The Effects of Extensive Reading on Turkish Learners’ L2 Reading/Writing Performance and Foreign Language Self-Concept

Melda Yılmaz,Derin Atay,Mustafa ER 아시아영어교육학회 2020 The Journal of Asia TEFL Vol.17 No.1

This study investigates the impact of extensive reading (ER) program, which integrates extensive reading with in-class follow-up writing activities, on Turkish EFL learners’ L2 reading/writing and foreign language self-concept (FLSC). In this research, conducted in a Turkish university, experimental design was used and the experimental group was exposed to ER for six weeks different from the control group. Data was collected by means of L2 reading and writing tests and Foreign Language Self-concept Scale (FLSCS) (Er, 2007) given at the beginning and at the end of the intervention, and by means of focus group interviews carried out with 10 randomly chosen experimental group students. Analyses of the data showed a significant difference between control and experimental groups regarding their L2 reading and writing performance. The difference between the groups’ FLSC was found to be insignificant, though within group analyses indicated that ER affected the students’ FLSC positively. Qualitative data, interviews, supported the quantitative data and revealed that the project also improved students’ motivation and self-confidence as well as various aspects of L2 language ability and fostered their positive self images as EFL learners. The insights gained from the study provide important implications for English language teaching programmes in EFL context.

The Intraoperative Corneal Pachymetry Changes during Accelerated Corneal Cross-linking in Progressive Keratoconus Patients with Thin Corneas

Serap Yurtta er Ocak,Mehmet Serhat Mangan,Mustafa Nuri Elç , ioğ , lu 대한안과학회 2021 Korean Journal of Ophthalmology Vol.35 No.6

Purpose: To report the intraoperative corneal pachymetry changes during accelerated corneal cross-linking (A-CXL) in progressivekeratoconus patients with thin corneas. Methods: Thirty-six eyes (mean age, 22.26 ± 4.02 years) with progressive keratoconic thin corneas (<400 μm without epithelium)who underwent A-CXL with ultraviolet (UV)-A (UVA) (9 mW/cm2) using isotonic riboflavin5-phosphate 0.1% with 1.1%hydroxypropyl methycellulose (RF-HPMC, MedioCROSS M) were included in this retrospective study. Intraoperative cornealpachymetric changes were noted before the procedure, after removal of epithelium, after RF-HPMC instillation, before andafter UV irradiation. The mean of corneal pachymetric values were compared statistically. Results: The mean corneal pachymetry reduced from 415.72 ± 29.66 to 369.50 ± 23.45 μm after removal of the epithelium(p < 0.05). After the application of RF-HPMC solution the mean thinnest corneal pachymetry (TCP) increased to 412.89 ±26.94 μm. Statistically significant increase was observed in TCP after saturation with RF-HPMC (p = 0.001). The mean cornealpachymetry before and after UVA irradiation was 419.86 ± 10.41 and 417.47 ± 8.25 μm, respectively (p > 0.05). Conclusions: Isotonic RF-HPMC lead to a significant increase in intraoperative mean TCP. RF-HPMC seems to be a favorableriboflavin option in keratoconus patients with thin corneas.

INVESTIGATING THE EFFECT OF WEIGHT REDUCTION OF ROD-END IN DRAG-LINK PRODUCT WITH FINITE ELEMENT ANALYSIS, FATIGUE TEST, AND A CASE STUDY

Erinç Uludamar,Mustafa Taş,Sami Gökberk Biçer,Cihan Yıldırım,Ebru Aykut Yıldırım,Kerimcan Çelebi 한국자동차공학회 2020 International journal of automotive technology Vol.21 No.2

The connection surfaces of drag-link must be tough and safe enough to carry transmitted forces that exert on the product in service conditions. Therefore, undulated forming takes place in machining process to stay the rod-ends in the rod. In the rod-end, after forming process, a straight part which remains on the body causes extra cost and weight on the product. In this study, the result of shortening of rod-end which was produced from C45+N quality steel was investigated by comparing with the unmodified rod-end. The comparison was carried out by fatigue test and Finite Element Analysis. The results showed that the cropped part has almost no effect on the durability of the product. It is measured that the modification result with 0,082 kg weight reduction on each rod-end and 5 seconds shortening of machining process were observed by the modification on rod-end. The effect of modification on the part was examined in a case study. The case study indicated that annual expenses of raw material lowered by $9.124,56 and total cost decreased by $11.480,20.

Investigation of the Usability of Retrograded Flour in Meatball Production as A Structure Enhancer

Elif Aykin Dinç,er,Ö,zlem Kiliç,Bü,yü,kkurt,Cihadiye Candal,Bü,ş,ra Fatma Bilgiç,Mustafa Erbaş 한국축산식품학회 2018 한국축산식품학회지 Vol.38 No.1

This study aimed to research the possibilities of using retrograded flour produced in the laboratory environment in meatballs and the characteristics of these meatballs. In the use of retrograded flour to produce meatballs, it was ensured that the meatball properties, with respect to chemical, physical and sensorial aspects, were comparable to those of meatballs produced with bread (traditional) and rusk flour (commercial). The cooking loss of meatballs produced with using retrograded flour was similar to that of commercial meatballs. Doses of retrograded flour from 5% to 20% led to a significant decrease in cooking loss, from 21.95% to 6.19%, and in the diameter of meatballs, from 18.60% to 12.74%, but to an increase in the thickness of meatballs, from 28.82% to 41.39% compared to the control. The increase of a* and b* values was shown in that the meatballs were browned on cooking with increasing retrograded flour doses because of non-enzymatic reactions. The springiness of the traditional meatballs was significantly higher than that of the other meatballs. This might have been due to the bread crumbs having a naturally springy structure. Moreover, the addition of retrograded flour in the meatballs significantly (p<0.05) affected the hardness, springiness and cohesiveness of the meatballs with respect to textural properties. Accordingly, it is considered that the use of 10% retrograded flour is ideal to improve the sensorial values of meatballs and the properties of their structure.

Investigation of antimicrobial activity and entA and entB genes in Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis strains isolated from naturally fermented Turkish white cheeses

Sine Özmen Toğay,Mustafa Ay,Onur Güneşer,Yonca Karagül Yüceer 한국식품과학회 2016 Food Science and Biotechnology Vol.25 No.6

In this research, the antagonistic effects of Enterococcus faecalis and E. faecium bacteria isolated from naturally fermented Turkish white cheeses, produced without starter culture, against Listeria monocytogenes, L. innocua, L. ivanovii, Staphylococcus aureus, and E. faecalis were evaluated. The presence of entA and entB genes was also detected in the isolates, which had antimicrobial activity. Total 71 strains of E. faecalis and 7 strains of E. faecium were tested; 20 of E. faecalis and none of E. faecium strains showed antimicrobial activity against the tested bacteria using agar spot method. Among E. faecalis strains, which had antimicrobial activity, three strains contained both entA and entB genes, two strains carried only entA gene, and five strains had only entB gene. These cheese-sourced enterococcal strains or their enterocins should be considered to be used for food preservation especially in the dairy industry.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Associated with Brucellosis in Two Patients with Fever and Pancytopenia

Bulent Eser,Fevzi Altuntas,Isin Soyuer,Ozlem Er,Ozlem Canoz,Hasan Senol Coskun,Mustafa Cetin,Ali Unal 연세대학교의과대학 2006 Yonsei medical journal Vol.47 No.5

Brucellosis is a disease involving the lymphoproliferative system, which may lead to changes in the hematological parameters; however, pancytopenia is a rare finding. However, malignant diseases in association with brucellosis are rarely the cause of pancytopenia. Herein, two cases with fever and pancytopenia, diagnosed as simultaneous acute lymphoblastic leukemia and brucellosis are presented. Anti-leukemic therapy and brucellosis treatment were administered simultaneously, and normal blood parameters obtained. The first patient is in complete remission; the other recovered from the brucellosis, but later died due to a leukemic relapse.

Comparison of the Effects of Electroacupuncture and Melatonin on Nerve Regeneration in Experimentally Nerve-Damaged Rats

Yasemin Özkan,Mehmet Turgut,Yasemin Turan,Mehmet Dinçer Bilgin,Sinem Sari,Mustafa Yilmaz,Yiğit Uyanikgil,Mahmut Alp Kiliç,Derya Tanriöver,Zehra Seznur Kasar 사단법인약침학회 2021 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.14 No.5

Background: Development of methods to accelerate nerve regeneration in peripheral nerve damage is important. Electroacupuncture is a new therapeutic method that combines traditional acupuncture with modern electrotherapy. Melatonin has been shown to reduce nerve damage. Objectives: In this study, we aimed to determine and compare the therapeutic effects of electroacupuncture and melatonin on rat sciatic nerve injury. Methods: A total of 56 adult male Wistar Albino rats were divided into four study groups with 14 animals in each group: intact control (group I), subcutaneous saline (group II), subcutaneous melatonin (group III), and electroacupuncture (group IV). Surgical procedure including unilateral (right) sciatic nerve injury was applied to groups II, III, and IV. Saline and melatonin started immediately after surgery for six weeks, while electroacupuncture was given two weeks after surgery for 3 weeks. Functional and histological assessments were used as outcome measurements. Results: Sciatic nerve damage caused a significant decrease in nerve conduction velocity. Both electroacupuncture treatment and melatonin treatment significantly increased the nerve conduction velocity. Both sciatic functional recovery and histological regeneration were faster in these treatment groups compared to the saline. However, no significant difference was observed between the two treatment groups. Conclusion: Electroacupuncture and melatonin are promising alternative treatment strategies for peripheral nerve damage and can be examined in detail in future studies.

Pectus Excavatum and Pectus Carinatum: Associated Conditions, Family History, and Postoperative Patient Satisfaction

Pinar Kuru, M.D.,Aylin Cakiroglu, M.I.,Aynur Er, M.S.,Hincal Ozbakir, M.I.,Ali Emin Cinel, M.S.,Busra Cangut, M.S.,Merve Iris, M.S.,Berkay Canbaz, M.S.,Ebru Pıçak, M.S.,Mustafa Yuksel, M.D. 대한흉부외과학회 2016 Journal of Chest Surgery (J Chest Surg) Vol.49 No.1

Background: Pectus excavatum (PE) and pectus carinatum (PC) are the most common chest wall deformities. In this study, we aimed to characterize how patients obtained information about these deformities, as well as patients’ family history, associated medical problems, and postoperative satisfaction after the Nuss and Abramson procedures. Methods: This cross-sectional retrospective study included patients who were operated by a single surgeon between 2006 and 2013. Follow-up calls were made after approval of our institution’s ethics committee. We reached 207 of the 336 PE patients (61.6%) and 73 of the 96 PC patients (76%). Results: The majority of the patients were male (85% of the PE patients and 91.8% of the PC patients). The age of diagnosis of PE was 14.52±0.51 years and the age at the time of operation was 17.89±0.42 years; for PC patients, the corresponding ages were 15.23±0.55 years and 16.77±0.55 years, respectively. A total of 70% of the PE patients and 63.8% of the PC patients obtained information about pectus deformities through the Internet. In 27.1% of the PE patients with an associated anomaly, 57.1% (n=13) had scoliosis, while 41.1% of the PC patients with an associated anomaly had kyphosis (n=5). Postoperative satisfaction, as evaluated on a scale from 0 to 10, was 8.17±0.15 for PE patients and 8.37±0.26 for PC patients. The postoperative pain duration was 51.93±5.18 days for PE patients and 38.5±6.88 days for PC patients. Conclusion: In this study, we found that most patients with pectus deformities were male. The Internet was an important resource for patients to learn about their deformities. Family history and associated anomalies were identified as important aspects for consideration in the clinical setting. The patients reported high levels of postoperative satisfaction, and pain management was found to be one of the most important elements of postoperative care.

Use of Oral Antidiabetic Drugs (Metformin and Pioglitazone) in Diabetic Patients with Breast Cancer: How Does It Effect on Serum Hif-1 Alpha and 8Ohdg Levels?

Ece, Harman,Cigdem, Erten,Yuksel, Kucukzeybek,Ahmet, Dirican,Hakan, Er,Oktay, Tarhan Mustafa Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention 2012 Asian Pacific journal of cancer prevention Vol.13 No.10

Objective: The aim was to investigate indicators related to DNA damage and cancer pathogenesis in Type II diabetes cases with breast cancer. It was planned to evaluate the relationship between these markers with oral antidiabetic drugs. Research Design and Methods: Fourty patients and 10 healthy individuals were included in the study. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and 8-OHdG are examined in blood samples taken from these individuals with an ELISA Kit. Statistical analysis of data was performed with 95% confidence using Windows package program SPSS 15.0. Results: HIF-$1{\alpha}$ parameters were found to be meaningfully higher in the patient group than the controls in both pretreatment and posttreatment periods (p<0.05). No significant differences in terms of 8-OHdG between patients and controls. However, posttreatment serum HIF-$1{\alpha}$ ve 8-OHdG levels was found lower than pretreatment levels in patients receiving metformin, but not with pioglitazone. Conversely, serum 8-OHdG levels decreased significantly in these patients. When patients were evaluated according to the treatment groups (pioglitazone vs. metfformin) no significant differences in terms of serum HIF-$1{\alpha}$ and 8-OHdG levels between treatment groups. Conclusions: HIF-$1{\alpha}$ levels decreased significantly in the patient group receiving metformin. However, there was no significant difference in terms of HIF-$1{\alpha}$ levels in the patients receiving pioglitazone.

Clinicopathologic Characteristics and Therapeutic Outcomes of Primary Gastrointestinal Non-Hodgkin's Lymphomas in Central Anatolia, in Turkey

Bulent Eser,Bunyamin Kaplan,Ali Unal,Ozlem Canoz,Fevzi Altuntas,H. Ismail. Sari,Ozlem Er,Metin Ozkan,Can Kucuk,Makbule Arar,Sebnem Gursoy,Mustafa Cetin 연세대학교의과대학 2006 Yonsei medical journal Vol.47 No.1

We carried out a retrospective analysis of 74 patients who were presented to our center with histopathological diagnosis of primary gastro-intestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma between 1990 and 2001. All patients have been staged according to Lugano Staging System. For histopathological classification, International Working Formulation was applied. The treatment choice concerning the surgical or non-surgical management was decided by the initially acting physician. Treatment modalities were compared using the parameters of age, sex, histopathological results, stage, and the site of disease. Of the 74 patients, 31 werefemale and 43 were male, with a median age of 49 years (range 15-80). The stomach was the most common primary site and was seenin 51 of 74 patients (68.9%). The intermediate and high grade lymphomas constituted 91.9% of the all cases. In a median follow-up of 29 months (range 2-128), 20 out of 74 patients died. There was a three year overall survival rate in 65.4% of all patients. The three year overall survival rate was better in stage I and II1 patients who were treated with surgery plus chemotherapy (+/-RT) than those treated with chemotherapy alone (93.7% vs. 55.6%, p 0.05). The stage and presence of B symptoms affected the disease free survival and overall survival significantly, but the histopathologic grade only affected the overall survival. On the basis of these results, we suggest that surgicalresection is necessary before chemotherapy in early stage (stage I and II1) patients with gastrointestinal non-Hodgkin's lymphomas because of the significant survival advantage it would bring to the patient.