Acculturation and suicidal ideation among Turkish migrants in the Netherlands.

More suicidal ideation and higher rates of attempted suicide are found in Turkish people when compared with the general population in Europe. Acculturation processes and related distress may explain an elevated risk of suicide. The current study investigates the association between acculturation and suicidal ideation among Turkish migrants in the Netherlands. The mediating effect of hopelessness and moderating effect of secure attachment are also examined. A total of 185 Turkish migrants living in the Netherlands were recruited through social media and through liaison with community groups. They completed an online survey including validated measures of suicidal ideation, hopelessness, acculturation and attachment style. Mediation and moderation analyses were tested using bootstrapping. Higher participation was associated with less hopelessness and less suicidal ideation. Greater maintenance of one's ethnic culture was associated with higher hopelessness and higher suicidal ideation. Greater participation was associated with less suicidal ideation particularly amongst those with less secure attachment styles. Turkish migrants who participate in the host culture may have a lower risk of developing suicidal thinking. Participation may protect against suicidal thinking, particularly among those with less secure attachment styles

Wet and dry deposition of formaldehyde in Izmir, Turkey

Samples were collected between May 2003 and May 2004 in Izmir, Turkey to measure dry and wet deposition of formaldehyde (HCHO)

Determination of octanol-air partition coefficients and supercooled liquid vapor pressures of PAHs as a function of temperature: Application to gas-particle partitioning in an urban atmosphere

Octanol-air partition coefficients (K-OA) for 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined as a function of temperature using the gas chromatographic retention time method. log K-OA values at 25 degrees ranged over six orders of magnitude, between 6.34 (acenaphthylene) and 12.59 (dibenz[a,h]anthracene). The determined K-OA values were within factor of 0.7 (dibenz[a,h]anthracene) to 15.1 (benz[a]anthracene) of values calculated as the ratio of octanol-water partition coefficient to dimensionless Henry's law constant. Supercooled liquid vapor pressures (P-L) of 13 PAHs were also determined using the gas chromatographic retention time technique. Activity coefficients in octanol calculated using K-OA and P-L ranged between 3.2 and 6.2 indicating near-ideal solution behavior

Characterization of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and their sources in the air of Izmir, Turkey

Air samples were collected in Izmir, Turkey at two (suburban and urban) sites during three sampling programs in 2002 and 2004 to determine the ambient concentrations of several monoaromatic, chlorinated and oxygenated volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Samples were analyzed for 60 VOCs using gas chromatography/mass spectrometry and 28 compounds were detected in most samples. On the average, urban air VOC concentrations were about four times higher than those measured at the suburban site. Toluene (40.6%) was the most abundant compound in suburban site and was followed by benzene (7.4%), o,m-xylene (6.5%), and 1,2-dichloroethane (5.1%). In urban site, toluene (30.5%), p-xylene (14.9%), o,m-xylene (11.4%), and ethyl benzene (7.2%) were the dominating compounds in summer. In winter, toluene (31.1%), benzene (23.9%), 1,2-dichloroethane (9.5%), and o,m-xylene (8.2%) were the most abundant compounds. Receptor modeling (positive matrix factorization) has been performed to estimate the contribution of specific source types to ambient concentrations. Six source factors (gasoline vehicle exhaust, diesel vehicle exhaust+residential heating, paint production/application, degreasing, dry cleaning, and an undefined source) were extracted from the samples collected in the urban site. Three source factors (gasoline vehicle exhaust, diesel vehicle exhaust, and paint production/application) were identified for the suburban site

Learning with interactive whiteboards Determining the factors on promoting interactive whiteboards to students by Technology Acceptance Model

WOS: 000212574200004Purpose - The purpose of this study is to investigate the factors which might affect the intention to use interactive whiteboards (IWBs) by university students, using Technology Acceptance Model by the structural equation modeling approach. The following hypothesis guided the current study: H1. There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived learning (PL). H2. There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived ease of use (PEOU). H3. There is a positive relationship between IWB self-efficacy and perceived usefulness (PU). H4. There is a positive relationship between PL and PEOU. H5. There is a positive relationship between PL and PU. H6. There is a positive relationship between PEOU and attitude. H7. There is a positive relationship between PU and attitude. Design/methodology/approach - A survey method was used to collect the data. Purposive sampling was used, and 416 high-school students participated in the current study. Descriptive statistics and structural equation model conducted to test the proposed model were used in data analysis. Findings - All hypotheses formulated within the scope of the research model were statistically confirmed. H1, which assumed that interactive whiteboard self-efficacy (IWBSE) have had a positive impact on PL, was found to be statistically significant. The impact of IWBSE on PL was 0.61 which means that if IWBSE increases one unit, the impact on PL will be an average of 0.61 points. The relationship between IWBSE, which is expressed in H2 and H3, and, respectively, PEOU and PU latent variables, was statistically significant. IWBSE mostly affected PEOU (= 0.51, t = 7.92), and then PU (= 0.16, t = 2.43). The relationship between PL - which is expressed in H4 and H5-and, respectively, PEOU and PU latent variables, was statistically significant. IWBSE mostly affected PU (= 0.63, t = 7.94), and then PEOU (= 0.27, t = 3.95). Originality/value - It is aimed to transform the entire classes into computerized classes (Smart Class) around Turkey with FATIH project which includes usage of interactive boards. Because it is a very big project funded by the government, it is important to evaluate its adaptation among teachers and students. Therefore, the current study aims to investigate the factors which might affect the attitude to use IWBs by high-school students

Clinical-epidemiological and radiological characteristics of stroke patients: A multicentre study

Introduction and Aim Stroke is the leading cause of disability in adults and the second most common cause of death, at a rate of 11.8% worldwide. The purpose of this study was to examine the aetiological, demographic, and clinical characteristics of patients admitted to hospital because of acute strokes. Materials and Methods This multicentre study retrieved information for all patients admitted to hospital because of an acute cerebrovascular event over a six-month period, and sociodemographic, aetiological, and clinical characteristics were recorded. Results A total of 1136 patients, 520 of whom were women (45.7%), with a mean age of 70.3 +/- 12.8 years, were included in the study. Of these, 967 were diagnosed with ischaemic stroke (IS) (85.1%), 99 with haemorrhagic stroke (HS) (8.7%), and 70 with transient ischaemic attack (6.1%). The most common risk factor for stroke was hypertension (73%). Carotid disease and hyperlipidaemia rates were higher in patients with HS. Numbers of functionally dependent patients with severe neurological status according to the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale and modified Rankin scale were significantly higher in the HS group (P < .001). When IS was classified according to the Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment, small vessel disease emerged as the most common cause (41%). The most common lesion localisations were the parietal lobe (23%) in the IS group and the thalamus (35.3%) in the HS group. Eighty-eight patients (7.7%), 62 (6.4%) in the ischaemic subgroup, and 26 (26.3%) in the haemorrhagic subgroup, died within the first month. Conclusion Current and accurate evaluations of stroke aetiology are essential for stroke prevention and treatment planning. This study, shows that no change occurred in the aetiology of stroke and epidemiological characteristics and that accurate identification of modifiable stroke risk factors is still a major goal

POPs in a major conurbation in Turkey: ambient air concentrations, seasonal variation, inhalation and dermal exposure, and associated carcinogenic risks

Semi-volatile organic compounds were monitored over a whole year, by collection of gas and particle phases every sixth day at a suburban site in Izmir, Turkey. Annual mean concentrations of 32 polychlorinated biphenyls (∑32PCBs) and 14 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (∑14PAHs) were 348 pg/m3 and 36 ng/m3, respectively, while it was 273 pg/m3 for endosulfan, the dominant compound among 23 organochlorine pesticides (OCPs). Monte Carlo simulation was applied to the USEPA exposure-risk models for the estimation of the population exposure and carcinogenic risk probability distributions for heating and non-heating periods. The estimated population risks associated with dermal contact and inhalation routes to ∑32PCBs, ∑14PAHs, and some of the targeted OCPs (α-hexachlorocyclohexane (α-HCH), β-hexachlorocyclohexane (β-HCH), heptachlor, heptachlor epoxide, α-chlordane (α-CHL), γ-chlordane (γ-CHL), and p,p′-dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (p,p′-DDT)) were in the ranges of 1.86 × 10−16–7.29 × 10−9 and 1.38 × 10−10–4.07 × 10−6, respectively. The inhalation 95th percentile risks for ∑32PCBs, ∑14PAHs, and OCPs were about 6, 3, and 4–7 orders of magnitude higher than those of dermal route, respectively. The 95th percentile inhalation risk for ∑32PCBs and OCPs in the non-heating period were 1.8- and 1.2–4.6 folds higher than in the heating period, respectively. In contrast, the 95th percentile risk levels for ∑14PAHs in the heating period were 4.3 times greater than that of non-heating period for inhalation, respectively. While risk levels associated with exposure to PCBs and OCPs did not exceed the acceptable level of 1 × 10−6, it was exceeded for 47 % of the population associated with inhalation of PAHs with a maximum value of about 4 × 10−6

Picturing asthma in Turkey: results from the Turkish adult asthma registry

Introduction: National data on asthma characteristics and the factors associated with uncontrolled asthma seem to be necessary for every country. For this purpose, we developed the Turkish Adult Asthma Registry for patients with asthma aiming to take a snapshot of our patients, thereby assigning the unmet needs and niche areas of intervention. Methods: Case entries were performed between March 2018 and March 2022. A web-based application was used to record data. Study outcomes were demographic features, disease characteristics, asthma control levels, and phenotypes. Results: The registry included 2053 patients from 36 study centers in Turkey. Female subjects dominated the group (n = 1535, 74.8%). The majority of the patients had allergic (n = 1158, 65.3%) and eosinophilic (n = 1174, 57.2%) asthma. Six hundred nineteen (32.2%) of the patients had obese asthma. Severe asthma existed in 670 (32.6%) patients. Majority of cases were on step 3–5 treatment (n: 1525; 88.1%). Uncontrolled asthma was associated with low educational level, severe asthma attacks in the last year, low FEV1, existence of chronic rhinosinusitis and living in particular regions. Conclusion: The picture of this registry showed a dominancy of middle-aged obese women with moderate-to-severe asthma. We also determined particular strategic targets such as low educational level, severe asthma attacks, low FEV1, and chronic rhinosinusitis to decrease uncontrolled asthma in our country. Moreover, some regional strategies may also be needed as uncontrolled asthma is higher in certain regions. We believe that these data will guide authorities to reestablish national asthma programs to improve asthma service delivery