How to be productive in PhD Level: A needs assessment study for doctoral students’ research productivity

The aim of the study is to conduct a needs assessment study to determine research productivity needs of doctoral students. A mixed method approach and fully mixed con-current dominant status design is used in the current study. The participants of the study included doctoral students, professors, and deans of (graduate schools) at a university in Turkey from the various Social and Natural Sciences Departments so that the needs of doctoral students from different disciplines could be examined. ‘Needs assessment questionnaires’ were administered to 35 doctoral students, 35 professors, and 4 deans; interviews were conducted with 7 doctoral students, 4 professors and 4 deans to collect the data. Findings of the study showed that academic writing skills were the most frequently mentioned skill that the doctoral students need to improve for their research productivity. In interviews, needs of the participants divided into personal factors like interest and positive attitudes towards research, intrinsic motivation, questioning and writing skills, scientific method and foreign language knowledge; institutional factors like support of advisor/professors, taking part in collaborative and interdisciplinary studies, joining the research projects, easy access of resources, elimination of bureaucratic obstacles, and environmental factors like support of individuals in immediate surroundings of doctoral students

Perceptions of academic members about the concept of research productivity

Bu araştırmanın amacı, öğretim üyelerinin araştırma üretkenliği kavramına ilişkin algılarını ortaya koymaktır. Nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden biri olan fenomenoloji deseni ile yapılandırılan çalışmada, veri toplama aracı olarak araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen yarı-yapılandırılmış görüşme formu kullanılmıştır. Araştırmada çalışma grubunun, çeşitli alanlardan farklı akademik unvanlara sahip öğretim üyelerinden oluşması sağlanmaya çalışılmıştır. Bu nedenle, sosyal bilimler ve fen bilimleri alanlarında görev yapan doktor öğretim üyesi, doçent ve profesör unvanına sahip akademisyenlerden toplam 20 öğretim üyesine ulaşılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde MaxQda programı kullanılmış, veriler betimsel analiz yöntemi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Akademisyenler genel olarak araştırma üretkenliğini uzman olunan alanla ilgili araştırma yapma, yeni bilgi ortaya çıkarma, bilgileri yayınlar aracılığıyla paylaşma ve bütün bu etkinlikler aracılığıyla alana katkı sağlama olarak tanımlamaktadırlar. Araştırma üretkenliğini açıklarken nitelikli yayın, güncellik, görünürlük/fark edilebilirlik, gelişim, bilinmeyeni keşfetme, fikir üretme, sağlam/sürdürülebilir eser, ürün ortaya çıkarma kavramlarını sıklıkla kullanmışlardır. Katılımcılar araştırma üretkenliğine sahip olmak adına makale, kitap/kitap bölümü yazma, konferans, kongre, çalıştay gibi etkinlikler içinde yer alma ve ayrıca bildiri sunma, eğitim verme/alma, işbirlikli çalışma ve proje yapma, patent alma gibi faaliyetler içinde yer almanın gerekli olduğunu düşünmektedirler. Ancak bu faaliyetlerin sayı bakımından değerlendirilmek yerine nitelik bakımından değerlendirilmesi gerektiğine vurgu yapmışlar ve yapılan yayınlarının niteliğini, etki değeri yüksek dergilerde yayınlanmış olma ve atıf alma kriterlerine göre değerlendirdiklerini belirtmişlerdir.The aim of the research is to reveal the perceptions of academic member of the universities about the concept of research productivity. In the study structured with the phenomenology design, which is one of the qualitative research methods, the semi-structured interview form developed by the researchers was used as the data collection tool. In the research, it was tried to ensure that the study group consists of academic members with different academic degrees from various fields. For this reason, a total of 20 academic member with the title of doctor, associate professor and professor were reached in the fields of Social Sciences and Natural and Applied Sciences. MaxQda program was used to analyze the data, and the data were analyzed by using descriptive analysis method. Academicians generally defined research productivity as conducting research in the field of expertise, revealing new information, sharing information through publications and contributing to the field through all these activities. While explaining research productivity, they frequently used the concepts of qualified publication, visibility/noticeability, improvement, exploration of the unknown, generating ideas, solid/sustainable work, and production of scientific knowledge. The participants thought that in order to have research productivity, it was necessary to take part in activities such as writing articles, book/book chapters, participating conferences, congresses, workshops, presenting papers, giving/receiving training, participating collaborative work and projects, and obtaining patents. However, they emphasized that these activities should be evaluated in terms of quality instead of being evaluated in terms of number and they stated that they evaluated the quality of their publications according to the criteria of being published in high-impact journals and citation frequenc

Evaluation of FMR1 gene mutations in Turkish women newly diagnosed with primary ovarian failure

Background: One of the known causes of ovarian dysfunction is fragile X mental retardation gene 1 (FMR1) premutation. The prevalence of FMR1 premutation in primary ovarian failure (POF) cases may differ between the studies due to some reasons including POF definition, definition of premutation, and determination of study population, ethnicity, genetic and environmental factors. In this study authors aimed to determine the prevalence of FMR1 mutations in patients who applied to present clinic and diagnosed as POF.Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted on 200 women who had been newly diagnosed with POF in present clinic between 2013 and 2014. The presence of cytogenetic fragility was firstly investigated in all patients by using the lymphocyte culture method, and molecular analysis of the FMR1 gene was then performed. Genomic DNA’s of cases were isolated using standard protocols, followed by polymerase chain reaction amplification with an appropriate program. Fragment analysis of the amplification products were performed by agarose gel electrophoresis.Results: Cytogenetic analysis results in 200 cases were numerically and structurally normal in all patients, and as a result of molecular genetic analysis of FMR1 gene; 1 (0.5%) patient had complete mutation and 9 (4.5%) patients had premutation carriage.Conclusions: FMR1 gene mutations are common in women with POF. These mutations should be investigated in all patients presenting with POF, particularly in cases with early onset and family history of POF, and also genetic counseling should be given to those patients

Influence of Social Media and Internet on Treatment Decisions in Adult Female Acne Patients: A Cross-Sectional Survey Study

Introduction: Adult female acne is a chronic condition that significantly impacts quality of life. The content on social media can influence patients’ perception of their disease and serve as a channel through which they may seek or obtain treatment options. Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the impact of social media usage habits on treatment decisions among adult female acne patients. Methods: A cross-sectional, multicenter survey study involved 358 females aged 25 or above, diagnosed with acne. Sociodemographic data were collected, and social media behavior, treatment choices, outcomes, and motivation were explored. Results: Among 358 participants, 95.3% used at least 1 social media platform; 72.1% sought acne information online. Top platforms used to seek acne information were Google (75.6%), Instagram (72.3%), YouTube (60%), and TikTok (29.4%). For advice, 67.4% consulted doctor accounts, 53.5% non-medical influencers, 53.5% patient accounts, and 36.1% product promotion accounts. Commonly followed advice included skincare products (88%), dietary changes (42.3%), home remedies (38.8%), exercise (30.3%), topical medications (25.2%), and dietary supplements (17.4%). Notably, 20.9% were willing to alter prescribed treatment by their physician for acne based on social media advice. Patient motivations included quick information access (84.1%) and difficulty in securing dermatologist appointments (54.3%). Conclusion: The study reveals widespread social media use among adult female acne patients, highlighting concerns about potentially misleading information. Dermatologists can enhance the impact of social media by providing reliable sources for patients

Melatonin in Infertility

Melatonin, is the primary synchronizing agent acting primarily on the circadian sleep pattern and has some roles in reproduction. Melatonin receptors have been identified in suprachiasmatic nuclei, pars tuberalis, ovary, uterus, follicular cells, and the oocyte. Melatonin is also a direct free radical scavenger and modulates the oxidative environment in the reproductive tract. It serves as an anti-oxidant agent and protects the oocyte and the embryo from oxidative damage. In this review article, we summarized the likely fertility impairing activity of melatonin in the infertility treatments

High school students’ class-related achievement emotions in geography lessons: Achievement emotions in geography lessons

This study aims to examine high school students’ class-related achievement emotions and to examine teachers’ role in students’ class-related achievement emotions in geography lessons. The participants of the study were 376 high school students (94 male and 282 female) and three Geography teachers (2 male and 1 female) from four different high schools. This study uses a survey design. Data from the students were collected by the Achievement Emotions Questionnaire developed by Pekrun et al. (2011) and translated to Turkish by Can, Emmioglu-Sarıkaya, and Bardakcı (2020). Data from the teachers were collected using a questionnaire consisting of three open-ended questions. Results showed that students’ enjoyment, anger, and hopelessness emotions have changed statistically significantly from the beginning to the end of the geography lessons. Having a different teacher had a statistically significant effect on students’ class-related achievement emotions of enjoyment, hope, hopelessness, anger, and pride. Findings showed that the three teachers participating in this study used lectures, discussion, and question-and-answer techniques, and they use presentations on the smartboard for the instruction. Teachers stated that they felt enjoyment, hope, hopelessness, anger, and anxiety when teaching geography lessons and that their emotions depend on the students’ achievement and interest in learning geography. This study suggests high school geography teachers be aware of their emotions and students' achievement-related emotions. We suggest further research to examine the student-teacher relationships in terms of the class-related achievement emotions in geography lessons

Pregnancy - Related Pelvic Girdle Pain

Pelvic girdle pain has a high incidence during pregnancy. To increase the awareness of the health professionals, we discussed the etiology, presentation, risk factors, risk of recurrence, differential diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of this condition

Code.org Çevrimiçi Kodlama Platformu Öğretim Programının Değerlendirilmesi

Bu araştırmada, kodlama öğretimi çevrimiçi platformlarındanbiri olan Code.org’un Kurs 2 ünitesinin değerlendirilmesi amaçlanmıştır.Çalışma kapsamında “Tyler’ın Hedefe Dayalı Değerlendirme Modeli” temelalınmıştır. Çalışmada betimsel ve deneysel yöntemlerden elde edilen nicel venitel veriler bir arada yorumlanmıştır. Veri toplama araçları olarakaraştırmacı notları, başarı testi, gözlem formu, öğrenci görüş formu ve programdeğerlendirme anketi kullanılmıştır. Ayrıca, Code.org platformu üzerindesunulan istatistiklerden de yararlanılmıştır. Çalışmada, platformun sunduğuöğretim programına sadık kalınarak ortaokul seviyesindeki 22 öğrenciyle toplam22 saatlik uygulama gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma bulgularına göre başarıtesti ortalama puanlarında son test lehine istatistiksel olarak anlamlı düzeydebir artışın olduğu ancak bu artışın kodlamada yüksek başarıyı sağlamada yeterliolmadığı görülmüştür. Çalışmaya katılan öğrencilerin Code.org uygulamalarınailişkin olumlu görüş bildirdikleri, öğretmenlerin ise Code.org öğretimprogramını “orta derecede yeterli” olarak değerlendirdikleri görülmüştür. Bubulgulara dayanarak Code.org Kurs 2 ünitesinin daha yeterli hale getirilmesiiçin revizyon yapılması ve kodlama öğretiminde kullanılması önerilmektedir.In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the Course 2 unit ofCode.org, one of the coding teaching online platforms. Within the scope of thestudy, "Tyler's Objective-Centered Evaluation Model" was taken asbasis. In the study, quantitative and qualitative data obtained fromdescriptive and experimental methods were interpreted together. Researchernotes, achievement test, observation form, student opinion form and programevaluation questionnaire were used as data collection tools. In addition, thestatistics presented on the Code.org platform were also used. In the study, atotal of 22 hours of application was carried out with 22 students at thesecondary level, adhering to the teaching program offered by the platform.According to the research findings, it was observed that there was astatistically significant increase in the achievement test average scores infavor of the posttest, but this increase was not sufficient in ensuring highsuccess in coding. It was observed that the students who participated in thestudy gave positive opinions about the Code.org applications and the teachersevaluated the Code.org curriculum as "moderately sufficient". Basedon these findings, it is recommended to make the revisions and use the Code.orgCourse 2 unit in teaching coding.</p

Preoperative Differentiation Between Malignant and Benign Ovarian Masses in Patients with Normal CA-125 Levels

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine the diagnostic values of some clinical and ultrasonographic features for predicting ovarian malignancies in patients with normal serum CA-125 levels. STUDY DESIGN: All of the 84 patients who were diagnosed with ovarian malignancy and 168 patients with benign adnexal mass had normal CA-125 levels, and recruited as study and control groups, respectively. Individual characteristics, ultrasonographic features, and risk of malignancy index (RMI) values of the groups were compared retrospectively. RESULTS: The ages, mean postmenopausal period of the postmenopausal women in the malignant group were significantly higher than the benign group. Nulliparity rates were similar between the two groups. The number of postmenopausal patients was significantly higher in the malignant group. Median cyst diameter and RMI values were significantly higher, and bilaterality and presence of solid area were more frequent in this group. Logistic regression model showed that ovarian cysts larger than 8 cm [Odds ratio (OR): 7.012; p<0.001; 95% Confidence interval (CI): 3.463-14.198], presence of solid area within the cyst [OR: 7.43; p<0.001; 95% CI: 3.799-14.532], and postmenopausal state [OR: 2.893; p=0.027; 95% CI: 1.129-7.412] were found to be significant factors to predict malignancy. CONCLUSION: Ovarian cysts larger than 8 cm, presence of solid area within the cyst, and postmenopausal status are the most important risk factors for ovarian malignancies in these patients with normal CA-125 levels