Applying multivariate statistics for identification of groundwater resources and qualities in NW Turkey

This study, performed in Canakkale-Ezine in NW of Turkey, analyzes the physicochemical properties of 37 groundwater wells. These 37 wells were chosen to represent each geological unit in the study area. The main purpose of the study and its contribution to the literature is to produce information about the resources and availability of groundwater by using multivariate statistical methods and lithology. For determination hydrochemical facies of groundwater, Piper trilinear diagram was used. Gibbs diagram was applied for determining the mechanism of groundwater chemistry and diagram showed that the interaction of rock-water is more dominant in the study area. Multivariate statistics were applied to physicochemical properties for identification origins of waters. According to the Piper diagram, 16 of the wells were identified as Ca-HCO3 type, 13 of them as Ca-Cl type, 5 of them as mixed Ca-Mg-Cl type, 2 of them as Na-Cl type, and 1 as Ca-Na-HCO3 type. In the study with the purpose of determining the resources of groundwater, the physicochemical properties of the wells are analyzed with hierarchical cluster (HCA) and non-hierarchical cluster (K-means) methods, and the resources are associated with the lithology based on these methods. A total of 37 wells are divided into five different clusters through the HCA method. Further, for the interpretation of the resources of the groundwater, the facies of the waters on the Piper diagram are evaluated based on the five clusters generated through the HCA method and on the lithology. In the study, the results obtained from the K-means method are not significant and in line with the lithology for the interpretation of the resources of the groundwater. In conclusion, this study with limited dataset reveals that using HCA method is very effective to identify the origins of groundwater and present the association with lithology

Evaluating patient safety culture at a private hospital

Objectives: To evaluate the patient safety culture perception of a private hospital staff in a less developed region, to compare these perceptions according to socio-demographic and professional characteristics of the staff, and to investigate the effects of these characteristics on the patient safety culture. Methods: The Turkish version of the Safety Attitudes Questionnaire (SAQ) was administered to all staff members (340 people) of a private hospital in the less developed eastern region of Turkey. Data was analysed by independent samples t-test, ANOVA, Welch statistics and multiple linear regression analyses. Results: The response rate was 76%. Among six dimensions of the SAQ (teamwork climate, safety climate, job satisfaction, stress recognition, perceptions of management, and working conditions), stress recognition was the dimension with the lowest average. According to multivariate analyses; being younger, having a position as a nurse or technician/technical staff, working day-night and having longer years in the current hospital have an effect on the staff's more negative safety culture perception (p < 0.05). Conclusion: This study provides important information on patient safety attitudes of a private hospital staff in the least developed region of a country. Stress recognition and safety climate dimensions are the areas that primarily need improvement

Gökçeada'da optimal arazi kullanımının belirlenmesi

Land suitability analysis is a component of sustainability evaluation of a land use. Suitability of land use can only be achieved by determining natural and cultural potential and choice of an appropriate land use with the ecological structure. In this research, land suitablity analysis of Gokceada was carried out, on the basis of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) and McHarg methods. After the determination of suitability in terms of the main three land use types, i.e. agriculture, meadow-pasture and forest, an optimal land use map was produced and results were compared with the present-day land use situation. Based on the results of analysis, the area proposed for forest, meadow-pasture and agricultural activities were 35.06%, 21.21% and 17.07%, respectively. When data from optimal land use is compared with that in the present-day conditions, it is noticed that the proportion of meadow-pastures areas excess the suggested value of optimal land use, as opposed to the proportions of forest and agricultural areas having smaller distributions. This implies that some meadow-pastures areas, which are recommended to be evaluated as forest and agricultural areas herein, are presently used as meadow-pasture lands

Evaluation of the effect of percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty on left ventricular systolic functions using strain and strain rate echocardiography

Background/aim: This study aimed to evaluate the effect of successful percutaneous mitral balloon valvuloplasty (PMBV) on left ventricular systolic functions using strain and strain rate echocardiography in moderate-severe mitral stenosis (MS) patients with normal left ventricular systolic function confirmed by conventional echocardiography. Materials and methods: Patients with moderate-severe MS who had undergone successful PMBV were included. Conventional echocardiographic parameters were evaluated before and after PMBV. Peak systolic strain and strain rate values of basal, mid, and apical segments of the left ventricular anterior, inferior, septum, and lateral walls were determined. Results: After PMBV, significant decreases were determined in the peak and mean gradients of the mitral valve and pulmonary artery pressure, but a significant increase in the mitral valve area. Significant increases (improvement) were determined in the peak systolic strain and strain rate in the basal, mid, and apical segments of the left ventricular septum, lateral, anterior, and inferior walls and in the left ventricular global peak systolic strain (-17.32 +/- 0.58% vs. -12.38 +/- 1.06%) and strain rate (-1.65 +/- 0.07 vs. -1.22 +/- 0.12). Conclusion: Strain and strain rate echocardiography can be used for quantitative evaluation of the effect of PMBV on the left ventricular systolic functions in moderate-severe MS patients

©Society for Business and Management Dynamics Outsourcing in Thermal Hotel Enterprises: The Case of Turkey

Abstrac

Physico-Chemical Characteristics of Coastal Dunes on the Saros Gulf, Turkey

In the present paper, several physico-chemical characteristics of dune sands in a rapidly prograding delta environment on the east coast of the Saros Gulf, northwest Turkey, are presented. For accurate characterization and classification of coastal dunes 4 km long and maximum 500 in wide, the pH, CaCO3 content, electrical conductivity, organic matter content, and x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy data were assessed. In terms of dune classification, our results showed the presence of three distinctive coastal dune types: (1) foredune, (2) semistable gray dune, and (3) stationary dark dune. Field observations combining with aerial photo and satellite image interpretations for the period between 1962 and 2007 also revealed dune loss and migration in the dunefield as a consequence of bidirectional effects of southwesterly and northwesterly winds and wind-force rise of lagoon waters.TUBITAK [105Y128]This study was supported by TUBITAK (Project Number 105Y128)

Karotis endarterektomide karsi taraf karotis arter tikanikligi bir risk faktörü müdür?

Background: In this study, we aimed to investigate whether contralateral carotis artery occlusion poses an additional risk for morbidity and mortality in carotid endarterectomy. Methods: Between September 2010 and March 2015, a total of 135 patients (103 males, 32 females; mean age 68.3 years; range 46 to 92 years) who were operated with the diagnosis of carotid stenosis in our clinic were divided into two groups depending on the presence of an occluded contralateral artery. Thirty-two patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy with contralateral carotid artery occlusion were compared to 103 patients without contralateral occlusion. Baseline demographic characteristics, risk factors, type of surgical technique, postoperative early morbidity and mortality results of both groups were compared. Results: Both groups were similar according to their demographic and perioperative characteristics. There was no statistically significant difference in postoperative neurological [carotid occlusion group (CO) 6.3%, control group 6.8%, p= 0.638] or nonneurological (group CO 15.6%, control group 12.6%, p= 0.430) complications between the two groups. The length of hospital stay did not differ between both groups statistically while length of intensive care unit stay was significantly longer in the group with occlusion (p= 0.029). There was no significant difference in the postoperative mortality between the groups (group CO 0%, control group 1%, p= 0.763). Conclusion: Although morbidity and mortality are expected to be high in patients with contralateral carotid artery occlusion due to the limited cerebral blood supply, there was no significant increase in postoperative neurological complications, particularly. Therefore, we believe that contralateral occlusion does not pose an additional risk for surgery in patients undergoing carotid endarterectomy