bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Distribution and prevalence of Sin Nombre hantavirus in rodent species in eastern New Mexico
Authors: Banther-McConnell Jaecy K. , Suriyamongkol Thanchira , Goodfellow Samuel M. , Nofchissey Robert A. , Bradfute Steven B. , Mali Ivana
Published: January 2024

Orthohantaviruses are diverse zoonotic RNA viruses. Small mammals, such as mice and rats are common chronic, asymptomatic hosts that transmit the virus through their feces and urine. In North America, hantavirus infection primarily causes hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome (HCPS), which has a mortality rate of nearly 36%. In the United States of America, New Mexico (NM) is leading the nation in the number of HCPS-reported cases (N = 129). However, no reported cases of HCPS have occurred within eastern NM. In this study, we assessed the prevalence of Sin Nombre virus (SNV) in rodent assemblages across eastern NM, using RT-qPCR. We screened for potential rodent hosts in the region, as well as identified areas that may pose significant infection risk to humans. We captured and collected blood and lung tissues from 738 rodents belonging to 23 species. 167 individuals from 16 different species were positive for SNV RNA by RT-qPCR, including 6 species unreported in the literature: Onychomys leucogaster (Northern grasshopper mouse), Dipodomys merriami (Merriam’s kangaroo rat), Dipodomys ordii (Ord’s kangaroo rat), Dipodomys spectabilis (Banner-tailed kangaroo rat), Perognathus flavus (Silky pocket mouse), and Chaetodipus hispidus (Hispid pocket mouse). The infection rates did not differ between sexes or rodent families (i.e., Cricetidae vs. Heteromyidae). Generalized linear model showed that disturbed habitat types positively influenced the prevalence of SNV at sites of survey. Overall, the results of this study indicate that many rodent species in east New Mexico have the potential to maintain SNV in the environment, but further research is needed to assess species specific infectivity mechanisms and potential risk to humans.
Aerodynamic noise characteristics of a centrifugal fan in high-altitude environments
Authors: Liu Xue , Liu Jian
Published: January 2024

In high-altitude areas, the air is thin and the atmospheric pressure is low, which can affect the performance of centrifugal fans and aerodynamic noise. In this paper, steady and unsteady simulations of a centrifugal fan flow field are performed at altitudes of 0, 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 m, and the Ffowcs Williams-Hawkings equation is used to predict the aerodynamic noise of the fan. The results indicate that the tonal and broadband noise generated by the fan decrease with increasing altitude, and the A-weighted sound pressure level of each frequency band of the fan decreases when the air volume is held fixed. The maximum sound power level Lwmax, sound pressure pulsation interval, and total noise sound pressure level Lp decrease linearly with increasing altitude. For every 1000 m increase in altitude, Lwmax and Lp decrease by 0.45 dB and 1.05 dB respectively. The fan noise characteristics, performance parameters, and human auditory perception are the main factors that affect the establishment of fan noise standards in high-altitude areas.
Risk of major myopia-associated non-communicable ocular health disorders in Ghana
Authors: Kyei Samuel , Kwasi Gyaami Rexford , Abowine John Baptist , Zaabaar Ebenezer , Asiedu Kofi , Boadi-Kusi Samuel Bert , Mesuh Jacob Mensah , Assiamah Frank , Armah Anthony , Ayerakwah Patience Ansomah
Published: January 2024

Objective

To assess the differential association of myopia with major non-communicable ocular diseases in an African clinical cohort.

Methods

A five-year hospital-based retrospective study of myopia cases. Patients’ folders, Optical Coherence Tomography scans, and fundus photographs were reviewed for the abstraction of relevant data. Only records that employed recognized standards and classification systems for diagnosing and staging the various ocular conditions were included. Demographic characteristics, non-cycloplegic objective refractive findings, and non-communicable eye diseases were retrieved from the records. Myopia-associated risk factors were then determined using logistic regression and correlation.

Results

Some 16018 patients (32027 eyes) met the inclusion criteria for at least one eye comprising 50.8% males (n = 8137) and 49.2% females (n = 7881). The mean age of the patients was 43.14 ± 17.88 years (range: 2–98 years). The mean spherical equivalent± Standard deviation for myopia was -2.30±3.23 DS (range: -0.50 to -25DS). Binary logistic regression analysis showed that myopic eyes had a higher odd of AC (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.50–0.57), POAG (OR, 6.0; 95% CI, 5.26–6.82), DR (OR, 10.70; 95% CI, 3.91–29.27) and cataracts (OR, 20; 95% CI, 15.32–26.20) but not dry eye (OR, 0.74, 95% CI, 0.68–0.81), macular degeneration and pterygium (OR, 0.36; 95% CI, 0.32–0.40).

Conclusion

Africans with myopia are more at risk of developing allergic conjunctivitis, cataracts, POAG, and DR but not for dry eye, macular degeneration, and pterygium.
Exposure to Mycobacterium remodels alveolar macrophages and the early innate response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection
Authors: Mai Dat , Jahn Ana , Murray Tara , Morikubo Michael , Lim Pamelia N. , Cervantes Maritza M. , Pham Linh K. , Nemeth Johannes , Urdahl Kevin , Diercks Alan H. , Aderem Alan , Rothchild Alissa C.
Published: January 2024

Alveolar macrophages (AMs) play a critical role during Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) infection as the first cells in the lung to encounter bacteria. We previously showed that AMs initially respond to Mtb in vivo by mounting a cell-protective, rather than pro-inflammatory response. However, the plasticity of the initial AM response was unknown. Here, we characterize how previous exposure to Mycobacterium, either through subcutaneous vaccination with Mycobacterium bovis (scBCG) or through a contained Mtb infection (coMtb) that mimics aspects of concomitant immunity, impacts the initial response by AMs. We find that both scBCG and coMtb accelerate early innate cell activation and recruitment and generate a stronger pro-inflammatory response to Mtb in vivo by AMs. Within the lung environment, AMs from scBCG vaccinated mice mount a robust interferon-associated response, while AMs from coMtb mice produce a broader inflammatory response that is not dominated by Interferon Stimulated Genes. Using scRNAseq, we identify changes to the frequency and phenotype of airway-resident macrophages following Mycobacterium exposure, with enrichment for both interferon-associated and pro-inflammatory populations of AMs. In contrast, minimal changes were found for airway-resident T cells and dendritic cells after exposures. Ex vivo stimulation of AMs with Pam3Cys, LPS and Mtb reveal that scBCG and coMtb exposures generate stronger interferon-associated responses to LPS and Mtb that are cell-intrinsic changes. However, AM profiles that were unique to each exposure modality following Mtb infection in vivo are dependent on the lung environment and do not emerge following ex vivo stimulation. Overall, our studies reveal significant and durable remodeling of AMs following exposure to Mycobacterium, with evidence for both AM-intrinsic changes and contributions from the altered lung microenvironments. Comparisons between the scBCG and coMtb models highlight the plasticity of AMs in the airway and opportunities to target their function through vaccination or host-directed therapies.
The use of single-cell RNA-seq to study heterogeneity at varying levels of virus–host interactions
Authors: Swaminath Sharmada , Russell Alistair B.
Published: January 2024

The outcome of viral infection depends on the diversity of the infecting viral population and the heterogeneity of the cell population that is infected. Until almost a decade ago, the study of these dynamic processes during viral infection was challenging and limited to certain targeted measurements. Presently, with the use of single-cell sequencing technology, the complex interface defined by the interactions of cells with infecting virus can now be studied across the breadth of the transcriptome in thousands of individual cells simultaneously. In this review, we will describe the use of single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) to study the heterogeneity of viral infections, ranging from individual virions to the immune response between infected individuals. In addition, we highlight certain key experimental limitations and methodological decisions that are critical to analyzing scRNA-seq data at each scale.
Single cell RNA sequencing reveals endothelial cell killing and resolution pathways in experimental malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome
Authors: Pollenus Emilie , Possemiers Hendrik , Knoops Sofie , Prenen Fran , Vandermosten Leen , Thienpont Chloë , Abdurahiman Saeed , Demeyer Sofie , Cools Jan , Matteoli Gianluca , Vanoirbeek Jeroen A. J. , Vande Velde Greetje , Van den Steen Philippe E.
Published: January 2024

Plasmodium parasites cause malaria, a global health disease that is responsible for more than 200 million clinical cases and 600 000 deaths each year. Most deaths are caused by various complications, including malaria-associated acute respiratory distress syndrome (MA-ARDS). Despite the very rapid and efficient killing of parasites with antimalarial drugs, 15% of patients with complicated malaria succumb. This stresses the importance of investigating resolution mechanisms that are involved in the recovery from these complications once the parasite is killed. To study the resolution of MA-ARDS, P. berghei NK65-infected C57BL/6 mice were treated with antimalarial drugs after onset of symptoms, resulting in 80% survival. Micro-computed tomography revealed alterations of the lungs upon infection, with an increase in total and non-aerated lung volume due to edema. Whole body plethysmography confirmed a drastically altered lung ventilation, which was restored during resolution. Single-cell RNA sequencing indicated an increased inflammatory state in the lungs upon infection, which was accompanied by a drastic decrease in endothelial cells, consistent with CD8+ T cell-mediated killing. During resolution, anti-inflammatory pathways were upregulated and proliferation of endothelial cells was observed. MultiNicheNet interactome analysis identified important changes in the ligand-receptor interactions during disease resolution that warrant further exploration in order to develop new therapeutic strategies. In conclusion, our study provides insights in pro-resolving pathways that limit inflammation and promote endothelial cell proliferation in experimental MA-ARDS. This information may be useful for the design of adjunctive treatments to enhance resolution after Plasmodium parasite killing by antimalarial drugs.
Mistrust between Deaf patients and hearing staff in healthcare settings
Authors: Kaplunov Elizabeth
Published: January 2024

This article aims to contribute to healthcare communication literature by providing factors that result in mistrust and miscommunication for Deaf people. Deaf people experience a lot of health inequity, which can be, in large part, attributed to being a result of communication and misunderstanding between Deaf people and healthcare staff, resulting in mistrust. Presenting outcomes of practical experiments as well as theoretical reasons for the misunderstanding and mistrust allows to make suggestions about how to improve communication for the future. This review can serve as guidance for factors that contribute to miscommunication that should be avoided by healthcare staff and for lessons learned from positive experiences that should be scaled up and applied to ensure more clear and supportive communication.
Embodiment, Relation, Community: A Continental Philosophy of Communication, Garnet Butchart (2019)
Authors: Klyukanov Igor
Published: January 2024

Review of: Embodiment, Relation, Community: A Continental Philosophy of Communication, Garnet Butchart (2019)

University Park, PA: Pennsylvania State University Press, 199 pp.,

ISBN 978-0-27108-325-4, h/bk, $80.95
The Czech Republic (Česká Republika)
Authors: Oravcová Anna
Published: January 2024

The contribution provides a brief overview of the development of Czech hip hop subculture. Focusing on the events and personalities of its formative years beginning with 1989, the article gives an insight into each of Czech hip hop’s elements. Looking at the forms of adoption and adaption of western influences via TV and radio broadcasts, the article explores the early years of rap, breaking and beatbox following the contributions of its main protagonists. Even though Czech Republic is considered racially homogeneous, the article also touches upon the contribution (or lack thereof) of the Roma artists. As is the case of many countries around the world, Czech rap music is perceived a masculine domain, which is reflected in the relative absence (or invisibility) of female hip hop artists.
Canada
Authors: Campbell Mark V.
Published: January 2024

In this country profile, Mark V. Campbell provides historical, cultural, socio-political and linguistic insights into the formation and existence of hip hop culture in Canada. Focusing on multiple elements within the culture and by exploring the climate of media imperialism that impacts the country’s cultural forms, the contribution provides wide ranging and multiple contexts in which hip hop culture is situated within this large but sparsely populated country.
Full of rage and references: Understanding Coronel’s Frenesi (Frenzy) (2022) in the Brazilian rap scene – An interview/review
Authors: Marques Gustavo Souza
Published: January 2024

Coronel is an underground Brazilian rapper and music producer who has a psychologizing and post-gangsta musical work. In his album Frenesi (2022), Coronel shows his rage against fake gangsterism in the Brazilian rap scene utilizing references from a diverse setting of cultural productions ranging from Hitchcock movies to Egyptian gods. This article examines the uniqueness of Coronel’s musical work in the Brazilian rap scene considering his initial maromba rap phase as well. Maromba rap is a subgenre of rap music made for working out comprising motivating but also dissing lyrics against other bodybuilders. As a product of Brazilian rap scene on the internet, maromba rap is an interesting phenomenon that had its apex in early 2010s. However, Coronel’s career moved beyond such a specific subgenre achieving deeper lyrics and more intricate music productions. In other words, this article examines not only Coronel’s Frenesi but also its career as a whole and how the content of his album relates to the different phases he went through as an artist. Coronel comes back with an aggressive album replete with references from cinema to Egyptian gods and videogames.
Germany (Deutschland)
Authors: Nitzsche Sina A.
Published: January 2024

This article provides a brief overview of hip hop’s development in Germany. First, it explains how rap music and hip hop culture arrived in a divided Cold War Germany in the 1980s. It then traces the music genre’s evolution into one of Germany’s most popular and commercially successful music genres since the country’s reunification in 1990. The contribution affirms that rap music and hip hop culture in Germany continues to reflect, revise and respond to larger social justice issues in German society, such as struggles for racial, ethnic, gender and sexual equality. The author argues that hip hop culture in Germany is a rich, multi-faceted and diverse phenomenon which has been shaped by, responds to, and remains embedded in larger geopolitical and transnational dynamics in Europe and beyond.
Senegal
Authors: Berktay Asligul
Published: January 2024

In 2018, Senegalese hip hop celebrated its thirtieth anniversary as one of Africa’s most vibrant hip hop scenes. Senegalese rap has asserted itself not only as an expedient form of urban art, but also as a socially, politically, and culturally powerful instrument of both persuasion and mobilization for the masses. From its privileged beginnings in Dakar’s posh nightclubs and Catholic high schools, the genre soon asserted itself as quite distinct from hip hop in other parts of the world, and its popularity increasingly grew to wide segments of the Senegalese public. From the mid-1990s, the underprivileged segments of the society (especially those from the poor peripheral neighbourhoods of Dakar) became progressively vocal, using hip hop as an instrument to give voice to the economic and political predicaments of the people, particularly the youth. The production of the music became increasingly local, and its primary language the Senegalese lingua franca Wolof. What has given Senegalese rap both its personality and power, while enabling it to keep an international aura, has been its political engagement: from early on, Senegalese hip hop has been strongly penetrated by politics and the denunciation of the living conditions of the population, of political abuse and social inequality. This article examines ‘hip hop galsen’ over three decades, detailing its development as a successful genre grounded in local realities that gives voice to the concerns and predicaments of the Senegalese public. It concludes through an examination of recent changes, as evidenced in new musical influences, the several important female voices that can now be heard within a historically male-dominated genre, and the greater support and acceptance hip hop has recently enjoyed, equipping the current generation of Senegalese rappers with the promise of bringing it to the international stage.
The Netherlands
Authors: Gilbers Steven
Published: January 2024

This article outlines the history of hip hop in the Netherlands from the early 1980s onward. After discussing Dutch hip hop culture’s early days – during which breaking was hip hop’s driving force in major cities like Amsterdam and Rotterdam, and rap music from the Netherlands followed American trends and was strictly anglophone – it focuses especially on the emergence of and later developments in Nederhop (‘Netherhop’): Dutch-language rap music. In the 1990s, Dutch rap groups like Osdorp Posse and rappers like Extince were crucial in this regard, as their pursuit of authenticity eventually led them to rap in their native tongue, a practice which has since become the norm in the Dutch hip hop scene. The article touches on influential emcees from the country’s major urban areas (e.g. Brainpower), while also acknowledging the influence of Dutch artists from smaller cities on the outskirts of the Netherlands (e.g. Opgezwolle, Typhoon and Fresku). The article then proceeds to discuss how in the twenty-first century, artists like De Jeugd van Tegenwoordig, Ronnie Flex and Broederliefde managed to reach the mainstream, pushing Nederhop to become the most popular genre of music in the Netherlands, improving the genre’s reception by critics and the mainstream media in the process. Moreover, the article identifies recent developments in hip hop culture in a broader sense, for instance when it comes to the Dutch hip hop media landscape and academic hip hop scholarship in the Netherlands, concluding that Dutch hip hop appears to have a bright future ahead.
Nuevas notas sobre toponimia de Guipúzcoa
Authors: Yarza Urquiola Valeriano
Published: January 2024

En los años 2014, 2015 y 2022 publicamos sendos artículos sobre toponimia guipuzcoana, vizcaína y alavesa relacionada con el legado de la herencia romana. En este trabajo de ahora ofrecemos de nuevo nuestra versión acerca del nombre de algunas localidades guipuzcoanas con la intención, por una parte, de matizar y ampliar nuestro artículo de 2014 y de referirnos, por otra, al libro Gipuzkoako herrien izenak. Lekukotasunak eta etimologia (2020) de P. Salaberri y L. Mª. Zaldua. Ello ha hecho que en nuestro análisis entren en esta ocasión topónimos tanto de ascendencia eusquérica como de otras procedencias.
Ausencia de regulación jurídica específica sobre la salud y seguridad de los trabajadores náuticos deportivos: causas y consecuencias
Authors: Vergara Prieto Natasha
Published: January 2024

El artículo tenía como objetivo realizar un estudio relativo a la regulación jurídica sobre la salud y seguridad de los deportistas profesionales náuticos. Ante la ausencia de regulación específica alguna, el artículo analiza en primer lugar, las causas por las que una profesión tan singular, donde los trabajadores, deportistas profesionales, en el ejercicio de la misma asumen tantos riesgos y sufren frecuentemente accidentes y/o lesiones, no ha sido objeto de regulación específica sobre su salud y su seguridad laboral; en segundo lugar, se realiza un estudio de las consecuencias que dicha carencia conlleva; y por último, desde la humildad, propone una posible solución para afrontar la tarea de elaborar dicha regulación.
La aplicación del punto de vista de género para la defensa de la salud laboral de las mujeres trabajadoras
Authors: Ríos Velada Alfonso
Published: January 2024

La segregación ocupacional, tanto horizontal como vertical, y la asignación de roles específicos a las mujeres hacen que exista una diferenciación entre las condiciones de trabajo de las mujeres y de los hombres. De la misma manera, las exposiciones a riesgos profesionales, los accidentes de trabajo que pueden desencadenarse y las enfermedades profesionales que pueden surgir también se dan de diferente manera. La legislación existente en materia de prevención de riesgos laborales no contempla de forma suficientemente extensa la diferenciación entre los colectivos femenino y masculino de personas que ocupan un puesto de trabajo. Pese a esto, existen instrumentos que las empresas tienen la obligación de implantar y de medidas preventivas que tienen que llevar a cabo para proteger en mayor medida y de forma más específica, y por tanto efectiva, la salud de las mujeres trabajadoras.
Use of Postoperative Opioid Therapy Following Endoscopic Sleeve Gastroplasty
Authors: Moy Benjamin M. , Volk Sarah , Richards Blair , Guduguntla Bhavna A. , Schulman Allison R.
Published: January 2024

INTRODUCTION:

There are no established guidelines on periprocedural and postprocedural pain management after endoscopic sleeve gastroplasty (ESG). This study aimed to determine the need for perioperative and postoperative opioid therapy in patients undergoing ESG.

METHODS:

This retrospective study comprised consecutive patients undergoing ESG. The primary outcome was the percentage of patients requiring postoperative outpatient opioid therapy. Secondary outcomes included frequency and dosage of perioperative pain medications and postoperative pain scores.

RESULTS:

Of the 67 patients included, 39 (58.2%) required opioids in the perioperative setting. The mean ± SD opioid dose was 12.3 ± 8.4 morphine milligram equivalents. Postoperatively, 17.9% of patients required home opioid prescriptions. More than a third of patients reported no pain.

DISCUSSION:

In patients undergoing ESG, postoperative opioid therapy should be individualized to attenuate opioid overprescription and the risk of opioid overuse.
Analysis of Middle School Mathematics and Science Curriculum Learning Outcomes According to TIMSS-2019 Evaluation Frameworks
Authors: OK Gökçe , KAYA Deniz
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this research is to examine the cognitive qualities of the learning outcomes in middle school mathematics and science curricula according to grade levels and learning fields. In the study, case design, one of the qualitative research methods, was used and the data were collected with the help of document analysis technique. The learning outcomes in the middle school mathematics and science curricula published by the Ministry of National Education Board of Education and Discipline in 2018 were discussed on the axis of cognitive domains and sub-dimensions in the TIMSS-2019 evaluation frameworks. Descriptive analysis technique was used to examine the learning outcomes in the curricula. In this context, 215 outcome expressions in the mathematics curriculum and 223 learning outcome expressions in the science curriculum were evaluated. According to the findings of the study, while 46.6% of the learning outcomes in the mathematics curriculum are in the domain of knowing, 36.6% of them are in the applying, 16.8% of them are in the reasoning cognitive domain; 27.1% of the learning outcomes in the science curriculum are in the knowing, 32.4% of them are in the applying and 40.5% of them are in the reasoning cognitive domain. According to the findings, it was suggested that learning outcomes should be updated to include more metacognitive skills, and that primary and secondary teaching programs should be evaluated according to similar frameworks.
Student-Generated Videos: A Bibliometric Analysis and Systematic Review
Authors: BALIKÇI Hasan Celal , KARATAŞ Serçin
Published: January 2024

This study aims to provide an overview and contribute to the related literature by examining the videos created by the students. In this context, a systematic literature review was conducted in addition to a bibliometric analysis that was performed using the bibliographic data from Web of Science directory to identify the common words. Afterwards, word clouds were formed based on the information gathered from titles, keywords, and abstracts of studies. The literature highlights the metacognition category, that is students' thinking about their own learning, with relation to the purpose of use for the student-generated videos. Further, it is observed that the sampling of studies was mostly carried out in the higher education level. In terms of theoretical background, unspecified studies outnumber; theories in which students actively engage such as collaborative learning, constructivist approach and experiential learning stand out.
Investigating the Validity and Reliability of the Mobile Application Rating Scale
Authors: ÖZAYDIN AYDOĞDU Yıldız , YILDIZ DURAK Hatice , AKGÜN Elif
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this study is to perform the validity and reliability study of the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) for a mobile learning system that contains e-contents in different forms to improve digital parenting competencies for adults. This scale was prepared by Stoyanov et al. (2015) and adapted into Turkish for the e-pulse application by Korkmaz and Arıkan (2021). In this study, the scale items were rearranged in the context of the study to evaluate “digital parenting”. This scale aims to evaluate the application with four sub-dimensions of “participation, functionality, aesthetics, and knowledge”, and it has 21 items. The study was carried out with 181 participants. Considering the validity results of the scale, the model with the highest validity among the single-factor model, four-factor model, and second-level confirmatory factor analysis models was the four-factor model, as in the original scale. Factor loads vary between 0.55 and 0.91. Considering the reliability results, the average variance extracted for the participation dimension was 0.69, for functionality 0.78, for aesthetics 0.75, for knowledge dimension 0.63, and the average variance extracted for the whole scale was 0.70. In addition, alpha reliability (stratified alpha reliability) was 0.92 for participation, 0.94 for functionality, 0.92 for aesthetics, 0.92 for knowledge, and 0.97 for the whole scale. In the context of these findings, the validity and reliability values of the scale were high.
Differentiation of Self, Career Adaptability and Optimism: The Mediating Role of Self-Construal
Authors: KURŞUNCU Mustafa Alperen , BAŞTEMUR Şule , DEMİRTAŞ ZORBAZ Selen
Published: January 2024

One of the variables in a better understanding of career adaptability and optimism levels is family-of-origin experiences. Differentiation of self (DoS) is one of the variables linked to career development. University students with higher DoS maintain an authentic intimacy with significant others while they succeed in individuation. The current study examined the mediator role of self-construal (i.e., interrelational, and self-developmental orientations) on the relationship between the differentiation of self and career adaptability. Our sample was composed of university students; 750 young adults (550 females, 73.3%; 190 males, 25.3%; and ten were missing) participated. The data were gathered from these young adults using the Career Adaptability and Optimism Scale, Differentiation of Self Inventory, Balanced Integrated Differentiation Scale, and Demographic Information Form. Contrary to our hypotheses, findings revealed that self-construal orientations mediated the relationship between differentiation of self and career adaptability in a negative direction. We concluded that a lack of balanced-integrated differentiation (self-construal) complicate the relationship between self-differentiation and career adaptability; we delineated our results considering the literature.
Preparatory School Students' Perceptions of Learning English for Specific Purposes (ESP) for International Relations
Authors: TUNAZ Mehmet , AKSU ATAÇ Bengü
Published: January 2024

Özel amaçlı İngilizce (ESP), birlikte İngilizce öğrenen bir grup insanın benzer gereksinimlere ve beklentilere sahip olacağı fikrine dayanmaktadır. ESP'nin özellikle yetişkin öğrenciler olmak üzere üniversite öğrencileri arasında genel dil öğrenme motivasyonunu yükseltmede etkili olduğu gösterilmiştir. Bir öğrencinin yabancı dil sınıfındaki ihtiyaçlarının analizi, sınıfta en yararlı olacak dilsel türler ve kelime dağarcığı gibi faktörlere ve bu tür bilgileri aktarmanın en etkili yollarına odaklanır. Yüzde Yüz İngilizce olan bölümlerde, tüm fakülte dersleri İngilizce olarak verilmektedir; bu nedenle, gelen birinci sınıf öğrencilerinin ana dallarına başlamadan önce tam bir yıl boyunca İngilizce dil kursu almaları zorunludur. Ancak bu çalışmada öğrenciler, İngilizce öğretmenliği hariç diğer tüm bölümlerdeki öğrencilerle aynı şekilde, yalnızca genel İngilizce dersleri almaktadırlar. Bu nedenle, bu araştırmanın amacı, Uluslararası İlişkiler öğrencilerinin ne ölçüde özel amaçlı İngilizce ’ye ihtiyaç duyduklarını ortaya çıkarmaktır. Veriler, öğrenci merkezli ihtiyaç analizi anketi, yarı yapılandırılmış görüşme ve ihtiyaç analizi anketinin bir parçası olarak doküman analizi yoluyla toplanmış ve ortaya çıkan veriler, tanımlayıcı istatistikler ve içerik analizi kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Bulgulara göre, müfredat, öğrencilerin okul başarısı için dilsel gereksinimlerine yeterince hitap etmemektedir. Bunun yerine, şu anda sunulan standart İngilizce derslerine ek olarak, özellikle konuşma ve yazma becerilerini içermesi gereken, gelecekteki kariyerleriyle bağlantılı özel bir ESP dersine ihtiyaçları vardır.
The influence of virtual professional learning networks on pre–service teachers’ professional learning and growth
Authors: UCAN Serkan
Published: January 2024

This qualitative study focuses on pre–service teachers’ engagement in virtual professional learning networks and perceptions of how their virtual professional learning network participation influences their professional learning and growth. Online survey and group interview data were collected from the participants (n=41) and analysed thematically. The analysis showed evidence that pre–service teachers were successful in engaging in virtual professional learning networks in diverse ways via utilising multiple social media spaces and establishing various online connections. In addition, findings revealed that participants’ virtual professional learning network engagement supported their professional learning and growth in multiple ways. Respondents stated acquiring new pedagogical and digital knowledge and skills, and forming both their current and future teacher identities. They also appeared to reflect upon and transform their perceptions and beliefs about teaching and learning as a result of their virtual professional learning network participation. Moreover, their virtual professional learning networks were identified as increasing their sense of security via offering them a more comforting, secured and supportive social space.
Pre-Service Turkish and English Teachers’ Achievement Levels, Perceptions of Self-Efficacy and Attitudes in relation to Summarizing Skills
Authors: ATMACA Çağla , ÇETİNKAYA Gökhan , POLAT Betül
Published: January 2024

This study aims to compare pre-service Turkish and English teachers’ achievement levels, perceptions of self-efficacy and attitudes in relation to summarizing skills. This study adopted a sequential mixed method research design and there were 265 pre-service teachers who were chosen via convenience sampling. The data were obtained via a story summary rubric, the summarizing attitude scale, summarizing self-efficacy perception scale and a semi-structured interview form. While the quantitative data were analyzed by statistical methods, the qualitative data were subjected to summative content analysis. According to the findings, summarizing achievement level of the participants was at a good level. Also, it was found that the participants had a high level of belief in the importance of summarizing, they enjoyed summarizing at a moderate level, and their attitude scores towards summarizing were high. In addition, the participants' summary-based reading, summary writing and self-efficacy perceptions of summarizing were at a high level. On the other hand, it was revealed that there were no significant differences between the scores of the pre-service English and Turkish teachers in terms of summarizing achievement levels, believing in the importance of summarizing, reading for summarizing, writing summary and summarizing self-efficacy. Finally, there was a significant difference in favor of the pre-service Turkish teachers in the dimension of enjoying summarizing and the overall scores of the summarizing attitudes scale.
Science for Students with Visual Impairment: An Analysis of Hands-on Activity
Authors: ZORLUOĞLU Seraceddin Levent , KIZILASLAN Aydın , SÖZBİLİR Mustafa
Published: January 2024

Science courses are considered to be one of the most difficult courses since they contain difficult and abstract concepts for the individual who needs special education. Because traditional science teaching is mostly based on visual teaching. However, an effective science education can be done by making instructional adaptations and taking into account the individual needs of the students. In this study, the science activities and materials prepared by taking into consideration the needs of the students with visual impairment using the case study of qualitative research methods were made. the study sample consisted eight students including three blind and five students with low vision. The Activity Evaluation Scale (AES) was used to collect data. At the end, activities and materials were evaluated by teacher and independent researchers. In order to ensure the reliability of the study, the videos which were recorded during the course separately analyzed by the researchers, the AES was filled and then the analyses of the researchers were compared. As a result, it was determined that the science activity and materials prepared for the students with visual impairment can be useful in teaching the concepts of heat conductor and heat insulator.
Self-Compassion’s Correlation with Attachment for Middle School Adolescents
Authors: SUMBAS Ezgi , ÖZTÜRK Nilgün
Published: January 2024

The present study was conducted to investigate the correlation between self-compassion and attachment in adolescents. The data was collected by the authors and the students were informed about the study before proceeding to the data collection stage. In the study, the Self-Compassion Scale (Short Form) was used to measure the self-compassion levels of the students, and the Relationships Questionnaire (Adolescent Form) was used to determine the attachment styles of the students. The study group included 355 students attending the 6th, 7th and 8th grades in public secondary schools at a provincial center in Eastern Anatolia Region (Turkey) during the 2018-2019 academic year. Descriptive statistics, t-test, analysis of variance and simple linear correlation analysis were used in data analysis. The study findings demonstrated that there were low, negative and significant correlations between self-compassion levels of the students and their obsessive attachment and fearful attachment levels. The study findings also demonstrated that there was no significant difference between self-compassion levels of the students based on gender, however there was a significant difference based on the age variable. The study findings were discussed based on the previous study reports in the literature and recommendations were presented.
Meta-Analytic and Meta-Thematic Analysis of Digital Storytelling Method
Authors: TALAN Tarık
Published: January 2024

The purpose of this study is to analyze the effect of the digital storytelling method on academic achievement and various variables by examining the method in terms of meta-analytic and meta-thematic aspects. Therefore, meta-analytic and meta- thematic dimensions were used together in the study. Within the context of the meta-analytic dimension of the research, the data obtained from 34 studies meeting the criteria of inclusion from various databases were analyzed using Comprehensive Meta- Analysis Software (CMA) to examine the effect of digital storytelling method on academic achievement. On the other hand, in the meta-thematic dimension performed to complete the obtained data, qualitative findings were obtained by quoting common codes and themes from the qualitative studies. In this context, the general characteristics of the digital storytelling method, their contributions to the cognitive dimension, and difficulties encountered during application were addressed. According to the results of the research, the digital storytelling method has been found to have a significant positive effect on academic achievement. The results of the meta-thematic assessments revealed that the digital storytelling method had an effect on making the students gain several 21st-century skills such as creative thinking, effective communication, and research skills, and it facilitated learning, provided permanence, and positively affected academic achievement. Time limitation, limited internet access, technological insufficiency, technical problems, lack of technical knowledge and skills, and lack of technical support are some of the problems faced during the implementation.
EFL Teachers’ Views and Needs on In-service Training as a Part of Professional Development: A Case Study in Turkish Context
Authors: ONALAN Okan , GURSOY Esim
Published: January 2024

In-service training (INSET), as one of CPD activities, is an indispensable part of any organized effort to enhance language teachers’ field knowledge as well as their practical skills. However, there are still concerns regarding the effectiveness and sufficiency of INSET programs in Turkey. One of the reasons for any possible inefficiency might be the abundance rather than scarcity in quantity, where content has long been repetitive around similar and currently monotonous topics with limited quality. Therefore, more data-driven research that investigates language teachers’ actual needs and views on in-service training should be conducted in different contexts. Thus, the present study aims to investigate INSET needs and views of 249 private school teachers working at different campuses of the same institution. Designed as a mixed methods research, quantitative data was collected via a questionnaire developed by the researchers which is then followed by focus group interviews of 20 head teachers and team leaders from the same institution. The findings suggest characteristics of a good INSET by underlining teachers’ needs in a training program with implications for teacher trainers and policy makers.
The learning potential of English as a lingua franca contexts in the eyes of study abroad students
Authors: Heinzmann Sybille , Köylü Zeynep , Ehrsam Kristina
Published: January 2024

This paper presents insights from two interview studies with the aim of shedding light on the learning potential of studying abroad in an area where English is used as a lingua franca. The majority of previous research on study abroad focuses on students’ experiences of studying abroad in target-language regions, for example learners of English studying abroad in English-speaking countries. To date, the learning potential of spending time in English as a lingua franca (ELF) contexts remains an under-researched area. The present paper draws on two separate interview studies that have been conducted with five Turkish and five Swiss study abroad students that stayed in different European ELF contexts as part of their studies at higher education institutions. The data suggests that even though the participants still partially adhere to native speaker norms, they also discuss a number of characteristics of English as a lingua franca study abroad (ELFSA) contexts that they deem conducive to learning English and enhancing their plurilingual competences.
Computational models of bone fracture healing and applications: a review
Authors: Wang Monan , Jiang Guodong , Yang Haoyu , Jin Xin
Published: January 2024

Fracture healing is a very complex physiological process involving multiple events at different temporal and spatial scales, such as cell migration and tissue differentiation, in which mechanical stimuli and biochemical factors assume key roles. With the continuous improvement of computer technology in recent years, computer models have provided excellent solutions for studying the complex process of bone healing. These models not only provide profound insights into the mechanisms of fracture healing, but also have important implications for clinical treatment strategies. In this review, we first provide an overview of research in the field of computational models of fracture healing based on CiteSpace software, followed by a summary of recent advances, and a discussion of the limitations of these models and future directions for improvement. Finally, we provide a systematic summary of the application of computational models of fracture healing in three areas: bone tissue engineering, fixator optimization and clinical treatment strategies. The application of computational models of bone healing in clinical treatment is immature, but an inevitable trend, and as these models become more refined, their role in guiding clinical treatment will become more prominent.
Some physicochemical, nutritional and sensory properties of functional pumpkin dough chips produced using hazelnut and cereal flour by different frying methods
Authors: Çavuş Mehmet , Şimşek Atilla , Turan Emre
Published: January 2024

This study aimed to analyze the mineral profiles, physicochemical and sensory properties of pumpkin dough chips (PDC), made from pumpkin pulp (Cucurbita moschata) and a combination of hazelnut and grain meals fried by oven (OF), microwave (CMWF) and deep frying (DF). The experiment was established by 36 samples, including formulations (F = 4), frying techniques (FT = 3) and replications (R = 3). The effect of F, FT and F × FT factors on the moisture, ash, protein, oil, hydroxymethylfurfural, phenolics, DPPH-RSA, TEAC, β-carotene, Hunter L*, a*, b*, browning index, hardness, fracturability and minerals of PDC were found significant statistically (P < 0.05). As a result of ICP-MS analysis of PDCs, K, Na, Ca, Mg, and Si minerals were higher than other minerals. While the OF chips had most appreciated, panellists found the DF chips oily. Also, there was a harmony between the pumpkin in the PDC and the cereal flours and hazelnuts.
The effect of gonadotropin-releasing hormone analog treatment on the endocrine system in central precocious puberty patients: a meta-analysis
Authors: Guo Na , Zhou Fei , Jiang Xiaolan , Yang Linlin , Ma Huijuan
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRHa) is the first choice for the treatment of patients with central precocious puberty (CPP). However, the effects of GnRHa on the endocrine system of CPP patients, including insulin sensitivity, lipid level, thyroid function, bone mineral density (BMD), and testosterone (T) level, are currently contradictory. Therefore, the long-term safety of GnRHa therapy remains controversial.

Content

A systematic literature search was performed using PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CNKI databases. The changes in HOMA-IR, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, TSH, FT3, FT4, T, and BMD in CPP patients before and after GnRHa treatment were compared by meta-analysis. As the heterogeneity between studies, we estimated standard deviation mean differences (SMDs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) using a random-effects model. Egger’s test was used to assess publication bias.

A total of 22 studies were included in our meta-analysis. Compared with before GnRHa treatment, there were no statistically significant differences in endocrine indicators including HOMA-IR, TG, LDL-C, HDL-C, TSH, FT4, FT3, T, and BMD of CPP patients treated with GnRHa.

Outlook

Treatment with GnRHa for central precocious puberty will not increase the adverse effect on the endocrine system.
Influence of donor characteristics on the milk donation volume and microbiological quality of donated human milk in first 3 years of work of the Croatian human milk bank-retrospective observational study
Authors: Novoselac Jurjana , Golubić Ćepulić Branka , Kalenić Barbara , Pavičić Bošnjak Anita
Published: January 2024

Objectives

Donated human milk is the best possible alternative when mother’s own milk is not available. The aim of this study is to investigate whether there are differences in the milk donation volumes and microbiological quality of donated milk depending on human milk donors (HMDs) characteristics.

Methods

We analyzed data on the HMDs who donated milk in the first three years of work of human milk bank (HMB) – November 2019 to January 2023. The data on the volume of donated milk in L and suitable microbiological quality assessed by the number and isolated species of bacteria were collected from questionnaires filled out by HMDs and documentation administered by HMB employees and are presented using descriptive and comparative statistics.

Results

Two hundred HMDs were included in this study. The majority of them are between 26 and 35 years of age, reside in capital city or the surrounding county, have given birth to a full-term child vaginally, and express surplus milk through a breast pump. Donor mothers of preterm born infants (14.5 %) donated greater quantities, there is statistically significant difference in the median of volume of milk donated (9.6 vs. 6.4, p=0.026). Milk expressed manually shows better results in microbiological quality (median percentage 100 vs. 82 vs. 100, p=0.040), while by comparing other characteristics of the donors, no difference was found between the groups.

Conclusions

It is important to be aware of the characteristics of previous HMDs in order to direct the HMB future promotional and educational activities.
Meaning construction in Nigerian multilingual hip hop: a study in sociology of music
Authors: Liadi Olusegun Fariudeen
Published: January 2024

The wide acceptability of Nigerian hip hop music, home and abroad, indicates increasing value of the inclusion of local popular languages in the composition and performance of the music. In the text of many of the award winning singles and albums are mixtures of different languages ranging from English, Pidgin English, Yoruba, Igbo and other local dialects. Drawing on Ferdinand de Saussure’s theory of structuralism, this study examines meaning construction in hip hop music in Nigeria. By focusing on the Nigerian hip hop artists, who adopt different slangs embedded with codes considered absurd within the mainstream cultural milieu, the study closely investigates constructed meanings in the lyrics of four Nigerian award winning hip hop artists. All the artists adopted multilingual codes-switching from one language to another in presentation of their messages. The codes in the songs generally symbolise and present messages or meaning that appears out of the mainstream cultural meanings. Listeners and artistes meet at the level of interpretations. The article argues that Nigerian artists creatively present a sub-culture where they and their fans can relate through codes and words embedded with symbolic meanings shared by both artists and fans.