The Use of Blog Activities to Promote Reflection in an ELT Practicum

Informed by the theories of critical reflection and community of practice, this study aimed to explore the integration of blogs to promote reflection among eighteen pre-service English language teachers registered in a practicum course at a public university in Turkey. Fourteen blog activities were designed and implemented to guide the reflective process of student teachers. Data were collected through archival documents of participants’ blog entries, two focus group interviews and two surveys. A total of 457 entries were analysed in terms of depth of reflection and the analysis revealed evidence of medium or high level reflection in most (61%) of the entries and highest level of reflection in 12% of the entries. The results indicated that the blog activities guided and systematically promoted reflectivity among pre-service teachers and thus have given them an opportunity to engage in deeper levels of reflection

Şer‘iyye Sicillerinin Serlevhaları -İstanbul Kadılığı Şer‘iyye Sicilleri Özelinde-

Osmanlı Devleti’nin kuruluşundan Tanzimat’a kadarki süreçte en etkili hukuki icrâ mercii şer‘iyye mahkemeleridir. Bu mahkemelerde her açıdan kamuyu ilgilendiren cezâî davalar, şahıslar ve kurumlar arasındaki hukukî davalar, ordu mensuplarıyla ilgili askerî davalar, vergi, harç vb. mali yükümlülüklerle ilgili malî davalar görülmüştür. Bundan dolayıdır ki bu tarihe kadarki şer‘iyye sicilleri, muhteva açısından oldukça zengindir. Osmanlı hukuk sisteminin işleyişi ve geçirdiği değişimin incelenmesinde birinci el kaynak niteliğindeki bu sicillerle ilgili zamanla standart formlar oluşmuştur. Sicillerin başında genelde Arapça olan dibâce yani bir giriş kısmı yer almaktadır. Bu kısımda, şer‘i kanunları koyan Allah’a ve bu hükümleri tebliğ eden Hz. Peygamber’e saygı arz edilerek sicile başlanmıştır. Sicillerin serlevhalarında ilk olarak Esmâ-i hüsnâ, hamdele ve besmele yazılmıştır. İstanbul Kadı Sicillerinde Tanzimat öncesinde ve sonrasında, sicillerin kapağında sicil defterini tutan kadı’nın adı, görev tarihi, defterin ihtiva ettiği tarihler ve muhtevasına ait özlü bilgiler yer almaktadır. Bu bilgiler genelde katı‘ adı verilen sanatla kesilen kâğıtların üzerine yazılarak, sicil kapağına yapıştırılmıştır. Şer‘iyye sicillerinde deri, cilt ve ebru sanatlarının uygulanmasının yanında katı‘ sanatının da bulunması, onların sanatsal kıymetini artırmıştır. Şer‘iyye Sicillerinin serlevhalarında Esmâ-i hüsnâ ve Besmele, farklı ifade kalıplarıyla yazılmıştır. Tanzimat öncesinde özellikle sicilin başında Allah’ın adaleti, ilmi, affediciliği, zenginliği, her şeyi işitmesi, duyması ve bilmesi, bağışlayıcılığı, izzet ve şerefli oluşu, karşılıksız ihsan ediciliği, cömertliği, benzersiz yaratıcılığı, eşi ve denginin olmayışını ifade eden Esmâ-i hüsnâsı zikredilmiştir. Tanzimat’tan sonra ise sadece Allah’ın birliğine vurgu yapan isimleri tercih edilmiştir. Bu bağlamda İstanbul Kadılığı’nın payitaht kadılığı olması hasebiyle İstanbul Kadılığı Sicillerinin muhtevâları kadar serlevhalarının diplomatik özellikleri de oldukça önemlidir. Çalışmamızda Şer‘iyye Sicilleri Arşivi’ndeki İstanbul Kadılığı sicillerinin serlevhaları ve başlangıç formları yıllara göre muhtevâ, diplomatika ve sanatsal açıdan tahlil edilmiştir

Hepatocellular carcinoma viral etiology and molecular mechanisms

Cataloged from PDF version of article.Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent carcinomas throughout the world, being responsible for more than 1 million deaths annually and has a strong association with several etiological factors including aflatoxinB1, alcohol and Hepatitis virus B and C. Several studies suggested that HCV subtype 1b causes more severe liver diseases including HCC in a high manner and resistance to antiviral therapy. So, it is important to know genotype and some characteristics of HCV which are unique for the countries to develop better strategies regarding public health. By using direct sequencing information from 5`UTR and NS5B regions we identified subtype 1b as a predominant hepatitis C virus genome in Turkey. Next, the full genome sequence of a Turkish 1b isolate (HCV-TR1) was obtained by cloning of polypeptide-encoding region into 7 overlapping fragments. Although major structural and functional motifs of HCV proteins were maintained in HCV-TR1, it displayed amino acid substitutions in 6 out of 9 major cytotoxic T-cell epitopes. Several HCV proteins have been reported to contribute hepatocellular malignancy by interaction with critical cellular proteins involved in hepatocyte proliferation and survavil. Such studies often use HCC-derived cell lines as experimental models. As a prerequisite to future studies about the Turkish HCV 1b isolate in term of its contribution to HCC developments we investigated on phenotypic characterization of HCC cell lines. We provide experimental evidence that α-fetoprotein-producing HCC lines display in vitro liver stem cell-like properties with self-renewing capability and multi-lineage differentiation potential, even after single-cell cloning. However, their ability to generate fully differentiated normal progeny was disrupted, even if they modulate their differentiation program in response to external factors. These features qualify AFP-producing HCCs as “mis-specified” liver stem cell cancers whose cellular programs are deviated from repopulating liver to forming malignant tumors. Interestingly, stem-like cells described here have been used extensively to study the role HCV proteins. Our observations offer new opportunities for addressing the potential role of HCV in the misspecification of liver stem cells in relation with viral hepatocellular carcinogenesis.Yıldız, EsraPh.D

A problem solving perspective on evaluating knowledge management technologies: Using fuzzy linear programming technique for multiattribute group decision making with fuzzy decision variables

Erensal, Yasemin Claire (Dogus Author) -- Conference full title: PICMET Conference: Technology Management for the Global Future : Istanbul, Turkey, 8 - 13 July 2006The aim of this paper is to develop a framework to aid in the evaluation and selection of KM tools and technologies. In this paper, we investigate the fuzzy linear programming technique (FLP) for multiple attribute group decision making (MAGDM) problems with preference information on alternatives. To reflect the decision maker's subjective preference information and to determine the weight vector of attributes, the linear programming technique for multidimensional analysis of preference (LINMAP) is used. The LINMAP method is based on pairwise comparisons of alternatives given by decision makers and generates the best compromise alternative as the solution that has the shortest distance to the positive ideal solution. Our aim is to develop a LINMAP in MAGDM problem, where decision makers (DM) give their preferences on alternatives in a fuzzy relation. Through the proposed methodology in this research, enterprises can reduce the mismatch between the capability and implementation of the KM technology, and greatly enhance the effectiveness of implementation of the KMS. Finally, the developed model is applied to a real case of assisting decisionmakers in a leading logistics company in Turkey to illustrate the use of the proposed method

Prominent features of platelet count, plateletcrit, mean platelet volume and platelet distribution width in pulmonary tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: We aimed to investigate the relation of platelet count (PLT) and plateletcrit (PCT), mean platelet volume (MPV) and platelet distribution width (PDW) with other acute phase reactants and radiological extent in pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB). METHODS: One hundred patients with PTB (Group 1), 50 patients with community-acquired pneumonia (Group 2) and 28 healthy control individuals (Group 3) were included in this analytic study. RESULTS: WBC (White Blood Cell), ESR (Eritrocyte Sedimentation Rate), CRP (C-Reactive Protein), PLT and PCT values were both in Group 1 and Group 2 than in Group 3. PDW values were significantly higher in Group 1 than Group 3. WBC, ESR and CRP values were lower, while PLT and PCT values were higher in the Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p < 0.001). PLT was positively correlated with CRP and ESR values in the tuberculosis group (p < 0.001), while it was not correlated with CRP and ESR in the pneumonia group (p > 0.05). ESR, CRP, PLT and PCT values were found higher in radiological advanced stage (Stage 3) patients with PTB, while hemoglobin (Hb) was found lower (p < 0.05). Higher WBC, ESR, CRP and PCT values as well as radiological advanced stage were more common in PTB patients with thrombocytosis compared to the patients with normal platelet count, whereas Hb was found lower in these patients. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that reactive thrombocytosis and higher PCT and PDW develop frequently in PTB and there is a relation between thrombocytosis and acute phase reactants, that is the inflammatory response. In addition, tuberculosis with radiological advanced stage is seen more frequently in the patients with thrombocytosis and higher PCT, drawing attention to the possible role of platelets in the cell-based immune process of tuberculosis

Investigation of doctoral dissertations in special education in Turkey

This research is a descriptive study aims to investigate doctoral thesis in special education in terms of various variables. 183 doctoral thesis completed from 1989 to 2017 in special education branch have been gained by searching the thesis center of Council of Higher Education. In order to get descriptive information about doctoral thesis included in the research the technique of document analyzing has been used. The findings obtained at the end of the research have exposed that the subject of intellectual disability was studied most in the thesis, “single subject design” was preferred mostly and a large part of the thesis was completed in Anadolu University. Also, according to the findings it has been revealed that in parallel with the developments in special education the number of thesis has been increasing in late years and more than half of all thesis were completed after 2011. These findings were discussed in the context of special education’s development.This research is a descriptive study aims to investigate doctoral thesis in special education in terms of various variables. 183 doctoral thesis completed from 1989 to 2017 in special education branch have been gained by searching the thesis center of Council of Higher Education. In order to get descriptive information about doctoral thesis included in the research the technique of document analyzing has been used. The findings obtained at the end of the research have exposed that the subject of intellectual disability was studied most in the thesis, “single subject design” was preferred mostly and a large part of the thesis was completed in Anadolu University. Also, according to the findings it has been revealed that in parallel with the developments in special education the number of thesis has been increasing in late years and more than half of all thesis were completed after 2011. These findings were discussed in the context of special education’s development

Recycling of Red Mud as a Building Material via a Stabilization/Solidification Method

This study examines stabilization/solidification techniques for red mud/cement systems that involve the production of construction products while minimizing contamination and recycling the red mud. In these techniques, the polluted components of red mud are fixed in a cement body via adsorption and confinement mechanisms and thus, the possible impact of these pollutants on the environment is minimized. In the first step of this study, the physical, chemical, radioactive and mineralogical properties of the material used were determined. Second, red mud was used to replace portland cement in the following proportions: 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 % of portland cement by weight. Finally, the usability of red mud as a construction product and the environmental effects of such usage were determined.TUBITAKTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [108Y233]This paper was developed under the support of the project TUBITAK, 108Y233. The investigation of the use of building materials with the aim of disposing of different ash and mud samples

Karcinom jezika s endobronhijalnom metastazom: rijedak slučaj

Endobronchial metastases of extrapulmonary malignant tumors are quite rare. We present a patient with endobronchial metastasis previously operated for tongue carcinoma. A 71-year-old female patient presented with the complaint of cough. She had a history of tongue carcinoma operation 2 years before. Chest x-ray revealed an air-fluid level in the lower zone of the right hemithorax. There was a big cavitary lesion in the right lower lobe and bilateral multiple nodular lesions, some of which had cavity formation on computed tomography. Bronchoscopy revealed a polypoid lesion with necrotic appearance and pathologic examination showed squamous cell carcinoma. The lesion was accepted as a metastasis of tongue carcinoma after evaluation of the materials taken from the tongue on previous operation. There was no finding suggestive of local recurrence; however, the patient died from hemoptysis and respiratory insufficiency. In conclusion, endobronchial metastasis should be considered in patients with extrapulmonary malignancies and bronchoscopic examination should be performed in such cases, even in the presence of atypical radiological findings.Endobronhijalne metastaze ekstrapulmonalnih zloćudnih tumora vrlo su rijetke. Prikazuje se bolesnica s endobronhijalnom metastazom, koja je prethodno operirana zbog karcinoma jezika. Bolesnica u dobi od 71 godine žalila se na kašalj. Anamneza je pokazala da je bolesnica bila operirana zbog karcinoma jezika dvije godine ranije. Rentgenografijom prsišta otkrivena je razina zraka i tekućine u donjem dijelu desnog hemitoraksa. Nađena je velika kavitarna lezija u desnom donjem režnju te obostrano višestruke nodularne lezije od kojih su neke pokazale stvaranje kaviteta na kompjutoriziranoj tomografiji. Bronhoskopski je otkrivena polipoidna lezija nekrotičnog izgleda, a patološki je opisana kao karcinom pločastih stanica. Nakon procjene materijala prethodno uzetog tijekom operacije jezika zaključeno je da lezija predstavlja metastazu podrijetlom iz karcinoma jezika. Nijedan nalaz nije upućivao na lokalni recidiv karcinoma, a bolesnica je umrla od hemoptize i respiracijske insuficijencije. U zaključku, na endobronhijalne metastaze treba misliti kod bolesnika s ekstrapulmonalnim zloćudnim bolestima i provesti bronhoskopski pregled, čak i kod atipičnih radioloških nalaza