The relationship between personal and professional goals and emotional state in academia: a study on unethical use of artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a concept that has been a subfield of computer science since the 1950s. In recent years, with its growing development power, AI technologies have made significant progress and are now being used in many fields. Like in all areas, the use of AI technologies in academia has provided convenience to academics while also bringing ethical debates. In the literature part of the study, concepts such as AI, academia, academics and academic progress, ethics, ethical theories, academic ethics, and emotional states have been thoroughly examined and defined. In this study, starting from AI and scientific ethics, ethical issues arising from emotional states in academic research have been identified, and concrete solutions to these ethical issues have been proposed. The aim is to discuss the views of academics in order to determine what types of scientific ethical violations and prevention methods are involved. In this context, the semi-structured interview technique, which is one of the qualitative research methods, was preferred as the method. In the study, in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 4 ethics experts and 4 psychology experts selected through snowball sampling technique. The data obtained through semi-structured in-depth interviews will be analyzed using content analysis. Within the context of the literature review and interviews: Ethics is based on the foundation of acting correctly. In this context, scientific ethics can be summarized as acting truthfully and honestly, not distorting data, and not trying to progress unfairly. The use of AI in academia is becoming increasingly widespread. From a positive perspective, this usage significantly contributes to making studies more practical. However, it can lead to problems such as unfair authorship, devaluation of human authorship, and incorrect data. The connection between academics' professional advancement goals and emotional states becomes prominent in this context. The potential of AI to facilitate progression can lead to unethical use. To prevent such situations, it is recommended to organize training sessions to increase professional awareness, internalize ethics personally, establish ethical committees specific to the field of AI, conduct more effective audits by academic publication and promotion committees, and implement specific regulations for AI. Finally, for future academic studies, it is suggested that the usage of AI in academic research be measured and evaluated by ethics experts. For psychologists, conducting surveys with academics to explore how they use AI in the context of their emotional states and professional advancement goals is recommended.

Prospective, non-interventional, multicenter study of the intraocular pressure-lowering effects of prostaglandin analog/prostamide-containing therapies in previously treated patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to assess the intraocular pressure (IOP)-lowering efficacy, tolerability, safety, and usage patterns of prostaglandin analog/prostamide (PGA/P)-containing topical ocular hypotensives in ocular hypertension (OHT) and primary open-angle glaucoma in the Turkish clinical setting. METHODS: This non-interventional, multicenter study enrolled previously treated patients who failed to achieve target IOP (or experienced unacceptable adverse events [AEs]) and were prescribed a PGA/P-containing IOP-lowering agent. Treatment was initiated at baseline (V1), and patients returned at weeks 4-6 (V2) and 8-12 (V3). The primary efficacy measure was the change in IOP from baseline at V3 in each eye. The secondary measures were physician's assessment of IOP-lowering efficacy, patients (%) reaching target IOP determined at V1, hyperemia score, physician and patient assessment of study treatment tolerability at V3, and AE frequency/severity. A subgroup analysis of patients receiving the most common study treatment was conducted. All analyses were performed using the safety population (patients who received one or more doses and had any data available). RESULTS: Of 358 enrolled patients, 60.6% had primary open-angle glaucoma, 29.9% had secondary open-angle glaucoma (protocol amendment), and 13.1% had OHT; 13 patients had multiple diagnoses. At V3, the mean IOP change from baseline was ≥-4.2 mmHg (≥21.1%). IOP met or was lower than the target in 81.7% of patients, 95% exhibited none to mild conjunctival hyperemia (most common AE), and tolerability was rated good/very good by >91.1% of patients and physicians. The results were similar in patients who received the most common study treatment, bimatoprost 0.03%/timolol 0.5% (bim/tim; n=310). CONCLUSION: PGA/P-containing medications, including bim/tim, significantly reduced IOP in previously treated patients with open-angle glaucoma or OHT; most reached their target IOP or an IOP even lower than their target and reported good/very good tolerability. PGA/P-containing medications such as bim/tim should be considered as a safe, effective therapeutic option for Turkish patients who exhibit poor response, tolerance, or adherence to their previous therapy.

Comparison of Optical Coherence Tomography Findings in Patients With Primary Open-angle Glaucoma and Parkinson Disease.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL), ganglion cell complex, and macular thickness as well as their correlation with the severity of diseases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a cross-sectional study and comparing both eyes of 26 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma, 25 patients with Parkinson disease (PD), and 23 healthy subjects. RNFL, ganglion cell complex, and macular thickness were measured and analyzed with optical coherence tomography (OCT) in all cases and correlation with severity of the disease was assessed in PD group. RESULTS: The mean RNFL of PD was significantly thinner compared with controls (P=0.002). In glaucoma group, the mean RNFL was significantly thinner (96.28±12.49 µm) than PD (105.43±13.45 µm) and the controls (113.75±8.53 µm) (P<0.001; P<0.001, respectively). The global loss volume (GLV) rates in the glaucoma and PD group were significantly higher than controls, respectively (P=0.006; P<0.001/P=0.002, P=0.013). However, the GLV rate was significantly lower in PD group compared with glaucoma group (P=0.001). There was no significant correlation between OCT measurements and disease duration or severity in the PD patients. CONCLUSIONS: Although RNFL thickness and GLV changes may show the ganglion cell loss in both disease but none of the OCT parameters are correlated with the severity of PD. OCT may help to reveal the ganglion cell damage but may not help in determination of severity during the clinical follow-up of PD patients.

The choroid and lamina cribrosa is affected in patients with Parkinson's disease: enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography study.

PURPOSE: To compare lamina cribrosa (LC) and choroidal thicknesses using enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography (EDI-OCT) in patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and healthy controls. METHODS: A total number of 44 eyes of 22 patients with PD and 50 eyes of 25 healthy subjects were utilized in this institutional cross-sectional study. After a complete ophthalmic examination, all eyes were imaged with OCT (RTVue-100 version 5.1 Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography; Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA, USA); LC and choroidal thickness were assessed. RESULTS: The mean LC thicknesses were 209.4 ± 40.2 µm in patients with PD and 292.5 ± 33.7 µm in control subjects. There was a significant difference in the mean LC thickness between the groups (p < 0.0001). The choroidal thickness measurements of the PD group at the subfoveal region and 1.5 mm temporal and 1.5 mm nasal to the fovea were 228.1 ± 44.3, 193.2 ± 41.4 and 188.4 ± 49.0 µm, respectively, whereas measurements for the controls were, respectively, 246.5 ± 38.2, 227.3 ± 34.7 and 216.7 ± 51.4 µm. The choroid was significantly thinner in eyes of the PD group compared to that of the controls (p = 0.001, p < 0.001, and p = 0.006). There was no significant correlation between the disease severity and OCT parameters. The duration of the disease showed a statistically significant negative correlation with LC (rs[94] = -0.700, p < 0.001), and average subfoveal and temporal and nasal choroid thicknesses (rs[94] = -0.282, p = 0.006; rs[94] = -0.324, p = 0.001, rs[94] = -0.240, and p = 0.020, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Regardless of the disease severity, PD may cause atrophy and volume loss in the lamina cribrosa, and choroid. An enhanced depth imaging technique may be used as an additional modality in the diagnosis and follow-up of patients with PD.

FACT contrast sensitivity as a diagnostic tool in glaucoma: FACT contrast sensitivity in glaucoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate spatial-contrast sensitivity (CS) assessment as a tool for diagnosis of early glaucoma in patients with good visual acuity. METHODS: In this prospective cross-sectional study we evaluated one eye of 50 patients with primary open angle or normotensive glaucoma who were newly diagnosed. All met the 0.6, or better, vision requirement. CS was measured at 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 18 cycles per degree (cpd) spatial frequencies for one luminance level (85 cd/m2) using the functional acuity contrast test (FACT). Visual fields were evaluated using the Humphrey 750i field analyzer and the 30-2 standard full threshold program. The results from the visual acuity and CS assessments were compared with results for 20 age-matched control subjects. RESULTS: CS scores were significantly lower at all spatial frequencies for the glaucoma patients than for the control subjects. The sensitivity of CS measurements was generally around 50%. Specificity ranged between 68 and 100%. FACT CS scores of less than 22 at 12 cpd spatial frequency provided sensitivity and specificity values concomitantly exceeding 60%. CONCLUSIONS: Both the presence of a significant difference between the CS of glaucoma patients and control subjects and a high specificity of contrast sensitivity suggests that the FACT test may be used as a tool for diagnosis of patients with glaucoma, besides other methods such as short-wavelength automated perimetry (SWAP).

Visual field analysis in patients with Parkinson's disease.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate visual field changes in patients with Parkinson's disease. METHODS: Standard automated perimetry of 14 patients (28 eyes) with Parkinson's disease (PD) were compared with controls. PD patients with Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) score below 25 were included in the study. RESULTS: Visual field indices including mean deviation (-4.69+/-2.72 vs. -1.71+/-1.30, p=0.0008), pattern standard deviation (3.94+/-1.94 vs. 2.30+/-0.41, p=0.001), and corrected pattern standard deviation (3.23+/-2.18 vs. 1.20+/-0.91, p=0.003), were significantly worse in patients with PD when compared with the control group. Bilateral glaucoma-like visual field defects were evident in six patients. CONCLUSION: Parkinson's patients had worse visual field indices suggesting a common insult in the etiopathogenesis of nerve fiber layer damages observed in glaucoma and PD.

Short-wavelength automated perimetry in patients with migraine.

BACKGROUND: The aim was to investigate short-wavelength sensitivity deficits in patients with migraine. METHODS: Fifteen migraine and 18 age-matched healthy volunteers with normal ophthalmologic examination participated in this study. Migraine characteristics were graded by the Migraine Disability Assessment Questionnaire (MIDAS). All participants underwent SWAP (short wavelength amplitude perimetry) testing using a Humphrey field analyzer; there was a 30-2 presentation pattern. RESULTS: Short wavelength amplitude perimetry parameters for mean deviation (MD; p<0.0001) and pattern standard deviation (PSD; p<0.0001) were significantly worse in the migraine group. In the migraine group 53.3%. of eyes had glaucoma hemi-field tests (GHT) outside normal limits and 10 of these had early glaucomatous visual field loss. Statistically significant correlations were found between frequency of migraine attacks and MD (p=0.02; r=0.56) and PSD (p=0.03; r=0.41) and also between the MIDAS score and MD (p=0.03; r=0.49) and PSD (p=0.04; r=0.51). In all migraine cases with early glaucomatous visual field defect a corresponding site of the head was predominantly involved in headache (p=0.03). CONCLUSION: Some patients with severe migraine have earlier defects on SWAP suggesting a common vascular insult of glaucoma and migraine, and all migraine cases with high MIDAS scores should be further evaluated for early glaucomatous visual field defects using SWAP.

Influence of serum levels of sex hormones on intraocular pressure in menopausal women.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effect that changes in sex hormone levels have on intraocular pressure (IOP) in menopausal women. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Thirty menopausal women on hormone replacement therapy and 32 menopausal women who had never received hormone replacement therapy (HRT), matched for age and duration of amenorrhea, participated in this study. Intraocular pressures were measured with Goldmann applanation tonometer. Serum levels were measured for estradiol, free testosterone, and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The influence of serum hormone levels on IOP was assessed by correlation analysis. RESULTS: The mean IOP of postmenopausal women receiving HRT (13.29 +/- 2.28 mm Hg) was not significantly different from that of menopausal women not receiving HRT (13.56 +/- 2.5 mm Hg, P = 0.24). Higher testosterone levels were associated with higher IOPs in women receiving HRT (r = 0.48, P = 0.02) and in those not receiving HRT (r =0.42, P = 0.003). No significant correlations were observed between IOP and serum levels of estradiol and FSH in either group. CONCLUSION: Our data provide evidence for a relation between serum testosterone levels and IOP in menopause. Higher testosterone seems to have a tendency to increase IOP in menopausal women.