Effect of Climate Change Belief and the New Environmental Paradigm (NEP) on Eco-Tourism Attitudes of Tourists: Moderator Role of Green Self-Identity.

This research has been conducted to determine the effect of tourists' beliefs of climate change on the NEP and ecotourism attitudes. In addition to this purpose, the moderator role of green self-identity in the effect of the NEP on ecological attitudes has also been examined. The research data were obtained from the tourists visiting the Alanya destination, which is one of the centers that attract the most tourists in Turkey. When the results of the research were examined, it could be determined that the belief in climate change is effective on all dimensions of the NEP, and similarly, all dimensions of the NEP have also affected the tourists' ecological attitude. Further, green self-identity has a moderator role in the effect of ecocentric and anthropocentric sub-dimensions on eco-tourism attitudes. As a consequence of the findings, a number of theoretical and practical implications have been developed for sector managers, destination management organizations, and academicians.

How Does the Experience Quality of Recreational Activities Organized within the Scope of Public Health Affect Perceived Value, Satisfaction and Behavioral Intentions of Individuals?

This study has been conducted in a sample of Eskisehir city center, which is one of the important destinations in Turkey, to determine the effects of experience quality in recreational activities on perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention. Following this purpose, the data were obtained from 420 people who participated in recreational activities organized by the local governments between April and June 2022. As a result of the findings, it has been determined that the perceptions of individuals regarding the experience quality of the activities positively affect their perceptions of value and satisfaction. Moreover, individuals' positive value perceptions of activities increase their satisfaction and behavioral intentions. This study differs from other studies by examining the variables of experience quality, perceived value, satisfaction, and behavioral intention in recreational activities as a whole. Most studies on recreation, which is accepted as important in the context of public health, in addition to the fact that recreational activities emphasize the perspective of protecting and improving health. Unlike other studies, this one is expected to contribute to the literature by determining the antecedents for the activities to be much more efficient.

Impact of having a sibling with cancer or type I diabetes mellitus on psychopathology and self-conscious emotions in adolescents: a comparative study including controls.

BACKGROUND: OBJECTIVE: Having a child diagnosed with cancer is stressful for the whole family and may cause significant psychological impact on parents and siblings. Chronic, life-altering diseases may also have similar effects in siblings due to the daily life changes in the family to accommodate the child with chronic disease. We investigated the impact of having a sibling with cancer or type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) on the psychological features of adolescents, with particular focus on self-conscious emotions such as guilt and shame-which are associated with the development of psychopathologies. METHOD: Sixty-four children who were siblings of patients diagnosed with cancer (CS group), 54 children who were siblings of patients diagnosed with T1DM (DMS group), and 200 adolescents with siblings who did not have any chronic disease (control group) were included in the study. The CS group was also divided into two subgroups with respect to cancer type (leukemia and non-leukemia). Feelings of guilt and shame were evaluated via the Test of Self-Consciousness Affect for Adolescents (TOSCA-A). The Children's Depression Inventory (CDI) and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) were used to determine the levels of depression and anxiety symptoms. Comparisons between groups were performed and within-group directional relationships between scores were analyzed. RESULTS: Guilt scores were significantly higher in CSs than controls (p = 0.009), and the guilt scores of CSs and DMSs were similar (p = 0.508). Other subdimension scores obtained from the TOSCA-A and the CDI and STAI scores were similar in all three groups. In the CS group, externalization scores of siblings with leukemia were significantly higher than that of siblings with non-leukemia cancer. Although shame scores were similar in the CS, DMS, and control groups, shame scores were found to be positively correlated with CDI and STAI total scores in each group (p < 0.05 for all), whereas guilt scores did not demonstrate any significant correlations. CONCLUSION: Our results support prior studies in showing that CSs feel a greater level of guilt compared to adolescents without disease-stricken siblings, whereas, interestingly, CSs and DMSs were found to experience similar levels of guilt. Despite lack of significant increase in the CS and DMS groups, shame levels were positively correlated with depression and anxiety scores in all groups, but the lower correlation coefficients for the CS group indicate the presence of other factors influencing this relationship. We believe our results warrant the need for future studies evaluating the needs of the siblings of children with other chronic diseases, preferably with longitudinal follow-up to determine situations associated with need for psychosocial support.

Sevoflurane versus propofol for electroconvulsive therapy: effects on seizure parameters, anesthesia recovery, and the bispectral index.

BACKGROUND/AIM: In this prospective randomized cross-over study we compare the effects of sevoflurane versus propofol for electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) anesthesia. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty four patients (ASA I-III, 18-65 years old) receiving ECT three times per week were included. Anesthesia was induced with either propofol (0.75 mg/kg iv) or 5% sevoflurane in 100% oxygen. Consecutive ECT sessions followed a 2 × 2 crossover design and a 2-day washout period until the 10th ECT. Intravenous succinylcholine (1 mg/kg) was administered while bispectral index (BIS) values were ≤60%. RESULTS: Electromyogram and electroencephalogram seizure duration, postictal suppression index, BIS values, mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate, times to start of spontaneous respiration, eye opening, understanding verbal commands, and side effects were compared. No differences were found between the regimens for seizure activity and recovery. At the end of ECT, MAP was higher with sevoflurane. Although BIS values were higher after sevoflurane, no differences between the regimens were found in terms of the need of muscle relaxants and in hypnosis levels. CONCLUSION: Sevoflurane (5%) may be an effective alternative to propofol for induction of anesthesia for ECT.

Reversal of the inhibitory effect of light and high temperature on germination of Phacelia tanacetifolia seeds by melatonin.

Possible role of melatonin in the germination of negatively photoblastic and thermosensitive seeds of Phacelia tanacetifolia Benth was studied. Final germination percentage (FGP) was determined in the presence or absence of light at various temperatures, ranging from 0 to 40°C. The highest FGP was determined as 48.7% and 92% at temperature of 15°C in the presence and absence of light, respectively. Seeds were primed with 1% KNO(3) containing various concentrations (0.3, 1, 6, 12, 30, 60, or 90 µM) of melatonin for 2 days at 15°C in darkness. Primed seeds were germinated at an inhibitory temperature of 30°C, and results were compared to those occurring at the optimum temperature of 15°C under both light and no light conditions. Melatonin incorporated into priming medium significantly reversed the inhibitory effects of light and high temperature. Germination was elevated from 2.5% to 52% of FGP for seeds primed in the presence of 6 µM melatonin in darkness at 30°C, while 1 µM melatonin had the highest FGP (21.0%) in the presence of light at 30°C. The highest FGP (47.5%) was obtained from seeds primed in the presence of 0.3 µM melatonin under the light condition at 15°C, while untreated seeds had 1.5% of FGP. The fastest seed germination was determined from seeds primed in the presence of 0.3 µM melatonin (G(50) = 0.56 days) at 15°C in darkness. The possible roles of melatonin in promoting germination parameters of photo- and thermosensitive seed germination are discussed.

Serum oxidative-antioxidative status in patients with ankylosing spondilitis.

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is an inflammatory disorder with unknown etiology that mainly affects the axial skeleton as well as the peripheral joints and extra-articular structures. The aim of this study was to evaluate the total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidative status (TOS) and oxidative stress index (OSI) in patients with ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Fifty AS patients with a mean Bath AS Activity Index (BASDAI) 4.6 (range 4-9.3) and 26 healthy controls were included in the study. Plasma TAS, TOS levels were determined by using novel automated methods. The OSI was calculated. Plasma TOS level and OSI values were significantly higher, and plasma TAS level was lower in patients than in healthy controls (15.8 +/- 4. 9 vs. 4.3 +/- 2.8, 12.8 +/- 3. 9 vs. 9.6 +/- 5.5, 1.2 +/- 0.03 vs. 1.8 +/- 0.2, respectively, P < 0.001 for all). There was no significant correlation between oxidant/antioxidant parameters and disease activity. The results of this study indicated that increased oxidant and decreased antioxidant capacity may be associated with the pathogenesis of AS.

Increased DNA damage and oxidative stress in patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) is a chronic infectious and granulomatous disease caused by the Leishmania parasite that invades the skin. Reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (ROS and RNS) produced during an inflammatory response are an important part of host-defense strategies of organisms to kill the parasite. However, it is not well known whether these intermediates cause DNA damage in CL patients. We investigated the effect of Leishmania infection on basal levels of DNA strand breaks and on the oxidative/anti-oxidative status of patients with CL, and compared the data with those of healthy subjects. Twenty-five CL patients and 19 age- and sex-matched control subjects were enrolled in the study. We used the single-cell gel electrophoresis (also called comet assay) to measure DNA strand breaks in peripheral blood mononuclear leukocytes. Plasma protein carbonyl (PC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total peroxide (TP) concentrations were measured to determine oxidative status and total anti-oxidative response (TAR) in plasma was measured to determine anti-oxidative status. The mean values of DNA damage and MDA and TP concentrations were significantly higher in CL patients than in the control group (p<0.001, p<0.01 and p<0.001, respectively). PC levels were also higher in patients, but this was not statistically significant (p>0.05). There was a significantly positive correlation between plasma MDA and DNA damage (r=0.524, p<0.01), and a negative correlation between TAR and TP levels (r=-0.790, p<0.001) in the patient group. These findings support the notion that ROS and RNS produced by the organism as a defense strategy may amplify the leishmanicidal activity in patients with CL. However, these intermediates not only cause the killing of the parasite but also induce oxidative damage in non-infected cells. Therefore, these patients must be treated urgently to counteract the oxidative DNA damage.

Evaluation of oxidative-antioxidative status and the L-arginine-nitric oxide pathway in asthmatic patients.

BACKGROUND: Reactive nitrogen, oxygen species and oxidative stress are related to many pulmonary diseases. Nitric oxide (NO) may be involved in either the protection against or the induction of oxidative stress within various tissues. It is derived from the amino acid L-arginine by the action of NO synthase (NOS). L-arginine can also be metabolized by arginase with the production of ornithine and urea. Because of the competition between NOS and arginase for the same substrate, their activities are regulated reciprocally. Therefore, the rate of NO generation associated with oxidative stress is dependent on the relative activities of both NOS and arginase. The objective of this study is to investigate the L-arginine-NO pathway, evaluate oxidative-antioxidative status in the patients with asthma and demonstrate their reciprocal regulation. METHODS: 30 voluntary asthmatic patients and 30 healthy control subjects with similar age range and sex were included in the study. A total of 10 ml venous blood was drawn, plasma and packed erythrocytes were prepared for the biochemical analyses. Plasma arginase activities and NO levels, and erythrocyte malondialdehyde and reduced glutathione levels were detected. RESULTS: Plasma malondialdehyde levels were significantly higher and glutathione levels were lower in patients with asthma than those of the control subjects (P < 0.001 and P < 0.01, respectively). Arginase activities were significantly lower and NO levels were higher in the patients than those of the controls (P < 0.001 for both). The negative correlation between arginase and NO levels in the patients was significant (r = -0.47; P < 0.01). There was also a positive correlation between malondialdehyde and NO levels in the patients (r = 0.51; P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that the L-arginine-NO pathway is involved in the pathophysiology of asthma; the arginase activities decrease which causes an increase in the L-arginine levels thereby up-regulation of NO production may contribute to the increase of oxidative stress in asthma.

Serum levels of zinc and copper in hydatidiform mole.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify any association between serum levels of trace elements zinc and copper and development of hydatidiform mole. STUDY DESIGN: Blood samples of 35 patients with complete hydatidiform mole and 34 pregnant women controls were evaluated for serum levels of zinc and copper. Student's t-test was used for comparison of mean values of serum zinc and copper and for demographic variables. p< or =0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: Levels of zinc in serum were found to be significantly higher in hydatidiform mole patients than controls (86.3 vs. 68.7 microg/l, p=0.027). Serum copper levels were significantly lower in hydatidiform mole patients than controls (123.8 vs. 147.8 microg/l, p=0.039; Table 2). CONCLUSION: This is the first study in the English scientific literature reporting higher serum levels of zinc and lower serum levels of copper associated with complete hydatidiform mole.

The role of the arginine-nitric oxide pathway in the pathogenesis of bipolar affective disorder.

There is a reciprocal regulation of arginase and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in L-arginine-metabolizing pathways. Nitric oxide (NO) may be involved in some psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia, depression and bipolar affective disorder (BPAD). To our knowledge, there is no study in the literature in which the role of arginase, an important part of the arginine regulatory system affecting NOS activity, was investigated in BPAD. This study aims to investigate arginase, manganese (Mn) and total nitrite levels (a metabolite of NO) and their relationship to the arginine-NO pathway in patients with BPAD. Arginase activities, Mn and total nitrite levels were measured in plasma from forty-three patients with BPAD (Type one) and thirty-one healthy control subjects. Plasma arginase activities and Mn were found to be significantly lower and total nitrite level higher in patients with BPAD compared with controls. Our results suggest that the arginine-NO pathway is involved in the pathogenesis of BPAD.