Uplink scheduling for delay sensitive traffic in broadband wireless networks

Ankara : The Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering and the Graduate School of Engineering and Science of Bilkent University, 2012.Thesis (Master's) -- Bilkent University, 2012.Includes bibliographical references.In wireless networks, there are two main scheduling problems: uplink (mobile station to base station) and downlink (base station to mobile station). During the downlink scheduling, scheduler at the base station (BS) has access to queue information of mobile stations (MS). On the other hand, for uplink scheduling, BS only has the partial information of the MS since distributing the detailed queue information from all MSs to BS creates significant overhead. In this thesis, we propose a novel uplink scheduling algorithm for delay sensitive traffic in broadband wireless networks. In this proposed algorithm, we extend the bandwidth request/grant mechanism defined in IEEE 802.16 standard and send two bandwidth requests instead of one: one greedy and the other conservative requests. MSs dynamically update these bandwidth requests based on their queue length and bandwidth assignment in previous frames. The scheduler at the BS tries to allocate these bandwidth requests such that the system achieves a high goodput (defined as the rate of error-free packets delivered within a maximum allowed delay threshold) and bandwidth is allocated in a fair manner, both in short term and in steady state. The proposed scheduling algorithm can utilize the network resources higher than 95% of the downlink scheduling algorithms that use the complete queue state information at the MS. Using just partial queue state information, the proposed scheduling algorithm can achieve more than 95% of the total goodput achieved by downlink scheduling algorithms utilizing whole state information. The proposed algorithm also outperforms several downlink scheduling algorithm in terms of short-term fairnessCoşkun, Cemil CanM.S

Abnormal liver function tests in pregnant patients with COVID-19 — a retrospective cohort study in a tertiary center

Objectives: The current study aimed to describe the incidence of abnormal liver function tests (LFTs) in pregnant COVID-19 patients, explore the association between LFTs with current medication, and provide a reference for medical therapy of pregnant patients with COVID-19. Material and methods: This retrospective single tertiary center cohort study included 122 pregnant patients with confirmed COVID-19 admitted and treated from April 1, 2020, to May 31, 2020. We defined abnormal LFTs as the elevation of the following liver enzymes in serum per our hospital’s laboratory reference range standards: AST > 35 U/L, ALT > 35 U/L, and TBIL > 1.2 mg/dL. We evaluated patients for demographic and clinical features, laboratory parameters, medications, and hospital length of stay (LOS). Results: Patients in this cohort had clinical presentations of fever (84.4%), dry cough (78.6%), and shortness of breathing (6.5%). In total, 17 (13.9%) patients had abnormal LFTs during hospitalization. Critically ill patients were three-fold higher in the abnormal LFTs group (11.8%) than in the normal LFTs group (3.8%, p = 0.16). The proportion of patients who used hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir were significantly higher in patients with abnormal LFTs (88.2% and 35.3%, respectively) than those with normal LFTs (62.9% and 15.2%, p = 0.04 and p = 0.04, respectively). The hospital length of stay (LOS) was significantly longer in the abnormal LFTs group (8.2 ± 5.8 days) than in the normal LFT group (6.0 ± 2.8 days, p = 0.02). Conclusions: SARS-CoV-2 may induce liver injury and the LFT abnormality was generally mild in pregnant patients with COVID-19. Abnormal LFTs are associated with prolonged hospital LOS. Drug use was the most crucial risk factor for liver injury during hospitalization. The use of lopinavir/ritonavir and hydroxychloroquine were significantly higher, and the course of treatment of these drugs was significantly longer in pregnant women with abnormal LFTs than the patients with normal LFTs. Therefore, pregnant women with COVID-19 who received antiviral treatment should be closely monitored for evaluating LFTs

The diagnostic efficacy of low-dose cervical and thoracic CT in multiple trauma patients

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the initial diagnostic efficacy of low-dose computed tomography (CT) in multi-trauma patients. Methods: 74 patients (44 male, 30 female; average age: 36.9 years) accepted to the emergency unit with the reason of multiple trauma which is included in this study. Cervical and thoracic injury sites were initially evaluated with portable X-Ray and low-dose CT. The Patients’ progress, surgical findings and additional radiologic examination results were recorded until the patients were discharged.Results: The sensitivity and specificity of X-Ray graphies were 50% and 95% for thoracic traumatic pathologies; 0-40% and 95-100% for cervical injuries respectively. CT examination sensitivity and specificity values were 95-100% and 80-100% for thoracic injuries; 95-100% and 96-100% for cervical injuries respectively. Conclusion: Low-dose CT examination is more sensitive than X-Ray graphs for the evaluation of cervicothoracic traumatic injuries. We recommend to prefer low-dose CT as an initial radiologic examination for managing cervicothoracic trauma cases because of its higher diagnostic capability than X-Ray graphy. Key words: Low-dose CT, X-Ray, multiple trauma

CanIsoNet: a database to study the functional impact of isoform switching events in diseases

MOTIVATION: Alternative splicing, as an essential regulatory mechanism in normal mammalian cells, is frequently disturbed in cancer and other diseases. Switches in the expression of most dominant alternative isoforms can alter protein interaction networks of associated genes giving rise to disease and disease progression. Here, we present CanIsoNet, a database to view, browse and search isoform switching events in diseases. CanIsoNet is the first webserver that incorporates isoform expression data with STRING interaction networks and ClinVar annotations to predict the pathogenic impact of isoform switching events in various diseases. RESULTS: Data in CanIsoNet can be browsed by disease or searched by genes or isoforms in annotation-rich data tables. Various annotations for 11 811 isoforms and 14 357 unique isoform switching events across 31 different disease types are available. The network density score for each disease-specific isoform, PFAM domain IDs of disrupted interactions, domain structure visualization of transcripts and expression data of switched isoforms for each sample is given. Additionally, the genes annotated in ClinVar are highlighted in interactive interaction networks. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION: CanIsoNet is freely available at https://www.caniso.net. The source codes can be found under a Creative Common License at https://github.com/kahramanlab/CanIsoNet_Web. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics Advances online

Tourist distribution in Northern Mediterranean Basin countries: 2004–2020

Purpose: The feasibility of measuring the touristic ecosystem in European countries with a Mediterranean coast based on various parameters, including diversity, turnover, and the number of tourists, was investigated in this study. The data from the period between 2004 and 2020 were analyzed. Methodology: A distribution analysis of annual tourist gains was conducted, and the distribution of incoming tourists across the countries was examined based on their area, using Atkinson, Theil, and Hoover inequality indices. Secondary data from the World Bank were utilized by the authors for the 13 countries studied. It was suggested by the authors that the Mediterranean region could be analyzed based on factors such as the length of the coast, the number and type of hotel beds, and the volume of coastal tourism. This study can be expressed as a mixed methodology supported by bibliometric analysis. Findings: An overall improvement in the distribution of tourists was indicated by the results of the analysis, with the exception of a decline in 2016 and 2020, as confirmed by all three indices. The most significant decline in 2020 was shown by the Hoover Index. Originality: This study is a significant contribution to the existing literature, as it is the first to analyze the distribution of tourists considering the Mediterranean Basin coast length and the number of tourists of the illustrated countries, using the Atkinson, Theil, and Hoover inequality indices. The study was deemed original and supported by bibliometric analysis. The results of this study have important managerial implications

Clinicopathological and survival characteristics of mismatch repair status and PD-1 expression in serous ovarian cancer

Objective: To evaluate the clinicopathological characteristics of mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency and its clinical outcomes by performing immunohistochemistry (IHC) for MMR genes in the serous ovarian cancer (SOC) tumour sections.Study Design: A retrospective case-control study. Place and Duration of the Study: Gynecology Department of Kanuni Sultan Suleyman Training and Research Hospital, and Department of Medical Oncology of Medipol University, between March 2001 and January 2020. Methodology: IHC was carried out for MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 on full-section slides from 127 SOCs to evaluate the MMR status. MMR-negative and MMR-low groups together were defined as MMR deficient and called microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H). The MSI status and expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) were compared in SOCs with different MMR statuses. Results: A significantly higher frequency of MMR-deficient SOCs was diagnosed at early stages compared with the patients in the MSS group (38.6% and 20.6%, respectively, p=0.022). The frequency of cases with PD-1 expression was significantly higher in the MSI-H group (76.2%) than in the MSS counterparts (58.8%, p=0.028). Patients in the MSI-H group had significantly longer DFS (25.6 months) and OS (not reached) than those in the MSS group (16 months and 48.9 months, p=0.039 and p=0.026, respectively).Conclusion: MSI-H SOCs were diagnosed at an earlier stage as compared to MMR proficient cases. The presence of PD-1 expres-sion was significantly higher in cases presenting MMR deficiency compared with MMR-proficient cases. MSI status was significantly associated with DFS and OS

Impact of opioid-free analgesia on pain severity and patient satisfaction after discharge from surgery: multispecialty, prospective cohort study in 25 countries

Background: Balancing opioid stewardship and the need for adequate analgesia following discharge after surgery is challenging. This study aimed to compare the outcomes for patients discharged with opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after common surgical procedures.Methods: This international, multicentre, prospective cohort study collected data from patients undergoing common acute and elective general surgical, urological, gynaecological, and orthopaedic procedures. The primary outcomes were patient-reported time in severe pain measured on a numerical analogue scale from 0 to 100% and patient-reported satisfaction with pain relief during the first week following discharge. Data were collected by in-hospital chart review and patient telephone interview 1 week after discharge.Results: The study recruited 4273 patients from 144 centres in 25 countries; 1311 patients (30.7%) were prescribed opioid analgesia at discharge. Patients reported being in severe pain for 10 (i.q.r. 1-30)% of the first week after discharge and rated satisfaction with analgesia as 90 (i.q.r. 80-100) of 100. After adjustment for confounders, opioid analgesia on discharge was independently associated with increased pain severity (risk ratio 1.52, 95% c.i. 1.31 to 1.76; P < 0.001) and re-presentation to healthcare providers owing to side-effects of medication (OR 2.38, 95% c.i. 1.36 to 4.17; P = 0.004), but not with satisfaction with analgesia (beta coefficient 0.92, 95% c.i. -1.52 to 3.36; P = 0.468) compared with opioid-free analgesia. Although opioid prescribing varied greatly between high-income and low- and middle-income countries, patient-reported outcomes did not.Conclusion: Opioid analgesia prescription on surgical discharge is associated with a higher risk of re-presentation owing to side-effects of medication and increased patient-reported pain, but not with changes in patient-reported satisfaction. Opioid-free discharge analgesia should be adopted routinely

Gelişen teknolojilerle zenginleştirilmiş öğretim teknolojileri eğitimi bağlamında ingilizce öğretmeni adaylarının meslek öncesi öğretmen kimliğinin incelenmesi

In a time when the use of digital technologies is an essential part of teaching, there is an increasing need for pre-service teachers to develop an identity that meets the requirements of the modern world. In accordance with this need, this study aims to explore pre-service English teachers’ early teacher identities in relation to Emerging ICT Technologies Training. Guided by the explanatory sequential design, this mixed-method study employed Early Teacher Identity Measure (Friesen & Besley, 2013) to explore participants’ development of teacher identity by relying on Erikson’s (1993) theory of identity development and self-categorization theory of Turner et al. (1994) and reflection papers (Schön, 1983). Findings revealed participants’ high self-efficacy in becoming teachers and selfcategorization as teachers with high natural inclination. Moreover, participants reported developing a variety of identities, namely, productive teacher identity, technologically-competent teacher identity, social teacher identity, and modern-teacher identity upon receiving the Emerging ICT Technologies course.Dijital teknoloji kullanımının öğretimin önemli bir parçası olduğu bu zamanda, öğretmen adaylarının modern dünyanın gereksinimlerini karşılayabilen bir kimlik geliştirmelerine yönelik ihtiyacın arttığı görülmektedir. Bu ihtiyaç doğrultusunda bu çalışma, “Gelişen Teknolojilerle Zenginleştirilmiş Öğretim Teknolojileri Eğitimi” bağlamında, İngilizce öğretmen adaylarının meslek öncesi öğretmen kimliklerini araştırmayı amaçlamaktadır. Açımlayıcı sıralı desenle gerçekleştirilen bu karma yöntemli çalışma, Erikson'ın (1993) Kimlik Gelişimi ve Turner ve arkadaşlarının (1994) Benlik Kategorizasyonu Kuramı’na dayanmaktadır. Katılımcıların öğretmen kimliğini incelemek amacıyla Erken Öğretmen Kimlik Ölçeği (Friesen ve Besley, 2013) ve yansıtma kâğıtları (Schön, 1983) veri toplama aracı olarak kullanılmıştır. Bulgular, katılımcıların öğretmen olma konusunda yüksek öz yeterliğe ve yüksek doğal eğilime sahip olduklarını ve bunun yanı sıra, kendilerini öğretmen olarak sınıflandırdıklarını ortaya koymuştur. Ayrıca katılımcıların, aldıkları “Gelişen Teknolojilerle Zenginleştirilmiş Öğretim Teknolojileri” dersinin üretken öğretmen kimliği, teknolojik açıdan yetkin öğretmen kimliği, sosyal öğretmen kimliği ve modern öğretmen kimliği gibi çeşitli kimlikler geliştirmelerine yardımcı olduğunu belirttikleri görülmüştür

Development of product proposal for the collection of snus boxes

Idén för en insamlingsprodukt för snusdosor uppstod när studenten såg behovet av en produkt som kan användas för insamling av snusdosor så att de inte hamnar på fel platser som på gatorna eller i naturen. Snusdosor är gjorda av återvinningsbara material, med hjälp av en insamlingsprodukt för snusdosor på platser som får många besökare kan snusdosor samlas in, sorteras rätt och kan i sin tur lämnas in på återvinningsstationer för återvinning. Tidigt i projektet gjordes en marknadsanalys och patentsökning för att ta reda på vilka produkter som finns på marknaden. En undersökning gjordes även för att ta reda på hur snusdosor sorteras på rätt sätt och återvinns. För att ta fram olika produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor användes några metoder som tankekarta, funktionsanalys, moodboard och brainstorming. För val av produktförslag och utvärdering användes metoderna Pugh matris, QFD och FMEA analys. Totalt har fem olika produktförslag tagits fram i form av 3D modeller med programvaran Creo Parametric 4.0. Av de fem olika produktförslagen valdes ett att jobba vidare med. Det valda produktförslaget vidareutvecklades efter identifiering av potentiella risker med en FMEA analys. Efter vidareutveckling valdes komponenter och material för det valda produktförslaget. Resultatet av projektet blev ett produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor, där snusare kan lämna in sina snusdosor för återvinning. Produktförslaget är tänkt att användas i inomhusmiljöer som får många besökare, exempelvis gallerier, tunnelbanor, flygplatser caféer med mera. Enligt målbeskrivningen har projektmålet uppfyllts då ett produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor har tagits fram i form av en 3D modell.The idea for a collection product for snus boxes arose when the student saw the need for a product that can be used to collect snus boxes so that they do not end up in the wrong places such as on the streets or in nature. Snus boxes are made of recyclable materials, with the help of a collection product for snus boxes in places that receive a lot of visitors, snus boxes can be collected, sorted correctly, and can eventually be handed in to recycling stations for recycling. Early in the project, a market analysis and patent search were carried out to find out which products are on the market. An investigation was also carried out to find out how snus boxes are sorted correctly and recycled. In order to come up with different product proposals for collecting snus boxes, various methods were used such as mind map, function analysis, mood board and brainstorming. For the selection of product proposals and evaluation, the methods Pugh matrix, QFD and FMEA analysis were used. A total of five different product proposals have been developed in the form of 3D models with the software Creo Parametric 4.0. Of the five different product proposals, one was chosen to continue to work with. The selected product proposal was further developed after identification of potential risks with an FMEA analysis. After further development, components and materials were chosen for the selected product proposal. The result of the project was a product proposal for the collection of snus boxes, where snus users can hand in their snus boxes for recycling. The product proposal is intended to be used in indoor environments that receive many visitors, for example shopping malls, subways, airports, cafes and more. According to the goal description, the project goal has been met as a product proposal for collecting snus boxes has been developed in the form of a 3D model

Development of product proposal for the collection of snus boxes

Idén för en insamlingsprodukt för snusdosor uppstod när studenten såg behovet av en produkt som kan användas för insamling av snusdosor så att de inte hamnar på fel platser som på gatorna eller i naturen. Snusdosor är gjorda av återvinningsbara material, med hjälp av en insamlingsprodukt för snusdosor på platser som får många besökare kan snusdosor samlas in, sorteras rätt och kan i sin tur lämnas in på återvinningsstationer för återvinning. Tidigt i projektet gjordes en marknadsanalys och patentsökning för att ta reda på vilka produkter som finns på marknaden. En undersökning gjordes även för att ta reda på hur snusdosor sorteras på rätt sätt och återvinns. För att ta fram olika produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor användes några metoder som tankekarta, funktionsanalys, moodboard och brainstorming. För val av produktförslag och utvärdering användes metoderna Pugh matris, QFD och FMEA analys. Totalt har fem olika produktförslag tagits fram i form av 3D modeller med programvaran Creo Parametric 4.0. Av de fem olika produktförslagen valdes ett att jobba vidare med. Det valda produktförslaget vidareutvecklades efter identifiering av potentiella risker med en FMEA analys. Efter vidareutveckling valdes komponenter och material för det valda produktförslaget. Resultatet av projektet blev ett produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor, där snusare kan lämna in sina snusdosor för återvinning. Produktförslaget är tänkt att användas i inomhusmiljöer som får många besökare, exempelvis gallerier, tunnelbanor, flygplatser caféer med mera. Enligt målbeskrivningen har projektmålet uppfyllts då ett produktförslag för insamling av snusdosor har tagits fram i form av en 3D modell.The idea for a collection product for snus boxes arose when the student saw the need for a product that can be used to collect snus boxes so that they do not end up in the wrong places such as on the streets or in nature. Snus boxes are made of recyclable materials, with the help of a collection product for snus boxes in places that receive a lot of visitors, snus boxes can be collected, sorted correctly, and can eventually be handed in to recycling stations for recycling. Early in the project, a market analysis and patent search were carried out to find out which products are on the market. An investigation was also carried out to find out how snus boxes are sorted correctly and recycled. In order to come up with different product proposals for collecting snus boxes, various methods were used such as mind map, function analysis, mood board and brainstorming. For the selection of product proposals and evaluation, the methods Pugh matrix, QFD and FMEA analysis were used. A total of five different product proposals have been developed in the form of 3D models with the software Creo Parametric 4.0. Of the five different product proposals, one was chosen to continue to work with. The selected product proposal was further developed after identification of potential risks with an FMEA analysis. After further development, components and materials were chosen for the selected product proposal. The result of the project was a product proposal for the collection of snus boxes, where snus users can hand in their snus boxes for recycling. The product proposal is intended to be used in indoor environments that receive many visitors, for example shopping malls, subways, airports, cafes and more. According to the goal description, the project goal has been met as a product proposal for collecting snus boxes has been developed in the form of a 3D model