A spatially uniform illumination source for widefield multi-spectral optical microscopy

Illumination uniformity is a critical parameter for excitation and data extraction quality in widefield biological imaging applications. However, typical imaging systems suffer from spatial and spectral non-uniformity due to non-ideal optical elements, thus require complex solutions for illumination corrections. We present Effective Uniform Color-Light Integration Device (EUCLID), a simple and cost-effective illumination source for uniformity corrections. EUCLID employs a diffuse-reflective, adjustable hollow cavity that allows for uniform mixing of light from discrete light sources and modifies the source field distribution to compensate for spatial non-uniformity introduced by optical components in the imaging system. In this study, we characterize the light coupling efficiency of the proposed design and compare the uniformity performance with the conventional method. EUCLID demonstrates a remarkable illumination improvement for multi-spectral imaging in both Nelsonian and Koehler alignment with a maximum spatial deviation of ~1% across a wide field-of-view

RASYONEL İLAÇ KULLANIMININ HASTA GÜVENLİĞİNE ETKİLERİ: HEKİMLERİN RASYONEL İLAÇ KULLANIMINA ETKİ EDEN FAKTÖRLERİN BELİRLENMESİ

Bu çalışmanın amacı, Konya’da görev yapan hekimlerin hasta güvenliği bağlamında rasyonel ilaç kullanımına yönelik tutumlarının araştırılmasıve reçete yazma davranışlarına etki eden faktörlerin belirlenmesidir. Çalışma, tanımlayıcınitelikte olup, 2004 yılıNisan ve Mayıs aylarında Selçuk Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Hastanesi, Konya Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi, Numune Hastanesi ve altıfarklısağlık ocağında; 207 hekim ile yüz yüze görüşme yapılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırmadan elde edilen bulgulara göre; hekimlerin ilaç reçete ederken sırasıyla; etkililik, ilacın yan etkisi, mesleki tecrübe ve deneyim, bilimsel araştırma ve makaleler, hastanın sosyal güvencesi, ilacın fiyatıgibi faktörleri göz önünde bulundurduklarıanlaşılmıştır. Bulgular, hekimlerin hasta güvenliğine önem verdiklerini ve rasyonel ilaç kullanımıkurallarıçerçevesinde ilaç yazdıklarınıortaya koymaktadır

Highly-sensitive, label-free detection of microorganisms and viruses via interferometric reflectance imaging sensor

Pathogenic microorganisms and viruses can easily transfer from one host to another and cause disease in humans. The determination of these pathogens in a time- and cost-effective way is an extreme challenge for researchers. Rapid and label-free detection of pathogenic microorganisms and viruses is critical in ensuring rapid and appropriate treatment. Sensor technologies have shown considerable advancements in viral diagnostics, demonstrating their great potential for being fast and sensitive detection platforms. In this review, we present a summary of the use of an interferometric reflectance imaging sensor (IRIS) for the detection of microorganisms. We highlight low magnification modality of IRIS as an ensemble biomolecular mass measurement technique and high magnification modality for the digital detection of individual nanoparticles and viruses. We discuss the two different modalities of IRIS and their applications in the sensitive detection of microorganisms and viruses.Published versio

Effect of proprioception on balance in different age groups

Yaşa bağlı olarak insan vücudunda ve fonksiyonlarında değişimler gözlenir. Özellikle proprioseptif duyuda ve denge fonksiyonlarında kayıplar olabilir. Bu durum günlük yaşam aktivitelerinde zorlanmalara, düşmeye ve kırıklara yol açabilir. Çalışmanın amacı yaş, propriosepsiyon ve dengenin birbirleri üzerine etkisini incelemektir. Çalışmaya Trakya Üniversitesi Hastanesi Tıp Fakültesi Araştırma ve Uygulama Merkezi Fizik Tedavi ve Rehabilitasyon servisinde ortopedik veya nörolojik hastalık tanısı almamış 65’i erkek 55’i kadın ve yaş ortalamaları 39,87 olan 120 gönüllü ve sağlıklı birey dahil edildi. Çalışma grubunu oluşturan bireyler yaşlarına göre 3 gruba ayrıldı. Yaş aralıklarına göre 1. Grup 20-30 yaş, 2. Grup 30-50 yaş, 3. Grup 50-70 yaş şeklinde gruplandırıldı. Çalışmaya katılanların demografik bilgileri, hastalık öyküsü, düzenli egzersiz alışkınlığı olup olmadığı, vücut kitle indeksi, eklem hareket açıklığı, kas kuvveti, propriosepsiyon, dinamik ve statik dengesi kaydedildi. Olguların proprioseptif duyusu gözleri açık şekilde eklemlere verilen pozisyonun gözleri kapalı şekilde tekrarlanması istenerek gonyometreyle ölçüm yapıldı. Denge ölçüm değerleri için Berg denge testi ve tek bacak üzerinde durma testi uygulandı. Yapılan değerlendirmeler sonucunda yaştaki artışın propriosepsiyonda ve denge fonksiyonlarında kayba sebep olduğu görüldü (p=0,03). Propriosepsiyonun denge fonksiyonlarına olan etkisi incelendiğinde; statik denge ölçümü için yapılan tek bacak üzerinde durma testiyle karşılaştırıldığında anlamlı bir etkisinin olmadığı görüldü (p=0,66). Ancak propriosepsiyonun Berg denge testi ile ölçtüğümüz dinamik denge üzerine etkisi istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bulundu (p=0,02). Propriosepsiyondaki bozulmanın dinamik dengeyi olumsuz etkilediği görüldü. Düzenli yapılan egzersizin proprioseptif duyunun korunmasına ve denge fonksiyonlarının daha iyi seviyede olmasına katkı sağladığı görüldü. Artan vücut kitle indeksinin propriosepsiyon ve denge fonksiyonlarında bozulmalara sebep olduğu belirlendi (p=0,00). Yaşlanmayla bireylerin proprioseptif duyu ve denge fonskiyonlarında olması beklenen kaybın düzenli egzersiz yapmayla azaltılabileceği, böylece propriosepsiyon ve dengedeki kaybın sebep olabileceği düşmeler ve yaralanmaların önüne geçilebileceği sonucuna varıldı.Human body function shows age-dependent changes. These changes are especially observed in as deterioration in proprioceptive sense and balance, which results in difficulties in daily activities and bone fractures. The aim of this study is to determine the effect of age, proprioception and balance on each other This study was conducted in Trakya University on 120 healthy individuals (65 male and 55 female) with an age average of 39.87. These individuals were separated into 3 groups based on their age ranges. Group one, two and three cover individuals within the age range of 20-30, age 30-50 and age 50-70, respectively. These individuals were evaluated in terms of physical activities, medical backgrounds, demographic information, body-mass indexes (BMI), muscle tone, proprioception, dynamic and static balance, and data was recorded. Proprioceptive sense of the participants was measured by goniometer by asking them to repeat the same movements eyes open and closed. Balance measurements were done by Berg balance test and by asking the participants to stand on only one foot.We have found that increase in age results in deterioration in proprioception and balance (p=0.03). We have also found that proprioception does not have a significant effect (p=0.66) on the balance abilities of participants when compared to the test that involves asking the participants to stand on only one foot, which measures static balance. The effect of proprioception on dynamic balance, however, was found to be statistically significant (p=0.02). Dynamic balance was found to be negatively affected by deterioration in proprioception. In addition, regular physical exercise was found to alter conservation of proprioceptive sense and balance to a better level. It has been determined that increased BMI has an effecting proprioception and balance function deteriorations (p=0.00). It has been concluded that, with the help of regular exercise, aging related expected deterioration of proprioception and balance functions can be lowered, so that deterioration of proprioception and balance function related injuries can be averted

REEVALUACIJA PARITETA KUPOVNE MOĆI U MENI: EMPIRIJSKI DOKAZI U PRISUSTVU ENDOGENO ODREĐENIH PRIJELOMNIH TOČAKA

This paper re-examines the Purchasing Power Parity hypothesis in which the endogenously determined break points are incorporated in 13 major MENA countries by using official and black market exchange rates data over 1970-1998. We utilize Lagrange Multiplier unit root test that endogenously determines structural breaks in level. We find evidence of PPP for eight of the thirteen countries at the 10% level or better. We also construct the half lives to investigate the persistence of deviations from PPP. The point estimates of the half lives for both OREX and BMREX in the seven countries are lower than range of the consensus of 3-5 years in the literature.1Ovaj rad ponovno proučava hipotezu pariteta kupovne moći u kojoj su endogeno određene prijelomne točke ugrađene u 13 najvećih zemalja MENA-e koristeći službene tečajeve i tečajeve na crnom tržištu za period od 1970 do 1998. Koristili smo Lagrange Multiplier test jediničnog korijena koji endogeno određuje strukturalne prekide u razini. Nalazimo dokaze pariteta kupovne moći za osam od trinaest zemalja na razini od 10% ili bolje. Također smo konstruirali poluživote kako bismo istražili postojanost devijacija od pariteta kupovne moći. Procjene parametara poluživota za OREX i BMREX u sedam su zemalja niže od u literaturi općeprihvaćenih 3-5 godina

PURCHASING POWER PARITY IN MENA REVISITED: EMPIRICAL EVIDENCE IN THE PRESENCE OF ENDOGENOUSLY DETERMINED BREAK POINTS

This paper re-examines the Purchasing Power Parity hypothesis in which the endogenously determined break points are incorporated in 13 major MENA countries by using official and black market exchange rates data over 1970-1998. We utilize Lagrange Multiplier unit root test that endogenously determines structural breaks in level. We find evidence of PPP for eight of the thirteen countries at the 10% level or better. We also construct the half lives to investigate the persistence of deviations from PPP. The point estimates of the half lives for both OREX and BMREX in the seven countries are lower than range of the consensus of 3-5 years in the literature.(1

Determinants of Catastrophic Health Expenditure for Surgical Care: Panel Regression Model

The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between risk of catastrophic health expenditure for surgical care and the share of public health expenditures in total health expenditures, which is an important indicator of health system structure, and country's income level. The relationship between risk of catastrophic health expenditure and public health expenditures and country's income level was examined with panel regression analysis for 97 countries for the period of 2003-2015 via Stata 13.0 computer program. We found that both the share of public health expenditure in total health expenditures and the income have a statistically significant negative impact on the risk of catastrophic health expenditure for surgical care services. Catastrophic health expenditure endangers the routine expenditure and quality of life of households. In addition, it causes a decline in the economic and welfare indicators of countries and it negatively affects the quality of life of the households. That's why, studies on the determinants of catastrophic health expenditures are both economically and sociopolitically important

A spatially uniform illumination source for widefield multi-spectral optical microscopy.

Illumination uniformity is a critical parameter for excitation and data extraction quality in widefield biological imaging applications. However, typical imaging systems suffer from spatial and spectral non-uniformity due to non-ideal optical elements, thus require complex solutions for illumination corrections. We present Effective Uniform Color-Light Integration Device (EUCLID), a simple and cost-effective illumination source for uniformity corrections. EUCLID employs a diffuse-reflective, adjustable hollow cavity that allows for uniform mixing of light from discrete light sources and modifies the source field distribution to compensate for spatial non-uniformity introduced by optical components in the imaging system. In this study, we characterize the light coupling efficiency of the proposed design and compare the uniformity performance with the conventional method. EUCLID demonstrates a remarkable illumination improvement for multi-spectral imaging in both Nelsonian and Koehler alignment with a maximum spatial deviation of ≈ 1% across a wide field-of-view