Uni Research (Norway)

Accurate classification of skin burn depth is vital for determining appropriate treatment and accelerating the healing process. This study conducts a comparative analysis of YOLO-based deep learning architectures for the automated classification of skin burns. Analyses were performed on a robust, multi-source dataset created by combining a proprietary collection of 358 retrospective images from Karadeniz Technical University Farabi Hospital with two large public datasets from Roboflow Universe and Kaggle. All images were meticulously labeled into four burn degrees by expert general surgeons. To enhance model performance and generalizability, various data augmentation and preprocessing techniques were applied. Segmentation-based versions of YOLOv8 and YOLOv11 with different architectural sizes (medium, large, extra-large) were evaluated using metrics such as precision, recall, F1-Score, and mAP. The findings revealed that the YOLOv11x-seg model demonstrated marked superiority over all other tested architectures, achieving an F1-Score of 0.87 and a mAP@0.5 of 0.91. Statistical analysis confirmed the significance of these results. The study demonstrates that the YOLOv11x-seg architecture offers significant potential as a rapid and objective decision support tool in clinical settings. This work makes an original contribution to improving burn diagnosis by integrating a state-of-the-art deep learning model into medical image analysis.

Background/Objectives: Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) shows substantial cognitive heterogeneity, complicating individualized clinical formulation. This study examined whether Cognitive Disengagement Syndrome (CDS), anxiety, and ADHD symptom severity are associated with memory functions and visuospatial skills in children with ADHD. Methods: The sample included 120 children aged 6-12 years with ADHD (ADHD + CDS: n = 40; ADHD-only: n = 80). Memory was assessed with the Oktem Verbal Memory Processes Test (OVMPT) and Wechsler Memory Scale-Visual Reproduction (WMS-VR), and visuospatial skills with WISC-IV Block Design and Judgment of Line Orientation (JLO). ADHD symptoms were rated using combined parent-teacher Turgay-Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition-Based Disruptive Behavior Disorders Scale (T-DSM-IV-S) scores; CDS symptoms with the Barkley Child Attention Scale; and anxiety with the SCARED-Child Form. Group comparisons, correlation analyses, and multivariable linear regression models were conducted. Results: The ADHD + CDS group performed worse on WISC-IV Block Design than the ADHD-only group (p = 0.005). In the ADHD + CDS group, inattention severity showed a strong negative association with WMS-VR short-term memory (r = -0.560, p < 0.001). In the ADHD-only group, inattention severity was negatively associated with OVMPT Spontaneous Recall (ρ = -0.319, p = 0.004) and JLO total score (ρ = -0.348, p = 0.002). Anxiety severity in the ADHD-only group was positively associated with OVMPT Total Learning (ρ = 0.350, p = 0.001), Highest Learning (ρ = 0.370, p = 0.001), and WMS-VR short-term memory (ρ = 0.304, p = 0.006). In regression analyses, the presence of CDS independently and negatively predicted WMS-VR short-term memory (β = -0.187, p = 0.018) and Block Design performances (β = -0.226, p = 0.016). Inattention symptom severity was also independently and negatively associated with Block Design performance (β = -0.243, p = 0.013). Conclusions: CDS status and symptom dimensions contribute to cognitive variability in pediatric ADHD, with CDS showing independent associations with timed visuospatial construction and short-term visual memory. Inattention severity emerged as a robust dimensional predictor of cognitive inefficiency across domains, supporting the clinical utility of symptom-based cognitive profiling in ADHD diagnostic evaluations. In addition, mild anxiety symptoms demonstrated meaningful associations with some learning and memory performances within the ADHD-only group, indicating that affective factors may modulate cognitive outcomes in ADHD. Taken together, these findings support considering CDS status and symptom dimensions jointly when characterizing cognitive variability in ADHD.

Reduced sleep quality in children has been associated with obesity and fatty liver disease; however, there are no studies evaluating the impact of gastrointestinal symptoms on sleep quality in children with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD). The aim of this cross-sectional study was to investigate the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and sleep disturbances in children with MASLD and to examine the association of gastrointestinal symptoms with sleep disturbances. Anthropometric and biochemical examinations were performed on 176 children aged 8-18 years (84 children with MASLD and 92 healthy controls). The Hepatic Steatosis Index (HSI) and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Fibrosis Score (NFS) were calculated for children with MASLD. Sleep disturbances were assessed using the Child Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), and gastrointestinal symptoms were assessed using the Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS). Logistic regressions were used to examine factors associated with sleep quality. A total of 123 participants (69.9%) had sleep disturbances. In unadjusted analysis, sleep disturbances were significantly more common in the MASLD group (89% vs 57%, p<0.001). However, in the final multivariate regression model adjusting for metabolic confounders, the independent predictors of sleep disturbances were low family income (Odds Ratio [OR]=9.56, 95% Confidence Interval [CI]=2.80-32.57), total GSRS score (OR=1.15, 95% CI=1.06-1.24), and HOMA-IR (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.01-2.27). The presence of MASLD itself lost statistical significance after adjustment (p=0.554). NFS, a marker of fibrosis risk, was associated with both sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal symptoms. This study shows that sleep disturbances and gastrointestinal symptoms are more common in children with MASLD, and that gastrointestinal disturbances are significantly associated with sleep disturbances. Furthermore, the results suggest that sleep disturbances may be more common in children with MASLD who have a higher estimated risk of liver fibrosis. Children with MASLD should be evaluated not only for liver health but also for extrahepatic conditions, including sleep and gastrointestinal disorders.

Due to advanced morphological tissue degradation and chemical alterations resulting from putrefaction, challenges arise in identification as well as in histopathological and toxicological examinations. Consequently, it has been debated that autopsies performed on decomposed bodies may have limited diagnostic and forensic value and may not always yield satisfactory results. With this study, we aimed to mitigate concerns and biases in the literature-particularly the view that autopsy has limited value in decomposed geriatric cases-and to delineate the diagnostic yield, contributory value, and limits of applicability of autopsy and histopathological evaluation. We examined 88 decomposed bodies cases arising from non-traumatic, in-home deaths among geriatric individuals. Detailed evaluations were conducted of autopsy, histopathological, toxicological, identification, medical history, and scene investigation findings. Statistical analyses were performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), version 25.0 (Chicago, IL, USA). 83.0% of the cases were male, and the mean age was 70.9 years. 85.2% lived alone, and 70.5% had a history of chronic disease. On histopathological examination, the coronary arteries were the tissues most resistant to autolysis. Toxicological analysis detected therapeutic-range concentrations of pharmaceutical agents in 56.8% of cases and endogenous ethanol in 21.6%. Identification was achieved via DNA comparison analyses in 29.5% of cases. A cause of death was established in 69.3% of cases; the most common non-traumatic cause of death was cardiovascular diseases (48.9%). Contrary to common presumptions, forensic autopsy and histopathological examinations of decomposed bodies in our study successfully determined the cause of death in a substantial proportion of cases (69.3%), a finding that is broadly consistent with the literature. In particular, the systematic histopathological evaluation of tissues resistant to autolysis-such as the coronary arteries and myocardium-combined with modern toxicological analyses and the integrated assessment of scene investigation findings and medical history data, enables a forensically satisfactory determination of the cause of death.

Metacognition refers to the awareness and regulation of one's cognitive processes, including self-monitoring, planning, and controlling thoughts. In individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), although research is limited, deficits in metacognitive skills are commonly observed, which contribute to difficulties in attention, task completion, and self-regulation. The aim of this study is to identify metacognitive characteristics in adolescents diagnosed with ADHD and to explore the relationship between these characteristics and the metacognitions of their parents. The study included 107 adolescents, aged 12-18 years, who were newly diagnosed with ADHD, as well as 100 healthy control participants. A sociodemographic form, The Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children-Present and Lifetime version for DSM-5 (K-SADS-PL DSM-5), Metacognitions Questionnaire for Children (MCQ-C) were applied, while their parents completed the Metacognitions Questionnaire-30 (MCQ-30), Turgay DSM-IV Disruptive Behavior Disorders Rating Scale Form (T-DSM-IV-S) and the Adult ADHD Self-Report Scale for DSM-5 (ASRS-5). Based on ASRS-5 scores, parents were categorized into two groups: those at increased risk of ADHD (ASRS ≥ 14) and those at low risk of ADHD (ASRS < 14). Group differences were examined using multivariate analyses (MANCOVA/MANOVA), while associations between adolescent and parental variables were assessed using correlation analyses. In adolescents with ADHD, scores on the negative meta-worry, superstitious, punishment and responsibility beliefs and cognitive monitoring subscales -as well as the MCQ-C total score- were significantly higher compared to the control group, while no difference was found for positive meta-worry, regardless of subtype. On the parental MCQ-30, all subscale and total scores were significantly higher in the ADHD group. Parents categorized as being at increased risk of ADHD had significantly higher MCQ-30 total scores compared to those at low risk. Furthermore, the severity of ADHD symptoms in adolescents, particularly inattention and hyperactivity-impulsivity, was positively and weakly correlated with the MCQ-C total score. In addition, a weak negative correlation was observed between adolescents' positive meta-worry and parents' cognitive confidence. Our study suggests that metacognitive impairment is prevalent among adolescents with ADHD and their parents. Enhancing metacognitive awareness in individuals with ADHD may facilitate their adaptation to treatment and preparedness for alternative forms of therapeutic intervention.

The increase in population and demand for the various needs of citizens increases the interaction with the geo-environment. Thus, the rate of natural events affecting daily human life increases. Such an event occurred on a rock cliff in a densely populated area in İstanbul (Türkiye). More than four rock blocks (approximately 3–5 m3) belonging to the Paleozoic sequence of İstanbul, composed of nodular limestone with sandy-clay interlayers, detached and fell. The blocks traveled along a path of approximately 60 m and stopped by crushing a couple of buildings downslope. The path was rough and contained various surface conditions (e.g., bedrock, talus, and plants). This study was initiated by the examination of the dimensions of failed rock blocks, their paths, and topographic conditions. Unmanned vehicles (drones) facilitated the generation of 3D numerical models of topographic changes on the site. Quantifying discontinuity properties (such as persistence, spacing, roughness, etc.) and defining weathering properties comprises the second stage, along with sampling. Based on digital topographic data and field observations, cross-sections were defined by means of possible rockfall areas within the area of potentially unstable blocks. Numerical analysis and rockfall analysis were conducted along these critical sections. Interpretation of laboratory data and results obtained from numerical studies leads to an understanding of the mechanism of the recent rockfall event and demonstrates the most critical areas to be considered and reinforced. The research comprises proposing appropriate reinforcement techniques due to the strong Turkish regulations along the “Bosphorus Waterfront Protected Zone”. The study advises pre-cleaning of potentially unstable blocks after a fence production on paths where rocks could fall, and rock anchors in some localities with varying lengths. The latest part of the research covers the re-assessment of mitigation processes with numerical models, which shows that the factor of safety increased to the desired levels. The reinforcement applications at the site match well with the proposed prevention methods.