Investigating the Effects of 12-Week Fun Athletics Program on Motor Skill Development of 10-14 Year old Children with Mild Intellectual Disability

This study aims to determine the effects of 12-week fun athletics program on motor development of 10-14 year old children with mild intellectual disability. The sampling of the study consists of 20 students with mild intellectual disability; 10 for the control group and 10 for the experimental group. These participants were divided into two groups by employing random sampling method. The mean for the ages of the participants in the control group was 10.90±2,28 while the same value was calculated as 11.80±1,47 for those in the experimental group. The fun athletics program was implemented in the experimental group two days a week for 12 weeks; however, the control group participants were not exposed to this program during that period. Motor skills of all the participants were measured by performing Performance Evaluation Tests (Agility, speed, strength, balance, speed tests) and using MEB Psychomotor Skills Evaluation Form as pre and posttests. The results of the study revealed an improvement in gross and fine motor skills of the participants in the experimental group (p<0.05) while no differences were found for the participants in the control group. The study also showed that Performance Evaluation Tests result significantly improved according to the control group (p<0.05). In conclusion, 12-week fun athletics program was found to affect motor skills of students with mild intellectual disability positively

Methods for the refinement of protein structure 3D models

The refinement of predicted 3D protein models is crucial in bringing them closer towards experimental accuracy for further computational studies. Refinement approaches can be divided into two main stages: The sampling and scoring stages. Sampling strategies, such as the popular Molecular Dynamics (MD)-based protocols, aim to generate improved 3D models. However, generating 3D models that are closer to the native structure than the initial model remains challenging, as structural deviations from the native basin can be encountered due to force-field inaccuracies. Therefore, different restraint strategies have been applied in order to avoid deviations away from the native structure. For example, the accurate prediction of local errors and/or contacts in the initial models can be used to guide restraints. MD-based protocols, using physics-based force fields and smart restraints, have made significant progress towards a more consistent refinement of 3D models. The scoring stage, including energy functions and Model Quality Assessment Programs (MQAPs) are also used to discriminate near-native conformations from non-native conformations. Nevertheless, there are often very small differences among generated 3D models in refinement pipelines, which makes model discrimination and selection problematic. For this reason, the identification of the most native-like conformations remains a major challenge

ReFOLD3: refinement of 3D protein models with gradual restraints based on predicted local quality and residue contacts

ReFOLD3 is unique in its application of gradual restraints, calculated from local model quality estimates and contact predictions, which are used to guide the refinement of theoretical 3D protein models towards the native structures. ReFOLD3 achieves improved performance by using an iterative refinement protocol to fix incorrect residue contacts and local errors, including unusual bonds and angles, which are identified in the submitted models by our leading ModFOLD8 model quality assessment method. Following refinement, the likely resulting improvements to the submitted models are recognized by ModFOLD8, which produces both global and local quality estimates. During the CASP14 prediction season (May–Aug 2020), we used the ReFOLD3 protocol to refine hundreds of 3D models, for both the refinement and the main tertiary structure prediction categories. Our group improved the global and local quality scores for numerous starting models in the refinement category, where we ranked in the top 10 according to the official assessment. The ReFOLD3 protocol was also used for the refinement of the SARS-CoV-2 targets as a part of the CASP Commons COVID-19 initiative, and we provided a significant number of the top 10 models. The ReFOLD3 web server is freely available at https://www.reading.ac.uk/bioinf/ReFOLD/

BAĞIMSIZ SÜSPANSİYONLU TİCARİ ARAÇLARDA ELEKTRONİK KONTROLLÜ DÜMENLEMENİN ARAŞTIRILMASI

BAĞIMSIZ SÜSPANSİYONLU TİCARİ ARAÇLARDA ELEKTRONİK KONTROLLÜ DÜMENLEMENİN ARAŞTIRILMASIÖzetBu çalışmada; hava süspansiyonlu ticari ve ticari olmayan araçlarda kullanılan dümenleme mekanizmasının Ackermann prensibi ile elektronik olarak kontrol edilip edilemeyeceği incelenmiştir. Çalışma mekaniği SolidWorks CAD programında modellenmiş, pratiksel uygulaması gerçekleştirilmiş ve Arduino işlemci kullanılarak step ve DC motorlarla kontrol denemeleri üzerinde çalışılmıştır. Step motorla adım kontrol denemesi üzerinde çalışılırken, dc motor ile zaman ve sensör verileri incelenmiştir. Çalışma mekaniği denemesi yapılan 3 model için revize edilmiş ve Arduino yazılımı üzerinde yapılan revizyonlarla çalışma tamamlanmıştır. Adım motorun adım yük ve yoldaki gürültülerden çabuk etkilenebileceği gözlemlendiğinden dolayı adım motor kontrolü yerine DC motor açı kontrolü sağlanarak yapılan çalışmadan daha iyi sonuç alınabileceği gözlemlenmiş ve çalışmanın uygulanabilirliği üzerinde durulmuştur. Mekaniğin ve döner mafsalların yataklamalarla desteklenmesi gerektiği, sürtünmenin minimuma indirip pozisyon kontrolünün doğru yapılması durumunda DC motordan verim alınabileceği gözlemlenmiş, hassaslığın daha önemli olması durumunda servo motor da kullanılabileceği üzerinde durulmuştur.Anahtar Kelimeler: Ağır vasıta araçları, elektronik kontrol dümenleme mekanizması, süspansiyon sistemi, Ackermann elektronik uygulamasıINVESTIGATION OF ELECTRONICALLY CONTROLLED STEERING SYSTEM IN INDEPENDENT SUSPENSION EQUIPPED COMMERCIAL VEHICLESAbstractIn this study; we research that whether the steering mechanism is used in commercial or non-commercial vehicles can be controlled electronically with the Ackermann model. The working mechanics were modeled in SolidWorks CAD program, practical application was performed and controlled with Arduino processor by using stepper and DC motors. Step control experiment was carried out with step motor, time and sensor analyzed experiment was carried with dc motor. The study was revised for the 3 models that were tested mechanics and the study was completed with revisions made on Arduino software. Cause of the stepper motor step jumping problem; instead of the stepper motor, DC motor close circuit control is made possible. It was observed that the mechanics and rotary joints should be supported with bearings, if the friction is minimized and the position control is performed correctly, the efficiency can be obtained from the DC motor and the servo motor can be used if the accuracy is more important. Keywords: heavy vehicles, electronic control steering mechanism, suspension system, Ackermann electronic applicatio

A new circular mapping-guided approach for endoscopic laser balloon pulmonary vein isolation

AbstractBackgroundPulmonary vein isolation (PVI) for atrial fibrillation (AF) is performed with the endoscopically assisted laser balloon ablation system (EAS). We hypothesized that placement of a circular mapping catheter (CMC) in the pulmonary vein (PV) distal to the laser balloon during ablation is feasible and safe.MethodsOut of 58 included patients, 37 underwent mapping-guided EAS PVI, with the CMC inside the PV during laser ablation, and 21 patients underwent standard EAS PVI, with the CMC outside the PV during laser ablation.ResultsMean age was 56years and 81% had paroxysmal AF. In the mapping-guided ablation group, 91% of PVs were isolated with the CMC in the PV during EAS ablation, isolation was completed in 9% of PVs after the CMC was removed from the PV. After passing a learning curve in 18 patients, a significant drop in unsuccessfully isolated PVs was observed in the mapping guided EAS PVI group (15% to 4%, P=0.020). No major complications were seen in the mapping-guided EAS PVI group. However, in the standard EAS PVI group, laser ablation was complicated by a temporary phrenic nerve palsy in 1 patient. After a median follow-up of 16.7months, there was no statistical difference in AF free survival among treatment groups (mapping-guided: 56% vs. 52%, P=0.875).ConclusionMapping guided EAS PVI with a distal CMC in the PV during laser ablation is feasible and seems safe as the standard EAS PVI approach

3-D crustal structure along the North Anatolian Fault Zone in north-central Anatolia revealed by local earthquake tomography

3-D P-wave velocity structure and Vp/Vs variations in the crust along the North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) in north-central Anatolia were investigated by the inversion of local P- and S-wave traveltimes, to gain a better understanding of the seismological characteristics of the region. The 3-D local earthquake tomography inversions included 5444 P- and 3200 S-wave readings obtained from 168 well-located earthquakes between 2006 January and 2008 May. Dense ray coverage yields good resolution, particularly in the central part of the study area. The 3-D Vp and Vp/Vs tomographic images reveal clear correlations with both the surface geology and significant tectonic units in the region. We observed the lower limit of the seismogenic zone for north-central Anatolia at 15 km depth. Final earthquake locations display a distributed pattern throughout the study area, with most of the earthquakes occurring on the major splays of the NAFZ, rather than its master strand. We identify three major high-velocity blocks in the mid-crust separated by the Izmir-Ankara-Erzincan Suture and interpret these blocks to be continental basement fragments that were accreted onto the margin following the closure of Neo-Tethyan Ocean. These basement blocks may have in part influenced the rupture propagations of the historical 1939, 1942 and 1943 earthquakes. In addition, large variations in the Vp/Vs ratio in the mid-crust were observed and have been correlated with the varying fluid contents of the existing lithologies and related tectonic structures

IntFOLD: an integrated web resource for high performance protein structure and function prediction

The IntFOLD server provides a unified resource for the automated prediction of: protein tertiary structures with built-in estimates of model accuracy (EMA), protein structural domain boundaries, natively unstructured or disordered regions in proteins, and protein–ligand interactions. The component methods have been independently evaluated via the successive blind CASP experiments and the continual CAMEO benchmarking project. The IntFOLD server has established its ranking as one of the best performing publicly available servers, based on independent official evaluation metrics. Here, we describe significant updates to the server back end, where we have focused on performance improvements in tertiary structure predictions, in terms of global 3D model quality and accuracy self-estimates (ASE), which we achieve using our newly improved ModFOLD7 rank algorithm. We also report on various upgrades to the front end including: a streamlined submission process, enhanced visualization of models, new confidence scores for ranking, and links for accessing all annotated model data. Furthermore, we now include an option for users to submit selected models for further refinement via convenient push buttons

Structural Studies of Lanthanide Double Perovskites

This project focuses on the examination of the structures of lanthanide containing double perovskites of the type Ba2LnB'O6-d (Ln = lanthanide or Y3+ and B' = Nb5+, Ta5+, Sb5+ and/or Sn4+) using synchrotron X-ray and neutron powder diffraction. The first part of this project examined the relative stability of R3 rhombohedral and I4/m tetragonal structures as the intermediate phase adopted by the series Ba2LnB'O6 (Ln = lanthanide (III) or Y3+ and B' = Nb5+, Ta5+ or Sb5+). It was found that I4/m tetragonal symmetry was favoured when B' was a transition metal with a small number of d electrons, such as Nb5+ or Ta5+. This is due to the presence of p-bonding in these compounds. In the Ba2LnNbO6 and Ba2LnTaO6 series R3 rhombohedral symmetry was, however, favoured over I4/m tetragonal symmetry when Ln = La3+ or Pr3+ due to the larger ionic radius of these cations. The incompatibility of the d0 and d10 B'-site cations in this family of compounds was indicated by significant regions of phase segregation in the two series Ba2Eu1-xPrxNb1-xSbxO6 and Ba2NdNb1-xSbxO6. In the second part of this project the compounds in the series Ba2LnSnxB'1-xO6-d (Ln = Pr, Nd or Tb and B' = Nb5+ or Sb5+) were examined to understand the relative stability of oxygen vacancies in these materials compared to the oxidation of the lanthanide cations and to determine if any oxygen vacancy ordering occurred. It was found, using a combination of structural characterisation, X ray Absorption Near Edge Structure and Ultra-Violet, Visible and Near Infrared spectroscopies, that with Ln = Pr or Tb increased Sn4+ doping results in a change in the oxidation state of the Ln3+ cations to Ln4+. This leads to those series containing little or no oxygen vacancies. A loss of B site cation ordering was found to accompany this oxidation state change and phase segregation was found to occur in the Ba2PrSnxSb1-xO6-d series most likely due to the Pr3+ and Pr4+ cations segregating into different phases. The Nd3+ cations in the series Ba2NdSnxSb1-xO6-d, however, can not oxidise to the tetravalent state so the number of oxygen vacancies rises with increasing x. It was found that oxygen vacancies concentrate onto the axial site of the compounds with x = 0.6 and 0.8 at ambient temperature. In Ba2Sn0.6Sb0.4O5.7 the oxygen vacancies were found to change to concentrating on the equatorial site at higher temperatures and it is suggested that this oxygen vacancy ordering plays a role in the adoption of I2/m monoclinic symmetry