Multilevel analysis of the effects of leardership styles, decision making strategies and personality on decision-making process in schoolsLiderlik stilleri, karar verme stratejileri ve kişiliğin okullardaki karar sürecine etkilerinin çok düzeyli analizi

This study aims to identify factors that are effective on decision making at school, to analyse how these processes occur, to investigate whether decision making processes differ from school to school; and to demonstrate whether decision making processes at schools are associated with personality, decision making strategies and principals’ leadership. The research was conducted during 2012-2013 academic year in central districts of Ankara. It covered a total number of 473 participants (22 principals and 449 teachers), who work in 24 different elementary schools. In order to collect necessary data for the research, Adjective Based Personality Scale (Bacanlı, İlhan and Aslan, 2009), Leadership Styles Scale (Çuhadaroğlu, 2008) and Decision-Making Questionnaire at School and Decision Making Process Questionnaire at School, which were developed by the authors, were employed in this study. In analysing the data, two-level hierarchical linear model technique was used. According to the research findings, the most important factors in decision making at schools are deputy principals, senior education managers and teachers. The least effective ones are citizens that are not custodians for students, non-educative personnel at school and representatives of non-governmental organisations. ÖzetBu çalışmada, okullarda karar verme sürecinde etkili olan faktörlerin neler olduğu, okulda karar süreçlerinin nasıl gerçekleştiği, karar verme süreçlerinin okullara göre farklılaşıp farklılaşmadığı ve okullardaki karar verme süreçlerinin kişilik, karar verme stratejileri ve okul müdürünün liderliği ile ilişkili olup olmadığının ortaya konulması amaçlanmaktadır. Araştırma, 2012-2013 eğitim ve öğretim yılında, Ankara ili merkez ilçelerindeki 24 ilköğretim okulunda görev yapan 22 okul müdürü ve 449 öğretmen olmak üzere toplam 473 katılımcı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Araştırma için gerekli verilerin toplanması amacıyla Sıfatlara Dayalı Kişilik Testi (Bacanlı, İlhan ve Aslan, 2009) ve Liderlik Stilleri Ölçeği (Çuhadaroğlu, 2008) ve araştırmacılar tarafından geliştirilen Okulda Karar Alma Anketi ve Okulda Karar Alma Süreci Ölçeği kullanılmıştır. Verilerin analizinde iki düzeyli hiyerarşik doğrusal model tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırma  sonuçlarına göre, okullarda karar alımında en etkili olan faktörler müdür yardımcıları, üst düzey eğitim yöneticileri ve öğretmenlerdir. En az etkili olanlar ise öğrenci velisi olmayan vatandaşlar, okuldaki eğitici olmayan personel ve sivil toplum kuruluşu temsilcileridir

The role of antioxidant activity in the prevention and treatment of infertility caused by cisplatin in rats

Kurt, Nezahat/0000-0002-1685-5332; AKSOY, Ayse Nur/0000-0002-3793-9797; AKSOY, Mehmet/0000-0003-0867-8660WOS: 000350267200009PubMed: 25632879Background/Aims:To investigate the importance of antioxidant activity in infertility caused by cisplatin in rats. Methods: Rats in cisplatin control (CG), Vitamin E+cisplatin (ECG), Vitamin C + cisplatin (CCG), Hippophae rhamnoides extract (HRE) + cisplatin (HRECG), and thiamine pyrophosphate (TPP) + cisplatin (TPPCG) groups were injected intraperitoneally (ip) with (100 mg/kg) Vitamin E, Vitamin C, HRE, and TPP, respectively. One hour later, ip cisplatin was administered (5 mg/kg), and then antioxidant medications were continued for 10 days. Cisplatin + Vitamin E (CEG-1), cisplatin + Vitamin C (CCG-1), cisplatin + HRE (CHREG-1), and cisplatin + TPP (TPPCG-1) rats received cisplatin (5 mg/kg, ip) and were kept for 10 days. At the end of that period, rats received antioxidant medications for 10 days. (n = 12, for each group). Six rats from each group were sacrificed. Ovaries were removed to measure malondialdehyde, total glutathione, glutathione S-transferase, and glutathione reductase levels. the remaining rats were kept in a suitable laboratory environment. Results: Cisplatin-induced oxidative stress was best prevented by HRE, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and TPP, in that order. However, infertility caused by cisplatin was only prevented and treated by TPP. Conclusion: Oxidative stress is not a major component in the pathogenesis of cisplatin-associated infertility. (C) 2015 S. Karger AG, Base

Protective effect of resveratrol against methotrexate-induced oxidative stress in the small intestinal tissues of rats

Kurt, Nezahat/0000-0002-1685-5332; Arslan, Aynur/0000-0001-5968-5823WOS: 000361557500026PubMed: 26379839The effect of resveratrol on the damage induced by methotrexate (MTX) in rat duodenum and jejunum tissue was investigated and evaluated in comparison with famotidine. the rats were divided into four groups as healthy group (HG), resveratrol+MTX (RMTX) group, famotidine+MTX (FMTX) group and the control group which received MTX (MTXC). RMTX group was given resveratrol 25 mg/kg and FMTX group famotidin 25 mg/kg, while MTXC and HG groups were orally administered distilled water once a day for 30 days. the rats in RMTX, FMTX and MTXC groups were given MTX of 5 mg/kg dose by the same way for 30 days. At the end of this period, amount of MDA, 8-OH/Gua and tGSH, and MPO gene expression were measured in the duodenal and jejunal tissues and the results were histopathologically evaluated. Resveratrol and famotidine were found to significantly prevent elevation of the MDA, 8-OH/Gua and MPO parameters with MTX and decrease of the levels of tGSH in the duodenal and jejunal tissues. Both drugs prevented severe damage to the villus and crypt epithelium in the duodenum and jejunum, congestion and hemorrhage, inflammatory cell infiltration and necrosis in the mucosa and submucosa due to MTX administration. Resveratrol could be considered in the clinical practice for treatment of the tissue damage in the intestines due to use of MTX, in comparison with famotidine. Resveratrol may be more advantageous than famotidine in long-term use against MTX toxicity since it does not inhibit gastric acid secretion

The effects of metyrosine on ischemia-reperfusion-induced oxidative ovarian injury in rats: Biochemical and histopathological assessment

Abstract The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of metyrosine on ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) induced ovarian injury in rats in terms of biochemistry and histopathology. Rats were divided into: ovarian I/R (OIR), ovarian I/R+50 mg/kg metyrosine (OIRM) and sham (SG) operations. OIRM group received 50 mg/kg metyrosine one hour before the application of the anesthetic agent, OIR and SG group rats received equal amount of distilled water to be used as a solvent orally through cannula. Following the application of the anesthetic agent, ovaries of OIRM and OIR group rats were subjected to ischemia and reperfusion, each of which took two hours. This biochemical experiment findings revealed high levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) and low levels of total glutathione (tGSH), superoxide dismutase (SOD) and cyclo-oxygenase-1 (COX-1) in the ovarian tissue of OIR group, with significant histopathological injury. In metyrosine group, MDA and COX-2 levels were lower than the OIR group whereas tGSH, SOD and COX-1 levels were higher, with slighter histopathological injury. Our experimental findings indicate that metyrosine inhibits oxidative and pro-inflammatory damage associated with ovarian I/R in rats. These findings suggest that metyrosine could be useful in the treatment of ovarian injury associated with I/R

A Prospective Study of Etiology of Childhood Acute Bacterial Meningitis, Turkey

Vaccines to prevent bacterial meningitis in this region must provide reliable protection against serogroup W-135

The effect of nimesulide on oxidative damage inflicted by ischemia-reperfusion on the rat renal tissue

Kurt, Nezahat/0000-0002-1685-5332WOS: 000350554300025PubMed: 25418059The objective of our study is to research biochemically and histopathologically the effect of nimesulide on oxidative damage inflicted by ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) on the rat renal tissue. Twenty-four albino Wistar type of male rats were used for the experiment. the animals were divided into groups as: renal ischemia-reperfusion control (RIR), nimesulide + renal ischemia-reperfusion of 50 mg/kg (NRIR-50), nimesulide + renal ischemia-reperfusion of 100 mg/kg (NRIR100), and sham groups (SG). in NRIR-50 and NRIR-100 groups were given nimesulide, and RIR and SG groups were given distilled water, an hour after anesthesia. Groups, except for the SG group, 1-h-ischemia and then 6-h-reperfusion were performed. in the renal tissue of the RIR group in which the malondialdehyde (MDA), myeloperoxidase (MPO), and 8-hydroxyguanine (8-OHGua) levels were measured, the COX-1 and COX-2 activities were recorded. Nimesulide at 100 mg/kg doses reduced the oxidant parameters more significantly than 50 mg/kg doses; on the other hand, it raised the antioxidant parameters. It has been shown that 100 mg/kg doses of nimesulide prevented the renal I/R damage more significantly than a dose of 50 mg/kg, which shows that nimesulide, in clinics, could be used in the prevention of I/R damage

Gossypin protects against renal Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury in rats

*Akaras, Nurhan ( Aksaray, Yazar )Renal injury occurring as a result of renal ischemia-reperfusion may lead to renal failure or even death. The aim of this study is to investigate possible protective effects of Gossypin on tissue damage occurred due to ischemia-reperfusion in rat kidney tissue. A total of 48 male Wistar albino rats were used in the study. These rats were randomly divided into 6 groups equally (n = 8). The created groups were control (C), sham (S), ischemia-reperfusion (I/R), I/R + DMSO, I/R + 400 mu g/kg gossypin and I/R + 4 mg/kg gossypin. In the rats of sham group, the right nephrectomy was performed. In the rats of other groups rather than sham, the left renal artery was clamped after performing the right nephrectomy. Gossypin was administered intraperitoneally before the reperfusion. 24 h reperfusion was applied to the left renal after 1 h of ischemia. TNF-alpha, IL-1 beta, IL-6 and IL-10 levels were measured with spectrophotometric methods in the kidney tissues after the procedures were completed. Apoptosis and inflammatory pathways were evaluated histopathologically using Caspase 3 and NF-kappa B antibodies. There was a statistically significant decrease in IL-1 beta and IL-6 levels of the gossypin groups compared to the I/R group (P<0.05). As the level of TNF-alpha was decreased in the gossypin administered groups compared to the I/R group although not statistically significant, the level of IL-10 was increased. In the present study, we aimed to show that gossypin in renal I/R model is effective on inflammatory process and apoptosis and that it can be used in routine treatment to decrease the damage in all reasons that may cause I/R. In addition, this study can shed light on the studies to be done in this field in the future...

High Fetuin-A Levels in Children with Celiac Disease

Objective: Fetuin-A is a multifunctional non-collagen protein that plays a role in bone mineralization. Celiac disease is a chronic inflammatory disorder of the small intestine due to exposure to gluten. In this research, it was aimed to investigate levels of Fetuin-A and its relationship with bone mineral density in children with celiac disease. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted on 59 children with celiac and 29 healthy children. The celiac disease group was composed of three groups, newly diagnosed, gluten-free diet compliant and, non- gluten-free diet compliant patients. Serum Fetuin-A concentrations were measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Measurement of bone mineral density was performed a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Results: Serum Fetuin-A levels were 136.85 ± 38.09 µg/L and 112.95 ± 44.39 µg/L in the celiac disease and healthy control groups, respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between groups in levels of serum Fetuin-A (P < .05). A significant positive correlation was observed between serum Fetuin-A and bone mineral density Z-score in the celiac patients. Conclusion: Increased Fetuin-A levels and positive correlation between Fetuin-A and bone mineral density in children with celiac disease suggest that Fetuin-A may be a biomarker for celiac disease

The effect of etoricoxib on kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats: A biochemical and immunohistochemical assessment

Kurt, Nezahat/0000-0002-1685-5332; Albayrak, Abdulmecit/0000-0002-1062-1965; Gundogdu, Cemal/0000-0003-2857-923XWOS: 000347019800024PubMed: 25068826The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of etoricoxib on oxidative injury induced with ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) in rat kidney tissue in terms of biochemistry and immunohistochemistry. Male Albino Wistar rats were divided into renal I/R (RIR), 50 mg/kg etoricoxib + RIR (ETO-50), 100 mg/kg etoricoxib + RIR (ETO-100) and sham operation (SG) groups. Animals in the ETO-50 and ETO-100 groups were given etoricoxib by the oral route at dosages of 50 and 100 mg/kg, respectively. the RIR and SG groups were given distilled water as solvent. One hour after drug administration, 1 h of ischemia and 3 h of reperfusion were applied to the left kidneys of all rats (apart from SG) under 25 mg/kg thiopental sodium anesthesia. At the end of that time, kidneys were extracted and biochemical and immunohistochemical analyses were performed. Etoricoxib reduced, in a dose-dependent manner, levels of MDA, MPO and COX-2 that normally rise with I/R in rat kidney tissues. Etorixicob did not alter COX-1 activity at 50 and 100 mg/kg doses, but significantly prevented loss of tGSH in tissues with I/R. in addition, Bd-2' gene expression inhibited with I/R was prevented in renal tubular and glomerular cells. Furthermore, etoricoxib significantly decreased the caspase-3 gene expression which increased with I/R. Etoricoxib significantly prevented I/R injury in a dose-dependent manner. the results of this study show that etoricoxib treatment could decrease kidney injury during IR. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

The Effects of Atypical Antipsychotic Usage Duration on Serum Adiponectin Levels and Other Metabolic Parameters

Objective: Although atypical antipsychotics are well-tolerated and effective treatment options for schizophrenia, they have metabolic side effects, including weight gain and increased risk of Type II Diabetes Mellitus (DM). Adiponectin, produced exclusively in adipocytes, is the most abundant serum adipokine. Low levels of adiponectin are correlated with DM, insulin resistance and coronary heart disease. Usage of atypical antipsychotics may create a risk of metabolic syndrome. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of antipsychotic usage on parameters related to development of metabolic syndrome.Materials and Methods: A total of 27 patients (n=27) (13 women and 14 men) were recruited from our out-patient psychiatry clinic. All patients had been treated with atypical antipsychotics for at least 3 months and were in remission. Patients were evaluated for levels of HDL (High Density Lipoprotein), LDL (Low Density Lipoprotein ), TG (Triglyceride) total cholesterol and fasting blood glucose, body weight, BMI (Body Mass Index), waist circumference and serum adiponectin levels. Results: Serum adiponectin levels were significantly lower (p:0.000) and body weights were significantly higher (p:0.003) in the patients who had been using atypical antipsychotics for longer than a year in comparison to patients who had been using atypical antipsychotics for one year or less.Conclusion: Our findings supported the hypothesis that the length of administration of atypical antipsychotics has an effect on metabolic changes. They also highlight the fact that when investigating metabolic changes generated by atypical antipsychotic effects, the length of time that the patient has been on the atypical antipsychotics should also be considered