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In this study, uncertainty quantification was carried out on the damage detection results obtained through the sensitivity-based finite element model updating method for a two-story, single-span plane frame model, where damage was simulated as a regional stiffness reduction at the ends of columns and beams. The damage detection method employed is based on iteratively reducing the differences in modal parameters between damaged and undamaged conditions. The presence of noise in dynamic measurements introduces uncertainties in damage detection results by affecting the estimation of modal parameters. The reliability of the obtained results is possible by quantifying the amount of uncertainty they encompass. In the presented study, uncertainty quantification of damage detection results was carried out by adding noise data associated with different coefficient of variations to modal parameters related to the damaged condition. The model updating process was performed by using modal parameters with added noise data for the damaged condition and modal parameters for the undamaged condition, as well as by updating the element stiffness values of the finite element model representing the undamaged condition. Stiffness reductions of elements were calculated using the determined stiffness values before and after updating, thus enabling the detection of the location and extent of damage. Uncertainty quantification of the damage results obtained under different noise conditions was conducted using analysis of variance, metamodeling, and sensitivity analysis methods. In this way, factors that introduce substantial uncertainty in damage detection results have been identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Software development projects are difficult to manage, as they involve complex business stages and the resources used are made up of real people. Along with the specifications of the projects, organizational variables and the competencies of the team members are among the factors that will directly affect the success of the project. It is thought that the success of software development projects will increase with the use of these three factors in the solution of the software development process method selection problem. In the management of software projects, different process methods are used, including "Agile and Waterfall (Traditional) Methods". It is important to assign development teams to projects according to their abilities and to rank the projects among themselves. As a first step in this study, the weights of the criteria were determined using the fuzzy AHP. Then fuzzy WASPAS, fuzzy EDAS and Interval Neutrosophic Z Numbers (NZN) methods were used to rank projects and employees. According to the results of this research with sensitivity analysis, it has been determined that if the software development method decision is implemented, the number of defects and their solutions can be improved by 4.2%-6%, 5.8%-7.3% and 6.8%-9.7% when compared to the actual values of person-day values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the macroeconomic performance of a country is crucial in determining the level of welfare and determining the extent to which economic targets have been achieved. This study is aimed to evaluate the macroeconomic performances of OECD countries for the period 2020-2021 using Multi-Criteria Decision Making methods. In this direction, the importance levels of macroeconomic indicators were determined by the MEREC technique, and the countries were ranked using the MULTIMOOSRAL method according to their performance. In order to test the robustness of the MULTIMOOSRAL method, a sensitivity analysis was applied by comparing the mentioned method with the SAW, MAUT, PIV methods. At the end of the study, deviations occurred between the ranking results obtained by different methods and a high positive correlation was detected between the rankings obtained. It was determined that the MEREC-MULTIMOOSRAL model is a suitable for the measurement of macroeconomic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Housing production has increased rapidly, with the rapid increase of the world population and industrialization. Designing houses, which are produced in large numbers and intensively, by ignoring the characteristics of the climatic region is effective in the increase of energy and environmental problems. The climatic design, which is made by considering the climatic characteristics of the inhabited region, aims to design the buildings climate responsive and energy efficient. The parameters that are effective in climatic design are mainly; climatic conditions related to the external environment and parameters related to the built environment such as location, orientation, building form, space organization, building envelope (facade), natural ventilation, natural lighting, solar control. Considering that design parameters related to the built environment may have limiting effects on climatic design, the design process becomes an iterative process in which many criteria are observed. In order to choose between these criteria, support systems are needed to identify alternatives and analyze them simultaneously. Most of the energy consumed in houses is through the façades, which is an important design parameter as it separates the interior and exterior environment from each other. In this study, it is aimed to carry out the sensitivity analysis stage in order to create a decision support system model that can produce optimum facade design solutions in order to reduce energy consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the healthcare sector, undisrupted service is essential for hospitals. Therefore, shift work plays a vital role in satisfying constraints such as coverage requirements and government regulations. Due to its complexity and scale, the doctor rostering problem is classified as an NP-hard problem. In addition to the fairness of assignments, including hospital management policies and government regulations, many related factors must be considered during the scheduling process for this scheduling problem. This study aims to generate a rostering system that can satisfy the requirements of the hospital, ensure fairness amongst the doctors, and take preferences into account. A genetic algorithm based on a weighted goal programming model was proposed to solve the doctor rostering problem. The proposed model was applied to the Internal Diseases Department and the Lateral Branches Department of a training and research hospital in Turkey. Fifteen different scenarios were constructed, considering different problem scales and different preference patterns of the doctors that may occur in the future. It is approved that the proposed algorithm can be applied to different problem scales and conditions. The parameters of the proposed algorithm were calibrated using an experimental design method. In this study, two main contributions were presented. A model with new constraints was introduced for researchers. In addition, a genetic algorithm based on weighted goal programming was proposed to solve the problem and applied to a real-world case study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Measuring the performance of the urban transport system is critical in improving and developing the current urban transport systems. The current paper proposes a hybrid decisionmaking model to evaluate the urban rail transport systems. The suggested model is based on integrating the Best and Worst Method (BWM) and the Combined Compromise Solution (CoCoSo) techniques. The criteria weights are identified by considering the best and worst preferences of the decision-makers with the help of the BWM approach, and the CoCoSo technique helps to rank the alternatives concerning their performances. The proposed model was implemented to evaluate urban rail systems performances of 30 European cities with metro rail systems concerning thirteen criteria identified from the technical, environmental, and economic perspectives. At the end of the study, it was determined that the first ranked city had the highest performance, Saint Petersburg. Besides, as a result of the sensitivity analysis, the proposed model provides reliable and consistent results, and it has been observed that it can provide proper decision support for these kinds of evaluation processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Products classified as hazardous materials are used extensively in various sectors and can be transported from the location where they are produced to their destinations by different methods. Hazardous materials transportation differs from other transportation types due to the chemicals in the content of the products or flammable and explosive materials. For this reason, the alternative that provides the lowest cost or the fastest delivery may not be the best solution for the transport of hazardous materials. Petrol, which is in the hazardous materials class, is transported in higher amounts than other hazardous materials due to it is widely consumed. In this study, a model is proposed to determine the most suitable transportation mode for petroleum. In the proposed model, seven criteria are determined as transportation cost, accident risk, transportation speed, capacity, flexibility, service area and damage cost. The importance weights of the criteria are calculated by the fuzzy AHP method, and alternative transportation modes are evaluated with the weighted fuzzy axiomatic design method considering the criteria. In addition, sensitivity analysis is performed to evaluate the effect of criterion weights on the results. As a result of the study, maritime transport is determined as the most suitable transportation mode for petroleum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The design of composite plates according to the desired properties is usually performed by trial and error. This prolongs the final design process. Therefore, it is very important to determine the effective design parameters on the desired design objective function in design processes. In this regard, sensitivity analysis is one of the frequently used methods. In this study, the sensitivity analysis of the fundamental (first) natural frequency of thick layered composite plates with different thicknesses was performed. The elasticity modulus perpendicular to the fibre and among the fibre and the shear modules in the three directions are selected as design parameters. Then, natural frequencies corresponding to the combination of design parameters were calculated with finite element based Monte Carlo simulation. Next, a mathematical model was constructed to perform. As a result, the sensitivity of the fundamental natural frequency was obtained depending on the thickness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is extremely important that pharmaceutical products are effectively supplied from the producer to the end consumer in the health sector, The complexity of the supply network of the sector has increased the interest of researchers in the distribution of pharmaceutical products. In this study, site selection problem for pharmaceutical warehouse for the demand points of different structures is discussed in the supply network, which includes the distribution of pharmaceutical products, In this context, the problem is considered as the capacited site selection problem and a novel mathematical model is proposed for the problem. İstanbul / Silivri district is chosen as the application area for the proposed mode. After, the sites of the pharmaceutical warehouses that should be opened in order to distribute with minimum distance were determined using the proposed mathematical model. Sensitivity analysis is performed by changing the parameter values used in the problem in order to analyze the results of the model and to demonstrate its accuracy. The results are presented with sensitivity analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to investigate the sensitivity of hydrologic parameters on peak discharge. The basin model of Akçay Basin which is ungauged and located in the Western Black Sea Basin was created by using ArcGIS and HECGeo-HMS softwares. Using the soil type and land use maps of the basin, the curve number of the basin was estimated. Time of concentration and storage coefficient of the basin were estimated taking into consideration the characteristics of the basin and the direct runoff was calculated using the HEC-HMS, semi-distributed hydrological model. Since the predicted hydrological parameters contain uncertainty, 10000 numbers of parameters were produced by using Monte Carlo approach by taking uniform, normal and triangular statistical distributions into consideration and using equal coefficient of variation. Peak flow rates were calculated with these parameters, confidence intervals were determined and local sensitivity analyses were performed. Regardless of the statistical distribution, the curve number has the most sensitivity, while the time of concentration has the least sensitivity on the peak discharge. It was also noted that the storage coefficient of the basin which was efficient in transformation of effective precipitation to direct runoff had more sensitivity on the peak flow than the time of concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer sport schools have been gaining an importance especially for the children attending to primary or secondary schools in summer seasons. By these summer schools, the children can both have entertainment and learn new things. Due to the increasing demands for them, the number of summer sport schools has increased. Hence, selecting the best summer school has become a decision making problem. Therefore, in this paper, an analytical solution was proposed for this new problem. In the proposed approach, Hesitant Fuzzy AHP (HF-AHP), which is frequently used in literature in recent times, was used as integrated with TOPSIS. In the case study part of this proposed model, the importance weights of 4 main and 15 sub-criteria were determined via HF-AHP. The best summer sport school was selected among the 3 alternatives by using TOPSIS method. Furthermore, by performing sensitivity analysis, the effects of changes in criteria weights on the decision were investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of using current events in the 6th grade social studies course on students' sensitivity to social problems. The study was conducted in accordance with embedded design that is a mixed-method design. The quantitative data were gathered through the pretest-posttest experimental model with control group, and the qualitative data through interviews and structured observations. The participants were 6th graders. There were 22 students in the experimental group, and 26 students in the control group. The data gathering tools included the Sensitivity to Social Problems Scale, a semi-structured interview form and a structured observation form, and lesson plans and instructional materials were employed in the experimental procedure. SPSS package program was used in the analysis of the quantitative data while the content analysis technique was employed to analyse the qualitative data. As a result of the study, it was found that the experimental procedure had a positive effect on the students' sensitivity to social problems. The semi-structured interviews with the students in the experimental groups showed that they thought the social studies course taught by using current events had a positive effect on their sensitivity to social problems. Based on the results of the study, suggestions were offered with respect to using current events to enhance sensitivity to social problems in the social studies course and for further studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Supplier selection is very important for a company to be successful in a globalized competitive environment. The aims at choosing the optimal supplier; to increase customer satisfaction, improve the competitive ability and continue to exist at minimal cost. This study was intended to choose the most suitable raw material supplier in a company engaged in the production of agricultural tires. In the study Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) and Promethee I-II methods were applied in order to select the most optimal supplier to a company. In conclusion, AHP and Promethee I-II methods used by the company to determine the suppliers with the optimal supplier and brought several recommendations.* [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Web sites constitute the interface where e-businesses interact with their customers. Therefore, the quality of company web sites is instrumental for customer satisfaction. This paper proposes a solution to the problem of quality performance evaluation for web sites in the logistics industry. There exists no standard, widely accepted structure for analyzing the quality and performance of corporate web pages. On the other hand, a standardized evaluation method can help quickly compare and identify successfull web sites. For this purpose, an integrated approach based on Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) and fuzzy logic is introduced in this paper, which aims to more effectively assess the quality of logictics firms' web sites. In the first part, web site evaluation criteria and their hierarchy are determined based on a detailed literature review and expert opinions. In the second part, the weights of the evaluation criteria are calculated with the fuzzy logic application of Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), an MCDM technique. In the final part, the web sites of the top 15 logictics companies in Turkey are ranked in decreasing quality, using fuzzy TOPSIS method. Furthermore, in order to assess how far the criteria weights have an impact on the ranking of the web sites, a sensitivity analysis is carried out. This study can be useful to researchers to better understand web site evaluation problemtheoretically, as well as to organizations in designing better satisfying web sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 42 companies operating in food, textile and cement sectors within İstanbul Stock Exchange 100 (ISE-100) have been handled. The aim is to classify these companies into three groups according to financial ratios. The average values of 10 financial ratios of these companies between the years 2006-2011 have been handled. Based on these ratios, classes are derived from cluster analysis. These ratios and the results of the cluster analysis are the data set of this article. In order to test the performance of the learning algorithm and classification leave-one-out cross-validation method is used. The classification study conducted by Support Vector Machines approach has performed 95.23% correct classification with the help of 12 support vectors. Moreover, input sensitivity analysis has been conducted and 4 most efficient ratios have been determined out of these 10. These ratios are removed from the model one by one starting from the less influential one in order to investigate by which ratios the most effective Support Vector Machine model is obtained. It is seen that the best model is obtained by using the first 3 ratios. The classification success for this model is 97.61% and the number of support vector is 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, 42 companies operating in food, textile and cement sectors within İstanbul Stock Exchange 100 (ISE-100) have been handled. The aim is to classify these companies into three groups according to financial ratios. The average values of 10 financial ratios of these companies between the years 2006-2011 have been handled. Based on these ratios, classes are derived from cluster analysis. These ratios and the results of the cluster analysis are the data set of this article. In order to test the performance of the learning algorithm and classification leave-one-out cross-validation method is used. The classification study conducted by Support Vector Machines approach has performed 95.23% correct classification with the help of 12 support vectors. Moreover, input sensitivity analysis has been conducted and 4 most efficient ratios have been determined out of these 10. These ratios are removed from the model one by one starting from the less influential one in order to investigate by which ratios the most effective Support Vector Machine model is obtained. It is seen that the best model is obtained by using the first 3 ratios. The classification success for this model is 97.61% and the number of support vector is 12. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aircraft parking space assignment is the problem of assigning aircrafts to bridge-equipped or remote parking positions under a number of objectives and constraints. The main objective is to maximize the number of aircrafts assigned to bridge-equipped parking positions. Besides this, the efficient use of parking positions, walking distance of passengers, timetables of the flights, and compatibility of aircrafts with the parking positions are also considered. There are a number of problematic issues in Esenboğa Airport of Ankara where the assignments are made manually. A mathematical programming formulation as well as a heuristic algorithm is developed for the problem, which is coded in Java programming language. According to the tests performed using real life data, the number of aircrafts assigned to bridge-equipped parking positions is increased by 7% using the mathematical model and by 5% using the heuristic in comparison to the current system. Furthermore, the solution time is reduced from the current 4 hours to 1 minute using the mathematical model and to 8 seconds using the heuristic. Large number of parametric analysis are performed in order to improve the system performance even further and to determine the sensitivity of the solution methods to problem parameters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim: The purpose of this study is comparing the sensitivity of ultrasonography (US) and the helical computed tomography (CT) for cases who have stone in urinary tract in the primary diagnose. Material-Method: The research includes 116 cases. US and CT examinations are performed by different radiologists. Hitachi Pronto SE was used for CT examination. Contrast agents did not used in CT examinations. Sensitivity, spesivity, positive and negative predictivity values of US calculated in the basis of CT results. Results: Renal calculi determined in 78 of 116 cases both in CT and US examinations. Renal calculi was determined in 48 of 78 cases, ureter calculi was determined 34 cases with CT. The sensitivity, spesivity, positive and negative predictivity values of US in renal calculi was calculated as respectively 87,5 %; 95 %; 95 % and %87,5. The sensitivity, spesivity, positive and negative predictivity values of US in ureterial calculi was calculated as respectively 58 %; 98 %; 94 % and %84. Conclusion: Because of the high sensitivity of determining the urinary system calculi of US, the direct urinary system graph/US combination should be the first chosen radiologic modality. However in non diagnosed symptomatic patients or ureter calculi suspicion low dose non-contrast helical CT examination should be the chosen modality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental sensitivity is a close up concept with its economical, ethical, sociological and legal aspects. The hope to leave a cleaner environment for future generations will increase, only if the environmental protection awareness is internalized as a responsibility. In this study, the environmental sensitivity expected from the tourism industry, defined as the industry without a chimney and the environment is its main resource, and the hospitality enterprises, which indicate high risk in causing environmental problems, environmental protective measures they should take are evaluated in the axis of the ethical principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Questioning the quality of life in patients with chronic diseases is important. However questionnaires should be suitable to the structure and habits of the community studied as well as it should be easily understood. Considering the fact that rhinitis adversely effect the quality of life, we developed a rhinitis scale of quality of life, which suits the life style and habits of our population in patients with rhinitis. Material and Method: Scale inch, des the 28 parameters that are needed to be graded and scored about daily activities, nasal symptoms, and eve complaints, sleep disorders in addition to social and emotional assessment. A total of 163 patients with allergic rhinitis, that applied to Allergy division of Internal Medicine Department of Istanbul Medical School have been included into the study. Symptoms scoring has been performed with short form 36 (SF-36) and novel scale at week O, week 1 and 1 month after treatment. The results of newly developed rhinitis quality of life scale were compared with statistical methods for language validity, reliability, repeatability, reproducibility and sensitivity. Results: Language validity of scale was shown (n=20). Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) ks 0.8877, Cronbach alfa is 0.94; these values are high and represent the reliability of new scale (control at 1. week without treatment n=38). Although there is a weak correlation between the results of new scale and SF-36 sub parameter scores, these correlations were significant m statistical analysis (n=103) (validation). New scale was significantly sensitive for determining the pre and post treatment changes (n=103) (z=- 7.452, p=0.000). Conclusion: This newly developed scare is practical, easy to be administrated in short periods; also it has sufficient reliability, reproducibility, validity and sensitivity characteristics. We concluded that this scale is suitable for both determining the clinical status and response to treatment in patients with allergic rhinitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the psychometric properties of the Myocardial Infarction Dimensional Assessment Scale (MIDAS). Methods: This is a methodological cultural adaptation study. The MIDAS consists of 35-items covering seven domains: physical activity, insecurity, emotional reaction, dependency, diet, concerns over medication, and side effects which are rated on a five-point Likert scale from 1: never to 5:always. The highest score of MIDAS is 100.Quality of life (QOL) decreases as the score of scale increases. Overall 185 myocardial infarction (MI) patients were enrolled in this study. Cronbach alpha was used for the reliability analysis. The criterion validity, structural validity, and sensitivity analysis approach was used for validity analysis. New York Heart Association (NYHA) and the Canadian Cardiovascular Society Functional Classifications (CCSFC) for testing the criterion validity; SF-36 for construct validity testing of the Turkish version of the MIDAS were used. Results: The range of Cronbach alpha values is 0.79-0.90 for seven domains of the scale. No problematic items were observed for the entire scale. Medication related domains of the MIDAS showed considerable floor effects (35.7%-22.7%). Confirmatory Factor analysis indicators [Comparative Fit Index (CFI)=0.95 and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA)=0.075] supported the construct validity of MIDAS. Convergent validity of the MIDAS was confirmed with correlation of SF-36 scale where appropriate. Criterion validity results was also satisfactory by comparing different stages of the NYHA and the CCSFC (p<0.05). Conclusion: Overall results revealed that Turkish version of the MIDAS is a reliable and valid instrument. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to explore the macroeconomic determinants of innovation. In order to accomplish this goal sensitivity analysis is conducted using the mean of four annual observations in 56 countries. The results denote that learning-by-doing, competition, educational performance and economic freedom have a great impact on the change of the innovation rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alongside with his published works, Tayyib Okiç has several unpublished draft notes. Through research and readings, I came across an unpublished piece titled "Mutûnu'l-Ehâdîsi'l-Mevdûa." While analyzing the text, it became apparent that the text was incomplete. Following his death, it is probable that some of Okiç's works and material had been lost while being moved from one place to another. "Mutûnu'l-Ehâdîsi'l-Mevdûa" is an important work for several reasons. It represents Tayyib Okiç's sensitivity both in choosing the diversity of sources while searching the apocryph hadiths as well as his personal sensitivity in this field. The classification of "Mevzu Hadis" under various titles, such as social, religious, and cultural, is being seen as an original part of this work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Thrace Region is located in The European part of the northwestern Turkey, which is responsible for a considerable portion of rice, sunflower and winter wheat productions of Turkey. Winter wheat (Triticum Aestivum L.) production rate in Thrace is generally higher than that in the rest of Turkey. However, there is not enough qualified study on the effects of drought and possible climate change on the region's agriculture. The dynamics and complex structure of the plant growth are under the influence of many factors which are out of human control. Meteorological parameters are the dominant ones among these factors. Hence, reliable research studies are to be conducted from the agricultural mete-orological viewpoint. Using crop growth simulation models, possible effects of the variations in plant, soil and atmosphere on wheat development and yield can be estimated. In this study, the CERES-Wheat crop growth simulation model have been used for wheat during the years between 1975 and 2005 to take a first step for filling the gaps in the desired drought related research in the Kırklareli City, in which the winter wheat production is popular. At first, the average growing season have been deter-mined by considering long term phenological data (3 November-22 July). Afterwards, the associated soil-and crop parameters have been supplied into the model database as well as the calculated daily average meteorological data (daily totals for precipitation). Average wheat grain yield was calculated as 2827 kg/ha by the model with an relative error of 3.1%. Model sensitivities to temperature, precipitation, global radiation and CO2 have been done by considering single and combined variations. The (Rg30%; CO2x4) combined application gave the highest yield increase response as 67.1%, where the opposite output was a 63.1% decrease for the (T+5;P-40%) application. Another step was the investigation of the development and yield reactions of the crop to the IPCC A2 scenarios from 2071 to 2100. To achieve this, model database used daily output from the RegCm3 Regional Climate Model by considering the associated field coordinates. The model showed a 9% increase in winter wheat grain yields during the mentioned time interval. It has been determined that the winter wheat yield was sensitive especially to variations in T and CO2.This study represents a part of the PhD named "Determination of the Agrometeorological Properties of the Thrace Region", in which additional cities (Edirne and Tekirdağ) have been investigated from the point of wheat production.30% yield increase has been simulated for Edirne, while a 13% decrease was expected for Tekirdağ during the aver-aged 2071-2100 growing period. Rice production has been also estimated for Edirne with a decrease of 53%. RegCm3 data were also arranged and adapted into CERES meteorology files to enable model runs for the hottest and driest growing seasons for the 2071-2100 interval. Moreover; three drought indices, namely the percentage of normal, z score and standardized precipitation indices have been calculated and interpreted for seasonal field crops (wheat, rice and sunflower) and forests (pine, oak and beech) during the years between 1975 and 2005 to take a first step for filling the gaps in the desired drought related research in the region. In general, dry periods were determined with low severities and continuities. Growing Degree Day (GDD) and vernalization calculations for field crops have been also applied. Among the average growing seasons in Kırklareli, the winter wheat collected 2893 GDD's for 0°C base temperature. Same parameter was calculated as 2719 and 2639 for Tekirdağ and Edirne, successively. It has been calculated that the wheat needs 70 and more vernalization days to complete it's average growth. Variations in the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) on the agricultural and forest areas were also estimated using the satellite data. Furthermore, correlations of the drought indices with the GDD's and NDVI's were investigated. Highest average NDVI values were calculated for the flowering periods of wheat (NDVI=0.45) and rice (NDVI=0.50), consequently. June showed the highest mean NDVI's for pine (NDVI=0.4), oak and beech (NDVI=0.65) when the forest areas were considered. Some growing periods showed nearly linear correlations between SPI and NDVI, while this was not the case when the whole growing periods were considered. On the other hand, high nonlinear relationships between NDVI and BDG were estimated for both field crops and trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we compared the plasmakinetic (PK) energy and conventional techniques for transurethral resection (TUR-B) in bladder tumor. Materials and methods: Twenty-eight patients diagnosed with bladder tumor were included to the study and randomized into two study groups. First group (GI) had conventional and second group (GII) had PK TUR-B. Age, previous operation number, tumor size, shape, grade, stage, pathologic artefact, operation time, intra- and postoperative complication rates, adductor contraction, and hospitalization time were recorded. At first month, urethral stricture and persistant hematuria were evaluated. Results: Mean age of GI and GII was 58.0, 62.4, respectively. Previous operation number, tumor size, shape, grade and stage were not statistically different between two groups (p>0.05). One (7.1%) patient in GI and 6 (48.5%) patients in GII had multiple tumors (p<0.05). There were no difference in operation time within groups (p>0.05) while hospitalization time was significantly longer in GI (p<0.05). Adductor contraction has not been observed in GI patients, but it has been detected in half of GII patients (p<0.05). In 2 (28.5%) patients of GII, PK energy converted to conventional method due to uncontrollable adductor contraction. In 1 patient of GI, reoperation was required due to post-operative hematuria. Pathologic artefact, urethral stricture, and persistant hematuria were not observed. Conclusion: PK bladder tumor resection may be an effective alternative method of conventional technique with less hospitalization time, especially in multipl tumors. Adductor contraction could be a restrictive factor to use PK technique safely in all bladder tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genitourinary system tumors are the most common tumors with bone metastases. Bone metastases are observed in advanced prostate, bladder and kidney cancers. The health-related quality of life is affected significantly in these patients, due to the skeletal-related events. Men who receive androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer are under more risk for osteoporosis. Pathological bone fractures, compression of the spinal cord, requirement of radiotherapy or surgical intervention to bone, and hypercalcemia due to cancer are the skeletal-related events that develop in these patients. In addition to the corrections in living conditions, exercise, reducing smoking and alcohol consumption, and calcium and vitamin D supplements; the biphosphonates have become an indispensible part of the treatment to prevent these events with their benefits demonstrated in various studies in the recent years. Especially zoledronic acid, which is well tolerated with intravenous application, is used both in the treatment of bone metastases and in prevention of skeletal-related events. Currently, biphosphonates are recommended in various treatment guidelines to treat bone metastasis in a variety of cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In an attempt to evaluate the condition of patient with (palpable) breast lesions the Triple Test Score (TTS), which includes physical examination, mammography, and fine needle aspiration biopsy, is the best clinical approach. In cases where these three methods are well-integrated the diagnostic accuracy rate leads to 100 %. In this study, 48 lesions in 46 patients are examined by physical examination, mammography, FNAB and MR imagining (MRI). All lesions are diagnosed histopathologically and following that MRI is compared with the TTS. The Triple Test methods were each assigned a score of 1,2,3 for benign, uncertain or malign. All lesions with TTS less than or equal to 4 were accepted as benign, and all lesions with TTS greater than or equal to 6 were accepted as malign. In order to identify all lesions with TTS equal to 5 as benign or malign, histopathological examination is needed. Of the 17 lesions with TTS less than or equal to 4 has a specifity of 100% where the MRI has a specifity of 64%. Of the 22 lesions with TTS greater than or equal to 6 has a sensitivity of 96% where the MRI has a sensitivity of 82%. However, 4 out of the 9 lesions with scores of 5 were diagnosed 1 benign and 3 malign by MRI and for 5 lesions histopathological examination is needed. Hence, in effort to diagnose the lesions with TTS of 5 the method of MRI is higly suggested. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]