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Since around 2005, Turkiye has focused on establishing close relations with African countries, spanning politics, economics, culture, and media. This study aims to briefly touch upon the transformation of press and media in Africa and examine Turkiye's initiatives in the African media landscape, particularly since 2005. This original work aims to serve as a guide for both media professionals and decision-makers in Turkiye's foreign policy. Additionally, it seeks to ensure that the country's media relations with African countries are based on a solid foundation. Due to the broad scope of the subject, Turkiye's media initiatives have been analyzed under separate headings. Moreover, Turkiye's steps in media relations with African countries, especially since 2005, have been investigated. To gather information on the topic, news articles, official statements, agreements signed by Turkiye with African countries in the media field, and decisions made during this process have been examined. Upon examination of the country's media relations with African countries, it is observed that various initiatives have been taken, particularly since 2008. These relations in the media field have seen an upward trend through the 2020s. However, there is a need for further steps to be taken, particularly in areas such as the employment of African media professionals and collaboration in the media field, as well as producing more content related to Africa. Keywords: Africa, Media, Foreign Policy, TRT, Anadolu Agency, Introduction The press and media sector in Africa has been directly influenced by changing political, economic, and technological conditions throughout its historical process. Colonial activities, missionary efforts, independence movements, the [...]

Abstract Building classification is crucial for population estimation, traffic planning, urban planning, and emergency response applications. Although essential, such data is often not readily available. To alleviate this problem, this work presents a comprehensive dataset by providing residential/non-residential building classification covering the entire United States. We developed a dataset of building types based on building footprints and the available OpenStreetMap information. The dataset is validated using authoritative ground truth data for select counties in the U.S., which shows a high precision for non-residential building classification and a high recall for residential buildings. In addition to the building classifications, this dataset includes detailed information on the OpenStreetMap data used in the classification process. A major result of this work is the resulting dataset of classifying 67,705,475 buildings. We hope that this data is of value to the scientific community, including urban and transportation planners.

Abstract Background The aim of the study was to evaluate the etiology, incidence, demographics, and characteristics of maxillofacial fractures treated at a university hospital over a seven-year period. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,757 patients with maxillofacial fractures who were referred to our department between May 2012 and March 2019. The patients’ demographic and clinical characteristics were noted, as well as the fracture type, location, and etiology. The treatment modalities were also analyzed. Results A total of 2,173 maxillofacial fractures were seen in 1,757 patients. The male to female ratio was 3.9:1, and the mean patient age was 31.89 ± 17.70 years (range: 0–95 years). Maxillofacial injuries were most prevalent in the 19–28 years age group (23.9% of cases), with a general increase in injuries observed between 2013 and 2018 across all age groups. The most common etiological factor was assault (29.1%), followed by falls (26%). In male patients, assault was reported as the main cause, while in female patients, falls were identified as the main cause. The nasal bone was the most common site of fracture, followed by the maxilla. The average time from admission to surgery was 2.8 days, with local anesthesia being the most frequent surgical intervention. The average time from admission to surgery was 2.8 ± 2.5 days (range: 0–20 days), with surgeries performed under local anesthesia being more frequent than those carried out under general anesthesia. Among the surgical interventions, the most common general anesthesia technique for fracture reduction was open reduction and internal fixation with plates and screws. Plate exposure, wound-site infection, and temporomandibular joint ankylosis were the major complications encountered in the study population. Conclusion The study reveals significant variability in maxillofacial fractures based on gender, age, and etiology. Assault emerged as the leading cause of these fractures, followed by falls and road traffic accidents. Men were affected by maxillofacial trauma four times more often than women, with the highest incidence occurring in the 19–28 years age group. Nasal fractures were the most frequently observed (78.7%), while condylar-subcondylar process fractures were the most common type of mandibular fracture. Given these findings, a targeted, lifelong prevention strategy focused on high-risk groups could significantly reduce the burden of maxillofacial trauma.

Amaç: Femoroasetabular sıkışma, erken kalça osteoartriti oluşturma potansiyeli bulunan kalça ekleminin disfonksiyonudur. Bu çalışma ile herhangi bir endikasyonla pelvik Bilgisayarlı Tomografi incelemesi yapılmış olan hastaların Alfa Açısı ve Femur Boyun-Baş Offset ölçümlerinin radyoloji uzmanları ile birlikte incelenmesi amaçlandı.Gereç ve Yöntem: 18-45 yaş arası çeşitli nedenlerle pelvik Bilgisayarlı Tomografi incelemesi (kontrastlı veya kontrastsız) yapılmış olan 891 bireyin sağ ve sol 1.782 kalça eklemine ait sonuçları retrospektif olarak değerlendirildi. Bilgisayarlı tomografi kesitlerinde Alfa Açısı ve Femur Boyun-Baş Offset ölçümleri yapıldı. Bu çalışmada, Alfa Açısının 55° ve üzerinde olması, Femur Boyun-Baş Offset mesafesinin 8 mm’den küçük olan ölçüm değerleri anormal olarak değerlendirildi.Bulgular: Bu çalışmada 758’i (%85,1) erkek ve 133’ü (%14,9) kadın olmak üzere toplam 891 birey dahil edildi.Bireylerin ortalama yaşı 24,65 ± 6,01 idi. Çalışmaya dahil edilen tüm bireylerin sağ Alfa Açısı ortalaması 45,42 ± 4,4 (min 38,00, maks 62,00), sol Alfa Açısı ortalaması 46,65 ± 5,1 (min 38,00, maks 72,10), sağ Femur Boyun-Baş Offset ortalaması 10,21±0,02 (min 6,2, maks 11,4), sol Femur Boyun-Baş Offset ortalaması 10,57 ± 0,01 (min 5,6, maks 12,0) idi. Her iki kalça ekleminde Alfa Açısı ≥ 55°bulunan birey sayısı toplam 37 olup bu bireylerin 33’ü erkek, 4’ü kadın idi. Her iki kalça ekleminde Femur Boyun-Baş Offset < 8 mm bulunan birey saptanmadı.Sonuç: Femoroasetabular sıkışma ile ilişkili olduğu bilinen görüntüleme özellikleri özellikle erkek bireyler olmak üzere asemptomatik yetişkin kalça eklemlerinde görülmektedir. Asemptomatik genç erkek ve kadın bireylerde antropometrik ölçümlerin normal sınırlar dışında olması halinde bu bireylerin bulgularına yönelik klinik korelasyonu önerilmelidir.

Objective: The primary aim of our prospective study was to assess the impact of Dropped Head Syndrome (DHS), a rare condition in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) clinics, on patients' functional status and body image. Our secondary aim is to investigate the relationship between head and neck lymphoedema (HNL) and DHS, which will be examined for the first time in the literature. Methods: We conducted a study involving 47 patients, aged between 18 and 75, who had been diagnosed with HNC, and exhibited clinical symptoms of DHS for at least 12 months. The staging of HNL was assessed using the MD Anderson Cancer Center HNL (MDACC HNL) staging system. We also administered The Total Functional Scale (TFS) which was a subscale of EORTC QLQ-C30 (European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30) and the Body Image Scale (BIS). Results: In the study, it was observed that the BIS was significantly lower in patient groups aged 50 and over (p = 0.0495), those with a laryngectomy (p = 0.0002), those who had undergone bilateral neck dissection (p = 0.0291), and particularly in patients with stage 2–3 lymphedema (p

Abstract Background We aimed to evaluate the effects of preoperative listening to patient-preferred music and classical music on postoperative anxiety and recovery. Methods A prospective, randomized controlled, single-blind study included 255 patients who were scheduled for elective inguinal hernia operation under general anesthesia. Spielberger state State-Trait Anxiety Inventory form 1,2 (STAI-I, STAI-II), Quality of Recovery Score-40 (QoR-40) were applied in the preoperatively. In the preoperative period, the preferential music group (group P) patients listened to their favorite music, while patients in the classical music group (group C) listened to classical music, music was not played in the control group (group N). STAI-I, QoR-40 questionnaire, pain status, and patient satisfaction in the postoperative period were recorded by a blinded investigator. Results A total of 217 patients participated in the study analysis. Postoperative STAI-1 score was lower in group P than in group N (p = 0.025) and was similar among other groups. The postoperative QoR-40 score was significantly higher in group P than in group N (p = 0.003), and it was similar between the other groups. While SBP, DBP and HR premusic and post-music changes were significant, there was no difference in other groups. There was no difference between the groups in the NRS score. The patient satisfaction score was significantly higher in group P. Conclusions Preoperative patient-preferred music application reduces postoperative anxiety and improves recovery quality compared to classical music. In addition, regulation of hemodynamic data and patient satisfaction increase in a preferential music application, but pain scores do not change. Trial registration NCT04277559| https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/

Abstract Backgorund In recent years, there has been an increasing interest in the field of research into the isolation and characterization of probiotics in the prevention of diseases and the need to maintain the continuity of healthy microbiota. Therefore, the aim of this study is to isolate and identify bacteria found in maternal colostrum, breast milk, adult and infant feces, analyze possible probiotic potential, and reveal the developmental kinetics of selected strains. Results We isolated 40 bacterial species from 4 different sources and identified 19 bacteria in the form of bacilli through molecular biology and carried out studies with 11 of them. Five of the selected strains showed the better results considering bile salt resistance and ability to survive at different pH and antimicrobial effect. When the adhesion capacity in cell culture is examined, the better 2 strains are; Lactobacillus pontis ZZ6780 and Lactobacillus reuteri NBC2680 were selected and the growth kinetics of these strains were demonstrated at the 3 L bioreactor scale. Finally, the growth kinetics of selected strains were determined and the maximum specific growth rate of selected Lactobacillus pontis ZZ6780 and Lactobacillus reuteri NBC2680 was calculated as 0.412 h− 1 and 0.481 h− 1, respectively. In addition, the dry cell matter amounts were found to be and 4.45 g/L and 5.23 g/L, respectively. Conclusion This study established the groundwork for the selection of safety probiotics for the development and application of LAB. It is thought that the two strains obtained as a result of this study can be considered as potential probiotic strains in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries.

Abstract Giant barocaloric effects were recently reported for spin-crossover materials. The volume change in these materials suggests that the transition can be influenced by uniaxial stress, and give rise to giant elastocaloric properties. However, no measurements of the elastocaloric properties in these compounds have been reported so far. Here, we demonstrated the existence of elastocaloric effects associated with the spin-crossover transition. We dissolved particles of ([Fe(L)2](BF4)2, [L=2,6di(pyrazol-1-yl)pyridine]) into a polymeric matrix. We showed that the application of tensile uniaxial stress to a composite film resulted in a significant elastocaloric effect. The elastocaloric effect in this compound required lower applied stress than for other prototype elastocaloric materials. Additionally, this phenomenon occurred for low values of strain, leading to coefficient of performance of the material being one order of magnitude larger than that of other elastocaloric materials. We believe that spin-crossover materials are a good alternative to be implemented in eco-friendly refrigerators based on elastocaloric effects.

Abstract High-throughput materials synthesis methods, crucial for discovering novel functional materials, face a bottleneck in property characterization. These high-throughput synthesis tools produce 104 samples per hour using ink-based deposition while most characterization methods are either slow (conventional rates of 101 samples per hour) or rigid (e.g., designed for standard thin films), resulting in a bottleneck. To address this, we propose automated characterization (autocharacterization) tools that leverage adaptive computer vision for an 85x faster throughput compared to non-automated workflows. Our tools include a generalizable composition mapping tool and two scalable autocharacterization algorithms that: (1) autonomously compute the band gaps of 200 compositions in 6 minutes, and (2) autonomously compute the environmental stability of 200 compositions in 20 minutes, achieving 98.5% and 96.9% accuracy, respectively, when benchmarked against domain expert manual evaluation. These tools, demonstrated on the formamidinium (FA) and methylammonium (MA) mixed-cation perovskite system FA1−x MA x PbI3, 0 ≤ x ≤ 1, significantly accelerate the characterization process, synchronizing it closer to the rate of high-throughput synthesis.

Objective: To determine the awareness and knowledge levels of osteoporosis in postmenopausal breast cancer survivors (PBCS) who have completed adjuvant chemoradiotherapy, are under hormonal therapy, or are being monitored, and to examine potentially related factors. Materials and Methods: Between March 2022 and December 2022, 73 breast cancer patients with clinically and biochemically proven menopause were included in the study. The demographic characteristics and clinical findings of the patients were recorded. The participants’ osteoporosis knowledge level (OKL) regarding osteoporosis was evaluated with the osteoporosis knowledge test and their osteoporosis awareness level (OAL) was evaluated with the osteoporosis awareness test. P values

The purpose of this study is to examine changes in pre-service science teachers' entrepreneurship mindsets during engineering design-based activities. A holistic single-case study was used in the study. Twenty-eight pre-service teachers carried out engineering design-based activities (five weeks, 20 hours) in the science teaching laboratory practices course. The pre-service teachers' use of Entrepreneurship Mindsets (EM) in solving the water pollution problem during engineering design-based activities was examined in this study. Data were collected via engineering design challenge worksheets and public service announcements. The data were analyzed with the Extended KEEN Student Outcomes (eKSOs) rubric. Frequency tables were created in line with the sub-dimensions of EM (curiosity, connections, creating value, communication, character, and collaboration). As a result of the research, it was found that the pre-service teachers mostly used curiosity, connections, and creating value during the water treatment and wastewater assessment plant design process. Engineering is an important context for the development of EM as it creates various contexts that contribute to the development of these mindsets in pre-service science teacher education.

This study examined the impact of STEM applications realized with 4th-grade elementary school students on their problem-solving skills. The study was conducted within the convergent parallel design framework, a mixed research method. The research was carried out with 42 4th-grade primary school students, 21 in the experimental group and 21 in the control group, studying in a public school in Turkey. In the study, which lasted for ten weeks, STEM applications were carried out with the students in the experimental group. The control group applied the current science curriculum without performing STEM applications. The research data consists of the Developing Problem Solving Inventory for Children at the Level of Primary Education (PSIC) and the semi-structured interview conducted with the students in the experimental group. Quantitative data were analyzed using an independent sample t-test, while qualitative data were analyzed with content analysis. When the PSIC post-test scores of the 4th-grade primary school students in the experimental and control groups were examined, a statistically significant difference was found in favor of the experimental group. According to the qualitative data analysis of the study, it was determined that the students encountered various problems in the process and developed solutions for them. The students stated that using STEM activities in the classes is fun, so they learn more permanently and easily, and they want the classes to be delivered in this way from now on.

This study analyses variation sets in a sample of child-directed speech (CDS) in Turkish in terms of their structure and effect on child speech. The term "variation set" was first introduced to describe the sequences of repetitions, in which the intention behind expressions stays the same throughout the whole conversation while the form shows constant variation. This occurs in various ways such as lexical substitution, rephrasing and so on. This study attempts to investigate the speech of a child aged 1;8 in various conversations with a Turkish native speaker parent who engages in daily activities with her son. As a longitudinal study, the data was collected through video recordings for a period of three months covering the child's developmental stages from the age 1;8 to 1;10. The videos were recorded by the mother on a regular basis during day-time activities in play, meal and leisure times each week. Initially, the recorded data was transcribed and variation sets were identified. Later, they were analysed by looking at their structure and functions in the speech. Finally, the findings were compared with each other (in three sets) for the changes in frequency, structure and functions between the ages of 1;8 to 1;10. The data provide ample evidence on how variation sets in CDS are modified for a successful interaction without a communication breakdown in line with the child's linguistic competence.

Gelişen tıbbi teknoloji ile birlikte radyolojik görüntüleme de tıp pratiğinde önemli bir yere sahip olmuştur. Son yıllarda uluslararası düzeyde yapılan değerlendirmelerle, tanısal radyolojide kullanılan bu temel inceleme yöntemlerinin kullanımındaki artışa dikkat çekilmektedir. Bu çalışma ile ikinci basamak sağlık tesisinin şehir merkezinde olan konumu gereği geniş bir yelpazede başvuru kabulü olması nedeniyle radyolojik görüntüleme tetkiklerinin dağılımının incelenmesi ve radyolojik tetkik istemlerinin cerrahi ve dahili branşlar açısından belli kriterler doğrultusunda yapılmasının önemine dikkat çekilmesi amaçlandı. 01.01.2015 ile 31.12.2018 tarihleri arasında ayaktan radyolojik görüntüleme istemi ile Radyoloji Kliniği’nde işlem yapılmış olan radyolojik görüntüleme türleri ve sayıları hastane bilgi yönetim sistemi üzerinden elektronik ortamda elde edilerek incelendi. Dört yıllık süre içinde Radyoloji Kliniği’nde toplam 3.357.564 görüntüleme işleminin yapıldığı tespit edildi. Çalışmaya, 2.018.595 Konvansiyonel Radyografi (KR), 568.725 Ultrasonografi (USG), 400.530 Bilgisayarlı Tomografi (BT), 292.221 Magnetik Rezonans Görüntüleme (MRG) ve 41.852 Mamografi (MG) olmak üzere toplam 3.321.923 görüntüleme işlemi dahil edildi. KR işlemleri içinde en fazla istem yapılan grafi türünün değerlendirmeye alınan yıllarda İki Yönlü Tek Eklem Grafisi olduğu tespit edildi. USG işlemleri içinde en fazla istem yapılan türün değerlendirmeye alınan yıllarda ait olduğu yılın toplam USG sayısı içinde sırasıyla 2015 yılında %15,92 ile Meme USG, 2016-2018 yıllarında ise Tüm Abdomen USG olduğu saptandı. MRG işlemleri içinde en fazla istem yapılan türün değerlendirmeye alınan yıllarda ait olduğu yılın toplam MRG sayısı içinde sırasıyla 2015 ve 2016 yılında %24,87 ve %25,45 ile Beyin MRG olduğu 2017 ve 2018 yıllarında ise sırasıyla %22,35 ve %23,15 ile Lomber Vertebra MRG olduğu görüldü. BT işlemleri içinde en fazla talep edilen türün Beyin BT olduğu tespit edildi. Meme MG tetkikinin 2015 yılından 2018 yılına kadar yaklaşık %60,89 artış olduğu saptandı. Çalışmamızın sonuçlarına göre; Meme USG’nin ve Tüm Abdomen USG’nin en sık istenen tetkikler arasında olmasının, genelden özele doğru bir tanılama ve kontrol süreçlerini işaret ettiği söylenebilir. Tüm görüntüleme tetkik alanlarında en az yapılan tetkiklerin özellikli hizmet sunan branşlar bazında spesifik istendiğini göstermektedir. Ancak çalışmamızın sonuçları ışığında gereksiz veya sık kullanımlara yönelik net bir bilgiyi de ifade edemiyoruz. Buradan hareketle tetkiklerin istem sebepleri, tetkiklerin sonuçları, tanı ve tedaviye katkıları ile bir bütün olarak incelenmesinin ne kadar önemli bir anahtar ipucu olduğu kanaatini kuvvetlendirmektedir. İstem sebebi ne kadar net belirlenmişse klinik branşlar arasında o kadar net iletişim ve doğru yön belirleme mümkün olabilir.