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Hyperostosis frontalis interna and association of disease control with frontal bone thickness in acromegaly
No full textStudies investigating hyperostosis frontalis interna (HFI) in acromegaly are limited. We aimed to investigate HFI and the association of disease control with frontal bone thickness (FBT) in acromegaly.Adult patients with acromegaly were grouped according to the presence of HFI on the baseline MRI: Group 1 absent, Group 2 present. We measured FBT, parietal bone thickness (PBT) and occipital bone thickness (OBT) in the mid-sagittal plane on MRI. The changes between first and last measurements were analyzed. We grouped the patients as controlled vs. uncontrolled acromegaly, and as established disease control for at least 5-year vs. 1-5-years.Group 1/Group 2 comprised of 23/29 patients, female/male ratio was 34/18, and mean age 55.41(± 14.21) years. Median follow-up duration was 108 months (6-408). FBTfirst (p = 0.001), FBTlast (p < 0.001), PBTlast (p = 0.025), and OBTlast (p = 0.028) were higher in Group 2 than in Group 1. FBTchange, PBTchange, and OBTchange were positive in Group 2 (p < 0.001, p = 0.008, and p = 0.008; respectively). The ratio of patients with FBT(increased) was higher in Group 2 than in Group 1 (p = 0.001). FBTfirst, FBTlast, PBTfirst, PBTlast, OBTfirst, OBTlast, FBTchange, PBTchange and OBTchange were similar in controlled or uncontrolled acromegaly groups. FBTchange and OBTchange were positive in patients with disease control established for at least 5 years (n = 30) (p = 0.027 and p = 0.002, respectively).HFI was common in patients with acromegaly. HFI is associated with a continuous increase in FBT, PBT and OBT. HFI, bone thickness, or increase in bone thickness seems independent of disease activity. Since headaches can be related to an increase in bone thickness, patients should be evaluated and graded during baseline imaging
A novel NDSM fusion approach to improve UAV-Based LCC accuracy in sloping urban areas
No full textOffering rapidly and periodically achievable and very high resolution (VHR) data at low cost, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have recently become one of the most popular remote sensing technologies. In this study, a novel Normalized Digital Surface Model (NDSM) fusion approach is proposed to improve the object-based land cover classification (LCC) performance of the RGB camera equipped UAVs. The UAV flights were completed in a multi-class sloping urban area with oblique viewing geometry and a VHR orthomosaic was generated. The object-based LCC was performed applying bottom-up (BU) multiresolution segmentation and Nearest Neighbor and Rule-Based classification algorithms. In order to improve the limited segmentation performance of the RGB orthomosaic, high-quality NDSM was produced and fused as an additional imaging band. The highest LCC accuracy utilizing four imaging bands were achieved with a weight of 0.3 for NDSM and 1 for RGB bands. To preserve the information provided by the NDSM data for each image object, a single-stage segmentation process has been performed in contrast to BU segmentation. The results demonstrated that the proposed approach increased the LCC precision up to 15%, recall up to 4.71%, F1 score up to 8.58%, Kappa as 7% and overall accuracy as 4.57%
Can Toll-Like Receptor 4 Gene Polymorphism Play A Role in Pathogenesis of Breast Cancer?
No full textAbstract Introduction: Breast cancer is one of the most common causes of death from cancer in women worldwide. Dynamic interaction between tumors and the immune system is essential for tumor survival, growth, and metastasis. The immune system is known to play a major role in preventing tumor progression by recognizing tumor antigens. Recent studies have shown that dysregulation of innate immunity receptors such as Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the activation of natural and adaptive immunity in response to endogenous hazard signals from pathogens and damaged or dead cells. TLRs are expressed in the immune system cells and some epithelial cells. Recent studies have shown that these receptors are also exaggerated in malignant breast cancer cells. Many studies have shown that TLR4 gene expression is increased in breast cancer cells, but also associated with metastasis. However, there is no study that could correlate TLR4 gene polymorphisms with breast cancer. Materials and methods: We conducted a case study with 100 patients and 100 healthy subjects and planned to investigate whether there is a relationship between TLR4 gene polymorphisms [rs4986790 (Asp299Gly) ve rs4986791 (Thr399Ile)] and breast cancer. In this study, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) method was used for gene polymorphisms. Results: It was observed that there was relationship between breast cancer and TLR4 gene polymorphisms. Because TLR-4 plays an active role in the innate immune system, the loss of function of this protein may lead to a depressed immune response, thus promoting cancer development
Türkçe Eğitiminde Yapay Zekâ Kullanımı: Türkçe Eğitimcileri Yapay Zekâ Hakkında Ne Düşünüyor?
No full textBu araştırmada Türkçe öğretimi alanında görev yapan akademisyen ve öğretmenlerin yapay zekâ (YZ) kullanımına ilişkin görüşleri ele alınmıştır. On akademisyen ile yedi Türkçe öğretmeninden veri toplanarak yapılan araştırmada nitel bir yaklaşım benimsenmiş ve verilerin analizinde içerik analizi tekniği kullanılmıştır. Araştırmanın bulguları Türkçe eğitiminde YZ kullanımının hem olanaklar hem de sınırlamalar taşıdığını açıkça ortaya koymaktadır. Katılımcılar, YZ’nin dil becerilerinin gelişimine özellikle yazma ve konuşma öğrenme alanlarında katkı sağladığını vurgulamış ve bu teknolojinin öğrencilerin bireysel öğrenme deneyimlerini zenginleştirebileceğini belirtmişlerdir. Bununla birlikte YZ’nin kolaycılığa yol açabileceği ve etik sorunlar yaratabileceği konusunda ciddi endişeler dile getirilmiştir. Araştırmada içerik üretimi ile ders materyali hazırlığı süreçlerinde ve öğretmenlerin iş yükünü azaltmada YZ’nin büyük bir fayda sağladığı ancak öğretmenlerin motivasyon eksiklikleri nedeniyle bu teknolojiden tam anlamıyla yararlanamadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. YZ’nin Türkçe eğitimine entegrasyonunun daha verimli olması için öğretmenlerin ve akademisyenlerin iş birliğine dayalı farkındalık artırıcı eğitim programlarına ihtiyaç duyulduğu sonucuna varılmıştır.</jats:p
Optimising the Design of a Hybrid Fuel Cell/Battery and Waste Heat Recovery System for Retrofitting Ship Power Generation
No full textThis research aims to assess the integration of different fuel cell (FC) options with battery and waste heat recovery systems through a mathematical modelling process to determine the most feasible retrofit solutions for a marine electricity generation plant. This paper distinguishes itself from existing literature by incorporating future cost projection scenarios involving variables such as carbon tax, fuel, and equipment prices. It assesses the environmental impact by including upstream emissions integrated with the Energy Efficiency Existing Ship Index (EEXI) and the Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) calculations. Real-time data have been collected from a Kamsarmax vessel to build a hybrid marine power distribution plant model for simulating six system designs. A Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methodology ranks the scenarios depending on environmental benefits, economic performance, and system space requirements. The findings demonstrate that the hybrid configurations, including solid oxide (SOFC) and proton exchange (PEMFC) FCs, achieve a deduction in equivalent CO2 of the plant up to 91.79% and decrease the EEXI and the average CII by 10.24% and 6.53%, respectively. Although SOFC-included configurations show slightly better economic performance and require less fuel capacity, the overall performance of PEMFC designs are ranked higher in MCDM analysis due to the higher power density.</jats:p
Development of a Digital Image Processing- and Machine Learning-Based Approach to Predict the Morphology and Thermal Properties of Polyurethane Foams
No full textPolyurethane foams are frequently used to provide thermal insulation. Thanks to the blowing agents used during their synthesis, pores are created in the structure and thermal insulation is achieved through these pores. In this study, five different insulating polyurethane foam samples containing water and cyclohexane blowing agents were synthesized. Pore stabilities and their effects on pore neighboring were analyzed computationally (MP2/aug-cc-pVDZ). A digital image processing- and machine learning-based algorithm was developed to predict the mean neighboring effect distances of the produced foams. It was created using the Voronoi tessellation method used for the identification problems in industrial applications. This method showed that there was a close relationship between the calculated Voronoi neighboring effect distances of the samples and their thermal conductivity coefficients. Considering the Voronoi neighboring effect distances proposed in this study, the thermal conductivity coefficient of similar polyurethane foams could be predicted. This method required only a standard mobile phone to capture images of the samples and the algorithm developed using Python (version 3.13.2) programming language. In addition, when compared to the local surface imaging device SEM, it allowed the entire surface to be analyzed faster and at once, without any surface deterioration.</jats:p
DOĞAL KAYNAK GELİRİ, TİCARİ AÇIKLIK, EKONOMİK BÜYÜME VE ÇEVRESEL BOZULMA İLİŞKİSİ: MIST ÜLKELERİNDEN BULGULAR
No full textSanayi Devrimi ile birlikte artan üretim daha fazla enerji talebini ortaya çıkarmış ve bu durum doğal kaynak kullanımının önemini artmıştır. Ekonomik büyümenin önemli bir bileşeni olan doğal kaynak kullanımı doğrudan üretim sürecini etkilemekte ve ekonomik büyüme süreci içerisinde önemli bir rol oynamaktadır. Ancak hızlı üretim ve büyüme yalnızca doğal kaynak stokunu tüketmekle kalmayıp aynı zamanda ekolojik sürdürülebilirliği kötüleştirerek çevreye de zarar vermektedir. Bu çalışmanın amacı MIST (Meksika, Endonezya, G. Kore ve Türkiye) ülkelerinde doğal kaynak geliri, ticari açıklık ve ekonomik büyümenin çevresel bozulma üzerindeki etkisini test etmektir. Çalışmada çevresel bozulmanın bir göstergesi olarak karbonsuz ayak izi değişkeni kullanılmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda 1970-2021 dönemine ait yıllık veriler kullanılarak Pedroni (2004) ve Westerlund (2007) eş bütünleşme testi ve tam modifiye edilmiş en küçük kareler (FMOLS) ve dinamik en küçük kareler (DOLS) yöntemleri uygulanmıştır. Pedroni (2004) ve Westerlund (2007) eş bütünleşme testlerine göre değişkenler arasında uzun dönemde eş bütünleşme ilişkisi bulunmaktadır. Elde edilen diğer bulgulara göre MIST ülkelerinde doğal kaynak geliri ile karbonsuz ayak izi arasında pozitif yönlü ve anlamlı bir ilişki bulunmaktadır. Ayrıca ticari açıklık ile karbonsuz ayak izi arasında negatif ve anlamlı bir ilişki tespit edilmiştir. Son olarak ekonomik büyüme karbonsuz ayak izini artırmaktadır. Diğer bir ifadeyle MIST ülkelerinde doğal kaynak gelirleri ve ekonomik büyümedeki artış çevresel bozulmayı artırırken; ticari açıklıktaki artış çevresel kaliteye katkıda bulunmaktadır.</jats:p
Artificial Intelligence Enabled Climate Change Communication: The Role of ClimateGPT
No full textClimate change is one of the most important environmental problems humanity faces. To combat climate change, it is necessary first to understand the concept of climate change correctly and to know its negative effects and solution methods. Unfortunately, there is a problem in climate change communication between scientists and the public. Artificial intelligence (AI) can overcome this problem. The use of artificial intelligence in climate-related communication contributes to the increase in the effectiveness of communication. This study aims to explain the basic concepts of climate change to the public and students with the help of AI. For this purpose, ClimateGPT, an AI tool developed by Erasmus AI company, was used. ClimateGPT answered a series of questions about climate change, greenhouse effect and greenhouse gases, climate change effects, mitigation and adaptation measures, and finally climate communication. An expert cross-checked all answers. As a result of the study, ClimateGPT has been shown to produce mostly accurate and clear answers that everyone can understand. The AI-generated information can be used to educate the public about climate change. Therefore, this study contributes to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 13: Climate Action.</jats:p
Combined Fractures of the Odontoid Process and Upper Thoracic Spine: A Case Report
No full textAbstract Objective: This report presents a rare case of combined odontoid process and upper thoracic spine fractures, which are infrequently reported in the literature. Case: A 39-year-old male sustained a 4-meter fall, resulting in a posteriorly displaced type II odontoid fracture and a T5 burst fracture with rotation. Remarkably, no neurological deficit was observed. Methods: Anterior screw fixation stabilized the odontoid, while posterior fusion (T1-T7) addressed the thoracic injury. Results: Imaging suggested cervical hyperextension and thoracic flexion-rotation mechanisms. Stabilization was successful, with no postoperative neurological impairment. Conclusion: Combined fractures of the odontoid process and upper thoracic spine are rare, high-energy injuries with significant neurological risk. This case highlights effective management of a rare injury pattern and suggests limited canal compromise may preserve neurological function, offering insights for multilevel spinal trauma care.</p