Aksaray Üniversitesi Kurumsal Akademik Arşivi
DSpace@Aksaray, Aksaray Üniversitesi tarafından doğrudan ve dolaylı olarak yayınlanan; kitap, makale, tez, bildiri, rapor, araştırma verisi gibi tüm akademik kaynakları uluslararası standartlarda dijital ortamda depolar, Üniversitenin akademik performansını izlemeye aracılık eder, kaynakları uzun süreli saklar ve telif haklarına uygun olarak Açık Erişime sunar.
Güncel Gönderiler
Beyond access: rethinking assistive technology for ındividuals with visual ımpairments in Türkiye
(Taylor & Francis, 2025) İşlek, Önder
Purpose: This qualitative study explores systemic barriers to assistive technology (AT) access among individuals with visual impairments (VI) in Türkiye. It aims to identify commonly used AT tools, acquisition methods, training pathways, unmet technological needs, access barriers, and participant recommendations for inclusive policymaking.
Materials and methods: Eighty-three individuals with VI across Türkiye responded to open-ended survey questions. Participants varied in age, education, and employment. A qualitative descriptive approach guided the thematic analysis, organized around six focal areas: AT usage, acquisition, learning methods, inaccessible technologies, barriers, and policy suggestions.
Results: Participants reported widespread use of mainstream digital tools (e.g., smartphones, computers), primarily acquired independently and often without public financial support. Training was informal, relying on self-teaching or peer assistance. Desired technologies-such as Braille displays and accessible navigation aids-were often inaccessible due to cost, availability, or lack of localization. Key barriers included high prices, insufficient training resources, weak enforcement of disability rights, and persistent social stigma. Respondents recommended increased public funding, integration of AT training in education, improved legal enforcement, and expanded public awareness.
Conclusion: Despite demonstrating adaptability, individuals with VI in Türkiye face significant structural barriers to equitable AT access. Informal learning limited public support, and a lack of locally adapted tools contribute to digital exclusion. A rights-based approach-emphasizing inclusive funding, institutionalized training, localized AT development, and policy accountability-is essential to creating an inclusive technological and social environment.
Vitamin D deficiency and uterine leiomyoma in unexplained infertility
(Basic Medical Sciences, 2025) Onaran, Yüksel; Göktaş, Esra; Altın Öztürk, Beyza; Kahyaoğlu, Serkan
Uterine leiomyomas are the most common benign tumors of the female genital tract, and alongside hormonal and genetic factors, emerging evidence implicates vitamin D deficiency in their pathogenesis. We investigated the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] and the presence of uterine leiomyomas in women with unexplained infertility. In this retrospective case-control study, 148 women aged 18-45 years presenting to the Infertility Clinic of Ankara Bilkent City Hospital between July 2019 and February 2024 were included: 74 had imaging-confirmed leiomyomas (non-submucosal; FIGO types 4-6) and 74 infertile controls had no leiomyomas. Serum 25(OH)D was measured and demographic/clinical data were analyzed with appropriate parametric and non-parametric tests; correlations used Spearman's rho, and an ANCOVA adjusted for body mass index (BMI) and season assessed group differences. Groups were comparable in age and BMI (e.g., age 35.08 ± 5.79 vs 33.30 ± 5.57 years; p = 0.062). Mean serum 25(OH)D was significantly lower in women with leiomyomas than in controls (41.4 ± 23.7 vs 62.0 ± 34.2 nmol/L; p < 0.001), and this difference remained significant after adjustment for BMI and season (ANCOVA F = 10.7, p = 0.001). Vitamin D levels did not differ by leiomyoma number (single vs multiple: 44.1 ± 21.6 vs 38.5 ± 25.83 nmol/L; p = 0.32) or location (intramural vs subserosal: 40.7 ± 24.9 vs 43.1 ± 21.1 nmol/L; p = 0.69), and were not correlated with leiomyoma size (Spearman r = -0.04; p = 0.70). Among women with unexplained infertility, uterine leiomyomas are thus associated with significantly lower serum 25(OH)D levels, independent of BMI and season, whereas vitamin D status is unrelated to leiomyoma number, size, or location. These findings support a potential role of vitamin D deficiency in leiomyoma pathogenesis and underscore the need for larger, multicenter prospective studies to clarify causality and clinical implications.
Captivity-associated variations in fecal testosterone and progesterone metabolite concentrations in mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella)
(Frontiers, 2025) Karaer, Mina Cansu; Kankılıç, Tolga; Tavşanoğlu, Çağatay; Vake, Tilen; Dovc, Alenka; Snoj, Tomaz
Background: Mountain gazelle (Gazella gazella) is a medium-sized antelope native to arid regions that is currently listed as an endangered species. There are only two known populations of mountain gazelles worldwide, one of which is in Hatay (Türkiye). In this study, we investigated the differences in the fecal concentrations of testosterone and progesterone metabolites in free-ranging and captive mountain gazelle.
Methods: Fecal samples were collected from the ground in the Hatay Mountain Gazelle Wildlife Development Area, located in Hatay Province (Türkiye) during each season of the year. In total, 246 samples, 170 from free-ranging population and 76 from captive population, were collected and used to determine testosterone and progesterone metabolite concentrations. The metabolites were extracted from dried fecal samples using methanol, and their concentrations were quantified using ELISA. The detection methods were partially validated. The analytical validation includes the determination of coefficients of variation, sensitivity of the measurements, recovery rate, linearity and cross-reactivity. In biological evaluation, the predicted reproductive status of the animals was compared with the concentrations of the progesterone and testosterone metabolites in feces.
Results and conclusion: Our analysis revealed that fecal samples obtained from free-ranging individuals consistently contained higher levels of testosterone metabolites than those obtained from the captive individuals. No consistent pattern was detected for fecal progesterone metabolites. Our results suggest that a constant supply of water stimulates intestinal transit. Therefore, due to faster intestinal transit the population with continuous water availability throughout the year (captive population) has lower concentrations of fecal hormone metabolites. These findings are relevant not only for the mountain gazelle as a species of endangered status but also provide important information regarding the mechanisms underlying the dynamics of steroid hormone excretion in ruminants.
Protective effects of quercetin against vincristine-ınduced nephrotoxicity via modulation of oxidative stress, ınflammation, and apoptosis in rats
(John Wiley and Sons Inc, 2025) Kandemir, Özge; Küçükler, Sefa; Özdemir, Selçuk; Dalkılıç, Elif; Sağ, Sevda; Çağlayan, Cüneyt; Kandemir, Fatih Mehmet
Vincristine is a widely used chemotherapeutic agent in pediatric leukemias and solid tumors, but the use of this chemotherapeutic agent is associated with many organ damages, especially nephrotoxicity. Quercetin, a natural flavonoid, is known for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory potential. Vincristine was intraperitoneally administered at a dose of 0.1 mg/kg body weight, and quercetin was orally administered at doses of 25 and 50 mg/kg body weight. Both treatments were applied to the rats on days 1–6 and 9–14. Renal function was assessed via serum urea and creatinine levels. Oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation were evaluated by measuring GSH, SOD, CAT, GPx, and MDA. The mRNA levels of apoptotic markers such as p53, Bax, Bcl-2, Jnk and Beclin-1 and inflammatory markers such as TNF-α, IL-1β, COX-2, and PGE-2 were analyzed by RT-qPCR. The HO-1, Nrf2, PGC-1α and SIRT1, NFκB and STAT3 protein levels were determined by ELISA. In addition, the protein levels of PI3K and AKT in survival pathways were analyzed using the Western blot method. The results showed that vincristine significantly impaired renal function by increasing oxidative stress, inflammation, and apoptosis. Quercetin protected renal function by enhancing antioxidant defense, reducing inflammatory signals and reversing apoptosis. The findings reveal that quercetin exhibits protective effects against vincristine-induced nephrotoxicity through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antiapoptotic mechanisms.
Dietary Nigella sativa oil confers protection against diazinon toxicity in nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus): a detoxification-based approach
(Springer, 2025) Öz, Mustafa; Üstüner, Enes; Jumayava, Merjan; Dikel, Suat
This study evaluated how dietary black seed oil (Nigella sativa L.) against the diazinon waterborne toxicity on Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus), focusing on growth performance, hematological and biochemical parameters as well as oxidative stress markers and histological changes. A 40-day feeding trial was carried out using four experimental groups: Group 1 (control group), Group 2 (N. sativa-supplemented group), Group 3 (diazinon-exposed group), and Group 4 (diazinon-exposed with N. sativa supplementation group). The LC₅₀ value of diazinon for Nile tilapia was determined to be 4.642 mg/L, and fish were exposed to a sublethal concentration of LC₅₀/20 during the trial. Results demonstrated that diazinon exposure significantly impaired growth, hematological parameters, and liver function while increasing oxidative stress and tissue damage. Conversely, dietary supplementation with N. sativa oil significantly mitigated these adverse effects by enhancing specific growth rate, restoring RBC, Hb, and Hct values, improving liver enzyme profiles, and increasing antioxidant enzyme activity (SOD, CAT, GPx). Histological examinations confirmed that N. sativa oil reduced diazinon-induced damage in gill and liver tissues. The results show that N. sativa oil can be used as a functional feed ingredient to enhance fish resistance to chemical stressors that are commonly found in intensive aquaculture.
