A Bimodal Extension of the Generalized Gamma Distribution

A bimodal extension of the generalized gamma distribution is proposed by using a mixing approach. Some distributional properties of the new distribution are investigated. The maximum likelihood (ML) estimators for the parameters of the new distribution are obtained. Real data examples are given to show the strength of the new distribution for modeling data.Una extensión bimodal de la distribución gamma generalizada es propuesta a través de un enfoque de mixturas. Algunas propiedades de la nueva distribución son investigadas. Los estimadores máximo verosímiles (ML por sus siglas en inglés) de los parámetros de la nueva distribución son obtenidos. Algunos ejemplos con datos reales son utilizados con el fin de mostrar las fortalezas de la nueva distribución en la modelación de datos

The Effect of Mask Use on the Ocular Surface During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Objectives:The new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic emerged in Wuhan, China in October 2019 and spread rapidly all over the world, making extended mask use an inescapable rule of daily life. Literature data indicate that the use of face masks increases the symptoms of dry eye in addition to preventing the spread of COVID-19. The aim of our study was to evaluate the relationship between the clinical signs and symptoms of dry eye and the duration of mask use in healthy individuals using regular face masks.Materials and Methods:Thirty-five patients aged 20-60 years with no additional ophthalmologic pathology were included in the study. Participants were stratified by duration of face mask use: ≤6 hours/day (group 1) and >6 hours/day (group 2). The patients were assessed with the ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, fluorescein ocular surface staining, and tear break-up time (TBUT) to evaluate the effect of extended mask use on the ocular surface.Results:A total of 62 eyes of 35 patients, 20 women (57.1%) and 15 men (42.9%), were included in the study. The two mask use duration groups had similar OSDI values (p=0.618). When the ocular surface staining pattern was examined according to the Oxford scale, 50% (10/20) of the eyes in group 1 were assessed as stage 1 and the other 10 eyes as stage 0. In group 2, 47.6% (20/42) of the eyes were assessed as grade 1, 11.9% (5/42) as grade 2, and 4.7% (2/42) as grade 3.Conclusion:Face mask use was shown to cause decreased TBUT and ocular surface staining even in healthy individuals. Further studies are needed to investigate changes in tear film after extended daily mask use

COMPARISON OF APOLIPOPROTEIN E GENE POLYMORPHISM AND PLASMA LIPID AMOUNTS IN OBESE AND DISLIPIDEMIC TURKISH CHILDREN

Amaç: Apolipoprotein E gen polimorfizmi ile lipid metabolizması arasındaki ilişkipopulasyon çalışmalarında ortaya konulmuştur. Obez olan çocuklarda apolipoproteinE gen polimorfizmi ile plazma lipid düzeyleri arasındaki ilişki ve obezite ilebirlikte olan dislipidemilerde apolipoprotein E gen polimorfizmi araştırılmıştır.Yöntemler: İnsülin bağımlı diyabeti, karaciğer ve böbrek yetmezliği bulunmayan,plazma lipid düzeyini etkileyecek ilaç kullanmayan, primer obezitesi bulunan 57 çocukve normal kilolu 18 çocuk olmak üzere toplam 75 çocuğun plazma lipid düzeylerinebakılmış ve apolipoprotein E (Apo E) gen polimorfizmi polimeraz zincir reaksiyonu ileanaliz edilmiştir.Bulgular: Obez çocuklarda Apo AI düzeyleri yüksek saptanmıştır. Obez ve obezolmayan grupta E2/E3 dağılımı sırasıyla %10,5, %27,8; E3/E3 dağılımı sırasıyla %80,7,%61; E3/E4 dağılımı sırasıyla %7, %5,6 olarak bulunmuştur. Obez olan grupta E4/E4fenotipi, obez olmayan grupta E2/E4 fenotipi görülmemiştir. Obez olan grupta E2/E4dağılımı %1,8, obez olmayan grupta E4/E4 fenotip dağılımı %5,6 bulunmuştur. Allelsıklıkları obez ve obez olmayan grupta sırasıyla epsilon 2 (ε2) alleli için %6,1, %14;epsilon3 (ε3) alleli için %89,5, %78; epsilon 4 (ε4) alleli için %4,4, %8 olarak benzerbulunmuştur. Bütün gruplarda en sık allelin ε3 olduğu görülmüştür.Sonuç: Apo E allel ve fenotip dağılımının obez ve sağlıklı çocuklarda benzer olduğugözlenmiştir. Obez çocuklarda total kolesterol, Apo B, Apo AI ortalama düzeyi, obezolmayan çocuklara göre daha yüksek bulunmuş, trigliserid düzeyleri obez olan gruptaobez olmayan gruba göre belirgin yükseklik göstermiştir. Objective: The relationship between Apolipoprotein E (Apo E) gene polymorphismand lipid metabolism was presented by the population studies. The aim of this studywas to search the relationship between Apo E gene polymorphism and plasma lipidlevels in obese children and to search Apo E gene polymorphism in dislipidemiascoexisting with obesity. Methods: Seventy five children (57 were primary obese, 18 were normal weight) wereanalysed by polymerase chain reaction for Apo E gene polymorphism and plasmatriglyceride, HDL, LDL and Apo B amounts were evaluated. Excluding criterias for thestudy group are insulin dependent diabetes mellitus, hepatic and renal failure andmedication because of they might affect the lipid concentration in plasma.Results: The Apo AI levels were significantly elevated in obese children. HDL, LDLand Apo B levels were nearly at the same levels while triglycerides levels were muchhigher in obese group than non-obese group, but the difference was not foundstatistically significant. In obese and non-obese group the E2/E3 distribution was10.5% and 27.8%; E3/E3 was 80.7% and 61% and E3/E4 was 7% and 5.6% respectively.The E4/E4 phenotype was not determined in obese group while the E2/E4 phenotypewas not seen in non-obese group. E2/E4 distribution was 1.8% in obese children andE4/E4 distribution was 5,6% in non-obese children . Allele frequencies in obese andnon-obese children for epsilon 2 (ε2) were found as 6.1% and 14%; for epsilon 3 (ε3)89.5% and 78% and for epsilon 4 (ε4) 48% and 4% respectively. There was no significantdifference between the groups according to allele frequency (p>0.05). The ε3 was foundthe most frequent allele in all the groups.Conclusion: Apo E allele and phenotype distribution were found similar in obese andnon-obese children. The Apo AI levels were significantly elevated in obese children

Interaction between Axons and Specific Populations of Surrounding Cells Is Indispensable for Collateral Formation in the Mammillary System

An essential phenomenon during brain development is the extension of long collateral branches by axons. How the local cellular environment contributes to the initial sprouting of these branches in specific points of an axonal shaft remains unclear.The principal mammillary tract (pm) is a landmark axonal bundle connecting ventral diencephalon to brainstem (through the mammillotegmental tract, mtg). Late in development, the axons of the principal mammillary tract sprout collateral branches at a very specific point forming a large bundle whose target is the thalamus. Inspection of this model showed a number of distinct, identified cell populations originated in the dorsal and the ventral diencephalon and migrating during development to arrange themselves into several discrete groups around the branching point. Further analysis of this system in several mouse lines carrying mutant alleles of genes expressed in defined subpopulations (including Pax6, Foxb1, Lrp6 and Gbx2) together with the use of an unambiguous genetic marker of mammillary axons revealed: 1) a specific group of Pax6-expressing cells in close apposition with the prospective branching point is indispensable to elicit axonal branching in this system; and 2) cooperation of transcription factors Foxb1 and Pax6 to differentially regulate navigation and fasciculation of distinct branches of the principal mammillary tract.Our results define for the first time a model system where interaction of the axonal shaft with a specific group of surrounding cells is essential to promote branching. Additionally, we provide insight on the cooperative transcriptional regulation necessary to promote and organize an intricate axonal tree

Administrative Practices Within The Hidden Curriculum Evaluation of These School Principals

Okul yöneticisi okulun eğitimsel ve öğretimsel lideridir. Okul yöneticisinin liderlik görevini yerine getirirken uymak zorunda olduğu mevzuat olarak adlandırılan yasal metinler bulunmaktadır. Ancak okul yöneticisinden beklenilen rollerinin tamamını mevzuatla karşılaması mümkün değildir. Okul yöneticisinin mevzuatı uygulama biçimi bir anlamda onun yönetsel ve eğitsel anlayışlarına bağlı kalmaktadır. Çevrenin, öğrencilerin ve öğretmenlerin okuldan beklentilerinin karşılanması yazılı metinlerde yer almayan ancak okul kültürünün oluşmasında önemli bir yere sahip, yönetsel uygulamaları da içinde barındıran okulun örtük programıyla tamamlanmaktadır.Okul yöneticisinin yönetimsel uygulamalarının örtük programa göre değerlendirildiği bu çalışmada nitel araştırma yöntemi kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın çalışma grubunda Uşak İl Merkezinde görev yapan 13 ilköğretim okulu yöneticisi yer almaktadır. Araştırma konusunun alan alt analiz birimlerini "değerler", "kurallar" ve "iletişim" faaliyetleri oluşturmaktadır. Araştırmada elde edilen bulgulara göre, okul müdürleri okulun değerlerini öğrencilere aktarma etkinliği olarak en çok geleneksel yöntemleri kullanmaktadırlar. Okul müdürleri geleneksel yöntemlerden başka katılımcılığı sağlama, ödüllendirme, kültür oluşturma, sosyal destek (yaşam koçluğu) etkinlikleri gerçekleştirmektedir. Okul müdürlerinin bu etkinlikleri örtük program çerçevesinde oluşturdukları sonucuna ulaşılmıştırSchool manager is the pedagogical and educational leader of the school. There are legal articles which the school manager has to obey while carrying out his/her leadership duties and these texts are called as legislation. However, it is not possible for the school manager to meet all of his/her roles with legislation. In a sense, the way the school manager uses while applying the legislation depends on his/her administrative and educational understanding. Meeting the demands of the environment, students and teachers is completed with the hidden program of the school which includes the administrative practices which have an important role in the formation of the school culture, but, which does not take place in written texts. Qualitative research method has been used in this study in which the administrative applications of the school manager have been evaluated according to the hidden program. 13 primary education school managers who serves in the city center of Usak have taken place in the study group of this research. The field sub-analysis units of the research subject consist of ‘values’, ‘rules’ and ‘communication’ activities. According to the findings of the research, the school managers are using the traditional methods mostly as an activity of transferring the values of the school to the students. Apart from the traditional methods, the school managers are realizing participation enabling, awarding, culture creating and social support (life coaching) activities. It has been concluded that the school managers are realizing these activities within the framework of the hidden curriculu

The effect of rural and urban life on peritonitis rates in chronic peritoneal patients

AbstractBackground It has been reported that living far from the peritoneal dialysis (PD) unit is a risk factor for peritonitis. Considering that PD units are urban located; the question of whether living in a rural area compared to an urban area is a risk factor for peritonitis has arisen.Methods From March 2010 to August 2020, 335 episodes of peritonitis in 202 PD patients followed in a single center were evaluated retrospectively. People living in areas with a population <1000 were defined as living in rural areas regardless of their distance from the PD center. Cox regression analysis was used to identify independent factors associated with peritonitis.Results A total of 202 PD patients were followed during 791 patient-years (mean follow-up of 3.9 years per patient). Total patients had 335 episodes of peritonitis and the rate of peritonitis was 0.42 episodes per year (episodes/patient-year). Cox regression analysis revealed that living environment (urban vs. rural) was not a risk factor for peritonitis (p = 0.57).Conclusions In Turkey, we report that living in a rural area in our region is not a risk factor for peritonitis. It is not the right approach for both the physician and the patient to be reluctant in the choice of PD due to the concern of peritonitis in rural areas