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To equip students with 21st-century skills, teachers must have both deep STEM content knowledge and the confidence to implement and teach appropriate STEM content. Many elementary teachers have inadequate STEM background knowledge, low confidence, and STEM self-efficacy for implementing STEM in the classroom; as a result, teachers' classroom practices are affected. The study examined how elementary teachers perceive their ability to implement STEM in the classroom. The STEM Efficacy Survey was sent to a randomized pool of 100 elementary educators, and 18 of them agreed to participate in the study. This instrument was designed to elicit responses related to the teachers' previous background in STEM, their beliefs about their ability to implement STEM, and their actual STEM implementation in the elementary classroom. The results revealed that participants were confident in their understanding of the engineering design process and problem-based learning. However, teachers were unwilling to apply the engineering design process in the classroom. From this research, the researchers concluded that higher levels of training in STEM education may influence how teachers perceive their ability to implement STEM in the classroom. Further research should focus on exploring how STEM training affects teachers' self-efficacy in STEM implementation.

The aim of this study is to examine the effects of life kinetic exercises on the performance of floor curling athletes. A total of 40 volunteer women, 20 in the experimental group and 20 in the control group, residing in the city center of Gaziantep, aged between 14 and 16 and doing floor curling, participated in the study. Life kinetic exercise was applied to the experimental group for 8 weeks along with floor curling training. On the other hand, only floor curling training was applied to the control group. The data were analyzed in the SPSS package program. The normality analysis of the obtained data was done with the Shapiro-Wilk test. Paired Sample T-Test was used for the comparison of normally distributed data within groups. At the end of the study, statistically significant differences were found in the comparison of the pre-test and post-test values of the experimental group. No significant difference was found in the comparison of the pretest and posttest values of the control group. As a result, it can be said that life kinetic exercises have positive effects on individuals' quick decision making and also on sportive performance depending on this decision.

The study investigated the impact of Chemistry-Focused Online Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teacher education on the awareness of STEM among preservice science teachers. A one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental weak design was used to determine changes in preservice teachers’ STEM awareness. During the study, a 14-week Chemistry-Focused Online STEM course was provided to preservice science teachers. As part of this course, the theoretical knowledge about STEM was explained to students, and afterward, they completed two modules. Furthermore, preservice teachers also developed their chemistry-themed STEM lesson plans at the beginning of the course, after explaining theoretical knowledge about STEM at the end. The study group consisted of 17 senior preservice science teachers enrolled in the elective Teaching Chemistry in Elementary Education at a state university in the Marmara region during the spring semester of 2020–2021. The data were collected with the STEM Awareness Scale. The results revealed that chemistry-focused online STEM education enhances preservice science teachers’ STEM awareness. Potential implications from this research suggest that the preservice science teacher participants benefited significantly from chemistry-focused online STEM education while engaging in science and engineering practices and using chemistry knowledge to solve real-life problems.

Objective: Female emergency department (ED) patients with abdominal pain require consultation and investigation for accurate diagnosis, thus prolonging their stay. Materials and Methods: This study employed a retrospective design and focused on female patients who sought medical attention at an ED between April and September 2015. The study included patients who were referred to general surgery and/or obstetrics and gynecology clinics for consultation. Other variables included the length of stay (LOS), duration of consultations, recommendations provided in the consultation notes, and laboratory and imaging results. Results: The data of 1,146 patients were analyzed over a 6-month period. Upon analysis of their hospitalization and discharge status, it was concluded that there was no statistically significant disparity in terms of LOS in the ED (p=0.611). Patients who underwent computed tomography scans, had negative beta human chorionic gonadotropin results, or sought general surgeon consultation had longer stays in the ED. Conclusion: The sequential administration of examinations and consultations prolonged the ED stays of female abdominal pain patients. Thus, a standardized protocol for female abdominal pain patients is widely believed to be necessary.

Aim: This study aimed to review cognitive function and fine motor skills in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and investigate the association with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results. Material and Methods: The study included 22 patients diagnosed with relapsing-remitting MS and 22 controls. Participants underwent neuropsychological tests, including the Stroop test, Rey auditory verbal learning test (RAVLT), line bisection test (LBT), serial reaction time test (SRTT), and finger tapping test (FTT). The relationship between severity of disease, MRI, and test performance was investigated. Results: It was determined that the patients were lateralized to the right in the LBT data, while the control group was lateralized to the left (p=0.024). On cognitive tests, there was no significant difference in Stroop test results (p=0.134), but the mean overall RAVLT of the patient group was significantly lower than that of the control group (p

Movies are informal teaching tools to make teaching relevant to a diverse group of students. The use of movies may enhance students' interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). They can be effective tools to build students' interest in STEM fields and raise their awareness of STEM and STEM careers. This study purpose was to identify STEM-related topics in the movie "Hidden Figures" and determine preservice female teachers' views of it. The study sample included 19 female students. A qualitative phenomenological design research method was used. Data were collected using "the Movie Hidden Figures" and a "Semi-Structured Interview" forms. Qualitative data were analyzed using semiotics and content analysis. Analysis showed that "Hidden Figures" focuses mostly on the theme of "gender perception in science" as well as "design process" and "advances in technology." Participants believed that the movie had messages mostly of negative gender perception in science. Despite that, movies emphasized that women can be mathematicians, engineers, and scientists as men. They also stated that gender equality is crucial in education. They also advocated that mathematics and engineering are essential for technological progress and female scientists can play a more active role for achievement.

This qualitative research aims to determine teachers' opinions about in-class web 2.0 practices after distance professional development involvement. Twelve teachers from different public schools were selected purposefully as a sample group. The Web 2.0 and Distance Training Interview Form (WDTIF) was used after implementing web 2.0 tools in the classrooms to collect data. All interviews were audiotaped and transcribed. Then the data were analyzed by content analysis. The data analysis revealed that participating teachers recognized the different features of web 2.0 tools. Furthermore, it was found that teachers used web 2.0 tools for assessment, to create opportunities for collaboration, and to improve students' learning experience and engagement. Teachers also mentioned that distance education allowed them to participate in a professional learning community besides offering training opportunities. Distance education was also an affordable option for teachers who needs to travel to a distant location. During the interviews, the disadvantages of distance education were pointed out as well. These disadvantages were internet connection problems, lack of motivation and confidence, and face-to-face interaction. Further investigations were carried out to understand other related impacts of using web 2.0 tools in the classroom and distance teacher learning that arose during the study.

The purpose of the study was to determine teachers' opinions about virtual reality (VR). Virtual Reality Interview Form (VRIF) administered to seven teachers after the implementation of VR practices. Teachers received three weeks of intensive training. Afterward, teachers applied VR for two months in their classrooms. Later, interviews held with them. Findings indicated that different VR practices, including Google Cardboard, were used in the classroom. According to the teachers, using virtual reality in the classroom captured students' interest, increased their creativity, allowed students to take virtual trips, increased students' motivation, improved students' technology literacy, individualized learning; made students easier to understand difficult concepts. The potential problems of using VR were not asked the teachers; however, teachers mentioned that online safety and security, student access, and technology gaps were the problems they faced. The findings of this study suggest that the use of VR allows teachers to visualize abstract topics and enrich instruction. A VR orientation module would be provided teachers with opportunities to learn, practice, and apply their VR skills before being placed in the classroom.

The purpose of this study was to adapt the Elementary Teachers Efficacy and Attitudes towards STEM Survey (ET-STEM scale; Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, 2012) into Turkish and test the validity and reliability of the instrument. ET-STEM was administered to 313 elementary teachers from different provinces of Turkey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the structural validity of the scale. According to exploratory factor analysis results, the ET-STEM survey consists of nine factors. The values of Cronbach's alpha of the factors ranged from 0.891 to 0.964, and corrected item-total scale correlation ranged from 0.313 to 0.417. After the exploratory factor analysis performed, the ET-STEM was administered to 213 elementary school teachers. The results obtained from the confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for measuring the STEM competencies and attitudes of elementary school teachers.

Psoriasis is a chronic and non-transient disease with increased epidermal proliferation in the skin. Dysregulation of the immune system is an important factor in this pathology. Inflammation markers, pro-inflammatory cytokines, and immune cells are reported to be changed in psoriasis.

Copyright of Marmara University Journal of Turkology / Marmara Türkiyat Araştırmaları Dergisi is the property of Marmara University 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.)

Copyright of Ege Üniversitesi Ziraat Fakültesi Dergisi is the property of Ege Universitesi, Ziraat Fakultesi 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.)

This is the first comprehensive study aimed to determine polymorphisms in candidate genes (OCX32-exon4, OCX32-exon2, GHR-intron 2, GHR-intron 5, DRD1, DRD2, VIP-501, VIP-I2, VIPR-1, VIPR-2 and MR1C) reported to associated with egg yield and quality in white layer pure chicken lines (Black, Brown, Blue, Maroon and D-229) raised by Ankara Poultry Research Institute by using PCR-RFLP technique. A total of 11 gene regions were amplificated for 192 chickens and were then digested with specific restriction endonucleases to determine the genotypes. Although all chicken lines were monomorphic for VIPR-1/HhaI and VIP-501/VspI gene region, polymorphisms were detected in the rest of nine gene regions. The present study revealed that GHR-intron 2/HindIII and GHR-intron 5/NspI polymorphsims can be integrated with MAS studies to increase egg quality in white layer chicken lines (D-229 excluded) raised in Ankara Poultry Research Institute in the future. In addition, in order to increase egg yield DRD2 and MR1C gene may be used in MAS for all studied chicken lines, while VIP-I2/HinfI polymorphism can be used for Maroon line and VIPR-2/TaqI polymorphism for Brown and D-229.

The study investigated the impact of Chemistry-Focused Online Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) teacher education on the awareness of STEM among preservice science teachers. A one-group pretest–posttest quasi-experimental weak design was used to determine changes in preservice teachers’ STEM awareness. During the study, a 14-week Chemistry-Focused Online STEM course was provided to preservice science teachers. As part of this course, the theoretical knowledge about STEM was explained to students, and afterward, they completed two modules. Furthermore, preservice teachers also developed their chemistry-themed STEM lesson plans at the beginning of the course, after explaining theoretical knowledge about STEM at the end. The study group consisted of 17 senior preservice science teachers enrolled in the elective Teaching Chemistry in Elementary Education at a state university in the Marmara region during the spring semester of 2020–2021. The data were collected with the STEM Awareness Scale. The results revealed that chemistry-focused online STEM education enhances preservice science teachers’ STEM awareness. Potential implications from this research suggest that the preservice science teacher participants benefited significantly from chemistry-focused online STEM education while engaging in science and engineering practices and using chemistry knowledge to solve real-life problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a prevalent psychiatric condition linked to chronic conditions, suicide and relapse, leading to disability. Fine motor skills (FMS) can potentially provide valuable insights into the suspected psychomotor slowing associated with depression. This experimental, observational study aims to use a fresh paradigm to probe how the slowing of FMS impacts MDD patients, particularly in relation to motor and cognitive processes. Methods: This study involved 28 patients with MDD and 28 healthy control subjects. We developed the Serial Reaction Time Task (SRTT), Finger Tapping Test (FTT), and Target Hitting Test (THT) to examine the impact on FMS in relation to motor and cognitive processes. The THT incorporates cognitive elements like strategy and action monitoring and assimilates the other two tests. Participants were asked to complete the SRTT, FTT, THT, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) in two separate sessions. Results: We found significant differences between the groups across BDI, BAI, FTT, and SRTT data (P<0.001 for BDI, BAI, P=0.019 for FTT, P=0.032 for SRTT). There was also a noticeable difference in THT performance among the groups (P=0.013). The disparity between the depression group and the control group was primarily attributed to the THT error score (P=0.003). We noted that when BDI and SRTT scores increased, THT target values decreased (P=0.001 and P<0.001, respectively), but they increased with higher FTT scores (P<0.001). The depression group performed worse than the control group on all three computerized tests related to FMS (SRTT, FTT, THT). The poorer performance of patients with depression in THT was mostly due to THT error values. This suggests that these patients may have exerted more effort on motor performance to hit the target, compensating with physical effort rather than applying the necessary cognitive strategy required by the test. Conclusion: This study's findings indicate that MDD primarily impacts cognitive functions while also impairing FMS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Turkish Journal of Education is the property of Mehmet Tekerek 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 purpose of this study was to adapt the Elementary Teachers Efficacy and Attitudes towards STEM Survey (ET-STEM scale; Friday Institute for Educational Innovation, 2012) into Turkish and test the validity and reliability of the instrument. ET-STEM was administered to 313 elementary teachers from different provinces of Turkey. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted to examine the structural validity of the scale. According to exploratory factor analysis results, the ET-STEM survey consists of nine factors. The values of Cronbach's alpha of the factors ranged from 0.891 to 0.964, and corrected item-total scale correlation ranged from 0.313 to 0.417. After the exploratory factor analysis performed, the ET-STEM was administered to 213 elementary school teachers. The results obtained from the confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated adequate reliability and validity for measuring the STEM competencies and attitudes of elementary school teachers.

The purpose of the study was to determine teachers’ opinions about virtual reality (VR). Virtual Reality Interview Form (VRIF) administered to seven teachers after the implementation of VR practices. Teachers received three weeks of intensive training. Afterward, teachers applied VR for two months in their classrooms. Later, interviews held with them. Findings indicated that different VR practices, including Google Cardboard, were used in the classroom. According to the teachers, using virtual reality in the classroom captured students’ interest, increased their creativity, allowed students to take virtual trips, increased students’ motivation, improved students’ technology literacy, individualized learning; made students easier to understand difficult concepts. The potential problems of using VR were not asked the teachers; however, teachers mentioned that online safety and security, student access, and technology gaps were the problems they faced. The findings of this study suggest that the use of VR allows teachers to visualize abstract topics and enrich instruction. A VR orientation module would be provided teachers with opportunities to learn, practice, and apply their VR skills before being placed in the classroom.

Copyright of Journal of Communication Theory & Research / Iletisim Kuram ve Arastirma Dergisi is the property of Gazi University, Faculty of Communication 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.)

Objective: Creating an environment that boosts effective communication between patients and healthcare personnel, and identifying factors that impair good communication, have favorable results on the quality of healthcare services. The primary goal of this study was to develop a new valid and reliable scale that could be used to identify communication barriers at the patient level. Method: The study was conducted with 421 patients receiving healthcare services at Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research and Practice Hospital. The respondents varied in age, gender, education level and by the department to which they were admitted. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha test were utilized. Results: Based on the analysis of the data collected, a new valid and reliable scale (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.81) was constructed, consisting of 28 items and 7 sub-dimensions. Conclusion: The proposed scale showed that the main factors leading to the creation of communication barriers were waiting times, fear and anxiety experienced by the patients, security staff, patients’ need for attention, lack of trust towards healthcare personnel, concern and need for being informed and prejudice. Key words: Health communication, communication barriers, patients, healthcare personnel, hospitals

İnsülin benzeri büyüme faktörü-I (IGF-I) ve nöropeptid Y (NPY) tavuklarda üreme özellikleri ile ilişkili aday genlerdir. Bu çalışmanın amacı Ankara Tavukçuluk Araştırma Enstitüsü’nde yetiştirilen yumurtacı saf hatlarda IGF-I ve NPY genlerindeki polimorfizmlerin PCR-RFLP yöntemi kullanılarak belirlenmesidir. Bu amaçla IGF-I (5' untranslated region) ve NPY genleri için sırasıyla 621 ve 248 bç büyüklüğündeki bantlar çoğaltılmıştır. PCR ürünleri IGF-I ve NPY genleri üzerindeki tek nükleotid polimorfizmlerini (SNP) belirlemek için sırasıyla PstI ve DraI restriksiyon enzimleri ile kesildi. IGF-I geni için Brown ve D-229 dışındaki tüm hatlar polimorfik bulunmuştur. Kahverengi yumurtacı saf hatlarda IGF-I geni için A allelinin frekansı 0,344 (COL) ile 0,906 (RIRII) aralığında değişirken, beyaz yumurtacı saf hatlarda 0,781 (Maroon) ile 1,000 (D-229, Brown) aralığında bulunmuştur. Bu çalışmada NPY geni için tüm kahverengi yumurtacı saf hatlar polimorfik iken, beyaz yumurtacı tavuk hatlarında sadece Maroon hattı monomorfik bulunmuştur. NPY geni için T allelinin frekansı kahverengi yumurtacılarda 0,200 (BARI) ile 0,985 (COL), beyaz yumurtacılarda ise 0,397 (D-229) ile 1,000 (Maroon) aralığında değişmiştir. Uygulanan ki-kare testine (χ2) göre polimorfik populasyonlarda Hardy-Weinberg dengesinden sapma gözlenmemiştir. Sonuç olarak Ankara Tavukçuluk Araştırma Enstitüsü’nde yetiştirilen yumurtacı saf hatlarda IGF-I ve NPY genlerindeki polimorfizmler ilk kez gösterilmiştir.

Objective: Heart failure (HF) is a progressive clinical syndrome associated with significant morbidity and mortality. It is known that during the course of this syndrome, social factors can impact clinical outcomes alongside medical interventions. Studies have demonstrated that social support provides favorable developments in mortality rates, event-free survival, and readmission rates in HF patients. In our study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of the concept of family, the most significant social support, on clinical characteristics, exercise capacity, echocardiographic, and laboratory features in HF cases. Methods: A multicenter cohort study was conducted, including 303 patients previously diagnosed with HF, following current guidelines and presenting for outpatient follow-up. Patients with a new diagnosis of HF, those with acute decompensated HF, and those with a history of malignancy were excluded from the study. Demographic data (age, gender), comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, etc.), HF treatments, laboratory tests, and detailed transthoracic echocardiography results were recorded. Results: Patients were divided into two groups based on whether they lived with a spouse, parent, child, or without any of them, defining the presence or absence of family support. In the study, 303 patients with an average age of 62.1±13.0, of which 94 (31%) were female, were included. The mean left ventricular ejection fraction was 28.7±8.1. When the groups were compared in terms of comorbidities, there was no statistically significant difference in the presence of hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, stroke, or atrial fibrillation (all p>0.005). Coronary artery disease was more frequently observed in the group with family support, while chronic kidney disease was more common in the group without family support (p=0.008 and p=0.012, respectively). Smoking prevalence was significantly higher in the group without family support, while alcohol use showed no significant difference (p=0.046 and p=0.602, respectively). Analyzing the results, it was observed that patients with family support were more regularly monitored for HF reasons (71% vs. 59%, p=0.054). Conclusion: It has been observed that the social support provided by family members in individuals with HF can have positive effects on the clinical course of the disease and the patient's lifestyle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bu çalışma, hastanede hasta yakınları tarafından belirlenen iletişim engellerini çeşitli değişkenlere göre incelenmesini amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, Türkiye’nin Güneydoğusunda bulunan Gaziantep Üniversitesi Şahinbey Araştırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi’nde araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan 450 hasta yakını ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler katılımcı tanıtım formu ve Şahin ve arkadaşları (2017) tarafından geliştirilen anket formu ile toplanmıştır. Verilerinin analizinde; frekans, yüzde, aritmetik ortalama, standart sapma hesaplanmış ve bağımsız değişkenlerle ölçüm aracındaki toplam puanlar arasındaki farkı incelemek amacıyla Man-Whitney U testi ile Kruskal Wallis, alt boyutlar arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesinde ise Spearman Korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma sonucuna göre, hastanede hasta yakınları düzeyinde hasta yakınları ve sağlık çalışanları arasındaki iletişimi engelleyen faktörlerin kullanılan ölçekte yer aldığı gibi ilgi ihtiyacı, merak ve bilgi öğrenme isteği, bekleme süresi, güven, güvenlik personeli, korku ve endişe ve önyargı olduğu belirlenmiştir. Hasta yakınları ile hasta çalışanları arasındaki sağlık iletişimini engelleyen faktörler; hasta ile olan yakınlığa ve başvurulan bölüme göre anlamlı olarak farklılık göstermezken, cinsiyet, yaş, eğitim durumu ve hasta türüne göre anlamlı olarak farklılık göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma insan sağlığını iyileştirmeyi amaçlayan eylemlerde hasta yakınları düzeyinde sağlık iletişiminin etkili bir şekilde tesis edilmesi ve bunu engelleyen faktörlere yönelik önlemlerin alınması noktasında önem taşımaktadır.

Over the past 15 years, 300 out of 6000 breeds of all farm animal species identified by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) have gone extinct. Among cattle, many Podolian breeds are seriously endangered in various European areas. Podolian cattle include a group of very ancient European breeds, phenotypically close to the aurochs ancestors (Bos primigenius). The aim of the present study was to assess the genetic diversity of Podolian breeds and to reconstruct their origin.The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) control-regions of 18 Podolian breeds have been phylogenetically assessed. Nine non-Podolian breeds have been also included for comparison.The overall analysis clearly highlights some peculiarities in the mtDNA gene pool of some Podolian breeds. In particular, a principal component analysis point to a genetic proximity between five breeds (Chianina, Marchigiana, Maremmana, Podolica Italiana and Romagnola) reared in Central Italy and the Turkish Grey. We here propose the suggestive hypothesis of a dual ancestral contribution to the present gene pool of Podolian breeds, one deriving from Eastern European cattle; the other arising from the arrival of Middle Eastern cattle into Central Italy through a different route, perhaps by sea, ferried by Etruscan boats. The historical migration of Podolian cattle from North Eastern Europe towards Italy has not cancelled the mtDNA footprints of this previous ancient migration.