Experimental and computational assessment of Antiparkinson Medication effects on meiofauna: Case study of Benserazide and Trihexyphenidyl

Two concentrations (6.25 and 1.25 mg/L) were used for two Parkinson's disease medications, Benserazide, and Trihexyphenidyl, to test their effects on the meiobenthic nematofauna. It is predicted that these highly hydrosoluble drugs will end up in marine environments. The results showed that both medications when added alone, induced (i) important changes in the numbers and (ii) taxonomic composition. The impact of Benserazide and Trihexyphenidyl was also reflected in the (iii) functional traits of nematofauna, with the most affected categories following exposure being the trophic group 1B, the clavate tails, the circular amphids, the c-p2 life history, and the body length of 1-2 mm. These results were supported by the molecular interactions of the studied drugs with both GLD-3 and SDP proteins of Caenorhabditis elegans. (iv) The mixtures of both drugs did not show any changes in the nematode communities, suggesting that no synergistic or antagonistic interactions exist between them.Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) [IMSIU-RP23071]This work was supported and funded by the Deanship of Scientific Research at Imam Mohammad Ibn Saud Islamic University (IMSIU) (grant number IMSIU-RP23071)

Investigation of the effect of device respiratory muscle exercises applied to 14-16 years old football players on aerobic capacity, anaerobic power and some respiratory parameters

Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Hareket ve Antrenman Bilimleri Ana Bilim Dalı, Hareket ve Antrenman Bilim DalıBu çalışmanın amacı 14-16 yaş futbolculara uygulatılan sekiz haftalık aletli solunum kası egzersizlerinin aerobik kapasite, anaerobik güç ve bazı solunum parametreleri üzerine olan etkisinin incelenmesidir. Çalışmaya haftada üç gün düzenli olarak futbol antrenmanı yapan 14-16 yaş arası 30 erkek futbolcu gönüllü olarak katılmış ve randomize olarak aletli solunum (n:10), plasebo (n:10) ve kontrol (n:10) olmak üzere üç gruba ayrılmıştır. Aletli solunum ve plasebo grubuna sekiz hafta boyunca haftanın her günü powerbreathe plus (mavi) solunum kası egzersiz aleti ile solunum kası egzersizi uygulatılmıştır. Aletli solunum grubuna maksimal inspiratuar basınç (MIP) değerinin %40'ında günde iki kez 30 tekrarlı solunum kası egzersizi uygulatılırken, plasebo grubu aynı egzersizi MIP değerinin %15'inde uygulamıştır. Kontrol grubu ise rutin futbol antrenmanlarına devam etmiş herhangi bir solunum kası egzersizi uygulamamıştır. Çalışmanın başlangıcında, dördüncü haftaya gelindiğinde ve çalışmanın sekizinci haftasında solunum parametreleri, aerobik kapasite ve anaerobik güç ölçümleri gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verilerin ön test son test ölçümleri arasındaki grup içi farklılığın belirlenmesinde Paired T testi, gruplar arasındaki farklılığın belirlemesinde One Way ANOVA testi, gruplar arası değerlendirmede ise Post Hoc testlerinden Tukey HSD testi kullanılmıştır. İstatistiksel analizler sonucunda sekiz haftalık süreçte grup içi ön test-son test karşılaştırmasında tüm gruplarda solunum ve aerobik kapasite paramatrelerinin çoğunluğunda fark görülürken (p<0,005), dikey sıçrama ve anaerobik güç parametrelerinde anlamlı düzeyde fark görülmemiştir. Sekiz haftalık ölçümlerin gruplar arası son test karşılaştırmasında ise solunum parametreleri ile aerobik kapasite ölçümlerinde diğer iki gruba kıyasla anlamlı düzeyde farkın aletli solunum grubu lehine olduğu görülmüştür (p<0,005). Ayrıca solunum kası egzersizlerinin dört haftalık süreç ile sekiz haftalık süreçte oluşturduğu etki düzeyi kıyaslandığında sekiz haftalık süreçteki etkinin daha yüksek düzeyde olduğu görülmüştür. Sonuç olarak aktif futbol oynayan genç erkeklerde rutin antrenmanlara eklenen solunum kası egzersizlerinin özellikle solunum parametreleri ile aerobik kapasite üzerine etkili olduğu görülmüştür. Bu tarz yeni antrenman yöntemlerinin spor bilimlerinde performansı artırmaya yönelik önemli bir çalışma konusu ve alternatif bir yöntem olarak önerilebileceği düşünülmektedir.The aim of this study is to examine the effect of eight-week device respiratory muscle exercises applied to 14-16 year old football players on aerobic capacity, anaerobic power and some respiratory parameters. Thirty male football players aged 14-16, who regularly practiced football three days a week, voluntarily participated in the study and were randomly divided into three groups as deviced respiratory (n: 10), placebo (n: 10) and control (n: 10). Respiratory muscle exercise was applied to the device respiratory and placebo groups with the powerbreathe plus (blue) respiratory muscle exercise every day of the week for eight weeks. While the device respiratory group performed 30 repetitive respiratory muscle exercises twice a day at 40% of the maximal inspiratory pressure (MIP) value, the placebo group performed the same exercise at 15% of the MIP value. The control group, on the other hand, continued their routine football training and did not apply any respiratory muscle exercises. Measurements of respiratory parameters, aerobic capacity and anaerobic power were performed at the beginning of the study, at the 4th week, and at the 8th week of the study. Paired T test was used to determine the intra-group difference between pre-test and post-test measurements of the data, One Way ANOVA test was used to determine the difference between groups, and Tukey HSD test, one of the Post Hoc tests, was used to evaluate between groups. As a result of the statistical analyzes, in the intra-group pre-test-post- test comparison within the eight week period, while there was a difference in most of the respiratory and aerobic capacity parameters in all groups (p<0.005), no significant difference was observed in the vertical jump and anaerobic power parameters. In the post-test comparison of the eight week measurements between the groups, it was seen that there was a significant difference in respiratory parameters and aerobic capacity measurements compared to the other two groups in favor of the device respiratory group (p<0.005). In addition, when the effect level of respiratory muscle exercises in the four- week period and the eight-week period was compared, it was seen that the effect in the eight-week period was higher. As a result, it has been observed that respiratory muscle exercises added to routine training are especially effective on respiratory parameters and aerobic capacity in young men playing active football. It is thought that such new training methods can be recommended as an important study subject and an alternative method to increase performance in sports sciences

Global Practice Patterns in the Evaluation of Non-Obstructive Azoospermia: Results of a World-Wide Survey and Expert Recommendations

Purpose: Non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) represents the persistent absence of sperm in ejaculate without obstruction, stemming from diverse disease processes. This survey explores global practices in NOA diagnosis, comparing them with guidelines and offering expert recommendations. Materials and Methods: A 56-item questionnaire survey on NOA diagnosis and management was conducted globally from July to September 2022. This paper focuses on part 1, evaluating NOA diagnosis. Data from 367 participants across 49 countries were analyzed descriptively, with a Delphi process used for expert recommendations. Results: Of 336 eligible responses, most participants were experienced attending physicians (70.93%). To diagnose azoospermia definitively, 81.7% requested two semen samples. Commonly ordered hormone tests included serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) (97.0%), total testosterone (92.9%), and luteinizing hormone (86.9%). Genetic testing was requested by 66.6%, with karyotype analysis (86.2%) and Y chromosome microdeletions (88.3%) prevalent. Diagnostic testicular biopsy, distinguishing obstructive azoospermia (OA) from NOA, was not performed by 45.1%, while 34.6% did it selectively. Differentiation relied on physical examination (76.1%), serum hormone profiles (69.6%), and semen tests (68.1%). Expectations of finding sperm surgically were higher in men with normal FSH, larger testes, and a history of sperm in ejaculate. Conclusions: This expert survey, encompassing 367 participants from 49 countries, unveils congruence with recommended guidelines in NOA diagnosis. However, noteworthy disparities in practices suggest a need for evidence-based, international consensus guidelines to standardize NOA evaluation, addressing existing gaps in professional recommendations. Copyright © 2024 Korean Society for Sexual Medicine and Andrology

Optimization of Process Parameters for Microwave Drying of Yellow- and Purple-Fleshed Potatoes

The main objective of the present work was to study the optimization of microwave drying of potatoes that have different flesh colors. The effects of independent variables of microwave power (300, 450, 600 W), slice thickness (2-4, 6 mm), and steam blanching time (2, 5, 8 min) on the color, total phenolic content (TPC), antioxidant activity, starch ratio, and total monomeric anthocyanin content (TMA) were investigated by using the Response Surface Methodology (RSM). Before drying, potato slices that had different thicknesses were blanched in steam at 90 degrees C for indicated times. Optimization was applied to improve bioactive compounds, starch ratio, and color. The optimum drying parameters were determined as 300 W, 6 mm, and 8 min for purple-fleshed potatoes, and 450 W, 6 mm, and 2 min for yellow-fleshed potatoes. This study is beneficial to the development of the processing of potatoes in the food industry and provides more insights into the application of microwave drying technology.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBIdot;TAK); Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Scientific Research Council (BAP) [TGT 2022/9-BAGEP]Open access funding provided by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUB & Idot;TAK).This study was granted by the Nigde Omer Halisdemir University Scientific Research Council (BAP) (TGT 2022/9-BAGEP)

An investigation of sensory processing skills in toddlers with joint hypermobility

Background: Children with Generalized Joint Hypermobility (GJH) may have a motor developmental delay in the early period and subluxation, fatigue, autonomic dysfunction, and pain arising from ligaments and other soft tissues in advanced ages. Additionally, there is a loss of proprioceptive sensation in children and adults with GJH. Aims: This study aimed to evaluate sensory processing skills in toddlers with GJH. Study Design: A cross-sectional study. Subjects: Fifty-eight children aged between 12 and 14 months were included in the study. These children were divided into two groups: with and without GJH (31 with GJH and 27 without GJH). Outcome measures: The sensory processing skills of the children in the study were evaluated with the Test of Sensory Functions in Infants (TSFI). Results: The scores in the subtests of TSFI in response to tactile deep pressure, adaptive motor functions, visual- tactile integration, and response to vestibular stimuli were higher in favor of children without GJH (p p < 0.05). The total TSFI score was higher in the group without GJH (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Sensory processing problems were found in toddlers with GJH. Sensory motor development should be evaluated in children with GJH, and an appropriate early intervention program should be planned

A rollercoaster STEM activity involving virtual reality

This study presents a rollercoaster activity including virtual reality and following the six-steps engineering design process. In the study, a real-life problem involving a rollercoaster accident was given to 12 pre-service science teachers first. The participants were then asked to imagine, plan, create, and test a rollercoaster without an impulsion or braking system that could prevent this kind of accident. The pre-service teachers worked in groups to design their rollercoaster in three 50-minute sessions. After designing their rollercoasters, the pre-service teachers were shown a rollercoaster video with VR glasses so that they could test their designs by noticing the faulty parts. After they improved their designs, each rollercoaster was evaluated by the researchers using the rubric. The activity is critical in providing pre-service science teachers with an example of integrating the STEM approach into their lessons and incorporating virtual reality in STEM education. The activity also can help students become entrepreneurial thinkers and understand how science is connected to other disciplines such as technology, mathematics, or engineering. The activity can also help students develop 21st-century skills such as collaboration, critical thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and analytical thinking

SOFİSTİKE ÜRÜN ÜRETİMİ VE İHRACAT ÜZERİNE ETKİLERİ: TÜRKİYE ÖRNEĞİ

Ülkelerin bilgi ve teknoloji içerikli üretim yapabilmeleri için kompleks bir üretim yapısına sahip olmaları gerekmektedir. Ürünlerin ne derece sofistike olup olmadığı da ekonomik kompleksite endeksi ile ölçülmektedir. Bu endeks, ülkelerin her yıl ürettikleri ürünlerde bilgi ve teknolojiyi ne oranda kullandıkları ile ilişkili olup aynı zamanda ülkelerin ürün çeşitlendirme ve geliştirme yeteneğini de yansıtmaktadır. Bu çalışma da, üretiminde bilgi ve teknolojinin yoğun olarak kullanıldığı ve yüksek teknolojili ürünler olarak adlandırılan sofistike ürünlerin Türkiye’nin ihracatına etkisini zaman serisi yöntemiyle ARDL Sınır Testi kullanarak araştırılması amaçlanmaktadır. Aynı zamanda en uygun ihracat politikalarını belirlemeye çalışılmaktır. Bu nedenle çalışmada sofistike ürün üretebilme yeteneğinin göstergesi olarak kabul edilen ekonomik kompleksitenin, Türkiye’nin ürün ihracatına etkisi 1982 - 2019 yılları arasını kapsayan dönem için 1994 ve 2001 ekonomik krizleri ve 2008 küresel krizi de dikkate alarak kırılmalı birim kök testleri yapılarak incelenmiştir. Elde edilen ARDL sınır testi sonuçlarına göre, Türkiye’nin ekonomik kompleksitesindeki artışın, analiz kapsamında ele alınan tarihler itibariyle Türkiye’nin ihracatını uzun dönemde arttırdığı söylenebilmektedir. Benzer şekilde, kısa vadede söz konusu etkiden bahsedilebilmektedir

An examination of the children's literature books with the theme of death in terms of the principle of appropriacy to the child

Eğitim Bilimleri Enstitüsü, Türkçe ve Sosyal Bilimler Eğitimi Ana Bilim Dalı, Türkçe Eğitimi Bilim DalıDuyarlık gerektiren bir olgu olarak ölüm, her yaşta insanın anlamlandırmakta ve kabullenmekte zorlandığı bir konu olmakla birlikte bilişsel ve duyuşsal olgunluk düzeyleri gibi etmenlere bağlı olarak algılanma süreci de bireyden bireye farklılık göstermektedir. Çocuklara ölüm olgusunun anlatılmasında ve çocukların yaşadıkları bu süreci sağlıklı bir şekilde atlatmalarında, bu sürece ilişkin duygularını ifade edebilmelerinde yetişkinlerin desteğinin yanı sıra nitelikli çocuk kitapları da yardımcı olmaktadır. Çocuklar için ölümü anlatan kitapların çocuk üzerinde yaratacağı etki düşünüldüğünde kitapların, çocukların yaş düzeyine ve gelişimsel özelliklerine dikkat edilerek hazırlanması önemli bir husustur. Bu çalışmada da öncelikle bilimsel araştırmalarda çocukların yaş aralıklarına göre ölüm olgusuna bakış açılarının nasıl olduğuna ilişkin alanyazın taranmıştır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden doküman incelemesi yapılarak ölüm olgusunun okulöncesi, ilk ve ortaokul dönemine seslenen kitaplardaki işleniş biçimi, çeviri ve telif eserlerde ölümün ele alınışının nasıl olduğu, Türk ve dünya edebiyatından seçilen yirmi beş çocuk edebiyatı yapıtı üzerinden incelenmiştir. Yapılan incelemeye göre özellikle okul öncesi döneme seslenen çeviri kitapların dil ve anlatımında ve ölümün anlatılışında dini ögelere yer verilerek anlatılmasından kaynaklı eksiklikler gözlemlenmiştir. İlkokul dönemine seslenen çeviri ve telif eserlerin bazılarında ölümün işlevsizliği unsurunun gözetilmediği görülürken ortaokul dönemine seslenen bir kitapta ise karakterlerin idealize edilerek anlatıldığı gözlemlenmiştir. Çeviri ve telif eserler genel olarak karşılaştırıldığında ölümün ele alınışında, anlamlı farklar gözlemlenmemekle birlikte okul öncesi döneme seslenen çeviri kitapların yukarda bahsi geçen bazı eksiklikler içerdiği gözlemlenmiştir. Çeviri ve telif kitaplarda yaş grubu ilerledikçe ölümün daha ayrıntılı yer aldığı, kültürel ve dini ögelerin de anlatının içerisinde yer aldığı gözlemlenmiştir. Kitaplarda ölümün konu edilişine baktığımızda bazı kitapların sadece yas sürecini ele aldığı bazı kitapların ise hem yas süreci hem de ölümü birlikte ele aldığı gözlemlenmiştir. Bu sonuçlar ışığında; seslendikleri yaş grubunun ölüm olgusunu daha doğru bir şekilde anlamlandırması açısından yazarların, okulöncesi döneme seslenen yapıtların dil ve anlatımında ölüm kavramının alanyazınca ortaya konan temel bileşenlerini gözetmesi; konusunun işlenişinde ise kültürel ve dini ögeleri içeren ifadelerden uzak durmaları tavsiye edilmektedir.As a fact of life that requires sensitivity, people of all ages struggle to understand and accept the phenomenon of death. How death is perceived by individuals depend on factors such as cognitive and emotional maturity levels. Along with support from adults, quality children's books also help adults explain the phenomenon of death to children while helping children overcome this process in a healthy way and expressing their feelings about this process. Considering the impact that children's books on the child, it is important to pay attention to the age level and developmental characteristics of the children while these books are prepared. In this study, first of all, the literature on children's perspectives on the phenomenon of death according to their age ranges was reviewed. Using document analysis, one of the qualitative research methods, the way in which the phenomenon of death was handled in books addressed to preschool, primary and secondary school periods, and how death was handled in translated and copyrighted works were examined through twenty-five works of children's literature selected from Turkish and world literature. According to the analysis, deficiencies were observed especially in the language and expression of the translated books addressed to the preschool children and in the narration of death through the inclusion of religious elements. In some of the translated and copyrighted works addressed to the primary school children, it was observed that dysfunctionality as an element of death was not observed, while in a book addressed to the middle school children, it was observed that the characters were idealized. When the translated and copyrighted works were compared in general, it was observed that although there were no significant differences in the treatment of death, the translated books addressed to the preschool children contain some of the deficiencies mentioned above. In both translated and copyrighted books, it was observed that death was covered in more detail as the age group advanced and that cultural and religious elements were also included in the narrative. When examining the topic of death in literature, it was noted that certain books focused solely on the grieving process, while others addressed both mourning and death. Based on these results, it is suggested that the authors of children's book about death should explain the concept of death in a language and expression that is appropriate for preschool-aged children. This should include the basic components of the concept of death as revealed by the literature. It is important to avoid expressions that include cultural and religious elements when addressing this subject in order to help the target age group understand the phenomenon of death more accurately

The effect of carbon nanotube on self-healing properties of engineered cementitious composites subjected to high temperatures

This study aims to examine the effect of carbon nanotubes (CNT) on the self-healing performance of engineered cementitious composites (ECC) subjected to high temperatures. In ECC samples, CNT was used at 0%, 0.25%, 0.50%, and 0.75% by weight instead of cementitious materials. The cylindrical specimens containing CNT (o100 x 200 mm) were manufactured. The produced specimens were subjected to temperatures of 23 +/- 2, 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, and 800 degrees C after being cured at 23 +/- 2 degrees C for 28 days, and then, they left to cool at 23 +/- 2 degrees C for 1 day. Then, these specimens were preloaded at 70% of the ultimate splitting tensile strength to produce microcracks. Lastly, wetting-drying cycles were performed on ECCs for self-healing. The ultrasonic pulse velocity (UPV), splitting tensile strength (fst), and rapid chloride permeability (RCPT) tests were applied to evaluate the self-healing performance of specimens. Moreover, microstructural analyses such as scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) were accomplished to identify the healing products formed in self-healed cracks. According to the results of this study, the highest recovery rate of fst with 103.46% was attained from the ECC specimen containing 0.25% CNT exposed to 200 degrees C

GRIMS: global and regional ionosphere monitoring system

The ionosphere shows regular changes such as daily, 27 days, seasonal, semi-annual, annual, and 11 years. These changes can be modeled and their effects largely determined. However, in addition to regular changes, irregular changes occur in the ionosphere due to space weather conditions, natural disasters, and human-induced irregularities. GNSS is one of the instruments along with many others that can give a piece of information on the ionospheric state. Various indices/parameters are used to determine the effect of space weather conditions. The well-known ones are solar activity indices, geomagnetic storm indices, magnetic field components, proton density, and proton flux parameters. It is important to take all of these indices into consideration when investigating the source of the anomaly. Considering only some of them may lead to incorrect inferences about the source of possible anomalies. To carry out comprehensive research in this field, it is necessary to analyze a very large data set. This indicates the requirement for an automatic system. With the Global and Regional Ionosphere Monitoring System (GRIMS) designed within the scope of this study, the ionosphere can be monitored globally and regionally. The GRIMS is online at https://www.online-grims.com/. By using Global ionospheric maps and GNSS receiver data, global, regional, and station-specific anomalies can be detected regularly through methods such as HDI (Highest Density Interval) and ARIMA (Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average). GRIMS gathers space weather-related parameters from ionospheric data centers to help users interpret the situation, and it allows users to download the results and request data for specific days. The details of the experimental results and output products of the system designed during the geomagnetic active days of March 17, 18, 2015 are given in this paper. Moreover, geomagnetic active days that occurred between 2000 and 2023 are given in the GRIMS.Necmettin Erbakan UniversityWe would like to thank the Center for Orbit Determination in Europe (CODE) for providing GIM data, the Ionospheric Research Laboratory (IONOLAB) for the IONOLABTECV1.35 software. We also thank the International GNSS Service (IGS) for GPS observation data, the NASA/GSFC's Space Physics Data Facility's OMNIWeb service (https://omniweb.gsfc.nasa.gov/) for space weather indices/parameters, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for providing Jason altimetry data (https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/data/oceans/), the General Directorate of Land Registry and Cadastre for providing CORS-TR daily observation data, NOAA National Geophysical Data Center (NCEI) for providing Bx, By, Bz, Proton Density and Solar Wind Speed data, the World Data Center for Geomagnetism, Kyoto for Dst data, the Deutsches GeoForschungsZentrum for kp and F10.7 data, and the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center for providing proton flux data. The authors also thank the editor and anonymous reviewers for their valuable comments and guidance