Genetic Diversity Among Turkish Native Chickens, Denizli and Gerze, Estimated by Microsatellite Markers

The genetic diversity of the Turkish native chicken breeds Denizli and Gerze was evaluated with 10 microsatellite markers. We genotyped a total of 125 individuals from five subpopulations. Among loci, the mean number of alleles was 7.5, expected heterozygosity (H(e)) was 0.665, PIC value was 0.610, and Wright’s fixation index was 0.301. H(e) was higher in the Denizli breed (0.656) than in the Gerze breed (0.475). The PIC values were 0.599 and 0.426 for Denizli and Gerze, respectively. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using genetic distance and the neighbor-joining method. Its topology reflects the general pattern of genetic differentiation among the Denizli and Gerze breeds. The present study suggests that Denizli and Gerze subpopulations have a rich genetic diversity. The information about Denizli and Gerze breeds estimated by microsatellite analysis may also be useful as an initial guide in defining objectives for designing future investigations of genetic variation and developing conservation strategies

A study on seismic isolation of building used LRB

Base isolation system with lead rubber bearing (LRB) is commonly used to prevent structure against to damage of earthquake. Design of LRB system is detailed in this study. The isolated building with LRB design according to Uniform Building Code (UBC-97) and fixed building were examined. The six-storey building with LRB and fixed building were modelled in SAP2000 with the same dynamic loads. The relative floor displacement and internal forces of the seismic isolated and fixed building are compared. In addition, transverse and longitudinal reinforcement of any axis of seismic isolated and fixed building are compared. Analyse results showed that effectiveness of using seismic isolation system on building. The weight of longitudinal and transverse reinforcement of isolated building is smaller than fixed building about 36%, 40% respectively

Biometric layering: template security and privacy through multi-biometric template fusion

As biometric applications are gaining popularity, there is increased concern over the loss of privacy and potential misuse of biometric data held in central repositories. Biometric template protection mechanisms suggested in recent years aim to address these issues by securing the biometric data in a template or other structure such that it is suitable for authentication purposes, while being protected against unauthorized access or crosslinking attacks. We propose a biometric authentication framework for enhancing privacy and template security, by layering multiple biometric modalities to construct a multi-biometric template such that it is difficult to extract or separate the individual layers. Thus, the framework uses the subject's own biometric to conceal her biometric data, while it also enjoys the performance benefits because of the use of multiple modalities. The resulting biometric template is also cancelable if the system is implemented with cancelable biometrics such as voice. We present two different realizations of this idea: one combining two different fingerprints and another one combining a fingerprint and a spoken passphrase. In either case, both biometric samples are required for successful authentication, leading to increased security, in addition to privacy gains. The performance of the proposed framework is evaluated using the FVC 2000-2002 and NIST fingerprint databases, and the TUBITAK MTRD speaker database. Results show only a small degradation in EER compared to a state-of-the-art ngerprint verification system and high identification rates, while cross-link rates are low even with very small databases

Sustainability assessment of biomass-based energy supply chain using multi-objective optimization model

In recent years, population growth and lifestyle changes have led to an increase in energy consumption worldwide. Providing energy from fossil fuels has negative consequences, such as energy supply constraints and overall greenhouse gas emissions. As the world continues to evolve, reducing dependence on fossil fuels and finding alternative energy sources becomes increasingly urgent. Renewable energy sources are the best way for all countries to reduce reliance on fossil fuels while reducing pollution. Biomass as a renewable energy source is an alternative energy source that can meet energy needs and contribute to global warming and climate change reduction. Among the many renewable energy options, biomass energy has found a wide range of application areas due to its resource diversity and easy availability from various sources all year round. The supply assurance of such energy sources is based on a sustainable and effective supply chain. Simultaneous improvement of the biomass-based supply chain's economic, environmental and social performance is a key factor for optimum network design. This study has suggested a multi-objective goal programming (MOGP) model to optimize a multi-stage biomass-based sustainable renewable energy supply chain network design. The proposed MOGP model represents decisions regarding the optimal number, locations, size of processing facilities and warehouses, and amounts of biomass and final products transported between the locations. The proposed model has been applied to a real-world case study in Istanbul. In addition, sensitivity analysis has been conducted to analyze the effects of biomass availability, processing capacity, storage capacity, electricity generation capacity, and the weight of the goals on the solutions. To realize sensitivity analysis related to the importance of goals, for the first time in the literature, this study employed a spherical fuzzy set-based analytic hierarchy method to determine the weights of goals

Incidence, risk factors and mortality of nosocomial pneumonia in Intensive Care Units: A prospective study

To determine the frequency, risk factors and mortality of nosocomial pneumonia a prospective study was conducted in the intensive care units. In the study period, 2402 patients were included. The nosocomial pneumonia was defined according to the Centers for Disease Control Criteria. Overall, 163 (6.8%) of the patients developed nosocomial pneumonia and 75.5% (n = 123) of all patients with nosocomial pneumonia were ventilator-associated pneumonia. 163 patients who were admitted to the intensive care unit during the same period but had no bacteriologic or histologic evidence of pneumonia were used as a control group. The APACHE II score, coma, hypoalbuminemia, mechanical ventilation, tracheotomy, presence of nasogastric tube were found as independent risk factors. Crude and attributable mortality were 65% and 52.6%, respectively. The mortality rate was five times greater in the cases (OR: 5.2; CI 95%: 3.2–8.3). The mean length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital in the cases were longer than controls (p < 0.0001). Patients requiring mechanical ventilation have a high frequency of nosocomial pneumonia

Design and implementation of portable agility measurement system

Tüm antrenör ve sporcuların temel gayesi, en yüksek performansa ulaşmaktır. Çeviklik, takım ve raket sporlarının sportif başarısında belirleyici faktör olarak yer almaktadır. En az oranda hız ve kontrol kaybıyla etkili yön değiştirme becerisi olarak tanımlanan çeviklik literatürde planlı ve reaktif olmak üzere iki kategoride ele alınmaktadır. Reaktif çeviklik testi içinde görsel stratejileri, bilişsel faaliyetleri ve takım sporlarıyla ilişkili çeviklik özelliklerini büyük oranda içine alacak şekilde yeniden ele alınması gerekmektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı takım sporlarına yönelik içinde birçok uyaranın olduğu mobil kullanıma uygun yeni bir reaktif test ölçüm sisteminin tasarımı ve gerçekleştirilmesi olarak belirlenmiştir. Bu çalışmada mevcut çeviklik ölçüm cihazlarından farklı olarak telemetri sistemi ile kablolamanın önüne geçilmiş ve yön değiştirme sayısı da 2 katına çıkarılmıştır. Ayrıca çok sık arıza yapan sıçrama matları yerine optik yansımadan yararlanarak daha kullanışlı bir ölçüm sistemi geliştirilmiştir.The main purpose of all coaches and athletes is to achieve the highest performance. Agility plays an important role in success of team and racket sports. In literature, defined as ability to change direction effectively with minimum rate of loss speed and control, agility is categorized as planned and reactive. Reactive agility test will need be reconsidered as into the agility associated with visual strategies, cognitive abilities and team sports greatly. The purpose of this study is determined as performing and designing a new reactive measurement system included a lot of stimulus related to team sports. In this study, wiring is prevented by utilizing telemetry system as a different from existing agility measurement devices and the number of direction change is increased to 2 times. It has also been developed a more useful measurement system by utilizing the optical reflection instead of splash mats that makes often failure

Düzce Orman Ürünleri Sanayi İşletmelerinin Yeşil Pazarlama Konusunda Tutum ve Davranışlarının İncelenmesi

Gelişen teknoloji ile birlikte çevrenin korunmasına verilen önem giderek artmaktadır. Hem bireysel hem de sivil toplum örgütlerinin çevreye karşı duyarlılığının günden güne artması sonucunda üretici konumunda bulunan işletmeler rakiplerinin önüne geçmek için çevreye daha fazla önem verdiklerini faaliyetlerinde tüketicilere yansıtmak istemektedirler. Bu bağlamda işletmelerin yeşil pazarlama kavramına olan ilgileri de günden güne artış göstermektedir. Yapılan bu çalışma Düzce orman ürünleri sanayi işletmelerinin yeşil pazarlama konusunda tutum ve davranışlarını belirlemeye yönelik bir araştırma niteliğindedir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Ocak-Nisan 2014 döneminde Düzce ilinde Düzce Ticaret ve Sanayi Odasına Kayıtlı 66 orman endüstri işletmesinin anket yardımıyla incelenmesi hedeflenmiştir. İnceleme sonucunda yapılan istatitiksel analizlerle yeşil pazarlama konusunda Düzce orman ürünleri sanayi işletmelerinin yeşil pazarlama kapsamında yaptıkları faaliyetlerle daha yüksek bir tatmine ve müşteri memnuniyetine ulaştıkları belirlenmiştir. Yeşil pazarlama kapsamında işletmelerin daha fazla sorumluluk almaları gerektiği ve bunun sonucunda da daha yüksek finansmana gereksinim duydukları belirtilirken, işletmelerin yeşil pazarlamaya verecekleri önemle güvenilirliklerini arttıracağı görülmüştür

Role of Fine-Needle Aspiration Biopsy in the Management of Salivary Gland Masses

Objective:Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) is widely used in the management of salivary gland masses. Its main advantage is its ability to differentiate benign from malignant disease. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the diagnostic ability of FNAB in salivary gland masses.Methods:The records of patients who had undergone FNAB before parotidectomy or submandibular gland excision between 2005 and 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. FNAB results were classified as negative, positive, suspicious for malignancy, and non-diagnostic. Preoperative FNAB results were compared with definitive histopathological results. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy of FNAB results were calculated.Results:A total of 285 patients were enrolled. Among them, 230 (80.7%) had parotid gland and 55 (19.3%) had submandibular gland masses. Following a definitive histopathological examination, the most common benign tumor was pleomorphic adenoma (52.6%), whereas malignant tumors were mucoepidermoid carcinoma (2%) and squamous cell carcinoma (2%). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of FNAB results were 76.9%, 95.4%, 75%, 95.9%, and 92.6%, respectively. The rate of a suspicious cytology was 5.2% (15 patients) and that of a non-diagnostic cytology was 8.8% (25 patients).Conclusion:FNAB is a safe and simple diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of salivary gland masses and has a relatively high sensitivity and specificity. It may provide valuable information for patient counselling and surgical planning. The major drawbacks include a lower sensitivity than specificity and a relatively high rate of non-diagnostic results

The Impact of Septal Deviation on Intranasal Schirmer Test Values

Objective:Intranasal Schirmer test serves as an objective measurement for evaluation of nasal secretion and humidity. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of septal deviation on nasal secretion and humidity by measuring the intranasal Schirmer test values in patients who had septal deviation and compare it to the values of our healthy volunteers.Methods:The study included 52 patients with nasal septum deviation and 52 volunteers without any rhinologic complaints or deviated nasal septum. Intranasal Schirmer test was performed to all patients and volunteers for both nasal cavities.Results:The intranasal Schirmer test values of the convex (deviated) side were lower than that of the concave (non-deviated) side (20.71 and 23.35 respectively); although this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.054,). After excluding the four patients with equal Schirmer test results on both sides, 70% (34/48) of our patients had lower intranasal Schirmer test values on the deviated side. There was no statistically significant difference between the Schirmer test values of the patients with septal deviation and the volunteers without septal deviation (p>0.05).Conclusion:The Schirmer test values of the deviated sides were less than the values of the contralateral side in majority of our patients. This finding supports the negative effect of nasal septum deviation on nasal humidification, although the difference did not reach statistical significance

The Diagnostic Value of Brush Cytology Alone and in Combination with Tumor Markers in Pancreaticobiliary Strictures

Aim. Differentiation of malignant and benign strictures constitutes a problem despite the increasing experience of the endoscopists, radiologists, and pathologists. The aim of our study is to determine the factors that affect the efficacy of the ERCP guided brush cytology in PBS and to evaluate its diagnostic success when used alone and together with tumor markers. Method. The data from brush cytologies of 301 PBS patients were collected retrospectively and analyzed. The final diagnosis was approved based on the histological examination of the tissue taken surgically or by other methods. In the absence of a histological diagnosis, the final diagnosis was based on radiological studies or the results of a 12-month clinical follow up. Results. A total of 28 patients were excluded from the study. From the remaining 273 patients 299 samples were analyzed. The sensitivity and the specificity of brush cytology in diagnosing malignancy are 62.4% and 97.7, respectively. The sensitivity of brush cytology increased to 94.1% when combined with CA-19.9 and CA-125. Conclusion. Brush cytology is a useful method in diagnosing pancreaticobiliary strictures. Advanced age, stricture dilatation before sampling, the presence of a mass identified by radiological studies, high levels of CA-19.9, ALT, and total bilirubin increase the sensitivity of brush cytology