Methods for the thawing time prediction of ellipses

Methods for predicting the thawing times of ellipses are proposed. A finite difference numerical model was used for numerical data generation. The thawing time predictions of the methods were compared with numerical results. With the analytical methods considered, it was possible to predict the numerical results with errors lower than 5.4%

Transnational Education in Turkey

The objective of this study is to glance at the status of transnational education in Turkey and analyze the country’s level of preparedness for TNE. To this end, some demographic data, financial indicators, Higher Education Council (YÖK) facts and statistics and government discourse on the subject have been studied, transnationalization attempts of foundation and state universities have been analysed and academics and specialists have been consulted. As a result of this study, the findings could be summarized as Turkey is a young country with a growing appetite for university education, with around 2 million people taking the university entrance exam every year. Despite the growing demand, supply is still limited though rising. The Turkish government has a keen interest in internationalising the higher education sector and is actively seeking and promoting partnerships with foreign governments and institutions. The number of foreign students has substantially increased within the last few years and is expected to continue in the medium and long term. Although there has been a spike in interest from transnational education providers, it is still a virgin market with plenty of opportunities for early entrance of western universities. DOI: 10.5901/jesr.2015.v5n1p22

Üniversite öğrencilerinin belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeyleri ile psikolojik iyi olma düzeylerinin incelenmesi

06.03.2018 tarihli ve 30352 sayılı Resmi Gazetede yayımlanan “Yükseköğretim Kanunu İle Bazı Kanun Ve Kanun Hükmünde Kararnamelerde Değişiklik Yapılması Hakkında Kanun” ile 18.06.2018 tarihli “Lisansüstü Tezlerin Elektronik Ortamda Toplanması, Düzenlenmesi ve Erişime Açılmasına İlişkin Yönerge” gereğince tam metin erişime açılmıştır.Bu araştırmanın amacı, üniversite öğrencilerinin belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeyleri ile psikolojik iyi olma düzeylerini cinsiyet, algılanan gelir düzeyi ve algılanan ebeveyn tutumları açısından incelenmesidir. Araştırmanın çalışma grubu; 2013-2014 Eğitim-Öğretim yılında Marmara Üniversitesi, Sakarya Üniversitesi, Anadolu Universitesi, Yıldız Teknik Üniversitesi, Sütçü İmam Üniversitesi'nin çeşitli bölümlerinde öğrenim gören 426 öğrenciden oluşmaktadır. Araştırmada öğrencilerin; cinsiyeti, algılanan gelir düzeyi ve algılanan ebeveyn tutumu değişkenleri hakkında bilgi toplamak amacıyla araştırmacı tarafından geliştirilen Kişisel Bilgi Formu kullanılmıştır. Öğrencilerin belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla Carleton, Norton ve Asmundson (2007) tarafından geliştirilen ve Sarıçam, Erguvan, Akın ve Akça (2014) tarafından Türkçe uyarlaması yapılan Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük Ölçeği-Kısa Formu ile öğrencilerin psikolojik iyi olma düzeylerini belirlemek amacıyla, Ryff (1989) tarafından geliştirilen ve Akın, Demirci, Yıldız, Gediksiz ve Eroğlu (2012) tarafından Türkçe uyarlaması yapılan Psikolojik İyi Olma Ölçekleri'nin 42 maddelik formu kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada veri toplama araçları ile elde edilen verilerin çözümlenmesi SPSS 15.0 paket programı kullanılarak gerçekleştirilmiştir. Verilerin analizinde; Pearson Momentler Çarpımı Korelasyonu, t testi, tek yönlü varyans analizi (ANOVA) uygulanmıştır. Araştırma sonucunda: belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük ile psikolojik iyi olma düzeyleri arasında negatif yönde anlamlı ilişki olduğu tespit edilmiştir. İleriye yönelik kaygı, engelleyici kaygı ve belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeyleri açısından cinsiyete göre anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı bulunmuştur. Çevresel hakimiyet, bireysel gelişim, diğerleriyle olumlu ilişkiler, yaşam amaçları ve toplam psikolojik iyi olma düzeyleri açısından (kız öğrenciler lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Algılanan ebeveyn tutumları grupları ile engelleyici kaygı boyutu arasında farklılık bulunmamıştır. İleriye yönelik kaygı ve belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeyi açısından koruyucu ile demokratik ebeveyn tutumları arasında (koruyucu ebeveyn tutumları lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Algılanan ebeveyn tutumları açısından özerklik boyutunda demokratik ebeveyn ile koruyucu ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (demokratik ebeveyn tutumu lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Diğerleriyle olumlu ilişkiler boyutunda otoriter ebeveyn ile koruyucu ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (otoriter ebeveyn tutumları lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Öz-kabul boyutunda otoriter ebeveyn ile koruyucu ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (otoriter ebeveyn tutumu lehine) ve otoriter ebeveyn ile demokratik ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (otoriter ebeveyn tutumları lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Çevresel hakimiyet, bireysel gelişim ve toplam psikolojik iyi olma açısından otoriter ebeveyn ile koruyucu ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (otoriter ebeveyn tutumu lehine) ve demokratik ebeveyn ile koruyucu ebeveyn tutum puanları arasında (demokratik ebeveyn tutumları lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Algılanan gelir düzeyi açısından ileriye yönelik kaygı, engelleyici kaygı ve belirsizliğe tahammülsüzlük düzeyi açısından farklılaşma bulunmamıştır. Algılanan gelir düzeyi açısından özerklik boyutunda iyi gelir ile orta gelir düzeyi puanları arasında (iyi gelir düzeyi lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Çevresel hakimiyet, bireysel gelişim, diğerleriyle olumlu ilişkiler, yaşam amaçları, öz-kabul ve toplam psikolojik iyi olma açısından iyi gelir ile yetersiz gelir düzeyi puanları arasında (iyi gelir lehine) ve orta gelir ile yetersiz gelir düzeyleri puanları arasında (orta gelir lehine) anlamlı farklılık bulunmuştur. Elde edilen bulgular ışığında araştırmadan elde edilen sonuçlar tartışılmış ve gelecek araştırmalar için önerilerde bulunulmuştur. Anahtar Kelimeler: Belirsizliğe Tahammülsüzlük, Psikolojik İyi Olma, Üniversite Öğrencileri.The aim of this study is examining of intolerance of uncertainty levels and psychological well-being levels regarding perceived economic level and perceived parental attitudes of university students. The study group of the research composed of 426 university students from various departments of Marmara, Sakarya, Anadolu, Yıldız Technical, Sütçü İmam University. In the research, a personal information form, developed by the reserarcher, was used to gather demographic variables related to gender, perceived economic level and perceived parental attitude. In order to find out the level of intolerance of uncertainty of the students, Intolerance of Uncertainty Scale Short Form developed by Carleton, Norton and Asmundson (2007) and adopted to Turkish by Sarıçam, Erguvan, Akın and Akça (2014). To determine the level of psychological well-being of the students, The Scales of Psychological Well-Being with 42 items, developed by Ryff (1989) and adopted to Turkish by Akın, Demirci, Yıldız, Gediksiz and Eroğlu (2012) was used. The data gathered by the scales and personal information form were analyzed by SPSS 15.0 software. In data analysis, Pearson product-moment correlation coefficient, t-test, One-Way Variance Analysis (ANOVA) were used. The results of the research revealed that: A negative and significant relationship between intolerance of uncertainty and psychological well-being. The levels of prospective anxiety, inhibitory anxiety and intolerance of uncertainty were not signigicantly differed according to gender. There were significant differences between women and men students in which women students had higher scores regarding environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life and total psychological well being. There were no significant differences between perceived parental attitudes and inhibitory anxiety. Regarding students' total intolerance of uncertainity levels, there were significant differences between protective family and democratic parental attitudes (that is protective family higher scores). Regarding autonomy dimension, there was a significant difference between democratic and protective parental attitudes (that is democratic parental attitude higher scores). Regarding positive relations with others dimension; there were significant differences between authoritarian parental attitude and protective parental attitude (that is authoritarian parental attitude higher scores). Regarding self-acceptance dimension, there were significant differences between authoritarian parental attitude and protective parental attitude (that is authoritarian parental attitude higher scores) and between authoritarian parental attitude and democratic parental attitude (that is authoritarian parental attitude high scores). Regarding environmental mastery, personal growth dimensions and total psychological well being, there were significant differences between authoritarian and protective parental attitudes (that is authoritarian parental attitude higher scores) and between democratic and protective parental attitudes (that is democratic parental attitude higher scores). Regarding perceived economic status, there were no significant differences between prospective and inhibitory anxiety levels and intolerance of uncertainty levels. Regarding perceived economic status, there was significant difference of the autonomy levels of the students between well-income and middle income (that is well-income level higher scores). Regarding perceived economic status, there were significant differences between well-income and low income (that is well-income higher scores) and between middle income and low income (that is middle income higher scores) on the dimensions of environmental mastery, personal growth, positive relations with others, purpose in life, personal growth and total psychological well being. In the light of findings, the results were discussed and some suggestions were presented for future study. Keywords: Intolerance of Uncertainty, Psychological Well-being, University Students

Cell wall integrity modulates HOOKLESS1 and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 expression controlling apical hook formation

Formation of the apical hook in etiolated dicot seedlings results from differential growth in the hypocotyl apex and is tightly controlled by environmental cues and hormones, among which auxin and gibberellins (GAs) play an important role. Cell expansion is tightly regulated by the cell wall, but whether and how feedback from this structure contributes to hook development are still unclear. Here, we show that etiolated seedlings of the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) quasimodo2-1 (qua2) mutant, defective in pectin biosynthesis, display severe defects in apical hook formation and maintenance, accompanied by loss of asymmetric auxin maxima and differential cell expansion. Moreover, qua2 seedlings show reduced expression of HOOKLESS1 (HLS1) and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 (PIF4), which are positive regulators of hook formation. Treatment of wild-type seedlings with the cellulose inhibitor isoxaben (isx) also prevents hook development and represses HLS1 and PIF4 expression. Exogenous GAs, loss of DELLA proteins, or HLS1 overexpression partially restore hook development in qua2 and isx-treated seedlings. Interestingly, increased agar concentration in the medium restores, both in qua2 and isx-treated seedlings, hook formation, asymmetric auxin maxima, and PIF4 and HLS1 expression. Analyses of plants expressing a F & ouml;rster resonance energy transfer-based GA sensor indicate that isx reduces accumulation of GAs in the apical hook region in a turgor-dependent manner. Lack of the cell wall integrity sensor THESEUS 1, which modulates turgor loss point, restores hook formation in qua2 and isx-treated seedlings. We propose that turgor-dependent signals link changes in cell wall integrity to the PIF4-HLS1 signaling module to control differential cell elongation during hook formation.Loss of cell wall integrity suppresses gibberellic acid accumulation and HOOKLESS1 and PHYTOCHROME INTERACTING FACTOR4 expression, ultimately repressing apical hook formation in Arabidopsis

University Students’ Understanding of Contract Cheating: A Qualitative Case Study in Kuwait

Contract cheating, or students outsourcing their assignments to be completed by others, has emerged as a significant threat to academic integrity in higher education institutions around the world. During the COVID-19, when traditional face-to-face instruction became unsustainable, the number of contract cheating students increased dramatically. Through focus group interviews, this study sought the perspectives of 25 students enrolled in first year writing in a private higher education institution in Kuwait during the pandemic in 2020–2021, on their attitudes towards contract cheating. MAXQDA 2020 was used to examine the data. The participants believe that the primary motivations for engaging in contract cheating are mainly the opportunities presented by online learning and the psychological and physical challenges they experienced during online learning. Those who did not cheat had some shared traits, such as a competitive spirit, confidence in their talents, and a strong desire to learn. Additionally, those with high moral values avoided cheating. To combat contract cheating, students believe that teaching and evaluation techniques should be drastically altered and that students should be educated about plagiarism, while institutions should impose tougher sanctions on repeat offenders

ЗАВИСИМОСТЬ СПЕКТРА ПОТРЕБЛЯЕМОЙ МОЩНОСТИ ЭЛЕКТРОДВИГАТЕЛЯ НАСОСА ОТ ФИЗИЧЕСКИХ ПАРАМЕТРОВ МЕХАНИЗМА

In article dependence of the electric motor power consumption spectrum on physical parameters of the pump is proved. It is proved transitivity of transformation of methods of vibration-acoustic diagnostics in methods energy power diagnosticsУ статті доведено залежність спектру споживаємої потужності електродвигуна насосу від фізичніх параметрів механізму. Доведено транзитивність перетворення методів віброакустичної діагностики в методи енергодіагностики

Abscess in Adenomyosis Mimicking a Malignancy in a 54-Year-Old Woman

Background: Although there are a few reports describing abscess formation in endometriotic foci no report of abscess formation arising de novo within adenomyosis appears in the literature. Preoperative diagnosis of adenomyosis is frequently difficult because of non-specific signs and symptoms. Synchronous pelvic pathologies such as leiomyoma, endometrial polyp, endometrial hyperplasia, as well as endometrial cancer may cause differential diagnostic problems. Case: A 54-year-old postmenopausal woman complaining of inguinal pain, nightsweats and hot flashes is presented. Radiologic examinations of the pelvis revealed a 95 × 85 mm leiomyoma-like lesion including a 53 × 43 mmcystic space and 9 × 6 mmpapillary formation within the uterus raising clinical suspicion of malignancy. A total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy were performed accompanied by a frozen section diagnosis. The frozen section revealed an abscess formation arising in a focus of adenomyosis. The postoperative period of the patient was uneventful. Conclusion : The present case, to our knowledge, is the first report representing abscess formation in adenomyosis. Abscess arising within adenomyosis can strongly raise the suspicion of endometrial cancer, particularly if the patient is postmenopausal. If endometrial cancer cannot be ruled out with definitive histopathological diagnosis in the preoperative period, a frozen section becomes mandatory during surgical intervention

ImageJ SurfCut: a user-friendly pipeline for high-throughput extraction of cell contours from 3D image stacks

Background: Many methods have been developed to quantify cell shape in 2D in tissues. For instance, the analysis of epithelial cells in Drosophila embryogenesis or jigsaw puzzle-shaped pavement cells in plant epidermis has led to the development of numerous quantification methods that are applied to 2D images. However, proper extraction of 2D cell contours from 3D confocal stacks for such analysis can be problematic. Results: We developed a macro in ImageJ, SurfCut, with the goal to provide a user-friendly pipeline specifically designed to extract epidermal cell contour signals, segment cells in 2D and analyze cell shape. As a reference point, we compared our output to that obtained with MorphoGraphX (MGX). While both methods differ in the approach used to extract the layer of signal, they output comparable results for tissues with shallow curvature, such as pavement cell shape in cotyledon epidermis (as quantified with PaCeQuant). SurfCut was however not appropriate for cell or tissue samples with high curvature, as evidenced by a significant bias in shape and area quantification. Conclusion: We provide a new ImageJ pipeline, SurfCut, that allows the extraction of cell contours from 3D confocal stacks. SurfCut and MGX have complementary advantages: MGX is well suited for curvy samples and more complex analyses, up to computational cell-based modeling on real templates; SurfCut is well suited for rather flat samples, is simple to use, and has the advantage to be easily automated for batch analysis of images in ImageJ. The combination of these two methods thus provides an ideal suite of tools for cell contour extraction in most biological samples, whether 3D precision or high-throughput analysis is the main priority

FERONIA and microtubules independently contribute to mechanical integrity in the Arabidopsis shoot

To survive, cells must constantly resist mechanical stress. In plants, this involves the reinforcement of cell walls, notably through microtubule-dependent cellulose deposition. How wall sensing might contribute to this response is unknown. Here, we tested whether the microtubule response to stress acts downstream of known wall sensors. Using a multistep screen with 11 mutant lines, we identify FERONIA (FER) as the primary candidate for the cell's response to stress in the shoot. However, this does not imply that FER acts upstream of the microtubule response to stress. In fact, when performing mechanical perturbations, we instead show that the expected microtubule response to stress does not require FER. We reveal that the feronia phenotype can be partially rescued by reducing tensile stress levels. Conversely, in the absence of both microtubules and FER, cells appear to swell and burst. Altogether, this shows that the microtubule response to stress acts as an independent pathway to resist stress, in parallel to FER. We propose that both pathways are required to maintain the mechanical integrity of plant cells

Difficult evaluation of thyroid cancer due to cervical paraffin injection

Paraffinoma is a well known complication of previous paraffin injection into the subcutaneous layer that presents as various conditions including firm mass formation, edema, induration, ulceration, and skin necrosis. Paraffinoma can mimic neoplasm on physical examination and imaging studies and may complicate ultrasonographic diagnoses due to typical posterior shadowing and high echogenicity. When paraffinomas involve around the thyroid gland, the diagnosis of thyroid tumors is very difficult. We present a case of thyroid cancer, the evaluation of which was complicated by the presence of cervical paraffinoma