Search

Introduction: Pediatric forensic cases have an important share in pediatric emergency service admissions. These require immediate treatment as they can lead to pediatric morbidity and mortality. In this study, a retrospective analysis of pediatric patients admitted to the emergency department due to acute forensic events was performed, and it was aimed to contribute to the data collected in Turkey by evaluating the results along with the results of other studies. Material and Method: All pediatric forensic cases admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Service of the ……..Research and Training Hospital between November 2016 and January 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. The demographic characteristics, forensic events, intoxication agents, hospitalization statuses and clinical follow-ups of the cases were recorded. Results: Among the 819 pediatric forensic cases admitted to the Pediatric Emergency Service, 393 (48%) were male, and 426 (52%) were female. The cases were aged between 0 and 18, with a mean age of 7.75±6.87 years. The majority of the patients were in the 0-2 age group (n=349, 42.6%). Case admissions were more frequent in winter months (n= 240; 29.3%), and most admissions were made in December (n=92; 11.2%). The days of the week with the highest frequencies of admissions were Wednesday (n=138, 16.8%) and Monday (n=134, 16.3%). The hours of the day with the highest frequencies of admissions were between 18:00 and 24:00 (n=309; 37.72%). Drug intoxication (47.13%) was found to be the most frequently encountered reason for the admission of the cases. While 69.47% (n=569) of the cases were treated as outpatients, 29.42% (n=241) were treated as inpatients, and the mortality rate in the sample was 0.6%. Conclusion: Most causes of pediatric forensic events are preventable. Therefore, a safe environment should be provided by taking effective protective measures, and strategies that include education in which families and children will actively participate should be developed.

Bu çalışmada fen bilimleri öğretmenlerinin üst düzey düşünme becerileri ölçen soru yazma öz-yeterliği çeşitli değişkenler açısından incelenmiştir. Çalışma nicel kökenli tarama modelindedir. Çalışmanın örneklemini Türkiye’de Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı’na bağlı resmi ortaokullarda görev yapan 492 fen bilimleri öğretmenleri oluşturmaktadır. Veriler elektronik ortam yoluyla araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen “Fen Bilimleri Öğretmenlerinin Üst Düzey Öğrenme Becerisini Ölçen Soru Yazma Öz-Yeterliği Ölçeği” ile toplanmıştır. Verilerin analizi betimsel istatistik ve fark testleri ile yapılmıştır. Sonuçta fen bilimleri öğretmenlerinin üst düzey düşünme becerileri ölçen soru yazma öz-yeterliği puan ortalamalarının yüksek olduğu kıdem ve öğrenim düzeyi açısından anlamlı fark olmadığı ancak cinsiyet bakımından erkek öğretmenler lehine anlamlı fark olduğu belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonunda öğretmenlere üst düzey düşünme becerileri ölçen soru yazma eğitim programlarının düzenlenmesi, akademik destek sağlanması yönünde önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

Objective There are many adverse effects of drugs used to eradicate Helicobacter pylori, and reconstructing the microbiota by external ingestion of probiotics seems to have good effects on H. pylori eradication and prevents side effects. Methods The study included 161 outpatients aged between 8 and 18 years diagnosed with H. pylori gastritis in the Gülhane Training and Research Hospital Pediatric Gastroenterology unit from June 1, 2018, through March 31, 2020, and patients were randomized into two groups. Eighty patients in the probiotic group (first group) received H. pylori eradication therapy for 14 days; additionally, Bifidobacterium lactis B94 was administered for 14 days for eradication of H. pylori. Eighty-one patients in the standard therapy group (second group) received the same eradication therapy but no probiotics. All patients were asked to complete a detailed questionnaire regularly, including changes in symptoms and side effects of drugs on days 0, 7, and 14 of treatment. The eradication success was checked with the H. pylori stool antigen test kit 8 weeks after completion of the treatment regimen. Results The mean age of the patients was 14.2 ± 2.9 years, and 88 (64.7%) were female. The eradication rates were similar between the standard therapy and the probiotic groups by intention-to-treat analysis (p = 0.930). In order of frequency, the most common eradication treatment–related side effects were abdominal pain, taste abnormalities, and anorexia. In addition, therapy-related epigastric pain and flatulence were similar initially (p > 0.05) but seemed to be significantly lower in the probiotic group than in the standard therapy group on days 7 and 14 (p Conclusions Our results suggest that additional probiotic supplementation has not changed the eradication rates but seems to reduce some specific gastrointestinal adverse events in children with H. pylori infections treated with a bismuth-based quadruple eradication regimen. More extensive randomized controlled trials are needed to explain probiotics' effects on H. pylori eradication and drug side effects.

Amaç: Çalışmamızda COVID-19 pozitifliği tespit edilen çocuk hastalarda olası elektrolit bozukluğunu değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır. Gereç ve Yöntem: COVID-19 semptomları veya temas öyküsü olan, COVID 19 PCR antijen test uygulanan 1 ay-18 yaş arası hastalar çalışmaya dahil edildi. Hastaların fizik muayeneleri, semptomları, laboratuvar bulguları ve izlemleri geriye dönük olarak incelendi. COVID 19 test pozitif ve negatif olan vakalar arası bulgular ve laboratuvar sonuçları karşılaştırıldı. İstatiksel analiz için Student t test ve Mann Whitney U testi kullanıldı. Bulgular: Toplam 300 hastanın klinik ve laboratuvar bulguları değerlendirilmiştir. Hastaların yaş ortalaması 9,6±6,1 yıldır. Nazofaringeal COVID-19 PCR antijen testi 155 (%51,7) hastada pozitif tespit edildi. Miyalji bulgusu COVİD-19 tanısı almış hastalarda test negatif gruba göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık göstermiştir (p0,05). Klinik ciddiyet derecesi ile elektrolit düzeyleri arasında anlamlı bir fark saptanmadı (p=0,676). Sonuç: Enfeksiyon varlığında çocuklar sıvı ve elektrolit bozuklukları açısından daha büyük risk altındadır. Özellikle hastanede ve yoğun bakımda yatan çocuk hastalarda sıvı ve elektrolit bozuklukları daha sık görülmektedir. Bu nedenle COVID 19 enfeksiyonlu çocuklarda sıvı ve elektrolit durumu takip edilmelidir.

Aim: Our study aimed to determine factors affecting the level of knowledge of families about pediatric vaccination and their attitudes and behaviors towards vaccination. Methods: This study with a descriptive, cross-sectional design included 595 families. The families have completed a 31-items questionnaire. Each correct answer for knowledge questions was rated as 1 point while each incorrect answer or unanswered question was rated as 0 points. The total score was calculated for each participant and compared with demographic data. Results: Mean children’s age was 3.9±0.1 years and 48.2% (n=287) were girls. 77.1% (n=459) participants were mothers. Of the families included, 99% reported that they got their children vaccinated regularly and 85.9% (n=511) reported that they got their children vaccinated in Family Health Centers. The families reported that they were mostly informed by healthcare providers. Based on multivariate regression analysis, it was found that there was a significant correlation between the level of knowledge of participants and child's age, total income level, maternal education level, maternal employment status, presence of chronic disease. Conclusion: Provision of primary healthcare services and in-service training of healthcare providers to maintain continuity of healthcare services are highly important in improving the level of knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of families. Keywords: family, vaccines, knowledge, attitude, behavior

This multi-center point prevalence study evaluated children who were diagnosed as having coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). On February 2nd, 2022, inpatients and outpatients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were included in the study from 12 cities and 24 centers in Turkey. Of 8605 patients on February 2nd, 2022, in participating centers, 706 (8.2%) had COVID-19. The median age of the 706 patients was 92.50 months, 53.4% were female, and 76.7% were inpatients. The three most common symptoms of the patients with COVID-19 were fever (56.6%), cough (41.3%), and fatigue (27.5%). The three most common underlying chronic diseases (UCDs) were asthma (3.4%), neurologic disorders (3.3%), and obesity (2.6%). The SARS-CoV-2-related pneumoniae rate was 10.7%. The COVID-19 vaccination rate was 12.5% in all patients. Among patients aged over 12 years with access to the vaccine given by the Republic of Turkey Ministry of Health, the vaccination rate was 38.7%. Patients with UCDs presented with dyspnea and pneumoniae more frequently than those without UCDs (p < 0.001 for both). The rates of fever, diarrhea, and pneumoniae were higher in patients without COVID-19 vaccinations (p = 0.001, p = 0.012, and p = 0.027). Conclusion: To lessen the effects of the disease, all eligible children should receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The illness may specifically endanger children with UCDs. What is Known: • Children with COVID-19 mainly present with fever and cough, as in adults. • COVID-19 may specifically threaten children with underlying chronic diseases. What is New: • Children with obesity have a higher vaccination rate against COVID-19 than children without obesity. • Among unvaccinated children, fever and pneumoniae might be seen at a higher ratio than among vaccinated children.

Nasal irrigation is recommended as add-on therapy in patients with intermittent allergic rhinitis (AR). We aimed to evaluate the clinical efficacy of adding hyaluronic acid (HA) or normal saline solution (NSS) to nasal corticosteroid (NC) therapy as add-on therapy in improving quality of life and reducing nasal symptom scores of children with intermittent AR compared to NC therapy. In this 28-day long, open-label, randomized controlled trial, one puff of NC was administered once a day through both nostrils of 76 children with SAR (6–12 years old), whose Total Nasal Symptom Score (TNSS) was ≥ 4. Twenty-six patients received NC only (Group 1); 24 patients received NSS (Group 2), and 26 patients received HA (Group 3) twice a day by means of nasal douche device. Pediatric Rhinoconjunctivitis Quality of Life Questionnaire (PRQLQ) and TNSS were measured as subjective parameters, and nasal eosinophil count (NEC) in nasal cytology, nasal airflow (NAF), and resistance were measured as objective parameters. No significant difference was found in post-treatment between groups in terms of TNSS, PRQLQ, and NEC values. Mean values of post-treatment left NAF of the groups were significantly different (p = 0.030), and the mean value of Group 3 was the highest (mean ± SD = 247.62 ± 155.8 ccm/sn). In comparing pre- and post-treatment intragroup mean total NAR (TNAR) values, a statistically significant decrease was recorded only in group three (p = 0.025). The addition of HA to NC as an adjunct therapy in children with intermittent AR has limited beneficial effects in our study and deserves further investigation. The clinical trial registration number ID:NCT04752956.

Premature adrenarche has been associated with an increase in adrenal androgens, and the hyperandrogenic hormonal environment is known to lead to increased platelet aggregation. Here, we evaluated the effects of premature adrenarche (PA) on platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma samples from female patients.The study included 40 female patients diagnosed with PA between February 2014 and June 2018 and 30 healthy female individuals in the control group. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen-induced platelet aggregation were studied with the photometric aggregometry method.There was no significant difference in the platelet count or volume values between the participants with PA and the control group. Additionally, the ADP-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope values did not significantly differ between the patient and control groups (p0.05). However, the collagen-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope values were significantly higher in the patient group (p0.001).Increased collagen-induced platelet aggregation was detected in female patients with PA. As PA is associated with a higher risk of cardiovascular events later in life, close follow-up of PA in this respect may be beneficial.

Background: The aim of this study was to document the clinical features of children with mosquito allergy and investigate the possible associations between demographic features and type of reactions in this population. Methods: Children with large local or unusual reactions after mosquito bites who attended to our outpatient pediatric allergy department were enrolled in the study along with control subjects. Results: A total of 180 children (94 with mosquito allergy and 86 age and sex-matched control subjects) with a median age of 6.8 years (IQR 5.5-9.3) were enrolled. Atopy (35.1% vs. 11.6%, p

OBJECTIVES Voice is the one of the sexual maturation characteristics that differs between boys and girls. Voice analysis is a non-invasive diagnostic tool and well-tolerated by children. Our aim is to investigate the capability of MDVP to predict precocious puberty (PP). To our knowledge, this is the only study to assess the voice parameters in the diagnosis of PP. MATERIAL AND METHODS The data of PP and control group were retrospectively reviewed. Voice parameters including fundamental frequency, jitter, shimmer and harmonic-to-noise ratio (HNR), age, and gender of subjects were noted. ROC curve was performed to the statistically significant parameters after double group comparisons and cut-off values were defined. 2 × 2 table were created and compared between the groups. RESULTS A total of 54 children comprising 32 subjects (8 boys and 24 girls) in the PP group and 22 (10 boys and 12 girls) in the control group were included, and the mean age of girls were 8.17 and 7.92 years, and those of the boys were 8.83 and 7.90, respectively. Jitter and HNR values were statistically significant in the girls but not in boys between the 2 groups (P = 0.013, P = 0.032, respectively). The cut-off points were 1.31 for jitter, 6.39 for HNR. Univariate analysis according to cut-off values of jitter and HNR revealed a statistically significant difference between the 2 groups (P = 0.004, OR: 8.80 [1.26- 61,15] and P = 0.012, OR: 5.00 [1.27-19.68], respectively). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that, along with an evaluation of other secondary sexual maturation characteristics, voice analysis may be used by pediatric endocrinologists and otolaryngologists to diagnose PP in girls but not in boys.

Background Many children encounter unusual or “exaggerated” reactions such as large local, atypical or systemic reactions after mosquito bites. Objective The aim of this study was to document the clinical features of children with mosquito allergy and investigate the possible associations between demographic features and type of reactions in this population. Methods Children with large local or unusual reactions after mosquito bites who attended to our outpatient pediatric allergy department were enrolled in the study along with control subjects. Results A total of 180 children (94 with mosquito allergy and 86 age and sex-matched control subjects) with a median age of 6.8 years (IQR 5.5–9.3) were enrolled. Atopy (35.1% vs. 11.6%, p < 0.001) and grass pollen sensitization (28.7% vs. 8.1%, p < 0.001) were significantly more frequent in children with mosquito allergy. Skin prick test with mosquito allergen was positive in only 6 children (6,4%). Grass pollen sensitization was most common in children (28.7%) followed by sensitization to house dust mite (9.6%). 30 children (31.9%) had an accompanying atopic disease such as allergic rhinitis, asthma or atopic dermatitis. Bullae were significantly more frequent in children with asthma (41.7% vs.15.9, p = 0.034). The median duration of symptoms after onset were significantly longer in patients with ecchymosis, with immediate wheals and in children whose symptoms start in 20 min to 4 hours after mosquito bites. Conclusion There is an association between unusual, large local or exaggerated reactions after mosquito bites and allergic diseases in children. The severity of reactions increases with age and particularly in children with atopic background.

BackgroundEarly menarche in girls is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events later in life, but the role of platelets in this risk has not been investigated during puberty. Here, we evaluated the effects of idiopathic central precocious puberty (ICPP) on platelet aggregation in platelet-rich plasma samples from female patients. MethodsThe study included 40 girls diagnosed with ICPP between February 2012 and June 2016, and a control group consisting of 30 healthy females. Adenosine diphosphate (ADP) and collagen-induced platelet aggregation were studied with photometric aggregometry. ResultsThere was no difference in the platelet count or volume between girls with ICPP and the control group. In addition, the ADP-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope did not significantly differ between the study and control groups (p > 0.05). However, the collagen-induced maximum aggregation time, value, and slope were significantly higher in the study group (p < 0.001). ConclusionsIncreased collagen-induced platelet aggregation was detected in girls with ICPP. Thus, early treatment of ICPP may be important because of the increased risk of cardiovascular events later in life. Extensive studies with more patients are needed to determine the mechanisms of platelet dysfunction in girls with ICPP.

Herpes Simplex Virus (HSV) type 1 and type 2, is transmitted via sexual or non sexual routes, leading to oral, genital or anal infections. HSV type 1 presents with oral lesions rather than genital lesions in small children. Therefore, in a child with type 1 infection in genital or anal region, the probability of auto-inoculation from oral lesion should be considered. As to genital or anal HSV type 2 infection is transmitted mostly via sexual route, non-sexual auto-inoculation not being described for it. Such infections detected in anal and genital regions in children suggest sexual abuse. The aim of this case report is to present and discuss an adolescent patient with herpetic vesicles in perianal regions who was subjected to sexual abuse.

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to investigate the association of serum periostin levels with clinical features in children with asthma. METHODS Children with physician-diagnosed asthma who attended regularly to an outpatient pediatric allergy and asthma center were enrolled in the study along with control subjects. Asthma severity and control status of the patients were evaluated according to the recent GINA guidelines. RESULTS A total of 158 children (125 with asthma and 33 age- and sex-matched control subjects) with a median age of 10.2 years (range 5.9-17.0) were enrolled. Asthma severity was mild in 41 (32.8%), moderate in 63 (50.4%), and severe in 21 (16.8%) children. Children with asthma had significantly higher periostin levels than controls (53.1 ± 13.1 vs 43.0 ± 11.2 ng/mL, P

Background: Periostin has emerged as a novel biomarker in the pathogenesis of T helper 2-type allergic diseases in the last years. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of serum periostin levels with clinical features in children with asthma. Methods: Children with physician-diagnosed asthma who attended regularly to an outpatient pediatric allergy and asthma center were enrolled in the study along with control subjects. Asthma severity and control status of the patients were evaluated according to recent GINA guidelines. Results: A total of 158 children (125 with asthma and 33 age and sex-matched control subjects) with a median age of 10.2 years (range 5.9-17.0) were enrolled. Asthma severity was mild in 41 (32.8%), moderate in 63 (50.4%) and severe in 21 (16.8%) children. Children with asthma had significantly higher periostin levels than controls (53.1 ± 13.1 vs 43.0 ± 11.2 ng/mL; p < 0.001). The mean serum periostin levels of children with severe asthma (63.8 ± 10.8) were significantly higher than in children with moderate asthma (53.3 ± 12.7) and mild asthma (47.4 ± 11.1) (p < 0.001). Serum periostin levels were found to be significantly correlated with asthma severity (Spearman’s rho [r]=0.41, p < 0.001). Results of multivariable logistic regression analysis demonstrated an association between serum periostin levels and asthma severity in children (OR, 1.10; 95% CI, 1.04-1.15; p

Bu araştırmada, yedinci sınıf kütle ve ağırlık konusunda, Tahmin-Gözlem-Açıklama (TGA) yönteminin öğrencilerin akademik başarısına ve kavram öğrenmelerine olan etkisinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Araştırma, nicel kökenli öntest-sontest uygulamalı basit deneysel desen modelindedir. Çalışmanın örneklemini 2019-2020 eğitim-öğretim Çorum ilindeki bir ortaokulda öğrenim gören 7.sınıf 19 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak açık uçlu sorulardan oluşan başarı testi, kavram haritası ve yarı yapılandırılmış mülakat formu kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde betimsel analiz ,fark analizi ve içerik analizi kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerin uygulama öncesindeki başarıları ile uygulama sonundaki başarılarını karşılaştırmak için nonparametric testlerden wilcoxon işaretli sıralar testi kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerle yapılan mülakatlar ise içerik analizi yoluyla yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda, TGA yönteminin öğrencilerin kütle ve ağırlık konusundaki akademik başarısını anlamlı bir şekilde artırdığı, öğrencilerin kavram yanılgılarının giderilmesinde, imajlarının olumlu yönde değişmesinde etkili olduğu belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın sonucunda daha büyük örneklemlerle benzer çalışmaların yapılması, aynı konuda farklı yöntemlerin uygulanması gibi çeşitli önerilerde bulunulmuştur.

8. sınıf ortaokul öğrencilerinin “Dünya ve Evren” öğrenme alanında yer tüm ortaokul temel kavramlarına yönelik zihin haritalarının belirlendiği bu çalışma , nitel kökenli özel durum çalışması yöntemi kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışma grubunu 2013-2014 eğitim öğretim yılında Çorum İli’ndeki bir ortaokuldaki rasgele seçilen 40 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Veri toplama aracı olarak kelime ilişkilendirme testi formu kullanılmıştır. Kelime ilişkilendirme testi kesme noktası yoluyla analiz edilmiştir. Analizlerin sonucunda öğrencilerin, Dünya ve Evren öğrenme alanındaki öğrenme düzeylerinin düşük olduğu, üst düzey zihinsel düzeye sahip olmadıkları anlaşılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonucunda Dünya ve Evren öğrenme alanı konularının öğretiminde öğrencilerin etkin katılımının sağlandığı uygulamalı eğitimlerin yapılması, yeni kavramların da yer aldığı araştırmaların artırılması, eğitim kurumlarında astronomi sınıflarının oluşturulması konusunda öneriler sunulmuştur., This study determined the 8th grade middle school students' mind maps for all secondary school basic concepts in the “World and the Universe” learning area, by using the qualitative case study method. The study group was randomly selected using the 2013-2014 academic year, Turkey's interior area of a secondary school in the province of random sampling consisted of 40 students.Word association test form was used as data collection tool. The word association test was analyzed through the intersection point technique. As a result of the analyzes, it was found that the students' learning levels in the World and Universe learning area were low and the students did not have a high level of mental level. As a result of the research, suggestions were made about the implementation of practical trainings in which the students participated in the teaching of World and Universe learning area subjects, increasing the researches including the new concepts, and the formation of astronomy classes in educational institutions.

The aim of this study was to investigate the changes in the peripheral blood of newborns of hypertensive mothers. The umbilical cord blood from newborns of 31 hypertensive mothers and 32 healthy mothers were examined. In all subjects, complete blood count, peripheral blood smear, reticulocyte count, vitamin B12, folate, ferritin levels and hemoglobin electrophoresis were performed. The subjects were followed up on for 1 year in terms of infections. RBC, hemoglobin, reticulocyte count and normoblast count were higher in the newborns of hypertensive mothers compared to the control group, and total leukocytes, neutrophil, lymphocyte, monocyte, eosinophil, and thrombocyte counts were lower. The number of neutropenic and thrombocytopenic subjects in newborns of hypertensive mothers was higher compared to the control group. On peripheral smears, dysplastic changes in neutrophils and erythrocytes were observed with a higher rate in newborns of hypertensive mothers compared to the control group. HbF levels were found to be higher in newborns of hypertensive mothers compared to the control group. During the follow-up period of 1 year, the number of infections in newborns of hypertensive mothers was found to be higher than the control group. Conclusion: Newborns of hypertensive mothers should be carefully evaluated and monitored in terms of hematologic abnormalities. Complete blood counts and peripheral blood smears can be used as significant parameters for early diagnosis of possible complications.

The crew pairing problem (CPP) deals with generating crew pairings due to law and restrictions and selecting a set of crew pairings with minimal cost that covers all the flight legs. In this study, we present three different algorithms to solve CPP. The knowledge based random algorithm (KBRA) and the hybrid algorithm (HA) both combine heuristics and exact methods. While KBRA generates a reduced solution space by using the knowledge received from the past, HA starts to generate a reduced search space including high quality legal pairings by using some mechanisms in components of genetic algorithm (GA). Zero-one integer programming model of the set covering problem (SCP) which is an NP-hard problem is then used to select the minimal cost pairings among solutions in the reduced search space. Column generation (CG) which is the most commonly used technique in the CPP literature is used as the third solution technique. While the master problem is formulated as SCP, legal pairings are generated in the pricing problem by solving a shortest path problem on a structured network. In addition, the performance of CG integrated by KBRA (CG_KBRA) and HA (CG_HA) is investigated on randomly generated test problems. Computational results show that HA and CG_HA can be considered as effective and efficient solution algorithms for solving CPP in terms of the computational cost and solution quality.

The capacity of pumping ground water with wind energy conversion systems in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia was statistically analyzed. Experimental data of half-hourly wind energy measurements made for a period of 5 years (1995-2000) were used in the analysis. Seven horizontal-axis wind turbines with different power ratings were considered in the study. Eight water pumps with different power ratings to be powered by the wind turbines were considered. The numbers of pumps that can be powered by the wind turbines and the daily water pumping capacities at the study sites were analyzed. It was found that there is considerable wind power for pumping underground water for irrigation purposes. The net equivalent values of the annual wind energy generated by the various wind turbines were estimated. The net present value of total revenue generated by wind turbines was determined and it was deduced that the N60/1300 turbine would be an economically profitable investment. Finally, a sensitivity analysis was performed to determine the break-even initial cost of the seven wind-electric conversion systems.

Objective: Studies have demonstrated a significant relationship between maternal fructose intake and metabolic outcome in their offspring. However, there is a paucity of data about the long-term effects of fructose intake on the offspring of fructose-fed dams. Therefore, we planned a study to evaluate the long-term effects of fructose intake on the offspring of dam rats fed a high-fructose diet. Methods: Sixteen virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups. Group 1 received a regular diet and Group 2 a high-fructose diet. Both groups received their experimental diets for 8 weeks before conception. They were mated and continued to feed with their experimental diet during mating and during their pregnancy and lactation periods. After weaning, the offspring from each group were divided into two groups. Group 1A received a regular diet, Group 1B - a fructose diet, Group 2A - a regular diet and Group 2B received a fructose diet. After weaning, the offspring were anesthetized and blood samples were collected for biochemical analysis. Liver, kidney and retroperitoneal adipose tissue were harvested for histopathological examination. Primary antibodies against inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) were determined as early inflammation markers. Results: After weaning, while daily water consumption was found to be significantly higher in Groups 2B and 1B (p

Neonatal overlerde kucuk boyutlarda kist saptanmasi sik ve normal bir bulgudur. 2 cm’den buyuk ise patolojik olarak kabul edilir. Postnatal takipte kist boyutlarinda gerileme gozlenmemesi durumunda cerrahi islem onerilmektedir. Bu yazida, antenatal tani almis over kistli bir yenidogan sunularak neonatal over kistlerde tani, takip ve tedavinin tartisilmasi amaclanmistir.

This paper addresses the problem of scheduling jobs for three serial stations with the last two duplicate, i.e., identical. The performance measure considered is the makespan, and a Branch and Bound and two heuristic procedures are proposed. Two dominance criteria are developed to produce the optimal schedule for the jobs sequenced so far. Extensive computational experiments reveal that the Genetic Algorithm can be used to obtain a group of effective solutions for any realistic size problem within small computation time.

The performance of a sequencing procedure to smooth out the fluctuating workload (and part utilization) on a paced assembly line relies heavily on the average load of the model mixes chosen from the order-bank. Meanwhile, the due-dates of orders may conflict with this production-centred goal. This study proposes a mathematical model to select a fixed number of jobs while minimizing the total cost of producing them at the next period and satisfying capacity (RHS) limits at stations. A branch-and-bound procedure, which employs some dominance criteria, is proposed to provide optimal solutions. Pairwise interchange heuristics are developed to improve the initial solution, which is optimum but not feasible. Computational results show that optimal solutions can be obtained very efficiently for 100-job and 10-station problems. A three-factor experiment indicates that the RHS limit is the only significant parameter on the performance of the procedures. For over 1000-job problems, the best heuristic finds the opti...

Today, custom and shipping regulations recognize the importance of lightweight and high performance corrugated boxes, and encourage wider usage of them. Usually, the boxes are produced by glueing layers of paper from roll stocks and cutting carton boards in certain sizes in the corrugater machine, drying them in the buffer area, and converting the flat boards into boxes in the converting machines. Similar to previous work, this study also deals with the cutting stock, buffer utilization and machine loading problems. Additionally, it includes set-ups in the converting machines and operating characteristics of roller conveyors in the buffer area. A binary linear program is proposed to maximize the total length of converted paper boards in one shift and to minimize the percentage trim loss. An optimal decomposition algorithm is developed to employ Successive Linear Programming Relaxations until the upper bound on the throughput is reached. An experimental study, with the real data obtained from a local compa...

Assigning commercial service aircrafts to the available gates at an airport depends on flights scheduled, their actual behavior relative to those schedules, aircraft servicing requirements and capacities of ramp facilities. Flight delays, severe weather, or equipment failures can disrupt the planned schedules, and compound the difficulty of maintaining smooth station operations. A mixed-binary mathematical model with a quadratic function for minimizing the variance of idle times at the gates is proposed to make the initial assignments insensitive to variations in flight schedules. Experimental results with a branch and bound algorithm indicate that more computational effort is required to assign flights optimally over low utilized gates. Furthermore, a heuristic employing the priority function which considers additionally the possible idle times from the future assignments outperforms the others, significantly. Over the real data obtained from the Saudi Arabian Airlines, average 87.4% and 76.2% of improvements can be obtained on the number of aircrafts assigned initially to remote area and that towed from their assigned gates during the real-time implementation, respectively.

Small sized ovarian cysts in neonatal ovary is a common and normal finding. If it is bigger than 2 cm, it is accepted as pathologic. If any regression in size of the ovarian cyst is not observed on follow-up, surgical intervention is suggested. Herein, a newborn who was born with antenatally diagnosed ovarian cyst is presented and it is aimed to discuss the diagnosis, follow-up and mana-gement of neonatal ovarian cysts.

For sequencing different models on a paced assembly line, the commonly accepted objective is to keep the operators within the boundaries of their stations. When the operators reach the right boundary, they terminate the operation prematurely. In this article we address the problem of sequencing jobs decomposed into identical and repeating sets to minimize the total amount of remaining work, or, equivalently, to maximize the total amount of work completed. We propose an optimum algorithm and a heuristic procedure that utilizes different priority functions based on processing times. Experimental results indicate that the proposed heuristic requires less computational effort and performs better than the existing procedures: On the average, 11–14% of improvements are obtained over real data mentioned in the literature (20 groups of 1000 jobs from a U.S. automobile manufacturer). © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Naval Research Logistics 44: 419–437, 1997

This article deals with the real-time scheduling of jobs for an automated manufacturing module offering a variety of operations with negligible setup times. Since the jobs are brought to the system by a paced line at a fixed rate, each job is expected to be processed within a fixed cycle time. Hence, a group of jobs with longer processing-time may cause immediate accumulation of jobs in the limited input buffer. Consequently, an arriving job may be blocked from entering until the job in the station is completed. A Dynamic Program is implemented to schedule the jobs with the minimum total blocking time. Depending on the data, this implementation may become computationaly intractable, and thereby, a heuristic is developed to produce good solutions in polynomial time. The worst case error bounds are established for the heuristic solutions. An extensive experimentation shows that the heuristic yields close to optimal solutions effectively.

The task of assigning arriving flights to the available gates at an airport can have a major impact on the efficiency with which the flight schedules are maintained and on the level of passenger satisfaction. In this paper, optimum and heuristic procedures are developed to assign flights in such a way that the idle periods, during which gates are not utilized,. are distributed as uniformly as possible. Emprical study indicates that up to 60% improvements can be achieved over the current practice.

Here a paced automobile assembly line is considered with no buffers between stations. Setup costs are incurred each time sequence of jobs switches colour in the paint shop, and utility work costs are incurred when some amount of work on a job cannot be completed within the boundary of a trim station. Although there has been a concerted effort to reduce setup costs, the nature of the changeovers makes it difficult to reduce to zero. Thus, there is a need for procedures that systematically consider both setup and utility costs, not only to improve current operations, but also to evaluate the economic benefit of investments in setup cost reduction. First, an algorithm with a look-ahead provision is developed to determine sequences for trim stations only. Later, setup cost is included and solution approaches are developed based on the previous algorithm. Extensive empirical study is done by using real as well as random data to evaluate performances of procedures.

The problem of how to sequence jobs with options on a mixed model assembly line without work-in-process storage has been well addressed in the literature. In almost all of the previously developed models, the common goal has been to generate schedules that would maximize the utilization of station capacities. However, the problem of setups and utility work, which is the uncompleted work on a job leaving the station, has not been studied in detail. In this paper, a generalized formulation of the sequencing problem is presented. A Branch and Bound procedure and two heuristic algorithms are developed to determine a sequence which minimizes total setup and utility work costs simultaneously. The Branch and Bound algorithm is restricted to small size problems, while the heuristics can be used to obtain a solution for any realistic problem within a very small amount of computation time. The algorithms are tested on real data and shown to be applicable to real-time scheduling of jobs on mixed model assembly lines.

Abstract. In this article we address the problem of sequencing jobs for one station on a paced assembly line with no buffers, at which two types of operations can be performed. If a subsequence of jobs requires more work than the station can handle, some amount of work, which we call utility work, will remain undone. We develop optimal solution procedures for three of four mutually exclusive and collectively exhaustive problem subclasses, with the goal of minimizing total utility work. For the fourth subclass, we evaluate heuristics that are structurally similar to the optimal procedures for the other subclasses. We provide worst-case error bounds for one of these procedures. Computational results indicate that very good, and often optimal, results can be obtained with a combination of these procedures.

Abstract. In this note, we introduce a surrogate objective for utility work at a single station on a paced assembly line. We show that it is asymptotically equal to utility work as the number of jobs increases, and provide expressions for the worst-case difference between the two objectives. We also derive closed form expressions for the surrogate objective when a simple sequencing procedure, which provides optimal solutions with respect to utility work under certain conditions, is applied. This circumvents the need to solve dynamic programs in instances where only the value of the objective function is needed, such as in heuristics for multi-station problems.