Research Outputs

Permanent URI for this communityhttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14288/2

Browse

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 10 of 4140
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    “Beware the young doctor and the old barber”: development and validation of a job age-type spectrum
    (Elsevier, 2021) Reeves, Michael Dennis; Fritzsche, Barbara Ann; Smith, Nicholas Anthony; Ng, Yin Lu; Department of Business Administration; Marcus, Justin; Faculty Member; Department of Business Administration; College of Administrative Sciences and Economics; 124653
    Taking a worker-centric approach, with evidence based on the experiences of working individuals, the current study examines the age-related stereotypes of jobs, the characteristics of age-stereotyped jobs, and the consequences of occupying them. In Study 1, we utilize samples of working adults from the US, Turkey, and Malaysia to establish validation evidence for a spectrum of 160 jobs (n = 123 raters per job). Study 1 findings indicate that entry-level jobs and jobs requiring manual labor or the use of technology are younger-typed, whereas senior level jobs and jobs requiring large investments in training or education are older-typed. The age-typing of jobs was found to be similar across countries for the vast majority of jobs. We then provide criterion validity evidence in Study 2, by testing the interactive effects of chronological age, job age-type, and sex on psychological age and perceived age and sex discrimination across samples of workers from these same three countries (n = 1469). Results upheld theoretical predictions based upon career timetables theory, prototype matching theory, and intersectional salience of ageism theory. The interactive effects of chronological age and job age-type were stronger for women than for men; the hypothesized patterns of effects were overall consistent for women but not for men.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    “Noise Factory”: a qualitative study exploring healthcare providers’ perceptions of noise in the intensive care unit
    (Elsevier, 2020) Güner, Perihan; Kebapçı, Ayda; Faculty Member; School of Nursing; 203808
    Objectives: this study aimed to explore healthcare providers’ perceptions of noise in the intensive care unit. Design: a qualitative exploratory study was conducted using group interviews. Setting: the setting comprised a total of 15 participants (five physicians and ten registered nurses) working in an 18-bed medical surgical intensive care unit at a teaching hospital in Istanbul, Turkey. Semi-structured questions were formulated and used in focus group interviews, after which the recorded interviews were transcribed by the researchers. Thematic analysis was used to identify significant statements and initial codes. Findings: four themes were identified: the meaning of noise, sources of noise, effects of noise and prevention and management of noise. It was found that noise was an inevitable feature of the intensive care unit. The most common sources of noise were human-induced. It was also determined that device-induced noise, such as alarms, did not produce a lot of noise; however, when staff were late in responding, the sound transformed into noise. Furthermore, it was observed that efforts to decrease noise levels taken by staff had only a momentary effect, changing nothing in the long term because the entire team failed to implement any initiatives consistently. The majority of nurses stated that they were now becoming insensitive to the noise due to the constant exposure to device-induced noise. Conclusion: the data obtained from this study showed that especially human-induced noise threatened healthcare providers’ cognitive task functions, concentration and job performance, impaired communication and negatively affected patient safety. In addition, it was determined that any precautions taken to reduce noise were not fully effective. A team approach should be used in managing noise in intensive care units with better awareness.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    “Smart poisoning” of Co/SiO2 catalysts by sulfidation for chirality-selective synthesis of (9,8) single-walled carbon nanotubes
    (2016) Yuan, Yang; Karahan, H. Enis; Wei, Li; Zhai, Shengli; Lau, Raymond; Chen, Yuan; N/A; Yıldırım, Cansu; Birer, Özgür; Master Student; Researcher; Koç University Surface Science and Technology Center (KUYTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Yüzey Teknolojileri Araştırmaları Merkezi (KUYTAM); N/A; N/A; N/A
    The chirality-selective synthesis of relatively large (diameter > 1 nm) single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) is of great interest for a variety of practical applications, but only a few catalysts are available so far. Previous studies suggested that S (compounds) can enhance the chirality-selectivity of Co catalysts in SWCNT synthesis, however, the mechanism behind is not fully understood, and no tailorable methodology has yet been developed. Here, we demonstrate a facile approach to achieve the chirality-selective synthesis of SWCNTs by the sulfidation-based poisoning of silica-supported Co catalysts using a mixture of H2S and H2. The UV-vis-NIR, photoluminescence, and Raman spectroscopy results together show that the resulting SWCNTs have a narrow diameter distribution of around 1.2 nm, and (9,8) nanotubes have an abundance of ∼38% among the semiconducting species. More importantly, the carbon yield achieved by the sulfided catalyst (2.5 wt%) is similar to that of the nonsulfided one (2.7 wt%). The characterization of the catalysts by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, X-ray fluorescence, and H2 temperature-programmed reduction shows that the sulfidation leads to the formation of Co9S8 nanoparticles. However, Co9S8 nanoparticles are reduced back to regenerate metallic Co nanoparticles during the synthesis of SWCNTs, which maintain a high carbon yield. In this process, Co9S8 nanoparticles seemingly intermediate the production of Co nanoparticles with narrow size distribution. Due to the fact that the poisoning step improves the quality of the end-product rather than hampering the growth process, we have coined the process developed as “smart poisoning”. This study not only reveals the mechanism behind the beneficial role of S in the selective synthesis of relatively large SWCNTs but also presents a promising method to create chirality-selective catalysts with high activity for scalable synthesis.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    "Whole" vs "fragmented" approach to EAACI pollen season definitions: a multicenter study in six Southern European cities
    (Wiley, 2020) Hoffmann, Tara Maria; Şahin, Aydan Acar; Aggelidis, Xenophon; Arasi, Stefania; Barbalace, Andrea; Bourgoin, Anne; Bregu, Blerina; Brighetti, Maria Antonia; Caeiro, Elsa; Sozmen, Sule Caglayan; Caminiti, Lucia; Charpin, Denis; Couto, Mariana; Delgado, Luis; Businco, Andrea Di Rienzo; Dimier, Claire; Dimou, Maria, V; Fonseca, Joao A.; Göksel, Özlem; Güvensen, Aykut; Hernandez, Dolores; Jang, Dah Tay; Kalpaklıoğlu, Füsun; Lame, Blerta; Llusar, Ruth; Makris, Michael P.; Mazon, Angel; Mesonjesi, Eris; Nieto, Antonio; Pahus, Laurie; Pajno, Giovanni Battista; Panasiti, Ilenia; Panetta, Valentina; Papadopoulos, Nikolaos G.; Pellegrini, Elisabetta; Pelosi, Simone; Pereira, Ana Margarida; Pereira, Mariana; Pinar, Munevver; Pfaar, Oliver; Potapova, Ekaterina; Priftanji, Alfred; Psarros, Fotis; Sfika, Ifigenia; Suarez, Javier; Thibaudon, Michel; Travaglini, Alessandro; Tripodi, Salvatore; Verdier, Valentine; Villella, Valeria; Xepapadaki, Paraskevi; Matricardi, Paolo M.; Dramburg, Stephanie; Öztürk, Ayşe Bilge; Saçkesen, Cansın; Yazıcı, Duygu; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; PhD Student; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health Sciences; Koç University Hospital; 147629; 182537; N/A
    Background: the adequate definition of pollen seasons is essential to facilitate a correct diagnosis, treatment choice, and outcome assessment in patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis. A position paper by the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI) proposed season definitions for Northern and Middle Europe. Objective To test the pollen season definitions proposed by EAACI in six Mediterranean cities for seven pollen taxa. Methods: as part of the @IT.2020 multi-center study, pollen counts for Poaceae, Oleaceae, Fagales, Cupressaceae, Urticaceae (Parietaria spp.), and Compositae (Ambrosia spp., Artemisia spp.) were collected from January 1 to December 31, 2018. Based on these data, pollen seasons were identified according to EAACI criteria. A unified monitoring period for patients in AIT trials was created and assessed for feasibility. Results: the analysis revealed a great heterogeneity between the different locations in terms of pattern and length of the examined pollen seasons. Further, we found a fragmentation of pollen seasons in several segments (max. 8) separated by periods of low pollen counts (intercurrent periods). Potential monitoring periods included often many recording days with low pollen exposure (max. 341 days). Conclusion: the Mediterranean climate leads to challenging pollen exposure times. Monitoring periods for AIT trials based on existing definitions may include many intermittent days with low pollen concentrations. Therefore, it is necessary to find an adapted pollen season definition as individual solution for each pollen and geographical area.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    (Bis)phosphonic acid-functionalized poly(ethyleneimine)- poly(amido amine)s for selective in vitro transfection of osteosarcoma cells
    (Amer Chemical Soc, 2021) Güven, Melek Naz; Altuncu, Seçkin; Konca, Yeliz Utku; Avcı, Duygu; N/A; Department of Chemistry; Demirci, Gözde; Acar, Havva Funda Yağcı; Master Student; Faculty Member; Department of Chemistry; Graduate School of Sciences and Engineering; College of Sciences; N/A; 178902
    Osteosarcoma is aggressive bone cancer, whose treatment has not changed significantly for the past few decades. Although gene therapy methods have emerged as potential treatment routes, the need for efficient and nontoxic gene delivery systems targeting osteosarcoma cells remains a challenge. High-molecular-weight poly(ethyleneimine)s (PEIs) are used as universal transfection agents; however, they cause significant cytotoxicity. on the other hand, poly(amido amine)s (PAAs) are biocompatible, biodegradable polymers with promising transfection efficiency, which should be improved further. In this paper, we combined low-molecular-weight branched PEI (1800 Da) and PAA macromers functionalized with various amounts of (bis)phosphonic acid groups and pentanol (via 5-amino-1-pentanol (AP)). The (bis)phosphonic acid groups on these polymers (PAEIs) are intended to facilitate bone targeting. The molecular weights of the PAEI polymers were between 2600 and 8600 g/mol. Their cytotoxicities and green fluorescence protein (GFP) transfection efficiencies were tested on an osteosarcoma cell line (U-2 OS cells), which is challenging to transfect, and healthy muscle cells (C2C12). Both the cytotoxicity and transfection efficiency of PAEIs were affected by the phosphonic acid (via APA, 2-aminoethyl phosphonic acid) or bisphosphonic acid (via ALE, sodium alendronate) content of the polymers. PAEIs are more cytocompatible than both linear and branched 25 kDa PEI. ALE-containing PAEIs provided better transfection than APA-containing ones. The most efficient PAEI polymer, containing a 0.7:0.3 AP/ALE ratio, displayed a transfection efficiency that was five times higher than that of 25 kDa PEI with dramatically better cytocompatibility. This is comparable to FuGENE, but PAEI is more advantageous in selective transfection of the U-2 OS. This set of polymers may be promising candidates for targeted gene therapy of osteosarcoma.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    1,3-bis(gamma-aminopropyl)tetramethyldisiloxane modified epoxy resins: curing and characterization
    (Elsevier, 1998) Department of Chemistry; Department of Chemistry; Yılgör, Emel; Yılgör, İskender; Researcher; Faculty Member; Department of Chemistry; College of Sciences; College of Sciences; 40527; 24181
    Incorporation of siloxane oligomers with reactive organofunctional terminal groups, such as amine, epoxy and carboxy, into the structure of epoxy networks, provides improvements in the fracture toughness, water absorption and surface properties of the resultant systems. 1,3-bis(gamma-aminopropyl) tetramethyldisiloxane (DSX) was used as a model curing agent and modifier in bis(4-aminocyclohexyl)methane (PACM-20) cured diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) based epoxy resins. Curing reactions followed by differential scanning calorimetry indicated faster reaction rates between DSX and DGEBA as compared with PACM-20 and DGEBA. Mechanical characterization of the modified products showed improvements in tensile and impact strengths as expected. Glass transition temperatures of these materials showed a decrease with an increase in DSX content.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    18F-FDG PET/CT mean suv and metabolic tumor volume for mean survival time in non-small cell lung cancer
    (Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2015) Kurtipek, Ercan; Çaycı, Mustafa; Düzgün, Nuri; Esme, Hıdır; Terzi, Yüksel; Bakdık, Süleyman; Ünlü, Yaşar; Burnik, Cengiz; Bekçi, Taha Tahir; N/A; Aygün, Murat Serhat; Teaching Faculty; School of Medicine; Koç University Hospital; 291692
    Objective: The study was designed to determine the relationship between survival time of standardized uptake value (SUVmax and SUVmean) and metabolic tumor volume (MTV) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and examine the impact of demographic, clinical, and radiological data of these patients on survival. Materials and Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of the records of 79 patients with NSCLC who presented to our hospital between May 2010 and March 2013, received a final diagnosis, and underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT for staging. Clinical, radiological, and 18F-FDG PET/CT parameters with an impact on prognosis such as the SUVmax of the primary tumor as calculated by the volumetric region of interest in the 18F-FDG PET/CT scans during initial diagnosis, mean SUV of the tumor, and MTV obtained with a threshold of SUVmax greater than 2.5 were recorded and statistically analyzed. A statistical analysis was carried out based on the clinical, radiological, and PET/CT findings of the patients who were divided into 2 groups: survivors and nonsurvivors. Results: Seventy patients (88.6%) were men, and 9 (11.4%) were women. The mean age was 63.65 ± 11.51 years in the nonsurvivor group (n = 40) versus 62.74 ± 10.60 years in the survivor group (n = 39) (Table 1). The mean survival time from diagnosis was 7.9 ± 6.52 months in the nonsurvivor group versus 14.09 ± 7.41 months in the survivor group. The mean survival time was 12.9 ± 7.9 months for those aged 60 or younger, whereas it was 9.9 ± 7.2 years for those aged 60 or older. According to the Cox regression analysis, higher MTV [relative risk (RR), 1.006; P = 0.03] and mean SUVmax (mSUV) (RR, 1.302; P = 0.03) had a significant impact on shortening of the mean survival time. However, no statistical significance was reached for SUVmax measurements (RR, 0.970; P = 0.39). Furthermore, there was a significant relationship between increased tumor size (andlt;2 cm, 2-4 cm, and ≥4 cm) and shortened mean survival time (P = 0.03). Conclusion: The present study showed that MTV and mSUV of FDG PET/CT scans of the tumor, but not SUVmax, had a significant impact on survival time of patients with NSCLC. Based on this result, we believe that we might have more accurate information about the survival time of our patients if we also evaluate mSUV and MTV in combination with mSUV, which is frequently used for diagnosis and monitoring of patients with NSCLC during our daily practice. © 2015 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.
  • Thumbnail Image
    PublicationOpen Access
    3D microprinting of iron platinum nanoparticle-based magnetic mobile microrobots
    (Wiley, 2021) Giltinan, Joshua; Sridhar, Varun; Bozüyük, Uğur; Sheehan, Devin; Department of Mechanical Engineering; Sitti, Metin; Faculty Member; Department of Mechanical Engineering; School of Medicine; College of Engineering; 297104
    Wireless magnetic microrobots are envisioned to revolutionize minimally invasive medicine. While many promising medical magnetic microrobots are proposed, the ones using hard magnetic materials are not mostly biocompatible, and the ones using biocompatible soft magnetic nanoparticles are magnetically very weak and, therefore, difficult to actuate. Thus, biocompatible hard magnetic micro/nanomaterials are essential toward easy-to-actuate and clinically viable 3D medical microrobots. To fill such crucial gap, this study proposes ferromagnetic and biocompatible iron platinum (FePt) nanoparticle-based 3D microprinting of microrobots using the two-photon polymerization technique. A modified one-pot synthesis method is presented for producing FePt nanoparticles in large volumes and 3D printing of helical microswimmers made from biocompatible trimethylolpropane ethoxylate triacrylate (PETA) polymer with embedded FePt nanoparticles. The 30 mu m long helical magnetic microswimmers are able to swim at speeds of over five body lengths per second at 200Hz, making them the fastest helical swimmer in the tens of micrometer length scale at the corresponding low-magnitude actuation fields of 5-10mT. It is also experimentally in vitro verified that the synthesized FePt nanoparticles are biocompatible. Thus, such 3D-printed microrobots are biocompatible and easy to actuate toward creating clinically viable future medical microrobots.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    3D model retrieval using probability density-based shape descriptors
    (IEEE Computer Society, 2009) Akgul, Ceyhun Burak; Sankur, Buelent; Schmitt, Francis; Department of Computer Engineering; Yemez, Yücel; Faculty Member; Department of Computer Engineering; College of Engineering; 107907
    We address content-based retrieval of complete 3D object models by a probabilistic generative description of local shape properties. The proposed shape description framework characterizes a 3D object with sampled multivariate probability density functions of its local surface features. This density-based descriptor can be efficiently computed via kernel density estimation (KDE) coupled with fast Gauss transform. The nonparametric KDE technique allows reliable characterization of a diverse set of shapes and yields descriptors which remain relatively insensitive to small shape perturbations and mesh resolution. Density-based characterization also induces a permutation property which can be used to guarantee invariance at the shape matching stage. As proven by extensive retrieval experiments on several 3D databases, our framework provides state-of-the-art discrimination over a broad and heterogeneous set of shape categories.
  • Placeholder
    Publication
    3D printed styrax liquidus (liquidambar orientalis miller)-loaded poly (l-lactic acid)/chitosan based wound dressing material: fabrication, characterization, and biocompatibility results
    (Elsevier, 2023) Cakmak, Hanife Yuksel; Ege, Hasan; Yilmaz, Senanur; Agturk, Gokhan; Enguven, Gozde; Sarmis, Abdurrahman; Cakmak, Zeren; Gunduz, Oguzhan; Ege, Zeynep Ruya; Yöntem, Fulya Dal; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); School of Medicine
    The medicinal plant of Styrax liquidus (ST) (sweet gum balsam) which extracted from Liquidambar orientalis Mill tree, was loaded into the 3D printed polylactic acid (PLA)/chitosan (CS) based 3D printed scaffolds to investigate its wound healing and closure effect, in this study. The morphological and chemical properties of the ST loaded 3D printed scaffolds with different concentrations (1 %, 2 %, and 3 % wt) were investigated by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FT-IR), respectively. In addition, the me-chanical and thermal properties of the materials were investigated by Tensile test and Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), respectively. The antimicrobial activities of the ST loaded 3D printed scaffolds and their incubation media in the PBS (pH 7.4, at 37 degrees C for 24 h) were investigated on two Gram-positive and two Gram -negative standard pathogenic bacteria with the agar disc diffusion method. The colorimetric MTT assay was used to determine the cell viability of human fibroblast cells (CCD-1072Sk) incubated with free ST, ST loaded, and unloaded 3D printed scaffolds. The 1 % and 2 % (wt) ST loaded PLA/CS/ST 3D printed scaffolds showed an increase in the cell number. Annexin V/PI double stain assay was performed to test whether early or late apoptosis was induced in the PLA/CS/1 % ST and PLA/CS/2 % ST loaded groups and the results were consistent with the MTT assay. Furthermore, a wound healing assay was carried out to investigate the effect of ST loaded 3D printed scaffolds on wound healing in CCD-1072Sk cells. The highest wound closure compared to the control group was observed on cells treated with PLA/CS/1 % ST for 72 h. According to the results, novel biocompatible ST loaded 3D printed scaffolds with antimicrobial effect can be used as wound healing material for potential tissue engineering applications.