Using generalizability theory to investigate the reliability of peer assessment

In this study, the effectiveness of peer assessment, which has an important role in measurement and evaluation, was attempted to be defined. For this purpose, performance task, which is one of the alternative assessment techniques, was evaluated with the help of a scoring rubric prepared by the researchers.  As a basic research, the working group was 41 sophomore students and their instructor. Three of 41 students were acted as rater and they rated their 38 peers’ performances with the instructor. The analysis of the data was carried out by using fully crossed two-facet design (sxtxr) of generalizability theory in three steps: G-studies for peer and peers-instructor ratings and D-study for peer ratings. According to the results of the G studies, the reliability coefficient obtained from the peer ratings and peer-instructor ratings were quite high (0.86 and 0.82 respectively). According to the result of the D study of peer ratings, just two peer raters are enough for getting high reliability coefficient. With the help of the gained results, it is suggested that peer assessment, which is effective on learning and decision making processes of students, should be used more often in education systems

An Analysis of Peer Assessment through Many Facet Rasch Model

This study analyses peer assessment through many facet Rasch model (MFRM). The research was performed with 91 undergraduate students and with lecturer teaching the course. The research data were collected with holistic rubric employed by 6 peers and the lecturer in rating the projects prepared by 85 students taking the course. This study analyses raters, measurements for students who are rated, criteria used in rating and extent to which rubrics fulfil their function. Moreover, it also investigates effects of peers’ levels of achievement on the process. In consequence, it was found that raters differed in the levels of strictness and generosity in rating, and that students were distinguished adequately in terms of the property measured. Besides, a very high level of reliability value was estimated in relation to the criteria in the study.  This was interpreted as that they functioned in a reliable way in distinguishing between students’ performances. It was found in the analyses of achievement levels of peers taking part in peer assessment that ratings made by students with high levels of achievement differed significantly from those made by students with medium or low level of achievement. Finally, the views about peer assessment were generally positive. Keywords: peer assessment, many facet Rasch model, levels of peer achievement, rubri

PISA 2012 Türkiye Örnekleminde Matematiksel Davranış ve Matematik Okuryazarlığını Etkileyen Değişkenlerin Çok Gruplu Hibrit Modelleme ile İncelenmesi

This study aims to test the hybrid model structured by the variables of instrumental motivation for mathematics, mathematics self-concept, mathematics self-efficacy, mathematics anxiety and mathematics interest that are considered to have affected mathematics behavior and mathematics literacy of the PISA 2012 Turkey sample, and to examine if the model varies in terms of gender and school type (general high school, Anatolian school and vocational high school). The population of this correlational study consists of 4848 students who attended PISA 2012 from Turkey and the sample consists of 15-year-old 1441 students who took B form of the Student Questionnaire. PISA 2012 “Student Questionnaire-B Form” and “Mathematics Literacy Test” were used as data collecting tools in the research. When fit indices were analyzed, it was found that model-data fit was achieved for the hybrid model structured at the first phase and the model didn’t vary according to gender and school type. In addition, when path coefficients were examined, it was seen that mathematics self-efficacy was the best predictor of the mathematics literacy variable and mathematics interest was the best predictor of the mathematics behavior variable. It was observed that mathematics self-efficacy had a great positive effect in predicting mathematics literacy, and mathematics interest had a great positive effect in predicting mathematics behavior. The results of the study revealed that structured model explained 44% of the mathematics behavior and 39% of the mathematics literacy.Bu araştırmanın amacı PISA 2012 Türkiye örnekleminde matematiksel davranış ve matematik okuryazarlığını etkilediği düşünülen araçsal motivasyon, matematik benlik kavramı, matematik özyeterliği, matematik kaygısı, matematik ilgisi değişkenleri ile birlikte tanımlanan hibrit modeli test etmek ve modelin cinsiyet ve okul türü (genel lise, anadolu lisesi, meslek lisesi) açısından farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığını incelemektir. Bu doğrultuda yapılan ilişkisel araştırmanın evrenini PISA 2012’ye Türkiye’den katılan 4848 öğrenci, örneklemini ise Öğrenci Anketi’nin B formunu alan 15 yaş grubu 1441 öğrenci oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada veri toplama aracı olarak PISA 2012 “Öğrenci Anketi-B formu” ve “Matematik Okuryazarlığı Testi” kullanılmıştır. Uyum indeksleri incelendiğinde ilk aşamada kurulan hibrit model ve her bir grup için model-veri uyumunun sağlandığı ve cinsiyet ile okul türü açısından modelin farklılaşmadığı görülmüştür. Ayrıca yol katsayıları incelendiğinde matematik okuryazarlığı değişkeninin en iyi yordayıcısının matematik özyeterliği olduğu ve matematiksel davranış değişkeninin en iyi yordayıcısının matematik ilgisi olduğu görülmüştür. Matematik özyeterliğinin matematik okuryazarlığını yordamada ve matematik ilgisinin ise matematiksel davranışı yordamada pozitif düzeyde büyük etkiye sahip olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Araştırmanın sonucunda kurulan modelin matematiksel davranışın %44’ünü, matematik okuryazarlığının ise %39’unu açıkladığı görülmüştür

Prunella vulgaris l. ve prunella grandiflora l.’den saflaştırılan rosmarinik asitin farklı tümör hücreleri üzerindeki sitotoksik aktivitesi

Rosmarinic acid was isolated from ethanol extractions obtained from Prunella grandiflora L. and P. vulgaris L. The total phenolic content of ethanol fractions during isolation was determined by the Folin-Ciocateu method. The cytotoxic doses of the isolated rosmarinic acid were determined by WST-1 (Roche Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Germany) cell proliferation assay. A 10-60ng cytotoxic dose was determined for pancreas (PANC-1), prostate (PC-3), colon (HT-29) and breast (MDAMB 436) cancers and GBM (T98G) cell lines and lymphatic tissues. 24 and 48h incubation periods were applied during dose determinations. An antiproliferative effect was observed at the end of 48h incubation period with 50ng rosmaniric acid treatment in PC3 cell line and with 60ng treatment in PANC-1, HT-29, MDA-MB 436 and T98G cell lines. No cytotoxic activity of rosmarinic acid was observed in non-tumor cells.Bu çalışmada rosmarinik asit bileşiği, Prunella grandiflora L. ve P. vulgaris L. türlerinden elde edilen etanol ekstraktlarından saflaştırılmıştır. Saflaştırma işlemi sırasında elde edilen metanol fraksiyonlarının toplam fenol içeriği FolinCiocalteu yöntemi ile belirlenmiştir. Prunella L. türlerinden saflaştırılan rosmarinik asitin farklı kanser hücreleri üzerinde WST-1 (Roche Applied Sciences, Mannheim, Almanya) yöntemiyle sitotoksik doz çalışmaları yapılmıştır. Buna göre pankreas (PANC-1), prostat (PC-3), kolon (HT-29) ve meme (MDA-MB 436) kanserleri ile GBM (T98G) hücre hatları ve lenf dokularında 10-60ng arasında sitotoksik doz belirlenmiştir. Sitotoksik doz belirleme çalışmaları için 24 ve 48 saat inkübasyon süreleri çalışılmıştır. 48 saat inkübasyon süresi sonunda PC3 hücre hattı için 50ng ve PANC-1, HT-29, MDA-MB 436 ve T98G hücre hatları için 60ng rosmarinik asit uygulamasında antiproliferatif etki gözlenmiştir. Sağlıklı hücrelerde rosmarinik asitin sitotoksik etkisi gözlenmemiştir

Morphological and Clinical Aspects of Aberrant Subclavian Artery: Single Center Multidedector Computed Tomography Based Study

Aim: Aberrant subclavian artery (ASA) anomalies are the most common aortic arch malformations. Incidence of these malformations increases with widespread use of computed tomography (CT). Our aim in this study was to investigate the relationship between ASA malformations, gender, age and reasons for admission, and arcus aorta (AA), ASA diameters and AA/ASA diameter ratios.Materials and Methods: A total 74 patients with ASA were evaluated by thorax CT retrospectively. Patients were divided into aberrant right (ARSA) and left (ALSA) subclavian artery groups. Age, gender, reasons for application, ASA and AA diameters and AA/ASA ratios were evaluated between the groups. Correlations of ASA and AA diameters with age were also evaluated.Results: 70 of the patients (94.5%) had ARSA, 4 of the patients (5.4%) had ALSA. There was no statistical relationship between gender (p=0.394), age (p=0.443) and reasons for application (p=0.322) between groups. There was no statistical relationship between ASA diameter (p=0.127), AA diameter (p=0.728) and AA/ASA ratio (p=0.339) between groups. There was weak positive correlation with ageand diameter of AA (r=0.379, p=0.001), but not with ASA diameter (p=0.059). Moderate positive correlation (r=0.573, p<0.001) was detected between diameters of AA and ASA.Conclusion: ASA malformations are the most common incidentally detected malformations with increased use of CT. These malformations are not related to age, gender and reasons for application.Amaç: Aberran subklavian arter(ASA) anomalileri en sık görülen aortik ark malformasyonlarıdır. Bilgisayarlı tomografi (BT) kullanımının artması ile bu malformasyonların görülme sıklığı artmaktadır. Bizim bu çalışmadaki amacımız ASA malformasyonlarının cinsiyet, yaş ve hastaneye başvuru nedenleri arasındaki ilişkiyi araştırmak; arkus aorta (AA), ASA çapları ve AA/ASA çap oranlarının arasındaki ilişkiyi değerlendirmekti. Materyal ve Metot: ASA’sı olan 74 hastanın toraks BT’leri retrospektif olarak incelendi. Hastalar, aberran sağ subklavian arteri (ARSA) olan ve aberran sol subklavian arteri (ALSA) olanlar şeklinde ikiye ayrıldı. İki grup; yaş, cinsiyet, başvuru nedenleri, ASA ve AA çapları ve AA/ASA oranları açısından karşılaştırıldı. Ayrıca ASA ve AA çaplarının yaş ile korelasyonu değerlendirildi. Bulgular: Hastaların 70’inde (%94.5) ARSA, 4’ünde (%5.4) ALSA mevcuttu. İki grup arasında cinsiyet (p=0.394), yaş (p=0.443) ve başvuru nedenleri (p=0.322) arasında istatistiksel ilişki bulunmadı. İki grup arasında ASA çapı (p=0.127), AA çapı (p=0.728) ve AA/ASA oranı (p=0.339) arasında istatistiksel ilişki saptanmadı. Yaş ile AA çapı arasında zayıf pozitif korelasyon (r=0.379, p=0.001) izlenirken; yaş ile ASA çapı arasında korelasyon saptanmadı (p=0.059). AA çapı ile ASA çapı arasında orta şiddette pozitif korelasyon (r=0.573, p<0.001) bulundu. Sonuç: ASA malformasyonları BT kullanımının artmasıyla birlikte daha sık görülen, genellikle insidental olarak saptanan malformasyonlardır. Bu malformasyonların yaş, cinsiyet ve başvuru nedenleri ile ilişkisi bulunmamaktadır

Determination of some vegetation characteristics of natural rangeland in Çiftlik Village of Bartın province

Bu araştırma Bartın ilinin Çiftlik köyü mera alanının bazı vejetasyon karakteristiklerini belirlemek amacı ile 2018 yılında yürütülmüştür. Çalışmada, botanik kompozisyon, bitki ile kaplı alan, yeşil ot ve kuru madde verimi belirlenmiştir. Mera alanı eğimli bir yapıya sahip olduğu için alan; üst yamaç, orta yamaç ve alt yamaç olacak şekilde üç lokasyona ayrılmıştır. Bununla birlikte analiz edilen parametrelerin lokasyonlara bağlı olarak ortalamalar arasındaki farklılıklarını belirlemek için tek yönlü varyans analizi yapılmıştır. Araştırmanın sonuçlarına göre; tüm mera alanında 27 farklı familyaya ait toplam 87 bitki taksonu teşhis edilmiştir. Bu bitkilerin 17 adedi baklagiller, 14 adedi buğdaygiller ve 56 adedi diğer familya taksonlarına aittir. Teşhis edilen bitkilerin 12’si azalıcı, 7’si çoğalıcı ve 68’i istilacı gruptadır. Yine bu bitkilerin 24 adedi tek yıllık ve 63 adedi çok yıllıktır. En yüksek toplam kuru madde verimi alt yamaçta tespit edilmiştir. Her ne kadar çalışma alanına ait bitki çeşitliliği fazla gibi görünse de bu bitkilerin 56 (%64) adedinin diğer familyalara ait olması ve 68 (%78) adedinin istilacı grupta yer alması, mera alanının klimaks mera vejetasyonundan oldukça uzaklaşmış olduğunu göstermektedir.This research was carried out to determine some vegetation characteristics of rangeland area in Çiftlik village of Bartın province in 2018. For this purpose, canopy coverage, botanical composition, green and dry matter yields were determined. Rangeland was divided into three locations as upper slope, middle slope and lower slope, since it has a sloping shape. Addition, one way Anova was used to determine whether there was a difference between the means of the analyzed parameters depending on the locations. According to the results; 87 plant taxa belonging to 27 different families were identified in the rangeland. The plants consisted of 14 grasses, 17 legumes and 56 other family taxons. Twelve of the plants were decreaser, seven of them increaser and sixty-eight of them invaders. Twenty-four of the plants had annual life span and the others had perennial. The highest total dry grass yield was found on the lower slope. Although the variety of plants belonging to the study area was high, 56 (64%) of these plants were in the other families and 68 (78%) were in the invasive group indicated that the rangeland area was far from climax rangeland vegetation

Comparison of linear versus macrocyclic gadolinium chelates in rat skeletal muscle

OBJECTIVE: We investigated the effects on skeletal muscle of gadolinium based linear and macrocyclic radiocontrast agents applied at experimental intervals using histopathological methods. METHODS: Thirty-two male Sprague–Dawley rats were included in the study for histopathological analysis. No procedure was performed on the healthy control group. The sham group received 0.1 ml/kg intravenous (IV) saline solution through the tail vein 4 times weekly for 5 weeks. The gadodiamide group received total 2 mmol/kg IV gadodiamide through the tail vein 4 times weekly for 5 weeks. The gadoteric-acid group received 2 mmol/kg IV gadoteric acid through the tail vein 4 times weekly for 5 weeks. RESULTS: We determined no marked apoptotic myofibrils associated withcaspase-3 expression in these two groups. Furthermore, no calcineurin expression was observed in myofibrils in the two groups. However, quantitative analyses revealed a decrease in muscle-fiber area in the gadodiamide and gadoteric-acid groups compared to the control group (Respectively; p=0.001 and p=0.017). CONCLUSION: In our experimental study, linear and macrocyclic GBCAs applied at repeated doses played no role in myofibril damage induced by caspase-3 and calcineurin – nuclear factor of activated T-cells in skeletal muscle tissue

Regio- and stereo-chemical ring-opening reactions of the 2,3-epoxy alcohol derivative with nucleophiles: Explanation of the structures and C-2 selectivity supported by theoretical computations

The ring-opening reactions of (1aS,2S,6bR)-5-ethyl-2-hydroxyhexahydro-4H-oxireno[2,3-e]isoindole-4,6(5H)-dione were investigated under very mild and nonchelated conditions. C-2 selective ring-opening products were obtained with nucleophilic additions such as Cl-, Br- and N-3(-). The exact configuration of (3aS,4R,5R,6S,7aS)-5-chloro-2-ethyl-4,6-dihydroxyhexahydro-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione was determined by X-Ray diffraction analysis which was obtained from the reaction of epoxy alcohol with HCl . On the other hand, theoretical computations were carried out to explain the regioselectivity in the ring opening reaction of epoxy alcohols. The results showed that the ring-opening reaction of both epoxy alcohols proceeds in a kinetically controlled manner and regioselectivity occurs depending on the transition state. (c) 2022 Published by Elsevier B.V

Effects of Tennis Training on Personality Development in Children and Early Adolescents

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of a 12-week basic tennis training program on the personality development of early adolescents aged between 9 and 11 years. The research methodology consisted of a single group pre-test/post-test design implemented with a total of eight volunteer children (three boys and five girls). The Personality Inventory (PERI), a data collection tool used to quantify (openness to experience, sense of responsibility, extraversion, compatibility, emotional balance). The mean calculation for each personality trait is provided in the form of descriptive statistics while the Wilcoxon test was used to identify differences between the pre- and post-tests. In conclusion, the research team observes that by improving early adolescents’ openness to new experiences, tennis training facilitates the development of related characteristics, such as individuality, well-roundedness, ability to generate new ideas, creativity, flexibility, optimism, even temperament, low anxiety, attention to detail, discipline and ability to plan

The Role of Cardiac Repolarization Index for Sudden Cardiac Death Risk in Patients with Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome without any Systemic Disesae

Introduction: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) is associated with sudden cardiac death (SCD). In this study we aimed to evaluate the ventricular recovery time in OSAS patients without chronic systemic diseases, such as hypertension, diabetes, thyroid dysfunction, electrolyte imbalance, cardiac disease and the relationship of OSAS with SCD. Materials and Methods: In the study, between January 2008-January 2010, we analyzed 170 patientswith a mean age of 44.45±10.1 (21-75) years, who were clinically suspected of having OSAS. Following overnight polysomnography (PSG), 12 lead surface electrocardiogram (ECG), recordings were perforned and QT minimum, QT maximum and QT dispersion were computed from ECG. Results: The patients were divided into to the following 4 groups; AHI (apnea-hypopnea index) ≤5, 5< AHI ≤15, 15< AHI <30, and AHI ≥30. The mean QTD was 3.8±2 (0.40-9.7) msn in all patients and 3.5±1.8 (0.6-8.9) msn in normal group (AHI ≤5), and 4.5±1.9 (0.4-9.7) msn in severe group (AHI ≥30). It is shown that QTD increases significanty when AHI rises. Discussion: We showed that the patients with OSAS without chronic systemic disorder have higher SCD risks due to increased QT dispersion