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This study reports on a bibliometric mapping analysis of L2 pronunciation research. Analyses on 629 articles published between 1977 and 2020 in 15 prestigious SSCI-indexed applied linguistics journals identified significant research themes and trends, influential authors, documents, and publication sources. The results of the analyses of citation impact, cocitation, and research trends provide valuable insights into understanding the dynamics, evolution patterns, and the intellectual background of L2 pronunciation research, thereby guiding future research and practice.

Objective: Infective endocarditis (IE) is a severe condition characterized by high mortality rates. We aimed to assess reinfection and mortality rates in IE patients at a tertiary referral center during long-term follow-up. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 204 patients meeting modified Duke criteria for definite IE between 2009 and 2019. Early reinfection was defined as occurrence within 6 months, and late reinfection was defined as occurrence 6 months after the initial diagnosis. Results: Mean follow-up duration was 40.3 ± 26.4 months. Valve surgery was performed in 125 patients (69.8%), while 54 (30.2%) received medical therapy alone. Early reinfection was seen in 9 patients (5.1%), and late reinfection in 12 patients (6.7%). Staphylococci (41.9%), Streptococci (26.3%), and Enterococci (15.6%) were common pathogens. Peripheral limb emboli predicted reinfection (HR 4.118, 95% CI 1.471-11.528, p=0.007). Survival rates at 1, 2, and 5 years were 70.2%, 65.7%, and 57.3%, respectively. Age (HR 1.030, 95% CI 1.011 -- 1.049, p=0.002), peripheral limb emboli (HR 2.994, 95% CI 1.509-5.940, p=0.002), and septic shock (HR 2.357, 95% CI 1.097-5.065, p=0.028) predicted mortality. Conclusion: Infective endocarditis mortality rates remain high regardless of reinfection. Peripheral limb emboli independently determine reinfection and mortality. Careful management of this group may reduce morbidity and mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the positive psychology and growth mindset framework, this quantitative study showcases the impact of growth language mindsets (GLM) on feedback-seeking behavior (FSB), emphasizing the mediating role of second/foreign language (L2) grit. With a cross-sectional design, an L2 grit scale, GLM inventory and FSB scale were used to collect data from EFL students in Turkish state universities. SPSS, AMOS v.23, and PROCESS Macro were used for analyses. The results reveal that the variables were positively and significantly related. The participants had high levels of growth mindset, feedback-seeking behavior, and L2 grit. Moreover, L2 grit mediated the relationship between GLM and FSB. These results are consistent with similar studies and theoretical accounts in the literature, and can be used for inventing teaching strategies and materials to help students develop growth mindsets and grit, such as self-monitoring and peer tutoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Endovascular aortic repair (EVAR) is commonly used for abdominal aortic aneurysms, but its mortality rate remains high. The hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet (HALP) score, which measures hemoglobin, albumin, lymphocyte, and platelet levels, provides prognostic value by reflecting the nutritional status and systemic inflammation. This study aimed to explore the relationship between the HALP score upon admission and long-term mortality in patients with EVAR. Methods: Consecutive patients with EVAR at our tertiary center from October 2010 to August 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. HALP scores were calculated using the following formula: hemoglobin (g/L) x albumin (g/L) x lymphocyte count (/L)/platelet count (/L). In-hospital and long-term mortality data were extracted. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis identified predictors of in-hospital mortality. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was performed to examine determinants of long-term mortality. Results: Among the 162 participants (mean age: 69.4±8.2 years, 90.1% male), the HALP score was the most significant predictor of in-hospital mortality (area under the curve: 0.752, 95% confidence interval: 0.674-0.830; p<0.001). Multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed HALP (p=0.001) and C-reactive protein (p=0.004) as independent determinants of long-term mortality. Conclusion: This study is the first to investigate the association between the HALP score and in-hospital and long-term mortality in EVAR patients. The HALP score is a robust prognostic tool compared with its components and other parameters in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Considering that nearly 39% of the total CO2 emission released into the atmosphere today are thought to be due to the energy consumed by buildings, the importance of taking measures through buildings to combat global warming is evident. Therefore, the concept of nearly zero‐energy buildings (NZEB) is come to the forefront. Building integrated photovoltaic thermal (BIPV/T) systems are used to enable buildings to generate their own energy. However, buildings have limited facade and roof areas required for BIPV/T systems. Therefore, in this study, various configurations of bifacial (double‐sided) and monofacial (single‐sided) panels were compared to investigate ways to enhance the efficiency of BIPV/T systems. Different air flow velocities and varying air gap distances were tested for both panel types. By placing a reflective surface on the wall behind the bifacial panel, the electrical efficiency of the bifacial panel was increased and proven through PVsyst analysis. Both panels provided maximum heat efficiency at the shortest air gap distance under high air flow conditions. In addition, it was shown in both the experimental setup and Comsol CFD analysis that it provides significant benefit in the thermal energy load of the building when heating the interior environment in winter. In terms of electrical power production surplus, the bifacial panel outperformed the monofacial panel in all configurations, with a minimum advantage of 8.33% and a maximum of 12.73%. Additionally, the maximum electrical efficiency was obtained from the bifacial panel in configurations with the longest air gap distance. Using the bifacial panel in the BIPV/T system with the shortest air gap distance during the heating season and the longest air gap distance during other seasons can provide the highest efficiency for the building throughout the year. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bezmialem Science is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teachers' instructional innovativeness on student engagement, with specific reference to behavioral and emotional aspects of engagement as perceived by the teachers. Given the ever-changing demands of contemporary education, this study underscores the importance of innovativeness and its influence on student engagement in L2 learning and teaching. The study adopted a cross-sectional design, utilizing a predictive moderated model, also assessing whether various teacher background variables such as educational status, gender, and field of graduation moderate the relationship between instructional innovativeness and student engagement. Data from 144 EFL teachers across Turkiye underwent analysis through partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). It was shown that instructional innovativeness significantly predicts both behavioral and emotional student engagement. However, only educational status, particularly differences between BA and PhD degrees, was found to moderate the impact on behavioral engagement, with no significant moderating effects identified for emotional engagement. In conclusion, this study highlights the merit of cultivating and fostering a culture of innovation among ELT practitioners to benefit students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growth and consumption are two closely related concepts that should not be considered separately. Along with population growth, industrialization, and increasing trade, people started to produce more and thus to consume more. Several environmental problems, including air, soil, and water pollution, the consumption of much more significant amounts of raw materials, and excessive use of synthetic products and chemicals have been emerged in order to meet production needs. One of the necessary resources to meet the consumption required for growth is energy. Renewable energy resources of nature, which are regarded as unlimited, sustainable, and regenerative, include wind energy, solar energy, bio-energy, geothermal energy, wave or tidal energy, and hydroelectric energy. One of the main goals of Turkey, within the scopes of its environmental friendliness and energy saving policies, is to increase the share of renewable energy resources in the energy portfolio of the country whose industry and economy are growing and the population is on the rise. Considering the points mentioned, the current study was carried out to analyze renewable energy consumption and economic growth in Turkey. In so doing, the annual data of renewable energy consumption, Gross domestic product, fixed capital formation, and the total labor force for the period 1990-2019 for Turkey were obtained from the World Bank database and analyzed using Toda-Yamamoto causality analysis. The results showed that there is a unidirectional causality running from renewable energy consumption, capital, and labor force to growth. In other words, increases in renewable energy consumption positively affect economic growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Studies - Language & Literature is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

In this study, the average boarding times of passengers from the same age groups (primary school, secondary school, and high school) were estimated. Additionally, the boarding times on the shuttles where the disabled high school group and the primary and secondary school student passenger groups get mixed services are taken into account. In the study, the population parameter estimations were made from small samples using the bootstrapping method. As a result of the study, the average boarding times were found to be 4.0 for primary school students, 4.8 for secondary school students, 4.2 for high school students, 11.9 for disabled high school students and 2.37 s/passenger for mixed primary and secondary school students. In cases where the number of main samples is low, the increase in the number of sub-samples in the Bootstrapping method has no effect on the estimation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unemployment is one of the clear indicators of the deterioration of internal economic balances. Although there is a close relationship between youth unemployment and adult unemployment, youth unemployment rates have always been higher than overall unemployment rates. Youth unemployment is one of the joint and most severe problems of countries. Although the increase in the workforce is positive for a functioning and growing economy, it is a problem in countries where unemployment has become a chronic problem. To prevent the youth from not contributing to production due to unemployment, the inclusion of a new workforce in the economy every year requires the creation of new jobs. Foreign trade is one of the policies that countries will implement to reduce unemployment rates. The primary purpose of this study is to investigate the impact offoreign trade on the labor market due to structural changes in production. For this purpose, Turkey's time-varying causality test has analyzed the relationship between quarterly data in 2013Q1-2020Q2 and youth unemployment, foreign trade, and actual economic growth variables. As a result, in 2015Q4, 2016Q1 and 2016Q2, there is a bidirectional causality relationship from youth unemployment to real economic growth, exports and imports. And there is a bidirectional causality relationship from real economic growth, exports, imports to youth unemployment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Administrative Sciences / Yonetim Bilimleri Dergisi is the property of Canakkale Onsekiz Mart Universitesi, Terzioglu Kampusu and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of the present study was to estimate the exchangeable sodium percentage (ESP) of the soil from the Bafra plain utilizing easily determined soil characteristics (EC and pH) with the use of artificial intelligence-based models. A total of 448 soil samples were taken from different points of the study area. Artificial neural network (ANN), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support vector regression (SVR) models were developed and compared. The present database was randomly divided into training and test data sets (70:30). Coefficient of determination (R2), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), normalized mean absolute error (NMAE), Nash and Sutcliffe model efficiency (NS) and Akaike's Information Criterion (AIC) were used as statistical performance indicators to assess the accuracy of the models. Present findings revealed that both ANN (R2 = 0.91, NMAE = 0.21, NRMSE = 0.05, NS = 0.91 and AIC = 191.86) and ANFIS (R2 = 0.91, NMAE = 0.21, NRMSE = 0.05, NS = 0.91 and AIC = 195.51) models had greater general estimation performance than SVR (R2 = 0.89, NMAE = 0.49, NRMSE = 0.08, NS = 0.74 and AIC = 334.57) model. Comparative assessments revealed that ANN and ANFIS approaches could successfully be used in estimation of ESP from EC and pH data. It was concluded based on present findings that artificial intelligence-based techniques could reliably be used in estimation of soil ESP as a promising alternative of traditional approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bullous pemphigoid (BP) is a chronic autoimmune disease affecting the elderly population and characterized by the formation of subepidermal tense bullae. Treatment options include topical steroids, systemic steroids, immunosuppressants, and antimicrobials, and there is emerging evidence of the efficacy of omalizumab. In this study, we aimed to demonstrate omalizumab's efficacy for treating BP, and we also reported treatment-related adverse events. The retrospective cohort study included patients with BP who were followed up in our clinic's bullous diseases department between 2016 and 2023. Patients who received omalizumab were included in the study. Treatment responses of all patients were assessed by BP Disease Area Index activity and damage scores, treatment scale scoring, steroid dose reduction, and the presence/absence of pruritus. Also, total IgE levels of patients before the treatment onset and at the last visit were compared. There were 15 (male/female = 8/7) BP patients receiving omalizumab treatment. Omalizumab therapy allowed steroid dose reduction at a median of 1 month. Omalizumab (25.5 mg, 95% confidence interval 17.2-33.9, P < .001) provided a significant steroid dose reduction at the last visit compared to the beginning of treatment. Omalizumab resulted in a decrease in BP Disease Area Index activity score of 80.8 (95% confidence interval 71.8-89.8, P < .001). Also, omalizumab caused significant decline in IgE levels compared to baseline (1102.5 ± 834.5 vs 834.6 ± 613.6, P = .002). In this study, omalizumab treatment was an effective and safe option in BP patients with high baseline IgE levels who are refractory to or cannot tolerate other immunosuppressive therapies., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Aim    Coronary artery tortuosity is a common coronary angiographic finding. This tortuosity can cause myocardial ischemia even in the absence of significant coronary artery stenosis. Our aim was to compare the demographic, clinical and echocardiographic features of patients with chronic coronary syndrome (CCS) and with and without coronary artery tortuosity.Material and methods    361 patients who underwent elective coronary angiography (CAG) due to CCS were included in the study. These patients divided into two groups, those with coronary tortuosity (Group 1) and those without (Group 2). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed to identify predictors associated with coronary artery tortuosity.Results    The mean age of the 361 CCS patients (44 % female; 56 % male) was 56.7±11.5 years. In the univariable regression analysis, age, female sex, hypertension (HT), PR interval, QTc interval, ST / T segment changes, left ventricle diastolic dysfunction (LVDD), left ventricle hypertrophia (LVH) were identified as predictors of coronary tortuosity. In the multivariable regression analysis, age (OR: 1.059; 95 %CI: 1.032-1.087, p&lt;0.001) and hypertension (OR: 0.484; 95 %CI: 0.278-0.843, p=0.01) were identified as independent predictors of coronary tortuosity.Conclusion    Coronary artery tortuosity is an angiographic finding that develops as a result of adaptive mechanisms in the heart and can cause myocardial ischemia. Predictors of coronary artery tortuosity in patients with CCS were long PR and QTc intervals, ST / T segment changes, LVH, LVDD, advanced age, and female gender. Evaluation of these demographic, electrocardiographic, and echocardiographic data may help clinicans to anticipate coronary artery tortuosity in patients with CCS and to be precautious for PCI.