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The 57 countries of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation are suffering from an increasing burden from mental health disorders. We investigated their research outputs during 2008–17 in the Web of Science in order to compare them with the burden from different mental health disorders and in different countries. The papers were identified with a complex filter based on title words and journals. Their addresses were parsed to give fractional country counts, show international collaboration, and also reveal country concentration on individual disorders and types of research. We found 17,920 papers in the decade, with output quadrupling. Foreign contributions accounted for 15% of addresses; they were from Europe (7%), Canada + USA (5%) and elsewhere (3%). They were much greater for Qatar and Uganda (> 60%), but less than 10% for Iran and Turkey. Schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were over-researched, but suicide and self-harm were seriously neglected, relative to their mental health disorder burdens. Although OIC research has been expanding rapidly, some countries have published little on this subject, perhaps because of stigma. Turkey collaborates relatively little internationally and as a result its papers received few citations. Among the large OIC countries, it has almost the highest relative mental health disorders burden, which is also growing rapidly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Turkish economy has undergone a structural transformation with impressive economic performance during 2002–2018 and then a slowdown. The implementation of policies on the financial markets results in a significant capital inflow, which leads to an increase in the volume of domestic credit. Despite improvements in Türkiye, income inequality and poverty are still relatively high. While much of the literature shows that financial development accelerates growth, there is no consensus on its clear impact on poverty and inequality. While some studies stress that financial development improves inequality and combats poverty by increasing the ability of advantage of new investment opportunities, and by improving the allocation of capital, others point out that the beneficial impact of financial development depends on whether the overall population or the upper-income groups benefit or not. Therefore, this paper aims to empirically investigate the impact of financial development on inequalities and poverty during the 2002–2017 period when Türkiye relatively has been prosperous. According to simultaneous equation regression findings, the widening of the financial sector leads to more equal income distribution and poverty alleviation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The primary aim of this paper is to provide fresh evidence by testing the linkage between renewable energy consumption, financial development, and external debts in Turkey, using the Bootstrap ARDL test (McNown et al. 2018). The Bootstrap ARDL test is desired over traditional co-integration tests due to its ability to predict when resolving power and size limitation issues, and its corresponding features, which have not been addressed by traditional co-integration tests. The ARDL testing model is employed to investigate the coefficients amongst the selected variables. The findings from the ARDL test illustrate that there is a positive linkage between renewable consumption and Turkey's financial development. Furthermore, the outcomes illustrate that the coefficient of external debt is negative and significant. The results indicate that policymakers in Turkey must use the growth of the financial sector to minimize environmental degradation by promoting investment in energy and production through renewable energy sources. Furthermore, the research suggested that Turkey's policy-makers should reformulate the external debt policy to reduce the negative influence of external debt on sustainable energy development. This could potentially be achieved by removing any restrictions on international capital flow or barriers on foreign capital and foreign investment. Hence, the findings of this paper provide valuable conclusions and recommendations for Turkey heading to sustainable and green financial sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambulance services around the world vary according to regional, cultural and socioeconomic conditions. Many countries apply different health policies locally. In Turkey, transportation from hospital to home has started to form an important part of ambulance services in recent years. The increase in the number of patients whose treatment has been completed and waiting to be referred may hinder the work of the emergency services. The aim of this study was to examine the costs, indications, and impact on workload of patients sent home by ambulance. Patients were divided into two groups according to the reasons for referral. The distance to home, transport time and cost were calculated according to the reasons for transport. Patients who were transferred to other clinics or hospitals by ambulance were excluded from the study. The findings showed that the hospital-to-home transfer rate during the study period was 11.4%. Although 9.7% of all cases transferred from our hospital to home were due to social indications, these cases accounted for 16.26% of the total costs. These results suggest that providing home transport services to selected patient groups for medical reasons should be seen as part of the treatment. However, the indications for home transport should not be exceeded and an additional burden should not be placed on the fragile health service. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Waxy maize (Zea mays L. var. ceratina Kulesh) is used in the food and textile sectors, amylopectin has an important place in the adhesive and paper sectors as well. These sectors have to buy waxy maize from abroad because there is no waxy maize variety registered yet in Turkey. In vivo maternal haploid technique was applied to obtain doubled haploid (DH) waxy lines in a short time. RWS, RWK-76, and their hybrid RWS × RWK-76 maternal haploid inducers were used as male parents in vivo maternal haploid. SSRs markers were used to identify the genetic similarity between the number of 17 DH waxy lines. Similarity ratio ranged from 12% to 68% between DH waxy lines. DH waxy lines were used in crossbreeding and created 24 hybrids. Iodine tests were made on DH waxy lines and their hybrids and analyzed some quality parameters of hybrids. Candidate waxy hybrids were selected from the progeny nursery trial. Several 16 waxy and 3 check hybrids were experimented within three locations and the average grain yield of waxy and check hybrids ranged from 8.4–12.7 t/ha and 12.7–16.2 t/ha respectively. PCA biplot analysis using the data of the average of three locations and genotype × environment interaction was determined. PC1 and PC2 variation percentages were found to be 18.32% and 75.22%, respectively. ADAX-14, ADAX-13R, ADAX-13, and ADAX-19 waxy varieties are more stable in terms of yield than other hybrids. The difference between varieties was found statistically significant for protein, oil, starch, hectoliter, and 1000 grain weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper develops a regional dataset of change at 381 settlements for Lycia-Pamphylia in southwest Anatolia (Turkey) from volume 8 of the Tabula Imperii Byzantini–a compilation of historical toponyms and archaeological evidence. This region is rich in archaeological remains and high-quality paleo-climatic and -environmental archives. Our archaeological synthesis enables direct comparison of these datasets to discuss current hypotheses of climate impacts on historical societies. A Roman Climatic Optimum, characterized by warmer and wetter conditions, facilitating Roman expansion in the 1st-2nd centuries CE cannot be supported here, as Early Byzantine settlement did not benefit from enhanced precipitation in the 4th-6th centuries CE as often supposed. However, widespread settlement decline in a period with challenging archaeological chronologies (c. 550–650 CE) was likely caused by a "perfect storm" of environmental, climatic, seismic, pathogenic and socio-economic factors, though a shift to drier conditions from c. 460 CE appears to have preceded other factors by at least a century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: European societies are rapidly becoming multicultural. Cultural diversity presents new challenges and opportunities to communities that receive immigrants and migrants, and highlights the need for culturally safe healthcare. Universities share a responsibility to build a fair and equitable society by integrating cultural content in the nursing curricula. This paper aims to analyze European student nurses´ experience of learning cultural competence and of working with patients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Materials and methods: A phenomenological approach was selected through a qualitative research method. 7 semi-structured focus groups with 5–7 students took place at the participants' respective universities in Spain, Belgium, Turkey and Portugal. Results: 5 themes and 16 subthemes emerged from thematic analysis. Theme 1, concept of culture/cultural diversity, describes the participants' concept of culture; ethnocentricity emerged as a frequent element in the students' discourse. Theme 2, personal awareness, integrates the students' self-perception of cultural competence and their learning needs. Theme 3, impact of culture, delves on the participants' perceived impact of cultural on both nursing care and patient outcomes. Theme 4, learning cultural competence, integrates the participants' learning experiences as part of their nursing curricula, as part of other academic learning opportunities and as part of extra-academic activities. Theme 5, learning cultural competence during practice placements, addresses some important issues including witnessing unequal care, racism, prejudice and conflict, communication and language barriers, tools and resources and positive attitudes and behaviors witnesses or displayed during clinical practice. Conclusion: The participants' perceived level of cultural competence was variable. All the participants agreed that transcultural nursing content should be integrated in the nursing curricula, and suggested different strategies to improve their knowledge, skills and attitudes. It is important to listen to the students and take their opinion into account when designing cultural teaching and learning activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increased risk of suicidal behaviour among Turkish women living in Europe and Turkey is a serious public health problem. This study compares and synthesises the empirical evidence of demographic, social, psychological and interpersonal characteristics and precipitating factors in the suicides and attempted suicides of Turkish women in Europe and Turkey. Methods: We systematically searched eight databases (PsycINFO, PubMed, Med Line, Web of Science, Smart Cat, Safety Lit, BASE and Ulakbim), using search terms in English, Turkish, German and Dutch, as well as the reference lists of the retrieved papers. We extracted data on countries/regions, population characteristics, sample characteristics, recruitment, method of data collection, type of suicidal behaviour (suicide or attempted suicide) and precipitating factors and characteristics. The results were qualitatively synthesised. Results: We retrieved nine studies on attempted suicide in Europe (from Germany, Switzerland and the Netherlands), 17 studies on attempted suicide in Turkey and 10 studies on suicide in Turkey (36 in total). Overall, we found similar precipitating factors and characteristics of attempted suicide and suicide in Turkey and Europe, including socio-demographic factors (young age and not being enrolled in the labour market), poverty and, to some extent, mental illness. Moreover, conflicts with family or spouses and violence against women, including so-called honour violence, were particularly common for women living in or originating from traditional areas in Turkey. Conclusion: The framework of intersectionality is relevant to understanding our results, because structural inequalities in gender roles, gender role expectations as well as power imbalances among socio-economic classes collectively impact the suicidal behaviour of Turkish women. Moreover, the importance of violence against women points to the cultural continuity of the patriarchal and oppressive structures of Europe and Turkey. Suicide prevention efforts should address cultural attitudes underlying violence against women and girls through community education programmes, cultural and gender-sensitive care provision and jurisdiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bee venom is a natural substance produced by worker bees. The aim of this research paper is to determine the characteristics of Anatolian bee venom by evaluating its chemical content and microbiological properties. Physical, chemical and microbiological analyses were performed on 25 bee venom samples from different areas of Anatolia, Turkey. Data obtained by 3-replicate studies were evaluated with normality and one-way and two-way ANOVA / Tukey tests. Chemical analyses of the bee venoms revealed average melittin, apamin, and phospholipase A2 contents of 40.57%, 2.12% and 13.67%, respectively. The results suggest that Anatolian bee venom has a high phospholipase A2 content compared to the previous literature. The results for apamin content were similar to those reported in other countries. Melittin content was within the range of standard values. Bee venom samples were also observed to have a high sugar content, associated with pollen and nectar contamination. Total aerobic mesophilic bacteria counts revealed no microbial development in 11 samples of bee venom. Staphylococcus aureus was not detected in any sample. A low microbial load was associated with a high phospholipase A2 content in the bee venom composition, thus contributing to its antimicrobial character. This study presents an examination of Anatolian bee venom in terms of chemical content and microbial quality. The examination of other components in addition to phospholipase A2, melittin and apamin in future studies, together with an analysis of antimicrobial properties will further our understanding of Anatolian bee venom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper proposes a new range of diversity indexes applicable to ceramic petrographic and geochemical data and potentially to any archaeological data of both metric and non-metric nature in order to assess the degree of craft standardization. The case study is the Late Chalcolithic pottery from Arslantepe in eastern Anatolia, ideal to test the standardization hypothesis, i.e. the assumed correspondence between craft standardization and increased rates of production, which in turn correlate with economic specialization. The results suggest that the procurement and processing of raw materials are more sensible indicators of standardization than vessel shape variability. Higher standardization is connected with the scale of production rather than with the use of the wheel or its rotational speed. The socio-economic centralization marks a process of labor division within the operational sequence and, more generally, a shift from communal to more segregated potting practices. As a result, the variability of both technical procedures and end products increases. In contrast univocal trends towards standardization can be found in coeval contexts from northern Mesopotamia, where the incipient urbanization served to create bonds between vessel makers, favoring the transmission of models and practices regardless of the centralized power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gender gaps in health outcomes are frequently observed. Mental health disorders also display gender differences in various countries. This paper explores gender differences in mental health outcomes of individuals in Turkey. It aims to deliver additional evidence on associations between gender, income and mental health status by providing an empirical analysis from a developing country, Turkey. This study employs a nationally representative data set from Turkish Health Survey of 2016. It constructs an index for mental health at individual level by using polychoric principal component analysis. Conditional mixed process models are estimated for quantification of associations between gender, income and mental health measures. Empirical findings indicate that there is endogenous and positive relationship between household income level and mental health status of individuals in Turkey. Turkish females report lower mental health statuses than Turkish males. Furthermore, females are more likely to use mental health services in Turkey. Gender gaps in both mental health status and mental health service use are present in the Turkish case. Results of this study imply that mental health policies should avoid applying one-fit-all approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The origins of agriculture in Southwest Asia over 10,000 years ago and its subsequent spread into Europe during the Neolithic have been the focus of much archaeological research over the past several decades. Increasingly more sophisticated analytical techniques have allowed for better understanding of the complex interactions that occurred amongst humans, animals, and their environments during this transition. The Aegean Islands are critically situated where Anatolia and the mainland Greece meet, making the region pivotal for understanding the movement of the Neolithic into Europe. Located on the largest Turkish Aegean island of Gökçeada, the site of Uğurlu Höyük dates to the early Neolithic and has been the subject of ongoing excavations and research integrating a rigorous dating program with comprehensive zooarchaeological research. This paper focuses on the combination of bone collagen and tooth enamel stable isotope data with existing archaeological data to develop a fine-resolution picture of the spread of the Neolithic, particularly the importation and management of domestic fauna on Gökçeada, with broader relevance for understanding Aegean-Anatolian interactions. The stable isotope values from the fauna at Uğurlu have been used for both diachronic intrasite analyses and intersite comparisons between contemporaneous mainland sites. Integrating stable isotope and zooarchaeological datasets makes Uğurlu one of the first island sites to provide a comprehensive understanding of the geographic origin of Neolithic livestock populations and the timing of their spread from Anatolia into Europe during the process of Neolithization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study is to determine the components that contribute to psychological resilience in adolescents and to determine if physical exercise, emotion control, or self-efficacy are more effective predictors of resilience. Data from participants was collected through a personal information form, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire—Short Form, the Self-Efficacy Scale for Children, the Emotion Regulation Scale for Children and Adolescents, and the Psychological Resilience Scale for Children and Adolescents. The data were gathered online from 16 out of the 81 provinces in Turkey, representing 7 different regions, using convenience sampling. The study sample comprised 505 adolescents, with 309 females and 196 males. The average age of the participants was 15.66 years, with a standard deviation of 1.34. The data obtained from the students was analyzed using SPSS 27.0 statistical software. The Chi-Square test was employed to establish the correlation between the demographic features of adolescents and their levels of physical activity. The relationship between the independent variables and the dependent variable was determined using correlation analysis and hierarchical regression analysis. According to the analyzed results, there was a substantial positive correlation between physical activity and resilience, reappraisal and resilience, and self-efficacy and resilience. In addition, it was noted that physical activity alone explains 4.8% of the overall variation in resilience and is a significant predictor of resilience. The inclusion of reappraisal in the model resulted in a partial prediction of resilience by physical activity. However, the primary strength of the model was attributed to reappraisal. The inclusion of self-efficacy in the model resulted in a significant prediction of resilience, accounting for 36.8% of the total variance. The self-efficacy variable had a higher impact level compared to the other variables. Furthermore, the inclusion of self-efficacy in the model resulted in the elimination of the influence of physical activity on resilience. The research conclusions point out that self-efficacy has a greater impact on psychological resilience compared to physical activity and emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Approximately 80% of individuals worldwide use various holistic complementary and alternative medicine (HCAM) methods, including herbal products, to prevent diseases and improve their general health. In this study, it was aimed to investigate complementary and alternative therapy (CAM) and the use of phytotherapy by pregnant women in the COVID-19 pandemic period. Methods: This is a cross-sectional and descriptive study. The study included 381 women who applied to a public hospital in Türkiye and used herbal products during this pregnancy. Purposive sampling method was used. The study data were collected through "Identifying Information Form", "Holistic Complementary and Alternative Medicine Questionnaire (HCAMQ)" and "Information Form on the Use of Phytotherapy". In the analysis of the study data, descriptive statistics, the one-way ANOVA and multinomial logistic regression analyses were used. Results: The study was completed with 381 pregnant women. The average age, parity and gestational age of the pregnant women were 28.33±6.09, 2.17±0.95, 29.11±8.87, respectively. It was determined that 37.3% of pregnant women did not know the ingredients of the herbal products they used and 38.8% found them safer than the drugs. HCAMQ total mean score of the pregnant women was calculated as 34.62±16.22. It was found that the pregnant women used garlic the most (65.6%), followed by cumin (38.6%), curcuma (36.2%), and ginger (34.4%). HCAMQ total mean score was found to be lower in the pregnant women who found herbal products safer than drugs (p<0.001), who were not aware of the content of the herbal product they used (p<0.001), and who used herbal products so as to protect against COVID-19 (p = 0.041), to increase their physical resistance (p = 0.022), and to facilitate childbirth (p = 0.002). It was determined that among the pregnant women who knew the content of the herbal products they used (Odds Ratio (OR) 1.122; 1.095–1.149 95%CI; p<0.001) and who did not know (OR 1.114; 1.085–1.144 95%CI; p<0.001), as negative attitude towards HCAM increased, their status of finding traditional drugs safer increased. Among the pregnant women who used herbal products to protect against COVID-19 (OR 1.142; 1.111–1.174 95%CI; p<0.001) and to increase their physical resistance (OR 1.120; 1.094–1.147 95%CI; p<0.001), as negative attitude towards HCAM increased, their status of finding conventional drugs safer increased. Conclusion: In today's world where the use of herbal products and CAM has become widespread, it is important to raise the awareness of pregnant women about the benefits and harms of these practices about which there is inadequate evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the integrity of Turkey's elections have increased with the recent transition from a parliamentary democracy to an executive presidency under Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Election forensics tools are used to identify statistical traces of certain types of electoral fraud, providing important information about the integrity and validity of democratic elections. Such analyses of the 2017 and 2018 Turkish elections revealed that malpractices such as ballot stuffing or voter manipulation may indeed have played a significant role in determining the election results. Here, we apply election forensic statistical tests for ballot stuffing and voter manipulation to the results of the 2023 presidential election in Turkey. We find that both rounds of the 2023 presidential election exhibit similar statistical irregularities to those observed in the 2018 presidential election, however the magnitude of these distortions has decreased. We estimate that 2.4% (SD 1.9%) and 1.9% (SD 1.7%) of electoral units may have been affected by ballot stuffing practices in favour of Erdoğan in the first and second rounds, respectively, compared to 8.5% (SD 3.9%) in 2018. Areas with smaller polling stations and fewer ballot boxes had significantly inflated votes and turnout, again, in favor of Erdoğan. Furthermore, electoral districts with two or fewer ballot boxes were more likely to show large swings in vote shares in favour of Erdoğan from the first to the second round. Based on a statistical model, it is estimated that these shifts account for 342,000 additional ballots (SD 4,900) or 0.64% for Erdoğan, which is lower than the 4.36% margin by which Erdoğan was victorious. Our results suggest that Turkish elections continue to be riddled with statistical irregularities, that may be indicative of electoral fraud. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to investigate the relationship between the patients who applied to the emergency department with acute urticarial and meteorological factors and determine the associated weather conditions. The relationship between acute urticaria patients who applied to the emergency department of a training and research hospital in a city with high altitude and continental climate characteristics in the eastern part of Turkey between January 2019 and December 2019 and meteorological data was evaluated retrospectively. The necessary data for the weather were obtained from the data of the Erzurum Meteorology Directorate, and the patient data were obtained from the hospital information management system and patient files. The meteorological data of the patients at the date of admission and the characteristics of the patients at that date were compared. The study identified 691 patients who applied to the emergency department diagnosed with urticaria in 2019. According to the seasons, it was observed that the patients applied most frequently in the summer months [n = 239; 34.6%]. In the univariable regression model, which was created by taking the values of weather events as a reference on the days when the urticaria presentation was not observed (Group I), it was determined that every 1-hour increase in the sunshine hour increased the probability of urticaria by 7.4% (p = 0.018). When the meteorological parameters on the days without urticaria (Group I) and the days with urticaria presentation (Group II) were compared, the sunshine hours were 7.9 (4.0–10.6) hours in Group II and 6.65 (3.3–8.85) hours in Group I (p = 0.001). Regarding relative humidity, higher humidity rates were observed in Group I compared to Group II (p = 0.009). In terms of mean temperature, daily maximum, and minimum temperature, higher temperature rates were detected in Group II (p<0.001). A relationship was determined between urticaria attacks and relative humidity and daily maximum and minimum temperature in patients who applied to the emergency department with acute urticaria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the volatility of beef and lamb prices in Türkiye, as food price inflation compromises the food security of low- and middle-income households. The inflation is the result of a rise in energy (gasoline) prices leading to an increase in production costs, together with a disruption of the supply chain by the COVID-19 pandemic. This study is the first to comprehensively explore the effects of multiple price series on meat prices in Türkiye. Using price records from April 2006 through February 2022, the study applies rigorous testing and selects the VAR(1)–asymmetric BEKK bivariate GARCH model for empirical analysis. The beef and lamb returns were affected by periods of livestock imports, energy prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic, but those factors influenced the short- and long–term uncertainties differently. Uncertainty was increased by the COVID–19 pandemic, but livestock imports offset some of the negative effects on meat prices. To improve price stability and assure access to beef and lamb, it is recommended that livestock farmers be supported through tax exemptions to control production costs, government assistance through the introduction of highly productive livestock breeds, and improving processing flexibility. Additionally, conducting livestock sales through the livestock exchange will create a price information source allowing stakeholders to follow price movements in a digital format and their decision-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aim: The ever-increasing population and life expectancy worldwide increase the prevalence of ophthalmic diseases, and the need for ophthalmic research expands accordingly. In our study, we aimed to evaluate many aspects of the barriers, especially gender disparities, confronting ophthalmologists who aspire to conduct scientific research (SR). Materials and methods: In this descriptive quantitative study, we distributed an online questionnaire to ophthalmologists in Turkey with 21 questions presented on a five-point Likert scale and two open-ended questions. The survey was prepared with Google forms. Participants were recruited via e-mail and social networks. A multicenter survey was conducted between January 29 and February 20, 2021, and a total of 210 valid responses were recorded. Results: Participants' responses were grouped into four types of barriers: motivation, time constraints, research support, and competence. Participants' motivation to conduct research was above average (3.54±0.96), but most stated that they have time constraints (3.74±0.97). Participants did not agree that there is adequate support for research (2.35±0.76), and they self assessed their level of the required competence to be average (2.87±1.08). Women were more motivated to do SR than men (p = 0.008), but there were no statistically significant differences between women and men in terms of time constraints, research support, and level of competence (p = 0.853, p = 0.482, and p = 0.558, respectively). Although there is no statistically significant difference between men and women regarding time constraints, female physicians mentioned more about the barriers arising from their personal responsibilities (p = 0.038). Conclusions: Our study revealed that ophthalmologists are enthusiastic about doing SR but encounter obstacles with regard to time availability and research support. In addition, there is a need to reinforce competence in SR. Although female physicians are more motivated than men, they must deal with competing domestic responsibilities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We test in how far women's economic participation can be associated with physical and/or sexual domestic violence against women in Turkey, by mobilizing the Survey "National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey" (wave 2014). Several studies found that economically active women have a similar, if not a higher risk of experiencing domestic violence than inactive women in Turkey, as well as in other emerging countries. We challenge these findings for Turkey by distinguishing between formal and informal labor market activities as well as between women who do not work because their partner does not allow them to and women who are inactive for other reasons. To increase the control for endogeneity in this cross-sectional setting, we apply an IV-approach based on cluster averages. We find that, while overall employment for women cannot be associated with a lower risk of experiencing domestic violence for women in Turkey, those women who participate in the formal labor market and those women who contribute at least the same as their partner to household income are less exposed to physical and/or sexual domestic violence than their counterparts. Distinguishing between formal and informal employment is thus important when it comes to investigate the association between women's economic activity and domestic violence. This is especially the case in a country like Turkey, which currently undergoes important socio-economic changes and where women in formal and informal employment have therefore very different socioeconomic backgrounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This quantitative study aimed to determine physical education teachers' (PETs) perceptions of online physical education (OLPE) during the COVID-19 pandemic in Turkey. Methods: An OLPE teaching survey during the COVID-19 was used, comprising PETs' opinions on OLPE teaching as well as the advantages, disadvantages, difficulties, and suggestions for OLPE teaching. Results: A significant difference by gender was identified in the individual approach to student learning, greater student independence, and ongoing monitoring of student results for teachers, parents, and students. In addition, a significant difference was found by gender in the difficulty in implementing the core curriculum content as well as by school type in the lack of proper home equipment, absence of or limited Internet access, and problems with connecting the computer, tablet, or smartphone to the Internet. Moreover, PETs stated that OLPE teaching is not only the best way to transfer basic information, but it also gives them an opportunity to learn digital technology by devoting time for research for self-improvement. However, they stated that students do not perceive OLPE as a lesson, as student participation is lacking. Moreover, there are deficiencies in students' social-emotional development. They also stated that the content of the lessons was insufficient, and they were unable to make the lesson interesting. Conclusion: PETs' suggested recommendations included enriching the course content, increasing the lesson time, developing a new curriculum, and creating a platform to access course resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the socioeconomic dynamics of metal consumption patterns in the 3rd millennium BC north-central Anatolian site of Resuloğlu (Çorum, Turkey). The socio-political structure of the site confirms a nonstate, socially complex community with a range of hierarchical and heterarchical expressions. This study presents the results of archaeological, compositional (n = 307), and isotopic (n = 45) analyses of the complete metal collection of Resuloğlu uncovered through two decades of systematic excavations with a well-established chronology. The elemental compositions of metal objects obtained with pXRF combined with lead isotope analysis denote a high diversity in alloy types and sources. The compositional analysis highlights the consumption of various binary and ternary alloys for different object types. The lead isotope ratios confirm the use of both in proximity to metallic sources and access to macro-regional trade extending from the Black Sea coast towards the Taurus Mountain range. The site appears as a part of linkages whereby goods and valuables were exchanged within decentralized networks of middle-range societies. The diversity in metal consumption suggests group-driven choices and networks rather than top-down control of social elites. This allows us to confront the conventional approach to the role of metals as the primary motivator for social complexity and inequality in all parts of the 3rd millennium BC Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biogeographical transition zones present good opportunities for studying the effect of the past ice ages on genetic structure of species because secondary contact zones of post-glacial lineages can be formed. In this study, we investigated the population genetic structure of the marbled rock crab, Pachygrapsus marmoratus along the coasts of Turkey. We genotyped 334 individuals from the Black Sea, the Turkish Straits System (TSS), the Aegean, and the Eastern Mediterranean basins. In order to reveal its evolutionary history and its population connectivity, we used mitochondrial CO1 region and five microsatellite loci. CO1 analyzes also included 610 additional samples from Genbank, which covered most of its distribution range. Both microsatellites and mtDNA showed decreased diversity in sampling sites of the TSS and the Black Sea as compared to those along the Aegean and the Levantine coasts. There is an especially strong geographical pattern in distributions of haplotypes in mtDNA, most probably as a result of genetic drift in the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara (SoM). Microsatellite data analyses revealed two genetically distinct clusters of P. marmoratus (clusters C and M). While individuals belonging to cluster C are present in all the sampling locations, those belonging to cluster M are only detected along the Mediterranean coasts including the Aegean and the Levantine basins. These clusters shared similar haplotypes in the Mediterranean. Haplotypes of two sympatric clusters could be similar due to incomplete lineage sorting of ancestral polymorphisms. In order to retrieve the complex demographic history and to investigate evolutionary processes resulting in sympatric clusters in the Aegean Sea and the Levantine basin, mitochondrial markers with faster mutation rates than CO1 and/or SNP data will be useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: COVID-19, SARS and MERS are diseases that present an important health burden worldwide. This situation demands resource allocation to the healthcare system, affecting especially middle- and low-income countries. Thus, identifying the main cost drivers is relevant to optimize patient care and resource allocation. Objective: To systematically identify and summarize the current status of knowledge on direct medical hospitalization costs of SARS, MERS, or COVID-19 in Upper-Middle-Income Countries. Methods: We conducted a systematic review across seven key databases (PubMed, EMBASE, BVS Portal, CINAHL, CRD library, MedRxiv and Research Square) from database inception to February 2021. Costs extracted were converted into 2021 International Dollars using the Purchasing Power Parity-adjusted. The assessment of quality was based on the protocol by the BMJ and CHEERS. PROSPERO 2020: CRD42020225757. Results: No eligible study about SARS or MERS was recovered. For COVID-19, five studies presented cost analysis performed in Brazil, China, Iran, and Turkey. Regarding total direct medical costs, the lowest cost per patient at ward was observed in Turkey ($900.08), while the highest in Brazil ($5,093.38). At ICU, the lowest was in Turkey ($2,984.78), while the highest was in China ($52,432.87). Service care was the most expressive (58% to 88%) cost driver of COVID-19 patients at ward. At ICU, there was no consensus between service care (54% to 87%) and treatment (72% to 81%) as key burdens of total cost. Conclusion: Our findings elucidate the importance of COVID-19 on health-economic outcomes. The marked heterogeneity among studies leaded to substantially different results and made challenging the comparison of data to estimate pooled results for single countries or regions. Further studies concerning cost estimates from standardized analysis may provide clearer data for a more substantial analysis. This may help care providers and policy makers to organize care for patients in the most efficient way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) is a highly contagious and devastating viral disease infecting predominantly sheep and goats. Tracking outbreaks of disease and analysing the movement of the virus often involves sequencing part or all of the genome and comparing the sequence obtained with sequences from other outbreaks, obtained from the public databases. However, there are a very large number (>1800) of PPRV sequences in the databases, a large majority of them relatively short, and not always well-documented. There is also a strong bias in the composition of the dataset, with countries with good sequencing capabilities (e.g. China, India, Turkey) being overrepresented, and most sequences coming from isolates in the last 20 years. In order to facilitate future analyses, we have prepared sets of PPRV sequences, sets which have been filtered for sequencing errors and unnecessary duplicates, and for which date and location information has been obtained, either from the database entry or from other published sources. These sequence datasets are freely available for download, and include smaller datasets which maximise phylogenetic information from the minimum number of sequences, and which will be useful for simple lineage identification. Their utility is illustrated by uploading the data to the MicroReact platform to allow simultaneous viewing of lineage date and geographic information on all the viruses for which we have information. While preparing these datasets, we identified a significant number of public database entries which contain clear errors, and propose guidelines on checking new sequences and completing metadata before submission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.) cultivation in Turkey is concentrated in one province situated in Mediterranean region only, which would not fulfill the domestic needs of the country soon. Therefore, cultivation of the crop in other provinces/climatic regions should be initiated to fulfill the domestic needs. The cultivation in other provinces requires thorough assessment of yield and quality traits of target crop. Therefore, yield and quality characteristics of four sweet potato genotypes (i.e., 'Hatay Kırmızısı', 'Hatay Yerlisi', 'Havuc' and 'Kalem') were assessed in the current study in Kazova and Niksar counties of Tokat province of the country having middle Black Sea climate in field experiments during 2018 and 2019. The cuttings of the genotypes were planted in Niksar during the second fortnight of April and first week of May in Kazova. The planting density was kept 90 × 45 cm. Data relating to number of storage roots, storage root weight, storage root yield per hill and storage root yield per hectare were recorded. Furthermore, quality traits, including dry matter ratio (%), protein ratio (%) and antioxidant ratio (%) of storage roots were also determined. The highest total storage root yield was recorded for 'Havuc' genotype during both years and locations, followed by 'Hatay Yerlisi' and 'Hatay Kırmızısı' genotypes. Overall, storage root yield (60.06 and 62.40 tons ha-1 during first and second year) recorded for the experiment at Niksar was higher than the storage root yield recorded for Kazova experiment (53.50 and 52.84 tons ha-1 during first and second year, respectively). The highest dry matter was produced by 'Kalem' and 'Hatay Yerlisi' genotypes during both years and at both locations, followed by 'Hatay Kırmızısı' and 'Havuc' genotypes. The storage roots of the tested genotypes accumulated higher dry matter at Kazova during both years. The highest protein content was obtained from the 'Kalem' genotype, and the protein contents of the 'Hatay Yerlisi' and 'Hatay Kırmızısı' genotypes were close to the 'Kalem' genotype. The results indicated that tested genotypes can successfully be cultivated in middle Black Sea climate. Therefore, production of sweet potato can be initiated in the future to meet the domestic needs for sweet potato in the country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main purpose of this study is to determine the factors that motivate consumers who shop at farmers' markets. The data for this study were gathered from questionnaires of 363 consumers from eight farmers' markets in seven districts of Izmir province, Turkey. To reveal the consumer profile of the farmers' markets examined in this study, consumer segments were determined using factor and cluster analysis. Two different consumer segments—'conventional' and 'conscious'—were identified in the farmers' markets examined. 'Conventional Consumers' reflect typical consumer behaviours and give more importance to factors such as the location of and access to the market, quality and freshness of the products, activities at and around the market and the availability and variety of products. 'Conscious Consumers', in contrast, represent a group that is more sensitive about food safety. The majority of consumers (63.64%) who visited farmers' markets were from the Conscious Consumer segment. The majority of the consumers who visit farmers' markets are conscious consumers, requiring the strategies related to these markets to be revised. Farmers' markets should be improved in terms of selecting vendors, food safety, physical facilities and social activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Çatalhöyük is a renowned archaeological site in central Anatolia, best known for its Neolithic occupation dated from 7100 to 6000 cal BC. The site received worldwide attention early on for its large size, well-preserved mudbrick architecture, and elaborate wall paintings. Excavations at the site over almost three decades have unearthed rich archaeobotanical remains and a diverse ground stone assemblage produced by what once was a vibrant farming community. The study presented here adds to our understanding of crops and plant processing at Çatalhöyük by integrating phytoliths and starch analyses on grinding implements found at three domestic contexts attributed to the Middle (6700–6500 cal BC) and Late (6500–6300 cal BC) period of occupation. Our results reveal a rich microbotanical assemblage that testifies the use of a wide range of geophytes and wild seasonal resources previously unknown at the site. Moreover, by comparing results from the microbotanical proxies and microscopic wear patterns on artefacts, we are also able to discern various plant processing practices the analysed artefacts were employed for. In sum, this work further expands our understanding of plants and crop processing activities performed by the inhabitants of Neolithic Çatalhöyük. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Watermelon is extensively consumed fruit across the globe. However, limited is known about interactive effect of nitrogen (N) and boron (B) nutrition on pomological, yield and fruit quality attributes of grafted watermelon. This two-year study tested the influence of different N and B doses on pomological, yield and fruit quality attributes of grafted watermelon under field conditions in Çukurova plains of Turkey. Four different N (0, 90, 180 and 270 kg ha-1) and two B doses (0 and 2 kg ha-1 B) were tested. The individual and interactive effects of N and B significantly altered pomological, yield and fruit quality attributes during both years. Overall, application of 270 kg ha-1 N and 2 kg ha-1 B improved yield, pomological and fruit quality attributes during both years. The highest values for yield, main stem length, stem diameter, fruit weight, fruit width, number nodes and branches per stem were recorded for 270 kg ha-1 N during both years. However, rind thickness was not altered by N application. Similarly, the highest values for quality attributes such as sucrose, glucose, fructose, citric acid, tartaric acid and ascorbic acid were noted for 270 kg ha-1 N during both years. Interestingly, no N application and 90 kg ha-1 N recorded the highest values of maleic acid during both years. The highest values of rind thickness, fruit length, fruit width and fruit weight were noted for 2 kg ha-1 B during both years, while B application had no effect on main stem length, main stem diameter, number of nodes and number of branches. Regarding N by B interactions, 180 and 270 kg ha-1 N with both B doses observed the highest values for yield, pomological and quality attributes during each year. These results indicate that N has significant contribution towards yield, pomological attributes and fruit quality of grafted watermelon. Therefore, N should be applied at the rate of 270 kg ha-1 for better yield, pomological attributes and fruit quality. Nonetheless, where necessary grafted watermelon should be fertilized with 2 kg ha-1 B for better fruit quality and pomological attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2020's update of marine alien species list from Turkey yielded a total of 539 species belonging to 18 taxonomic groups, 404 of which have become established in the region and 135 species are casual. A total of 185 new alien species have been added to the list since the previous update of 2011. The present compilation includes reports of an ascidian species (Rhodosoma turcicum) new to the marine fauna of Turkey and range extensions of six species. Among the established species, 105 species have invasive characters at least in one zoogeographic region, comprising 19% of all alien species. Mollusca ranked first in terms of the number of species (123 species), followed by Foraminifera (91 species), Pisces (80 species) and Arthropoda (79 species). The number of alien species found in seas surrounding Turkey ranged from 28 (Black Sea) to 413 (Levantine Sea). The vectoral importance of the Suez Canal diminishes when moving from south to north, accounting for 72% of species introductions in the Levantine Sea vs. only 11% of species introductions in the Black Sea. Most alien species on the coasts of Turkey were originated from the Red Sea (58%), due to the proximity of the country to the Suez Canal. Shipping activities transported 39% of alien species, mainly from the Indo-Pacific area (20%) and the Atlantic Ocean (10%). Misidentified species (such as Pterois volitans, Trachurus declivis, etc.) and species those classified as questionable or cryptogenic were omitted from the list based on new data gathered in the last decade and expert judgements. The documented impacts of invasive species on socio-economy, biodiversity and human health in the last decade as well as the legislation and management backgrounds against alien species in Turkey are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L) is one of the three main staple crops worldwide contributing 20% calories in the human diet. Drought stress is the main factor limiting yields and threatening food security, with climate change resulting in more frequent and intense drought. Developing drought-tolerant wheat cultivars is a promising way forward. The use of holistic approaches that include high-throughput phenotyping and genetic markers in selection could help in accelerating genetic gains. Fifty advanced breeding lines were selected from the CIMMYT Turkey winter wheat breeding program and studied under irrigated and semiarid conditions in two years. High-throughput phenotyping was done for wheat crown root traits and canopy senescence dynamics using vegetation indices (green area using RGB images and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index using spectral reflectance). In addition, genotyping by KASP markers for adaptability genes was done. Overall, under semiarid conditions yield reduced by 3.09 t ha-1 (-46.8%) compared to irrigated conditions. Genotypes responded differently under drought stress and genotypes 39 (VORONA/HD24-12//GUN/7/VEE#8//.../8/ALTAY), 18 (BiII98) and 29 (NIKIFOR//KROSHKA) were the most drought tolerant. Root traits including shallow nodal root angle under irrigated conditions and root number per shoot under semiarid conditions were correlated with increased grain yield. RGB based vegetation index measuring canopy green area at anthesis was better correlated with GY than NDVI was with GY under drought. The markers for five established functional genes (PRR73.A1 –flowering time, TEF-7A –grain size and weight, TaCwi.4A - yield under drought, Dreb1- drought tolerance, and ISBW11.GY.QTL.CANDIDATE- grain yield) were associated with different drought-tolerance traits in this experiment. We conclude that–genotypes 39, 18 and 29 could be used for drought tolerance breeding. The trait combinations of canopy green area at anthesis, and root number per shoot along with key drought adaptability makers (TaCwi.4A and Dreb1) could be used in screening drought tolerance wheat breeding lines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This is the first Egyptian nationwide study for derivation of reference intervals (RIs) for 34 major chemistry analytes. It was conducted as a part of the global initiative by the IFCC Committee on Reference Intervals and Decision Limits (C-RIDL) for establishing country-specific RIs based on a harmonized protocol. Methods: 691 apparently healthy volunteers aged ≥18 years were recruited from multiple regions in Egypt. Serum specimens were analyzed in two centers. The harmonization and standardization of test results were achieved by measuring value-assigned serum panel provided by C-RIDL. The RIs were calculated by parametric method. Sources of variation of reference values (RVs) were evaluated by multiple regression analysis. The need for partitioning by sex, age, and region was judged primarily by standard deviation ratio (SDR). Results: Gender-specific RIs were required for six analytes including total bilirubin (TBil), aspartate and alanine aminotransferase (AST, ALT). Seven analytes required age-partitioning including glucose and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). Regional differences were observed between northern and southern Egypt for direct bilirubin, glucose, and high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) with all their RVs lower in southern Egypt. Compared with other collaborating countries, the features of Egyptian RVs were lower HDL-C and TBil and higher TG and C-reactive protein. In addition, BMI showed weak association with most of nutritional markers. These features were shared with two other Middle Eastern countries: Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Conclusion: The standardized RIs established by this study can be used as common Egyptian RI, except for a few analytes that showed regional differences. Despite high prevalence of obesity among Egyptians, their RVs of nutritional markers are less sensitive to increased BMI, compared to other collaborating countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to determine the factors affecting the exposure of women in the 15–59 age group in Turkey to economic violence by their husbands/partners. The micro data set of the National Research on Domestic Violence against Women in Turkey, which was conducted by the Hacettepe University Institute of Population Studies, was employed in this study. The factors affecting women's exposure to economic violence were determined using the binary logistic regression analysis. In the study, women in the 15–24, 25–34 and 35–44 age group had a higher ratio of exposure to economic violence compared to the reference group. Women who graduated from elementary school, secondary school, and high school had a higher ratio of exposure to economic violence compared to those who have never gone to school. Women's exposure to physical, sexual and verbal violence was also important factor affecting women's exposure to economic violence. The results obtained in this study are important in that they can be a source of information for establishing policies and programs to prevent violence against women. This study can also be a significant guide in determining priority areas for the resolution of economic violence against women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is an enamel condition characterized by lesions ranging in color from white to brown which present rapid caries progression, and mainly affects permanent first molars and incisors. These enamel defects usually occur when there are disturbances during the mineralization or maturation stage of amelogenesis. Both genetic and environmental factors have been suggested to play roles in MIH's development, but no conclusive risk factors have shown the source of the disease. During head and neck development, the interferon regulatory factor 6 (IRF6) gene is involved in the structure formation of the oral and maxillofacial regions, and the transforming growth factor alpha (TGFA) is an essential cell regulator, acting during proliferation, differentiation, migration and apoptosis. In this present study, it was hypothesized that these genes interact and contribute to predisposition of MIH. Environmental factors affecting children that were 3 years of age or older were also hypothesized to play a role in the disease etiology. Those factors included respiratory issues, malnutrition, food intolerance, infection of any sort and medication intake. A total of 1,065 salivary samples from four different cohorts were obtained, and DNA was extracted from each sample and genotyped for nine different single nucleotide polymorphisms. Association tests and logistic regression implemented in PLINK were used for analyses. A potential interaction between TGFA rs930655 with all markers tested in the cohort from Turkey was identified. These interactions were not identified in the remaining cohorts. Associations (p<0.05) between the use of medication after three years of age and MIH were also found, suggesting that conditions acquired at the age children start to socialize might contribute to the development of MIH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The research aims to provide new empirical evidence by testing the impact of the external shocks namely: oil prices and the U.S interest rate on Turkey's real estate market by using three techniques of co-integration tests namely: the newly developed bootstrap autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) testing approach as proposed by (McNown et al. 2018), the new approach involving the Bayer-Hanck (2013) combined co-integration test, Hatemi-J (2008) co-integration testing approach. The ARDL model is utilized to explore the relationship between the variables. The findings show that the oil prices have a positive impact on Turkey's real estate market, the results confirm that there is a significant impact of oil prices on Turkey's real estate market through the domestic interest rate. Furthermore, the results demonstrated that there is a significant spillover influence of the U.S. interest rates on Turkey's real estate market through oil prices and domestic interest rates. This study suggests that the following factors led to increasing the sensitivity and volatility of the Turkish real estate market to oil prices and the U.S. interest rate fluctuations: the presence of economic interdependence between the USA and Turkey, and the majority of the external debts and the reserve currency in Turkey are composed in the USD, and Turkey's oil imports hit record high in last years. Finally, this article suggests that policymakers in Turkey should pay close attention to the effects of external shocks namely the oil prices and U.S. interest rates on Turkish markets to maintain economic and financial stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Turkey is constitutionally secular with a Muslim majority. There is no legal basis for limiting life-support at the end-of-life (EOL) in Turkey. We aimed to investigate the opinions and attitudes of intensive care unit (ICU) physicians regarding EOL decisions, for both their patients and themselves, and to evaluate if the physicians' demographic and professional variables predicted the attitudes of physicians toward EOL decisions. Methods: An online survey was distributed to national critical care societies' members. Physicians' opinions were sought concerning legalization of EOL decisions for terminally ill patients or by patient-request regardless of prognosis. Participants physicians' views on who should make EOL decisions and when they should occur were determined. Participants were also asked if they would prefer cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and/or intubation/mechanical ventilation (MV) personally if they had terminal cancer. Results: A total of 613 physicians responded. Religious beliefs had no effect on the physicians' acceptance of do-not-resuscitate (DNR) / do-not-intubate (DNI) orders for terminally ill patients, but atheism, was found to be an independent predictor of approval of DNR/DNI in cases of patient request (p<0.05). While medical experience (≥6 years in the ICU) was the independent predictor for the physicians' approval of DNI decisions on patient demand, the volume of terminal patients in ICUs (between 10–50% per year) where they worked was an independent predictor of physicians' approval of DNI for terminal patients. When asked to choose personal options in an EOL scenario (including full code, only DNR, only DNI, both DNR and DNI, and undecided), younger physicians (30–39 years) were more likely to prefer the "only DNR" option compared with physicians aged 40–49 years (p<0.05) for themselves and age 30–39 was an independent predictor of individual preference for "only DNR" at the hypothetical EOL. Physicians from an ICU with <10% terminally ill patients were less likely to prefer "DNR" or "DNR and DNI" options for themselves at EOL compared with physicians who worked in ICUs with a higher (>50%) terminally ill patient ratio (p<0.05). Conclusion: Most ICU physicians did not want legalization of DNR and DNI orders, based solely on patient request. Even if EOL decision-making were legal in Turkey, this attitude may conflict with patient autonomy. The proportion of terminally ill patients in the ICU appears to affect physicians' attitudes to EOL decisions, both for their patients and by personal preference, an association which has not been previously reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parent-child relationship is a cornerstone of early childhood development and one-way early childhood programs can have a positive influence on early development is to adopt programmatic features to enhance this relationship. Research supports these conclusions in both U.S. and cross-cultural contexts, even though assumptions about parenting and the parent-child relationship may differ across cultures. However, for true understanding of cultural differences, it is important to have comparable measures across cultures. The purpose of the study is to assess measurement invariance of the two constructs of the Child-parent Relationship Scale using data gathered in programs serving low-income preschool children in the U.S.(n = 4,450) and Turkey (n = 592) from 2014 to 2015. Using Single-group Confirmatory Factor Analysis, the original factor structures of the Turkish and the English versions were tested. Besides, Multigroup Confirmatory Factor Analysis provided evidence for configural, metric, scalar invariance, strict factorial invariance or error variance invariance and construct level invariance across the two versions. Only configural invariance was established, which showed an agreement for the existence of an underlying theoretical construct for each subscale (Conflict and Closeness) of the Turkish and the English versions. However, item CPRS 4 was a non-significant item for Conflict in the Turkish version that affected the possibility to conduct further analyses. Findings encourage researchers to propose and assess cultural and linguistic adaptations for the Child-parent Relationship Scale before cross-cultural comparisons related to family relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) to investigate the evolutionary history of domesticated tetraploid wheats. With a panel of 189 wild and domesticated wheats, we identified 1,172,469 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with a read depth ≥3. Principal component analyses (PCAs) separated the Triticum turgidum and Triticum timopheevii accessions, as well as wild T. turgidum from the domesticated emmers and the naked wheats, showing that SNP typing by GBS is capable of providing robust information on the genetic relationships between wheat species and subspecies. The PCAs and a neighbour-joining analysis suggested that domesticated tetraploid wheats have closest affinity with wild emmers from the northern Fertile Crescent, consistent with the results of previous genetic studies on the origins of domesticated wheat. However, a more detailed examination of admixture and allele sharing between domesticates and different wild populations, along with genome-wide association studies (GWAS), showed that the domesticated tetraploid wheats have also received a substantial genetic input from wild emmers from the southern Levant. Taking account of archaeological evidence that tetraploid wheats were first cultivated in the southern Levant, we suggest that a pre-domesticated crop spread from this region to southeast Turkey and became mixed with a wild emmer population from the northern Fertile Crescent. Fixation of the domestication traits in this mixed population would account for the allele sharing and GWAS results that we report. We also propose that feralization of the component of the pre-domesticated population that did not acquire domestication traits has resulted in the modern wild population from southeast Turkey displaying features of both the domesticates and wild emmer from the southern Levant, and hence appearing to be the sole progenitor of domesticated tetraploids when the phylogenetic relationships are studied by methods that assume a treelike pattern of evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In Turkey, hypertension was responsible for 13% of total deaths in 2015. We apply existing research finding regarding the impact of a population-wide reduction in sodium consumption on the decrease of the hypertension prevalence rate among 15+ years population and the gender-age specific reduction in total death rates among 30+ years population, and compare hypertension burden, averted deaths, costs and benefits between two scenarios. Methods: The first scenario (i.e. status quo) assumes constant hypertension prevalence rate and the death rates between 2015 and 2030. Based on the Framingham Heart Study and INTERSALT Study findings on the impact of salt-reduction strategies on hypertension prevalence rate, the second scenario (Scenario II) assumes a 17% reduction in the prevalence of hypertension in Turkey in 2030, from its 2015 prevalence level. We project hypertension attributable disability adjusted life years (DALYs) in 2030, monetize DALYs using GDP (and income) per capita, and compare the projected economic benefits of DALYs averted and the additional costs associated with the increases in hypertension treatment through antihypertensive medications and physician consultations. Results: The estimated benefits of reducing the economic burden of hypertension deaths outweigh the cost of providing hypertension treatment. A decrease in hypertension prevalence by 17%, attributable to population-wide reduction in salt consumption, is projected to avert 24.3 thousand deaths in 2030. We projected that, compared to status quo, 392 thousand DALYs will be averted in Scenario II in 2030. The economic benefits of reduction in potential hypertension deaths are estimated to be 6.7 to 8.6 folds higher than the additional cost of hypertension treatment. Conclusion: Population-wide hypertension prevention and management is a win-win situation for public health and the Turkish health care system as the economic benefits of reducing deaths and disabilities associated with hypertension outweigh the costs significantly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2013, Turkey introduced one-dose universal varicella vaccination (UVV) at 12 months of age. Inclusion of a second dose is being considered. Methods: We developed a dynamic transmission model to evaluate three vaccination strategies: single dose at 12 months (1D) or second dose at either 18 months (2D-short) or 6 years of age (2D-long). Costs and utilization were age-stratified and separated into inpatient and outpatient costs for varicella and herpes zoster (HZ). We ran the model including and excluding HZ-related costs and impact of exogenous boosting. Results: Five years post-introduction of UVV (1D), the projected varicella incidence rate decreases from 1,674 cases pre-vaccine to 80 cases/100,000 person-years. By 25 years, varicella incidence equilibrates at 39, 12, and 16 cases/100,000 person-years for 1D, 2D-short, and 2D-long strategies, respectively, using a highly effective vaccine. With or without including exogenous boosting impact and/or HZ-related costs and health benefits, the 1D strategy is least costly, but 2-dose strategies are cost-effective considering a willingness-to-pay threshold equivalent to the gross domestic product. The model predicted a modest increase in HZ burden during the first 20–30 years, after which time HZ incidence equilibrates at a lower rate than pre-vaccine. Conclusions: Our findings support adding a second varicella vaccine dose in Turkey, as doing so is highly cost-effective across a wide range of assumptions regarding the burden associated with varicella and HZ disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solar energy is a major type of renewable energy, and its estimation is important for decision-makers. This study introduces a new prediction model for solar radiation based on support vector regression (SVR) and the improved particle swarm optimization (IPSO) algorithm. The new version of algorithm attempts to enhance the global search ability for the PSO. In practice, the SVR method has a few parameters that should be determined through a trial-and-error procedure while developing the prediction model. This procedure usually leads to non-optimal choices for these parameters and, hence, poor prediction accuracy. Therefore, there is a need to integrate the SVR model with an optimization algorithm to achieve optimal choices for these parameters. Thus, the IPSO algorithm, as an optimizer is integrated with SVR to obtain optimal values for the SVR parameters. To examine the proposed model, two solar radiation stations, Adana, Antakya and Konya, in Turkey, are considered for this study. In addition, different models have been tested for this prediction, namely, the M5 tree model (M5T), genetic programming (GP), SVR integrated with four different optimization algorithms SVR-PSO, SVR-IPSO, Genetic Algorithm (SVR-GA), FireFly Algorithm (SVR-FFA) and the multivariate adaptive regression (MARS) model. The sensitivity analysis is performed to achieve the highest accuracy level of the prediction by choosing different input parameters. Several performance measuring indices have been considered to examine the efficiency of all the prediction methods. The results show that SVR-IPSO outperformed M5T and MARS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the processing of cereals and its role at Early Neolithic Göbekli Tepe, southeastern Anatolia (10th / 9th millennium BC), a site that has aroused much debate in archaeological discourse. To date, only zooarchaeological evidence has been discussed in regard to the subsistence of its builders. Göbekli Tepe consists of monumental round to oval buildings, erected in an earlier phase, and smaller rectangular buildings, built around them in a partially contemporaneous and later phase. The monumental buildings are best known as they were in the focus of research. They are around 20 m in diameter and have stone pillars that are up to 5.5 m high and often richly decorated. The rectangular buildings are smaller and–in some cases–have up to 2 m high, mostly undecorated, pillars. Especially striking is the number of tools related to food processing, including grinding slabs/bowls, handstones, pestles, and mortars, which have not been studied before. We analyzed more than 7000 artifacts for the present contribution. The high frequency of artifacts is unusual for contemporary sites in the region. Using an integrated approach of formal, experimental, and macro- / microscopical use-wear analyses we show that Neolithic people at Göbekli Tepe have produced standardized and efficient grinding tools, most of which have been used for the processing of cereals. Additional phytolith analysis confirms the massive presence of cereals at the site, filling the gap left by the weakly preserved charred macro-rests. The organization of work and food supply has always been a central question of research into Göbekli Tepe, as the construction and maintenance of the monumental architecture would have necessitated a considerable work force. Contextual analyses of the distribution of the elements of the grinding kit on site highlight a clear link between plant food preparation and the rectangular buildings and indicate clear delimitations of working areas for food production on the terraces the structures lie on, surrounding the circular buildings. There is evidence for extensive plant food processing and archaeozoological data hint at large-scale hunting of gazelle between midsummer and autumn. As no large storage facilities have been identified, we argue for a production of food for immediate use and interpret these seasonal peaks in activity at the site as evidence for the organization of large work feasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we aim to establish the impact of the introduction of the Family Medicine Model patient satisfaction in the Turkish health system. Methods: We use data on data 69,028 primary health care (PHC) patients over the period 2010–2012. We estimate the impact of the Family Medicine Model in panel regressions with province fixed effects, exploiting the sequential introduction of this health systems transformation across Turkey's 81 provinces. We use principal component analysis to reduce the dimensionality of the data from the European Patients Evaluate General/Family Practice (EUROPEP) patient satisfaction survey, to focus on the fundamental dimensions of patient satisfaction and to decrease the need for multiple hypothesis testing. We identified two key principal components. The first captured primarily information on satisfaction with provider behavior and the second on satisfaction with the organization of care. We then use these two principal components as outcome variables in our panel analysis to estimate the causal impact of the introduction of the Family Medicine Model. Results: The Family Medicine Model significantly improved patient satisfaction across a range of dimensions. The coefficient results showed a positive and statistically significant impact (p-values<0.05) of the Family Medicine Model on the outcome variables representing the satisfaction dimensions clinical behaviour and the organization of care even after controlling for calendar time fixed effects. Conclusions: The introduction of the Family Medicine Model in Turkey, which was primarily aimed at achieving universal health coverage goals, substantially improved patient satisfaction. This study provides some of the first national-level evidence that the introduction of a Family Medicine Model can substantially improve patient satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study is to evaluate the definition of water chemical type, with particular attention to soda brine characteristics by assessing ionic composition and pH values on a large geographic scale and broad salinity (TDS) range of Eurasian inland saline surface waters, in order to rectify the considerable confusion about the exact chemical classification of soda lakes and pans. Data on pH and on the concentration of eight major ions were compiled into a database drawn from Austria, China, Hungary, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Serbia, and Turkey. The classification was primarily based on dominant ions exceeding an equivalent percentage of 25 (> 25e%) of the total cations or anions, and the e% rank of dominant ions was also identified. We identified four major types: waters dominated by (1) Na-HCO3 (10.0%), (2) Na-HCO3 + CO3 (31.4%), (3) Na-Cl (45.9%), and (4) Na-SO4 (12.7%), considering only the first ion by e% rank. These major types can be divided into 30 subtypes in the dataset, taking into account the e% rank of all dominant ions. The major and subtypes of soda brine can be divided into “Soda” and “Soda-Saline” types. “Soda type” when Na+ and HCO3– + CO32– are the first in the rank of dominant ions (> 25e%), and “Soda-Saline type” when Na+ is the first in the rank of dominant cations and the sum of HCO3– + CO32– concentration exceeds 25e%, but it is not the first in the rank of dominant anions. Soda-saline type can be considered as a separate evolutionary stage between Soda and Saline types respect to the geochemical interpretation by saturation indexes of brines. The obtained overlapping ranges in distribution demonstrate that a pH measurement alone is not a reliable indicator to classify the permanent alkaline “soda type” and various other types of temporary alkaline waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The participation of the people in health decisions may be structured in various levels. One of these is participation in decisions for the treatment. “Advanced directives” is one of the examples for the participation in decisions for the treatment. Aim: We wanted to determine the decisions on advanced life support at the end-stage of life in case of a life-threatening illness for the people themselves and their first degree relatives and the factors effecting these decisions. Design and setting: The cross-sectional study was conducted with volunteers among patients and patient relatives who applied to all polyclinics of the Ankara Numune Training and Research Hospital except the emergency, oncology and psychiatry polyclinics between 15.12.2012 and 15.03.2013. Method: A questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety Depression (HAD) scale, and Templer’s Death Anxiety Scale (TDA) were applied to all individuals. SPSS for Win. Ver. 17.0 and MS-Excel 2010 Starter software bundles were used for all statistical analysis and calculations. Results: The participants want both themselves and their first degree relatives included in end-stage decision-making process. Therefore, the patients and their families should be informed adequately during decision making process and quality communication must be provided. Conclusion: Participants who have given their end-stage decisions previously want to be treated according to these decisions. This desire can just be possible by advanced directives.When moral and material loads of end-stage process are taken into consideration, countries, in which advanced directives are practiced, should be examined well and participants’ desire should be evaluated in terms of practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Load information plays an important role in deregulated electricity markets, since it is the primary factor to make critical decisions on production planning, day-to-day operations, unit commitment and economic dispatch. Being able to predict the load for a short term, which covers one hour to a few days, equips power generation facilities and traders with an advantage. With the deregulation of electricity markets, a variety of short term load forecasting models are developed. Deregulation in Turkish Electricity Market has started in 2001 and liberalization is still in progress with rules being effective in its predefined schedule. However, there is a very limited number of studies for Turkish Market. In this study, we introduce two different models for current Turkish Market using Seasonal Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (SARIMA) and Artificial Neural Network (ANN) and present their comparative performances. Building models that cope with the dynamic nature of deregulated market and are able to run in real-time is the main contribution of this study. We also use our ANN based model to evaluate the effect of several factors, which are claimed to have effect on electrical load. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To demonstrate the clinical characteristics and treatment outcomes of severe retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in preterm infants with birth weight (BW) above 1500 g in Turkey. Methods: A retrospective review of 5920 ROP records was performed in Zeynep Kamil Maternity and Children’s Diseases Training and Research Hospital. The records were obtained from ROP treatment center of the same institute between 2011 and 2016. The data comprised the demographic and clinical characteristics including, gestational age, BW, systemic risk factors, zone and stage of ROP, ROP type, treatment modality, treatment outcomes and inborn/outborn status of the babies. Results: A total of 36 infants (71 eyes) with severe ROP and BW> 1500 g were retrieved. There were 30 infants (83.3%) with type 1 ROP and 6 infants (16.7%) with aggressive posterior ROP (APROP). 3 infants (8.3%) were born at our hospital whereas 33 (91.7%) were referred from outer private neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) centers. Zone I APROP was detected during the initial screening. 21 infants (58.3%) underwent laser treatment while 15 (41.7%) received intravitreal bevacizumab (IVB) injections. No unfavorable structural outcome was observed following either treatment modality. Conclusion: Severe ROP may occur in heavier preterm infants. Laser treatment and IVB injections were useful in selected cases. Presence of APROP at first examination suggests an earlier screening in heavier babies. Standardization of private NICU centers as well as establishing a national ROP protocol is necessary in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of prevention programs demonstrated the importance of raising awareness about haemoglobinopathies since the lack of knowledge and awareness about the disorders may serve as barriers to prevention, disclosure of disease status as well as to testing for haemoglobinopathies. The aim of this study is to investigate the knowledge and attitudes of middle and high school students towards haemoglobinopathies in Hatay, where the disorders are prevalent. This cross-sectional study was conducted on 8th and 9th grade students across Hatay including all sub provinces. From May 2012 to December 2012, a total of 1925 students filled the questionnaires which query the knowledge level and attitudes of students by face to face method. Among questions regarding students’ knowledge about haemoglobinopathies, the lowest correct response rate was observed in “How do these diseases transmit?” with 31.8%, meaning most of the students did not know that the diseases are transmitted by heredity. Significant differences were observed between the correct answer rates of the students and their status of being previously informed. Students who had a diseased person around were having a 2.597-fold (95%CI = 1.886–3.575); students possessing at least one parent at secondary education level or above were having a 1.954-fold higher probability of being previously informed (95%CI = 1.564–2.443). Due to the lack of knowledge about haemoglobinopathies in middle and high school students, we suggest health education programs including informative lectures particularly about the genetic basis of the disorders especially in the regions where the disorders are prevalent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Turkey, the prevalence of diabetes is high but the influenza vaccination coverage rate (VCR) is low (9.1% in 2014), despite vaccination being recommended and reimbursed. This study evaluated the cost-effectiveness of increasing the influenza VCR of adults with type 2 diabetes in Turkey to 20%. Methods: A decision-analytic model was adapted to Turkey using data derived from published sources. Direct medical costs and indirect costs due to productivity loss were included in the societal perspective. The time horizon was set at 1 year to reflect the seasonality of influenza. Results: Increasing the VCR for adults with type 2 diabetes to 20% is predicted to avert an additional 19,777 influenza cases, 2376 hospitalizations, and 236 deaths. Associated influenza costs avoided were estimated at more than 8.3 million Turkish Lira (TRY), while the cost of vaccination would be more than TRY 8.4 million. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio was estimated at TRY 64/quality-adjusted life years, which is below the per capita gross domestic product of TRY 21,511 and therefore very cost-effective according to World Health Organization guidelines. Factors most influencing the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio were the excess hospitalization rate, inpatient cost, vaccine effectiveness against hospitalization, and influenza attack rate. Increasing the VCR to >20% was also estimated to be very cost-effective. Conclusions: Increasing the VCR for adults with type 2 diabetes in Turkey to ≥20% would be very cost-effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) are systematically developed statements to assist practitioner and patient decisions about appropriate healthcare for specific clinical circumstances. There is a limited number of studies on guidelines in Turkey. The quality of Ministry of Health guidelines have formerly been assessed whereas there is no information on the other guidelines developed in the country. Aim: This study aims to assess the quality of CPGs that are developed by professional societies that work for the health sector in Turkey, and compare the findings with international guidelines. Methodology: Professional societies that work for the health sector were determined by using the data obtained from the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Inclusion and exclusion criteria were defined for selecting the CPGs. Guidelines containing recommendations about disease management to the doctors, accessible online, developed within the past 5 years, citing references for recommendations, about the diseases over 1% prevalence according to the “Statistical Yearbook of Turkey 2012” were included in the study. The quality of CPGs were assessed with the AGREE II instrument, which is an internationally recognized tool for this purpose. Four independent reviewers, who did not participate in the development of the selected guidelines and were trained in CPG appraisal, used the AGREE instrument for assessment of the selected guidelines. Findings: 47 professional societies were defined which provided access to CPGs in their websites; 3 of them were only open to members so these could not be reached. 8 CPGs from 7 societies were selected from a total of 401 CPGs from 44 societies. The mean scores of the domains of the guidelines which were assessed by the AGREE II tool were; Scope and purpose: 64%, stakeholder involvement: 37.9%, rigour of development: 35.3%, clarity and presentation: 77.9%, applicability: 49.0% and editorial independence: 46.0%. Conclusion: This is the first study in Turkey regarding quality appraisal of guidelines developed by the local professional societies. It adds to the limited amount of information in the literature that comes from Turkey as well as other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human history was transformed with the advent of agriculture in the Fertile Crescent with wheat as one of the founding crops. Although the Fertile Crescent is renowned as the center of wheat domestication, archaeological studies have shown the crucial involvement of Çatalhöyük in this process. This site first gained attention during the 1961–65 excavations due to the recovery of primitive hexaploid wheat. However, despite the seeds being well preserved, a detailed archaeobotanical description of the samples is missing. In this article, we report on the DNA isolation, amplification and sequencing of ancient DNA of charred wheat grains from Çatalhöyük and other Turkish archaeological sites and the comparison of these wheat grains with contemporary wheat species including T. monococcum, T. dicoccum, T. dicoccoides, T. durum and T. aestivum at HMW glutenin protein loci. These ancient samples represent the oldest wheat sample sequenced to date and the first ancient wheat sample from the Middle East. Remarkably, the sequence analysis of the short DNA fragments preserved in seeds that are approximately 8400 years old showed that the Çatalhöyük wheat stock contained hexaploid wheat, which is similar to contemporary hexaploid wheat species including both naked (T. aestivum) and hulled (T. spelta) wheat. This suggests an early transitory state of hexaploid wheat agriculture from the Fertile Crescent towards Europe spanning present-day Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]