Attitudes,awareness,and knowledge levels of the Turkish adult population toward organ donation:Study of a nationwide survey

BACKGROUND The most important factors affecting attitudes on organ donation are socioeconomic, educational, cultural, and religious factors in many countries.AIM To evaluate the attitudes, awareness, and knowledge levels of the Turkish adult population toward organ donation.METHODS This nationwide study surveyed 3000 adults(≥ 18 years) in Turkey. To ensure a representative sample, the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics-Ⅱ(modified for Turkey) was used. Turkey was divided into 26 regions based on social, economic, and geographic criteria as identified by the Turkish Statistical Institute. A stratified sampling method was used with an even distribution of adults across cities and towns based on population data. Data were collected by the PRP Research and Consultancy Company using computer-assisted personal interviews.RESULTS Out of 3000 individuals represented in the study population, 1465(48.8%) were male and 1535(51.2%) female. The results showed that most participants were under 45 years(59.0%) and married(72.1%), some had a bachelor’s degree or higher(21.9%), and very few(1.5%) had any direct experience with organ transplantation-whether in the family, or a family member on a transplantation waiting list. Most of the study population(88.3%) had not considered donating an organ, however, most(87.9%) said that they would accept an organ from a donor if they needed one. Among the individuals surveyed, 67% were willing to donate an organ to a close relative, while 26.8% would donate an organ to an unrelated person. Only 47.2% said they had adequate information about brain death, and 85.2% refused to consent to donating organs of family members declared brain dead. Only 33.9% thought they had adequate information about organ donation. The main source of information was the television. The two main reasons for refusing organ donation were that it was too soon to think about organ donation and the importance of retaining the integrity of the dead person’s body.CONCLUSION This study showed that Turkey’s adult population has inadequate knowledge about organ donation. The study advocates for public education programs to increase awareness among the general population about legislation related to organ donation.

Population Size, Genetic Diversity and Molecular Evidence of a Recent Population Bottleneck in Hynobius chinensis, an Endangered Salamander Species

Severe population declines can reduce species to small populations, offering permissive conditions for deleterious processes. For example, following such events, species can become prone to inbreeding and genetic drift which can lead to a loss of genetic diversity and evolutionary potentials. Hynobius chinensis is a poorly studied very rare and declining endangered amphibian species endemic to China in Changyang County. We investigated adult census population size by monitoring breeding populations from 2015 to 2018, developed microsatellite markers from the transcriptome and used them to investigate genetic diversity, and a population bottleneck in this species. We found H. chinensis in 4 different localities in a total area of 2.18 km^2 and estimated the overall adult census population size at 386–404 individuals. The adult census size（mean ± SE） per breeding pond ranged from 44 ± 6 to 141 ± 8 individuals and appeared smaller than that reported in closely related species in undisturbed habitats. We developed and characterized 13 microsatellite markers in total. Analysis of data at 7 loci（N = 118） in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium gathered from the largest population showed that genetic diversity level was low. The average number of alleles per locus was 2.14. The observed and expected heterozygosities averaged 0.38 and 0.40, respectively. The inbreeding coefficient was –0.06. All tests performed to investigate a population bottleneck, i.e. The Garza-Williamson test, Heterozygosity excess test, Mode shift test of allele frequency, and effective population size estimates detected a population bottleneck. The contemporary and the historical effective population sizes were estimated at 36 and 234 individuals, respectively. We argue that as bottleneck effects, the studied population may have become prone to genetic drift and inbreeding, losing microsatellite alleles and heterozygosity. Our results suggest that populations of H. chinensismay have been extirpated in the study area.

Social Determinants of Social Zapping:Exploring Predictors of Planned Scheduled Social Events with Others

Social zapping has gained popularity as a term that refers to canceling plans or appointments at the last minute to attend other,supposedly more appealing events.This behavior resembles rapidly switching channels on a television,as individuals frequently jump between different social engagements.The present study examined potential behavioral trait predictors of social zapping,such as belongingness,self-esteem,sense of control,and meaningful existence among community residents ranging from 40 to 75 years of age(n=48).The study utilized simple linear regressions to identify potential predictors of social zapping,exploring how the four fundamental needs(belongingness,self-esteem,sense of control,and meaningful existence)might be linked.Results indicated that belongingness and self-esteem are significant predictors of social zapping tendencies.Additionally,an independent samples t-test was conducted to determine the relationship both older and younger adults have with the four fundamental needs as well as the role age plays in social zapping tendencies.Older adults exhibited a significant and more positive association with self-esteem,sense of control,and meaningful existence compared to individuals aged 39 and younger.Social zapping frequency was nonsignificant for both older adults and younger adults.Furthermore,a separate set of linear regression analyses were completed to determine how social desirability affects social zapping across age groups.Social desirability significantly predicted both self-esteem and meaningful existence.Overall,the present study builds on what is currently a new phenomenon in research and will provide new information on the relationship between age,social zapping,and behavioral traits.