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During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was crucial for the healthcare sector to detect and classify the virus using X-ray and CT scans. This has underlined the need for advanced Deep Learning and Machine Learning approaches to effectively spot and manage the virus's spread. Indeed, researchers worldwide have dynamically participated in the field by publishing an important number of papers across various databases. In this context, we present a bibliometric analysis focused on the detection and classification of COVID-19 using Deep Learning and Machine Learning techniques, based on X-Ray and CT images. We analyzed published documents of the six prominent databases (IEEE Xplore, ACM, MDPI, PubMed, Springer, and ScienceDirect) during the period between 2019 and November 2023. Our results showed that rising forces in economy and technology, especially India, China, Turkey, and Pakistan, began to compete with the great powers in the field of scientific research, which could be seen from their number of publications. Moreover, researchers contributed to Deep Learning techniques more than the use of Machine Learning techniques or the use of both together and preferred to submit their works to Springer Database. An important result was that more than 57% documents were published as Journal Articles, which was an important portion compared to other publication types (conference papers and book chapters). Moreover, the PubMed journal Multimedia Tools and Applications' tops the list of journals with a total of 29 published articles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Covid-19 pandemic negatively affected many sectors including aviation and travel. Travel bans and forced lockdowns prevented transportation activity, especially air travel. Accordingly, huge amounts of emission reductions occurred. On the other hand, travel restrictions are not the only cause of emissions reductions. Changing travel intention in the era of Covid-19 is another important factor that affects aviation emissions. This paper aims to investigate the Landing/Take-Off (LTO) emission changes at Turkish airports. An emission inventory has been implemented for the years 2019 and 2020 to reveal the impacts of Covid-19 on aviation emissions. Domestic, international, and cargo flights have been included in the inventory. According to the results, total emissions of SO2, CO2, CO, NOx, NMVOC, CH4, N2O, and PM2.5 have decreased in 2020 compared to 2019 by 49.8%, 49.7%, 41.0%, 52.6%, 40.0%, 33.8%, 49.8%, and 50.3%, respectively. Total CO2 reductions in the Q2, Q3, and Q4 periods of 2020 compared to that of 2019 are 87%, 50% and 43%, respectively. Another aim of this paper is to find the underlying reasons for emission reductions. For Turkish airports, emission reductions have resulted from travel bans in Q2. After the relaxation of restrictions with the declaration of the "New Normal" in Turkey, flight traffic rebounded to a certain level but was lower than 2019 levels. Therefore, changing travel intention is the main cause of emission reductions in Q3 and Q4 of 2020. The results of this study contribute to both the areas of air pollution and tourism management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses de-legitimisation and Eurosceptic attitudes in Turkey as reflected in newspapers during the COVID-19 pandemic between 15 March 2020 and 30 May 2021. Easton's (1975) specific support about concrete policy outcomes and Scharpf 's (1998) output-oriented legitimisation theories are utilised in testing the hypothesis on de-legitimisation of EU-rope in both pro and against government media in relation to EU-rope's policies towards the "fight" against COVID-19 since Euroscepticism influences the political discourse in general regardless of political or ideological position. In the paper, EU-rope is used, instead of European Union (EU) and Europe as two different terminologies, since the analysed newspapers utilise EU and Europe interchangeably. Five newspapers are included in the analysis for this study: Hürriyet, Sabah, Karar, Gazete Pencere and BirGün based on their political and ideological stances. In the research, online archives of the newspapers are utilised, and in each newspaper the op-eds are excluded from the analysis. The main focus is given to the news - headlines on Europe and the EU. Keywords that are looked for in newspapers are EU, Europe, vaccine, BioNTech, Sinovac, Coronavirus, COVID-19, and the pandemic. It has been observed that, regardless of political ideologies and the position of newspaper at the left-right political spectrum, Euroscepticism became a common attitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of Covid-19 pandemic crisis on rates of return is analyzed in this paper in the light of possible data manipulation related to reporting systems provided by the administration in the USA, Turkey and Poland. The study used various methods of analyzing the relationship of a discrete, non-discrete and dichotomous data nature between the studied variables. As a result, the strongest reaction of the market was observed in Turkey followed by the USA and Poland. It can be concluded that the reaction of the surveyed markets was influenced by the data manipulations. The added value of the article is related to the use of various methods to study phenomena and detect the impact of data manipulation on the markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Praktyka Teoretyczna is the property of University of Wroclaw and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Air passenger transportation in Turkey has been in rapid development since the mid-1980s due to the increasing investments in infrastructure and deregulating policies. This paper analyzed the network performances of Turkish airports and assessed the evolution from 2012 to 2020, from both topological and spatial perspectives. Unweighted and weighted graphs based on flight frequencies were used to determine airport centrality. Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) was defined as the most central airport in the domestic network and airport centrality showed significant improvement during the observation period. The weighted graph recorded significant losses in the centrality performances of airports, excluding eigenvector, during the pandemic process. Exogenous sources of airport centrality were also examined using Gradient Boosting Modeling. Results demonstrated the importance of the population and economic strength of the city in airport centrality, the decisive role of tourism demand and international flights on betweenness centrality, and the necessity of passenger terminal size on eigenvector centrality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the relationship between inflation expectations and gold returns of monthly and annual maturities in Turkey from 2006 to 2020 with 177 monthly observations through the application of wavelet cohesion and causality tests. The findings reveal significantly negative cohesion in the short term and significantly positive cohesion in the long term, indicating that the hedging ability of gold prices exists only in the long term during crisis periods. Therefore, the findings provide evidence for the validity of the expected inflation effect hypothesis in Turkey. The ordinary least squares results, on the other hand, show that the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is the most prominent factor in the movement of inflation and gold at all wavelet scales for the two types of maturities. The continuous wavelet transformation based Granger-causality test provides little evidence for out-of-phase and unidirectional causality running from the inflation expectations to gold returns in the higher and medium frequency bands. Furthermore, the QQR results show an asymmetrical impact on each other—implying a hedging effectiveness of gold against inflation expectations—and reveal that its size and magnitude change significantly under different economic conditions and data frequencies. The results have significant implications for portfolio and risk management during normal market conditions as well as hedging and speculation activities during crises in short term and long term periods, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation into the relationship between heart attacks and the Omicron variant, employing a novel mathematical model. The model incorporates two adjustable control parameters to manage the number of infected individuals and individuals with the Omicron variant. The study examines the model's positivity and boundedness, evaluates the reproduction number (R0), and conducts a sensitivity analysis of the control parameters based on the reproduction number. The model's parameters are estimated using the widely utilized least squares curve fitting method, employing real COVID-19 cases from Türkiye. Finally, numerical simulations demonstrate the efficacy of the suggested controls in reducing the number of infected individuals and the Omicron population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Public Policy Studies / Studia z Polityki Publicznej is the property of SGH Warsaw School of Economics and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This paper examines the impact of COVID-19 cases and deaths on selected financial indicators in Turkey between March 2020 and July 2020. This study analyzes the causal relationship between COVID-19 and liquidity and risk perception in Turkey. To measure the impact of COVID-19 on liquidity and risk perception in Turkey, financial indicators, such as the BIST100, credit default swap, 2-year Turkish bond yields, and 10-year Turkish bond yields were examined. The stationarity of variables was tested usingunit root tests. Since all variables were stationary at the first difference, the Toda Yamamoto causality test was chosen to examine the causality relationship between variables. According to the Johansen co-integration test, there was a co-integration relationship between variables. The empirical results of the Toda Yamamoto causality test show that there was a unidirectional Granger causality from the number of COVID-19 deaths to credit default swap. Moreover, there was a unidirectional Granger causality from the Turkish bond yields (2-10 years) to BIST 100. However, between March 2020 andJuly 2020, there is no Granger relationship between the number of COVID-19 cases and the selected financial variables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the effects of COVID-19, which caused a recession in many fields in 2020, on the working hours of workers. Using the quarterly microdata set of the TurkStat Household Labour Force Surveys and the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker (OxCGRT) database, we found that the greatest work loss occurred in the second quarter of 2020 when the first shock of the pandemic was experienced. We also show that the stringency of the restrictions affects work loss. We present evidence that women, youth, informal, and temporary workers, who are classified as disadvantaged groups in the Turkish labor market, lost fewer working hours in the first period of the pandemic. Our quantitative analysis suggests that workers between the ages of 15 and 24 lost at least 2 hours less in the second quarter of 2020. Compared to the pre-pandemic period, working-hour gaps between formal and informal workers and permanent and temporary workers closed by about 1.5 hours in the same quarter. In addition, it is predicted that as the stringency of the restrictions increases by 10 points, working-hour gaps between the genders will be lessened by about 0.1 hours. The elderly, university graduates and those working in small businesses are the groups most affected by the pandemic. We also find that the balance between hourlywages andworking hours has been disrupted at the beginning of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forecasting stock markets is an important challenge due to leptokurtic distributions with heavy tails due to uncertainties in markets, economies, and political fluctuations. To forecast the direction of stock markets, the inclusion of leading indicators to volatility models is highly important; however, such series are generally at different frequencies. The paper proposes the GARCH-MIDAS-LSTM model, a hybrid method that benefits from LSTM deep neural networks for forecast accuracy, and the GARCH-MIDAS model for the integration of effects of low-frequency variables in high-frequency stock market volatility modeling. The models are being tested for a forecast sample including the COVID-19 shut-down after the first official case period and the economic reopening period in in Borsa Istanbul stock market in Türkiye. For this sample, significant uncertainty existed regarding future economic expectations, and the period provided an interesting laboratory to test the forecast effectiveness of the proposed LSTM augmented model in addition to GARCH-MIDAS models, which included geopolitical risk, future economic expectations, trends, and cycle industrial production indices as low-frequency variables. The evidence suggests that stock market volatility is most effectively modeled with geopolitical risk, followed by industrial production, and a relatively lower performance is achieved by future economic expectations. These findings imply that increases in geopolitical risk enhance stock market volatility further, and that industrial production and future economic expectations work in the opposite direction. Most importantly, the forecast results suggest suitability of both the GARCH-MIDAS and GARCH-MIDAS-LSTM models, and with good forecasting capabilities. However, a comparison shows significant root mean squared error reduction with the novel GARCH-MIDAS-LSTM model over GARCH-MIDAS models. Percentage decline in root mean squared errors for forecasts are between 39% to 95% in LSTM augmented models depending on the type of economic indicator used. The proposed approach offers a key tool for investors and policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change, one of the biggest threat of global life, is continuously triggered by greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere due to human activities. Carbon dioxide (CO2), one of the most important greenhouse gases, has revealed the concept of carbon footprint, and efforts to take mitigation measures by calculating it have become widespread. With sustainable campus studies, universities, where science and innovations are created, lead other institutions by creating the necessary database for measuring and managing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and calculating the corporate carbon footprint. This study calculated and compared the carbon footprints of Sakarya University Esentepe Campus for 2019 and 2020 when distance education was carried out during the Covid-19 pandemic. Greenhouse gas emissions resulting from activities on campus were calculated and converted to a CO2 equivalent. GHG emission factors and the Tier-1 method of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) were used in the calculations. As a result,the carbon footprint was 13273.38 tCO2e in 2019 and 6338.72 tCO2e in 2020. It was determined that the largest share of carbon emissions was due to the use of electrical energy. The results obtained for both years were compared, and a 47.7% reduction in total emissions was evaluated. In the light of current studies on carbon emission reduction, suggestions and measures need to be taken are summarized in this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the presence of a contagion effect between Chinese and G20 stock markets as well as its intensity over a recent period from 1st January 2013 to 7 April 2022. The empirical study is conducted using the time-varying copula approach. The obtained results show strong evidence of a contagion effect between China and all countries except United States America, Argentina and Turkey during the COVID-19 period. In particular, the Chinese stock market exhibits the highest level of dependence with the Asian and European stock markets in addition to the greatest variability in dependence. These findings are interesting and have important implications for several financial applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to examine the consumption preferences, trends, and purchasing behaviors of consumers residing in Izmir Province towards bee products before and after COVID-19. The main material of the study consists of online surveys conducted in March-April 2023 with consumers living in the seven districts of Izmir province with the highest population. The survey form comprises of three sections: consumption and purchasing behaviors of bee products, attitudes towards bee products, and questions on demographic characteristics of consumers. Since the first days when coronavirus cases began to emerge in our country, natural products that support the immune system such as bee products have been met with intense interest. The sustainability of bees and bee products in agriculture is always among the important issues. However, during the pandemic period, people's attention has been more focused on this issue. The value of honey and bee products, the miraculous food of nature, has been better understood, and this has been reflected in sales. If natural and economic conditions are favourable, this rise in the sector will continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Frontline language teachers have experienced anxiety, vulnerability, and emotional burnout as a result of the sudden transition to online teaching due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This study extracted Language Teacher Emotions (LTE) literature from the Scopus database during the period 2000-2022. During the first round of data extraction, 169 relevant documents written in English were identified. Furthermore, the researchers conducted a scientometric analysis using the literature analysis tool, CiteSpace (v.5.8.R3), and employed co-citation techniques involving visualization and text mining. Our results indicate the following: (1) The first LTE publication was released in 2004, followed by a growing number of publications in the first decade. Nevertheless, more studies were published during 2020-2022; (2) The five countries with the highest number of publications were the USA, China, Iran, the UK, and Turkey; (3) According to Author Co-citation Analysis (ACA), the majority of researchers had expertise in language education, teaching methods, educational assessment, teacher education, and applied psychology; (4) Based on the Document Co-citation Analysis (DCA), emotional labour, emotional burden, and vulnerability were the primary topics of interest; (5) Cluster analysis of keywords indicates that the LTE research trajectory was inevitably affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the first scientometric review of LTE research, this study calls for a greater understanding of the impact of online and blended teaching during the post-pandemic period. It will be of interest to inter-domain researchers and frontline teachers in terms of identifying influential scholars, publications, and research trends, as well as considering future research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the dynamic linkages and spillover effect between emerging economies (BRICS and Turkey), focusing on global crises, notably the COVID-19 pandemic. The study uses daily frequency data covering the period from 2002M5 to 2021M03. For the methodology, the paper employs Wavelet Coherence for multiresolution time- frequency analysis in addition to the frameworks of Diebold-Yilmaz Connectedness Index (DY12) and Barunik-Krehlik Frequency Connectedness Index (BK18). The empirical results reveal that the stock market comovements among sample markets are non-monotonous and depend on the time and frequency of returns. Significant correlations among the sample countries and a spike in overall spillover are also evident at the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic or the Global Health Crisis (GHC). China, Brazil, Russia, and Turkey with all the other markets, experienced the weakest links during the GHC. Brazil, Russia, and South Africa act consistently (across different horizons) as net transmitters, whereas India, China, and Turkey perform as net receivers. Islamic equities are more likely to "give" and less prone to "receive" than conventional equities. Compared to the Global Financial Crisis (GFC), the GHC effect is more severe but short-lived. The findings of this study are helpful to policymakers and diverse investors when making portfolio diversification decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic brought life to an unexpected halt, and all levels of education including higher education had abrupt changes from face-to-face teaching to emergency remote teaching to sustain the continuity of education. English preparatory schools that provide newlyenrolled university students with one-year intensive English language program are no exception with regard to emergency remote teaching. Metaphor elicitation can be one of the ways to reveal university language instructors' subtle thoughts about emergency remote teaching. In line with this idea, this paper investigates the use of metaphors elicited from 60 university instructors from different universities in Turkey in relation to emergency remote teaching. After the analysis, 58 valid metaphors were recompiled and classified under six categories. It was identified that instructors found emergency remote teaching quite challenging and dynamic in nature while only a small number of instructors considered it a positive experience. It was also evident in the instructors' metaphors that they felt inadequate and untrained when they had this abrupt change at first and perceived emergency remote teaching as an unreal experience. Given the fact that there can be emergency situations in the future, we should move on after taking the necessary lessons from this challenging period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper was the first study comparing levels of anxiety and depression and assessing the affecting factors among the general population, frontline healthcare workers, and COVID-19 inpatients in Turkey during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. We collected data from the general population (n = 162), frontline healthcare workers (n = 131), and COVID-19 inpatients (n = 86) using Individual Characteristics Form, Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale, and Beck Depression Inventory in this cross-sectional study. Results: An increased prevalence of depression and anxiety were found predominantly in frontline healthcare workers (p < 0.001). COVID-19 inpatients and frontline healthcare workers were more likely to demonstrate anxiety (p < 0.001) than the general population. In the regression analysis, while fear of infecting relatives was a significant predictor of anxiety and depression in the general population, gender and experiencing important life events were associated with anxiety. Fear of infecting relatives and lack of personal protective equipment while providing care were predictors of anxiety and depression in healthcare workers (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the fear of being re-hospitalised due to re-infection was a predictor of depression and anxiety levels of the COVID-19 inpatients. Conclusion: Policymakers and mental health providers are advised to continuously monitor psychological outcomes and provide necessary health support during this pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID‐19 pandemic has dramatically impacted the lives of consumers across the globe. What guidance can consumer researchers and policymakers provide consumers to elicit adaptive responses that contribute to their life‐satisfaction under these adverse conditions? To this end, we develop and test an adaptive response model and demonstrate its impact on the life‐satisfaction of the consumers experiencing the pandemic in Turkey. Our model suggests that amidst COVID‐19, seeking emotional help triggers the positivity in people, which in turn increases life‐satisfaction. Moreover, turning to religion to deal with the challenges of the pandemic leads to positivity and hope, which in turn positively affect life‐satisfaction. Importantly, "escape" behaviors (such as excessive work or time spent in online shows/games) reduce positivity and hope in consumers, thus negatively impacting life‐satisfaction. The paper discusses the conceptual and public policy implications of the results and offers recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Working from home has become "new normal" and great majority of employees have started to WFH (working from home), which has had profound effects on their personal and professional lifestyle. Taking into account the fact, this study aims to investigate the significant items affecting the motivational level of employees by considering the role of gender differences. In essence, this paper is proposed to understand that how the transforming of work form due to current circumstance, has impressed the various aspects of employees work-life. The sample of research includes 254 responders of diverse age, gender, educational situation, and their duration of employment working for different companies from all over Turkey. Data were collected through an online structured survey and the data were analyzed by descriptive statistic methods using probability sampling. The results illustrate that the overwhelming majority of respondents have started to work from home after the Coronavirus outbreak. Moreover, the findings of this study reveal the main reason behind the motivation on working home among remote employees but and the reasons, which have detrimental impacts on workforce desire to continue WFH. Surprisingly, participants are satisfied with the current trend of remote work altogether and they have also gravitated toward continuing work from home even after the Covid-19 pandemic period. Additionally, the other results of this research demonstrate that items such as the absence of social life, distraction by family members, self-organizing problems, time management, technological problems and productivity levels can have positive and negative impacts on WFH. Generally, by looking more into the details of findings, we can obviously distinguish the differences between results regarding gender categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: The aim of this paper was to determine the general tendencies of urology patients and effect of COVID-19 pandemic on daily urological practice at tertiary centers located in the most affected area in Turkey. Materials and methods: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 39,677 patients (group 1) that applied to 6 different large-volume tertiary centers in İstanbul for outpatient consultation, surgery, or other procedures in the 3-month period between March 16 and June 14, 2020. The distribution of the number of patients who applied to subspecialty sections of urology outpatient clinics and inpatient services were recorded by weeks. That data was compared to data obtained from 145,247 patients that applied to the same centers in the same period of the previous year (group 2). The reflection of worldwide and Turkish COVID-19 case distribution on the daily urological practice was analyzed. Results: There was a decrease in the number of patients in all subspecialty sections the in group 1 compared to group 2; however, there was a significant proportional increase in urooncology and general urology admissions. A decrease of approximately 75% was observed in the total number of surgeries (p < 0.001). We detected a negative correlation between the numbers of admission to all outpatient clinics and COVID-19 cases or deaths in Turkey (p < 0.05). The same negative correlation was present for all surgical procedures and consultations (p < 0.05). The multivariate linear regression analysis revealed that the number of cases in Turkey, and the number of deaths worldwide affect the number of outpatient clinic admissions (R2 = 0.38, p = 0.028) and urological surgery (R2 = 0.33, p = 0.020) in Turkey negatively. Conclusion: This novel pandemic has implications even for urology practice. Urological surgical procedures were more affected by COVID-19-related deaths in Turkey and worldwide. Outpatient admissions and urological surgeries decreased significantly by increasing COVID-19 case numbers in Turkey and worldwide deaths. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multi-Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) methods help researchers in solving many problems in terms of numerical analysis. However, MCDM methods have not been very popular in the health sector. In this study, five ones of Turkey's most intense and highly populated cities were selected and the risk of the spread of Covid-19 disease was evaluated on the basis of seven criteria. The PROMETHEE and the ELECTRE methods were conducted to rank the cities in terms of the spread of Covid-19. The PROMETHEE method correctly ranked the most risky city as Istanbul, but ELECTRE ranked Istanbul the second most risky. The results of the methods are compared with real data. PROMETHEE gave more convenient results than ELECTRE. Also, this paper offers a new field of study to the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Bezmialem Science is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Electronic Turkish Studies is the property of Electronic Turkish Studies and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Gazi Medical Journal is the property of Galenos Yayinevi Tic. LTD. STI and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

INTRODUCTION During the pandemic, mental problems such as depression, anxiety, and stress may increase death anxiety. Thus, this study aims to examine women's levels of depression, anxiety, stress, and death anxiety, and to investigate the correlation between them, during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS This descriptive-correlational study was conducted on 665 women using an online survey in Turkey. The research sample was determined by applying convenience sampling and snowball methods according to the principle of accessibility-availability. RESULTS The mean Death Anxiety Scale score of the participants was 8.97±3.35, and the mean scores of depression, anxiety, stress and total Depression Anxiety Stress Scale (DASS) were 5.23±3.93, 3.47±2.93, 5.99±3.74 and 14.69±9.51, respectively. A significant relationship was found between the women's death anxiety and their depression, anxiety, and stress levels. These findings indicate that the women had moderate death anxiety, mild depression, everyday anxiety, and stress levels. With the pandemic, death anxiety increased in women, especially those with chronic diseases and a history of medical or psychiatric illnesses. CONCLUSIONS The results of the study show that there was a significant positive correlation between the stress, depression, and anxiety levels of the women and their death anxiety. It is profoundly essential for the midwives and nurses charged with serving and caring for women to be conscious and aware of the issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural tourism provides an environment where rural people meet different cultures, prevents immigration to already crowded city centers, becomes an element of rural development, creates income diversity and protects the environment as well as natural, cultural and historical aspects of regions. The aim of this study is to examine effects of COVID-19 pandemic on rural tourism-potential and rural planning using Cizre District, Turkey, which incorporates distinct geographical, cultural and historical elements in a rural environment. Data were collected using primary and secondary sources in the region. SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis was used to analyze data which shows an increase in migration to rural causing environmental pollution. Positive effects include increase in commerce and housing demand strengthening the economy following normalization. Findings should help to review and improve sustainable planning and policy strategies supporting new economical environment in rural. The development strategies need to focus on rural and urban being partners rather than rivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study is to assess the effect of the pandemic on smoking patterns in the border regions of Turkey, where access to cheaper tobacco products is easier. METHODS Data from a cross-sectional convenience sample of adults (n=204) were collected between 1 July and 1 August 2021, via face-to-face interviews, immediately after the opening of the borders. Approval to perform the study was provided by the Hopa District Governorship and the University Ethics committee. Data were collected using a single-page data collection form containing 26 questions. RESULTS Of the 204 participants, 75% were male, and the mean age was 38.6 ± 11.6 years. The ratio of smokers using non-cigarette tobacco products increased from 3.9% to 6.4%. While the percentage of smokers using roll-yourown tobacco was 2.5%, this increased to 6.8%. In contrast, tobacco product purchases from duty-free shops decreased from 10.2% to 2.5%, while those using non-taxed foreign cigarettes decreased from 3% to 0% (p<0.05). Regarding the amount of tobacco consumed, 65% of the participants reported no change, 21% reported increased use, and 14% reported a decrease in tobacco use. No significant difference was found between tobacco consumption during the pandemic and the economic conditions of the participants (p=0.72). However, the participants who opted for cheaper tobacco products reported experiencing financial difficulties during the pandemic (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS There was no change in smoking behaviors in most participants during the pandemic period. Despite the changes in the economic conditions, no significant relationship was found between the amounts of tobacco consumed; however, product switching did take place to alternative cheaper products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become the greatest public health challenge worldwide. Soon after the appearance of the virus in 2019, intensive efforts to develop vaccines were initiated, and by late 2020, delivery of vaccines for the targeted population as a campaign had started. Aim: Collect information from European Union countries regarding how and to what extent were family physicians (FPs)/general practitioners (GPs) involved in the vaccination campaigns in 2021 and how these were organized at the national level. Method: A short questionnaire was distributed through the secretariats of WONCA (World Organization of Family Doctors) Europe and the European Forum for Primary Care (EFPC). Results: In most of the countries, participation of FPs/GPs was compulsory. The vaccination was usually centrally organized by governmental authorities. In the beginning, registration (web-based) of patients was required, mainly at the national level. By the middle of 2021, vaccination on a walk-in basis became available in almost every country for the first immunization as well as for the booster injections. The remunerations of GPs/FPs differed; in some countries, no extra payments were offered. The Pfizer vaccine was used in all countries, while in nine countries, non-European Medicines Agency (EMA)-approved vaccines were also given in primary care settings and at vaccination centers. In some countries, professional homepages helped the GPs. The involvement of primary health care (PHC) providers did not correlate to the vaccination coverage of the entire population of the respective countries. It was the highest in the more developed countries with higher living standards, where participation of GPs was voluntary and appropriate financial incentives were offered to them. Conclusions: The vaccination campaign was a professional and logistic challenge and an excellent performance of PCH providers. Experiences gained could be used in the future to manage similar pandemic challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has adversely influenced economies around the world through supply and demand channels. The increasing uncertainty and the decreasing demand due to the strict social measures of the government to cushion the spread of the pandemic have transformed COVID-19 from a health crisis into an economic crisis. To moderate the negative economic atmosphere during this period, the governments have implemented expansionary fiscal policy. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the impacts of the social and economic measures taken during COVID-19 on the volatility of sovereign credit default swaps for Turkey, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The empirical findings indicate that social distancing measures increase uncertainty, but health and economic policies moderate the negative impacts on the economy of Turkey, Spain, and the United Kingdom. The impact of the policies in question is greater in the high number of case regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the anxiety level of smokers and the relationship between smoking behavior and COVID-19 anxiety level. METHODS Our study was planned as a descriptive cross-sectional survey. A 32-question face-to-face questionnaire containing the Coronavirus Anxiety Scale (CAS) and the Fagerström test for nicotine dependence (FTND) was administered to 349 patients who had applied to the smoking cessation polyclinic between 15 May 2021 and 1 August 2021. SPSS 25.00 was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS A total of 349 individuals participated in the study. The mean CAS and FTND total scores were 0.89±2.13 (range: 0-20) and 6.34±2.53 (range: 0-10), respectively. There was a statistically significant difference between CAS total score and gender (p=0.005), marital status (p=0.006), changes in the amount of smoking during the pandemic (p=0.011), and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking cessation (p<0.001). The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on smoking cessation was statistically significantly different between knowing that the rate of intensive care unit (ICU) admissions due to COVID-19 infection is higher in smokers, smokers are heavily infected with COVID-19 and the mortality rate due to COVID-19 infection is higher in smokers (p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS Anxiety due to the COVID-19 pandemic may cause a change in the amount of smoking and the decision to quit smoking. Healthcare professionals should transform COVID-19 anxiety into an opportunity to improve health and quit smoking, one of the healthy behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in over 340 million infection cases (as of 21 January 2022) and more than 5.57 million deaths globally. In reaction, science, technology and innovation communities across the globe have organised themselves to contribute to national responses to COVID-19 disease. A significant contribution has been from the establishment of wastewater-based epidemiological (WBE) surveillance interventions and programmes for monitoring the spread of COVID-19 in at least 55 countries. Here, we examine and share experiences and lessons learnt in establishing such surveillance programmes. We use case studies to highlight testing methods and logistics considerations associated in scaling the implementing of such programmes in South Africa, the Netherlands, Turkey and England. The four countries were selected to represent different regions of the world and the perspective based on the considerable progress made in establishing and implementing their national WBE programmes. The selected countries also represent different climatic zones, economies, and development stages, which influence the implementation of national programmes of this nature and magnitude. In addition, the four countries’ programmes offer good experiences and lessons learnt since they are systematic, and cover extensive areas, disseminate knowledge locally and internationally and partnered with authorities (government). The programmes also strengthened working relations and partnerships between and among local and global organisations. This paper shares these experiences and lessons to encourage others in the water and public health sectors on the benefits and value of WBE in tackling SARS-CoV-2 and related future circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted all areas of life, and graduate education is no exception. Although prior research points to the effectiveness of delivering course content virtually, research on the effect of the unexpected and rapid nature of the transition from in-person to remote social work graduate education during the COVID-19 pandemic is limited. Methods: This qualitative study was conducted through an online openended survey in the early weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic. Using purposive sampling, 20 Social Work faculty members were selected from 8 universities in Turkey. An online research-made e-questionnaire with five main essay open-ended questions was used for data gathering. The data was analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results: In total, 20 social work faculty members aged 24 to 49 participated in this study. The faculty perspective on the students' online experience during the pandemic highlighted challenges faced by students, such as technical issues, communication difficulties, decreased engagement, and limited participation in school work. Faculty also observed students struggling with mental health, family issues, and pandemic-related financial difficulties. Moreover, faculty noted limitations in their teaching methods, particularly the lack of interaction during lectures. However, faculty identified effective strategies for online teaching, including using a mix of asynchronous video lectures and live discussions, promoting independent student work, reducing course content, and modifying assignments. They also emphasized the benefits of minimizing reliance on traditional lectures and PowerPoint presentations, encouraging students to engage with and analyze information. Conclusion: Findings from this study point to the need for comprehensive institutional support to improve distance learning, including attending to students' social-emotional learning and a focus on developing faculty skills at teaching in a virtual capacity and may improve how effectively social work programs deliver course content online. Both students and faculty prefer a hybrid approach combining in-person and online methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine whether psychological violence against women by their spouse predict anxiety levels of women of reproductive age during COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Methodology: This study has a descriptive, cross-sectional, correlational design. The research was performed in a province located in the Aegean Region of Turkey in May-July 2020. The random sampling method was used. The study was conducted with 296 women who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study and met the inclusion criteria. Demographic Data Collection Form, State Anxiety Scale and Psychological Violence Against Women Scale were used as data collection tools. Results: There was a significant, positive moderate relationship between state anxiety and psychological violence in quarantine (r=.556, p<.05) (Table 2). As seen in the regression analysis, Psychological Violence against Women were significant predictors of state anxiety in the lockdown (p<0.05). Psychological Violence against Women during lockdown explained 31% of state anxiety (R² = .307, p<.05) Conclusion: It is important that women who experience psychological violence during the lockdown period are reached by nurse and necessary support is provided. Women should be informed about the existing telehealth services. It should be ensured to reach women more quickly with the use of developing and widespread technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Covid-19 affected all stages of the education system, from preschool education to higher education and uncertainties in education caused various health problems, especially stress. Aim: The aim of the study was to examine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on nursing students' stress levels in Turkey. Methodology: It is a cross-sectional web-based survey. The population of the study includes the students of a Nursing Department of a Faculty of Health Sciences of a state university in Turkey (N=739). The sample of this study consisted of 311 nursing students. The data were collected via Google Forms using the "Sociodemographic Data Collection Form", "Questionnaire Form Regarding the Changes in Stress Level Caused by the COVID-19 Pandemic", and "Perceived Stress Scale (PSS-14)". Descriptive statistics, One Way ANOVA, Student's t-test and multiple linear regression analysis were adopted for data analysis. Results: It was determined that students experienced moderate stress during the COVID-19 pandemic period [Perceived Stress Scale-14 (PSS-14) mean score was 29.81±7.33]. Results suggest that PSS-14 total mean scores and the variables of "I have trouble overcoming the problems in my life", "I have difficulty in concentrating", and "I feel restless and angry" were statistically significant (p<0.05). Conclusion: These results revealed that the pandemic affects the stress level of the students and that the students experience moderate stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the global financial crisis, an increasing amount of attention has been directed towards examining the Beveridge curve (BC), which indicates the relationship between unemployment and vacancy rates. This research analyzes the unemployment–vacancy rate dynamics in the Turkiye labor market during both the global financial crisis and COVID-19 periods. The findings from this study demonstrate that the labor market exhibits deteriorating efficiency, as evidenced by movement of BC away from the origin. The unemployment and vacancy rates both increase over time, with a leftward (rightward) shift of BC during the global financial crisis (COVID-19) period. The study also reveals that both crises had no significant effect on unemployment–vacancy rate dynamics. In the Turkish labor market, there exists a situation where the vacancy rate is in shortfall of the unemployment level in Turkiye. This creates a positive relationship between these two factors. The labor market in Turkiye experiences inefficiencies as it struggles to generate a sufficient number of jobs to meet the demand from job seekers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to analyze the drivers behind price changes in agricultural products in Türkiye from 2002 to 2021, considering the impacts of three crises of different causes which are the global food crisis, the Russia–Türkiye aircraft crisis, and the COVID-19 pandemic. The potential factors are categorized into four subgroups: governmental effects, agricultural inputs, macroeconomic indicators, and climatic conditions. The selected agricultural goods for price change measurement include wheat and maize representing subsistence goods, and olive oil and cotton as marketing goods. The autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) model is applied to observe both the short- and long-term impacts of the variables on price developments. The results suggest that government effectiveness, regulatory quality, nitrogen use, water price, money supply, exchange rate, and GDP under the related categories are the most effective factors in price changes. Among the variables under the category of climatic conditions, significant values are obtained only in the analysis of the temperature impact on olive oil. The analysis also reveals the variable impact of crises on the prices of the chosen products, depending on the goods involved. The maize and wheat analyses yield particularly noteworthy results. In the long run, nitrogen use demonstrates a substantial positive impact, registering at 29% for wheat and 19.47% for maize, respectively. Conversely, GDP exhibits a significant negative impact, with 26.15% and 20.08%. Short-term observations reveal that a unit increase in the governmental effect leads to a reduction in inflation for these products by 17.01% and 21.42%. However, changes in regulatory quality result in an increase in inflation by 25.45% and 20.77% for these products, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photovoice is a type of participatory inquiry, which is a methodological and onto-epistemological stance that seeks to emancipate marginalized individuals, confront inequity, and work for social transformation. Photovoice incorporates Paulo Freire's problem-posing education, documentary photography techniques, and feminist thought as an approach for community members to identify shared concerns and construct collective knowledge. It also seeks to challenge unequal power relations by disrupting hegemonic structures in the production of knowledge and policy, as photographs and accompanying descriptions can communicate powerfully about community needs and demands for change. University-based researchers or practitioners facilitate this communication by bringing community perspectives to the attention of government officials and others in positions of power. In this paper, we describe how we adapted this approach for virtual use during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. We offer examples of two projects that engaged photovoice in virtual spaces: Courageous Conversations, a youth participatory action research project which Meagan conducts with youth in the United States, and Melissa's dissertation, conducted with Syrian students who are refugees enrolled in higher education in Turkey. Through these examples we draw out methodological lessons learned as well as challenges of conducting photovoice in virtual spaces. We conclude that whether researchers and practitioners use photovoice as a method in virtual or face-to-face settings, we must remember the emancipatory goals of participatory inquiry, always relying upon and anchoring our methodological decisions in the ontologies and epistemologies of genuine participation that undergird photovoice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 outbreak has forced countries to take extensive measures aimed at minimizing human contact. In this crisis period, distance education has played a crucial role in ensuring continuous learning. However, not all locations have had the same maturity level regarding infrastructure availability, and the city-level heterogeneity in socioeconomic structures might have impeded equal access to distance education. This paper focuses on the contextual dimension of distance education by a comparative approach between in-person and distance education outcomes in Turkey. By a multilevel modelling approach, student outcomes are examined against a set of student-level and city-level determinants of academic success during the COVID-19 period compared to the same academic semester in the previous year. The findings support previous studies, discussing the long-term contextual effects on student outcomes and show that the digital divide between the rural and urban areas and income inequality are the main drivers of city-level variation in students' success during the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Among all the sectors, the hospitality and tourism sector has been detrimentally affected by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This research aimed to determine how changes have been experienced specifically in the Turkish tourism higher education and tourism sector. Twenty-seven academics from the hospitality and tourism education departments were interviewed. Most agreed that restrictions have limited student access to hands-on practical courses and internships, which are crucial to developing necessary competencies. Moreover, the results showed the curriculum does not always meet the needs of the hospitality industry for a trained and skilled workforce. The challenge is to decide what else should be taught and what methods and teaching approaches should be used. As a result, industry-academia cooperation is necessary to reassess the curriculum programs to meet sector needs considering the pandemic impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer vision syndrome has become a significant public health problem, especially in developing countries. Therefore, this study aims to identify the prevalence of computer vision syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature was conducted using the databases PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase up to February 22, 2023, using the search terms "Computer Vision Syndrome" and "COVID-19". Three authors independently performed study selection, quality assessment, and data extraction, and the Joanna Briggs Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument was used to evaluate study quality. Heterogeneity was assessed using the statistical test I2, and the R version 4.2.3 program was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 192 studies were retrieved, of which 18 were included in the final meta-analysis. The total sample included 10,337 participants from 12 countries. The combined prevalence of computer vision syndrome was 74% (95% CI: 66, 81). Subgroup analysis based on country revealed a higher prevalence of computer vision syndrome in Pakistan (99%, 95% CI: 97, 100) and a lower prevalence in Turkey (48%, 95% CI: 44, 52). In addition, subgroup analysis based on study subjects showed a prevalence of 82% (95% CI: 74, 89) for computer vision syndrome in non-students and 70% (95% CI: 60, 80) among students. Conclusion: According to the study, 74% of the participants experienced computer vision syndrome during the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this finding, it is essential to implement preventive and therapeutic measures to reduce the risk of developing computer vision syndrome and improve the quality of life of those affected. Trial registration: The protocol for this systematic review and meta-analysis was registered in the international registry of systematic reviews, the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO), with registration number CRD42022345965. [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]

High workload, fatigue, and burnout have been found to be associated with increased medical errors and impaired performance. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether medico-legal reports, which are a legal responsibility for doctors in Turkey, could be neglected on days with excessive high workload. In this retrospective cross-sectional study, the daily total number of patients who presented at the emergency departme nt of a state hospital and the number of medico-legal cases reported in a 1-year before and during the Covid-19 pandemic were analyzed. By using a workload score proposed and calculated for this study, the data of the days with and without excessive workload were compared. As a result, it was determined that the number of medico-legal cases reported by doctors significantly decreased on days when the workload increased excessively. There was a significant correlation between the number of medico -legal cases and the total number of cases on days when the workload score was significantly reduced and it allowed a certain degree of modelling. An excessive workload seems to be caused doctors to neglect their legal medicine responsibilities, which poses a risk to both doctors and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various clinical outcomes, reinfections, vaccination programs, and antibody responses resulted from the COVID-19 pandemic. This study investigated the time-dependent changes in SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses in infected and/or vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals and to provide insights into spike and nucleocapsid antibodies, which fluctuate during infectious and non-infectious states. This cohort study was carried out at the Ege University Faculty of Medicine hospital in İzmir (western Turkey) and the Erciyes University Faculty of Medicine hospital in Kayseri (central Turkey) between December 2021 and January 2023, which coincided with the second half of COVID-19 pandemic. The study included 100 COVID-19 PCR-positive patients and 190 healthcare workers (HCWs). Antibody levels were followed up via quantitative anti-SARS-CoV-2 spike and qualitative anti-nucleocapsid immunoassays (Elecsys™). Antibody levels declined after infection but persisted for at least 6–8 months. Individuals who had received only CoronaVac had higher anti-nucleocapsid antibody levels in the early months than those who received mixed vaccination. However, anti-spike antibodies persisted longer and at higher levels in individuals who had received mixed vaccinations. This suggests that combining two different vaccine platforms may provide a synergistic effect, resulting in more durable and broad-spectrum immunity against SARS-CoV-2. The study provides information about the vaccination and antibody status of healthcare workers in the second half of the pandemic and provides valuable insights into the dynamics of antibody responses to COVID-19 infection and vaccination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Covid-19, which affected countries all over the world have disrupted health services and cancer screenings worldwide. Aims: The study aimed to determine women's access to cervical cancer screening during the Covid-19 pandemic in Turkey. Methods: The study was planned as a descriptive cross-sectional. This study was completed by 443 sexually active women. The data were collected between 19 March and 27 April 2021 using the "Data Collection Form" and the "Attitudes Towards Prevention of Cervical Cancer Scale". Results: More than half of the women stated that Covid-19 and pandemic restrictions did not affect their pap-smear. However, the Attitudes Towards Prevention of Cervical Cancer Scale Cognitive and Affective mean scores of the women who stated that the pandemic restrictions did not affect her getting pap-smear were lower than the women who stated that it did. This situation shows that the attitudes of women who stated that pandemic restrictions do not affect their pap smears have low attitudes towards protection from cervical cancer. Conclusions: It has been found that the Covid-19 pandemic and the restrictions in accessing the health services related to the pandemic have an impact on the attitudes towards protection from cervical cancer, such as having a pap smear. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the first case of COVID-19 in Turkey, there has been a lingering question as elsewhere in the world: "When will or should the government impose severe restrictions to protect public health?" From a public health perspective, there is value in developing a model to support proactive implementation of social policies. This study aimed to show the benefits of using a novel econometric test (the Generalized Supremum Augmented Dickey-Fuller Test) to detect explosive behavior (bubbles) in Turkey's daily COVID-19 cases and deaths. Results from the analysis demonstrated a link between identified explosive episodes and critical public health decisions, especially in the case of daily new deaths. They also showed a negative relationship between the formation of exuberant behavior during the pandemic and the vaccination rate. Public health policymakers can incorporate this method into their arsenal to evaluate the overall health situation in combating the pandemic and respond accordingly. Furthermore, among the lessons learned from the Turkish experience is the importance of having a coronavirus scientific advisory board in the decision-making process and the ability to promptly implement policy measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ongoing CoVID-19 pandemic affected our lives dramatically. Many epidemiological models are developed by scientists to estimate the number of infected individuals and the transmission rate of the CoVID-19 pandemic. In this paper, we analyze the evolution of COVID-19 in Turkey over the period November 16 and December 9, 2020, using the SIR model. The estimation of the reproduction number is found as 1.38. The peak day of the pandemic based on the period used in the SIR model is estimated as the 13th of January. By that date, around a total number of 3530000 individuals would be affected according to the SIR model and among them, approximately 141000 people would be active cases. In total, approximately 35000 people would die, based on a mortality rate of 1%. These predictions are made according to the scenario, which assumes, the latest restrictions weren't announced by the Turkish Ministry of Health. The findings of this study can be used to understand the characteristics of the pandemic at a certain time and estimate the distribution of the disease but are not suggested for any policy change and strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this article is to inquire about potential consumer behavior of individuals to participate in domestic tourism activities in Turkey when the COVID-19 outbreak is over. In other words, it is aimed to anticipate the effects of the pandemic on consumer behaviors of local Turkish tourists in the upcoming periods. A survey was conducted over 426 local tourists accommodating in Antalya and previously involved in domestic tourism activities. The research data were analyzed via Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). The most important and fundamental finding concluded in the current study is that respondents will attach greater importance to the hygiene and safety of tourist attractions and public recreational areas after the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, it is observed that people’s considerations about the dimensions of “general impact”, “attitude and preference”, “hygiene and safety” differ on the basis of demographical characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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