Muğla University

The accurate diagnosis of anxiety disorders remains challenging, as current detection methods primarily rely on subjective questionnaires. In this study, a novel electrochemical biosensor for the detection of fibroblast growth factor-2 (FGF-2), a biomarker associated with anxiety disorders, was developed for the first time. The sensing principle was based on monitoring the impedimetric signal changes generated by the interaction between anti-FGF-2 and the FGF-2 antigen, using a carbon screen-printed electrode as the transducer. To enhance the sensitivity and overall performance of the biosensor, a multi-walled carbon nanotube-gold-platinum (MWCNT-Au-Pt) hybrid nanocomposite was incorporated into the immunosensor structure. Critical parameters-including the amount of MWCNT-Au-Pt, the concentration, incubation time, and temperature of anti-FGF-2, as well as the incubation time and temperature for the anti-FGF-2/FGF-2 interaction-were systematically optimized. Under optimized conditions, the developed impedimetric FGF-2 immunosensor exhibited a linear response in the range of 10-100ng/mL, with a limit of detection of 1.01ng/mL and a limit of quantification of 3.10ng/mL. The specificity of the sensor was confirmed in the presence of potential interfering substances. For real sample analysis, human saliva samples (n = 30) were diluted appropriately and spiked with FGF-2 at concentrations of 20, 50, and 75ng/mL. The obtained recovery values demonstrated that the developed impedimetric FGF-2 immunosensor is highly suitable for real-sample applications and holds significant potential as a reliable tool for the detection of anxiety disorders.

This study presents efficient direct numerical solutions for the nonlinear Volterra-Fredholm integro-differential equations (NVFIDEs). The main component of the numerical scheme is the collocation method, which uses shifted Chebyshev polynomials. The method converts the given NVFIDEs into a system of linear/nonlinear algebraic equations with unknown coefficients of the truncated shifted Chebyshev series. With the aid of Maple, unknown coefficients are obtained, and so, the desired approximation solution is achieved. Several numerical examples are presented to assess the accuracy by comparing them with other existing techniques in the literature and to evaluate the method's efficiency. From the tables and figures, the examples reveal that only a small number of shifted Chebyshev series terms are needed to achieve small errors.

Introduction: This study measures youth NEET (not in employment, education, or training) in Türkiye and identifies its main correlates, with emphasis on gender gaps and regional inequality. The objective is to describe how human capital, household constraints, and place-based conditions shape NEET risk in 2022. Method: Nationally representative 2022 Household Labor Force Survey microdata for ages 15–29 (N=123,834) is analyzed using binary logit models estimated for the full sample and separately by gender. Covariates include age (and squared), education, marital status, household size, child-under-six indicator, and NUTS-1 regions; results are reported as average marginal effects with household-clustered standard errors. Results or Findings: The NEET rate is 26.6% overall, with a large gender gap (36.5% for women; 16.8% for men). NEET probability declines strongly with higher education, but gender differences remain across education levels. Regional disparities are substantial, with higher NEET prevalence in disadvantaged regions. Marriage and young-child presence are strongly associated with higher NEET probability among women, while associations for men are weaker and often opposite in sign. Discussion or Conclusion: NEET in Türkiye reflects regional inequality, education gradients, and gendered household constraints that raise women’s inactivity. Priorities include reducing early school leaving, improving school-to-work transitions, expanding childcare, and targeting activation and quality formal job creation in high-NEET regions. Future work should identify causal program impacts using longitudinal or policy-variation designs.

Aim: Renal ischaemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, which is an important contributing factor to acute kidney damage, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Olive leaf extract (OLE) possesses antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties due to its rich polyphenolic content. This study comprehensively investigates the protective effects of OLE obtained from the Memecik variety of olive leaves against renal I/R injury, evaluated by employing two different doses.Material and Methods: A total of 32 male Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into four groups: Sham, Control I/R, I/R+OLE200, and I/R+OLE400. Serum biochemical parameters (urea, creatinine, electrolytes, total antioxidant status [TAS], total oxidant status [TOS], TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6, and nitric oxide [NO]) and renal tissue histopathology were evaluated.Results: OLE significantly improved serum biochemical parameters, reduced pro-inflammatory cytokines, and enhanced systemic antioxidant capacity, indicated by increased TAS and decreased TOS levels compared to the I/R control group (p

HighlightsWhat are the main findings?In generalized anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorders, significant differences were observed in emotion regulation compared to the healthy group, while no significant differences were observed in impulsivity.Anxiety sensitivity did not mediate the relationship between emotion regulation and impulsivity in anxiety disorders; a direct relationship between emotion regulation and impulsivity was observed.What is the implication of the main finding?Children who have been diagnosed with anxiety disorders may display inappropriate, impulsive coping behaviors in response to emotional regulation difficulties.Addressing emotional regulation skills in treatment may be important for behavioral control in anxiety disorders.Background and Objectives: The aim of this study is to evaluate impulsivity in childhood anxiety disorders and to examine its relationship with anxiety sensitivity and emotion regulation. Materials and Methods: The study group consisted of a total of 60 children aged 8–12 years diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD, n = 30) and other anxiety disorders (n = 30). The control group consisted of 40 healthy children of similar age without a psychiatric diagnosis. Data collection forms included the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale Short Form (BIS-S), the Children’s Anxiety Sensitivity Index (ASI-3), the Emotion Regulation Checklist (ERC), and The Screen for Child Anxiety Related Emotional Disorders (SCARED). Results: Our study found no significant differences in BIS-S scores between GAD, other anxiety disorders, and the control group. The total/physical and ERC subscales of the ASI-3 were higher in the generalized anxiety disorder and other anxiety disorder group than in the control group. However, there were no significant differences in the social dimension and cognitive dimension scores of the ASI-3. It has been determined that anxiety sensitivity does not significantly mediate the relationship between emotion regulation and impulsivity, and that emotional variability/negativity is directly and completely related to impulsivity. Conclusions: Our study suggests that children with anxiety disorders experience greater difficulties in regulating their emotions compared to healthy children, and that emotional variability is directly related to impulsivity. In this context, enhancing emotion regulation skills in anxiety disorders may prove to be a pivotal factor in the efficacy of treatment and the maintenance of behavioral control.

ABSTRACT Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVdF) is commonly used as a binder material in the preparation of anode or cathode electrode slurries for commercial Li‐ion batteries (LIBs). High‐cost PVdF binder generally requires the use of toxic and environmentally unfriendly N ‐methyl‐2‐pyrrolidone (NMP) as a solvent for dissolution. Transitioning to electrode synthesis with low‐cost and nontoxic aqueous binders provides a breakthrough toward achieving fully sustainable and environmentally friendly LIBs. Considering these considerations, graphite anodes with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), carboxymethyl cellulose/styrene‐butadiene rubber (CMC/SBR), and polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) as novel water‐soluble binders are manufactured, analysed, and compared with graphite anode with the conventional PVdF binder. To comprehensively evaluate the performance of the relevant binders, the synthesized electrodes undergo various electrochemical analyses and material characterization techniques. Electrochemical analyses demonstrated that the graphite anode electrode with PVA binder delivered the highest initial discharge capacity of 412 mAh/g with a Coulombic efficiency of 91% and the highest discharge capacity of 359 mAh/g after 200 cycles at 70 mA/g with superior capacity retention and rate performance of 292 mAh/g at 700 mA/g. These results highlight the potential of PVA to improve electrode performance, making it a functional and eco‐friendly water‐soluble binder option for LIBs.

Wildfires initiate a hazard chain that significantly alters landscapes and geohydrological processes. In addition to the extensively documented effects on vegetation, soil erosion, and debris flows, steep and rocky terrains may experience delayed yet persistent slope instabilities. However, post-wildfire hazard assessment frameworks still predominantly use the soil burn severity indicators for any type of mass wasting processes, while the response of rock masses and their contribution to post-fire hazards remain underrepresented.This study addresses this gap by proposing an integrated, rapid assessment approach to evaluate post-wildfire rock slope instability. The motivation of this study is the necessity of cost-effective and timely tools that support emergency response and short- to medium-term risk management in mountainous Mediterranean environments where infrastructure, settlements, and transportation corridors are exposed to post-fire hazards.The proposed methodology combines Sentinel-2 Level-2A multispectral imagery with field-based observations. Burn severity was mapped using the differenced Normalized Burn Ratio (dNBR), and field surveys were conducted to validate spectral classifications and to identify fire-induced rock degradation indicators. In contrast to conventional soil burn severity observations, special attention was given to rock-specific responses. The rock burn severity indicators were semi-quantitatively evaluated and integrated within a GIS-based framework to identify potential slope sectors with increased rockfall susceptibility.Results show that wildfire-induced thermal alteration can significantly weaken carbonate rock surfaces and discontinuities without necessarily leading to rapid slope failures. Wildfire functions as a conditioning mechanism that elevates the susceptibility of rock slopes to subsequent triggers, including rainfall infiltration, runoff concentration, and solar radiation cycles. The study emphasizes the importance of incorporating rock-specific burn severity indicators into post-wildfire rock slope stability assessments. Such an approach supports more comprehensive risk inventories and improves prioritization of mitigation and monitoring strategies. The findings contribute to ongoing efforts to integrate field observations and remote sensing.

Glioblastoma multiforme represents the most aggressive primary brain malignancy with limited treatment options. Current research critically lacks three-dimensional culture platforms that can both recapitulate native tumor microenvironments and enable quantitative monitoring of cellular behavior. This study presents the first electrochemically monitored three-dimensional glioblastoma culture platform developed using multi-component PAN nanofiber scaffolds. Six sensor configurations incorporating Ho-MOF, C500, and GO were systematically developed: ITO/PAN, ITO/PAN/MOF, ITO/PAN/C500, ITO/PAN/GO, ITO/PAN/GO/MOF, and ITO/PAN/GO/C500. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy unveiled a critical discovery: optimal electrical performance does not guarantee biological compatibility. GO/MOF exhibited lowest electron transfer resistance (31.3 Ω) yet failed completely in cell adhesion. C500-modified scaffolds achieved the important finding 39.8 Ω resistance with > 95% cell viability. Cyclic voltammetry delivered current responses (280.53 μA). Precisely-controlled electrospun nanofibers (392-507nm diameters, 9-10μm pores) enabled authentic three-dimensional cellular infiltration. Cytotoxicity testing and Hoechst staining of U-87 MG and LN-18 glioblastoma cells demonstrated high cell viability and a well-organized cellular distribution, particularly on C500-modified PAN nanofiber scaffolds among the tested compositions, consistent with three-dimensional culture conditions. This platform obliterates the gap between reductionist 2D models and clinical reality, delivering real-time electrochemical monitoring within physiologically-relevant three-dimensional scaffolds for transformative glioblastoma research applications.