Search

Researchers dealing with electric motor control simulations need motor parameters for some desired operating conditions. Despite such an obvious need, no algorithm yielding motor parameters can be found even for the basic set of desired "voltage, output power, speed and efficiency" in the literature. A lot of electric motor design methods exist; but all give the physical design parameters for manufacturing such as numbers and dimensions of slots, magnets and turns. They are usually based on design requirements that only experienced people can understand and the mentioned basic demand set is not completely included among them. This article covers the deficiency of the algorithms giving all the model parameters required for the control simulations for dc servo, induction, and synchronous motors according to simple design requirements that an inexperienced researcher can easily understand. A transformer design algorithm is also included. The induction motor and salient-pole synchronous motor algorithms are the main contributions. The propositions can be used even if the demands are given for generator mode with some care. These algorithms may also be considered as another kind of design and they may help to reduce physical designs to lower-level steps according to simple design requirements.

Abstract Objective Interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) are diverse pulmonary disorders marked by diffuse lung inflammation and fibrosis. The variability in characteristics and treatment approaches complicates diagnosis and management. In advanced cases requiring transplantation, determining indications and selecting suitable candidates presents additional challenges. Methods Of all patients with non-IPF ILD between December 2016 to December 2022 were analyzed retrospectively. Patients were categorized into two groups: transplanted patients and deceased patients on the waiting list. Clinical data and survival outcomes were compared between groups. Results Of the 43 patients, 20 underwent lung transplantation while 23 died awaiting transplantation. Waiting list mortality was 53.4%, with median waiting times similar between groups (3 months for transplant patients and 6 months for those on the waiting list). There were no significant differences between groups in age, gender, height, BMI, 6-minute walk test (6MWT), or forced vital capacity (FVC). The prevalence of pulmonary hypertension (PH) was 76.7% in right heart catheterizations, similar in both groups. One single and 19 bilateral lung transplants were performed. Overall, 13 of the 20 patients survived to discharge from the hospital. One-year mortality was 7/20 (35%). The median follow-up was 34 months, with a 1-year conditional survival of 90.9% at 3 years and 70.7% at 5 years. Conclusions This study underscores the importance of further research into non-IPF ILDs. Lung transplantation remains a viable option that can significantly enhance both the quality and longevity of life for patients with advanced ILD.

This study aimed to explore preservice elementary teachers' use of a bar model as a heuristic for conceptualising relationships between quantities in situations involving ratio and percentages. As a part of a larger project, we focused on two preservice teachers, Maia and Jane, and investigated their solution paths in ratio and percentage problems and the role of the structural representations (i.e., bar model and percent line-bar model) in their solution paths. We analysed these focus participants' written solutions and their think-aloud process during interviews using three coding phases with a constructivist grounded theory approach. We observed that the problem text fed the construction of the structural representations that served to make sense of the quantities and the relationships among them. Furthermore, the structural representations enhanced Maia and Jane's mathematical insights about the problem situations. In addition, we observed that preservice teachers' solution paths were neither linear nor similar, which indicates a mathematical richness in learning. In those solution paths, the model construction played a role in guiding the mathematical operations of constructing and operating on a unit rate in the ratio problem and identifying and operating on a referent whole unit in the percentage problem. We interpreted that variety and nonlinearity in solution paths suggested mathematical richness in learning, the educational implications of which were further discussed.

Providing students with opportunities to build, and test and revise ideas, can help them develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills. In this article, the authors describe how core measurement and geometry concepts were embedded within a "Model It!" task. They replicate an industry-based, interdisciplinary problem, but only focus on the mathematical ideas here. Twenty-six Algebra 1 students worked on organizing gingerbread houses within a community and designing the path and operation of a mini-trolley tour. Starting work on these tasks required that students keep the task specifications in mind. With guidance from their teacher, the students sub-divided their modeling work into creating three designs: (1) trolley path design, (2) gingerbread community design, and (3) a two-dimensional (2D) model of the gingerbread community to fit the resort ballroom.

Objective: Chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) can be classifed as CRS with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyps (CRSsNP). The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare the Systemic Immune-Infammation Index (SII) and Pan-Immune-Infammation Value (PIV) levels of patients diagnosed with chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) with nasal polyposis (CRSwNP) and CRS without nasal polyposis (CRSsNP) along with healthy controls. Methods: The study analyzed 320 patients from 2022 to 2023. Patients were divided into three groups. 110 CRSwNP patients, 110 CRSsNP patients, and 100 healthy individuals were included in Groups A, B, and C, respectively. SII and PIV levels were assessed after CRSwNP or CRSsNP diagnosis. The values of complete blood count, SII, and PIV were compared. Results: The mean SII levels of patients in groups A, B, and C were 685.3 ± 641.3; 1034.18 ± 1083.12; and 532.18 ±310.77, respectively. The mean SII levels were signifcantly higher in group B compared to groups A and C (P=.012 and P=.000). The mean PIV levels of patients in groups A;B and C were 405.31 ± 486.15; 539.08 ± 599.63; and 311.29 ±217.52, respectively. The mean PIV levels were signifcantly higher in group B compared to group C (P=0.001). Results of the ROC analyses for both SII and PIV were statistically signifcant. Patients with an SII cut-of value of 278.6 had a sensitivity of 91% and sensitivity 91%, specifcity of 90%. Patients with a PIV cut-of value of 117.51 had a sensitivity of 92% and sensitivity 92%, specifcity of 90%. Conclusions: SII and PIV, which are important infammatory markers, especially in systemic infammation, were signifcantly elevated in CRSwNP patients compared to CRSsNP patients and healthy controls. This may support the presence of chronic mucosal infammation in CRSwNP patients. However, SII and PIV are indirect markers of infammation, and further studies with larger patient groups are warranted.

Abstract Background Evaluation of the effect of additional surgical margin parameters on biochemical recurrence (BCR) in patients with positive surgical margins (PSM) after radical prostatectomy (RP). Methods Clinicopathological and outcome data from 91 patients with PSM who underwent RP were retrospectively analyzed. Additional surgical margin parameters (PSM length, highest Gleason grade (GG), localization of PSM (apex, bladder neck, or posterolateral), and unifocality or multifocality) were examined and their effects on BCR were investigated. Results Fifty patients with PSM were included in the study. The mean age of the patients was 63.6 ± 6.9 years. The laparoscopic approach was undertaken more frequently, used for 36 (72%) patients compared to open RP performed in 14 cases (28%). The median follow-up time was 57.0 months (24.0–125.0 months). BCR developed in 14 (28%) patients during the follow-up period. Although mean BCR-free survival was shorter in cases with PSM length ≥ 3 mm compared to those with PSM length

Abstract Background Cats are hosts and reservoirs for many haemopathogens such as piroplasms, Rickettsia, hemotropic Mycoplasma, Bartonella, Ehrlichia, and Anaplasma, which are transmitted by various vector arthropods and some of which have a zoonotic concern. Although it is noteworthy that the rate of ownership of companion animals has increased in Türkiye in recent years and that cats account for a large proportion of these animals, there is limited research on the vector-borne infectious agents carried by them. The present study aimed to provide a comprehensive molecular epidemiological data and molecular characterization of feline vector-borne haemopathogens (FVBHs), including piroplasms, anaplasmataceae, rickettsias, haemoplasmas, and Bartonella species in Türkiye. In total, 250 feline blood samples were collected from client-owned cats (n = 203) and shelter cats (n = 47) brought to the Small Animal Hospital of Selcuk University, Veterinary Faculty. Results Overall, 40 (16%) cats were found to be infected with at least one of the investigated haemopathogens and piroplasm, Mycoplasma spp. and Bartonella spp. prevalence was 1.6%, 11.2%, and 4.8%, respectively. No Anaplasma/Ehrlichia spp. and Rickettsia spp. DNA was detected in the investigated feline samples. Sequence analysis revealed that all four piroplasms belonged to Babesia ovis with a 97.93–99.82% nucleotide sequence identity to 18S rRNA gene sequences from Spain and Türkiye, while some sequenced hemoplasmas were Mycoplasma haemofelis (Mhf), Candidatus Mycoplasma haemominutum (CMhm) and Mycoplasma wenyonii, and Bartonella spp. were Bartonella henselae and Bartonella koehlerae species. Co-infections with Mycoplasma spp. and Bartonella spp. were also detected in 4 cats (1.6%) in this study, where single infections were predominant. Conclusion This study provides valuable information on zoonotically important feline vector-borne hemopathogens in Türkiye, some of which have received attention under the One Health perspective, and is the first molecular epidemiological study to demonstrate the presence of Babesia ovis, the causative agent of ovine babesiosis, and Mycoplasma wenyonii DNA, the causative agent of bovine haemotropic mycoplasmosis, in cats. Further studies on the roles of such pathogens detected in unspecific hosts and the host specificity of the vectors that transmit them will contribute to the elucidation of this situation.

Canan Bayraktar,1,* Alisan Kayabolen,1,* Arda Odabas,1 Aysegul Durgun,1 Ipek Kok,1 Kenan Sevinc,1 Aroon Supramaniam,2 Adi Idris,2,3 Tugba Bagci-Onder1 1Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM), Koç University, Istanbul, Turkey; 2Menzies Health Institute Queensland, School of Medical Science Griffith University, Gold Coast Campus, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; 3Centre for Immunology and Infection Control, School of Biomedical Sciences, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia*These authors contributed equally to this workCorrespondence: Tugba Bagci-Onder; Alisan Kayabolen, Email tuonder@ku.edu.tr; akayabol@mit.eduPurpose: Over the past three years, extensive research has been dedicated to understanding and combating COVID-19. Targeting the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and the ACE2 receptor has emerged as a promising therapeutic strategy against SARS-CoV-2. This study aimed to develop ACE2-coated virus-like particles (ACE2-VLPs), which can be utilized to prevent viral entry into host cells and efficiently neutralize the virus.Methods: Virus-like particles were generated through the utilization of a packaging plasmid in conjunction with a plasmid containing the ACE2 envelope sequence. Subsequently, ACE2-VLPs and ACE2-EVs were purified via ultracentrifugation. The quantification of VLPs was validated through multiple methods, including Nanosight 3000, TEM imaging, and Western blot analysis. Various packaging systems were explored to optimize the ACE2-VLP configuration for enhanced neutralization capabilities. The evaluation of neutralization effectiveness was conducted using pseudoviruses bearing different spike protein variants. Furthermore, the study assessed the neutralization potential against the Omicron BA.1 variant in Vero E6 cells.Results: ACE2-VLPs showed a high neutralization capacity even at low doses and demonstrated superior efficacy in in vitro pseudoviral assays compared to extracellular vesicles carrying ACE2. ACE2-VLPs remained stable under various environmental temperatures and effectively blocked all tested variants of concern in vitro. Notably, they exhibited significant neutralization against Omicron BA.1 variant in Vero E6 cells. Given their superior efficacy compared to extracellular vesicles and proven success against live virus, ACE2-VLPs stand out as crucial candidates for treating SARS-CoV-2 infections.Conclusion: This novel therapeutic approach of coating VLPs with receptor particles provides a proof-of-concept for designing effective neutralization strategies for other viral diseases in the future.Keywords: ACE2, virus like particles, SARS-CoV-2, neutralization, VLP, neutralization, escape mutations, spike protein

This study aimed to elicit middle school preservice mathematics teachers' self-reported web of knowledge recalled in generating mathematically rich and contextually realistic problems. We designed this study as multi-tier design research incorporated into two teacher education courses in which 40 preservice teachers enrolled in total. Preservice teachers worked in small groups and recorded the characteristics of mathematically rich and contextually realistic problems. They were also asked to produce webs of knowledge recalled in this process. Preservice teachers' individual reflection papers, audio records of their group discussions and interviews were analyzed to understand how different types of knowledge in their web of knowledge function in relation to the mathematical richness and contextual realness aspects of the problems. The findings indicated that preservice teachers could identify various characteristics for mathematical richness and contextual realistic aspects of the problems. In relation to those characteristics, the preservice teachers' self-reported web of knowledge produced three core knowledge types for ensuring mathematical richness (i.e., knowledge of content, curriculum, and pedagogy) and two aspects of realistic contexts (i.e., real life knowledge and interdisciplinary knowledge). Furthermore, although they included common knowledge types, the webs of knowledge were in different shapes and indicated various relationships (i.e., hierarchical, categorical, influential, and holistic.). Considering the various relations indicated by the webs of knowledge, we claimed that teachers needed an interconnected knowledge base for mathematically rich and contextually realistic problems, the implications of which we discussed for mathematics teacher education.

This study focused on a pre-service teacher's self-contemplations about the two opportunities provided in a field experience course, Formative Assessment Interviews (FAIs) and Model Building (MB), which were designed to support pre-service teachers developing the skills of noticing students' mathematical thinking. In the field experience, pre-service teachers conducted FAIs with a pair of children and participated in MB sessions to hypothesize students' mathematical thinking. The findings suggest that although the pre-service teacher, Gloria, experienced some challenges, FAIs and MBs created a supportive medium for the pre-service teacher's development of noticing student thinking and appreciating the value of this practice, which is important to gain in teacher education.

Tourism services are particularly vulnerable to crises because of their hedonic and transitory nature. Notably, external crises have destination-wide negative impacts, which require a collective response usually led by governments for a more effective recovery. Despite the consensus on governments’ role and legitimacy in mitigating crises recovery, there is a dearth of research identifying these tools facilitating intervention and their effectiveness. Thus, the paper aims to explore various government crises mitigation strategies for the tourism industry. This research is based on a mixed-method approach. First, it explores government responses to crises through semi-structured interviews with industry stakeholders. Then, we conduct a survey to target industry experts and measure the effectiveness of government responses and their impact on various key performance indicators during crises. From an academic point of view, the research contributes to an understanding of the efficiency of different government recovery intervention methods, which are overlooked in crisis management theory. Based on managerial contributions, the study provides an effective design of the public tools for more crisis-immune businesses, where governments should prioritise managing external crises by establishing processes, standards, support services, information and communication.

Thyroid nodules are a prevalent health issue in society. Interventional radiological methods are successfully applied for both the diagnosis and treatment of nodules. Diagnostically, a fine-needle aspiration biopsy and a core needle biopsy can be performed to ascertain the benign or malignant nature of a lesion. In recent years, imaging-guided percutaneous treatment methods have become popular in the treatment of thyroid nodules. Aspiration, ablation, and embolization are techniques employed in the treatment process. In this study, we aimed to discuss the current role of interventional radiology in the diagnosis and treatment of thyroid nodules, which occupy an important place in clinical practice.