Participatory Ecosystem Management Planning at Tuzla Lake (Turkey) Using Fuzzy Cognitive Mapping

A participatory environmental management plan was prepared for Tuzla Lake, Turkey. Fuzzy cognitive mapping approach was used to obtain stakeholder views and desires. Cognitive maps were prepared with 44 stakeholders (villagers, local decisionmakers, government and non-government organization (NGO) officials). Graph theory indices, statistical methods and "What-if" simulations were used in the analysis. The most mentioned variables were livelihood, agriculture and animal husbandry. The most central variable was agriculture for local people (villagers and local decisionmakers) and education for NGO & Government officials. All the stakeholders agreed that livelihood was increased by agriculture and animal husbandry while hunting decreased birds and wildlife. Although local people focused on their livelihoods, NGO & Government officials focused on conservation of Tuzla Lake and education of local people. Stakeholders indicated that the conservation status of Tuzla Lake should be strengthened to conserve the ecosystem and biodiversity, which may be negatively impacted by agriculture and irrigation. Stakeholders mentioned salt extraction, ecotourism, and carpet weaving as alternative economic activities. Cognitive mapping provided an effective tool for the inclusion of the stakeholders' views and ensured initial participation in environmental planning and policy making.Comment: 43 pages, 4 figure

Qualitative study of the consequences of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis: the experiences of family members

Objectives : To explore the experiences of family members of patients who died or survived following a diagnosis of vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT). Design; A semistructured qualitative study, conducted via Zoom. Setting: Participants discussed their experiences during hospitalisation and following discharge. Participants: Sixteen family members of patients with VITT (survivors=11; bereaved=5), recruited via a Facebook support group and advertising on Twitter. Results: Analysis identified two themes common to both groups of participants: the stress of hospitalisation and the experience of multiple losses. A third theme, living with VITT, was unique to the survivor group and a fourth, battling against the system, was predominantly reported by bereaved participants. Conclusion: This is a significantly challenged group of people, with multiple emotional, financial, social and psychological losses. These losses have been compounded by experiences of limited governmental and societal recognition of the problems they face

Living with vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis: a qualitative study

Objectives: To explore the experiences of people up to 18 months after being diagnosed with vaccine-induced immune thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (VITT). Design: A semistructured qualitative study, conducted via Zoom, of a cohort of people with VITT. Setting: Participants discussed their experiences of hospitalisation and following discharge. Participants: 14 individuals diagnosed with VITT, recruited via a Facebook support group and advertising on Twitter. Results: Thematic analysis identified challenges of obtaining medical care and diagnosis; fear of the severity of symptoms and unclear prognosis; and lack of family support due to isolation imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Once home, participants experienced continued significant symptoms; fear of recurrence; inadequate medical knowledge of their condition; and difficulties coping with residual physical disabilities and psychosocial losses. Also reported were feelings of isolation and abandonment due to lack of government support. Conclusions: This is a significantly challenged group of people, with multiple health, financial, social and psychological losses. These losses have been compounded by experiences of limited governmental and societal recognition of the problems they face

Experiences of Alcohol Use and Harm among Travellers, Roma, and Gypsies: A Participatory Qualitative Study

Alcohol is widely used in many cultures as part of everyday life and for special occasions. It is a leading cause of preventable death in the UK, with higher rates among socioeconomically disadvantaged people. Gypsies and Travellers are ethnic and cultural minorities who experience extreme social disadvantage but there is a lack of knowledge about their alcohol use. The study aim was to explore experiences of alcohol use and harm in these distinct groups. Taking a participatory research approach, peer researchers conducted semistructured interviews (n = 26) to explore experiences of alcohol use and harm within the following four Gypsy/Traveller communities: Irish Travellers, Boaters, Gypsies, and Slovakian Roma. Vignettes were used as a basis for interview questions. Data were analysed thematically following the framework model. Alcohol consumption was found to be fundamental to celebration in all groups and integrated within social norms. Among Gypsies, Irish Travellers and Roma, drinking was associated with masculinity and despite an increase in alcohol use among women, female drinking remains highly socially regulated. Gypsies and Irish Travellers reported being illegally excluded from public drinking venues, while Slovakian Roma experienced less discrimination towards their ethnic group in the UK. Knowledge of the risks of alcohol dependence was high in all groups, but there was little awareness of the health impact of regular heavy drinking. Shame was a barrier to help-seeking for Gypsy, Roma, and Irish Traveller men and women, while Boaters’ nomadism reduced access to both primary care and alcohol treatment services. These distinct ethnic and cultural groups are aware of the health and social risks of alcohol use but experience barriers to accessing healthcare. Each community has different needs in relation to prevention of alcohol dependence, highlighting the need for targeted health promotion to accompany national strategies to reduce alcohol harm

Bisphenol A levels in bowel endometrioma diagnosed serums: A case control study

Aim: To investigate the bisphenol A (BPA) levels, which may be a risk factor in the etiology of endometrioma, in patients diagnosed laparoscopically with endometrioma with and without bowel involvement. Method: In the prospective cross-sectional case control study, 47 cases were included in the study, which were admitted to the gynecology and infertility services with and without bowel involvement endometrioma who were operated and diagnosed histopathologically. 43 patients were included in the control group. For serum BPA value, blood samples taken immediately before the operation were studied in laboratory. Patients and controls were compared with controls in terms of serum BPA values. Results: The mean age of the patients was 35 ± 2 in the endometriosis group and 36 ± 2 in the control group which was and not statistically significant.  There was no statistical difference between the patient and control groups in terms of menstruation periods. Serum BPA levels were significantly higher in the bowel involvement group compared to the non-bowel involvement group, as the distribution width was higher due to excessive values, and only 5 patients with bowel involvement did not reach statistically significant levels. Serum BPA level was 1084±1132 ng/L in the endometriosis group and 269±99 ng/L in the control group which was statistically significant (p<0,001).  Conclusions: BPA levels were showing very wide range especially in the patient group. Serum BPA levels was statistically significantly higher in the endometrioma group compared to the control group. Therefore, in the etiology of endometriosis BPA may take a definite place. &nbsp

The evaluation of serum brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in pregnant women with hyperemesis gravidarum

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is considered a cause of conditions such as depression and eating disorders, and hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Material and methods: This study was conducted as a prospective study at Ankara Ataturk Training and Research Hospital in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. The study included 73 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies (32 pregnant women with HG and 41 pregnant women without hyperemesis). Serum BDNF levels were compared between the two groups. Results: The mean age of the study group was 27.3 ± 3.5 years and the body mass index (BMI) was 22.4 ± 2.7 kg/m2. There is no statistically significant difference between the study group and the control group in terms of demographic data (p > 0.05). The pregnant women with HG were found to have significantly higher serum BDNF levels compared to the control group (349.1 ± 94.6 pg/mL vs 292. 3± 86.01, p = 0.009) Conclusions: Serum BDNF levels that are low in psychiatric disorders such as depression or anxiety were found as high in pregnant women with HG

Observer Variation of 2-Deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-d-Glucose-Positron Emission Tomography in Mediastinal Staging of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer as a Function of Experience, and its Potential Clinical Impact

Purpose: To test the extent of variation among nuclear medicine physicians with respect to staging non-small cell lung cancer with positron emission tomography (PET). Procedures: Two groups of nuclear medicine physicians with different levels of PET experience reviewed 30 PET scans. They were requested to identify and localize suspicious mediastinal lymph nodes (MLN) using standardized algorithms. Results were compared between the two groups, between individuals, and with expert reading. Results: Overall we found good interobserver agreement (kappa 0.65). Experience with PET translated into a better ability to localize MLN stations (68 % vs. 51%, respectively), and experienced readers appeared to be more familiar with translating PET readings into clinically useful statements. Conclusions: Although our results suggest that clinical experience with PET increases observers _ ability to read and interpret results from PET adequately, there is room for improvement. Experience with PET does not necessarily improve the accuracy of image interpretation

Increased oxidative stress associated with the severity of the liver disease in various forms of hepatitis B virus infection

BACKGROUND: Oxidative stress can be defined as an increase in oxidants and/or a decrease in antioxidant capacity. There is limited information about the oxidative status in subjects with hepatitis B virus infection. We aimed to evaluate the oxidative status in patients with various clinical forms of chronic hepatitis B infection. METHODS: Seventy-six patients with hepatitis B virus infection, in whom 33 with chronic hepatitis, 31 inactive carriers and 12 with cirrhosis, and 16 healthy subjects were enrolled. Total antioxidant response and total peroxide level measurement, and calculation of oxidative stress index were performed in all participants. RESULTS: Total antioxidant response was significantly lower in cirrhotics than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (p = 0.008 and p = 0.008, respectively). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index was significantly higher in cirrhotic (p < 0.001, both) and chronic hepatitis B subjects (p < 0.001, both) than inactive HbsAg carriers and controls. Total antioxidant response was comparable in chronic hepatitis B subjects, inactive HbsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Total peroxide level and oxidative stress index were also comparable in inactive HBsAg carriers and controls (both, p > 0.05/6). Serum alanine amino transferase level was positively correlated with total peroxide level and oxidative stress index only in chronic hepatitis B subjects (p = 0.002, r = 0.519 and p = 0.008, r = 0.453, respectively). CONCLUSION: Oxidative stress occurs secondarily to increased total lipid peroxidation and inadequate total antioxidant response and is related to severity of the disease and replication status of virus in hepatitis B infection

Spatial Data Management and Numerical Modelling: Demonstrating the Application of the QGIS-Integrated FREEWAT Platform at 13 Case Studies for Tackling Groundwater Resource Management

Because of the spatial nature of groundwater-related data and their time component, effective groundwater management requires the application of methods pertaining to the Information and Communication Technologies sector, such as spatial data management and distributed numerical modelling. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the effectiveness of the QGIS-integrated FREEWAT platform and an approach combining spatial data management and numerical models to target groundwater management issues. FREEWAT is a free and open source platform integrated in a Geographic Information System environment and embedding tools for pre- and post-processing of spatial data and integrating numerical codes for the simulation of the hydrological cycle, with a main focus on groundwater. To this aim, this paper briefly presents the FREEWAT platform, introduces the FREEWAT approach, and showcases 13 case studies in European and non-European countries where the FREEWAT platform was applied. Application of the FREEWAT platform to real-world case studies is presented for targeting management of coastal aquifers, ground- and surface-water interaction, climate change impacts, management of transboundary aquifers, rural water management and protection of groundwater-dependent ecosystems. In this sense, compared to other existing software suites, FREEWAT allows data analysis and visualization to accomplish each step of the modelling workflow, i.e., from data analytics, to conceptual model definition, to numerical modelling and reporting of results. The presented experiences demonstrate that improved access to data and the portability of models and models’ results can help to promote water sustainability from the local- to the basin-scale. Furthermore, FREEWAT may represent a valuable tool to target the objective of increasing the capabilities of public authorities and private companies to manage groundwater resources by means of up-to-date, robust, well-documented and reliable software, without entailing the need of costly licensing, nowadays seldom affordable by public water authorities. Based on the strengths highlighted, the FREEWAT platform is a powerful tool for groundwater resources management, and for data collection, sharing, implementation and comparison of scenarios, for supporting planning and decision-making