Evaluation of Incidence and Clinical Features of Antibody-Associated Autoimmune Encephalitis Mimicking Dementia

Background. Anti-neuronal autoimmunity may cause cognitive impairment that meets the criteria for dementia. Objective. Our aim was to detect the incidence and clinical features of autoimmune encephalitis imitating clinical findings of primary dementia disorders and to delineate the validity of anti-neuronal antibody screening in dementia patients. Methods. Fifty consecutive patients fulfilling the clinical criteria for primary dementia, 130 control patients, and 50 healthy controls were included. Their sera were investigated for several ion channel and glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies by a cell-based assay, radioimmunoassay, and ELISA, as required. Results. Sixteen patients satisfying dementia criteria had atypical findings or findings suggestive of autoimmune encephalitis. N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) antibody was detected in a patient with dementia, Parkinsonism, and REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD) fulfilling the criteria for dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB). One control patient with bipolar disease displayed low anti-GAD antibody levels. Conclusions. Our study showed for the first time the presence of parkinsonism and RBD in an anti-NMDAR encephalitis patient mimicking DLB. Although autoimmune encephalitis patients may occasionally present with cognitive decline, most dementia patients do not exhibit anti-neuronal antibodies, suggesting that routine analysis of these antibodies in dementia is not mandatory, even though they display atypical features

Numerical method of thermal – hydraulic performance nanofluids in different concentrations

Dairesel kesit içeren kanallarda kullanılan Al2O3 – su nanoakışkanı değişik konsantrasyonlardaki ısı transferi ve basınç düşüşü sayısal olarak incelenmiştir. Sabit ısı akısı uygulanan kanal çapları 1 mm ve 0,1 mm olarak verilmiştir. Çalışmadaki nanoakışkan konsantrasyonları %1, %2, %5 ve %8 olup, ısı transferi ve basınç düşüşü değerleri, sonlu hacim yöntemi kullanarak sayısal olarak bulunmuştur. %8 hacim konsantrasyonundaki Al2O3 – su nanoakışkanı 1mm çapa sahip kanalda ısıl performansı en iyi tespit edilmiştir.In this study, heat transfer and pressure drop at different concentrations of Al2O3 – water nanofluid in circular cross sections with constant heat flux were investigated. The study has been carried out on two different circular cross sectional ducts of different diameter but with the same surface area, the correspending channel diameters are 1 mm and 100 μm respectively called minichannel and microchannel. In this study, the heat transfer and pressure drop values of the Al2O3 – water nanofluid with different concentrations, such as 1%, 2%, 5% and 8% for both channels, has been numerically analyzed using the finite volume method. In this study, taking into account the effect of channel diameter, it has been found that Al2O3 – water nanofluid increases heat transfer with respect to water.Bu tez çalışması PAU BAP tarafından 2015FBE058 nolu proje ile desteklenmiştir

The effects of 3D multi-user virtual environments on freshmen university students' conceptual and spatial learning and presence in departmental orientation

Search ScienceDirect Advanced Outline Highlights Abstract Keywords 1. Introduction 2. Theoretical framework and relevant literature 3. Methodology 4. Findings 5. Discussion 6. Conclusion and future work Acknowledgments References Figures (3) Fig.1. Components of the Active Worlds interface Fig.2. Authentic and virtual environments from air view Fig.3. Orientation environment from air view Tables (2) Table 1 Table 2 Elsevier Computers & Education Volume 94, March 2016, Pages 228-240 Computers & Education The effects of 3D multi-user virtual environments on freshmen university students' conceptual and spatial learning and presence in departmental orientation Author links open overlay panelHakanTüzünaFatihÖzdinçb Show more https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compedu.2015.12.005Get rights and content Highlights • We examine the usefulness of 3D MUVEs for freshmen orientation purposes. • Conceptual knowledge increased significantly in virtual and authentic orientations. • Virtual orientation participants recalled spatial route details better. • Decreasing distraction in virtual space increases conceptual and spatial learning. • Virtual orientation has similar or better results than authentic orientation. Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness of 3D multi-user virtual environments (MUVEs) for freshmen orientation purposes. To do so, a virtual orientation environment was developed on the Active Worlds MUVE. The study sample included 55 students who were enrolled in a university department. The study has a quasi-experimental control group design. The orientation was carried out a week before the academic semester. The virtual departmental orientation was conducted with 25 participants in the 3D MUVE, while the authentic departmental orientation was conducted with 30 participants who were led through the department by a guide. Both groups were administered a Conceptual Knowledge Test before and after their orientations along with a Spatial Knowledge Inventory and an Orientation Evaluation Questionnaire after the interventions. In addition, the Presence Questionnaire in Virtual Environments was administered to the virtual orientation participants. While the conceptual knowledge posttest scores of experimental and control groups increased significantly, there was no significant difference between them. It was found that students in the virtual orientation recalled spatial route details better than the participants in the authentic orientation, while there was no significant difference between the groups in terms of spatial landmark details and overall spatial scores. When the groups were compared in terms of evaluation factors, significant differences were observed in the effect on general learning and simplicity in favor of the virtual orientation, while there were no significant differences in perceived usefulness and enjoyment. Participants perceived a high level of presence in the virtual orientation. There was a small positive correlation between presence and conceptual knowledge and a moderate positive correlation between presence and spatial knowledge. Decreasing distraction factors in the virtual environment had a positive influence on students' conceptual and spatial learning. In general, the virtual orientation has similar or better results than authentic orientation in terms of the variables examined in this study. These findings demonstrate that 3D MUVEs can be effectively used by freshmen students for orientation purposes

Guidelines for Transferring Residential Courses into Web

This study shared unique design experiences by examining the process of transferring residential courses to the Web, and proposed a design model for individuals who want to transfer their courses into this environment. The formative research method was used in the study, and two project teams’ processes of putting courses, which were being taught in classrooms at the time, on the Web were examined in depth to reveal and confirm the components of the design model. The participants were 13 instructional designers. In addition to the logbooks kept by the designers, individual and focus group interview techniques were employed in the data-gathering process. Two researchers analyzed the data concurrently using content analysis. The logbooks and the focus-group interviews were used for model formation, and the individual interviews to confirm the components of the model. Based on the findings from the two design cases, the experience-based e-course design model consisting of seven basic stages including forming design team, preliminary search, analysis, instructional and technical design, integration, tests, and improvements was proposed. It is considered that sustaining Web-based course design efforts within this model will enable both implementing the design process more effectively, and the Web-based course obtained at the end of the process to have higher quality

STUDENTS' OPINIONS OF EDUCATIONAL COMPUTER GAME UTILIZATION: A SOCIAL STUDIES COURSE CASE

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions of students towards the utilization of educational computer games in their courses. The study was conducted for 9 weeks with twenty-four 6th grade students attending a Social Studies class in a private school located in Ankara, Turkey. The results of this qualitative study indicated that students liked the educational computer game environment, and their motivation towards Social Studies course increased due to the utilization of the game as a supportive course element

Students opinions of educational computer game utilization: A social studies course case Öǧrenci•leri•n eǧi•tsel bi•lgi•sayar oyunu kullanimina i•li•şki•n görüşleri•: sosyal bi•lgi•ler dersi• örneǧi•

The purpose of this study is to investigate the opinions of students towards the utilization of educational computer games in their courses. The study was conducted for 9 weeks with twenty-four 6th grade students attending a Social Studies class in a private school located in Ankara, Turkey. The results of this qualitative study indicated that students liked the educational computer game environment, and their motivation towards Social Studies course increased due to the utilization of the game as a supportive course element

The Relationship of Terms of Trade and Economic Growth: The Turkish Case

Bu çalışmanın amacı dış ticaret hadlerinin ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki etkisini analiz etmektir. Bu çalışmanın teorik temeli Harberger-Laursen-Metzler (HLM) ve Obstfeld-Razin-Svensson (ORS) etkisi yaklaşımlarına dayanmaktadır. HLM yaklaşımı dış ticaret hadlerindeki bir kötüleşmenin ülkenin dış ticaret açıkları üzerinde olumlu bir etkiye yol açacağını belirtmekte, bu olumlu gelişmenin ülkenin ekonomik büyümesi üzerinde yaratacağı etkiye bağlı olarak da dış ticaret açıklarında bir artışa neden olacağı yönünde bilgi sunmaktadır. Bu yaklaşım literatürde S Eğrisi olarak bilinmektedir. ORS yaklaşımı ise dış ticaret hadlerindeki bir şokun devamlılığı yönündeki algıya bağlı olarak dış ticaret hadlerindeki gelişmelerin ekonomik büyüme üzerinde etkili olacağını belirtmektedir. Bu kapsamda dış ticaret hadlerinin ekonomik büyüme üzerindeki pozitif ve negatif etkisi Markov Değişim Tekniği yaklaşımıyla incelenmektedir. Analizde ekonomik büyümenin göstergesi olarak imalat sanayi üretim endeksi, rejim veya geçiş değişkeni olarak da dış ticaret hadleri kullanılmıştır. Çalışmanın bulgularına göre dışa açık ekonomik büyüme stratejisi dış ticaret hadlerinin ülke lehine olmasına bağlıdır