Malatya Turgut Özal Üniversitesi

Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder and one of the leading causes of disability worldwide, with greater levels of disability being associated with lower general self-efficacy. Reducing disability and enhancing self-sufficiency in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia are among the primary goals of treatment and care. This study aimed to examine the effects of alexithymia and metacognitive beliefs on self-efficacy levels and disability in individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia. The study was conducted with 145 individuals under the age of 30 (67 individuals diagnosed with schizophrenia and 78 healthy controls) using a descriptive and correlational design. Data were collected using a sociodemographic data form, the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20), the Metacognition Questionnaire (MCQ-30), the General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSES) and the World Health Organization Disability Assessment Schedule 2.0 (WHODAS 2.0). Compared to the control group, the patient group demonstrated significantly higher TAS-20, MCQ-30 and WHODAS 2.0 scores, and significantly lower GSES scores (p < 0.05). The patients' total MCQ-30 scores were significantly associated with both WHODAS 2.0 and GSES scores (p < 0.05); however, TAS-20 did not mediate the relationship between MCQ-30 and WHODAS 2.0 (p > 0.05), whereas it showed a significant mediating effect in the relationship between MCQ-30 and GSES (p < 0.05). Patients exhibited higher disability and lower general self-efficacy than the control group. Cognitive-behavioural and metacognitive therapeutic approaches targeting alexithymia may contribute to improved functioning and reduced disability in individuals with schizophrenia. The findings improve understanding of factors related to disability and diminished general self-efficacy in individuals with schizophrenia and may inform the development of targeted psychosocial interventions. Self-efficacy and disability are key determinants of recovery in schizophrenia. By demonstrating the roles of alexithymia and metacognitive beliefs, this study provides a conceptual framework to guide clinical practice and supportive care strategies.

6 Şubat 2023 Kahramanmaraş depremleri sonrasında Malatya’da orta hasar gören bir betonarme bina üzerinde tahribatsız test (NDT) çalışmaları yürütülmüştür. Bu kapsamda Windsor probu (WP) ve Schmidt çekici (SH) ile elde edilen veriler, karot basınç dayanımı (fc) sonuçlarıyla karşılaştırılarak kalibre edilmiştir. Analizler, WP yöntemi ile fc arasında güçlü bir ilişki (R² ≈ 0.80) bulunduğunu; SH’nin ise yüzey koşullarına duyarlılığı nedeniyle düşük güvenilirlik sergilediğini göstermiştir. SH ve WP verilerinin birlikte değerlendirildiği çoklu regresyon modeli daha yüksek açıklama gücüne ulaşmış (R² = 0.877, p &amp;lt; 0.05) ve literatürde önerilen kombine yaklaşımlarla uyumlu sonuçlar vermiştir. Kalibre edilen malzeme dayanım değerleri, mimari röleve ve yeniden çizilen projeler temel alınarak oluşturulan BIM tabanlı model ile Sta4CAD yazılımında kurulan yapısal analiz modeline entegre edilmiş; TBDY-2018 hükümleri doğrultusunda performans değerlendirmesi yapılmıştır. Bulgular, Eurocode-8’in TBDY-2018’e kıyasla daha yüksek deprem talepleri öngördüğünü ve bu farkların özellikle zayıf zemin koşullarında yapısal güvenlik açısından kritik olabileceğini ortaya koymuştur. Çalışma, deprem sonrası sınırlı karot imkânı (n = 20) bulunan saha koşullarında NDT yöntemlerinin pratik uygulanabilirliğine ilişkin bulgular sunmakta ve gelecekte Bayesian istatistiksel yöntemler ile yapay zekâ tabanlı modellerin (ANN, SVM, ANFIS) dayanım tahmini doğruluğunu artırma potansiyeline işaret etmektedir.

Bu çalışma, yiyecek ve içecek pazarlaması bağlamında genç yetişkinlerin dijital içeriklere maruz kalmalarının kompulsif satın alma davranışı üzerindeki etkisini incelemektedir. Türkiye genelinde 18–30 yaş aralığında yer alan 495 genç yetişkinden çevrim içi anket yoluyla nicel veri toplanmıştır. Araştırmada geliştirilen Dijital Pazarlama İçerikleri Maruziyeti Ölçeği üç alt boyuttan (Aktif Katılım Odaklı Maruz Kalma, Hedeflenmiş Kanal Maruziyeti, Genel Dijital Ortam Maruziyeti) oluşmakta; kompulsif satın alma davranışı ise “Kontrol Kaybı ve Sonuçları” ve “Takıntılı Satın Alma” alt boyutlarıyla ele alınmaktadır. Basit doğrusal regresyon bulguları, dijital içerik maruziyetinin kompulsif satın alma davranışını anlamlı ve pozitif yönde etkilediğini göstermektedir (β = 0,441; p &lt; 0,001). Çoklu regresyon sonuçlarına göre Aktif Katılım Odaklı Maruz Kalma, kompulsif satın almanın her iki alt boyutu için en güçlü yordayıcıdır. Hedeflenmiş Kanal Maruziyeti her iki alt boyutta da anlamlı etkiye sahip olup, Genel Dijital Ortam Maruziyeti yalnızca “Takıntılı Satın Alma” üzerinde anlamlı bulunmuştur. Elde edilen sonuçlar, dijital pazarlama içeriklerinin genç yetişkinlerin satın alma davranışı üzerinde önemli psikolojik etkiler yarattığını ortaya koymaktadır. Bulgular, pazarlama profesyonelleri ve politika yapıcılar açısından etik dijital pazarlama uygulamalarının önemine vurgu yapmakta ve genç tüketicilerin korunmasına yönelik öneriler sunmaktadır.

This study aimed to investigate changes in the stiffness of thyroid nodules following fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB), using shear wave elastography (SWE), a non-invasive imaging technique utilized in thyroid nodule evaluation. A total of 82 patients scheduled to undergo FNAB for the first time were included. Ultrasound and SWE examinations were performed before the procedure and again 8 to 10 weeks after FNAB. Nodule stiffness was measured in kilopascals (kPa) during both evaluations, and changes in elasticity were assessed. The mean SWE stiffness of the nodules significantly decreased from 21.80 ± 11.43 kPa before FNAB to 17.83 ± 9.98 kPa after FNAB (p = 0.001). Smoking status and serum free T3 levels were significantly associated with changes in SWE stiffness (p < 0.05). However, no significant difference was observed between TIRADS 3 and TIRADS 4 categories regarding the change in stiffness (p = 0.223). This study demonstrates a significant reduction in thyroid nodule stiffness after FNAB as measured by SWE. These post-biopsy changes may lead to potential misinterpretations in subsequent elastographic evaluations, possibly affecting diagnostic accuracy and clinical decision-making.

Objectives and Background: Digital platforms, particularly YouTube, are increasingly used to deliver home dialysis education. However, the quality and reliability of these videos varies substantially, raising concerns regarding patient safety, treatment adherence and the continuing education of healthcare professionals. This study aimed to evaluate the educational value of YouTube dialysis training videos by assessing their accuracy, audiovisual quality, scientific consistency and instructional effectiveness. Design and Methods: A systematic search of YouTube was conducted between 22 October and 22 November 2025, using the keywords Dialysis Education, Peritoneal Dialysis and Hemodialysis. Videos lasting longer than one minute, with adequate audiovisual clarity and explicit educational purpose, were included. In total, 102 videos met the inclusion criteria. Three independent reviewers evaluated each video using DISCERN, JAMA benchmarks, the Global Quality Scale (GQS) and the Patient Education Materials Assessment Tool (PEMAT). Statistical analyses examined the associations between educational quality and video characteristics such as uploader type, country of origin, duration and presence of verbal narration. Results: Of the 102 videos analysed, 40.2% were uploaded by individuals and 59.8% by institutions. DISCERN classification revealed very low (13.7%), low (26.5%), moderate (30.4%), high (26.5%) and very high (2.9%) quality videos. Institutional uploads demonstrated significantly higher educational quality and reliability than individual uploads ( p &lt; .001). Videos uploaded in the USA scored higher across all metrics. Longer videos (&gt;10 minutes) and those including verbal explanations were associated with significantly higher DISCERN, JAMA, GQS and PEMAT scores ( p &lt; .05). Popularity indicators, such as subscriber numbers and views, showed weak correlations with quality. Conclusion: YouTube provides accessible dialysis education, yet content quality remains inconsistent. It was observed that institutional and US-uploaded videos generally were perceived as having higher educational quality, and that longer video duration supported by spoken/oral explanations were associated with greater instructional effectiveness. Ongoing evaluation of online materials is essential to ensure accuracy, reliability and pedagogical quality.

Background/Objectives: Skin cancer is a very serious disease. There is a risk that the cancer will spread to other parts of the body as the cancerous tissue deepens. For this reason, early diagnosis is important because it allows for early initiation of treatment. This study proposes a hybrid model for the early diagnosis of skin cancer. Methods: The proposed model was developed using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), Vision Transformer (ViT) architectures, and the k-Nearest Neighbors (KNN), Support Vector Machine (SVM), Naive Bayes (NB), Neural Network Classifiers, Decision Tree (DT), and Logistic Regression (LR) classifiers. Furthermore, the proposed model was fine-tuned to improve its disease diagnosis. Two attention mechanisms, channel and spatial, were used together in the proposed model. The HAM10000 dataset was used during the experiments. Class weighting was performed to ensure class-based balance in the dataset. Results: The proposed model was also compared with the CNN and ViT architectures frequently used in the literature. Among these models, the highest accuracy value of 95.1% was obtained with the proposed model. Conclusions: It is considered that the proposed model can be used as a decision support system for dermatologists in the diagnosis of skin cancer.

Background: Mucous stools in infancy are commonly attributed to non-IgE-mediated gastrointestinal food allergies and are generally considered transient and benign. However, whether mucous stools may indicate an atopy-prone clinical phenotype and relate to later respiratory atopy remains insufficiently explored. Objective: To evaluate the long-term risk of respiratory atopy (asthma and/or allergic rhinitis) in infants presenting with mucous stools during the first year of life and to identify early clinical predictors of this risk. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included infants who presented with mucous stools within the first 12 months of life and were followed for four years. Baseline demographic, clinical, dietary, and laboratory data were extracted from standardized medical records. Mucus severity was graded using a pragmatic 0-3 clinical mucus score. The primary outcome was physician-diagnosed asthma and/or allergic rhinitis at four years. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify independent predictors, with model discrimination assessed by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: A total of 142 infants with complete follow-up data were analyzed. At four years, respiratory atopy was observed in 45 infants (31.7%). In multivariable analysis, family history of atopy (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.68, 95% CI 1.20-5.98, p = 0.016) and wheezing at presentation (aOR 3.74, 95% CI 1.56-8.94, p = 0.003) were independent predictors of respiratory atopy. The mucus score was associated with respiratory atopy in univariable analysis but did not remain an independent predictor in multivariable modeling. The model showed good discrimination (AUC = 0.769). Conclusions: In this cohort of infants presenting with mucous stools in the first year of life, respiratory atopy was observed in nearly one-third by age 4. While mucous stool burden was associated with the outcome in univariable analyses, it did not remain an independent predictor after adjustment. Early wheezing and a family history of atopy were the strongest clinical predictors and may help identify infants who warrant closer follow-up. These findings should be interpreted as associative and hypothesis-generating in the absence of a mucous-stool-free comparison group.