Potential anomaly separation and archeological site localization using genetically trained multi-level cellular neural networks

In this paper, a supervised algorithm for the evaluation of geophysical sites using a multi-level cellular neural network (ML-CNN) is introduced, developed, and applied to real data. ML-CNN is a stochastic image processing technique based on template optimization using neighborhood relationships of the pixels. The separation/enhancement and border detection performance of the proposed method is evaluated by various interesting real applications. A genetic algorithm is used in the optimization of CNN templates. The first application is concerned with the separation of potential field data of the Dumluca chromite region, which is one of the rich reserves of Turkey; in this context, the classical approach to the gravity anomaly separation method is one of the main problems in geophysics. The other application is the border detection of archeological ruins of the Hittite Empire in Turkey. The Hittite civilization sites located at the Sivas-Altinyayla region of Turkey are among the most important archeological sites in history, one reason among others being that written documentation was first produced by this civilization

A comparative analysis of the curriculum implemented in the village institutes

Village Institutes were educational institutions in Türkiye that were structured in line with the educational, economic, social and political needs of the period. They constituted an important dimension of the works carried out to develop the country economically propagate the newly founded republic and its basic principles to the public. These institutions aimed to train well-equipped village teachers to develop the villages and the villagers in every aspect. The teachers who graduated from these institutions also shouldered the task of strengthening the bond between the village and the villagers and the state and the republic. The curriculum that determined the education process of the Village Institutes was first put into practice in 1943. Educational activities were carried out in line with the "education in work, education for work, education with work" principle. The students were active and educational activities were done holistically in these institutions. Furthermore, the students had the opportunity to apply the knowledge they had learned in the culture courses for themselves and in the agriculture courses through technical courses. However, in these educational institutions, the curriculum diverged partially from this aforementioned main principle after 1947. In the 1947 curriculum, which was revised in line with the criticisms made for the 1943 program, the agriculture and technical courses were reduced, and the culture courses were increased. With the 1953 Teacher Training Schools and Village Institutes curriculum, the five-year education increased to six years and the technical and agricultural courses were greatly reduced. Since the Village Institutes were closed in 1954, this curriculum could not be implemented for a long time. For this reason, it would not be wrong to state that the 1943 curriculum was the curriculum which that was developed and implemented in such a way as to fully meet the basic aims and principles of the Village Institutes

Evaluation of Geriatric Patients Applying to the Emergency Department

INTRODUCTION: By increasing elderly population in the world and in Turkey, the number of elderly patients admission to emergency services is also increasing. In this study, it was aimed to determine the complaints during admission, common observed diseases, hospitalization rates and hospitalized services of the elderly patients over 65 years old who applied to the emergency service. METHODS: The patients aged 65 years and over who applied to Medical Faculty Hospital emergency department between 01.01.2015 and 31.12.2015 were retrospectively evaluated. The patients' gender, age, date and time of admission to the hospital, complaints about admission to the hospital, discharge of the patient after the medical treatment, referral to the hospital or intensive care unit, hospitalized departments and preliminary diagnosis were evaluated. RESULTS: 12,998 (10,1%) of the emergency department admissions were 65 years of age or older. 6571 of the patients were male (50,6%) and 6427 (49,4%) were female. The mean age was 73,72 +- 6,6 (65-111). The patients most frequently admitted to the hospital with headache (25,1%) and chest pain complaints (15,9%). 84,2% of the patients were treated as outpatient and discharged from the emergency service while, 15,4% of the patients were admitted to the hospital, 22 patients (0,2%) were referred to other centers for various reasons and 18 patients (0,1%) were exitus. 13 of the patients (0,1%) were left the hospital without accepting treatment. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: In our study, the most common necessity of emergent interventions of geriatric patients who admitted to emergency service were, cardiac problems, respiratory system diseases and gastrointestinal diseases

Geostatistical analysis of a water well field for determination of land management constraints

Soil spatial variability and heterogeneity is a tough but very important matter in the field-scale description of soil properties, such as soil electrical conductivity, soil saturated hydraulic conductivity, and soil salinity. Geostatistics is a useful tool to study spatial distribution of soil properties and optimum sampling strategies in field. Estimating soil salinity, EC and Ks is a vital issue in soil fertility and management. Geostatistical methods, kriging and cokriging, were applied to estimate spatial distributions of the variables that were collected from a large size water well field for the surface soil, rather than entire bore-hole profile of the soil. The results suggested that estimation can be improved using cokriging , rather than kriging. Comparing to kriging results, cokriging reduced the mean squared error and improved the estimation of EC by 2-100% depending on cross-correlated variables. Using the cokriging prediction maps of the soil properties, the soil can be managed cell by cell with prescribed appropriate management strategies such as irrigation and manure application to mitigate soil salinity in the region

Using Geographic Information Systems and Multi-Criteria Decision Analysis to Determine Appropriate Locations for Rainwater Harvesting in Erbil Province, Iraq

Water scarcity is a prominent consequence of global climate change, presenting a significant challenge to the livelihoods of wide parts of the world, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions. This study focuses on Erbil Province in Iraq, where the dual effects of climate change and human activity have significantly depleted water resources in the past two decades. To address this challenge, rainwater harvesting (RWH) is explored as a viable solution. The purpose of this study is to make a suitability zone map that divides the study area into several classes based on the features of each area and its ability to collect rainwater. The map will then be used to find the best place to build different RWH structures. Seven different layers are used to make the RWH suitability zone map: rainfall, runoff, land use/cover (LU/LC), soil texture, slope, drainage density, and the Topographic Wetness Index (TWI). Each layer was assigned specific weights through the Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP), considering its relevance to RWH. Results revealed four suitability classes: very highly suitable 1583.25 km2 (10.67%), highly suitable 4968.55 km2 (33.49%), moderately suitable 5295.65 km2 (35.69%), and lowly suitable 2989.66 km2 (20.15%). Notably, the suitability map highlights the northern and central regions as particularly suitable for RWH. Furthermore, the study suggested three suitable locations for constructing medium dams, six for check dams, and twenty-seven for farm ponds, according to the requirements of each type. These findings provide valuable insights for the strategic planning and effective management of water resources in the study area, offering potential solutions to the pressing challenges of water scarcit

Evaluation of the Effects of Varicoceles and Fertility Status on Volumetry and Shear-wave Elastography

Aim: This study aims to compare the volumetry and shear-wave elastography findings in infertile and fertile patients and evaluate the effect of presence of varicoceles on the parameters. Materials-Methods: 40 infertile and 20 fertile patients (120 testes) (mean age 29,3±6,7) between January 2018-November 2018 were included in this prospective study. All patients underwent testicular B-mode and doppler ultrasonography (US) and shear-wave elastography (SWE). Patients were sub-grouped according to fertility status and presence or absence of varicoceles. Results: Testis stiffness was significantly higher in testes without varicoceles than those with varicoceles (p=0.021). It was also higher in fertile patients than infertile patients (p=0.015). Testes volumes were higher in fertile patients and patients with varicoceles (p=0.011 and p=0.028, respectively). Conclusion: SWE is a non-invasive, cheap and reproducible technique with promising results for diagnosis and follow-up in the evaluation of infertility

The effects of milled Tribulus terrestris, Avena sativa, and white ginseng powder on total cholesterol, free testosterone levels and testicular tissue in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet

This study examines the effects of milled Tribulus terrestris (TT), Avena sativa (AS), white ginseng (WG) and triple-combination (TC) powders on sexual dysfunction parameters - such as serum total cholesterol, free testosterone levels and histopathological changes in testicular tissue - in rats fed a high-cholesterol diet. The study's animal matenal consisted of 42 male Wistar albino rats weighing 200-210 g divided into six groups. Group I was fed normal pellet feed, while the remaining groups were fed pellet feed containing 2% cholesterol. Group III, IV, V, and VI also received 0.6 g/kg/day of TT, 0.3 g/kg/day of AS, 0.2 g/kg/day of WG and 0.55 g/kg/day of TC (7.5% TT, 3.75% AS, 2.5% WG), respectively. After 90 days, the rats were sacrificed and blood and testicular tissue samples obtained. Serum total cholesterol and free testosterone levels were measured, and the Johnsen testicular biopsy score (JTBS) was calculated by a histopathological examination of testicular tissue samples. The high-cholesterol diet in Group II significantly caused increase in total cholesterol level and decrease in JTBS as compared to Group I. Although the groups' free testosterone levels were not statistically significant, WG and TC significantly prevented total cholesterol increase. TC significantly increased the JTBS compared to TT, AS and WG alone. Thus, it was concluded that TC might be particularly efficient for improving male sexual dysfunction

Clinical features of winter sports injuries: A prospective single center study

Introduction: This study aimed to present the epidemiological and clinical effects of skiing training and use of protective equipment on skiing, sledding and snowboarding injuries. Methods: The patients were evaluated in two groups according to both their skiing experience and use of protective equipment. The characteristics of the patients, such as age, gender, injury area, and injury type were statistically evaluated according to the groups. Results: A total of 191 patients, 68 (35.6%) female and 123 (64.4%) male, were evaluated. There was a significant difference between the patients with and without skiing experience (P=0.001). When the patients were evaluated according to the presence of protective equipment, 25 (59.5%) patients who had no experience did not wear protective equipment, and this rate was statistically significant compared to the experienced group (P=0.001). Concerning the diagnoses of the patients according to injury areas, joint dislocation and soft tissue trauma were mostly detected in the upper extremities, bone fractures in the lower extremities and organ injury in the thorax. Conclusion: Shoulder and wrist traumas were the most common injuries among the patients with previous skiing experience while tibial fractures were mostly seen in those without such experience. Tibia fractures were mostly observed in the patients using protective equipment, and skin incisions in those that did not use protective equipment. Therefore, in winter sports injuries, patients’ skiing experience and protective equipment use should be questioned and more attention should be paid to the above-mentioned injuries

Urban Expansion Trends, Prediction and Its Impact on Agricultural Lands in Erbil Using GIS and Remote Sensing

The surrounding agricultural lands in the city have been decreasing daily due to the expansion of urbanisation above it and the increase in the urbanisation rate in the study area, as the population growth exerted increasing pressures on the city. Furthermore, the increase in population increases the demand for land for housing and other human services, which will impact agricultural lands. In addition, the lack of proper planning in the city contributes to expanding urbanisation at the expense of agricultural land. This study aims to study the urban expansion in the direction of agricultural lands in Erbil from the year 2000 until 2020, reveal the reasons for the urban expansion in the city and put an end to the trespassers on the lands and it has negative impact on the lack of agricultural areas and the encroachment of urbanisation on it. Landsat TM 5 and Landsat 8 OLI will be used to identify and develop urban growth and its impacts on agriculture and some Remote sensing Data and GIS from 2000 to 2020 with 10 years difference to find the changes in these years and also provide a predicted map for Erbil governorate. The study recommended the necessity of preparing a strategic plan for the use of agricultural lands that regulates the urban development process of the population centres and achieves the appropriate and sustainable use of agricultural lands and their preservation. Encouraging the investment of lands and cultivation of crops to meet the population's need for vegetables and other crops. The findings of this study will help decision-makers develop future urbanisation policies, and it is worthwhile to investigate them further. The prediction model will demonstrate whether built-up areas will continue to grow or not and whether the average agricultural areas will continue to shrink based on regression analysis. Planning effective urban environmental management can benefit from this type of forecast of the LULC picture in the future

Increased P-wave dispersion in patients with newly diagnosed lichen planus

OBJECTIVE: Lichen planus is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune mucocutaneous disease. Recent research has emphasized the strong association between inflammation and both P-wave dispersion and dyslipidemia. The difference between the maximum and minimum P-wave durations on an electrocardiogram is defined as P-wave dispersion. The prolongation of P-wave dispersion has been demonstrated to be an independent risk factor for developing atrial fibrillation. The aim of this study was to investigate P-wave dispersion in patients with lichen planus. METHODS: Fifty-eight patients with lichen planus and 37 age- and gender-matched healthy controls were included in this study. We obtained electrocardiographic recordings from all participants and used them to calculate the P-wave variables. We also assessed the levels of highly sensitive C-reactive protein, which is an inflammatory marker, and the lipid levels for each group. The results were reported as the means ± standard deviations and percentages. RESULTS: The P-wave dispersion was significantly higher in lichen planus patients than in the control group. Additionally, highly sensitive C-reactive protein, LDL cholesterol, and triglyceride levels were significantly higher in lichen planus patients compared to the controls. There was a significant positive correlation between highly sensitive C-reactive protein and P-wave dispersion (r = 0.549,