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ÖZ: Dijital dönüşümün küresel etkisi birçok alanda büyük değişimler yaratmaktadır. 2021 yılında bu etkinin yepyeni bir deneyime dönüştüğü Metaverse ise değişimin hızını daha da arttırmaktadır. Metaverse kullanıcıların dünyayı algılama, yaşama ve değerlendirme biçimini değiştirmektedir. Bu değişim üniversiteleri de etkilemekte ve gelecekte tamamen farklılaştırma potansiyeline sahip görünmektedir. Metaverse zaman ve mekân sınırlarını ortadan kaldırmanın çok ötesinde üniversite eğitim kalitesi için çok değerli olan eğitim içeriği ve eğitim ortamının meta varlıklarla yapılandırılmasında sınırsız olanaklar sunmaktadır. Çalışma, üniversitelerin Metaversity olma sürecinde yapılandırmaları gereken meta eğitim ekosistemi için üniversite öğrencilerinin algılarını ölçmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Buna yönelik olarak üniversite öğrencilerini iki gruba ayırarak toplamda 16 katılımcıyla odak grup görüşmeleri yapılarak içerik analizi gerçekleştirilmiştir. Aynı zamanda alanyazın taraması sonucu elde edilen bilgilerden hareketle ortaya konan meta eğitim ekosistem modelinin avantaj ve dezavantajları incelenerek girdi ve çıktılarının araştırma bulgularıyla keşfedilmesi hedeflenmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda metaverse hakkında bilgisi olan ve olmayan öğrencilerin algıları arasında farklılıklar tespit edilmiştir. Aynı zamanda modele metaverse geçiş oryantasyonu, dijital kimlikle etkileşim ve sosyalleşme rehberliği, operasyonel staj simülasyonu, küresel meta etkileşim ve geçmişten geleceğe meta tanıtım unsurları eklenmiştir. Temel olarak meta varlıklar, sürükleyici teknolojiler, gerçeklik türleri, ağ kalitesi ve sanal deneyim tasarımı gibi öğelerle zenginleştirilecek Metaversity öğrenme ortamı, sanal sınıflar ve sanal kütüphane gibi dijital deneyimlerle yüksek kalitede meta eğitim sunabilecek biçimde yapılandırılabilecektir. ABSTRACT: The global impact of digital transformation is leading to significant changes across various fields. This impact has been further accelerated by the influence of the Metaverse in 2021. The Metaverse is altering how users perceive, experience, and evaluate the world, including its potential to significantly impact universities and appear to have the potential for complete differentiation in the future. Beyond eliminating time and space constraints, the Metaverse offers unlimited possibilities for structuring education content and environments with meta-assets, which are highly valuable for university education quality. This study aims to measure university students' perceptions regarding the meta education ecosystem that universities need to structure in their journey towards becoming Metaversities. University students were divided into two groups for this purpose, focus group discussions were conducted with a total of 16 participants and content analysis was conducted. Additionally, based on the information gathered through literature review, the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed meta-education ecosystem model were examined, aiming to explore its inputs and outputs considering research findings. The study identified differences in perceptions between students who are knowledgeable about the metaverse and those who are not. Furthermore, the model was enhanced with elements such as metaverse transition orientation, interaction with digital identity and socialization guidance, operational internship simulation, global meta interaction, and elements of meta introduction from past to future. Essentially, the Metaversity learning environment, enriched with elements like meta-assets, immersive technologies, types of reality, network quality, and virtual experience design, can be structured to deliver high-quality meta education through digital experiences such as virtual classrooms and virtual libraries.

Abstract Background Bladder cancer continues to be a significant health issue, leading to ongoing research into novel biomarkers and treatment strategies. This study aims to evaluate the potential of serum fibronectin levels and fibronectin gene polymorphisms as biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and treatment response in patients with NMIBC undergoing intravesical BCG therapy. Methods Between June 2022 and December 2022, data of 73 patients who applied to the Mersin University Urology Clinic due to NMIBC and were followed and treated in our clinic, receiving intravesical BCG treatment, when necessary, as well as 56 individuals without any malignancy, were prospectively examined. Serum fibronectin levels were measured using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. PCR testing was applied for the fibronectin gene RS10202709 and RS 35,343,655 gene polymorphisms by using Real-Time PCR. Results The mean serum fibronectin level in the patient group was 76.794 ± 66.998ng/ml. Simultaneously, it was 50.486 ± 25.156ng/ml in the control group, and these differences in serum fibronectin levels were statistically significant(p = 0.003). Out of the 73 patients included in the study, recurrence of bladder cancer was observed in 53 of them. They were divided into two groups based on the recurrence times: early recurrence and late recurrence. The mean fibronectin level in the early recurrence group was 102 ± 86.1 ng/ml, while it was 44.7 ± 11.8 ng/ml in the late recurrence group. Emphasize the significance of the higher fibronectin levels in the early recurrence group by stating, patients with early recurrence exhibited significantly higher serum fibronectin levels compared to those with late recurrence (p

This paper presents the implementation of the Pure Pursuit control algorithm for path tracking on an agricultural pesticide spraying drone. Precise path tracking ensures accurate pesticide coverage, maximizing crop yield and minimizing environmental impact. Conventional position control architectures used by most agricultural drones can lead to inconsistent pesticide distribution due to variability in drone speed. Position control also causes deceleration and acceleration at corners, resulting in over-spraying in these areas. This lack of uniform spray distribution challenges efficient and sustainable agriculture. The Pure Pursuit algorithm is favored for its simplicity and effectiveness in autonomous navigation. The software architecture, including the flight control stack and ROS2-based PX4 simulation architecture, demonstrates the drone’s accurate trajectory following capabilities. Simulation tests evaluated the path tracking accuracy and overall performance of the system. Comparative results show the Pure Pursuit controller’s superiority over standard position controllers in terms of accuracy, robustness, and adaptability. Additionally, this paper introduces an innovative Coverage Path Planning (CPP) strategy based on grid decomposition. Integrated with the Pure Pursuit control mechanism, this CPP strategy ensures precise path tracking and maximizes coverage uniformity, further enhancing the effectiveness and sustainability of agricultural spraying operations.

The aim of this study was to determine the effects of the number of vanes, vane angle and disc peripheral speed on the uniformity of transverse and longitudinal distribution in two-disc granular spreaders. The experiments were carried out with spherical fertilizer, 3 different numbers of vanes (2 – 3 – 6), 5 different vane angles (17° – 30° – 43° – 56° – 69°) and 5 different peripheral speeds of the disc (13.85 – 15.05 – 16.26 – 17.46 – 18.67 m s−1) with a full factorial experimental design in accordance with ASAE 341.4 and TS 2541 standards. During the operation of the machine, the best working condition in terms of the uniformity of the transverse distribution (CVxvers, %) was obtained with a disc peripheral speed of 15.05 m s−1, an angle of 56° and the use of 2 vanes. In this working condition, the CVxvers (%) of 8.31 % was found, while the working width was calculated to be 16.22 m. Regarding the uniformity of fertilizer distribution in the longitudinal direction, the lowest CVlong (%) was found at a disc peripheral speed of 17.46 m s−1 and a vane angle of 69° when only 2 vanes were used.

Purpose: To study the histological changes of the preputial tissue from birth to prepubertal age in order to define unnoticed morphological changes. Materials and Methods: Prepuce samples were obtained from 79 healthy boys who underwent routine ritual circumcision. Specimens were divided into six groups according to the boys’ age: newborn, 0–1 year of age, 2–3 years of age, 4–5 years of age, 6–7 years of age, and 8–9 years of age. Histologic analysis of the specimens was performed by H&E, Masson’s trichrome, Verhoeff–Von Gieson, immunohistochemical staining. Results: Microscopic examinations showed that average epithelial thickness increased after the neonatal period (p=0.001). When collagen fiber density was evaluated, no significant differences between groups were found (p=0.083). When the elastic fibers in the dermis were evaluated, it was determined that the number and thickness of elastic fibers increased with age. Immunohistochemical examinations showed that the number of peripheral nerves marked with S100 was lower in the neonatal period than at other ages (p=0.048). When the vessels marked with CD105 antibody were counted, there was no significant difference between the groups (p=0.078). Conclusions: This is the first study to examine the age-related structure of connective tissue elements in the foreskin. Our results showed that the prepuce’s prepubertal maturation process is continuous, and the first 2 years of life are appropriate not only in relation to the physiological effects of age but also the optimum structural changes for wound healing, such as vessel diameter, epithelium thickness, peripheral nerve count.

This study investigates the guidance and control of an autonomous swarm of surface watercraft with focusing on distributed control laws in scenarios with and without boat dynamics. Through comprehensive simulations, we explore the behavior of boats under varying conditions in terms of analyzing their trajectories, velocities, yaw rates, and angles. The inclusion of boat dynamics significantly impacts these parameters for affecting the efficiency and convergence of boat trajectories towards the homing point. We observe that boats operating under dynamic conditions show much smoother convergence and demonstrate improved collision avoidance behaviors although their movements are slower due to the increased complexities introduced. The introduction of noise in simulations enhances realism and robustness regarding mimicking real-world scenarios. Our findings emphasize the importance of considering boat dynamics in autonomous systems where offering insights into energy-efficient control strategies for surface watercraft. This research contributes to the understanding of swarm behavior and creates a path for practical applications in marine robotics.

In this study, the effect of the phase angle of the semicircular blades between the stages on the aerodynamic performance of the three-blade, double-stage helical Savonius wind turbines (HSWT), which are vertical axis wind turbines, was examined by the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. In the Savonius wind turbine system, the drag force effect provides the most significant contribution to aerodynamic performance. Performance improvements that can affect drag force can provide significant advantages. For this purpose, three-bladed double-stage helical Savonius rotors with eccentricity L/H=1/2 and phase angles of the semicircular blades between the stages Ɵ=0°, 45° and 90° were designed. Solidworks R2018 is used for designs and ANSYS-Fluent 18.1 programs are used for analysis. The turbine with L/H=1/2 and Ɵ=90° was produced on a 3D printer and tested experimentally. Experiments were carried out in the T-490 air tunnel. The results obtained were used as a reference for numerical analysis and the ideal turbine model was tried to be determined. 10 different air velocities ranging between 3.83-20.35 m/s were used in the numerical analysis. As a result, an 11.64% increase in the drag force was observed by changing the phase angle from 0° to 45° in HSWT 1/2s. By changing the phase angle from 0° to 45° in HSWT 1/2s, a 10.77% rise in the drag coefficient was observed. It has been evaluated that the HSWT efficiency improved with the increment in drag force.

Abstract While reading the literature, it is seen that there are not enough studies on the motivation of disabled individuals to participate in sports. This study aims to examine the sports participation motivations of hearing impaired and physically disabled athletes. This study was a cross-sectional study. The research group of the study consists of physically and hearing-impaired individuals between the ages of 18–47. The participants of this research group consisted of 253 volunteer disabled individuals, 150 of whom were men and 103 of whom were women. Sports participation motivation scale was used for disabled individuals. The scale consists of 3 dimensions and is a 5-point Likert type. The results of the study showed that hearing-impaired people have a higher high school rate and physically person with disability have a higher bachelor’s degree rate, but the primary education rate did not change between hearing and physically person with disability. Physical activity participation differed between hearing and physically person with disability, and it was observed that hearing-impaired people participated in more physical activities. The level of well-being of the physically disabled was significantly better than the hearing impaired. As conclusion, it is observed that the people with the lowest motivation to participate in sports are primary school graduates and those with high welfare have a high motivation to participate in sports.

High‐throughput drug screening enables the discovery of new anticancer drugs. Although monolayer cell cultures are commonly used for screening, their limited complexity and translational efficiency require alternative models. Three‐dimensional cell cultures, such as multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS), mimic tumor architecture and offer promising opportunities for drug discovery. In this study, we developed a neuroblastoma MCTS model for high‐content drug screening. We also aimed to decipher the mechanisms underlying synergistic drug combinations in this disease model. Several agents from different therapeutic categories and with different mechanisms of action were tested alone or in combination with selective inhibition of prostaglandin E2 by pharmacological inhibition of microsomal prostaglandin E synthase‐1 (mPGES‐1). After a systematic investigation of the sensitivity of individual agents and the effects of pairwise combinations, GFP‐transfected MCTS were used in a confirmatory screen to validate the hits. Finally, inhibitory effects on multidrug resistance proteins were examined. In summary, we demonstrate how MCTS‐based high‐throughput drug screening has the potential to uncover effective drug combinations and provide insights into the mechanism of synergy between an mPGES‐1 inhibitor and chemotherapeutic agents.

The output power of an ocean wave energy (WE) system has an intermittent and stochastic characteristic. WE output power can be transferred to the grid without sudden fluctuations when combined with a hybrid energy storage system (HESS) consisting of a battery pack and an ultracapacitor (UC) module. The study presented in this paper identifies the lowest-cost HESS sizing for WE systems by using a genetic algorithm (GA) optimization method. In this study, the system cost was reduced with the HESS cost and sizing study for ocean WE converter systems, and the battery was used effectively for a longer cycle. GA optimization has been applied in the field of HESS in ocean WE systems and has brought innovation to the literature with its optimum cost and sizing study. An optimum design model is presented considering the maximum/minimum voltage and current limits and the energy storage units’ temperature and depth of discharge parameters. The series and parallel connection calculations and the required number of battery and UC cells are given in the sizing section. The GA optimization was performed in Matlab, and the energy storage rate for the 625-kW system and the power and energy results of the energy storage units were given as a result of the optimum cost analysis. It has been calculated that 15936 battery cells are normally required for a 625-kW ocean WE converter system. As a result of the proposed optimally sized, cost-effective HESS, it is presented that a hybrid energy system can be used at a lower cost with 5548 battery cells and 2125 UC cells for the same performance and functionality.

Corpus analysis offers a more accurate understanding of a language than intuition but is not widely used in foreign language instruction. This study uses a hermeneutic-phenomenology approach and content analysis to examine the impact of a corpus literacy course on the perceptions and performance indicators of 29 English language teachers. The results suggest that corpus literacy instruction is crucial for language teachers to incorporate corpus into their classroom practices effectively. Even a brief, intensive corpus literacy course can positively alter teachers’ perceptions and abilities, increase their awareness of corpus usage in language teaching, and equip them with the skills needed, highlighting the importance of incorporating corpus literacy into the design of English language teacher education programs.

To date, few studies have correlated the changes in muscle activity and specific soft tissue variables in adolescents with malocclusions.

The mastery of formulaic sequences by language learners is considered to be crucial since it enables them to accomplish the basic communicative requirements (Wray, 2002) of target language use. Of all the formulaic sequences, the mastery of collocations is known to have an enormous impact on learners’ ability to move beyond the intermediate level. This data-driven study explores the word combinations (both conventional and unconventional L2 strings) of L2 users of English. Specifically, the adjective-noun combinations in an L2 corpus (TUWE) were explored to find the potential L2 strings functioning as unconventional collocations. Then, these L2 strings were compared with the adjective-noun collocations in the LOCNESS corpus to determine whether the choices made by L2 learners differed from those of L1 users. The findings show that the spectrum of the L2 word combinations was broader in comparison with LOCNESS. The results suggest that the L2 learners produced a higher number of unconventional collocations than conventional collocations matching with the L1. The L2 strings support that the use of collocations can be rather problematic for learners of English however advanced they are. Some pedagogical implications of the findings for explicit collocation and vocabulary teaching are discussed.

The primary goal of this study is to develop and test a small-scale horizontal-axis underwater Ocean Current Turbine (OCT) by creating a mathematical model for coupled dynamics aided by a Blade Element Momentum (BEM) simulation-integrated experimental approach. This research is motivated by the urgent need for sustainable energy sources and the vast potential of ocean currents. By integrating mathematical modeling with the experimental testing of scaled model OCTs, this study aims to evaluate performance accurately. The experimental setup involves encapsulating a 3D-printed turbine model within a watertight nacelle which is equipped with sensors for comprehensive data recording during towing tank tests. Through these experiments, we seek to establish correlations between the generated power, force, and rotational speed of the turbine’s Permanent Magnet DC (PMDC) motor, which determines the turbine’s capability to extract dynamic energy inflow. Moreover, this research aims to provide valuable insights into the accuracy and applicability of theoretical predictions in real-world scenarios by comparing the experimental results with BEM simulations. This combined approach not only advances our understanding of hydrokinetic energy conversion, but also contributes to the development of reliable and efficient renewable energy technologies that address global energy challenges while mitigating environmental impacts.

In this paper, we examine how referees establish interpersonal relationships by mitigating criticism and expressing compliments as a realization of politeness strategies through the analysis of a specific corpus of transparent peer review reports (TPRs) with 220 reports totaling approximately 200,000 words. For the analysis, employing a framework drawn primarily on Brown and Levinson’s (1987) politeness strategies and following a detailed review of the literature, we coded all occurrences of politeness strategies using UAM Corpus Tool 3.3x (O’Donnell, 2021). Conducting intercoder/intracoder reliability tests, we identified and interpreted a variety of politeness strategies at the sentence and discourse levels, which were used for mitigating criticism and expressing compliments. Our results suggest that reviewers resorted to a variety of politeness strategies, predominantly negative politeness strategies, to mitigate their criticism directed at the authors of manuscripts. This is significant especially in the light of earlier studies where reviewer reports appeared to include some blunt/hurtful comments due partly to the anonymity of the reviewing process. Rather than focusing on just communicating criticism or a required change, reviewers were found to have cared about politeness and seemed to achieve interpersonal communication goals in TPRs by means of favoring an egalitarian approach rather than an authoritative one, supporting Gosden’s (2003) argument on the interpersonal aspect of reviewing discourse. This research contributes to our understanding of how criticism in TPRs can be conveyed without imposing, leading to encouraging, constructive and polite reports in English as part of science communication, especially when the review reports are publicly available.

This article presents a set of measured benchmarks for the noise and gain performance of six different millimeter-wave (mm-wave) gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) technologies fabricated at four different foundries in the United States. Measurements of the GaN transistors were collected on two independent noise parameter (NP) systems from 8–50 GHz and 75–110 GHz. The resulting raw NPs were stitched together to yield ultra broadband 8–110 GHz smoothed NPs. Several comparisons and summaries of the minimum noise figure and associated gain are reported for the six different GaN technologies. This work seeks to provide an initial database for noise and gain of GaN HEMTs at mm-wave frequencies to quantify progress on technology in the future.

INTRODUCTION: We evaluated the functional results of open and mini open surgical approaches in carpal tunnel syndrome patients. METHODS: Group 1 was undergone open surgery while Group 2 patients were operated by mini open technique. Clinical results were evaluated with patient satisfaction questionnaire, daily activities and grip strength. RESULTS: Twenty-eight patients were male and 63 were female. There were 13 male and 29 female with a total of 42 patients in Group 1, whereas 15 male and 34 female with a total of 49 patients were present in Group 2. Daily activity score was 13.86+-1.00 for open group and 13.61+-0.98 for Group 2. Grip strength was 0.27+-0.07 bar in Group 1 and 0.31+-0.09 bar in Group 2. There was no significant difference between two groups regarding to age, sex, operation site, daily activity scores, and grip strength. Surgical time was 18.05+-1.78 minutes in Group 1 and 13.18+-1.52 min in Group 2. Return to daily activity was 16.17+-2.07 day in Group 1 and 12.53+-1.80 day in Group 2. Surgery time and time to activity return is statistically significantly higher in open surgery group compared to mini-open group. Patient satisfaction score was 87.60+-2.63 in Group 1 and 87.60+-2.63 in Group 2. Patient satisfaction questionnaire result was statistically higher for mini-open group compared to Group 1. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In tandem with similar functional results, mini-open surgery can be preferred in callous hand, while open surgery is more suitable to patients with serious thenar atrophy along with suspicion of median nerve compression.

Azoospermia means the complete absence of spermatozoa upon examination of the semen. Azoospermia may result from a lack of spermatozoa production in the testicles, or from an inability of produced spermatozoa to reach the emitted semen. Azoospermia is generally examined in two groups as obstructive and non-obstructive. Pretesticular causes usually include endocrine disorders that affect spermatogenesis, testicular causes include primary testicular pathologies, and posttesticular causes include obstructive pathologies. In order to make the exact diagnosis, a good urological, hormonal and genetic evaluation is required. The underlying etiologic cause determines the treatment strategy in azoospermic cases. If it is possible to see sperm in the ejaculate, pregnancy is tried to be achieved with ejaculate sperm, if not, with the spermatozoa obtained by interventional methods, by using assisted reproductive techniques. As the etiology of azoospermia is understood and treatment methods are improved, it is thought the rate of obtaining sperm both in the ejaculate and with interventional methods will increase, and as a result, higher pregnancy rates should be achieved. It is thought that there will be important developments in the treatment of azoospermia in the near future, as there have been significant advances in gene therapies and mesenchymal stem cell studies started on humans.

Granzymes A and K are two highly homologous serine proteases expressed by mammalian cytotoxic T cells (CTL) and natural killer cells (NK). Granzyme A is the most abundant of the different granzymes (gzms) expressed by these two cell types. Gzms A and K are found in all jawed vertebrates and are the most well conserved of all hematopoietic serine proteases. Their potential functions have been studied extensively for many years, however, without clear conclusions. Gzm A was for many years thought to serve as a key component in the defense against viral infection by the induction of apoptosis in virus-infected cells, similar to gzm B. However, later studies have questioned this role and instead indicated that gzm A may act as a potent inducer of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Gzms A and K form clearly separate branches in a phylogenetic tree indicating separate functions. Transcriptional analyses presented here demonstrate the presence of gzm A and K transcripts in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. To enable screening for their primary biological targets we have made a detailed analysis of their extended cleavage specificities. Phage display analysis of the cleavage specificity of the recombinant enzymes showed that both gzms A and K are strict tryptases with high selectivity for Arg over Lys in the P1 position. The major differences in the specificities of these two enzymes are located N-terminally of the cleavage site, where gzm A prefers small amino acids such as Gly in the P3 position and shows a relatively relaxed selectivity in the P2 position. In contrast, gzm K prefers large amino acids such as Phe, Tyr, and Trp in both the P2 and P3 positions and does not tolerate negatively charged residues in the P2 position. This major distinction in extended specificities is likely reflected also in preferred in vivo targets of these two enzymes. This information can now be utilized for high-precision screening of primary targets for gzms A and K in search of their highly conserved but still poorly defined functions in vertebrate immunity.

This study analyses the alignment between educational policy of Turkey and high stakes tests administered for transitioning from secondary to high schools. Research questions focus on the opinions of secondary school teachers about the alignment between the transit exam questions and curricula, course books, and materials as well as their opinions on high stakes testing. Research was conducted based on a mixed methods study model utilizing the triangulation design. A total of 109 teachers from six different majors working in Ankara participated in the study. An online survey consisting of eight questions was used to get teachers’ opinions. The first three questions were analyzed by chi-square tests and percentages, the fourth by arithmetic means and the last four questions by qualitative content analysis method. Results showed that in the current Turkish learning-teaching process, education is serving dominantly for tests emphasizing an evaluation oriented education system which is in contrast with education policy documents targeting the year 2023.

Recently, it is time to shift from a reactive attitude that treats patients after the onset of seizures to a proactive one integrated into a broader “P4 medicine” approach in the treatment of epilepsy. Personalized, predictive, preventive, and participatory, this P4 approach puts patients at the center of their care and ultimately aims to prevent the onset of epilepsy. This goal will be achieved by tailoring epilepsy treatments not only to a particular syndrome but also to a particular patient and moving from the usual anti-seizure treatments to individualized treatments designed to target specific etiologies. In this review, we present the current state of this ongoing revolution, highlighting the emergence of the concepts of precision medicine and individualized medicine and its impact on clinical practice in pediatric epilepsies.

Kamu idareleri kamu hizmetlerini yerine getirebilmek için zaman zaman çeşitli mal, hizmet ya da yapım işleri temin etmektedirler. İdareler ihtiyaçlarını gidermek için çeşitli prosedürleri yerine getirmek zorundadırlar. Bu bağlamda, 4734 Sayılı Kamu İhale Kanunu kapsamında bulunan idareler, ihtiyaçlarına binaen söz konusu kanunda belirtilen ihale usullerine göre mal veya hizmet alımı yapmalıdırlar. Buna karşılık, idarelerin bazı durumlarda ihtiyaçlarını temin ederken ihale prosedürlerini yerine getirmeyerek 4734 sayılı Kamu İhale Kanunu’nda yer verilen ve doğrudan temin olarak adlandırılan alım yöntemine başvurabildikleri de görülmektedir. Bu sayede idareler ihale usulü için gerekli olan ilan, teminat, ihale komisyonu kurma gibi ihale süreçlerini yerine getirmeden daha az bürokratik işlem silsilesi ile daha hızlı bir şekilde ihtiyaçlarını temin edebilmektedirler. Doğrudan temin kurumu her ne kadar belirli ön şartların varlığına bağlı olarak kendi içinde idarenin ihtiyacını seri bir şekilde gidermesine olanak sağlasa da bu tip uygulamalarda mevzuatla belirlenen şartların dışına çıkılması halleri görülebilmektedir. Bu noktada, idarenin ihale usulü kullanarak gerçekleştirmesi gereken ihtiyaçlarını doğrudan temin uygulaması ile giderebilmek için ilgili işleri doğrudan temindeki limitlerin altında bırakarak parçalara ayırabildiği görülmektedir. “İşlerin kısımlara bölünmesi” olarak adlandırılan bu durum mevzuata aykırılık oluşturmaktadır, zira bu durum hem kanunda yapılan düzenlemelerle hem de tebliğ düzenlemeleri ile yasaklanmıştır. Bu çalışmada, öncelikle ihale usullerinden ayrı bir alım yöntemi olarak karşımıza çıkan doğrudan temin yöntemini irdeledikten sonra mevzuat düzenlemeleri ile yasaklanan “işlerin kısımlara bölünmesi” yasağının yargı kararlarında ne şekilde değerlendirildiğini ve yasak kapsamında işlem yapan kamu görevlilerinin idari, mali ve cezai sorumluluklarının neler olduğunu ortaya koymak amaçlanmaktadır. Çalışmamızda, yukarıda belirttiğimiz konuları yargı ve idari kararlar ışığında irdelediğimizde bilhassa ihale usulleri yerine doğrudan yemin yöntemini uygulayabilmek adına işleri kısımlara bölen çeşitli yasaya aykırı hareketler tespit edilmiştir.

Abstract Background The treatments for trochanteric fractures try to regain early mobility and limit morbidity and risk of reoperations. The most currently used dynamic hip screw (DHS) and the proximal femoral nail (PFN) are both with pros and cons. We aimed to assess the comparative effectiveness of these interventions for trochanteric fractures by evaluating the surgical performance and postoperative outcomes. Methods PubMed, Web of Science and Cochrane Central Register were searched for RCTs comparing DHS and PFN for trochanteric fractures. All selected studies and the risk of bias were assessed. Clinical data including operative time, intraoperative blood loss, intraoperative fluoroscopy time, successful closed reduction and complications like nonunion, implant failure and reoperation were recorded. Random-effects models were used in Review Manager software, and GRADE was applied for the interpretation of the evidence. Results From 286 identified trials, twelve RCTs including 1889 patients were eligible for inclusion; six RCTs directly comparing DHS with PFN, while other six compared DHS with proximal femoral nail antirotation (PFNA). Compared to DHS, PFN had shorter operative time and led to less intraoperative blood loss. However, DHS need less intraoperative fluoroscopy time than PFN. No difference was seen for the achievement of closed reduction. For risk of postoperative complications, no difference was seen between PFN and DHS for non-union, risk of implant failure and revision surgery. Conclusions PFN(A) resulted in a shorter operative time and less intraoperative blood loss compared to DHS. However, no difference was seen for postoperative complications. Trial registration PROSPERO: CRD42021239974.

IntroductionStudies related to attitudes toward the use of prohibited substances in Turkish athletes are scarce. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has implemented anti-doping educational policies emphasizing doping-related education in studies conducted among Turkish wrestlers. However, it is still unclear the extent to which the wrestlers comply and adhere to these anti-doping policies. No research has previously examined the effect of anti-doping education on athletes' mindfulness and moral disengagement in doping (MDD). Therefore, the present study has a two-fold objective: first, to examine whether doping-related education (DRE) and the status of being a national athlete (NA) have an effect on athlete mindfulness and MDD. Second, to analyze the relationship between each sub-dimensions of athlete mindfulness: awareness (ASD), judgment (JSD), and refocus (RSD) with MDD.MethodsA total of 409 male wrestlers participated in this study. MANOVA analysis showed that NA and DRE alone have no effect on MDD but have a general effect on mindfulness.ResultsThe highest effect was on the ASD of being an NA (ηp2 = 0.173). When the interaction effect of NA*DRE was examined, significant difference in MDD (F = 8.218, p = 0.004), ASD (F = 8.476, p = 0.004), JSD (F = 5.844, p = 0.016), and RSD (F = 11.476, p = 0.001) were found. MDD has a weak negative relationship with ASD (r = −0.126) and RSD (r = −0.041) and a weak positive relationship with the JSD sub-dimension (r = 0.140). Those results suggest that being a NA and having received anti-doping education affect moral disengagement in doping and athletes' mindfulness.DiscussionAs a conclusion, it is recommended to increase awareness and anti-doping education among national-standard Turkish wrestlers to prevent them from engaging in doping behaviors.

Primary study aim was defining prevalence of obesity, physical activity levels, digital game addiction level in adolescents, to investigate gender differences, relationships between outcomes. Second aim was predicting game addiction based on anthropometric measurements, physical activity levels. Cross-sectional study design was implemented. Participants aged 9–14 living in Kirikkale were part of the study. The sample of the study consists of 405 adolescents, 231 girls (57%) and 174 boys (43%). Self-reported data were collected by questionnaire method from a random sample of 405 adolescent participants. To determine the physical activity levels of children, the Physical Activity Questionnaire for Older Children (PAQ-C). Digital Game addiction was evaluated with the digital game addiction (DGA) scale. Additionally, body mass index (BMI) status was calculated by measuring the height and body mass of the participants. Data analysis were performed using Python 3.9 software and SPSS 28.0 (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, United States) package program. According to our findings, it was determined that digital game addiction has a negative relationship with physical activity level. It was determined that physical activity level had a negative relationship with BMI. In addition, increased physical activity level was found to reduce obesity and DGA. Game addiction levels of girl participants were significantly higher than boy participants, and game addiction was higher in those with obesity. With the prediction model obtained, it was determined that age, being girls, BMI and total physical activity (TPA) scores were predictors of game addiction. The results revealed that the increase in age and BMI increased the risk of DGA, and we found that women had a 2.59 times greater risk of DGA compared to men. More importantly, the findings of this study showed that physical activity was an important factor reducing DGA 1.51-fold. Our prediction model Logit (P) = 1/(1 + exp(−(−3.384 + Age*0.124 + Gender-boys*(−0.953) + BMI*0.145 + TPA*(−0.410)))). Regular physical activity should be encouraged, digital gaming hours can be limited to maintain ideal weight. Furthermore, adolescents should be encouraged to engage in physical activity to reduce digital game addiction level. As a contribution to the field, the findings of this study presented important results that may help in the prevention of adolescent game addiction.

Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of inhaler aromatherapy on pain and anxiety during the shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) protocol. Material and Methods: This placebo-controlled prospective double-blind study included 120 patients who were scheduled to undergo SWL. Patients were randomly assigned a control placebo group 1 (n=40), the lavender group 2 (n=40), and the frankincense group 3 (n=40). The nebulizer (a rate of 2%) was prepared and operated on in the SWL room before the procedure. Data were collected using the visual analog scale (VAS) and the state-trait anxiety inventory (STAI-I). Results: Of the 120 patients included in the study, 67 (55.8%) were male and 53 (44.2%) were female. The mean age of the patients was 37.38±11.35 years. The mean stone size was 11.07±3.09 mm. There were no statistically significant difference between the groups in terms of VAS scores of the patients after the procedure (p=0.557). While there was no statistically significant change in the STAI-I score in group 1 and group 2 after the procedure compared to the pre-procedure, a statistically significant decrease was detected in group 3 (p=0.030). The percentages of patients with changing STAI-I scores were compared, it was observed that the decrease in STAI-I score in group 2 and group 3 at a higher rate compared to group 1 (p=0.018). Conclusion: Frankincense reduced anxiety more significantly than lavender. Both had no significant effect on pain. Inhaler aromatherapy can be used in the SWL process to reduce anxiety and improve treatment compliance.

Soybean seed sugars are among the most abundant beneficial compounds for human and animal consumption in soybean seeds. Higher seed sugars such as sucrose are desirable as they contribute to taste and flavor in soy-based food. Therefore, the objectives of this study were to use the ‘Forrest’ by ‘Williams 82’ (F × W82) recombinant inbred line (RIL) soybean population (n = 309) to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) and candidate genes that control seed sugar (sucrose, stachyose, and raffinose) contents in two environments (North Carolina and Illinois) over two years (2018 and 2020). A total of 26 QTLs that control seed sugar contents were identified and mapped on 16 soybean chromosomes (chrs.). Interestingly, five QTL regions were identified in both locations, Illinois and North Carolina, in this study on chrs. 2, 5, 13, 17, and 20. Amongst 57 candidate genes identified in this study, 16 were located within 10 Megabase (MB) of the identified QTLs. Amongst them, a cluster of four genes involved in the sugars’ pathway was collocated within 6 MB of two QTLs that were detected in this study on chr. 17. Further functional validation of the identified genes could be beneficial in breeding programs to produce soybean lines with high beneficial sucrose and low raffinose family oligosaccharides.

Abstract In this paper, a battery charging model is developed for solar PV system applications. As a means of photovoltaic power controlling system, buck-boost converter with a Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) mechanism is developed in this paper for maximum efficiency. This paper proposed a novel combined technique of hybrid Particle Swarm Optimisation (PSO) and Salp Swarm Optimization (SSO) models to perform Maximum Power Point Tracking mechanisms and obtain a higher efficiency for battery charging. In order to retrieve the maximum power from the PV array, the Maximum Power Point Tracking mechanism is observed which reaches the maximum efficiency and the maximum power is fed through the buck-boost converter into the load. The buck-boost converter steps up the voltage to essential magnitude. The energy drawn from the PV array is used for the battery charging by means of an isolated buck converter since the buck-boost converter is not directly connected to the battery. The Fractional Order Proportional Integral Derivative (FOPID) controller handles the isolated buck converter and battery to enhance the efficiency obtained through the Maximum Power Point Tracking mechanism. The simulation results show higher steady efficiency by using the hybrid PSOSSO algorithm in all stages. The battery is charged without losing the efficiency obtained from the hybrid PSOSSO algorithm-based Maximum Power Point Tracking mechanism. The higher efficiency was obtained as 99.99% at Standard Test Conditions (STC) and 99.52% at PV partial shading conditions (PSCs) by using the new hybrid algorithm.

Forests can be efficiently monitored by automatic semantic segmentation of trees using satellite and/or aerial images. Still, several challenges can make the problem difficult, including the varying spectral signature of different trees, lack of sufficient labelled data, and geometrical occlusions. In this article, we address the tree segmentation problem using multispectral imagery. While we carry out large-scale experiments on several deep learning architectures using various spectral input combinations, we also attempt to explore whether hand-crafted spectral vegetation indices can improve the performance of deep learning models in the segmentation of trees. Our experiments include benchmarking a variety of multispectral remote sensing image sets, deep semantic segmentation architectures, and various spectral bands as inputs, including a number of hand-crafted spectral vegetation indices. From our large-scale experiments, we draw several useful conclusions. One particularly important conclusion is that, with no additional computation burden, combining different categories of multispectral vegetation indices, such as NVDI, atmospherically resistant vegetation index, and soil-adjusted vegetation index, within a single three-channel input, and using the state-of-the-art semantic segmentation architectures, tree segmentation accuracy can be improved under certain conditions, compared to using high-resolution visible and/or near-infrared input.

ÖZ: Turizm ekonomik, sosyal, kültürel ve çevresel faktörleri etkilemesi açısından çok boyutlu ve turist ile ev sahibi arasındaki etkileşime dayalı dinamik bir süreçtir. Turizmin olumsuz ekonomik, çevresel ve sosyal etkileri azaltmayı ve yerel halka fayda sağlamayı amaçlayan sorumlu turizm yaklaşımı destinasyonda yer alan bütün paydaşların sorumluluklarının bilincinde olmasını ve bu sorumluluklar çerçevesinde gerçekleştirdikleri uygulamalarını kapsamaktadır. Bu çalışmanın temel amacı, turistik destinasyonların gelişiminde, turizmin destinasyon üzerindeki olumsuz etkilerini en aza indirgemeyi, yerel halk için ekonomik faydalar üretmeyi, yerel halkı karar verme sürecine dahil etmeyi, doğal kaynakları ve kültürel mirası korumayı, turistler ve yerel halk arasında anlamlı bağlar kurmayı, dezavantajlı grupların erişimini sağlamayı ve kültürel açıdan duyarlı olmayı hedefleyen sorumlu turizm anlayışının rolünün incelenmesidir. Çalışmada öncelikle literatür taraması yapılmıştır. Yerli ve yabancı literatürde yer alan bilgiler ışığında çalışmanın ilk iki bölümü oluşturulduktan sonra veri toplama araçları olan derinlemesine görüşme ve odak grup görüşmesi yardımıyla elde edilen veriler değerlendirilmiştir. Sorumlu turizm ile destinasyon gelişimi arasındaki ilişki sorumlu turizmin boyutları olan çevresel sorumluluk, ekonomik sorumluluk ve sosyo-kültürel sorumluluk kapsamında derinlemesine incelenmiştir. Çalışmanın son bölümünde ise araştırma kapsamında elde edilen bulgular ışığında sorumlu turizm anlayışının destinasyon gelişimi üzerindeki etkileri, destinasyon paydaşlarının sorumlu turizm anlayışı içerisindeki rolleri ve sorumlu turizm yaklaşımı ile destinasyon gelişimi süreci ortaya konulmuştur. ABSTRACT: Tourism is a multidimensional and dynamic process affecting economic, social, cultural and environmental factors based on the interaction between tourist and host. Responsible tourism approach, which aims to reduce the negative economic, environmental and social impacts of tourism and to benefit the local people, includes the awareness of the responsibilities of all the stakeholders involved in the destination and their implementations within the framework of these responsibilities. The main objective of this study is to examine the role of responsible tourism approach which aims to minimize the negative effects of tourism on destinations, to generate economic benefits for local people, to involve local people in decision-making process, to protect natural resources and cultural heritage, to establish meaningful connections between tourists and local people, to provide access to disadvantaged groups and to be culturally sensitive on development of touristic destinations. In this study firstly literature review was done. After the first two parts of the study, which were formed in the light of the information contained from domestic and foreign literature, the data obtained through the interview and focus group interviews were evaluated. The relationship between responsible tourism and destination development has been investigated in depth within the scope of responsible tourism dimensions; environmental responsibility, economic responsibility and socio-cultural responsibility. In the last part of the study, roles of destination stakeholders and the process of destination development, which is driven by responsible tourism approach, has been put forward in order to achieve destination development in light of the findings obtained within the scope of the research.

The present study empirically scrutinizes the fixed natural order of grammatical morphemes relying on a manual analysis of an EFL learner corpus. Specifically, we test whether the accuracy order of L2 grammatical morphemes in the case of L1 Turkish speakers of English deviates from Krashen’s (1977) natural order and whether proficiency levels play a role in the order of acquisition of these morphemes. With this in mind, we focus on the (in)accuracy of nine English grammatical morphemes with 2883 cases manually tagged by the UAM Corpus Tool in the written exam scripts of Turkish learners of English. The results based on target-like use scores provide evidence for deviation from what is widely believed to be a set order of acquisition of these grammatical morphemes by second language learners. In light of such findings, we challenge the view that the internally driven processes of mastering grammatical morphemes in English for interlanguage users are largely independent of their L1. Regardless of L2 grammar proficiency in our data, the observed accuracy of some morphemes ranked low in comparison with the so-called natural order. These grammatical morphemes were almost exclusively non-existent features in participants’ mother tongue (e.g., third person singular –s, articles and the irregular past tense forms), thus suggesting the influence of L1 in this respect.

In this study, in which the effects of different applications of vermicompost on the yield and quality of San Andreas strawberry variety were investigated 15, 30, 45, 60 g vermicompost was applied per plant. First flowering, first and last harvest dates, number of fruits per plant, yield per plant (g/plant), fruit weight (g), fruit flavor, macro and micro nutrient content, organic acid amounts were examined. The results showed that the differences between treatments in yield per plant were statistically significant. The highest total yield per plant was obtained from V45 and V30 applications with 972.8 g and 878.9 g respectively and the lowest yield was obtained from the control application with 384.2 g per plant. The largest fruits were obtained from the V60 (19.5 g) application. It was determined that nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, sulfur, manganese, iron, zinc and boron concentrations in the leaves of strawberry plants fertilized with vermicompost were higher than the control. The highest values in organic acid values were determined in oxalic, propionic, malonic, lactic, fumaric and succinic acids in V60 application (5.62, 11.16, 49.00, 104.98 µg/100 g respectively). It seems that the application of vermicompost fertilizer in strawberry cultivation has a positive effect on yield and quality characteristics.

Semantic segmentation is the pixel-wise labeling of an image. Boosted by the extraordinary ability of convolutional neural networks (CNN) in creating semantic, high-level and hierarchical image features; several deep learning-based 2D semantic segmentation approaches have been proposed within the last decade. In this survey, we mainly focus on the recent scientific developments in semantic segmentation, specifically on deep learning-based methods using 2D images. We started with an analysis of the public image sets and leaderboards for 2D semantic segmentation, with an overview of the techniques employed in performance evaluation. In examining the evolution of the field, we chronologically categorized the approaches into three main periods, namely pre-and early deep learning era, the fully convolutional era, and the post-FCN era. We technically analyzed the solutions put forward in terms of solving the fundamental problems of the field, such as fine-grained localization and scale invariance. Before drawing our conclusions, we present a table of methods from all mentioned eras, with a summary of each approach that explains their contribution to the field. We conclude the survey by discussing the current challenges of the field and to what extent they have been solved.

Introduction: As a supplement, beta–glucan has various therapeutic healing effects generated by the immune cells. It has been scientifically approved and proven to be a biological defense modifier. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of beta–glucan on treatments administered in an acute otitis media model Objectives: This study investigated the effect of beta–glucan on the treatment of acute otitis media in an acute otitis media -induced animal model. Efficacy was evaluated both immunologically and histologically. Methods: The study sample comprised 35 adult rats, randomly separated into 5 groups of 7: Group 1 (control), Group 2 (acute otitis media, no treatment), Group 3 (acute otitis media + antibiotic), Group 4 (acute otitis media + beta–glucan) and Group 5 (acute otitis media + beta–glucan + antibiotic). Analyses were made of the histopathology and immunology examination results in respect of thickening of the tympanic membrane, epithelium damage, inflammation, and sclerosis. In all groups the serum levels of TNF-α, IL-4, IL-6 and IL-1β were evaluated. Results: All serum cytokine levels were significantly lower in the beta–glucan and antibiotic-treated groups compared to the acute otitis media Group. Significant differences in tympanic membrane thickness, inflammation, epithelium damage, and sclerosis values were observed between the acute otitis media + antibiotic and acute otitis media + beta–glucan Groups. According to these parameters, the values in aute otitis media + antibiotic + beta–glucan Group were markedly lower than those of the other groups. There was a significant difference in the acute otitis media + antibiotic + beta–glucan Groups compared to acute otitis media Group (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both antibiotic and beta–glucan treatment reduced acute otitis media signs of inflammations in an acute otitis media-induced rat model, decreasing histological damage and cytokine levels. Co-administration of antibiotic and beta–glucan led to a significant reduction in tympanic membrane thickness, inflammation, and epithelium damage. Antibiotic + beta–glucan treatment resulted in a greater decrease in tympanic membrane thickness, inflammation, and epithelium damage than in the other groups. From these results, it can be suggested that beta–glucan, in combination with antibiotics may provide an alternative for the treatment of acute otitis media.

Biyoteknolojik yöntemlerle canlıların gen dizilimlerinin değiştirilip, mevcut özelliklerinin geliştirilmesi ve/veya yeni özellikler kazandırılması ile elde edilen organizmalara genetiği değiştirilmiş organizma (GDO) denilmektedir. Bebeklerin yaşamlarının ilk ayları boyunca tükettikleri bebek sütleri ve bebek devam sütleri de türevlerine göre soya, mısır, pirinç gibi ürünleri içerebilmektedir. Dünya’da yoğun olarak genetiği değiştirilmiş organizma sınıfında üretilen bu bileşenleri içeren bebek formüllerinde de GDO taraması yapılması gerektiği düşünülmüştür. Bu çalışmada, 2011 yılında Türkiye’de piyasaya sürülen bebek sütlerinde ve bebek devam sütlerinde, kül, % rutubet, toplam yağ, karbonhidrat, protein analizleri ve real time PCR yöntemi ile GDO taraması yapılmıştır. GDO taraması sonucunda p35S, tNOS ve pFMV izgenlerini içeren ürüne rastlanmamıştır.

Abstract Background The microbiology and the susceptibility patterns of infected total knee arthroplasties (TKAs) vary depending on demographic, local antimicrobial stewardship, and surgical factors. We wanted to compare the recent microbial profile and antimicrobial resistance pattern in revisions due to infections after primary TKAs in Sweden and Lithuania. Our hypothesis was that there is a difference in bacteriology and resistance pattern based on patient related, societal and local hospital factors as almost similar praxis have been applied for TKA surgery, short term systemic prophylaxis and routine use of local gentamicin containing bone cement. Methods Primary TKAs revised for the first time due to verified or suspected infection were collected nationwide in Sweden during 2018, and in Lithuania between 2011 and 2020 from a single major TKA revision centre in Kaunas. We identified 202 TKAs in Sweden from the Swedish Knee Arthroplasty Register and 84 from Kaunas revised due to infection. We collected available culture reports and evaluated the type of microorganisms with antimicrobial resistance pattern at revision. Results The majority of the infected cases in Sweden were early-type prosthetic joint infection (PJI) (44%), whereas late-type PJI (52%) were more common in the Kaunas cases. Gram-positive bacteria prevailed in both Sweden (55%) and Lithuania (80%). Staphylococcus aureus was the most frequent organism identified in both countries (33% in Sweden and 34% in Lithuania). More polymicrobial infections were observed in Sweden than in Lithuania (16 and 6% respectively). Methicillin resistance in Staphylococcus aureus and coagulase-negative staphylococci were higher in Lithuania (4/28 and 19/29) than in Sweden (1/42 and 9/41). Conclusions The type of infections, microbial profile, and drug resistance pattern differed between Sweden and Lithuania. Societal and local hospitals factors with emerging resistance in Lithuania are the most plausible explanation for the difference. Lack of complete data on a national level in Lithuania underlines the importance of adding microbiology of PJIs in implant registers for national aggregation and allow cross country comparisons.

2019 yılının Aralık ayında Çin’in Wuhan şehrinde ortaya çıkan Covid-19 virüsü 2020 yılı ile küresel bir salgına dönüşmüştür. Küresel salgından birçok ülke ekonomisi olumsuz etkilenmiştir. Buna ek olarak, salgının dış ticaret üzerinde de olumsuz etkisi olmuştur. Bu çalışmanın amacı Türkiye’nin ekonomik büyümesinde büyük itici gücü olan dış ticaretin, salgından nasıl etkilendiğinin analiz edilerek literatüre katkı sağlamaktır. Çalışmada Türkiye’nin 2013:01 ile 2020:11 dönemi ihracat ve ithalat verileri kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın analizi iki bölümden oluşmaktadır. İlk olarak Bai ve Perron yapısal kırılma testi ile değişkenlerin kırılma tarihleri belirlenmiştir. İkinci olarak ise, bu kırılma tarihleri dikkate alınarak iki değişken için; trendde yapısal değişiklikler analizi yapılmıştır. Sonuç olarak; ihracat ve ithalat için 2020:2 tarihinde kırılma olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Yapısal değişiklik analizlerinde ise; salgının Türkiye’nin ihracat ve ithalat eğrilerinin eğimini değiştirdiği fakat ihracat ve ithalatın kısa sürede toparlandığı görülmüştür.