Eastern Anatolia Region Research Articles

Prevalence and Subtypes Distribution (ST10, ST14, ST25, ST26) of Blastocystis spp. in Anatolian Water Buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) in Van, Türkiye.

Blastocystis spp. is one of the most common protozoa worldwide, living in the gastrointestinal tract of humans and many other animals. On the basis of the genetic heterogeneity of small subunit ribosomal RNA, at least 28 subtypes (ST1-ST17, ST21 and ST23-ST32) are reported to exist in mammals and birds. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence and subtypes of Blastocystis spp. in Anatolian buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) in Van province in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkey. DNA was extracted using commercial GeneMATRIX Stool DNA Purification Kit and then stored at -20°C until PCR amplification. After PCR amplification of the SSU rRNA gene region positive Blastocystis spp., amplicons from buffalo faeces were sequenced and then deposited in GenBank (OR576949.1, OR576950.1, OR576970.1, OR576971.1, OR577019.1, PP837943.1, PP837940.1, PP837939.1, PP837604.1, PP837937.1, PP837934.1, PP837601.1, PP837936.1 and PP837603.1). PCR analysis of 120 faecal samples showed a total prevalence of 11.67% (14/120). The prevalence was higher in females and young animals (p>0.05). Sequence analysis revealed Blastocystis spp., ST10, ST14, ST25 and ST26 subtypes. To our knowledge, Blastocystis subtypes ST25 and ST26 in buffaloes were reported for the first time in this study. It is thought that more large-scale studies should be carried out to determine the zoonotic subtype potential of this protozoan in the region.

The Impact of Innovative Technological Practices for Gifted Children's Education on Support Classroom Teachers' Attitudes and Opinions towards Technology Use

The aim of this study is to determine how innovative practices aimed at meeting the educational needs of gifted children, taught during activities, influence the attitudes and opinions of resource room teachers towards the use of technology in education. This study, conducted with 30 teachers working in the Southeastern and Eastern Anatolia Regions, employed a mixed-methods approach and included various activities such as animations, augmented reality, educational games, and STEAM. Data were collected through the attitude scale and diaries towards the use of technology in education. The results indicate that teachers' attitudes towards technology use did not differ by gender and that innovative applications were beneficial for all teachers. However, deficiencies were observed in teachers' ability to adapt to technologies related to coding, engineering, and STEAM. To address these deficiencies and keep technological knowledge and skills up to date, it is recommended to organize regular professional development programs and seminars.

Investigation of local soil properties of Erzurum province (Eastern Türkiye) by Horizontal/Vertical Spectral ratio method

Erzurum province is a basin developed under the effect of strike-slip faults in the Eastern Anatolia region. Erzurum province is generally influenced by the left strike-slip Erzurum Fault Zone, the left- strike-slip Aşkale fault, and the Başköy-Kandilli reverse fault. It is also located approximately 80 km from the Karlıova joint, which is the intersection of the North Anatolian and East Anatolian Faults. When the earthquakes of the instrumental and historical periods are analyzed, it is seen that many damaging earthquakes of medium to large magnitude have occurred in Erzurum province. Erzurum basin is generally covered with old alluvium at the edges of the plains, while the flat areas in the central parts are covered with new alluvium. Determination of local soil properties in regions with high earthquake hazard plays an important role in reducing earthquake risks. For this purpose, single station microtremor measurements were applied at 25 sites in Palandöken and Yakutiye districts of Erzurum province. The measurements were taken for at least 30 minutes and evaluated according to the Horizontal/Vertical Spectral Ratio method. As a result of the analysis, the dominant period, H/V ratio and vulnerability index (Kg) values of the measurement points were calculated. The period values obtained vary between 0.15 s and 3.7 s, while the H/V ratios vary between 2.2 and 8.5. The Kg value obtained using these parameters is defined as the vulnerability of the soil. It is concluded that high period, high H/V and high Kg values are obtained in areas with recent alluvium and multidisciplinary analyses should be performed in soil investigations in these regions.

A retrospective study on biotinidase deficiency: analysis of the Eastern Anatolia region patient cohort

ABTRACT This study retrospectively reviews individuals diagnosed with biotinidase deficiency in Eastern Anatolia to analyze the genetic variants and their relationship with biotinidase activity levels. The research focuses on determining the percentage impact of different variants on enzyme activity. The study included 357 patients who presented to Erzurum City Hospital with symptoms of biotinidase deficiency between 2018 and 2023 and were referred to the medical genetics department. Biotinidase enzyme levels were determined using spectrophotometric and colorimetric techniques, while Sanger sequencing analyzed the four exons and intron boundaries of the BTD gene. In the analysis of 357 patients (181 boys, 176 girls), the most frequent variant was c.1270G > C | p.Asp424His. Biotinidase enzyme activity was above 30% in 97.3% of patients with a homozygous p.D424His mutation. The mutations that caused the most significant decrease in enzyme activity were c.410G > A p.Arg137His, c.38_delinsTCC p.Cys13phefs*36, and c.1535C > T p.Thr512Met. Hearing loss (4 patients) and optic atrophy (1 patient) were mainly observed in patients with the c.38_delinsTCC mutation (homozygous or heterozygous). Most patients were asymptomatic, and mild symptoms were effectively prevented with biotin treatment. This study provides a detailed analysis of genetic diversity and clinical presentation in biotinidase deficiency cases in Eastern Anatolia, demonstrating the efficacy of biotin treatment. It highlights the significant role of genetic variants in phenotypic diversity and the need for personalized treatment, calling for further genetic research to enhance understanding of variant diversity and its impact on enzyme activity.

Study and Notes for the Freshwater Spercheidae, Dryopidae and Heteroceridae (Coleoptera) Fauna of Erzurum Province: A New Record for Türkiye

In this study, samples of Dryopidae, Heteroceridae and Spercheidae (Coleoptera) were collected from the shallow areas of lakes, ponds, rivers and small puddles in Erzurum province (Türkiye) between 2015 and 2020 with sieves of 3.15 x 1 mm pore size (mesh size 500 µm). A total of 4 different species were found. Two individuals from Dryops griseus (Erichson, 1847) species; 1 individual from the species Dryops jeanneli Bollow 1938; 2 individuals of Heterocerus fenestratus Thunberg 1784; and 2 individuals of Spercheus emarginatus (Schaller, 1783) species were caught. The collected samples were evaluated based on their morphological and ecological characteristics. While D. griseus was recorded for the first time in Türkiye, D. jeanneli and S. emarginatus are the third examples of species recorded in Türkiye. Additionally, these two species were recorded for the first time in the Eastern Anatolia region. H. fenestratus, collected from the Eastern Anatolia Region by another researcher, was also found during the study. The lateral parameters of the species' aedeagophores collapse from the middle towards the interior. Aedeagophore photographs and distribution data in the country and worldwide are discussed in the article. The average temperature and chemical parameters (electrical conductivity, pH, total nitrogen, dissolved oxygen, total phosphorus and water temperature) of the water bodies where the four different species were collected were found to be close to each other. To comprehend the life cycle, ecological data, along with morphological descriptions and vegetation information for each species are described.

ELECTRONIC ASSESSMENT ANXIETY SCALE: DEVELOPMENT, VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY

The widespread availability of internet access in daily life has resulted in a greater acceptance of online assessment methods. E-assessment platforms offer various features such as randomizing questions and answers, utilizing extensive question banks, setting time limits, and managing access during online exams. Electronic assessment enables real-time monitoring, customization, and scalability of feedback, benefiting students, academic staff, and administrative personnel. However, students encounter specific challenges in the electronic assessment environments. These challenges include limited control over test settings and the isolated nature of taking exams without peers. Furthermore, the technological proficiency of both instructors and students, along with resource constraints (computers, mobile devices, internet), can impede the effective utilization of these assessment tools. Technical issues like slow internet connection or disconnections can have significant consequences, especially in online exams, posing difficulties for corrections. The main goal of this study is to develop a Likert-type scale capable of measuring anxiety related to technical issues, social isolation, and the test interface experienced in e-assessment contexts. The study consists of two separate groups: the first group comprising 359 participants and the second group consisting of 356 participants. Both groups include undergraduate and pedagogical formation certificate program students from a university in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Turkiye. Construct validity was assessed through exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Item parameters were examined using item analysis based on classical test theory. As a result of the study, a two-factor scale structure comprising 21 items measuring social and technical anxiety was developed. These two dimensions account for 59.89% of the total variance. The Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the entire scale was 0.93, the McDonald’s omega coefficient was 0.93, and the construct reliability was 0.99.

A New Perspective on Türkiye's Sheep Population: Classification with Decision Trees

Decision trees are data mining algorithms that make interpreting the cause-effect relationship or classification between features with visual diagrams easy and do not require parametric assumptions. The aim of this study is to classify different sheep breeds raised in Turkey according to their origin and tail structure characteristics using a decision tree algorithm. It has been seen that the CART (Classification and Regression Trees) algorithm is sufficient for the classification of sheep breeds by obtaining low-risk values. According to the results of the study, it is seen that domestic sheep breeds are distributed to Eastern Anatolia, Mediterranean, Black Sea, and Central Anatolia Regions and imported breeds are distributed to all regions of Türkiye. The total population of these breeds was determined as 43.889.918 heads. As it can be understood, the Akkaraman breed ranks first with a rate of 40.88% of the total sheep stock. Next comes the Morkaraman breed with a rate of 11.68%. Thirdly, the most cultivated breed is Kıvırcık, whose rate is 8.82%. Merino sheep comes in fourth place with 8.43%. Awassi sheep are among the most common breeds in the fifth place. Hereby the distribution of sheep breeds in Türkiye has also been revealed and the distribution of breeds according to environmental conditions has been determined. The decision tree model generated using the CART algorithm for the distribution of sheep breeds in Turkey based on tail structures has been found to have a value (0.47). The proportion of sheep with a thin tail structure is 52.2%, while those with a semi-fatty tail structure are 17.5%, and those with a fatty tail structure are 30.2%. It has been determined that sheep breeds with thin tails are more commonly raised in Turkey. In the study, a decision tree model was also created using the CART algorithm to analyze the distribution of sheep populations in regions based on their origin, and it was found to have a value (0.26) with an accuracy rate of 74%. According to the research, 73.9% of sheep are domestic, while 26.1% are imported. When examining the distribution of origin by region, the region with the least number of imported sheep is Eastern Anatolia, while the highest proportions are found in the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions. The region with the lowest proportion of domestic sheep is the Mediterranean and Black Sea (70.4%), whereas the highest proportion is in the Eastern Anatolia region (82.6%).

Performance Assessment of Public Hospitals with the Entropy-Weighted TOPSIS Method: The Case of Turkey

Background: Hospitals make up the main cost factor of health systems and also face increasing pressure to improve efficiency. Improving the performance of hospitals, which are vital for public health, is very important for developing countries such as Turkey. Aims: We conducted this study to assess the performance of 544 secondary-level public hospitals in Turkey by geographical region. Methods: In the study, we used the entropy weighting method to obtain the objective weights of indicators with the evaluation criteria, and then we utilized the TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) method to rank the performance of hospitals by geographical region. Results: The comparison of hospital performances by geographical region indicated that the highest and the lowest mean scores belonged to the Mediterranean Region and the Eastern Anatolia Region, respectively. Conclusions: The socio-economic differences between geographical regions in Turkey were in parallel with the findings of the study. Although there is a need for professional management in resource allocation and use to improve the performance of public hospitals, it is necessary to focus on the origin of the problems first.

Analysis of Nutrient and Heavy Metal Contents of Historical Apple Varieties Growing in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye

Analysis of Nutrient and Heavy Metal Contents of Historical Apple Varieties Growing in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye

Nakagami Distribution for Modeling Monthly Precipitations in Van, Türkiye

Precipitation patterns are intricately influenced by geographic factors and local environmental conditions. Statistical distributions are one of the methods that help investigate precipitation characteristics at different sites. Van is a province that ranks among the provinces with the lowest precipitation in the Eastern Anatolia region of Türkiye, receiving an annual rainfall of around 400 mm. In this study, 63 years of monthly average precipitation data from Van, are modeled employing various well-known statistical distributions including the Nakagami distribution. The Nakagami distribution is one of the flexible distributions used in describing data from various fields. In estimating the parameters of the considered distributions maximum likelihood estimation method is utilized. Comparisons are made using various goodness of fit criteria including root mean squared error, coefficient of determination, and Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. According to the results, the Nakagami distribution is found to be the most suitable statistical distribution for modeling precipitations in Van province. Additionally, precipitation values for 10, 25, 50, and 100-year return periods are obtained.

Regional variations in psoriatic arthritis: Insights from a nationwide multicenter analysis in Türkiye.

The study aimed to investigate and compare clinical features, disease activity, and the overall disease burden among psoriatic arthritis (PsA) patients across seven distinct geographic regions in Türkiye. A multicenter cross-sectional study involving 1,134 PsA patients from 25 referral centers across seven regions was conducted. Demographic and clinical characteristics, comorbidities, joint involvement, extra-articular manifestations, and disease activity measures were evaluated across regions. A total of 1134 PsA patients from seven different geographic regions in Türkiye participated in this study. The highest number of participants was from the Marmara region (n=409), with subsequent representation from Central Anatolia (n=370), Aegean (n=139), Mediterranean (n=60), Black Sea (n=60), Eastern Anatolia (n=60), and Southeastern Anatolia (n=36) regions. There were significant variations in demographic profile, including age, body mass index, age of disease onset, educational status, comorbidities, and family history of both psoriasis and PsA. Clinical features, such as enthesitis, dactylitis, uveitis, and joint involvement, demonstrated significant variation across regions. Additionally, disease activity measures, including pain, patient and physician global assessments, acute phase reactants, disease activity indices, quality of life, and functional status, displayed considerable regional differences. This nationwide study revealed substantial regional diversity in demographic data, clinical characteristics, disease activity, and quality of life among PsA patients in Türkiye. These findings stress the need to customize treatment approaches to address regional needs and to conduct further research to uncover reasons for disparities. It is crucial to enhance region-specific approaches to improve patient care and outcomes for PsA.

Seismic variations before Eastern Anatolian catastrophic events in February 2023

AbstractThe East Anatolian Fault System has been intensively studied over the years due to its potential to generate strong earthquakes and the high exposure of the economy and population in the region. This interest intensified even more after the strong earthquakes in the area at the beginning of February 2023, leading to a focused search for features and precursors that might suggest such an upcoming event. We analyze certain characteristics of seismicity within the East Anatolian Fault System before the earthquakes of February 6, 2023, with magnitudes Mw = 7.8 and Mw = 7.5, over the time period between 1983 and 2022. The earthquake catalog from January 1983 to September 2023, created by Turkish Bogazici University KOERI, is used. Processing of the data is performed by the ZMAP 7.1 software used in the MATLAB environment. Events with a magnitude greater than 2.5 are considered in four time periods: 1983–1992, 1993–2002, 2003–2012, and 2013–2022, totaling 29,346 events. The b-value of the magnitude-frequency distribution of earthquakes (slope of the recurrence graph) is determined; the parameter β, indicative of the increase or decrease in the rate of anomalous seismicity, and parameter Z, associated with anomalous seismic quiescence, is evaluated. A significant decrease in the value of b (from 1.07 to 0.84) is observed when comparing the two periods (2013–2017/2018–2022), indicating accumulated stress in the Earth’s crust. Furthermore, the Z parameter analysis for the period July 2021 to December 2022 shows evidence of relative seismic quiet in the examined area compared to the period from January 2020 to the end of June 2021. Those results suggest that the spatiotemporal variations of the studied seismic parameters could serve as predictors of the two very strong seismic events in the southern part of the Eastern Anatolian region of Turkey.

Paraspecific neutralization capacity of polyvalent snake antivenom against Montivipera wagneri venom

PurposeThis study aims to measure the paraspecific neutralization capacity of nationally produced HSGM polyvalent snake antivenom (HSGM-PSAV), produced using Macrovipera lebetina obtusa, Montivipera xanthina, and Vipera ammodytes montandoni venom, against the lethal effect of the venom of Montivipera wagneri, which is endemic to the Eastern Black Sea and Eastern Anatolia regions of Turkey. MethodsThe neutralization capacity of HSGM-PSAV against the lethal effect of M. wagneri venom was studied using the potency determination testing method specified in the Turkish and European Pharmacopoeia. Lethal dose 50 (LD50) values of the venoms used in immunization, M. wagneri venom in mice, and effective dose 50 (ED50) values of HSGM-PSAV against four types of venoms were calculated using two-fold dilutions. ResultsHSGM-PSAV neutralized the lethal effect of M. wagneri venom in mice. The ED50 of the HSGM-PSAV against M. wagneri venom was calculated as 304.42 LD50/mL. ConclusionAs a result of this in-vivo study, it was determined that HSGM-PSAV neutralized M.wagneri venom above the antivenom neutralization capacity threshold values (≥50 LD50/mL) specified in the Turkish and European Pharmacopoeia. This result is important preclinical data regarding the usability of HSGM-PSAV in the treatment of poisoning due to M. wagneri bites.

Role of culture and religious beliefs on non-medical help-seeking behavior among patients with chronic mental illnesses (CMIs) in Türkiye

Background: Cultural beliefs significantly shape societal attitudes toward mental illness, and these social attitudes profoundly impact help-seeking behaviors. Therefore, it is important to focus on understanding and addressing these social behaviors. Aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of chronic mental illness interpretations based on culture and religious beliefs on non-medical help-seeking behaviors among patients in Türkiye. Methods: The study was conducted from September to October 2023 using an inductive qualitative approach. In-depth face-to-face interviews were carried out with individuals diagnosed with chronic mental illness and their relatives, registered in a state-owned Community Mental Health Center (CMHC) in Türkiye. Using purposive sampling, 13 individuals who met the criteria were interviewed. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes. Results: Three main themes and eight sub-themes were identified, including the reasons for seeking non-medical help (psychological challenges, subjective norms, physical requirements), factors contributing to seeking non-medical help (predisposing factors, enabling factors, and myths), and reflections on the benefits of non-medical practices (perceived physical benefits, perceived psychological benefits). Conclusions: It was concluded that individuals with chronic mental illness and their relatives living in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye engaged in non-medical help-seeking behaviors and mostly turned to traditional religious practices. Culture and religious beliefs emerged as primary factors leading patients to seek non-medical treatment approaches. Consequently, there is a perceived need to explore non-medical alternative methods across various mental health settings and with diverse samples in future research endeavors.

Modified data classification for extreme values in Şen’s innovative trend analysis: A comparative trend study for the Aegean and Eastern Anatolia Regions of Türkiye

The increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere has worsened global warming, and marked changes have been observed in meteorological and climatic events, especially since the early 2000s. Trend analysis studies are important for determining changes in meteorological and climatic events over time. This study investigated the trends of maximum precipitation and minimum temperature in the Aegean Region and Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye by conducting an innovative trend analysis (ITA), the Mann–Kendall (MK) test, and linear regression analysis (LRA). As a method, ITA has been used together with traditional methods in the last decade, and its advantages have been demonstrated in comparative trend studies. An important contribution of ITA is that it can categorize datasets according to their size (low, medium, and high). The classification technique of the ITA method includes dividing the sorted dataset into three equal parts and separately examining the trends of low, medium, and high data values. This approach is reasonable for datasets with low skewness (or normally distributed series). However, the normal distribution acceptance of ITA data classification is insufficient for trend analysis of data series with extreme values. Therefore, we propose a modified data classification method to rationally examine skewed datasets with the use of quartiles. Our study was performed for the trend analysis of maximum rainfall and minimum temperature data in two regions located in the west and east of Türkiye showing different climatic characteristics. In the first part of the study in which the numerical trend analysis of ITA was evaluated, the MK and LRA methods showed similar results, whereas the ITA detected trends at a greater number of stations owing to its sensitivity feature in detecting trends. In the second part, which included data classification in trend analysis, the equal split data classification used in the ITA and the modified data classification proposed in the study were compared. The comparative results of the trend analysis of the maximum rainfall and minimum temperature data showed the superiority of the proposed data classification in examining the trend of extreme values, especially for maximum rainfall data with relatively high skewness.

Investigation of Flower, Leaf, and Stem Parts of Three Gundelia Species Growth in the Eastern Anatolia Region of Türkiye from a Biochemical Perspective

13 species of Gundelia species plants are endemic in Türkiye and are frequently used by the public for both nutrition and medicinal objectives. In this study, three parts (flower, leaf, and stem) of three species of Gundelia (G.dersim, G.glabra, and G.munzurensis) were biochemically investigated. DPPH and ABTS analyses for antioxidant activity were performed on methanol extracts of plant parts. As a result of both analysis in parallel, the flower part of G.munzurensis had the highest %Inhibition value (DPPH:91,85±0,78; ABTS:97,38±0) (P

EXAMİNİNG THE COMPOSİTİON WRİTİNG SKİLLS OF CLASSROOM TEACHER CANDİDATES

Classroom teachers should be able to pick up the pen and find something to write at any time, anywhere, regardless of the subject. What is expected from the classroom teacher is that it is gaining writing skills, being able to express feelings and thoughts in writing and conveying tüm completely. The aim of this research is to show how accurately and effectively prospective classroom teachers who continue their higher education can apply the composition writing skills they learned in the Turkish Language Teaching course. For this purpose, the student's compositions were evaluated by two different researches in three parts as "format, language and expression, spelling and punctuation" within the scope of Prof. Dr. Cemal Yıldız's "Written Expression Evaluation Form". In this respect, the research is suitable for the case study design, one of the qualitative research methods. The population of the research consists of 58 classroom teacher candidates studying in the second year of a state university in the Eastern Anatolia region. An easily accessible sample was used in the research.

Integrating deep learning and regression models for accurate prediction of groundwater fluoride contamination in old city in Bitlis province, Eastern Anatolia Region, Türkiye

Groundwater resources in Bitlis province and its surroundings in Türkiye’s Eastern Anatolia Region are pivotal for drinking water, yet they face a significant threat from fluoride contamination, compounded by the region’s volcanic rock structure. To address this concern, fluoride levels were meticulously measured at 30 points in June 2019 dry period and September 2019 rainy period. Despite the accuracy of present measurement techniques, their time-consuming nature renders them economically unviable. Therefore, this study aims to assess the distribution of probable geogenic contamination of groundwater and develop a robust prediction model by analyzing the relationship between predictive variables and target contaminants. In this pursuit, various machine learning techniques and regression models, including Linear Regression, Random Forest, Decision Tree, K-Neighbors, and XGBoost, as well as deep learning models such as ANN, DNN, CNN, and LSTM, were employed. Elements such as aluminum (Al), boron (B), cadmium (Cd), cobalt (Co), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), nickel (Ni), phosphorus (Pb), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) were utilized as features to predict fluoride levels. The SelectKbest feature selection method was used to improve the accuracy of the prediction model. This method identifies important features in the dataset for different values of k and increases model efficiency. The models were able to produce more accurate predictions by selecting the most important variables. The findings highlight the superior performance of the XGBoost regressor and CNN in predicting groundwater quality, with XGBoost consistently outperforming other models, exhibiting the lowest values for evaluation metrics like mean squared error (MSE), mean absolute error (MAE), and root mean squared error (RMSE) across different k values. For instance, when considering all features, XGBoost attained an MSE of 0.07, an MAE of 0.22, an RMSE of 0.27, a MAPE of 9.25%, and an NSE of 0.75. Conversely, the Decision Tree regressor consistently displayed inferior performance, with its maximum MSE reaching 0.11 (k = 5) and maximum RMSE of 0.33 (k = 5). Furthermore, feature selection analysis revealed the consistent significance of boron (B) and cadmium (Cd) across all datasets, underscoring their pivotal roles in groundwater contamination. Notably, in the machine learning framework evaluation, the XGBoost regressor excelled in modeling both the “all” and “rainy season” datasets, while the convolutional neural network (CNN) outperformed in the “dry season” dataset. This study emphasizes the potential of XGBoost regressor and CNN for accurate groundwater quality prediction and recommends their utilization, while acknowledging the limitations of the Decision Tree Regressor.

Morphological and molecular identification of plant parasitic nematodes in wheat fields of Eastern Anatolian Region (Türkiye)

The aim of this study is to identify plant-parasitic nematodes molecularly and morphologically in wheat (Triticum spp.) fields in the Eastern Anatolia Region (Türkiye) between 2017-2019. For this purpose, a total of 258 soil samples were collected from 7 provinces (Erzincan, Elazığ, Erzurum, Iğdır, Kars, Malatya, and Sivas) in the Eastern Anatolia Region. Nematodes were morphologically identified using a light microscope at the genus (some of them species) level. DNA extraction was performed and PCR products were used to DNA sequencing and nucleotide analysis for 28S ribosomal DNA region by comparing the results with the database. According to the obtained data, a total of 20 genera and 7 species belonging to 2 orders and 9 families were identified: H. digonicus Perry, 1959; H. canadensis Waseem, 1961; H. vulgaris Yuen, 1964 (Nematoda: Hoplolaimidae); Ditylenchus myceliophagus Goodey, 1958 (Nematoda: Anguinidae); Amplimerlinius macrurus (Goodey, 1932) (Nematoda: Dolichodoridae); Scutylenchus quadrifer (Andrassy, 1954); (Nematoda: Dolichodoridae), and Pratylenchoides alkani Yüksel, 1977 (Nematoda: Pratylenchidae). H. vulgaris was identified at the species level using molecular techniques. The rates of presence of economically important plant parasitic nematodes were determined as 73%, 43%, 36%, 33% and 28% for Ditylenchus spp., Pratylenchus spp., Aphelenchus spp., Xiphinema spp. and Helicotylenchus spp. respectively. It is thought that the results obtained will help to plan nematode control methods in the region.

Dysdera jaegeri Bellvert Dimitrov, 2024 (Araneae, Dysderidae): A New Record for Spider Fauna of Türkiye

In this study, Dysdera jaegeri is recorded as a new record for the araneofauna of Türkiye based on male individuals collected from Gaziantep province, which is located in the transition zone between the Mediterranean and South Eastern Anatolia regions of Türkiye. Photographs of the general appearance and male copulatory organs of the species are given, descriptions of these parts are made and the taxonomic position of D. jaegeri is discussed.