Assessment of the pancreas with strain elastography in healthy children : correlates and clinical implications

Background: To determine strain index (SI) values at various locations in the pancreas and to investigate the relationship between age, gender, body weight, height, body mass index (BMI), and elasticity values of the pancreas in healthy children. Material/Methods: This cross-sectional trial was performed in 147 healthy children who underwent transabdominal ultrasonography for strain elastography of the pancreas. A convex, 3.5-5-MHz probe was used to obtain the images. Baseline descriptive data including age (months), body weight (kg), height (cm), and BMI (kg/m2) were noted. Strain index values were calculated for the head, body, and tail of the pancreas, and a mean value was obtained. The relationship between demographic variables and SI values was assessed. Correlation between variables with normal distribution was evaluated with Pearson's correlation coefficient and Spearman's rho. Results: The average SI values in girls and boys were 1.30±0.34 and 1.32±0.22, respectively. There was no significant difference between SI values measured in the head, trunk, and tail of the pancreas (p=0.594). The average SI value did not differ between girls and boys (p=0.751). Correlation analysis revealed that SI was positively associated with age (p=0.005), body weight (p=0.004), height (p=0.003), and BMI (p=0.005). Conclusions: This study determined normal elasticity values of the pancreas in healthy children. SI values of pancreas change with age, body weight, height, and BMI in the pediatric population. Information obtained from healthy children can serve as a baseline against which pancreatic diseases can be examined

Student agency for democratic culture in schools:a thematic analysis of reference framework of competences for democratic culture

Abstract. Neoliberal education paradigm consists of theories such as human capital theory and social capital theory. The aim of neoliberal education paradigm is to increase the effectiveness of education systems. Effective education systems are expected to integrate students to the work force to create a prosperous society with a more opportunities for work and in life for the citizens. Schooling practices such as classrooms, subjects, curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment are structured based on this paradigm. Decisionmakers are more influential on these practices than students. In that context, neoliberal education paradigm limits the democratic practices in education and ignores promoting democratic culture in schools. Creating democratic culture in schools and education requires a student-centered approach. The Council of Europe published “the reference framework of competences for democratic culture” as the core of the “free to speak, safe to learn — democratic schools for all” campaign in 2018. The framework aims to increase the students’ competences so that they can deal with complex social issues in Europe, such as populism and extremism, within democracy. The framework offers a student-centered approach to schooling. The aim of this study is to analyze how the framework define student agency in relation to creating democratic culture in schools for Europe. The research questions for the analysis are “How does the framework define student agency in relation to democratic culture in schools?” and “How does the framework connect student agency and school context?”. The framework is analyzed by using thematic analysis. The themes that I have developed in my analysis are: democratic environment in schools; conventional approaches to schooling; teachers teaching the competences; students as democratic agents. The research paradigm relies on poststructuralism and critical pedagogy. The framework adapts a student-centered approach and aims to create a space for students to practice their agency in all aspects of schooling. Students are expected to be autonomous individuals who can function in a democracy. However, some practices are under the influence of neoliberal education paradigm. Democratic culture is to be promoted by questioning and changing the neoliberal schooling practices and the methods to teach democracy. Schooling practices is to be inclusive to create a more robust democratic platform for every stakeholder of the school community to practice democracy

Comparison of Participation Constraints in Recreational Physical Activity of the Teachers Working Iğdir and Erzurum Provinces

The aim of the study is to compare the participation constraint for leisure activities of teachers who working In the Ministry of National Education (MNE). In order to determine the leisure time constraints leisure constraints scales (LCS) were applied to the participants. A total of 413 teachers (258 male and 155 female) working in the Ministry of National Education participated in the study in Iğdır and Erzurum provinces. No statistically significant difference was found at the level of p <0,05 in any of the sub-dimensions as a result of the inter-city comparison of the female participants. While there was a significant difference in the lack of information, facilities and time sub-dimensions of the male participants in the study, p <0.05 was not significant difference in the other sub-dimensions. It is seen that the difference is in favor of the participants from the province of Erzurum. There was no statistically significant difference between the two cities in terms of lack of information, facilities and time (p <0,05) in the subscales, as in male participants. The female teachers who working Iğdır and Erzurum province there was no difference between the scores in the LCS and the mean scores of both groups were close to each other. For the male participants working in Iğdır province, it was determined that the lack of information, facilities and time constraints were more effective in participation of recreational physical activities than male participants working in Erzurum province

A computational approach to decipher chromatosome structure determinants

In eukaryotic cells, DNA transcription, replication and repair events are controlled by the regulation of DNA compaction mechanisms that determine the open and closed chromatin states. Nucleosomes are the basic DNA packaging units of chromatin. The nucleosome core (NC) consists of a core histone protein octamer with approximately two tight superhelical turns of DNA wrapped around it. The NC is extended at its entry and exit points by linker DNA (L-DNA) and a linker histone (LH) protein binds between the two L-DNA arms to form a chromatosome. The dyad is the single DNA base pair between the nucleosome entry and exit points determining the symmetry axis and is used to define the position of LH binding to a nucleosome. For LH - nucleosome binding, previous studies indicate both on- and off-dyad binding modes, as well as different LH orientations. Thus, the molecular determinants of the structure of LH – nucleosome complex and the dynamics of LH – nucleosome binding are not fully understood. The aim of the research described here was to obtain an atomic-detail level understanding of chromatosome formation. Analysis of the experimentally determined structures of LH – nucleosome complexes showed that instead of a single 3D structure, an ensemble of structures of LH – nucleosome complexes exists. To understand the distribution of these ensembles, normal mode analysis (NMA), standard and accelerated molecular dynamics (MD & AMD) and Brownian dynamics (BD) simulations were applied to LH, nucleosome and chromatosome systems. MD and AMD simulations showed that the globular domain of the LH (LH GD) prefers to be in its closed form in solution. Upon nucleosome binding, the LH GD structure transformed to an open structure due to hydrophobic interactions with the L-DNA of the nucleosome. Additionally, LH GD binding constrained the flexibility of the L-DNA and affected the directions of movement of the L-DNA arms. BD simulations indicated that various chromatosome configurations were possible depending on LH GD sequence and L-DNA opening angles. These findings suggest that LH – nucleosome binding is mediated by a combination of conformational selection and induced fit mechanisms. Further BD simulations show that chromatosome configurations were affected by single point mutations in the LH GD and varied for different LH isoforms. My results indicate that by making specific single point mutation exchanges, it is possible to swap LH – nucleosome configurations among different LH GD isoforms. Similar shifts were observed in chromatosome configuration upon introduction of post translational modifications (PTMs) in the LH GD. I applied BD simulations to compute dissociation rate constant (koff) values and compare them with previously reported fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) data on the binding of various LH mutants to chromatin. The results of the BD simulations correspond with the relative trends in measured FRAP recovery half-times (t50) of LH – chromatin binding of various LH mutants. The results thus enable the interpretation of the FRAP data in terms of a physical model of LH – nucleosome binding. My thesis provides detailed insights into the structure, dynamics and kinetics of chromatosome formation in eukaryotes. The results presented in this work can guide further experiments on the sequence determinants of LH – nucleosome binding

Alkaloids, Coumarins and Lignans from Haplophyllum Species

Although there are a number of Haplophyllum species in the world, H. acutifolium (DC.) G. Don, H. buxbaumii (Poiret) G.Don, H. buxbaumii (Poiret) G.Don, subsp. Buxbaumii, H. cappadocium Spach, H. glabrinum, H. hispanicum Sprach, H. myrtifolium Boiss., H. patavinum (L.) G. D. ON. fil., H. perforatum (M.B.) Vved., H. ptilostylum Spach, H. suaveolens (DC.) G.Don, H. telephioides Boiss., H. thesioides (Fisch ex DC.) G. Don, H. tuberculatum (Forssk.) A.Juss. and H. vulcanicum Boiss. & Heldr. were most studied and a lot of compounds isolated. Only alkaloids, coumarins and lignans of these species are mentioned in this article. In addition some volatile components of H. tuberculatum were also give

Evaluation of pancreas with strain elastography in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Background: To investigate changes in pancreatic elasticity in children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Material/Methods: The study group consisted of 60 children with T1DM, and the control group was comprised of 60 healthy children. Strain ratios were obtained for the pancreas using ultrasound strain elastography (Toshiba Applio 500 device). Baseline descriptive data, hemoglobin A1c (%) level, time since diagnosis of T1DM (months), and strain ratio values were noted and compared between the 2 groups. Furthermore, correlation between strain ratio values and other variables was investigated. Results: ROC analysis yielded an optimal cut-off value of 2.245 (AUC=0.999, p<0.001, sensitivity=0.983, specificity=1.00) for the strain ratio. Strain ratio values greater than 2.245 were likely to be pathological, which could be attributed to increased tissue stiffness in T1DM. The strain ratio was significantly higher in T1DM patients than in the control group (3.38±0.66 vs. 1.32±0.35; p<0.001). The strain ratio correlated positively with age and duration of T1DM (p<0.001 for both), and there was a correlation between the strain ratio and age in the control group (p=0.011). Conclusions: Strain elastography is a promising, safe, non-invasive, and practical method for early detection, long-term screening, and follow-up in children with T1DM

The usual course of thorax CT findings of COVID-19 infection and when to perform control thorax CT scan

COVID-19 infection, a highly contagious disease caused by the SARS-CoV virus, and the World Health Organization declared this increasingly spreading disease as a global public health emergency (pandemic). In the diagnosis of COVID-19, the polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) is considered as the reference standard test. In the early stages, thorax CT findings could be present even before the onset of symptoms, thorax CT has quite high sensitivity in COVID-19 patients with false negative RT-PCR results, and it has a great importance not only in diagnosis but also in follow up. We think that it might be beneficial for our radiologist colleagues in the early diagnosis of the imaging features of this disease, by sharing the experiences we have gained by evaluating the typical and relatively atypical CT findings regarding the natural course of the tomographic findings of COVID-19 and when to control CT

Bifurcation of drift shells near the dayside magnetopause

Close to the dayside magnetopause, there is a region of space where each field line has two magnetic field minima, one near each cusp. That region is located around local noon, and extends about 1-2 R-e from the magnetopause. Particles that enter this region with equatorial pitch angles sufficiently close to 90 degrees will cross the dayside not along an equatorial path, but along one of the two branches on either side of the equatorial plane. The two branches are joined again past local noon. This process of drift-shell bifurcation (DSB) is nonadiabatic even under static conditions. Two physical mechanisms can cause this nonadiabaticity: one that is operative for nearly all magnetospheric magnetic field configurations and another that depends on a particular combination of north-south and east-west asymmetry in the magnetic field. This paper deals only with the first mechanism. For configurations with north-south and east-west symmetry, DSB changes the second invariant I of the motion by a small amount that is of the order of the gyroradius (the first invariant is intact). For near-equatorial particles (I approximate to 0) the change can be significantly larger. Assuming north-south and dawn-dusk symmetry, we present general theoretical expressions for the second-invariant jump Delta I, which can be applied to a variety of magnetic field models. The results show that Delta I is sensitively dependent on the bounce phase of the particle at the bifurcation line. The RMS value of Delta I over a bounce-phase ensemble increases with decreasing mirror field and with increasing kinetic energy. We verify these results with test-particle simulations using model magnetic fields.Publisher's Versio