Perceived stress and affecting factors related to COVID-19 pandemic of emergency nurses in Turkey

Aim: To examine the perceived stress and affecting factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic of emergency nurses at the first stage of the pandemic. Background: During pandemic process, nurses reported to experience stress due to a very high risk of being infected and hard work. Method: A descriptive study. The sample of the study consisted of 169 emergency nurses. To collect data, a personal information form was used together with the Perceived Stress Scale. Results: The factors that significantly affect the perceived stress score of emergency nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic included applying respiratory isolation, changing the way of life, not being able to access protective equipment, insufficient nurses in the unit and thinking that COVID-19 will be transmitted to oneself. Conclusion: Nearly half of the emergency nurses perceived stress above average during pandemic, and their working conditions affected this situation. Implications for Nursing Management: Meeting physiological needs and applying psychological guidance and counselling interventions in the stress management of emergency nurses may contribute to the reduction of their stress levels. Effective infection control, reducing workload, increasing the number of nurses and strengthening the coping mechanisms can minimize the perceived stress level of emergency nurses. © 2021 John Wiley & Sons LtdThe author(s) received no financial support for the research and/or authorship of this article. The authors are grateful to the nurses who participated in this study

Assessment and characterization of genetic relationships of walnut (Juglans regia L.) genotypes by three types of molecular markers

Turkey has a rich walnut germplasm that has arisen from populations of naturally grown seedlings over many years. Despite this enormous genetic potential, only a few studies on molecular characterization studies have been carried out so far. In this study, the genetic relationships among 59 walnut genotypes and cultivars of international and Turkish interest were analyzed by 25 RAPD primers, 25 ISSR primers, and 16 SSR primer pairs. Among the molecular assays tested, SSR provided a very high polymorphism rate of 99.1%, while ISSR and RAPD results showed similar to each other but lower polymorphism (71.1% and 69.1%, respectively). The dendrogram constructed divided the genotypes into three main groups: 'Group A' included mainly genotypes originating from the Kahramanmaras and Yalova provinces, while 'Group B' contained genotypes originating from the Kirsehir, Tokat and Corum provinces of Turkey. 'Group C' contained only cultivars originating from the USA and France. According to the clustering in the dendrogram genotypes grouped largely in accordance with their geographical origin, although certain exceptions were present. The pairs of 'Akca-2' with 'Karabodur' and 'Yalova-1' with 'Yalova-3' were the most closely related walnut genotypes in this study. In conclusion, our study indicated that molecular markers are useful tools for use in to determining genetic relationships among walnut genotypes. The results will provide valuable information to walnut cultivar breeding programs for use in parental selection. © 2014 Elsevier B.V.TOVAG-104 O 139In conclusion, fingerprinting and characterization of Turkish walnut germplasm was performed and significant results were obtained. All the genotypes separated from each other and genetic relationships among the genotypes were determined. The results of the present study may benefit breeders in selecting the most diverse genotypes with the most favorable characteristics to start a cross breeding and selection program, as has already started with a project supported by ‘The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey’.The authors express their gratitude to The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBİTAK) for financial support (Project no: TOVAG-104 O 139 ). Appendix

Afforestation effect on soil quality of sand dunes

This study, undertaken in the Kapiköy sand dune area of the southern Mediterranean coast in Turkey, detennined the changes in soil quality along with consequent economical revenue following 35 years of acacia, eucalyptus, and stone pine plantations on a 4,900 ha sand dune site. Significant soil phosphate (190 kg/ha) and organic matter (approx. 4%) accumulation were detennined in the zones of vegetation when compared to bare sand dunes within 35 years. Moreover, the local people's incomes from timber and stone pine nut production are increased, denoting a socio-economical improvement in the quality of life. Thus, the project appraised was successful not only for its positive effects on environmental parameters but also on socio-economic aspects. Lessons learned at Kapiköy set significant guidelines for recovering degraded marginal lands in the semi-arid Mediterranean coastal zone of Anatolia. Consequently, the outcomes of this study are expected to increase public awareness of the success of the aforestation projects with evident economic viability

Early pliocene molluscs from the easternmost Mediterranean region (SE Turkey): Biostratigraphic, ecostratigraphic, and palaeobiogeographic implications

The mollusc faunas from Pliocene deposits of the Hatay-İskenderun region were investigated at nine localities and complemented with three localities from earlier studies. The Pliocene units were deposited in three adjacent subbasins, Hatay-Samandağ (HS), Altınözü-Babatorun (AB), and İskenderun-Arsuz (İA); the first two are also known as the Hatay Graben. Basin configurations and shape, environmental evolution, and faunal compositions were affected by differential tectonic histories since the Late Miocene. In total 162 species (94 gastropod, 61 bivalve, and 7 scaphopod) are recorded, 80 of which are recorded for the first time from the region. The occurrence of tropical stenohaline benthic taxa (such as Persististrombus coronatus and some conid gastropod species) and a number of chronostratigraphically well-constrained mollusc species shows a Zanclean age. The base of the Early Pliocene is also shown by the occurrence of planktic foraminifer assemblages corresponding to MPL1 and MPL2 biozones and the nannoplankton Amaurolithus delicatus assemblage. The Early Pliocene Hatay molluscan assemblages allow for palaeobiogeographic comparisons across the Mediterranean. The Pliocene marine fossiliferous deposits are assigned to the Mediterranean Pliocene Molluscan Unit 1 (MPMU1) of the western Mediterranean and Atlantic regions. However, the eastern Mediterranean assemblages are notably poorer in species and in particular a number of thermophilic groups are lacking. This marine biodiversity gradient has been a characteristic feature of the Mediterranean ever since the Pliocene. © TÜBİTAK

Enhancing the blue luminescence behaviour of the Li co -doped novel phosphor ZnB 2 O 4: Tm 3+

[No Abstract Available]Scientific Research Projects of Cukurova University-Turkey [FDK-2017-7905]The authors are grateful for the financial support from the Scientific Research Projects of Cukurova University-Turkey, FDK-2017-7905 project

An improved method for determination of holocene coastline changes around two ancient settlements in Southern Anatolia: A geoarchaeological approach to historical land degradation studies

Two well-known ancient sites in southern Anatolia were selected to investigate and quantify the impact of historical land degradation on the Mediterranean coast of Turkey. These sites are the Luwian settlements of Kelenderis (modem Aydincik) and nearby Nagidos (Bozyazi), both in Mersin Province and both occupied since around 4000BP. Changes in local climatic conditions over this period have produced variations in the rates of fluvial transport of sediment/soil from the hinterland into the relevant deltaic regions, thus influencing rates of coastal progradation and aggradation. In addition, both eustatic and neotectonic movements have contributed to deltaic subsidence and/or hinterland uplift, with consequential impact on coastal evolution (positive or negative). The novel geoarchaeological methodology adopted in this study involves the creation of a graphical archive from detailed and standardised measurements taken from rectified mono- and stereoscopic aerial photographs. These archival data were then integrated with data from several types of historical map and field measurements in order to develop a geographical information system (GIS) database that could be interrogated, enabling graphical models of past coastal change to be constructed and calculations then made of the coastal configurations at successive historical periods. These calculations reveal that over the past 6000 years there has been only limited erosion/degradation in the karstic hinterland supplying the sediment to these two study sites (contrary to some previous statements concerning the high degradation risk of Mediterranean karst terrains). Furthermore, rates of progradation in each delta appear to have become diminished or even reversed in the past several decades as a result of both natural and anthropogenic factors. The precise contribution of neotectonic movements in this seismically active zone remains unquantified and is a topic requiring further interdisciplinary study. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd