Empowering EFL Student Teachers through Pedagogical Engagements within an Elective CALL Course

In Turkey, most English as a Foreign Language (EFL) student teachers graduate from teacher education institutions largely without receiving training on educational technology. The latest developments in educational technology however have urged the need for teacher candidates to have certain theoretical and practical knowledge so that they will not suffer from some technology-related intimidation in their future teaching. Considering this lack in EFL teacher education curriculum, and our students' observed needs and challenges in using technology for education, we decided to design an elective Computer-Assisted Language Learning (CALL) course for a group of EFL student teachers. This article reports on a small-scale action research study aiming to empower future EFL teachers in terms of technology-enhanced language teaching and learning. Thus, throughout the course, we provided them with theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiences on using Web 2.0 tools. To collect data, we used interviews and reflective journals. The findings showed EFL student teachers were well-aware of their indispensable need for technology use. Although they found themselves inadequate in terms of integrating technology into language teaching in the beginning, they felt more confident following the course. To conclude, both theoretical knowledge and the practices on Web 2.0 tools during such courses are of great help and deeply needed practices for EFL student teachers whose technological competence might then better professionally develop. (c) Association of Applied Linguistics. All rights reserve

Pulmonary involvement starts in early stage of ankylosing spondylitis

Abstract Not Availabl

Prevalence of Asthma Symptoms and Risk Factors Adults in 20-49 Age Group within Denizli City Center

Asthma is one of the chronic illnesses most frequently occurred in the world. Its prevalence, morbidity and mortality gradually increase. In Denizli, we aimed to determine the risk factors effecting asthma evolution and the prevalence of symptoms related with asthma in adults in 20-49 age group. ECRHS (European Community Respiratory Health Survey) public survey and an additional form prepared by us have been applied to 2516 people in Denizli city center. The most frequent symptoms were cough causing awakening (17,4%) and wheezing (16,8 %). It was found that asthma attack rate was 1,5% and medicine usage rate because of asthma diagnosis was 2,3%. It was seen that asthma like symptoms become more frequent in the older people, and more frequent in females. For wheezing; being female (ORs (95% CI): 1.61 (1.24-2.09) p0.05), being at least 40 years-old (ORs (95% CI): 2.2 (1.68-2.88) p=0.001), atopi existency in the family (ORs (95 % CI): 2.53 (2.01-3.20) p0.001), being widow-widowed (ORs (95% CI): 2.93 (1.29-6.67) p0.001), being not literate (ORs (95% CI): 2.39 (1.17-4.86) p0.001), smoking (ORs (95% CI): 2.23 (1.71-2.90) (p0.001), existence of cockroach at home (ORs (95% CI): 1.27 (1.01-1.60) p=0.004) and feeding cat (ORs (95% CI): 3.0 (1.08-8.87) p=0.015) are determined as an independent risk factor. In conclusion, in this study, it was determined the existency of asthma like symptoms in adults in 20 - 49 age group within city center. It was seen that the environmental risc factors lead to asthma like symptoms

Association KRAS G13D Tumor Mutated Outcome in Patients with Chemotherapy Refractory Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treated with Cetuximab

Background/Aims: Cetuximab is currently approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCR) with KRAS wild-type. Prior few studies demonstrated that G13D mutated tumors could benefit from cetuximab. This study aims to investigate whether KRAS G13D mutated tumors benefit from cetuximab in the chemotherapy refractory patients. Methodology: We retrospectively compared progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and response rate (RR) according to KRAS mutation status in 105 patients with mRC treated at the Cerrahpasa Medical School Hospital, between October 2008 and October 2011, with cetuximab alone or in combination with chemotherapy. Results: PFS was significantly longer in patients G13D mutated tumors (6.81 months) than in patients with other KRAS mutated tumors (5 months) (p=0.027). No significant difference in PFS. between patients G13D mutated and KRAS wild-type tumors was detected. No significant difference in OS was detected in patients between G13D mutated tumors and other KRAS mutated tumors. However, patients with KRAS wild-type tumors had significantly longer OS (16.1 months) than patients with mutated tumors (8.9 months) (p=0.025). RR in patients with other KRAS mutated tumors, was significantly worse than those with G13D mutated tumors (p=0.002). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an association between the presence KRAS G13D mutanted and survival chemotherapy in refractory metastatic colorectal cancer treated with cetuximab

(Retracted article. See vol. 74, pg. 2026, 2010)

Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) syndrome has a critical association with cardiovascular mortality and morbidity. Aortic elastic parameters are important markers for left ventricular (LV) function and are deteriorated in cardiovascular disease.Methods and Results Aortic elastic parameters and LV functions and mass were investigated in 40 patients with OSA (apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) >= 5) (mean age 51.3 +/- 9 years, 32 males) and 24 controls (AHI < 5) (mean age 51.9 +/- 5.2 years, 19 males). All subjects underwent polysomnographic examination and recordings were obtained during sleep. They also underwent a complete echocardiographic examination and systolic and diastolic aortic measurements were noted from M-mode traces of the aortic root. There were no significant differences in the demographic data of the patients with OSA and the controls. Subjects with OSA demonstrated higher values of aortic stiffness (7.1 +/- 1.88 vs 6.42 +/- 1.56, p = 0.0001), but lower distensibility (9.47 +/- 1.33 vs 11.8 +/- 3.36, p=0.0001) than the controls. LV ejection fraction was significantly lower in patients with OSA when compared with the control group (61.3 +/- 5.2% vs 65.9 +/- 8.4%, p=0.0001). LV diastolic parameters were also compared and were worse in the subjects with OSA than in the control subjects (mitral E/A: 0.91 +/- 0.42 vs 1.35 +/- 0.66, p = 0.001; Em/Am: 0.86 +/- 0.54 vs 1.23 +/- 0.59, p=0.021). Respiratory disturbance index had a positive correlation with aortic stiffness (r=0.63, p=0.0001 and negative correlation with distensibility (r=-0.41, p=0.001).Conclusion Aortic elastic parameters are deteriorated in OSA, which has an extremely high association with cardiovascular disease. Increased aortic stiffness might be responsible for the LV systolic and diastolic deterioration in OSA syndrome

Subclinical Infections with Crimean-Congo Hemorrhagic Fever Virus, Turkey

To investigate Crimean-Congo hemorrhagic fever virus in Turkey, we conducted a seroepidemiologic survey during January–April 2009. Seroprevalence of infection was 10% in a sample from an outbreak region and increased with patient age, indicating that the virus had been previously present in Turkey. We also estimated that 88% of infections were subclinical