Teacher candidates’ state of using digital educational games

The rapidly developing information technologies of our age offer new opportunities in every aspect of our lives. The use of information technologies in educational environments is an important element in creating enriched learning environments. Educational digital games used in teaching-learning environments help students to develop motivation, problem-solving, strategy development skills and creativity. The purpose of this research was to determine the teacher candidates’ state of using digital educational games. The study group of the research consisted of 4th-grade teacher candidates who are studying in the social sciences and classroom teaching departments of Süleyman Demirel University during the 2018/2019 academic year. It has been found that men teacher candidates were more positive than women teacher candidates. Teacher candidates studying social sciences were more positive than those studying classroom teaching. Although teacher candidates were concerned about using educational digital games, they were eager to use these games

Students’ views about computer use: Interviews with 8th graders

We aimed to explore 8th grade students’ computer use in this research. We carried out the research at Yaşar Doğu Elementary School in Kavak, a district of Samsun province in Turkey. We implemented semi-structured interviews to collect the data. We selected our sample from among volunteers of 3 different classes, striving to select students with different characteristics. Our study group consisted of 3 girls and 4 boys. We recorded interviews with a video camera. We found that students have Internet access in the home; they learn to use computers from their family members and relatives; they think computers positively affect their social lives; they mostly use computers on recreational days; they mostly use computers for fun, although they also do homework and online assignments with computers and the Internet; they do not follow any electronic media or publications; and they think that only their mothers lack knowledge about computers among the family members.We aimed to explore 8th grade students’ computer use in this research. We carried out the research at Yaşar Doğu Elementary School in Kavak, a district of Samsun province in Turkey. We implemented semi-structured interviews to collect the data. We selected our sample from among volunteers of 3 different classes, striving to select students with different characteristics. Our sample consisted of 3 girls and 4 boys. We recorded interviews with a video camera. We found that students have Internet access in the home; they learn to use computers from their family members and relatives; they think computers positively affect their social lives; they mostly use computers on recreational days; they mostly use computers for fun, although they also do homework and online assignments with computers and the Internet; they do not follow any electronic media or publications; and they think that only their mothers lack knowledge about computers among the family members

Social media attitudes among vocational school students

The rapid developments in communication technologies in recent years, especially the introduction of the internet into our daily lives, have brought many changes in social, economic and cultural life.One of these changes; social media communication tools that enter our lives rapidly.Social media has become an indispensable part of our lives with the increasing number of users.Researches show that young people especially university students frequently use social media communication tools. In this study, social media attitudes of Vocational High School students were investigated and in this context, 502 students studying at Sakarya University and Kafkas University Vocational High Schools were studied.Social Media Attitude Scale developed by Otrar and Argınwas used to determine the social media attitudes of Vocational School students.The scale consists of 23 items. Relational screening method was used in the research. Necessary analyzes were performed with SPSS 24 program and mean and standard deviation values of the scale items were calculated.Two groups t test, one-way Anova test and Post-Hoc Scheffe test were used to correlate social media attitudes with demographic data.In conclusion, there was no significant difference between students' social media attitudes and gender, department, class, internet usage time demographic data; however, there was a positive and significant relationship between social media attitudes and internet connection year and social media usage hours

Adaptation of Problematic Smartphone Use and Anterior Psychometric Characteristics Scale into Turkish

Günümüzde gelişen ve sürekli değişime uğrayan bilgi ve iletişim teknolojileri bazı bağımlılıkların hayatımıza girmesine zemin hazırlamıştır. Bu bağımlılıklardan biri de nomofobidir. Connecticut Üniversitesi’nde bir araştırmacı; David Greenfield bu bağımlılığı İngilizce de “nomobilephone” kelimelerinin birleşmesinden meydana gelen Nomophobia (Nomofobi) kelimesi ile tanımlamıştır. Nomofobi terim olarak, akıllı telefon kullanımı ile ilgili problemli kullanım, davranış ve/veya semptomların bir koleksiyonunu ortaya koymaktır. Ülkemizde akıllı telefonların kullanımı dikkate alındığında bireylerin problemli akıllı telefon kullanımına ilişkin göstermiş oldukları davranışsal reaksiyonların neler olduğunun belirlenmesi önem taşımaktadır. Özellikle bu kaygının, bireylerin günlük işlere odaklanmasını etkiler nitelikte olduğu açıktır. Bu çalışmada, bireylerin problemli akıllı telefon kullanımları ve ön psikometrik özelliklerinin belirlenmesi adına Merlo, Stone ve Bibbey (2013) tarafından geliştirilen ilgili ölçeğin Türkçe’ye uyarlama çalışması yapılmıştır. Ölçeğin geçerlik ve güvenirlik çalışmaları, kamu ve özel eğitim kurumlarında çalışan 290 öğretmenden elde edilen verilerle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Ölçeğin kapsam ve görünüş geçerliği için 1 dil uzmanına, 3 alan uzmanına, 1 psikolojik danışmana, 1 ölçme değerlendirme uzmanına başvurulmuştur. Alınan uzman görüşlerinden sonra gerekli görülen düzenlemeler yapılmış ve pilot uygulama için deneme formu oluşturulmuştur. Pilot uygulamada, asıl uygulamaya eş değer 15 kişilik bir grup ile çalışılmıştır. Pilot uygulama sonucunda öğrenciler tarafından anlaşılmayan maddeler değiştirilmiş ve tekrar uzman görüşü alındıktan sonra ölçeğin asıl formu oluşturulmuştur. Yapı geçerliğini test etmek için Açımlayıcı Faktör Analizi’nden (AFA) yararlanılmıştır. Çalışma sonunda toplam varyansın %54,76’sını açıklayan 20 maddeden oluşan 3 boyutlu bir ölçek elde edilmiştir. Ölçeğin Cronbach Alpha ile hesaplanan iç tutarlık katsayısı .91’ dir. Doğrulayıcı faktör analizine ilişkin 3 boyut bağlamında nihai uyum indekslerinin istenilen sınırlarda olduğu tespit edilmiştir.Nowadays, the information and communication technologies that are developing and constantly changing have prepared the ground for the entry of some dependencies into our lives. One of these dependencies is nomophobia. A researcher at the University of Connecticut; David Greenfield described this addiction with the word Nomophobia (Nomophobia), which consists of the combination of the words NO MOBILE PHONE in English. Nomophobia as a term refers to a collection of problematic use, behavior and / or symptoms associated with smartphone use. Considering the use of smart phones in our country, it is important to determine the behavioral responses of individuals towards problematic smart phones. In particular, it is clear that this concern affects individuals' focus on daily work. In this study, adaptation of the related scale developed by Merlo, Stone and Bibbey (2013) to Turkish in order to determine problematic smartphone usage and preliminary psychometric properties of individuals was conducted. Validity and reliability studies of the scale were carried out with data obtained from 290 teachers working in public and private educational institutions. The validity and reliability studies of the scale were carried out with the participation of 290 teachers working in public and private educational institutions. 1 language specialist, 3 field experts, 1 psychological counselor, 1 measuring and evaluation specialist were used for the scope and appearance validity of the scale. After the expert opinions, necessary arrangements were made and a trial form was created for pilot implementation. In pilot practice, a group of 15 people, equivalent to the actual practice, was studied. As a result of the pilot implementation, the items that were not understood by the students were changed and the original form of the scale was created after receiving the expert opinion again. Exploratory Factor Analysis (AFA) was used to serve construct validity. At the end of the study, a 3 dimensional scale consisting of 20 items explaining %54,76 of the total variance was obtained. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale calculated by Cronbach Alpha was .91.The final fit indexes were found to be within the desired limits in the context of 3-dimensional confirmatory factor analysis.Nowadays, the information and communication technologies that are developing and constantly changing have prepared the ground for the entry of some dependencies into our lives. One of these dependencies is nomophobia. A researcher at the University of Connecticut; David Greenfield described this addiction with the word Nomophobia (Nomophobia), which consists of the combination of the words NO MOBILE PHONE in English. Nomophobia as a term refers to a collection of problematic use, behavior and / or symptoms associated with smartphone use. Considering the use of smart phones in our country, it is important to determine the behavioral responses of individuals towards problematic smart phones. In particular, it is clear that this concern affects individuals' focus on daily work. In this study, adaptation of the related scale developed by Merlo, Stone and Bibbey (2013) to Turkish in order to determine problematic smartphone usage and preliminary psychometric properties of individuals was conducted. Validity and reliability studies of the scale were carried out with data obtained from 290 teachers working in public and private educational institutions. The validity and reliability studies of the scale were carried out with the participation of 290 teachers working in public and private educational institutions. 1 language specialist, 3 field experts, 1 psychological counselor, 1 measuring and evaluation specialist were used for the scope and appearance validity of the scale. After the expert opinions, necessary arrangements were made and a trial form was created for pilot implementation. In pilot practice, a group of 15 people, equivalent to the actual practice, was studied. As a result of the pilot implementation, the items that were not understood by the students were changed and the original form of the scale was created after receiving the expert opinion again. Exploratory Factor Analysis (AFA) was used to serve construct validity. At the end of the study, a 3 dimensional scale consisting of 20 items explaining %54,76 of the total variance was obtained. The internal consistency coefficient of the scale calculated by Cronbach Alpha was .91.The final fit indexes were found to be within the desired limits in the context of 3-dimensional confirmatory factor analysis

Abscess in Adenomyosis Mimicking a Malignancy in a 54-Year-Old Woman

Background: Although there are a few reports describing abscess formation in endometriotic foci no report of abscess formation arising de novo within adenomyosis appears in the literature. Preoperative diagnosis of adenomyosis is frequently difficult because of non-specific signs and symptoms. Synchronous pelvic pathologies such as leiomyoma, endometrial polyp, endometrial hyperplasia, as well as endometrial cancer may cause differential diagnostic problems. Case: A 54-year-old postmenopausal woman complaining of inguinal pain, nightsweats and hot flashes is presented. Radiologic examinations of the pelvis revealed a 95 × 85 mm leiomyoma-like lesion including a 53 × 43 mmcystic space and 9 × 6 mmpapillary formation within the uterus raising clinical suspicion of malignancy. A total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed accompanied by a frozen section diagnosis. The frozen section revealed an abscess formation arising in a focus of adenomyosis. The postoperative period of the patient was uneventful. Conclusion : The present case, to our knowledge, is the first report representing abscess formation in adenomyosis. Abscess arising within adenomyosis can strongly raise the suspicion of endometrial cancer, particularly if the patient is postmenopausal. If endometrial cancer cannot be ruled out with definitive histopathological diagnosis in the preoperative period, a frozen section becomes mandatory during surgical intervention

The effect of aerobic exercise program on pulmonary function and cardiorespiratory capacity in obese women

Objective: To examine the effects of a six-month aerobic exercise program on pulmonary function and cardiorespiratory capacity in obese women. Materials and Methods: A total of 50 subjects - 25 obese women who neither did regular exercise nor applied a special diet program, and 25 healthy controls - were included in the study. Body mass index (BMI), maximum oxygen consumption (VO2max) and pulmonary function tests (PFT) values were measured as evaluation parameters in both groups. Obese women were enrolled to a supervised hospital-based bicycle aerobic exercise program for six months at an individualized target heart rate range (50-85% of heart reserve), with an increasing frequency and duration. Evaluation parameters were reevaluated after the exercise program and were compared with the pre-exercise values. Results: VO2max, forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume at first second (FEV1), FEV1/FVC, and maximum mid-expiratory flow rate (FEF25-75) were significantly lower in obese women (p<0.05). There was a statistically significant decrease at BMI and statistically significant increase at VO2max, FEV1, FEV1/FVC, and FEF25-75 among obese women after completing the 6-month exercise program. Conclusion: It was shown that obese women had lower cardiopulmonary capacity and PFTs when compared to non-obese ones and, aerobic exercise could improve cardiopulmonary capacity and PFTs in obese women. © Turkish Journal of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Published by Galenos Publishing

Serum Levels of Neopterin, Galectin-3, Tissue Necrosis Factor Alpha, and Interleukin-10 During the Interictal and Attack Periods of Patients with Migraine

Objective: This study aimed to determine the serum levels of neopterin, galectin-3, tissue necrosis factor alpha, and interleukin-10 (IL-10) during the interictal and attack periods of patients with migraine. It is hoped that the findings will contribute to the literature on the theory of neurogenic inflammation. Materials and Methods: Eighty patients with migraine (40 attacks and 40 interictal periods) and 30 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Blood samples were taken from the people participating in the study, and serum was obtained under the appropriate conditions. The serum levels of all the parameters were determined using a ELISA kit (Coon Koon, Shanghai, China). The difference between the groups was evaluated using appropriate statistical analysis methods. Results: Galectin-3 and neopterin levels were higher during the attack period compared with the interictal period, and IL-10 and galectin-3 levels were higher during the attack period than in the control group. There was no significant difference in any parameter between the control and interictal period groups. There was a correlation between galectin-3 and neopterin levels in all groups (r = 0.598, P < 0.001). Conclusion: The levels of pro-inflammatory molecules, such as galectin-3 and neopterin, were found to be higher in patients with migraine during attacks, which is consistent with the theory of neurogenic inflammation. It is thought that the increase in IL-10 levels during the attack occurs to limit inflammation. Since the tetrahydrobiopterin pathway plays a role in inflammatory and neuropathic pain, it is thought that high neopterin levels during an attack may be associated with migraine headaches

Analytical Solution of a Stochastic Content Based Network Model

We define and completely solve a content-based directed network whose nodes consist of random words and an adjacency rule involving perfect or approximate matches, for an alphabet with an arbitrary number of letters. The analytic expression for the out-degree distribution shows a crossover from a leading power law behavior to a log-periodic regime bounded by a different power law decay. The leading exponents in the two regions have a weak dependence on the mean word length, and an even weaker dependence on the alphabet size. The in-degree distribution, on the other hand, is much narrower and does not show scaling behavior. The results might be of interest for understanding the emergence of genomic interaction networks, which rely, to a large extent, on mechanisms based on sequence matching, and exhibit similar global features to those found here.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures. Rewrote conclusions regarding the relevance to gene regulation networks, fixed minor errors and replaced fig. 4. Main body of paper (model and calculations) remains unchanged. Submitted for publicatio

Polyvinyl Alcohol-salt Hydrate Mixtures as Passive Thermal Energy Storage Systems

AbstractInorganic salt hydrates are promising candidates as latent heat storage materials entailing, for example, a high thermal energy storage density and cheap price [1,2] in spite that they have many handicaps. For almost all applications, Phase change materials (PCMs) have to be encapsulated, that is, they have to be hermetically sealed within barrier containments, preferably within small microcapsules. Encapsulation improves heat transfer, cycling stability, and material compatibility with the environment. However, no attempt has been completely successful to microencapsulate salt hydrates so far due to the high surface polarities of these substances, edge alignment effects, their tendency to alter their water content [3]. This work is aimed to encapsulate some commonly used salt hydrates; sodium sulphate decahydrate (Na2SO4.10H2O) and calcium chloride hexahydrate (CaCl2.6H2O) in a hydrophilic polymer; polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) stably for passive thermal energy storage systems. So that an economically beneficial application mean will be validated