Investigation of education value perception scale's psychometric properties according to CTT and IRT

The purpose of this study is to develop Education Value Perception Scale (EVPS) based on Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory and to investigate its psychometric properties according to Classical Test Theory (CTT) and Item Response Theory (IRT). The data were collected from 2872 secondary school students by stratified purposeful sampling method. Measurement invariance of EVPS was tested by multigroup confirmatory factor analysis based on gender, and scalar invariance was observed to have been provided. The estimations based on IRT were conducted based on Graded Response Model. While high positive correlations were found between the item discriminations estimated according to different test theories, high negative correlations were identified between item means. McDonald's Omega was calculated to be .79 according to CTT from reliability estimation methods, marginal reliability coefficient was determined to be .77 according to IRT. In the test-retest applications performed at 20-day intervals, the stability coefficient was found to be.81

USING DRONES IN AGRICULTURAL AREAS

When the world population has approached eight billion, the worldwide focus shifted to supply food for it in a sustainable way. A new grip on precision agriculture has been led. This was identified as a farm management. This emerging concept is established to observe, measure, respond the crops and their inter and intra-field variability and versatility. To gain yield in a maximum level from the limited sources of a farm, this notion can be an efficient way for farmers to reach this aim. Meantime, the outcomes in terms of crop yields, plant health and other data have to be observed constantly while having a real-time feedback. They also require an analysis to be done objectively and equitably. Drones are considerably convenient to the farmers for helping to optimize the use of inputs such as fertilizers, seed and water. They are helpful for them to react quickly and on time tothreats like weeds, pests and fungi. The farmers can also save time in treatment validation of the crop scouting, can improve the variable rate prescriptions in real time and can do an estimation about the yield to be given from a field in harvest seasons. Our environment and our food can be cleaned more and more from chemical load. The reduction of water use can be figured out more and better. Despite being a young technology, drone usage in agriculture is expected to increase significantly. Encouraging the farmers to use the drone with the aid of the government support and agricultural extension efforts, will help them to warm towards this technology and to become adherent to future technologies. In this paper, secondary data was used to show drone usage and benefits in agriculture and how it effects environment positively

Management of patients with connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseases during the COVID-19 pandemic

The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is similar to connective tissue disease-associated interstitial lung diseases (CTD-ILD) in many aspects. However, patients with CTD-ILD have required particular attention during the pandemic since they are at high risk due to -immunosuppressive treatments. Thus, prompt decisions for diagnosis and treatment initiation have become more important than earlier for these patients during the pandemic. Radiological perspectives have become inevitable for the differential diagnosis of this group -during the pandemic, particularly to obtain rapid and accurate results that allow the physicians to start treatment immediately. However, in addition to radiological images, a definitive diagnosis also requires access to extensive information regarding patient history, including characteristics of comorbidities, and clinical and serological findings. Consequently, the differential diagnosis of COVID-19 and CTD-ILD can yield accurate treatment regimens that differ greatly between the 2 diseases, and also prevent the spread of the outbreak with COVID-19 patients treated under isolation

Comparison of the prevalence and sonographic features of thyroid nodules accompanying autoimmune thyroid diseases

Introduction: The coexistence of thyroid nodules and autoimmune thyroid disease (ATD) has been widely reported. The aim of our study was to retrospectively evaluate the prevalence and sonographic features of malignancy of thyroid nodules in ATD patients. Material and methods: We retrospectively analysed data from 500 patients with ATD in our hospital. We recorded ultrasonographic, histopathological and laboratory features of these patients. Thyroid ultrasonography was performed on all the patients, as well as fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) of the thyroid nodule, when required. Patients underwent operations depending on the result of the FNAB. Results: Of the 500 with ATD (400 female and 100 male; mean age = 42.4 years), 300 (60%) had Hashimoto&#8217;s thyroiditis (HT) and 200 (40%) presented with Graves&#8217; disease (GD). The frequency of thyroid nodules was statistically significantly higher in those with GD (37.8%) than in those with HT (24.3%) (p < 0.001). One hundred and forty-nine nodules underwent FNAB (37.8%, 76 out of 200 had GD and 24.3%; 73 out of 300 had HT). The results of the cytological examination were: non-diagnostic cytology, benign, malignant and indeterminate in 19.4%, 73.8%, 2% and 4.5% of the nodules, respectively. When 55 GD and 32 HT patients, on whom total thyroidectomy had been carried out, were evaluated, the incidence of thyroid carcinoma was similar between patients with GD (n = 3, 5.5%) and HT (n = 2, 6.3%) (p > 0.05). Conclusions: We observed that the prevalence of thyroid nodules in patients with GD was higher than patients with HT. However, in general, the characteristics of the nodules and FNAB results were similar in both ATDs. (Pol J Endocrinol 2010; 61 (6): 658-664)Wstęp: W licznych doniesieniach stwierdza się współwystępowanie guzków tarczycy i autoimmunologicznych chorób tarczycy. Celem pracy była retrospektywna ocena występowania i sonograficznych cech złośliwości guzków tarczycy u pajcentów z autoimmunologicznymi chorobami tarczycy (ATD, autoimmune thyroid disease). Materiał i metody: Analizie retrospektywnej poddano dane 500 pacjentów z ATD, u których przeprowadzono badania ultrasonograficzne, histopatologiczne i laboratoryjne. U wszystkich pacjentów wykonano badanie ultrasonograficzne oraz, w zależności od wymagań, biopsję aspiracyjną cienkoigłową (BAC). Pacjentów poddano operacji w zależności od wyniku BAC. Wyniki: Spośród 500 pacjentów z ATD (400 kobiet i 100 mężczyzn, średnia wieku: 42,4 lat), u 300 (60%) stwierdzono zapalenie tarczycy Hashimoto (HT, Hashimoto thyroids), a u 200 (40%) chorobę Gravesa (GD, Graves disease). U pacjentów z GD stwierdzono statystycznie wyższą częstość występowania guzków tarczycy (37%) w porównaniu z pacjentami z HT (24,3%) (p < 0,001). Wykonano BAC 149 guzków, w 37,8% (76 z 200) przypadków z GD i w 24,3% ( 73 z 300) z HT. Wyniki badania cytologicznego: cytologia niediagnostyczna (19,4%), guzki łagodne (73,8%), guzki złośliwe (2%) i guzki o pośredniej złośliwości (4,5%). Spośród 55 pacjentów z GD i 32 z HT, u których wykonano tyroidektomię totalną, stwierdzono podobną częstość występowania raka tarczycy - u pacjentów z GD (n = 3, 5,5%), a u pacjentów z HT (n = 2, 6,3%) (p > 0,05). Wnioski: Zaobserwowano wyższą częstość występowania guzków tarczycy u pacjentów z GD w porównaniu z pacjentami z HT. Natomiast charakterystyka guzków i wyniki BAC nie różniły sie w obu typach ATD. (Endokrynol Pol 2010; 61 (6): 658-664

3,3′-Dimethyl-4,4′-(hexane-1,6-di­yl)bis­[1H-1,2,4-triazol-5(4H)-one]

The title compound, C12H20N6O2, has a centre of symmetry. The mol­ecule consists of two triazole rings joined by an aliphatic –(CH2)6– chain. The crystal structure is stabilized by inter­molecular N—H⋯O hydrogen bonds and by π–π stacking inter­actions between the triazole rings of inversion-related mol­ecules [centroid–centroid distance = 3.277 (8) Å]

The prognostic value of N- terminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction

AMAÇ: B tipi Natriütetik peptid düzeyi akut koroner sendromlu hastalarda prognozu belirlemede kullandığımız belirteçlerdendir. Bu çalışmada natriüretik peptid ailesinden N Terminal (NT) proBNP' nin ST segment yükselmeli miyokard enfarktüslü olgulardaki prognostik değerini araştırmayı amaçladık. GEREÇ ve YÖNTEM: Uludağ Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Kardiyoloji Kliniği yoğun bakım ünitesinde akut ST segment yükselmeli miyokard enfarktüsü tanısı ile izlenen 57 hasta incelendi. Olgulardan 6 ve 36. saatte plazmada NT-proBNP bakılmak üzere venöz kan örnekleri alındı. Eş zamanlı EKG'leri çekildi ve kardiyak enzimleri çalışıldı. Üçüncü ayda hastalar, istenmeyen major kardiyak olaylar (ölüm, revaskülarizasyon, tekrarlayan miyokard enfarktüsü ve angina) açısından değerlendirilirken NT-proBNP değerleri ölçüldü. Her üç NT-proBNP değeri ile istenmeyen major kardiyak olaylar arasındaki ilişki araştırıldı. BULGULAR: Hastalar ST segment yükselmesine göre anterior MI geçiren (Grup A) ve inferior MI geçiren (Grup B) hastalar olarak iki gruba ayrıldı. Grup A' da sol ventrikül ejeksiyon fraksiyonunun daha düşük, duvar hareket skor indeksinin daha yüksek olduğu saptandı. Üçüncü ay sonunda en az bir istenmeyen major kardiyak olay geçirenlerle hiç geçirmeyenler arasında NT-proBNP seviyeleri açısından anlamlı istatistiksel fark elde edilemedi (p>0,05). 36. saatte saptanan ortalama NT-proBNP düzeyi 6. saat ortalama NT-proBNP düzeyi ile kıyaslandığında grup A olgularında 10,6±26,2 kat artış gösterdiği, grup B olgularında 3,6±4,7 kat artış gösterdiği saptandı ve bu değer her iki grup arasında istatiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık saptandı (p=0,016). Sol ventrikül ejeksiyon fraksiyonu ve NT-proBNP düzeyleri arasında ilişki saptanmadı. 36. saat NT-proBNP düzeylerinin 300 pg/ml'nin üzerinde olması kötü prognozun öngörücüsüydü. SONUÇ: NT-proBNPdüzeyleri istenmeyen major kardiyak olayları öngörmede önemli katkı sağlayabilir. Özellikle 36. saat NT-proBNP değerlerinin 300 pg/ml'nin üzerinde olması istenmeyen major kardiyak olayların önceden tespitinde ve önlem alınmasında yararlı olabilir.OBJECTIVE: B-type natriuretic peptide levels has been used as a biological marker for prognosis in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We sought to determine the prognostic value of N-Terminal (NT) proBNP in patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction. MATERIALS and METHODS: 57 patients from Uludağ University Cardiology Department Intensive Care Unit with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction if they matched the inclusion criteria after the standart treatment was began to patients were enrolled. We measured the NT-proBNP in plasma specimens in the 6th and 36th hours after hospitalization. The cardiac markers were measured and taken ECG records at the same times. After follow up of third month the major advers cardiovascular events (MACE) were evaluated and NTproBNPwas measured again. The relation between MACE and each of NT-proBNP levels were analysed. RESULTS: The patients which were included to the study were divided in two groups in terms of ST segment elevation. These groups are anterior MI (Group A) and inferior MI (Group B) patients. In Group A the left ventricle ejection fraction was found lower and wall motion score index was found higher but they were not statistically significant (p>0,05). After the third month there was no statistically difference in NT-proBNPlevels between the group which had minimally one MACE and the other group which had no MACE (p>0,05). The 36th hours mean NT-proBNP levels compared with sixth hours mean NT-proBNP levels was statistically different in two groups. In Group A, NT-proBNPlevelsincreased 10,6±26,2 timesand in Group B NT-proBNPlevels increased 3,6±4,7 times (p=0,016). There was no correlation between left ventricle ejection fraction and NTproBNP levels. Especially we found that the patients which had 36th hours NT-proBNP level sover 300 pg/ml showed worse prognosis depending on major cardiovascular advers events. CONCLUSION: Circulating NT-proBNP levels appear elevated in patients with ST Elevation ACS. 36th hours NT-proBNP value sover 300 pg/ml, are associated with worse prognosis depending on major cardiovascular events

Placenta, Secret Witness of Infant Morbidities: The Relationship Between Placental Histology and Outcome of the Premature Infant

Objective: The microscopic and macroscopic features of the placenta can contribute to the clinical understanding of premature delivery. The aim of our study was to figure out the relationship between the histopathological findings of the placentas of premature deliveries and its effects on neonatal morbidity and mortality. Material and Method: The placentas of 284 singleton preterm infants with <35 weeks of gestation were examined. three groups created as the normal, chorioamnionitis and vasculopathy according to histopathological findings in placentas subjects. Results: The mean gestational age of the infants in the study group was 30.5 ± 3.2 weeks, and the mean birth weight was 1588 ± 581 g. The pathology was normal in ninety-six (33.8%), vasculopathy in 153 (53.9%) and chorioamnionitis in 35 (12.3%). The gestation age of the infants was lower in the chorioamnionitis group. Moreover, retinopathy of prematurity, early onset neonatal sepsis, and duration of respiratory support were found to be higher in the chorioamnionitis group. In the vasculopathy group, preeclampsia and small for gestational age were found to be significantly higher. Conclusion: Histopathological findings of the placentas from preterm deliveries provided important data in determining the etiology of preterm delivery and outcomes of infants. Infants delivered by mothers with chorioamnionitis were particularly found to be more preterm, and these preterm infants would have a longer hospital stay, higher respiratory support requirement, and more serious morbidities

Characteristics of food allergy in children: National multicenter study

Conference: Congress of the European-Academy-of-Allergy-and-Clinical-Immunology (EAACI) Location: Lisbon, PORTUGAL Date: JUN 01-05, 2019Background : Food allergies impose a significant burden on the life of the child and the family. In this study, to determine the demographic characteristics of food allergies, we investigated the characteristics of patients with food allergies in different regions of Pediatric Allergy- Immunology departments in Turkey. Method : Turkey ' s National Study of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Society has conducted a Study Group on Food Allergies. 25 centers participated in this multicenter, cross- sectional and descriptive study.European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunolog