Nest survival and transplantation success of formica rufa (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) ants in Southern Turkey: A predictive approach

Research highlights: Formica rufa is used widely for biocontrol in Turkish forests. Although ecological characteristics of red wood ant habitats are well known, the statistical significance of these characteristics and their effects on nest transplantation success are largely unknown. Having such knowledge on a local scale, however, can help to predict the success of a scheduled transplantation effort, and can prevent loss of time and money. Background and objectives: In the present study, we used nest transplantation data from southern Turkey to determine habitat parameters that have a significant impact on nest survival, and to investigate possibility of predicting transplantation success from habitat parameter data. Materials and methods: Algorithms of data mining are widely used in agricultural and forestry applications for a wide range of tasks. In the present study, we used descriptive statistics to summarize the transplantation profile according to six habitat parameters (altitude, aspect, canopy closure, landform, nest substrate, and slope). We also used classification, a data mining approach, with two of its methods (decision tree and naive Bayes) to determine the most important habitat parameters for nest survival and predict nest transplantation success in southern Turkey. Results: We found that altitude, aspect, and canopy closure were the most important factors affecting transplantation success. We also show that classification methods can be used in not only classifying, but also predicting the success rate of future transplantations. Thus, we show that the possibility of success for a given area can be predicted when certain parameters are known. Conclusions: This method can assist biological control practitioners in planning biocontrol programs and selecting favorable spots for red wood ant nest transplantation. © 2020 by the authors

Occupational Health and Safety Risk Assessment in A Natural Gas Combined Cucle Power Plant

Küreselleşen dünyada, devletler enerji kaynaklarına kendi imkanlarıyla ulaşabilmeleri için birbirleriyle yarış içerisindedir. Enerjiye duyulan ihtiyacın sürekli artması dünya devletlerinin ekonomilerinin yanı sıra stratejik politika ve eylem planlarına da yön vermektedir. Bu sebeple ülkemiz ekonomisi için de önem arz eden enerji, endüstrileşmenin temeli ve insan hayatının vazgeçilmez bir öğesidir. Tükenebilir enerji kaynaklarının, dışa bağımlılık riskiyle karşı karşıya kalmamak adına ülkeler tarafından güvenilir ve makul ölçüde üretilmesi ekonomik ve toplumsal açıdan önem arz etmektedir. Dünya’da endüstrileşme ve teknoloji alanında yaşanan gelişmelerle beraber sektörde çalışan bireylerin sağlık ve güvenlik konusunda çeşitli sorunlarla karşılaştığı görülmüştür. Bu durumlar işten elde edilen verimi düşürdüğü, işletmeyi tehlikeye soktuğu, çalışanın can güvenliğini riske attığını ortaya çıkarmıştır. Buna karşı dünya genelinde WHO ve ILO’nun belirlediği sağlık ve güvenlik politikaları iş sağlığı ve güvenliği açısından işletmelerce inisiyatif doğrultusunda uygulanmaktadır. Ülkemizde de güvenli çalışma ortamını oluşturmak için işletmelerin inisiyatifine bırakmadan devlet politikası olarak 01.01.2013 tarihinde 6331 sayılı İş Sağlığı ve Güvenliği Kanunu çıkmıştır. Bu kanunla birlikte işletmeler sınıflara ayrılarak zorunluluk içerenler için yönetmelikler yürürlüğe girmiş ve kapsam alanlarına göre uygulamalar zorunlu kılınmıştır. Bu kanunla birlikte kurumsal kimlikte bir firma tarafından işletilen doğalgaz çevrim santralinde iş sağlığı ve güvenliği kapsamında zorunlu risk değerlendirmesi ve uygulamaları incelenmiştir. Birçok sanayi alanında elektrik ihtiyacının ekonomik ve kesintisiz olarak karşılanabilmesi için gazın bağlantısından elektriğin dağıtım sürecine kadar gerçekleştirilen iş ve işlemler gözlemlenmiştir. Risk değerlendirmesinin geniş bir ekip tarafından hazırlandığı görülmüştür. Bu çalışmadaki amaç, iş sağlığı ve güvenliği ile ilgili özel durumlar gerektiren enerji sektöründe bir rehber olma niteliği taşımak ve güvenli çalışma alanları oluşturmaktadır.In the globalizing world, government are in a race with each other to can access energy resources with their own means. The increase of permanent in the need for energy directs the economies of the world states as well as strategic action plans and policies . For this reason, energy, which was also important for our country's economy, is the basis of industrialization and an indispensable element of human life. In order not to face the risk of external dependency, the reliable and reasonable production of the consumable energy resources by the countries has economically and socially important. In the World;with the developments in industrialization and technology , it has been observed that individuals working in the sector face various health and safety problems. It has been revealed that these situations reduce the productivity of the work, endanger the business, risk the life safety of the employee. Against this, the health and safety policies has been determined by WHO and ILO have implemented by enterprises in line with the initiative in terms of occupational health and safety. In order to create a safe working environment in our country, the Occupational Health and Safety Law numbered 6331 was enacted on 01.01.2013 as a state policy without leaving the initiative of the enterprises. With this law, businesses were divided into classes and regulations came into force for those with obligations and applications were made obligatory according to their content. With this law, mandatory risks assessment and applications within the content of occupational health and safety in the natural gas cycle power plant operated by a company with institutional identity had been examined. In many industrial areas, the works and processes carried out from the connection of the gas to the deploy of the electricity have been observed in order to meet the electricity need economically and without deduction. It was observed that the risk evaluation was prepared by a large team. This study of the aim is to be a guide in the energy sector that requires special situations related to occupational health and safety and to create safe working areas

RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT APPLICATIONS AND ORGANIZATIONAL JUSTICE PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS IN PRIMARY SCHOOLS

Bir okuldaki öğretmenlerin performans hedefleri, geliştirilmesi gereken yönleri, hizmet içi eğitim ihtiyaçlarını belirleme gibi durumların belirlenmesinde performans yönetiminin önemli rolü vardır. Performans yönetiminin amacı iş görenlerin eksikliklerini bulmak değil, onlara performans değerlendirmenin sonucunu bildirmek, bu sonuç üzerine yapılması gerekenler konusunda onlara rehberlik etmek, örgütün ulaşması gereken hedeflere uygun bir şekilde çalışmalarına devam etmelerini sağlamaktır. Okul içi adaletin sağlanması, öğretmen performansını ve motivasyonunu etkiler. Adaletin sağlandığı örgütlerde örgütsel bağlılık ve güven de artacağından örgüt performansının da artması kaçınılmazdır. Bu çalışma ilkokullarda performans yönetimi uygulamalarının düzeyini, öğretmenlerin örgütsel adalet algı düzeylerini ve performans yönetimi uygulamaları ile öğretmenlerin örgütsel adalet algıları arasındaki ilişkiyi saptamayı amaçlamaktadır. Tarama modelindeki araştırmanın evrenini 2013 - 2014 öğretim yılında Uşak ilinde çalışan 3660 öğretmen oluşturmaktadır. Basit tesadüfi örnekleme yoluyla 48 ilkokuldan 500 öğretmen örneklem olarak alınmıştır. Dağıtılan 500 ölçekten 446 sı geri dönmüş, araştırmacı tarafından incelemeler sonucunda 372 anket kullanılabilir olarak belirlenmiştir ve araştırmaya dahil edilmiştir. Araştırmada kullanılan ölçme aracı "Öğretmen Performans Yönetimi Ölçeği" ve "Örgütsel Adalet Ölçeği" dir. Ölçek boyutlarının örnekleme uygunluğunu test etmek için doğrulayıcı faktör analizi kullanılmış ve elde edilen verilerle ölçekler doğrulanmıştır. Verilerin analizi sonucunda performans yönetim sistemi uygulamalarının öğretmenlerin örgütsel adalet algıları üzerinde pozitif doğrusal etkisi olduğu saptanmıştır. Demografik değişkenler açısından ise bazı demografik değişkenlerin öğretmenlerin performans yönetimi sistemi algılarını ve örgütsel adalet algılarını etkilediği görülmüştürThe social unit, which consists of coordinated relationships of the workers who has got together in order to perform the planned objectives, is called as organization (Başaran, 2008). The planned and coordinated strength and activity group also make an organisation. The more this coordination creative, the more effective and lively the organisation is. Organisation may be thought as a network (Bursalıoğlu, 2012). Schools are organisations that perform the education and teaching task. The performance management has an important role in determining needs of in service education, the aspects that must be improved, current situations, and performance objectives. Determining performance objective- criteria, performance monitoring, performance development, performance evaluation and use of performance outcomes are the dimensions of performance management. The lasting success of organization depends on the high performance of members and valuation of their performance. Being known the skills and deficiencies of workers by the manager and valuation of their effort are some aspects that effect performance (Bingöl, 2006). The performance management has an important role in determining situations such as needs of in service education, the aspects that must be improved and performance objectives in a school. The aim of the performance management is not finding the deficiencies of the workers, but to inform them the results of performance evaluation, to guide them on this result, and to ensure them working approprate to organisation’s aims. Setting the justice inside the school effects teachers’ performance and motivation. As the organizational commitment and reliance will increase in organisations where justice is set, it is ineviatable that the performance of the organisation will increase. This study aims at determining tle level of the performance management practises, the level of teachers’ organizational justice perceptions, the relation between the performance management practises and teachers’ organizational justice perceptions in primary schools

The Effect of Blood and Seminal Plasma Heavy Metal and Trace Element Levels on Sperm Quality

WOS: 000314145000010Objective: Infertility is shown in approximately 10-15% of the couples. Male infertility is responsible for at least 50% of them. In these infertile couples, male is responsible alone in 30% while male and female are responsible together in 20%. The semen analysis is the first laboratory test which should be done to evaluate the male infertility. Heavy metals and trace elements affect sperm production, motility and morphology. The aim of this study is to determine zinc, copper, lead and cadmium levels in blood and seminal samples of men and to evaluate their relationship with sperm quality parameters. Material and Methods: Forty-two men with abnormal sperm quality parameters and 10 control subjects were included in the study. Zinc, copper, cadmium and lead levels were measured in blood and semen. The results were compared. Results: Lead levels in blood, cadmium levels both in blood and seminal plasma were significantly higher in men with abnormal sperm analyses (p<0.05). There was a positive correlation between seminal plasma zinc level and sperm count, motility and morphology (p<0.001) and between seminal plasma copper level and sperm count and morphology (p<0.05). There was a negative correlation between lead level and sperm count, motility and morphology (p<0.001). Likewise, there was a negative correlation between blood cadmium level and sperm motility and morphology (p<0.05) and between seminal plasma cadmium level and sperm motility (p<0.05). Conclusion: Zinc and copper affect sperm quality positively whereas lead and cadmium shows a negative effect. Exposure to heavy metals is an important etiology in the male infertility problem and should be treated seriously

Localization and expression profiles of Gingival MCPIP-1 and MALT-1

Background and Aim: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-inducedprotein-1 (MCPIP-1) is a host inflammatory response cytokine RNaseand a suppressor of proinflammatory response. Mucosa associatedlymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT-1) is a cys-teine protease that contributes to cleaving the negative regulation ofinflammatory signaling. Recent in vitro studies demonstrated thatMCPIP-1 is degraded byPorphyromonas gingivalisgingipains. Weaimed to localise MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 human gingival samples inrelation to periodontitis. Moreover, we tested the expression of theseproteins by gingival resident cells using a 3D-organotypic oral mucosamodel.Methods: Eight periodontitis patients and eight periodontally healthyindividuals were recruited. The study protocol was approved by theUniversity of Istanbul's Faculty of Dentistry's Ethics Committee inaccordance with the Helsinki Declaration (2017/41). Paraffin-embedded gingival samples were cut into 5μm-thick sections andplaced on slides for immunohistochemical analysis. The immunohisto-chemical stainings were evaluated under a light microscope and high-resolution images were captured to analyze signal intensities withImageJ immunohistochemistry analysis toolbox. Stainings' intensitieswere determined from epithelium and connective tissue. One-wayanalysis of variance (ANOVA) following Tukey's correction was usedin statistical analysis. A 3D-organotypic oral mucosa model was con-structed using gingival keratinocytes and gingival fibroblasts.MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 protein expressions were analyzedimmunohistochemically.Results: In human gingiva, MCPIP-1 was detectable in epithelium andconnective tissues, prominent around the blood vessel walls. MALT-1was detectable at all layers of gingival epithelium and especiallyaround the accumulated inflammatory cells in connective tissue. Nostatistical significance was detected between the periodontitis andcontrol groups. HMK cells of the 3D-organotypic oral mucosa modelhave been observed to express MCPIP-1 and MALT-1.Conclusions: This pilot study confirms the existence of MCPIP-1 andMALT-1 in gingival tissues both in periodontal health and in periodon-titis, and also confirms that the resident gingival cells can be a sourcefor these proteins.152ABSTRACTBackground and Aim: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-inducedprotein-1 (MCPIP-1) is a host inflammatory response cytokine RNaseand a suppressor of proinflammatory response. Mucosa associatedlymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT-1) is a cys-teine protease that contributes to cleaving the negative regulation ofinflammatory signaling. Recent in vitro studies demonstrated thatMCPIP-1 is degraded byPorphyromonas gingivalisgingipains. Weaimed to localise MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 human gingival samples inrelation to periodontitis. Moreover, we tested the expression of theseproteins by gingival resident cells using a 3D-organotypic oral mucosamodel.Methods: Eight periodontitis patients and eight periodontally healthyindividuals were recruited. The study protocol was approved by theUniversity of Istanbul's Faculty of Dentistry's Ethics Committee inaccordance with the Helsinki Declaration (2017/41). Paraffin-embedded gingival samples were cut into 5μm-thick sections andplaced on slides for immunohistochemical analysis. The immunohisto-chemical stainings were evaluated under a light microscope and high-resolution images were captured to analyze signal intensities withImageJ immunohistochemistry analysis toolbox. Stainings' intensitieswere determined from epithelium and connective tissue. One-wayanalysis of variance (ANOVA) following Tukey's correction was usedin statistical analysis. A 3D-organotypic oral mucosa model was con-structed using gingival keratinocytes and gingival fibroblasts.MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 protein expressions were analyzedimmunohistochemically.Results: In human gingiva, MCPIP-1 was detectable in epithelium andconnective tissues, prominent around the blood vessel walls. MALT-1was detectable at all layers of gingival epithelium and especiallyaround the accumulated inflammatory cells in connective tissue. Nostatistical significance was detected between the periodontitis andcontrol groups. HMK cells of the 3D-organotypic oral mucosa modelhave been observed to express MCPIP-1 and MALT-1.Conclusions: This pilot study confirms the existence of MCPIP-1 andMALT-1 in gingival tissues both in periodontal health and in periodon-titis, and also confirms that the resident gingival cells can be a sourcefor these proteins.152ABSTRACTBackground and Aim: Monocyte chemoattractant protein-inducedprotein-1 (MCPIP-1) is a host inflammatory response cytokine RNaseand a suppressor of proinflammatory response. Mucosa associatedlymphoid tissue lymphoma translocation protein 1 (MALT-1) is a cys-teine protease that contributes to cleaving the negative regulation ofinflammatory signaling. Recent in vitro studies demonstrated thatMCPIP-1 is degraded byPorphyromonas gingivalisgingipains. Weaimed to localise MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 human gingival samples inrelation to periodontitis. Moreover, we tested the expression of theseproteins by gingival resident cells using a 3D-organotypic oral mucosamodel.Methods: Eight periodontitis patients and eight periodontally healthyindividuals were recruited. The study protocol was approved by theUniversity of Istanbul's Faculty of Dentistry's Ethics Committee inaccordance with the Helsinki Declaration (2017/41). Paraffin-embedded gingival samples were cut into 5μm-thick sections andplaced on slides for immunohistochemical analysis. The immunohisto-chemical stainings were evaluated under a light microscope and high-resolution images were captured to analyze signal intensities withImageJ immunohistochemistry analysis toolbox. Stainings' intensitieswere determined from epithelium and connective tissue. One-wayanalysis of variance (ANOVA) following Tukey's correction was usedin statistical analysis. A 3D-organotypic oral mucosa model was con-structed using gingival keratinocytes and gingival fibroblasts.MCPIP-1 and MALT-1 protein expressions were analyzedimmunohistochemically.Results: In human gingiva, MCPIP-1 was detectable in epithelium andconnective tissues, prominent around the blood vessel walls. MALT-1was detectable at all layers of gingival epithelium and especiallyaround the accumulated inflammatory cells in connective tissue. Nostatistical significance was detected between the periodontitis andcontrol groups. HMK cells of the 3D-organotypic oral mucosa modelhave been observed to express MCPIP-1 and MALT-1.Conclusions: This pilot study confirms the existence of MCPIP-1 andMALT-1 in gingival tissues both in periodontal health and in periodon-titis, and also confirms that the resident gingival cells can be a sourcefor these proteins.152ABSTRAC