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Article Role of Latissimus Dorsi-Thoracolumbar Fascia Complex Stretching on Pain and Pain-Related Parameters in Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomised Clinical Trial(Wiley, 2025) Ulug, Naime; Kodak, Seyde Busra; Kodak, Muhammed Ihsan; Aslan, Sema NurBackground Fascial stretching is gaining interest as a potential intervention for pain management. However, evidence regarding the effect of latissimus dorsi-thoracolumbar fascia (LD-TLF) complex stretching in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) remains limited. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of LD-TLF complex stretching on pain-related factors and disability in patients with CLBP. Methods Thirty patients with CLBP were randomly assigned to a study group (n = 15; 7 men, 8 women) and a control group (n = 15; 7 men, 8 women). The study group received 4 weeks of LD-TLF complex stretching in combination with conventional physiotherapy, while the control group received conventional physiotherapy only. Outcomes were assessed before and after the interventions, including primary measures of pain pressure thresholds (PPT) at thoracolumbar fascia levels (L1, L3 and 12th costa), and secondary measures included the Pain Sensitivity Questionnaire (PSQ), the effects of pain on daily activities measured by the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), and disability assessed by the Oswestry Disability Questionnaire (ODQ). Results Pre- and post-treatment PPTs, at the L1, L3 vertebrae and 12th costa levels, demonstrated significant differences between the study group and control groups. Post-treatment thresholds were significantly higher compared to pre-treatment thresholds (p < 0.001, eta p(2) = 0.67; p < 0.001, eta p(2) = 0.61; p < 0.001, eta p(2) = 0.74). Additionally, significant improvements were found in PSC, BPI and ODQ scores in the study group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). Conclusion The results of this study suggest that stretching the LD-TLF complex may be a beneficial addition to the conventional physiotherapy approach for patients with CLBP. Specifically, LD-TLF complex stretching, when used in combination with conventional physiotherapy, appears to provide improved pain thresholds, decreased pain sensitivity and pain during activity, as well as reduced disability compared to conventional physiotherapy alone in patients with CLBP.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 2The Detailed Transseptal Puncture Technique for Optimal Closure in Patients With a Patent Foramen Ovale(Frontiers Media Sa, 2024) Ilkay, Erdogan; Saricam, Ersin; Kacmaz, Fehmi; Yakici, Aysel; Koca, Cigdem; Ozeke, Ozcan; Onal, Mehmet ZulkufBackground The closure of a patent foramen ovale (PFO) using transseptal puncture has particular advantages and disadvantages. Thus, transseptal puncture should be re-evaluated in detail. Aims We aimed to assess the effectiveness of the detailed transseptal puncture technique in patients who underwent PFO closure due to cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack in terms of residual shunts and atrial fibrillation. Methods We prospectively analyzed 144 consecutive patients who underwent PFO closure by the detailed transseptal puncture technique between February 2013 and April 2023 in two centers. All of the patients had a >10 mm long-tunnel PFO. Results The procedural success rate was 100%. However, after the procedure, moderate pericardial effusion developed in one patient (0.7%) and an acute pulmonary embolism related to femoral vein thrombosis was observed in one patient (0.7%) during the first month. Complications related to the procedure were noted in two patients (1.4%) during the first month of follow-up. Residual shunts were observed in 1.4% of cases after PFO closure. Conclusion We demonstrated that the detailed transseptal technique is safe and effective for PFO closure. The detailed transseptal PFO closure technique significantly reduced the risk of atrial fibrillation, and the occurrence of residual shunts was significantly low following the closure.Article Epistemic Extraction Zones in Migration Studies: Rethinking Over-Research and Research Fatigue Among Syrian Refugees in Turkey(Wiley, 2025) Ozdemir, ZelalThis paper explores the phenomenon of over-research among Syrian refugees in Turkey, highlighting how sustained and repetitive research attention has created research saturation zones that shape both refugee experiences and knowledge production. Drawing on unstructured conversations with six Syrian refugees in Ankara, the study examines how research fatigue manifests not only as reluctance to participate but also as strategic responses through which refugees navigate frequent encounters with researchers. While existing literature has addressed research fatigue and ethics in refugee studies, less attention has been given to how academic incentives, humanitarian logics, and policy imperatives intersect to produce systematic inequalities in knowledge production. To address this gap, the paper advances the concept of epistemic extraction zones, referring to contexts where knowledge is persistently mined from marginalized communities to satisfy institutional demands with limited reciprocity or epistemic agency. This conceptual lens shifts the debate from individual withdrawal to the structural political economy of knowledge production. The analysis identifies three key dynamics. First, the emergence of research saturation zones in contexts of protracted displacement, where the same communities are repeatedly targeted for study; second, refugees' strategic yet ambivalent engagement with research, combining pragmatic hope with critical awareness of its limited effects; and third, the paradoxical consequences of over-research, where intensified attention produces epistemic extraction that narrows the circulation of knowledge and reinforces hierarchies. The article also reflects critically on the researcher's own position within these dynamics. By theorizing epistemic extraction zones, the paper contributes not only to refugee studies but also to broader sociological debates on power, inequality, and the ethics of knowledge production, highlighting the need for more reflexive and politically accountable research practices.Article Citation - WoS: 21Citation - Scopus: 22Sensitivity Analysis of the Effect of Current Mood States on the Thermal Sensation in Educational Buildings(Wiley-hindawi, 2022) Ozbey, Mehmet Furkan; Ceter, Aydin Ege; Orfioglu, Sevval; Alkan, Nese; Turhan, CihanAdaptive thermal comfort is a model which considers behavioral and psychological adjustments apart from Fanger's Predicted Mean Vote (PMV)/Percentage of Dissatisfied (PPD) method. In the literature, the differences between the PMV/PPD method and adaptive thermal comfort were mainly considered in aspects of behavioral adjustments in an environment. Conversely, limited studies related to psychological adjustments were considered in detail for thermal comfort. This study purposes to investigate the effects of current mood state subscales on thermal sensation of the occupants for the first time in the literature. To this aim, the Profile of Mood States (POMS) questionnaire is used to determine the mood state of the occupants with six different subscales: Anger, Confusion, Vigor, Tension, Depression, and Fatigue. The experiments were conducted in a university study hall in Ankara, Turkey, which is in warm-summer Mediterranean climate (Csb) according to Koppen-Geiger Climate Classification. The distributions of each subscale were examined via Anderson Darling and Shapiro-Wilk tests accordingly given responses from the occupants. The sensitivity analysis was applied to the six subscales of the POMS with Monte Carlo simulation method by considering the distributions of each subscale. The results revealed that the current mood state has a crucial effect on the thermal sensation of the occupants. The subscales of the Depression and Vigor were found as the most vital ones among the six subscales. Only the pure effects of the Vigor and Depression would change the thermal sensation of the occupants 0.31 and 0.30, respectively. The Confusion was determined as the least effective subscale to the thermal sensation of the occupants. Moreover, with the combination of all the six subscales, the thermal sensation might change up to 1.32. Findings in this study would help researchers to develop the personalized thermal comfort systems.Article Citation - WoS: 2Citation - Scopus: 22-Ag and Bone Marrow-Targeted Pcl Nanoparticles as Nanoplatforms for Hematopoietic Cell Line Mobilization(Bmc, 2024) Kose, Sevil; Varan, Cem; Onen, Selin; Nemutlu, Emirhan; Bilensoy, Erem; Korkusuz, PetekBackgroundThe 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.MethodsPCL 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.ResultsThe 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 mu M 2-AG-Ps-PCL compared to control. The migration rate of the HSCs toward monocytes incubated with 1 mu M 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 mu M dose and 8 h time window via a specific CBR agonism.ConclusionThe 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.Review Citation - WoS: 75Citation - Scopus: 122Hybrid Blockchain Platforms for the Internet of Things (iot): a Systematic Literature Review(Mdpi, 2022) Alkhateeb, Ahmed; Catal, Cagatay; Kar, Gorkem; Mishra, AlokIn recent years, research into blockchain technology and the Internet of Things (IoT) has grown rapidly due to an increase in media coverage. Many different blockchain applications and platforms have been developed for different purposes, such as food safety monitoring, cryptocurrency exchange, and secure medical data sharing. However, blockchain platforms cannot store all the generated data. Therefore, they are supported with data warehouses, which in turn is called a hybrid blockchain platform. While several systems have been developed based on this idea, a current state-of-the-art systematic overview on the use of hybrid blockchain platforms is lacking. Therefore, a systematic literature review (SLR) study has been carried out by us to investigate the motivations for adopting them, the domains at which they were used, the adopted technologies that made this integration effective, and, finally, the challenges and possible solutions. This study shows that security, transparency, and efficiency are the top three motivations for adopting these platforms. The energy, agriculture, health, construction, manufacturing, and supply chain domains are the top domains. The most adopted technologies are cloud computing, fog computing, telecommunications, and edge computing. While there are several benefits of using hybrid blockchains, there are also several challenges reported in this study.Article Citation - WoS: 8Citation - Scopus: 10Sns2 and Ho-Doped Sns2 Thin Films: Synergistic, Dft, Photocatalytic, and Antibacterial Studies(Elsevier Sci Ltd, 2024) Radja, Imane; Khane, Yasmina; Oliveira, Marisa C.; Longo, Elson; Ribeiro, Renan A. P.; Isik, Mehmit; Khan, Mohammad Mansoob; Mansoob Khan, MohammadThis study investigates Ho-doped tin disulfide (Ho-SnS2) thin films prepared via spray coating, focusing on varying Ho doping levels (0 at. %, 2 at. %, and 4 at. %). Structural analysis through XRD and SEM showcased enhanced crystallinity and morphology in Ho-SnS2 films. Raman and XPS studies provided insight into the film's composition and chemical states. The antibacterial properties of the films were investigated using a bacterial growth inhibition assay. The results showed significant antibacterial activity against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, highlighting the potential applications of Ho-SnS2 thin films in antibacterial coatings. Ho-SnS2 films exhibited superior photocatalytic activity and antibacterial properties compared to SnS2 films, attributed to efficient charge separation. DFT analysis proposed a mechanism for the antibacterial activity. These findings highlight the efficacy of the spray coating technique in producing Ho-SnS2 films and the potential of Ho-SnS2 films for diverse applications like photocatalysis and antibacterial coatings.Article Citation - Scopus: 2The Effects of Paddy Cultivation and Microbiota Members on Arsenic Accumulation in Rice Grain(Mdpi, 2023) Ersoy Omeroglu, Esra; Bayer, Asli; Sudagidan, Mert; Ozalp, Veli Cengiz; Yasa, IhsanAccess to safe food is one of the most important issues. In this context, rice plays a prominent role. Because high levels of arsenic in rice grain are a potential concern for human health, in this study, we determined the amounts of arsenic in water and soil used in the rice development stage, changes in the arsC and mcrA genes using qRT-PCR, and the abundance and diversity (with metabarcoding) of the dominant microbiota. When the rice grain and husk samples were evaluated in terms of arsenic accumulation, the highest values (1.62 ppm) were obtained from areas where groundwater was used as irrigation water, whereas the lowest values (0.21 ppm) occurred in samples from the stream. It was observed that the abundance of the Comamonadaceae family and Limnohabitans genus members was at the highest level in groundwater during grain formation. As rice development progressed, arsenic accumulated in the roots, shoots, and rice grain. Although the highest arsC values were reached in the field where groundwater was used, methane production increased in areas where surface water sources were used. In order to provide arsenic-free rice consumption, the preferred soil, water source, microbiota members, rice type, and anthropogenic inputs for use on agricultural land should be evaluated rigorously.Article Citation - Scopus: 1An Activity-Based Lessons Learned Model To Support Scheduling Decisions in Construction(Emerald Group Publishing Ltd, 2025) Yilmaz, Anil; Akcay, Emre Caner; Dikmen, Irem; Birgonul, M. TalatPurposeThe aim of this study is to develop an activity-based lessons-learned model that allows construction companies to capture, store, classify and reuse activity-related lessons learned (LL) from previous projects, thereby increasing the reliability of time estimates in scheduling.Design/methodology/approachScheduling is a knowledge-intensive process that requires the utilization of data and expert opinion elicitation from various levels of an organization in construction projects. This research consists of five successive steps: performing a needs analysis, proposing an activity-based lessons-learned process model, validating the proposed process model, developing a tool to apply the proposed model in a computer environment and testing the applicability of the tool. To implement the proposed model in practice, a web-based tool, namely the Construction Industry Scheduling with Activity-Based Lessons Learned Tool (ConSALL Tool), was developed. Its functionality was evaluated using black-box testing. The tool was then applied in a real construction project.FindingsResults show that ConSALL has the potential to improve scheduling decisions in construction projects by incorporating data and experience from previous projects. Findings from this research can be used to develop similar models and AI tools to foster activity-based learning in other project-based industries as well as the construction industry.Originality/valueThis paper presents an innovative approach to enhancing construction project scheduling by leveraging LL from past projects. The development and application of the ConSALL Tool demonstrate a practical implementation of the proposed model, providing a framework that can be adapted to other industries to improve project planning and execution.Article Citation - WoS: 6Citation - Scopus: 6Quantitative Lipidomic Analysis of Takotsubo Syndrome Patients' Serum(Frontiers Media Sa, 2022) Karnati, Srikanth; Guntas, Gulcan; Rajendran, Ranjithkumar; Shityakov, Sergey; Hoering, Marcus; Liebisch, Gerhard; Foerster, Carola Y.; Höring, Marcus; Förster, Carola Y.Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), also known as the transient left ventricular apical ballooning syndrome, is in contemporary times known as novel acute cardiac syndrome. It is characterized by transient left ventricular apical akinesis and hyperkinesis of the basal left ventricular portions. Although the precise etiology of TTS is unknown, events like the sudden release of stress hormones, such as the catecholamines and the increased inflammatory status might be plausible causes leading to the cardiovascular pathologies. Recent studies have highlighted that an imbalance in lipid accumulation might promote a deviant immune response as observed in TTS. However, there is no information on comprehensive profiling of serum lipids of TTS patients. Therefore, we investigated a detailed quantitative lipid analysis of TTS patients using ES-MSI. Our results showed significant differences in the majority of lipid species composition in the TTS patients compared to the control group. Furthermore, the computational analyses presented was able to link the altered lipids to the pro-inflammatory cytokines and disseminate possible mechanistic pathways involving TNF alpha and IL-6. Taken together, our study provides an extensive quantitative lipidome of TTS patients, which may provide a valuable Pre-diagnostic tool. This would facilitate the elucidation of the underlying mechanisms of the disease and to prevent the development of TTS in the future.
