The Impact of External Examinations on High School Curricula: Perceptions of Science Teachers

AbstractThe exam for Admission to Higher Education (YGS) and exam for Placement for Undergraduate Studies (LYS) are required for admission to universities in Turkey. Yet teachers complain about the inconsistency between the contents of these exams and 12th-grade curricula. This qualitative study aims to analyse teachers’ perceptions of the impact of these exams on the content of the science lessons. Using a stratified purposive sampling method, 30 teachers from high schools in North Cyprus were interviewed using a semi-structured interview technique. Content analysis was performed on interview data. Results revealed consistency between the contents of LYS and 12th-grade science curricula but inconsistency between the contents of YGS and 12th grade science curricula, as well as a negative effect on the content

Evaluation of facial soft tissues by stereophotogrammetry method in patients with obstructive sleep apnoea: a morphological study

Background: We aimed to use the “SomnoMed MAS” device, which brings the mandible forward in obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients due to mandibular retrognathia, and to examine its effects on facial soft tissues by stereophotogrammetry (3dMD) method. Materials and methods: Thirty-one patients with a mean age of 44 years and 6 months were included in the study. SomnoMed MAS, one of the splint appliances that position the mandible in front, was applied to all patients and the changes in facial soft tissues were examined by overlapping the images taken at different times with the 3dMD face system. The obtained data were analysed statistically and the level of statistical significance was determined as p ≤ 0.05. Results: Mouth width decreased statistically during T0–T1 period. In T0–T2 period, while crista philtri and labiale inferius points moved backwards, Mouth width, nose width decreased and nasal base width increased. In the T0–T3 period, nasal base width increased statistically, the philtrum width and the mouth width decreased, and the soft tissue nasion point came to the fore. Conclusions: Splint treatment, which positions the mandible in front in adult obstructive sleep apnoea syndrome patients, affected the middle and lower facial soft tissues with the forward and downward translational movement of the lower jaw

Two-photon microscopy-guided femtosecond-laser photoablation of avian cardiogenesis: Noninvasive creation of localized heart defects

Yalçın, Hüseyin Çağatay (Dogus Author)Embryonic heart formation is driven by complex feedback between genetic and hemodynamic stimuli. Clinical congenital heart defects (CHD), however, often manifest as localized microtissue malformations with no underlying genetic mutation, suggesting that altered hemodynamics during embryonic development may play a role. An investigation of this relationship has been impaired by a lack of experimental tools that can create locally targeted cardiac perturbations. Here we have developed noninvasive optical techniques that can modulate avian cardiogenesis to dissect relationships between alterations in mechanical signaling and CHD. We used two-photon excited fluorescence microscopy to monitor cushion and ventricular dynamics and femtosecond pulsed laser photoablation to target micrometer-sized volumes inside the beating chick hearts. We selectively photoablated a small (∼100 μm radius) region of the superior atrioventricular (AV) cushion in Hamburger-Hamilton 24 chick embryos. We quantified via ultrasound that the disruption causes AV regurgitation, which resulted in a venous pooling of blood and severe arterial constriction. At 48 h postablation, quantitative X-ray microcomputed tomography imaging demonstrated stunted ventricular growth and pronounced left atrial dilation. A histological analysis demonstrated that the laser ablation produced defects localized to the superior AV cushion: a small quasispherical region of cushion tissue was completely obliterated, and the area adjacent to the myocardial wall was less cellularized. Both cushions and myocardium were significantly smaller than sham-operated controls. Our results highlight that two-photon excited fluorescence coupled with femtosecond pulsed laser photoablation should be considered a powerful tool for studying hemodynamic signaling in cardiac morphogenesis through the creation of localized microscale defects that may mimic clinical CHD

ACİL SAĞLIK HİZMETLERİNDE İNSAN KAYNAKLARI YÖNETİMİ PROBLEMLERİNİN BELİRLENMESİ VE ANALİTİK HİYERARŞİ PROSESİ İLE ÖNCELİKLENDİRİLMESİ: AMBULANS SERVİSİ ÖRNEĞİ

Bu çalışmanın amacı, ambulans servisinde insan kaynakları yönetimi alanına ilişkin problemlerin belirlenmesi ve Analitik Hiyerarşi Prosesi (AHP) ile önceliklendirilmesidir. Çalışma İzmir 112 Ambulans Servisi’nde (IZAS) gerçekleştirilmiş ve araştırma iki aşamalı olarak uygulanmıştır. İlk aşamada, ambulans servisinde çalışan 12 yönetici (başhekim (1), başhekim yardımcıları (3), komuta hekimleri (3), istasyon sorumluları (3), satın alma sorumlusu (1 kişi), teknik hizmet sorumlusu (1 kişi)) ile görüşülerek insan kaynakları yönetimine ilişkin problem alanları ve kriterler belirlenmiştir. İkinci aşamada, belirlenen kriterlere göre oluşturulan değerlendirme formları ile yöneticilerin problem alanlarını ağırlıklandırmaları istenmiştir. Problemlerin önceliklendirilmesinde AHP kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın sonucunda, kriterlerin önem sırasının uygulanabilirlik, genellenebilirlik ve kontrol edilebilirlik olduğu, insan kaynakları yönetiminde ambulans servisinin öncelikli problem alanlarının ise hizmetiçi eğitim ile görev tanımları ve iş yükü dağılımı ile ilgili konular olduğu saptanmıştır. Sonuçlar ambulans servisi yöneticilerinin öncelikli olarak bu iki alandaki problemlere ve uygulanabilir çözüm önerilerine yönelmesi gerektiğini işaret etmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Acil Sağlık Hizmetleri, İnsan Kaynakları Yönetimi, Analitik Hiyerarşi Prosesi (AHP), Problem Önceliklendirme. JEL Sınıflandırma Kodları: I19, M12, M53, M54

Delocalization Transition of a Rough Adsorption-Reaction Interface

We introduce a new kinetic interface model suitable for simulating adsorption-reaction processes which take place preferentially at surface defects such as steps and vacancies. As the average interface velocity is taken to zero, the self- affine interface with Kardar-Parisi-Zhang like scaling behaviour undergoes a delocalization transition with critical exponents that fall into a novel universality class. As the critical point is approached, the interface becomes a multi-valued, multiply connected self-similar fractal set. The scaling behaviour and critical exponents of the relevant correlation functions are determined from Monte Carlo simulations and scaling arguments.Comment: 4 pages with 6 figures, new comment

Konwencjonalna i płynna cytologia – badania porównawcze

Objectives: The aim of our study is the comparison of the results of conventional smear (CC) technique and liquidbased cytology (LBC) technique used as cervical cancer screening methods. Material and methods: The results of 47954 patients submitted to smear screening in our gynecology clinic between January 2008 and December 2014 have been studied. The smear results have been divided into two groups CC and LBC according to the technique used. Results: When considering the distribution within CC group, the results were as follows: intraepithelial cell abnormalities 2,0% (n=619), insufficient sample for analysis 2,1% (n=660), Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) 1.8% (n=554), Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LGSIL) 0.1% (n=35), High grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HGSIL) 0.1% (n=16), Atypical squamous cells – cannot exclude HGSIL (ASC-H) 0.029% (n=9), Atypical glandular cells- not other wise specified (AGC-NOS) 0.012% (n=4), squamous carcinoma 0.003% (n=1). When considering the distribution in LBC group, the results were as follows: intraepithelial cell abnormalities2.1% (n=357), insufficient sample for analysis 0.9% (n=144), ASC-US 1.8% (n=296), LGSIL 0.2% (n=38), HGSIL 0.1% (n=8), ASC-H 0.1% (n=10), AGC-NOS 0.017% (n=3), squamous carcinoma 0.011% (n=2). Conclusions: Although the rates of epithelial cell abnormalities are similar for both tests, LSIL results are more frequently observed in LBC technique. In LBC technique, the number of insufficient sample for analysis is quite low compared to CC group and thus constitutes an advantage.  Cel pracy: Celem badania było porównanie wyników konwencjonalnej (CC) i płynnej cytologii (LBC) stosowanej w skriningu raka szyjki macicy. Materiał i metoda: Przeanalizowano wyniki od 47954 pacjentek objętych cytologicznym badaniem skriningowym w naszym oddziale ginekologicznym w okresie od stycznia 2008 do grudnia 2014. Wyniki cytologiczne podzielono na dwie grupy CC i LBC w zależności od techniki pobierania. Wyniki: W grupie CC wyniki przedstawiały się nastepująco: nieprawidłowości komórek śródnabłonkowych 2,0% (n=619), nieodpowiednia próbka do analizy 2,1% (n=660), ASC-US 1.8% (n=554), LGSIL 0.1% (n=35), HGSIL 0.1% (n=16), ASC-H 0.029% (n=9), AGC-NOS 0.012% (n=4), rak płaskonabłonkowy 0.003% (n=1). W grupie LBC wyniki przedstawiały się następująco: nieprawidłowości komórek śródnabłonkowych 2.1% (n=357), nieodpowiednia próbka do analizy 0.9% (n=144), ASC-US 1.8% (n=296), LGSIL 0.2% (n=38), HGSIL 0.1% (n=8), ASC-H 0.1% (n=10), AGC-NOS 0.017% (n=3), rak płaskonabłonkowy 0.011% (n=2). Wnioski: Chociaż odsetek nieprawidłowości komórek śródnabłonkowych jest podobny dla obu testów, wyniki LSIL są częściej obserwowane w technice LBC. W metodzie LBC liczba próbek nieodpowiednich do analizy jest dość niska w porównaniu do grupy CC, stąd jest to jej niewątpliwa zaleta.

Energetic Components of Cooperative Protein Folding

A new lattice protein model with a four-helix bundle ground state is analyzed by a parameter-space Monte Carlo histogram technique to evaluate the effects of an extensive variety of model potentials on folding thermodynamics. Cooperative helical formation and contact energies based on a 5-letter alphabet are found to be insufficient to satisfy calorimetric and other experimental criteria for two-state folding. Such proteinlike behaviors are predicted, however, by models with polypeptide-like local conformational restrictions and environment-dependent hydrogen bonding-like interactions.Comment: 11 pages, 4 postscripts figures, Phys. Rev. Lett. (in press

The novel Fh8 and H fusion partners for soluble protein expression in Escherichia coli : a comparison with the traditional gene fusion technology

The Escherichia coli host system is an advantageous choice for simple and inexpensive recombinant protein production but it still presents bottlenecks at expressing soluble proteins from other organisms. Several efforts have been taken to overcome E. coli limitations, including the use of fusion partners that improve protein expression and solubility. New fusion technologies are emerging to complement the traditional solutions. This work evaluates two novel fusion partners, the Fh8 tag (8 kDa) and the H tag (1 kDa), as solubility enhancing tags in E. coli and their comparison to commonly used fusion partners. A broad range comparison was conducted in a small-scale screening and subsequently scaled-up. Six difficult-to-express target proteins (RVS167, SPO14, YPK1, YPK2, Frutalin and CP12) were fused to eight fusion tags (His, Trx, GST, MBP, NusA, SUMO, H and Fh8). The resulting protein expression and solubility levels were evaluated by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis before and after protein purification and after tag removal. The Fh8 partner improved protein expression and solubility as the well-known Trx, NusA or MBP fusion partners. The H partner did not function as a solubility tag. Cleaved proteins from Fh8 fusions were soluble and obtained in similar or higher amounts than proteins from the cleavage of other partners as Trx, NusA or MBP. The Fh8 fusion tag therefore acts as an effective solubility enhancer, and its low molecular weight potentially gives it an advantage over larger solubility tags by offering a more reliable assessment of the target protein solubility when expressed as a fusion protein.The financial support of the EMBL Heidelberg, Germany and Fundacao para a Ciencia e Tecnologia (FCT), Portugal, is acknowledged: the fellowship SFRH/BD/46482/2008 to Sofia J. Costa and the project PTDC/CVT/103081/2008. The authors wish to acknowledge Anne-Claude Gavin for providing four of the constructs for this study (RVS167, SPO14, YPK1, and YPK2) and Emmanuel Poilpre for the experimental help (both from the EMBL Heidelberg, Germany)

Recent Advances in Health Biotechnology During Pandemic

The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which emerged in 2019, cut the epoch that will make profound fluctuates in the history of the world in social, economic, and scientific fields. Urgent needs in public health have brought with them innovative approaches, including diagnosis, prevention, and treatment. To exceed the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various scientific authorities in the world have procreated advances in real time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) based diagnostic tests, rapid diagnostic kits, the development of vaccines for immunization, and the purposing pharmaceuticals for treatment. Diagnosis, treatment, and immunization approaches put for- ward by scientific communities are cross-fed from the accrued knowledge of multidisciplinary sciences in health biotechnology. So much so that the pandemic, urgently prioritized in the world, is not only viral infections but also has been the pulsion in the development of novel approaches in many fields such as diagnosis, treatment, translational medicine, virology, mi- crobiology, immunology, functional nano- and bio-materials, bioinformatics, molecular biol- ogy, genetics, tissue engineering, biomedical devices, and artificial intelligence technologies. In this review, the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the development of various scientific areas of health biotechnology are discussed