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This study aimed to compare the erectile and ejaculatory functional outcomes of unilateral and bilateral ruptures of the corpus cavernosum in penile fractures. Sixty patients’ data were analyzed retrospectively between June 2020 and January 2023. The patients were divided into two groups based on the affected corpus cavernosum (unilateral and bilateral). Preoperative and postoperative 3rd-, 6th-, and 12th-month self-estimated intravaginal-ejaculation-latency-time (IELT), and international index of erectile function-erectile function (IIEF-EF) scores as well as the presence of urethral injury were compared. Bilateral corpus cavernosum fractures were detected in 18.3% of the patients. The IIEF-EF scores of both groups at 3rd-, 6th-, and 12th-month were found to be significantly lower than the preoperative scores (unilateral group:24.1 ± 2.7 vs 23.2 ± 3.5 and 23.3 ± 3.4, respectively, p = 0.011 and 0.014, respectively; bilateral group: 24 ± 1.9 vs 23 ± 1.8 and 23.2 ± 1.5, respectively, p = 0.027 and 0.047, respectively). No significant difference was found between the preoperative and the postoperative 12th month IIEF-EF scores in either group (unilateral group: 24.1 ± 2.7 vs 23.4 ± 3.6, p = 0.207;bilateral group:24 ± 1.9 vs 23.2 ± 1.5, p = 0.057). The self-estimated IELTs of both groups at the postoperative 3rd, 6th, and 12th months demonstrated a significant increase from the preoperative values (unilateral group: 221.6 ± 81.8 vs 252 ± 94.6, 256.5 ± 97.6, and 250.5 ± 104.8, respectively, p < 0.001; bilateral group:241.8 ± 61.6 vs 278.1 ± 55.4, 281.8 ± 56.1, and 283.6 ± 54.2, respectively, p = 0.041, 0.030, and 0.047, respectively). The changes in self-estimated IELTs and IIEF-EF scores between the preoperative period and the postoperative 3rd, 6th, and 12th-months were compared, and no statistical difference was found between patients with unilateral and bilateral corpus cavernosum fractures (p > 0.05). In conclusion, no significant difference in erectile function was found in either group at the 12-month follow-up, and the self-estimated IELTs were found to be prolonged in both groups. Furthermore, no difference was noted between the groups at any follow-up. To explain the effects of unilateral and bilateral injuries on erectile and ejaculatory functions, further studies with a larger-number of patients are necessary.

Phosphazenes have drawn a great deal of interest over the past 20 years as a potentially useful building block for the fabrication of fluorescent materials. The main objective of this work is to explore novel derivatives produced by coumarins, a class of chemicals well-known for their photophysical importance, and cyclophosphazenes. UV absorbance, fluorescence emission, quantum yield, and lifetime measurements were conducted to comprehend the optical properties. Furthermore, single-crystal X-ray analysis and theoretical calculations were carried out to confirm the structure of the molecule. The obtained findings collectively confirm the commendable optical properties exhibited by the studied compounds. Moreover, a detailed study of the crystal packing arrangement of DPP-Et-Kum-Etcompound crystallized in the P21/nmonoclinic space group revealed the presence of stacking interactions between the nonplanar conjugated benzene rings of the coumarins and the rigid diphenyl groups attached to the phosphazene ring. The crystal structure of the DPP-Kum-Me-Mecompound is mainly based on classical C–H···O intermolecular hydrogen bonding interactions with an average distance of 2.52 Å. Importantly, the calculated absorption spectra of the compounds are in close agreement with the experimental data, further supporting their interesting electronic properties. Given that the DPP-Et-Kum-Etand DPP-Kum-Etcompounds have the theoretically lowest band gaps (4.31 and 4.30 eV, respectively), the activation energies of these compounds were determined by an impedance analyzer using dc conductance values measured at different temperatures. The calculated activation energies for DPP-Et-Kum-Etand DPP-Kum-Etare 104.49 and 100.92 meV, respectively. The results demonstrate that both theoretical and experimental calculations are in agreement with each other and that the DPP-Kum-Etcompound has the lowest conductivity.

The Clarks’ Lizard, Darevskia clarkorumis endemic to the Caucasian biodiversity hotspot, remarkable in terms of biogeography and evolutionary history in the Palearctic Realm. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current distribution pattern of this species as well as its possible changes under various future climate scenarios. Fieldwork was conducted in Northeastern Anatolia and the Caucasus between 2019 and 2022, and 64 occurrence records and five bioclimatic variables were analysed using Ecological Niche Modeling (ENM) software. The annual temperature range is the most important variable influencing the distribution of this lizard species. The results showed that potential habitats for the Clarks’ Lizard are wider than its present distribution. It is predicted that under current climate change scenarios, this species’ range will be much more restricted than it is now. With rising greenhouse gas levels and solar radiation rates, the range of this species is expected to shift from northern Anatolia to the Caucasus mountainous areas, and would likely shrink in future. The remaining habitats of this lizard species may be significantly impacted by climate change and human-induced habitat modification.

Purpose: The lack of a definite standard for determining the sample size in qualitative research leaves the research process to the initiative of the researcher, and this situation overshadows the scientificity of the research. The primary purpose of this research is to propose a model by questioning the problem of determining the sample size, which is one of the essential issues in qualitative research. The fuzzy logic model is proposed to determine the sample size in qualitative research. Design/methodology/approach: Considering the structure of the problem in the present study, the proposed fuzzy logic model will benefit and contribute to the literature and practical applications. In this context, ten variables, namely scope of research, data quality, participant genuineness, duration of the interview, number of interviews, homogeneity, information strength, drilling ability, triangulation and research design, are used as inputs. A total of 20 different scenarios were created to demonstrate the applicability of the model proposed in the research and how the model works. Findings: The authors reflected the results of each scenario in the table and showed the values for the sample size in qualitative studies in Table 4. The research results show that the proposed model's results are of a quality that will support the literature. The research findings show that it is possible to develop a model using the laws of fuzzy logic to determine the sample size in qualitative research. Originality/value: The model developed in this research can contribute to the literature, and in any case, it can be argued that determining the sample volume is a much more effective and functional model than leaving it to the initiative of the researcher.

This study was conducted in Meram town of Konya province under unheated greenhouse conditions in 2019 autumn (September–November) and 2020 spring (February–April) growing periods. Davidole(Lactuva sativa L. var. longifolia) curly lettuce cultivar was used as the plant material of the present study. Experiments were conducted in randomized blocks design with three replications. Irrigation levels were arranged by applying certain percentage of 4‑day cumulative evaporations from Class‑A pan (60%, 80%, 100% and 120%) and effects of irrigation treatments on yield, yield components and water use efficiencies of lettuce plants were investigated. Crop water consumptions in S60, S80, S100and S120treatments were respectively measured as 136.2, 149.6, 163 and 168.4 mm in 2019 and as 110.6, 123.8, 136 and 146.2 mm in 2020. In terms of commercial head weights, in 2019, the lowest value (623 g) was obtained from S60treatment and the greatest (1130.8 g) from S120treatment; in 2020, the lowest (900.8 g) from S60and the greatest (1177.8 g) from S100treatments. Water use efficiency (WUE) values varied between 38.12–55.96 kg m−3in 2019 and between 61.65–75.24 kg m−3in 2020. Irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) values varied between 43.19–56.19 kg m−3in 2019 and between 60.82–81.85 kg m−3in 2020. Lettuce yield-response factor (ky) was calculated as 2.26 for 2019 and 0.69 for 2020. For lettuce cultivation under unheated greenhouse conditions of Konya province, S100treatment could be recommended for autumn (September–November) productions and S80treatment for spring (February–April) productions.

While radical prostatectomy stands out as one of the most effective curative treatments for prostate cancer, it does come with annoying side effects, such as urinary incontinence (UI). We aimed to investigate the predictability of UI using MRI measurements, along with clinical and disease-related variables.

Purpose: Hypernasality, which is a symptom of dysarthria, may be seen in patients with Myasthenia Gravis with bulbar symptoms. However, there is not enough evidence to show that these patients may have velopharyngeal dysfunction. This study investigates the features of velopharyngeal function in myasthenia gravis patients using objective and subjective measurement tools. Methods: Ten adult myasthenia gravis patients with bulbar symptoms and ten adult myasthenia gravis patients without bulbar symptoms were recruited for this study. Ten healthy subjects were also included as the control group. The nasalance scores of the participants were determined using a nasometer. The degree and pattern of velopharyngeal closure were scored using flexible nasoendoscopy during speech, blowing, dry swallowing, and food swallowing. Perceptual hypernasality was assessed. Results: Velopharyngeal dysfunction was detected in 50% of the myasthenia gravis patients with bulbar symptoms. Velopharyngeal dysfunction was not seen in myasthenia gravis patients without bulbar symptoms. The degree of velopharyngeal closure in patients with bulbar symptoms differed depending on the tasks being performed. No significant difference in velopharyngeal closure patterns was observed between the groups (p &lt; 0.05). Conclusion: Myasthenia gravis patients with bulbar involvement may have velopharyngeal dysfunction. It is important to conduct a comprehensive evaluation to assess all aspects of the velopharyngeal function.

In this study, a comparative analysis for predicting sports attendance demand is presented based on econometric, artificial intelligence, and machine learning methodologies. Data from more than 20,000 games from three major leagues, namely the National Basketball Association (NBA), National Football League (NFL), and Major League Baseball (MLB), were used for training and testing the approaches. The relevant literature was examined to determine the most useful variables as potential regressors in forecasting. To reveal the most effective approach, three scenarios containing seven cases were constructed. In the first scenario, each league was evaluated separately. In the second scenario, the three possible combinations of league pairings were evaluated, while in the third scenario, all three leagues were evaluated together. The performance evaluations of the results suggest that one of the machine learning methods, Gradient Boosting, outperformed the other methods used. However, the Artificial Neural Network, deep Convolutional Neural Network, and Decision Trees also provided productive and competitive predictions for sports games. Based on the results, the predictions for the NBA and NFL leagues are more satisfactory than the predictions of the MLB, which may be caused by the structure of the MLB. The results of the sensitivity analysis indicate that the performance of the home team is the most influential factor for all three leagues.

The Turkish foreign policy (TFP) after the Cold War had been based on traditional institutionalized values. In 2009, the governing party consolidated its power and additionally, the international environment provided more space for decision-makers. As a result, the government seeks to change foreign policy preferences in accordance with its agenda. This article examines this change from a neoclassical realist perspective and argues that due to lack of systemic pressure, Turkey can seek new alignments in the Middle East, rather than overlapping its interests with the West.

In this study, a novel microporous activated carbon (AC) from low-cost biomasses (apricot and peach stones, and almond shell) mixture by FeSO4activation and following pyrolysis was synthesized, characterized, and tested for etodolac (ETD) adsorption. The characteristics of AC were determined by BET surface area, total pore volume, average pore size, surface functional group analysis by Boehm’s titration and FTIR, and SEM-EDX. A high-quality activated carbon with 958.57 m2/g surface area, 0.4796 cm3/g total pore volume, and 1.9963-nm average pore size could be successfully synthesized from the mixture activated by FeSO4at impregnation ratio of (FeSO4/precursor (w/w)) 0.5. ETD adsorption ability of the prepared AC was investigated depending on the effects of AC dosage, contact time, pH, initial ETD concentration, and temperature. Also, the linear and nonlinear forms of Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms and pseudo-first-order and pseudo-second-order kinetic models were compared to get the best isotherm and kinetic model. The results showed that more than 95% ETD adsorption could be achieved at the presence of 5 g/L of AC, contact time of 150 min, and at a wide pH range. The adsorption data was found to be best fitted to the nonlinear pseudo-second-order kinetic model and nonlinear Freundlich isotherm. The adsorption of ETD onto the AC was found to be exothermic and spontaneous.

ABSTRACTThe present study aims to address the lack of nation-wide exploration of ergonomics of translation in Turkey and to build psychosocial and physical ergonomics awareness among translation students. Our research design encapsulated two projects. An initial project, a nation-wide survey, provided an overview of the situation in Turkey in relation to ergonomics of translation. The second project, conducted within the framework of a course designed to build ergonomic awareness, was a multi-method action research project involving interviews, direct observations and project-based learning. In the first phase of the project, the 20 senior students enrolled in the course administered a survey to 250 translators as part of a field research project, also involving semi-structured interviews during workplace visits. In the second phase, students completed a translation project, simulating a real market situation and exposing them to the challenges of organisational ergonomics. Our study highlights a lack of common standards and awareness in the field of ergonomics in Turkey. It revealed that students’ reports reflected clear benefits from direct interactions with the market actors and the observation of ergonomic conditions in the field. The insights from such a course can equip students with the knowledge and skills required for professional life.

AimsOsteopetrosis (OP) is a rare hereditary disease that causes reduced bone resorption and increased bone density as a result of osteoclastic function defect. Our aim is to review the difficulties, mid-term follow-up results, and literature encountered during the treatment of OP.MethodsThis is a retrospective and observational study containing data from nine patients with a mean age of 14.1 years (9 to 25; three female, six male) with OP who were treated in our hospital between April 2008 and October 2018 with 20 surgical procedures due to 17 different fractures. Patient data included age, sex, operating time, length of stay, genetic type of the disease, previous surgery, fractures, complications, and comorbidity.ResultsThe mean follow-up period was 92.5 months (25 to 140). Bony union was observed in all of our patients. Osteomyelitis developed in two patients with femoral shaft fractures, and two patients had peri-implant stress fractures.ConclusionTreatment of fractures in OP patients is difficult, healing is protracted, and the risk of postoperative infection is high. In children and young adults with OP who have open medullary canal and the epiphyses are not closed, fractures can be treated with surgical techniques such as intramedullary titanium elastic nail (TENS) technique or fixation with Kirschner (K)-wire.Cite this article: Bone Joint J2020;102-B(8):1082–1087.

The common assumption in geotechnical engineering research and practice has been that nonplastic silts behave sand-like, whereas, as silts become more plastic, they start to behave clay-like. To date, there are practically no studies focusing solely on various nonplastic silts and their monotonic response, perhaps because of the solid belief that nonplastic silts behave sand-like in all aspects. A series of constant volume direct simple shear tests were conducted on three different nonplastic silts. Because the specimens were reconstituted to have loose grain structures, volumetrically contractive tendency was observed for all the silts with relatively small effective stress friction angles. It was observed that Kocompression lines and critical state lines are parallel to each other for all three silts, which is considered to be a clay-like behavior in literature. It was shown that undrained shear strengths can be normalized with the effective vertical consolidation stress, which is also considered to be a clay-like behavior in literature. Normalized values are compared with the ones obtained for plastic silts compiled from previous studies. Normalized undrained shear strength values for plastic silts in literature were seen to be typically greater. Possible reasons such as density effect and strength anisotropy were discussed.

Mucociliary clearance (MC) is a critical defense mechanism for the protection of the entire respiratory system. Nasal colonization of some pathogens and chronical nasal infections are important risk factors for peritonitis. Any disturbance in the MC causes stasis of secretions and secondary infections.

Intuitionistic trapezoidal fuzzy multi-numbers (ITFM-numbers) are a special intuitionistic fuzzy multiset on a real number set, which are very useful for decision makers to depict their intuitionistic fuzzy multi-preference information. In the ITFM-numbers, the occurrences are more than one with the possibility of the same or the different membership and non-membership functions. In this paper, we define ITFM-numbers based on multiple criteria decision-making problems in which the ratings of alternatives are expressed with ITFM-numbers. Firstly, some operational laws using t-norm and t-conorm are proposed. Then, some aggregation operators on ITFM-numbers are developed. Also, the ranking order of alternative is given according to the similarity of the alternative with respect to the positive ideal solution. Finally, a numerical example is given to verify the developed approach and to demonstrate its practicality and effectiveness.

•Novel PVC membrane potentiometric sensor based on silver diethyldithiocarbamate.•The sensor has a low cost and is easy to prepare and use.•The developed potassium–selective sensor has been successfully applied in the detection of different real samples.

Leiomyosarcoma is a tumor which is rarely seen in the thyroid gland. The diagnosis may be difficult and the treatment is controversial.

In this paper, we define soft quotient G-module, soft G-module homomorphism and soft kernel. Related to these definitions, we give some examples, homomorphism theorem and isomorphism theorems on Soft G-modules.

This article describes how Smarandache defined neutrosophic sets to handle problems involving incomplete, indeterminacy and awareness of inconsistency knowledge, and is further developed to neutrosophic soft expert sets by Sahin et al. Adam and Hassan defined multi Q-fuzzy soft sets as an extension to fuzzy soft sets and gave its applications. This article will extend this further by presenting a novel concept of Q-neutrosophic soft expert sets, and define the associated related concepts and basic operations of complement, subset, union, intersection, AND and OR. This novel concept enables the single dimensionality of soft expert sets to be extended to two dimensions. Then, this article constructs an algorithm based on this concept. The following will illustrate the feasibility of the new method by an example. Finally, a comparison of the proposed method to existing methods is furnished to verify the effectiveness of the novel concept.

In this study, using the neutrosophic soft definitions, we define some new concept such as the neutrosophic soft lattice, neutrosophic soft sublattice, complete neutrosophic soft lattice, modular neutrosophic soft lattice, distributive neutrosophic soft lattice, neutrosophic soft chain then we study the relationship and observe some common properties.

We aimed to investigate the frequency of restless legs syndrome (RLS) and the associations between RLS and quality of sleep and life in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). One hundred and eight AS patients and 64 controls were included in this study. Demographics, clinical, and laboratory data were recorded. The presence of RLS was determined with face-to-face interview by an experienced neurologist based on the International RLS Study Group criteria. RLS severity was evaluated using International RLS Study Group rating scale. Sleep quality and insomnia severity were assessed by Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI) and insomnia severity index (ISI), respectively. Disease-related quality of life was evaluated by AS quality of life questionnaire (ASQoL). The frequency of RLS was significantly higher in AS patients than in controls (36.4 vs. 14.0 %, p= 0.004). RLS severity score for AS patients was significantly higher than that for controls (p= 0.03). The AS patients had higher scores in the subjective sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, habitual sleep efficiency, sleep disturbances, use of sleep medication domains of PSQI, and also total PSQI and ISI than controls (p< 0.05, for all). ASQoL scores were higher in AS patients with RLS compared to those without RLS (p< 0.001). RLS severity was observed to be independently associated with total PSQI, ISI and ASQoL (p< 0.05, for all). As RLS may adversely affect the sleep and quality of life in AS patients, clinicians should be aware of RLS for early diagnosis and management in AS patients.

This paper aims to analyze the effects of video use as an audio visual material as warm-up activity on students’ motivation and participation in Aviation English courses at high school level in the viewpoint of English instructors. This paper is based on a qualitative study design in which focus group interview is used as the data collection procedure. The participants of the focus group interview are four instructors teaching Aviation English, teaching 10th graders in a state high school. It is a fact that the use of video like the other audio visual aids is a proper ice breaker and motivation tool for teenagers in today's modern world of technology. According to the analysis of the data collected by focus group interview, the findings, revealing the positive effect of video use on students’ motivation and participation, are categorized and discussed within the scope of the study.

AbstractIn this study, the ability of grape stalk residue of wine production to remove Cd(II) from aqueous solution by adsorption has been investigated through batch experiments. The grape stalk was characterized in detail by Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer, scanning electron microscopy, BET, particle size, and elemental analysis. The Cd(II) adsorption property of the grape stalk was evaluated as a function of pH, adsorbent dosage, particle size, initial Cd(II) concentration, and temperature. The adsorption kinetics was evaluated with the pseudo-first-order, second-order kinetics models, and intraparticle diffusion model. The equilibrium data were analyzed using Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. The adsorption kinetics followed the second-order rate law. The adsorption of Cd(II) onto the grape stalk is fitted to the Langmuir isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 21.5 mg-Cd(II)/g. Thermodynamic parameters including the changes of enthalpy (ΔH), free energy (ΔG), and entropy (ΔS) were evaluated. The calculated thermodynamic parameters showed that adsorption of Cd(II) was spontaneous and exothermic under examined conditions.

Abstract: Weapon target assignment is a weapon assignment problem with the objective of minimizing the expected survival value of targets. This problem must be quickly solved on the battlefield (i.e., in real-time). Considering the combined complexity and the strict time constraints, a fuzzy decision maker is proposed as an alternative to aid commanders in deciding on proper weapon assignments. The concept builds a fuzzy decision maker for a given data set by using extended grid partitioning based on a sensitivity analysis of input variables. The proposed decision maker is implemented and tested with several randomly sampled assignment instances on realistic scenarios. In addition, a larger-scale scenario is also considered to demonstrate the scalability of the approach. The results show that the proposed system exhibits satisfactory performance and is serviceable on the battlefield. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

AbstractWith translators and interpreters being increasingly expected to develop sophisticated computer skills to succeed in the translation and interpreting industries, interpreter trainers must explore new and effective ways of integrating new technologies in their courses. Virtual worlds have quickly exceeded the affordances of social networking tools and are now assuming an important place in educational settings worldwide. This article outlines the main features of a popular virtual world (Second Life) and explores how it might be used as a platform for interpreter training. After contextualizing the pedagogical use of virtual worlds within the wider approach to computer-assisted interpreter training, the article examines the advantages derived from learners’ access to multi-sensory stimuli as well as quasi-professional practice settings that Second Life facilitates. This is followed by an overview of the ways in which Second Life supports blended learning without compromising the degree and quality of practice and feedback involved in such courses. The final section outlines the main steps to cover in setting up an interpreting course using Second Life.

Severe neurological injury still represents one of the most devastating complications occurring after surgical repair of thoracoabdominal aneurysms. We aimed to investigate the role of rosuvastatin (RSV) against ischemia/reperfusion injury in an experimental model of spinal cord ischemia in rats.

Spinal cord injury is a major complication of thoracoabdominal aortic operations. We aimed to investigate neuroprotective role of olmesartan administered to rats before ischemia against ischemia-reperfusion (I-R) injury.

The article discusses the foreign policy in Iran in 2012. It highlights the impact of the Islam religion on the fundamental changes to its international relations policy and new political system following the emergence of the Arab Spring Uprisings in 2011. It explores the different foreign policy practices of the country in the Middle East and the Caucasus and Central Asia.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal (GI) complications are one of the serious complications of cardiac surgery. Although rarely seen, they cause major morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to retrospectively analyze the risk factors acting on the GI complications seen after cardiac operations performed under cardiopulmonary bypass.METHOD: The present study was designed to retrospectively evaluate 13,544 patients who underwent cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass, between 1988 and 2004 in the authors' clinic.RESULTS: The overall mortality was 346 (2.55%) of 13,544 patients. GI complications developed in 128 patients (0.94%). Among those, 18 (14.1%) died because of GI complications, the most common of which was bleeding. Mesenteric ischemia had the highest case-fatality rate at 71.4%. Valve surgery, concomitant valve and coronary artery bypass grafting surgery, preoperative chronic renal dysfunction, postoperative acute renal failure, deep sternal infection, prolonged ventilation, need for intra-aortic balloon pump and ejection fraction less than 30% were found to be risk factors acting on GI complications.CONCLUSION: GI complications remain a significant concern after cardiac surgery under cardiopulmonary bypass. Higher-risk patients can be identified and treated prophylactically and in the postoperative period.