Süleyman Demirel University

This study investigates the systematic marginalisation of women academics in Turkish universities through the lens of ‘mansplaining’, using a phenomenological design and interviews with 13 women academics, and situates these dynamics within a centralised, politicised higher education system that shapes women's epistemic authority. Mansplaining emerges not as a communicative annoyance but as institutional violence and epistemic silencing that enforces a ‘masculinised’ identity performance and reinforces vertical discrimination—symbolised by the ‘men are deans, women are assistants’ hierarchy—particularly in regional settings. Participants' selective reticence about the political context reflects institutional caution and self-censorship. The study proposes concrete interventions—defining ‘epistemic violence’ in university codes, ‘interruption audits’ in academic boards, and peer-solidarity networks—underscoring the need for systemic transformation toward a more equitable academic culture in Turkey.

Writing places substantial self-regulatory, motivational, and cognitive demands on adolescents, yet less is known about how self-regulation-based writing strategies (SRWS) are associated with academic well-being (AWB) and through which proximal resources this association may operate. This cross-sectional study tested a gender-moderated serial mediation model in 658 Grade 7–8 students (334 girls) from socio-economically diverse schools. Bayesian structural equation modelling with Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation was used, and parameters were interpreted using 95

With the increasing prevalence of digitalization in recent years, computational thinking (CT) has emerged as a fundamental component of students’ problem-solving and analytical reasoning skills. Consequently, research on integrating CT into various disciplines has accelerated, particularly in science education, where efforts have focused on implementing CT in teachable, accessible, and meaningful ways. This study aims to examine the effects of inquiry-based science instruction integrated with unplugged CT activities on middle school students’ CT skills and inquiry learning skills. A quasi-experimental pretest–posttest control group design was employed with 28 students (14 experimental, 14 control). While the experimental group received inquiry-based instruction enriched with unplugged CT activities, the control group followed the existing science curriculum. The findings revealed that inquiry-based science teaching integrated with unplugged CT activities had a significant and strong positive effect on students’ CT and inquiry learning skills. Additionally, a strong and positive correlation was identified between CT and inquiry learning skills (r = .744, p < .05). Overall, the results suggest that inquiry-based science teaching integrated with unplugged CT activities can shift CT from a narrowly coding-oriented technical skill to an interdisciplinary thinking framework that serves as a cognitive scaffold within science learning processes.

The increasing demands associated with higher train speeds and heavier axle loads require ballast materials with well-characterized mechanical, durability, and deformation properties. While numerous studies examine individual aspects of ballast behaviour, few provide an integrated assessment linking small-scale index properties with large-scale cyclic performance. This study addresses this gap through a comprehensive experimental program evaluating four lithologies commonly used or regionally considered for railway infrastructure: olivine, limestone, basalt and phonolite. The program includes particle shape characterization, abrasion and impact resistance tests, freeze–thaw and magnesium sulphate soundness assessments, permeability measurements, modified Proctor and California Bearing Ratio testing, and large-scale cyclic triaxial tests to determine resilient modulus, Poisson’s ratio and permanent deformation. The results reveal clear lithological distinctions. Basalt exhibited the most favourable overall performance, with the lowest abrasion losses, high specific gravity, resilient modulus values exceeding 1500 MPa at 150 kPa confining stress, and permanent deformation below 2 mm after 10,000 load cycles. Olivine showed advantageous particle geometry and high density but recorded the highest Micro-Deval losses and notable freeze–thaw degradation. Limestone displayed moderate mechanical performance and limited durability, whereas phonolite exhibited acceptable stiffness and bearing capacity but higher water absorption and freeze–thaw susceptibility. Permanent deformation followed the logarithmic model with R² values between 0.83 and 0.93, and deformation accumulated primarily within the first 1000 cycles. By integrating thermal, mechanical, and dynamic evaluations within a single framework, this study provides performance-based insights for more reliable, sustainable ballast selection. The findings support a rigorous trade-off analysis between conventional and regional high-performance lithologies, ultimately contributing to improved long-term maintenance strategies for ballasted railway infrastructure.

Bladder cancer is rare in patients under 40 years of age, and its clinicopathological behavior in this demographic remains a subject of debate. This study aimed to evaluate the histopathological features and prognosis of bladder tumors in patients under the age of 40. This multicenter retrospective study included bladder transurethral resection, biopsy, and cystectomy samples obtained from patients younger than 40 years of age across 20 centers in Turkiye between 2010 and 2025. Among 1,555 biopsies, 445 patients were diagnosed as urothelial neoplasms. After exclusion of 45 patients lacking hematoxylin and eosin stained slides for re-evaluation, 400 urothelial neoplasms were included in the final cohort. All patients were centrally reviewed by three genitourinary pathologists to establish a consensus diagnosis. Demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, tumor localization, pathological stage, and histological subtypes were analyzed. Follow-up data were available for 206 patients and were used to evaluate clinical outcomes. Statistical analyses were performed using chi-square tests with post-hoc analysis based on adjusted standardized residuals. Low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma (LGPUC) was the most frequent diagnosis, accounting for 233/400 patients (58.3