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Implementing translanguaging approach: Pedagogical contextualizations in Turkiye and Brazil
No full textThere are limited discussions on how translanguaging practices may be tailored according to needs and contexts by providing examples of the implementation of translanguaging in different countries. Thus, this chapter reports on implementing translanguaging premises and pedagogies in light of critical needs analysis to compare and offer practical recommendations. Türkiye (at a state university where medical English was delivered using CLIL), Brazil (at a state university where linguists and computer scientists develop annotated treebanks of diverse dialects to be used in Natural Language Processing applications, among them a language used by the Warao refugees in Brazil, emerging from the contact between the Warao language, Venezuelan Spanish, and Brazilian Portuguese). Here, the target situation is a site for possible transformation and a translanguaging approach allows. To the knowledge of this chapter's authors, this study in two different contexts is the first of its kind on translanguaging
Relationship between food insecurity and ultra-processed food consumption in adults with overweight and obesity
No full textAim: This study examined the relationship between food insecurity and ultra-processed food (UPF) consumption in adults with overweight and obesity. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional analysis among outpatients seeking dietary counseling. Normality was assessed via skewness-kurtosis (-2 to +2). Daily UPF intake (g/day) was compared by sex using Student's t-test. Associations between food insecurity (food secure vs. mild/moderate/severe) and daily UPF intake were modeled using simple and multivariable linear regressions with progressive adjustment for sociodemographic and behavioral covariates. Results: Among 323 participants (mean age 46.9 +/- 13.1 years; 64.4 % women; mean BMI 33.8 +/- 11.0 kg/ m2), 14.9 % reported any food insecurity (9.6 % mild, 3.7 % moderate, 1.5 % severe). Total daily UPF intake was higher in individuals with any food insecurity than in food-secure individuals (286.3 +/- 370.6 vs. 143.8 +/- 205.0 g). Across fully adjusted models, food insecurity was associated with 124-143 g/day higher UPF consumption. Conclusion: Food insecurity is associated with higher daily UPF intake among adults with overweight or obesity. Policies should prioritize affordable, healthy substitutes and economic supports rather than assuming simple removal of UPFs. (c) 2025 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies
Analytic investigation of the (2+1)-dimensional Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain equation with M-fractional derivative
No full textIn this study, we examine the Heisenberg ferromagnetic spin chain equation in complex form in (2+1) dimensions, which is closely related to ferromagnetic materials and is used in spin wave dynamics modeling. To better interpret the model physically, we considered M-truncated time fractional derivative operator and used the generalized exponential rational function and extended trial equation methods to reveal the exact solution forms. These exact solution forms are presented in hyperbolic, trigonometric, and rational forms. We give 2D and 3D numerical simulations of exact solution profiles. The importance of fractional calculus in extending nonlinear theory is emphasized
Fındıng the optımum buıld orıentatıon of an automotıve part ın metal laser sınterıng addıtıve manufacturıng method
No full textDebriyaj diski, otomotiv endüstrisinde motor tork iletiminde temel rol oynayan elemanlardan biridir. Debriyaj diskindeki göbek parçası, torku motordan giriş miline iletmektedir ve genellikle kalıplama yöntemleri kullanılarak üretilmektedir. Otomotiv endüstrisinde ve havacılık gibi diğer endüstrilerde yeterli mekanik dayanımın yanında hafif parça kullanımı kritik öneme sahiptir. Topoloji optimizasyonu, sınır koşulları ve yük kısıtlamaları altında verilen tasarım alanı içindeki parçaların ağırlığını optimize etmek için hesaplamalı bir tasarım tekniğidir. Ancak topoloji optimizasyonu ile oluşturulan tasarımlar üretim kısıtlamaları nedeniyle genellikle üretilememektedir.
Eklemeli imalat yöntemi kalıpsız bir üretim tekniği olduğundan karmaşık şekiller de üretilebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, göbeğin ağırlık azaltımı, eklemeli imalata uygun olarak yapılmıştır ve optimum üretim yönü belirlenmiştir. Simufact Additive ile eklemeli imalat proses simülasyonları gerçekleştirilmiştir. Parça 0° ile 90° derece arasında 10° artışlarla döndürülerek her oryantasyon için deformasyon, gerilme, destek ağırlığı sonuçları toplanmıştır. Yeni bir model oluşturulmuştur ve çok amaçlı bir optimizasyon modeli tanımlanmıştır. Gauss Süreci Regresyon (GSR) modeliyle, eklemeli imalat simülasyon datalarını kullanılarak üç amaç fonksiyonu tanımlanmıştır. Çok amaçlı optimizasyon problemi son olarak tek amaçlı bir fonksiyona dönüştürülmüş ve Python kod dizisi kullanarak çözülmüştür. Çalışmanın sonunda, göbek kütlesi %26,3 oranında azaltılmıştır ve optimum eklemeli imalat üretim yönü makine tablasına göre 44,14 derece olarak bulunmuştur.The clutch disc is one of the key components involved in engine torque transmission in the automotive industry. The hub part in the clutch disc transmits torque from the engine to the input shaft and is typically manufactured using molding methods. In the automotive industry, as well as in the other fields such as aerospace, it’s critically important to use lightweight components beside sufficient mechanical strength. Topology optimization is a computational design technique to optimize parts wight within the given design space under constraints of boundary conditions and loads. However, designs created with topology optimization are generally not manufacturable due to production constraints.
Since the additive manufacturing is a moldless production technique, complex shapes can also be produced. In this study, weight reduction of the hub was carried out in accordance with additive manufacturing, and the optimal build direction was determined. Additive manufacturing process simulations were performed with Simufact Additive. The part was rotated between 0° and 90° with 10° increments and deformation, stress and support weight results were gathered for each orientation. A new model was created and a multi-objective optimization model was defined. Three objective functions were defined using additive manufacturing simulation data with the Gaussian Process Regression (GPR) model. The multi-objective optimization problem was finally converted into a single-objective function and solved using a Python script. At the end of the study, the hub mass was reduced by 26,3% and the optimum additive manufacturing build direction was found to be 44,14 degrees relative to the machine table
An empirical study on social media user motivations
No full textTeknoloji, tarihsel süreç boyunca bireylerin toplumsal ilişkilerini kurmalarında, anlam üretiminde ve bilgi aktarımında belirleyici bir rol üstlenmiştir. Özellikle dijitalleşmeyle birlikte iletişim alışkanlıklarında köklü dönüşümler yaşanmıştır. Geleneksel ve tek yönlü medya yapısından, etkileşim temelli ve kullanıcı odaklı dijital platformlara geçiş söz konusu olmuştur. İnternetin yaygınlaşması ve Web 2.0 teknolojilerinin gelişimi, bireyleri yalnızca içerik tüketicisi olmaktan çıkararak aynı zamanda içerik üreticisi ve dağıtıcısı haline getirmiştir. Bu dönüşümün somut yansımaları sosyal medya platformlarında açıkça gözlemlenmektedir. Sosyal medya, yalnızca dijital iletişimin temel bir aracı olmakla kalmayıp, bireylerin çok katmanlı sosyal, psikolojik ve bilişsel ihtiyaçlarına yanıt veren dinamik bir mecra olarak da öne çıkmaktadır. Sosyal medya ilişki kurmanın ötesinde; ilişki kurma ve sosyalleşme, bilgilenme ve kişisel gelişim, kendini ifade etme, eğlence ve vakit geçirme, fırsat arayışları ve sosyal etki gibi çeşitli amaçlarla kullanılmaktadır. Farklı sosyal medya platformlarının sunduğu içerik formatları ve etkileşim olanakları, kullanıcıların tercihlerini etkileyen temel unsurlar arasında yer almaktadır. Bu durum, sosyal medya kullanım motivasyonlarının çok boyutlu bir yaklaşımla ele alınmasını gerekli kılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, bireylerin sosyal medya kullanıcı motivasyonlarını analiz ederek söz konusu motivasyonların demografik değişkenlerle ilişkisini incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada belirlenen demografik değişkenler bağlamında sosyal medya kullanıcı motivasyonları hakkında karşılaştırmalar yapılmış; bu kapsamda bağımsız örneklem t-testi uygulanarak anlamlı farklılıklara ilişkin sonuçlara ulaşılmıştır. Elde edilen bulgular doğrultusunda, sosyal medya kullanıcı motivasyonlarına dair kapsamlı bir çerçeve sunulması ve gelecek çalışmalara katkı sağlanması hedeflenmektedir.Communication has played a decisive role throughout history in establishing social relationships, creating meaning, and transferring information among individuals. Especially with digitalization, profound transformations have occurred in communication habits. There has been a shift from traditional, one-way media structures to interactive and user-centered digital platforms. The widespread adoption of the internet and the development of Web 2.0 technologies have transformed individuals from mere content consumers into active content creators and distributors. This transformation is clearly reflected in social media platforms. Social media not only serves as a fundamental tool of digital communication but also emerges as a dynamic medium that responds to individuals' multifaceted social, psychological, and cognitive needs. Beyond establishing connections, it is used for various purposes such as socializing, information seeking, personal development, self-expression, entertainment, leisure, opportunity seeking, and social influence. The content formats and interactive features offered by different social media platforms are key factors affecting user preferences. This situation necessitates a multidimensional approach to understanding social media usage motivations. This study aims to analyze individuals' social media usage motivations and examine their relationships with demographic variables. Based on the data obtained, comparisons were made according to specified demographic variables, and independent samples ttests were conducted to identify significant differences. The findings provide a comprehensive framework for understanding social media usage motivations and aim to contribute to future research in this field
Parameter significance in exergy destruction: Comparative analysis of working fluid and temperature effects in low-temperature geothermal energy conversion
No full text[email protected] This study analyzed the effect of the refrigerant type selection, condenser and evaporator temperatures on thermal efficiency, network output, second-law efficiency, and exergy destruction values obtained with an advanced approach to exergy analysis. The thermal source was considered a low-temperature geothermal resource at 90 degrees C. The refrigerants R11, R123, and R245ca were used as a working fluid. The evaporator and condenser temperatures investigated were 76 degrees C, 80 degrees C, 84 degrees C, and 26 degrees C, 31 degrees C, and 36 degrees C, respectively. Firstly, the thermodynamic aspects were validated by using the literature study. Then, the L27 orthogonal array was created, and further the Taguchi method was applied to objectives. The ranking order of parameters and optimum cases were obtained by calculating signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios. Subsequently, the ANOVA method was applied, yielding satisfactory R2 values and allowing for the determination of the impact ratios of the parameters. Because of the diverse nature of objectives, the contribution ratios of parameters have different values. The contribution ratio results showed that the working fluid is the most important and dominant parameter for net work output (95.1%) and endogenous (97%), avoidable (97.6%), and unavoidable (95%) exergy destructions. Alternatively, the condenser temperature is the most important parameter for thermal efficiency (66.6%), second-law efficiency (66.6%), and exogenous exergy destruction (62.2%). The results showed the rank order of the parameters and the contribution ratio values are largely compatible
Investigation of the relationship between ultrasonographic development criteria and radiographic development of the acetabulum in developmental hip dysplasia in children: A retrospective study
No full textAmaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı, doğumdan sonraki ilk 6 ay içinde ultrasonografi (USG) ile gelişimsel kalça displazisi (GKD) saptanan kalçalarda röntgenografik olarak displazinin düzelme oranını, USG’deki matürasyon ile zamansal ilişkisini ve etkileyen faktörleri araştırmaktır. Gereç ve Yöntem: Doğumdan sonra ilk 6 ayda Graf yöntemi ile değerlendirilerek displazi saptanan 74 hastanın 111 kalçası retrospektif olarak incelendi. Röntgenografide displazi varlığının araştırılması için ön-arka pelvis radyografilerinde asetabuler indeks (Ai) açıları ölçüldü. Displazinin ultrasonografik ve röntgenografik düzelmesinin eş zamanlı olup olmadığı ve bu konuda ilk Graf tipi, ultrasonografik olgunlaşmanın süresi, hasta yaşı, tedavi varlığı ve demografik değişkenlerin etkileri araştırıldı. Bulgular: Ultrasonografik olarak matürasyonunu tamamlayan 84 kalçanın 53’ü eş zamanlı ön-arka pelvis röntgenografisinde de normaldi. Geriye kalan 31 kalçada rezidüel asetabular displazi (RAD) vardı. Cinsiyet, ultrasonografik matürasyon süresi ve hasta yaşı USG ile birlikte röntgenografik olarak displazi düzelmesinde etkili bulundu (p<0,05). İlk Graf tipi, tedavi varlığı ve diğer demografik değişkenlerin bir etkisinin olmadığı saptandı. Sonuç: Yenidoğan ve erken bebeklik döneminde USG ile displazi saptanan kalçalarda röntgenografik olarak displazinin düzelmesi her zaman ultrasonografik matürasyon ile birlikte olmamaktadır. Bu nedenle konservatif yöntemlerle tedavi edilerek ultrasonografik matürasyonu tamamlanan kalçalarda tedavinin bırakılma zamanı ve şekli tartışmalıdır. Ultrasonografik olarak normale dönen kalçalarda röntgenografik olarak displazi takibinin devam etmesi uygundur. USG ile kalça değerlendirme yaşını geçiren çocuklarda röntgenografik değerlendirmenin hangi sıklıkta ve ne zamana kadar yapılması gerektiği ile ilgili kabul gören bir algoritma olmaması nedeniyle GKD tanısı almış olguların takibinde kişiselleştirilmiş yaklaşımlar geçerli olmaktadır.Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the radiographic resolution rate of dysplasia, the temporal relationship with ultrasonographic (USG) maturation, and the influencing factors in hips diagnosed with Developmental Hip Dysplasia (DDH) by ultrasonography within the first 6 months after birth. Materials and Methods: 111 hips of 74 patients who were diagnosed with dysplasia using the Graf method in the first 6 months after birth were retrospectively analyzed. To assess the presence of dysplasia on radiographs, acetabular index (Ai) angles were measured on anteroposterior pelvic radiographs. Whether the resolution of dysplasia occurred simultaneously on ultrasonography and radiography was examined, along with the effects of initial Graf type, duration of ultrasonographic maturation, patient age, presence of treatment, and demographic variables. Results: Of the 84 hips that completed ultrasonographic maturation, 53 were also normal on simultaneous anteroposterior pelvic radiographs. The remaining 31 hips had residual acetabular dysplasia (RAD). Sex, duration of ultrasonographic maturation, and patient age were found to influence the concurrent radiographic resolution of dysplasia with USG maturation (p<0.05). Initial Graf type, treatment status, and other demographic variables had no significant effect. Conclusion: In newborns and infants diagnosed with dysplasia by USG, radiographic resolution does not always coincide with ultrasonographic maturation. Therefore, in hips treated conservatively that have completed ultrasonographic maturation, the optimal timing and method for discontinuing treatment remain debatable. Continued radiographic follow-up is appropriate in hips that return to normal on ultrasonography. Due to the lack of a widely accepted algorithm regarding the frequency and duration of radiographic evaluation in children beyond the USG assessment age, individualized followup approaches are recommended for patients diagnosed with DDH
The expression profile of Wnt/β-Catenin signalling pathway genes in miscarriages
No full textMiscarriage, defined as the spontaneous loss of a fetus before viability, is the most common complication of pregnancy. Among its many causes, genetic factors are thought to play a significant role. One of the key signaling pathways involved in embryonic development is the Wnt/β-catenin pathway, which regulates critical processes such as embryonic cell migration, cell fate determination, proliferation, and differentiation. This pathway is also essential for early developmental events, including preimplantation development and blastocyst implantation. Although numerous animal studies have linked disruptions in Wnt signaling to pregnancy loss, limited data exist on its role in human miscarriage. In this study, we aimed to investigate the expression profiles of genes involved in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in placental tissues from a total of 23 miscarriage cases, including 15 with normal and 8 with abnormal fetal karyotypes. Our analysis revealed that GSK3B, WNT3A, WNT4, AXIN2, and APC were upregulated in the normal karyotype group, while CTNNB1 (β-catenin) and WNT5A were downregulated. DVL1 expression showed no significant difference between the groups. These findings suggest that upregulation of GSK3B, AXIN2, and APC, together with downregulation of β-catenin, may lead to inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway. Such disruption could impair key cellular processes—including proliferation, migration, and blastocyst implantation—that are essential for early pregnancy maintenance
Physical layer security in ris-aided communication systems: Secrecy performance analyses
No full textIn this work, the secrecy performance of a novel reconfigurable intelligent surface (RIS)-assisted wireless communication system is investigated in the presence of an eavesdropper. This study is realized to characterize the privacy performance for the case where a single antenna base station (BS) sends confidential information to a single antenna legitimate user via RIS with the existence of a single antenna eavesdropper in urban wireless networks. In particular, new average secrecy capacity and approximate secrecy capacity expressions are derived. The secrecy outage probability (SOP) scenario for a legitimate user receiver and single antenna eavesdropper is further examined. Finally, the asymptotic SOP analysis is also conducted to obtain insights for the considered system model. Additionally, the impact of imperfect channel state information, a crucial factor in practical RISaided systems, on the achievable secrecy performance is also considered. It is verified that the analytical results are consistent with the simulations, which confirm the accuracy of the derived closed-form equations. It can be observed from the extensive simulation results that increasing the number of RIS elements improves both the average secrecy capacity and the SOP performance
Instructors' and students' perceptions of the integration of EU values into teaching and learning in higher education: A phenomenological study in the Netherlands, Türkiye, Greece, Czechia, and Italy
No full textThe purpose of this study is to explore how university instructors and students in five European countries (The Netherlands, T & uuml;rkiye, Greece, Czechia, and Italy) perceive the incorporation of European Union (EU) values into higher education. To achieve this, a phenomenological research design was employed, utilizing semi-structured group interviews with 42 participants, comprising 20 instructors and 22 undergraduate students from various disciplines. While the findings revealed a shared understanding of fundamental EU values including democracy, human rights, equality, freedom, human dignity, and rule of law, they also demonstrated considerable challenges regarding their effective integration into educational practices. The main barriers identified include insufficient educational materials and training opportunities, a lack of coordination in exchange programs, a lack of time, and financial limitations. This study highlights that more structured and systematic strategies are needed to successfully integrate these values in university curricula. The implications of this research underscore the need for universities to enhance their support mechanisms, foster inclusivity, and develop innovative pedagogical approaches to overcoming these challenges and fully integrating EU values into higher education