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Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the extent of DNA damage in pediatric patients with type 1 diabetes and the influence of glycemic variability on DNA damage. Method: The study involved 50 patients under the age of 18 with type 1 diabetes and 21 healthy control individuals. The Medtronic iProTM2 Enlite Glucose Sensor® was implanted, and continuous glucose monitoring metrics were calculated, including standard deviation, glucose management indicator, coefficient of variation, time in range, time below range, and time above range. Blood samples were also taken to assess DNA damage and HbA1c levels. Results: The mean age of children with type 1 diabetes was 13.69±2.99 years, and the male-to-female ratio was 30:20. DNA damage was found to be similar in patients with type 1 DM and in a healthy control group. However, among children with type 1 diabetes mellitus, head length, a measure of undamaged DNA, was significantly higher in patients with good glycemic control (HbA1c≤7.5%) than in those with poor glycemic control (HbA1c>7.5%). A positive correlation was observed between DNA damage parameters and % coefficient of variation, a marker of glycemic variability. Conclusion: The correlation between the coefficient of variation and DNA damage demonstrates the critical importance of maintaining consistent glycemic management in diabetes.

INTRODUCTION: Children born small for gestational age (SGA) are at risk of future obesity and associated comorbidities. Therefore the identification of risk factors and novel biomarkers which are associated with this risk are needed for early detection and to improve preventive strategies. Spexin (SPX), a novel neuropeptide that is involved in the regulation of obesity and fat metabolism, is a candidate biomarker for predicting obesity and related comorbidities at an early age. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of SPX in term infants born small, appropriate, and large for gestational age (LGA) and its association with newborn anthropometric measurements. METHODS: One hundred and twenty term newborn babies classified as SGA, appropriate for gestational age (AGA), or LGA and their mothers were included. SPX, leptin and visfatin were measured in cord blood and maternal serum by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Fifty-six (46.7%) neonates were girls and 64 (53.3%) were boys. The mean birth weight was 3170.70±663 g, birth length was 48.9±2.79 cm, and head circumference was 34.5±1.67 cm. Birth weights, lengths, and head circumferences of the neonates in the SGA, AGA, and LGA groups were significantly different. Cord blood SPX and leptin levels in the SGA groups were significantly lower than those of both the LGA and AGA groups. Cord blood visfatin levels were significantly lower in the AGA group than the LGA and SGA groups. Maternal SPX levels of SGA babies were significantly lower than those of the mothers in both the LGA and AGA groups, but no significant difference was observed between the SGA and LGA groups. Maternal visfatin levels of the AGA babies were significantly higher than the maternal levels of SGA and LGA groups. There was no difference in terms of maternal leptin levels. Cord blood SPX and leptin levels were positively correlated with birth weight, length and head circumference. Birth weight increased significantly in line with maternal pregestational body mass index. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The lowest SPX levels were found in the SGA babies and cord SPX level was significantly correlated with newborn length, weight, and head circumference.

Marine traffic has been identified as a serious threat to Mediterranean cetaceans with few mitigation strategies in place. With only limited research effort within the Eastern Basin, neither baseline species knowledge nor the magnitude of threats have been comprehensively assessed. Delineating the extent of overlap between marine traffic and cetaceans provides decision makers with important information to facilitate management. The current study employed the first seasonal boat surveys within the Eastern Mediterranean Sea of Turkey, incorporating visual and acoustic survey techniques between 2018 and 2020 to understand the spatial distribution of cetacean species. Additionally, marine traffic density data were retrieved to assess the overlap with marine traffic. Encounter rates of cetaceans and marine traffic density were recorded for each 100 km2 cell within a grid. Subsequently, encounter and marine traffic density data were used to create a potential risk index to establish where the potential for marine traffic and cetacean overlap was high. Overall, eight surveys were undertaken with a survey coverage of 21,899 km2 between the Rhodes and Antalya Basins. Deep diving cetaceans (sperm and beaked whales) were detected on 28 occasions, with 166 encounters of delphinids of which bottlenose, striped and common dolphins were visually confirmed. Spatially, delphinids were distributed throughout the survey area but encounter rates for both deep diving cetaceans and delphinids were highest between the Rhodes and Finike Basins. While sperm whales were generally detected around the 1000m contour, delphinids were encountered at varying depths. Overall, two years of monthly marine traffic density were retrieved with an average density of 0.37 hours of monthly vessel activity per square kilometer during the study period. The mean density of vessels was 0.32 and 1.03 hours of monthly vessel activity per square kilometer in non-coastal and coastal waters respectively. The Eastern Mediterranean Sea has several important shipping lanes within the study area. Two priority areas for deep diving cetacean and a large priority area for cetaceans were identified in the waters between Marmaris and Finike where high cetacean encounters and dense marine traffic overlapped. The current study revealed important habitats for cetaceans within the data deficient Eastern Mediterranean Sea and delineated potential risk area where marine traffic should be limited.

The research was conducted to determine the needs of teachers for their continuous professional development and to create an individual professional development plan for this aim. For this purpose, descriptive survey model was used as a method. There are both qualitative and quantitative data in the research. The collection of research data was done in three stages. A survey was conducted in the first stage. At this stage, the population of the research consists of teachers from social networking networks facebook, instangram and whatsApp, which are included in the teacher groups of 529.412 individuals. The sample is composed of 507 teachers who voluntarily respond to the sharing in these groups. In the second phase of the study, focus group interviews were conducted with experts, teachers' professional development needs were determined, and solutions were reported. In the third phase of the research method, relevant literature regarding the teachers’ professional development activities in the world and how these activities were carried out were collected through literature review. As a result of the research, the data gathered by the methods mentioned in the study were combined and an individual professional development plan proposal was prepared. The importance of individual professional development is emphasized for the professional development of teachers.

Background and Objectives: Smokeless tobacco (ST) use has recently become an alternative to cigarettes, and it has been concluded that ST is at least as harmful as cigarettes. ST use is thought to play a role in the pathogenesis of arrhythmia by affecting ventricular repolarization. In this study, we aimed to examine the relationships of Maras powder (MP), one of the ST varieties, with epicardial fat thickness and new ventricular repolarization parameters, which have not previously been described. Materials and Methods: A total of 289 male individuals were included in this study between April 2022 and December 2022. Three groups, 97 MP users, 97 smokers, and 95 healthy (non-tobacco), were compared according to electrocardiographic and echocardiographic data. Electrocardiograms (ECG) were evaluated with a magnifying glass by two expert cardiologists at a speed of 50 m/s. Epicardial fat thickness (EFT) was measured by echocardiography in the parasternal short- and long-axis images. A model was created with variables that could affect epicardial fat thickness. Results: There were no differences between the groups regarding body mass index (p = 0.672) and age (p = 0.306). The low-density lipoprotein value was higher in the MP user group (p = 0.003). The QT interval was similar between groups. Tp-e (p = 0.022), cTp-e (p = 0.013), Tp-e/QT (p =0.005), and Tp-e/cQT (p = 0.012) were higher in the MP user group. While the Tp-e/QT ratio did not affect EFT, MP predicted the epicardial fat thickness (p < 0.001, B = 0.522, 95%CI 0.272–0.773). Conclusions: Maras powder may play a role in ventricular arrhythmia by affecting EFT and causing an increase in the Tp-e interval.

Intermediate wheatgrass (IWG; Thinopyrum intermedium), a nutritionally dense and sustainable crop, is a promising novel ingredient in bakery applications. The main aim of this study was to investigate the potential of IWG as a novel ingredient in breadmaking. The second aim was to investigate the characteristics of breads substituted with 15, 30, 45, and 60% IWG flour compared to control bread produced using wheat flour. The gluten content and quality, bread quality, bread staling, yellow pigment, and phenolic and antioxidant properties were determined. Enrichment with IWG flours significantly affected the gluten content and quality and bread characteristics. Increased levels of IWG flour substitution significantly decreased the Zeleny sedimentation and gluten index values and increased the dry and wet gluten contents. The bread yellow pigment content and crumb b* colour value increased with the increasing level of IWG supplementation. IWG addition also had a positive effect on the phenolic and antioxidant properties. Bread with 15% IWG substitution had the highest bread volume (485 mL) and lowest firmness values (654 g-force; g-f) compared to the other breads, including the control (i.e., wheat flour bread). The results indicated that IWG has great potential to be used in bread production as a novel, healthy, and sustainable ingredient.

Yabancı dil öğretimi ders kitaplarında beceri alanlarına göre belirlenen hedef davranışlar, alıştırmalar yoluyla öğrencilere kazandırılmaya çalışılır. Öğrencilere beceri alanlarında belirlenen hedef davranışları da kazandırmanın yolu da farklı türde ve yeterli miktarda alıştırma yapmaya dayanır. Bu nedenle ders kitaplarında kullanılan alıştırmaların temel ve alt beceriler açısından dengeli bir dağılım göstermesi kadar kullanılan alıştırma türlerinde de çeşitliliğin sağlanması önemlidir. Bu çalışmanın amacı da yabancı dil olarak Türkçe öğretiminde yaygın olarak kullanılan dört öğretim setinin temel seviye (A1-A2) ders kitaplarında dinleme becerisi alanında kullanılan alıştırmaların diğer beceri alanlarına göre oranlarını, kullanılan alıştırma türlerini ve kullanım sıklıklarını tespit etmektedir. “İstanbul Yabancılar İçin Türkçe”, “Yedi İklim Türkçe”, “Gazi Yabancılar İçin Türkçe” ve “Yeni Hitit Yabancılar İçin Türkçe” setlerinin temel seviye (A1-A2) ders kitaplarından doküman incelemesi yoluyla veriler toplanmış ve tümevarımsal içerik analiziyle değerlendirilmiştir. Çalışma sonuçları, incelenen yabancı dil olarak Türkçe temel seviye (A1-A2) ders kitaplarında dört temel dil becerisi arasında en az alıştırmaya dinleme becerisi alanında yer verildiğini ve dinleme-anlamaya yönelik alıştırma çeşitliliğinin artırılması gerektiğini göstermektedir.

İnsan zihninde olumlu bir konotasyona gebe olmayan propaganda, fikir ve tutumlara etki etme ve onları arzu edilen yönde biçimlendirme faaliyetidir. Dünyanın birçok yerinde benzer bir çok biçimde yürütülen propaganda faaliyetleri söz konusudur. Siyasetin beslendiği damarlardan olan propaganda, politik propaganda görünümleri bazında da bir hayli yaygındır. İletişim teknolojilerinden yararlanarak diyalojik olarak yürütülen dijital propaganda da, siyaset yapanların kamuya interaktif biçimde ulaşmasını sağladığından, bugün oldukça popülerdir ve siyasi partiler gibi, siyasi aktörler tarafından da tercih edilmektedir. Propagandanın bugün yoğun olarak meydanlardan, sosyal medyaya kayması ilgili durumun bir göstergesidir. Öyle ki Türkiye’de 24 Haziran 2018’de gerçekleştirilen Cumhurbaşkanlığı ve Milletvekili seçimleri adına sosyal ağlarda öne çıkan platformlardan olan Twitter’da birçok dijital propaganda yürütülmüş, sosyal ağlardaki kamuoyu güncel haberlere hedef kitle olmuştur. Çünkü dijital çağda kamuoyu sokakta olduğu kadar, sosyal ağlardadır ve gündemi bir ölçüde belirleme gücüne sahiptir. Bu yüzden bu çalışmada, Türkiye’de 24 Haziran 2018’de gerçekleştirilen Cumhurbaşkanlığı ve Milletvekili seçimleri öncesinde, Yüksek Seçim Kurulu’nun (YSK) Cumhurbaşkanı adaylarını resmen açıkladığı tarihten (9 Mayıs 2018) itibaren 25 Haziran 2018’e kadar olan süreçte, ilgili adayların ve siyasi partilerin resmi Twitter hesaplarındaki paylaşımları, sosyal ağ analizi yöntemleriyle incelenmiştir. Çalışma neticesinde, siyasi parti ve adayların propaganda amaçlı sosyal ağ kullanımlarına ait bazı yapısal özellikler ve bu özellikler ile seçim bitiminde elde ettikleri politik başarı arasındaki ilişkiler ortaya koyulmuştur.

Ulusal aidiyetin, bağlılığın tezahürü niteliğindeki milliyetçilik, reklamcılığın da fark ettiği önemli ve etkili bir afyon niteliğindedir. Milliyetçilik, günümüzde seçici talep yaratma bağlamında bir reklam aracı olarak kullanılmaktadır. Öyle ki bugün bazı ulusal televizyon kanallarında ve sosyal ağlarda milliyetçi kodlarla çerçevelenmiş reklamlar yer almakta, tüketiciye/kullanıcıya reklamı yapılan mal ya da hizmete yönelerek, ulusal bir misyon da gerçekleştireceği mesajı verilmektedir. Örneğin Türkiye’de dolaşıma sokulmuş olan “Dünyanın En Yenilikçi Dijital Bankası Yapı Kredi” reklamı, bazı nasyonal mesajlar taşımaktadır. İlgili reklam, içerikleri ile tüketiciyi ulusal aidiyete ve bu temelde hareket etmeye davet etmektedir. Bu yüzden bu çalışmada, seçici talep yaratmaya yönelik olan ve ulusal mesajlar ile kodlanmış olan bu reklam analiz edilecek, ilgili reklama yönelik izleyici ilgilenim düzeyleri incelenecektir. Çalışma ile milliyetçiliğin bir reklam aracı olarak nasıl kullanıldığı ve izleyicilerin ilgilenimleri ortaya koyulacaktır.

Background. Aromatase deficiency leading to virilization in mother and female fetuses during pregnancy is a rare disease. It is characterized by impaired estrogen production, increased gonadotropins, and ovarian cysts. Case. Herein, we report a clinical phenotype of the virilized female due to a novel compound heterozygous variant in CYP19A1 [IVS10 + 1 G > A; c.344 G > A (p.R115Q)], with normal gonadotropin levels at the time of admission and histologically normal ovarian tissues. Conclusion. Aromatase deficiency should also be considered even if the initial follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) levels are normal, and ovarian cysts are lacking.

Objective: Testicular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) are the main etiology of infertility in congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The aim of this study is to determine the patients diagnosed with TART and to evaluate the risk factors associated with the development of the disease. Methods: Clinical characteristics of 31 patients with CAH including 19 male, and 12 female patients who were followed up in our clinic were retrospectively reviewed regarding the presence of TART. Differences between clinical and laboratory findings of patients with and without TART were examined. Six male patients with TART were included in the study. Clinical characteristics such as pubertal stage, treatment doses, laboratory findings were evaluated. Changes in size of TARTs were examined with ultrasound follow-ups at six month- intervals. Results: The prevalence of TARTs was 31.5 % (6/19 male). Precocious puberty was higher in patients with TART than without TART. The mean age of the patients was 9.1±2.4 (range: 5.2-12.4) years at the time of diagnosis with TART. Five patients with TART were inadequately controlled. Four patients had a history of precocious puberty. Tumor progression was detected in 4 of 6 patients. In three patients with tumor progression, serum 17-hydroxy progesterone (17-OHP) values increased during follow-up, probably due to non-compliance with treatment. Conclusion: Scrotal ultrasound monitoring should be performed in all male patients with CAH in early childhood irrespective of disease control.

Sosyal medyada kurumlar hakkında yapılan olumlu elektronik ağızdan ağıza iletişim önemli bir değere sahiptir. Sosyal medya kullanan kurum çalışanları bu değerin oluşumunda kurum ve kamusu arasında bir köprü oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı kurum çalışanlarının sosyal medya kullanımı ile olumlu elektronik ağızdan iletişimi arasındaki ilişkiyi incelemek ve literatüre dayanarak geliştirilen yapısal modeli test etmektir. Araştırma 619 (375 erkek, 244 kadın) Aile ve Sosyal Politikalar Bakanlığı çalışanı ile gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çalışmanın veri toplama araçları Sosyal Medya Kullanım Ölçeği (SMKÖ) ve Olumlu Elektronik Ağızdan Ağıza İletişim Ölçeğidir. Ölçüm modeli oluşturulmadan önce değişkenlerin yapısı test edilmiş ve yapısal eşitlik modeline dahil edilecek kadar verimli olduğu gözlemlenmiştir. Daha sonra önerilen model test edilmiştir. Analiz neticesinde, sosyal medya kullanım uyumunu ölçen Sosyal Uyum ve Duygusal Bağlantı (SUDB) ve Sosyal Rutinlere Uyum (SRU) alt boyutlarının her ikisinin çalışmaya katılan kurum çalışanlarının kurumları hakkında olumlu ağızdan ağıza iletişimleri üzerinde anlamlı ve olumlu bir etkisi olduğu görülmüştür. Kurum içi halkla ilişkiler uygulamalarında bu olumlu etki göz önünde bulundurulmalıdır

Bu çalışmada Uşak Üniversitesi İletişim Fakültesi Halkla İlişkiler ve Reklamcılık Bölümü birinci ve dördüncü sınıfında okuyan öğrencilerde toplumsal cinsiyet algısına yönelik tutumların saptanması ve toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine yönelik tutumu yordayan değişkenlerin araştırılması amaçlanmıştır. Çalışmanın amacını gerçekleştirmek için 146 halkla ilişkiler lisans öğrencisinden yapılandırılmış soru formu ile veri toplanmıştır. Halkla ilişkiler öğrencilerinin toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine yönelik tutumlarını belirlemek için ortalama puanlar; cinsiyete ve sınıfa göre farklılıkları tespit etmek için ise bağımsız örneklem t-testi; tutumları oluşturan yordayıcıları belirlemek için regresyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Elde edilen sonuçlar, halkla ilişkiler öğrencilerinin genel olarak toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine ilişkin eşitlikçi bir tutum içerisinde olduğunu göstermiştir. Sınıflar arasındaki farklar toplumsal cinsiyet rollerine yönelik tutumların eğitimle eşitlikçi bir tutuma değiştiğini ortaya koymuştur. Tutumların oluşumunda en önemli yordayıcının cinsiyet olduğu belirlenmiştir. Halkla ilişkiler eğitim müfredatı toplumsal cinsiyet eşitliği yönünde tutumlar oluşturacak biçimde yapılandırılmalıdır.

Eleştirel düşünme günlük hayatta ve meslek hayatında problemlere çözüm üretme, farklı bakış açılarını değerlendirebilme, doğru ve yanlışı ayırt edebilme becerileri kazandırdığı için her birey için kazanılması gereken bir özellik olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır. Eğitim programlarında öğrencilere kazandırılması gereken eleştirel düşünme becerisi çeşitli nedenlerle çoğu zaman kazandırılamamaktadır. Bu konu ile ilgili yapılan araştırmalarda eleştirel düşünme becerisinin öğrencilerde çok yüksek düzeyde olmadığı ortaya çıkmıştır. Bunun gerekçelerinden biri ezbere dayalı bir eğitim sisteminin benimsenmesi ve bunun sonucu olarak eleştirel düşünme becerisinin gelişmemesi olarak belirtilmektedir. Bireyin edindiği bilgiyi araştırması, sorgulaması, analiz etmesi, olaylar arasında bağlantı kurabilmesi, olayları ya da konuları çok yönlü olarak değerlendirebilmesi eleştirel düşünme becerisinin geliştiğinin göstergesidir. Birey ancak eleştirel düşünme becerisini kullanarak güvenilir sonuçlara ulaşabilir. Eleştirel düşünme becerisinin geliştirilmesi için hem öğretim üyelerinin hem de öğrencilerin çaba göstermesi gerekir. Öğrencilerin eleştirel düşünme becerisini geliştirici etkinliklerde bulunması, öğretim üyelerinin öğrenciyi bu yönde özendirmesi önemlidir. Genelinde iletişim fakültesi özelinde ise halkla ilişkiler bölümünde okuyan öğrencilerin eleştirel düşünme becerisine sahip olması mesleki hayatlarında başarıyı getirecektir. Bu çalışma İletişim Fakültesi halkla ilişkiler bölümünde okuyan öğrencilerin eleştirel düşünme eğilimlerini ölçmeye yöneliktir. Yapılan çalışma sonucunda öğrencilerin eleştirel düşünme eğilim düzeylerinin yüksek olduğu, cinsiyete ve kitap okuma sıklıklarına göre farklılık gösterdiği ortaya çıkmıştır. Ancak sınıflar arasında fark sadece azim ve sabır boyutunda anlamlı bulunmuştur.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to encompass the assessment of the effectiveness of the digital library and the value of multidisciplinary databases in terms of user preferences and use frequency by academic ranking. Design/methodology/approach - This paper compares the results of two survey questionnaires carried out in 2002 and 2005. It examines the level of awareness by academic staff of digital library resources along with their use rate and to evaluate the preferences of faculty for specific electronic databases case studies were undertaken by means of separate questionnaires in both years. Findings - Findings were consistent that positive results have been observed in two studies conducted in two years, 2002 and 2005. According to the results of the current survey, increased numbers of the faculty members of Ankara University know about the existence of the digital library. Another result of the survey is that many of the faculty members, although not all, use electronic databases. The most preferred databases have been Web of Science, Science Direct and Ebsco. When use of the electronic databases is analyzed, in respect of faculty rank and level of awareness, associate and assistant professors, assistants are ranked first. Originality/value - The study presents the first case study in the field in Turkey that compares the current situation of the digital library usage with the initial survey data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Creating an environment that boosts effective communication between patients and healthcare personnel, and identifying factors that impair good communication, have favorable results on the quality of healthcare services. The primary goal of this study was to develop a new valid and reliable scale that could be used to identify communication barriers at the patient level. Method: The study was conducted with 421 patients receiving healthcare services at Gaziantep University Şahinbey Research and Practice Hospital. The respondents varied in age, gender, education level and by the department to which they were admitted. Descriptive statistics, exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis and Cronbach’s alpha test were utilized. Results: Based on the analysis of the data collected, a new valid and reliable scale (Cronbach’s alpha= 0.81) was constructed, consisting of 28 items and 7 sub-dimensions. Conclusion: The proposed scale showed that the main factors leading to the creation of communication barriers were waiting times, fear and anxiety experienced by the patients, security staff, patients’ need for attention, lack of trust towards healthcare personnel, concern and need for being informed and prejudice. Key words: Health communication, communication barriers, patients, healthcare personnel, hospitals

INTRODUCTION[|]Celiac disease (CD) and Immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) can be seen together because of the similar autoimmune mechanisms. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the frequency of CD in ITP patients with the literature.[¤]METHODS[|]Twenty nine patients with ITP in Pamukkale University Faculty of Medicine Hospital Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Department was included in the study. Antibodies related to Celiac disease were analysed in patients with ITP. Diagnosis was confirmed by biopsy in patients with positive celiac antibodies. The results were compared with the literature.[¤]RESULTS[|]Thirteen patients (44.8%) were female and 16 (55.2%) were male. The mean age was 7.2+-4.7. The mean platelet count at the time of admission was 13.440+-11.110/mm3 (2.000-41.000). Twelve patients (41.4%) were acute ITP, 6 patients (20.7%) were persistent ITP and 11 patients (37.9%) were chronic ITP according to the duration of thrombocytopenia. Antibody positivity was detected in one of the patients. Histological evaluation was compatible with celiac disease. Results were compared with studies showing prevalence of celiac disease in the population. No significant difference was found.[¤]DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION[|]Although it is not necessary to perform CD tests in every case with ITP, the presence of differential diagnosis of Celiac disease is important for preventing unnecessary treatment especially in patients with ITP who show growth retardation and malabsortion findings.[¤]

Introduction: The passage from childhood to adulthood is the period when health habits and sexual behaviors start to form. Thus, the topics of sexual health and reproductive health should be approached with priority during this period. The objective of the study is to evaluate the knowledge and behavior of students of the medical faculty with respect to sexually transmitted diseases and prevention methods.Methods: The questionnaire that contains 23 headings created by the researchers after relevant literature reviews was administered to the third-semester students of the Izmir Katip Celebi University Medical Faculty in face-to-face interviews after obtaining their verbal consent. The study data was analyzed using the SPSS 20.0 demo software bundle. Conditions in which the p-value was under 0.05 were regarded as statistically significant.Results: The mean age of the students that participated in the study (n=104) was 21.88 ± 1.9 years of age, 51% (n=53) of the students were female, and 49.0% (n=51) were male. Among the students, 93% stated that they had received education about preventing pregnancy. Two of the most well-known prevention methods by the participants were condoms in 99.0% (n=103) and oral contraceptives in 95.2% (n=99). The rate of correct answers given about all of the risk factors for sexually transmitted diseases (sex workers, polygamy, homosexuality, being sexually active, substance addiction) was 22.1% (n=23).Conclusion: Identifying the level of knowledge in the youth about STDs in early periods, determining the services they require, cooperating with related institutions to review the adequacy of information online, and educating youth about STDs are important in preventing these diseases and also in the treatment of existing diseases before they lead to more problems.

Bu çalışma, hastanede hasta yakınları tarafından belirlenen iletişim engellerini çeşitli değişkenlere göre incelenmesini amaçlamaktadır. Araştırma, Türkiye’nin Güneydoğusunda bulunan Gaziantep Üniversitesi Şahinbey Araştırma ve Uygulama Hastanesi’nde araştırmaya katılmaya gönüllü olan 450 hasta yakını ile yürütülmüştür. Veriler katılımcı tanıtım formu ve Şahin ve arkadaşları (2017) tarafından geliştirilen anket formu ile toplanmıştır. Verilerinin analizinde; frekans, yüzde, aritmetik ortalama, standart sapma hesaplanmış ve bağımsız değişkenlerle ölçüm aracındaki toplam puanlar arasındaki farkı incelemek amacıyla Man-Whitney U testi ile Kruskal Wallis, alt boyutlar arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesinde ise Spearman Korelasyon analizi kullanılmıştır. Bu çalışma sonucuna göre, hastanede hasta yakınları düzeyinde hasta yakınları ve sağlık çalışanları arasındaki iletişimi engelleyen faktörlerin kullanılan ölçekte yer aldığı gibi ilgi ihtiyacı, merak ve bilgi öğrenme isteği, bekleme süresi, güven, güvenlik personeli, korku ve endişe ve önyargı olduğu belirlenmiştir. Hasta yakınları ile hasta çalışanları arasındaki sağlık iletişimini engelleyen faktörler; hasta ile olan yakınlığa ve başvurulan bölüme göre anlamlı olarak farklılık göstermezken, cinsiyet, yaş, eğitim durumu ve hasta türüne göre anlamlı olarak farklılık göstermektedir. Bu bağlamda çalışma insan sağlığını iyileştirmeyi amaçlayan eylemlerde hasta yakınları düzeyinde sağlık iletişiminin etkili bir şekilde tesis edilmesi ve bunu engelleyen faktörlere yönelik önlemlerin alınması noktasında önem taşımaktadır.

Species composition and abundance of octocoral assemblages were investigated in the Sea of Marmara, which forms the connection between the Mediterranean and the Black Seas, two semi-enclosed seas with peculiar oceanographic conditions. Fourteen octocoral species were collected in the saline layer of the Marmara Sea (20-40 m), with a mean coral abundance of 5.21±5.11 colonies m–2 (mean ± SD) calculated from a total of 1390 colonies counted in transects. In spite of severe anthropogenic disturbances, dense assemblages of corals/gorgonians were observed during this study. The coralligenous communities—one of the most valuable structures of the Mediterranean Sea—harbored either Eunicella cavolini or Paramuricea macrospina as the dominant gorgonian in the Marmara Sea. Furthermore, the gorgonian assemblages of the Marmara Sea differed from those of the Mediterranean in their high abundance of P. macrospina and Spinimuricea klavereni, two species rarely encountered in the Mediterranean Sea at the studied depth range. The factors behind the observed differences are discussed in regard to the particular oceanographic conditions of the Marmara Sea. Finally, we revised the main threats to corals/gorgonians in the Marmara Sea and provided some insights on management recommendations for coral conservation in this area.

Tüketiciler bir satın alma kararı vereceği zaman, kişilerarası etki ve ağızdan ağıza iletişim WOM en önemli bilgi kaynağı olarak ortaya çıkmaktadır. Günümüzde internet, tüketicilerin diğer tüketicilerden bilgi elde etmesini mümkün hale getirmiştir. İnternet aracılığıyla yayımlanan tüketici yorumları diğer birçok tüketici için ulaşılabilirdir. Bu yorumlar tüketicilerin başarılı ürün ve hizmet seçiminde önemli bir etkiye sahiptir. Bu aşamada çevrimiçi topluluklar, ürün veya hizmetler hakkında bilgi elde etme ve paylaşmaya olanak tanıyan bir kaynak olarak karşımıza çıkmaktadır.Turizm ürün ve hizmetleri deneyim ürünleri olduğundan, tüketicilerini öbür kaynaklara nispeten bilgi kaynağı olarak daha tecrübeli kişilere yönlendirmektedir. Turizm ürünlerinde tecrübe edilmeden değerlendirme yapmak imkânsızdır. Bu sebeple, tüketiciler diğerlerinin önerilerine güvenme ve ihtiyaç duyma eğilimi gösterirler. Turizm ürünü gibi deneme ürünlerine yönelik öneriler tüketiciler üzerinde oldukça etkilidir. Bu yüzden tüketici turizm hizmeti ya da ürünü satın alma kararı verirken kişiler arası etkileşim ve ağızdan ağıza iletişim WOM en önemli bilgi kaynağı olarak görülmektedir. Elektronik ağızdan ağıza iletişim eWOM tartışma forumları, bloglar, sosyal ağ siteleri ve fikir platformları gibi çeşitli internet kanalları vasıtasıyla yayılmaktadır. Bu kanallar vasıtasıyla tüketiciler, bir ürün veya hizmet hakkındaki yorumlarını, önerilerini ve şikâyetlerini bu platformlarda ifade edebilmektedirler.Elektronik ağızdan ağıza iletişime eWOM yönelik tüketici motivasyonları, eWOM ve WOM iletişiminin kavramsal yakınlıklarından dolayı, literatürde geleneksel WOM motivasyonları tarafından açıklanmaya çalışılmıştır. Yapılan bazı araştırmalar WOM iletişiminin çoğunlukla tüketicilerin tükettikleri ürün veya hizmetlerden beklediği tatmini sağlayamadığında ortaya çıktığını göstermiştir. Öte yandan bir başka grup araştırmacı ise olumlu WOM iletişiminin motivasyonları ile olumsuz WOM iletişimi motivasyonlarının birbirinden ayrıldığını vurgulamışlardır. Fakat yalnızca birkaç çalışma WOM davranışını, belirli güdülerle açıklamaya çalışmıştır. Bu araştırma Konya iline ziyarette bulunan yerli turistlerin katılımıyla gerçekleştirilmiştir. Çevrimiçi topluluklarda gerçekleşen elektronik ağızdan ağıza iletişim eWOM konusunu tüketici motivasyonları odağında analizni yapmak amacıyla gerçekleştirilen bu çalışmanın verileri yüz yüze görüşme tekniğiyle, 693 katıımcı üzerinde uygulanan soru formu ile toplanmıştır. Çalışmada elde edilen verilere uygulanan faktör analizi neticesinde, eWOM arama motivasyonları bilgi arama/sosyal oryantasyon, topluluk üyeliği ve mükafat; eWOM sağlama motivasyonları ise kendini geliştirme, sosyal fayda, platform yardımı ve olumsuz duyguların ortaya çıkışı olarak belirlenmiştir.

Marine traffic is threatening cetaceans on a local and global scale. The Istanbul Strait is one of the busiest waterways, with up to 2,500 vessels present daily. This is the first study to assess the magnitude of short- and long-term behavioural changes of the endangered Black Sea harbour porpoises (Phocoena phocoena relicta) in the presence of marine vessels within the Istanbul Strait. Markov chains were used to investigate the effect of vessel presence on the transition probability between behavioural states (diving, surface-feeding and travelling), and to quantify the effect on the behavioural budget and bout length (duration of time spent in a given state) of porpoises. Further, the changes on swimming directions of porpoises in relation to vessel speed and distance was investigated using generalized linear models. In vessel presence, porpoises were less likely to remain in a given behavioural state and instead more likely to switch to another state. Because of this, the bout length of all three behavioural states decreased significantly in the presence of vessels. The vessel effect was sufficiently large to alter the behavioural budget, with surface-feeding decreasing significantly in the presence of vessels. However, when taking into account the proportion of time that porpoises were exposed to vessels (i.e. 50%), the measured effect size was not large enough to significantly alter the animals' cumulative (diurnal) behavioural budget. Additionally, vessel speed and distance had a significant effect on the probability of porpoises showing a response in their swimming directions. The southern and middle sections of the Istanbul Strait, which have the heaviest marine traffic pressure, had the lowest porpoise sightings throughout the year. Conversely, northern sections that were exposed to a lesser degree of marine traffic hold the highest porpoise sightings. The effect shown in this study in combination with increasing human impacts within the northern sections should be considered carefully and species-specific conservation actions, including establishment of protected areas, should be put in place to prevent the long-term consequences of marine traffic on the Black Sea harbour porpoise population.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0172970.].

Simple predictors are needed for the screening of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in obese children. We aimed to assess the role of anthropometric parameters in the prediction of NAFLD. Three hundred and thirty two obese children (152 male, 180 female) aged 4.6-17.0 years were included in this study. Weight, height, waist (WC), and hip circumference were measured. Body mass index (BMI), waist-hip-ratio (WHR), and waist-height-ratio (WHtR) were calculated. Obesity was defined as BMI for age and sex ≥ 95th percentile. NAFLD was diagnosed using ultrasonography (US). NAFLD was present in 60.8% of obese children. Fatty liver prevalence differed significantly by gender and puberty (55.0% of girls vs 67.7% of boys, and 28.7% in prepubertal vs 71.3% in pubertal children; p < 0.05). Significantly higher BMI, BMI standard deviation score (SDS), WC, and WHtR were found in obese children with NAFLD compared to obese children without NAFLD (p < 0.05). Only WHtR was found to be an independent predictor for NAFLD in a logistic regression analysis (p < 0.001, B:1.096, 95% CI 1.047-1.148). Fatty liver is common among obese children, particularly in obese boys. WHtR is a simple and easy index for predicting of NAFLD in obese children and can be used for mass screening in public health.

The population structure of the highly mobile marine mammal, the harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), in the Atlantic shelf waters follows a pattern of significant isolation-by-distance. The population structure of harbor porpoises from the Baltic Sea, which is connected with the North Sea through a series of basins separated by shallow underwater ridges, however, is more complex. Here, we investigated the population differentiation of harbor porpoises in European Seas with a special focus on the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters, using a population genomics approach. We used 2872 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), derived from double digest restriction-site associated DNA sequencing (ddRAD-seq), as well as 13 microsatellite loci and mitochondrial haplotypes for the same set of individuals. Spatial principal components analysis (sPCA), and Bayesian clustering on a subset of SNPs suggest three main groupings at the level of all studied regions: the Black Sea, the North Atlantic, and the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, we observed a distinct separation of the North Sea harbor porpoises from the Baltic Sea populations, and identified splits between porpoise populations within the Baltic Sea. We observed a notable distinction between the Belt Sea and the Inner Baltic Sea sub-regions. Improved delineation of harbor porpoise population assignments for the Baltic based on genomic evidence is important for conservation management of this endangered cetacean in threatened habitats, particularly in the Baltic Sea proper. In addition, we show that SNPs outperform microsatellite markers and demonstrate the utility of RAD-tags from a relatively small, opportunistically sampled cetacean sample set for population diversity and divergence analysis.

Neurofibromatosis type 1 is a multisystemic disease. It may manifest as abnormalities of the nervous tissue, bones, soft tissue, or skin. Autoimmune disease associated with NF1 can be seen. Diabetes mellitus is rarely seen in association with NF1. Here, we report a case with established NF1 who also had a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus.

Few studies have been performed to investigate autoimmune diseases associated with organ non-specific rheumatological disorders in children, such as juvenile idiopathic arthritis (IA). The objective in this study was to determine the frequency of autoimmune diseases of the thyroid gland in children with JIA. Eighty patients with JIA and 81 healthy sex- and age-matched controls were enrolled in the study. Serum free T3, free T4, thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH), anti-thyroglobulin antibodies, and anti-peroxidase antibodies were evaluated. The mean age was 11.5 +/- 5.5 years in the patient group and 10.5 +/- 4.9 years in the control group. Twenty-seven of the cases were classified as oligoarticular, 26 as polyarticular, 17 as enthesitis-related, 6 as systemic, and 4 as psoriatic arthritis. Autoimmune thyroid disease was found in 4 patients in the JIA group (5%). There were no significant differences between the study and control groups regarding the existence of anti-thyroid antibodies (p = 0.17). Girls were more likely to develop autoimmune thyroiditis (3 girls, 1 boy). Autoimmune thyroiditis was more frequent in patients who had a family history of thyroid disease (p = 0.02). There was no statistical correlation between rheumatoid factor (RF) and antinuclear antibody (ANA) positivity and autoimmune thyroiditis (p > 0.05). We conclude that there is no need for routine screening of serum thyroid function tests and thyroid antibody levels in patients with JIA in the absence of clinical symptoms.

In the neonatal intensive care units (NICU), epicutaneo-caval catheters (ECCs) are common alternative vascular routes. Pericardial effusion (PCE) and cardiac tamponade (CT) are rare but serious complications in infants with ECCs. It may be asymptomatic or present with a variety of significant clinical signs, including dyspnea, bradycardia, sudden asystole, and hypotension. If untreated, PCE can be fatal. This report presents, three cases of ECC-associated PCE/CT during NICU stay. All three patients were born before 30 weeks of gestation and weighed less than 1500 g. Echocardiography was used for diagnosis all patients. PCE/CT was detected incidentally in one patient and after hemodynamic deterioration in the other two. In one patient, CT was developed due to catheter malposition, and the other two patient, the catheter tip was found in the right atrium. PCE did not recur in any of the patients after pericardial fluid was drained and the catheters were removed. No PCE/CT-related deaths were observed. In all three patients, X-ray was used to evaluate the location of the catheter tips. However, after clinical deterioration, echocardiography showed that in the first two cases the tips were actually in the right atrium. Real-time ultrasound was suggested with strong evidence to evaluate the location of the catheter tip and to detect secondary malapposition. PCE/CT should be considered in the presence of unexplained and refractory respiratory distress, abnormal heart rate and blood pressure, and metabolic acidosis in a neonate with ECC. Early diagnosis and prompt pericardiocentesis are essential to reduce mortality and improve prognosis. Prospective studies with educational interventions should be designed to demonstrate that the use of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) can be easily acquired and may reduce complications., Competing Interests: Declaration of conflicting interestsThe authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the cardiovascular manifestations and surveillance of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) and to determine the correlation of echocardiographic findings with cardiac magnetic resonance imaging findings., Methods: Forty-four children diagnosed as MIS-C with cardiac involvement were enrolled in this observational descriptive study. The diagnosis of MIS-C was made according to the criteria of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Clinical findings, laboratory parameters, and electrocardiographic and echocardiographic findings at the time of diagnosis and during follow-up were evaluated. Cardiac magnetic resonance was performed on 28 (64%) cases. The 1-year follow-up imaging was performed in all cases with abnormal initial cardiac magnetic resonance findings., Results: Forty-four patients (56.8% male) with a mean age of 8.5 ± 4.8 years were enrolled in this study. There was a significant positive correlation between high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (mean: 162 ± 444.4 pg/ml) and N-terminal pro b-type natriuretic peptide (mean: 10,054 ± 11,604 pg/ml) (p < 0.01). Number of cases with an electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormality was 34 (77%) and 31 (70%), respectively. Twelve cases (45%) had left ventricular systolic dysfunction and 14 (32%) cases had pericardial effusion on admission. Three cases (11%) had cardiac magnetic resonance findings that may be attributed to the presence of myocardial inflammation, and pericardial effusion was present in seven (25%) cases. Follow-up cardiac magnetic resonances of all cases were normal. Cardiac abnormalities were completely resolved in all except two cases., Conclusions: Myocardial involvement can be seen during acute disease, but MIS-C generally does not lead to prominent damage during a year of surveillance. Cardiac magnetic resonance is a valuable tool to evaluate the degree of myocardial involvement in cases with MIS-C.

Objective: The aim of this study is to investigate the frequency of fragmented QRS and its associations with clinical findings and prognosis in children diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy with or without left ventricular non-compaction., Methods: This retrospective study was conducted between 2010 and 2020. Patients with dilated cardiomyopathy were classified into two groups according to the presence of left ventricular non-compaction: Dilated cardiomyopathy with left ventricular non-compaction and dilated cardiomyopathy without left ventricular non-compaction. Patients were also divided into two groups according to the presence of fragmented QRS (fragmented QRS group and non-fragmented QRS group)., Results: Twenty-three of 44 patients (52.3%) were male. Among left ventricular non-compaction patients, the fragmented QRS group had more complex ventricular arrhythmias (p = 0.003). Patients with fragmented QRS had a significantly higher rate of major adverse cardiac events and/or cardiac death in both cardiomyopathy groups (p = 0.003 and p = 0.005). However, the rate of major adverse cardiac events and/or cardiac death was similar between dilated cardiomyopathy patients with and without left ventricular non-compaction. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that the presence of fragmented QRS strongly predicts major adverse cardiac events and/or cardiac death (odds ratio, 31.186; 95% confidence interval, 2.347-414.307). Although the survival rates between cardiomyopathy groups were similar, patients with fragmented QRS had a markedly lower survival rate during the follow-up period, as mean of 15 months (p = 0.001)., Conclusion: Our study showed that the presence of fragmented QRS may be an important ECG sign predicting an major adverse cardiac event and/or cardiac death in patients with dilated cardiomyopathy. We believe that recognising fragmented QRS could be valuable in forecasting patient prognosis and identifying high-risk patients who require additional support.

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause a variety of human diseases known as aspergillosis. Mycotoxin gliotoxin (GT) production is important for its virulence and must be tightly regulated to avoid excess production and toxicity to the fungus. GT self-protection by GliT oxidoreductase and GtmA methyltransferase activities is related to the subcellular localization of these enzymes and how GT can be sequestered from the cytoplasm to avoid increased cell damage. Here, we show that GliT:GFP and GtmA:GFP are localized in the cytoplasm and in vacuoles during GT production. The Mitogen-Activated Protein kinase MpkA is essential for GT production and self-protection, interacts physically with GliT and GtmA and it is necessary for their regulation and subsequent presence in the vacuoles. The sensor histidine kinase SlnA Sln1 is important for modulation of MpkA phosphorylation. Our work emphasizes the importance of MpkA and compartmentalization of cellular events for GT production and self-defense., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The filamentous fungus Aspergillus flavus is a plant and human pathogen predominantly found in the soil as spores or sclerotia and is capable of producing various secondary metabolites (SM) such as the carcinogenic mycotoxin aflatoxin. Recently, we have discovered a novel nuclear chromatin binding complex (KERS) that contains the JARID1-type histone demethylase KdmB, a putative cohesion acetyl transferase EcoA, a class I type histone deacetylase RpdA and the PHD ring finger reader protein SntB in the model filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. Here, we show the presence of the KERS complex in A. flavus by immunoprecipitation-coupled mass spectrometry and constructed kdmBΔ and rpdAΔ strains to study their roles in fungal development, SM production and histone post-translational modifications (HPTMs). We found that KdmB and RpdA couple the regulation of SM gene clusters with fungal light-responses and HPTMs. KdmB and RpdA have opposing roles in light-induced asexual conidiation, while both factors are positive regulators of sclerotia development through the nsdC and nsdD pathway. KdmB and RpdA are essential for the productions of aflatoxin (similar to findings for SntB) as well as cyclopiazonic acid, ditryptophenaline and leporin B through controlling the respective SM biosynthetic gene clusters. We further show that both KdmB and RpdA regulate H3K4me3 and H3K9me3 levels, while RpdA also acts on H3K14ac levels in nuclear extracts. Therefore, the chromatin modifiers KdmB and RpdA of the KERS complex are key regulators for fungal development and SM metabolism in A. flavus., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Epigenetic modification of chromosome structure has increasingly been associated with alterations in secondary metabolism and sporulation defects in filamentous fungal pathogens. Recently, the epigenetic reader protein SntB was shown to govern virulence, spore production and mycotoxin synthesis in the fruit pathogen Penicillium expansum. Through immunoprecipitation-coupled mass spectrometry, we found that SntB is a member of a protein complex with KdmB, a histone demethylase and the essential protein RpdA, a histone deacetylase. Deletion of kdmB phenocopied some but not all characteristics of the ΔsntB mutant. KdmB deletion strains exhibited reduced lesion development on Golden Delicious apples and this was accompanied by decreased production of patulin and citrinin in host tissue. In addition, ΔkdmB mutants were sensitive to several cell wall stressors which possibly contributed to the decreased virulence observed on apples. Slight differences in spore production and germination rates of ΔkdmB mutants in vitro did not impact overall diameter growth in culture., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: N.P.K. declares a potential conflict of interest as co-founder of the company Terra Bioforge. N.P.K. is also a Scientific Advisory Board member for Clue Genetics, Inc. The remaining authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Granulomas are important immunological structures in the host defense against the fungus Paracoccidioides brasiliensis , the main etiologic agent of Paracoccidioidomycosis (PCM), a granulomatous systemic mycosis endemic in Latin America. We have performed transcriptional and proteomic studies of yeasts present in the pulmonary granulomas of PCM aiming to identify relevant genes and proteins that act under stressing conditions. C57BL/6 mice were infected with 1x10 6 yeasts and after 8- and 12-weeks of infection, granulomatous lesions were obtained for extraction of fungal and murine RNAs and fungal proteins. Dual transcriptional profiling was done comparing lung cells and P. brasiliensis yeasts from granulomas with uninfected lung cells and the original yeast suspension used in the infection, respectively. Mouse transcripts indicated a lung malfunction, with low expression of genes related to muscle contraction and organization. In addition, an increased expression of transcripts related to the activity of neutrophils, eosinophils, macrophages, lymphocytes as well as an elevated expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-17 transcripts were observed. The increased expression of transcripts for CTLA-4, PD-1 and arginase-1, provided evidence of immune regulatory mechanisms within the granulomatous lesions. Also, our results indicate iron as a key element for the granuloma to function, where a high number of transcripts related to fungal siderophores for iron uptake was observed, a mechanism of fungal virulence not previously described in granulomas. Furthermore, transcriptomics and proteomics analyzes indicated a low fungal activity within the granuloma, as demonstrated by the decreased expression of genes and proteins related to energy metabolism and cell cycle., Competing Interests: The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2023 Borges, Ramos, Preite, Kaminski, Alves de Castro, Camacho, Maximo, Fill, Calich, Traynor, Sarikaya-Bayram, Doyle, Bayram, de Campos, Zelanis, Goldman and Loures.)

Fungi are a diverse group of organisms that can be both beneficial and harmful to mankind. They have advantages such as producing food processing enzymes and antibiotics, but they can also be pathogens and produce mycotoxins that contaminate food. Over the past two decades, there have been significant advancements in methods for studying fungal molecular biology. These advancements have led to important discoveries in fungal development, physiology, pathogenicity, biotechnology, and natural product research. Protein complexes and protein-protein interactions (PPIs) play crucial roles in fungal biology. Various methods, including yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) and bimolecular fluorescence complementation (BiFC), are used to investigate PPIs. However, affinity-based PPI methods like co-immunoprecipitation (Co-IP) are highly preferred because they represent the natural conditions of PPIs. In recent years, the integration of liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has been used to analyse Co-IPs, leading to the discovery of important protein complexes in filamentous fungi. In this review, we discuss the tandem affinity purification (TAP) method and single affinity purification methods such as GFP, HA, FLAG, and MYC tag purifications. These techniques are used to identify PPIs and protein complexes in filamentous fungi. Additionally, we compare the efficiency, time requirements, and material usage of Sepharose™ and magnetic-based purification systems. Overall, the advancements in fungal molecular biology techniques have provided valuable insights into the complex interactions and functions of proteins in fungi. The methods discussed in this review offer powerful tools for studying fungal biology and will contribute to further discoveries in this field., (© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Portland Press Limited on behalf of the Biochemical Society.)

Aspergillus fumigatus is a saprophytic fungus that can cause a variety of human diseases known as aspergillosis. Mycotoxin gliotoxin (GT) production is important for its virulence and must be tightly regulated to avoid excess production and toxicity to the fungus. GT self-protection by GliT oxidoreductase and GtmA methyltransferase activities is related to the subcellular localization of these enzymes and how GT can be sequestered from the cytoplasm to avoid increased cell damage. Here, we show that GliT:GFP and GtmA:GFP are localized in the cytoplasm and in vacuoles during GT production. Peroxisomes are also required for proper GT production and self-defense. The Mitogen-Activated Protein (MAP) kinase MpkA is essential for GT production and self-protection, interacts physically with GliT and GtmA and it is necessary for their regulation and subsequent presence in the vacuoles. Our work emphasizes the importance of dynamic compartmentalization of cellular events for GT production and self-defense., Competing Interests: Additional Declarations: There is NO Competing Interest.

Organisms have developed different features to capture or sense sunlight. Vertebrates have evolved specialized organs (eyes) which contain a variety of photosensor cells that help them to see the light to aid orientation. Opsins are major photoreceptors found in the vertebrate eye. Fungi, with more than five million estimated members, represent an important clade of living organisms which have important functions for the sustainability of life on our planet. Light signalling regulates a range of developmental and metabolic processes including asexual sporulation, sexual fruit body formation, pigment and carotenoid production and even production of secondary metabolites. Fungi have adopted three groups of photoreceptors: (I) blue light receptors, White Collars, vivid, cryptochromes, blue F proteins and DNA photolyases, (II) red light sensors, phytochromes and (III) green light sensors and microbial rhodopsins. Most mechanistic data were elucidated on the roles of the White Collar Complex (WCC) and the phytochromes in the fungal kingdom. The WCC acts as both photoreceptor and transcription factor by binding to target genes, whereas the phytochrome initiates a cascade of signalling by using mitogen-activated protein kinases to elicit its cellular responses. Although the mechanism of photoreception has been studied in great detail, fungal photoreception has not been compared with vertebrate vision. Therefore, this review will mainly focus on mechanistic findings derived from two model organisms, namely Aspergillus nidulans and Neurospora crassa and comparison of some mechanisms with vertebrate vision. Our focus will be on the way light signalling is translated into changes in gene expression, which influences morphogenesis and metabolism in fungi.

Gliotoxin (GT) biosynthesis in fungi is encoded by the gli biosynthetic gene cluster. While GT addition autoinduces biosynthesis, Zn 2+ has been shown to attenuate cluster activity, and it was speculated that identification of Zn2Cys6 binuclear transcription factor GliZ binding partners might provide insight into this observation. Using the Tet-ON induction system, doxycycline (DOX) presence induced GliZ fusion protein expression in, and recovery of GT biosynthesis by, A. fumigatus ΔgliZ::HA-gliZ and ΔgliZ::TAP-gliZ strains, respectively. Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed that DOX induces gli cluster gene expression (n = 5) in both A. fumigatus HA-GliZ and TAP-GliZ strains. GT biosynthesis was evident in Czapek-Dox and in Sabouraud media, however tagged GliZ protein expression was more readily detected in Sabouraud media. Unexpectedly, Zn 2+ was essential for GliZ fusion protein expression in vivo, following 3 h DOX induction. Moreover, HA-GliZ abundance was significantly higher in either DOX/GT or DOX/Zn 2+ , compared to DOX-only. This suggests that while GT induction is still intact, Zn 2+ inhibition of HA-GliZ production in vivo is lost. Co-immunoprecipitation revealed that GT oxidoreductase GliT associates with GliZ in the presence of GT, suggesting a potential protective role. Additional putative HA-GliZ interacting proteins included cystathionine gamma lyase, ribosomal protein L15 and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT). Total mycelial quantitative proteomic data revealed that GliT and GtmA, as well as several other gli cluster proteins, are increased in abundance or uniquely expressed with GT addition. Proteins involved in sulphur metabolism are also differentially expressed with GT or Zn 2+ presence. Overall, we disclose that under DOX induction GliZ functionality is unexpectedly evident in zinc-replete media, subject to GT induction and that GliT appears to associate with GliZ, potentially to prevent dithiol gliotoxin (DTG)-mediated GliZ inactivation by zinc ejection., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Fungal growth and development are coordinated with specific secondary metabolism. This coordination requires 8 of 74 F-box proteins of the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans. F-box proteins recognize primed substrates for ubiquitination by Skp1-Cul1-Fbx (SCF) E3 ubiquitin RING ligases and degradation by the 26S proteasome. 24 F-box proteins are found in the nuclear fraction as part of SCFs during vegetative growth. 43 F-box proteins interact with SCF proteins during growth, development or stress. 45 F-box proteins are associated with more than 700 proteins that have mainly regulatory roles. This corroborates that accurate surveillance of protein stability is prerequisite for organizing multicellular fungal development. Fbx23 combines subcellular location and protein stability control, illustrating the complexity of F-box mediated regulation during fungal development. Fbx23 interacts with epigenetic methyltransferase VipC which interacts with fungal NF-κB-like velvet domain regulator VeA that coordinates fungal development with secondary metabolism. Fbx23 prevents nuclear accumulation of methyltransferase VipC during early development. These results suggest that in addition to their role in protein degradation, F-box proteins also control subcellular accumulations of key regulatory proteins for fungal development., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Sarikaya Bayram et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Chromatin complexes control a vast number of epigenetic developmental processes. Filamentous fungi present an important clade of microbes with poor understanding of underlying epigenetic mechanisms. Here, we describe a chromatin binding complex in the fungus Aspergillus nidulans composing of a H3K4 histone demethylase KdmB, a cohesin acetyltransferase (EcoA), a histone deacetylase (RpdA) and a histone reader/E3 ligase protein (SntB). In vitro and in vivo evidence demonstrate that this KERS complex is assembled from the EcoA-KdmB and SntB-RpdA heterodimers. KdmB and SntB play opposing roles in regulating the cellular levels and stability of EcoA, as KdmB prevents SntB-mediated degradation of EcoA. The KERS complex is recruited to transcription initiation start sites at active core promoters exerting promoter-specific transcriptional effects. Interestingly, deletion of any one of the KERS subunits results in a common negative effect on morphogenesis and production of secondary metabolites, molecules important for niche securement in filamentous fungi. Consequently, the entire mycotoxin sterigmatocystin gene cluster is downregulated and asexual development is reduced in the four KERS mutants. The elucidation of the recruitment of epigenetic regulators to chromatin via the KERS complex provides the first mechanistic, chromatin-based understanding of how development is connected with small molecule synthesis in fungi., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.)

Filamentous fungal cells, unlike yeasts, fuse during vegetative growth. The orthologs of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase Fus3 and transcription factor Ste12 are commonly involved in the regulation of cell fusion. However, the specific regulatory mechanisms underlying cell fusion in filamentous fungi have not been revealed. In the present study, we identified the novel protein FsiA as an AoFus3- and AoSte12-interacting protein in the filamentous fungus Aspergillus oryzae. The expression of AonosA and cell fusion-related genes decreased upon fsiA deletion and increased with fsiA overexpression, indicating that FsiA is a positive regulator of cell fusion. In addition, the induction of cell fusion-related genes by fsiA overexpression was also observed in the Aoste12 deletion mutant, indicating that FsiA can induce the cell fusion-related genes in an AoSte12-independent manner. Surprisingly, the fsiA and Aoste12 double deletion mutant exhibited higher cell fusion efficiency and increased mRNA levels of the cell fusion-related genes as compared to the fsiA single deletion mutant, which revealed that AoSte12 represses the cell fusion-related genes in the fsiA deletion mutant. Taken together, our data demonstrate that FsiA activates the cell fusion-related genes by suppressing the negative function of AoSte12 as well as by an AoSte12-independent mechanism., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The conserved fungal velvet family regulatory proteins link development and secondary metabolite production. The velvet domain for DNA binding and dimerization is similar to the structure of the Rel homology domain of the mammalian NF-κB transcription factor. A comprehensive study addressed the functions of all four homologs of velvet domain encoding genes in the fungal life cycle of the soil-borne plant pathogenic fungus Verticillium dahliae. Genetic, cell biological, proteomic and metabolomic analyses of Vel1, Vel2, Vel3 and Vos1 were combined with plant pathogenicity experiments. Different phases of fungal growth, development and pathogenicity require V. dahliae velvet proteins, including Vel1-Vel2, Vel2-Vos1 and Vel3-Vos1 heterodimers, which are already present during vegetative hyphal growth. The major novel finding of this study is that Vel1 is necessary for initial plant root colonization and together with Vel3 for propagation in planta by conidiation. Vel1 is needed for disease symptom induction in tomato. Vel1, Vel2, and Vel3 control the formation of microsclerotia in senescent plants. Vel1 is the most important among all four V. dahliae velvet proteins with a wide variety of functions during all phases of the fungal life cycle in as well as ex planta., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathways are highly conserved from yeast to human and are required for the regulation of a multitude of biological processes in eukaryotes. A pentameric MAPK pathway known as the Fus3 pheromone module was initially characterised in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and was shown to regulate cell fusion and sexual development. Individual orthologous pheromone module genes have since been found to be highly conserved in fungal genomes and have been shown to regulate a diverse array of cellular responses, such as cell growth, asexual and sexual development, secondary metabolite production and pathogenicity. However, information regarding the assembly and structure of orthologous pheromone modules, as well as the mechanisms of signalling and their biological significance is limited, specifically in filamentous fungal species. Recent studies have provided insight on the utilization of the pheromone module as a central signalling hub for the co-ordinated regulation of fungal development and secondary metabolite production. Various proteins of this pathway are also known to regulate reproduction and virulence in a range of plant pathogenic fungi. In this review, we discuss recent findings that help elucidate the structure of the pheromone module pathway in a myriad of fungal species and its implications in the control of fungal growth, development, secondary metabolism and pathogenicity., (Copyright © 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The ubiquitin proteasome system is critical for the regulation of protein turnover, which is implicated in the modulation of a wide array of biological processes in eukaryotes, ranging from cell senescence to virulence in plant and human hosts. Proteins to be marked for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation are bound by F-box proteins, which are interchangeable substrate-recognising receptors. These F-box proteins bind a wide range of substrates and associate with the adaptor protein Skp1 and the scaffold Cul1 to form Skp1-Cul1-F-box (SCF) complexes. SCF complex components are highly conserved in eukaryotes, ranging from yeast to humans. However, information regarding the composition of these complexes and the biological roles of F-box proteins is limited, specifically in filamentous fungal species like the genus Aspergillus. In this study, we have identified 51 and 55 fbx-encoding genes in the genomes of two pathogenic fungi, A. fumigatus and A. flavus, respectively. Immunoprecipitations of the HA-tagged SkpA adaptor protein revealed that 26 F-box proteins in A. fumigatus and 30 F-box proteins in A. flavus are involved in SCF complex formation during vegetative growth. These interactome data also revealed that a diverse array of SCF complex conformations exist in response to various exogenous stressors. Lastly, we have provided evidence that the F-box protein Fbx45 interacts with SkpA in both species in response to Amphotericin B. Orthologs of the fbx45 gene are highly conserved in Aspergillus species, but are not present within the genomes of organisms such as yeast, plants or humans. This suggests that Fbx45 could potentially be a novel F-box protein that is unique to specific filamentous fungi such as Aspergillus species., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)