Impact of global climate change on agricultural production: Balkan countries in 2050

The occurrence of extreme weather events due to today’s climate change is having a significant impact on agriculture. The purpose of this study is to estimate the possible effects of global climate change on agriculture at a regional level. To this end, the Global trade analyses project (GTAP) model has been used to examine the possible effects of climate change on agricultural production in Turkey, Romania, Bulgaria, Greece, and other Balkan countries for 2050. GTAP analysis data is compiled from the GTAP database, which includes 6 regions and 33 sectors. It has been calculated that climate change will have negative effects on the gross domestic product (GDP) of Balkan countries. The negative impact of global climate change on crop yields is predicted to reduce the competitiveness of Balkan countries in the foreign trade of agricultural products. © 2020, Scibulcom Ltd.. All rights reserved

Diurnal gradual heat stress affects antioxidant enzymes, proline accumulation and some physiological components in cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.)

Even though high temperatures significantly reduce both vegetative growth and yield in cotton, very little is known about the effects of heat stress on cotton antioxidant system. Thus, the effects of gradual heat stress on cotton growth in controlled conditions were investigated in the present study. At squaring stage, cotton plants were subjected to two different temperatures, 38 and 45°C to determine the influence of heat stress on the plants. The results of the present study showed that heat stress did not significantly altered the levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) in the leaves, whereas there was a remarkable decline in proline quantity of the leaves of plants subjected to 45°C heat stress. As for the amount of total chlorophyll content, a slight increase at plants treated with 38°C temperature was observed. Furthermore, the activities of some enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), which were associated with heat stress response in other plants was also investigated. For example, there was decline in the activitity of SOD in the plants exposed to high temperatures. On the contrary, catalase (CAT) activity increased at 45°C; peroxidase (POX) activity increased at 38°C and ascorbate peroxidase (APX) activity increased at 38 and 45°C. The results from this study suggest a potential role for CAT, POX and APX in the reduction of elevated levels of H2O2 in cotton plants grown under heat stress condition. To sum up, it could be concluded that, diurnal gradual heat stress caused a low oxidative injury in cotton

High mortality of beetle migrants along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordData availability statement: The data that support the findings of this study are available in the supplementary material of this article.Migration is costly in terms of increased energy expenditure and exposure to risks encountered en route. These factors can lead to a higher mortality among migrants compared with more sedentary life history stages. Insect migrants are incredibly numerous, but as they are less conspicuous than vertebrate migrants and as migration often occurs at high altitude and over a broad front, it can be difficult to study migration-related mortality. A major source of information on migration-related mortality comes from cadavers found on the strandline following unsuccessful sea crossings. Here, we analyse strandline mortality following a 100 km crossing of open ocean along the Eastern Mediterranean Flyway from the Middle East mainland to the island of Cyprus by tens of millions of insects. All strandline recordings were of two species of beetles, the seven-spot ladybird Coccinella septempunctata and the carabid beetle Calosoma olivieri, whereas only nine individuals of C. septempunctata were caught successfully arriving with the rest of the insect assemblage over the ocean. Major strandings were associated with easterly winds, suggesting origins from the Middle East mainland, with the individuals documented as extremely weak and unable to fly or dead. Our results suggest that beetles are weaker migrants than other members of the migratory insect assemblage, with the sea crossing too far for the great majority to fly, leading to high mortality. The impact of this high mortality on the marine ecosystems is discussed.Royal Societ

Characteristics of patients operated for primary hyperparathyroidism at university hospitals in Türkiye: Differences among Türkiye's geographical regions

Purpose: The aim of this study was to define the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients operated on for primary hyperpatathyroidism (PHPT) at university hospitals in Türkiye, and to investigate the differences in the clinical presentations of the disease between different geographical regions. Methods: Patients operated on for PHPT in the university hospitals of Türkiye were included in the study. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings and the operational data of the patients were investigated according to the whole country and to different geographical regions. Comparisons were performed according to whole country and regions. Results: A total of 1,162 cases were included in the study from different regions and 20 university hospitals. The mean age of patients was 52.4 ± 0.38 (mean ± standard error) in the general population of Türkiye. The rates of hypertension, urolithiasis, bone disease and 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency were 35%, 18.6%, 67.6%, and 63%, respectively. The median parathormone (PTH), serum total calcium (Ca+2) and phosphorus value were 220 pg/mL (range, 70-2,500 pg/mL), 11.2 mg/dL (range, 9.5-11.2 mg/dL), and 2.4 mg/dL (range, 1-4.7 mg/dL), respectively. The median size of the adenomas resected was 16 mm (range, 4-70 mm). Significant differences were observed in the clinical and laboratory findings of the patients operated on due to PHPT between different geographical regions of Türkiye (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients with PHPT in different geographical regions of Türkiye differ. Furthermore, the general findings of the cases in Türkiye give us a hint that the severity of the disease here is somewhere between Eastern and Western countries. Copyright © 2016, the Korean Surgical Society

Respiratory Health Symptoms among Students Exposed to Different Levels of Air Pollution in a Turkish City

In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of respiratory health symptoms among high school students attending schools at industrial, urban and rural areas in a Turkish city. Three schools located in different zones of the city having different pollution characteristics were chosen based on the pollutant distribution maps using Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software. A cross-sectional survey was performed among 667 high school students in the schools. Outdoor and indoor nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and ozone (O3) concentrations were also measured by passive samplers in the same schools to investigate possible routes of exposure. Chronic pulmonary disease (OR = 1.49; 95%CI: 1.11–1.99; p = 0.008), tightness in the chest (OR = 1.57; 95%CI: 1.22–2.02; p = 0.001), morning cough (OR = 1.81 95%CI: 1.19–2.75; p = 0.006) were higher among students in the industrial zone where nitrogen dioxide and ozone levels were also highest. There were no indoor sources of nitrogen dioxide and ozone exists in the schools except for the dining hall. As a conclusion, this study has noticed that air pollution and respiratory health problems among high school students are high in industrial zones and the use of passive samplers combined with GIS is an effective tool that may be used by public health researchers to identify pollutant zones and persons at risk

Liver resection and ablation for squamous cell carcinoma liver metastases.

Funder: Region StockholmFunder: Region Stockholm (clinical postdoctoral appointment)BACKGROUND: Limited evidence exists to guide the management of patients with liver metastases from squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). The aim of this retrospective multicentre cohort study was to describe patterns of disease recurrence after liver resection/ablation for SCC liver metastases and factors associated with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). METHOD: Members of the European-African Hepato-Pancreato-Biliary Association were invited to include all consecutive patients undergoing liver resection/ablation for SCC liver metastases between 2002 and 2019. Patient, tumour and perioperative characteristics were analysed with regard to RFS and OS. RESULTS: Among the 102 patients included from 24 European centres, 56 patients had anal cancer, and 46 patients had SCC from other origin. RFS in patients with anal cancer and non-anal cancer was 16 and 9 months, respectively (P = 0.134). A positive resection margin significantly influenced RFS for both anal cancer and non-anal cancer liver metastases (hazard ratio 6.82, 95 per cent c.i. 2.40 to 19.35, for the entire cohort). Median survival duration and 5-year OS rate among patients with anal cancer and non-anal cancer were 50 months and 45 per cent and 21 months and 25 per cent, respectively. For the entire cohort, only non-radical resection was associated with worse overall survival (hazard ratio 3.21, 95 per cent c.i. 1.24 to 8.30). CONCLUSION: Liver resection/ablation of liver metastases from SCC can result in long-term survival. Survival was superior in treated patients with liver metastases from anal versus non-anal cancer. A negative resection margin is paramount for acceptable outcome

Age- and region-specific hepatitis B prevalence in Turkey estimated using generalized linear mixed models: a systematic review

Toy M, Önder FO, Wörmann T, et al. Age- and region-specific hepatitis B prevalence in Turkey estimated using generalized linear mixed models: a systematic review. BMC infectious diseases. 2011;11(1): 337.BACKGROUND: To provide a clear picture of the current hepatitis B situation, the authors performed a systematic review to estimate the age- and region-specific prevalence of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in Turkey. METHODS: A total of 339 studies with original data on the prevalence of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) in Turkey and published between 1999 and 2009 were identified through a search of electronic databases, by reviewing citations, and by writing to authors. After a critical assessment, the authors included 129 studies, divided into categories: 'age-specific'; 'region-specific'; and 'specific population group'. To account for the differences among the studies, a generalized linear mixed model was used to estimate the overall prevalence across all age groups and regions. For specific population groups, the authors calculated the weighted mean prevalence. RESULTS: The estimated overall population prevalence was 4.57, 95% confidence interval (CI): 3.58, 5.76, and the estimated total number of CHB cases was about 3.3 million. The outcomes of the age-specific groups varied from 2.84, (95% CI: 2.60, 3.10) for the 0-14-year olds to 6.36 (95% CI: 5.83, 6.90) in the 25-34-year-old group. CONCLUSION: There are large age-group and regional differences in CHB prevalence in Turkey, where CHB remains a serious health problem

El Conocimiento Didáctico del Contenido en ciencias: estado de la cuestión

This paper gives a descriptive overview of the literature related to Pedagogical Content Knowledge - PCK - in the sciences. It is expected that this review can contribute to a better understanding of PCK, pointing out what has been investigated about this concept. Specifically, we analyze: a) how PCK is defined, what are its main features and how it has been appropriated by teachers; b) the relationship between PCK, knowledge of the contents to be taught and students learning; c) how PCK was actually used in teachers' training and teachers' evaluation; and, d) the scientific areas in which PCK has been studied. It concludes that PCK is an essential tool for improving the quality of teacher training

Perceptions of the appropriate response to norm violation in 57 societies

Norm enforcement may be important for resolving conflicts and promoting cooperation. However, little is known about how preferred responses to norm violations vary across cultures and across domains. In a preregistered study of 57 countries (using convenience samples of 22,863 students and non-students), we measured perceptions of the appropriateness of various responses to a violation of a cooperative norm and to atypical social behaviors. Our findings highlight both cultural universals and cultural variation. We find a universal negative relation between appropriateness ratings of norm violations and appropriateness ratings of responses in the form of confrontation, social ostracism and gossip. Moreover, we find the country variation in the appropriateness of sanctions to be consistent across different norm violations but not across different sanctions. Specifically, in those countries where use of physical confrontation and social ostracism is rated as less appropriate, gossip is rated as more appropriate.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio