Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi Kurumsal Akademik Arşivi
DSpace@RTEÜ, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan Üniversitesi tarafından doğrudan ve dolaylı olarak yayınlanan; kitap, makale, tez, bildiri, rapor, araştırma verisi gibi tüm akademik kaynakları uluslararası standartlarda dijital ortamda depolar, Üniversitenin akademik performansını izlemeye aracılık eder, kaynakları uzun süreli saklar ve yayınların etkisini artırmak için telif haklarına uygun olarak Açık Erişime sunar.
Güncel Gönderiler
Experiences and perceptions of Turkish nursing students during their first clinical placement in intensive care units: a qualitative study
(Wiley, 2025) Akbal Demirci, Yağmur; Aşık Özdemir, Vacide; Pehlivan Köksal, Zeynep; Genç Köse, Burcu; Pekmezci, Hilal
Background: Clinical practice in the ICU is critical in shaping nursing students' professional development and enhancing their understanding of patient care. Aim: This study examined the feelings, thoughts and experiential reflections of nursing students during their initial exposure to the intensive care unit (ICU), focusing on their perspectives on the first and last day of clinical practice. Study Design: The study employed a phenomenological design and was conducted in a province in north-eastern Turkey. Data were collected from 13 nursing students who participated in ICU clinical practice for the first time as part of the Internal Medicine Nursing course during the 2023–2024 academic year. Findings: Three main themes emerged from students' accounts of their first-day experiences in the ICU: ‘negative emotions’, ‘positive emotions’ and ‘areas for improvement’. Participants commonly described the intensive care experience as physically exhausting, emotionally overwhelming, and, at times, shocking and frightening. Additionally, students acknowledged that the ICU accurately reflects the nursing profession but described the overall atmosphere as cold. They also mentioned that the critical nature of the ICU could make it a frightening experience. Although ICUs were perceived as professionally fulfilling environments, participants noted that improvements are needed in several areas, including increasing the number of visitors allowed, enhancing physical conditions and addressing nurse staffing shortages. At the end of the 14-week clinical practice, students' final evaluations of the ICU revealed two main themes: ‘increase in professional experience’ and ‘positive emotions’. Conclusions: The findings indicate that the negative emotions experienced by nursing students at the beginning of their ICU practice were replaced by positive emotions by the end of the clinical training. The results provide a valuable resource for developing supportive strategies to enhance nursing students' adaptation to ICU clinical practice. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Our findings show that the effectiveness of clinical practice in the ICU on students significantly contributes to the nursing profession by transforming negative emotions such as anxiety experienced in the first days into professional development and awareness over time.
The role of STAT-3 and IL-26 signaling pathways in leiomyoma pathophysiology
(Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI), 2025) Şentürk, Şenol; Kağıtçı, Mehmet; Mercantepe, Tolga; Bedir, Recep; Kuruca, Nalan
Background: Uterine leiomyomas are the most common pelvic tumors in women of reproductive age. There is no clear conclusion in the literature regarding the pathophysiology of these conditions. STAT proteins stimulate the transcription of target genes. STAT-3 leads to an increase in VEGF levels and plays a role in tumorigenesis. IL-26 and other cytokines are vital immune response mediators. Cytokine dysregulation affects the immune response of various organs and tissues, making them prone to various diseases, such as inflammation, infection, and tumors. Methods: In the present study, we aimed to determine whether STAT-3 and IL-26 play a role in the development of uterine leiomyoma. This case–control study included 38 patients who underwent hysterectomy due to uterine leiomyoma and 30 patients who underwent hysterectomy due to non-organic benign gynecological causes other than myoma. Sections from the myometrium of the control group and the leiomyoma tissue of the case group were subjected to immunohistochemical staining for STAT-3 and IL-26. Results: When the uterine tissue sections of the control group incubated with STAT-3 were examined under a light microscope, the smooth muscle and fibroblast cells in the myometrium were STAT-3-negative, while the number of smooth muscle and fibroblast cells showing strong STAT-3-staining in the leiomyoma sections was high. When the uterine tissue sections incubated with IL-26 were examined under a light microscope, the normal smooth muscle and fibroblast cells in the control group were IL-26-negative, while there was an increase in the number of cells showing strong IL-26-staining in the leiomyoma smooth muscle and fibroblast cells. Conclusions: Our findings show that STAT-3 and IL-26 levels are significantly increased in uterine leiomyomas, and this increase may play a role in the growth and progression of uterine fibroids. The current results may enable the development of innovative treatment options, as they demonstrate the role of novel pathways in the formation of uterine fibroids.
Zinc phthalocyanine as a heterogeneous catalyst for efficient H2 generation from NaBH4 methanolysis
(Elsevier, 2025) Işık, Uğur; Namlı, Mesut; Kantar, Cihan; Elma Karakaş, Duygu
Phthalocyanines have been extensively studied for their role in photodynamic therapy, sensors, optoelectronic devices etc.; however, their use as catalysts for hydrogen generation (HG) has remained a relatively unexplored area in scientific literature. This study is the first investigation into the catalytic potential of zinc phthalocyanine (ZnPc) complex in hydrogen production via methanolysis reaction of sodium borohydride (NaBH4). The kinetic performance of the ZnPc catalyst was evaluated based on catalyst amount, NaBH4 concentration, temperature, and reusability. The ZnPc-catalyzed NaBH4 methanolysis completed in 5.7 min, with a hydrogen generation rate of 8993 mLmin-1gcat-1—comparable to or better than many similar catalysts—and an activation energy of 28.47 kJ/mol. The catalyst exhibited remarkable reusability with no significant loss in catalytic activity when used for the three-cycle reaction. Additionally, the ZnPc-catalyzed NaBH4 methanolysis mechanism was also examined, revealing that –OH, –O–, and –N=N– groups play key roles in its notable HG efficiency. Overall, this study presents ZnPc as a promising catalyst for HG and emphasizes its catalytic efficiency and application potential in sustainable energy technologies .
Rethinking economic policies: diversification and governance strategies to address the resource curse in mineral-rich economies
(Wiley, 2025) Anser, Muhammad Khalid; Nazir, Musrat; Nassani, Abdelmohsen A.; Al-Aiban, Khalid M.; Zaman, Khalid; Haffar, Mohamed
The “resource curse,” in which countries rich in specific minerals stagnate economically, is prevalent. This paradox occurs when weak governance, corruption, and overreliance on resource rents limit innovation and variety. To address this issue, this study examines the top 20 natural resource-rich economies and how economic diversification, governance, and development policies have affected resource management from 2000 to 2022. Regulatory quality and corruption control were used to study how governance affects mining mineral resource rents. For “mining governance,” the research examined how resource-rich states develop mineral resource rents and how good governance, including effective laws and corruption control, affects this process. Panel fixed-effects results show that regulatory inefficiency and corruption due to inadequate mining governance worsen the resource curse. However, economic growth and human capital development improve mineral resource governance by increasing workforce knowledge and productivity. High tariffs hinder resource utilization and economic diversification, such as ICT exports and value-added manufacturing. The study concluded that improving institutional capabilities and ensuring sustainable natural resource management boost economic resilience and growth.
Driving sustainability: The role of renewable energy and foreign direct investment in shaping environmental performance index in BRICS+
(Academic Press, 2025) Pata, Uğur Korkut; Bozkurt, Eda; Altıner, Ali
In the face of escalating environmental challenges and the global pursuit of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the transition to renewable energy (REN) has emerged as a strategic imperative for emerging economies. While countries are increasingly investing in REN to improve ecological quality, the nuanced relationship between renewable energy deployment and the Environmental Performance Index (EPI) within the BRICS + bloc remains under-researched empirically. To address this gap, this study examines the environmental implications of renewable and non-REN consumption, foreign direct investment (FDI), and urbanization in the BRICS + countries over the period 1995–2022. Anchored in the theoretical framework of the Environmental Kuznets Curve (EKC) and the Pollution Haven Hypothesis (PHH), the study employs the augmented mean group (AMG) estimator and a novel quantile panel regression with nonadditive fixed effects to capture heterogeneous effects in the environmental distribution. A dual-indicator framework is adopted, utilizing both the Ecological Footprint (EFP) and the EPI to provide a holistic assessment of environmental performance. The empirical findings reveal that neither the EKC nor the PHH hold consistently across the BRICS + economies. In particular, renewable energy consumption and FDI exhibit positive impact on environmental performance, highlighting their potential as levers for sustainable development.
