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Abstract: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most prevalent malignant tumor of the central nervous system. The prognosis of GBM is grim, with a median overall survival of 14.6 months and only 6.9% of patients surviving 5 years after the initial diagnosis. Despite poor outcomes, standard therapy of surgical resection, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and tumor-treating fields has remained largely unchanged. The introduction of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) has been a paradigm shift in oncology, with efficacy across a broad spectrum of cancer types. Nonetheless, investigations of ICIs in both newly diagnosed and recurrent GBM have thus far been disappointing. This lack of clinical benefit has been largely attributed to the highly immunosuppressive nature of GBM. However, immunotherapy still holds promise for the treatment of GBM, with combinatorial strategies offering hope for potentially overcoming these current limitations. In this review, we discuss the outcomes of clinical trials employing ICIs in patients with GBM. Afterward, we review ICI combination strategies and how these combinations may overcome the immunosuppressive microenvironment of GBM in the context of preclinical/clinical evidence and ongoing clinical trials.

Abstract A de-embedding method for determining all scattering (S-) parameters (e.g., characterization) of a sensing area of planar microstrip sensors (two-port network or line) is proposed using measurements of S-parameters with no calibration. The method requires only (partially known) non-reflecting line and reflecting line standards to accomplish such a characterization. It utilizes uncalibrated S-parameter measurements of a reflecting line, direct and reversed configurations of a non-reflecting line, and direct and reversed configurations of the sensing area. As different from previous similar studies, it performs such a characterization without any sign ambiguity. The method is first validated by extracting the S-parameters of a bianisotropic metamaterial slab, as for a two-port network (line), constructed by split-ring-resonators (SRRs) from waveguide measurements. Then, it is applied for determining the S-parameters of a sensing area of a microstrip sensor involving double SRRs next to a microstrip line. The root-mean-square-error (RMSE) analysis was utilized to analyze the accuracy of our method in comparison with other techniques in the literature. It has been observed from such an analysis that our proposed de-embedding technique has the lowest RMSE values for the extracted S-parameters of the sensing area of the designed sensor in comparison with those of the compared other de-embedding techniques in the literature, and have similar RMSE values in reference to those of the thru-reflect-line calibration technique. For example, while RMSE values of real and imaginary parts of the forward reflection S-parameter of this sensing area are, respectively, around 0.0271 and 0.0279 for our de-embedding method, those of one of the compared de-embedding techniques approach as high as 0.0318 and 0.0324.

The aim of this research is to examine the individual social responsibility and social entrepreneurship levels of university students in terms of some variables and to examine the effects of individual social responsibility levels on their social entrepreneurship orientations. Relational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. The study group of the research consists of 200 students who study in sports sciences at universities in Turkey. SPSS statistical program was used in the analysis of the data. First, descriptive statistics were examined, and parametric tests were used for inferential statistics. In addition, Independent Samples t Test, Pearson correlation analysis and simple linear regression analysis were performed. When the research findings are evaluated, the fact that students have been involved in a social project before, except for the sub-dimension of financial return, has social entrepreneurship orientations and individual social responsibility levels. Taking the community service practice course has a positive effect on the development of their individual social responsibility levels and their social vision from the dimension of social entrepreneurship. In addition, it has been revealed that university students' whether they do sports or not has no effect on their individual social responsibility and social entrepreneurship. It has been revealed that as the individual social responsibility levels of recent students increase, their social entrepreneurship orientations also increase, and individual social responsibility has a positive effect on social vision, innovation, sustainability, and social networks in social entrepreneurship sub-dimensions.

This study presents the development of a mathematical creativity test and exploration of its psychometric properties. The study was conducted in six public schools and a high ability center between 2015 and 2018. The sample of the study included 1129 middle school students. The Mathematical Creativity Test (MCT) consists of problem posing, making conjecture, and proof subtests. Each test has two items. The scores of the MCT are composed of fluency, flexibility, and creativity quotient. For construct validity, EFA yielded a 3-factor solution, namely, problem posing, making conjecture, and proof subtests. CFA confirmed the 3-factor solution, and all fit indices were found to be good. For criterion validity, one-way ANOVA for independent samples was conducted in different classes, and it showed that there was a significant difference, and Pearson's correlation coefficient was investigated between MCT scores and the report card grades of the mathematics lesson. There was a strong and positive correlation between the two variables. The internal consistency and the interrater reliability of the test scores were high.

In this research, Purpose is to eliminate primary school student's delusions about concept of greenhouse effect and to study its effect on student's attitudes towards science. In the research, quasi-experimental study with prepost control group has been used. The research was performed with 34 primary school students in the state located in southwest part of Turkey. The experimental group consists of 18 students and the control group consists of 16 students. While POE method supported with PhET simulations is used in the experimental group, traditional teaching method is implemented in control group. In the research, greenhouse gas concept and science attitude scale as data collection tool have been used. Data obtained from the research has been analyzed with SPSS program. According to the findings from the research, Students have had much more information about greenhouse gas thanks to POE method supported by PhET. Moreover, POE method supported by PhET has positive effect on students' attitudes towards science.

The aim of this research is to examine the philanthropy tendencies of university students in terms of whether they have received sports education or not and some variables. Survey model, one of the quantitative research methods, was used in the research. SPSS 26 statistical program was used for the analysis of the data. Descriptive statistics of the obtained data were made, and z-test was applied to measure whether the data showed normal distribution. Independent samples T test from paired comparison tests, One Way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) test from multiple comparison tests, Post Hoc (Tukey) test to determine from which group the results arise in case of difference between groups were applied to the groups that were found to have normal distribution. When the research findings are evaluated, according to the age of the university students, whether they have received sports education or not, success grade, class level, income level, membership in student societies, non-governmental organizations, taking part in social projects, taking community service practices, doing licensed sports, doing regular sports. It was seen that there was no significant difference in philanthropy tendencies in terms of the number of sports and sports days. On the other hand, it was determined that there was a significant difference in the variables of gender and father's education level. In this respect, it can be said that female university students have higher philanthropy tendencies than males, and university students with low father education level have higher philanthropy tendencies.

The present study is aimed to investigate the effect of empathy, conscience, self-control, kindness and self-efficacy on sportsmanship behaviors, since there is no study that investigated the effects of self-efficacy and moral intelligence on sportsmanship behaviors. For this purpose, the study was carried out according to the relational screening design, which is one of the quantitative research designs. 397 students studying at the faculty of sports sciences participated in the research. "Yakut-Moral Intelligence Scale", "Athlete Self Efficacy Scale" and "Investigation of Sportsmanship Behaviors Scale" were used to carry out the study. Statistical analyzes were made in SPSS 25 program and Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis were used. As a result of the analysis, sportsmanship has been determined that it has a significant relationship with empathy, conscience, self-control, kindness and self-efficacy. As another result of the study, while self-efficacy alone explains 13.4% of sportsmanship, self-efficacy, empathy, self-control and kindness together explain 48% of sportsmanship. It was determined that the sub-dimension of conscience did not have a significant effect on sportsmanship. According to these results, in displaying sportsmanship behaviors; Having a high level of self-efficacy, ability to empathize, power to control behaviors and kindness have an important and powerful effect.

COVID-19 affected higher educational institutions around the world. This study focused on academics' perceptions and practices of online education based on their academic discipline and previous online education experience. The survey research design used and an e-survey was conducted in May 2020, during which the lockdown restrictions were rather tight in Turkey. The analyzes were carried out on the responses of 8,242 academics' using the omnibus chi-square test and t-tests. The results point out that academics' time allocation to preparation for courses, student counselling, and lectures are varying due to their academic disciplines. Generally, academics have a negative perception of online education though there is a difference between the experienced ones and others. In particular, academics with online education experience exhibited lower negative perceptions of online education than those lacking such experience. Maybe one of the most problematic parts of this transition process for academics is how to ensure the reliability of exams. Our results showed that even the academics with online education experience have a higher level of distrust towards educational measurement and evaluation methods.

The relationship between the digital literacy levels of Social Studies teacher candidates and their attitudes towards distance education was investigated in this study. In addition, attitudes of teacher candidates towards distance education and their digital literacy levels were compared in terms of gender, year of education and income variables. The sample of this study, in which the general screening model was used, consisted of 260 social studies teacher candidates studying at state universities in the Central Anatolia Region of Turkey in the 2020-2021 academic year. "Digital Literacy Scale" developed by Bayrakçi (2020) and "Distance Education Attitude Scale" developed by Agir (2007) were used in the data collection process. Kolmogorov-Smirnov normality test was run for data normality and after data normality was provided, regression and Pearson correlation analyzes, independent sample t-test, one-way ANOVA test and Post Hoc analysis were performed. The findings of the current study showed that the digital literacy levels of teacher candidates did not differ significantly depending on gender and grade levels, but the digital literacy levels of male teacher candidates were higher. It was observed that the attitudes of teacher candidates towards distance education significantly differed based on gender and year of education. It was determined that teacher candidates with high-income had a more positive attitude towards distance education and had higher levels of digital literacy compared to teacher candidates with low- and middle-income levels. The findings of the present study also showed that there was a positive and moderately significant relationship between digital literacy levels of teacher candidates and their attitudes towards distance education, and it was concluded that digital literacy levels of teacher candidates significantly predicted their attitude scores toward distance education.

The aim of the study is to determine the effect of prosocial and antisocial behaviors on sports commitment. 294 (98 female+196 male) athlete students aged between 18 and 39 (Mean=20,69, SD=2,78) participated in the study by convenience sampling method for this purpose. "Personal Information Form," "Sports Engagement Scale (SES)" and "Prosocial and Antisocial Behavior in Sport Scale (PABSS)" are used as data collection tools in the research. Data collected online are coded and transferred to the SPSS program, and descriptive statistics, unrelated samples t-test, One Way ANOVA, Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression are used for statistical analysis. In the study, the level of significance is taken as p<0.05. According to the results of the analysis, it is determined that there is a positive, low and significant correlation between Prosocial team-mate and Vigor, Dedication, Absorption and SES. It has been determined that there is a positive, low and significant correlation between absorption and Antisocial opponent and Prosocial opponent. While there is no significant effect in the prosocial opponent sub-dimension; It has been determined that Antisocial team-mate, Antisocial opponent and Prosocial team-mate have a significant effect on sports commitment. These variables explain 7.3% of the total variance on sports commitment.

In present conditions, where distance education applications in higher education have become widespread due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it is seen in the research studies that the satisfaction levels of the lecturers and students are low. Although the developments in information technologies have reached advanced dimensions, the problems experienced in distance education systems have negatively affected the course functioning of the educators and the students' level of participation in the course. The issues experienced led the researchers to studies in which in-depth analysis of distance education applications was carried out. This study aims to evaluate the distance education applications in sports higher education. This research follows a case-study design, with a qualitative study model applied in terms of the techniques used to analyse the data obtained. The descriptive analysis method was taken as the basis of the study. As a qualitative research tool in the study, a semi-structured interview form was used by choosing the interview technique. The research study group consisted of fourteen academicians working in universities in Turkey, selected by criterion sampling, one of the purposeful sampling methods. The data obtained from the interviews were analysed in the MAXQDA 20 qualitative data analysis program. As a result of the study, it was emphasized that distance education in sports sciences should be designed and implemented according to the targeted outputs of the field-specific courses and the students' accessibility to distance education.

The aim of this study was to develop a scale instrument for measuring academic intellectual capital in the Turkish higher education context depending on student perceptions. The sample consisted of students of higher education institutions in the 2020-2021 academic year. Data were gathered in two stages. Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) was conducted in the first stage and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA) was conducted in the second stage. The EFA sample consisted of 538 students studying in 96 higher education institutions while the CFA sample consisted of 492 students studying in 112 higher education institutions. Principal Axis Factoring (PAF) extraction and Promax rotation methods were used in EFA. Results of EFA showed that the scale had a three-factor structure with 20 items. The three-factor structure was confirmed with CFA. Cronbach's alpha, stratified alpha, Composite Reliability and McDonald's omega were calculated in order to determine the reliability of the scores obtained from the scale. Item discrimination was verified by calculating item-total correlation and item-remainder correlation. Also, t-test was carried out between upper and lower 27% to check item discrimination. Analyses were conducted making use of R (ver. 4.1.2) and RStudio (ver. 2021.09.1 build 372). Overall, results showed that the structure of Academic Intellectual Capital Scale was valid. The measurement tool was concluded to have three factors and 20 items, all in affirmative form.

One of the most important names in the history of classical music is the Flemish-born German composer and pianist Ludwig van Beethoven. Op.57 No.23 "Appassionata", composed by the composer, one of the Viennese classics, in the second period of his musical life, which was divided into three, is a magnificent work that takes a different place in piano literature. This study, it is aimed to reveal the similarities and differences of the teaching approaches towards this sonata with the masterclass study conducted by three expert piano educators who have been trained in different schools and schools with a piano student who received proficiency in the art. In line with this purpose, the verbal and nonverbal behaviors of the experts in general, similar, and different aspects in terms of teaching the work, styles-technical, etc. approaches motivation of the student, relieving anxiety and stress, verbal and non-verbal behaviors towards the composer, the piece, the period, the interpretation of the work and the use of time. It was tried to observe their approach towards the subject and other behaviors that they paid attention to during the Masterclass. In the qualitative and descriptive study, the data were collected according to the observation and content analysis technique and analyzed according to the qualitative research methods. It is thought that the study is important and original in terms of revealing the different approaches of expert piano educators in teaching the piece, and examining these differences, in terms of contributing to a pianist's thoughts about the piece and enabling them to synthesize, and it will be a source for similar studies.

Proton-exchange-membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) offer a long-term, carbon-emission free solution to the energy needs of the transportation sector. However, high cost continues to limit PEMFC commercialization. Replacing expensive platinum group metal (PGM) catalysts with PGM-free catalysts could reduce cost, but the low active site density of PGM-free catalysts necessitates the use of thick electrodes that suffer from substantial mass transport losses. In these thick PGM-free electrodes, effective water management and oxygen transport are crucial to achieve high performance. In this work, we investigate the role of anode and cathode gas diffusion layer (GDL) configurations in controlling water management. Asymmetric GDL configurations, in which the anode GDL exhibits higher permeability than the cathode GDL, showed higher performance compared to conventional symmetric configurations. Computational modeling showed that the improved performance is mainly due to improved water management, resulting in lower liquid water saturation and faster oxygen transport in the cathode.

Abstract Lichenan, 1,3-1,4-β-Glucan, a linear polysaccharide exists in the cell walls of various cereals, has garnered attention for its industrial applications due to its enzymatic breakdown by lichenase enzymes. In this study, Bacillus licheniformis strain RB16, isolated from cattle faeces, was identified as a robust lichenase producer. The lichenase gene, licA, was successfully cloned and characterized. The cloned RB16 lichenase (LicA) demonstrated its highest activity level at pH 7.5. It also retained over 50% of its activity within the pH range of 6.0–8.5 but experienced a decline to 40% at pH 9.0. LicA was active at temperatures ranging from 25 to 65 °C with an optimum at 45 °C. LicA exhibited more than 60% of its activity at the temperature range of 35–55 °C. Zymogram analysis confirmed LicA’s lichenan-degrading ability and structural analysis revealed a stable enzyme structure primarily composed of random coils and extended strands. Although LicA exhibited low thermostability, consistent with its relatively low α-helix content, it demonstrated promising industrial potential. Evolutionary analysis placed LicA within a cluster of closely related Bacillus lichenases, particularly B. halotolerans, B. atrophaeus, and B. spizizenii. These findings expand our understanding of lichenases of Bacillus and underscore its potential for various industrial applications.

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) is a severe complication that can arise in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma due to the aggressive nature of chemoradiotherapy treatment. The purpose of our study was to assess the utility of the recently introduced CARWL index, which integrates the C-reactive protein-to-albumin ratio (CAR) and significant weight loss (SWL), in predicting the risk of ORN in patients with locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal cancer (LA-NPC) undergoing concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT). We conducted a retrospective cohort analysis on 304 patients with LA-NPC treated with CCRT. Patients were categorized into CARWL index groups based on CAR (cut-off: 3.0) and SWL (weight loss > 5% over the past six months): CARWL-0 (CAR < 3.0, SWL ≤ 5%), CARWL-1 (CAR < 3.0 with SWL > 5% or CAR ≥ 3.0 with SWL ≤ 5%), and CARWL-2 (CAR ≥ 3.0 and SWL > 5%). The primary endpoint was the incidence of ORN in each CARWL index group. At a median follow-up of 67.2 months, 28 patients (9.2%) developed ORN. The incidence of ORN was 2.1%, 9.4%, and 16.3% in the CARWL-0, CARWL-1, and CARWL-2 groups, respectively (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis identified smoking status (HR: 2.58, P = 0.034), N-stage (HR: 1.96, P = 0.008), T-stage (HR: 1.84, P = 0.017), pre-CCRT tooth extraction status (HR: 5.81, P < 0.001), post-CCRT tooth extraction status (HR: 6.82, P < 0.001), mandibular V55.8 Gy (HR: 6.12, P < 0.001), and CARWL score (HR: 5.67, P = 0.002) as significant predictors of ORN. The CARWL index is a reliable predictive tool for evaluating the risk of ORN in LA-NPC patients undergoing CCRT. If further validated, its use in clinical settings could aid in the early identification of high-risk patients and enable the implementation of personalized preventive strategies.

Advanced age, called geriatrics, negatively affects the aging–related physiological changes on bodysystems. non–steroidal anti–inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) used in geriatric pets or humans have negative effects on the kidneys. For this purpose, , the effects of Meloxicam and Flunixin Meglumine, which are NSAIDs frequently used in Veterinary Medicine, on the liver and kidney structure and function in geriatric male rats were evaluated. Twenty–four male geriatric rats (30–36 month old) and twenty–four 3–month–old young male Wistar albino rats were used in the study. Six groups were created, with eight rats in each group: young control (YC), young Meloxicam (YM), young Flunixin Meglubine (YFM), geriatric control (GC), geriatric meloxicam (GM), geriatric Flunixin Meglubine (GFM). Control groups (YC and GC) received an intraperitoneal injection of saline using the same volume as in the othergroups. Meloxicam was administered at 5.8 mg·kg-1 to the YM and GM groups, and Flunixin Meglumine at 2.5 mg·kg-1 intraperitoneally to the YFM and GFM groups once a day for 5 days. Neutrophil Gelatinase–Associated Lipocalin (NGAL), Cystatin C (Cyc–c), Kidney Injury Molecule–1 (KIM–1), Interleukin–18 (IL–18), Urea, Creatinine (Crea), Albumin (Alb), and Total Protein (TP) levels, were determined in sera and urine samples. Serum NGAL, Cys–C, and KIM–1 levels in the GC group were found to be significantly higher than those in the YC group (P

The world has witnessed serious climate-related problems. Even though there are various effective factors in this point, sustainable resource consumption takes place among critical factors that have been deeply affecting climate change. Accordingly, Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 8–12 have come to the fore for all related parties due to the directly affecting resource use. Among all, Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries have a special position in terms of global climate change-related goals because they have high oil and resource consumption. Hence, this study firstly attempts to investigate the validity of the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis for material footprint (MAF) in GCC countries by analyzing the impact of income, energy consumption, financial institution development, and technological development, performing augmented mean group model, and using data for the period 2000–2019. The findings show that (i) the EKC hypothesis is valid for the GCC panel, whereas it is the case for only Oman on a country basis; (ii) energy consumption increases (decreases) MAF at GCC panel (Qatar); (iii) financial institution development does not affect MAF in the GCC panel, while it causes an increase in Saudi Arabia; (iv) technological development reduces MAF at GCC panel and in Bahrain, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia on a country basis. Thus, the results highlight the need for GCC countries to focus on both income level and technological development to achieve climate-related targets and SDGs by decreasing resource-based consumption.

Europe has recently experienced an energy crisis that began with the war between Russia and Ukraine and continued with reciprocal sanctions and power cuts, increasing geopolitical tensions and risks. In such an environment, European countries must decide how to replace energy imports from Russia. As the best option may be to rely on clean energy, this study explores how geopolitical risk (GPR) affects clean electricity generation (i.e., hydro, solar, wind, & nuclear) in five European countries (i.e., Bulgaria, Czechia, Germany, Romania, and Switzerland), which have a high dependency on Russia. The study therefore uses daily data between January 2, 2019 and January 29, 2024 and applies a set of nonlinear methods (i.e., wavelet coherence, quantile-on-quantile regression, Granger causality in quantiles, and quantile regression). The results show that (i) there is a strong dependence of GPR on renewable and nuclear electricity generation over different times, frequencies, and countries; (ii) GPR stimulates hydro electricity generation at higher quantiles across countries except the Czechia; (iii) GPR increases solar electricity generation at higher quantiles in all countries except the Czechia and Switzerland; (iv) GPR mainly stimulates wind electricity generation at higher quantiles, except for Bulgaria and Switzerland; (v) GPR is almost inefficient in nuclear electricity generation. Overall, the study clearly shows the supportive effect of the GPR in promoting renewables, while this is not the case for nuclear energy. Therefore, European countries can rely on renewables as the best alternative against energy blackouts in the short term, considering the varying effect based on time, frequency, quantile, country, and clean energy sources.

Introduction. Patients with leukaemia are exposed to infections as long as they are neutropenic. During this period, anorectal pathologies are among the common foci of infection with high mortality. We aimed in this study to investigate the factors that may have a predictive effect for early diagnosis and rapid intervention in perianal complications occurring in neutropenic patients diagnosed with leukaemia. Materials and Methods. A total of 90 patients with acute leukaemia, including 45 patients with anorectal pathology and 45 patients without anorectal pathology, were analysed. Demographics, blood group, BMI, haemogram and biochemical parameters at the time of diagnosis, types of perianal pathology were recorded. Results. In the group of patients with anorectal pathology, WBC, lymphocytes, monocytes, LDH were significantly (p

ObjectiveThis retrospective study investigated the risk factors leading to a decrease in Renal glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and the development of acute kidney injury (AKI) during the early postoperative period in patients undergoing simultaneous bilateral total knee arthroplasty (SBTKA).MethodsSBTKA was performed on 862 patients between 2014 and 2021 in a single center, by a single surgeon. The risk factors affecting the development of AKI were analyzed by monitoring the changes in pre-and postoperative serum creatinine (Scr) levels and eGFR values. RIFLE criteria were used to evaluate the kidney functions of the patients, who were followed up for an average of 6 months.ResultsWhile there was no decrease in eGFR or AKI in 818 patients postoperatively, eGFR decreased and AKI of different stages developed in 44 patients, according to the RIFLE criteria. Of the 44 patients with AKI, 31 had Risk, 9 had Injury, 3 had Failure, and one had Loss of kidney function. Two patients with American Society of Anaesthesiologists (ASA) class IV died due to deepening of postoperative renal dysfunction.ConclusionWe found that the direct risk factors in SBTKA in terms of eGFR decrease and AKI development include long operation time, increased need for blood transfusion, and diabetic nephropathy, while increased body mass index (BMI) is an indirect risk factor. When planning for a SBTKA, we presume that a thorough analysis of these factors will decrease AKI risk.

PURPOSEThis study aims to assess the status of radiation oncology peer review procedures across the Middle East, North Africa, and Türkiye (MENAT) region.METHODSA cross-sectional electronic survey was conducted among radiotherapy centers in the MENAT region in March 2024. It assessed peer review practices, departmental demographics, perceived importance of peer review, and potential barriers.RESULTSData from 177 radiation oncology centers revealed varying peer review implementation across the MENAT region. Egypt had the highest participation (16.4%) among all responders. Most centers (31%) treated 500-1,000 cases annually. The majority (77.4%) implemented peer review, with varying levels between countries and across different centers. Advanced radiotherapy techniques significantly correlated with implementation of peer review (P < .05). Peer review meetings were mostly scheduled on a weekly basis (46%) and organized by radiation oncologists (84.7%). Target volume contouring (89%) and radiotherapy prescription (82%) were frequently peer-reviewed. Respondents with peer review at their institutions significantly valued peer review for education, adherence to guidelines, improving planning protocols, and reducing variation in practice institutions without peer review (P < .05). The most frequently reported barriers to peer review were having a high number of patients (56%) and shortage of time (54%).CONCLUSIONPeer review is essential for improving the quality of practice in radiation oncology. Despite some discrepancies, numerous obstacles, and challenges in implementation, it is instrumental in the improvement of patient care in most centers throughout the region. Raising awareness among radiation oncologists about the importance of peer review is paramount to lead to better outcomes.

BackgroundVirtual reality is no longer created solely with design graphics. Real life 360° videos created with special shooting techniques are now offered as open access to users’ experience. As a result, this widespread use of VR systems has increased the incidence of visually induced motion sickness.ObjectiveIn the present study, we aimed to investigate impact of brightness-contrast levels of real-life 360° videos on susceptibility to visually induced motion sickness during immersive virtual reality headset viewing.MethodsIn this study, 360° real-world day and night driving videos publicly available on YouTube VR were used as stimuli. Stimuli were presented in 2-min segments. Electrodermal activity was recorded throughout the stimulus presentation, and SSQ was administered immediately afterward.ResultsNo significant difference was found between the experiments in terms of dermal activity. There is a statistically significant difference in total SSQ scores and in symptoms of fatigue, eye strain, head fullness, blurred vision, and dizziness (p < 0.005; p < 0.01) after then the night video.ConclusionThe present study examined the likely impact of brightness and contrast levels in VR environments on VIMS provocation.

Summary: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exposure histories become increasingly complex through original and variant-adapted vaccines and infections with viral variants. Upon exposure to the highly altered Omicron spike glycoprotein, pre-immunized individuals predominantly mount recall responses of Wuhan-Hu-1 (wild-type)-imprinted memory B (BMEM) cells mostly targeting conserved non-neutralizing epitopes, leading to diminished Omicron neutralization. We investigated the impact of imprinting in individuals double/triple vaccinated with a wild-type-strain-based mRNA vaccine who, thereafter, had two consecutive exposures to Omicron BA.1 spike (breakthrough infection followed by BA.1-adapted vaccine). We found that depletion of conserved epitope-recognizing antibodies using a wild-type spike bait results in strongly diminished BA.1 neutralization. Furthermore, spike-specific BMEM cells recognizing conserved epitopes are much more prevalent than BA.1-specific BMEM cells. Our observations suggest that imprinted BMEM cell recall responses limit the induction of strain-specific responses even after two consecutive BA.1 spike exposures. Vaccine adaptation strategies need to consider that prior SARS-CoV-2 infections and vaccinations may cause persistent immune imprinting.

This review explores the integration of titanium carbide (Ti3C2Tx) MXene materials with three-dimensional (3D) printing techniques for advanced functional applications. Ti3C2Tx MXenes exhibit remarkable intrinsic properties like high surface area, metallic conductivity, and flexible surface functionalities. These materials can be associated to 3D printing techniques that offer solutions to conventional techniques’ limitations, enabling the creation of high-performance, free-standing, and multiscale devices with precise control over architecture. Additionally, 3D printing techniques are cost-effective, energy-saving, and sustainable, reducing material waste and carbon footprint. This review begins by presenting an overview of two-dimensional (2D) materials and their distinct characteristics when comparted to the MXenes family, followed by discussions on synthesis routes for 3D printable MXene inks and fabrication methods for complex MXene-based structures. Various applications of 3D-printed MXene architectures are explored, particularly in energy storage devices like supercapacitors and batteries, leveraging MXenes exceptional electrical conductivity and high surface area to enhance energy storage capabilities. Moreover, the potential of 3D-printed MXene architectures in smart devices, incorporating technologies such as artificial intelligence and connectivity features, is highlighted, particularly in smart sensors, biosensors, electromagnetic shielding, and environmental remediation.

IntroductionRare and ultra-rare genetic conditions significantly contribute to infant morbidity and mortality, often presenting with atypical features and genetic heterogeneity that complicate management. Rapid genome sequencing (RGS) offers a timely and cost-effective approach to diagnosis, aiding in early clinical management and reducing unnecessary interventions. This pilot study represents the inaugural use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) as a diagnostic instrument for critically ill neonatal and pediatric ICU patients in a Turkish hospital setting.MethodsTen infants were enrolled based on predefined inclusion criteria, and trio RGS was performed. The mean age of the participants was 124 days, with congenital abnormalities being the most common indication for testing. Three patients had consanguineous parents. The mean turnaround time from enrollment to delivery of results was 169 h, with a diagnostic yield of 50%.ResultsThree patients received a definitive molecular diagnosis, impacting their clinical management. Two patients benefited from the exclusion of Mendelian conditions, leading to alternative diagnoses.DiscussionThis study demonstrates the feasibility and results of RGS in Turkish hospital settings, emphasizing the importance of timely genetic diagnosis in reducing the diagnostic odyssey for families and improving patient care. Further research is needed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness and applicability of RGS in the Turkish healthcare system for children with diseases of uncertain etiology.

The purpose of this study was to design an online professional development program and evaluate the developed course in light of the implementation results. This course provided teachers with the opportunity to develop an ICT-enhanced lesson plan and apply it in their own classes. The current study was conducted using design-based research. Of the 171 teachers registered, 47 participated and 36 completed the full course and received certificates. The self-assessment of the 36 teachers on their ICT-enhanced classroom practices were used in the evaluation of the course. Second, teacher opinions were also solicited via the Teachers' End-of-course Evaluation Questionnaire. Third, the course was evaluated using a rubric by the instructors. According to the results, the self-assessments of teachers on ICT-integration were high. The satisfaction of the teachers with the open online course was also very high, with 97% recommending the course. The course was evaluated as "exemplary" in terms of Learner Support & Resources, Online Organization & Design, and Instructional Design & Delivery categories, and as "effective" in the rubric's Assessment & Evaluation of Student Learning, Innovative Teaching with Technology, and Faculty Use of Student Feedback categories. Future implementations could be revised by increasing interaction and feedback and providing additional implementation opportunities for the teachers.

The purpose of this work is to examine the issue of pre-service science teachers' (PSST) Geogebra applications on misconceptions about projectile motion (PM) and the permanence of learning concepts. In this study, quantitative research method was used as scientific research method, and semi-experimental design with pre-test, post-test control group was used as a pattern. The accessible population of this study is PSST who study in a university located in Kayseri, Turkey in the 2019-2020 academic year. Sample of the study included 36 freshman PSST, studying at the university level in Kayseri. 18 of the participants are experimental-group (EG) and 18 of them are control-group (CG). Both groups learned the subject of projectile motion (PM) together in the classroom. In addition to the traditional teaching method, the EG participated eight-week in the Geogebra course based on the conceptual change model and prepared physics simulations with Geogebra. "Conceptual Questions on Projectile Motion" was used as a data collection tool and the data were analyzed by means of statistics (t-test) based on the difference between averages. The results revealed that both the post-test's and permanence test's mean scores of the EG PSST were significantly higher than the mean score of the CG PSST (post-test: t=2.525; p< 0.05) (permanence test: t=5.466; p< 0.05). Furthermore, in this study, many misconceptions about the PM were identified.

Abstract A simple and inexpensive microwave measurement setup based on measurements of magnitudes of transmission properties ( $$|S_{21}|_{\text {dB}}$$ | S 21 | dB ) is proposed for industrial-based microwave aquametry (moisture or water content) applications. An easy-to-apply calibration procedure based on normalization is implemented to eliminate systematic errors in the measurement system. As a case study, we applied this setup for the quantification of water-adulteration in flower honey. After validating this system by distilled water and pure flower honey measurements, $$|S_{21}|_{\text {dB}}$$ | S 21 | dB measurements of the pure flower honey with various adulteration percentages ( $$\delta$$ δ ) up to 9% are conducted to examine the performance of the measurement setup for quantification of water adulteration. A multi-dimensional fitting procedure is implemented to predict $$\delta$$ δ using the proposed inexpensive microwave measurement setup. It is shown that it is possible to quantify an adulteration level with an accuracy better than $${\mp } 1$$ ∓ 1 % by the proposed measurement setup and the applied multi-dimensional fitting procedure.

Abstract Background Multilocus pathogenic variants (MPVs) are genetic changes that affect multiple gene loci or regions of the genome, collectively leading to multiple molecular diagnoses. MPVs may also contribute to intrafamilial phenotypic variability between affected individuals within a nuclear family. In this study, we aim to gain further insights into the influence of MPVs on a disease manifestation in individual research subjects and explore the complexities of the human genome within a familial context. Methods We conducted a systematic reanalysis of exome sequencing data and runs of homozygosity (ROH) regions of 47 sibling pairs previously diagnosed with various neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD). Results We found siblings with MPVs driven by long ROH regions in 8.5% of families (4/47). The patients with MPVs exhibited significantly higher FROH values (p-value = 1.4e-2) and larger total ROH length (p-value = 1.8e-2). Long ROH regions mainly contribute to this pattern; the siblings with MPVs have a larger total size of long ROH regions than their siblings in all families (p-value = 6.9e-3). Whereas the short ROH regions in the siblings with MPVs are lower in total size compared to their sibling pairs with single locus pathogenic variants (p-value = 0.029), and there are no statistically significant differences in medium ROH regions between sibling pairs (p-value = 0.52). Conclusion This study sheds light on the significance of considering MPVs in families with affected sibling pairs and the role of ROH as an adjuvant tool in explaining clinical variability within families. Identifying individuals carrying MPVs may have implications for disease management, identification of possible disease risks to different family members, genetic counseling and exploring personalized treatment approaches.

Abstract DNA methylation is an essential epigenetic chromatin modification, and its maintenance in mammals requires the protein UHRF1. It is yet unclear if UHRF1 functions solely by stimulating DNA methylation maintenance by DNMT1, or if it has important additional functions. Using degron alleles, we show that UHRF1 depletion causes a much greater loss of DNA methylation than DNMT1 depletion. This is not caused by passive demethylation as UHRF1-depleted cells proliferate more slowly than DNMT1-depleted cells. Instead, bioinformatics, proteomics and genetics experiments establish that UHRF1, besides activating DNMT1, interacts with DNMT3A and DNMT3B and promotes their activity. In addition, we show that UHRF1 antagonizes active DNA demethylation by TET2. Therefore, UHRF1 has non-canonical roles that contribute importantly to DNA methylation homeostasis; these findings have practical implications for epigenetics in health and disease.

Abstract The death toll and monetary damages from landslides continue to rise despite advancements in predictive modeling. These models’ performances are limited as landslide databases used in developing them often miss crucial information, e.g., underlying movement types. This study introduces a method of discerning landslide movements, such as slides, flows, and falls, by analyzing landslides’ 3D shapes. By examining landslide topological properties, we discover distinct patterns in their morphology, indicating different movements including complex ones with multiple coupled movements. We achieve 80-94% accuracy by applying topological properties in identifying landslide movements across diverse geographical and climatic regions, including Italy, the US Pacific Northwest, Denmark, Turkey, and Wenchuan in China. Furthermore, we demonstrate a real-world application on undocumented datasets from Wenchuan. Our work introduces a paradigm for studying landslide shapes to understand their underlying movements through the lens of landslide topology, which could aid landslide predictive models and risk evaluations.

Abstract Electrical stimulation is a fundamental tool in studying neural circuits, treating neurological diseases, and advancing regenerative medicine. Injectable, free-standing piezoelectric particle systems have emerged as non-genetic and wireless alternatives for electrode-based tethered stimulation systems. However, achieving cell-specific and high-frequency piezoelectric neural stimulation remains challenging due to high-intensity thresholds, non-specific diffusion, and internalization of particles. Here, we develop cell-sized 20 μm-diameter silica-based piezoelectric magnetic Janus microparticles (PEMPs), enabling clinically-relevant high-frequency neural stimulation of primary neurons under low-intensity focused ultrasound. Owing to its functionally anisotropic design, half of the PEMP acts as a piezoelectric electrode via conjugated barium titanate nanoparticles to induce electrical stimulation, while the nickel-gold nanofilm-coated magnetic half provides spatial and orientational control on neural stimulation via external uniform rotating magnetic fields. Furthermore, surface functionalization with targeting antibodies enables cell-specific binding/targeting and stimulation of dopaminergic neurons. Taking advantage of such functionalities, the PEMP design offers unique features towards wireless neural stimulation for minimally invasive treatment of neurological diseases.

Background: This study aimed to compare the immunohistochemical expression of calretinin, Map2, S-100, and Glut1 in rectal biopsy samples from patients suspected of Hirschsprung’s disease (HD). Methods and Results: Rectal biopsy samples from 40 patients with suspected HD were analyzed using hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and immunohistochemistry (IHC). Immunohistochemical stains were assessed after previous routine histology interpretation, which was classified as “Positive or in favor for HD” and “Equivocal or negative for HD.” The staining patterns for calretinin, Map2, S-100, and Glut1 were analyzed regarding the following structures: lamina propria small nerve fibrils, submucosal small nerve fibrils, submucosal nerve fibers, and submucosal ganglia. The IHC stains for calretinin and Map2 were score-ranked as 0 – negative and 1 – positive. The IHC stain for S-100 was score-ranked as 0 – normal and 1 – hypertrophic. The IHC stain for Glut1 was ranked as 0 – normal perineural and 1 – conspicuous perineural accentuation Calretinin had 92% accuracy, the highest sensitivity (80%) and specificity (92.00%).Map2 also had the same accuracy as calretinin but lower sensitivity (46.67%). Regarding S-100 and Glut1, these two markers did not support a conclusive diagnosis. The accuracy for S-100 and Glut1 was 66.7% and 60%, respectively. Conclusion: Calretinin remains the currently most valuable single IHC marker in diagnosing difficult cases of HD.

Abstract The studies have focused on changes in CO2 emissions over different periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Even if CO2 emissions are temporarily reduced during the pandemic according to annual figures, this may be misleading. Considering annual figures is important to understand the overall trend, but using data with much higher frequency (e.g., daily) is much better suited to investigate dynamic relationships and external effects. Therefore, this study comprehensively analyzes the association between CO2 emissions and disaggregated electricity generation (EG) sources across the globe by employing the novel wavelet local multiple correlation (WLMC) approach on daily data from 1st January 2020 to 31st March 2023. The results demonstrate that (1) based on the main statistics, daily CO2 emissions range between 69 MtCO2 and 116 MtCO2, indicating that there is an oscillation, but no sharp changes over the analyzed period. (2) based on the baseline regression using the dynamic ordinary least squares (DOLS) approach, the constructed estimation models have a high predictive ability of CO2 emissions, reaching ~ 94%; (3) in the further analysis employing the WLMC approach, there are significant externalities between EG resources, which affect CO2 emissions. The results present novel insights about time- and frequency-varying effects as well as a disaggregated analysis of the effect of EG on CO2 emissions, demonstrating the significance of the energy transition towards clean sources around the world.

Abstract This study constructs a proposed model to investigate the link between environmental, social, and governance (ESG) disclosures and ESG scores for publicly traded companies in the Borsa Istanbul Sustainability (XUSRD) index. In this context, this study considers 66 companies, examining recently structured ESG disclosures for 2022 that were published for the first time as novel data and applying a multilayer perceptron (MLP) artificial neural network algorithm. The relevant results are fourfold. (1) The MLP algorithm has explanatory power (i.e., R2) of 79% in estimating companies’ ESG scores. (2) Common, environment, social, and governance pillars have respective weights of 21.04%, 44.87%, 30.34%, and 3.74% in total ESG scores. (3) The absolute and relative significance of each ESG reporting principle for companies’ ESG scores varies. (4) According to absolute and relative significance, the most effective ESG principle is the common principle, followed by social and environmental principles, whereas governance principles have less significance. Overall, the results demonstrate that applying a linear approach to complete deficient ESG disclosures is inefficient for increasing companies’ ESG scores; instead, companies should focus on the ESG principles that have the highest relative significance. The findings of this study contribute to the literature by defining the most significant ESG principles for stimulating the ESG scores of companies in the XUSRD index.

This paper presents a study that focuses on sidewalk following problem of an autonomous wheelchair. The main goal is to propose a solution to the urban mobility problem of people with walking disabilities. The study offers an efficient control system design for this task. A linearized wheelchair model is constructed and image-based visual servoing is introduced to evaluate the performance of tracking yellow tactile pavement on sidewalk with optimal control. Reference trajectory sets are created using robust vanishing point for sidewalk following by employing the Hough Lines method. These reference paths are tested with two control methods of Linear Quadratic Regulator (LQR) control and Pole Placement (PP) control. Both control methods are applied through simulation on the autonomous wheelchair model, and efficacy of sidewalk following under these control methods is discussed comparatively. Disturbance attenuation results of the given optimal control methods and simulation outputs prove the efficacy of the model and the designed control systems. LQR control method proves to have better performance in system response in comparison to PP control method.

Abstract With the increasing penetration of grid‐scale wind energy systems, accurate wind power forecasting is critical to optimizing their integration into the power system, ensuring operational reliability, and enabling efficient system asset utilization. Addressing this challenge, this study proposes a novel forecasting model that combines the long‐short‐term memory (LSTM) neural network with two signal decomposition techniques. The EMD technique effectively extracts stable, stationary, and regular patterns from the original wind power signal, while the VMD technique tackles the most challenging high‐frequency component. A deep learning‐based forecasting model, i.e. the LSTM neural network, is used to take advantage of its ability to learn from longer sequences of data and its robustness to noise and outliers. The developed model is evaluated against LSTM models employing various decomposition methods using real wind power data from three distinct offshore wind farms. It is shown that the two‐stage decomposition significantly enhances forecasting accuracy, with the proposed model achieving R2 values up to 9.5% higher than those obtained using standard LSTM models.

Abstract While wave energy is regarded as one of the prominent renewable energy resources to diversify global low‐carbon generation capacity, operational reliability is the main impediment to the wide deployment of the related technology. Current experience in wave energy systems demonstrates that operation and maintenance costs are dominant in their cost structure due to unplanned maintenance resulting in energy production loss. Accurate and high performance simulation forecasting tools are required to improve the efficiency and safety of wave converters. This paper proposes a new methodology for significant wave height forecasting. It is based on incorporating swarm decomposition (SWD) and multi‐strategy random weighted grey wolf optimizer (MsRwGWO) into a multi‐layer perceptron (MLP) forecasting model. This approach takes advantage of the SWD approach to generate more stable, stationary, and regular patterns of the original signal, while the MsRwGWO optimizes the MLP model parameters efficiently. As such, forecasting accuracy has improved. Real wave datasets from three buoys in the North Atlantic Sea are used to test and validate the forecasting performance of the proposed model. Furthermore, the performance is evaluated through a comparison analysis against deep‐learning based state‐of‐the‐art forecasting models. The results show that the proposed approach significantly enhances the model's accuracy.

Introduction Proton craniospinal irradiation (pCSI) is a treatment option for leptomeningeal disease (LMD), which permits whole neuroaxis treatment while minimizing toxicity. Despite this, patients inevitably experience progression. Adding systemic therapy to pCSI may improve outcomes. Methods In this single-institution retrospective case series, we present the feasibility of treatment with pCSI (30Gy, 10 fractions) and an immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) in two sequential patients with LMD from melanoma. Results The first patient developed LMD related to BRAF V600E-mutant melanoma after prior ICI and BRAF-targeted therapy. After pCSI with concurrent nivolumab, the addition of relatlimab, and BRAF-targeted therapy, he remained alive 7 months after LMD diagnosis despite central nervous system progression. The second patient developed LMD related to BRAF-wildtype melanoma after up-front ICI. He received pCSI with concurrent ipilimumab and nivolumab, then nivolumab maintenance. Though therapy was held for ICI hepatitis, the patient remained progression-free 5 months after LMD diagnosis. Conclusion Adding an ICI to pCSI is feasible for patients with LMD and demonstrates a tolerable toxicity profile. While prospective evaluation is ultimately warranted, pCSI with ICI may confer survival benefits, even after prior ICI.

Values are the standards that direct our beliefs and behaviors regarding the forms of proper behavior or the purposes of life. The purpose of this research is to examine the views and opinions of university students studying in various departments on values. 411 students studying at various departments of Gümüshane University in the academic year of 2020-2021 constitute the study group. In the research, the Personal Details Form prepared by the researcher and interview questions about values were used as data collection tools. The descriptive analysis method was used in the data analysis. Based on the results of the study, university students understand values as love-respect, customs, family, respect, love, traditions, culture, importance-worth, religious values, national values, moral-ethics, rule, integrity-honesty, unity-cooperation, patriotism, economy, tolerance, cleanliness, friendship, help, self-control, responsibility, law-justice, solidarity, and freedom. Students consider respect, love and integrity, as the most important values for them, respectively. In addition to the foregoing, all university students stated that they attach importance to values, and the vast majority of them stated that they live consistently with values.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of the imagination levels of the students of the faculty of sports sciences on mental toughness. The demographic form containing personal information, the Sports Imagination Scale developed by Hall et al. (1998) and the scale adapted to Turkish by Vurgun (2010), reliability and validity study of which was carried out, were used to collect the data. It can be said that the imagination characteristics of the participants are at a good level and their mental toughness characteristics are close to the middle level. It was found that the imagination and mental toughness of the participants did not differ according to the gender variable. The imagination levels of the participants who are interested in team sports and who are engaged in individual sports do not differ significantly. When we look at the results obtained within the scope of correlation analysis in the study, it was found that there is a moderate and positive relationship between imagination and mental toughness. As a result of the regression analysis, it was found that imagination in sports has a significant positive contribution in explaining its effect on mental toughness. It can be said that the higher the level of imagination in sports, the higher the mental toughness.