Effective Testing with JSFUnit for Educational Applications

AbstractSoftware testing is one of the steps of software quality assurance. Even testing is a crucial element in the software process, it can be seen by developers as “time consuming” or destructive instead of constructive work. However, it should be considered as a “must” of a project, in the case of taking failure rate of software projects into account. After the decision-making on following testing procedure, the first question that comes to mind is “How do I test my application?” Java Server Faces (JSF) can offer a Java-based Web framework for educational applications. It assists to simplify development of web-based user interfaces. While doing testing for the applications utilizing JSF Framework, developers can use JSFUnit, which is a test framework allowing complete integration testing and unit testing.This paper focuses on sharing experiences with developers who intend to use JSFUnit for testing educational applications utilizing JSF Framework

I Read I Play: A Web Based Application for Supporting Children's Learning Process

AbstractIn latest years, there is a consisting trend in creating increasingly rich educational opportunities involving for children. Epistemology and technology act for an important set to determine innovative educational materials. Computers can engender a bridge over the educational distances for every child. Realizing a demand, a Web-based application has been developed with a creative reading approach in order to improve the child's reading-comprehension, narrative skills involving activities such as reading, writing, visual reading, relating, comprehension, criticizing, estimation and playing educational computer games. This study aims to offer to children many learning benefits such as motivation, engagement and fun in addition to providing many skills for instance logical thinking and problem solving as well as understanding of abstract concepts. This paper focuses on sharing implementation experiences of our application that expand a positive attitude for reading in children

The effect of melatonin on bacterial translocation following ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model of superior mesenteric artery occlusion

Background: Acute mesenteric ischemia is a life-threatening vascular emergency resulting in tissue destruction due to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Melatonin, the primary hormone of the pineal gland, is a powerful scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals, as well as singlet oxygen, and nitric oxide. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether melatonin prevents harmful effects of superior mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion on intestinal tissues in rats. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into three groups, each having 10 animals. In group I, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was isolated but not occluded. In group II and group III, the SMA was occluded immediately distal to the aorta for 60 minutes. After that, the clamp was removed and the reperfusion period began. In group III, 30 minutes before the start of reperfusion, 10 mg/kg melatonin was administered intraperitonally. All animals were sacrified 24 hours after reperfusion. Tissue samples were collected to evaluate the I/R-induced intestinal injury and bacterial translocation (BT). Results: There was a statistically significant increase in myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels and in the incidence of bacterial translocation in group II, along with a decrease in glutathione levels. These investigated parameters were found to be normalized in melatonin treated animals (group III). Conclusion: We conclude that melatonin prevents bacterial translocation while precluding the harmful effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury on intestinal tissues in a rat model of superior mesenteric artery occlusion. © 2015 Ozban et al.; licensee BioMed Central

The Need of a Semantic Layer between UMLS and Biomedical Information Systems

Since biomedical information is scattered among a number of semantically or syntactically incompatible independent systems, a contemporary pragmatic approach is proposed in this study to make use of a semantic middle layer and common standards for information exchange between these systems. Biological and medical terminologies and ontologies take vital part in the background of life sciences information systems and the Unified Medical Language System (UMLS) is an inclusive source for biomedical vocabulary. Taking this fact into account, the need of new tools, which transform whole or part of UMLS content to a semantically sharable and reusable format, is also revealed to support knowledge-intensive biomedical actions.Netsis; Bilgiturk Teknoloji; Agro Know Technol; Technol & Sustainabil Res Ins

Comparison of unilateral spinal and continous spinal anesthesia for hip surgery in elderly patients

Background: Continous spinal anesthesia (CSA) and frequently unilateral spinal anesthesia (USpA) are usually preferred for lower extremity surgeries. In this study, we aimed to compare the effects of these anesthetic techniques, on hemodynamic parameters, quality of anesthesia and complications in elderly patients undergoing hip surgeries. Methods: Forty patients aged 65 years and older, assigned to receive either CSA or USpA with 7.5 mg (1.5 cc) 0.5% hyperbaric bupivacaine initially. In CSA group, additional doses of 2.5 mg bupivacaine were applied until sensory block reach to T 10 . Maximum sensorial block level, time to reach the level of T 10 (defined as onset time) and to regress to T 12 , hemodynamic parameters and ephedrine requirements were recorded peroperatively and during 2 h postoperatively. Results: Hemodynamic parameters, ephedrine requirements and regression of sensory block by two levels were similar in two groups. The onset time of anesthesia was significantly longer in USpA group than CSA group. Neuraxial anesthesia had to be converted to general anesthesia in 5 patients (25%) in CSA group and 1 patient (5%) in USpA group. Conclusions: We conclude that both USpA and CSA techniques have similar effects in elderly high risk patients. On the other hand, USpA is more preferable for surgeries with shorter durations due to its low cost and high success rate

TURNER SYNDROME WITH ISOCHROMOSOME Xq AND FAMILIAL RECIPROCAL TRANSLOCATION t(4;16)(p15.2;p13.1)

We present here a 16-year-old Turner syndrome patient with a complex karyotype that includes a maternally-inherited balanced translocation between chromosomes 4 and 16 and mosaicism of the isochromosome Xq10. Her karyotype was 45, X, t(4;16) (p15.2;p13.1)[9]/46, X,i(X) (q10), t(4;16)(p15.2;p13.1) [91]. The karyotype of her father was normal, whereas that of her mother had the same balanced translocation and numerical abnormalities of chromosome X and was designated as 45, X, t(4; 16)(p15.2; p13.1) [2]/46, XX, t(4;16)(p15.2;p13.1)[93]/47, XXX, t(4;16) (p15.2; p13.1)[5]. The two siblings of the patient also had the same reciprocal translocation. We consider this to be the first such patient with an inherited reciprocal translocation and structural abnormality of the X chromosome (isochromosome Xq)

Involvement of Probiotics and Postbiotics in the Immune System Modulation

Intestinal microbiota interacts with other systems, especially the immune system, which is responsible for protecting the body by recognizing “stranger” (pathogen associated molecular patterns-PAMPs) and “danger” (damage-associated molecular patterns-DAMPs) molecular motifs. In this manner, it plays an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases and health. Despite the use of probiotics that modulate the intestinal microbiota in providing health benefits and in the treatment of diseases, there are some possible concerns about the possibility of developing adverse effects, especially in people with suppressed immune systems. Since probiotics provide health benefits with bioactive compounds, studies are carried out on the use of products containing non-living probiotic microorganisms (paraprobiotics) and/or their metabolites (postbiotics) instead of probiotic products. It is even reported that these microbial compounds have more immunomodulatory activities than living microorganisms via some possible mechanism and eliminates some disadvantages of probiotics. Considering the increasing use of functional foods in health and disease, further studies are needed with respect to the benefits and advantages of parabiotic and/or postbiotic use in the food and pharmaceutical industry as well as immune system modulation. Although probiotics have been extensive studied for a long time, it seems that postbiotics are promising tools for future research and applications according to the recent literature. This review aimed to evaluate the interaction of probiotics and postbiotics with the immune systems and also their advantages and disadvantages in the area of food-pharmaceutical industry and immune system modulation

The effect of melatonin on bacterial translocation following ischemia/reperfusion injury in a rat model of superior mesenteric artery occlusion.

BACKGROUND: Acute mesenteric ischemia is a life-threatening vascular emergency resulting in tissue destruction due to ischemia-reperfusion injury. Melatonin, the primary hormone of the pineal gland, is a powerful scavenger of reactive oxygen species (ROS), including the hydroxyl and peroxyl radicals, as well as singlet oxygen, and nitric oxide. In this study, we aimed to investigate whether melatonin prevents harmful effects of superior mesenteric ischemia-reperfusion on intestinal tissues in rats. METHODS: Rats were randomly divided into three groups, each having 10 animals. In group I, the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) was isolated but not occluded. In group II and group III, the SMA was occluded immediately distal to the aorta for 60 minutes. After that, the clamp was removed and the reperfusion period began. In group III, 30 minutes before the start of reperfusion, 10 mg/kg melatonin was administered intraperitonally. All animals were sacrified 24 hours after reperfusion. Tissue samples were collected to evaluate the I/R-induced intestinal injury and bacterial translocation (BT). RESULTS: There was a statistically significant increase in myeloperoxidase activity, malondialdehyde levels and in the incidence of bacterial translocation in group II, along with a decrease in glutathione levels. These investigated parameters were found to be normalized in melatonin treated animals (group III). CONCLUSION: We conclude that melatonin prevents bacterial translocation while precluding the harmful effects of ischemia/reperfusion injury on intestinal tissues in a rat model of superior mesenteric artery occlusion

Micro-Raman, FTIR, SEM-EDX and structural analysis of the Canakkale meteorite

This study demonstrates for the first time, the spectroscopic characterization of Canakkale Meteorite that fell at Canakkale, Republic of Turkey (40 degrees 8'44 '' N; 26 degrees 24'23 '' E). The olivine group [(Mg, Fe)(2)SiO4], enstatite [Mg2Si2O6] (one of the orthopyroxene minerals) and plagioclase were identified by the micro-Raman and FTIR spectroscopies and EDX-SEM analyses. This meteorite has not yet been classified in the World's Database of Meteorites. The aim of this study is to investigate this meteorite by vibrational spectroscopic techniques and open the possibility to classify it and list in the World's Database of Meteorites. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved