Numerical Study of Chipless Tags for Radio-Frequency-Identification (RFID) Applications

We present a numerical investigation of effective chipless tags for radio-frequency-identification (RFID) applications. Chipless tags have been introduced recently as alternatives to standard tags with microchips. While they can significantly reduce the overall cost of RFID systems by eliminating microchips and procedures to mount them on tags, chipless tags bring new challenges, especially in terms of identification reliability. We focus on tag structures that consist of resonators and consider alternative scenarios to find out potential misidentification cases. We also present the robustness of resonator-type elements in terms of fabrication errors, as well as array strategies to significantly increase electromagnetic responses of tags at the cost of reduced compactness

Treatment adherence and short-term outcomes of smoking cessation outpatient clinic patients

INTRODUCTION Previous studies have shown that adherence to treatment is fundamental to success in smoking cessation. However, smoking cessation medication regimens are limited significantly by the struggle to adhere to them. This study was conducted to evaluate the factors associated with treatment adherence and quitting success in a group of patients that applied to our smoking cessation outpatient clinic (SCC). METHODS Patients that applied to SCC between April 2015 and December 2016 who were evaluated, found suitable for smoking cessation interventions and started pharmacological treatment were included in this study. Only those who could be reached by phone three months after their first application became participants. Those who had used the prescribed treatment for at least 30 days were grouped as treatment-adherent. RESULTS In total, data for 346 patients were evaluated. Mean (±SD) age was 44.3±13.9 years; most of them were male (63%), primary school graduated (36.1%), self-employed (43.7%), and had no comorbid diseases (71%). Bupropion was started in 52% of the patients, that rate was 35.8% for varenicline and 12.1% for a combination of the nicotine patch and gum. Mean days for treatment use was 20.9±18.5; 59% of the patients were non-adherent to their treatment and 51.7% had only one control visit number. Adverse reactions due to treatment were recorded in 25% of participants, and at their third month 37.9% of them had quit smoking. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, increase in control visit number, absence of adverse reaction, and varenicline use, were each associated with higher treatment adherence (p<0.001) and only being in the treatment-adherent group was associated with quit success (OR=3.01, 95% CI: 1.88–4.81, p=0.001). CONCLUSIONS This study showed that most patients did not use their prescribed SC treatments adequately; a main factor that affects quit success is treatment adherence. There is a need for closer monitoring and follow-up to ensure adequate use of treatment of patients

The evaluation of the retinal findings in the fundoscopic examination of the preeclampsia patients

Objective We aimed to evaluate and compare the retinal findings of the fundoscopic examination of mild and severe preeclampsia cases in our study. Methods The data of 165 patients who admitted to Somalia Mogadishu-Turkey Training and Research Hospital, were hospitalized in the obstetrics and gynecology clinic upon the preeclampsia diagnoses and for whom the eye consultation was requested between January 2017 and January 2020 were evaluated retrospectively. The patients were grouped according to their age, week of gestation, delivery type (cesarean section – normal delivery) and preeclampsia severity (mild – severe). The patients found to have hypertensive retinopathy changes on right or left eye or both eyes were recorded as positive in terms of the findings. Results While no pathological finding was observed in 104 (63.1%) of 165 patients who underwent fundoscopic examination, 61 (36.9%) patients had retinal pathology. Of the patients found to have pathology in their fundoscopic findings, 39 (63.9%) were severely preeclamptic and 22 (36.1%) were mildly preeclamptic. The pregnancy of 51 (83.6%) of these 61 patients was terminated at preterm period (<37 weeks of gestation) and of 10 (16.4) at term (≥37 weeks of gestation). Of 61 patients found to have retinal pathology, 36 (59%) had hypertensive retinopathy, 9 (14.8%) had macular edema, 6 (9.8%) had hypertensive hemorrhage, 4 (6.6%) had pigment epithelial detachment, 2 (3.3%) had bilateral retinal detachment, 2 (3.3%) had left retinal detachment, and 2 (3.3%) had edema in bilateral optical disk. Conclusion While visual complaints are very common in preeclamptic pregnant women, rare but serious complications such retinal detachment, pigment epithelial detachment, macular edema and papilledema as may also develop. Other retinal diseases in addition to hypertensive retinopathy should also be considered during the fundoscopic examination of preeclamptic pregnant women. The clinicians should be aware of these ocular indications and they should work in cooperation to prevent blindness during or after pregnancy. It seems that terminating the pregnancy in preeclamptic pregnant women who develop visual impairment is effective to regain visual capability

Factors associated with current smoking in COPD patients: A cross-sectional study from the Eastern Black Sea region of Turkey

INTRODUCTION Even though smoking is a major reason for the development and progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)-and quitting smoking is the only way to stop its progression-a significant number of smokers still continue to smoke after being diagnosed with COPD. The aim of this study is to compare the clinical and demographic characteristics of COPD patients who are current and former smokers and to find factors associated with their current smoking status. METHODS For this study, data were collected between June 2015 and August 2016; COPD patients who had been regularly visiting Hopa State Hospital’s outpatient clinic over the last year or longer were included. Their demographic, clinical and functional data were recorded. Patients completed a pulmonary function test, six-minute walk test (6-MWT), COPD assessment test (CAT), and modified Medical Research Council (mMRC) dyspnea scale. Comparisons were then made according to their smoking status. RESULTS In total 100 patients were included in the study; with a mean age of 63.4±10.7 years and mostly males (94%). Regarding smoking status, 49% were current smokers and 51% were former smokers. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that current smoking was negatively associated with age (odds ratio, OR=0.93, 95% confidence interval, CI=0.88–0.96) and Global Initiative for Chronic Obstructive Lung Disease (GOLD) stage (OR=0.32, 95% CI=0.13– 0.79), and was positively associated with six-minute walk distance (OR =1.005, 95% CI=1.001–1.009) and CAT score (OR=1.07, 95% CI=1.009–1.13). CONCLUSIONS Nearly half of the COPD patients in the study continued smoking even after having been diagnosed with COPD. The younger patients, with better lung function, better exercise capacity and poor quality of life were associated with current smoking

Sigara içme durumlarına göre öğretmenlerin sosyodemografik özelliklerinin ve yaşam kalitelerinin değerlendirilmesi: Türkiye'nin Doğu Karadeniz bölgesinden kesitsel bir çalışma

Introduction: Smoking related health disorders are particularly common after long-term cigarette use and accordingly cumulative side effects of smoking usually do not appear in younger individuals. Therefore, for evaluating the contemporary effects of smoking in healthy individuals quality of life has become a fundamental criterion. In this study our aims are evaluating factors affecting school teachers' smoking status and comparing quality of life them according to their cigarette smoking status. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional study, conducted between March 1 and June 30, 2015, included all government school teachers in Hopa. A sociodemographic data form and World Health Organisation Quality of Life-bref (WHOQL-bref) questionnaire were used. Statistical analysis was performed via SPSS 20. To evaluate the reliability of the WHOQOL-bref questionnaire, Cronbach's alpha co-efficiency was calculated for each domain separately. Results: Statistical analysis was performed on 327 participants' data. The mean age of the teachers was 34.2 +/- 8.73 and 50.2% of them were female. Most of the teachers were never smokers (67.8%) and current smokers' made up 20.1% of the population. Mean Fagerstrom score of current smokers was 4.1 +/- 1.96. Multinominal logistic regression analysis showed that there was a positive association between male gender and current smoking (OR= 2.25; 95% CI: 1.17-4.32; p< 0.05). Perception of quality of life and perception of health status scores were lower in the current smoker group as compared to never smokers (p< 0.05). However, other quality of life domains were not significantly different among smoking groups. Also, none of the quality of life domains differed significantly according to current smokers' nicotine dependence level. Conclusion: This study reflected a decrease in current smoking prevalence among school teachers compared to previous years. Also, the perception of quality of life and perception of health status scores were lower in the current smoker group as compared to never smokers.Giriş: Sigara ile ilişkili sağlık sorunları özellikle uzun süreli kullanımından sonra sık görülür ve dolayısıyla sigaranın kümülatif yan etkileri genç yaşlarda pek görülmez. Bu nedenle, sigaranın o andaki yan etkilerini değerlendirmede yaşam kalitesi temel bir kriter haline gelmiştir. Bu çalışmamızda amaçlarımız öğretmenlerin sigara içmelerini etkileyen faktörleri değerlendirmek ve sigara içme durumlarına göre yaşam kalitelerini kıyaslamaktır. Materyal ve Metod: Bu kesitsel çalışma 1 Mart 2015 ila 30 Haziran 2015 tarihleri arasında yapıldı ve Hopa'da bulunan bütün devlet okullarındaki öğretmenler çalışmaya dahil edildi. Sosyodemografik veri formu ve WHOQOL-bref ölçeği kullanıldı. İstatistiksel analiz için SPSS 20 kullanıldı. Ölçeğin güvenilirliğini değerlendirmek için her bir alanının Cronbach alfa değerleri hesaplandı. Bulgular: İstatistiksel analiz 327 kişinin verilerine uygulandı. Öğretmenlerin yaş ortalaması 34.2 ± 8.73 idi ve %50.2'si kadındı. Öğretmenlerin çoğu (%67.8) hiç sigara içmemişti, aktif içicilerin oranı %20.1 idi. Aktif içicilerin ortalama Fagerström skoru 4.1 ± 1.96 idi. Multinominal lojistik regresyon analizi erkek cinsiyet ile aktif içicilik arasında pozitif ilişki olduğunu gösterdi (OR= 2.25;95% CI: 1.17-4.32; p< 0.05). Yaşam kalitesi algısı ve sağlık durumu algısı aktif içicilerin hiç içmeyenlere göre daha düşüktü (p< 0.05). Ancak, diğer yaşam kalitesi alanlarında sigara içme durumlarına veya bağımlılık durumlarına göre farklılık saptanmadı. Sonuç: Bu çalışma öğretmenler arasında aktif sigara içiciliği oranında önceki yıllara göre bir düşüş olduğunu, ayrıca aktif içicilerin hiç içmeyenlere göre yaşam kalitelerini ve sağlık durumlarını daha kötü algıladıklarını göstermiştir

Öğretmen Adaylarının Eğitim İnançları ile Eleştirel Düşünme Eğilimleri Arasındaki İlişki

The purpose of the present study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the preservice teachers’ educational beliefs and their tendency to think critically. Moreover, the study also looks at whether the critical thinking tendency varies depending on the variables such as gender, the classroom attended, department, the state of book reading habit, and mother and father’s education level. The population of this research employing a survey model consists of 908 pre-service teachers of all the departments of the Education Faculty of Ankara University. The data collection instruments of the study are “California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory” and “Educational Beliefs Scale”. Pearson Moments Product Correlation Coefficient, ttest, and ANOVA were used in the analysis of the data. The findings of the study revealed that there were significant relations between the sub-dimensions of the Educational Beliefs Scale and the Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory.Bu araştırmada, öğretmen adaylarının eğitim inançları ile eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri arasındaki ilişkinin belirlenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Ayrıca araştırmada, eğitim inançlarının ve eleştirel düşünme eğilimlerinin “cinsiyet, sınıf düzeyi,  öğrenim görülen program, kitap okuma durumu, anne ve baba eğitim durumu” değişkenlerine göre farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığı incelenmiştir. Tarama modelindeki araştırmanın çalışma evrenini, 2012-2013 eğitim-öğretim yılı Bahar yarıyılında Ankara Üniversitesi Eğitim Bilimleri Fakültesi’nde öğrenim gören toplam 908 öğretmen adayı oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmanın verilerinin toplanmasında “Eğitim İnançları Ölçeği (EİÖ)” ve “California Eleştirel Düşünme Eğilimi Ölçeği (CEDEÖ)” kullanılmıştır. Verilerin çözümlenmesinde, betimsel istatistikler, Pearson Momentler Çarpımı Korelasyon Katsayısı, t testi ve Anova kullanılmıştır. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgular, öğretmen adaylarının eğitim inançları ile eleştirel düşünme eğilimleri arasında anlamlı ilişkiler olduğunu ortaya koymaktadır

Mandibular parametreler ile yaş ve cinsiyet arasındaki ilişkinin araştırılması: Retrospektif çalışma

Amaç: Panoramik radyograflarda ölçülen mandibular parametreler (gonial açı, bigonial genişlik ve ramus yüksekliği) ile bireyin yaşı ve cinsiyeti arasındaki ilişkinin saptanması hedeflenmektedir. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Çalışmada 19-69 yaşları arasındaki 230 kadın ve erkeğe ait panoramik radyograflar üzerinde gonial açı, bigonial genişlik ve ramus yüksekliği olmak üzere üç parametre ölçülmüştür. Elde edilen veriler istatistiksel olarak değerlendirilmiştir. Bulgular: Tüm yaş gruplarında kadın ve erkek arasında gonial açı değerlerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmazken, ramus yüksekliği ve bigonial genişlik değerlerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı fark bulunmaktadır. Sonuç: Bu çalışma adli diş hekimliğinde mandibular parametreler kullanılarak yaş ve cinsiyet tayini yapılmasında yardımcı olabilir.ANAHTAR KELİMELER Bigonial genişlik, gonial açı, panoramik radyograf, ramus yüksekliğ

Knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of medical students regarding HPV and HPV vaccine

Introduction: HPV (Human papilloma virus) is the most common sexually transmitted infection and constitutes an important part of cancers for which infectious agents are blamed in its ethology. The most important duty of informing the public about HPV and the HPV vaccine with a high protection rate belongs to doctors. The curriculum and scope of this subject in medical education in our country is uncertain. We aimed to determine the knowledge, attitudes, and behaviours of our students about HPV and the HPV vaccine before the internship and to find out the change in their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour status after the internship. Method: The population of the study consists of a total of 257 third and sixth grade students studying in the Faculty of Medicine at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University during the 2018-2019 academic year. A questionnaire, including questions and suggestions about sociodemographic characteristics, and knowledge, attitudes and behavioural status about HPV infection and the HPV vaccine, was administered under supervision to third and sixth grade students between April and June 2019 without specifying their name and surname. Chi-square test was used for statistical evaluation. For statistical significance, p lt;0.050 was accepted.Results: 108 third grade and 91 sixth grade students participated in our study. Although HPV is known to play a role in the ethology of cervical cancer and anogenital warts (91%, 91.2%), this awareness was as low as 35.4%, 37.9% and 38.8%, respectively, in penis, anus and head and neck cancers. The knowledge level was statistically significant in favour of the sixth-grade students (p lt;0.001). When the attitudes and behaviours of the students were examined, the frequency of having the HPV vaccine was 4.5%. It was observed that the frequency of the idea of vaccination among the female students was higher than that of the male students (61.3%, 18.1%). No statistically significant difference was found among the possible variables that could affect the need for the HPV vaccine when compared according to the gender, grade, and the educational status of the mother or father (p gt; 0.05). The reason why the students did not have the HPV vaccine was related to the fact that they found the vaccine expensive and did not consider it necessary. Only 46.7% of the sixth-grade students thought that they could give their patients enough information about the HPV virus and vaccine when they graduated.Conclusion: The frequency of vaccination in our country is very low even among doctors. Training strategies should be developed to enable doctors to graduate with full knowledge of HPV and the HPV vaccine with multidimensional training programs

Serum YKL-40 levels as a novel marker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome

WOS: 000321700800013PubMed: 23661157Purpose To evaluate serum levels of YKL-40 in patients with pseudoexfoliation syndrome (PEX) in comparison with those of age-and sex-matched healthy subjects. Methods Forty patients with PEX (PEX group) and 40 age- and sex-matched control subjects (control group) were enrolled in the study. An enzyme immunoassay method using the commercially available test MicroVue YKL-40 was used to measure serum YKL-40 concentration. Systolic and diastolic blood pressures, serum levels of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP), total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL), and triglycerides were also examined. Results the mean age was 54.4 +/- 7.6 (ranging 41-65) years in each group. the mean serum YKL-40 level of the PEX group was significantly higher than that of the control group (P<0.001). in addition, the mean serum HsCRP, total cholesterol, LDL, and triglycerides levels were significantly higher, and mean serum HDL level was significantly lower in the PEX group than in the control group (all P<0.001, excluding both P = 0.002 for triglycerides and HDL levels). Further, the mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the PEX group than in the control group (P-1 = 0.001 and P-2 = 0.01, respectively). Conclusion We have shown a relationship between PEX and elevated serum levels of YKL-40. We imply that a better understanding of the role of YKL-40 in the pathogenesis of endothelial dysfunction and atherosclerosis is necessary to develop new therapies for preventing or treating PEX. Further studies are warranted to clarify the clinical relevance of these findings