Evaluating climate-dependent distribution of orthohantaviruses with monitoring wild rodents: One Health Perspective†.

Orthohantaviruses, cause hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome, nephropathia epidemica, and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome, are major public health problems all over the world. Wild rodent surveillance for orthohantaviruses is of great importance for the preparedness against these human infections and the prediction of possible outbreak regions. Thus, we aimed to screen orthohantaviruses in wild rodents in Southern Anatolia, where the area has some of the glacial period refugia in the Mediterranean Basin, and interpret their current epidemiology with climatic biovariables in comparison with previously positive regions.We trapped muroid rodents between 2015 and 2017, and screened for orthohantaviruses. Then, we evaluated the relationship between orthohantavirus infections and bioclimatic variables. In spite of the long-term and seasonal sampling, we found no evidence for Orthohantavirus infections. The probable absence of orthohantaviruses in the sampling area was further evaluated from the climatic perspective, and results led us suggest that Orthohantavirus epidemiology might be relatively dependent on precipitation levels in driest and warmest quarters, and temperature fluctuations.These initial data might provide necessary perspective on wild rodent surveillance for orthohantaviruses in other regions, and help to collect lacking data for a such habitat suitability study in a bigger scale in the future.

Development and validation of the Ethnic-Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory (ERDSI) for Mexican-origin U.S. adults and Turkish-origin German adults.

OBJECTIVES: We developed the 26-item Ethnic-Racial Discrimination Stress Inventory (ERDSI) to assess ethnic-racial discrimination stress in Mexican-origin adults in the United States and Turkish-origin adults in Germany, two groups with similar sociocultural characteristics and immigration experiences. METHOD: We developed 73 items measuring firsthand, intragroup, and vicarious discrimination, and internalization and expectations of discrimination experiences. If participants reported experiencing a given situation, they were asked to rate its stressfulness. U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults (N = 222) and German-based Turkish-origin adults (N = 105) completed an online survey of these items, measures of related constructs, and sociodemographic measures. RESULTS: Study 1: We eliminated items based on interitem correlations and exploratory factor analyses in the U.S.-based Mexican sample. The exploratory factor analyses yielded four reliable and valid factors (F1: Vicarious Discrimination Stress, seven items; F2: Internalization of Discrimination Stress, seven items; F3: Intragroup Discrimination Stress, seven items; and F4: Firsthand Discrimination Stress, five items). The ERDSI factors predicted well-being measures, even after adjusting for control variables. Study 2: The three ERDSI factors (F1, F2, F4, not F3) that applied to the German-based Turkish sample demonstrated reliability and validity. Confirmatory factor analyses demonstrated metric invariance for F2 and partial scalar invariance for F1, F3, and F4. CONCLUSIONS: The ERDSI can be used to assess ethnic-racial discrimination stress in future studies with U.S.-based Mexican-origin adults and German-based Turkish-origin adults. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding skin cancer among health sciences students in Turkey: A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Healthcare professionals' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs regarding skin cancer are important for reducing the future impact of the disease. OBJECTIVE: This study evaluated university students' knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about skin cancer and examined the variables influencing their attitudes and beliefs about the disease. DESIGN AND SETTING: This descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted at the Faculty of Health Sciences at Manisa Celal Bayar University, Manisa, Turkey. METHOD: A total of 960 students participated in this study. Data were collected using the Student Introduction Form, Fitzpatrick Skin Type Scale, Skin Cancer and Sun Knowledge Scale (SCSKS), and Health Belief Model Scale for Skin Cancer (HBMSSC). RESULTS: The mean SCSKS score of the participants was 14.91 ± 4.23. The mean HBSSC scores of the participants were 23.58 ± 7.79 for perceived susceptibility, 14.79 ± 4.59 for perceived severity, 20.64 ± 6.60 for perceived benefits, 15.93 ± 4.09 for perceived barriers, and 21.78 ± 7.14 for self-efficacy. The mean SCSKS total scores of the university students were significantly and positively correlated with the HBMSSC subdimensions. Gender explained 1.58 of the variance in perceived benefits and 1.65 of the variance in self-efficacy, whereas the SCSKS score explained most other variables. CONCLUSION: The students' knowledge of skin cancer and sun protection was moderate. Their attitudes and beliefs regarding skin cancer were unexpected. This study identified students' knowledge of skin cancer and sun protection as the most important variables for improving their attitudes and beliefs about skin cancer.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia outbreak in a university hospital: epidemiological investigation and literature review of an emerging healthcare-associated infection.

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia was considered to be a low-virulence organism. But it has emerged as a prominent opportunistic pathogen in patients with certain risk factors. This study aimed to describe an outbreak experienced in our hospital with all dynamics while evaluating previous S. maltophilia outbreak reports. S. maltophilia isolates were obtained from a university hospital in Türkiye in a seven-months period. Antimicrobial resistance, type of infections, predisposing factors of infected patients, antibiotic therapy, outcome of infections, and outbreak source were investigated. Also, S. maltophilia outbreaks in the literature were reviewed. In the 12 months prior to the outbreak, prevalence rate of clinical samples including S. maltophilia was 7/1,000 patient per day, opposed to 113/1,000 patient per day during the outbreak. Although a large number of cases were observed in a short seven-month period, a source of contamination could not be detected. Stable mortality rates (or remaining close to the average) during outbreaks can be attributed to the careful attention paid by laboratory and clinic physicians during procedures. S. maltophilia has potential to spread outbreaks and infect patients in operating rooms and intensive care units during invasive procedures.

The pregnant women's perception of risks and pregnancy stress levels: a cross-sectional study from Turkey.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to compare pregnant women's perceptions of risk and pregnancy-specific stress levels. METHODS: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted with 410 healthy pregnant women at the city hospital located in the east of Turkey. Data were collected via Personal Information Form, Perception of Pregnancy Risk Questionnaire, and Pregnancy Stress Rating Scale. RESULTS: The pregnancy risk perception mean score was 2.43±1.82, and the pregnancy-specific stress mean score was 22.27±12.67. There is a statistically significant and strong positive correlation between the perception of pregnancy risk and pregnancy-specific stress level (p<0.01). Pregnant women's pregnancy risk perception decreased as the duration of marriage and the number of living children increased, and it increased as the gestational week increased (p<0.05). Pregnancy-specific stress decreased as the duration of marriage (p<0.001), the age of the spouse, the number of pregnancies, and the number of living children increased (p<0.01), and it increased as the gestational week increased (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: The pregnant women's perceptions of pregnancy risks and pregnancy-specific stress were low, but pregnancy-specific stresses increased as their perceptions of pregnancy risks increased.

The effect of mandala coloring on anxiety and quality of life of women in the climacteric period: a randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted to determine the effect of mandala coloring on anxiety and quality of life of women in the climacteric period. METHODS: This research was conducted as an experimental study based on a randomized controlled pre-test and post-test model (single-blind). The study was conducted with women in the climacteric period who presented to a training and research hospital in a western city of Turkey between November 1, 2022, and April 28, 2023. Participants were divided into mandala coloring (n=38) and control groups (n=38). RESULTS: According to the women's socio-demographic and descriptive characteristics, mean age, body mass index, and frequency of menopausal symptoms were similar in both groups. The mean post-test scores of the women in the mandala coloring group on the state-trait anxiety inventory and menopause-specific quality of life questionnaire vasomotor, psychosocial, physical, and sexual subscales (29.71±5.22, 0.86±0.97, 0.53±0.61, 0.79±0.84, and 0.92±1.24, respectively) were lower than the mean post-test scores of the women in the control group on the same scales (41.02±1.20, 1.79±1.76, 1.49±1.39, 1.72±1.38, and 1.95±1.82, respectively) (p=0.000). CONCLUSION: Mandala coloring reduces menopause-related anxiety levels and improves quality of life effectively.

Utilidad y confiabilidad del cuestionario PreViAs para la evaluación de la visión en neonatos y lactantes turcos / The utility and reliability of the PreViAs questionnaire for the assessment of vision in Turkish neonates and infants

Introducción. La evaluación de la visión en los niños durante el periodo preverbal, con un método fácil de usar y basado en la evidencia, permitiría el diagnóstico temprano y la intervención en los trastornos visuales. El objetivo del estudio fue determinar la utilidad y confiabilidad de la versión en idioma turco del cuestionario Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs), desarrollado para evaluar la visión en niños preverbales. Población y métodos. El cuestionario PreViAs se administró a los cuidadores primarios de niños nacidos de término, antes de los 24 meses de edad. Se registraron sus respuestas. Resultados. Se analizaron los datos de 278 participantes para evaluar la consistencia interna del cuestionario PreViAs. Se encontró un alto nivel de consistencia con un alfa de Cronbach de 0,958 para el puntaje total, lo que sugiere una fuerte coherencia interna. Los valores del alfa de Cronbach para cada dominio fueron: 0,890 ­ 0,913 ­ 0,951 y 0,922 para la atención visual, la comunicación visual, el procesamiento visual y la coordinación visomotora respectivamente; esto indica una buena consistencia interna para cada subdominio. Conclusión. La versión en idioma turco del cuestionario PreViAs es útil y confiable para evaluar la visión durante el periodo preverbal.

Introduction: Evaluating the visual functions of children with an easy-to-use and evidence-based method during the preverbal period will enable early diagnosis and intervention of visual impairments. The aim of this study is to determine the utility and reliability of the Turkish version of the Preverbal Visual Assessment (PreViAs) questionnaire, which was developed to evaluate the visual functioning of preverbal infants. Population and Methods: The PreViAs questionnaire was administered to primary caregivers of term infants under 24 months of age, and their responses were recorded. Results: Data from the 278 participating infants were analyzed to assess the internal consistency of the PreViAs questionnaire. Results showed a high level of consistency with Cronbach's alpha value of 0.958 for the total score, suggesting strong internal coherence. In addition, the Cronbach's alpha values for each domain were 0.890, 0.913, 0.951, and 0.922 for visual attention, visual communication, visual processing, and visual-motor coordination, respectively, indicating good internal consistency for each subdomain. Conclusion: The Turkish version of the PreViAs questionnaire is useful and reliable for assessing functional vision during the preverbal period.

Utilización de los medios de comunicación y actitudes frente a las pantallas en niños de 36-72 meses: estudio descriptivo transversal / Media use and attitudes towards screens in children aged 36-72 months; a cross-sectional, descriptive study

Introducción. La edad en que los niños son introducidos a los dispositivos de comunicación es cada vez más temprana. Las investigaciones sobre los hábitos relacionados con ellos, en niños pequeños, son importantes. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir los hábitos sobre el uso de dispositivos mediáticos (edad de comienzo, tiempo frente a las pantallas, preferencias populares) de niños preescolares y explorar la relación con las características familiares. Población y métodos. Estudio descriptivo transversal: Los padres de niños de 36-72 meses que asistían a los centros de cuidado infantil en Kayseri, una ciudad central de Anatolia, Turquía, completaron un cuestionario sobre los hábitos familiares y de los niños, relacionados con los medios de comunicación. Resultados. Se incluyeron 858 cuestionarios. El 28 % de los niños utilizaban pantallas por más de 2 h/día; el 36 % fueron introducidos a los dispositivos de comunicación antes de los 2 años de edad. La televisión fue el dispositivo más usado (95 %), y los dibujos animados, el programa elegido en el 86,7 %. Los hijos de padres con educación superior tuvieron menos tiempo de pantallas frente a la televisión, la computadora o el teléfono móvil (p = 0,012; p = 0,007; p <0,01 para la madre y p = 0,049; p = 0,032; p = 0,04 para el padre respectivamente). La introducción de libros en los primeros 6 meses de edad se asoció con menor tiempo diario frente a las pantallas (p = 0,011; p = 0,009; p = 0,002 para televisión, computadora y teléfono móvil, respectivamente). El tiempo de los padres frente a la televisión se correlacionó positivamente con el de los niños (p <0,05; r: 0,354). Conclusión. El nivel de educación de los padres, el tiempo que ellos dedican a las pantallas y la introducción de libros en etapas tempranas se relacionaron con los hábitos de los niños frente a los dispositivos mediáticos. Se necesitan estudios amplios para explicar esta relación con mayor claridad.

Introduction: The age at which children are introduced to media devices is becoming increasingly earlier. Studies regarding the media habits of young children have gained importance. The aim of the study was to describe the screen media habits (age of introduction media, time spend with screen, popular choices) of preschool children and to explore their relationship with household characteristics. Population and methods: Cross-sectional descriptive study; the parents of children aged 36-72 months who attended childcare centers in Kayseri, a central Anatolian city in Türkiye, completed a questionnaire on media habits of families and children. Results: There were 858 questionaires included. The proportion of children using screen media more than 2 h/day was 28%; 36% of children were introduced to media devices before the age of two. The most frequently used media tool was television (95%) and the program watched was cartoons for TV (86.7%). Children of highly educated parents had shorter TV, computer and smartphone screen time (p = 0.012, p = 0.007, p <0.01 for mother and p = 0.049, p = 0.032, p = 0.04 for father respectively). Introducing books in the first 6 months was associated with shorter daily screen time (p = 0.011, p = 0.009, p = 0.002 for TV, computer and smartphone ,respectively). Parent's time spent on TV was positively correlated with children's time spent on TV (p <0.05, r = 0.354). Conclusion: Parents' education levels, parents' screen time and introducing book in early age was related to children's media habits. Comprehensive studies are needed to explain this relationship more clearly.

Nurses' perceptions about management practices of nurse managers during pandemics: a descriptive and cross-sectional study

INTRODUCTION: Hospitals may not be able to manage the chaotic environment during pandemics through classical management principles. Management can only be achieved with the help of effective leadership, appropriate flow of crisis management systems, teamwork, and collaboration. Nurse managers should have effective management skills. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the perception of the nurse managers' practices by nurses such as resource management, organization, communication, psychosocial, care-training, and decision-making practices in the management of the pandemic based on the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional method was used, and a web-based online questionnaire was applied to collect data. This study included 182 nurses working in a public and private hospital in Istanbul. RESULTS: The nurses perceived the management practices of their managers at a moderate level. The leaders' resource management practices as low (16.5%), and medium (78.6%) perceive. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.01) between the communication and team relations (p<0.05), resource management (p<0.01), care-training (p<0.05), and decision-making scores (p<0.01) of the nurses working in the private hospitals compared to those working in the public hospital. CONCLUSION: To effectively manage a complex and chaotic environment, nurse managers should trust their team, have speed and adaptation skills, be based on human factor principles, and provide a safe working environment. Education should be emphasized so that nurses can work in specialized areas and nurse managers can improve their management skills.

Measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries.

The purpose of this study was to assess the factor structure and the measurement invariance of the Coparenting Relationship Scale (CRS) across 10 countries based on the seven-factor coparenting model (i.e., Coparenting Agreement, Coparenting Closeness, Exposure to Conflict, Coparenting Support, Endorsement of Partner's Parenting; Division of Labor) proposed by Feinberg (2003). The results of research on coparenting from numerous countries have documented its foundational importance for parent mental health, family relationship quality, child development, and psychopathology. Yet, a cross-country perspective is still lacking. Such a perspective can provide insight into which dimensions of coparenting are universally recognized and which are especially prone to variation. A unique multinational data set, comprised of 15 individual studies collected across 10 countries (Belgium, Brazil, China, Israel, Italy, Japan, Portugal, Switzerland, Turkey, USA) in nine languages was established (N = 9,292; 51.1% mothers). Measurement invariance analyses were conducted. A six-factor structure (original seven factors minus Division of Labor) of the measure was consistent across the different contexts and measurement invariance was achieved at the configural level. There was no support for metric or scalar invariance. These findings provide a basis for the CRS to be used across countries and should inspire future quantitative and qualitative research in cross-country coparenting research to understand what aspects are universal and what aspects of coparenting are linked to specific material, relational, or ideational conditions that underlie high-quality coparenting. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

Physical activity, anxiety, depression, and coping in Turkish men and women during the first wave of COVID-19.

A need exists to better understand the relationships between COVID-19, coping behaviors, physical activity and stress, and COVID-19's impact on way of life. A cross-sectional study design was used to examine adult physical activity, hope, depression, anxiety, and coping status by gender during the COVID-19 pandemic, and to determine the impact of these variables on the coping process. The study also examined the effect of gender on the relation between physical activity and dependent variables. A global survey instrument was used in this study, including 1,400 Turkish adults. This study identified significant gender-based differences regarding physical activity, hope, depression, anxiety, and coping status of adults, although no significant gender-based difference was found regarding hope scores. Furthermore, physical activity directly influenced coping (ß = 0.10), hope (ß = 0.12), and anxiety (ß = -0.08). Hope directly and positively influenced coping (ß = 0.45) and directly and negatively influenced anxiety (ß = -0.25) and depression (ß = -0.28). Moreover, gender did not directly affect physical activity, but it was associated with decreased coping and increased depression and anxiety. Finally, gender had no effect on the relation between physical activity and hope, coping, depression, and anxiety (p > 0.01). These outcomes support the critical importance of physical activity and hope when coping with COVID-19 regardless of gender.

Evaluating pregnancy termination decisions for fetal anomalies: a retrospective study in a tertiary referral center.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to examine the factors that influence pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies, regardless of gestational age, within the legal framework of Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study was conducted between January 2021 and July 2023 at a tertiary perinatology center to analyze patients undergoing pregnancy termination. The process involved multidisciplinary evaluations and informed consent, resulting in 326 pregnancy terminations, categorized by gestational timing. RESULTS: Of the 326 patients studied, 219 opted for terminations. Gestational week at diagnosis significantly influenced the decision to terminate, with fetal anomalies being the primary indication. Chromosomal abnormalities accounted for 15.9% of the cases, while structural anomalies and maternal disorders accounted for 84.1% and structural malformations accounted for 84.1% of the cases. Late terminations (≥23 weeks) accounted for 30% of cases and required complex procedures. CONCLUSION: The findings of this study indicate that maternal demographic factors have a limited impact on termination decisions. Early diagnosis of fetal anomalies is crucial for informed decision-making and emotional support, and the psychological consequences of late termination highlight the need for maternal support. Obstetricians play a vital role in facilitating early intervention. This study underscores the complex medical, ethical, and psychological aspects of pregnancy termination due to fetal anomalies. It emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach, considering medical, ethical, and psychological factors and the crucial role of healthcare professionals in supporting families during this challenging process.

Effect of polycystic ovary syndrome on the life quality of young women.

OBJECTIVE: The study evaluated the opinions of polycystic ovary syndrome on the life quality of women. METHODS: A total of 249 women with polycystic ovary syndrome participated in this descriptive study between October 2022 and July 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey. FINDINGS: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Quality of Life was significantly correlated with age (p=0.000) and frequent weight loss diets (p=0.000) (p<0.01). Among the Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and Quality of Life total score and polycystic ovary syndrome symptoms, those with hormone imbalance and insulin resistance had the highest mean scores, while those with menstrual irregularity and fatigue had the lowest. CONCLUSION: Advancing age changes the quality of life of women with polycystic ovary syndrome. To prevent the negative impact of polycystic ovary syndrome on women's quality of life, it is recommended that health professionals develop effective care plans utilizing available evidence.

Microbial variations in sputum cultures among hospitalized patients with community-acquired pneumonia: differences in sputum microbiota between asthma and COPD patients.

OBJECTIVE: To assess differences in the sputum microbiota of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) patients with either COPD or asthma, specifically focusing on a patient population in Turkey. METHODS: This retrospective study included hospitalized patients > 18 years of age with a diagnosis of pneumonia between January of 2021 and January of 2023. Participants were recruited from two hospitals, and three patient groups were considered: CAP patients with asthma, CAP patients with COPD, and CAP patients without COPD or asthma. RESULTS: A total of 246 patients with CAP were included in the study, 184 (74.8%) and 62 (25.2%) being males and females, with a mean age of 66 ± 14 years. Among the participants, 52.9% had COPD, 14.2% had asthma, and 32.9% had CAP but no COPD or asthma. Upon analysis of sputum cultures, positive sputum culture growth was observed in 52.9% of patients. The most commonly isolated microorganisms were Pseudomonas aeruginosa (n = 40), Acinetobacter baumannii (n = 20), Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 16), and Moraxella catarrhalis (n = 8). CAP patients with COPD were more likely to have a positive sputum culture (p = 0.038), a history of antibiotic use within the past three months (p = 0.03), utilization of long-term home oxygen therapy (p < 0.001), and use of noninvasive ventilation (p = 0.001) when compared with the other patient groups. Additionally, CAP patients with COPD had a higher CURB-65 score when compared with CAP patients with asthma (p = 0.004). CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that CAP patients with COPD tend to have more severe presentations, while CAP patients with asthma show varied microbial profiles, underscoring the need for patient-specific management strategies in CAP.

Advanced Practice Pediatric Oncology Nursing as Imagined or In Place in Four Lower- and Upper-Middle-Income Countries.

OBJECTIVES: The implementation of pediatric oncology advanced practice nurse (s) roles in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) presents opportunities and challenges. The authors explore the implications of pediatric oncology advanced practice nursing roles in Pakistan, Cameroon, Turkey, and Mexico. Potential benefits and drawbacks of advanced practice nursing roles, impacts on nursing care, and strategies for advanced practice nursing role development in LMIC settings are considered. METHODS: Information from scholarly articles, policy documents, and four LMIC pediatric oncology nurse expert perspectives on existing and imagined advanced practice nursing roles in pediatric oncology in LMIC were synthesized. RESULTS: Current literature and policies point to efforts across LMICs to establish a wide variety of advanced nursing practices, not necessarily aligned with internationally accepted advanced practice nursing standards of practice or education. The LMIC nurses describe a wide range of national general nurse education and government advanced practice nurse recognition/licensing. Challenges to achieving or strengthening advanced practice nursing roles include, for example, healthcare professional resistance, government unwillingness to recognize/license advanced practice nurses, and lack of advanced practice nursing faculty. To promote a pediatric oncology advanced practice nursing role in LMICs requires navigating the national nursing scope of practice and nursing culture. CONCLUSION: The strategic introduction of pediatric oncology advanced practice nursing roles in LMICs has the potential to significantly enhance patient care by, for example, addressing healthcare workforce shortages and facilitating timely care delivery. However, challenges related to role complexity, resistance from traditional healthcare structures, and role overlap must be considered. Tailoring these roles to local contexts and fostering stakeholder collaboration are essential for successful implementation. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: The adoption of advanced practice nursing roles can lead to improved quality of care for pediatric oncology patients and their families in LMICs, where cancer care is challenging. The positive impact of pediatric oncology advanced practice nurses on patient outcomes and healthcare delivery cannot be discounted but must align with local nursing and healthcare culture and expectations.

Validity and reliability of Turkish pregnant women's preferences for mode of delivery questionnaire.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine whether Pregnant Women's Preferences for Mode of Delivery Questionnaire, created by Zamani-Alavijeh et al., is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish pregnant women. METHODS: This study has a methodological research design and was conducted with 139 pregnant women who were randomly selected from those aged 18-35 years, who applied to obstetric clinic,.who had no previous prenatal losses and no systemic diseases, and who had conceived naturally. The data for this study were collected with the Personal Information Form and the Pregnant Women's Preferences for Mode of Delivery Questionnaire. To test the reliability and validity of Pregnant Women's Preferences for Mode of Delivery Questionnaire, Cronbach's α, split-half method, item analysis, Kendall's coefficient of agreement (W), explanatory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor were used. RESULTS: The study found that Cronbach's α was 0.94, the Spearman-Brown reliability coefficient was 0.883, and the Guttman split-half was 0.880. Explanatory factor analysis revealed an 18-item structure with three factors having an eigenvalue exceeding 1, explaining 67.593% of the total variability, and factor loading between 0.40 and 0.64. CONCLUSION: Based on the scientific recommendations, the Turkish version of the Pregnant Women's Preferences for Mode of Delivery Questionnaire has adequate psychometric properties.

Are depression and poor sleep quality a major problem in Turkish Women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate depression and sleep quality in Turkish women receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and investigate their relationship. METHODS: This cross-sectional, descriptive, and analytical study included 183 patients who received chemotherapy for non-metastatic breast cancer. Data were collected using the Beck Depression Inventory-II, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and a disease-related/sociodemographic information form. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 50.2 years, and 50.3% were in menopause. The mean Beck Depression Inventory-II score was 19.64±10.4. Mild depression was detected in 25.7% (n=47) of the women, and moderate or severe depression in 55.2% (n=101). The mean global score of sleep quality was found to be 8.28±2.62, and the majority of the participants (79.7%, n=146) had poor sleep quality. There was a positive correlation (p<0.001, r=0.43) between depression and sleep quality scores. While a negative correlation was found between depression scores and age (p<0.001, r=0.26), the surgical procedure performed did not significantly affect depression scores (p=0.705). Additionally, depression scores were positively correlated with sleep duration (p<0.001, r=0.42) and sleep latency (p=0.01, r=0.48). CONCLUSION: Very high rates of depression and poor sleep quality were detected among Turkish women receiving neoadjuvant or adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. The entire healthcare team involved in the treatment process should take this relationship into consideration and use the necessary preventive and therapeutic methods.

Genomic wide association study and selective sweep analysis identify genes associated with improved yield under drought in Turkish winter wheat germplasm.

A panel comprising of 84 Turkish winter wheat landraces (LR) and 73 modern varieties (MV) was analyzed with genome wide association study (GWAS) to identify genes/genomic regions associated with increased yield under favorable and drought conditions. In addition, selective sweep analysis was conducted to detect signatures of selection in the winter wheat genome driving the differentiation between LR and MV, to gather an understanding of genomic regions linked to adaptation and yield improvement. The panel was genotyped with 25 K wheat SNP array and phenotyped for agronomic traits for two growing seasons (2018 and 2019) in Konya, Turkey. Year 2018 was treated as drought environment due to very low precipitation prior to heading whereas year 2019 was considered as a favorable season. GWAS conducted with SNPs and haplotype blocks using mixed linear model identified 18 genomic regions in the vicinities of known genes i.e., TaERF3-3A, TaERF3-3B, DEP1-5A, FRIZZY PANICLE-2D, TaSnRK23-1A, TaAGL6-A, TaARF12-2A, TaARF12-2B, WAPO1, TaSPL16-7D, TaTGW6-A1, KAT-2B, TaOGT1, TaSPL21-6B, TaSBEIb, trs1/WFZP-A, TaCwi-A1-2A and TaPIN1-7A associated with grain yield (GY) and yield related traits. Haplotype-based GWAS identified five haplotype blocks (H1A-42, H2A-71, H4A-48, H7B-123 and H7B-124), with the favorable haplotypes showing a yield increase of > 700 kg/ha in the drought season. SNP-based GWAS, detected only one larger effect genomic region on chromosome 7B, in common with haplotype-based GWAS. On an average, the percentage variation (PV) explained by haplotypes was 8.0% higher than PV explained by SNPs for all the investigated traits. Selective sweep analysis detected 39 signatures of selection between LR and MV of which 15 were within proximity of known functional genes controlling flowering (PRR-A1, PPR-D1, TaHd1-6B), GY and GY components (TaSus2-2B, TaGS2-B1, AG1-1A/WAG1-1A, DUO-A1, DUO-B1, AG2-3A/WAG2-3A, TaLAX1, TaSnRK210-4A, FBP, TaLAX1, TaPIL1 and AP3-1-7A/WPA3-7A) and 10 regions underlying various transcription factors and regulatory genes. The study outcomes contribute to utilization of LR in breeding winter wheat.

Molecular detection of bacterial zoonotic abortive agents from ruminants in Turkey.

Abortions in cattle and sheep are one of the major causes of economic losses worldwide. Brucella spp. are the most common infectious agent associated with these abortions. However, abortions caused by bacteria such as Listeria spp., Leptospira spp., Campylobacter spp. and Mycoplasma spp. are usually overlooked due to their sporadic nature and their status as non-priority abortion agents. In our study, we investigated the bacteria associated with abortion cases in cattle and sheep using PCR. For this purpose, we collected vaginal swab samples (n: 110) of aborted cattle and sheep, as well as stomach content samples (n: 69) of aborted calves and lambs from various cities in Turkey. The samples were analysed by bacteria-specific PCR to detect Campylobacter fetus, Leptospira spp., Listeria spp., Mycoplasma spp., and Yersinia spp. PCR analyses revealed that the investigated bacterial agents were present in 18.85% and 19.3% of the cattle and sheep samples, respectively, with an overall percentage of 18.99%. While the overall positivity rate for C. fetus, Leptospira spp., and Mycoplasma spp. was 2.79%, 10.06%, and 4.47%, respectively, the positivity rate for co-infection with Leptospira spp. and C. fetus was 1.68%. All samples were found to be negative for Yersinia spp. and Listeria spp. The high C. fetus positivity rate detected in sheep and in the stomach contents was statistically significant (p < 0.05). However, the difference in positivity rates between the cities, hosts, co-infections and causative agents was statistically insignificant (p > 0.05). This study provides preliminary data on the significant involvement of C. fetus, Leptospira spp. and Mycoplasma spp. in cattle and sheep abortions in Turkey indicating that they should not be overlooked in diagnosis. In addition, further research is needed to investigate the zoonotic potential of these pathogens for public health in Turkey.

Effect of HER2/CEP17 ratio on survival in metastatic HER2-positive gastric cancer, multicenter study.

AIM: HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer is still a highly fatal disease despite advances. We aimed to investigate the relationship between HER2/CEP17 ratio and survival in patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer. METHODS: A total of 99 patients from 8 different centers in Turkey were included in the study. Patients with HER2-positive metastatic gastric cancer and whose HER2/CEP17 ratio was examined were included in the study. Patients were divided into two groups according to HER2/CEP17 values, and survival analysis was performed. RESULTS: The median age was 64 (24-83) years. There were 74 (74.8%) male and 25 (25.2%) female patients. OS in the high HER2/CEP17 ratio group was 21.97 months (95% CI: 16.36-27.58), and in the low ratio group was 16.17 months (95% CI: 10.95-21.38) (p = 0.015). OS was 17.7 months (95% CI: 7.02-28.37) in the high HER2 gene copy number group and 10.13 months (5.55-14.71) in the group with low copy number (p = 0.03). PFS was 10.94 months (95% CI: 7.55-14.33) in the group with high HER2 gene copy number and 7.56 months (4.62-10.49) in the low copy number group (p = 0.06). CONCLUSION: Patients with both high HER2 gene amplification and high HER2/CEP17 ratio had better OS. The PFS of the group with high HER2 gene amplification was also better. To our knowledge, this is the first study in the literature showing that the HER2/CEP17 ratio affects survival in patients with metastatic gastric cancer.