TPACK Competencies and Technology Integration Self-Efficacy Perceptions of Pre-Service Teachers

This study compared the technological pedagogical content knowledge (TPACK) competency of pre-service teachers with their self-efficacy perception towards technology integration, based on various variables; and the correlation between their TPACK competencies and self-efficacy perceptions towards technology integration were examined. The study sample comprised 713 freshmen and senior class students studying at different departments at Ankara University Faculty of Educational Sciences on 2012-2013 academic year spring semester. The data collection tools used in the study were Personal Information Form, Technopedagogical Education Competency Scale and Technology Integration Self Efficacy Scale. At the end of the study, TPACK competencies of pre-service teachers’ studying at first and fourth years and their self-efficacy perceptions towards technology integration were revealed; and these competencies were examined by gender, grade and department variables. In addition, the correlation between pre-service teachers’ TPACK competency levels and self-efficacy perceptions towards technology integration were predicted

In vitro Antiradical, Antimicrobial and Antiproliferative Activities and Phytochemical Compositions of Endemic Alcea calvertii (Boiss) Boiss. Flowers

Alcea calvertii (Boiss) Boiss. is belonged to Malvaceae family, and it is a perennial herbaceous endemic plant. Alcea genus plants are grown as ornamental plants in the gardens. In the present study, the antiproliferative, antimicrobial, antiradical activities and phytochemical compositions of ethanol, water, methanol and acetone extracts of A. calvertii flowers were examined. A. calvertii flowers water, ethanol, methanol and acetone extracts are lower scavenged DPPH, ABTS and OH radicals than standard antioxidant trolox. A. calvertii flowers contain vitamins, sterols, flavonoids and phenolic acids, dominated by vanillic acid, gallic acid, catechin, δ-tocopherol, ergosterol and vitamin D. A. calvertii flowers water extract showed better antiproliferative activities than other extracts against to MCF-7 and HCT-116 cell lines. A. calvertii flowers methanol extract showed higher antiproliferative effect against to LNCaP cell lines

Malva neglecta Wallr. (Ebegümeci)’nın In vitro Biyoaktif ve Fitokimyasal Özellikleri

M. neglecta çok yıllık otsu bir bitkidir ve Malvaceae familyasında yer almaktadır. Bu bitki ülkemizde her türlü toprakta kendiliğinden yetişir ve taze sürgünleri ile yaprakları sebze olarak tüketilir. Bu çalışmada M. neglecta toprak üstü kısımlarının su, etanol ve metanol ekstraktlarının antiradikal, antimikrobiyal, antikanser ve fitokimyasal içerikleri incelenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçlara göre, M. neglecta toprak üstü kısımlarının yüksek antiradikal, antimikrobiyal, antikanser aktiviteye ve fitokimyasal içeriğe sahip olduğu anlaşılmıştır

Genetic Association of a Gain-of-Function IFNGR1 Polymorphism and the Intergenic Region LNCAROD/DKK1 With Behcet's Disease

Objective. Behçet’s disease is a complex systemic inflammatory vasculitis of incompletely understood etiology. This study was undertaken to investigate genetic associations with Behçet’s disease in a diverse multiethnic population.Methods. A total of 9,444 patients and controls from 7 different populations were included in this study. Genotyping was performed using an Infinium ImmunoArray- 24 v.1.0 or v.2.0 BeadChip. Analysis of expression data from stimulated monocytes, and epigenetic and chromatin interaction analyses were performed.Results. We identified 2 novel genetic susceptibility loci for Behçet’s disease, including a risk locus in IFNGR1(rs4896243) (odds ratio [OR] 1.25; P = 2.42 × 10−9) and within the intergenic region LNCAROD/DKK1 (rs1660760) (OR 0.78; P = 2.75 × 10−8). The risk variants in IFNGR1 significantly increased IFNGR1 messenger RNA expression in lipopolysaccharide- stimulated monocytes. In addition, our results replicated the association (P 30 genetic susceptibility loci with a suggestive level of association (P < 5 × 10−5), which will require replication. Finally, functional annotation of genetic susceptibility loci in Behçet’s disease revealed their possible regulatory roles and suggested potential causal genes and molecular mechanisms that could be further investigated.Conclusion. We performed the largest genetic association study in Behçet’s disease to date. Our findings reveal novel putative functional variants associated with the disease and replicate and extend the genetic associations in other loci across multiple ancestries

Characterization of greater middle eastern genetic variation for enhanced disease gene discovery

The Greater Middle East (GME) has been a central hub of human migration and population admixture. The tradition of consanguinity, variably practiced in the Persian Gulf region, North Africa, and Central Asia1-3, has resulted in an elevated burden of recessive disease4. Here we generated a whole-exome GME variome from 1,111 unrelated subjects. We detected substantial diversity and admixture in continental and subregional populations, corresponding to several ancient founder populations with little evidence of bottlenecks. Measured consanguinity rates were an order of magnitude above those in other sampled populations, and the GME population exhibited an increased burden of runs of homozygosity (ROHs) but showed no evidence for reduced burden of deleterious variation due to classically theorized ‘genetic purging’. Applying this database to unsolved recessive conditions in the GME population reduced the number of potential disease-causing variants by four- to sevenfold. These results show variegated genetic architecture in GME populations and support future human genetic discoveries in Mendelian and population genetics

Analysis of the common genetic component of large-vessel vasculitides through a meta- Immunochip strategy

Giant cell arteritis (GCA) and Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) are major forms of large-vessel vasculitis (LVV) that share clinical features. To evaluate their genetic similarities, we analysed Immunochip genotyping data from 1,434 LVV patients and 3,814 unaffected controls. Genetic pleiotropy was also estimated. The HLA region harboured the main disease-specific associations. GCA was mostly associated with class II genes (HLA-DRB1/HLA-DQA1) whereas TAK was mostly associated with class I genes (HLA-B/MICA). Both the statistical significance and effect size of the HLA signals were considerably reduced in the cross-disease meta-analysis in comparison with the analysis of GCA and TAK separately. Consequently, no significant genetic correlation between these two diseases was observed when HLA variants were tested. Outside the HLA region, only one polymorphism located nearby the IL12B gene surpassed the study-wide significance threshold in the meta-analysis of the discovery datasets (rs755374, P?=?7.54E-07; ORGCA?=?1.19, ORTAK?=?1.50). This marker was confirmed as novel GCA risk factor using four additional cohorts (PGCA?=?5.52E-04, ORGCA?=?1.16). Taken together, our results provide evidence of strong genetic differences between GCA and TAK in the HLA. Outside this region, common susceptibility factors were suggested, especially within the IL12B locus