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Overview of Microlithiasis in Infancy in Pediatric Urology
No full textAim: Infantile microlithiasis, defined as kidney stones smaller than 3 mm, is a multifactorial condition associated with genetic, environmental, and anatomical factors. Congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT) are among the major structural anomalies linked to microlithiasis. This study investigated the prevalence of microlithiasis in infants with CAKUT and explored associated clinical and biochemical characteristics. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 148 infants diagnosed with microlithiasis via ultrasonography at a single center in the prior 2 years. Demographic data, biochemical findings, and imaging results were analyzed. CAKUT anomalies, including ureteropelvicjunction obstruction (UPJO) and vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), were documented. Follow-up data covering 12 months were reviewed in order to assess stone persistence and complications. Results: Among the 148 infants, 56% were male. CAKUT anomalies were identified in 16 cases (10.8%), with UPJO being the most common (87.5%). Stones were detected incidentally in 82.4% of cases, while symptomatic presentations included urinary tract infections (9 cases) and hematuria (3 cases). Persistent stones were observed in 7.4% of patients during follow-up, primarily in those with structural anomalies. Afamily history of nephrolithiasis was reported in 72% of cases, and all patients received vitamin D supplementation. Conclusion: Infants with microlithiasis demonstrate a notable association with CAKUT, particularly UPJO and VUR. Routine biochemical and imaging evaluations, coupled with long-term follow-up, are crucial for identifying at-risk patients and preventing complications. Multidisciplinary approaches are essential for optimizing outcomes in this population
Application of Search Algorithms to Root-Finding Problems in Algebraic and Transcendental Contexts
No full textIn this study, the bisection algorithm, golden ratio and Fibonacci search algorithms are used to find the roots of logarithmic, trigonometric, exponential, and polynomial functions. The results obtained from these methods are compared, and the fundamental principles, advantages, and disadvantages of each algorithm are discussed in terms of numerical stability. The approximation to the root with minimal error and the fewest steps is analyzed. The study concludes with results and recommendations based on comparative analysis
Effect of virtual reality application on pain and patient satisfaction in advanced stage cancer patients
No full textİleri evre kanser hastalarında ağrı, yönetmesi oldukça güç bir semptomdur. Bu süreç hastaların tedavi memnuniyetini ve uyumunu da oldukça etkilemektedir. Bu araştırma, ileri evre kanser hastalarında sanal gerçeklik uygulamasının ağrı şiddeti ve hasta memnuniyetine etkisini değerlendirmek amacıyla yapıldı. Bu araştırma, randomize kontrollü tek kör deneysel bir araştırma olarak gerçekleştirildi. Araştırma 01.03.2024-01.09.2024 tarihleri arasında, bir eğitim ve araştırma hastanesinin dahiliye kliniklerinde yatan dahil edilme kriterlerine uyan 54 hasta ile yürütüldü. Müdahale ve kontrol gruplarına rastgele 27 hasta atandı. Müdahale grubundaki hastalara araştırmacı tarafından 3 gün boyunca her gün rutin tedavi saatinden 30 dakika önce ortalama 10 dakika sanal gerçeklik gözlüğü ile müzik eşliğinde deniz ve doğa içerikli hasta tercihli 3D videolar izletildi. Kontrol grubuna rutin tedavi ve bakım uygulandı. Araştırmanın verileri hasta bilgi formu, Visual Analog Skala (VAS) ve hasta memnuniyet ölçeği ile toplandı. Araştırmaya etik kurul onayı, kurum izni ve hastalardan bilgilendirilmiş gönüllü olur alındıktan sonra yürütüldü. Hastaların ağrı şiddeti 1., 2. ve 3. günlerde, memnuniyet düzeyleri ise 1.ve 3. günler değerlendirildi. Araştırma verilerinin analizinde, tanımlayıcı istatistikler, karşılaştırmalı grupların analizinde bağımsız örneklem t testi, bağımlı örneklem t testi ve ANOVA testi ve ki kare testi yapıldı. Tüm analizler için istatiksel anlamlılık p0.05). Müdahale grubunun kontrol grubuna göre ağrı VAS puanının (1.,2.,3.izlem) anlamlı düzeyde azaldığı ve memnuniyet düzeyinin de kontrol grubuna göre arttığı saptandı (p0.05). It was determined that the pain VAS score (1st, 2nd, 3rd follow-up) of the intervention group decreased significantly compared to the control group and the satisfaction level increased compared to the control group (p<0.05). According to the results of this study, it was determined that watching a 3D video of the sea and nature content with music accompanied by virtual reality glasses for an average of 10 minutes every day for 3 days 30 minutes before the routine treatment time in advanced-stage cancer patients was effective in reducing the severity of pain and increasing treatment satisfaction, and did not cause any side effects. It is thought that the application can be an effective option in reducing the severity of pain and can be safely applied by nurses in the clinic and by patients and their relatives at home
Determinants of financial wellbeing: Body mass index, emotional eating and compulsive buying
No full textPurposeThis study aimed to reveal whether variables such as body mass index (BMI), emotional eating and compulsive buying, which are typically studied in different fields, impact perceived financial well-being. Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,240 participants aged >18 years participated in the study. Regression and mediation analyses were performed using CB-SEM. FindingsThe results show that BMI affects emotional eating and compulsive buying behavior in both males and females. While compulsive buying affects current money management for both females and males, it has a significant effect on future financial security for females but not for males. Emotional eating partially mediated the relationship between body mass index and compulsive buying in females and was fully mediated in males. Originality/valueTo the best of the authors' knowledge, this study is the first to examine the relationship between BMI and emotional eating, compulsive buying behavior (a mental disorder) and financial well-being (a result of purchasing decisions)
Design and Analysis of 0.4 - 6 GHz Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Archiemedean Spiral Antenna for Electronic Drone Jamming|Elektronik Drone Karistirma i in 0.4 - 6 GHz Ultra-Genis Bant (UWB) Archiemedean Spiral Anten Tasarimi ve Analizi
No full text33rd IEEE Conference on Signal Processing and Communications Applications, SIU 2025 -- -- Istanbul; Isik University Sile Campus -- 211450Spiral antennas are often used in Electronic Warfare (EW) and interferometric applications. This paper introduces an ultra-wideband archimedean spiral antenna with an operating frequency between 0.4 and 6 GHz. In order to jam enemy signals, a compact, vehicle-mountable antenna with a small size, effective beamwidth, 310 mm diameter, and 50 mm height has been designed. Low axial ratio, high gain, and broadband impedance matching are prominent antenna features analyzed with CST Studio Suite electromagnetic software for effective jamming performance. The spiral antenna with a directional radiation pattern has a 90-degree half-power beamwidth and a maximum real gain of 5 dBi. To improve the scattering parameters and axial ratio, a supported cavity is added, and microwave absorber material is used. Right Hand Circular Polarization (RHCP) is used to minimize polarization losses and improve the performance of the mixing signals. In addition to jamming applications, the proposed antenna is envisaged to be used in radar applications, weather measurements, and 5G communication applications. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Isik Universit
Evaluation of measurement uncertainty of coagulation parameters according to two different current guidelines
No full textObjectives: This study aims to calculate the measurement uncertainty values of prothrombin time (PT), activated par- tial thromboplastin time (APTT), D-dimer, and fibrinogen tests according to ISO/TS 20914 and Nordtest 2017 guidelines and to compare these values with the total allowable error (TEa%) and maximum expanded allowable measurement uncertainty (MAU) values established by international organizations. Methods: Normal and pathological level internal quality control data for PT, APTT, D-dimer, and fibrinogen tests per- formed on the Sysmex CS2100 device between January and May 2024 were obtained from the Laboratory Information System. External quality control data for October 2023 and September 2024 were sourced from the external quality control system. Measurement uncertainty was calculated following ISO/TS 20914 and Nordtest 2017 guidelines. Results: According to the ISO/TS 20914 guideline, the measurement uncertainty values for PT, APTT, D-dimer, and fibrinogen tests were 10.42%, 3.49%, 4.81%, and 19.10%, respectively. According to the Nordtest guideline, the mea- surement uncertainty values were 10.44%, 12.64%, 17.94%, and 21.69%, respectively. Conclusion: Based on the ISO/TS 20914 guideline, it was observed that the measurement uncertainty values for all coagulation tests met the TEa% analytical targets. According to the Nordtest guideline, all tests except fibrinogen met these targets. When evaluated against the MAU criterion, it was determined that D-dimer met the targeted quality specification according to both guidelines; however, the measurement uncertainty values for PT, APTT, and fibrinogen exceeded the allowed targets. Standardization of the measurement uncertainty calculation model and the determina- tion of analytical targets based on laboratory priorities can ensure reliable monitoring of analytical performance
Reinforcement and opposition-based learning enhanced weighted mean of vectors algorithm for global optimization and feature selection
No full textThis paper presents a novel optimization algorithm that integrates reinforcement learning (RL) and opposition-based learning (OBL) mechanisms with the weighted mean of vectors algorithm (INFO). The OBL has proven effective in enhancing optimization algorithms, the lack of adaptive selection mechanisms often leads to suboptimal performance. The proliferation of OBL variants poses significant challenges in selecting appropriate mechanisms for specific optimization problems, as each variant exhibits distinct characteristics and performance patterns across different problem landscapes. This research addresses this limitation by introducing a novel RL framework for OBL selection. The proposed QLOBL(INFO) algorithm employs Q-learning to adaptively select among five OBL variants, enabling dynamic strategy adaptation during the optimization process. The algorithm's performance has been extensively evaluated using the CEC2022 benchmark suite, real-world feature selection problems, and constrained optimization problems. These results demonstrate that RL-based adaptive OBL selection represents an effective approach for enhancing optimization performance, particularly in complex optimization landscapes and real-world applications
Examination of reading and phonological awareness skills of school-age children with speech sound disorders
No full textKonuşma sesi bozukluğu (KSB) olan çocuklarda sadece konuşma üretimi değil, okuma edinimiyle yakından ilişkili olan fonolojik farkındalık becerileri de etkilenebilmektedir. KSB, okul öncesi çocuklarda sıkça görülmesinin yanı sıra okul çağındaki çocuklarda da görülebilmektedir. Bu çalışmada, KSB olan ve olmayan okul çağı çocuklar ile tipik gelişim gösteren (TGG) çocukların fonolojik farkındalık ile okuma ve okuduğunu anlama becerilerinin incelenmesi amaçlanmıştır. Bu amaç doğrultusunda 2. sınıfa giden 30 KSB olan ve 30 TGG çocuğa Türkçe Fonolojik Farkındalık Testi (FFT), Okuma Yazma Değerlendirme Bataryası'nın (OYAB) okuma ve okuduğunu anlama alt testleri uygulanmıştır. Çalışma sonucunda, KSB olan çocukların fonolojik farkındalık becerilerinin TGG çocuklara göre anlamlı düzeyde daha düşük olduğu; okuma ve okuduğunu anlama becerilerinde ise gruplar arasında anlamlı bir farklılık olmadığı görülmüştür. Buna ek olarak, katılımcıların FFT ve OYAB alt testleri puanları arasında orta ve yüksek düzeyde, pozitif yönde anlamlı bir ilişki olduğu saptanmıştır. Araştırma bulguları doğrultusunda, KSB olan çocukların değerlendirilmesinde okuma ve fonolojik farkındalık becerilenin de göz önünde bulundurulması gerektiği; müdahale planına bu becerilere ilişkin görevlerin de eklenmesi gerektiği önerilmektedir.In children with speech sound disorders (SSD), not only speech production but also phonological awareness (PA) skills—which are closely related to reading acquisition— may be affected. SSD is frequently observed in preschool-aged children and can also be seen in school-aged children. This study aimed to examine PA, reading, and reading comprehension skills in school-aged children with and without SSD compared to typically developing (TD) children. For this purpose, 30 children with SSD and 30 TD children in the second grade were administered the Turkish Phonological Awareness Test and the reading and reading comprehension subtests of the Literacy Assessment Battery. The results showed that children with SSD had significantly lower PA skills compared to TD children; however, there were no significant differences between the groups in reading and reading comprehension skills. In addition, a moderate to strong, statistically significant positive correlation was found between the participants' scores on the PA and reading tests. Based on the research findings, it is recommended that reading and phonological awareness skills be taken into consideration when assessing children with SSD, and that tasks related to these skills be included in intervention plans
Automated Testing for Service-Oriented Architecture: Leveraging Large Language Models for Enhanced Service Composition
No full textThis article explores the application of Large Language Models (LLMs), including proprietary models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT 4o and ChatGPT 4o-mini, Anthropic's Claude 3.5 Sonnet and Claude 3.7 Sonnet, and Google's Gemini 1.5 Pro, Gemini 2.0 Flash, and Gemini 2.0 Flash-Lite, as well as open-source alternatives including Qwen2.5-14B-Instruct-1M, and commercially accessed models such as DeepSeek R1 and DeepSeek V3, which were tested via APIs despite having open-source variants, to automate validation and verification in Application Programming Interface (API) testing within a Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA). Our system compares internal responses from the Enuygun Web Server against third-party API outputs in both JSON and XML formats, validating critical parameters such as flight prices, baggage allowances, and seat availability. We generated 100 diverse test scenarios across varying complexities (1-4 flight results) by randomly altering request and response parameters. Experimental results show that Google Gemini 2.0 Flash achieved high accuracy (up to 99.98%) with the lowest completion time (85.34 seconds), while Qwen2.5-14B-Instruct-1M exhibited limited capability in processing complex formats. Models such as OpenAI's ChatGPT and Anthropic's Claude Sonnet models also demonstrated strong performance in single-flight validation scenarios, making them suitable for low-latency, high-precision tasks. Our findings indicate that some open-source models can offer promising cost-effective alternatives, though performance significantly varies. This integration of LLMs reduced manual workload, improved test scalability, and enabled real-time validation across large-scale datasets. As LLM technologies mature, we anticipate further advances in automation, accuracy, and efficiency in software validation systems.Wingie Enuygun Group; ITU-BAP Doctoral Projects 2025The work of Altan Cakir was supported in part by Wingie Enuygun Group, and in part by ITU-BAP Doctoral Projects 2025
Artificial Intelligence in Respiratory Diseases
No full textIncreasing human life expectancy worldwide has led to an increase in the prevalence of chronic respiratory diseases, similar to other diseases. Analyses indicate that this trend will continue in future generations (Burney et al., 2014). Chronic respiratory diseases rank as the third leading cause of death globally, accounting for 4 million deaths (Momtazmanesh et al., 2023). Clinicians should prioritize reducing the impact of these diseases on individuals’ life expectancy and quality of life, as well as alleviating the economic burden on society. The most crucial step in achieving these goals is the early and accurate diagnosis of diseases (Izquierdo et al., 2022). Currently, respiratory diseases are often diagnosed and monitored in secondary or tertiary healthcare centers. However, due to the increasing prevalence and socioeconomic challenges, many patients in various parts of the world cannot access these centers. This situation hinders early and accurate diagnosis. The path to early and accurate diagnosis lies in providing basic primary health care services. Facilitating access to these services, providing basic spirometry equipment, and expanding telemedicine services will be crucial turning points for early and accurate diagnosis. However, the primary challenge in achieving these goals is that spirometry results are not always easily interpretable by general practitioners, and primary health care services cannot meet the increasing demand in many countries. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved