Computers in reading and writing skills through the motivational lens: SnagitTM, screencast and e-mail services

The rapid and continuous developments in computer technologies underscores the need to investigate computers’ impact on students’ motivation in second/foreign language (L2) reading and writing skills. Given this need, the present empirical study aims to examine the effect of computers on students’ motivation in L2 reading and writing skills. 35 students studying in the English Language Teaching Program at a state university in Turkey were firstly given a motivation scale as a pretest. Then they went through a five-week treatment phase during which they carried out various reading and writing activities designed around two different authentic short stories (The Lottery and The Cask of Amontillado) by using three different computer programs, namely SnagitTM, Screencast, and e-mail services. Finally, they were again given the motivation scale to determine the change in their motivation level. The analysis of the data indicated a significant increase in student motivation in L2 reading and writing skills. The findings also indicated that the students’ frequency and experience of computer use had no significant influence on L2 reading and writing motivation. Based on these findings, it can be inferred that computers have a positive effect on students’ motivation in L2 reading and writing skills

Form-meaning-use framework in grammar teaching: Research on noun clauses in writing skills

Based on Larsen-Freeman’s (2001) three-dimensional (form-meaning-use) framework of grammar teaching, this study aimed to investigate which type of clause (noun, adjective or adverbial) is the most challenging for second/foreign language (L2) learners in writing skills. Depending on the results of a diagnostic test prepared in accordance with the form-meaning-use triangulation, Noun Clauses (NCs) were found to be the most challenging type for students studying in the Department of English Language Teaching at a state university in Turkey. Then a NCs test grounded on the same framework was given to the students as the pretest to examine their available knowledge of NCs. After the pretest, the students went through a nine-hour intensive treatment phase consisting of three sessions to instruct NCs with regard to the form-meaning-use framework. The treatment stage was followed by the posttest to examine the progress that students had made during the treatment phase. The findings revealed a remarkable improvement in the students’ knowledge of NCs in writing skills, which showed that the form-meaning-use framework enables effective and efficient instruction in the language classroom. It was also found that the students’ L2 proficiency had a significant effect on their knowledge and performance of using NCs in writing skills

Surgical Management of Hidradenitis Suppurativa

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic, relapsing inflammatory disease of skin, characterized by recurrent draining sinuses and abscesses, predominantly in skin folds carrying terminal hairs and apocrine glands

Histopatološka i molekularna dijagnoza sarkocistoze miokarda u ovaca i imunohistološka korelacija s parazitskim lezijama koje sadrže MMP-2 i MMP-9

This study was aimed at the histopathological and immunohistochemical level investigate cardiac tissue lesions caused by Sarcocystis spp. in sheep, and thereby, to collect detailed information on the presence of these parasites and the pathogenesis of sarcocystosis in ovine animals. PCR, a molecular diagnostic method, was used for the identification of the parasite species. Microscopic examination revealed that out of the 45 ovine cardiac tissue samples examined 23 contained Sarcocystis spp. cysts. The PCR analysis results showed that out of the 23 cardiac tissue specimens infected with sarcocysts, 7 were determined to be infected with Sarcocystis gigantea and 16 with Sarcocystis tenella. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that, emiquantitatively, MMP - 9 staining was stronger than MMP - 2 staining in the periphery of the parasite cysts.Cilj je ovog rada bio histopatološko i imunohistokemijsko istraživanje lezija srčanog tkiva uzrokovanih parazitom Sarcocystis spp. u ovaca te prikupljanje detaljnih informacija o prisutnosti ovih parazita i patogenezi sarkocistoze u ovaca. Molekularna dijagnostička metoda PCR upotrijebljena je za identifikaciju parazitskih vrsta. Mikroskopska analiza pokazala je da su od 45 uzoraka srčanog tkiva ovaca 23 sadržavala ciste parazita Sarcocystis spp. Na temelju rezultata PCR analize od 23 uzorka srčanog tkiva invadirana sarkocistama 7 uzoraka bilo je invadirano vrstom Sarcocystis gigantea, a 16 uzoraka vrstom Sarcocystis tenella. Imunohistokemijska pretraga pokazala je da je, semikvantitativno, MMP-9 obojenje bilo jače od obojenja MMP-2 na periferiji cista parazita

Prevalence of Hypertension among High School Students in a Middle Anatolian Province of Turkey

Hypertension may lead to irreversible damages in vital organs, such as heart, brain, and kidney, and may cause death in children if treatments are not given despite early diagnosis. This cross-sectional epidemiological study was conducted during 1 January–31 March 2004 to investigate the prevalence of hypertension among high school students. The study cohort included 1,041 students of six high schools, who were selected from among 14,789 students of 26 high schools in Sivas province of Turkey, using the cluster-sampling method. A questionnaire was used for collecting information from students on age, gender, smoking, and whether they or their families have any diseases. Blood pressure, height, and weight of the participitants were determined by the research group. Students whose repeated systolic or diastolic blood pressures were higher than the 95th percentile were considered to be hypertensive patients. Hypertension was prevalent among 4.4% (n=45) of the students. There was a significant correlation between prevalence of hypertension and body mass index. No significant correlation was found between prevalence of hypertension and other variables, such as smoking, age, gender, and family history of diabetes. The results suggest that hypertension is an important public-health problem among high school students. The results also showed that the body mass index was an important parameter in hypertension in such a study group. Researchers should consider overweight a causative risk factor for development of hypertension in early-onset groups

A Fusion-Based Framework for Wireless Multimedia Sensor Networks in Surveillance Applications

Multimedia sensors enable monitoring applications to obtain more accurate and detailed information. However, the development of efficient and lightweight solutions for managing data traffic over wireless multimedia sensor networks (WMSNs) has become vital because of the excessive volume of data produced by multimedia sensors. As part of this motivation, this paper proposes a fusion-based WMSN framework that reduces the amount of data to be transmitted over the network by intra-node processing. This framework explores three main issues: 1) the design of a wireless multimedia sensor (WMS) node to detect objects using machine learning techniques; 2) a method for increasing the accuracy while reducing the amount of information transmitted by the WMS nodes to the base station, and; 3) a new cluster-based routing algorithm for the WMSNs that consumes less power than the currently used algorithms. In this context, a WMS node is designed and implemented using commercially available components. In order to reduce the amount of information to be transmitted to the base station and thereby extend the lifetime of a WMSN, a method for detecting and classifying objects on three different layers has been developed. A new energy-efficient cluster-based routing algorithm is developed to transfer the collected information/data to the sink. The proposed framework and the cluster-based routing algorithm are applied to our WMS nodes and tested experimentally. The results of the experiments clearly demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed WMSN architecture in the real-world surveillance applications

AMELANOTIC MALIGNANT MELANOMA IN THE LOWER EXTREMITY MIMICKING SQUAMOUS CELL CARCINOMA AND PYOGENIC GRANULOMA

Amelanotik malign melanom; pigment eksikliği ile karakterize ve klinik olarak tanıda zorluk yaratan ve tedavide gecikmeye yol açabilen sınıflandırılmamış bir melanom alt grubudur. Bu çalışmada da alt ekstremite de klinik olarak epidermoid karsinom ve piyojenik granülomu taklit eden iki amelanotik malign melanom olgusu sunulmuştur. Yanıltıcı klinik görünümleri nedeniyle bu lezyonların eksizyonunun gecikmesi veya benign lezyonlar gibi tedavi edilmesi tümör derinliğinin artmasına ve hayatı tehdit eden bir lezyon haline gelmesine neden olabilir. Amelanotic malignant melanoma that is characterized with lack of melanin pigment in the tumor cells, is an unclassified sub-type of malignant melanoma. Because of the lack of pigmentation, there are difficulties in clinical diagnosis, which can lead delays in the treatment. Two cases of amelanotic malignant melanoma in the lower extremity are reported. These lesions were mimicking epidermoid carcinoma and pyogenic granuloma on the heel . The misleading clinical appearance of this form of cutaneous melanoma can have serious implications for the patient if such a misdiagnosed malignant melanoma is treated as benign lesion. This delay in diagnosis can allow a thin melanoma to become a more invasive, life-threatening lesion

The relationship between epicardial fat thickness and high-grade varicocele

Background: Varicocele is abnormal dilation of testis veins. The precise mechanism of varicocele is not fully understood despite some hypothesis were suggested in the literature. Disequilibrium between constrictor and dilatator mechanism of the veins have been shown to cause varicocele. High-grade varicoceles have been also linked to endothelial dysfunction and increased vasoconstriction. Objectives: We hypothesized that epicardial fat thickness (EFT), flow-mediated dilatation (FMD) and aortic stiffness (AS) could be associated with varicocele. In the present study, we aimed to compare vascular parameters such as FMD, EFT and AS in healthy subjects and high-grade varicocele patients. Methods: The study population consisted of 35 men with high-grade varicocele and 32 age- and sex-matched control subjects younger than 45 years old. This is a cross-sectional study conducted at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal University Hospital between May to October 2018. Results: EFT, aortic diastolic diameters (AoDD) and EFT/BMI ratio were significantly higher in control group than in patients with high-grade (p=0.012, p=0.044, p=0.026, respectively). EFT and EFT /BMI ratio were significantly and inversely correlated with presence of varicocele (r=-0.422, p=0.009; r=-0.38, p=0.026, respectively). Conclusion: The present study suggests that high-grade varicocele may be associated with decreased echocardiographic EFT but not with aortic stiffness and FMD

Antibiotic Susceptibility of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated From Cow, Goat, Donkey, Buffalo, Sheep, Camel and Human Milk

Breast milk is a very important factor in regulating gastrointestinal function, improving the immune system and preventing acute illnesses (e.g. acute otitis media), especially during breastfeeding. Breast milk allows beneficial bacteria such as bifidobacteria and lactobacillus species to colonise the newborn intestin*e instead of potential enteropathogenic bacteria such as streptococci and escherichia coli. The aim of the study was to compare the antibiotic resistance of Lactic acid bacteria members isolated from different milk samples. Six milk samples were collected from each of seven different milk sources (donkey, goat, cow, buffalo, sheep, camel and human). The MRS and M-17 medium were used with the double layer sandwich method for isolation of LAB members selected from typic colonies, gram-positive, catalase-negative used in the study. The isolated 42 LAB species were determined antibiotic susceptibility with 9 standart antibiotic discs such as tetracycline, penicillin, kanamycin, streptomycin, rifampin, gentamicin, chloramphenicol, teicoplanin, ciprofloxacin by agar disc diffusion assay test. The 18 LAB isolate were resistant to penicillin, 16 isolate to kanamycin, 14 isolate to gentamicin. LAB isolates such as H1, H4, H5 from Human milk and LAB isolate such as D1 from donkey milk was considered as MDR isolates because they were resistant to at least four of the tested drugs. Among the milks, sheep, camel, buffalo and goat milks were found to be more sensitive to antibiotics on average in the group