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The Presidency of the Republic of Turkey Human Resources Office has stated that a Career Planning Course (CPC) should be implemented in higher education curricula by 2020. An institutional CPC consisting of 10-online sessions was designed and implemented in at Ege University Faculty of Medicine (EUFM) curriculum. This study reports the design, implementation, and evaluation of this new CPC at EUFM.

Victoria M Pak,1,2 S-Hakki Onen,3,4 Nalaka S Gooneratne,4 Bruno Falissard,5 Fannie Onen4–6 1Center for Sleep and Circadian Neurobiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 2Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA; 3CHU Lyon, Hôpital Edouard Herriot, Geriatric Sleep Medicine Center, Lyon, France; 4Division of Geriatric Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA, USA; 5CHU Bichat Claude Bernard, Gériatrie, APHP, Paris, 6CESP, INSERM 1018 & 1178, Université Paris Sud, Paris, France Introduction: There is no established reference standard for subjective measures of sleepiness in older adults. Methods: This study compares the Observation and Interview-based Diurnal Sleepiness Inventory (ODSI) with two existing instruments for measurement of sleepiness and daily functioning, the Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS) and Functional Outcomes of Sleep Questionnaire (FOSQ). Results: A total of 125 study participants were included in this study and were administered the ODSI, ESS and FOSQ; subjects had a mean age of 70.9 ± 5.27 years, mean Apnea–Hypopnea Index of 31.9 ± 27.9 events/hour and normal cognitive functioning (Mini-Mental State Examination score > 24). The ODSI showed a significant association with the ESS (Spearman’s ρ: 0.67, P < 0.001) and with the FOSQ (Spearman’s ρ: –0.52, P < 0.001). The ODSI 1 item (assessing sleepiness in active situations) was borderline significantly correlated with the ESS (β = 0.14; 95% confidence interval [CI], –0.01 to 0.29; P = 0.069). ODSI 2 item (sleepiness in passive situations) was correlated with the ESS (β = 1.65; 95% CI, 1.32 to 1.98; P < 0.001). Both ODSI 1 (β = –0.15; 95% CI, –0.24 to –0.07; P < 0.001) and ODSI 2 (β = –0.35; 95% CI, –0.55 to 0.16; P < 0.001) were significantly correlated with the FOSQ. Conclusion: The ODSI is a suitable measure of sleepiness and is appropriate for usage in clinical care in older adults. Keywords: excessive daytime sleepiness, functional status, sleep disorders, questionnaires

Background: The use of mobilizing agents for hematopoietic stem cell (HSC) transplantation is insufficient for an increasing number of patients. We previously reported lipid made endocannabinoid (eCB) ligands act on the human bone marrow (hBM) HSC migration in vitro, lacking long term stability to be therapeutic candidate. In this study, we hypothesized if a novel 2-AG-loaded polycaprolactone (PCL)-based nanoparticle delivery system that actively targets BM via phosphatidylserine (Ps) can be generated and validated., Methods: PCL nanoparticles were prepared by using the emulsion evaporation method and characterized by Zetasizer and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The encapsulation efficiency and release profile of 2-AG were determined by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS). The presence of cannabinoid receptors (CBRs) in HSCs and monocytes was detected by flow cytometry. Cell morphology and viability were assessed using transmission electron microscopy (TEM), SEM, and the WST-1 viability assay. The migration efficacy of the 2-AG and 2-AG-loaded nanoparticle delivery system on HSCs and HPSCs (TF-1a and TF-1) and monocytes (THP-1) was evaluated using a transwell migration assay., Results: The 140-225 nm PCL nanoparticles exhibited an increasing polydispersity index (PDI) after the addition of Ps and 2-AG, with a surface charge ranging from - 25 to -50 mV. The nanoparticles released up to 36% of 2-AG within the first 8 h. The 2-AG-Ps-PCL did not affect cellular viability compared to control on days 5 and 10. The HSCs and monocytes expressed CB1R and CB2R and revealed increased migration to media containing 1 µM 2-AG-Ps-PCL compared to control. The migration rate of the HSCs toward monocytes incubated with 1 µM 2-AG-Ps-PCL was higher than that of the monocytes of control. The 2-AG-Ps-PCL formulation provided a real time mobilization efficacy at 1 µM dose and 8 h time window via a specific CBR agonism., Conclusion: The newly generated and validated 2-AG-loaded PCL nanoparticle delivery system can serve as a stable, long lasting, targeted mobilization agent for HSCs and as a candidate therapeutic to be included in HSC transplantation (HSCT) protocols following scale-up in vivo preclinical and subsequent clinical trials., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Malfunction in spermatogenesis due to genetic diseases, trauma, congenital disorders or gonadotoxic treatments results in infertility in approximately 7% of males. The behavior of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) within three-dimensional, multifactorial, and dynamic microenvironment implicates a niche that serves as a repository for fertility, since can serve as a source of mature and functional male germ cells. Current protocols enable reprogramming of mature somatic cells into induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) and their limited differentiation to SSCs within the range of 0-5%. However, the resulting human iPSC-derived haploid spermatogenic germ cell yield in terms of number and functionality is currently insufficient for transfer to infertility clinic as a therapeutic tool. In this article, we reviewed the evolution of experimental culture platforms and introduced a novel iPSCs-based approach for in vitro spermatogenesis based on a niche perspective bearing cellular, chemical, and physical factors that provide the complex arrangement of testicular seminiferous tubules embedded within a vascularized stroma. We believe that bioengineered organoids supported by smart bio-printed tubules and microfluidic organ-on-a-chip systems offer efficient, precise, personalized platforms for autologous pluripotent stem cell sources to undergo the spermatogenetic cycle, presenting a promising tool for infertile male patients with complete testicular aplasia., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry techniques both determine the target protein by immunolabeling. Flow cytometric analysis quantifies total number of fluorescent labeled cells and qualify sup-populations according to size and granularity. Immunohistochemistry is able to map immune-labeled cells and extracellular matrix components under light and electron microscope by enzyme or fluorescent molecules. Real-time identification, in-time classification, and final plotting of spermatogonial lineage are of crucial importance for monitoring the fertility potential of spermatogonial stem cell microenvironment and predicting progress of spermatogenesis. Here we define the evaluation of mouse male germ cell microenvironment at single cell and whole tissue section levels by using flow cytometric and immunohistochemical approaches., (© 2023. Springer Science+Business Media, LLC.)

Abstract: Sleep disturbances and circadian rhythm changes in bipolar disorder (BD) may have behavioral components as well as biological components. This study aimed to examine the relationship between personality traits, sleep and circadian rhythm in BD. A total of 150 participants with BD, and 150 healthy controls completed the Big Five Personality Test-50 (B5PT-50-TR), Biological Rhythm Interview of Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (BRIAN), Functioning Assessment Short Test (FAST), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Young Mania Rating Scale and Beck Depression Inventory. In the BD group, B5PT-50-TR emotional stability and openness subscale scores were significantly lower in comparison with the healthy control group. Agreeableness and emotional stability subscales were covariates for the BRIAN sleep subscale and emotional stability was a covariate for PSQI total score. Emotional instability might be a vulnerability factor for sleep disorders and biological rhythm abnormalities in BD. Improvement in emotional instability may relieve sleep disorders and biological rhythm, thereby leading to better treatment outcomes in BD., (Copyright © 2023 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Childhood cancer treatment-induced gonadotoxicity causes permanent infertility/sub-infertility in nearly half of males. The current clinical and experimental approaches are limited to cryopreservation of prepubertal testicular strips and in vitro spermatogenesis which are inadequate to achieve the expanded spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells and spermatogenesis in vitro. Recently, we reported the supportive effect of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal cell co-culture which is inadequate after 14 days of culture in static conditions in prepubertal mouse testis due to lack of microvascular flow and diffusion. Therefore, we generated a novel, pumpless, single polydimethylsiloxane-layered testis-on-chip platform providing a continuous and stabilized microfluidic flow and real-time cellular paracrine contribution of allogeneic bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells., Methods: We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this new setup in terms of self-renewal of stem/progenitor cells, spermatogenesis and structural and functional maturation of seminiferous tubules in vitro by measuring the number of undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia, spermatocytes, spermatids and tubular growth by histochemical, immunohistochemical, flow cytometric and chromatographic techniques., Results: Bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell-based testis-on-chip platform supported the maintenance of SALL4(+) and PLZF(+) spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells, for 42 days. The new setup improved in vitro spermatogenesis in terms of c-Kit(+) differentiating spermatogonia, VASA(+) total germ cells, the meiotic cells including spermatocytes and spermatids and testicular maturation by increasing testosterone concentration and improved tubular growth for 42 days in comparison with hanging drop and non-mesenchymal stem cell control., Conclusions: Future fertility preservation for male pediatric cancer survivors depends on the protection/expansion of spermatogonial stem/progenitor cell pool and induction of in vitro spermatogenesis. Our findings demonstrate that a novel bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cell-based microfluidic testis-on-chip device supporting the maintenance of stem cells and spermatogenesis in prepubertal mice in vitro. This new, cell therapy-based microfluidic platform may contribute to a safe, precision-based cell and tissue banking protocols for prepubertal fertility restoration in future., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Objective: Aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of topical intranasal insulin on healing of nasal mucosa in a rat model., Methods: Forty-eight Wistar rats, weighing between 250 and 300 g and aged 10-12 weeks were used and randomized into two equal groups. 1.9 mm curette was introduced through the left nostril and 1.9 mm mucosa from the left nasal septum was curetted. Postoperatively, animals in the control group received 1 mL of physiologic saline, 3 times a day in a nasal irrigation fashion. Animals in the experimental group received 1 mL of 5 IU/mL regular insulin in saline solution. Subjects were sacrificed after 5, 10, and 15 days and macroscopic and histomorphometric evaluations were performed., Results: There were no mucosal synechiae and septal perforation macroscopically. Histological examination revealed that the defect size reduction was 21% in the saline group versus 56% in the insulin group on the fifth day ( p  = 0.006). There was 62% defect reduction in the saline group versus 79% in the insulin group on the 10th day ( p  = 0.034). On the 15th day, only 67% of saline group animals had complete defect closure, whereas 100% of animals treated with insulin had complete closure (92% vs 100% mucosal defect reduction, p  = 0.036). Both edema and inflammation were less in the insulin group on 15th day ( p  = 0.006; p  = 0.023, respectively)., Conclusion: The results from this study support the safety and efficacy of topical insulin on wound healing in the literature. This study could guide further experimental studies that examine human sinonasal wound healing.

Purpose: Rapid and easy detection of spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells (SSPCs) is crucial for clinicians dealing with male infertility caused by prepubertal testicular damage. Deep learning (DL) methods may offer visual tools for tracking SSPCs on testicular strips of prepubertal animal models. The purpose of this study is to detect and count the seminiferous tubules and SSPCs in newborn mouse testis sections using a DL method., Methods: Testicular sections of the C57BL/6-type newborn mice were obtained and enumerated. Odd-numbered sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E), and even-numbered sections were immune labeled (IL) with SSPC specific marker, SALL4. Seminiferous tubule and SSPC datasets were created using odd-numbered sections. SALL4-labeled sections were used as positive control. The YOLO object detection model based on DL was used to detect seminiferous tubules and stem cells., Results: Test scores of the DL model in seminiferous tubules were obtained as 0.98 mAP, 0.93 precision, 0.96 recall, and 0.94 f1-score. The SSPC test scores were obtained as 0.88 mAP, 0.80 precision, 0.93 recall, and 0.82 f1-score., Conclusion: Seminiferous tubules and SSPCs on prepubertal testicles were detected with a high sensitivity by preventing human-induced errors. Thus, the first step was taken for a system that automates the detection and counting process of these cells in the infertility clinic., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Prepubertal cancer treatment leads to irreversible infertility in half of the male patients. Current in vitro spermatogenesis protocols and cryopreservation techniques are inadequate to expand spermatogonial stem/progenitor cells (SSPC) from testicles. Bone marrow derived mesenchymal stem cells (BM-MSC) bearing a close resemblance to Sertoli cells, improved spermatogenesis in animal models. We asked if a co-culture setup supported by syngeneic BM-MSC that contributes to the air-liquid interphase (ALI) could lead to survival, expansion and differentiation of SSPCs in vitro. We generated an ALI platform able to provide a real-time cellular paracrine contribution consisting of syngeneic BM-MSCs to neonatal C57BL/6 mice testes. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of this culture system on SSPC pool expansion and spermatogenesis throughout a complete spermatogenic cycle by measuring the number of total germ cells (GC), the undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia, the spermatocytes and the spermatids. Furthermore, we evaluated the testicular cell cycle phases, the tubular and luminal areas using histochemical, immunohistochemical and flow cytometric techniques. Cultures in present of BM-MSCs displayed survival of ID4(+) spermatogonial stem cells (SSC), expansion of SALL4(+) and OCT4(+) SSPCs, VASA(+) total GCs and Ki67(+) proliferative cells at 42 days and an increased number of SCP3(+) spermatocytes and Acrosin(+) spermatids at 28 days. BM-MSCs increased the percentage of mitotic cells within the G2-M phase of the total testicular cell cycle increased for 7 days, preserved the cell viability for 42 days and induced testicular maturation by enlargement of the tubular and luminal area for 42 days in comparison to the control. The percentage of PLZF(+) SSPCs increased within the first 28 days of culture, after which the pool started to get smaller while the number of spermatocytes and spermatids increased simultaneously. Our findings established the efficacy of syngeneic BM-MSCs on the survival and expansion of the SSPC pool and differentiation of spermatogonia to round spermatids during in vitro culture of prepubertal mice testes for 42 days. This method may be helpful in providing alternative cures for male fertility by supporting in vitro differentiated spermatids that can be used for round spermatid injection (ROSI) to female oocyte in animal models. These findings can be further exploited for personalized cellular therapy strategies to cure male infertility of prepubertal cancer survivors in clinics., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Objectives: This study aims to investigate the rate of type D personality in Turkish patients with fibromyalgia (FM) and evaluate its associations with clinical parameters of FM as well as its effects on health-related quality of life (HRQoL)., Patients and Methods: The study included 100 patients with FM (14 males, 86 females; mean age 34.6±7.4 years; range, 22 to 49 years) fulfilling 1990 American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria and 50 healthy controls (9 males, 41 females; mean age 32.6±6.5 years; range, 21 to 50 years). Type D personality was assessed using the type D scale-14 (DS-14). FM disease severity was determined by Fibromyalgia Impact Questionnaire (FIQ), functional status by Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ), and HRQoL by Nottingham Health Profile (NHP). Severity of pain and fatigue were measured by visual analog scale (VAS)., Results: The frequency of type D personality was 33% in FM patients and 12% in controls (odds ratio=3.612, 95% confidence interval 1.398-9.333) (p=0.006). Type D FM patients scored higher in tender point count (TPC), FIQ, HAQ, VAS-pain and all NHP subgroups except energy (p<0.01). Type D personality was found to be correlated with FIQ, TPC, HAQ, VAS-pain and NHP subgroups except energy (p<0.01)., Conclusion: Based on our findings, assessment of personality characteristics of patients with FM may hold the key for the treatment of the disease. Besides, a better understanding of personality-related pain in FM patients may provide a more targeted approach to pain treatment., Competing Interests: Conflict of Interest: The authors declared no conflicts of interest with respect to the authorship and/or publication of this article., (Copyright © 2020, Turkish League Against Rheumatism.)

Finding the optimum operational conditions (mainly temperature and stirring) inside the fermenters is crucial in the field of anaerobic digestion. This study was conducted to contribute to the research area of anaerobic digestion process optimization and is an example for other biogas plants to improve efficiency. The research aimed at finding the optimum operational conditions in a large-scale biogas plant located in Lower Saxony, Germany, which started operation in 2011. The optimization activities were performed by operating the fermenters under different operational conditions: the temperature inside the fermenters ranged between 40°C and 43°C, while applying several stirring scenarios. These changes led to an increase in specific electricity yield of 11.7% and a decrease in internal energy consumption of 10.4%. The total internal energy consumption of the biogas plant was in the range of 6.3-7.2% (the average monthly internal energy consumption was 6.7% in 2013 and 6.0% in 2014) from their own production, and 28% of this energy consumption was used by the stirrers before optimization. Therefore, finding the optimum operational conditions leads to high energy harvesting and lower internal energy consumption.

Magnetic-activated cell sorting (MACS) is the technology that is recently used as a magnetic-based cell isolation/purification technique. This technique enables the isolation and selection of germ, hematopoietic, and somatic stem cells including skin stem cells (SkSCs). Here, we have tried to describe the isolation of stem cells by MACS using CD34 antigen for SkSCs, again CD34 for hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and Thy-1 for spermatogonial stem cells (SpSCs). MACS allowed the isolation of CD34+, CD34+, and Thy-1+ human SkSCs, HSCs, and SpSCs with minimum 98% purity.

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate symptoms of swallowing difficulty in Panic Disorder (PD) patients and the factors associated with these symptoms., Methods: In the pre-phase of the study, 22 PD patients who were treated in psychiatry outpatient clinics and who were found to have swallowing difficulty were evaluated. PD patients were asked to write about their thoughts, feelings and behaviors associated with swallowing difficulty. Later, these texts were examined and 41 expressions were identified in which patients described their swallowing difficulty. These expressions were evaluated by mental health workers in the field and twelve different swallowing difficulty items were defined. In the main phase of the study, 119 PD outpatients were evaluated using twelve different swallowing difficulty items and psychometric tests [Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), Separation Anxiety Symptom Inventory (SASI), Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI-1/STAI-2)]., Results: As a result of the validity and reliability analysis, a valid one-factor instrument with ten items was obtained. Cronbach's alpha value for this measurement tool was 0.89 and it was termed the "Swallowing Anxiety Scale (SAS)". It was found that SAS items "always" accompany PD patients at rates of 5-20.2%. According to hierarchical regression analysis, 35% of SAS scores were explained by PAS, SASI, STAI-2 and BDI scores., Conclusion: Swallowing difficulty items in PD patients involved anxious, phobic and somatic symptoms associated with swallowing. In addition, swallowing difficulty symptoms in PD patients can be confounded with eating disorder symptoms.

Recent advances require a dual evaluation of germ and somatic stem cell niches with a regenerative medicine perspective. For a better point of view of the niche concept, it is needed to compare the microenvironments of those niches in respect to several components. The cellular environment of spermatogonial stem cells' niche consists of Sertoli cells, Leydig cells, vascular endothelial cells, epididymal fat cells, peritubular myoid cells while hematopoietic stem cells have mesenchymal stem cells, osteoblasts, osteoclasts, megacaryocytes, macrophages, vascular endothelial cells, pericytes and adipocytes in their microenvironment. Not only those cells', but also the effect of the other factors such as hormones, growth factors, chemokines, cytokines, extracellular matrix components, biomechanical forces (like shear stress, tension or compression) and physical environmental elements such as temperature, oxygen level and pH will be clarified during the chapter. Because it is known that the microenvironment has an important role in the stem cell homeostasis and disease conditions, it is crucial to understand the details of the microenvironment and to be able to compare the niche concepts of the different types of stem cells from each other, for the regenerative interventions. Indeed, the purpose of this chapter is to point out the usage of niche engineering within the further studies in the regenerative medicine field. Decellularized, synthetic or non-synthetic scaffolds may help to mimic the stem cell niche. However, the shared or different characteristics of germ and somatic stem cell microenvironments are necessary to constitute a proper niche model. When considered from this aspect, it is possible to produce some strategies on the personalized medicine by using those artificial models of stem cell microenvironment.

Objective: Drunk driving is one of the major behavioral issues connected with problematic alcohol consumption. The objective of this study was to evaluate the relationship between personality traits and social problem-solving skills of individuals who drive while intoxicated., Method: One hundred forty-four individuals apprehended twice while driving drunk and sent to a driver behavior training program (9 females and 135 males) participated in our study. The Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised-Abbreviated (EPQ-RA) composed of 4 subscales (Extroversion, Neuroticism, Psychoticism, and Lying) and the Social Problem Solving Inventory (SPSI) composed of 7 subscales (Cognitive, Emotion, Behavior, Problem Definition and Formulation, Creating Solution Options, Solution Implementation and Verification, and Decision Making) were used to evaluate the participants., Results: A positive relationship was found between the Extroversion subscale of the EPQ-RA and the Cognition subscale (P <.01), Emotion subscale (P <.01), Behavior subscale (P <.01), Generation of Alternatives subscale (P <.01), Decision Making subscale (P <.05), and Solution Implementation and Verification subscale (P <.01). For individuals who repeated intoxicated driving, all subscales of the EPQ-RA (Extroversion, Lying, Neuroticism, and Psychoticism subscales) explained 12% of the scores of the Cognition subscale and 16.2% (P <.001) of the Emotion subscale of the SPSI. There was no significant relationship between the first and second incident alcohol blood levels (P >.05)., Conclusion: Drinking and driving behaviors appear to be negative or maladaptive behaviors closely related to personality traits and may represent an effort to avoid negative emotions. Evaluation of negative emotions may have an important place in training programs intended to change drunk driving behavior.

Extended spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) and plasmid-mediated AmpC β-lactamase (pAmpC) producing Escherichia coli have been shown to be present in humans and animals representing a significant problem worldwide. This study aimed to search the presence of ESBL and/or AmpC-producing E. coli in retail meats (chicken and beef) in Turkey. A total of 88 β-lactamase-producing E. coli were isolated from chicken (n = 81/100) and beef meat (n = 7/100) samples and their susceptibility to several antimicrobials were tested using disc diffusion method. E. coli isolates were further characterized for their phylogenetic groups. β-Lactamase encoding (blaTEM , blaSHV , blaOXA , blaCTX-M , and blaAmpC ) and quinolone resistance genes (qnrA, qnrB, qnrS, qepA, and acc(6')-Ib-cr) were also secreened by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). However, in regard to β-lactamase genes, 84 of 88 isolates were positive for blaCTX-M-1 (n = 39), blaCTX-M-3 (n = 5), blaCTX-M-15 (n = 4), blaTEM-1b (n = 2), blaSHV-12 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-1 /blaTEM-1b (n = 10), blaCTX-M-1 /blaTEM-1b /blaSHV-5 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-1 /blaCMY-2 (n = 1) and blaTEM-1b /blaCMY-2 (n = 6), blaCTX-M-15 /blaSHV-12 (n = 1), blaCTX-M-15 /blaTEM-1b (n = 1), blaTEM-1b /blaSHV-12 (n = 1), and blaCMY-2 (n = 12) genes. Resistance to cefuroxime (75.6% and 85.7%), nalidixic acid (89% and 85.7%), tetracycline (91.4% and 100%), streptomycin (40.2% and 100%), and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (36.6% and 85.7%) was observed among strains isolated from chicken and beef, respectively. However, all isolates were found to be susceptible to amikacin, imipenem, and cefepime. Resistance to ampicillin and cefoxitin was significantly linked to blaCMY-2 gene, while there was a significant correlation between CTX-M type ESBL and antimicrobial resistance to cefuroxime and streptomycin (P < 0.05). The results of this study suggest that raw chicken retail meats are highly contaminated with ESBL-producing E. coli implementing a great risk to human health in Turkey., (© 2015 Institute of Food Technologists®)

This study aimed to determine the relationship between metacognitions and insight in obsessive compulsive disorder. One hundred individuals who had been diagnosed according to "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition Text Revision" criteria as having obsessive compulsive disorder and 50 healthy controls are included in the study. A sociodemographic and clinical data form, the Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale and the Beck Depression Inventory were given to the participants. Insight is assessed by the 11th item of the Yale-Brown Obsession and Compulsion Scale. The Metacognition Questionnaire-30 was administered to both the obsessive compulsive disorder and the control groups to assess metacognitions. We found that the metacognition scores were statistically different in all groups and that the metacognition scores were higher in the obsessive compulsive disorder with good insight group than in the obsessive compulsive disorder with poor insight and control groups. In the obsessive compulsive disorder with poor insight group, all of the metacognition subscale scores were lower than those in the obsessive compulsive disorder with good insight group. Our findings elucidate the relationship between metacognitions and insight in obsessive compulsive disorder., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of and the risk factors associated with obesity among adolescents in Ankara, Turkey., Methods: The study was conducted in 26 schools in Ankara during the time period from September 2010 to March 2011. A total of 8848 adolescents aged 11-18 years were chosen using a population-based stratified cluster sampling method. Body mass index (BMI) of the participants was compared with the BMI references for Turkish children and adolescents to estimate the prevalence of overweight and obesity. A standardized questionnaire aiming to determine the sociodemographic characteristics, computer use, television (TV) watching, physical activity, and presence of obesity in the family was applied to the study group., Results: The results showed that the overall prevalence of obesity among adolescents was 7.7% (8.4 % for females and 7.0% for males). It was observed that BMI increased as computer use increased. A greater proportion of the overweight and obese adolescents watched TV and use computer for more than 2 hours/day as compared to their normal-weight counterparts. The normal-weight subjects were found to show a higher participation in regular physical activity. Obesity prevalence among the families of obese adolescents was 56.5%., Conclusions: The prevalence of adolescent obesity in Ankara, Turkey is lower as compared to many European countries and to the United States. Computer use, watching TV, physical activity and family factors are important risk factors for obesity.