Helicobacter pylori-related precancerous lesions in Turkey: a retrospective endoscopic surveillance study

Aim To assess the relationship between Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection and atrophic gastritis (AG) and intestinal metaplasia (IM) development and to assess the rate of dysplasia or gastric cancer development in patients with AG and/or IM. Methods This retrospective endoscopic follow-up study enrolled 2214 patients. The patients were followed for at least five years between 2007 and 2017 at the Department of Endoscopy at Antalya Ataturk Government Hospital. The results of third-year and five-year surveillance biopsy were assessed. Results The mean follow-up time was 7.77 ± 2.78 years. H. pylori was histologically assessed in 1417 (64.6%) patients. Of 198 patients with severe H. pylori infection, 32 (16%) and 139 (70.3%) developed extensive AG and extensive IM, respectively. There was a significant relationship between H. pylori density and AG and IM degrees. High grade dysplasia, early gastric cancer, and advanced gastric cancer were diagnosed in 73 patients with median age 58.2 (28-80) years, and the incidence rate was 3.29% (73/2214). The annual incidence of gastric neoplastic lesions was 0.46% in total, 0.08% for early GC, and 0.02% for advanced gastric cancer. Conclusions H. pylori infection has an important role in the development of AG and IM. H. pylori density is directly related to atrophy and metaplasia degree

Closing Water Cycles in the Built Environment through Nature-Based Solutions: The Contribution of Vertical Greening Systems and Green Roofs

Water in the city is typically exploited in a linear process, in which most of it is polluted, treated, and discharged; during this process, valuable nutrients are lost in the treatment process instead of being cycled back and used in urban agriculture or green space. The purpose of this paper is to advance a new paradigm to close water cycles in cities via the implementation of naturebased solutions units (NBS_u), with a particular focus on building greening elements, such as green roofs (GRs) and vertical greening systems (VGS). The hypothesis is that such “circular systems” can provide substantial ecosystem services and minimize environmental degradation. Our method is twofold: we first examine these systems from a life-cycle point of view, assessing not only the inputs of conventional and alternative materials, but the ongoing input of water that is required for irrigation. Secondly, the evapotranspiration performance of VGS in Copenhagen, Berlin, Lisbon, Rome, Istanbul, and Tel Aviv, cities with different climatic, architectural, and sociocultural contexts have been simulated using a verticalized ET0 approach, assessing rainwater runoff and greywater as irrigation resources. The water cycling performance of VGS in the mentioned cities would be sufficient at recycling 44% (Lisbon) to 100% (Berlin, Istanbul) of all accruing rainwater roof–runoff, if water shortages in dry months are bridged by greywater. Then, 27–53% of the greywater accruing in a building could be managed on its greened surface. In conclusion, we address the gaps in the current knowledge and policies identified in the different stages of analyses, such as the lack of comprehensive life cycle assessment studies that quantify the complete “water footprint” of building greening systems.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

The Effects of Mind Games on Higher Level Thinking Skills in Gifted Students

The aim of this research is to demonstrate the effect of various mind games, played by students identified as gifted in the elementary school age, on their analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision making skills. To fulfill this aim, the research made use of experimental research pattern and used single group, pre/post-test experimental pattern, which counts among weak experimental patterns. The study group of the research consists of 22 students in a private school located in Cankaya, Ankara in the academic year of 2016-2017. While the inclusion of the private school to the research involved the usage of the convenience sampling method, the inclusion of the gifted students to the research was done through purposive sampling methodology. In this research, various tests: "ACD test" and "Kakuro test" for gifted students were prepared by researchers and used in the research to measure high-level thinking skills of gifted students. In the process, various games: "Rat a Tat Cat" and "Sleeping Queens" were played and effects of these games on students' analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making skills were examined. Research outcomes demonstrated improvement in the analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making skills of the gifted students as a result of the various mind games they played

The Effects of Mind Games on Higher Level Thinking Skills in Gifted Students

The aim of this research is to demonstrate the effect of various mind games, played by students identified as gifted in the elementary school age, on their analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision making skills. To fulfill this aim, the research made use of experimental research pattern and used single group, pre/post-test experimental pattern, which counts among weak experimental patterns. The study group of the research consists of 22 students in a private school located in Cankaya, Ankara in the academic year of 2016-2017. While the inclusion of the private school to the research involved the usage of the convenience sampling method, the inclusion of the gifted students to the research was done through purposive sampling methodology. In this research, various tests: "ACD test" and "Kakuro test" for gifted students were prepared by researchers and used in the research to measure high-level thinking skills of gifted students. In the process, various games: "Rat a Tat Cat" and "Sleeping Queens" were played and effects of these games on students' analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making skills were examined. Research outcomes demonstrated improvement in the analytical thinking, critical thinking and decision-making skills of the gifted students as a result of the various mind games they played