University of Kyrenia

Abstract Objectives: This study examines the impact of exercise-induced hypohydration on prefrontal hemodynamic and cognitive functions within high and low body mass index athletes. Methods: A total of twelve athletes well adapted to the bicycle ergometer were included in the study (LBMIG (24.64 kg/m²) and HBMIG (32.45 kg/m²)). Participants attended two visits to the laboratory. At their first visit, their body weight and hemocrit values were assembled, and they completed the practice 2-back test. At their second visit, participants' body weights and hematocrit values were measured, followed by recording their 2-back performance and prefrontal hemodynamic responses during performance. This session was followed by submaximal exercise and then 4x20 seconds of sprint intervals. Afterward, 2-back test performance was measured with their prefrontal hemodynamic responses. Results: Hematocrit levels increased in both groups compared to pre-exercise levels (p< 0.05), with a higher increase in the HBMIG (p=0.045). On the other hand, pre-post exercise responses in prefrontal hemodynamic activity during the 2-back test showed different patterns for each group: an increase in oxyhemoglobin for the LBMIG (p=0.002), an increase in deoxyhemoglobin for the HBMIG (p=0.033), and an increase in total hemoglobin for the HBMIG (p=0.050). Furthermore, the number of missing answers in the post-exercise 2-back test results was significantly higher in the HBMI group compared to the LBMI group. Conclusions: Exercise-induced hypohydration may negatively affects prefrontal hemodynamics and cognitive function in high-BMI athletes. This effect may cause cognitive decline in athletes with high BMI values, negatively affecting their sport or match performance under physical fatigue.

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.

This study explores the impact of sustainable leadership (SL) on environmental performance (EP), focusing on the mediating role of employee well-being (EW) and the moderating role of eco-anxiety in green companies in Turkey. The framework is founded on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) paradigm and is enhanced by Sustainable Leadership Theory, Bottom-Up Spillover Theory, and Terror Management Theory. Data were collected from 289 employees at five environmentally sustainable enterprises in Turkey, using a standardized questionnaire to evaluate characteristics through validated multi-item scales. Structural equation modeling (SEM) with SmartPLS4 was employed to assess reliability, validity, and the suggested correlations. The study’s findings demonstrate that SL has a substantial and favorable impact on EP, both directly and indirectly, through the enhancement of staff well-being. Furthermore, research indicates that eco-anxiety mitigates the association between SL and well-being, suggesting that increased eco-anxiety diminishes the beneficial effects of leadership. These findings underline the significance of robust, SL and proactive management of eco-anxiety to enhance employee well-being and optimize corporate environmental results. The outcomes indicate that firms should allocate resources to leadership development initiatives and staff support frameworks to alleviate climate-related anxiety and enhance resilience. The study advances Sustainable Development Goal 3 (Good Health and Well-being) by demonstrating how psychological health and leadership synergize to enhance environmental performance. It also offers practical implications for sustainable workplace practices.

Global warming is a multifaceted challenge triggered by greenhouse gas emissions attributable to carbon-intensive industrial expansion for economic growth incentives. Therefore, the departure from carbon-intensive to carbon-efficient production process has become compulsory to maintain ecological preservation. In this context, the present study examines how ecological efficiency of affluence, biocapacity, fiscal decentralization, renewable energy expansion, population, financialization, and economic globalization influence carbon intensity in seven emerging and developing countries (EGDVCs) between 2000 and 2019. The outcomes of the Method of Moments Quantile Regression postulated that fiscal decentralization, population, financialization, and economic globalization give rise to carbon intensity. At the same time, ecological efficiency of affluence, renewable energy expansion, and biocapacity support the carbon-neutral objectives of EGDVCs and contribute to ecological preservation. The negative coefficient of the moderator portrays that fiscal decentralization encourages environmental preservation through the biocapacity channel. In other words, fiscally decentralized authorities of countries with substantially high capacity to regenerate materials from nature and absorb waste may bring about energy transition initiatives to tackle carbon intensity and instigate environmental preservation. Keeping in mind these outcomes, EGDVCs are advised to build fiscal decentralization on a more responsive sub-national administrative setup to ensure policy harmony between advancing carbon efficiency and preserving the regenerative capacity of Earth's ecosystem to maintain the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) on clean energy (SDG-7) and climate action (SDG-13).

Antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli (E. coli) poses a major public health threat. This study introduces a fractional-order differential equation model incorporating memory effects to analyze resistance and susceptibility dynamics in E. coli populations exposed to Ertapenem, Imipenem, and Meropenem, using real-world data from 2018 to 2023 from a hospital in Northern Cyprus. The model accounts for genetic mutations, horizontal gene transfer, and the decay of resistance. Results indicate a gradual increase in resistance, with higher fractional orders slowing growth rates. Basic reproduction number analysis identifies thresholds for resistance persistence or decline, suggesting that reducing mutation rates and enhancing decay factors can control resistance. Projections forecast an 800% rise in resistance cases by 2030 compared to 2018, underscoring the need for optimized antibiotic stewardship.

Background: Mismatch negativity (MMN) is a component of the auditory event-related potential (ERP) that is elicited during a passive oddball paradigm where task-irrelevant infrequent deviants are presented in a stream of more frequent standard stimuli. MMN is believed to index a pre-attentive stage of auditory information processing closely linked to N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDAR). Ketamine is thought to act primarily as an NMDAR antagonist, has been used in clinical trials to model the symptoms of schizophrenia and is increasingly used in the clinic to treat depression. Various studies have reported that ketamine reduces MMN amplitude which, in turn, might reflect reduced function of NMDAR-mediated neurotransmission. Nonetheless, there is growing evidence showing MMN amplitude either having high variability or, paradoxically, moving in the opposite direction after ketamine in different individuals. Methods: In here, we analyzed results from three independent ERP studies to test the hypothesis of a cross-over interaction (″disordinal″ drug effect) between the duration-deviant MMN at baseline (without ketamine) and the direction and magnitude of the ketamine effect. To rule out regression to the mean (RTM), a statistical phenomenon that may also partially explain this cross-over interaction, we separately estimated RTM using a drug-free test-retest study. Results: Our results are the first to statistically demonstrate the existence of a disordinal drug response to ketamine, where the direction and magnitude of ketamine-induced changes in MMN amplitude can be predicted by baseline MMN amplitude. Conclusions: These new insights may contribute to novel precision medicine approaches to treatment of CNS disorders.

This study aimed to examine the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the Inpatient Experience with Nursing Care Scale (IPENCS). A methodological study included 523 inpatients in a university and a training and research hospital located in 2 provinces between April 2023 and April 2024. The language, content (I-CVI: 0.85-1.00; S-CVI: 0.99), and face validity of the scale were established. For construct validity, CFA analyses confirmed the good fit of the original scale. Convergent, divergent, and discriminant validity were established (ASV < MSV < AVE < 0.50; CR < 0.80; AVE < CR). Reliability analysis indicated that the total Cronbach's α coefficient was 0.94 and item-total score correlations (0.507-0.687) were adequate. The ICC coefficient for test-retest was 0.705, and parallel form reliability and concurrent validity had a high correlation (r = 0.669, p < 0.05). The results showed that the Turkish version of the scale was a valid and reliable tool to determine the nursing care experience of inpatients. This scale, evaluating patients' nursing care experiences during their hospitalization by focusing on the process rather than the outcome, would be a useful tool for nurses and healthcare managers to use to evaluate the service.