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OBJECTIVE: Mitochondrial impairments have been implicated in the pathogenesis of Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) based on analysis of mitochondria in peripheral tissues and cultured cells. We sought to assess whether mitochondrial abnormalities present in postmortem brain tissues of patients with FXTAS are also present in plasma neuron-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEVs) from living carriers of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein1 (FMR1) gene premutations at an early asymptomatic stage of the disease continuum. METHODS: We utilized postmortem frozen cerebellar and frontal cortex samples from a cohort of eight patients with FXTAS and nine controls and measured the quantity and activity of the mitochondrial proteins complex IV and complex V. In addition, we evaluated the same measures in isolated plasma NDEVs by selective immunoaffinity capture targeting L1CAM from a separate cohort of eight FMR1 premutation carriers and four age-matched controls. RESULTS: Lower complex IV and V quantity and activity were observed in the cerebellum of FXTAS patients compared to controls, without any differences in total mitochondrial content. No patient-control differences were observed in the frontal cortex. In NDEVs, FMR1 premutation carriers compared to controls had lower activity of Complex IV and Complex V, but higher Complex V quantity. INTERPRETATION: Quantitative and functional abnormalities in mitochondrial electron transport chain complexes IV and V seen in the cerebellum of patients with FXTAS are also manifest in plasma NDEVs of FMR1 premutation carriers. Plasma NDEVs may provide further insights into mitochondrial pathologies in this syndrome and could potentially lead to the development of biomarkers for predicting symptomatic FXTAS among premutation carriers and disease monitoring.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between cardiovascular risk scores and the visceral adiposity index (VAI) in patients with psoriatic disease (PsD). Methods: A total of 101 PsD patients meeting psoriatic arthritis (CASPAR) criteria and 98 healthy individuals were included in this study. Systematic coronary risk evaluation index (SCORE), Framingham risk score (FS), and VAI values in patients and VAI values in healthy individuals were calculated. Results: The mean body mass index (BMI) (kg/m²) of the patients was 29.63±5.66. According to the SCORE measurements, the patients were classified as low risk, moderate risk, and high risk-53 (52.5%), 45 (44.6%), and 3 (3%), respectively. No patient was found to be at very high risk. According to the FS, the low-risk, moderate-risk, and high-risk patient rates were 72 (71.3%), 22 (21.8%), and 7 (6.9%), respectively. Statistically significantly higher rates of metabolic syndrome, obesity (BMI >30), and VAI levels were found in the PsA group compared to the healthy control group (p30 (obesity), diabetes mellitus, and hypertension compared to patients without these comorbidities (p

In this study, the effects of design-oriented STEM activities on preschool children were examined. In the research conducted with case study in qualitative research designs, 20 preschool children aged five years in a kindergarten formed the participants of the study. Design Oriented STEM Activities were completed with 24 sessions of 8 weeks, 3 days a week. Within the scope of the research, data were collected through observations, interviews and research diaries and content analysis was made. As a result of the analysis of the data, it was concluded that the applied design-oriented STEM education increased the problem-solving, communication and cooperation skills of the children, and that the STEM education process; It has been concluded that it raises the awareness of children and gives them a sense of responsibility. In addition, it has been concluded that STEM activities encourage children to solve problems and generate ideas, make permanent behavioral changes in children, and increase children's social and adaptation skills.

The purpose of the current study was to evaluate the undergraduate program of the Computer Education and Instructional Technology (CEIT) Department. CEIT department is an undergraduate program that trains information technology teachers. The study group of the study, which was designed according to the descriptive research model, was consisted of 461 CEIT graduates, who were selected by using the convenience sampling methods. Three instruments were used to collect data; a "Personal Information Form," the "Pedagogical Competence Perception Scale for the CEIT Graduates," the "Technological Competence Perception Scale for the CEIT Graduates." The data collection tools were developed by the researchers. When the results of the study are evaluated it is seen that the CEIT curriculum supports the participants in the acquisition of pedagogical competence more than the acquisition of the technological competence. When the pedagogical competence perceptions of the graduates are considered, it is seen that the graduates have high level competence perceptions about "Educational Planning and implementation, developing educational software and materials, educational communication competences, security and ethics in the use of information and communication technologies during the educational process, planning and implementation of the projects." When their perceptions of their technological competence are examined, it is seen that the graduates have moderate level of competence perceptions about "ability to solve problems in relation to the hardware installation and using visual software," while they have low level of competence perceptions about "ability to use system software and security of network and system." In this study, it was understood that the undergraduate program of the CEIT department, which trains future teachers of information technologies courses, is more sufficient in terms of developing pedagogical competence and less sufficient in terms of developing technological competence in students. In this context, the contents of the courses in the CEIT undergraduate program should be updated. Additionally, some studies should be conducted in order to develop the technological competence skills of the students attending the department.

Aim: This study aimed to assess the potential for drug-drug interactions in adult patients admitted to the emergency departments.Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study included 410 patients who were admitted to the red zone of the emergency departments, examined, treated, and received multiple medications. Drug-drug interaction analysis was conducted using LexiInteract software.Results: The median age of patients was 63 (range, 19-96) years, with 55.4% (n=227) being female and 44.6% (n=183) were male. A total of 1,230 medications were identified among the patients. In 181 (44.1%) patients, 330 possible drug-drug interactions were detected. While there was no significant difference in the rate of drug-drug interactions between male and female patients (p=0.658), this rate was higher in patients aged 65 years and over (p=0.048) and patients with polypharmacy (p

Aim This study aimed to determine the effect of social media-supported learning on the academic achievement of nursing students and their social media usage levels in nursing education. Background Using social media in nursing education enables students to experience interactive learning, strengthening learning outcomes and creating an enriched learning environment with up-to-date information. Method The study was conducted as a randomized controlled study. CONSORTchecklist was completed. The subject of parenteral drug administration was explained interactively to all students by the same instructors for a total of 12 h for weeks. After the theoretical course, each skill was demonstrated by the instructor in the laboratory setting in a 24-h laboratory course with the demonstration method in line with the checklists. After the training was completed, the students filled out the necessary forms. Videos and informative images about parenteral drug applications were shared with the intervention group for 4 weeks through an Instagram page created for social media-supported learning. Questions and answers were shared on the subject every day in the story section. The answer to the question was shared in the story section the next day with explanations. At the end of the 4th training week, the students were asked to complete the necessary forms as a post-test. Changes in academic achievement and social media usage after the intervention were measured using achievement tests and the Social Media Scale in Nursing Education. Data were analyzed with SPSS 23.0. Normality was tested using the Shapiro–Wilk test. Independent t-tests and the Chi-Square test for categorical variables were used for normally distributed continuous variables. Pre-test and post-test comparisons within groups were evaluated with the Paired t-test if normality was met, or the Wilcoxon test. The effect size was calculated using Cohen’s d. Results After social media-supported learning, it was found that the difference between the post-test mean scores of the nursing students in the intervention and control group was statistically significant(p

PURPOSE: To determine the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) measurements for detecting liver fat content in potential living liver donors and to compare these results using liver biopsy findings. METHODS: A total of 139 living liver donors (men/women: 83/56) who underwent MRI between January 2017 and September 2021 were included in this analysis retrospectively. The PDFFs were measured using both MR spectroscopy (MRS) and chemical shift-based MRI (CS-MRI) for each donor in a blinded manner. RESULTS: Significant positive correlations were found between liver biopsy and MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI PDFF in terms of hepatic steatosis detection [r = 0.701, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.604–0.798, r = 0.654, 95% CI: 0.544–0.765, P < 0.001, respectively). A weak level correlation was observed between liver biopsy, MRI methods, and vibration-controlled transient elastography attenuation parameters in 42 available donors. Based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI PDFF significantly distinguished >5% of histopathologically detected hepatic steatosis with an area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.837 ± 0.036 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.766–0.907) and 0.810 ± 0.036 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.739–0.881), respectively. The negative predictive values (NPVs) of MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI PDFF were 88.3% and 81.3%, respectively. In terms of distinguishing between clinically significant hepatic steatosis (≥10% on histopathology), the AUC of MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI were 0.871 ± 0.034 (P < 0.001 95% CI: 0.804–0.937) and 0.855 ± 0.036 (P < 0.001, 95% CI: 0.784–0.925), respectively. The NPVs of MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI were 99% and 92%, respectively. CONCLUSION: The methods of MRS-PDFF and CS-MRI PDFF provide a non-invasive and accurate approach for assessing hepatic steatosis in potential living liver donor candidates. These MRI PDFF techniques present a promising clinical advantage in the preoperative evaluation of living liver donors by eliminating the requirement for invasive procedures like liver biopsy.

Automated Machine Learning (AutoML) tools are revolutionizing the field of machine learning by significantly reducing the need for deep computer science expertise. Designed to make ML more accessible, they enable users to build high-performing models without extensive technical knowledge. This study delves into these tools in the context of time series analysis, which is essential for forecasting future trends from historical data. We evaluate three prominent AutoML tools—AutoGluon, Auto-Sklearn, and PyCaret—across various metrics, employing diverse datasets that include Bitcoin and COVID-19 data. The results reveal that the performance of each tool is highly dependent on the specific dataset and its ability to manage the complexities of time series data. This thorough investigation not only demonstrates the strengths and limitations of each AutoML tool but also highlights the criticality of dataset-specific considerations in time series analysis. Offering valuable insights for both practitioners and researchers, this study emphasizes the ongoing need for research and development in this specialized area. It aims to serve as a reference for organizations dealing with time series datasets and a guiding framework for future academic research in enhancing the application of AutoML tools for time series forecasting and analysis.

BackgroundProgression to cirrhosis in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is associated with a decrease in liver fat. However, the prognostic significance of liver fat content in NASH-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis is unclear.AimTo investigate the risk of decompensation, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and mortality stratified by liver fat content in NASH-related significant fibrosis and cirrhosis.MethodsIn this meta-analysis of individual participant data, 456 patients with both magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) and MRI-derived protein density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) were enrolled, and 296 patients with longitudinal follow-up were analysed. MRE combined with fibrosis-4 (MEFIB-index), and MRI-PDFF were used to measure liver fibrosis and fat, respectively. MEFIB-negative, MEFIB-positive+ MRI-PDFF ≥5% and MEFIB-positive+ MRI-PDFF

Background and aimsMagnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is an accurate, continuous biomarker of liver fibrosis; however, the optimal combination with clinical factors to predict the risk of incident hepatic decompensation is unknown. Therefore, we aimed to develop and validate an MRE-based prediction model for hepatic decompensation for patients with NAFLD.Approach and resultsThis international multicenter cohort study included participants with NAFLD undergoing MRE from 6 hospitals. A total of 1254 participants were randomly assigned as training (n = 627) and validation (n = 627) cohorts. The primary end point was hepatic decompensation, defined as the first occurrence of variceal hemorrhage, ascites, or HE. Covariates associated with hepatic decompensation on Cox-regression were combined with MRE to construct a risk prediction model in the training cohort and then tested in the validation cohort. The median (IQR) age and MRE values were 61 (18) years and 3.5 (2.5) kPa in the training cohort and 60 (20) years and 3.4 (2.5) kPa in the validation cohort, respectively. The MRE-based multivariable model that included age, MRE, albumin, aspartate aminotransferase, and platelets had excellent discrimination for the 3- and 5-year risk of hepatic decompensation (c-statistic 0.912 and 0.891, respectively) in the training cohort. The diagnostic accuracy remained consistent in the validation cohort with a c-statistic of 0.871 and 0.876 for hepatic decompensation at 3 and 5 years, respectively, and was superior to Fibrosis-4 in both cohorts ( p < 0.05).ConclusionsAn MRE-based prediction model allows for accurate prediction of hepatic decompensation and assists in the risk stratification of patients with NAFLD.

BackgroundThere are limited data regarding the longitudinal association between MEFIB-Index (MRE combined with FIB-4) versus MAST-Score (MRI-aspartate aminotransferase) and hepatic decompensation.AimTo examine the longitudinal association between MEFIB-Index versus MAST-Score in predicting hepatic decompensation in patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).MethodsThis was a longitudinal, retrospective analysis of subjects from United States, Japan, and Turkey who underwent a baseline MRE and MRI-PDFF and were followed for hepatic decompensation. Cox-proportional hazard analyses were used to assess the association between MEFIB-Index versus MAST-Score with a composite primary outcome (hepatic decompensation) defined as ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and varices needing treatment.ResultsThis meta-analysis of individual participants (IPDMA) included 454 patients (58% women) with a mean (±SD) age of 56.0 (±13.5) years. The MEFIB-Index (MRE ≥3.3 kPa + FIB 4 ≥1.6) and MAST-Score (>0.242) were positive for 34% and 9% of the sample, respectively. At baseline, 23 patients met criteria for hepatic decompensation. Among 297 patients with available longitudinal data with a median (IQR) of 4.2 (5.0) years of follow-up, 25 incident cases met criteria for hepatic decompensation. A positive MEFIB-Index [HR = 49.22 (95% CI: 6.23-388.64, p