Testing the Dispersal-Origin-Status-Impact (DOSI) scheme to prioritise non-native and translocated species management.

Assessing actual and potential impacts of non-native species is necessary for prioritising their management. Traditional assessments often occur at the species level, potentially overlooking differences among populations. The recently developed Dispersal-Origin-Status-Impact (DOSI) assessment scheme addresses this by treating biological invasions as population-level phenomena, incorporating the complexities affecting populations of non-native species.

Development of a wearable activity tracker based on BBC micro:bit and its performance analysis for detecting bachata dance steps.

The rising popularity of wearable activity tracking devices can be attributed to their capacity for gathering and analysing ambient data, which finds utility across numerous applications. In this study, a wearable activity tracking device is developed using the BBC micro:bit development board to identify basic bachata dance steps. Initially, a pair of smart ankle bracelets is crafted, employing the BBC micro:bit board equipped with a built-in accelerometer sensor and a Bluetooth module for transmitting accelerometer data to smartphones.

Expression of GnRH, Kisspeptin, and Their Specific Receptors in the Ovary and Uterus in Deslorelin-Treated Late-Prepubertal Bitches.

In this study, the expression and localization of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH1) and kisspeptin (KISS1) and their specific receptors in canine ovarian and uterine tissues were investigated after the application of deslorelin acetate (Suprelorin, 4.7 mg, Virbac, France) in the late prepubertal period. We hypothesized that prolonged treatment of prepubertal dogs with deslorelin would alter the expression of GnRH and kisspeptin genes in the uterus and ovaries.

Effects of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus on Fetal Cardiac Morphology.

Objective: This study aims to investigate the possible effects of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) on fetal heart structure and the relationship of this effect with maternal blood sugar control.

Materials And Methods: In this cross-sectional study, 19 women with GDM at 24-36 weeks of gestation (case group) and 21 healthy pregnant women at the same weeks of gestation (control group) were examined. Fetal heart structure was evaluated by ultrasonography; interventricular septum (IVS) thickness, right and left ventricular sphericity indices, global sphericity index (GSI) and cardio-thoracic ratio were also measured.

Perivascular Invasion: A Promising Prognostic Parameter for Breast Cancer.

Objective: Angiotropism/perivascular invasion (PVI) is an emerging topic in various types of cancer, with studies primarily focusing on melanoma. However, limited data are available on the significance of PVI in breast cancer. This study aimed to assess the prognostic significance of PVI in breast cancer and its correlation with traditional clinicopathological prognostic parameters.

Factors influencing submandibular fossa visibility on panoramic images: a comparative CBCT study.

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the variables affecting the visibility of the submandibular fossa (SF) on panoramic images, including SF depth and types, age, gender, presence or absence of tooth, location of mandibular canal, and alveolar bone thicknesses.

Methods: Cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) images and conventional panoramic images of 150 patients were analyzed retrospectively. The visibility of the SF on panoramic images was compared with its depth and adjacent alveolar bone thicknesses on CBCT.

Planet-friendly plates: the effect of a plant-based diet on sustainable eating behavior in a sample of Turkish adults.

Background: In addition to the health effects of plant-based diets, their impact on the environment is becoming increasingly important. This study was conducted to assess the impact of adherence to a plant-based diet on sustainable eating behaviors.

Materials And Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted on 2122 Turkish adults, 73% female and 27% male.

Love as a Commitment Device : Evidence from a Cross-Cultural Study across 90 Countries.

Given the ubiquitous nature of love, numerous theories have been proposed to explain its existence. One such theory refers to love as a commitment device, suggesting that romantic love evolved to foster commitment between partners and enhance their reproductive success. In the present study, we investigated this hypothesis using a large-scale sample of 86,310 individual responses collected across 90 countries.

Clinical features and molecular genetics of patients with RASopathies: expanding the phenotype with rare genes and novel variants.

Unlabelled: The RASopathies are a group of disorders resulting from a germline variant in the genes encoding the Ras/mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. These disorders include Noonan syndrome (NS), cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome (CFC), Costello syndrome (CS), Legius syndrome (LS), and neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), and have overlapping clinical features due to RAS/MAPK dysfunction. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical and molecular features of patients exhibiting phenotypic manifestations consistent with RASopathies.

Muscle Tone and Stiffness Comparison in Ambulatory Children With Unilateral Spastic Cerebral Palsy: Implications for Postural Balance and Functional Mobility.

Objectives: To compare muscle tone and stiffness in ambulatory children with unilateral spastic cerebral palsy (UCP) with typically developing peers and explore their relationship with postural balance and functional mobility.

Methods: Forty ambulatory children with UCP and age-matched typically developing peers were assessed for tone and stiffness of lumbar spinal extensors, gastrocnemius, and hamstring muscles using a myotonometer. Functional mobility was evaluated with the 2-Minute Walk Test, and the Timed Up and Go Test, while postural balance was evaluated using the Pediatric Balance Scale and the Trunk Control Measurement Scale (TCMS).

Comparative analysis of the effect of self-assembling peptide P-4 on enamel erosion: a confocal laser scanning microscopy study.

Objectives: This study aims to comparatively assess the preventive and protective effects of the self-assembling peptide P-4 on enamel erosion and evaluate the potential for enamel surface recovery when professional products are combined with home-use dental-care products during the erosive process.

Materials And Methods: Ninety-nine bovine incisors were divided into nine groups: a control group, four groups with the application of professional-products [P-4 peptide (Curodont-Repair), stannous/Sn containing solution (8% Sn), casein-phosphopeptide-amorphous-calcium-phosphate fluoride/CPP-ACPF (MI Varnish), sodium fluoride/NaF (Profluorid)] and four groups with the combination of professional products and home-use daily dental care products [P-4 peptide (Curodont Repair + Curodont Protect), stannous ions containing agents (8% Sn+Emofluor Gel Intensive-Care), CPP-ACPF (MI Varnish + MI Paste Plus), NaF (Profluorid + ReminPro)]. Professional products were applied once before a five-day erosive cycle, involving six 2-minute citric-acid exposures per day.

Can Lymphatic Transport Impaired by Total Knee Arthroplasty be Managed with Manual Lymphatic Drainage?

It is known that particles released from the prosthesis due to wear after joint replacement surgery affect the lymphatic system. This study aimed to investigate the effect of the manual lymphatic drainage (MLD) technique on pain, edema, and blood lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) levels in the early period of lymphatic transport affected by total knee arthroplasty (TKA). Twenty-four patients who underwent TKA were randomly allocated (control: 12; MLD: 12).

Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Breast Cancer Patients Who Had a Pathologic Complete Response after Neoadjuvant Treatment.

Aim: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women and is a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. The role of neoadjuvant therapy (NAT) in conjunction with surgical intervention is becoming increasingly prominent in the field of oncology. NAT enhance the probability of breast-conserving surgery in cases of locally advanced breast cancer and in patients with metastatic or inoperable disease.

From concept to impact: strategic guidelines for environmental behavior change interventions.

Interventions aiming at behavioral change are common tools for assessing and stimulating environmentally friendly lifestyles. To obtain representative and scalable results from the interventions, the experimental design of the interventions is crucial. Likewise, an operational plan is significant concerning the coherence and consistency of the interventions and the comparability of the results from different interventions.

Exploring Noncentrifugal Sugar as a Partial Replacement for White Sugar in Low Methoxyl Pectin Confectionery Gels: Impacts on Physical and Rheological Properties.

Noncentrifugal sugar (NCS) is an unrefined, dark brown sugar containing minerals and plant secondary metabolites, unlike refined white sugar (WS). This study explored using NCS in confectionary jellies as an alternative sugar. We used different concentrations of NCS and WS to prepare low methoxyl pectin (LMP) confectionery gels characterized by their physical and rheological properties along with time-domain nuclear magnetic resonance (TD-NMR) relaxometry.

Enhancing Viability of BG24 Through Optimized Spray Drying: Insights Into Process Parameters, Carrier Agents, Comparative Analysis With Freeze Drying, and Storage Condition Influences.

This study investigated the survival dynamics of BG24, a probiotic strain, within reconstituted skim milk (RSM) and yeast extract (YE) matrices during the spray-drying (SD) process, encompassing of inlet/outlet air temperatures. Notably, optimum SD parameters were found to be an inlet air temperature of 150°C and outlet air temperature of 83°C, that achieving high viability (92.23%), and reducing both moisture content (MC) (3.

The relationship between body mass index changes and mortality in geriatric peritoneal dialysis patients: a case-control study.

Background: The prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasing, reflecting the rising incidence of chronic diseases. With the continuous growth of the global geriatric population, a significant portion of individuals with CKD consists of those aged over 65. Regardless of the chosen treatment method, protein-energy loss in patients undergoing renal replacement therapy (RRT) has been associated with elevated morbidity and mortality rates.

Is Teledentistry as Effective as Clinical Dental Diagnosis in Pediatric Patients?

Background: Teledentistry integrates telecommunications with dental practice, facilitating the exchange of clinical information and images for remote dental consultation and treatment planning. This approach enables dental care access across long distances, addressing the need for flexible healthcare solutions.

Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of teledentistry compared to clinical in-person dental diagnosis in pediatric patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A scoping review of participatory approaches in child maltreatment research across Europe.

Background: Participatory approaches in child maltreatment (CM) research increasingly focus on involving children, youth, and adults as co-researchers. However, little is known about their use in Europe.

Objective: To review the European literature on participatory approaches in CM research.

Sex differences in clinical and polysomnographic features of obstructive sleep apnea: The Turkish sleep apnea database (TURKAPNE) cohort.

Background: Previous reports from relatively small clinical cohorts have suggested that the clinical presentation of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) differs between men and women.

Objective: We aimed to explore sex differences in clinical and polysomnographic features of OSA in a large nationwide registry.

Methods: Participants from the ongoing Turkish Sleep Apnea Database (TURKAPNE) Study from 34 centers were included in the current analysis.

Are mesenchymal stem cells still effective in acute GvHD management?

Objective: Graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) is a common and serious complication following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), significantly impacting transplant efficacy. In the treatment of GvHD, numerous therapeutic approaches have been explored, with mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) emerging as a prominent immunomodulatory option. We aimed to evaluate efficacy and outcomes of using MSCs for steroid refractory acute GVHD (SR-aGvHD) management.

The role of ruxolitinib in the management of acute GVHD.

Background And Objectives: Following an allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant (allo-HSCT), a primary cause of morbidity and mortality is still steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (SR-aGVHD). Recently, ruxolitinib, an oral inhibitor of JAK1 and JAK2, was approved for use in individuals suffering from SR-aGVHD. This study aimed to analyze the efficacy and toxicity of ruxolitinib in the real world.

Frequency of severe infections in rheumatic disease patients receiving bDMARDs post-kidney transplantation: a multicenter study.

Objectives: To evaluate the incidence and characteristics of severe infections in rheumatic patients receiving biologic disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) after kidney transplantation.

Methods: This multicenter, retrospective study included 38 patients who had undergone kidney transplantation and received bDMARDs for rheumatic diseases. Demographic, clinical, and treatment data were collected.

The fraction of cancer attributable to modifiable risk factors in Turkey in 2018.

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in Turkey, with nearly one in six deaths attributed to the disease. In 2018, Turkey recorded 211,273 new cancer cases. Many cancers are linked to modifiable lifestyle risk factors, such as tobacco use, alcohol consumption, obesity, and inadequate diet and physical activity.

Enhancing nutritional care in palliative care units: assessing nurse knowledge and quality perception in enteral nutrition practices.

Background: Adequate, balanced, and individualized nutrition, planned according to the patients' life expectancy in palliative care units, is crucial for maintaining essential functions.

Aim: To determine the knowledge levels of nurses working in palliative care units regarding enteral nutrition practices and their perceptions of nutritional care quality in their units.

Methods: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted in 25 palliative care units located in Izmir, Türkiye, between June and September 2022.