Properties of Roman bricks and mortars used in Serapis temple in the city of Pergamon

Serapis temple, which was constructed in the Roman period in the city of Pergamon (Bergama/Turkey), is one of the most important monuments of the world heritage. In this study, the characteristics of bricks and mortars used in the temple have been determined in order to define the necessary characteristics of the intervention materials, which will be used in the conservation works of the temple. Several analyses were carried out to determine their basic physical properties, raw material compositions, mineralogical and microstructural properties using X-ray diffraction, Scanning Electron Microscope and a Thermo Gravimetric Analyzer. Analysis results indicated that the mortars are stiff, compact and hydraulic due to the use of natural pozzolanic aggregates. The Roman bricks are of low density, high porosity and were produced from raw materials containing calcium poor clays fired at low temperatures

Hadis literatüründe Fedâilü's-Sahâbe türü kaynaklar ve Nesâî'nin Fedâilü's-Sahâbesi

Sahabe, geçmişte olduğu gibi bu gün de Müslümanlar arasındaki temel tartışma konularından biridir. Sahabe tasavvuru İslam dünyasındaki ekolleşmenin temel unsurlarındandır. Bu da sahabenin önemini artırmaktadır. Özellikle Şia ve Ehl-i Sünnet ekollerinin temel ayrılma noktası bu alandır. Sünni nazarda yüksek itibara sahip olan sahabe, bu itibarını Şia'da görmemekte, ilk üç halife başta olmak üzere sahabenin tamamına yakını tekfir edilmekte, din mensupları nezdinde kötü gösterilmektedir. Şia'nın bu olumsuz tavrına karşılık Ehl-i Sünnet de sahabeyi koruma onun faziletini benimseme gayretinde olmuşlardır. Ehl-i Sünnet, genelde sahabeye saygılı olmayı, onları korumayı ilke edinmiştir. Özellikle "Mihne" dönemindeki olumsuz sahabe tasavvurunu düzeltmek, bu dönemde yazılan "Mesâlib" türü eserlere bir reddiye olarak "Fezâilü'-Sahabe" veya "Menâkıb" türü eserler yazmak ve ehl-i bid'at'ın fikirlerine dayanak için uydurulan rivayetlere karşı sahih rivayetleri derleme gereği duyulmuştur. Bu konuda pek çok eser telif edilmiştir. Nesâî de sahabenin faziletini belirten rivayetleri derleyen müctehid âlimlerdendir. es-Sünenü'l Kübra'sının Menâkıb bölümü daha sonra müstakil bir kitap olarak Faruk Hammade'nin tahkikiyle basılmıştır. Biz de bu kitapta geçen rivayetleri değerlendirerek, rivayetlerin numara sırasına göre her biri hakkında açıklamalar yaptık, rivayetin sıhhati, senedi ve hakkında yapılan yorumlara da kısaca değindik

Estimating the fully burdened cost of supply in a self-sustaining supply chain using an input-output model

Armed forces of many countries conduct various operations both at home and worldwide. These operations are conducted not only in areas where procurement is viable, but also in areas where commodities consumed by the logistics activities are not locally available. Estimating and calculating the fully burdened cost of supply in such areas where commodities consumed by the logistics activities are not locally available has become a major research and study field. This study focuses on the effects of change in vehicle fuel consumption rates on fully burdened cost of supplies in a self-sustaining supply chain and how the existence of demand at intermediate nodes affects the fully burdened cost of supplies. After modeling five different scenarios, the effects of changes in the size of convoy and delivery system were analyzed by comparing the results of each scenario. The results of this analysis show that small convoys in supply chains are more efficient than big convoys, and the fuel consumption rate of vehicles is so crucial that it should not be disregarded when estimating fully burdened cost of fuel.http://archive.org/details/estimatingfullyb1094538876Major, Turkish ArmyCaptain, Turkish ArmyApproved for public release; distribution is unlimited

Does climate change affect bank lending behavior?

We examine how banks adjust credit supply in areas with higher exposure to climate risks by utilizing the province-level air pollution and loan growth data of a large emerging market, Turkey, following the Paris Agreement in 2015. Our results show that banks limit their credit extension to more polluted provinces in the post-agreement interval, implying that banks consider climate change-related risks and adjust their credit provisioning accordingly. Our baseline findings are intact against a myriad of robustness checks. We also find that the shift in the climate risk-credit provisioning nexus is asymmetric depending on the levels of air pollution.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Complete blood cell count-derived inflammation biomarkers and the need for laser capsulotomy due to posterior capsule opacification following cataract surgery

Background: Inflammation plays a significant role in the proliferation, migration, and differentiation of lens epithelial cells after cataract surgery, clinically manifested as posterior capsule opacification (PCO). This condition is typically treated with neodymium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser capsulotomy. Our objective is to evaluate the association between blood-derived inflammatory markers and the development of clinically significant PCO necessitating treatment with laser capsulotomy. Materials and Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of charts for all patients who underwent Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy in our department between January 2021 and December 2022. The study included 70 patients who diagnosed with clinically significant PCO requiring treatment with Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy following cataract surgery, as well as 70 pseudophakic controls with no signs of PCO. Complete blood cell count parameters were obtained from medical records and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) were calculated. Results: The mean age of the Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy and control group was 71.83 +/- 8.46 and 72.27 +/- 9.98 years, respectively. The preoperative NLR scores for the Nd:YAG laser capsulotomy group (mean rank = 34.43) were statistically significantly higher than those of the control group (mean rank = 25.41) (p = 0.044). However, after adjusting for preoperative measurements, no statistically significant differences were observed between the groups for the other parameters. Conclusion: Preoperative NLR scores were higher in patients who developed clinically significant PCO requiring treatment with Nd: YAG laser capsulotomy. This finding suggests that patients with elevated systemic inflammation may be at an increased risk of developing PCO following cataract surgery. Further research is needed to evaluate the role of systemic inflammation in the pathogenesis of PCO

Comparison of Physicians’ Perceptions Regarding Dermatological Diseases

Background/Aims: Physicians frequently encounter skin diseases and provide opinions to their patients regarding dermatology. We aimed to assess the perceptions of physicians regarding skin diseases and to compare dermatologists’ and non-dermatologist physicians’ understanding of specific dermatological issues. Methods: Through an online form, participants were asked to respond to sentences indicating whether skin diseases are related to the liver or food with options such as "almost always," "mostly," "half-and-half," "less often," and "almost never." Similarly, they were asked to respond to sentences related to avoiding isotretinoin treatment and performing allergy tests in acute urticaria with options as "strongly disagree," "disagree," "partly agree," "agree," and "strongly agree." Statistical analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences v.27. Results: The sentences “skin diseases are of liver origin” and “skin diseases are caused by foods/drinks” received responses of “almost never” or “less often” at a rate of 91.8% and 80.9%, respectively. The total proportions of participants who selected “strongly agree,” “agree,” or “partly agree” were 53.9% for the statement restricting isotretinoin use and 45.5% for the statement recommending allergy testing in acute urticaria. While 91.8% of dermatologists disagreed with the statement limiting isotretinoin use, 68.3% of non-dermatologist physicians partially or completely agreed. For the statement recommending allergy testing in acute urticaria, 85.8% of dermatologists disagreed, while 55.7% of non-dermatologist physicians partially or completely agreed. Conclusions: The popular belief that skin diseases are caused by the liver or food has no basis among physicians. However, contrary to the literature, non-dermatologist physicians have expressed opinions that isotretinoin should be used as little as possible due to potential harm to the liver and that allergy tests should be performed in cases of acute urticaria. Giving importance to these topics during medical education will contribute to changing physicians' perspectives and ultimately benefit public health

Betahistin dihidroklorür kullanımı pozisyonel nistagmusu etkiler mi?

Aim: In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of betahistine dihydrochloride (BD) use on positional nystagmus as an objective criterion for the diagnosis of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV). Methods: The retrospective study included 59 patients (15 males, 44 females) who were aged between 18 and 80 years and referred with suspected BPPV to the otorhinolaryngology clinic of the Istanbul Training and Research Hospital. Only patients who had no central pathology on oculomotor tests were included. Of the patients included, those not using BD were classified as Group I and those using BD medication (24 mg/day) within the last 48 hours as Group II. The positional nystagmus latency, duration, and slow-phase velocity (SPV) values were compared using videonystagmography. Results: There was no significant difference between the two groups in terms of oculomotor gains (p>0.05). While there was no difference between the two groups in terms of positional nystagmus latency and SPV values, nystagmus duration was found to be significantly longer in Group II. Conclusion: Although the BD use appears to prolong the duration of nystagmus in BPPV, it does not affect the other parameters of nystagmus, including SPV, and the prolonged duration is still within normal limits. Positional nystagmus can be investigated in patients with a history of suspected BPPV and BD prescription.Amaç: Bu çalışmada betahistin dihidroklorür (BD) kullanımının benign paroksismal pozisyonel vertigo (BPPV) tanısında objektif kriter olan pozisyonel nistagmus üzerine etkisini incelemek amaçlanmıştır. Yöntem: Retrospektif çalışmamız yaşları 18–80 yıl aralığında değişen ve BPPV şüphesiyle İstanbul Eğitim ve Araştırma Hastanesi’nin kulak–burun–boğaz polikliniğine yönlendirilen 59 (15 erkek, 44 kadın) hasta içerdi. Çalışmaya yalnızca okülomotor testlerde santral patoloji görülmeyen hastalar dahil edildi. Dahil edilen hastalardan BD kullanmayanlar Grup I, son 48 saat içinde BD grubu ilaç (24 mg/gün) kullananlar ise Grup II olarak tasnif edildi. Pozisyonel nistagmus latans, süre ve yavaş faz hızı (YFH) değerleri videonistagmografi kullanılarak karşılaştırıldı. Bulgular: İki grup arasında okülomotor kazançlar bakımından anlamlı bir fark bulunmadı (p>0,05). Yine iki grup arasında pozisyonel nistagmus latans ve YFH değerleri açısından fark saptanmazken nistagmus süresi Grup II’de anlamlı olarak daha uzun bulundu. Sonuç: BD kullanımı BPPV’de pozisyonel nistagmus süresini uzatıyor gibi görünse de YFH dahil diğer nistagmus parametrelerini etkilememektedir ve süredeki uzama halen normal sınırlar içindedir. BPPV şüphesi ve BD reçeteleme öyküsü olan hastalarda pozisyonel nistagmus araştırılabilir

The ameliorative effect of Cetraria islandica against diabetes-induced genetic and oxidative damage in human blood

Context: The aqueous extracts of Cetraria islandica (L.) Ach. (Parmeliaceae) is traditionally used in many countries against a number of conditions, including inflammatory conditions. Objective: The present study aimed to assess, for the first time, the effectiveness of C. islandica in cultured primary blood cells of Type 1 diabetes subjects. Materials and methods: Diabetic and control blood samples were treated with or without aqueous lichen extract (5 and 10 mu g mL(-1)) for 48 h. The activity of antioxidant enzymes in erythrocytes and also malondialdehyde levels in plasma were determined to evaluate the oxidative status. DNA damages were analyzed by SCE, MN and comet assays in cultured human lymphocytes. Additionally, proliferation index (PI) was evaluated in peripheral blood lymphocytes. Results: There were significant increases in observed total DNA damage (comet assay) (240.2%) and SCE (168.8%), but not in MN frequencies of cultures with diabetes as compared (p>0.05) to controls. Whereas, the significant reductions of total DNA damage (69.2 and 65.3%) and SCE frequencies (17.7 and 12.3%) were determined when the 5 and 10 mg mL(-1) lichen extract was added to the cell culture medium, respectively. However, lichen extract did not completely inhibit the induction of SCEs in lymphocytes of patients with diabetes. C. islandica extract was also useful on PI rates. Discussion: In conclusion, the antioxidant role of C. islandica in alleviating diabetes-induced genomic instability and for increasing cell viability was firstly indicated in the present study.This investigation was supported by Ataturk University (BAP-2004/172 and 2008/76)

Evaluation of personality features and mental state of keratoconus patients

Objectives: Keratoconus (KCN) is a disorder that usually appears during adolescence and progressively reduces visual acuity. KCN may lead to differences in personality features as a result of vision loss and the numerous clinical examinations and treatment methods used from a young age. The aim of this study was to better understand the psychological characteristics of KCN patients and to define possible correlations between corneal topographic parameters and psychological state. Methods: A total of 59 KCN cases were included in the study group and were compared with 65 age- and sex-matched healthy individuals. All of the participants underwent a routine ophthalmic examination that included corrected distance visual acuity (CDVA), biomicroscopy, and fundoscopy. The KCN patients were evaluated busing Scheimpflug corneal topography. Psychiatric evaluations were performed using the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Short Form (EPQ), the Self-Confidence Scale, the Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI), and the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Results: The mean age of the case and control groups was 23.98±5.7 years and 25.82±5.4 years, respectively. The KCN cases had significantly higher EPQ neuroticism subscale scores; higher MOCI subscale scores, with the exception of the doubting subscale; and higher BDI scores. Analysis of the KCN duration revealed a positive correlation with the checking and slowness subscales of the MOCI, however, there was no significant correlation between the psychometric scale scores, corneal topographic parameters, and CDVA. Conclusion: A substantially asymmetrical course and a relatively long period for KCN to result in severe vision loss might explain the lack of correlations between psychological parameters and visual acuity. Nonetheless, the apparent effect of vision loss on emotional distress cannot be disregarded; the day-to-day progressive loss of visual acuity and multiple, costly interventions may initiate or contribute to a depressive mood in KCN patients. A vicious depressive cycle and the exhaustion of long-term coping mechanisms might be underlying factors for the higher neuroticism scores seen among KCN patients. Both the personality traits and mental state of KCN patients demonstrate distinguishing properties; clinicians working with these patients should consider their mental state in addition to other factors in order to achieve better treatment outcome