93 research outputs found
How Symbols and Rituals Affect School Culture and Management
The aim of the study is to evaluate the directors, teachers, and servants in the pre, primary, and secondary schools of the Near East University on their views about the functions of symbols, values, and rituals in developing school culture. This study was carried out in fall 2016–2017 academic year with 15 directors, 170 teachers, and 15 servants from the pre, primary, and secondary schools of the Near East University. In this research, a qualitative study was conducted, in which a case study design with a semi-structured interview technique was used to collect data through sampling, one of the objective sampling methods. A qualitative analysis technique based on the research questions for content analysis of the collected data was used. The majority of the participants emphasized that the common values of the individuals at school, symbols, rituals, and traditions formed the bases of school culture. Although, in general, perceptions and views related to school culture are positive, there are arguments that school culture should be integrated deeper into education. It is commonly believed that, if worked in collaboration, symbols, values, and ritual functions will contribute a great deal to social—organizational—and individual development
Next-gen traffic surveillance: AI-assisted mobile traffic violation detection system
Road traffic accidents pose a significant global public health concern,
leading to injuries, fatalities, and vehicle damage. Approximately 1,3 million
people lose their lives daily due to traffic accidents [World Health
Organization, 2022]. Addressing this issue requires accurate traffic law
violation detection systems to ensure adherence to regulations. The integration
of Artificial Intelligence algorithms, leveraging machine learning and computer
vision, has facilitated the development of precise traffic rule enforcement.
This paper illustrates how computer vision and machine learning enable the
creation of robust algorithms for detecting various traffic violations. Our
model, capable of identifying six common traffic infractions, detects red light
violations, illegal use of breakdown lanes, violations of vehicle following
distance, breaches of marked crosswalk laws, illegal parking, and parking on
marked crosswalks. Utilizing online traffic footage and a self-mounted on-dash
camera, we apply the YOLOv5 algorithm's detection module to identify traffic
agents such as cars, pedestrians, and traffic signs, and the strongSORT
algorithm for continuous interframe tracking. Six discrete algorithms analyze
agents' behavior and trajectory to detect violations. Subsequently, an
Identification Module extracts vehicle ID information, such as the license
plate, to generate violation notices sent to relevant authorities
PyNanospacing: TEM image processing tool for strain analysis and visualization
The diverse spectrum of material characteristics including band gap,
mechanical moduli, color, phonon and electronic density of states, along with
catalytic and surface properties are intricately intertwined with the atomic
structure and the corresponding interatomic bond-lengths. This interconnection
extends to the manifestation of interplanar spacings within a crystalline
lattice. Analysis of these interplanar spacings and the comprehension of any
deviations, whether it be lattice compression or expansion, commonly referred
to as strain, hold paramount significance in unraveling various unknowns within
the field. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) is widely used to capture
atomic-scale ordering, facilitating direct investigation of interplanar
spacings. However, creating critical contour maps for visualizing and
interpreting lattice stresses in TEM images remains a challenging task. Here we
developed a Python code for TEM image processing that can handle a wide range
of materials including nanoparticles, 2D materials, pure crystals and solid
solutions. This algorithm converts local differences in interplanar spacings
into contour maps allowing for a visual representation of lattice expansion and
compression. The tool is very generic and can significantly aid in analyzing
material properties using TEM images, allowing for a more in-depth exploration
of the underlying science behind strain engineering via strain contour maps at
the atomic level.Comment: Preprint, 13 pages, 9 figure
The SPARE score reliably predicts the conversion from open partial to radical nephrectomy
Aim To assess the power of nephrometry scores to predict
the intraoperative conversion from partial nephrectomy
(PN) to radical nephrectomy (RN).
Methods We identified all the patients at our institution
who were scheduled for PN between April 2012 and December 2017. Patients who underwent robotic or laparoscopic surgery were excluded. A total of 149 patients (94
men) who underwent open surgery and had complete
data were included. The power of the R.E.N.A.L., PADUA,
SPARE, and DAP scores to predict the conversion to RN,
and the threshold values were assessed. In the multivariate analysis, the predictive power of the nephrometry
scores was tested by separately including them in different models.
Results The median age was 57 (48-67) years, while the
median follow-up was 15 (7-29.5) months. The overall conversion rate was 10.7%. The optimal cut-off values for the
R.E.N.A.L., PADUA, SPARE, and DAP scores were 7.5, 9.5, 5.5
and 7.5, respectively. The SPARE score had the highest area
under the curve (AUC=0.807, P<0.001). In the multivariate
analysis, the SPARE score had the highest odds ratio (OR
12.561; confidence interval 3.456-45.534, P<0.001].
Conclusion A high SPARE score was significantly associated with the conversion to RN in patients who underwent
open PN
Synthesis, Contact Printing, and Device Characterization of Ni-Catalyzed, Crystalline InAs Nanowires
InAs nanowires have been actively explored as the channel material for high
performance transistors owing to their high electron mobility and ease of ohmic
metal contact formation. The catalytic growth of non-epitaxial InAs nanowires,
however, has often relied on the use of Au colloids which is non-CMOS
compatible. Here, we demonstrate the successful synthesis of high yield of
crystalline InAs nanowires with high yield and tunable diameters by using Ni
nanoparticles as the catalyst material on amorphous SiO2 substrates. The
nanowires show superb electrical properties with field-effect electron mobility
~2,700 cm2/Vs and ION/IOFF >103. The uniformity and purity of the grown InAs
nanowires are further demonstrated by large-scale assembly of parallel arrays
of nanowires on substrates via the contact printing process that enables high
performance, printable transistors, capable of delivering 5-10 mA ON currents
(~400 nanowires).Comment: 21 pages, 5 figures included, all in .docx format. Nano Research (In
Press
Two Cases of Bladder Adenocarcinoma After Augmentation Cystoplasty
To draw attention to the disregarded malignancy risk after ileocystoplasty, we present two cases of adenocarcinoma. The first case was metastatic at initial diagnosis. Despite chemotherapy, the condition progressed and the patient died at the 9th month. The second patient has received cystectomy followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Although the second patient was an immunosuppressed renal transplant, she was disease-free at the 27th month. As the malignancy risk after bladder augmentation is a proven fact, until the discovery of a proper diagnostic method, we recommend doing routine annual cystoscopic biopsy starting after the 10th year of ileocystoplasty
A hierarchical detection method in external communication for self-driving vehicles based on TDMA
Security is considered a major challenge for self-driving and semi self-driving vehicles. These vehicles depend heavily on communications to predict and sense their external environment used in their motion. They use a type of ad hoc network termed Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs). Unfortunately, VANETs are potentially exposed to many attacks on network and application level. This paper, proposes a new intrusion detection system to protect the communication system of self-driving cars; utilising a combination of hierarchical models based on clusters and log parameters. This security system is designed to detect Sybil and Wormhole attacks in highway usage scenarios. It is based on clusters, utilising Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) to overcome some of the obstacles of VANETs such as high density, high mobility and bandwidth limitations in exchanging messages. This makes the security system more efficient, accurate and capable of real time detection and quick in identification of malicious behaviour in VANETs. In this scheme, each vehicle log calculates and stores different parameter values after receiving the cooperative awareness messages from nearby vehicles. The vehicles exchange their log data and determine the difference between the parameters, which is utilised to detect Sybil attacks and Wormhole attacks. In order to realize efficient and effective intrusion detection system, we use the well-known network simulator (ns-2) to verify the performance of the security system. Simulation results indicate that the security system can achieve high detection rates and effectively detect anomalies with low rate of false alarms
Endovascular management of renal angiomyolipomas: Do coils have a benefit in terms of clinical success rates?
PURPOSEThis study evaluated single center results of endovascular treatment in renal angiomyolipoma (AML) to determine whether there is clinical relevance of adding proximal coil embolization to distal particle embolization in terms of safety, efficacy and retreatment rates.METHODSA retrospective analysis was performed to evaluate patients undergoing transarterial embolization for renal AMLs from January 2007 to October 2020. Parameters regarding patient and tumor characteristics, embolization technique, treatment outcome and complications were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups as A (only particle group) and B (particle + coil group) based on the type of embolic agent used for treatment. Comparative analysis was performed between the two groups in terms of tumor size reduction, retreatment and complication rates.RESULTForty-two patients (37 (88.1%) female, 5 (11.9%) male) harboring 48 AMLs were included in the study. The mean age was 43.46 (range 20 to 78). The technical success rate was 95.8% (46 of 48 procedures). The mean size reduction was 1.94±1 cm (p < 0.001) after treatments however, no significant difference was seen between groups in terms of tumor size reduction. Retreatment rates were 3.1% (1 of 32 cases) in group A and 14.3% (2 of 14 cases) in group B (p = 0.21). No significant difference was found between groups in terms of bleeding and complication rates during the perioperative period. Mean follow-up duration was 26.48±25.71 (range from 2 to 102) months. CONCLUSIONIn this study, no clear supplementary benefit was observed in terms of safety, and efficacy with the adjunction of coils to distal particle embolization in the management of AMLs
Performance Enhancement of a Graphene-Zinc Phosphide Solar Cell Using the Electric Field-Effect
The optical transparency and high electron mobility of graphene make it an attractive material for photovoltaics. We present a field-effect solar cell using graphene to form a tunable junction barrier with an Earth-abundant and low cost zinc phosphide (Zn_3P_2) thin-film light absorber. Adding a semitransparent top electrostatic gate allows for tuning of the graphene Fermi level and hence the energy barrier at the graphene-Zn_3P_2 junction, going from an ohmic contact at negative gate voltages to a rectifying barrier at positive gate voltages. We perform current and capacitance measurements at different gate voltages in order to demonstrate the control of the energy barrier and depletion width in the zinc phosphide. Our photovoltaic measurements show that the efficiency conversion is increased 2-fold when we increase the gate voltage and the junction barrier to maximize the photovoltaic response. At an optimal gate voltage of +2 V, we obtain an open-circuit voltage of V_(oc) = 0.53 V and an efficiency of 1.9% under AM 1.5 1-sun solar illumination. This work demonstrates that the field effect can be used to modulate and optimize the response of photovoltaic devices incorporating grapheme
Naiv hepatit C enfeksiyonlu hastaların on-altı yıllık prognozu
Objectives: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the clinical course of treatment-naive patients infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV) who were followed up in various centers in Turkey. Materials and Methods: This was a retrospective study performed with the participation of 15 centers. Patients aged 18 years and older with HCV infection were included. Results: A total of 391 treatment-naive patients infected with HCV were included in this study. During the follow-up period, the final values of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase, and total protein were significantly decreased when compared to the initial values (p<0.001, p<0.001, and p=0.005, respectively). In the study group, 19.2% of the patients underwent liver biopsy and 4.1% underwent transient elastography (FibroScan). An increased histological activity index (HAI) score and fibrosis in the second biopsy were observed in one patient, only increased HAI in two patients and increased fibrosis in one patient, as shown on the FibroScan. In the 16 years of the study period, cirrhosis was radiologically detected in only one patient. Conclusion: Even if rapid progression is not observed, close monitoring of the clinical findings related to liver failure and fibrosis with invasive or non-invasive methods may be useful.Amaç: Bu çalışmada ülkemizin çeşitli merkezlerinde takip edilen naiv hepatit C virüs (HCV) ile enfekte hastaların klinik seyrini değerlendirmeyi amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntemler: Bu çalışma retrospektif olarak 15 merkezin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmaya 18 yaş üstü, HCV enfeksiyonu olan hastalar dahil edilmiştir. Bulgular: Çalışmada 391 tedavi-naiv HCV enfeksiyonlu hasta yer almıştır. Hastaların takip süresinde son alanine aminotransferase, aspartate transaminase ve total protein değerleri ilk düzeyine göre önemli düzeyde azalmıştır (sırasıyla p<0,001, p<0,001, p=0,005). Çalışma grubunda hastaların %19,2’sine karaciğer biyopsisi, %4,1’ine elastografi (FibroScan) uygulanmıştır. Takip esnasında bir hastada ikinci biyopside histolojik aktivite indeksi (HAI) ve fibroziste artma, iki hastada sadece HAI’da artma, birinde FibroScan ile fibrozis değerinde artma olduğu gözlenmiştir. Bir hastada 16 yıl içinde radyolojik olarak siroz saptanmıştır. Sonuç: Hızlı progresyon gözlenmemekle birlikte hastaların izleminde karaciğer yetmezliği ile ilgili klinik bulguların ve invaziv veya noninvaziv yöntemlerle fibrozisin yakın takibi yararlı olabilir
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