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Microneedles With Interdigitated Electrodes for in Situ Impedimetric Vegf Sensing
No full textDAS, RITU/0000-0003-3783-9160Continuous monitoring of protein biomarkers in interstitial fluid (ISF) is essential for improving patient care and outcomes. This study presents a novel electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) sensor utilizing microneedles (MNs) patterned with interdigitated electrodes for the detection of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). The MNs, are fabricated from flexible polylactide (PLA) using a simple molding technique, followed by metal deposition with an interdigitated pattern to serve as a platform for the EIS sensor. After functionalization with anti-VEGF antibodies, impedance measurements are conducted to detect VEGF levels, demonstrating a significant change in impedance in response to varying concentrations of the target biomarker. The MNs can easily penetrate rat skin by hand, puncturing without mechanical breakage. This innovative approach enhances the sensitivity and specificity of biomarker detection and paves the way for continuous monitoring applications in diagnostics and preventative medicine.TUBITAK 2232 [118C295]; European Research Council [101043119]; European Research Council (ERC) [101043119] Funding Source: European Research Council (ERC)L.B. acknowledges TUBITAK 2232 (grant no. 118C295) and the European Research Council (2ND-CHANCE, grant no. 101043119). The authors acknowledge Koc University Surface Science and Technology Center (KUYTAM) and Koc University Nanofabrication and Nanocharacterization Center (n2STAR) for access to the infrastructure.Science Citation Index Expande
Re-Evaluating Creative Labor in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: a Qualitative Case Study of Creative Workers’ Perspectives on Technological Transformation in Creative Industries
No full textThis article explores how the emergence of creative AI technologies transforms creative workers’ self-apprehension in the context of critical theory and labor studies. The distinguishing contribution of this study resides in its focus on how CI laborers’ creativity perception and reception are affected by AI technologies’ intrusion into the creative domain. Creative AI technologies are expected to present new expressive capacities to creative workers and cost-cutting advantages for CIs’ production that put a lot of creative jobs at risk. Findings show that creatives perceive the adaptation of AI technologies as both an opportunity for their creative process and a requirement of their active presence in the market survival as a matter of technocratic rule. We critically analyze creative labor’s novel mods engaged with updated technology and present reflections on the favorable co-creation conditions to flourish an understanding of socially intelligible technology and thereby a creative livelihood against technocracy. © The Author(s) 2025.Emerging Sources Citation Inde
Effects of Rendering Discrete Force Feedback on the Wrist During Virtual Exploration
No full textRelocating the haptic feedback from the fingertip to the wrist is a trendy topic in haptic-assisted virtual interactions, and finding its best practices still requires a lot of research. In this paper, we investigate the perceptual and performance differences while rendering haptic feedback on the wrist in single-bump, discrete force feedback (through custom voice coil actuation of CoWrHap) or continuous force feedback (through linear DC actuation of LAWrHap). We conducted a user study experiment where participants interacted with identical-looking virtual objects with different stiffness properties and identified the ones with a higher stiffness level based on the haptic feedback they received. Our results indicate that participants performed the tasks (i) with higher sensitivity (higher JND), with more confidence (Number of Taps), and with better user experience using LAWrHap compared to using CoWrHap, and (ii) with no difference in terms of task accuracy (PSE), exploration and interaction time between using LAWrHap and CoWrHap
Engineering of Geobacillus Kaustophilus Lipase for Enhanced Catalytic Efficiency and Methanol Tolerance in Biodiesel Production from Sunflower Oil
No full textLipase-mediated biodiesel production offers a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to conventional chemical methods. However, enzyme limitations such as low activity, poor thermal stability, and limited solvent tolerance remain challenges. In this study, a lipase from Geobacillus kaustophilus (Gklip) was engineered for improved biodiesel production using molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations, and molecular mechanics/generalized born surface area (MM/GBSA) free energy calculations. Five mutants (Y29S, Q114T, F289D, Q184M, and Q114F) were generated via site-directed mutagenesis and expressed in Escherichia coli. Biochemical characterization revealed that all mutants retained the wild-type's optimal temperature (50 degrees C) and pH (8.0), while showing varying pH ranges, with the broadest observed in Q184M. Thermal stability increased significantly in Q184M (32.86-fold) and Q114F (5.93-fold). Catalytic efficiencies improved by 2.07-, 2.05-, and 2.63-fold in Q184M, F289D, and Y29S, respectively, compared to the wild-type (0.57). In the presence of 60 % methanol, the wild-type retained only 30.4 % activity, while Q184M maintained 67.5 %, highlighting superior solvent tolerance. Biodiesel conversion assays using sunflower oil showed no product formation by the wild-type, whereas Q184M, Q114F, and F289D achieved yields of 58.7 %, 56.3 %, and 49.2 %, respectively. These findings identify Q184M and Q114F as promising enzyme candidates for enzymatic biodiesel production.Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) [123Z977]; TUBITAKThis research was supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TUBITAK) under Grant Number 123Z977. We extend our gratitude to TUBITAK for their support
Assessing the Impact of Customer Experience Quality on Customer Perceived Value and Marketing Outcomes
No full textThis research explores the link between customer experience, value, and marketing outcomes, with emphasis on contextual adaptability, employing a multi-group structural equations modeling (SEM) approach. It shows that customer experience quality (CXQ) is invariant across two services, banking and TV broadcasting. SEM results demonstrate that customer loyalty is mainly influenced by functional value-more so than economic or social values. However, what drives functional value differ: For banking, consumers' evaluations of three CXQ dimensions, ease of access, monetary experience, and customer-centric processes predict functional value. In the TV subscription service however, functional value is largely driven by customer-centric processes.Bilimsel Arastırma Projeleri Birimi, Istanbul Teknik Universitesi [SDK-2018-41300]This work was supported by Bilimsel Arastirma Projeleri Birimi, & Istanbul Teknik Universitesi. Project Code: SDK-2018-41300
Multi-Objective Optimization of P2P Energy Trading for Consumer-Prosumer Benefits and Reliability Improvement in LV Distribution Grids
No full textIntegrating distributed generation into the main grid requires the active participation of both consumers and prosumers, offering technical and financial benefits for all stakeholders. This study proposes a multi-objective optimization approach to enhance peer-to-peer (P2P) market operations within low-voltage distribution grids. It focuses on optimizing the placement of modular PV panels, maximizing prosumer profits, and refining P2P strategies. Key objectives include minimizing the payback periods for PV owners and reducing the average monthly energy costs for consumers. The Multi-Objective Advanced Gray Wolf Optimizer (MOAGWO) is used as the solution method. Operational scenarios are also compared from a consumer reliability perspective as an assessment metric. The methodology is applied to a 55-node European low-voltage test feeder across six scenarios. Results indicate that prosumer payback periods remain around eight years for up to four prosumers but increase with further installations. Average monthly energy costs for customers ranged from 653 to 1079. A quality assessment based on three multi-objective optimization metrics showed that MOAGWO and MOGWO yielded comparable performances.EU HORIZON 2020 project SERENE [957682]This research is a part of Keysan Polat's Ph.D. thesis at Istanbul Technical University and is funded by EU HORIZON 2020 project SERENE, grant agreement No 957682
Rural Transformation and the Circulation of Emotions: An Explanation of Hometown Associations From Affective Economies Perspective
No full textKırdan kente göç, kişisel kimlikleri ve aidiyet duygusunu değiştiren toplumsal bir değişimdir. Hemşehri dernekleri, Türkiye'nin hızlı kentleşmesinin getirdiği toplumsal değişimin bir sonucudur. Bu dernekler literatürde sıkça kente uyum için birer 'tampon mekanizma' olarak çerçevelense de, bu tez, derneklerin güncel işlevinin kırsaldaki memleketlerini aktif olarak dönüştürmeye yönelik değiştiğini göstermektedir. Teze göre bu kırsal dönüşüm, yalnızca ekonomik veya yapısal dinamiklerle değil, öncelikli olarak hemşehri dernekleri tarafından sistematik olarak dolaşıma sokulan ve yönlendirilen kolektif duygularla ilerlemektedir. Bu nedenle, merkezi araştırma sorusu şudur: Hemşehri dernekleri, kentte biriktirilen sosyal ve kültürel sermayeyi köyle yeniden buluşturmak için duyguları nasıl kullanıyor ve bu süreç kırsal yerelliklerde nasıl yeni kalkınma tahayyülleri ve mekânsal yatırımlar üretiyor? Bu soruyu yanıtlamak için çalışma, Cennetpınarı Köyü Derneği ve İSPADER odaklanan nitel bir metodoloji kullanmaktadır. Veri toplamak amacıyla dernek yöneticileri ve üyeleriyle mülakatlar yapılmış, çeşitli etkinliklerde katılımcı gözlemi gerçekleştirilmiş ve dernekler tarafından yayımlanan belgeler analiz edilmiştir. Çalışmanın teorik çerçevesi, Sara Ahmed'in (2004) 'duygusal ekonomiler' (affective economies) kavramına dayanmaktadır. Bu çalışma, hemşehri derneklerinin kentte nasıl bir duygusal ve sosyal aidiyet alanı yarattığını ve bu alanın kırsal dönüşümde nasıl bir rol oynadığını anlamak için duygusal ekonomiler kavramını kullanacaktır. Hemşehri derneklerinin zamanla kentsel entegrasyon, kültürel kimliğin korunması ve sosyal sermaye üretimi gibi işlevler aracılığıyla sosyal ve duygusal sermaye biriktiren kurumlara dönüştüğü gözlemlenmektedir. Duygusal ekonomiler kavramını kır sosyolojisiyle birleştirerek, bu tez duyguların toplumsal olarak dönüştürücü bir güç olduğunu savunmaktadır. Kırsal dönüşümü salt ekonomik dinamiklerle açıklamanın yetersizliğini vurgulamaktadır.Migration from rural to urban areas is a social change that alters personal identities and a sense of belonging. Hometown associations result from the social change brought about by Turkey's rapid urbanization. Although these associations are frequently framed in the literature as 'buffer mechanisms' for urban integration, this thesis shows that their current function has changed to transform their rural hometowns actively. This rural transformation is driven not solely by economic or structural dynamics, but primarily by the collective emotions systematically circulated and directed by hometown associations. Therefore, the central research question is: How do hometown associations use emotions to reconnect the social and cultural capital accumulated in the city with the village, and how does this process generate new developmental imaginaries and spatial investments in rural localities? To answer this question, the study employs a qualitative methodology that focuses on the Cennetpınarı Village Association and the İSPADER. Association managers and members were interviewed, participants were observed at various events, and documents released by the associations were analyzed to gather data. The study's theoretical framework is based on Sara Ahmed's (2004) concept of 'affective economies'. This study will use the concept of affective economies to understand how hometown associations create a sphere of emotional and social belonging in the city and what role this sphere plays in rural transformation. It is observed that hometown associations have evolved over time into institutions that accumulate social and emotional capital through functions such as urban integration, preservation of cultural identity, and generation of social capital. By bridging the concept of affective economies with rural sociology, this thesis argues that emotions are a socially transformative power. It highlights the insufficiency of explaining rural transformation through purely economic dynamics
Flattery and the Misanthrope
No full textMolière's Alceste is often discussed with reference to his misanthropic personality, but what he aspires to doing, truth-telling, has received relatively less attention. This is curious especially if we consider that Alceste defines flattery, the opposite of truth-telling, as his main adversary. Indeed, it is Alceste's hatred of flattery that explains his misanthropy, not the other way around. We will first discuss the significance of flattery. Then, we trace the consequences of this idea in the play drawing on Aristophanes, Plato, and Aristotle where they define flattery as a relation to untruth and in opposition to friendship. In Plato's Gorgias, however, a second sense of flattery transpires: distorting ideas and practices through instrumental use. We ask what a reflection on flattery in these two interrelated senses can contribute to our understanding of Molière's comedy. What frames our discussion is the relation between Alceste and Philinte (as a stand-in for the social), on the one hand, and the relation between Alceste and Célimène (as a stand-in for seduction) on the other. Alceste cuts an abject figure in relation to both Philinte and Célimène. We end with a discussion of how Alceste can, for all his abjection, continue to fascinate us
Structural Characteristics and Political Correlates of Public Opinion on Turkish Engagement With the Syrian Civil War
No full textThis study conducts a comprehensive quantitative examination of Turkish public opinion about its foreign and security policies, focusing on policy towards the Syrian civil war. By linking scholarly literature to policy, the paper analyzes structural characteristics and political correlates of foreign policy attitudes and perceptions of using military force in the Turkish public. The empirical analysis reveals that (i) increased soft power activism reduces support for policies favoring military interventions; (ii) the type of militarism affects support for a policy that resorts to cross-border military operations; (iii) foreign policy attitudes towards the war vary depending on the internationalization type; (iv) immigration policies shape support for foreign policy concerning the country-of-origin of immigrants affected by the conflict; (v) public support for foreign policy actions is contingent upon the level of knowledge on political matters; and (vi) on the alliance preferences and the self-image. Utilizing a binary logistic regression model, the study employs 2019 Turkish Foreign Policy Trends data, encompassing a wide range of foreign policy indicators on structural characteristics and political correlates of foreign policy attitudes in Turkey and a comprehensive set of indicators on the Syrian conflict. The findings contribute to the theoretical and practical understanding of the problem under examination, with implications for international relations and foreign policy policymaking
Competition for a Social Purpose
No full textThe world is facing some difficult times regarding environmental and social challenges. For the sake of Earth's future, all parties, including governments, businesses, and civil society, must act in ways that benefit these challenges. Yet, as evident, the efforts of business networks and governmental institutions are insufficient and lack the focus and stability that make it necessary for civil society and purposeful entrepreneurs to act. One of the actions that can make a small but impactful difference comes from social entrepreneurs and marketers. In this study, concepts such as social entrepreneurship, social marketing, purpose, and greenwashing will be discussed through a literature review and case analysis. An entrepreneurial business that aims for positive change and impact, Bego Jean's case, will be examined to understand purposeful brands and hopefully support the development of such purposeful enterprises. © 2025 Nova Science Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved