Samarkand the Shah Zinde Buildings

Semerkand, Türk Kültür tarihi için Asya tarihi coğrafyasındaki en önemli kentlerden birisidir. Kent peyzajını oluşturan tarihi yapıların, eş zamanlı veya daha sonraki yüzyıllarda İran ve Anadolu’da inşa edilen yapılarla kaynaklık ya da gelenek ilişkilerini belirlemesi açısından; onun da ötesinde daha doğuda Karahanlı coğrafyasındaki daha eski Türk mimarlık eserleriyle Anadolu arasındaki köprüyü oluşturması bakımından önemleri büyüktür. Kentin kuzeyinde kalan tarihi Afrâsiyâb höyüğü üzerinde yer alan ortaçağ dokusu içindeki yapılar arasında da Şah-ı Zinde yapıları özellikle önem taşırlar.676 yılında , Maveraünnehirde Müslümanlığın yayılmasına çalıştığı sırada öldüğü rivayet edilen Hz. Muhammed’in yeğeni Kasım b. Abbas (Kussam ibn’- el Abbas abd’- el Muttalib)’ın mezarının etrafında daha sonraki dönemlerde yapılan türbelerle oluşan bu yapılar topluluğu, Kasım b. Abbas’ın şehit olmasına izafeten Bakara suresi’nin 154. ayetinden hareketle Şah-ı Zinde (Yaşayan Şah) olarak isimlendirilmiştir. Kasım b. Abbas’ın mezarının üzerine 11.yüzyılda ilk türbe ve hemen yanına küçük bir mescid’in yapılmasının ardından 14. yüzyıldan sonra yoğun fakat seçkinci bir anlayış ve üslupla yeni türbeler ve bazı müştemilatları inşa edilmiştir

INVESTIGATION OF THE EFFECTS OF CARDIOVASCULAR AND AEROBIC EXERCISES ON BODY COMPOSITION AND BLOOD PARAMETERS IN SEDENTARY WOMEN

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of 12-week cardiovascular and aerobic exercise on body composition and some blood parameters in sedentary women. Materials and methods: The selected 48 sedentary women participating at this study were attending B-Fit gymnasium in Giresun province. The sedentary women were splitted into two groups and subjected to the cardiovascular (n = 24) and the aerobic exercises (n = 24) one hour, three times a week. The intensity of the exercises was arranged according to the case that the heart rate is about 130-140 per minute. Measurements were made by adopting the same measurement methods before and after 12-week exercise there after the data were presented in tables using "student’s t-test" and "paired samples statistics". Results: Results have revealed that the values of body weight, body mass index, body fat percentage, cholesterol, triglyceride, LDL-C and waist-to-hip ratio of the subjects are decreased by the end of the 12-week workout. In addition, the HDL-C values of subjects are found to be increased in both groups (p <0.05 and p <0.001). Conclusion: The change in cardiovascular exercise group has been more significant in comparison with the aerobic exercise group. The cardiovascular and aerobic exercises performed in sedentary women have been found to trigger positive changes in body composition and blood parameters.  Article visualizations

Challenges Faced by Pre-service Science Teachers during the Teaching and Learning Process in Turkey

Pre-service teachers’ first experiences and ideas prior to application affect their teaching activities. For this reason, it is aimed to determine transferring the experiences and ideas of prospective science teachers before lesson activities and its development with lesson activities. The study was carried out with 29 third year prospective teachers who attended the course named Laboratory Application II and undergraduate students at the Department of Science Education at Karadeniz Technical University during 2012-2013 spring semesters. The study was conducted by case study design. Thirty-minute lesson activities were carried out by them. Reflective writings constituted by candidates, lesson observations and plans were used as data collecting tools. They were examined through inductive thematic analyze. When compared before and during lesson activities process, it was determined that pre-service teachers’ perception, ideas or application had changed at some concepts. This case might be a proof of development of pre service teachers’ professional skills doing practice

Enhanced content bio-imaging tools: realising the potential for high-throughput zebrafish bioassays

Abstract Estrogenic endocrine disrupting chemicals (EEDCs) are environmental contaminants that can alter hormone signalling in both humans and wildlife, exerting their action through estrogen receptors (ERs). A wealth of evidence has indicated that EEDCs are capable of producing a broad range of adverse outcomes by interacting with, and disrupting, the normal functioning of the estrogen system. Fish are particularly vulnerable to endocrine disruption due to EEDCs being frequently discharged into waterways. With more than 900 chemicals identified as being endocrine disruptors, of which ~200 may exert estrogenic effects, there is an urgent need for screening processes that can assess the estrogenic potential of chemicals in order to avoid human and environmental health risks. In vivo models capable of demonstrating the physiological effects of EEDCs hold great utility for understanding the potential health impacts of estrogens, and transgenic (TG) zebrafish (Danio rerio) models are particularly well-suited for the screening of EEDCs via bioimaging approaches. The pigment-free estrogen-responsive ERE:GFP:Casper model represents a promising transgenic line for qualifying and quantifying EEDC-induced fluorescence responses in larval fish and is amenable to high-throughput screening (HTS). We optimised a medium-throughput semi-automated in vivo bioimaging assay using the model, while simultaneously generating important data concerning estrogen-driven responses to an EEDC (EE2). Through refinement of assay parameters, including the use of various image-masking and pixel-thresholding approaches, controlled-breeding to reduce genetic variability and standardised larval orientation for image acquisition, we established the most sensitive and robust approaches for screening of the EE2-exposed model using a semi-automated imaging modality. Our optimised assay was capable of detecting a significant GFP response in 4 day old zebrafish larvae at an environmentally relevant (5ng/L) concentration of EE2. These specifications were then adopted for investigating the influence of varying incubation temperatures (24, 28 and 32°C) on EE2-exposed ERE:GFP:Casper larval growth and GFP responses. This analysis provided information concerning the potential for an EEDC to interact with temperature in a fish model, with important implications for subsequent interpretation of results. We screened the same animal over a series of timepoints generating valuable data concerning estrogen-induced fluorescence responses and specific larval growth. Incubation temperature was found to have a significant effect on GFP induction, both alone and in interaction with EE2. The findings of this thesis help to outline an improved approach for further development of higher-throughput in vivo estrogenic screening of a transgenic zebrafish model.AstraZenec

ANALYSIS OF METAPHORICAL PERCEPTION OF THE WORD ‘FITNESS’ BY GIRESUN UNIVERSITY SPORTS SCIENCES FACULTY STUDENTS AND KEŞAP VOCATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The purpose of this study is to identify and compare metaphorical perceptions of ‘fitness’ concept by university students majoring in two different departments. In spite of its qualitative nature, the study exhibits a phenomenological pattern. A total of 50 students from Giresun University Sports Sciences Faculty and Keşap Vocational High School participated in the study. Data was collected by open-ended question method. The participants were asked to fill in the questions in the form of “Fitness is like_________because________” in their own handwriting for metaphor analysis. Data was evaluated by content analysis and a total of 29 metaphors were elicited under 2 main themes. The most-frequently used metaphors were ‘tree, balloon and life’ respectively.  Article visualizations

Adoption of e-declaration system in Turkey: an empirical assessment with the extended technology acceptance model

Bu makalede, Türkiye’de elektronik beyanname uygulamalarının meslek mensupları tarafından benimsenmesi ve bu benimsemenin arkasındaki nedenler, Genişletilmiş Teknoloji Kabul Modeli (E-TAM) ile test edilmektedir. Makalede son yıllarda hızla yaygınlaşan verginin elektronik olarak doldurulması uygulaması tanıtılmakta, e-beyanname adı verilen bu uygulamanın benimsenme düzeyi, E-TAM modeli ile test edilmektedir. E-beyanname sistemlerini kullanma konusunda meslek mensuplarının kişisel niyet ve istekleri, anket yöntemiyle belirlenmekte ve sosyal psikolojik teoriler kullanılarak Yapısal Eşitlik Modeli ile ampirik olarak test edilmektedir. Uluslararası literatürde elektronik beyanname uygulamasının benimsenme düzeyi ile ilgili akademik çalışmalar yapılmış olsa bile, Türkçe literatürde şimdiye kadar bu konuda birincil veri kullanılarak yapılmış ampirik bir akademik çalışmaya rastlanmamıştır.In this study, modern application of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT)’s in Turkish Tax Management System has been investigated and the major reason behind technology adoption behaviors of Certified Public Accountants (CPAs) has been assessed by using Extended Technology Acceptance Model (E-TAM). The study first discusses electronic tax declaration system, and then empirically tests acceptance levels of CPAs by using Structural Equation Modeling. The study employs socio psychological theories to assess individual attitudes and perceptions of technology adoption process of CPAs. Although there are number of studies in international literature on adoption of electronic tax declaration systems, very limited empirical studies exist in Turkish literature

Assessment of Nursing Students’ Attitudes Towards Recording and Protecting Patients’ Personal Health Data: A Descriptive Study

Introduction. Since health information is considered as sensitive personal data and requires more careful protection, healthcare professionals need to be careful about this issue. The objective of this research was to determine nursing students’ attitudes towards recording and protecting patients’ personal health data. Materials and Methods. The population of this descriptive research consisted of 450 students who studied at the Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Erzincan Binali Yildirim University. Sample selection was not used, and the research was completed with 374 students who were continuing education and who were accepted to participate in the research. Descriptive Information template and Attitude Scale for Recording and Protecting Personal Health Data for nursing students were used as data-collection instruments. The numbers, percentage, mean, standard deviation, non-parametric tests (the Mann-Whitney U test and the Kruskal-Wallis test) were used in data analysis. Results. Among our research participants, 68.4% of the students were females; 28.1% of the students were freshmen; 69% of the students were graduates of Anatolian high schools. Approximately 72.5% and 52.9% of the participants stated that they were aware of the concept of “personal data” and “personal health data” , respectively. The mean score of nursing students on the Attitude Scale for Recording and Protecting Personal Health Data was 3.97±0.71. The means scores obtained from subscales were as follows: 3.91±0.72 for Personal Health Data Information, 4.15±0.80 for Legal Information, 4.05±0.94 for Legal Data Sharing, 3.90±0.80 for Personal Health Data Sharing, and 3.77±0.33 for Recording of Personal Health Data, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found between the total scale and subscale scores of the students regarding their academic level. Conclusions. Students were found to have a positive attitude towards recording and protecting personal data. Increasing the responsibilities and raising awareness of the students for the protection of personal health data during their study is suggested to be important

Impact of the population density on quality of life

The aim of this study was to compare life quality of people living in İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir having higher population density to those living in cities having lower population density. 2060 people from İstanbul, Ankara and İzmir, 5892 people from other cities, totally 7952 people, were participated in the study. Turkish version of WHOQOL-BREF scale consisting 27 items, developed by World Health Organization with the participation of 15 collaboration centers was used to determine life quality of participants. WHOQOL-BREF scale includes four dimensions; physical, psychological, social relations, and environment SPSS 16.0 was used to analyzed collected data. Descriptive analyze was used to determine characteristics of participants, Independent t test was used to compare cities having different populations densities, crosstab and chi square tests were used to analyze items not included in scoring. Significant differences were found between people from cities having different population density in terms of physical and environmental field (p<0.05), and psychological field (p<0.01). No significant difference was found in terms of social field (p>0.05). Consequently, according to higher level of life quality scores of people living in high population density than those living low population densities in terms of physical, psychological, social and environmental field, it can be said that it is a positive reflection of life to life quality in cities having higher population density.

Security of the energy supply of the EU: a breaking point in integration?

Increasing dependency of the EU on imported energy resources has been a major challenge for the EU energy security. The crisis between Russia and Ukraine in 2006 has brought the issue of security of energy supply to the agenda of the EU, which also raised questions over the reliability of Russia as the major energy supplier of the EU. Upon this background, the EU has developed various mechanisms in line with the diversification strategy of the EU energy policy. However, threats to the energy security of the Member States have led them to pursue national energy policies undermining the efforts for relieving the heavy dependency on the Russian energy resources at the EU level. Thus, in line with the theoretical framework of liberal intergovernmentalism, national preferences of the Member States rather than the supranational entrepreneurship have prevailed in the EU energy security policy. Divergence of the key interests of the leading Member States of the EU in the energy security has constituted the breaking point in further integration in the energy policy. The Caspian region energy resources are considered to be significant in the context of the diversification strategy of the EU. Energy strategies that would entail Turkey as an energy corridor between the Caspian region and the EU have significant potential to contribute to the security of energy supply of the EU