Earthquake diaries: Psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster zone after the earthquake: A phenomenological study.

AIM AND OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the psychosocial difficulties and life experiences of nurses working in the disaster area following the earthquake on February 6, Kahramanmaras centered earthquake with a phenomenological approach. BACKGROUND: After natural disasters such as earthquakes, nurses play a significant role in providing both physical and psychosocial support. Therefore, the experiences of nurses in this field are necessary both to support them and to assist disaster survivors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, in which the phenomenological research method was used, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 18 nurses who provided health care services during the February 6 Kahramanmaras earthquake were conducted between January and February 2024 via Whatsapp mobile application. Snowball sampling method was used to reach the sample group. Interviews continued until data saturation was achieved. All interviews were audio recorded and then transcribed. The data were analyzed using thematic analysis. The study was conducted and reported according to the COREQ checklist. RESULTS: Data analysis revealed two themes (psychological and social difficulties caused by the earthquake, traumatic stress and coping experiences as a nurse) and five sub-themes (social difficulties, psychological difficulties, traumatic events, reactions and coping). CONCLUSION: As a result of the study, it was determined that nurses providing health care services were negatively affected psychosocially by the traumatic stress situations they experienced in the earthquake centered in Kahramanmaras on February 6. It was determined that nurses had great difficulty in coping with the traumatic stress situations they experienced. It was concluded that the February 6 earthquake caused secondary traumatization in nurses.

Striking rise of cesarean section rates in Türkiye: there is a need for a whole new perspective.

Since 2003, the Turkish Ministry of Health (TMOH) has activated a reformed system called Health Transformation Program (HTP) which has assertive goals. Health transformation program has brought about important improvements in many health topics. However, at the beginning of HTP, cesarean section (C-section) rate was approximately 30%, having exceeded 50% in 2013 which reflected the highest rate in Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). Currently, most of the deliveries are carried out via C-section in Türkiye which started disputes about whether the high rate of C-section is Achilles' heel of HTP. To overcome high C-section rate, TMOH has been making intensive efforts and taking serious measures in recent years including passing a law to ban elective C-sections. Despite the strict measures taken C-section rate didn't decrease instead increased gradually. The current situation shows that the problem is more complicated than the authorities figure out, and a whole new perspective on the issue is needed.

The Bibliometric Analysis of the Postgraduate Theses Written on Medical Parasitology in Türkiye.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyze the theses prepared in the field of medical parasitology in Türkiye and to reveal the importance given to the science of parasitology in the groves of academe and to raise awareness in this field. Methods: Council of Higher Education's National Thesis Center database has been analyzed postgraduate these documents conducted in the field of medical parasitology from January 1985 to September 2022. Results: As a result of the examining, 393 theses made in the field of medical parasitology were detected. It was determined that 52.9% of the theses prepared were master, 28% of PhD and 19.1% were the thesis of medical specialty thesis and 61.3% of the theses prepared were related to protozoa, 16.5% of helminths, 8.6% arthropods and 12.2% of intestinal parasites (helminth and protozoa). The top five types of parasites in the theses were Toxoplasma gondii, Leishmania spp., Echinococcus spp., Giardia intestinalis and Cryptosporidium spp. respectively. Conclusion: In conclusion, it was of the opinion that more importance should be given to the field of medical parasitology in Türkiye.

Molecular Identification of Encephalitazoon intestinalis and the Prevalence of Renal Microsporidiosis in Renal Transplant Recipients in Türkiye.

Objective: In patients with end-stage kidney disease, kidney transplantation is the kidney replacement therapy option that provides the most successful survival. However, immunosuppression agents administered after kidney transplantation can increase the risk of opportunistic infections. Microsporidia are obligate intracellular pathogens that can be fatal in immunosuppressed patients. The present study aimed to determine the prevalence of microsporidia in kidney transplantation recipients and the molecular characterization of the detected species. Methods: To evaluate the prevalence of renal microsporidiosis in kidney transplant recipients, the urine samples from a total of 325 patients were analyzed by real-time and nested polymerase chain reaction for Encephalitozoon spp. and Enterocytozoon bieneusi. Results: Only one (0.4%) sample from the adult patient was positive for the Encephalitozoon species, while no positivity was found in pediatric patients. It was determined as Encephalitozoon intestinalis by ITS rRNA gene region sequence analysis. A microsporidia species obtained from humans in Türkiye has been characterized for the first time and registered in GenBank. Conclusion: Our epidemiological results show that the prevalence of renal microsporidiosis in kidney transplant recipients is very low. In addition, as a result of the phylogenetic analysis of the detected isolate, it was observed that it was 100% identical to the isolates reported from dogs in Kayseri, Türkiye. This situation provided essential data regarding the zoonotic transmission dynamics of microsporidia.

The First Case of Menacanthus pallidulus (Neumann, 1912) (Phthiraptera: Amblycera: Menoponidae) on A Chicken (Gallus gallus domesticus Linnaeus, 1758) in Türkiye.

This case report was prepared to provide information about Menacanthus pallidulus (Neumann, 1912), which was detected for the first time on a domestic chicken in Hatay province of Türkiye. Louse specimens collected from a chicken by a student were brought to Hatay Mustafa Kemal University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, and sent to Selçuk University Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Parasitology, for identification of species and microscopic examination revealed the presence of Menacanthus pallidulus (Neumann, 1912). Thus, with this study, the presence of M. pallidulus on domestic chickens was recorded for the first time in Türkiye.

Assessing the H-Indexes of Editorial Board Members in Ophthalmology Journals Published in Türkiye.

Objectives: The focus of this study was to assess and compare the h-indexes of editorial board members from eight ophthalmology journals in Türkiye and explore the potential correlations between these indexes and the sub-specialties of board members. Methods: Conducted in December 2023, this cross-sectional study utilized publicly available data from Google Scholar (GS), Web of Science, and Scopus. The h-index and number of publications by editorial board members from eight Turkish ophthalmology journals were analyzed. Statistical analysis for this study involved the use of SPSS, employing descriptive statistics, one-way analysis of variance, and post hoc tests for group comparisons. Results: Of the 415 editorial board members, 26 were not ophthalmologists and 12 worked abroad; the credentials of 10 could not be verified. A total of 367 authors were evaluated, revealing significant differences in publication numbers and h-indices among the different subspecialties. Notably, the retinal specialists demonstrated higher productivity. Variability in citation counts was observed across databases, with GS having the widest range. Differences were also noted in the publication and h-index among the editorial boards of different journals. Conclusion: The h-index and number of publications effectively reflected the active status of ophthalmology authors. This study contributes valuable information regarding Turkish ophthalmology journals and their editorial boards, serving as an inspiration for young ophthalmologists. These findings underscore the diverse successes of ophthalmologists across subspecialties, encouraging the exploration of less-explored areas in academic pursuits.

Prediction of daily global solar radiation in different climatic conditions using metaheuristic search algorithms: a case study from Türkiye.

Today's many giant sectors including energy, industry, tourism, and agriculture should closely track the variation trends of solar radiation to take more benefit from the sun. However, the scarcity of solar radiation measuring stations represents a significant obstacle. This has prompted research into the estimation of global solar radiation (GSR) for various regions using existing climatic and atmospheric parameters. While prediction methods cannot supplant the precision of direct measurements, they are invaluable for studying and utilizing solar energy on a global scale. From this point of view, this paper has focused on predicting daily GSR data in three provinces (Afyonkarahisar, Rize, and Agri) which exhibit disparate solar radiation distributions in Türkiye. In this context, Gradient-Based Optimizer (GBO), Harris Hawks Optimization (HHO), Barnacles Mating Optimizer (BMO), Sine Cosine Algorithm (SCA), and Henry Gas Solubility Optimization (HGSO) have been employed to model the daily GSR data. The algorithms were calibrated with daily historical data of five input variables including sunshine duration, actual pressure, moisture, wind speed, and ambient temperature between 2010 and 2017 years. Then, they were tested with daily data for the 2018 year. In the study, a series of statistical metrics (R2, MABE, RMSE, and MBE) were employed to elucidate the algorithm that predicts solar radiation data with higher accuracy. The prediction results demonstrated that all algorithms achieved the highest R2 value in Rize province. It has been found that SCA (MABE of 0.7023 MJ/m2, RMSE of 0.9121 MJ/m2, and MBE of 0.2430 MJ/m2) for Afyonkarahisar province and GBO (RMSE of 0.8432 MJ/m2, MABE of 0.6703 MJ/m2, and R2 of 0.8810) for Agri province are the most effective algorithms for estimating GSR data. The findings indicate that each of the metaheuristic algorithms tested in this paper has the potential to predict daily GSR data within a satisfactory error range. However, the GBO and SCA algorithms provided the most accurate predictions of daily GSR data.

Examining expert views on maternal mortality in Turkey: A qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: Maternal mortality ratio is one of the significant indicators of a country's healthcare quality and development. In recent years, Türkiye has made significant advancements in maternal and child health services. However, it has been discussed that stagnation has been observed in recent years, and the migration from Syria and the COVID-19 pandemic have significantly overshadowed this success. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the current situation of the maternal mortality level in the country based on the experiences and views of experts working in this area. METHODS: Key informant interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of academics, representatives of public institutions, and NGOs to understand the mechanisms of success in maternal mortality in the 1990s. Thematic analysis was used to understand the reasons for the stagnation of the decline in maternal mortality and to develop recommendations for reducing maternal mortality. RESULTS: Twenty-five key informant interviews were conducted. Positive developments contributing to the success of maternal mortality, problems and obstacles hindering further progress and suggestions/recommendations are the themes of this research. The key informants highlighted the health transformation policies, the lack of data on the impact of COVID-19, recent migration on maternal mortality, inadequate education and training on sexual and reproductive health (SRH), the absence of rights-based policies, and gender equality as critical issues in current policies. CONCLUSION: The outcomes of this study underline the importance of the availability, accessibility, and quality of SRH services and empowering women, girls, families, and communities to eliminate preventable maternal mortality levels.

Assessment of ground-level ozone pollution in Türkiye according to new WHO limits.

Ground-level ozone is a secondary pollutant and is attributable to respiratory diseases and mortality. For this reason, the World Health Organization (WHO) implemented a new long-term (peak season) limit value for ozone. The previous studies related to ozone in Türkiye were spatially limited to certain locations. In this study, annual mean and peak season ozone concentrations, and limit exceedances were investigated for Türkiye for the year 2021. Moreover, ozone peak seasons were determined for the first time for 126 air quality monitoring stations. The annual mean ozone concentration was determined as 44.3 ± 19.3 µg/m3 whereas the peak season average ozone level was 68.4 ± 27.2 µg/m3. April-September period was the most frequently observed ozone peak season. Among all stations, Erzurum Palandöken was by far the most polluted station in terms of annual mean and limit exceedances of ozone. Ankara Siteler stations have the highest rank in peak season mean. 87 and 83 stations exceeded the short-term and long-term recommendations of WHO, respectively. Four hotspot regions were revealed in terms of peak season exceedance: Adana and surrounding provinces, the surroundings of Burdur and Isparta provinces, and the northeastern and northwestern parts of Türkiye. To protect public health, WHO recommendations for 8-h and peak season limits should be immediately implemented in Turkish regulations.

No-anesthesia for Colles fracture.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to measure the perceived pain during the reduction of Colles fracture without anesthesia in both children and adults. It describes the process and reveals duration for reduction, total hospital stays and compares them with the same procedure under hematoma block. METHODS: We employed the Wong-Baker FACES pain scale to assess pain reduction in 135 adults and 98 pediatric patients undergoing Colles fracture reduction with or without hematoma block. We also measured the time required for the reduction and the overall process. RESULTS: For fracture reduction without anesthesia, Wong-Baker FACES scores were 9.2 for children and 8.7 for adults. With hematoma block, scores dropped to 7.5 for children and 5.2 for adults with only a 10 min addition to the hospital stay. Pain scores among pediatric patients exhibited moderate to strong negative correlations with age. The reduction maneuver itself took an average of 5 s. CONCLUSIONS: The reduction of a Colles fracture is nearly instantaneous, making the reduction without anesthesia tolerable. Pediatric patients don't benefit from hematoma block as much as adult counterparts. It significantly reduced pain scores by 1.7 points in children and 3.5 points in adults. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, Randomized Controlled Trial.

Pelvic floor muscle training patient reported Outcome Measures (PROM) (PFMT-P): Turkish adaptation and its validity and relibiality.

OBJECTIVE: Although there are several patient reported outcome measures (PROM) regarding knowledge, source of knowledge and practice about pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT), there is a lack of a valid and reliable PROM that includes the practice component of PFMT along with knowledge and source of knowledge. There is no valid and reliable measurement tool in Turkish used for this purpose. In this context, the aim of our study is to evaluate the psychometric properties of Pelvic Floor Muscle Training Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROM) (PFMT-P) and to test whether it is a valid and reliable measurement tool for Turkish women. STUDY DESIGN: This study has been carried out psychometric testing (validity and reliability) of a new assessment tool concerning PFMT-P. A total of 170 female healthcare professionals (midwives, nurses, doctors, physiotherapists) who were between the ages of 23 and 49 and who volunteered to participate were included in the study. SPSS 25.0 and LISREL 8.80 statistical programs were used for the analysis of data. Descriptive statistics were evaluated with numbers, percentages and means. Content validity index and confirmatory factor analysis were used for validity. Cronbach Alpha value and test-retest were used for reliability. Level of significance was p < 0.05. RESULTS: Content validity index (CVI) was found to be 0.96 for the overall scale. Model fit indices were found as perfect and good matched. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was found as 0.813 for the overall scale. Test-retest correlation was found as 0.658, it was 0.998 for practice component and 0.997 for source of knowledge component and a positive, significant and high correlation was found. CONCLUSIONS: It has been determined that PFMT-P is a valid and reliable measurement tool suitable for Turkish culture. With this, it is a short, comprehensive and useful tool that can be used in both pregnancy and the postpartum period for women of reproductive age or menopause.

Acute hepatitis B outbreak in a nursing home for the disabled in Türkiye.

Background: Although hepatitis B is vaccine-preventable, it remains a significant health problem. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first hepatitis B outbreak report from Türkiye. Aims: To investigate the cause of hepatitis B outbreak in a nursing home for the disabled and make recommendations for prevention. Methods: An outbreak of acute hepatitis B was declared in a nursing home for the disabled following the admission of 3 patients from the home in a hospital. Collaborative response was initiated with the Provincial Health Directorate through the Public Health Infectious Diseases Department. We began tracking the infection and monitoring active cases. Audits and controls were carried out to determine the source, establish protection and control measures, and prevent further transmission. Results: Six of the 65 nursing home residents were diagnosed with acute hepatitis B. Four of them had diabetes and their blood glucose levels were monitored for at least 12 months. Two of the patients had received dental treatment in the last 6 months. The frequency of both variables, which may be an indication of the transmission route, was statistically significantly greater in the acute hepatitis B group. All the patients who could be sequenced were identified as genotype D. While 3 patients recovered fully, 2 were diagnosed with chronic hepatitis B and one died due to fulminant hepatitis. Conclusion: Standard routine immunization should be implemented as a preventive measure for acute hepatitis B. Frequent supervision and training on hygiene practices and safety precautions should be conducted for care staff working in collective residential facilities.

Disability burden of epilepsy in Türkiye: How does it differ from other newly industrialized countries?

INTRODUCTION: Epilepsy accounts for a substantial part of the global burden of disability. This study aimed to investigate the employment history of people with epilepsy in Türkiye, evaluate the role of education level in employment and epilepsy burden, and compare epilepsy employment data in different societies according to sociodemographic index data. METHODS: This prospective study included 420 people 16-76 years of age who were diagnosed with epilepsy according to the criteria of the International League Against Epilepsy. Socioeconomic, clinical, and employment data were collected using a questionnaire in face-to-face interviews. RESULTS: The study sample was 52 % women, the mean age was 34.2 ± 12.7 years (range: 16-76 years), and the mean disease duration was 17.2 ± 12.6 years. Only 26.7 % (n = 112) of the participants were actively working, 38.8 % had never worked, and 64.5 % had changed jobs at least twice (mean 2.45 job changes). The unemployment rate among the study sample was 7 times higher than in the general population. Female gender, low self and parental education levels, high seizure frequency, and the use of multiple anti-seizure medications were significantly associated with lower employment. CONCLUSION: We determined that the employment rates and education levels of people with epilepsy in Türkiye are low, the unemployment rate is high, and the burden of epilepsy is higher when compared with other low-middle income and newly industrialized countries and national population data. Education and employment opportunities for people with epilepsy in Türkiye should be improved to reduce the burden of epilepsy-related disability and thereby increase quality of life, welfare, and psychosocial well-being in this group.

The effect of COVID-19 pandemic on the fruit juice industry: Insights from Türkiye.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused major problems in many areas of the world and has deeply affected many sectors and industries. The food and beverage industry is one of the industries that has been severely affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study aims to explore the impact of the pandemic on the Turkish fruit juice industry and the attitudes and behaviors of companies. In addition, the study seeks to identify the changes in the industry caused by the pandemic and discuss its long-term effects. The material used for the study consists of the data obtained from the surveys conducted among the companies producing fruit juices in Türkiye. The results show that the pandemic had a significant impact on companies' logistics activities, while supply activities were moderately affected. However, the effects of the pandemic on exports, sales, production, total profit, and R&D activities were comparatively limited. When comparing the pre-pandemic period with the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, it was observed that some companies in the industry experienced declines in production, sales, exports, and overall profit, whereas others experienced increases in these metrics. These variations were not associated with company size or length of operation, suggesting that the impact of the pandemic on individual companies was unique. Interestingly, some companies reported positive effects from the pandemic, such as increased demand for certain products, new export markets, improved food safety practices, new suppliers and improved crisis management skills. However, the fruit juice industry in Türkiye was found to be vulnerable in the areas of logistics and supply chain management. The study suggests that companies should strengthen supply chain management, improve stock management, and create online marketing plans to reduce potential problems in future crises. Additionally, it contributes to the development of strategies to mitigate the impact of future pandemics or bottlenecks that may emerge in the future, thereby promoting the efficiency and sustainability of the fruit juice industry as a whole.

Examining primary healthcare services following earthquake shocks in Turkiye: A critical analysis of the initial 3 months and the vital role of humanitarian policy transfer for rapid response.

The purpose of this article is to discuss the importance of policy transfer by humanitarian NGOs to post-disaster regions and the effectiveness of mobile Primary Health Care (PHC) services immediately after disasters. This study also focused on analysing the first 3 months aftermath of the earthquake and assessed the changes in the access and needs of vulnerable groups in emergency response creation and systematic interventions after disasters. In disasters that require urgent response such as earthquakes, the importance of the existing NGOs (Such as MdM) capacity in the countries has emerged in terms of rapid response and experience sharing. During the field work, it is observed that MdM Mobile Medical Units (MMU) teams had played a key role in terms of tracking PHC needs, functioning as early warning system for epidemics, and prevention of communicable diseases in the EQ effected areas. In this aspect, the changes in diagnoses in the first trimester is examined using the comparative analysis methods. This study used a cross-sectional mixed-method approach in terms of objective evaluation. The results from a quantitative needs assessment were complemented by qualitative data. Herein, the data were collected in two stages: First, primary data was collected through the field activities of MMU, and second field-based assessments was conducted with health professionals who have been working in the MMU teams since the first moments of the earthquake.

Unused, expired pharmaceuticals and their disposal practices among the general public in Burdur-Türkiye: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Unused pharmaceuticals are currently a public health problem. This study aimed to identify unused pharmaceuticals, research practices about the disposal methods, classify the medicines according to Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical codes (ATC) and, to determine the number of unused medicines. METHODS: The study was designed as a cross-sectional study. Data were collected between April and August 2023 in Burdur-Türkiye by non-probability sampling technique (convenience method). Pharmaceuticals were classified according to ATC. Statistical Package for Social Science SPSS (V.24) package program was used for data analysis. RESULTS: A total of 1120 people, 1005 in the first sample group and 115 in the second sample group, participated in the study. Findings of first sample group: A total of 4097 boxes of unused pharmaceuticals (4.7 ± 4.3 boxes/per capita) were detected. It was found that pharmaceuticals were stored in areas such as kitchens (59.1%) and refrigerators (38.6%), the reason for keeping them was reuse (41%), and the disposal practice was household garbage (81%). Paracetamol (648 boxes), Other cold preparation (303 boxes), Dexketoprofen (239 boxes), Diclofenac (218 boxes), Amoxicillin and beta-lactamase inhibitor (190 boxes) were found to be the most frequently unused pharmaceuticals. Using the unused medicines at home without consulting a physician was 94.1% (self-medication). Findings of second sample group: Of the 6189 dosage forms in 265 boxes pharmaceutical, 3132(50.6%) dosage forms were used and 3057(49.4%) were found to be unused. CONCLUSION: There is a significant amount and number of unused medicines in households, and self-medication is common. Medicines are not properly disposed of and some of them expire. Public information is needed. A "drug take-back system" for unused medicines can be useful in solving this problem.

Personality and Job Performance in Türkiye: Psychometric Meta-analysis of Turkish Studies / [La personalidad y el desempeño laboral en Turquía: Meta-análisis psicométrico de estudios turcos]

For decades researchers have explored the link between the Big Five personality traits and job performance, conducting studies across various contexts and sectors. The study seeks to test the link between the Big Five dimensions of personality and job performance in Türkiye, for which an integration of 38 studies involving 18,021 participants was performed. By using psychometric meta-analysis, the study compares and evaluates the similarities and differences among the Türkiye studies and the broader literature on this topic. Additionally, this study is among the first to address the moderating effect of evaluators and sectors on the relationship between Big Five personality traits and job performance dimensions. The findings suggest that there are differences between the Turkish studies and the existing literature, which could be explained by cultural differences and social norms specific to collectivist countries like Türkiye.(AU)

Los investigadores han explorado durante decenios la relación entre los rasgos de personalidad de los cinco grandes factores y el desempeño en el trabajo, mediante estudios en diversos contextos y sectores. El estudio pretende probar el vínculo entre las dimensiones de personalidad de los cinco grandes y el rendimiento laboral en Turquía, para lo que se llevó a cabo la integración de 38 estudios en los que participaron un total de 18,021 sujetos. Mediante meta-análisis psicométricos el estudio compara y valora las semejanzas y diferencias entre los estudios de Turquía y las publicaciones más amplias sobre el tema. Además el estudio es uno de los primeros que aborda el efecto moderador de los evaluadores y sectores en la relación entre los rasgos de personalidad de los cinco grandes y las dimensiones del desempeño en el trabajo. Los resultados indican que hay diferencias entre los estudios turcos y otros estudios, lo que podría explicarse por las diferencias culturales y las normas sociales específicas de países colectivistas como Turquía.(AU)

Population Genetics of Culex tritaeniorhynchus (Diptera: Culicidae) in Türkiye.

PURPOSE: Mosquitoes are important vectors of pathogens that can affect humans and animals. Culex tritaeniorhynchus is an important vector of arboviruses such as Japanese encephalitis virus, West Nile virus among various human and animal communities. These diseases are of major public health concern and can have huge economic and health burdens in prevalent countries. Although populations of this important mosquito species have been detected in the Mediterranean and Aegean regions of Türkiye; little is known about its population structure. Our study is to examine the population genetics and genetic composition of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus mosquitoes collected from several localities using cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) and the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 5 genes (ND5). This is the first extensive study of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus in the mainland Türkiye with sampling spanning many of provinces. METHODS: In this study, DNA extraction, amplification of mitochondrial COI and ND5 genes and population genetic analyses were performed on ten geographic populations of Culex tritaeniorhynchus in the Aegean and Mediterranean region of Türkiye. RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2020, 96 samples were collected from 10 geographic populations in the Aegean and Mediterranean regions; they were molecularly analyzed and 139 sequences (50 sequence for COI and 89 sequence for ND5) were used to determine the population structure and genetic diversity. For ND5 gene region, the samples produced 24 haplotypes derived from 15 variable sites and for COI gene region, 43 haplotypes were derived from 17 variable sites. The haplotype for both gene regions was higher than nucleotide diversity. Haplotype phylogeny revealed two groups present in all populations. AMOVA test results show that the geographical populations were the same for all gene regions. Results suggest that Cx. tritaeniorhynchus is a native population in Türkiye, the species is progressing towards speciation and there is no genetic differentiation between provinces and regions. CONCLUSION: This study provides useful information on the molecular identifcation and genetic diversity of Cx. tritaeniorhynchus; these results are important to improve mosquito control programs.

A newly discovered Hystrix primigenia specimen from the Kemiklitepe collection at Ege University Natural History Museum: insights into paleobiogeography in Eurasia.

Porcupines, members of the Hystricidae family, represent a unique group of herbivorous mammals. This study details the identification of a newly discovered mandible fragment of Hystrix primigenia, along with a right cheek tooth series from the middle Turolian Kemiklitepe-A fossil locality. While Hystrix fossils are found in numerous localities, the materials are often limited to a few dental fragments or isolated teeth, posing challenges to systematic investigations. The examination of this lower tooth series prompted a comprehensive review of all H. primigenia findings across Eurasia, shedding light on its adaptive characteristics over time and space. Our paleobiogeographical analysis indicates the absence of H. depereti in Late Miocene Türkiye, while the dispersal range of H. primigenia is broader than that of H. depereti in Eurasia. Additionally, the study delves into the discussion of H. primigenia and H. depereti findings in Eurasia, ultimately refining the categorization of Late Miocene Hystrix discoveries in Türkiye to two species: H. primigenia and H. kayae. Our review suggests the possibility of an additional H. kayae finding from Samos, Greece.

Phylogenetic Analysis of Brucella melitensis Strains Isolated from Humans Using 16S rRNA Sequencing and Multiple Locus Variable Number of Tandem Repeats Analysis-16.

Background: Brucellosis is the most important public health problem worldwide, and the annual incidence of the disease in humans is 2.1 million. The Brucella genome is highly conserved, with over 90% similarity among species. The aim of this study was to perform species-level identification of Brucella spp. strains isolated from humans diagnosed with brucellosis and to further investigate the phylogenetic relationships using multiple locus variable number of tandem repeats analysis (MLVA)-16 and 16S rRNA sequencing analysis. Materials and Methods: Brucella spp. was isolated from the blood cultures of 54 patients who tested positive for brucellosis through serological examinations. Real-time PCR was used to identify the isolates in species, and the genus level of Brucella was confirmed with 16S rRNA. All isolates were subjected to phylogenetic analysis using variable number of tandem repeat analysis with multiple loci. Results: Subsequent analysis via real-time PCR confirmed these isolates to be of the Brucella melitensis species. The 16S rRNA sequence analysis showed 100% homogeneity among the isolates. MLVA revealed the formation of five different genotypic groups. While two groups were formed based on the 16S rRNA sequence analysis, five groups were formed in the MLVA. Conclusions: The study concluded that 16S rRNA sequence analysis alone did not provide sufficient discrimination for phylogenetic analysis but served as a supportive method for identification. MLVA exhibited higher phylogenetic power. The widespread isolation of B. melitensis from human brucellosis cases highlights the importance of controlling brucellosis in small ruminants to prevent human infections.