A Preliminary Study: Application of Quality Matters Standard 5 (Course Activities and Learner Interaction) to Development of an Online Business Management Course

Quality Matters (Quality Matters [QM] Higher Education Rubric Workbook, 2014) is a national benchmark for online course design, and serves as a continuous improvement model for assuring quality of online courses through a faculty review process. QM is also described as “a faculty-centered, peer review process that is designed to certify the quality of online and blended course” (QM Higher Education Rubric Workbook, para 1). QM has eight research based rubric areas: “1) Course Overview and Introductions; 2) Learning Objectives or Competencies; 3) Assessment and Measurement; 4) Instructional Materials; 5) Course Activities and Learner Interaction; 6) Courses Technology; 7) Learner Support; 8) Accessibility and Usability” (QM Higher Education Rubric Workbook, p. 1). The purpose of this preliminary study was to develop a sample model course demonstrating the use of QM General Standard 5, Course Activities and Learner Interaction

Measurement of melatonin in body fluids: Standards, protocols and procedures

Abstract: The circadian rhythm of melatonin in saliva or plasma, or of the melatonin metabolite 6‐ sulphatoxymelatonin in urine, is a defining feature of suprachiasmatic nucleus function, the endogenous oscillatory pacemaker. These measurements are useful to evaluate problems related to the onset or offset of sleep and for assessing phase delays or advances of rhythms in entrained individuals. Additionally, they have become an important tool for psychiatric diagnosis, its use being recommended for phase typing in patients suffering from sleep and mood disorders. Thus, the development of sensitive and selective methods for the precise detection of melatonin in tissues and fluids of animals emerges as necessary. Due to its low concentration and the co‐existence of many other endogenous compounds in blood, the determination of melatonin has been an analytical challenge. This review discusses current methodologies employed for detection and quantification of melatonin in biological fluids and tissues

Unpublished Mediterranean and Black Sea records of marine alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species

To enrich spatio-temporal information on the distribution of alien, cryptogenic, and neonative species in the Mediterranean and the Black Sea, a collective effort by 173 marine scientists was made to provide unpublished records and make them open access to the scientific community. Through this effort, we collected and harmonized a dataset of 12,649 records. It includes 247 taxa, of which 217 are Animalia, 25 Plantae and 5 Chromista, from 23 countries surrounding the Mediterranean and the Black Sea. Chordata was the most abundant taxonomic group, followed by Arthropoda, Mollusca, and Annelida. In terms of species records, Siganus luridus, Siganus rivulatus, Saurida lessepsianus, Pterois miles, Upeneus moluccensis, Charybdis (Archias) longicollis, and Caulerpa cylindracea were the most numerous. The temporal distribution of the records ranges from 1973 to 2022, with 44% of the records in 2020–2021. Lethrinus borbonicus is reported for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea, while Pomatoschistus quagga, Caulerpa cylindracea, Grateloupia turuturu, and Misophria pallida are first records for the Black Sea; Kapraunia schneideri is recorded for the second time in the Mediterranean and for the first time in Israel; Prionospio depauperata and Pseudonereis anomala are reported for the first time from the Sea of Marmara. Many first country records are also included, namely: Amathia verticillata (Montenegro), Ampithoe valida (Italy), Antithamnion amphigeneum (Greece), Clavelina oblonga (Tunisia and Slovenia), Dendostrea cf. folium (Syria), Epinephelus fasciatus (Tunisia), Ganonema farinosum (Montenegro), Macrorhynchia philippina (Tunisia), Marenzelleria neglecta (Romania), Paratapes textilis (Tunisia), and Botrylloides diegensis (Tunisia).peer-reviewe

Indoor Rn-222 concentrations in the vicinity of a Turkish coal-fired power plant

WOS: 000081120500010Combustion of coal is a significant source of technologically enhanced exposure to naturally occurring radionuclides. Coal, like most materials found in nature, contains natural radionuclides and their products in small quantities. Therefore, depending on the activity concentrations of naturally occurring radionuclides in coal, a coal-fired power plant might potentially contaminate its environment. In the present work, from the point of view of environmental contamination, indoor Rn-222 concentrations in 100 houses located in the vicinity of Yatagan coat-fired power plant (YaCPP) in the southwestern part of Turkey were measured by solid state nuclear track detectors (LR 115-II). The time-integrated Rn-222 concentrations in the houses ranged from 10 to 120 Bq m(-3). This corresponds to an annual effective dose equivalent ranging from 0.6 to 7.3 mSv. It was also derived from the observations that, in 96% of the homes, a Rn-222 concentration of 100 Bq m(-3), taken as the limit for future buildings, as recommended by ICRP (1984), was not exceeded. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved

Direct Measurement of U-238 and Disequilibrium State In Geological Samples By Low-Energy Scintillation Gamma Spectroscopy

WOS: A1992HF30300007A method has been developed to determine the state of disequilibrium and uranium content in geological samples using low energy gamma scintillation spectrometry. Ore standards in radioactive equilibrium were prepared in different concentrations and their low energy spectra were compared with those of chemical uranium standards of the same concentrations. The standards were analysed carefully for their U contents using X-ray fluorescence and high resolution gamma spectrometers. Counts of the complex peak under which 63 keV and 93 keV photopeaks take place in ore spectra were compared with the counts in corresponding channels of chemical uranium spectra. For standards in equilibrium it was found that (26 +/- 2)% of the counts under complex peak came from Th-234 and also there was a constant relation between Th-234 (63 keV and 93 keV) and Pb-210 (47 keV) counts. The technique was applied to the geological samples for which eU concentrations had been measured previously by means of high energy gamma spectroscopy in the same laboratory

137Cs, 40K, alkali-alkaline earth element and heavy metal concentrations in wild mushrooms from Turkey

In 2002, an extensive study was performed in forest sites of Izmir. This first study results led on the one hand, to quantify of 137Cs and 40K concentration in mushrooms collected in the Izmir region and to a first evaluation of dose in people due to the ingestion of radionuclide- contaminated mushrooms. The mushroom concentration values varied over a wide range from below detection limit to 401 ± 4Bq kg-1 (dry wt) for 137Cs. The 40K concentration values obtained for different species of mushrooms rang ed from 588 ± 26 Bq kg-1 to 2024 ± 63 Bq kg-1 (dry wt). The annual effective dose values due to mushroom ingestion for 137Cs are lower than the ICRP-2007's reference level value of 1 mSv for "existing" exposure situation. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry was used to measure many alkali-alkaline earth elements and heavy metals in mushroom samples. The relationships among the concentrations of 137Cs and the stable elements were presented and the occurrence of metals in mushrooms was evaluated. © Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary 2010.Firat University Scientific Research Projects Management Unit: 2003 NBE 006 Ege ÜniversitesiAcknowledgment Grateful thanks are offered to the provider of financial support for the research presented here: Ege University Scientific Research Project (Project no: 2003 NBE 006). The authors also would like to thank Mr. Halil Solak (Mug^la University, Ula Technical High School, Department of Mycology) for his indispensable help during precise identification of the different fungi species and the ACME Laboratory for carrying out trace element analyses of mushroom samples. -

Distribution of radiocesium and natural gamma emitters in pine needles in coniferious forest sites of Izmir

WOS: 000251536900011PubMed ID: 17512205pine needles. Activity concentrations of the concerned radionuclides in the needle samples were as follows: Be-7, 24.6 +/- 2.40 to 210 +/- 7.21 Bq kg(-1), K-40, 23.5 +/- 12.4 to 287 +/- 15.6 Bq kg(-1), Ra-226, 0.44 +/- 0.12 to 12.3 +/- 2.18 Bq kg(-1), and (CS)-C-137, 0.61 +/- 0.30 to 2.29 +/- 0.38 Bq kg(-1). It is found that the frequency distributions obtained for Be-7 and (CS)-C-137 can be fitted to a normal distribution, and for K-40 and Ra-226 can be fitted to a log-normal distribution. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved