860 research outputs found
Reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the beliefs about medicines questionnaire (BMQ-T) in patients with Behçet’s disease
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish translation of the Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ-T, ©Prof. Rob Horne) for patients with Behçet's disease. METHODS: This methodological study enrolled a sample of 125 patients. The scale was adapted to Turkish through a process including translation, comparison with versions in other languages, back translation, and pretesting. Construct validity was evaluated by factor analysis. Medication adherence evaluated as poor, moderate and good according to the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (MMAS). BMQ-T scores compared along medication adherence status groups. RESULTS: In our study, as in the original scale, the factor analysis confirmed that the BMQ-T had a four-factor structure explaining 54.73% of the total variance. The BMQ-T had acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: Specific Necessity=.812; Specific Concerns=.672; General Harm=.677; General Overuse=.656), adequate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients: Specific Necessity=.715; Specific Concerns=.680; General Harm=.678; General Overuse=.327). Specific Necessity and Specific Concerns scores were significantly different between medication adherence status groups. CONCLUSIONS: The psychometric properties of the BMQ-T were consistent with those reported in the original study. The BMQ-T was found to be a valid and reliable tool for evaluating beliefs about medicines in patients with Behçet's disease
Comparing flower nectar and artificial diet on the longevity and progeny production of Trichogramma turkestanica
An Updated Line List for Spectroscopic Investigation of G Stars- I: Redetermination of the Abundances in the Solar Photosphere
We propose a line list that may be useful for the abundance analysis of
G-type stars in the wavelength range 4080 -- 6780 A. It is expected that the
line list will be useful for surveys/libraries with overlapping spectral
regions (e.g. ELODIE/SOPHIE libraries, UVES-580 setting of Gaia-ESO), and in
particular for the analysis of F- and G-type stars in general. The atomic data
are supplemented by detailed references to the sources. We estimated the Solar
abundances using stellar lines and the high-resolution Kitt Peak National
Observatory (KPNO) spectra of the Sun to determine the uncertainty in the log
gf values. By undertaking a systematic search that makes use of the lower
excitation potential and gf-values and using revised multiplet table as an
initial guide, we identified 363 lines of 24 species that have accurate
gf-values and are free of blends in the spectra of the Sun and a Solar analogue
star, HD 218209 (G6V), for which accurate and up-to-date abundances were
obtained from both ELODIE and PolarBASE spectra of the star. For the common
lines with the Gaia-ESO line list v.6 provided by the Gaia-ESO collaboration,
we discovered significant inconsistencies in the gf-values for certain lines of
varying species.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures and 5 tables, accepted for publication in Physics
and Astronomy Report
Incentives of using the hydrodynamic invariant and sedimentation parameter for the study of naturally- and synthetically-based macromolecules in solution
The interrelation of experimental rotational and translational hydrodynamic friction data
as a basis for the study of macromolecules in solution represents a useful attempt for the verification
of hydrodynamic information. Such interrelation originates from the basic development of colloid
and macromolecular science and has proven to be a powerful tool for the study of naturally- and
synthetically-based, i.e., artificial, macromolecules. In this tutorial review, we introduce this very
basic concept with a brief historical background, the governing physical principles, and guidelines for
anyone making use of it. This is because very often data to determine such an interrelation are available
and it only takes a set of simple equations for it to be established. We exemplify this with data collected
over recent years, focused primarily on water-based macromolecular systems and with relevance for
pharmaceutical applications. We conclude with future incentives and opportunities for verifying an
advanced design and tailored properties of natural/synthetic macromolecular materials in a dispersed
or dissolved manner, i.e., in solution. Particular importance for the here outlined concept emanates
from the situation that the classical scaling relationships of Kuhn–Mark–Houwink–Sakurada, most
frequently applied in macromolecular science, are fulfilled, once the hydrodynamic invariant and/or
sedimentation parameter are established. However, the hydrodynamic invariant and sedimentation
parameter concept do not require a series of molar masses for their establishment and can help in the
verification of a sound estimation of molar mass values of macromolecules
The validity of eight neoclassical facial canons in the Turkish adults
The neoclassical canons were used to define the proportions between various areas of the head and face. Therefore, this study was done to establish the neoclassical canons of facial proportions in Turkish adults. A total of 200 healthy adults 20 to 35 years of age were examined. Using anthropometric landmarks, 5 horizontal and 9 vertical direct measurements were made on the faces with a sliding calliper. Results have been compared with 8 neoclassical facial canons. When comparing between sexes, a significant difference has been found in all measurements except the upper facial width, left eye-fissure width, forehead height I and II (p < 0.005). The nasofacial proportion has been found to include the most proportional subjects (33%) followed by the orbito-nasal (30%), the orbital proportion (25%) and the naso-oral proportion (17%) in the female. Considering the male, the orbital proportion has been found to include the most proportional subjects (23%) followed by the orbito-nasal proportion (21%), naso-facial proportion (19%) and the naso-oral proportion (17%). The neoclassical canons have been shown to rarely be applicable to Turkish adults and our results may contribute to determine the concepts of transcultural facial structures
First description of early developmental stages of the native invasive fireworm Hermodice carunculata (Annelida, Amphinomidae): A cue to the warming of the mediterranean sea
Observations on the reproductive behavior and larval development of the bristled fireworm Hermodice carunculata, a common inhabitant of shallow marine rocky bottoms in the Southern Mediterranean Sea, are reported here. In recent years, an increase in abundance and a northward expansion of the populations along the Southern Italian coast were jointly detected, presumably linked to rising water temperature in the Mediterranean Sea. After making in situ observations on two consecutive spawning events, live worms and fresh spawn were brought into the lab, kept at either 27°C or 22°C and followed through development. Complete and normal development was observed only at 27°C. By contrast, embryonic and larval development appeared to be slowed down at 22°C, stopping at the protrochophora stage. Early development of H. carunculata suggests the existence of a long pre-metamorphic, planktotrophic period in the water column that can explain the genetic cohesion of this species and the low genetic divergence found among populations across the Atlantic Ocean. The observed increase in abundance, invasiveness potential, and geographical northern distribution of the bearded fireworms is probably determined by a progressive northward latitudinal shift of the sea surface temperature coincident with the temperature threshold required for the developmental and reproductive success of the worm
An HPC-Based Hydrothermal Finite Element Simulator for Modeling Underground Response to Community-Scale Geothermal Energy Production
Geothermal heat, as renewable energy, shows great advantage with respect to
its environmental impact due to its significantly lower CO2 emissions than
conventional fossil fuel. Open and closed-loop geothermal heat pumps, which
utilize shallow geothermal systems, are an efficient technology for cooling and
heating buildings, especially in urban areas. Integrated use of geothermal
energy technologies for district heating, cooling, and thermal energy storage
can be applied to optimize the subsurface for communities to provide them with
multiple sustainable energy and community resilience benefits. The utilization
of the subsurface resources may lead to a variation in the underground
environment, which might further impact local environmental conditions.
However, very few simulators can handle such a highly complex set of coupled
computations on a regional or city scale. We have developed high-performance
computing (HPC) based hydrothermal finite element (FE) simulator that can
simulate the subsurface and its hydrothermal conditions at a scale of tens of
km. The HPC simulator enables us to investigate the subsurface thermal and
hydrologic response to the built underground environment (such as basements and
subways) at the community scale. In this study, a coupled hydrothermal
simulator is developed based on the open-source finite element library deal.II.
The HPC simulator was validated by comparing the results of a benchmark case
study against COMSOL Multiphysics, in which Aquifer Thermal Energy Storage
(ATES) is modeled and a process of heat injection into ATES is simulated. The
use of an energy pile system at the Treasure Island redevelopment site (San
Francisco, CA, USA) was selected as a case study to demonstrate the HPC
capability of the developed simulator. The simulator is capable of modeling
multiple city-scale geothermal scenarios in a reasonable amount of time.Comment: 46th Workshop on Geothermal Reservoir Engineering Stanford
University, Stanford, California, February 15-17, 202
Amyloid Inspired Self-Assembled Peptide Nanofibers
Cataloged from PDF version of article.Amyloid peptides are important components in many degenerative
diseases as well as in maintaining cellular metabolism. Their unique stable structure
provides new insights in developing new materials. Designing bioinspired selfassembling
peptides is essential to generate new forms of hierarchical nanostructures.
Here we present oppositely charged amyloid inspired peptides (AIPs),
which rapidly self-assemble into nanofibers at pH 7 upon mixing in water caused
by noncovalent interactions. Mechanical properties of the gels formed by selfassembled
AIP nanofibers were analyzed with oscillatory rheology. AIP gels
exhibited strong mechanical characteristics superior to gels formed by self-assembly
of previously reported synthetic short peptides. Rheological studies of gels
composed of oppositely charged mixed AIP molecules (AIP-1 + 2) revealed superior mechanical stability compared to individual
peptide networks (AIP-1 and AIP-2) formed by neutralization of net charges through pH change. Adhesion and elasticity
properties of AIP mixed nanofibers and charge neutralized AIP-1, AIP-2 nanofibers were analyzed by high resolution force−
distance mapping using atomic force microscopy (AFM). Nanomechanical characterization of self-assembled AIP-1 + 2, AIP-1,
and AIP-2 nanofibers also confirmed macroscopic rheology results, and mechanical stability of AIP mixed nanofibers was higher
compared to individual AIP-1 and AIP-2 nanofibers self-assembled at acidic and basic pH, respectively. Experimental results were
supported with molecular dynamics simulations by considering potential noncovalent interactions between the amino acid
residues and possible aggregate forms. In addition, HUVEC cells were cultured on AIP mixed nanofibers at pH 7 and biocompatibility
and collagen mimetic scaffold properties of the nanofibrous system were observed. Encapsulation of a zwitterionic
dye (rhodamine B) within AIP nanofiber network was accomplished at physiological conditions to demonstrate that this network
can be utilized for inclusion of soluble factors as a scaffold for cell culture studies. Copyright © 2012 American Chemical Societ
Exposure of mediterranean countries to ocean acidification
This study examines the potential effects of ocean acidification on countries and fisheries of the Mediterranean Sea. The implications for seafood security and supply are evaluated by examining the sensitivity of the Mediterranean to ocean acidification at chemical, biological, and macro-economic levels. The limited information available on impacts of ocean acidification on harvested (industrial, recreational, and artisanal fishing) and cultured species (aquaculture) prevents any biological impact assessment. However, it appears that non-developed nations around the Mediterranean, particularly those for which fisheries are increasing, yet rely heavily on artisanal fleets, are most greatly exposed to socioeconomic consequences from ocean acidification. © 2014 by the authors; licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland
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