Ankara Yıldırım Beyazıt University

This study evaluated the relationship between auditory spectral resolution and listening effort using cochlear implant simulations in 21 normal-hearing participants. In a dual-task paradigm, participants repeated noise-vocoded sentences to 4, 6, 8, and 12 channels, as well as everyday normal speech, while performing a secondary rhyme-judgment task. Listening effort was measured via secondary-task reaction time and pupil dilation. Decreased spectral resolution increased both reaction time and pupil size, indicating greater effort. Reaction time increased significantly only in the most degraded conditions (4 and 6 channels), whereas pupil dilation increased across all degraded conditions compared to intact speech. Speech intelligibility, although affected by degradation, did not predict either of the effort measures. The weak correlation between reaction time and pupil size suggests they capture related but distinct aspects of listening effort. These findings highlight the multidimensional nature of listening effort, demonstrating that physiological measures can reveal increased cognitive load even when behavioral performance is unaffected. Combining these measures is crucial for a comprehensive assessment of the cognitive consequences of perceiving degraded speech.

The way the more conventional retail sector conducts business and interacts with customers has been drastically altered by the convergence of artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, augmented reality, big data analysis, and automation. Although thorough research analysis is still scarce, an increasing number of studies have surfaced in recent years due to the advancement of smart retail technology. In order to achieve this, 232 pertinent studies that were located in the Web of Science were analyzed using the bibliometric analysis program VOSviewer.The results demonstrate that while sustainability, ethics, and consumer trust in AI retailing have received relatively little attention, previous research has mostly focused on technology acceptance, omnichannel, and consumer behavior. The main themes and clusters found in the literature on smart retail are identified in this article, along with some previously unexplored topics like sustainability and AI ethics. In keeping with that, this study provides researchers and practitioners with a solid quantitative viewpoint and suggests strategic paths for further research and practice in this dynamic and quickly changing field.

Aim: This study aims to compare postoperative outcomes between patients undergoing endoscopic versus microscopic transsphenoidal surgery for pituitary adenomas.Material and Methods: A retrospective cohort of 71 patients treated at Ankara Atatürk Training and Research Hospital between 2009 and 2013 was analyzed. Forty patients underwent endoscopic surgery, and 31 patients underwent microscopic surgery. Pre- and postoperative assessments included hormonal evaluations, visual function, radiological findings, and surgical complications.Results: Gross total resection was achieved in 82% of the endoscopic group compared to 74% in the microscopic group. Visual improvement was more prominent in the endoscopic group. CSF leak rates were low and comparable. Hormonal remission rates were similar between groups. Hospitalization duration was shorter in the endoscopic group.Conclusion: Both techniques are safe and effective, but the endoscopic approach may provide better visualization, facilitate higher resection rates, and lead to faster recovery.

Introduction/Objectives: Body composition changes and diet quality may contribute to metabolic complications and graft outcomes after kidney transplantation. We evaluated the relationships between diet quality and CT-derived body composition components (skeletal muscle mass, muscle quality/myosteatosis, and visceral adiposity) and explored their associations with metabolic markers and graft function. Materials and Methods: In this single-center retrospective cross-sectional study, we included 161 adult first kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) with a functioning graft and ≥12 months of follow-up. Body composition was quantified on routine abdominal CT at the L3 level using skeletal muscle index (SMI), mean muscle attenuation (Hounsfield units) for myosteatosis, and visceral adipose tissue area (VAT). Diet quality was scored using the Revised Diet Quality Index (DQI-R). Graft function was followed with creatinine-based estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) calculated by the CKD-EPI equation. Results: Mean age was 45.7 ± 13.2 years and 58% were men. The prevalence of low muscle mass was 26.0%, myosteatosis 73.5%, and visceral obesity (VAT ≥ 100 cm2) 45.6%. No participant had "good" diet quality; 48.4% had poor diet quality. DQI-R showed a weak positive correlation with SMI (r = 0.157; p = 0.047) but was not significantly related to VAT, subcutaneous adipose tissue (SAT), Kidney transplant recipient (VSR) or myosteatosis. In multivariable models, age and VAT were associated with HbA1c, whereas body composition and diet quality variables were not independent predictors of eGFR. Myosteatosis was independently associated with older age. Conclusions: Visceral adiposity and impaired muscle quality frequently clustered and were linked to metabolic status. These findings support post-transplant follow-up strategies that go beyond BMI and integrate body composition and nutritional assessment within a multidisciplinary care model.

Aims: Our aim in this study is to compare the effects of isokinetic exercise system and home based exercise program on balance and gait analysis, pain severity and quality of life in patients with knee osteoarthritis (OA).Methods: A total of 60 patients diagnosed with primary knee OA were included in the study. The patients were divided into two groups. The first group received conventional electrotherapy for 10 sessions along with a six-week home-based program consisting of isometric and isotonic strengthening exercises targeting the knee flexor and extensor muscles, performed three times per week. The second group received conventional electrotherapy for 10 sessions combined with a six-week isokinetic strengthening program targeting the knee flexor and extensor muscles, performed three times per week under the supervision of a physiotherapist. At the beginning and end of the treatment, patients were evaluated using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC), the Short Form-36 (SF-36), the 6-Minute Walk Test (6-MWT), the Timed Up and Go Test (TUG), the Berg Balance Scale (BBS), and spatiotemporal gait analysis parameters (cadence, swing and stance phase percentages, stride length, step width, step time, and gait speed). Results: The isokinetic exercise group exhibited statistically significant improvements over the home exercise group in activity VAS scores, the emotional role difficulty and mental health subscales of the SF-36, and the 6-MWT distances (p