Is belief priming associated with prosocial intentions? Experimental evidence from Turkey

In light of prior research emphasizing the complexity of the link between religiosity and prosocial tendencies, it has remained unknown which specific aspects of faith might motivate individuals to increase concerns about the welfare of others. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the influence of various dimensions of faith (positive, neutral, and negative) on prosocial intentions, considering preexisting levels of religiosity. Initially, participants (N = 217) were asked to provide demographic information and indicate their levels of religiosity through an online data collection platform. Subsequently, participants were randomly assigned to experimental groups in which involving made-up passages describing research findings that emphasized positive (N = 77), negative (N = 78), or neutral (N = 62) outcomes of faith. Finally, participants responded to four scenarios assessing their prosocial intentions. The findings showed that highlighting positive outcomes of faith increases prosocial intentions, particularly among individuals with higher levels of preexisting religiosity. However, neutral or negative aspects of faith showed no significant impact on prosocial intentions, regardless of religiosity levels. These findings contribute to ongoing debates by showing the significance of accounting for individual and contextual variances in religious prosociality and expand previous research by providing evidence from a non-Western cultural context, Turkey, with a predominantly Muslim population

The effect of oral water and ice popsicle exposure on the management of thirst in the immediate postoperative period

Purpose: Thirst is a high-incidence condition that causes patients to experience problems in the early postoperative period in the postanesthesia care unit (PACU). The study was conducted to determine the effect of oral water and ice application in managing early postoperative thirst. Design: Randomized controlled trial. Methods: The study was conducted between January and April 2017 with 150 patients who were transferred from the operating room of a university hospital to the PACU and met the research criteria. The patients were divided into treatment (water group = 50, ice group = 50) and control (n = 50) groups. Patients in the intervention group received oral water/ice application after admission to the PACU after surgery. Patients in the control group received routine treatment and care. Findings: In intragroup comparisons before and after the application, there was a statistically significant decrease in thirst, dry mouth, dry throat, and difficulty in swallowing in the water and ice groups (P .05). Conclusions: Postoperative oral water/ice application was an effective and safe nursing intervention to reduce thirst, dry mouth, dry throat, and difficulty in swallowing. Ice application was more effective

Association of environmental and behavioural factors with cardiovascular disease mortality

Aims: Recognizing the rising concern of environmental impacts on health, the study aims to explore how specific environmental factors such as air pollution, humidity, and temperature variations contribute to the prevalence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality, emphasizing the role of air quality, climate variables, and lifestyle factors in the disease mortality specifically. Methods and results: Analysis of province-level data on CVD mortality in Turkey from 2010 to 2019, assessing the correlations with environmental and lifestyle factors like particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, meteorological variables, and smoking and alcohol consumption. The study employs the SAS TRAJ procedure and Ordinal Logistic Regression for statistical analysis. The multiplicity correction was done through Benjamini–Hoechberg false discovery rate (FDR) approach. As expected, both smoking and alcohol consumption were found to be significantly associated with CVD mortality (odds ratio (OR): 1.10, 95% CI: 1.08, 1.11, P-value < 0.0001). While median Air Pressure and Humidity were among the most significant markers with OR of 1.10 indicating an increasing CVD mortality, their variability metrics such as coefficient of variation (CV) showed significant protective effects with OR of 0.37 and 0.89, respectively. Temperature and its variability seemed to be protective overall. Conclusions: Our research highlights the significant influence of environmental factors on cardiovascular health, especially air pressure and humidity, beyond the known factors such as smoking and alcohol consumption. These findings suggest the need for comprehensive public health strategies that address both environmental and lifestyle risk factors to effectively reduce the burden of cardiovascular diseases.TUBITAK Directorate of Science Fellowships ; Grant Programmes (BIDEB)-2232 International Fellowship for Outstanding Researcher

The associations between EFL learners’ L2 class belongingness, emotion regulation strategies, and perceived L2 proficiency in an online learning context

Although the sense of belongingness plays a major influence in fostering intrinsic motivation and psychological well-being, scant research attention has been given to English as a foreign language (EFL) learners’ belongingness in relation to peers and teachers and its outcomes in L2 learning contexts. Additionally, despite the importance of emotion regulation in L2 education, little is known about its role in mediating the impact of L2 belongingness on self-assessment of L2 proficiency in online L2 learning environments. Therefore, the present study used survey data to examine the associations between learners’ sense of class belongingness, their preferred emotional regulation strategies (reappraisal vs. suppression) and self-perceived English proficiency, in a sample of 191 Turkish EFL university students. Path analysis results indicated significant direct paths between social belongingness with peers and academic belongingness with teachers, respectively, and the emotional regulation strategy of reappraisal. Further analysis indicated a significant indirect association between social belongingness with peers and perceived L2 proficiency through the measure of reappraisal emotional regulation. There was also a significant indirect relationship via reappraisal between academic belongingness with teachers and perceived L2 proficiency. The results are discussed in connection with self-determination theory and social identity theory, and implications are drawn for teaching

Multiple online-HPLC methodologies and biological properties of leaves and stem barks extracts of Chrysanthellum indicum

Chrysanthellum indicum, an annual herb with yellow flowers, is used as a functional food in Asia and Africa for health purposes. In this study, we thoroughly investigated the characterization of phytochemicals within C. indicum's ethyl acetate, water, and methanolic extracts from both its bark and leaves. This was achieved through the utilization of the Folin Ciocalteu and aluminum trichloride assays. Moreover, the antioxidant properties of these extracts were comprehensively assessed employing microplate-based assays including ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, FRAP, MCA, and PBD, alongside online HPLC-based assays namely ABTS, DPPH, CUPRAC, and FRAP. Furthermore, the inhibitory activity against a range of enzymes, including AChE, BChE, tyrosinase, α-amylase, and α-glucosidase, was ascertained. The tested ethyl acetate extracts from bark and leaves had higher content of total phenolic and flavonoid compared to methanol and water extracts. Additionally, the bark extract exhibited superior antioxidant properties in the in vitro antioxidant assays. Meanwhile, in the realm of online HPLC antioxidant analysis, an effective method has been discovered for swiftly determining the individual antioxidant capacity of compounds within both standard solutions and extract. Within the entirety of the samples subjected to scrutiny, rutin surfaced as the foremost antioxidant, exhibiting its prominence at wavelengths of 280 nm, 595 nm, and 450 nm. Following suit, quercetin emerged as the second most abundant antioxidant, noticeable at wavelengths of 517 nm and 734 nm, both in leaves and bark extracts. Significantly, the extracts derived from both bark and leaves demonstrated noteworthy effectiveness in inhibiting the tyrosinase enzyme. Thus, our study indicates that Chrysanthellum indicum could serve as a promising reservoir of natural bioactive compounds, making it suitable for the formulation of health-promoting applications

Characterization and comparison of insulinoma tumor model and pancreatic damage caused by the tumor, and identification of possible markers

Abstract: Insulinoma is a neuroendocrine tumor. It arises from the uncontrolled proliferation of pancreatic β cells. In this study, we created an insulinoma tumor model in nude mice. INS-1 cells were injected in two different ways, subcutaneously (S.C.) or intraperitoneally (I.P.). Body weight, tumor weight, and size were measured. ELISA kits were used analyze to Glucose, insulin, and CA19-9 levels in serum, pancreas, and tumor tissues. KCNN4, KCNK1, GLUT2, IR, HSP70, HSF1, and HSP90 levels were analyzed by western blotting of membrane and/or cytosolic fractions of tumor and pancreas tissue. Tumor formation occurred in nude mice, but it did not occur in Wistar albino rats. The tumor has neuroendocrine cell morphology. Insulin and CA19-9 levels increased in pancreas tissue. In tumor tissue, KCNN4 levels were higher in both membrane and cytosolic fractions, while KCNK1 levels were lower in the membrane fraction of the S.C. group. HSP70 levels were also lower in the S.C. group. In pancreas tissue, KCNK1 levels were lower in the membrane fraction of the S.C. and I.P. groups. GLUT2 levels increased in both groups according to the control group, while IR levels decreased in the S.C. group compared to the control group. However, HSF1 levels increased in the I.P. group, while HSP90 decreased in the S.C. group in pancreatic tissues. The S.C. group is a more suitable insulinoma tumor model. KCNN4, KCNK1, and HSP70 proteins may be important biomarkers in the diagnosis and treatment of insulinoma.Istanbul Universit

Effect of nonnutritive sucking on oral feeding in neonates with perinatal asphyxia: A randomized controlled trial

AIMS: The effect of nonnutritive sucking (NNS) stimulation is unclear in infants with perinatal asphyxia. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the effect of NNS stimulation on oral intake, discharge time, and early feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study was conducted. METHOD: Of the 94 infants, 47 were included in the experimental group and given NNS stimulation once a day before tube feeding by a speech-language therapist (SLT) in addition to hypothermia treatment. Infants' feeding performances on the days of first oral intake and discharge were evaluated with the Early Feeding Skills Scale (EFS). RESULTS: The time from tube feeding to oral intake was significantly lower in the experimental group compared to the control group (p .05). CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicated that the NNS stimulation positively affected oral intake and early feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia, as in preterms. However, NNS stimulation had no significant effect on discharge and weight gain in infants with asphyxia. This finding may be attributed to other factors. It is recommended to use NNS by an SLT in a neonatal intensive care unit within a multidisciplinary team to accelerate the transition to oral feeding and improve feeding skills in infants with perinatal asphyxia. Further studies on the effect of NNS stimulation in infants with perinatal asphyxia are needed to corroborate its effects on discharge time and weight gain

Turkish translation and cross-cultural validity of whoqol-hiv bref tool

Background: The assessment of health-related quality of life among people living with HIV (PLWH) has gained increasing importance as it assesses their overall well-being, guides treatment decisions, and addresses psychosocial challenges, improving their quality of life. This study focuses on adapting and validating the Turkish version of the WHOQOL-HIV Bref, a tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) to measure health-related quality of life in PLWH. This adaptation is based on the generic WHOQOL-Bref Turkish and WHOQOL-HIV Bref inventory. Methods: In line with WHO guidelines, the tool was translated and tested on 189 PLWH from İstanbul Şişli Hamidiye Etfal Training and Research Hospital's HIV outpatient clinic. A variety of statistical methods were employed to assess content, construct, concurrent, and known-group validity, as well as internal consistency and reliability. Results: Participants' median age was 35 years (IQR: 14), with 178(94%) being male. The Turkish WHOQOL-HIV Bref showed overall satisfactory psychometric properties. Despite limitations in the spirituality domain, it demonstrated good internal consistency (alpha coefficient: 0.93) and strong validity across several metrics, including test-retest reliability (ICC: 0.79). Conclusion: The WHOQOL-HIV BREF in Turkish is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the quality of life in Turkish PLWH

Çocuk ihmal ve istismarının bildirilmesinde çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarının tutumlarının değerlendirilmesi: teorik bir perspektif

Introduction: Child abuse and neglect is a widespread and pressing issue, with serious and long-term adverse effects on children’s physical and psychological health. Pediatricians play a crucial role in detecting and addressing cases; however, studies have shown challenges in reporting cases encountered in clinical practice. This study aims to examine pediatricians’ attitudes towards reporting cases of child abuse and neglect encountered in their clinical practices, as well as the factors influencing these attitudes. Materials and Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among pediatricians in Istanbul. Data collected included sociodemographic characteristics, knowledge and formal training about child neglect and abuse, attitudes about dealing with it, experience, and reporting behavior. The data was collected through a self-administered online questionnaire. The study provides insights into the current awareness and response of Istanbul’s pediatricians towards child neglect and abuse. The data were analyzed using SPSS 22, employing descriptive and comparative statistics such as frequency, mean, standard deviation, and correlation tests. Ethical approval was obtained from the Istanbul Medipol University Ethics Committee. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and online consent was obtained from the participants. Results: The study involved 126 pediatricians. Results showed that pediatricians had generally positive attitudes toward reporting child neglect and abuse. Gender and marital status did not significantly influence attitudes, but pediatricians who were parents scored higher on reporting Responsibility. Additionally, it was shown that those with more professional experience had a higher reporting responsibility score. Structured training on child abuse and neglect has been shown to increase pediatricians’ reporting responsibility scores and exhibit less anxious attitudes. Conclusion: This study highlights pediatricians’ positive attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect and identifies influencing factors such as training, professional experience, and collaboration. It emphasizes the importance of addressing challenges like awareness of reporting procedures and concerns about negative consequences. Comprehensive training, clear reporting protocols, and multidisciplinary collaboration are essential for increasing reporting rates and improving the detection of child abuse and neglect. The study contributes to enhancing child protection systems in Turkey by providing insights into pediatricians’ attitudes toward reporting child abuse and neglect.Giriş: Çocuk istismar ve ihmali yaygın ve güncel bir sorundur. Çocukların fiziksel ve psikolojik sağlığı üzerinde ciddi ve uzun vadeli olumsuz sonuçları vardır. Çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanları olguların tespit edilmesi ve ele alınmasında çok önemli bir rol oynamaktadır, ancak klinik pratikte karşılaşılan olguların bildirimi ile ilgili sorunlar yaşandığı gösterilmiştir. Bu çalışma, çocuk doktorlarının klinik uygulamalarında karşılaştıkları çocuk istismar ve ihmal olgularını bildirmeye yönelik tutumlarını ve tutumlarını etkileyen faktörleri incelemeyi amaçlamaktadır. Gereç ve Yöntem: İstanbul’daki çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarıyla çevrimiçi kesitsel tanımlayıcı bir anket çalışması yapılmıştır. Toplanan veriler arasında sosyodemografik özellikler, çocuk ihmali ve istismarı hakkında bilgi ve eğitim düzeyi, bununla başa çıkma konusundaki tutumlar, deneyim süresi ve raporlama davranışı yer almaktadır. Veriler, çevrimiçi bir öz bildirim anketi aracılığıyla toplanmıştır. Çalışma, çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarının çocuk istismarı ve ihmali konusundaki mevcut farkındalıklarını ve yönetim uygulamalarını değerlendirmektedir. Veriler, SPSS 22 kullanılarak frekanslar, ortalamalar, standart sapmalar ve korelasyon testleri gibi tanımlayıcı ve karşılaştırmalı istatistikler kullanılarak analiz edilmiştir. Etik onay İstanbul Medipol Üniversitesi Etik Kurulu’ndan alınmıştır. Çalışma, Helsinki Bildirgesi’ne uygun olarak yürütüldü ve katılımcılardan çevrimiçi onam alınmıştır. Bulgular: Çalışmaya 126 çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanı çevrimiçi olarak katılmıştır. Sonuçlar, çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarının çocuk istismar ve ihmalini bildirmeye yönelik genel olarak olumlu tutumlara sahip olduğunu göstermiştir. Cinsiyet ve medeni durum tutumları önemli ölçüde etkilememiştir, ancak ebeveyn olan çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanları bildirim sorumluluğunda daha yüksek puan almıştır. Ayrıca, daha fazla mesleki deneyime sahip olanların raporlama sorumluluğu puanlarının daha yüksek olduğu görülmüştür. Çocuk istismar ve ihmali konusunda yapılandırılmış eğitim almış olmanın, çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarının bildirim sorumluluğu puanlarını artırdığı ve daha az endişeli tutumlar sergilediği gösterilmiştir. Sonuç: Bu çalışma, çocuk istismarı ve ihmali bildirme konusunda çocuk sağlığı ve hastalıkları uzmanlarının olumlu tutumlarını ve bunu etkileyen faktörleri vurguluyor. Eğitim, mesleki deneyim ve işbirliğinin önemine dikkat çekiyor. Bildirme prosedürlerinin farkındalığı ve endişelerin ele alınması gerektiğini belirtiyor. Kapsamlı eğitim, net bildirme protokolleri ve çok disiplinli işbirliği, bildirme oranlarını artırmak ve çocuk istismarı ve ihmali daha etkili bir şekilde tespit etmek için gereklidir. Bu çalışma, Türkiye’de çocuk koruma sistemlerini geliştirmeye yönelik bilgi sağlamaktadır

Evaluating the impact of aerobic and resistance green exercises on the fitness, aerobic and intrinsic capacity of older individuals

Objective: Our study determined the impact of 12-week aerobic exercise (AE) and aerobic + resistance exercises (AE + RE) within the green exercise concept, on senior fitness, aerobic capacity, and intrinsic capacity (IC). Methods: The study was a multicenter, randomized controlled study conducted at two senior living facilities with individuals aged 65 and above whose cardiorespiratory and musculoskeletal conditions are suitable for moderate exercise and who have normal cognition levels. Block randomization was applied to 96 participants in a ratio of 1:1:1 to be assigned to AE, AE + RE, and control (C) groups. Intervention groups received exercise sessions led by physiotherapists within the senior living facilitiy gardens, with a frequency of once a week for 50 min, for 12 weeks. Also, they were prescribed additional exercise sessions on two additional days of the week. At the commencement of the study and 12th week, shuttle walking test, senior fitness test (SFT), intrinsic capacity assessment (with Timed Up and Go test, Mini Mental State Examination, Geriatric Depression Scale-15, Mini Nutritional Assessment, handgrip strength test) was conducted of all participants. The primary outcome was the Z score of IC, secondary outcomes were VO2max and SFT subparameters. The study was registered in the Protocol Registry and Results System (Clinicaltrials.gov PRS) with the registration number NCT05958745. Results: 90 participants successfully completed the study, with 30 individuals in each of the AE, AE + RE, and C groups. By the end of the 12th week, the arm curl score was significantly higher in the AE + RE compared to the C (mean difference: 3.96, 95 % CI= 2.47 to 5.46, p = 0.01). There were significant differences in chair stand, two-minute step, 8-foot up-and-go, chair sit and reach, and back scratch tests in both AE and AE + RE compared to C. AE and AE + RE exhibited significantly higher shuttle test distances and VO2max values compared to the C (p < 0.0001). AE + RE achieved a significantly higher total IC score than the C (mean difference: 0.59, %95 CI= -0.07 to 1.26, p = 0.025). Conclusion: In this study within the green exercise concept, both AE and AE + RE led to similar improvements in strength, flexibility, mobility, endurance, and aerobic capacity. Notably, AE + RE demonstrated an additional benefit by increasing the total IC, while AE alone did not exhibit the same effect.Ministry of Family and Social Service