Systematic Search of Exactly Solvable Non-Central Potentials

Recently developed supersymmetric perturbation theory has been successfully employed to make a complete mathematical analysis the reason behind exact solvability of some non-central potentials. This investigation clarifies once more the effectiveness of the present formalism.Comment: 7 pages, no figure

ANALYSIS OF RECYCLING PERCEPTIONS OF 5-6-YEAR-OLD CHILDREN THROUGH PICTURES

The aim of this study is to examine the drawings of 5-6-year-old children attending preschool educational institutions regarding their perceptions of recycling. For this purpose, the pictures drawn by children who were administered recycling-themed drama activity and those who were not were examined. The study was designed in an experimental design with a control group. The content analysis method, one of the qualitative data collection methods, was used in the study. The data were collected by using the draw-narrate technique through the pictures drawn by the children. A total of 24 children aged 5-6 years, who were attending kindergartens in the 2022-2023 academic year, determined by convenience sampling method, participated in the study. After the drama activity on recycling was administered to 10 children in the first group, they were asked to draw pictures about recycling in the evaluation phase. The 13 children in the second group were asked what they thought of when they thought of recycling and were asked to draw pictures. The expressions of children describing the pictures they drew were noted. By using the content analysis method in the analysis of the data, children’s perceptions of recycling were tried to be revealed. As a result of the research, the rate of recycling figures in the pictures of children who drew pictures related to recycling after the drama activity on recycling was found to be significantly high (90%) compared to the pictures containing figures related to recycling in the pictures drawn by children who did not have a drama activity on recycling (46,1%).  Article visualizations

Atmospheric nutrient inputs to the northern levantine basin from a long-term observation: sources and comparison with riverine inputs

Aerosol and rainwater samples have been collected at a rural site located on the coastline of the Eastern Mediterranean, Erdemli, Turkey between January 1999 and December 2007. Riverine sampling was carried out at five Rivers (Ceyhan, Seyhan, Göksu, Berdan and Lamas) draining into the Northeastern Levantine Basin (NLB) between March 2002 and July 2007. Samples have been analyzed for macronutrients of phosphate, silicate, nitrate and ammonium (PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3−</sup>, Si<sub>diss</sub>, NO<sub>3</sub><sup>−</sup> and NH<sub>4</sub><sup>+</sup>). Phosphate and silicate in aerosol and rainwater showed higher and larger variations during the transitional period when air flows predominantly originate from North Africa and Middle East/Arabian Peninsula. Deficiency of alkaline material have been found to be the main reason of the acidic rain events whilst high pH values (>7) have been associated with high Si<sub>diss</sub> concentrations due to sporadic dust events. In general, lowest nitrate and ammonium concentrations in aerosol and rainwater have been associated with air flow from the Mediterranean Sea. Comparison of atmospheric with riverine fluxes demonstrated that DIN and PO<sub>4</sub><sup>3−</sup> fluxes to NLB have been dominated by atmosphere (~90% and ~60% respectively) whereas the input of Si was mainly derived from riverine runoff (~90%). N/P ratios in the atmospheric deposition (233); riverine discharge (28) revealed that NLB receives excessive amounts of DIN and this unbalanced P and N inputs may provoke even more phosphorus deficiency. Observed molar Si/N ratio suggested Si limitation relative to nitrogen might cause a switch from diatom dominated communities to non-siliceous populations particularly at coastal NLB

Extracción asistida por microondas de compuestos no polares de cáscaras de pistacho y caracterización de los extractos

Soxhlet and microwave assisted extraction (MAE) methods were used to obtain non-polar compounds from pistachio hull. MAE parameters (liquid to solid ratio, microwave power, and extraction time) were studied to obtain maximum extraction yield. The optimal conditions were found to be liquid to solid ratio of 15:1 (v/w), microwave power of 250 W and extraction time of 12.5 min. The extraction yields were 9.81 and 9.50% for MAE and Soxhlet methods, respectively. The total phenolic content, antioxidant activity and tocopherol content of the extract obtained by MAE was found to be significantly higher than those of the Soxhlet extract (p < 0.05). The results showed that the extract contained α-tocopherols (567.65 mg/kg) and oleic acid (48.46%) as the major tocopherols and fatty acids. These findings propose that hull extracts can be considered as a good source of natural bioactive compounds and MAE can be a good alternative to the traditional Soxhlet method.Se utilizó la extracción mediante Soxhlet y métodos de extracción asistida mediante microondas (MAE) para obtener compuestos no polares de las cascaras de pistacho. Se estudiaron los parámetros para la MAE (relación líquido-sólido, potencia de microondas y tiempo de extracción) para obtener el máximo rendimiento de la extracción. Se encontró que las condiciones óptimas eran una relación líquido a sólido de 15:1 (v/p), potencia de microondas de 250 W y un tiempo de extracción de 12,5 minutos. Los rendimientos de extracción fueron 9.81 y 9.50% para los métodos MAE y Soxhlet, respectivamente. El contenido fenólico total, la actividad antioxidante y el contenido de tocoferoles de los extractos obtenidos por MAE fueron significativamente más altos que los de los extractos de Soxhlet (p < 0,05). Los resultados muestran que el extracto contiene α-tocoferol (567.65 mg/kg) y ácido oleico (48.46%) como los principales tocoferoles y ácidos grasos, respectivamente. Estos hallazgos proponen que los extractos de las cascaras pueden considerarse como una buena fuente de compuestos bioactivos naturales y MAE puede ser una buena alternativa al método Soxhlet tradicional

Variability in regional background aerosols within the Mediterranean

The main objective of this study is the identification of major factors controlling levels and chemical composition of aerosols in the regional background (RB) along the Mediterranean Basin (MB). To this end, data on PM levels and speciation from Montseny (MSY, NE Spain), Finokalia (FKL, Southern Greece) and Erdemli (ERL, Southern Turkey) for the period 2001 to 2008 are evaluated. Important differences on PM levels and composition are evident when comparing the Western and Eastern MBs. The results manifest W-E and N-S PM&lt;sub&gt;10&lt;/sub&gt; and PM&lt;sub&gt;2.5&lt;/sub&gt; gradients along the MB, attributed to the higher frequency and intensity of African dust outbreaks in the EMB, while for PM&lt;sub&gt;1&lt;/sub&gt; very similar levels are encountered. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; PM in the EMB is characterized by higher levels of crustal material and sulphate as compared to WMB (and central European sites), however, RB nitrate and OC + EC levels are relatively constant across the Mediterranean and lower than other European sites. Marked seasonal trends are evidenced for PM levels, nitrate (WMB), ammonium and sulphate. Also relatively higher levels of V and Ni (WMB) are measured in the Mediterranean basin, probably as a consequence of high emissions from fuel-oil combustion (power generation, industrial and shipping emissions). &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; Enhanced sulphate levels in EMB compared to WMB were measured. The high levels of sulphate in the EMB may deplete the available gas-phase NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; so that little ammonium nitrate can form due to the low NH&lt;sub&gt;3&lt;/sub&gt; levels. &lt;br&gt;&lt;br&gt; This study illustrates the existence of three very important features within the Mediterranean that need to be accounted for when modeling climate effects of aerosols in the area, namely: a) the increasing gradient of dust from WMB to EMB; b) the change of hygroscopic behavior of mineral aerosols (dust) via nitration and sulfation; and c) the abundance of highly hygroscopic aerosols during high insolation (low cloud formation) periods

Variability in regional background aerosols within the Mediterranean

The main objective of this study is the identification of major factors controlling levels and chemical composition of aerosols in the regional background (RB) along the Mediterranean Basin (MB). To this end, data on PM levels and speciation from Montseny (MSY, NE Spain), Finokalia (FKL, Southern Greece) and Erdemli (ERL, Southern Turkey) for the period 2001 to 2008 are evaluated. Important differences on PM levels and composition are evident when comparing the Western and Eastern MBs. The results manifest W-E and N-S PM(10) and PM(2.5) gradients along the MB, attributed to the higher frequency and intensity of African dust outbreaks in the EMB, while for PM(1) very similar levels are encountered

Plasma biomarkers of brain injury in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms

Objective: Neurological symptoms (NS) were often reported in COVID-19 infection. We examined the plasma levels of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and S100B together, as brain injury biomarkers, in relation to persistent NS in a cohort of patients with COVID-19 during the acute phase of the disease.Methods: A total of 20 healthy controls and 58 patients with confirmed COVID-19 were enrolled in this prospective study. Serum GFAP and S100B levels were measured by using enzymle linked immunoassay method from blood samples.Results: Serum GFAP levels were found to be significantly higher in the severe group than in the controls (p = 0.007). However, serum S100B levels were similar between control and disease groups (p > 0.05). No significant results for GFAP and S100B were obtained between the disease groups depending on whether the sampling time was below or above 5 days (p > 0.05). We did not find a correlation between serum GFAP and S100B levels and the presence of NS (p > 0.05). However, serum S100B levels were slightly higher in patients with multiple NS than in those with a single symptom (p = 0.044).Conclusions: Elevated GFAP was associated with disease severity but not with NS in COVID-19 patients. Whereas, high serum S100B was associated with the multipl NS in these patients. Our data suggest that GFAP and S100B may be of limited value currently in order to represent the neuronal damage, though serving a basis for the future work

Application of stem cells and adipose-derived stem cell exosomes on dermal wound healing

The skin is the largest organ in the human body and plays a significant role in protecting the body from external threats, containing tissues that sustain the body's homeostasis. Wound healing in the skin is a complex process involving the interaction of various cell types in the target tissue, including but not limited to cytokines and growth factors. In extreme cases, disorders of the cardiorespiratory system, such as chronic diseases, may prevent the process of wound healing entirely. Numerous studies have been conducted to discover methods to restore the ability of chronic wounds to cure themselves, but this remains one of the most significant medical problems. Exosomes derived from stem cells have been extensively proposed as a treatment for dermal wound recovery. Different types of stem cells have varying therapeutic potential. Exosomes, a component of paracrine, have the function of enhancing the effectiveness of stem cells. This article discusses the wound healing process as well as the mechanism of stem cell and adipose-derived exosome therapy on cutaneous wound healing and its clinical applications

An examination of health care utilization during the COVID-19 pandemic among women with early-stage hormone receptor-positive breast cancer

Background: Women undergoing treatment for breast cancer require frequent clinic visits for maintenance of therapy. With COVID-19 causing health care disruptions, it is important to learn about how this population’s access to health care has changed. This study compares self-reported health care utilization and changes in factors related to health care access among women treated at a cancer center in the mid-South US before and during the pandemic. Methods: Participants (N = 306) part of a longitudinal study to improve adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) adherence completed pre-intervention baseline surveys about their health care utilization prior to AET initiation. Questions about the impact of COVID-19 were added after the pandemic started assessing financial loss and factors related to care. Participants were categorized into three time periods based on the survey completion date: (1) pre-COVID (December 2018 to March 2020), (2) early COVID (April 2020 – December 2020), and later COVID (January 2021 to June 2021). Negative binomial regression analyses used to compare health care utilization at different phases of the pandemic controlling for patient characteristics. Results: Adjusted analyses indicated office visits declined from pre-COVID, with an adjusted average of 17.7 visits, to 12.1 visits during the early COVID period (p = 0.01) and 9.9 visits during the later COVID period (p < 0.01). Hospitalizations declined from an adjusted average 0.45 admissions during early COVID to 0.21 during later COVID, after vaccines became available (p = 0.05). Among COVID period participants, the proportion reporting changes/gaps in health insurance coverage increased from 9.5% participants during early-COVID to 14.8% in the later-COVID period (p = 0.05). The proportion reporting financial loss due to the pandemic was similar during both COVID periods (34.3% early- and 37.7% later-COVID, p = 0.72). The proportion of participants reporting delaying care or refilling prescriptions decreased from 15.2% in early-COVID to 4.9% in the later-COVID period (p = 0.04). Conclusion: COVID-19 caused disruptions to routine health care for women with breast cancer. Patients reported having fewer office visits at the start of the pandemic that continued to decrease even after vaccines were available. Fewer patients reported delaying in-person care as the pandemic progressed.National Cancer Institute ; Division of Cancer Prevention, National Cancer Institute ; Center for Strategic Scientific Initiatives, National Cancer Institute ; Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institut