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Preserving culture and community: A principal’s struggle for the survival of a Greek minority school in İstanbul
No full textThe Greek minority schools in Istanbul represent an underexplored context where educational leadership and cultural preservation intersect within a fragile framework of political reciprocity. This study explores the lived experience of a principal at a Greek minority secondary school, drawing on a life history approach. Data were collected through an in-depth interview with the principal, who has served for over a decade. Thematic analysis revealed a multidimensional struggle to sustain the school’s educational mission and cultural identity amid declining student numbers, shifting family preferences, curriculum constraints, and institutional pressures. The findings also illustrate how the principal balances formal leadership with the informal role of cultural guardian, maintaining the school as a space of identity and continuity. Focusing on a minority school leader’s narrative, this study contributes to the limited literature on national minority education in Turkey. It offers insights into leadership’s operation under demographic, political, and structural challenges
An analysis of skill-based Turkish language questions used in central examinations (2018-2024) and sample questions published by the Ministry of National Education
No full textBu araştırmada, 2018-2024 yılları arasında yayımlanan Türkçe dersi örnek soruları ile Liselere Geçiş Sistemi (LGS) kapsamında uygulanan beceri temelli sorular, kazanım, bilişsel beceri ve kullanılan materyal açısından karşılaştırılmıştır. Bu çalışma, sınavla öğrenci alacak ortaöğretim kurumlarına ilişkin merkezî sınavdaki beceri temelli Türkçe sorularını (2018-2024) yayımlanan örnek sorularla sayı, oran, nitelik açısından karşılaştırarak materyal, bilişsel süreç, kazanım alanlarına göre sınıflandırmasını yapıp yorumlamayı amaçlamaktadır. Nitel araştırma desenlerinden biri olan doküman incelemesi yöntemiyle gerçekleştirilen çalışmada, Millî Eğitim Bakanlığı tarafından yayımlanan örnek sorular ve LGS’de yer alan beceri temelli sorular veri kaynağı olarak kullanılmıştır. Güvenirliği sağlamak için Miles Huberman veri analizi kullanılmıştır. Soruların dayandığı kazanımlar, hedeflediği bilişsel beceriler ve kullanılan materyaller tespit edilmiştir. Araştırma sonucunda, örnek sorular ile LGS sorularının büyük oranda benzer kazanımlara dayandığı ve kazanım açısından yüksek düzeyde bir uyumluluk gösterdiği belirlenmiştir. Bilişsel süreç açısından ise LGS sorularının belirli beceriler etrafında yoğunlaştığı görülmüştür. Grafik, tablo, görsel, metin materyallerinin hem örnek sorularda hem de LGS’de kullanıldığı ve örnek soruların LGS için yordayıcı bir etkiye sahip olduğu görülmüştür. Elde edilen bulgular, beceri temelli soruların öğrenciye kazandırmayı hedeflediği yeterliklerin değerlendirilmesi açısından önem arz etmektedir.In this study, Turkish language sample questions published between 2018 and 2024 and the skill-based questions implemented within the scope of the High School Entrance System (LGS) were compared in terms of learning outcomes, cognitive skills, and material used. This study aims to classify and interpret skill-based Turkish questions in the centralized examination for secondary education institutions admitting students through examination (2018–2024) in terms of quantity, proportion, and quality by comparing them with the published sample questions according to materials, cognitive processes, and learning outcomes. The research was carried out using document analysis, one of the qualitative research designs. The data sources consisted of sample questions published by the Ministry of National Education and questions included in the LGS exams. To ensure reliability, the Miles and Huberman data analysis method was employed. The study identified the learning outcomes the questions were based on, the cognitive skills they aimed to assess, and the types of materials used. As a result of the research, it was determined that the sample questions and LGS questions were largely based on similar learning outcomes and demonstrated a high level of alignment in this regard. In terms of cognitive skills, LGS questions were found to be concentrated around specific skills. It was observed that materials such as graphics, tables, visuals, and texts were used in both sample questions and the LGS, and that the sample questions had a predictive effect on the LGS. The findings are significant in terms of evaluating the competencies that skill-based questions aim to develop in students
Impact of ceftazidime avibactam on colonization by carbapenem resistant Enterobacterales during treatment of related infections
No full textCarbapenem-resistant Enterobacterales (CRE), particularly carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) and carbapenem-resistant Escherichia coli (CREC), are significant pathogens causing healthcare-associated infections. This retrospective study assesses the effectiveness of ceftazidime-avibactam (CAZ/AVI) in achieving perianal swab (PAS) negativity compared to other treatments, including colistin, polymyxin B, meropenem, and combinations with fosfomycin. We retrospectively analyzed 147 CRE-colonized patients (76 females) screened with PAS samples from January 14, 2021, to April 27, 2024. Patients were divided into two groups: those treated with CAZ/AVI (n = 40) and those receiving alternative treatments (n = 44) for bloodstream infections or ventilator associated pneumonia caused by CRE. PAS negativity was defined as conversion from positive to negative, while relapse was a positive PAS result after initial negativity. A p-value below 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant. The CAZ/AVI group achieved a higher rate of PAS negativity (32 patients) with a median time to PAS negativity of 1 week. Relapse rates were similar between CAZ/AVI (23/24) and non-CAZ/AVI groups (8/10). Significant differences in PAS negativity were observed at two weeks (p < 0.001) but not at four weeks (p = 0.492). The median time to PAS negativity was shorter in the CAZ/AVI group (1 week) compared to the non-CAZ/AVI group (2 weeks; p = 0.027). CAZ/AVI is more effective than alternative treatments for short-term PAS negativity, but relapse rates are comparable, highlighting challenges in long-term CRE management. Continuous surveillance and personalized decolonization strategies are essential. Further research is needed to investigate relapse mechanisms and evaluate combination therapies or novel strategies for sustained decolonization
Factors affecting the measurements of peripheral oxygen saturation values in healthy young adults
No full textObjectives The aim of the study was to examine peripheral oxygen saturation values in the index and middle fingers of the dominant hand in healthy young adults measured while lying in a supine position or sitting straight up. Methods This study was a non-randomized and non-controlled, quasi-experimental repeated measures study. It was conducted with 200 healthy young adults in Turkey. A pulse oximeter was located at the same time on the index and middle fingers of the active hand of each participant while sitting upright, and after being kept there for 1 min, the results of the measurements were recorded. Later, the participants were brought into a supine position, and after 10 min of rest, measurements with a pulse oximeter placed on the index and middle fingers of the active hand were repeated in the same way. Results The mean age of the participants was 20.4 +/- 1.8 years; 76.5% were female, and their mean body mass index was 22.5 +/- 3.6 kg/m2. It was found that when the individuals were sitting upright, the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the middle finger were significantly higher than the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the middle finger in the supine position (p = 0.003). It was found that the peripheral oxygen saturation values of female participants measured from the index finger in the upright sitting position and from the index and middle fingers in the supine position were significantly higher than the saturation values of male participants (p = 0.018, p < 0.001, p = 0.001, respectively). In addition, it was found that the peripheral oxygen saturation values measured from the index and middle fingers of underweight individuals in the sitting position and from the index and middle fingers in the supine position were significantly higher than the saturation values of overweight individuals (p = 0.021, p = 0.006, p = 0.001, respectively). Conclusion In the conclusions of this study, it was found that the highest oxygen saturation value of the young adults was measured from the middle finger when they were in the upright sitting position. It was also found that the variables of gender and body mass index significantly affected the peripheral oxygen saturation value
Improved outcome of HSCT in STAT1 gain-of-function disease following JAK inhibition bridging.
No full textGermline gain-of-function (GOF) mutations in signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 () are associated with infections, including chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and autoimmunity. Morbidity is high, and disease manifestations can be life-threatening. Curative allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) historically has had poor outcomes. We identified 36 patients with STAT1 GOF disease, receiving 40 HSCT procedures in 2010-2023, in a combined effort of the EBMT-IEWP and the PIDTC. Median age at first transplant was 11 years (range 1 - 33). Indications for HSCT were combined immunodeficiency, severe and/or refractory infections, and autoimmunity. Acute GvHD occurred in 22/40 HSCT procedures; 5 patients suffered from grade III/IV acute GvHD. One patient had chronic GvHD. Overall survival was 72.2%, and event-free survival was 55.6%, markedly improved from an earlier report on HSCT for STAT1 GOF disease. Patients with an HCT-CI score of 1 or higher had worse outcome. Pre-treatment with Janus kinase (JAK) inhibitors was associated with better event-free survival
Bir üniversite hastanesi acil servisinde alınan kan ve idrar kültür sonuçlarının değerlendirilmesi
No full textThe identification of emergency department patients at risk of bacteremia is of critical importance, and the culture method is considered the gold standard for diagnosis. Our study aimed to investigate adult patients admitted to the emergency department whose blood and urine cultures were taken with suspicion of bacteremia. In our study, we retrospectively analyzed the data of adult patients who were admitted to Balikesir University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Emergency Medicine, between February 2020 and October 2024 and whose blood and urine cultures were taken by emergency physicians to test for bacteremia. The mean age of the 991 patients included in the study was 60.9 years. The most common diagnosis was urinary tract infection (36.8%). Bacterial growth was detected in 398 of the 1296 samples included in the study. While growth was observed in 302 (35.4%) of the 853 urine samples, growth was detected in 96 of 443 blood cultures. Ciprofloxacin was the most resistant antibiotic, and amikacin was the most sensitive to the E. coli and K. pneumoniae isolates taken from the urine cultures. K. pneumoniae isolates were more resistant to all antibiotics than E. coli isolates. We suggest that guidelines for empirical antibiotic treatment be developed by evaluating aggregated data on bacteremia from healthcare institutions, and that limitations in antibiotic selection by emergency physicians be implemented, as these may enable patients to access appropriate antibiotics more quickly.Acil serviste bakteriyemi riski taşıyan hastaların tespit edilmesi hayati öneme sahiptir. Teşhis için altın standart yöntem olarak kültür incelemesi kabul edilmektedir. Çalışmamızın amacı acil servise başvuran ve bakteriyemi şüphesi ile kültür alınan hastaları incelemektir. Bu doğrultuda, kültür alınan hastaların demografik özellikleri, şikayetleri, izole edilen mikroorganizmaların sonuçları ve antibiyogram sonuçları değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışmamız, Şubat 2020- Ekim 2024 arasında Balıkesir Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Acil Tıp Anabilim Dalındaki hastalardan ve acil hekimleri tarafından bakteriyemi düşünülerek kan ve idrar kültürü alınan 991 erişkin verilerinin retrospektif olarak incelenmesiyle gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmadaki 991 hastanın yaş ortalaması 60,9 dur. Hastalara en sık konulan tanı üriner sistem enfeksiyonu (%36,8) idi. Çalışmaya dahil edilen 1296 örneğin 398’inde bakteriyel üreme olduğu saptandı. Gönderilen 853 idrar örneğinin 302’sinde (%35,4) üreme gözlenirken, gönderilen 443 kan kültürünün 96’sında (%21,6) üreme saptandı. İdrar kültürlerinde gözlenen K. pneumoniae ve E. coli ve izolatlarının en dirençli olduğu antibiyotik siprofloksasin, en duyarlı olduğu ise amikasin olarak saptanmıştır. K.pneumoniae izolatlarının, E. coli’ye kıyasla tüm antibiyotiklere daha yüksek oranda dirençli olduğu tespit edilmiştir. Sağlık kuruluşlarının bakteriyemi ile ilgili kayıtları düzenli aralıklarla bakılarak ampirik antibiyotik tedavisi için güncellemeler yapılabilir. Kültürlerin daha hızlı elde edilmesini sağlayacak yöntemlerin geliştirilmesi hayat kurtarıcı bir adım olabilir
Diagnostic and prognostic significance of platelet large cell count and ratio in cats across stages of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
No full textHypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is the most common cardiac disease in cats and a major predisposing factor for arterial thromboembolism (ATE), a life-threatening complication. While platelet activation plays a pivotal role in thrombogenesis, the diagnostic and prognostic value of novel platelet-derived indices such as platelet-large cell count (PLCC) and platelet-large cell ratio (PLCR) remains poorly defined in feline patients. This study aimed to assess PLCC and PLCR across different stages of HCM and to evaluate their potential as biomarkers for thrombotic risk. Seventy-one client-owned cats were categorized based on the ACVIM guidelines into healthy controls (Stage A), asymptomatic HCM (Stage B), symptomatic HCM (Stage C/D), and HCM with ATE. PLCC was elevated (P 69 × 109/L and PLCR ≤74 % for predicting ATE. Also, an Extreme Gradient Boost-based machine learning model was applied to predict FATE risk with SHAP (SHapley Additive exPlanations) analysis for model interpretation. The model demonstrated moderate discriminative ability (AUC-ROC = 0.68), with PLCC identified as the strongest predictor and PLCR as a contextual cofactor. These findings suggest that PLCC and PLCR may serve as informative adjunctive hematological parameters for assessing disease severity and stratifying thromboembolic risk in cats with HCM
Molecularly imprinted nanoparticle-embedded electrospun mat as an antibacterial wound dressing
No full textMolecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) nanoparticles offer a promising controlled drug delivery platform. In this study, amoxicillin (AMOX)-imprinted polymer nanoparticles (similar to 60 nm) were synthesized via emulsion polymerization and incorporated into polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/sodium alginate (SA) [PVS] electrospun nanofibers to develop a novel wound dressing. The nanoparticle-embedded PVS nanofibers (PVS-AMOX-MIP) demonstrated a sustained cumulative drug release of 43.6% over 2 days, governed by non-Fickian transport per the Korsmeyer-Peppas kinetic model. The nanofibers exhibited favorable physical properties, including a high specific surface area (39.66 m(2)/g), optimal porosity (78.8%), and a water vapor transmission rate (1053.4 +/- 5.9 g/m(2)/day), ideal for wound healing. Antibacterial activity studies showed significant inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, while biocompatibility assays confirmed the mat's noncytotoxic nature and ability to promote cell proliferation. Furthermore, angiogenesis studies revealed enhanced vascularization, which is critical for tissue regeneration. The developed strategy offers a unique approach for advanced wound care and controlled drug delivery applications by combining MIP nanoparticles' molecular recognition capability with the structural advantages of electrospun nanofibers
The effect of the gestational week of initiation of low-dose aspirin in the first trimester for preeclampsia prophylaxis on obstetric outcomes
No full textPreeklampsi (PE) ciddi maternal ve fetal morbidite-mortalite ile seyredebilen, tüm gebeliklerin %2-5’ini etkileyebilen gebeliğin hipertansif hastalıklarındandır. Gebeliğin ilk üç aylık periyodunda preeklampsi geliştirebilecek gebeleri doğru tahmin edebilirsek plasentasyonun iyileştirilmesi, preeklampsi gelişiminin önlenmesi veya azaltılması konusunda önlemlere erkenden başlayabiliriz. Preeklampsi önlenmesinde güncel yaklaşım, yüksek riskli gebelerde günlük düşük doz aspirin kullanımına başlamaktır. Bu çalışmadaki amacımız; preeklampsi profilaksisi için uygun hastalarda 11. gebelik haftasından önce başlanan düşük doz aspirin ile 11-14. gebelik haftaları arasında başlanan düşük doz aspirinin 20-24. gebelik haftasında uterin arter pulsatilite indeksi (UtPI) üzerine etkisi, ultrasonografik olarak tahmini fetal ağırlık üzerine etkisi, amniyotik sıvı indeksi üzerine etkisinin yanında gebelik sonuçlarına da etkisini araştırmaktır. Çalışmamız, gebelikte aspirin kullanımının başlangıç zamanının maternal ve fetal sonuçlar üzerindeki etkilerini değerlendirmiştir. Bulgular, erken dönemde (35, VKİ >30, nulliparite) olumlu etkiler sağladığını göstermektedir. Çalışmamız, preeklampsi ve FGR önlenmesinde erken aspirin kullanımının faydalarını desteklemektedir.Preeclampsia, one of the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy, is associated with significant maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality, affecting approximately 2-5% of all pregnancies. Early identification of pregnancies at risk for developing preeclampsia during the first trimester could enable the implementation of preventive measures aimed at improving placentation and reducing-preventing the development of preeclampsia. The current approach to preeclampsia prophylaxis involves the initiation of daily low-dose aspirin in pregnancies identified as high-risk. Our aim in this study is to investigate the effects of low-dose aspirin started before the 11th week of pregnancy and low-dose aspirin started between the 11th and 14th weeks of pregnancy in patients suitable for preeclampsia prophylaxis on uterine artery pulsatility index (UtPI) at 20-24th weeks of pregnancy, its effect on ultrasonographically estimated fetal weight, its effect on amniotic fluid index, as well as its effect on pregnancy outcomes. Our study evaluated the effects of the starting time of aspirin use during pregnancy on maternal and fetal outcomes. The findings show that aspirin use in the early period (35, BMI >30, nulliparity). Our study supports the benefits of early aspirin use in the prevention of preeclampsia and FGR
Observing the classroom at hogwarts: A genetic look into a preservice English Teacher’s identity growth
No full textThis qualitative study focuses on the identity development of an English language preservice teacher during a series of classroom observation activities that involved analysing filmic representations of fictional teachers. Data were collected through video observations, script-based tasks, group discussions, and semistructured interviews. Data were analysed at three levels: microgenetic (identity development process from thinking to speaking), ontogenetic (meanings about the self and the teaching profession), and sociocultural (fictional classrooms and teacher education contexts). Results evidenced that the participant’s beliefs and conceptions about language learning and teaching, possible selves, and inner dilemmas played a role in identity development. In conclusion, interaction with the Harry Potter series as a cultural and pedagogical artefact in the virtual practicum contributed to the participant’s identity development