion, spheroid formation and metastatic ability. Effect of ectopic lncRNA HOTAIR expression on phenotype was defined with investigation of molecular epithelial and mesenchymal traits. Results In vitro and in vivo experiments verified the pivotal role of lncRNA HOTAIR in acquisition of hybrid E/M phenotype through modulating expression and activation of c-Met and its membrane co-localizing partner Caveolin-1, and membrane organization to cope with the rate limiting steps of metastasis such as survival in adhesion independent microenvironment, escaping from anoikis and resisting to fluidic shear stress (FSS) in HCC. Conclusions Our work provides the first evidence suggesting a role for lncRNA HOTAIR in the modulation of c-Met to promote hybrid E/M phenotype. The balance between lncRNA HOTAIR and c-Met might be critical for cell fate decision and metastatic potential of HCC cells. Video Abstract

The aim of this study is to determine the number sense skills of preschool (Kindergarten) children. In the study, survey design, one of the quantitative research methods, was used. The study group consists of a total of 114 children attending all the kindergartens (5 kindergartens) in the city center of Tunceli in the 2020-2021 school year. The data collection tool used in the study is the "Preschool Number Sense Test" developed by the researchers. In the analysis of the data, the correct answers obtained by using number sense skills, the correct answers obtained by using rule and operation-based methods, the false answers obtained by using number sense skills, the false answers obtained by using rule-operation-based methods and the questions left unanswered were considered. As a result of the analysis made, it was determined that preschool students used rule- and operation-based methods more in problem-solving when dealing with questions, and it was seen that they used number-sense-based methods less frequently.

This study aimed to examine the effects of reverse items created with different strategies on psychometric properties and respondents' scale scores. To this end, three versions of a 10-item scale in the research were developed: 10 positive items were integrated in the first form (Form-P) and five positive and five reverse items in the other two forms. The reverse items in the second and third forms were crafted using antonyms (Form-RA) and negations (Form-RN), respectively. Based on the research results, Form-P was unidimensional, while other forms were two-dimensional. Moreover, although reliability coefficients of all forms were obtained as above 0.80, the lowest one was acquired for Form-RN. There were strong-positive relationships between students' scores in the three scale forms. However, the lowest one was estimated between Form-P and Form-RN. Finally, there was a significant difference between the students' mean scores obtained from Form-RN and other two versions, but the effect size of the said difference was small. In conclusion, all these results indicate that different types of reverse items influence psychometric properties and respondents' scale scores differently.

This study aims to ascertain the research trends of articles on scientific literacy in primary schools. In the study, both bibliometric and content analysis techniques were employed. In the Web of Science database, 145 studies conducted between 1993 and 2021 and 60 studies conducted between 2002 and 2021 were included in the content analysis for bibliometric analysis. According to the findings, there is a rising interest in scientific literacy in primary schools. Bybee, R., and McCrae, B., were the most cited authors in this study. The United States was the most frequently cited country, and the Australian Council for Educational Research was the most frequently cited institution. Few mixed studies have been conducted on the topic of scientific literacy, as qualitative studies have dominated the field. As sample groups, primary school students and college graduates were favored. The study concluded that scientific literacy in primary school is mostly promoted by organizations, journals or authors in developed countries. The results of the study were discussed in light of the relevant literature, and suggestions for further studies were offered.

Problem solving skill is a basic skill that students should acquire both in mathematics education and their daily lives. This research aims to examine fourth-grade elementary school student skills in solving four-operation problems prepared in different structures according to the situation of the unknown. In this research, on the one hand, students' success in solving four-operation problems prepared according to the unknown (initial, change, and final unknown) was examined, and on the other hand, problem solutions were analyzed according to Polyo's problem solving steps. This research is a survey model from quantitative research methods. The sample of this research consists of 150 students studying in the fourth grade of two public primary schools in Amasya city center in the 2021-2022 academic year. The "Problem-Solving Achievement Test" developed by Bayar (2022) was used as a measurement tool in this research. Based on the findings obtained because of the analysis of the data; it was determined that students were significantly more successful in problems with unknown outcomes than in problems with unknown both initial and change. Besides, although the students were successful in the step of understanding the problem in the problem-solving steps, they were less successful in the steps of planning, executing the plan, and controlling the plan, respectively, compared to the step of understanding the problem. A positive relationship was found between all the variables in this research, albeit at a moderate and low level. It would be beneficial to revise the problems in the textbooks and classroom practices within the framework of the results.

INTRODUCTION[|]This study used ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) imaging to evaluate the anterior segment structure and surgical area of patients with open angle glaucoma following a trabeculectomy procedure.[¤]METHODS[|]Consecutive patients with primary open angle or pseudoexfoliative glaucoma who underwent a trabeculectomy were included. UBM was used to examine the anatomical parameters of anterior chamber depth, anterior chamber angle, angle opening distance at 500 µm (AOD500), trabecular ciliary process distance (TCPD), iris ciliary process distance, scleral ciliary process angle (SCPA), and ciliary process thickness, as well as the internal ostium opening, ostium-iris distance, and scleral flap dimensions. Bleb morphologies were evaluated qualitatively using the Yamamoto classification and quantitatively according to the presence of drainage from the medial, lateral, and posterior borders.[¤]RESULTS[|]Twenty-five eyes of 23 patients (4 female, 19 male) were included in the study. The TCPD and SCPA measurements were significantly greater in the postoperative third month (1.04+-0.12 mm vs 1.09+-0.16 mm, p

Abstract Background Pruritus is a distressing, life-limiting symptom in chronic renal failure, affecting 40% of patients. This study aimed to determine uremic pruritus prevalence and investigate the multidimensional impact on hemodialysis patients. Methods This descriptive study was performed between March and June 2016. The study included 181 patients undergoing hemodialysis session, who reported pruritus in the prior month. Data were collected using the 5-D Itch Scale, which assesses pruritus based on 5 dimensions, i.e., degree, duration, direction, disability, and distribution, with a total score ranging from 5 (no itching) to 25 (maximum severity). Results Pruritus prevalence was 49.3%. Patients had a mean score of 13.97 ± 4.11 (moderate severity). The daily duration was 6–12 h (40.3%), with direction “a little bit better but still present” (38.7%) and distribution on the “back, upper arms, chest, and abdomen.” Patients sleep, social life/leisure time, housework and errand were impacted “occasionally”. The score was higher in patients aged ≥65 years, those on hemodialysis for ≥15 or more years, and those undergoing afternoon hemodialysis. The duration of itching was significantly shorter in employed patients. Conclusion Assessment and management of itching symptoms in chronic renal failure are a clinical priority both for patients and for health care professionals. The results of this study highlight the importance of multidimensional assessment and support the need for development of standardized and patient-specific symptom management.

Addressing an underappreciated research area, this study reports on how two English language teachers in a Turkish tertiary education context use a global coursebook. At the beginning of the study, a metaphor elicitation task and pre-study interviews were employed to detect the teachers' coursebook conceptualizations. Then, a total of 12 lessons were video-recorded and adaptations were identified using a research-informed framework developed for this study. The participants examined and evaluated their own practices in stimulated recall sessions, reflective conversations and journal writing. The study was concluded with post-study interviews. Data revealed that the teachers' instructional practice was driven by the coursebook to a large extent as they stuck to minor adaptations and followed the guidance given by the coursebook. Along with the institutional constraints, the teachers' practices were influenced by their own personal preferences, attempts to make coursebook tasks accessible to learners, lack of planning and the highly structured delivery of tasks in the coursebook. However, pedagogic considerations were not foregrounded by the teachers. The results of the study call for professional teacher development on coursebook utilization, coursebook-based instead of coursebook-led program planning alongside redesign of coursebooks as resources rather than instructions.

Previous research showed that the parents acknowledged the technology's benefits for their young children's learning, however, they are still worried about the extended screen time, lack of physical activity and lack of social interactions. To address these concerns, we developed Kid Space to enable pedagogically appropriate technology use for children in early childhood education by combining various sensing technologies with a multi-modal conversational artificial intelligence system that can interact with children, understand individual progress and provide personalised learning experiences. To understand the impact of Kid Space on the parents' initial concerns about technology use by their young children, we conducted a multi-method user study: (1) a quasi-experimental design and (2) formative research method using an exploratory case study with a set of children and their parents experiencing Kid Space in their homes. The results show that after experiencing Kid Space with their children, the parents felt significantly less concerned about screen time, social interactions and physical activity and reported positive perceptions towards pedagogical value of Kid Space. Detailed analysis on the multi-modal data quantitatively and qualitatively validated why Kid Space alleviated these concerns. Future research is needed to validate long-term educational value of Kid Space and generate insights for improvement for next iterations.

AR technology is utilized in several disciplines at various educational levels, from primary to higher education. It is evident that AR technology has been investigated by addressing numerous subtopics related to individuals at different levels of science and mathematics education within the field of special education. Since emerging evidence indicates that the implementation of this technology has a positive impact on students' acquisition of academic skills, it could be argued that more effort is required to develop and implement AR applications for students with cognitive challenges. This study aims to identify the areas of science and mathematics where secondary school students with SEN encounter learning difficulties by conducting a needs analysis with special education professionals. The purposive sampling method was employed for this study, and a total of 150 teachers were interviewed. The findings indicate that science teachers struggle to teach students with learning disabilities, particularly in subjects requiring abstract thinking and physics. In addition to science classes, teachers stated that they encountered difficulties when teaching certain mathematics subjects, such as the four operations, fraction problem-solving, and geometric shapes, to students with learning difficulties. Finally, teachers also suggested that augmented reality applications should be implemented for mathematics topics like problem-solving, fractions, geometry, ratio, and proportion.

INTRODUCTION[|]The aim of the present study was to compare intraocular pressure (IOP) level as measured with Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) and Icare rebound tonometry (RBT; Icare Finland Oy, Vantaa, Finland) in patients with varied central corneal thickness (CCT). [¤]METHODS[|]Total of 138 eyes of 138 consecutive patients from glaucoma department were studied. Ultrasound pachymeter was used to measure CCT in all cases and patients were divided into 3 groups according to CCT. Group 1 comprised patients with thin CCT (570 μ) composed Group 3. IOP was measured with RBT, which uses average of 6 readings, followed by GAT. Measurements of groups were compared.[¤]RESULTS[|]Mean age of patients was 59.4+-10.9 years. Mean CCT value was 494.9+-15.9 μ in Group 1 (n=40), 549.1+-16.3 μ in Group 2 (n=52), and 604.0+-22.2 μ in Group 3 (n=46). Mean IOP measurement obtained by GAT and RBT was 13.2+-4.0 and 13.8+-3.9 mmHg, respectively, in Group 1 (p=0.013), 16.9+-3.2 and 16.8+-3.1 mmHg in Group 2 (p=0.745), and 18.1+-3.4 and 18.4+-3.8 mmHg in Group 3 (p=0.359). Mean difference in IOP for entire study group between GAT and RBT was -0.21+-1.7 mmHg (p=0.15). This difference was statistically significant only in Group 1 (p=0.013). Positive correlation was found between CCT and measurement via both GAT and RBT (p

Exclusionary discipline practices are frequently utilized in schools despite decades of research indicating their ineffectiveness (American Psychological Association Zero Tolerance Task Force, 2008; Losen & Skiba, 2010; Muñiz, 2021). Research shows that removing students from the classroom does not change student behavior, is administered disproportionately to historically marginalized and minoritized groups, and is linked to the school-to-prison pipeline and lower academic achievement (Barnes & Motz, 2018; Losen & Martinez, 2020; Noltemeyer et al., 2015). This study explores the impact of the Inclusive Skill-Building Learning Approach (ISLA), an instructional and restorative alternative to exclusionary discipline practices, on discipline disproportionality. Pre-intervention, implementation, and post-intervention discipline data for 6th through 8th grade students were collected to understand the relation between ISLA and disproportional discipline data by race and gender. The findings suggest that ISLA is an effective tool for reducing overall in-school and out-of-school suspension rates as well as the risk indices for out-of-school suspensions for students of color, yet there is still a need for intervention adaptations to address specific disparities in exclusionary discipline practices. Research findings, study limitations, and implications and directions for future research and practice are further discussed.

Students' readiness for e-learning is necessary in order to make the e-learning process more effective. Readiness for e-learning refers to the degree of having pre-knowledge and skills, and affective characteristics such as the necessary attitude and motivation to experience this process most effectively. Academic orientations of the students also contribute to their perception of the quality of the learning process in online learning environments. Furthermore, elearning creates a learner-centered learning approach that might be contrived to personal goal orientations. Hence this study aims to identify the relationship between achievement goal orientations and the e-learning readiness level of the students. Data were collected from 457 university students enrolled in a public university in Turkey. The University Students' E-learning readiness Scale and 2X2 achievement goal orientation scale were used as the data collection tools. A canonical correlation analysis (CCA) was performed to analyze the data. This study revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between e-learning readiness and achievement goal orientations of the students. Three of the four canonical correlations were statistically significant which indicates that variables' linear combinations were related.

This study evaluated a draft curriculum designed in a preliminary study to help practitioners of EAP (English for Academic Purposes) overcome affective problems in higher education language classes. Participatory evaluation model was used to evaluate the draft curriculum practiced with six EAP practitioners in a SFL (School of Foreign Languages) at a state university in Türkiye. A sequential explanatory mixed methods approach was employed. While quantitative data were gathered via a questionnaire, qualitative data were gathered via open ended question test, semi-structured interviews, in-field notes of the curriculum practitioner and the participant observer, and self-reflections of the participants. Findings presented in line with the strengths and weaknesses of the draft curriculum demonstrated that four components of the draft curriculum (objectives, learning experiences and materials, content and assessment and evaluation processes) functioned well. In addition, the weaknesses inspired the researchers to develop the draft curriculum. The current study contributes to institutional and national policies of in-service training for EAP practitioners. Developing a curriculum that targets a common problem represents an important innovation towards standardization in training EAP practitioners and fills in a crucial gap in the field of EAP. [This article includes an extended summary in Turkish.]

This study examines teacher opinions about the education needs of children with normal and special abilities in the same class at a Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) primary school. Therefore, in order to increase the success of the students studying in the same class, the opinions and suggestions of the teachers were examined and the things to be done were stated. As one of the qualitative research methods, the descriptive survey method was used in the study. According to purposive criterion sampling, 84 primary school teachers were sampled for this study. The semi-structured interview forms were used to collect the data related to teachers' opinions. The obtained data were analyzed by content analysis. As a result, it shows that this prepares students with special needs for socialization by introducing them to students at different developmental levels. However, when the teachers' opinions were examined, it was stated that the education applied in this way had negative aspects. Due to the deterioration of the classroom order, it was determined that sufficient time could not be allocated to special needs students. At this point, participants emphasized the importance of designing appropriate education programs for special-needs students in order to ensure their success.

This study aims to investigate the effect of robotics design with Arduino on students' attitudes towards ICT courses and STEM. In this context, robotics design activities with Arduino were conducted with an experimental group, while the current IT curriculum was applied to a control group. The study lasted for a period of 12 weeks and was conducted with 53 middle school students. The Information & Communication Technologies Course Attitude Scale (ICTCAS) and STEM Attitude Scale (SAS) were used as data collection tools. The study's findings revealed that robotics design activities with Arduino increased the students' attitudes towards engineering and technology in the context of STEM and ICT courses. Additionally, the participating students supported the use of robotics activities in their ICT course, and they reportedly found the activities to be fun, interesting, different, difficult, complex, and time-consuming. During the first weeks of the study, the students were excited, very curious, interested, enthusiastic, worried, and hesitant to participate in the activities and avoided them. However, in the subsequent weeks, they gained practical experience related to the activities and took on a more active role in the class.

This study has two main purposes. Firstly, to compare the different item selection methods and stopping rules used in Computerized Adaptive Testing (CAT) applications with simulative data generated based on the item parameters of the Vocational Maturity Scale. Secondly, to test the validity of CAT application scores. For the first purpose, simulative data produced based on Vocational Maturity Scale item parameters were analyzed under different item selection methods (Maximum Fisher Information [MFI], Maximum Likelihood Weighted Information [MLWI] Maximum Posterior Weighted Information [MPWI] Maximum Expected Information [MEI] Minimum Expected Posterior Variance [MEPV] Maximum Expected Posterior Weighted Information [MEPWI]) and stopping rules (Standard Error [SE]<0.30, SE<0.50, SE <0.70, Number of Item [NI]=10, NI=20) by calculating the average number of items, standard error averages, correlation coefficients, bias, and RMSE statistics. For all the conditions of the item selection methods, standard error averages, correlation coefficients, bias, and RMSE statistics showed similar results. When the average number of items is considered, MFI and SE<0.30 were found as most appropriate methods to be used in CAT application. For the second purpose of the study, the paper-pencil form of the Vocational Maturity scale and CAT version were administered to 33 students. A moderate, positive, and statistically significant relationship was found between the CAT application scores and the paper-pencil form scores on the vocational maturity scale. As a result, it can be said that the vocational maturity scale can be applied as a computerized adaptive test and can be used in career guidance processes.

The aim of this study is to reveal the meanings that fourth grade students in elementary school attach to the four operation symbols (+, -, x, :) that are abstract, in different representations. The pattern of the study is a case study of qualitative research methods. In the study, the evaluation tool developed by the researchers was applied to elementary school fourth grade students. It was tried to present the situations of writing a mathematical sentence and expressing terms, formulating a problem, displaying the problem with a figure/diagram from students related to the symbols (+, -, x, :) for four processing skills. Based on the findings obtained in the study, it is seen that students attach concept and operation meanings to four operation symbols (+, -, x, :), create more routine word story problems related to symbols, and are more successful in writing a mathematical sentence appropriate for the problem they are writing than drawing a figure/diagram. In addition, it can be said that students made mistakes throughout the process from a linguistic point of view in terms of; using punctuations correctly, writing letters, numbers, units and expressions correctly, naming terms, and legible and understandable writing.

In today's Technology Age, where communication technologies are gaining momentum, social, cultural, and technological competencies draw attention from individual and societal perspectives. Along with technological innovations, transformations are experienced in the societal development process in many areas, including education, communication, language, culture, economy, etc. In this context, innovative technologies in today's science and technology-oriented society bring applications of artificial intelligence and the virtual universe, exploring the interaction between humans and space and beyond. Metaverse stands out as a structure among these virtual universe applications. Metaverse, one of the popular artificial intelligence applications of recent times, emphasizes creating a virtual social environment beyond time with the understanding of space and beyond. Metaverse is a permanent three-dimensional world where many situations that we cannot experience in the real world can be experienced and where communication can be established with other people or virtual people. It is thought that it may be beneficial to support a course such as social studies, which includes many disciplines and aims to raise well-equipped citizens with technology. The social studies course is also noteworthy as an area focusing on developing digital competence and skills. In this direction, this research aims to reveal the awareness levels of pre-service social studies teachers about metaverse usage from various variables. The experimental scanning method from quantitative research methods was utilized during the research process. According to the results of the study, while the awareness of the pre-service teachers about the application of metaverse as a current, popular technology and communication source is not found to be significant in terms of variables such as gender, age, and class level, it is significant regarding the university they attend, frequency of internet use, thoughts about using the internet/technology in education, digital environment and metaverse themed education, certificate program, and participation in courses.

The aim of this study is to investigate the cognitive process dimension of the revised Bloom's taxonomy in the question preparation of prospective primary school teachers in fourth grade Turkish and mathematics courses. This research is a descriptive study carried out following the survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study group consisted of 85 prospective teachers in their final year of the undergraduate programme in primary education at a state and foundation university in Turkey. The data were obtained through questions prepared by the prospective teachers through question preparation forms on Turkish and mathematics courses. These data were analyzed using the descriptive analysis method. The study concluded that the majority of questions prepared by prospective primary teachers in both courses were in the lower levels of the cognitive process dimension of revised Bloom's Taxonomy (remember, understand and apply). It was found that the questions in the Turkish language course were mostly prepared in the remember and understand dimensions and in the mathematics course were mostly prepared in the apply and understand dimensions. In light of these results, it can be suggested that the preparation of high-level questions in terms of the revised Bloom's taxonomy should be included more in undergraduate education.

The aim of this research is to explore the research trends of inquiry-based science (IBS) articles in the Web of Science database during 2000-2021. The bibliometric method was used in the research. A total of 662 IBS education articles were included in the study, out of 1389 IBS publications covering all fields published in Web of Science during 2000-2021. Citation and co-citation analysis were applied using VOSviewer software. The data obtained from this analysis are presented with tables, graphs, and bibliometric maps. According to the results, there is an increase in the number of IBS publications or citations in the recent years. The most cited keywords are teacher development, professional development, primary school, science achievement, and PISA. The most cited countries are the USA, Germany, and France. It has recently been determined that there is a trend towards sustainability education, local perspectives, technology, and interdisciplinary integration in IBS studies. The results were discussed with previous studies in the literature and some suggestions were made for future research. This research, which photographs inquired-based science studies published over the last two decades, may be useful to science education experts and curriculum evaluators.

In today's multicultural and globalized world, diversity, as a necessary component of human existence, plays a critical role in society. Therefore, promoting equity and embracing diversity in the field of education is crucial to provide equal opportunities for all learners by respecting and accepting their identities. Paying attention to the significant role of teacher education programs in the preparation of teacher candidates, we aimed to investigate the representation of diversity through the lens of social justice in the current EFL initial teacher education program implemented as a standardized program in departments of English language and teaching at state universities of Türkiye. With this purpose in mind, the courses provided in the program were evaluated with respect to diversity issues. To this end, the course descriptions and goals were inductively analysed from the perspectives of social justice. The findings revealed the existence of diversity issues in both compulsory and elective courses to some extent regarding three knowledge-based domains i.e., content knowledge, pedagogical knowledge, and general culture. Based on the analysis of the program and relevant literature, some implications and suggestions were proposed for teacher educators and program designers for a more diversity-sensitive and social justice-oriented teacher education.

The complex and heterogeneous nature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) hampers the identification of effective therapeutic strategies. Cancer stem cells (CSCs) represent a fraction of cells within tumors with the ability to self-renew and differentiate, and thus significantly contribute to the formation and maintenance of heterogeneous tumor mass. Increasing evidence indicates high plasticity in tumor cells, suggesting that non-CSCs could acquire stem cell properties through de-differentiation or reprogramming processes. In this paper, we reveal KLF4 as a transcription factor that can induce a CSC-like phenotype in non-CSCs through upregulating the EpCAM and E-CAD expression. Our studies indicated that KLF4 could directly bind to the promoter of EpCAM and increase the number of EpCAM+/CD133+ liver cancer stem cells (LCSCs) in the HuH7 HCC cell line. When KLF4 was overexpressed in EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells, the expressions of hepatic stem/progenitor cell genes such as CK19, EpCAM and LGR5 were significantly increased. KLF4 overexpressing non-stem cells exhibited greater cell viability upon sorafenib treatment, while the cell migration and invasion capabilities of these cells were suppressed. Importantly, we detected an increased membranous expression and colocalization of β-CAT, E-CAD and EpCAM in the KLF4-overexpressing EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells, suggesting that this complex might be required for the cancer stem cell phenotype. Moreover, our in vivo xenograft studies demonstrated that with a KLF4 overexpression, EpCAM−/CD133− non-stem cells attained an in vivo tumor forming ability comparable to EpCAM+/CD133+ LCSCs, and the tumor specimens from KLF4-overexpressing xenografts had increased levels of both the KLF4 and EpCAM proteins. Additionally, we identified a correlation between the KLF4 and EpCAM protein expressions in human HCC tissues independent of the tumor stage and differentiation status. Collectively, our data suggest a novel function for KLF4 in modulating the de-differentiation of tumor cells and the induction of EpCAM+/CD133+ LCSCs in HuH7 HCC cells.

Ezrin is a scaffolding protein that is involved in oncogenesis by linking cytoskeletal and membrane proteins. Ezrin interacts with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in the cell membrane, but little is known about the effects of this interaction on EGFR signaling pathway. In this study, we established the biological and functional significance of ezrin-EGFR interaction in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells. Endogenous ezrin and EGRF interaction was confirmed by co-immunoprecipitation and immunofluorescent staining. When expression of ezrin was inhibited, EGFR activity and phosphorylation levels of downstream signaling pathway proteins ERK and STAT3 were decreased. Cell fractionation experiments revealed that nuclear EGFR was significantly diminished in ezrin-knockdown cells. Consequently, mRNA levels of EGFR target genes AURKA, COX-2, cyclin D1, and iNOS were decreased in ezrin-depleted cells. A small molecule inhibitor of ezrin, NSC305787, reduced EGF-induced phosphorylation of EGFR and downstream target proteins, EGFR nuclear translocation, and mRNA levels of nuclear EGFR target genes similar to ezrin suppression. NSC305787 showed synergism with erlotinib in wild-type EGFR-expressing NSCLC cells, whereas no synergy was observed in EGFR-null cells. Phosphorylation of ezrin on Y146 was found as an enhancer of ezrin-EGFR interaction and required for increased proliferation, colony formation, and drug resistance to erlotinib. These findings suggest that ezrin-EGFR interaction augments oncogenic functions of EGFR and that targeting ezrin may provide a potential novel approach to overcome erlotinib resistance in NSCLC cells.

This research examines the relationship between three leadership types exhibited by principals (instructional, distributed, and transformational leadership) and teacher academic optimism in order to reveal the differential effects of these leadership models on teachers' perceived academic optimism. The participants of the study included 225 elementary school teachers working at 20 schools across two provinces of Turkey. Several multiple regression models with OLS assumptions were employed in the analysis of the data. The results showed that all three leadership types were significantly related to teachers' academic optimism, yet distributed leadership explained the largest proportion of the total variation. When other leadership types were controlled, only distributed leadership emerged as a significant predictor of teacher academic optimism.

Background: Persons with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD) risk exclusion, both in research and as members of society. Because of their embodied communication, they face the challenges in being understood. Oftentimes, others speak on their behalf making inferences on what their perspective might be. Methods: Empathy is suggested as an approach to grasp the perspective of a person with profound and multiple learning disabilities through engaging with embodied communication. The account of empathy suggested by Stein will be unfolded through an ethnographic study including persons with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their professional supporters. Given this background, the intent is to discuss the potential empathy can have in recognising persons with these disabilities as subjects of knowledge. Findings and Conclusions: The characteristics of persons with profound and multiple learning disabilities provide energy to empathic situations in ways that advocate for the possibility of being recognised as subjects of knowledge. This is related to the competencies of the individual, ambiguous communication and the dependency relations in which they are involved. It is of utmost importance to respect the alterity of the other.

Introduction: The current study aimed to investigate the psychological impact of the Turkey 2023 earthquakes on children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their parents residing in Hatay, Sanliurfa, and Ankara provinces, encompassing the periods both before and after the Turkey 2023 earthquakes. Method: This cross-sectional, multicenter study included 103 children and adolescents with ASD aged between 6 and 18. Participants were evaluated based on their residence in Ankara, Hatay, and Sanliurfa, three cities affected differently by the earthquake. Parent-report questionnaires were utilized to assess the children's autism symptoms and behavioural problems. The Childhood Autism Rating Scale was used to determine autism severity. The psychiatric problems of mothers were also assessed with self-report scales. Results: Significantly increased levels of core autism symptoms, irritability, and hyperactivity were found in Hatay and Sanliurfa participants after the earthquakes compared to before, while no differences were detected in children from the Ankara group. Scale score increases in the Hatay group, which had to take a more extended break from special education, were higher than in the Sanliurfa group. Participants with late-diagnosed ASD exhibited a more significant increase in their scale scores after the earthquake. Depression, stress and hopelessness scores were the highest, and the life satisfaction levels were the lowest in mothers of the Hatay and Sanliurfa groups. More pronounced increases were observed in aberrant behaviours among children of mothers with low educational levels following the earthquake. Discussion: Our findings demonstrate that the exacerbation of core ASD symptoms and behavioural deterioration after the earthquakes are associated with disruptions in specialized education services, exposure to earthquake-related trauma, and the educational level of mothers.