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Introduction: Dysmenorrhea is a common gynecological health problem in young individuals. Purpose: To determine the functional and emotional disturbances of university students with dysmenorrhea and their health-seeking behaviors for dysmenorrhea. Materials and Methods: The research was carried out with 437 students between November 2021 and January 2022. Data were collected with an individual introduction form, a visual analog scale to determine the severity of dysmenorrhea, and the Functional and Emotional Measure of Dysmenorrhea. In addition, data were evaluated with Mann Whitney U, Kruskal Wallis, and Spearman correlation tests. Results: The mean age of the students was 20.25±1.37, and 96.8% of them had experienced dysmenorrhea at least once in their menstrual period FEMD subscales were 25.11±7.46 (7-35) for functional disturbance and 21.00±7.84 (7-35) for emotional disturbance. There was a strong and significant positive correlation between the two subscales. In addition, 21.3% of the students had consulted a doctor due to dysmenorrhea; 43.9% had always used analgesics; 34.3% had sometimes used analgesics; 85.8% had applied non-drug methods for pain. Conclusions: Dysmenorrhea is quite common among university students. Students' functional and emotional disturbance levels increase as the severity of dysmenorrhea increases. As a health-seeking behavior, they had mainly used nonpharmacological methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nanorods of Gd2O3 with 5 at.% Nd3+ and 5 at.% Er3+ ion substitution at Gd-site have been synthesized using a template-free and surfactant-free hydrothermal method. The samples have MnFeO3-type cubic crystal structure (space group Ia-3, N 206, cI80) at 300 K. Using the powder X-ray diffraction data and Scherrer formula, a crystallite size of ∼25 nm and ∼20 nm is estimated for the Nd-substituted and Er-substituted Gd2O3 nanorod samples. Raman spectrum also confirms the cubic structure of the samples at 300 K. Both samples show paramagnetic behaviour in the temperature range of 300 K to 5 K. From the magnetization vs field data measured in the temperature range of 5 K to 31 K, the isothermal magnetic entropy change (ΔSm) is calculated. The maximum ΔSm value at 6 K for 70 kOe field change is about −19.8 Jkg−1K−1 and −23.5 Jkg−1K−1 respectively for 5 at.% Nd- and Er- substituted Gd2O3 nanorods. The magnetocaloric effect is large and is of the same order as in the pure and other rare-earth-substituted Gd2O3 nanostructures. Thus the mixed rare-earth oxide nanostructures are found to be potential candidates for low temperature magnetic cooling applications.

Plant's nitrogen (N) requirement that is not fulfilled by available N in soil has to be supplied externally through chemical fertilizers. A reliable estimate of soil N-supplying capacity (NSC) is therefore essential for efficient fertilizer use. In this study involving a pot experiment with twenty acidic soils varying widely in properties, we evaluated six chemical indices of soil N-availability viz. organic carbon (Corg), total N (Ntot), acid and alkaline-KMnO4 extractable-N, hot KCl extractable-N (KCl-N) and phosphate-borate buffer extractable-N (PBB-N), based on their strength of correlation with available-N values obtained through aerobic incubation (AI-N) and anaerobic incubation (ANI-N), and also with the dry matter yield (DMY), N percentage and plant (maize) N uptake (PNU). In general, the soils showed large variability in NSC as indicated by variability in PNU which ranged from 598 to 1026 mg/pot. Correlations of the N-availability indices with AI-N and ANI-N decreased in the order: PBB-N (r = 0.784** and 0.901**) > KCl-N (r = 0.773** and 0.743**) > acid KMnO4-N (r = 0.575** and 0.651**) ≥ Corg (r = 0.591** and 0.531**) ≥ alkaline KMnO4-N (r = 0.394** and 0.548**) > Ntot (r = 0.297** and 0.273*). Of all the indices evaluated, PBB-N showed the best correlations with plant parameters as well (r = 0.790** and 0.793** for DMY and PNU, respectively). Based on the highest correlations of PBB-N with biological indices as well as plant responses, we propose PBB-N as an appropriate index of N-availability in the acidic soils of India and other regions with similar soils.

Objective: This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the reproductive autonomy scale by adapting it to Turkish society., Materials and Methodology: Designed with a methodological method, the study was conducted with an online form created by using Google Forms with 308 married women of reproductive age between the ages of 15 and 49 who use WhatsApp or Instagram. The cultural adaptation process of the scale was carried out in three stages: language validity, content validity, and pilot application. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was used to test the scale's construct validity. The scale's reliability was evaluated using Cronbach's α internal consistency coefficient and test-retest analyses., Findings: As a result of the exploratory factor analysis conducted in the study, it was determined that reproductive autonomy scale (RAS) consists of 14 items and 3 subscales. Good fit index values were obtained in confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's α internal consistency coefficients for the RAS total and subscale were found to be 0.66, 0.64, 0.89, and 0.92, respectively. Additionally, test-retest analysis of the scale was determined to have a high correlation., Conclusion: The reproductive autonomy scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for measuring the reproductive autonomy of Turkish society., (© 2024 Japan Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology.)

We conducted this study with 147 volunteer pregnant women to determine the effect of spousal support on the stress experienced during pregnancy during the COVID-19 pandemic period. We determined that the prenatal stress level of the pregnant women was low (15.34 ± 7.07), they were not at risk for distress, and the spousal support level was high (74.58 ± 8.78). We found that the rate of spousal support was 0.897 times higher for women who did not experience distress. Due to the stay-at-home rule during the pandemic, couples had to be together at home, which caused high spousal support, and we found that women's stress levels were lower.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is an important public health problem with potential risk for Turkey. In order to contribute to the epidemiological data, we aimed to investigate the changes in seroprevalence, viremia rates, and genotypes in the last five years in HCV patients in the southern region of Turkey, which has received heavy migration in recent years, according to demographic criteria. In our study, we analyzed the results retrospectively with demographic data. Conducted at a single center, the study involved 259,875 anti-HCV antibody tests administered between January 2018 and July 2022. The study revealed a prevalence of 0.5% for HCV antibody positivity and a viremia prevalence of 0.1%. Among Turkish nationals, the most common genotypes were GT1 (65.1%), while foreign nationals, mainly of Syrian and Ukrainian origin, showed GT4 (52.3%) as the predominant genotype (p<0.001 for both). Although GT2 (7.4% vs. 4.5%) and GT3 (23.3% vs. 13.6%) were relatively higher in Turkish nationals compared to foreign nationals, the difference was not statistically significant (p=0.750 and p=0.154, respectively). This highlights the importance of continuous monitoring and public health efforts to address the potential impact of these demographic shifts on HCV epidemiology in the region.

This study was carried out to determine the effect of fear of COVID-19 on health-seeking behaviors and Pap smear test rates in women. This study was conducted online between June and September 2021. Women aged 21-65 years were invited to participate in the study via social media. A total of 396 women comprised the sample for this study. Data were collected the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, and the Health-seeking Behavior Scale. Data were evaluated using descriptive statistics, parametric tests and regression analysis. As a result of the study, 11.1 percent of women were found to have had a Pap smear test during the pandemic period. Fear of COVID-19 was determined to have a positive and significant effect on online health-seeking behavior (t = 7.915, p  < .001), professional health-seeking behavior ( t  = 4.503, p  < .001), traditional health-seeking behavior ( t  = 6.037, p  < .001), and general health-seeking behavior( t  = 8.390, p  < .001) while it did not have any effect on having a Pap smear test ( p  > .05). This study showed that although the fear of COVID-19 positively affected health-seeking behaviors in women, the rates of gynecological examination and Pap smear test rates were low during the pandemic.

Aim: This study aimed to identify how anxiety and depression levels of female nurses were affected during the coronavirus disease 19 pandemic and its effect on their menstruation cycles., Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted with 522 female nurses. The data were collected using an online Google questionnaire for sociodemographic and menstrual characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Student's t-test, the chi-squared test, and binary logistic regression. The data were obtained from an online Google questionnaire for sociodemographic and menstrual characteristics and the Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale from August to October 2020., Results: According to the findings, 53.3% of participants were at risk for anxiety and 66.3% were at risk for depression. While 58.6% of them had experienced menstrual irregularities in the last 6 months, 72.9 of them were at risk for depression, and 59.8 of them were at risk for anxiety. Logistic regression found a significant association between anxiety, depression, and regular menstruation. The anxiety levels of the nurses with irregular menstruation were 1.114 times higher and their depression levels were 1.119 times higher., Conclusion: This study determined female nurses' anxiety and depression levels during the pandemic and their effect on the nurses' menstrual patterns. Female nurses are at risk of anxiety and depression during the pandemic, and this affects their menstrual cycles negatively.

Purpose: This study aimed to determine the validity and reliability of the Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy scale by adapting it to Turkish society., Design and Methods: This methodological study was conducted with 265 pregnant women., Findings: We performed exploratory factor analysis and determined that the scale consists of 17 items and 2 subdimensions. The two-factor structure was confirmed as a result of the confirmatory factor analysis. The Cronbach's alpha value of the scale was 0.87., Practise Implications: The Body Understanding Measure for Pregnancy scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for measuring the body satisfaction of pregnant women for Turkish society., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Purpose: The aim of this study is to determine the relationship between gender role stress and self-esteem., Design and Methods: This descriptive study was conducted with 898 faculty of health sciences nursing students who consent to participate., Results: There was a negative correlation in male students between the total scores for gender role stress and the total scores for self-esteem. In women, while there was a negative correlation between age and total scores for gender role stress, there was a positive correlation between age and the total scores for self-esteem., Practice Implications: It is suggested that trainings concerning gender roles should be planned for undergraduate classes., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Objectives:: To evaluate and compare the dental and skeletal changes with conventional and miniscrew-supported maxillary expansion appliances in adolescents., Materials and Methods:: Forty patients were divided into two groups, with one group receiving a tooth-borne expander and the other group receiving an expander supported by four miniscrews (bone-borne). Multiplanar coronal and axial slices obtained from cone-beam computed tomography images were used to measure the changes in transverse skeletal widths, buccal bone thickness, tooth inclination, and root length. Paired t-tests and independent-sample t-tests were used to compare the two expansion methods., Results:: Bone-borne expansion increased the maxillary suture opening more than 2.5 times than tooth-borne expansion both anteriorly and posteriorly. Between the maxillary first premolars, sutural expansion accounted for 28% and 70% of the total transverse width increase in the tooth-borne and bone-borne expander groups, respectively. Similarly, 26% and 68% of the total expansion was of skeletal nature in the tooth-borne and bone-borne expander groups between the maxillary first molars. The pattern of expansion was variable, with most of the patients in both groups demonstrating a triangular-shaped sutural opening that was wider anteriorly. Subjects in the conventional group experienced significantly more buccal bone reduction and greater buccal inclination of the teeth. No significant differences were observed for root length measurements between the two groups., Conclusion:: Use of bone-borne expansion in the adolescent population increased the extent of skeletal changes in the range of 1.5 to 2.8 times that of tooth-borne expansion and did not result in any dental side effects.

The purpose of this study was to determine the changes of oxidative response and exercise-induced muscle damage after two different resistance exercise protocols. Whether training with low or high intensity resistance programs cause alterations in the activities of lipid peroxidation, nitric oxide (NOx), and creatine kinase (CK) activity in human plasma was investigated. Twenty untrained males participated into this study. Ten of the subjects performed high intensity resistance (HR) exercise circuit and the rest of them performed low intensity resistance (LR) exercise circuit of 4 different exercises as a single bout. Venous blood samples were drawn pre-exercise, immediately after the exercise, and at the 6(th), 24(th), 48(th) and the72(nd) hours of post-exercise. Samples were analyzed for markers of muscle damage (CK), lipid peroxidation (MDA) and NOx. NOx production increased in HR group (p < 0.05). The MDA response to the two different resistance exercise protocol in this study caused a significant increase between pre and post-exercise values in both groups (p < 0.05). Also, there was a significant difference in the MDA level between the two groups in post-exercise values (p < 0.05) and higher values were observed in HR group. CK activities showed a significant increase in all post exercise values (p < 0.05) of both groups but there were no difference between HR and LR groups. These findings support that high intensity resistance exercise induces free radical production more than low intensity resistance exercise program. Key pointsHigh intensity resistance exercise caused increases in NOx, MDA and CK levels.Light intensity resistance exercises increased MDA and CK levels but did not affect NOx levels.Damage arose during resistance exercises may be related to the level of resistance applied.

The aim of this study was to investigate the facial profile changes of patients treated with and without extractions of four first premolars using novel computer-based digital subtraction software. The pre- and post-treatment radiographic image pairs of 25 extraction (13 girls and 12 boys, mean age = 12.64 +/- 1.82 years) and 24 non-extraction (12 girls and 12 boys, mean age = 12.48 +/- 1.66 years) Class I patients were subtracted by the software. Student's t-tests were used to determine whether the subtraction values for the linear measurements of radiographic differences registered at various anatomical landmark parameters were statistically different between the groups. To further determine whether any variables related to upper and lower lip changes, regression analyses were performed. The main soft tissue differences between the groups were established at labrale superior, labrale inferior, and sulcus inferior points, with extraction patients showing significantly more retruded upper and lower lips. However, the mean differences between the groups did not exceed 1 mm for these variables. Changes at labrale superior and labrale inferior were associated with sagittal movement of the maxillary (r = 0.549) and mandibular (r = 0.630) incisor midpoints. Changes at sulcus inferior were associated with both sagittal and vertical displacement of mandibular incision point (r = 0.676). Some dentofacial alterations were found but in view of the differences between the groups pretreatment, the inter-group differences reflect different treatment intent rather than differences arising from the extraction and non-extraction modalities.

Objective: To evaluate hemoglobin, leukocyte, platelet counts and red cell distribution width values during acute vivax malaria., Methods: This study, which comprises 90 symptomatic vivax malaria patients compared with 52 healthy controls, investigated hemoglobin, leukocyte, platelet counts and red cell distribution width values during acute disease prior to the treatment in vivax malaria, from May 2002 to December 2004 in Adana, Cukurova region, located in the southern part of Turkey, along the Mediterranean coast., Results: Mean values for hemoglobin, leukocyte and platelet counts in the vivax malaria group in our study were found to be significantly lower in comparison to the control group. Anemia and thrombocytopenia were also observed in the malaria group while not in the control group (p<0.05, p<0.0001). Mean red cell distribution width values were found to be significantly higher in the malaria group (p<0.0001)., Conclusion: Our findings indicated that routinely used laboratory findings such as low hemoglobin, leukocyte or platelet counts and especially high red cell distribution width values could present a more supportive clue in the diagnosis of vivax malaria in endemic areas.

Entamoeba histolytica is the predominant causative agent of human amoebiasis, a significant and common diarrhoeal disease among children of developing countries. Diagnosis of this illness by the microscopical detection of the parasites in stool samples is insensitive and often incapable of differentiating the pathogenic Entamoeba histolytica from the commensal parasite E. dispar. In this study, the results of testing stool samples in an ELISA, based on a monoclonal antibody, that detects E. histolytica-specific galactose adhesin were compared against the results of the microscopical examination of the same samples. The samples investigated came from 131 children (aged<15 years) with diarrhoea, who lived in the provinces of Adana and Mersin, in southern Turkey. Overall 22 cases of E. histolytica infection, including eight that appeared negative by microscopy, were detected using the ELISA. The 16 patients considered positive for E. histolytica/E. dispar by microscopy included two who were ELISA-negative. With the ELISA results used as the 'gold standard', and assuming that all the E. histolytica/E. dispar cysts seen by microscopy were E. histolytica, microscopy had a specificity of 98.2%, a positive predictive value of 87.5% and a negative predictive value of 93.1% but a sensitivity of only 63.6%. Compared with microscopy, culture and PCR-based assays, the antigen-detection ELISA appears to be easier, faster and probably more cost-effective, with high sensitivity, specificity and predictive values.

Introduction: Although orthodontic treatment is based primarily on occlusal relationships, greater attention is now paid to enhancing dentofacial characteristics to produce optimal facial esthetics. The purposes of this study were to compare smile esthetics among extraction and nonextraction patients and a control group, assess certain dentofacial characteristics in those groups, and discuss how these features relate to smile esthetics., Methods: Panels of orthodontists, plastic surgeons, artists, general dentists, dental professionals, and parents used a 5-point scale to rate smiling photographs of 25 extraction, 25 nonextraction, and 25 untreated control subjects. Dentofacial characteristics of the 3 groups were obtained from lateral cephalometric analyses, direct biometric measurements, and frontal photographs. Smile esthetics and differences among the 3 groups were subjected to 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and Pearson correlation coefficients were calculated to determine the relationship of the variables to the esthetic score., Results: The mean esthetic scores for the extraction, nonextraction, and control groups were 3.15, 3.12, and 3.26, respectively. Visible dentition width relative to the smile width ratio and intercanine distance relative to smile width ratio were significantly different among the groups, with extraction patients showing a slightly wider dental arch relative to the soft tissue (P < .05). There was also a significant difference in the U1-SN angle among the groups (P < .05), and this variable showed a strong correlation with the esthetic score as did maxillary gingival display (P < .05). However, our study groups could not be differentiated in smile esthetics.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of dermatomycosis and the risk factors in those who perform their prayers in the mosques in the city center of Adana Province. The diagnosis of dermatomycosis was made on the basis of direct microscopy and/or culture in addition to clinical findings. Among 461 subjects, 136 (29.5%) had tinea pedis, 23 (5.0%) had tinea unguium, and 21 (4.5%) had both infections simultaneously, with a resulting total of 180 (39.0%) cases of dermatomycosis. The causative agents by frequency were: Trichophyton rubrum (67.0%), T. mentagrophytes var. interdigitale (31.1%), and Candida albicans (1.9%). The prevalence of the foot dermatomycosis was found to be high among those who practiced ablution 3-5 times a day and did not dry their feet immediately, who used rubber shoes, and/or who shared their shoes. Pedal dermatophyte infection seems to be a major problem among the adult Muslim male population regularly attending mosques especially in 5th and 6th decades of life.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of cola and other acidic drinks on etched tooth enamel in a simulated oral environment. The test beverages were cola, orange soda, lemon soda, and sparkling mineral water. Sixty extracted premolars were divided into an experimental group (n = 40) and a control group (n = 20). Half of the buccal surface of each tooth in the experimental group was coated with wax. The teeth were etched for 60 seconds with 37% phosphoric acid, and half of the teeth were also bonded. The experimental group was further divided into 4 subgroups of 5 teeth each, and each subgroup was exposed to 1 of the test beverages in a thermocycling apparatus. The apparatus was designed to keep the teeth in artificial saliva for 2 hours and in the soft drink at room temperature for 15 minutes. This procedure was performed 3 times a day for 5 days. The control group was also divided into 4 subgroups of 5 teeth each. Half of the buccal surface of each tooth in 2 subgroups was coated with wax, and the teeth in the other 2 were left uncoated. One waxed and 1 unwaxed subgroup were then etched, and the other waxed and unwaxed subgroups were etched and bonded. The waxed subgroups were stored in artificial saliva for 5 days, and the unwaxed subgroups were examined without further exposure to liquids. Surfaces exposed to acidic soft drinks were compared with control surfaces under a scanning electron microscope. Defect zone borders were observed between the exposed areas and the wax-coated areas of teeth in the experimental groups, especially the subgroups exposed to cola, orange soda, and lime soda. Fewer defect zones were observed on teeth exposed to sparkling mineral water. The results indicate that acidic soft drinks cause enamel demineralization on etched tooth surfaces.

Sepsis, a systemic inflammatory syndrome, is a response to infection and when associated with multiple organ dysfunction is termed severe sepsis. It remains a leading cause of mortality in the critically ill. The response to the invading microorganisms may be considered as a balance between a pro-inflammatory and an anti-inflammatory reaction. While an inadequate pro-inflammatory reaction and a strong anti-inflammatory response could lead to overwhelming infection and the death of the patient, a strong and uncontrolled pro-inflammatory response, manifested by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators may lead to microvascular thrombosis and multiple organ failure. Endotoxin triggers sepsis via the release of various mediators such as tumour necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1 (IL-1). These cytokines activate the complement and coagulation systems, release adhesion molecules, prostaglandins, leukotrienes, reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide. Other mediators involved in the sepsis syndrome include IL-1, -6 and -8; arachidonic acid metabolites; platelet activating factor; histamine; bradykinin; angiotensin; complement components and vasoactive intestinal peptide. These pro-inflammatory responses are counteracted by IL-10. Most of the trials targeting the different mediators of the pro-inflammatory response have failed due to a lack of correct definition of sepsis. Understanding the exact pathophysiology of the disease will enable more advanced treatment options. Targeting the coagulation system with various anticoagulant agents including, activated protein C, and tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI) is a rational approach. Many clinical trials have been conducted to evaluate these agents in severe sepsis. While trials on antithrombin and TFPI were not so successful, the double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase III trial of recombinant human activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) was successful, creating a significant decrease in mortality when compared to the placebo group. A better understanding of the pathophysiologic mechanism of severe sepsis will provide better treatment options, and combination antithrombotic treatment may provide a multipronged approach for the treatment of severe sepsis.

Functional treatment of three skeletal open-bite patients with Bionator, Frankel IV and Posterior bite-block appliances is presented. Pretreatment and post treatment records were evaluated. Correction of malocclusion by changing direction of the mandibular development, adaptive bony development of the condyle, vertical development in posterior region, an increase in ramus length, a decrease in the lower facial height were observed in this report. The results of functional treatment of three appliances had different effect mechanisms.

The purpose of this study was to compare skeletal and dental aspects of three different expansion methods in the mixed dentition period in sagittal, vertical, and transversal planes, treatment periods, complications, and relapse tendencies in early periods. Patients with unilateral or bilateral posterior crossbites in the mixed dentition were studied. They were divided into three groups of 10 patients in each group. The first group received treatment with removable plates for semirapid maxillary expansion; the second group with quad-helix appliances for slow maxillary expansion; and the third group with conventional fixed hyrax appliances for rapid maxillary expansion (RME). Lateral and posteroanterior cephalometric films, occlusal films, and dental casts were taken before and after expansion, and after retention with the same appliances. Cephalometric and dental cast analyses were made. Both skeletal and dental changes were observed after all three expansion methods.

Talon cusp is a rare phenomenon found on the lingual surfaces of anterior teeth. Five cases of talon cusp that were observed during routine clinical examination are described.