Eastern Mediterranean University

This review aimed to provide the first comprehensive assessment of cervical cancer prevention initiatives across the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR). We systematically searched PubMed on March 20, 2025, screened relevant literature, supplemented findings with WHO and HPV Information Centre data, and extracted country-level information on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening policies and practices in the EMR. Of 22 member countries, only eight have national HPV vaccination programs, and just seven offer cervical cancer screening, all of which are opportunistic and based on cytology, an obsolete technology. Barriers include limited public awareness, inadequate engagement of healthcare providers, and underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure. The review also highlights promising innovations such as HPV self-sampling to enhance screening accessibility and feasibility, and DNA methylation markers to improve detection accuracy and risk stratification. Cervical cancer prevention initiatives across the EMR remains insufficient. This review emphasizes the need for greater coordinated efforts to address the growing burden of cervical cancer in the region, strengthen prevention efforts, and enhance healthcare infrastructure. Bridging these gaps requires strengthened systems, expanded access, and multi-stakeholder advocacy and coordinated policies to reduce the region's cervical cancer burden.

The increasing burden of infectious diseases and antimicrobial resistance underscores the urgent need for alternatives to conventional therapeutics. Although Eucalyptus essential oils (EOs) are well recognized for their broad-spectrum antimicrobial and antibiofilm properties, their relatively high volatility and limited physicochemical stability restrict their practical applications. In this study, a systematic, design-driven comparative approach was employed to develop nanoemulsions containing Eucalyptus globulus, E. citriodora, and E. radiata EOs, with the aim of improving their stability and biological efficacy. Initially, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was performed to identify species-specific chemotypes, which guided rational formulation design. A Box-Behnken design enabled the precise optimization of critical colloidal parameters, resulting in nanoemulsions with droplet sizes below 200 nm, polydispersity indices below 0.3, and ζ-potentials of approximately -22 mV. Comprehensive structural characterization by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy, together with stress testing, confirmed the robust physical stability of the formulations. In-vitro antimicrobial evaluations against Staphylococcus aureus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Klebsiella pneumoniae revealed up to a 4-fold enhancement in antimicrobial activity and up to 80% inhibition of biofilm compared to the corresponding unformulated essential oils. The enhancements are most likely attributable to enhanced dispersion, increased interaction with greater microbial interfaces, and nanoscale stabilization of volatile bioactive constituents. Collectively, the optimized Eucalyptus nanoemulsions constitute reproducible, chemically well-defined nanocarrier systems with markedly improved antibacterial and antibiofilm performance, highlighting their promise as next-generation delivery systems for phytopharmaceutical applications. Further comprehensive biological and toxicological investigations are required to support the safe and effective translation of essential oil-containing nanocapsulations into practical use.

Abstract This study investigates the volatility spillover and connectedness networks among renewable energy sources (Biofuel, Fuel cell, Geothermal, Solar), green bonds, and cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin, Ethereum, Tether, and BNB coin) in the U.S. market. To accomplish this objective, we analyzed data from November 15, 2017, to May 31, 2024, via the methods introduced by Diebold and Yilmaz (Int J Forecast 28:57–66, 2012) and Baruník and Křehlík (J Financ Econometr 16:271 296, 2018). Our findings reveal that major global disruptions—including the COVID-19 pandemic, the Russia–Ukraine war, the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, and the Credit Suisse crisis—have intensified volatility spillovers and financial contagion across markets, exacerbating their outcomes. The findings suggest that the effectiveness of green finance depends on its allocation across these sectors, highlighting the importance of examining each sector to understand the success of these financial initiatives. The influence of COVID-19 on the U.S. economy has increased transmission risk across markets. Renewable energy is less volatile than green bonds and cryptocurrencies are, with these indices reacting more quickly to short-term shocks. Investors should focus on short-term impacts to manage market risk effectively. By providing insights into how financial shocks propagate across sectors, emphasizing the need for a sector-specific approach to assessing financial sustainability, and underscoring the importance of short-term risk management strategies, this research offers valuable contributions to decision-makers and investors.

In this paper, we analyze the dynamics of charged test particles in a singular, horizonless spacetime arising as the massless limit of a charged wormhole in the Einstein–Maxwell–Scalar (EMS) framework. The geometry, sustained solely by an electric charge [Formula: see text], features an infinite sequence of curvature singularity shells, with the outermost at [Formula: see text] acting as a hard boundary for nonradial motion, while radial trajectories can access it depending on the particle’s charge-to-mass ratio [Formula: see text]. Exploiting exact first integrals, we construct the effective potential and obtain circular orbit radii, radial epicyclic frequencies, and azimuthal precession rates. In the weak-field limit ([Formula: see text]), the motion reduces to a Coulombic system with small curvature-induced retrograde precession. At large radii, the dynamics maps to a hydrogenic system, with curvature corrections inducing perturbative energy shifts. Approaching [Formula: see text], the potential diverges, producing hard-wall confinement. Curvature corrections also modify the spectral thermodynamics, raising energies and slightly altering entropy and heat capacity. Our results characterize the transition from Newtonian-like orbits to strongly confined, curvature-dominated dynamics.

In this paper, we investigate quantum gravitational corrections to Schwarzschild black hole thermodynamics by combining Barrow entropy with spin-dependent effects of the generalized uncertainty principle (GUP) within the tunneling formalism. By incorporating Zitterbewegung dynamics into the deformed Hamilton–Jacobi equation, we derive a spin-sensitive modification of the Hawking temperature that depends explicitly on the spin of the particle [Formula: see text] and the GUP parameter [Formula: see text]. This corrected temperature is used to compute thermodynamic quantities in the extended phase-space framework, including internal energy, Helmholtz free energy, pressure, enthalpy, Gibbs potential, and heat capacity. Our analysis reveals that quantum deviations from the classical Schwarzschild behavior emerge only in the small-radius regime ([Formula: see text]), while semiclassical results are recovered at larger scales. The Barrow fractal parameter [Formula: see text] introduces additional modifications to the phase structure, producing local minima in the Gibbs potential that signal possible metastable remnant states. We examine the Joule–Thomson expansion to characterize the cooling-heating phase diagram and identify inversion curves where the thermal response changes qualitatively. The results show that higher-spin particles deepen the cooling regime and shift phase boundaries, indicating that the dominant emission channel during late-time evaporation influences the black hole’s approach to its final configuration. The combined action of [Formula: see text] suggests that spin-dependent quantum corrections play a decisive role in determining remnant masses and testing minimal-length scenarios in near-Planckian black holes.

This study aims to improve the understanding of sloshing phenomena in partially filled movable storage systems, particularly in rectangular tanks where experimental data remain limited. A multi-approach methodology was employed by combining analytical and numerical solutions validated with experimental work and supported with various machine learning (ML) prediction approaches. The results were validated by conducting experimental investigations at three different liquid heights (150, 100, and 50) mm. The accuracy of the ML model in predicting the fundamental frequency was compared with three different error metrics and cross-validation, where the extreme gradient boost revealed more robust performance compared with support vector regression and artificial neural networks. The parametric investigations are presented, showing the impact of slope on the first fundamental frequency values for various nonstandard shapes of the liquid fillings, sloped from one side, from both sides, symmetrically, and asymmetrically beveled. The outputs revealed that such a combination of physics-based models with ML prediction provides further insight into sloshing phenomena and frequency responses at various circumstances.

Integrating diverse treatments, such as hyperthermia and chemotherapy, by employing locally administrated nanostructured formulations, such as metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), 3D-printed scaffolds, and electrospun nanofibers, appears beneficial as a post-surgery therapy for breast cancer. In this study, we fabricated polycaprolactone (PCL)/magnetic MIL-88 (Fe) MOFs/paclitaxel (PTX) nanofibers (PMP NFs) through electrospinning and produced a doxorubicin (DOX)-MOFs-loaded gelatin/chitosan hydrogel scaffold using a 3D-bioprinter (DMP layer) on top of the nanofibers. The prepared PMP NFs-DMP scaffold was evaluated for its efficacy in treating MCF-7 breast cancer cells through a combination of chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia. The prepared scaffold could discharge approximately 90% of PTX and DOX within 552 and 600 h, respectively, at pH levels of 5.5 and 7.4. The scaffold containing 5% magnetic MOFs, reached a temperature of 44.6°C in only 3 min under an alternating magnetic field (AMF). Treatment with the fabricated scaffold using chemo/hyperthermia resulted in a maximum MCF-7 cell death of 84.6%. The relative tumor volume using the PMP NFs-DMP scaffold under AMF reached 0.58 after 20 days. These findings demonstrate the potential of this novel local dual-layer scaffold as an alternative method for treating breast cancer, utilizing a combination of chemotherapy and magnetic hyperthermia.

In this study we investigate the asymmetric and state-dependent transmission of the Turkish Economic Uncertainty Index (TEUI) to sectoral equity returns on the Borsa Istanbul using a quantile-on-quantile connectedness framework and monthly data from 2006 to 2024. The results show that the TEUI consistently operates as a dominant net transmitter of negative shocks, with substantial heterogeneity across sectors. Technology exhibits the greatest vulnerability, followed by Industrials and Services, while Banks and Financials demonstrate comparatively moderate but still meaningful exposure. Dynamic spillover patterns intensify during major stress events including the 2018 currency crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, confirming that uncertainty-driven contagion becomes most pronounced under tail conditions. Overall, the findings highlight policy credibility and transparent macroeconomic governance’s critical role in mitigating uncertainty propagation and strengthening sectoral resilience in emerging markets.

Objectives: The aim of the present study was to adapt the Sharenting Evaluation Scale to Turkish and to test its reliability and validity. Methods: Through an online data collection platform, we recruited 391 parents (Mage = 42.2, SDage = 5.6, 76% female). They have at least one child under 18 years of age and actively engage with social media. Sharenting Evaluation Scale consists of 17 items rated on a 6-point Likert scale. Its Turkish adaptation underwent a two-phase process: exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, along with testing for construct validity. Results: The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 17 items in the questionnaire were loaded onto two factors (Social Behavior and Implications). The confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the two-factor model fitted the current sample well. To evaluate the construct validity of the Sharenting Evaluation Scale, we compared groups at the extreme ends of the scoring spectrum. A t-test was conducted to compare the scores of both groups across subscales, revealing a significant difference. We observed positive correlations between sharenting and parental self-regulation, authoritative parenting, permissive parenting, and digital media literacy which indicate the criterion validity. Conclusions: In conclusion, the current study demonstrates that the Turkish version of the Sharenting Evaluation Scale is a reliable and valid tool.

This paper presents a rapid evidence assessment examining the impact of curriculum mapping in medical education, based on an analysis of forty studies synthesized using Elicit, an AI-powered tool. The review addresses two primary research questions: the effect of curriculum mapping on student learning outcomes and its impact on institutional efficiency. The findings reveal a significant divergence, with a notable absence of robust, quantitative evidence for a direct, measurable impact on student learning, while a majority of studies documented substantial improvements in administrative efficiency. This assessment suggests that while curriculum mapping is a highly effective tool for institutional management, its pedagogical benefits to students are less frequently substantiated in the existing literature. The methodology's reliance on a single AI tool for data synthesis is a key limitation of this work.