Determination of Writing Expression Skills of Primary School 4th Grade Students and Teachers' Activities During Writing Process

The purpose of this research is to determine the writing expression skills of primary 4th grade students and their teachers' activities during writing process. The research was carried out with 472 primary school 4th grade students. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 classroom teachers in order to reveal the writing activities done by the teachers. Qualitative research method was used in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data. The writings of the students were analyzed by document analysis. The data obtained from the semi-structured interviewed teachers were analyzed by content analysis. The results obtained from the research reveal that 4th grade students in primary school have a poor level of written expression skills. Findings from interviews with teachers reveal that teachers don’t do enough work in the classroom to improve their writing skills and to correct students' writing mistakes. Keywords: Writing expression skill, Writing process, Teache

Neospora caninum in Aborted Bovine Fetuses in Trakya Region, Turkey - Histopathological, Immunohistochemical and Molecular Detection

Background: Being the major cause of bovine abortion in the world, Neosporosis is considered to be a very important protozoal infection in dairy cattle. Vertical transplacental transmission is the major route of the infection causing either abortion or birth of calves with persistent infection. As the seropositivity in individual cows and in fetal serology only indicate exposure to the protozoa, the diagnosis of the infection has to be based on histopathology of aborted fetuses. Additional techniques such as immunohistochemistry (IHC) and PCR are required for the detection of the etiological agent. The purpose of the current study was to diagnose Neospora caninum infection in aborted bovine fetuses in Trakya Region of Turkey. For this purpose, serological, histopathological, IHC, and PCR methods were used. Materials, Methods & Results: The blood samples and the fetuses of 55 aborted dairy cattle from various farms located in 3 provinces of Trakya, Turkey constituted the material of the present study. The sera obtained from the blood samples were tested using a Neospora caninum Antibody Test Kit cELISA and anti-N. caninum antibodies were detected in the sera of the dams of the 8 aborted fetuses (8/55; 14.54%). Following the necropsy, samples from the brain, heart, liver, lung, kidney, spleen, and placenta of 55 fetuses were routinely processed for histopathological examination and evaluated under a light microscope. Nonsuppurative encephalitis (15/55; 27.27%), necrosis (5/55; 9%) and gliosis (1/55; 1.8%) in the brain, mild to severe nonsuppurative myocarditis and epicarditis (14/55; 25.45%), and portal to mid-zonal nonsuppurative hepatitis (13/55; 23.63%) were the relevant findings. PCR analysis was performed on fresh frozen fetal tissues. Nested PCR detected N. caninum DNA in the brain, heart, liver, lung, and kidney tissues of 6 fetuses (6/55; 10.9%). IHC was performed on the brain, heart, and liver tissues of all the fetuses using avidin-biotin-complex peroxidase method. Immunoreactivity was observed in the brain of 1 fetus (1/55; 1.8%). Discussion: In the present study, histopathological, immunohistochemical and PCR analyses were performed to detect N. caninum in 55 spontenously aborted bovine fetuses in Trakya Region, Turkey. Histopathologic hallmark of the study was nonsuppurative inflammation found mostly in the brain, heart and liver followed by kidneys and lungs. No protozoa was observed in the microscopic examination supporting the fact that definitive diagnosis of N. caninum infection requires ancillary techniques such as IHC and PCR. Nested PCR detected N. caninum DNA in the tissues of 6 fetuses (6/55; 10.9%). Brain was the most reliable organ for detection by PCR (6/6; 100%), compatible with the previous reports. IHC diagnosis revealed only 1.8% positivity in the present study which was remarkably lower than found in the previous studies. Even though histopathology in conjunction with IHC are accepted as the “gold standard” methods to detect N. caninum infection in aborted bovine fetuses, there are studies claiming that IHC is relatively insensitive in the diagnosis of neosporosis as parasite numbers can be low and thus, false negative results can be obtained. Other factors affecting the sensitivity of the technique are thoroughly discussed by many authors. Supportively, the findings of the current study showed that using both IHC and PCR as complementary techniques, increases the success of detection of N. caninum as recommended in previous studies. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated the first molecular diagnosis of Neospora caninum infection in bovine aborted fetuses in Trakya Region of Turkey which has a critical geographical location bordering Europe. Keywords: bovine abortion, protozoal infection, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, PCR, Neospora caninum

Identification of candidate genes in a family with cancer overload by whole-exome sequencing

Background. Approximately 120 out of every 1 million children in the world develop cancer each year. In Turkey, 2500-3000 children are diagnosed with new cancer each year. The causes of childhood cancer have been studied for many years. It is known that many cancers in children, as in adults, cause uncontrolled cell growth, and develop as a result of mutations in genes that cause cancer. Methods. The investigation of family history within this context in the study, a total of 13 individuals consisting of all children and adults in the family were examined using the whole-exome sequencing (WES) with the individuals who were diagnosed with cancer in the family, who were detected to have different cancer profiles, and defined as high risk and to determine the gene or genes through which the disease has developed. Results. At the end of the study, a total of 30 variants with a pathogenic record in the family were identified. A total of 10 pathogenic variants belonging to 8 different genes from these variants have been associated with various cancer risks. Conclusions. A significant scientific contribution has been made to the mechanism of disease formation by studying a family with a high cancer burden and by finding the genes associated with the disease. In addition, by the results obtained, family members with cancer predisposition were selected after a risk analysis conducted in this family, and the necessary examinations and scans were recommended to provide an early diagnostic advantage. © 2022, Turkish National Pediatric Society. All rights reserved

The Problems And Suggestions Encountered During The Implementation Of The Sound Based Sentence Method

The purpose of this study is to determine the problems encountered during the implementation of the sound based sentence method regarding classroom teachers' views and to explore the suggestions of those teachers to overcome these problems. The research has descriptive characteristics. The datas related with research were gathered by a qualitative survey method. The research was conducted with classrom teachers assigned at the central schools in province Ankara. At the result of the research, the problems encountered during the implementation of the sound based sentence method and the suggestions which were made to overcome these problems by teachers were revealed. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reservedWoSScopu

Investigation of Pre-Service Teachers' Perceptions about Concept of Measurement and Assessment Through Metaphor Analysis

The aim of this study is to investigate the perceptions of the pre-service elementary and preschool teachers concerning the concept of measurement and assessment through metaphor analysis. For this study, pre-service elementary and preschool teachers were interviewed. Qualitative research technique was used to obtain, analyze and interpret data. Metaphors were used in data acquisition. The findings of the study indicate that the pre-service elementary and preschool teachers have a negative perception of measurement and assessment. (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and/or peer review under responsibility of Prof. Dr. Huseyin UzunboyluWo

A case of chondrosarcoma in a pheasant (Phasianus colchicus)

A pheasant (Phasianus colchicus) was referred to the clinic of the Department of Surgery in the Veterinary Faculty of Istanbul University, with the complaint of swelling in the abdomen. Radiography revealed a tumoral mass in the gizzard and the surgical removal of the tumoral mass was performed. The biopsy specimen was submitted to the Department of Pathology. After being processed routinely, specimens were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and Masson trichrome stains. Based on the histopathological findings, the tumor was diagnosed as chondrosarcoma