Cognitive flexibility in early childhood: a contemporary view of the development of flexible goal-oriented behavior

Cognitive flexibility is usually described as a skill that allows us to revise our behaviors or ideas as the task objective or the environment changes. Over 20 years, in addition to inhibitory control and working memory, cognitive flexibility has been presented as one of the main executive functions and has been considered to develop at around three to four years of age when children learn to easily switch from sorting cards according to one rule (e.g., shape) to the other rule (e.g., colour). This classic view of cognitive flexibility has been highly influential in improving our knowledge about the development of cognitive flexibility. However, in recent years, the way cognitive flexibility is understood has changed remarkably that leads the way that it should be thought and studied has also changed. The present paper aims to present a contemporary view of cognitive flexibility by reviewing recent advances in methodological and analytical techniques used to study cognitive flexibility. Particularly, recent research has started to use less constrained rule-switching tasks to assess cognitive flexibility and use more advanced modelling-based statistical approaches to analyse cognitive flexibility. These recent advances suggest that cognitive flexibility is not a stand-alone skill that emerges during the preschool years. Instead, cognitive flexibility is the culmination of the development of controlled, goal-oriented behavior that happens across a broader age span and in a much more diverse range of contexts than previously thought. While the earlier developments in cognitive flexibility in the first two years of life are underpinned by attention and language, the later developments in cognitive flexibility from around three years onwards are underpinned by inhibitory control and working memor

What Is the Important Point Related to Follow-Up Sonographic Evaluation for the Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip?

Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) is an important cause of childhood disability. Subluxation or dislocation can be diagnosed through pediatric physical examination; nevertheless, the ultrasonographic examination is necessary in diagnosing certain borderline cases. It has been evaluated routine sonographic examination of 2,444 hips of 1,222 babies to determine differences in both, developmental dysplasia and types of hips, and evaluated their development on the 3-month follow-up. Evaluating the pathologic alpha angles under 59, there was no statistically significant differences between girls and boys in both right (55.57 +/- 3.73) (56.20 +/- 4.01), (p = 0.480), and left (55.79 +/- 3.96) (57.00 +/- 3.84), (p = 0.160) hips on the 45th day of life. Routine sonographic examinations on the 45th day of life revealed that 51 of (66.2%) 77 type 2a right hips were girls and 26 (33.8%) were boys. The number of the right hips that develop into type 1 was 38 (74.5%) for girls and 26 (100%) for boys on the 90th day of life (p = 0.005). A total of 87 type 2a left hips included 64 girls (73.6%) and 23 boys (26.4%). In the 90th day control, 49 right hip of girls (76.6%) and 21 right hip of boys (91.3%) developed into type 1 (p = 0.126). In the assessment of both left and right hips, girls showed a significantly higher frequency in latency and boys showed significantly higher development in the control sonography. A total of 31 girls (2.5%) and 11 boys (0.9%) accounted for a total of 42 (3.4%) cases who showed bilateral type 2a hips in 1,222 infants. On the 90th day control, 26 girls (83.9%) and all 11 boys (100%) developed into type 1 (p = 0.156). The study emphasizes the importance of the sonographic examination on the 90th day of life. Results of the investigation include the data of sonographic screening of DDH on the 45th day, and also stress the importance of the 90th-day control sonography after a close follow-up with physical examination between 45th and 90th days of life

Mikroskop İle Tümleştirilmiş Tek Eksenli Çekme Cihazı İle Pdms’nin Viskoelastik Karakterizasyonu

Konferans Bildirisi-- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Teorik ve Uygulamalı Mekanik Türk Milli Komitesi, 2017Conference Paper -- İstanbul Technical University, Theoretical and Applied Mechanical Turkish National Committee, 2017Polidimetilsiloksan (PDMS) ayarlanabilir mekanik ve yüzey özellikleri sayesinde biyomedikal, ilaç taşıyıcı sistemler, mikroakışkan çalışmalar ve biyolojik algılayıcılarda sıklıkla kullanılmaktadır. Günümüzde PDMS kullanılarak kontrollü bir şekilde mikron-altı (submicron) boyutta yapılar inşa edilmekte ve bu yapılar kullanılarak nanoNewton-altı kuvvetler ölçülebilmektedir. PDMS yapılardaki deformasyonları doğru bir şekilde kuvvet değerlerine çevirmek için PDMS’ye en uygun bünye (constitutive) modelin oluşturulması gerekmektedir. Doğrusal olmayan mekanik özelliklere sahip PDMS’nin detaylı bir karakterizasyonu yapılmış olmasına rağmen Poisson oranı rapor edilirken PDMS’nin viskoelastik özelliği hesaba katılmamıştır. PDMS için literatürde belirtilen Poisson oranı 0.45 ile 0.5 arasında değişmektedir. Poisson oranının kullanılan gerinim tanımından bağımsız ve statik şartlarda raporlanması eksik ve hatalı bir ifadedir. PDMS için detaylı bir Poisson oranı incelemesi içeren bu çalışmada tek eksenli bir çekme düzeneği optik mikroskop ile tümleştirilerek çekme esnasında test numunesinin belirli bölgelerinden mikroskop görüntüleri alınmıştır. Poisson oranını doğru ve eksiksiz olarak tanımlamak için PDMS’nin viskoelastik özelliği ve kullanılacak gerinim tanımları hesaba katılmıştır.Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) is frequently used in drug delivery systems, microfluidic devices, biomedical systems and biosensors due to its tunable mechanical and surface properties. In recent studies, the traction forces in sub-nanoNewton were measured by interpreting the deformation of PDMS micropillars which are precisely patterned at the submicron scale. Although PDMS is a well-known viscoelastic material, researchers did not take viscoelastic properties into account while reporting Poisson’s ratio. The reported Poisson’s ratio for PDMS varies between 0.45 and 0.50 and is considered time-independent despite of its viscoelasticity. Defining Poisson’s ratio as a constant without referring to any strain definition provides an incomplete and incorrect picture. In this study, a detailed study of Poisson’s ratio of PDMS will be carried out by integrating a uniaxial tensile stretcher with an optical microscope to capture images of a certain area in the field of view during stretching. We took viscoelastic properties of PDMS and strain definition into account to make a complete and proper definition of Poisson’s ratio

The effect of 8-week different-intensity walking exercises on serum hepcidin, IL-6, and iron metabolism in pre-menopausal women

Objective Hepcidin may be an important mediator in exercise-induced iron deficiency. Despite the studies investigating acute exercise effects on hepcidin and markers of iron metabolism, we found no studies examining the chronic effects of walking exercises (WE) on hepcidin and markers of iron metabolism in premenopausal women. The chronic effects of two 8-week different-intensity WE on hepcidin, interleukin 6 (IL-6), and markers of iron metabolism in pre-menopausal women were examined. Methods Exercise groups (EG) [moderate tempo walking group (MTWG), n = 11; brisk walking group (BWG), n = 11] walked 3 days/week, starting from 30 to 51 min. Control group (CG; n = 8) did not perform any exercises. BWG walked at ∼70%–75%; MTWG at ∼50%–55% of HRRmax. VO2max, hepcidin, IL-6, and iron metabolism markers were determined before and after the intervention. Results VO2max increased in both EGs, favoring the BWG. Hepcidin increased in the BWG (p  Conclusion Both WE types may be useful to prevent inflammation. However, brisk walking is advisable due to the positive changes in VO2max and some iron metabolism parameters, which may contribute to prevent iron deficiency. The increase in hepcidin levels remains unclear and necessitates further studies

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

Intraperitoneal drain placement and outcomes after elective colorectal surgery: international matched, prospective, cohort study

Despite current guidelines, intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery remains widespread. Drains were not associated with earlier detection of intraperitoneal collections, but were associated with prolonged hospital stay and increased risk of surgical-site infections.Background Many surgeons routinely place intraperitoneal drains after elective colorectal surgery. However, enhanced recovery after surgery guidelines recommend against their routine use owing to a lack of clear clinical benefit. This study aimed to describe international variation in intraperitoneal drain placement and the safety of this practice. Methods COMPASS (COMPlicAted intra-abdominal collectionS after colorectal Surgery) was a prospective, international, cohort study which enrolled consecutive adults undergoing elective colorectal surgery (February to March 2020). The primary outcome was the rate of intraperitoneal drain placement. Secondary outcomes included: rate and time to diagnosis of postoperative intraperitoneal collections; rate of surgical site infections (SSIs); time to discharge; and 30-day major postoperative complications (Clavien-Dindo grade at least III). After propensity score matching, multivariable logistic regression and Cox proportional hazards regression were used to estimate the independent association of the secondary outcomes with drain placement. Results Overall, 1805 patients from 22 countries were included (798 women, 44.2 per cent; median age 67.0 years). The drain insertion rate was 51.9 per cent (937 patients). After matching, drains were not associated with reduced rates (odds ratio (OR) 1.33, 95 per cent c.i. 0.79 to 2.23; P = 0.287) or earlier detection (hazard ratio (HR) 0.87, 0.33 to 2.31; P = 0.780) of collections. Although not associated with worse major postoperative complications (OR 1.09, 0.68 to 1.75; P = 0.709), drains were associated with delayed hospital discharge (HR 0.58, 0.52 to 0.66; P < 0.001) and an increased risk of SSIs (OR 2.47, 1.50 to 4.05; P < 0.001). Conclusion Intraperitoneal drain placement after elective colorectal surgery is not associated with earlier detection of postoperative collections, but prolongs hospital stay and increases SSI risk