Simple and inexpensive microwave setup for industrial based applications: Quantification of flower honey adulteration as a case study.

A simple and inexpensive microwave measurement setup based on measurements of magnitudes of transmission properties ( | S 21 | dB ) is proposed for industrial-based microwave aquametry (moisture or water content) applications. An easy-to-apply calibration procedure based on normalization is implemented to eliminate systematic errors in the measurement system. As a case study, we applied this setup for the quantification of water-adulteration in flower honey. After validating this system by distilled water and pure flower honey measurements, | S 21 | dB measurements of the pure flower honey with various adulteration percentages ( δ ) up to 9% are conducted to examine the performance of the measurement setup for quantification of water adulteration. A multi-dimensional fitting procedure is implemented to predict δ using the proposed inexpensive microwave measurement setup. It is shown that it is possible to quantify an adulteration level with an accuracy better than ∓ 1 % by the proposed measurement setup and the applied multi-dimensional fitting procedure.

"You Are in the Middle of a Road, a Road With No End": Experiences of Women Who Underwent Medical Termination of Their Pregnancies: A Phenomenological Study.

This article focused on the experiences of women who underwent medical termination of their pregnancies. The study adopted a qualitative phenomenological research design with a sample of 20 pregnant women. Data were collected between April and June 2022 using a personal information form and a semistructured individual interview. The qualitative data were analyzed into 4 categories: "psychosocial impacts," "impacts on functionality," "coping," and "expectations." These categories comprised 8 themes and 24 subthemes. Nurses play a crucial role in adopting family-centered approaches to offer holistic care. They should prioritize providing physical care throughout the medical termination, while also assessing the psychological impact of fetal loss. Perinatal palliative care and bereavement counseling should be integrated into care practices.

A Qualitative Analysis on the Experiences of Mothers of Children in Burn Intensive Care Unit: "She burned on the outside, me inside..."

Mothers closely follow the complex process due to the burning of their children. Caring for and supporting the child can pose various challenges for mothers. With the phenomenological method, this study was conducted to investigate mothers' experiences staying with their children in the pediatric burn intensive care unit. Twelve mothers participated in the study. The semistructured face-to-face interviews obtained data. After each interview, the research team transcribed the interviews verbatim. Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis was used to analyze the data. The experiences of the mothers were classified in four contexts as a result of the interpretative phenomenological analysis; "first reactions to burn trauma" related to the awareness that the child has been burned, "being a mother in the burn intensive care unit" related to caring for the child as a companion in the burn intensive care unit, "coping" related to how they cope with the problems throughout the whole process, and "requirements" regarding the subjects it needs in the process. It was determined that mothers went through a physically and emotionally challenging process from the beginning of the burn trauma and throughout the intensive care unit. During this challenging process, it was observed that mothers could not use effective coping methods and did not receive the necessary professional support. In line with these results, it is recommended that psychological support programs be applied to the mothers and that care focused on the needs of the mothers should be provided.

Determination of long-term volume change in lakes by integration of UAV and satellite data: the case of Lake Burdur in Türkiye.

Monitoring the water levels and volume changes of lakes and reservoirs enables us to understand the importance of better protection and managing water resources in an ecologically optimum manner. Although some lakes, such as Burdur Lake, are not a source of drinking water, they are home to many endangered animals, endemic plants, and some species. Therefore, monitoring the changes in these lakes over time is important for various reasons. While water level measurement stations in lakes and wetlands provide important information, it may not always be possible to obtain this data. In this study, we investigated the long-term changes in Burdur Lake, a Ramsar site, by integrating the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) obtained by the unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) with shoreline information obtained from the Landsat mission. This study aimed to investigate the usability, advantages, and disadvantages of the UAV-Landsat integration for volume calculation. As a result, we successfully determined the water level as r= 0.999 and the cumulative volume loss at a rate of 97.5%. Burdur Lake experienced a significant reduction in its area decreasing from 206 to 120 km2 (42%) between 1984 and 2022. Furthermore, the water volume of the lake decreased by 2.70 km3 over a span of 38 years. This study demonstrates the potential and limitations of the presented UAV-remote sensing integration. Our proposed method is beneficial for determining short and long-term water levels and volumetric changes with high accuracy.

Characteristics and seasonal variation of microplastics in the wastewater treatment plant: The case of Bursa deep sea discharge.

Microplastics (MPs) are an emerging pollutant that can be detected in all ecosystems, especially aquatic ecosystems. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are important point sources of MP release into the sea. In this study, the characteristics of MPs in wastewater and sludge samples taken from different units of WWTP in Bursa-Gemlik district for 12 months were investigated. Wastewater and sludge samples collected from 7 different points were classified as size, shape, color, and counted. The amount of MP in the influent and effluent of the WWTP, respectively; 107.1 ± 40.2 MP/L and 4.1 ± 1.1 MP/L. Although the MP removal efficiency of the WWTP is 96.17 %, approximately 74,825,000 MP is discharged into the Marmara Sea every day. The amount of MP in the sludge is 14.3 ± 7.1 MP/g. The amount of MP accumulated in 22tons of waste sludge formed daily in WWTP was calculated as 314,600,000 MP, and the annual accumulated amount was calculated as approximately 1.15 × 1011 MP. The MPs in the WWTP were mainly 1-0.5 mm in size. Fibers were the dominant MP shape in both the wastewater and sludge samples. Black and transparent were the dominant MP colors. Seven different polymer types of MPs were detected, which were mainly types of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. Despite the high removal efficiency in the investigated WWTP, it has been shown that it acts as an important source of MPs to the sea ecosystem due to the high discharge rates.

A comparative study on daily evapotranspiration estimation by using various artificial intelligence techniques and traditional regression calculations.

Evapotranspiration is an important parameter to be considered in hydrology. In the design of water structures, accurate estimation of the amount of evapotranspiration allows for safer designs. Thus, maximum efficiency can be obtained from the structure. In order to accurately estimate evapotranspiration, the parameters affecting evapotranspiration should be well known. There are many factors that affect evapotranspiration. Some of these can be listed as temperature, humidity in the atmosphere, wind speed, pressure and water depth. In this study, models were created for the estimation of the daily evapotranspiration amount by using the simple membership functions and fuzzy rules generation technique (fuzzy-SMRGT), multivariate regression (MR), artificial neural networks (ANNs), adaptive neuro-fuzzy inference system (ANFIS) and support vector regression (SMOReg) methods. Model results were compared with each other and traditional regression calculations. The ET amount was calculated empirically using the Penman-Monteith (PM) method which was taken as a reference equation. In the created models, daily air temperature (T), wind speed (WS), solar radiation (SR), relative humidity (H) and evapotranspiration (ET) data were obtained from the station near Lake Lewisville (Texas, USA). The coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE) and average percentage error (APE) were used to compare the model results. According to the performance criteria, the best model was obtained by Q-MR (quadratic-MR), ANFIS and ANN methods. The R2, RMSE, APE values of the best models were 0,991, 0,213, 18,881% for Q-MR; 0,996; 0,103; 4,340% for ANFIS and 0,998; 0,075; 3,361% for ANN, respectively. The Q-MR, ANFIS and ANN models had slightly better performance than the MLR, P-MR and SMOReg models.

The Effect of Holistic Nursing Competence on Work Engagement, Self-Reflection and Insight in Nurses.

This study aimed to examine the effects of holistic nursing competence on work engagement, self-reflection and insight in nurses. This descriptive and cross-sectional study was conducted with 309 nurses working in Turkey. Data were collected using the "Descriptive Information Form", "Holistic Nursing Competence Scale (HNCS)", "Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES)", and "Self-Reflection and Insight Scale (SRIS)". Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were used to analyze the data. We found that the HNCS had a moderate positive relationship (r = 0.411, p < 0.05) with the UWES, and a weak positive relationship (r = 0.324, p < 0.05) with the SRIS. In the model established by multiple regression analysis, the effect of the HNCS, age, marital status, position, and performing the profession willingly on work engagement explained 33.7% of the variance. In another established model, the effect of the HNCS, gender, and having children on self-reflection and insight explained 11.5% of the variance. Our findings revealed the effect of holistic competence on nurses' positive attitudes about their work engagement and self-reflection in practice. We recommended developing awareness-based programs for nurses to increase their holistic nursing competence.

Nursing Students' Attitudes Toward Seeking Psychological Help Associated to Self-Stigma and Perceived Social Stigma.

Introduction: Nursing students often experience stress due to their educational demands and developmental stage. This study focuses on nursing students to investigate the relationship between their attitudes toward seeking psychological help and their levels of perceived self-stigma and social stigma. Methods: This was a descriptive correlational study, in which 791 nursing students participated through convenience sampling between April and May 2022. Data were collected using the Attitude Towards Seeking Psychological Help Scale-R (ASPH-R), the Stigma Scale for Receiving Psychological Help (SSRPH), and the Self-Stigma of Seeking Help (SSOSH). The data were analyzed using Pearson correlation and multiple linear regression analysis. The article adheres to the STROBE checklist in its organization and presentation. Results: Positive attitudes towards seeking psychological help were negatively correlated with self-stigma (r=-0.39, P<0.01) and social stigma perceptions (r=-0.17, P<0.01), while negative attitudes were positively correlated with self-stigma (r=0.50, P<0.01) and social stigma (r=0.47, P<0.01). Variables of sex, age, self-stigma, and social stigma significantly contributed to explaining attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Conclusion: Social stigma and particularly self-stigma significantly influence nursing students' attitudes towards seeking psychological help. Therefore, it is recommended that authorities develop psychoeducational interventions aimed at enhancing nursing students' mental health awareness and reducing self-stigma.

The mediating role of intercultural communication apprehension in the relationship between ethnocentrism and attitude towards asylum-seekers of nursing students.

BACKGROUND: In order to provide culturally appropriate care, nursing students' intercultural communication anxiety, ethnocentrism and attitudes towards refugees should be examined. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to examine the relationship among ethnocentrism and attitudes towards refugees in nursing students and to determine whether intercultural communication apprehension could mediate the relationship between ethnocentrism and attitude towards asylum-seekers. DESIGN: A cross-sectional, descriptive design. PARTICIPANTS: 226 nursing students in Turkey. METHODS: Data were collected using ethnocentrism, intercultural communication apprehension, and attitudes towards asylum-seekers scales and analyzed with Pearson's correlation coefficient and Baron and Kenny's three-regression analysis and Sobel test. RESULTS: Ethnocentrism was positively associated with both intercultural communication apprehension and attitudes towards asylum-seekers scale. Intercultural communication apprehension was positively associated with attitudes towards asylum-seekers scale. Intercultural communication apprehension mediated the relationship between ethnocentrism and attitudes towards asylum-seekers (Z = 4.0497, p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In line with these results, intercultural communication apprehension was a crucial mediator between ethnocentrism and attitudes towards asylum-seekers. Interventions to improve intercultural communication apprehension of nursing students should include nursing students' ethnocentrism and attitude towards refugees.

The relationships among perceived stress, conflict resolution styles, spousal support and marital satisfaction during the COVID-19 quarantine.

This study investigated the relationships among perceived stress, conflict resolution styles, spousal support and marital satisfaction of heterosexual married couples during the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) quarantine. This was a descriptive study that employed a correlational survey model. The sample consisted of 511 Turkish married couples recruited using snowball sampling. Data were collected online using a demographic characteristic questionnaire, the Perceived Stress Scale, the Conflict Resolution Styles Scale, the Spousal Support Scale, and the Marital Life Scale. The mean age of participants was 37.00 (SD = 7.88) years. The mean duration of marriage of participants was 11.15 (SD = 8.97) years. Higher marital satisfaction was associated with lower perceived stress, lower negative conflict resolution style, higher spousal support, and higher positive resolution styles. The Conflict Resolution Styles Scale and Spousal Support Scale scores explained 48.3% of the total variance of the Marital Life Scale, indicating that higher positive conflict resolution styles and higher spousal support were significantly associated with higher marital satisfaction. The COVID-19 quarantine has resulted in changes in marital life and family dynamics. Stress, negative conflict resolution style, and a lack of spousal support during the COVID-19 quarantine contribute to marital dissatisfaction.

L-(+)-Tryptophan methyl ester derived polymeric microbeads as an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for green synthesis of 2-amino-4-(nitromethyl)-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles.

The cross-linked microbeads with average diameter of 106-300 µm, [poly(EGDMA-MATrp)], were obtained by copolymerization reaction of N-methacryloyl-L-(+)-tryptophan methyl ester (MATrp) with ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (EGDMA) and successfully applied as a heterogeneous catalyst in conjugate addition reaction of nitromethane to substituted 2-iminochromenes in aqueous media. A variety of 2-amino-4-(nitromethyl)-4H-chromene-3-carbonitriles has been synthesized in good yields. Polymeric microbeads were very durable and reused 5 times without a significant loss of activity. DFT calculations and experimental results revealed the significant role of π-π interactions as well as hydrogen bonding in the reaction mechanism.

Holistic nursing clinical practice experiences of nursing students in medical-surgical clinics: A qualitative study.

PURPOSE: This study was conducted to examine the experiences of nursing students in holistic nursing clinical practice. DESIGN: Twenty senior nursing students participated in this study. Data were collected through focus group interviews with a qualitative approach followed by thematic data analysis. FINDINGS: Four themes were obtained holistic care, barriers to holistic care, the contributions of holistic nursing internship, and students' expectations. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The participants stated that they believe that physical care is sufficient enough in the care they provide to patients and their families in clinical practice and that they only provide physical care. However, they stated that they became aware of the importance of holistic care with this practice and gained better insights into their professional requirements.

Nursing Professional Pride Scale: Turkish adaptation and psychometric properties.

PURPOSE: This study established the Turkish validity and reliability of the Nursing Professional Pride Scale (NPPS). DESIGN AND METHODS: The study was a descriptive and cross-sectional conducted in Turkey. The sample consisted of 301 nurses with at least one year of work experience. Data were collected online between August and September 2020 and analyzed using the SPSS 25.0 and LISREL 8.80. Confirmatory factor analysis, linguistic and content validity, and reliability analyses were performed. FINDINGS: The Turkish version of the Nursing Professional Pride Scale (NPPS-TR) had a content validity index of 0.95 and Cronbach's alpha of 0.89 and a five-factor structure with acceptable psychometric properties (χ 2 /df = 2.85, RMSEA = 0.079, CFI = 0.92, SRMR = 0.08). PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: The NPPS-TR is a valid and reliable measure of professional pride in Turkish nurses.

The effect of psychodrama group practices on nursing students' self-liking, self-competence, and self-acceptance: A quasi-experimental study.

PURPOSE: This study aims to investigate the effects of psychodrama group practices on nursing students' levels of self-liking, self-competence, and self-acceptance. DESIGN AND METHOD: This study was a non-randomized quasi-experimental study with a control group including pre-test, post-test, and follow-up test procedures. The study was carried out with 29 participants, including 15 experimental and 14 control group participants. The study data were collected using the sociodemographic characteristics questionnaire, the Self-Liking/Self-Competence Scale, and the Unconditional Self-Acceptance Scale. FINDING: It was found that the self-liking sub-dimension, self-liking/self-competence, and unconditional self-acceptance total scores in the experimental group were significantly higher than the control group in the post-test measurements. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Psychodrama group practices have significant positive effects on students' self-liking, self-competence, and self-acceptance among nursing students.

Experiences of children (ages 6-12) during COVID-19 pandemic from mothers' perspectives.

PURPOSE: This study evaluated the experiences of children between ages 6 and 12 based on their mothers' perspectives during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: Ten mothers living in Ankara, Turkey with children in the aforementioned age range, participated in this study. Data were collected through focus group interview with a qualitative phenomenological approach followed by thematic data analysis. FINDINGS: Three categories were obtained relating to the pandemic, including negative effects, positive effects, and the resultant needs and expectations of parents. CONCLUSION: The findings show that the pandemic has significantly affected children in psychological, social, developmental, and academic realms. Therefore, it is necessary to plan interventions with a multidisciplinary approach to increase children's physical and psychosocial health, minimizing children's level of negative influences.

Screening of simple carbohydrates as a renewable organocatalyst for the efficient construction of 1,3-benzoxazine scaffold.

A convenient protocol for the two component preparation of 1,3-benzoxazines by using several protected and unprotected carbohydrate molecules as organocatalysts have been developed which is broadly applicable to condensation reaction between variety of Mannich bases and paraformaldehyde. This study revealed that fructose have much higher catalytic activity than the other carbohydrates and can be an alternative to metal-containing catalysts as a green renewable organocatalyst for efficient and rapid construction of 1,3-benzoxazine skeleton. In this context, 21 benzoxazine compounds were successfully synthesized and spectral characterizations of these compounds were carried out by spectroscopic methods and elemental analysis. Furthermore, density functional theory (DFT) calculations have been performed to study the detailed mechanism of organocatalyst assisted synthesis of the benzoxazine monomers. The results obtained from these calculations showed that the more realistic reaction pathway involves formation of a phenolate based intermediate which loses a water molecule to form benzenaminium ion. Subsequently, this ion provides the formation of the corresponding benzoxazines with good yields through the intramolecular ring closure step.

The effect of ethnocentrism and moral sensitivity on intercultural sensitivity in nursing students, descriptive cross-sectional research study.

BACKGROUND: Factors affecting intercultural sensitivity and care are becoming an increasingly important issue due to ethnic diversity. Nurses play a crucial role in care and therefore should keep up with this trend and improve their intercultural sensitivity. OBJECTIVE AND DESIGN: This descriptive cross-sectional study investigated the effects of ethnocentrism and moral sensitivity on intercultural sensitivity in nursing students. METHODS AND PARTICIPANTS: Data were collected using a demographic characteristics questionnaire and the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale, Generalized Ethnocentrism Scale, and Moral Sensitivity Scale. The sample consisted of 1343 nursing students. The Pearson correlation coefficient was used to determine correlations between scale scores. Multiple linear regression was used to determine the effects of ethnocentrism, moral sensitivity, and demographic characteristics on intercultural sensitivity. RESULTS: Intercultural sensitivity was found to be negatively correlated with ethnocentrism and positively correlated with moral sensitivity. Ethnocentrism predicted intercultural sensitivity more than moral sensitivity. Ethnocentrism and moral sensitivity explained 16.8% of the total variance of intercultural sensitivity. However, ethnocentrism affected intercultural sensitivity more than moral sensitivity did (beta = -0.406). CONCLUSION: Nursing education should adopt strategies to reduce ethnocentrism by helping students develop cultural competence and intercultural sensitivity. Such education can equip nurses to provide higher quality care to patients of different cultural backgrounds.

Quantum Chemical Studies of the Substituent Effect on the Reaction of Carbonyl Oxime with Amine.

The reaction of the two different substitue carbonyl oximes (isonitrosoacetylnaphthaline, inanH and nitro-isonitrosoacetophenone, ninapH) with two different amines (1-phenylethanol amine, pea, and ethanol amine, ea) was carried out and characterized by elemental analyses, IR, and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopic methods. As a result of these experimental studies, two different levels for all reactions were determined: (I) formation of imine oxime and (II) rearrangement of imine oxime or formation of amido alcohol. After a mechanism was suggested for all of these reactions, the reaction mechanism of carbonyl oxime with amine was first studied by means of the B3LYP/6-311G(d,p) method. Because of the deficiency of density functional theory (DFT) on dispersion effects, the wB97X-D/6-311G(d,p) method, which includes dispersion correction, was used to obtain the reaction heat and free energy barriers to explain why the formation (imine oxime) and unexpected rearrangement products (amido alcohol) occurred or did not occur. The statistical thermodynamic method was used to obtain the changes in thermodynamic properties of the studied molecules between 100 and 500 K. From a kinetic viewpoint, the slowest step of the reactions is the IN1-TS2-IN2 step, which determines the steps of the reaction kinetics. In addition, spectroscopic properties such as vibrational and NMR chemical shifts were studied for all of the molecules. The frontier molecular orbitals (FMOs), highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMOs), and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMOs) were monitored for all of the molecules.

Synthesis, Spectroscopic, Structural and Quantum Chemical Studies of a New Imine Oxime and Its Palladium(II) Complex: Hydrolysis Mechanism.

In this work, we report synthesis, crystallographic, spectroscopic and quantum chemical studies of a new imine oxime, namely (4-nitro-phenyl)-(1-phenyl-ethylimino)-acetaldehyde oxime (nppeieoH). Spectroscopic and X-ray diffraction studies showed that nppeieoH is hydrolyzed in aqueous solution, forming nitroisonitrosoacetophenone (ninap) and the hydrolysis product binds to Pd(II) to yield [Pd(nppeieo)(ninap)]. The mechanism of the hydrolysis reaction has been theoretically investigated in detail, using density functional theory (DFT) with the B3LYP method. The vibrational and the electronic spectra of nppeieoH and its Pd(II) complex, the HOMO and LUMO analysis, Mulliken atomic charges and molecular electrostatic potential were also performed. The predicted nonlinear optical properties of both compounds are higher than those of urea.

Cationic Pd(II)/Pt(II) 5,5-diethylbarbiturate complexes with bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and terpyridine: Synthesis, structures,DNA/BSA interactions, intracellular distribution, cytotoxic activity and induction of apoptosis.

Four new cationic Pd(II) and Pt(II) 5,5-diethylbarbiturate (barb) complexes, [M(barb)(bpma)]X·H2O [M = Pd(II), X = Cl (1); M = Pt(II), X = NO3(-) (2)] and [M(barb)(terpy)]NO3·0.5H2O [M = Pd(II) (3); M = Pt(II) (4)], where bpma = bis(2-pyridylmethyl)amine and terpy = terpyridine, were synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, IR, UV­vis, NMR, ESI-MS and X-ray crystallography. The DNA binding properties of the cationic complexes were investigated by spectroscopic titrations, displacement experiments, viscosity, DNA melting and electrophoresis measurements. The results revealed that the complexes effectively bind to FS-DNA (fish sperm DNA) via intercalative/minor groove binding modes with intrinsic binding constants (Kb) in the range of 0.50 × 10(4)­1.67 × 10(5) M(-1). Absorption, emission and synchronous fluorescence measurements showed strong association of the complexes with protein (BSA) through a static mechanism. The mode of interaction of complexes towards DNA and protein was also supported by molecular docking. Complexes 1 and 3 showed significant nuclear uptake in HT-29 cells. In addition, 1 and 3 showed higher inhibition than cisplatin on the growth of MCF-7 and HT-29 cells and induced apoptosis on these cells much more effectively than the rest of the complexes as evidenced by pyknotic nuclear morphology. The levels of caspase-cleaved cytokeratin 18 (M30 antigen) in HT-29 cells treated with 1 and 3 increased in a dose-dependent manner, suggesting apoptosis. Moreover, qRT-PCR experiments showed that 1 and 3 caused significant increases in the expression of TNFRSF10B in HT-29 cells, indicating the initiation of apoptosis via cell surface death receptors.