To prescribe or not: a two-center retrospective observational study of antibiotics usage and outcomes of COVID-19 in Turkey.

This retrospective cohort study conducted in Turkey between December 2020 and June 2022 aimed to assess antibiotic use, bacterial co-infections, and the associated factors on mortality in hospitalized patients with mild-to-severe COVID-19. Among the 445 patients, 80% received antibiotics, with fluoroquinolones being the most common choice, followed by beta-lactams and combinations. Various clinical and laboratory parameters, including symptoms, comorbidities, CCI, oxygen requirements, and CRP levels were observed to be elevated in the antibiotic group.

The novel anti-fibrillary effects of volatile compounds α-asarone and β-caryophyllene on tau protein: Towards promising therapeutic agents for Alzheimer's disease.

The abnormal deposition of tau protein is one of the critical causes of tauopathies including Alzheimer's disease (AD). In recent years, there has been great interest in the use of essential oils and volatile compounds in aromatherapy for treating AD, since volatile compounds can directly reach the brain through intranasal administration. The volatile compounds α-asarone (ASA) and β-caryophyllene (BCP) have revealed various important neuroprotective properties, useful in treating AD.

Susceptibility-Weighted MRI for Predicting NF-2 Mutations and S100 Protein Expression in Meningiomas.

S100 protein expression levels and neurofibromatosis type 2 (NF-2) mutations result in different disease courses in meningiomas. This study aimed to investigate non-invasive biomarkers of NF-2 copy number loss and S100 protein expression in meningiomas using morphological, radiomics, and deep learning-based features of susceptibility-weighted MRI (SWI). This retrospective study included 99 patients with S100 protein expression data and 92 patients with NF-2 copy number loss information.

Associations between social anxiety, physiological reactivity, and speech disfluencies in autistic young adults and controls.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to examine possible associations of social anxiety (SA) and speaking-related physiological reactivity with the frequencies of a) total disfluencies, b) typical disfluencies, and c) stuttering-like disfluencies, as well as d) stuttering-severity in autistic young adults and controls.

Methods: Thirty-two autistic young adults and 35 controls participated in this study. Participants were presented with video clips (viewing condition) and were then asked to talk about the videos (narrating condition).

Symptom Exacerbations of Patients Attending a Community Mental Health Center During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective: The aim of this study was to examine the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on the clinical conditions of the patients with bipolar disorder (BD) and schizophrenia spectrum disorders (SSD) in a community mental health center (CMHC).

Method: Symptom exacerbations, emergency service admissions, drug dose increases, additional medication prescriptions, and psychiatric hospitalizations of patients with BD and SSD in the CMHC were evaluated retrospectively. The data from the 1-year prior, 6-months prior, 6-months after the onset and 1-year after the onset of the pandemic were compared.

Neurodevelopmental evaluation of children who were operated due to congenital anomaly with the 'Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ)' and 'ASQ: Social-Emotional'.

Background: The purpose of surgeries performed for congenital anomalies in children is to increase the survival rates and provide a developmental comparison to that of their peers.

Aim: The objective of this study was to investigate the development of children following surgery for congenital anomalies and the risk factors affecting their development.

Methods: Our study included 33 children who underwent surgery for gastrointestinal anomalies in our clinic between 2011 and 2016, and did not have any syndrome, chromosomal abnormality, or additional abnormality.

Identification of IDH and TERTp mutations using dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI with deep learning in 162 gliomas.

Purpose: Isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) and telomerase reverse transcriptase gene promoter (TERTp) mutations play crucial roles in glioma biology. Such genetic information is typically obtained invasively from excised tumor tissue; however, these mutations need to be identified preoperatively for better treatment planning. The relative cerebral blood volume (rCBV) information derived from dynamic susceptibility contrast MRI (DSC-MRI) has been demonstrated to correlate with tumor vascularity, functionality, and biology, and might provide some information about the genetic alterations in gliomas before surgery.

Dung removal increases under higher dung beetle functional diversity regardless of grazing intensification.

Dung removal by macrofauna such as dung beetles is an important process for nutrient cycling in pasturelands. Intensification of farming practices generally reduces species and functional diversity of terrestrial invertebrates, which may negatively affect ecosystem services. Here, we investigate the effects of cattle-grazing intensification on dung removal by dung beetles in field experiments replicated in 38 pastures around the world.

Student Teachers' Positive Perceptions of Characteristics and Personality of People on the Autism Spectrum: "Challenging in a Positive Way".

This paper presents quantitative and qualitative findings from an interdisciplinary research project exploring student teachers' positive perceptions of people on the autism spectrum. The set of findings reported in this paper asked 704 student teachers from one university in England (n = 191), Finland (n = 251) and Sweden (n = 262) to write down the first three words they thought of to identify the characteristics of people on the autism spectrum. Data was analysed using a multi-layered, deductive co-rated coding approach.

Examining the impact of several factors including COVID-19 on thyroid fine-needle aspiration biopsy.

Objective: The study explores various factors, including coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) history and vaccination status, that influence the classification value of ultrasonography-guided thyroid fine needle aspiration biopsy (TFNAB) by comparing non-diagnostic (Bethesda-I) and diagnostic (Bethesda II-VI) results.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study in a high-volume tertiary care center involving patients who underwent TFNAB from November 2022 to April 2023. The study retrospectively analyzed the cytopathology of 482 thyroid nodules.

The Feasibility and Early Results of Multivessel Minimally Invasive Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting for All Comers.

Objectives: Cardiovascular surgery advancements have emerged with various minimally invasive approaches for treating multivessel coronary disease to improve outcomes and minimize the burden associated with conventional cardiac surgery. We present our clinical experience and minimally invasive coronary bypass techniques through minithoracotomy, which we apply without selection to patients who have decided to have elective surgery for multivessel isolated coronary artery disease.

Methods: It consists of 230 consecutive patients operated by the same team with this method between July 2020 and September 2022.

The Effect of Nicotine Patch on Reducing Nausea, Vomiting, and Pain Following Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background: The effect of nicotine on nausea, vomiting, and postoperative pain has been investigated in studies on animals and humans. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of nicotine patch on decreasing nausea, vomiting, and pain in laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Methods: The study sample consisted of 100 non-smoking patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy under general anesthesia in a triple-blind clinical trial.

Ulexite/HDPE-BiO/HDPE layered composites for neutron and gamma radiation shielding.

In this study, 5, 10, and 15 wt% ulexite (NaCaBO(ΟH)·5HO, hydrated sodium calcium borate hydroxide) and 15 wt %BiO filled high density polyethylene (HDPE) composite materials were fabricated through conventional melt-extrusion processing techniques in the form of a layered structure in order to absorb both neutron radiations and the secondary radiations resulting from neutron induced reactions. In the layered structure, HDPE was used to slow down neutrons, while ulexite and BiO were used to capture thermal neutrons and secondary gamma radiations, respectively. The properties of ulexite/HDPE and BiO/HDPE composites were investigated through scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA).

Epidemiology and risk factors of 28-day mortality of hospital-acquired bloodstream infection in Turkish intensive care units: a prospective observational cohort study.

Objectives: To uncover clinical epidemiology, microbiological characteristics and outcome determinants of hospital-acquired bloodstream infections (HA-BSIs) in Turkish ICU patients.

Methods: The EUROBACT II was a prospective observational multicontinental cohort study. We performed a subanalysis of patients from 24 Turkish ICUs included in this study.

EMCAPT study: the effect of MitraClip treatment on the mitral annulus and left atrial appendage evaluation by transoesophageal echocardiography.

Introduction: Data on the change in mitral valve annulus diameter (MAD), and left atrial appendage (LAA) structure and function after transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) of the mitral valve in patients with secondary mitral regurgitation (MR) are lacking.

Aim: To evaluate the change in these parameters just after the clip insertion and its relationship with prognosis in the long term.

Material And Methods: A total of 50 patients (age: 71.

Relationship between pathogenic microorganisms and the occurrence of esophageal carcinoma based on pathological type: a narrative review.

Introduction: Esophageal cancer (EC) is one of the most common malignant tumors of the upper gastrointestinal tract. The etiology of EC is complicated and increasing evidence has shown that microbial infection is closely related to the occurrence of various malignant tumors. Though many studies have been focused on this subject in recent years, the exact relationship between microbial infection and the occurrence of EC remains unclear.

A Comprehensive Analysis of Speech Disfluencies in Autistic Young Adults and Control Young Adults: Group Differences in Typical, Stuttering-Like, and Atypical Disfluencies.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the nature of speech disfluencies in autistic young adults and controls by using a wide-range disfluency classification of typical disfluencies (TD; i.e., filled pauses, revisions, abandoned utterances, and multisyllable word and phrase repetitions), stuttering-like disfluencies (SLD; i.

Non-linguistic comprehension, social inference and empathizing skills in autistic young adults, young adults with autistic traits and control young adults: Group differences and interrelatedness of skills.

Background: Despite increasing knowledge of social communication skills of autistic peole, the interrelatedness of different skills such as non-linguistic comprehension, social inference and empathizing skills is not much known about. A better understanding of the complex interplay between different domains of social communication helps us to develop assessment protocols for individuals with social communication difficulties.

Aims: To compare the performances of autistic young adults, young adults with autistic traits identified in childhood and control young adults in social communication tasks measuring non-linguistic comprehension, social inference and empathizing skills.

Systemic Immune Inflammation Index is a Novel Marker in Predicting the Presence and Severity of Isolated Coronary Artery Ectasia.

Background: The underlying pathology of isolated coronary artery ectasia (CE) has not been fully elucidated.

Objective: We aimed to examine the relationship between the systemic immune inflammation index (Sıı), which corresponds to the multiplying of the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) and the platelet counts, and isolated CE.

Method: The retrospective study population included 200 patients with isolated CE, 200 consecutive with obstructive coronary artery disease, and 200 consecutive with a normal coronary artery angiogram.

Autistic adults and adults with sub-clinical autistic traits differ from non-autistic adults in social-pragmatic inferencing and narrative discourse.

Previous social-pragmatic and narrative research involving autistic individuals has mostly focused on children. Little is known about how autistic adults and adults who have autistic traits but do not have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD) interpret complex social situations and tell narratives about these situations. We asked 32 autistic young adults, 18 adults with autistic traits but no ASD diagnosis, and 34 non-autistic young adults to watch socially complex situations and freely tell narratives about what they thought was occurring in each situation.

Transcatheter Closure of Atrial Septal Defect in Children: Single-Center Experience, Mid-Term Follow-up Results.

Objective: Atrial septal defect is a congenital heart disease usually diagnosed in childhood. This study aimed to evaluate the mid-term follow-up results of patients who underwent trans- catheter closure of atrial septal defect by comparing the devices and methods used in the procedure and investigating the complications of this procedure in children.

Materials And Methods: This study evaluated 232 patient files retrospectively.

Radiographic Evaluation of Marginal Bone Height and Density Around Overhanging Dental Restorations.

This study aimed to investigate the marginal bone changes beneath overhanging restorations. The study group consisted of 250 archived panoramic radiographs that had at least one overhanging restoration, examined by two observers. The distance from the cementoenamel junction (CEJ) to the marginal bone crest beneath the overhang was measured with ImageJ software.

Comparing technology acceptance of K-12 teachers with and without prior experience of learning management systems: A Covid-19 pandemic study.

Covid-19 pandemic has caused a massive transformation in K-12 settings towards online education. It is important to explore the factors that facilitate online teaching technology adoption of teachers during the pandemic. The aim of this study was to compare Learning Management System (LMS) acceptance of Finnish K-12 teachers who have been using a specific LMS as part of their regular teaching before the Covid-19 pandemic (experienced group) and teachers who started using it for emergency remote teaching during the pandemic (inexperienced group).