CREATIVITY IN EFL CLASSES: EXAMINING TURKISH SECONDARY SCHOOL TEACHERS’ ATTITUDES AND THOUGHTS

In Turkish context, there are very few studies on creativity in the field of English as a foreign language (EFL). Thus, the study aimed to investigate Turkish in-service EFL teachers’ attitudes towards creativity, to determine whether gender, age, teaching experience and undergraduate area of study influence their attitudes, and to examine their overall thoughts about creativity. The study used a mixed-methods research design, and 200 EFL teachers participated in the quantitative whereas 20 teachers attended the qualitative part of the study. The quantitative data analysis was performed using SPSS 21 while NVivo 8 software was utilized for the qualitative data. The results revealed that most of the teachers exhibit positive attitudes towards creativity. There are, however, some points about which some teachers are not well-informed and have limited knowledge or misconceptions, as understood from their thoughts on the concept of creativity, creative teacher characteristics, and creative activities. Furthermore, several factors constrain their creativity and creative teaching practices. They agree on the need for teacher training to enhance creativity effectively in EFL. It was also determined that EFL teachers’ gender, age, teaching experience and undergraduate area of study do not influence their attitudes towards creativity

Comparative morphological, anatomical, ecological and chemical studies on endemic Satureja parnassica subsp. sipylea from Turkey

Satureja. parnassica Heldr.et Sart. subsp. sipylea P.H. Davis is a subspecies endemic to Turkey. The anatomical, morphological, ecological and chemical features of S. parnassica subsp. sipylea have been investigated. Plant samples were collected from different regions in Turkey. The morphological features of various organs of the plant such as leaf and flower are described in detail. In anatomical studies, transverse sections of the plant stem and leaf have been examined and supported by illustration and photographs. Ecological studies provide information about the physical and chemical structure of soil types in Spil Mountain and Marmara Island. The chemical composition of the essential oil of aerial parts of the plant was examined

Determination of total phenolic content, total flavonoid content and total antioxidant capacity in some endemic Sideritis L. (Lamiaceae) species grown in Turkey

In this study, total phenolic, total flavonoid and antioxidant activities of the some endemic species Sideritis rubriflora Hub.-Mor., Sideritis libanotica Labill. subsp. violascens (P.H.Davis) P.H.Davis, Sideritis erythrantha Boıss. Et Heldr. Apus Bentham var. cedretorum P.H.Davis, Sideritis congesta P. H. Davis Et Hub.-Mor., Sideritis brevidens P.H.Davis and Sideritis vuralii H. Duman Et Başer, which were collected from Anamur district of Mersin province in Turkey, were analyzed. Total phenolic content (TPC), total flavonoid content (TFC) and total antioxidant capacity (DPPH), (ABTS), (FRAP) of the ground surface parts were evaluated. As a result of the study, the highest TPC value was observed in S. erythrantha subsp. cedretorum and S. rubriflora extracts as being 366.9 and 328.3 mg/g DW, respectively; the highest TFC value was observed in S. rubriflora extract as being 155.7 mg/g; the highest DPPH radical scavenging activity was observed in S. congesta and S. brevidens extracts as being 39.1% and 38.9%, respectively; the highest ABTS radical scavenging activity was observed in S. erythrantha subsp. cedretorum and S. rubriflora extracts as being 54.9% and 51.9%, respectively; the highest FRAP value was observed in S. libanotica subsp. violascens extract as being 1500.2 µmol/g. In the light of the acquired findings, it is suggested that Sideritis species used in the study can be used as a possible natural source in the pharmaceutical and food industries. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.466007

A Study on dissolution properties of the sudges from Cr(VI) reduction-precipitation processes

In this article, dissolution characteristics of Cr(VI) reduction–precipitation sludges in the solutions containing mineral acids, organic complexing materials or both are examined. For this purpose, the effects of pH, concentration of complex forming agent and contact time on dissolution of metals from two different sludges obtained by using sodium sulphite and ferrous sulphate as reducing agents are studied. In addition, pollution potentials of the sludges are determined by applying the toxicity tests of TCLP, SPLP, USEPA-1979, and USEPA-1980. It was found that pH, contact time, concentration and type of complex forming substances are effective parameters on dissolution of metals from the sludges. In mineral acid solutions at pH 3, especially in the presence of organic complexing substances, chromium leached out from hydroxide sludges exceeds the concentration limits of USEPA for hazardous wastes. The amounts of chromium dissolved in the citric and ascorbic acid solutions and the amount of iron dissolved in the EDTA solution were found to be higher than in the other test solutions. Also, TCLP test shows that chromium hydroxide sludge obtained from sulphite reduction–precipitation process of Cr(VI) is a potential hazardous solid. According to the results of this study, considering the probable presence of complexing agents in the disposal sites, toxicity test methods should be modified

A study on cations and color removal from thin sugar juice by modified sugar beet pulp

This article describes the use of citric acid modified sugar beet pulp as new ion-exchanger sorbent for the removal of metal cations and colorants from thin juice. The results of batch adsorption runs concerning the effects of contact time, material dosage, temperature and pH drop were presented and discussed. Experimental data on the removal of metal cations showed that the sorption process was rapid and reached equilibrium in 60 min. Modified material in acidic form caused to a significant pH drop in thin juice, which could result with sucrose inversion. Uptake of metal cations increased with temperature whereas that of color decreased. Neutralised type modified product gave more satisfying results. After six successive contacts, 49.7%, 37.5% and 43.7% removals for Ca-Mg, K and color, respectively, were obtained by using neutralised form of modified sugar beet pulp

As(V) removal from aqueous solutions by coagulation with liquid phase of red mud

As(V) removal by using liquid phase of red mud (LPRM) is reported in this article. The experimental section includes characterization of LPRM, as well as As(V) removal from arsenical aqueous solution mixed with LPRM by coagulation in the column. As(V) removal study was divided into two parts; neutralization of LPRM-arsenical solution mixtures with acid solution accompanied with air-agitation and neutralization of those mixtures with CO2 gas. Effect of LPRM/(As(V) solution) volumetric ratio on the removal of As(V) by co-precipitation arsenic together with aluminum present as aluminate in the LPRM were studied. Al/As(V) molar ratio values on the removal of As(V) is evaluated. Results show that As(V) was removed effectively by LPRM with a volumetric LPRM/(As(V) solution) ratio of 0.1 from an arsenical solution in the As(V) concentration of 20 mg dm−3. For an efficient removal, it was found to be required an Al/As(V) molar ratio of 6–8. The results suggest that it is advantageous to use a waste material of red mud liquid phase in the treatment of arsenical wastewater, possibly conjunction with red mud solids as adsorbent that its adsorption ability has been demonstrated earlier

Recovery of metal values from copper smelter slags by roasting with pyrite

Sulphation roasting of primary and secondary copper slags has been carried out to facilitate the dissolution of copper, nickel, cobalt, zinc and iron. The process comprised preroasting of the ground slag followed by roasting with pyrite and then leaching with water. The effects of the roasting and leaching conditions on the recovery of the metal values were explored. While a significant amount of copper solubilization was achieved by direct roasting of sulphidic primary slags, roasting with added pyrite increased the recovery. This technique also enabled the copper to be recovered from a secondary smelting slag. Under optimum conditions, more than 95% of copper could be recovered by only a limited recovery of cobalt, nickel and zinc could be achieved by roasting the preroasted slag with pyrite at 550°C for 1 h with a 0.25 pyrite/slag ratio. Around 2% of the iron in the slags was extracted into the leach solutions. An increase in the roasted temperature resulted in reduced iron contamination but the recovery of copper was also reduced. However, aeration seemed to be an appropriate way to reduce the iron contamination of the leach solutions

Removal of phosphates from aqueous solutions by using bauxite: II.activation study

In this study, acid treatment and heat treatment methods have been investigated in order to enhance the phosphate adsorption capacity of bauxite. For this purpose, a series of bauxites treated with 0.1–1.0 M HCl and another one heated at various temperatures between 200 and 1000 °C were subjected to standardized orthophosphate adsorption tests. Besides determining chemical and mineralogical compositions, TGA and DTA were performed and point of zero net proton charge (PZNPC), surface area, mean particle size and porosity were measured for selected samples. The results have shown that the acid treatment of bauxite has a negative effect on the phosphate adsorption capability. On the other hand, it has been observed that the phosphate adsorption capacity of bauxite could be increased by heating. The optimum heating temperature was determined as 600 °C. Bauxite heated at 600 °C exhibited about an eight-fold increase in surface area compared with raw bauxite. The results showed that the activation of bauxite occurred via dehydration of boehmite and diaspore, being the hydrated mineral phases. Maximum adsorption efficiencies for ortho-, tripoly- and glycerophosphates were achieved in the slightly acidic pH range. It was found that the adsorption capacities of thermally-activated bauxite for all phosphate species investigated were higher than that of raw bauxite. But the increase in adsorption efficiency is not proportional to the increase in specific surface area. It was found that the relative adsorptivity of phosphate species investigated is in the order of orthophosphate > tripoly(phosphate) > glycerophosphate. In addition, it was found that the desorption trends of these phosphate species were similar to the results obtained for raw bauxite

Restoring Aesthetics and Function in a Young Boy with Hypomature Amelogenesis Imperfecta: A Case Report

Amelogenesis imperfecta has been described as a complex group of inherited conditions that disturbs the developing enamel structure and exists independent of any related systemic disorder. It is a rare dental disease but represents a great restorative challenge for dentists. A 12-year-old boy presented with sensitive, discolored, and mutilated teeth and decreased vertical dimension of occlusion. Direct composite resin restorations were applied to all teeth to modify the occlusion, to restore mild crowding, and to improve aesthetics. The 24-month recall examination revealed no pathology associated with the rehabilitation, and the patient's aesthetic and functional expectations were satisfied. The rehabilitation included multiple anterior and posterior composite resins to eliminate tooth sensitivity, improve the aesthetics and occlusion, and restore function

Cr(III) Removal from aqueous solutions by depectinated sugar beet pulp

We report a study of the removal of Cr(III) from aqueous solutions by depectinated sugar beet pulp (DSBP) carried out at different initial concentration of Cr(III), pH and temperature of solution, particle size and adsorbent dosage. Removal percentage of Cr(III) was found to be 86 for inital concentration of 10 mg L−1 at 20 °C and 20 g L−1 adsorbent dosage. The optimum pH for the process was found to be 4.5. The process of uptake follows first-order adsorption rate expression and obeys Langmuir and Freundlich's adsorption models. Enthalpy change of adsorption was found to be −27.3 kJ mol−1. Little fraction of Cr(III) was desorbed in strong acidic media