Impact of Crowded Restaurant Perception on Affectivity and Behavioral Intentions

This research aims to assess the influence of restaurant customers\u27 perceived crowdedness on their behavioral intentions. The data were collected via a questionnaire developed based on the literature. Obtained 459 questionnaires were analyzed using explanatory and confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling methods. It was determined that perception of human crowdedness impacted behavioral intentions in a positive manner, while the perception of spatial crowdedness had a negative influence. Therefore, findings show that perceived human crowdedness does not influence affectivity, whereas spatial crowdedness has a negative effect on it

Homework self-regulation strategies: a gender and educational-level invariance analysis

This study investigates the measurement invariance as a function of gender and educational level of the Homework Behavior Questionnaire (Ktpc), an instrument developed to assess students' homework self-regulation strategies. A sample of 1400 elementary and middle school students was used. Results of confirmatory factor analysis indicated a good fit of the theoretical model composed of three dimensions: planning, execution and evaluation of the homework completion. The results also provided evidence for the existence of metric invariance and partial scalar measurement invariance across boys and girls and across the elementary school and the middle school students. The reliability of the scores in the three dimensions was high. Girls obtained higher scores than boys in planning, execution and evaluation. Middle school students had lower scores in planning compared to the elementary school students. These findings are discussed, and their implications for practice are highlighted.This study was partially conducted at the Psychology Research Centre (UID/PSI/01662/2013), University of Minho, and supported by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, through national funds, and co-financed by FEDER, through COMPETE2020, under the PT2020 Partnership Agreement (POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007653). The first author is also supported by grant SFRH/BPD/102549/2014 from the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relationships of homework motivation and preferences to homework achievement and attitudes in Turkish students

Whether students' motivation, organizational approaches, physical needs, and environmental and interpersonal preferences during the homework process predict homework achievement and attitudes toward homework was examined in 1,776 Turkish students in Grades 5 through 8. The Homework Motivation and Preference Questionnaire was utilized to assess students' homework behaviors, and a multiple regression approach was employed to determine whether students' homework motivation and preferences predict homework achievement and attitude, while controlling for the effects of gender and socioeconomic status. Homework self-motivation, organization (order), sound, and interpersonal preference (studying alone) have relatively strong and consistent relationships with homework achievement and attitudes toward homework. However, other organizational (place), perceptual (tactile), and physical (intake) preferences, and other motivational sources (parent- and teacher-motivated), are related to attitudes toward homework more so than perceived homework achievement. Of these elements, self-motivation and set-order were consistent and strong in their relationships with homework achievement and attitudes across grades. The importance for teachers to individual homework and for parents to accommodate home environment was discussed, especially in the context of Turkish education. © 2012 Copyright Association for Childhood Education International

An investigation on teacher candidates’ perspectives about behaviors positively affecting classroom atmosphere [Öğretmen adaylarının sınıf atmosferini olumlu etkileyen davranışlar hakkındaki görüşlerinin incelenmesi]

Problem Statement: A revision of literature shows that there are studies focusing on student and teacher perceptions of classroom atmosphere; however, no research has been found to be related to teacher candidates’ perspectives on their behaviors in terms of positive classroom atmosphere. As teacher candidates are the main subject and the future organizers of the teaching environments, it is important to carry out a study on which variables of the classroom atmosphere they are aware. Purpose of the Study: This study aims to investigate teacher candidates’ points of view about teacher behaviors influencing the classroom atmosphere. Also, this research intends to determine communication strategies that teacher candidates suggest about positive and effective classroom atmospheres. Method: At a primary school education department of a state university, third-year students were told to prepare a report about the following questions: “According to you; how should the communicative and effective classroom context affect the classroom atmosphere?, What should teachers do? Discuss these issues through examples.” The study was based on 70 teacher candidates’ reports about these questions. In this research, content analysis—one of the qualitative research methods—was used. Findings: It was seen that teacher candidates offered some strategies reinforcing a positive classroom atmosphere such as knowing students and the effective use of non-verbal messages and communication methods to struggle with unwanted classroom behaviors. In addition, it was emphasized that the teacher was an important factor in creating the classroom atmosphere. It was given importance that the classroom had to be considered as a democratic and social system and the teacher’s positive personal characteristics were highlighted. Conclusion and Recommendations: It can be said that teacher candidates are, to some extent, aware of what should be done or should not be done in creating a positive classroom atmosphere; however, there are some points that they are lacking. Pre-service teacher training programmes should be re-arranged in order to compensate for these lacking points and to guide teacher candidates to a sense of awareness in their classes. In line with this, classroom management, teaching experience and teaching practice courses in the curriculum of pre-school education programmes should be revised through theory and practice entirety. © 2016, Ani Publishing. All rights reserved

Neutron plus Gamma response of undoped and Dy doped MgB4O7 thermoluminescence dosimeter

WOS: 000470046200014PubMed ID: 30825838Thermoluminescence properties of undoped and Dy doped MgB4O7 compounds were studied with the irradiation of Cf-252 source. The TL kinetic parameters of MgB4O7: Dy were studied by computer glow curve deconvolution (CGCD) method. The glow curve structures of 1% Dy doped magnesium tetraborate compound consists of at least five glow peaks with a main dosimetric peak at about 220 degrees C. The highest sensitivity which is approximately 1.90 and 1.47 times higher than that of TLD-600 and TLD-700 was found for MgB4O7: Dy (1 mol%). The results clearly showed that Dysprosium doped magnesium borate has a potential to be considered as the thermoluminescence neutron + gamma dosimeter.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [115F268]This work was supported by TUBITAK, the project number is 115F268

Publication rates of abstracts presented at the annual congress of the Turkish Society of Colorectal Surgery (years 2003-2011)

Objective: The aim of our study is to examine the Publication Rate of Congress of Turkish Society of Colorectal Surgery meeting abstracts and determine the factors affecting publication rate. Material and Methods: All presentations at Congress of Turkish Society of Colorectal Surgery congresses held in 2003, 2007, 2009, 2011 were retrospectively assessed. Manuscripts indexed in Google-Scholar database were included. The meeting year, study type, presentation type, title and time to publication of studies were assessed. Actual impact factor values were assessed to introduce the scientific power of the journals. Results: Among a total of 614 abstracts presented at these congresses, 139 (22.6%) presentations were published in various medical journals. The publication rate was higher in oral presentations as group compared to poster presentations (29.7% vs. 19.5%) (p<0.001). Mean time to publication period was 20.4 (±21.1) months. 78 (56.1%) of published articles were published in SCI-E journals while 61 (43.9%) were published in non-SCI-E journals. Experimental studies had a higher Publication Rate in analysis of publication rate according to study type (p<0.001). Prospective clinical studies had a higher publication rate than retrospective studies. The journals in which oral presentations had been published had greater impact factor than journals in which poster presentations had been published (p=0.02). If published; prospective clinical studies were published in journals with greater impact factor than retrospective studies (p=0.04). Conclusion: The quality of a meeting is correlated with the publication of abstracts accepted as presentations. Congress of Turkish Society of Colorectal Surgery congress is an efficient meeting for researchers, and have a lower PR as compared to international congresses while having a similar publication rate to equivalent scientific meetings. Being more selective during abstract acceptance should increase the Publication Rate and quality of Congress of Turkish Society of Colorectal Surgery congresses. © 2017 by Turkish Surgical Association

The ChoCO-W prospective observational global study: Does COVID-19 increase gangrenous cholecystitis?

Background: The incidence of the highly morbid and potentially lethal gangrenous cholecystitis was reportedly increased during the COVID-19 pandemic. The aim of the ChoCO-W study was to compare the clinical findings and outcomes of acute cholecystitis in patients who had COVID-19 disease with those who did not. Methods: Data were prospectively collected over 6&nbsp;months (October 1, 2020, to April 30, 2021) with 1-month follow-up. In October 2020, Delta variant of SARS CoV-2 was isolated for the first time. Demographic and clinical data were analyzed and reported according to the STROBE guidelines. Baseline characteristics and clinical outcomes of patients who had COVID-19 were compared with those who did not. Results: A total of 2893 patients, from 42 countries, 218 centers, involved, with a median age of 61.3 (SD: 17.39) years were prospectively enrolled in this study; 1481 (51%) patients were males. One hundred and eighty (6.9%) patients were COVID-19 positive, while 2412 (93.1%) were negative. Concomitant preexisting diseases including cardiovascular diseases (p &lt; 0.0001), diabetes (p &lt; 0.0001), and severe chronic obstructive airway disease (p = 0.005) were significantly more frequent in the COVID-19 group. Markers of sepsis severity including ARDS (p &lt; 0.0001), PIPAS score (p &lt; 0.0001), WSES sepsis score (p &lt; 0.0001), qSOFA (p &lt; 0.0001), and Tokyo classification of severity of acute cholecystitis (p &lt; 0.0001) were significantly higher in the COVID-19 group. The COVID-19 group had significantly higher postoperative complications (32.2% compared with 11.7%, p &lt; 0.0001), longer mean hospital stay (13.21 compared with 6.51&nbsp;days, p &lt; 0.0001), and mortality rate (13.4% compared with 1.7%, p &lt; 0.0001). The incidence of gangrenous cholecystitis was doubled in the COVID-19 group (40.7% compared with 22.3%). The mean wall thickness of the gallbladder was significantly higher in the COVID-19 group [6.32 (SD: 2.44) mm compared with 5.4 (SD: 3.45) mm; p &lt; 0.0001]. Conclusions: The incidence of gangrenous cholecystitis is higher in COVID patients compared with non-COVID patients admitted to the emergency department with acute cholecystitis. Gangrenous cholecystitis in COVID patients is associated with high-grade Clavien-Dindo postoperative complications, longer hospital stay and higher mortality rate. The open cholecystectomy rate is higher in COVID compared with non -COVID patients. It is recommended to delay the surgical treatment in COVID patients, when it is possible, to decrease morbidity and mortality rates. COVID-19 infection and gangrenous cholecystistis are not absolute contraindications to perform laparoscopic cholecystectomy, in a case by case evaluation, in expert hands. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.

The impact of surgical delay on resectability of colorectal cancer: An international prospective cohort study

The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has provided a unique opportunity to explore the impact of surgical delays on cancer resectability. This study aimed to compare resectability for colorectal cancer patients undergoing delayed versus non-delayed surgery