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Despite half a century of dedicated studies, medication adherence remains far from perfect, with many patients not taking their medications as prescribed. The magnitude of this problem is rising, jeopardizing the effectiveness of evidence-based therapies. An important reason for this is the unprecedented demographic change at the beginning of the 21st century. Aging leads to multimorbidity and complex therapeutic regimens that create a fertile ground for nonadherence. As this scenario is a global problem, it needs a worldwide answer. Could this answer be provided, given the new opportunities created by the digitization of health care? Daily, health-related information is being collected in electronic health records, pharmacy dispensing databases, health insurance systems, and national health system records. These big data repositories offer a unique chance to study adherence both retrospectively and prospectively at the population level, as well as its related factors. In order to make full use of this opportunity, there is a need to develop standardized measures of adherence, which can be applied globally to big data and will inform scientific research, clinical practice, and public health. These standardized measures may also enable a better understanding of the relationship between adherence and clinical outcomes, and allow for fair benchmarking of the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of adherence-targeting interventions. Unfortunately, despite this obvious need, such standards are still lacking. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to call for a consensus on global standards for measuring adherence with big data. More specifically, sound standards of formatting and analyzing big data are needed in order to assess, uniformly present, and compare patterns of medication adherence across studies. Wide use of these standards may improve adherence and make health care systems more effective and sustainable.

Abstract A distributed ledger is a shared and synchronized database across multiple designated nodes, often referred to as miners, validators, or peers. These nodes record, distribute, and access data to ensure security and transparency. However, these nodes can be compromised and manipulated by selectively choosing which user transactions to include, exclude, or reorder, thereby gaining an unfair advantage. This is known as a miner/maximal extractable value (MEV) attack. Existing solutions can be classified into various categories, such as MEV auction platforms and time-based ordering properties, which rely on private transaction Mempools. In this paper, we first identify some architectural weaknesses inherent in the latest proposals that divide the block creation and execution roles into separate functions: block builders and block executors. The existing schemes mainly suffer from the verifiability of the decryption process, where a corrupted builder or executor can simply deny the inclusion of specific targeted transactions by exploiting the fact that all transactions are in plain format. To address this, we propose an enhanced version that incorporates a verifiable decryption process. On a very high level, within our proposal, whenever an Executor or a Builder performs a decryption, the decrypted values must be broadcasted. This enables any entity in the network to publicly verify whether the decryption was executed correctly, thus preventing malicious behavior by either party from going undetected. We also define a new adversary model for MEV and conduct a comprehensive security analysis of our protocol against all kinds of potential adversaries related to MEV. Finally, we present the performance analysis of the proposed solution.

Equipping people with desired behaviors, that is, educating them, has been the most important goal throughout the ages. Today, this phenomenon is becoming more and more complex and its effect is felt more intensely. However, unless a person's behavior develops in a valid and reliable way, it is not possible to reach a longed for life style. A person can be intertwined with all kinds of processes, from the most concrete and simple relationships to the most abstract and complex ones. He is the person who will plan, build, operate the future, distribute products, consume, process nature, take products from it, build houses, schools, roads, dams or all, create or solve problems in objects and phenomena. As such, people must equip with consistent behaviors, that is, with problem-solving knowledge and skills. In this study, a descriptive analysis of the subject has been made and the relationship between education and economic development has been examined.

The concept of grit has become a widely investigated topic in mental health and education in recent years. This study aims to develop a tool for measuring grit in high school and university students and to examine the measurement invariance of the developed scale on two different groups. A total of 586 high school students (411 female, 70%; 175 male, 30%) and 639 (437 female, 63%; 202 male, 37%) university students participated in the study. Grit Scale, Short Grit Scale, and Beck Hopelessness Scale were used as data collection tools in the study. The exploratory factor analysis results indicated that 14-item Grit Scale with three sub-dimensions explained 61.88% of the variance. The dimensions in the scale were named Perseverance, Commitment to Goals, and Consistency of Interest. Confirmatory factor analysis showed that the three-dimensional structure of the Grit Scale fit the data well, with measurement invariance between the high school and university student groups. Cronbach's alpha internal consistency coefficients of the total score and sub-dimensions of the scale were found as 0.87, 0.85, 0.84, and 0.75, respectively. Convergent validity was evaluated by calculating the zero-order correlation between the Grit Scale and Short Grit Scale and a significantly high positive correlation was found (r= 0.655, p< 0.001). Divergent validity was evaluated by examining the relationship between Grit Scale and the Beck Hopelessness Scale and a mild correlation was found (r= -0.484, p< 0.001). The study revealed that the Grit Scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool that can be used with adolescents and university students.

Background/purpose: In addition to many competencies of school administrators, the level of intellectuality can increase the commitment of educational actors to the organization in schools with sociocultural diversity, which is considered as a wealth of Turkey. Considering the sociocultural developments of the present day, it is important to know the intellectual level of school administrators. The aim of this research is to develop a valid and reliable scale to determine the intellectual level of school administrators. Materials/methods: In the development of the Intellectual Level Scale (ILS-19), which consists of 19 items, 500 data were collected from teachers and analyzed using IBM's SPSS statistical program. In this context, exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was conducted for construct validity and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for construct verification. Results: According to the results of the exploratory factor analysis, the Eigen value of the scale consists of two subdimensions greater than one, and which was found to explain 66.743% of the total variance. The factor loading values of the scale items ranged from 0.610 to 0.864. According to the results of the confirmatory factor analysis, the chi-square value, AGFI (Adjusted Goodness-of-Fit Index), GFI (Goodness-of-Fit Index), NFI (Normed Fit Index), and RMSEA (Root Mean Square Error of Approximation) values of the model were found to be at an acceptable level, whilst the IFI (Incremental Fit Index) excellent and RMR (Root Mean Square Residual) values were found to be at an excellent level. Conclusion: The developed Intellectual Level Scale is a measurement tool that can be used to determine the intellectual level of school administrators. Subject to adaptation, the scale may be applied as a measurement tool in studies to determine the intellectual level of any adult group.

Children should have a say in matters that concern them such as the characteristics of their learning environments, and their imaginations can be used when designing these environments. This study aimed at revealing the dream school characteristics of children attending kindergarten classes and primary school, and was designed as a case study. The study group consisted of 5 to 10 years old children from three schools with different socio-economic status. In the data collection process, semistructured interviews were conducted with the children about the characteristics of their dream school. In addition to this, they were requested to draw pictures of these schools and a second interview was held for these drawings. Findings showed that children had fantastic and creative dreams as well as dreams about the socio-emotional and physical environments of the schools. These findings were presented comparatively according to school level. Taking these findings into account, the characteristics of the dream school are important in terms of changing and transforming the ongoing school systems. This way, the basis for creating learning environments designed according to children's interests and needs will be provided and the children will feel better and feel that they belong to these environments.

The same content and learning environments offered to students from different cultural backgrounds in schools, as well as the lack of diversity, fail to address different learning needs, isolate learners from the society. For this reason, there has always been a search for alternative education models. Mixed age groups are taught together in multigrade classes, which is a primary school practice in Turkey that arises from necessity. Thus, the positive effects of this practice can be benefited from considering the multigrade class practice as an alternative education environment for teachers. This study aims to present suggestions to the educators to help them carry out their multigrade classroom activities more effectively and to draw attention to the advantages of the multigrade classroom practices. 14 pre-service teachers took part in the study as participants. The data were obtained through semi-structured interviews held in 2020-2021 academic year. The results of this study emerged in two different categories as physical arrangements and practice-based arrangements. The participants presented suggestions both for the inside and outside the classroom, and for the decoration and materials and instructional process, the institutional functioning of the school, and the type of communication in the classroom.

It is an important research topic to what extent the training received by the prospective teachers in order to have positive attitudes towards the handicapped is successful. This study aims to evaluate the effect of physical education and sports course for the handicapped on the attitudes of sports science students towards the handicapped. In the study, the "Attitude Toward Disabled Persons (ATDP) Scale", which was developed by Yuker and Block (1986) and adapted to Turkish by Özyürek (2006), was used as a data collection tool. The reliability coefficient of the scale was 0.67-0.83, and the test-retest reliability coefficient was 0.76. A total of 76 students from Bülent Ecevit University School of Physical Education and Sports (n = 40) and Düzce University Faculty of Sport Sciences (n = 36) formed the study group who taking physical education and sports courses for the handicapped in the 2017-2018 academic year. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test and independent samples t-test were used to analyze the data. Descriptive analyzes were conducted to determine the level of attitudes of the participants towards people who were handicapped. As a result of the research, it was determined that the attitude scores of the study group towards the handicapped were higher for the participants whose school type is faculty than those of the college. A difference in other parameters could not be detected.

This study tackles the critical challenge of medication non-adherence in healthcare by pinpointing indicators related to medication adherence (IRMAs) across 39 European countries and Israel. Utilizing a structured expert survey methodology within the European Network to Advance Best Practices and Technology on Medication Adherence (ENABLE; COST Action CA19132), our research identified key country-specific IRMAs and collected data on these indicators to understand the multifaceted nature of medication adherence. The research was conducted in two phases: firstly, defining key IRMAs through a two-round expert survey, and secondly, gathering country-specific data on these IRMAs through literature reviews and additional expert surveys. The study revealed a diverse range of 26 top-ranked IRMAs, including six related to country characteristics, four to social/economic factors, three each to therapy-related and patient-related factors, one to condition-related factors, and nine to healthcare system-related factors. The availability of country-specific data on these IRMAs varied among the countries, highlighting the need for more comprehensive data collection and research. The findings from this study not only underscore the complexity of predicting medication adherence but also lay the groundwork for developing targeted, country-specific interventions to improve adherence. Moreover, this research offers valuable insights for policymakers, highlighting the importance of understanding the multifaceted nature of medication adherence and offering a valuable resource in formulating targeted health policies to enhance health outcomes and reduce the economic burden associated with medication non-adherence.

BackgroundCardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death worldwide. The increase in patients with obesity and diabetes raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Proper eating habits and adequate nutritional knowledge play a key role in preventing and treating these conditions. This study aimed to evaluate the dietary habits, nutritional knowledge, and nutritional status of patients hospitalized in a cardiology department in Poland, including those with obesity or diabetes.MethodsThe study was conducted at St. Barbara Regional Specialized Hospital No. 5 in Sosnowiec from January to June 2021, involving 301 patients, 154 women (51.2%) and 147 men (48.8%), aged 29 to 87. Participants were assessed for BMI, NRS 2002 scale, morphology, biochemistry results, blood pressure, and examined for nutritional knowledge and habits using proprietary questionnaires. A proprietary scale was used to assess eating habits.ResultsMost cardiology patients were overweight or obese, with 80% exceeding the normal weight range. No significant gender differences were noted in malnutrition risk on the NRS 2002 scale. The study found patients rarely consumed recommended amounts of vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, fish, and dairy products. Only 26.2% regularly ate a second breakfast, and just 9.3% chose water with meals. However, consumption of salty snacks, energy drinks, and alcohol was low. Biochemical and blood test analysis did not show significant differences between patients with diabetes, obesity, and others.ConclusionMost cardiology patients were overweight or obese, which poses a significant risk for further health complications, including cardiovascular diseases. Although patients with diabetes and/or obesity had better nutritional knowledge in some areas, this did not lead to healthier eating habits. The absence of significant differences in biochemical tests suggests that overall lifestyle and diet are crucial to cardiovascular health.

IntroductionFootball requires high physical fitness and often involves maintaining a specific physique, leading to harmful eating behaviors due to internal and external pressures. Cultural norms influence the prevalence and types of eating disorders (ED), with differences in eating habits, beauty standards, and socio-cultural pressures affecting ED development. This study assesses ED risk and analyzes socio-cultural attitudes toward body image among Polish and Turkish female football players.MethodsThe study was conducted from April to June 2024 and included 103 professional female football players aged 18–35 from Polish (n = 49) and Turkish (n = 54) clubs. Data were collected using the CAWI method via Google Forms. Participants completed EAT-26 and SATAQ-3 questionnaires, assessing ED risk and socio-cultural attitudes toward body image.Results40.8% of participants were at risk for ED. No differences in ED prevalence were found between groups of different nationalities. Polish footballers at risk of ED scored higher on the Internalization-Pressure and Information subscales and the overall SATAQ-3 score. A weak but significant positive correlation was found between SATAQ-3 and EAT-26 scores.DiscussionThe study finds no nationality-based differences in ED prevalence among professional female football players, but ED is widespread, affecting about 40% of players. Nutritional status impacts ED risk, with higher risk among underweight and overweight players. Polish players are more influenced by socio-cultural standards of body image promoted by mass media. The study underscores the need for regular screening and psychological support.

IntroductionThis systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to analyze the adherence rate for conventional and biological disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) utilizing different assessment measures.MethodA systematic literature search was performed in four electronic databases, including PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), covering the time frame from April 1970 to April 2023. Studies that present data on medication adherence among adult patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), specifically focusing on DMARDs (conventional or biological), were included in the analysis. The adherence rate for different assessment measures was documented and compared, as well as for conventional and biological DMARDs. A random-effects meta-analysis was performed to assess adherence rates across different adherence assessment measures and drug groups.ResultsThe search identified 8,480 studies, out of which 66 were finally included in the analysis. The studies included in this meta-analysis had adherence rates ranging from 12 to 98.6%. Adherence rates varied across several adherent measures and calculation methods. Using the subjective assessment measures yielded the outcomes in terms of adherence rate: 64.0% [0.524, 95% CI 0.374–0.675] for interviews and 60.0% [0.611, 95% CI 0.465–0.758] for self-reported measures (e.g., compliance questionnaires on rheumatology CQR-5), p > 0.05. In contrast, the objective measurements indicated a lower adherence rate of 54.4% when using the medication event monitoring system (p > 0.05). The recorded rate of adherence to biological DMARDs was 45.3% [0.573, 95% CI 0.516–0.631], whereas the adherence rate for conventional DMARDs was 51.5% [0.632, 95% CI 0.537–0.727], p > 0.05. In the meta-regression analysis, the covariate “Country of origin” shows a statistically significant (p = 0.003) negative effect with a point estimate of −0.36, SE (0.12), 95% CI, −0.61 to −0.12.DiscussionDespite its seemingly insignificant factors that affect the adherence rate, this meta-analysis reveals variation in adherence rate within the types of studies conducted, the methodology used to measure adherence, and for different antirheumatic drugs. Further research is needed to validate the findings of this meta-analysis before applying them to clinical practice and scientific research. In order to secure high reliability of adherence studies, compliance with available reporting guidelines for medication adherence research is more than advisable.

Background: Influenza represents a significant global health burden for individuals and society. This study assessed the burden of medically attended influenza at a tertiary medical center in Lebanon to describe the demographics, risk factors, and outcomes prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective review of patients who tested positive for the influenza virus during three seasons between July 1, 2016 to June 30, 2019, at the American University of Beirut Medical Center. Results: A total of 2049 patients who tested positive for influenza were analyzed. Influenza A accounted for 79.6 % of cases, and influenza B for 19.7 %, with influenza activity starting in October/November and peaking in December/January. Older age above 65 years (AOR=3.584), obesity (AOR=2.183), and chronic conditions such as chronic lung diseases (AOR=1.832), and bacterial co-infection (AOR= 2.834) were found to be independent risk factors for developing complications. Viral co-infection increased the likelihood of death tenfold. Vaccinated patients had a shorter mean hospital stay duration and a lower intensive care unit admission rate. Conclusion: The burden of medically attended influenza at our tertiary medical center in Lebanon prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was high. Vaccination decreased the likelihood of complications leading to intensive care unit admission in patients at risk.

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of student-centered listening-speaking activities developed by the researcher on Turkish listening and speaking skills of bilingual Arabian students. In the study, control group experimental design was applied. The subjects were a group of Arabianic 6th graders at a secondary school in Bitlis, Turkey. Students in the experimental group (n=20) were given a total of 24 hours of training which took 12 weeks for 2 hours per week in the spring semester of the 2018-2019 academic year, utilizing listening-speaking training activities developed by the researcher. On the other hand in the control group (n=18), training was provided in accordance with the education curriculum of the Turkish Ministry of National Education (MEB) within the specified period. Listening Skills Self-Assessment Scale (LSSAS) and Turkish Speaking Skills Scale (TSSS) were used to collect pretest and post-test data. The Listening Skills Self-Assessment Scale (LSSAS), was completed by the students in the pre/posttest. The Turkish Speaking Skills Scale (LSSS) was completed by the researchers in the pretest and post-test while the students were making their speech. Based on the results of independent samples "t"-test, it was concluded that the listening-speaking training carried out with the student centered activities positively affected the Turkish speaking and listening skills of the bilingual Arabian students.

IntroductionIn recent decades, Caribbean coral reefs have lost many vital marine species due to diseases. The well-documented mass mortality event of the long-spined black sea urchin Diadema antillarum in the early 1980s stands out among these collapses. This die-off killed over 90% of D. antillarum changing the reefscape from coral to algal-dominated. Nearly 40 years later, D. antillarum populations have yet to recover. In early 2022, a new mortality event of D. antillarum was reported along the Caribbean, including Puerto Rico.MethodsThis study identifies the gut microbiota changes associated with the D. antillarum during this mortality event. It contrasts them with the bacterial composition of gut samples from healthy individuals collected in 2019 by using 16S rRNA sequencing analyses.ResultsNotably, the die-off group’s core microbiome resembled bacteria commonly found in the human skin and gut, suggesting potential anthropogenic contamination and wastewater pollution as contributing factors to the 2022 dysbiosis. The animals collected in 2022, especially those with signs of disease, lacked keystone taxa normally found in Diadema including Photobacterium and Propionigenium.DiscussionThe association between human microbes and disease stages in the long-spined urchin D. antillarum, especially in relation to anthropogenic contamination, highlights a complex interplay between environmental stressors and marine health. While these microbes might not be the direct cause of death in this species of sea urchins, their presence and proliferation can indicate underlying issues, such as immune depletion due to pollution, habitat destruction, or climate change, that ultimately compromise the health of these marine organisms.

ObjectiveInflammation has been associated with an increased risk for cancer development, while innate immune system activation could counteract the risk for malignancies. Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is a severe systemic inflammatory condition and also represents the archetype of innate immunity deregulation. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the risk for cancer development in FMF.MethodsThe risk ratio (RR) for malignancies was separately compared between FMF patients and fibromyalgia subjects, Still’s disease patients and Behçet’s disease patients. Clinical variables associated with cancer development in FMF patients were searched through binary logistic regression.Results580 FMF patients and 102 fibromyalgia subjects, 1012 Behçet’s disease patients and 497 Still’s disease patients were enrolled. The RR for the occurrence of malignant neoplasms was 0.26 (95% Confidence Interval [CI.] 0.10-0.73, p=0.006) in patients with FMF compared to fibromyalgia subjects; the RR for the occurrence of malignant cancer was 0.51 (95% CI. 0.23-1.16, p=0.10) in FMF compared to Still’s disease and 0.60 (95% CI. 0.29-1.28, p=0.18) in FMF compared to Behçet’s disease. At logistic regression, the risk of occurrence of malignant neoplasms in FMF patients was associated with the age at disease onset (β1 = 0.039, 95% CI. 0.001-0.071, p=0.02), the age at the diagnosis (β1 = 0.048, 95% CI. 0.039-0.085, p=0.006), the age at the enrolment (β1 = 0.05, 95% CI. 0.007-0.068, p=0.01), the number of attacks per year (β1 = 0.011, 95% CI. 0.001- 0.019, p=0.008), the use of biotechnological agents (β1 = 1.77, 95% CI. 0.43-3.19, p=0.009), the use of anti-IL-1 agents (β1 = 2.089, 95% CI. 0.7-3.5, p=0.002).ConclusionsThe risk for cancer is reduced in Caucasic FMF patients; however, when malignant neoplasms occur, this is more frequent in FMF cases suffering from a severe disease phenotype and presenting a colchicine-resistant disease.

The use of the positive psychology approach is increasing and this approach emerges as one of the sources that can effectively be used for the field of counseling. One of the main works of the positive psychology approach is the issue of positive emotions, development process of these emotions and benefits of positive emotions. The aim of the study was to test a hypothetical model developed to explain the effect mechanism of positive feelings on individuals' well-being and resilience. The sample consisted of 471 college students from three universities in Turkey. For data collection, Gratitude Scale, Life Orientation Test, Two-Dimensional Self-Esteem Scale, Multidimensional Perceived Social Support Scale, Balanced Measure of Psychological Needs Resilience Scale and Risk Factor Determining List were used. It was found that all the variables discussed in the model have significant positive relationships with each other. It was found that the proposed model was confirmed and the fit indices were found as at good level. Accordingly, gratitude as a positive emotion and a general life orientation, was found to contribute to the psychological needs satisfaction through the perceived social support and self esteem and need satisfaction enhances the individual's well-being and resilience levels. The research revealed that main proposals of Positive Activity Model and Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions were validated. This validated model may be implemented with experimental researches. Besides, the proposed model may be tested among different samples.

Introduction: Light, “lekki” and fit products appear increasingly more often on the Polish market, and food producers, although they are obliged to include information on the labels of products with a reduced energy value and appropriate markings, do not always do it correctly. The lack of strict legal regulations on the naming of low-energy products gives food producers the opportunity to market products whose name may mislead consumers in terms of their nutritional and health values. The aim of this study is to assess the consumption of light, “lekki” and fit products among students of dietetics. Material and methods: An anonymous survey was conducted using an original questionnaire, in which 117 students of dietetics took part. The results were compiled using an Excel spreadsheet. Results: From the analysis of the results, people with normal body weight most often consume light products several times a month (34.9%), with excessive body weight 2–3 times a week (41.2%), and those underweight less than once a month (28.6%). Conclusions: Regardless of their degree and place of residence, students of dietetics most often consume light, “lekki” and fit products several times a month. People with a normal body weight, as well as those who pay attention and control their body weight, consume these products several times a month.

Background/Objectives: Orthorexia Nervosa (ON) is an emerging behavioral pattern characterized by an obsessive focus on healthy eating. Despite its prevalence, ON lacks formal diagnostic criteria in major classification systems like the DSM-5 and the ICD-10. This study aims to investigate the impact of socio-cultural attitudes towards body image and the role of social media on the risk of ON among female football players from Poland, Turkey, and India. This study hypothesizes that socio-cultural pressures and media usage significantly influence the risk of developing ON, particularly in cultures more exposed to Western beauty ideals. Methods: The study was conducted from May to August 2024, employing the Computer-Assisted Web Interview method. A total of 142 female football players aged 16–36 from Poland, Turkey, and India participated. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire that included demographic information and health metrics, the Socio-Cultural Attitudes Towards Appearance Questionnaire, and the Duesseldorf Orthorexia Scale. Statistical analyses included an ANOVA, the Kruskal–Wallis test, the chi-square test, and Pearson’s correlation coefficient. Results: The study found that nearly half of the participants were at risk of or presented with ON, with the highest prevalence being among Indian athletes. Statistically significant relationships were observed between the risk of ON and factors such as age, dietary exclusions, social media usage, and sources of nutritional information. However, no significant correlation was found between socio-cultural attitudes and the risk of ON, suggesting that other factors may play a more critical role. Conclusions: While socio-cultural pressures and media use are contributing factors to the risk of ON, psychological factors and individual behaviors appear to be equally, if not more, significant. This study highlights the importance of targeted educational programs and psychological support for young athletes, with a focus on promoting healthy dietary practices and positive body image perceptions across varying cultural contexts. Additionally, the results suggest the need for further research into the specific psychological and behavioral mechanisms underlying ON.

This work proposes a new architectural approach to enhance the security, privacy, and scalability of VANETs through threshold key management and Privacy Enhancing Technologies (PETs), such as homomorphic encryption and secure multiparty computation, integrated with Decentralized Ledger Technologies (DLTs). These advanced mechanisms are employed to eliminate centralization and protect the privacy of transferred and processed information in VANETs, thereby addressing privacy concerns. We begin by discussing the weaknesses of existing VANET architectures concerning trust, privacy, and scalability and then introduce a new architectural framework that shifts from centralized to decentralized approaches. This transition applies a decentralized ledger mechanism to ensure correctness, reliability, accuracy, and security against various known attacks. The use of Layer 2 DLTs in our framework enhances key management, trust distribution, and data privacy, offering cost and speed advantages over Layer 1 DLTs, thereby enabling secure vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication. The proposed framework is superior to other frameworks as it improves decentralized trust management, adopts more efficient PETs, and leverages Layer 2 DLT for scalability. The integration of multiparty threshold key management and homomorphic encryption also enhances data confidentiality and integrity, thus securing against various existing cryptographic attacks. Finally, we discuss potential future developments to improve the security and reliability of VANETs in the next generation of networks, including 5G networks.

Color plays a significant role in consumer decisions about food products, influencing preferences and choices and eliciting positive or negative associations. This study aimed to investigate the impact of color on dietitian food preferences, using selected tomato juices as an example. This study was conducted in two stages. In the first stage, the color of the tomato juices was evaluated using a Tri-Color SF80 spectrophotometer. In the second stage, the serialization method performed sensory analysis among dietitians. Results showed that dietitians pay special attention to the color of food products. Spectrophotometric analysis indicated that not all tested pairs of juices had color differences noticeable to an inexperienced observer. There was no clear correlation between the specific color parameters and the choices made by dietitians. These findings suggest that while color is an important factor in consumer preferences, it is not the sole determinant, highlighting the complexity of consumer decision-making processes and providing valuable insights for product marketing strategies.

Mountain running, distinct from traditional road running, involves natural trails with significant elevation changes. This study aims to analyze dietary and supplementation practices among advanced and elite Polish mountain runners. Conducted from May to October 2023, this study included 36 participants (13 women, 23 men) aged 21–43 years. A custom questionnaire assessed nutrition two days before and during a competition, focusing on macronutrient intake, hydration, and supplementation. Statistical analyses were performed to compare advanced and elite athletes. Participants consumed an average of 3164.14 kcal two days before and 3176.97 kcal the day before the competition. Carbohydrate intake averaged 7.69 g/kg two days before and 7.64 g/kg the day before the race, potentially insufficient for optimal glycogen stores. Protein intake was adequate, averaging 1.63 g/kg two days before and 1.73 g/kg the day before the race. Fluid intake averaged 2811.25 mL two days before and 2891.80 mL the day before the race. During races, carbohydrate intake averaged 58.56 g/h, with variations based on race duration. Most participants used isotonic drinks and water for hydration. Mountain runners generally adhere to proper nutrition guidelines, with adequate protein and fluid intake. However, their carbohydrate intake may be insufficient for longer races. Higher carbohydrate intake during exercise could provide additional benefits.

Education is among the areas most affected by immigration. Addressing refugee children's schooling is an important contribution to the refugee crises, which span the world with far-reaching socio-economic effect. This study unpacks the challenges that refugee children, mainly from Syria, face in integrating into primary and secondary public schools in Turkey. It also proposes some tentative resolutions, drawing from the experiences of refugee parents, teachers, and headteachers. Within the current study, data were collected by means of fishbone analysis and semi-structured interviews with the participation of teachers, school headteachers, and refugee parents. The study draws from the theories of refugee education and confirms students' barriers in schooling with regard to psychosocial factors, cultural adaptation, language learning, systemic barriers, and family relations. Some further implications were elicited from the data and are discussed in line with the existing research.

The current study aims to investigate the relationship among problem solving, hope, and self-efficacy and to test a model for determining the role of self-efficacy in the relationship between problem solving and hope. It adopted convenience sampling and consisted of 494 undergraduate students (369 females; 125 males). The Hope Scale, General Self-Efficacy Scale and Problem Solving Inventory were applied in order to collect the data. Pearson correlation analysis and two-step Structural Equation Modelling were used for data analysis. Findings revealed that while a high level of positive correlation existed among problem solving, self-efficacy and hope, a moderate positive relationship was found between self-efficacy and hope. As a result of Structural Equation Modelling, self-efficacy was found to be significantly predicted by problem solving whereas hope was observed to be significantly predicted by problem-solving and self-efficacy. In addition, mediation analysis demonstrated that the relationship between problem solving and hope emerged through the development of self-efficacy. As a result, this paper exhibited that individuals with developing problem solving ability had also developing self-efficacy, which in turn leads to an increase in hope. Therefore, it may be effective to take into account the components that will improve individuals' problem solving skills and perceptions about themselves while conducting the studies to raise the hope level, which is an important concept of psychological health.

The aim of this study is to determine the views of teachers and students about the teaching and learning of slang in teaching Turkish as a foreign language. The student-based working group of the study, using a screening model of quantitative research methods, is composed of B1, B2 and C1 level students who learn Turkish as a foreign language reached by means of easily accessible status sampling method of purposeful sampling methods and the teacher-based working group of the study, using a screening model of quantitative research methods, is composed of teachers reached by the same method. The data of the study were collected by two separate questionnaires prepared by the researchers to determine the opinions of teachers and students. Based on the findings of the study, it was concluded that the majority of teachers and students generally had a positive opinion about the learning and teaching of slang words in Turkish and it was concluded that the students wanted to learn slang words because of "better communication with the Turks", "hearing too many slang words on the street", "living in Turkey", "being curious" and "just learning more words". In addition to this result, teachers stated that this situation which students use without knowing the meaning of some words may cause problems in their social environment. For this reason, it is concluded from the teachers' opinions that either a separate book for the use of slang should be published or the other slang words except for swearword should be taught in the lessons.

The purpose of this study was to determine the sensory profile of honeys based on the method of quantitative descriptive analysis and principal component analysis and assess consumer preferences of raw and pasteurized honeys. Samples of multi-floral honeys (from the store and apiary) were subjected to sensory analysis based on the method of ranking for taste preference, the method of scaling based on color, aroma, taste, and texture, and the method of differential descriptive analysis using 11 quality descriptors. The results were subjected to statistical analysis using the Principal Component Analysis method. The taste was found to be a descriptor that differentiates honey by origin. Consumers prefer the taste of pasteurized honeys. As a result of assessing the quality of honeys using the scaling method, it was found that: raw honeys are characterized by a lighter color than pasteurized honeys, store-bought honeys have a less noticeable aroma than honeys obtained from beekeepers, while samples of pasteurized honeys were judged to have a consistency more like that of typical honey. The sensory profiles obtained highlight the differences between pasteurized honeys and raw honeys.

BackgroundAdherence to medications presents a significant challenge in healthcare. Statins, used in primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease, are of particular importance for public health. The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in additional healthcare system-related barriers impeding the execution of therapies. This study aimed to assess the use of as well as adherence and persistence to statins in a national cohort of 38 million of Polish citizens during pandemic.MethodsA retrospective analysis of prescription and dispensation data for all statins users from the national payer organization covering the years 2020–2022 was conducted. Medication adherence was assessed using the Medication Possession Ratio, for persistence the 30-day cut-off was accepted. National data on COVID-19 cases and COVID-19 related deaths were obtained from ECDC.ResultsThe analysis identified 7,189,716 Polish citizens (approximately 19% of Polish population) who were dispensed at least 1 pack of statins within the study period. Over that time, there was a continuous significant increasing trend in prescribing and dispensing of statins. Despite a total increase of 18.9% in the number of prescribed tablets, the percentage of tablets dispensed remained similar, averaging 86%. Overall percentage of adherent patients was 48.2%. For a random sample of 100,000 patients, the mean period of continuous therapy in 2022 was 6.2+/- 5.3 months. During the lockdown period, the mean number of prescribed and dispensed tablets was lower by 6.8% and 5.9%, respectively (p < 0.05). However, fluctuations in the number of COVID-19 cases or COVID-19-related deaths per week had no major impact on the prescribing and dispensing of statins.ConclusionOver the time of pandemic, there was a continuous increase in the number of statin tablets prescribed and dispensed in Poland. This suggests that, despite the potential limitations posed by COVID-19, access to statins remained easy, which may be attributed to the mass-scale implementation of the national e-prescription system. However, it is crucial to realise that approximately 1/7 of prescribed statin doses were never dispensed, and the overall levels of adherence and persistence were low. This underscores the necessity for concerted efforts to change this scenario in Poland.

Internet of Things (IoT)-based public transportation systems face distinct challenges within the broader realm of IoT. Developers of such systems encounter a notably intricate development environment compared to general IoT systems, which are inherently characterized by elevated levels of complexity and heterogeneity. As successfully applied in other domains, domain-specific modeling languages (DSMLs) can also be employed to facilitate the development of IoT-based public transportation systems and address the challenges mentioned. Hence, in this study, a novel model-driven engineering (MDE) methodology is presented, comprising the steps of using a DSML, called DSML4PT, for the development of a wide-range of IoT-based public transportation applications. Moreover, the usability evaluation of DSML4PT within this MDE methodology during the real applications of IoT-based public transportation systems is also provided, which is missing in similar studies. For this purpose, we investigated the usability of DSML4PT within a systematic evaluation approach in which the features of DSML4PT are assessed both quantitatively and qualitatively in eight different real public transportation applications with the participation of experienced developers. Comparative analysis revealed that approximately 80% of IoT-based public transportation systems could be automatically generated through modeling exclusively employing DSML4PT. In contrast to the conventional software development methodologies, the novel DSML4PT approach also decreased the time required for the development of public transportation applications by almost 50%. In addition, according to a questionnaire-based assessment, the general evaluation rating of the language was measured as 4.44 over 5-point Likert scale. Feedback from the developers corroborated the practicality of this language and its widespread adoption across diverse perspectives.

This study aims to analyze preservice teachers' opinions about children books through a literature circle (LC) approach in multicultural learning environments. The data of the present study were collected from the children literature course offered for preservice classroom teachers during the 2014-2015 and 2015-2016 spring semesters at Hacettepe University. The preservice teachers (PSTs) in children literature course read and responded to Newbery Award winning books both individually and in literature circle groups within a framework of critical literacy and reader response theories. The results of the current study revealed the deficiencies of the pre-service teachers in the process of critical reading and actualization in spite of their satisfactory interpretations of the events. In this study, the PSTs expressed their opinions for the "gaining an understanding of different perspectives on life in the world" and "the cultures of specific groups, developing the skills needed to take social action to eliminate social injustice" categories in all four children books. However, they did not share their opinions related to gain an awareness of own cultures and cultural backgrounds and obtain a recognition an understanding of global issues, learning how to reduce stereotyping, prejudice and racism within ourselves and within society" categories. This study may contribute to a variety of research fields including pre-service teacher education, multicultural education and literary studies.

Purpose: The mainstream psychology has mostly focused on the negative factors that threaten human mental health. With the emergence of positive psychology approach, the human strengths have started to be studied and the number of studies on the issue of happiness and well-being has increased. The aim of this research is to reveal the level of prediction for psychological well-being by the variables of gratitude, hope, optimism and life satisfaction. Method: Research sample consisted of 510 students from various faculties and departments of four different universities. The study group consisted of 359 female (70.4%) and 151 male (29.6%) university students. The age range of participants varied between 17 and 30. Findings: All the variables discussed in the study were positively related to each other, and the variables of gratitude, optimism, hope, and life satisfaction all together accounted for about 51% of the variance of psychological well-being. Gratitude was determined as the most predictive variable for well-being and it was followed by the variables; hope, optimism, and life satisfaction, respectively. Accordingly; gratitude predicted 35.4% of the variance in well-being alone; gratitude and hope predicted 45.4% together; gratitude, hope, and optimism predicted 48.8% together; while gratitude, hope, optimism, and life satisfaction predicted 50.7% percent altogether. Implications for Research and Practice: These findings are thought to be important in terms of revealing variables that predict well-being with a high level of variance. It is thought that these findings can be used in the field of mental health especially by the researchers and practitioners using intervention studies. Especially, since the gratitude level accounts for 35.4% of the variance in well-being alone, gratitude interventions can effectively be used to improve well-being level.

This study aims to evaluate the quality of service as perceived by the young members, who get service from the Kocaeli International Youth Center, which operates under the aegis of the Ministry of Youth and Sports. In order to fulfill this objective, the three-dimensional "Scale of the Perceived Service Quality at Youth Centers," developed by Aycan "et. al." (2005) and intended for youth centers, has been applied to 247 youths, who are members of and get service from youth centers. Within the scope of the research, viewpoints of the youths, with regard to some of their demographic characteristics, concerning the elements of the service quality have been analyzed. Consisting of 103 males and 144 females, a total of 247 individuals have taken part in the research. Following the analyses done and in the context of the elements of the service quality at the youth centers as perceived by the youths, it is found that there are no gender-specific differences; according to age variable, there is a difference in all factors in favor of the age group 7-12; as for the variable of family income, there is a difference in output quality factor in favor of the youths with an income level lower than 1300 TLs; and as for the variable of school type, there are significant differences in favor of the primary school level.

IntroductionColor is an integral part of product selection and is used to assess its attractiveness and quality. Dietitians are a group that influences the dietary choices of the population through education and promotion of rational eating behavior. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the color of selected juices in the context of dietitians’ food preferences.MethodsIn the first stage of the research, the color of orange juices was measured using a spectrophotometer. In the second stage, sensory analysis was carried out using the ranking method. Participants were asked to assess the attractiveness of the color of juices through glasses and bottles without the original label and with the label. The juice with the best color turned out to be the juice which, according to the L * a * b * parameters, was relatively dark and had an intense orange tint.ResultsAs the juice with the worst color, they chose the juice that was colored green and blue. When assessing the color without and with the original label, the respondents indicated which one was significantly brighter and more yellow compared to the others. Dietitians prefer bright juices with a vibrant orange hue. Product packaging influences dieticians’ choices regardless of the content.DiscussionInstrumental control of color during product production and selection of packaging elements for attractive synergy are determinants of the perceived attractiveness of juices in the study group.