Test-Retest Reliability and Construct Validity of the Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment in People With Stroke

Background and Purpose: The Tinetti Performance-Oriented Mobility Assessment (POMA) is commonly used to measure balance ability in older adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the test-retest reliability and minimal detectable change (MDC) of the POMA and explore its cross-sectional and longitudinal construct validity for use in people early after stroke. Methods: Participants were recruited if they had a first documented stroke and were receiving physical therapy during inpatient rehabilitation. The POMA, gait speed, and motor Functional Independence Measure (FIM) scores were collected at admission and at discharge from inpatient rehabilitation. A second trial of the POMA was conducted 1 day after the first trial for reliability analysis. Correlations (Spearman rho) between raw scores of admission and discharge outcome measures, as well as change in scores between admission and discharge, were used to explore the construct validity of the POMA. Results: Fifty-five people, with average age of 75 ± 11 years, who had experienced first documented stroke participated in the study and began inpatient physical therapy at a mean of 8 ± 5 days poststroke. Test-retest reliability intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC2,1) was 0.84 and MDC was 6 points. The POMA scores were moderately correlated to motor FIM and gait speed scores at admission (rs = 0.55 and 0.70) and discharge (rs = 0.55 and 0.82.) Change scores of all 3 measures had a fair correlation (rs = 0.28-0.51). Discussion and Conclusions: Test-retest reliability and MDC of the POMA in people with stroke is similar to previous research in older adult long-term care residents. Results support cross-sectional and longitudinal construct validity of the POMA in persons early after stroke and demonstrate validity and reliability to measure balance ability in this population

Investigation Of Structure And Functional Properties Of Lna (locked Nucleic Acids) By Computational Tools

Tez (Yüksek Lisans) -- İstanbul Teknik Üniversitesi, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, 2007Thesis (M.Sc.) -- İstanbul Technical University, Institute of Science and Technology, 2007Kilitli nükleik asit (LNA) bir veya daha fazla LNA nükleotid monomeri içeren sentetik RNA türevidir. Şeker-fosfat ana hattında riboz kısmı yapısal olarak 2’-oksijen ve 4’-karbon atomlarından metilen köprüsü ile sınırlandırılmıştır. Bu bağlantı şeker halkasını DNA ve RNA sekanslarına komplementer hibrid oluşumuna müsade eden 3’-endo (N-tip) konformasyonuna sabitler. Bu sayede LNA bisiklik furanoz birimine sahip RNA taklidi konformasyona kilitlenmiştir. Bu çalışmada kilitli nükleik asitin beş bazı (adenin, timin, urasil, guanin ve sitozin) gaz fazındaki farklı konformasyonları araştırılmıştır. Bu çalışmanın amacı her bir LNA bazının gaz fazındaki konformasyonal evreninden yola çıkarak literatürde deneysel olarak kanıtlanmış tanı ve tedavi yöntemlerinde LNA’ya avantaj getiren nedenleri saptamak ve ileriki çalışmalar için öngörülerde bulunmaktır. Bu yapıların yapısal ve elektronik karakterlerinin hesaplamaları ayrıntılı olarak öncelikle Spartan programı aracılığıyla moleküler mekanik düzeyde ve daha sonra Gaussian 03 sürüm C.02 programı aracılığıyla B3LYP/6-31G** ve HF/6-31G** düzeylerinde incelenmiştir.Locked nucleic acid (LNA) is a synthetic RNA derivative containing one or more LNA nucleotide monomers. The ribose moiety in sugar-phosphate backbone is structurally constrained by a methylene bridge between the 2’-oxygen and the 4’-carbon atoms. The link ‘locks’ the sugar ring in the fixed 3’-endo (N-type) conformation preferable for the formation of hybrids with complementary DNA or RNA sequences. Consequently LNA has a bicyclic furanose unit locked in an RNA-mimicking conformation. In this study five bases with locked nucleic acid (adenine, thymine, uracil, guanine, and cytosine) have been investigated for their different conformations in the gas phase. The aim of this study is to start with investigating the conformational space of each LNA’s completely in the gas phase to determine the advantages of LNA in the diagnostic and therapeutic applications proven in the literature and foresight further studies. These structures have been investigated in detail structural and electronic characteristics firstly at Molecular Mechanics as implemented in Spartan and secondly at B3LYP/6-31G** and HF/6-31G** levels as implemented in Gaussian 03 Version C.02.Yüksek LisansM.Sc

Gaining New Insight into Machine-Learning Datasets via Multiple Binary-Feature Frequency Ranks with a Mobile Benign/Malware Apps Example

Researchers compare their Machine Learning (ML) classification performances with other studies without examining and comparing the datasets they used in training, validating, and testing. One of the reasons is that there are not many convenient methods to give initial insights about datasets besides the descriptive statistics applied to individual continuous or quantitative features. After demonstrating initial manual analysis techniques, this study proposes a novel adaptation of the Kruskal-Wallis statistical test to compare a group of datasets over multiple prominent binary features that are very common in today’s datasets. As an illustrative example, the new method was tested on six benign/malign mobile application datasets over the frequencies of prominent binary features to explore the dissimilarity of the datasets per class. The feature vector consists of over a hundred “application permission requests” that are binary flags for Android platforms’ primary access control to provide privacy and secure data/information in mobile devices. Permissions are also the first leading transparent features for ML-based malware classification. The proposed data analytical methodology can be applied in any domain through their prominent features of interest. The results, which are also visualized in three new ways, have shown that the proposed method gives the dissimilarity degree among the datasets. Specifically, the conducted test shows that the frequencies in the aggregated dataset and some of the datasets are not substantially different from each other even they are in close agreement in positive-class datasets. It is expected that the proposed domain-independent method brings useful initial insight to researchers on comparing different datasets

Life-cycle cost study of ground source heat pumps in hot humid climate zone

Ground source heat pump (GSHP) systems are gaining recognition as a cost effective and green heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) alternative in the United States. Still, this technology is not highly utilized due to factors such as high initial investment, lack of confidence and uncertainties in cost items. This study focuses on the reflection of the variations in cost items on the feasibility and life-cycle cost of a typical GSHP system. For this purpose, life-cycle costs were calculated for a typical GSHP system and cost data was gathered for several projects. Possible variations on cost variables are defined. Then, the effect of these variations on life cycle cost is analyzed on a comparative basis with a conventional system. It was concluded that the GSHP systems may not be economically favorable over a conventional HVAC systems without current incentives in hot and humid climate regions

Development of a hurricane-resistant roof-to-wall connection using high-performance fiber composites

Significant portion of losses in hurricanes occur due to a discontinuous load path and weak connections. The purpose of this study was to develop an innovative, efficient and non-intrusive roof-to-wall connection for wood-frame structures using high-performance fiber reinforced polymer (FRP) composite materials. The development of new connections was carried out at the component level tests. Initially the bond strength between FRP and wood interface was investigated. Subsequently, a progressive FRP tie development test was conducted and several alternatives were tested and the most feasible one was chosen. The new FRP tie was then tested in a full-scale wood-frame structure to assess the in-situ performance under simulated uplift forces. The results of full-scale tests were in close agreement with the results obtained at the component level. The FRP tie system offers an easy-to-apply, non-intrusive and rather stiff alternative to existing metal connectors for both new construction and existing structures

Veri zarflama analizi ile İstanbul'da bulunan özel hastanelerin etkinliklerinin incelenmesi

Tez (yüksek lisans) - Anadolu ÜniversitesiAnadolu Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, İşletme Anabilim DalıKayıt no: 458507Bu çalışmada, çok sayıda girdi ve çıktının bulunmasından dolayı karar verme birimlerinin etkinliklerinin ölçülmesinin güç olduğu durumlarda kullanılan veri zarflama analizi (VZA) yöntemi incelenmiştir. Parametrik olmayan etkinlik ölçüm yöntemlerinden biri olan veri zarflama analizi, doğrusal programlamanın özel bir uygulama şekli olup, aynı amaca sahip işletmelerin etkinliğini göreceli olarak ölçmede kullanılmaktadır. Veri zarflama analizinde amaç; en az girdiyle en çok çıktıyı üreten girdi-çıktı bileşimini bulmaktır. Çalışmada, İstanbul'da bulunan özel hastanelerin yıllara göre etkinliklerini belirlemek için Sağlık Bakanlığı'nın resmi web sitesinden alınan veri setleri amaca yönelik olarak düzenlenmiştir. Düzenlenen veriler analiz edilmiş ve hastanelerin etkinlik düzeyleri belirlenmiştir

Influence de taille et de la structure des germes dans la formation de nanoparticules d’or Anisotropes

Between the ongoing research on various type of nanomaterials to tune the particle sizeand crystal design in nanoscale for their potential applications, anisotropic gold nanoparticleshas attracted the most intention not only because of their divine color but also their enhancedcatalytic activities, optical properties and electrical conductivities. Event though, many effortshave been already made in the field of synthesis of anisotropic gold nanoparticles, withdefined sizes and structures, growth mechanism of many unique anisotropic shapes is still acontroversial subject.Overall objective of this thesis is to understand the origin of anisotropy during theformation of anisotropic gold nanoparticles, especially gold nanorods, in liquid phase. For ourenvisaged aim, between numerous synthetic methods developed for production ofnanoparticles, seed mediated approach is chosen for the fabrication of final anisotropic goldnanoparticles from small seeds which is grown into final nanoparticle later on. During thesynthesis of nanoparticles, those seeds play critical role as precursors to control the yield ofand the crystal structure of final anisotropic nanoparticle. Here we offer a systematical studyon the origin of anisotropy with respect to “seed size” and “crystal morphology”. Since thesesmall particles are the genesis of anisotropic metal nanoparticle synthesis, in this thesis weanswer following questions to explain the origin of anisotropy;i. How to control the crystal structure and the size of the seeds?ii. What are the influences of controlled seed size and structure on the kinetics ofnanoparticle growth?De par leurs nombreuses applications potentielles, de nombreux efforts de recherche ontété poursuivis dans le domaine de la synthèse de nanoparticules. Cependant le mécanisme àl'origine des formes anisotropes de nanoparticules d'or, pour une taille et une structure biendéfinies, reste encore un sujet controverse.L'objectif général de cette thèse est de comprendre l'origine de cette anisotropie, lors dela formation de nanoparticules d'or, en particulier sous la forme de nano-bâtonnets d'or, enphase liquide. Parmi les nombreux procédés de synthèse existants, la "synthèse de particulesanisotropes par croissance à partir de germes" a été retenu, car il permet un contrôle précis dela taille et de la structure des nanoparticules. Lors de la synthèse de nanoparticules, les germesjouent un rôle de précurseur et permettent ainsi de maitriser la structure cristalline desnanoparticules finales. Si le rôle crucial des germes a déjà pu être étudié par différentsgroupes de recherche, une étude systématique sur la genèse de l'anisotropie par rapport à lataille et la structure initale des germes restait à réaliser. Ce travail a ainsi pour objectif derépondrre aux deux questions :i. Comment contrôler la structure cristalline et de la taille des germes?ii. Quelles sont les influences de la taille des germes et de leur structure sur la cinétique dela croissance

Üniversite-toplum işbirliğinde öğrenen-ders yönetimi etkileşimi : Second Life (SL) üzerine bir çalışma

Tez (yüksek lisans) - Anadolu ÜniversitesiAnadolu Üniversitesi, Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü, Uzaktan Eğitim Anabilim DalıKayıt no: 190460Bu araştırma, Üniversite-Toplum İşbirliği çerçevesinde Second Life (SL) sanal platformunda gerçekleşen öğrenen-ders yöneticisi etkileşimi üzerine uzaktan eğitim uzmanlarının görüşlerini almayı amaçlayan bir durum çalışmasıdır. Araştırmada, Sanal Gerçeklik, Second Life modeli ile değerlendirilmiştir. Bu amaç doğrultusunda Second Life sanal ağ platformunda yer alan sayısal (dijital) toplulukların öğrenen-ders yöneticisi etkileşimleri, Akıl Araçları Modeli (Jonassen,1996) ve Etkileşim-İletişim Kuramı (Holmberg, 1989) çerçevesinde tartışılmıştır. Etkileşim, bireysel ve işbirlikçi öğrenme etkinliklerinin ilkeleri bir matris (dizey) içinde değerlendirilmiştir. Bu ilkeler doğrultusunda oluşturulan yarı yapılandırılmış, açık uçlu anket soruları, yurt dışından dört (4) uzaktan eğitim uzmanına ePosta yoluyla gönderilmiştir. Çok kapsamlı verilmiş olan yanıtlar, gönüllülük esasına dayandırılarak toplanmıştır. Öğrenen-ders yöneticisi etkileşimi üzerine 36 matrise dayalı soruya ilişkin 189 tema ve 185 ana tema elde edilmiştir. Sonuçlar, Second Life platformunun sınırlı yapısıyla eÖğrenme açısından etkin bir ortam olmadığı ve uygun andragojik ve iletişimsel tasarımlamalara gereksinim duyduğu yönündedir

Satisfaction and attitude of bipolar patients regarding electroconvulsive therapy: Modified or unmodified

Objective: Ministry of Health of Turkey issued a legislation to use only modified electroconvulsivetherapy (ECT) in 2005, and this study aimed to assess satisfaction and attitude of bipolar patientsregarding modified and unmodified electroconvulsive therapy.Methods: A total of 100 patients (50 treated with modified electroconvulsive therapy (M-ECT) and 50treated with unmodified ECT (UM-ECT) with a diagnosis of Bipolar Disorder (depressive or manic episode)were invited to participate in this study. Patients with euthymic mood were included.Satisfaction and attitude towards ECT were evaluated with a structured attitude questionnaire, and MECTand UM-ECT patients, and their subgroups (depressive vs. manic) were compared.Results: No significant differences were found between M-ECT and UM-ECT groups regarding age, sex,marital status and occupation. The majority of all patients (78%) were satisfied from treatment withECT and with the outcome (88%), without significant differences between modified and unmodifiedgroups. Forgetfulness (70%) and headaches (57%) occurred in all groups, with the only significant differencein forgetfulness being reported by more manic patients treated with UM-ECT. Depressive andmanic patients treated with UM-ECT reported concerns of brain damage and physical harm significantlymore frequently. While 86% of patients treated with M-ECT consented to a future treatment,this was significantly less in patients treated with UM-ECT (50%).Conclusions: Bipolar patients report a high degree of satisfaction treated either with modified orunmodified ECT but there was a significant difference in perception of adverse effects and willingnessfor receiving ECT in future