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Recycled post-consumer rigid polyethylene (PE) packaging waste was washed and compounded on a pilot scale using different processing conditions and the processability of recycled materials with blow molding was assessed. Compared to virgin grade high-density PE, the recycled materials showed a lower crystallinity, a lower thermo-oxidative stability, a higher ash content, a lower viscosity and melt elasticity, and a lower melt strength and drawability. The thermooxidative stability varied due to the different washing media. Rheological characterization by frequency-sweep measurements indicated that the virgin grade PE had as expected more linear-polymer-like characteristics whereas the recycled materials showed chain branching or crosslinking related to the processing condition during compounding. The recycled materials were successfully blow molded into 4 L-containers where they showed less resistance to flow than the virgin grade PE. The recycled materials differed in color when different washing media were used. There were no significant differences in the mechanical properties of the 4 L-containers made of virgin grade and recycled PE. Highlights * Washing, compounding, and blow molding of rigid polyethylene packaging waste were studied. * The degradation varied depending on the washing and compounding conditions. * Rheological results indicated chain branching or crosslinking due to degradation. KEYWORDS blow molding, compounding, plastic recycling, rheological properties, rigid polyethylene packaging waste, washing, 1 | INTRODUCTION High-density polyethylene (HDPE) is one of the most frequently used polymers in packaging applications, for example, milk, shampoo and detergent bottles, sun cream tubes, buckets, cosmetic containers, [...]

Learner-centred education has emphasized the significance of learner autonomy in language learning over the past forty years. Currently, the literature on the topic implies that cultural and educational environments affect autonomous learning perception and practice, therefore students’ readiness must be examined before creating autonomous learning activities. Given the scarcity of studies, the purpose of this research is to shed light on the issue of whether older adult learners of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) are ready for learner autonomy. To achieve this goal, the present study collected responses from sixty-five EFL learners, aged between sixty and eighty-six. The data were obtained through a questionnaire consisting of five sections: background information, views on teacher and student responsibilities, decision-making skills, motivation, and autonomous activities both within and outside the classroom. Furthermore, eight voluntary EFL learners participated in the follow-up interviews. The analysis involved utilizing descriptive statistics from the questionnaire replies, as well as interpreting the interview data. The findings revealed that Turkish older adult EFL learners exhibited a limited degree of readiness for autonomous language learn- ing, despite their notable levels of enthusiasm and eagerness to improve their English proficiency.

Purpose: Speech and language disorders can negatively affect preschool children's communicative participation skills. Focus on the Outcomes of Communication Under Six-34 (FOCUS-34) is a valid and reliable scale that evaluates communicative participation in preschool children with speech and language disorders. This study aimed to establish the Turkish version of FOCUS-34 (FOCUS-34-TR) and investigate its validity and reliability. Method: A total of 175 children with language disorders, speech sound disorders, and fluency disorders (aged 20-72 months) and their parents were included in the study. Parents were asked to complete the demographic information form, the FOCUS-34-TR scale, and the Ages and Stages Questionnaires: Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE) Turkish version. The construct validity, convergent and divergent validity, internal consistency, and test-retest reliability of the scale were investigated. Results: The FOCUS-34-TR had high values for internal consistency ([alpha] = 0.97) and test-retest reliability (r = 0.95). The correlations between the FOCUS-34-TR total score and its subscales were between 0.77 and 0.90. A moderately significant negative correlation was found between the FOCUS-34-TR scale and the ASQ-SE. Conclusion: The Turkish version of FOCUS-34 is a valid and reliable scale that can be used in clinics and for research purposes to evaluate the communicative participation skills of Turkish-speaking preschool children with speech and language disorders.

Sorted flexible polyethylene packaging waste was washed on a laboratory scale at both 25 and 40[degrees]C with water alone, with water and added NaOH, and with water and added detergent. The washed materials were then compounded using a twin-screw extruder and injection molded. The results were compared with those for an unwashed and a large-scale high-intensity sample washed with NaOH at 70-80[degrees]C. An intensive washing combined with high temperature gave a lower extensibility both in the molten and solid states presumably because of a greater degradation of the recycled material. Washing with NaOH resulted in the lowest strain-at-break in both the melt and solid states, whereas washing with water alone or with a detergent gave similar strain-at-break levels. The melt strength, the stiffness and tensile strengths at room temperature, and the thermal properties were less affected by the washing procedure. Although the final properties seem to be useful in general there were still some trade-offs between the washing condition and the degradation. While these results were expected, the influence of washing parameters on final product, for example, injection molded sample, has to our knowledge not been shown before especially regarding the mechanical properties. Highlights * Post-consumer flexible polyethylene packaging waste was studied with a focus on washing conditions. * The influence of washing conditions on thermal, rheological, and mechanical properties of recycled samples was investigated. * High-intensity washing at high temperature caused significant degradation of the material, this was to our understanding shown for the first time. KEYWORDS degradation, flexible packaging waste, mechanical properties, melt strength, plastic recycling, washing, 1 | INTRODUCTION Packaging for food, beverages, personal hygiene products, and household goods has for a long time been the largest application sector for plastics, representing about 40 wt.% of [...]

Objective: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease, especially in patients with severe obesity. However, current mouse models for MASLD do not reflect the polygenetic background nor the metabolic changes in this population. Therefore, we investigated two novel mouse models of MASLD with a polygenetic background for the metabolic syndrome. Methods: TALLYHO/JngJ mice and NONcNZO10/LtJ mice were fed a high-fat- high-carbohydrate (HF-HC) diet with a surplus of cholesterol diet. A second group of TH mice was additional treated with empagliflozin. Results: After sixteen weeks of feeding, both strains developed metabolic syndrome with severe obesity and histological manifestation of steatohepatitis, which was associated with significantly increased intrahepatic CD8+cells, CD4+cells and Tregs, contributing to a significant increase in pro-inflammatory and pro-fibrotic gene activation as well as ER stress and oxidative stress. In comparison with the human transcriptomic signature, we could demonstrate a good metabolic similarity, especially for the TH mouse model. Furthermore, TH mice also developed signs of kidney injury as an extrahepatic comorbidity of MASLD. Additional treatment with empagliflozin in TH mice attenuates hepatic steatosis and improves histological manifestation of MASH. Conclusions: Overall, we have developed two promising new mouse models that are suitable for preclinical studies of MASLD as they recapitulate most of the key features of MASLD.

Muscle dysmorphia (MD) is a disorder marked by an obsessive focus on muscularity, often leading to excessive exercise, rigid dieting, and use of performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). While Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is known to be effective for various body image disorders, its specific effects on individuals with MD have been less studied. This qualitative case series involved seven male participants, aged 35–55, all diagnosed with MD and with a history of anabolic steroid use, undergoing a 12-week manualized CBT intervention. The study aimed to explore how CBT impacts their body image perceptions, exercise behaviors, steroid use, and emotional responses. Data were collected through participant feedback during therapy sessions, with thematic analysis revealing significant shifts in body image perception and reductions in compulsive behaviors and steroid use. Despite these improvements, participants experienced feelings of loss and anxiety as they modified their routines, and some reported relapses under stress, indicating the chronic nature of MD. The findings suggest that CBT effectively reshapes cognitive and behavioral patterns in MD sufferers but also highlight the need for ongoing support to manage the disorder's emotional complexities and prevent relapses. Future research should focus on long-term and individualized therapeutic approaches to better support those with muscle dysmorphia.

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) engagement, as a multidimensional construct, plays an increasingly important role in education. The main purpose of this research was to explore the effects of ICT engagement factors on science performance across Singapore and Turkey conditional to the sufficient degree of measurement invariance of ICT engagement scale. The multigroup confirmatory factor analysis results demonstrated strong factorial invariance of ICT engagement scale across Singapore and Turkey, so we were able to use ICT engagement scale to meaningful and valid comparisons between these countries. After obtaining measurement invariance, a multi-group structural equation modeling was used for the comparison of the effects of ICT engagement factors on student's performance of science between these two countries. While interest in ICT, perceived ICT competence and perceived autonomy in using ICT have significant positive direct effect on science performance in both countries, the direct effect of social relatedness in using ICT on science performance is negative in both Singapore and Turkey. Also, when compared with Singapore, the effects of all ICT engagement constructs on student's performance are higher in Turkey.

The van der Waals material hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has emerged as a promising candidate for hosting room temperature single-photon emitters (SPEs) for next-generation quantum technologies. However, the requirement of a high temperature anneal (850 °C or higher) to activate the SPEs in hBN makes it difficult to integrate into hybrid structures that cannot tolerate such temperatures, including all silicon-based circuits. In this work, we present a method to deterministically activate quantum emitters in multilayered hBN on a process substrate, followed by a zero thermal budget transfer to a target substrate. This technique does not lead to any degradation or loss of photon purity in the hBN emitters and provides a procedure for combining high-purity emitters with other exciting photonic, magnetic, or electrical properties to explore new physical phenomena. The ability to transfer hBN emitters onto arbitrary substrates creates new technological possibilities to incorporate these quantum photonic properties into photonic integrated circuits and plasmonic devices.

In the face of increasing global disruptions, the cybersecurity field is confronting rising threats posed by offensive groups and individual hackers. Traditional security measures often fall short in detecting and mitigating these sophisticated attacks, necessitating advanced intrusion detection methods. The goal of our study is to develop robust network intrusion detection methods using machine learning techniques. In addition, we evaluate the effectiveness of various machine learning models in detecting network intrusions. Model performances are optimized through hyperparameter tuning and feature selection. A range of classification and clustering models have been employed. Data from SIEM systems capturing real-time statistics from cloud-hosted Windows virtual machines has been gathered and augmented with web attack logs from CICIDS2017, each comprising approximately fifteen thousand rows. Hyperparameter tuning, data normalization, standardization and feature selection techniques for model optimization have been used in our study. The research showcases the potential of machine learning in enhancing network intrusion detection capabilities. The findings underscore the effectiveness of the Random Forest Classifier (0.97) and highlight the importance of utilizing diverse datasets and advanced optimization techniques. This study offers valuable insights and sets a foundation for future advancements in cybersecurity strategies and intrusion detection systems.

Foreign language learning has been found effective in helping older people improve cognitive functioning and provide opportunities at psychological and social levels. This study examines the difficulties older adult English as a Foreign Language (EFL) learners and their instructors encounter within the online learning and instruction framework. To achieve this objective, seven EFL learners over 60 and two English teachers were included as participants in the study. The collection of qualitative data occurred over six weeks during an English course. The objective was achieved by submitting participants' weekly self-reflection reports, interviews with learners and instructors, and the researchers' observations. A content analysis was conducted to examine the qualitative data. The study's findings indicate that learners aged 60 and over have several cognitive and physical obstacles when participating in online English courses. Additionally, they rely on their previous learning habits, potentially impacting their overall learning experience. This study provides insights into the pedagogical implications of teaching English to older adults and recommendations for traditional face-to-face classroom instruction and online learning modalities.

The present study attempts to explore the effects of WhatsApp and Pen/Paper dialogue journal writing techniques on university students' writing performance. 45 freshmen students from Sociology department of State University in Turkey, participated in the current study forming three homogenous groups of 15, namely WhatsApp dialogue journaling (WDJ), pen/paper dialogue journaling (Pap DJW) and the control group. The experimental groups (WDJ and Pap DJW) received 12 treatment sessions expecting students to create dialogues through dialogue journaling while the control group had no treatment except weekly class requirements. Data were collected through a pre- and post-writing test administered to all groups and an open-ended questionnaire on attitudes administered just to the experimental groups. Paired-samples T-test and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) were conducted to determine the differences among the three groups while a content analysis was carried out to examine the attitudes. The findings related to the pre- and post-tests of all groups indicated a significant progress in overall writing production. When considering each of writing components separately; however, the differences between the pre and post tests revealed no improvement in vocabulary competence of WhatsApp group or organization skills of control group. On the other hand, pen and paper group students made a remarkable progress in all writing components. In addition, ANOVA results showed no significant difference among the groups regarding writing overall production or any component performance. Finally, both pen and paper and WhatsApp group indicated positive attitudes and a great desire towards utilizing dialogue journaling in EFL writing classes. This study will help teachers and learners of English and researchers to find out the efficacy of target writing techniques and thus make appropriate decisions concerning EFL learning

Bu çalışmanın amacı; 8 haftalık submaksimal kuvvet antrenmanlarının Jandarma Komando Birliklerinde görev yapan personelin atış isabet oranına etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmaya 80 katılımcı gönüllü olarak katılmıştır. Aerobik dayanıklılık 20 metre mekik koşu testi ile, maksimal kuvvet testleri (1TM) tekrar yöntemi ile elde edilmiştir. Atış testi, 6 dk içinde 1000 m tüfekli ve teçhizatlı koşunun ardından 200 metreden yatarak desteksiz 3 atış yapılarak test edilmiştir. Kuvvet parametreleri çökme-kalkma, göğüs itiş, bacak uzatma, sırta çekiş, uzanarak bacak bükme, aşağı çekiş, göğüs kası çalışması ve oturarak göğüs itiştir. Kuvvet antrenmanlarının şiddeti ilk 4 haftada %80-85, sonraki 4 haftada %90 olarak uygulanmıştır. Set sayısı 3, tekrar sayısı 6, dinlenme süresi 3 dakikadır. Deney grubu kuvvet antrenman protokolünü, kontrol grubu günlük eğitim programlarında yer alan spor faaliyetlerini yapmışlardır. Sekiz haftalık antrenmanların bitiminde atış testi, 20 metre mekik koşu testi ve kuvvet parametrelerini 1TM‘leri son test olarak ölçülmüştür. Grup içi ön test-son test değerleri bağımlı örneklem T-Testi, gruplar arası verilerin analizi için bağımsız örneklem T-Testi kullanılmıştır. Kuvvet antrenmanları sonrasında yapılan atış testinde deney grubunun hedefteki vuruş sayısının 2,37±0,58, kontrol grubunun ise 1,47±0,71 olduğu görülmüştür. Sonuç olarak, uygulanan kuvvet antrenmanın 1TM’ler ve atış isabet oranın olumlu etkisi olduğu görülmüştür.