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
Contribution to floral structure and palynological features of Turkish Periplocoideae and Asclepiadoideae taxa
(BioMed Central, 2026) Güven, Seher; Makbul, Serdar; Sarıkaya, Eyüp; Aydoğmuş, Duygu; Coşkunçelebi, Kamil
Background: The Apocynaceae are characterized by highly specialized flowers, including three derived structures, corona, gynostegium and pollinarium, which play an important role in explaining the evolutionary relationships among the major groups of the family. The floral morphology and microstructure of pollinaria in pollinia-bearing subfamilies, Periplocoideae and Asclepiadoideae, are not well understood. In the present study, we examined the detailed floral and pollen characters of six species from Türkiye-Asclepiadoideae: Araujia sericifera Brot., Cionura erecta (L.) Griseb., Cynachum acutum L. and Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T.Aiton; Periplocoideae: Periploca gracilis Boiss. and P. graeca L.-using light and scanning electron microscopy for taxonomic insights.
Results: Macro- and micromorphological observations were performed on both herbarium samples and fresh field specimens preserved in 70% ethanol. Floral and pollen descriptions were amended, and a dichotomous identification key was prepared for the studied taxa. Morphological and palynological traits were also analyzed numerically. Principal components analysis revealed that length of pedicel, sepal, petal and corona segment, pubescence of anther (hairy/glabrous), shape of stigma (unlobed/bifid), length of pistil, type of pollen aggregation (tetrad/pollinium), number of tetrad mass or pollinium per pollen translator (single/in pairs), pollen translator structure (receptacle + stalk + adhesive disc or corpusculum + caudicles), and pollen grain dimensions were diagnostically informative traits for distinguishing taxa at both subfamily and genus levels.
Conclusions: The dendrogram inferred from macro- and micromorphological floral and pollen traits generally agrees with the traditional subfamilial classification of the Periplocoideae and Asclepiadoideae. These findings offer insights into the evolution and diversification of pollinia-bearing Apocynaceae, and may reflect the role of key traits in reproductive strategies and ecological interactions.
Comparative evaluation of the performance of different AI chatbots in answering pediatric dentistry questions in the Turkish dental specialization exam
(BioMed Central, 2026) Sakın Ulubay, Sena
Background: Artificial intelligence-powered chatbots, whose use is becoming increasingly widespread, are frequently used in medicine and dentistry for tasks such as generating academic texts, student education, clinical diagnosis, and patient information. Given their inherent limitations, the accuracy of chatbot responses in the healthcare field is a crucial issue. Evaluating the performance of artificial intelligence in national examinations can provide objective data regarding its use as an educational support tool. This study aims to comparatively evaluate the performance of various artificial intelligence chatbots on questions from the pediatric dentistry section of the DUS (Dental Specialization Exam).
Methods: A total of 127 questions asked in the DUS in the field of pediatric dentistry between 2012 and 2021 were included in the study. The questions were divided into nine subject-area categories, two exam years, and two question types: clinical case-based and theoretical knowledge-based. The ChatGPT-5, ChatGPT-4o, Gemini 2.5 Pro, Gemini 2.5 Flash, Claude Opus 4, and Claude Sonnet 4 models were evaluated in the study. Descriptive data are presented as numbers and percentages. Statistical analyses were performed using Cochran's Q test (p < 0.05); pairwise comparisons were made using the McNemar test and Bonferroni correction.
Results: Gemini 2.5 Pro answered 93.7% of the questions correctly; ChatGPT-5 and Claude Opus 4 answered 88.9%, ChatGPT 4 and Gemini 2.5 Flash answered 87.4%, and Claude Sonnet 4 answered 83.4%. Gemini 2.5 Pro's performance in correctly answering questions was significantly higher than that of Claude Sonnet 4 (p = 0.001). No statistically significant differences were found in the chatbots' correct-answer performance when comparing by subject, year, and question type (clinical case and theoretical knowledge) (p > 0.05).
Conclusions: This study demonstrates that chatbots perform well at answering exam questions in pediatric dentistry and may serve aspromising supplementary educational tool.
Functional benefits of fermented sesame oilcake in the diet of nile tilapia, oreochromis niloticus: insights into immunity, oxidative status, and gut microbiota
(Wiley, 2026) Hoseini, Seyyed Morteza; Yousefi, Morteza; Afzali-Kordmahalleh, Alireza; Hoseinifar, Seyed Hossein; Abdollahpour, Hamed; Minaz, Mert
This study evaluated the effects of dietary inclusion of fermented sesame oilcake (FSOC) on growth performance, antioxidant responses, immune parameters, bactericidal activity, and gut microbial composition in juvenile Nile tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus. FSOC was produced by aerobic solid-state fermentation using Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Fish (5-month-old, 13.31 ± 0.73 g, all-male) were randomly distributed into three treatment groups and fed diets containing 0% (control [CTL]), 10% (S-10), or 20% (S-20) FSOC for 8 weeks. Growth performance, feed conversion ratio, and survival were not significantly affected by FSOC inclusion (p > 0.05). However, dietary FSOC significantly enhanced several immunological parameters, including lysozyme activity and total immunoglobulin (Ig) levels in plasma, liver, kidney, and skin mucus (p < 0.05). Antioxidant markers such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and reduced glutathione (GSH) were significantly elevated in hepatic and intestinal tissues of FSOC-fed fish, accompanied by a significant reduction in malondialdehyde (MDA) levels (p < 0.05), indicating improved oxidative status. Skin mucus from FSOC-fed tilapia exhibited significantly greater bactericidal activity against Aeromonas hydrophila and Streptococcus iniae. Gut gene expressions showed different patterns in the S-10 and S-20 treatments, as the S-10 treatment showed only an upregulation in tumor necrosis factor-a (tnf-α) expression, while the S-20 treatment showed upregulations in various anti-inflammatory, proinflammatory, antioxidant, and chaperon gene expressions. Additionally, gut microbiota analysis revealed that FSOC supplementation significantly increased the abundance of beneficial microbes (Saccharomyces sp., Lactobacillus sp., and Bacillus sp.) while reducing the presence of opportunistic pathogens (Aeromonas sp., Vibrio sp., and Streptococcus sp.). Overall, these findings suggest that FSOC is a promising functional feed ingredient capable of improving immune competence, oxidative resilience, and gut health in Nile tilapia without compromising growth.
Beyond viral suppression: determinants of health-related quality of life in a national HIV cohort in Turkiye
(Oxfordshire, 2026) Karacaer, Zehra; Bozdağ, Merve; Aşar, Erdoğan; Baştuğ, Aliye; Öztürk, Barçın; Yıldız, İlknur Esen; Öztoprak, Nefise
This multicentre study evaluated Health-related Quality of Life (HRQoL) and identified sociodemographic and clinical determinants of physical and mental health outcomes in a large national HIV cohort in Turkiye. This cross-sectional study included 1303 adults across 23 centres. HRQoL was assessed using the Turkish MOS-HIV Health Survey, yielding Physical Health Summary (PHSS) and Mental Health Summary (MHSS) scores. HRQoL scores were dichotomised into "higher" (>50) and "lower" (≤50) groups. Data were analysed via univariate tests and multivariable logistic regression. Participants (88.6% male; median age: 38) were primarily single, employed, and university graduates. The median CD4+ T-cell count and HIV RNA level were 627 cells/mm3 and <50 copy/mL, respectively. Median PHSS and MHSS were 57.25 and 50.57, respectively. While social/role functioning scored highest, health transition scored lowest. Lower PHSS was identified in 22.7% of participants, whereas 47.9% reported lower MHSS. Low education and high daily pill burden significantly increased the risk of lower HRQoL. Interestingly, lower income was independently associated with better HRQoL, while older age and psychiatric treatment correlated with better MHSS. Despite robust physical HRQoL, mental health remains a significant challenge. To achieve "Fourth 90" targets, interventions should prioritise health literacy and integrated mental health services within HIV care.Abbreviations: ART: antiretroviral therapy; CF: cognitive functioning; CI: confidence interval; EF: energy/fatigue; GH: general health perception; HAART: highly active antiretroviral therapy; HD: health distress; HIV: human immunodeficiency virus; HL: Hosmer-Lemeshow; HRQoL: health-related quality of life; HT: health transition; MHS: mental health summary; MHSS: mental health summary score; MOS-HIV: medical outcomes study HIV health survey; OR: odds ratio; P: pain; PF: physical functioning; PHS: physical health summary; PHSS: physical health summary score; PLWH: people living with HIV; QL: quality of life; RF: role function; RNA: ribonucleic acid; SF: social function; UNAIDS: joint United Nations programme on HIV/AIDS.
Beyond awareness: analyzing the incomplete integration and barriers to POCUS implementation: a nationwide study
(Springer, 2026) Tazegül, Gökhan; Güven, Alper Tuna; Serin, Sibel Ocak; Yalçın, Nazif; Kaya, Zeynep Irmak; konur, Kamil; Uyar, Sait
Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) is increasingly recognized as an essential tool in internal medicine; however, its real-world adoption remains variable. This study aimed to evaluate the current landscape of POCUS use, training, and barriers among internal medicine physicians in Türkiye. We conducted a nationwide, cross-sectional survey between January and June 2025, including 1678 physicians across diverse healthcare settings. The questionnaire assessed POCUS availability, training, clinical use, perceptions, and barriers. POCUS was perceived as necessary by 98.7% of participants; however, 73.4% reported no personal implementation, and only 50.3% reported any lifetime POCUS experience. Prior training was reported by 12.8% and was associated with higher self-reported competency (median score 3 [2-5] vs. 1 [1, 2], p < 0.001). A substantial perception-practice gap was observed across all domains, particularly in abdominal (- 62.7%) and thyroid applications (- 58.0%). Clinical observation was limited, with 54.4% of participants never having witnessed POCUS being performed. When present, it was positively correlated with both personal implementation (r = 0.500, p < 0.001) and self-reported competency (r = 0.450, p < 0.001). The most frequently reported barriers were lack of qualified trainers (65.8%), limited access to equipment (56.4%), and time constraints (41.5%). Multivariable analysis linked prior training and career stage to integration readiness, whereas actual implementation was associated with clinical observation, prior training, equipment availability, and inversely with seniority. These findings suggest that similar gaps may exist in other healthcare systems undergoing POCUS integration, highlighting the importance of structured education and system-level support.
