Izmir Kâtip Çelebi University

Background The use of new digital technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), and the inclusion of games in care settings may reduce children's anxiety, fear, and pain by distracting them from the procedure. Purpose This parallel-group randomized controlled trial aimed to evaluate the effects of active and passive VR as distraction methods administered before circumcision on anxiety, fear, and pain in children aged 7–12 years. Methods This study was conducted at the pediatric urology clinic of a university hospital in western Turkey. The children were randomly assigned to three groups: active VR (n = 32), passive VR (n = 32), and control (n = 32). VR interventions were used only before the circumcision procedure and were not continued during the procedure. Anxiety, fear, pain, and vital signs were assessed before and after circumcision. Results Anxiety and fear levels in the active and passive groups were significantly lower than those in the control group (p < 0.05). No significant between-group differences were found in pain level, heart rate, or oxygen saturation after circumcision (p > 0.05). Conclusion and practice implications Children in the active VR group who played an interactive game before the circumcision procedure showed a greater reduction in fear and anxiety. These results support the effect of VR on anticipatory anxiety and fear during the preoperative period. The use of VR as a non-pharmacological method in healthcare settings may help children relax before undergoing medical procedures.

Abstract Background Dairy products play an important role in children’s development and may also have an impact on academic success. This cross-sectional study aims to investigate the link between dairy intake and the nutritional status and academic success of school-aged children. Materials and methods Sample consisted of 118 children (aged 9–11 years) attending three primary schools, located in different socioeconomic status (SES) districts in Izmir. Anthropometrics were taken; Food Behavior Scale (FBS) was administered. Dairy intake was assessed by three-days food consumption records completed by parents. The adequacy level of dairy consumption was assessed based on Dietary Guidelines for Türkiye. Academic success was determined through subjective assessment by teachers. Results Of children, 44.1% had adequate dairy product consumption. Those with adequate dairy consumption had higher mid-upper arm circumference (p < 0.05) and FBS scores (6.23 ± 4.74 and 2.00 ± 5.22, respectively, p < 0.05) than those with inadequate dairy consumption. Dairy product consumption was associated with grammar, mathematics, and overall academic achievement scores (p < 0.05). Adequacy of dairy product consumption was similar across different SES groups (p = 0.583). Conclusion Although it is difficult to establish a direct link between nutritional status and school performance and dairy consumption since other dietary components have not been evaluated, adequate dairy product consumption may have positive effects on children’s nutritional status and academic success. Establishing a habit of consuming dairy products during childhood and increasing their accessibility may provide significant benefits in public health.

A new approach for certifying local and almost global stability of invariant sets for systems of coupled phase oscillators is proposed. The method uses Gram matrix representations of finite Fourier series (also known as trigonometric polynomials) to obtain local Lyapunov functions or (global) Lyapunov densities (so-called dual Lyapunov functions). Consequently, we obtain sufficient conditions for stability using trigonometric Lyapunov (or dual Lyapunov) functions by means of linear matrix in(equalities), which can be solved using semidefinite programming. We showcase the adaptability of our results by analyzing Kuramoto models, consisting of three and four phase oscillators with an arbitrary coupling topology. In these models, we certify partial or complete phase locking/cohesion, and the presence of an attracting/repelling set. It is exhibited, through an example, that the proposed method can certify the stability of an attractor that is not a priori known. The results can also be applied to certify almost global asymptotic synchronization of switched systems of Kuramoto oscillators. The methodology opens new possibilities for analyzing control systems and higher-order systems with rotational dynamics.

This study aimed to evaluate the publication outcomes of oral abstracts presented at the European Society of Neuroradiology (ESNR) congresses between 2018 and 2022 and to identify factors associated with subsequent publication in peer-reviewed journals. All oral abstracts presented at ESNR congresses from 2018 to 2022 were identified from the official Books of Abstracts. Publication status was determined through a systematic search of the PubMed/MEDLINE database. For each abstract, subspecialty, study design, and type of institutional collaboration were recorded. Publication rates, time to publication, journal impact factors, and citation metrics were analyzed. Statistical comparisons were performed using chi-square, Kruskal–Wallis, and Mann–Whitney U tests with Bonferroni correction. Among 241 oral presentations, 114 (47.3

Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae is a significant pathogen that cause severe bacterial septicemia in a broad range of hosts. This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae affecting farmed Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) stocks in Aegean Sea, Türkiye. The total mortality rate of the farm was calculated as 18% exhibiting clinical signs of the disease, characterised by lethargic swimming and loss of equilibrium in bluefin tuna cages. Although external clinical signs were not determined, hemorrhages were observed in liver, swim bladder and heart. Microbiological examinations resulted in the isolation of a total of four bacterial strains, including two isolates from the summer sampling period and two isolates from the autumn sampling period. Among these, representative strains designated as THAS1 and THAS2 were selected for further biochemical and molecular characterization, through which Photobacterium damselae subsp. damselae was identified. Histopathological examinations of liver, heart, spleen, and kidney tissues associated with the infection revealed the presence of melanomacrophage centers in histological sections of the spleen and kidney. Consequently, this study reveals the epizootic and impact of P. d. subsp. damselae infection in farmed Atlantic bluefin tuna with clinical and microbiological results associated with pathological changes. Further research on the epidemiology and epizootiology of this disease is essential for sustainable aquaculture of tuna fish stocks, especially in Mediterranean.