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A further debatable issue in the treatment of varicocele is which men would benefit from a varicocelectomy. Despite the increasing interest in Machine Learning (ML) in urology, there have been limited studies on the detection and prediction of varicocelectomy using artificial intelligence. We aimed to develop a model to predict the improvement in semen parameters after varicocelectomy using ML.The data for male patients who had clinical varicocele, abnormal semen parameters (low sperm concentration, reduced total motile sperm count, decreased progressive motility, and/or poor sperm morphology) and had received a varicocelectomy were recorded retrospectively. Demographic, anthropometric variables, physical examination findings, hematological, radiological, and semen analysis parameters were evaluated. The patients were separated into two groups according to the improvement in total motile sperm count postoperatively as improvement (Group 1) and no improvement (Group 2). The Extra Trees Classifier, Light Gradient Boosting Machine Classifier, eXtreme Gradient Boosting Classifier, Logistic Regression, and Random Forest Classifier techniques were used as ML algorithms.41 males were included in the study. 31 (75.6%) and 10 (24.4%) patients were classified as Group 1 and 2, respectively. The Extra Trees Classifier algorithm was found to be the best ML technique for predictions, according to the accuracy rates (92.3%) with an Area Under Curve of 0.92. We have shown for the first time in the literature that basic laboratory and semen analysis findings can be used to select patients who will benefit from varicocelectomy with the use of five ML methods. ML models could be identified as a new prediction tool for selecting the patients who will benefit from varicocelectomy. More detailed ML studies will be needed a larger number of patients.

Objective: To investigate the antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer effects of Achillea filipendulina. Methods: Phytochemical content was analyzed by GC-MS. Antioxidant activity was assayed by DPPH, total antioxidant status, total oxidant status, and iron reduction tests. Antimicrobial activity was assessed using the MIC assay. Anticancer activity was detected via MTT assay, followed by analysis of the apoptotic process using annexin V and caspase 3/7. miR-519d and Dvl-1 expression were assessed by RT-PCR, and molecular docking analysis was also performed. Results: The ethanol extract of Achillea filipendulina showed the strongest anticancer effect. A significant increase in miR-519d expression was observed in HT29 cells, while a decrease in Dvl-1 expression was noted. DPPH, FRAP, total antioxidant status, and total oxidant assays showed high antioxidant activity. The hexane and ethanol extracts were effective against Streptococcus mutans (MIC

Art is a special tool for mathematics education. Many artists have used mathematics and geometry in their artworks. This study aims to examine M.C. Escher's drawings with creative drama in the light of transformation geometry. In this study, the explanatory sequential was chosen from the mixed-method designs. Quantitative data of the study were collected with the Geometry Attitude Scale (GAS). Qualitative data were collected with the Workshop Evaluation Form, the Academic Achievement Measurement Form (AAMF), and semistructured interviews. The study group consisted of 21 volunteer participants. The data obtained from GAS were analyzed with SPSS and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive and content analysis. Participants' GAS scores differed significantly after the implementation. Regarding both quantitative and qualitative analysis obtained from this study, which consisted of 8 workshops in total, an increase was observed in participants' attitudes towards geometry after participating in the workshop.

The management of Gram-negative bacterial infections poses a significant challenge due to the emergence of highly effective antibiotic-resistant mechanisms, leading to treatment failures, particularly among hospitalized children. This patient population experiences elevated rates of both mortality and morbidity, and the available antibiotic options against these bacteria are limited. Carbapenems, such as meropenem, represent one of the choices for treatment. While meropenem is highly effective against Gram-negative bacteria, the prevalence of multidrug-resistant infections in hospitals has become a growing concern. In response to this challenge, exploring innovative strategies is crucial. One such strategy is the implementation of high-dose extended meropenem infusion treatment. Researchers propose that extended meropenem treatment may offer a viable solution to combat resistant bacteria. Despite a limited number of studies focusing on the effectiveness of this strategy in children, our comprehensive review of the literature revealed promising findings. Our examination specifically compared extended infusion with standard infusion approaches. The evidence suggests that extended infusion of meropenem provides more benefits compared to standard infusion methods. Researchers consistently reported positive results in their observations, with the exception noted in very low birth weight neonates and children with infections caused by carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteria and Acinetobacter baumannii spp. In conclusion, extended meropenem infusion treatment emerges as a promising option for managing resistant infections. However, it is essential to underscore the need for further studies to robustly support the observed benefits of this treatment regimen.

Background: The prognostic value of the neutrophil–lymphocyte ratio (NLR) in ischemic stroke remains debated due to cohort variability and treatment heterogeneity across studies. This study evaluates the relationship between admission NLR, stroke severity and 90-day outcomes in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) undergoing early, successful revascularization. Methods: A retrospective multicenter study was conducted with 1082 patients treated with mechanical thrombectomy for acute ischemic stroke. The relationship between admission NLR, baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), 24 h NIHSS and 90-day modified Rankin Scale (mRS) outcomes was analyzed using logistic regression. Results: Admission NLR correlated weakly but significantly with both baseline (p = 0.018) and 24 h (p = 0.005) NIHSS scores, reflecting stroke severity. However, multivariate analysis showed that higher 24 h NIHSS scores (OR 0.831, p = 0.000) and prolonged puncture-to-recanalization times (OR 0.981, p = 0.000) were independent predictors of poor 90-day outcomes, whereas NLR was not (p = 0.557). Conclusions: Admission NLR is associated with stroke severity but does not independently predict clinical outcomes at 90 days in patients achieving early and successful revascularization. These findings underscore the critical role of inflammation in the acute phase of stroke but suggest that its prognostic value for long-term outcomes is limited in this context.

This study aims to examine the characteristics of the Turkish Early Childhood Teacher Education Curriculum updated in 2018 and reveal the views of university lecturers as its end users. In the first stage of the study, previous and updated curricula were examined in order to reveal the characteristics of the latter, in the second stage, the curriculum-related views and recommendations of lecturers from private and public universities in Turkey were obtained. Increased number of elective courses was the most favored characteristic of the new curriculum while lack of flexibility, less practicum, and the failure of certain new courses to meet needs were the negative aspects. Increasing practicum and ensuring the participation of all stakeholders in the curriculum development process were the most vociferous recommendations of the lecturers.

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of Khan-Academy-assisted grammar teaching on academic success in English lesson. The videos used in the study were downloaded from the Khan Academy (n.d) website. The sample of the study consists of 67 students (34: experiment group, 33: control group) in Sadreddin Konevi Anadolu Imam Hatip High School that is located in Yesilyurt, Malatya, Turkey. Semi-experimental design with control group of pre-test post-test was used. During the experimental procedure, the videos in Khan Academy about present, past and future tense in English were watched by the experiment group. Teaching process of control group was organized in accordance with English Curriculum. "The Achievement Test on Tenses" which was developed by the researchers was used both as the pre-test and the post test. At the end of the study, it was concluded that Khan Academy video-assisted grammar teaching made a significant difference on academic success in English lesson.

The purpose of this study is to examine the mathematics teachers' perceptions of lifelong learning competencies. The study group of the research consisted of secondary school mathematics teachers working in the Ministry of National Education. This study was carried out to examine the perceptions of secondary school mathematics teachers on lifelong learning competencies depending on some variables and a correlational survey model within the scope of the descriptive method was used. In the research, "Key Competencies Scale in Lifelong Learning" developed by Sahin, Akbasli and Yanpar Yelken (2010) was used. Independent samples t-test, one-way analysis of variance and Tukey test were used to compare the mean scores obtained from the scale by variables. The results obtained from the research indicated that the secondary school mathematics teachers participated in the research have high level of life-long learning competencies. There was found to be no significant difference between the scores of life-long learning competencies as regards their genders, the high schools they graduated from, the faculty they graduated from, the geographical region where they have been working and professional seniority. However, significant differences were found in participants' scores of lifelong learning competencies related to their professional satisfaction status and the frequency of the activities they participate for personal and professional development.

This study aims to investigate the effect of a drama program that was created to develop the affective traits of pre-service teachers; specifically, their attitudes towards teaching, teaching motivation, and self-efficacy. The study took place in the education faculty at a state university located on the west of Turkey, with 32 pre-service teachers enrolled in various departments of the faculty. Utilizing an embedded design; a type of mixed methods, the effects of the developed drama program were investigated. Quantitative data collection methods were used before and after the implementation so as to find out the effects of the program while qualitative data were collected during and after the program. Qualitative data were analysed along with the quantitative data to enhance the findings of the experiment. The quantitative data collection tools were "Teaching Motivation Scale", "Teacher Self-Efficacy Scale", and "Attitudes towards Teaching Scale". The qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interview forms. According to the findings, the developed drama program was found to be effective in improving the pre-service teachers' attitudes towards teaching, teaching motivation, and self-efficacy.

This study aimed to examine preservice classroom teachers' opinions on how educational games improve their teaching skills. In accordance with this purpose, the qualitative research design was employed. The study group was composed of 60 preservice teachers course attending the Department of Primary Education in the Faculty of Education at a state university in the spring term of the 2017/2018 academic year they all who took the physical education and game teaching. A semi-structured, open-ended question form prepared in accordance with the purpose of the research and letters were used as the data collection instruments. Answers of the preservice teachers to the open-ended questions were scanned as images and transferred into digital medium. Next, the obtained data were subjected to a content analysis with the MAXQDA 12 qualitative data analysis software and the data products were analyzed with the "data coding" technique. The data obtained from the preservice teachers with letters were analyzed by both researchers descriptively. The findings achieved in the analysis were utilized to reinforce the findings on themes and codes achieved in the analysis of the data obtained with the semi-structured interview forms. It was concluded that educational games improved the preservice classroom teachers' competencies of planning and implementing the use of games in the instruction of primary school course attainments. It was also concluded in the study that the participants had been very little aware of educational games' definition and their contributions to student learning before the application and their awareness increased after the application.

Objective:Although epilepsy can be controlled with treatment; misperceptions are a disease that negatively affects life due to the lack of knowledge about the disease, even in individuals with epilepsy.Methods:Individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 years with epilepsy who applied to the epilepsy outpatient clinic were included in the study using a random sampling method. All participants were evaluated by the same neurologist and psychiatric specialist.Results:The mean age of 34 individuals with epilepsy was 30.0±10.4 years, the duration of the disease was 132.9±101.2 months, and the age of onset of the disease was 18.7±12.1 years. Of the patients, 40% were males and 60% were females. Of the cases, 93.9% had generalized seizures and 6.1% had focal seizures. Of the participants, 47.1% were under treatment with monotherapy and the others with polytherapy. The rate of patients without drug side effects was 57.1%. The rate of regular use of the drug was 85.7%. The median Epilepsy Disease Concealment Scale scores of the participants were 33.5, the median Epilepsy Stigma Scale scores were 65.0, and the median Quality of Life Scale in Patients with Epilepsy scores were 60.7. The median scores of Hamilton anxiety and depression were calculated as 3.0 and 5.0, respectively.Conclusion:Although the patient population was limited, many findings in our study were consistent with the literature. Our study will shed light on future epidemiological data of Turkey and Çorum.

Objective: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common directly preventable cause of ischemic stroke. There is no dependable neurology-based data on the spectrum of stroke caused by AF in our country. Within the scope of NeuroTek-Turkey, hospital-based data on acute stroke patients with AF were collected to contribute to the creation of acute stroke algorithms. Materials and Methods: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common directly preventable cause of ischemic stroke. There is no dependable neurology-based data on the spectrum of stroke caused by AF in Türkiye. Within the scope of NöroTek-Türkiye (TR), hospital-based data on acute stroke patients with AF were collected to contribute to the creation of acute-stroke algorithms. Results: The rate of AF in patients hospitalized for ischemic stroke/TIA was 29.8%, of which 65% were known before stroke, 5% were paroxysmal, and 30% were diagnosed after hospital admission. The proportion of patients with AF who received 'effective' treatment [international normalization ratio ≥2.0 warfarin or non-vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulants (NOACs) at a guideline dose] was 25.3%, and, either no medication or only antiplatelet was used in 42.5% of the cases. The low dose rate was 50% in 42 patients who had a stroke while taking NOACs. Anticoagulant was prescribed to the patient at discharge at a rate of 94.6%; low molecular weight or unfractionated heparin was prescribed in 28.1%, warfarin in 32.5%, and NOACs in 31%. The dose was in the low category in 22% of the cases discharged with NOACs, and half of the cases, who received NOACs at admission, were discharged with the same drug. Conclusion: NöroTekTR revealed the high but expected frequency of AF in acute stroke in Türkiye, as well as the aspects that could be improved in the management of secondary prophylaxis. AF is found in approximately one-third of hospitalized acute stroke cases in Türkiye. Effective anticoagulant therapy was not used in three-quarters of acute stroke cases with known AF. In AF, heparin, warfarin, and NOACs are planned at a similar frequency (one-third) within the scope of stroke secondary prophylaxis, and the prescribed NOAC dose is subtherapeutic in a quarter of the cases. Non-medical and medical education appears necessary to prevent stroke caused by AF.

Global Competitiveness Index, high technology exports and coverage ratio variables were used in the study. The effects of high technology exports on the Global Competitiveness Index and coverage ratio, and the effects of the Global Competitiveness Index on the coverage ratio were analysed. Positive effects of the analyses were observed. It is also assumed that the coverage ratio is one of the most important criteria of foreign trade performance. In the study, it is seen that the Global Competitiveness Index plays an intermediary role in the effect of technology exports on the coverage ratio. Therefore, the increase in the share of technology exports in total trade affects the coverage ratio through the partial effect of the Global Competitiveness level. Therefore, it is assumed that the technological infrastructure and competitiveness of countries will play a key role in improving foreign trade performance.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the effect of ultrasound (US) on the isolation and properties of oat starch. Starch isolation was done by a water extraction method and with sonication for 30 (US30), 45 (US45) and 60 (US60) min. The highest starch yield was found in US45 as 49.04 g.100 g-1 of oat flour when the extraction time decreased from 6 h to 45 min. The functional properties of starches, such as bulk density, water solubility index, dispersibility and water absorption capacity, ranged from 0.65 to 0.80 g.mL-1, 3.22 to 5.75%, 78 to 87.5% and 84.23 to 95.87%, respectively. US45 had lower bulk density and higher dispersibility than other starches. US treatments decreased the gelatinisation temperature ranges and increased the gelatinisation enthalpy values. The enthalpy of the gelatinisation value of oat starch was found as 8.45 J.g-1 and increased with sonication up to 13.65 J.g-1. Retrogradation endotherms were observed after 6 days of storage, and enthalpies of retrogradation were lower than in the gelatinised starches. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra showed that US treatment did not affect the functional groups of oat starch. US application during oat starch isolation gave desired results, such as time reduction, higher yields and increased functional properties.

It is aimed to reveal the basement topography, the coal-bearing levels, the alteration zones containing uranium ore, and the tectonic structure prevailing by using two dimensional (2D) seismic reflection method in the Thrace Paleogene-Neogene Basin. In this context, seismic data collected on the six profiles were interpreted by correlating with the data of 97 wells. In the seismic lines, respectively, the metamorphic basement-Eocene boundary, the top of the coal-bearing zone and the boundary of the Danişmen-Ergene formations were confirmed by using the borehole data. By evaluating seismic data, the coal propagation is modeled with three dimensional (3D) figures. Moreover, coal accumulation starts from the southwest of the field and continues towards the northeast, and it is supported by the results obtained from the borehole data. The presence of uranium ore in some of the alteration zones and borehole data indicated that all alteration zones determined should be inspected for uranium ore. In addition to normal and reverse faults, positive and negative flower structures formed in the strike-slip fault zones were determined, and lignite deposits were cut in the flank of these structures. Finally, it is recommended to carry out seismic studies before drilling, to investigate potential coal and uranium areas and to plan more seismic lines.

The presence of the evaporate salt zone in Ankara-Polatlı region has been determined by the drillings. It is thought to be the largest reserve in Türkiye. The seismic reflection method was used to determine the top-bottom levels of the region; its depth; its thickness and extent boundaries; the horst-graben structures; base depth and tectonic movements affecting the study area. Data were collected on three seismic lines. The near-surface tomographic velocity sections were compatible with the top-of-the-zone depth observed in the drillings. As a result of the study, the depth and thickness of the top-bottom of the zone were determined along the lines. Within the scope of the study, a combined interpretation was made on the lines by using gravity and seismic data. The extent of the ore zone was determined only in the E-W direction section, but not in the north-south direction lines since they are outside the license area and the seismic lines. The closest point of the evaporate zone to the surface is approximately 150 m, the deepest point is approximately 310 m, the average thickness is approximately 100 m and the maximum thickness is 185 m.

This article analyses Turkish parliamentary discourse about Turkish communities living outside of Turkey from 1988 to 2016. It focuses particularly on the usage of the bridge metaphor in discursive strategies towards these communities; concentrated mainly in former Ottoman territories and parts of Eurasia. The article argues that Turkish parliamentarians used the bridge metaphor to frame Turkish communities as part of both the Turkish nation and the nation where they lived, thereby constituting their liminal and in-between identity. Parliamentarians continuously (re-)imagine, (re-)construct, and (re-)produce the Turkish nation by using different discursive strategies that included uniqueness, sameness or difference. They used identity markers as ethnicity, language, geography, history, and religion to address these strategies. Metaphorically framing Turkish communities as a bridge provided them a dominant bridge role, namely that of friendship and peace. By transforming Turkish communities into a bridge of friendship and peace, through different dimensions, they believed that they would have a positive and crucial role for the country where they live and for Turkey. This bridge role provided opportunities as well as limits, illustrating the interplay between discourse and foreign policy developments.