Measuring AI-giarism: A validation study and dimensional exploration of the scale in Turkish

The study's scope includes adapting the AI-Giarism scale, developed by Chan (2024), into Turkish and conducting analyses to assess its validity and reliability. The study examined the attitudes of 426 university students towards AI-assisted academic misconduct and revealed a three-factor structure: 'Plagiaristic AI use', 'AI-augmented writing' and 'no AI reliance'. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) showed that the scale had a three-factor structure and explained 59.7% of the total variance. Confirmatory analyses showed that this three-factor structure fit the data well, with the scale items loading significantly onto the relevant factors. The model fit indices were adequate. Reliability analyses showed that Cronbach's alpha values ranged between .63 and .91, with discrimination between factors achieved. Additionally, no significant difference in AI-giarism level was obtained according to gender. This instrument provides a valid and reliable means of measuring university students' attitudes towards the ethical use of AI in academia. The scale is a valid and reliable assessment tool, particularly for distinguishing students' attitudes towards the unethical, ethical and limited use of AI.</p

Non-targeted metabolomic profiling of Cistus species and association with anticholinesterase efficacy for Alzheimer's disease: In vitro and in silico evaluation

Ethnopharmacological relevance: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is characterized by decreased glucose utilization, and insulin therapy has been associated with improved memory. Therefore, AD is suggested to be classified as "Type 3 diabetes". Cistus L. species are traditionally used to treat diabetes, which is highly associated with AD, and the potential of this genus for treating AD has not been sufficiently investigated. Aim: This study focused on the untargeted metabolomic profiling of methanolic extracts from five Cistus species to investigate the correlation between the metabolites and bioactivity. Materials and methods: Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and liquid chromatography quadrupole time-offlight mass spectrometry were employed for metabolomics analysis. The inhibitory activity of the extracts on acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), as well as their antioxidant capacity, were assessed. Additionally, molecular modeling techniques were utilized to corroborate the correlation between the metabolites and their cholinesterase inhibitory potency. Results: The plant extracts demonstrated inhibitory effects on BChE with IC50 values ranging from 1.80 to 9.83 mu g/mL, which were notably lower than those observed for AChE. Correlation analysis revealed that chlorogenic acid demonstrated strong correlations with AChE inhibitory activity, while sinapyl alcohol was closely associated with BChE inhibitory activity. Additionally, molecular modeling studies supported the inhibitory potential of these metabolites. Conclusion: This study highlights the substantial cholinesterase inhibitory capabilities of Cistus species, with C. creticus demonstrating particularly strong activity against both AChE and BChE. The results indicate that extracts from these species could be valuable natural sources of active metabolites with potent cholinesterase inhibitory effects, presenting promising new options for AD therapy

Synthesis, crystallography, biological activity, and molecular modeling studies of some 3-Aryl-2-(4-(substitutedphenyl)thiazol-2-yl) acrylonitrile derivatives

In this study, a series of 3-aryl-2-(4-(substitutedphenyl)thiazol-2-yl)acrylonitrile derivatives, was synthesized and their structures were elucidated using 1H/13CNMR , IR, HRMS and quantum crystallography methods. Ab initio quantum mechanics (QM) was applied to predict their molecular geometry and frontier molecular orbital parameters (FMO) in aqueous medium. Molecular descriptors were calculated to predict their druglikeness. Antimicrobial activities of the synthesized compounds were investigated against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H37Rv strain, various Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, and three Candida spp. were evaluated in vitro using isoniazid, ethambutol, ciprofloxacin, and fluconazole (Diflucan) as reference drugs. Among the tested compounds, 2-(4-(2,4-dichlorophenyl)thiazol-2-yl)-3-(4-(trifluoromethyl)phenyl)acrylonitrile (10) was found to be a promising antifungal agent with a minimum inhibitory concertation (MIC) value of 32 mu g/mL against C. parapsilosis. Molecular docking was performed to explain the molecular mechanism of its activity. Based on these findings, the title compounds serve a promising starting point for further structure-activity relationships and medicinal chemistry studies

Comprehensive <i>in vitro</i> and <i>in vivo</i> assessment of spongin/hydroxyapatite biohybrid scaffolds for bone regeneration

The selection of an appropriate scaffold is vital for successful bone tissue engineering. Biohybrid scaffolds, combining the mechanical tunability of synthetic polymers with the biocompatibility of natural materials, have gained significant attention. In this study, biohybrid scaffolds were developed using spongin isolated from the marine sponge Sarcotragus foetidus (Sf), mimicking natural bone architecture. These scaffolds were functionalized with hydroxyapatite (HAp) and boron-doped HAp (B-HAp) to enhance mechanical and osteoconductive properties. Micro-computed tomography (mu CT) revealed interconnected porosity above 70 % in all groups, facilitating nutrient exchange and cell migration. Elemental analysis confirmed the presence of carbon, oxygen, calcium, and phosphorus, essential for bone regeneration. Mechanical testing showed increased Young's modulus values, reaching similar to 20 kPa for Sf/HAp and similar to 22 kPa for Sf/B-HAp, due to the reinforcing coatings. In vitro assays over 21 days showed that the Sf/B-HAp scaffold exhibited the highest mineralization, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity, collagen synthesis, and extracellular matrix (ECM) formation, indicating enhanced osteogenic capacity. Additionally, antibacterial tests showed superior activity for the Sf/B-HAp group. In vivo studies conducted using a rat calvarial bone defect model over a 20-week period demonstrated significant bone regeneration across all groups, with the Sf/B-HAp scaffold exhibiting the most pronounced effect. Overall, Sf-based scaffolds supported cell adhesion, proliferation, and differentiation, with the Sf/B-HAp variant offering superior mechanical, osteoconductive, osteoinductive, and antibacterial properties-making it a promising candidate for advanced bone tissue engineering