The number of Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) cases in communities and hospitals is on the rise worldwide. In this work, a nonlinear deterministic model for the dynamics of MRSA infection in society was developed to visualize the significance of awareness in interventions that could be applied in the prevention of transmission with and without optimal control. Positivity and uniqueness were verified for the proposed corruption model to identify the level of resolution of infection factors in society. Furthermore, how various parameters affect the reproductive number R 0 and sensitivity analysis of the proposed model was explored through mathematical techniques and figures. The global stability of model equilibria analysis was established by using Lyapunov functions with the first derivative test. A total of seven years of data gathered from a private hospital consisting of inpatients and outpatients of MRSA were used in this model for numerical simulations and for observing the dynamics of infection by using a non-standard finite difference (NSFD) scheme. When optimal control was applied as a second model, it was determined that increasing awareness of hand hygiene and wearing a mask were the key controlling measures to prevent the spread of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) and hospital-acquired MRSA (HA-MRSA). Lastly, it was concluded that both CA-MRSA and HA-MRSA cases are on the rise in the community, and increasing awareness concerning transmission is extremely significant in preventing further spread.

BACKGROUND: Heat-related mortality has become a growing public health concern in light of climate change. However, few studies have quantified the climate-attributable health burden in Cyprus, a recognized climate change hotspot. This study aims to estimate the heat-related mortality in Cyprus for all future decades in the 21st century under moderate (SSP2-4.5) and extreme (SSP5-8.5) climate scenarios.
METHODS: We applied distributed lag non-linear models to estimate the baseline associations between temperature and mortality from 2004 to 2019 (data obtained from Department of Meteorology of the Ministry of Agriculture, Rural Development and Environment and the Health Monitoring Unit of the Cyprus Ministry of Health). The relationships were then extrapolated to future daily mean temperatures derived from downscaled global climate projections from General Circulation Models. Attributable number of deaths were calculated to determine the excess heat-related health burden compared to the baseline decade of 2000-2009 in the additive scale. The analysis process was repeated for all-cause, cardiovascular, and respiratory mortality and mortality among males, females, and adults younger or older than 65. We assumed a static population and demographic structure, no adaptation to hot temperatures over time, and did not evaluate potential interaction between temperature and humidity.
RESULTS: Compared to 2000-2009, heat-related total mortality is projected to increase by 2.7% (95% empirical confidence interval: 0.6, 4.0) and 4.75% (2.2, 7.1) by the end of the century in the moderate and extreme climate scenarios, respectively. Cardiovascular disease is expected to be an important cause of heat-related death with projected increases of 3.4% (0.7, 5.1) and 6% (2.6, 9.0) by the end of the century. Reducing carbon emission to the moderate scenario can help avoid 75% of the predicted increase in all-cause heat-related mortality by the end of the century relative to the extreme scenario.
CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that climate change mitigation and sustainable adaptation strategies are crucial to reduce the anticipated heat-attributable health burden, particularly in Cyprus, where adaptation strategies such as air conditioning is nearing capacity.

BACKGROUND: Although the treatment of sepsis has advanced during the past 20 years there is still a high incidence and high mortality, which make sepsis one of the leading public health problems. Adequate knowledge of sepsis and the sepsis guidelines is still the most important pillar for nurses because of the long time they spend with critically ill patients. Given their frontline role in patient care, nurses are pivotal in early sepsis recognition, timely intervention, and ensuring adherence to treatment protocols.
OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate nursing students\' knowledge of sepsis and the symptoms of sepsis, and to compare the results of nursing students from several European universities (Croatia, Cyprus, Greece).
METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used, with a sample of 626 undergraduate nursing students from Croatian, Cypriot, and Greek universities from 2022 to 2023. Demographic features (gender, age, employment, year of study) and a questionnaire provided by Eitze et al. were utilized as instruments.
RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference among the countries (F(2.625) = 4.254, p = 0.015) in average knowledge about sepsis, with Scheffe\'s post hoc test indicating that the Cypriot students had a higher average knowledge than the Greek students (p = 0.016), while students from neither country were significantly different from Croatian students (both p > 0.05).
CONCLUSIONS: This study showed the still limited knowledge of nursing students and the differences among the educational programs for nursing students. The educational curricula of nursing studies should increase the number of sepsis lectures and use innovative techniques.

BACKGROUND: The mental well-being of university students has been a growing concern in Public Health and has been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic (including the post-pandemic era) introduced and exacerbated a variety of potential stressors for vulnerable individuals and communities, resulting in an increase in mental health issues among university students. Resilience, as a process, is the ability of a system to adapt and grow in the face of adversity. This is a crucial aspect to consider when examining the coping of university students in critical situations such as COVID-19.
OBJECTIVE: This study aims to assess the association between resilience and mental health outcomes among university students in Cyprus during the post-COVID-19 pandemic era.
METHODS: A parallel embedded mixed methods research design will be utilized to assess resilience, measured by the Conner-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), the COVID-19 Impact Scale (CIS) and mental health outcomes measured by the Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL 90-R), during the COVID-19 post-pandemic era (January 2022-July 2024) among university students in the Republic of Cyprus. The study will be conducted in two stages: a pilot study followed by the main study. Quantitative data will be collected through a web-based survey, while qualitative data will be obtained through in-person focus groups designed to capture participants\' experiences. Participants will be recruited using a proportional quota sampling approach to achieve representativeness based on predefined demographics. The study protocol has been approved by the Cyprus Bioethics Committee (approval no: EEC/EP/2023/31).
CONCLUSIONS: This study is expected to broaden our understanding of the intricate interactions between the COVID-19 pandemic\'s impact, resilience, and mental health outcomes. The focus on university students\' psychological wellbeing is consistent with the call by the WHO to focus on mental health (World Health Organization, 2019).

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological resilience in the Turkish Cypriot community and to identify the predictors of psychological resilience.
METHODS: The research was conducted with 354 individuals in a web-based online environment in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected using a \"Personal Information Form\", the \"Adverse Childhood Events Scale\", and the \"Resilience Scale for Adults\". Percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson\'s correlation analysis were used in the data analysis.
RESULTS: In the study, 16.67 % of the participants were exposed to war or conflict when they were young and 10.17 % had a mental illness. In addition, it was determined that there were statistically significant and negative correlations between the Adverse Childhood Events Scale scores and the scores they got from the Adult Resilience Scale and the sub-dimensions of the scale. Female gender and education level predicted the scores on the Resilience Scale for Adults positively, and the presence of mental disease and the scores on the Adverse Childhood Events Scale negatively predicted the scores on the Resilience Scale for Adults.
CONCLUSIONS: İn this study, gender, educational status, presence of mental illness, and the total score on the Adverse Childhood Events Scale were determined to be predictive variables affecting resilience. Considering the research findings, it is recommended that nurses plan studies for the protection of the mental health of children and adolescents and the groups exposed to trauma should be psychologically supported to raise individuals with high resilience.

Recent advances in infertility therapy, such as hormone medication and in vitro fertilization (IVF), have led to an increase in the demand for IVF. North Cyprus is a new medical tourist destination, and this study aimed to discover influential demographic predictors of IVF patients\' satisfaction and quality-of-life (QoL) after receiving reproductive IVF services. Two questionnaires on IVF patient satisfaction and QoL were administered to 101 patients who received services in selected IVF clinics. Parametric and nonparametric tests were used for statistical analysis. The results showed that the mean satisfaction level with IVF service introduction and doctor professionalism increased with age, and a maximum satisfaction level was found in older patients. Doctor professionalism was another significant factor for greater satisfaction in older patients than in young patients who underwent IVF treatment. Satisfaction with IVF services was reduced by increasing education levels. IVF services must be managed and provided based on the needs of patients from different demographic backgrounds and efforts must be made to improve satisfaction with fertility services.

BACKGROUND This retrospective study from a single center in Cyprus aimed to assess labial (buccal) and palatal bone thickness in 6 anterior maxillary teeth of 120 adults using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). MATERIAL AND METHODS The CBCT scans of 120 patients (720 teeth) were examined, with scanning parameters of 90 kvP, 24 s, 4 mA, voxel size 0.3 mm, and field of view of 10×6 cm. All maxillary incisors were categorized into 3 distinct points in terms of buccal (B) and palatal (P) points, with points B1 (buccal) and P1 (palatal) 4 mm below the cementoenamel junction; points B2 and P2 at the midpoint between the labial and palatal alveolar crest plane extending to the root apex; and points B3 and P3 at the root apex. Evaluation was done by measuring the distance from these points to the labial and palatal alveolar bone. RESULTS When the thicknesses were measured between all 6 points and labial and palatal bone, the thickness of point B3 of tooth 13 in men was significantly higher than that in women. At points P1, P2, and P3 for teeth 11 and 13, the palatal bone thickness of men was significantly higher than that of women. At points P2 and P3 of tooth 12, the palatal bone thickness of men was significantly higher than that of women. CONCLUSIONS The study found a correlation between alveolar bone thickness and patient sex in the North Cyprus population. Alveolar bone thickness in the anterior maxillary should be considered in implant treatment and orthodontic techniques.

UNASSIGNED: The COVID-19 Pandemic, which started to be seen in Northern Cyprus (NC) as of March 2020, has affected the psychological mood of many people in our country as well as all over the world.
UNASSIGNED: It was aimed to evaluate the post-illness anxiety and depression levels of people who were diagnosed with COVID-19 positive, completed the quarantine period and then received a negative PCR report.
UNASSIGNED: Through the questionnaire used in the study carried out between 1-30 April 2021, the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants and their personal experiences about COVID-19 were questioned and they were asked to answer the questions about the hospital anxiety and depression (HAD) scale.
UNASSIGNED: The average score of the participants (n=120) in the HAD scale was determined as 11.66±5.90. According to the average scores of the scale, the anxiety and depression levels of the patients fall into the category of \'11 and above abnormal\'. The patients\' general average scores of anxieties were 6.20±3.48 (normal) and depression was 5.46±3.55 (normal).
UNASSIGNED: Although it was determined that the HAD scores of the individuals from NC infected with COVID-19 were not high, most of them needed psychological support as they stated in their own statements.

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the morphological characteristics of the anterior maxillary nasopalatine canal and the width of the buccal bone using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) in 150 adults in Northern Cyprus. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 150 participants, and their anterior maxillary morphometric measurements (eg, length of the nasopalatine canal and anteroposterior diameter of the nasal foramen) were taken using CBCT with the scanning parameters of 90 kvP, 24 s, 4 mA, voxel size 0.3 mm, and field of view 10×6 cm. The shapes of the nasopalatine canal (NPC) were categorized into 4 types: cylindrical, hourglass, funnel-shaped, and banana (54%, 20.6%, 18.6%, and 4%, respectively). RESULTS The findings showed a clear link between the shape of the NPC and the horizontal dimensions of the anterior maxilla\'s morphometric properties. In general, decreased horizontal bone dimensions were found in the premaxilla at the banana- and funnel-shaped type for the nasopalatine canal. Also, the anteroposterior diameter of a nasal foramen in the hourglass shape was significantly larger in diameter than all other shapes. Additionally, the morphology of the nasopalatine canal is influenced by its shape. The sagittal cross-section has shown significant correlations with the sizes of the incisive foramen, nasal foramen, and the length of the nasopalatine canal. CONCLUSIONS The study found a correlation between the shape of the NPC and the horizontal dimensions of the anterior maxilla\'s anatomy. The measurements of NPC in a North Cyprus population slightly differ from the established standards found in the existing literature. Conducting more extensive studies with a larger number of CBCT images will offer additional insights.

BACKGROUND: Understanding the knowledge and attitudes of university students regarding organ transplantation and donation is crucial, as these students can significantly influence public opinion and behavior. This study aims to assess the knowledge and attitudes of North Cyprus University students towards organ transplantation and donation.
METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted with 400 students from Northern Cyprus University, divided into medical and social science faculties. A structured questionnaire was utilized to assess their knowledge and attitudes towards organ transplantation and donation. Descriptive statistics, Chi-square tests, and effect size calculations were employed for data analysis.
RESULTS: Among the 400 students, 27% demonstrated sufficient knowledge of organ transplantation, and 62.7% had positive views on organ donation. Willingness to donate was expressed by 37% as living donors and 64% as deceased donors. There were no significant differences in knowledge and attitudes between medical and social science students. Factors such as sex, marital status, faculty, and contact with individuals with end-stage organ failure did not significantly influence the knowledge and attitudes.
CONCLUSIONS: This study highlights the necessity for educational interventions and awareness campaigns to improve understanding and attitudes towards organ donation among Northern Cyprus University students. Incorporating organ donation education into university curricula, providing accurate online information, addressing misconceptions, and promoting awareness of donation centers and transplant hospitals are essential steps to mitigate organ shortages. Public engagement should be encouraged to foster a supportive environment for organ donation.