This questionnaire study investigated the prevalence of, and interrelationships among, self-reported same-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior in 1262 university students in Turkey. Approximately 7% of the sample reported lifetime or current same-sex sexual attractions, 5% reported that they engaged in same-sex sexual behavior, and almost 2% self-identified as either homosexual or bisexual. Overall, almost 10% of the sample acknowledged some form of a same-sex sexual orientation. Twenty-eight percent of the participants reported at least one instance of sexual abuse during their childhood. Almost 42% of the students reported suicidal ideation during the past 12 months or lifetime, and 7% reported that they attempted to kill themselves during their lifetime or in the past 12 months. Five hypotheses about the interrelationships among same-sex sexual orientation, childhood sexual abuse, and suicidal behavior were developed and tested in the study. Self-reported childhood sexual abuse was associated with same-sex sexual behavior. Participants who engaged in same-sex sexual behavior and those who identified themselves as homosexual or bisexual perceived more distance between themselves and their fathers than those who did not. Being sexually abused by someone of one's own sex was related to same-sex sexual orientation in male participants but not in female participants. Childhood sexual abuse was found to be an independent predictor of both suicidal ideation and attempts during the past 12 months. Only identifying oneself as homosexual or bisexual was associated with an increased risk for suicidal ideation during the past 12 months.

Photoinduced electron transfer (ET) in CdSe/ZnS core-shell quantum dot (QD) -fullerene (COOH−C 60 ) hybrids was studied by the means of time resolved emission and absorption spectroscopy techniques. A series of four QDs with emission in the range 540-630 nm was employed to investigate the dependence of the electron transfer rate on the QD size. Emission of the QDs is quenched upon hybrid formation, and the quenching mechanism is identified as photoinduced electron transfer from the QD to the fullerene moiety due to the fullerene anion signature observed in transient absorption. In order to obtain quantitative information on the ET reaction, several kinetic data analysis techniques were used, including a conventional multi-exponential fitting and a maximum entropy method for emission decay analysis, as well as a distributed decay model based on the Poisson distribution of fullerenes in the hybrids. The latter gradually simplifies the interpretation of the transient absorption spectra and indicates that the spectra of QD cations are essentially similar to those of neutral QDs, differing only by a minor decrease in the intensity and broadening. Furthermore, only a minor decrease in the ET rate with the increasing QD size was observed, the time constants being in the range 100-200 ps for all studied QDs. The charge recombination is extended to ten nanoseconds or longer for all hybrids.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to investigate the effects of factors such as age, gender, comorbid diseases and treatments applied on the positive duration of the PCR test in COVID-19 patients. Background: The duration of PCR positivity in COVID-19 patients varies. Studies in the literature investigating factors that may affect this duration are limited. METHODS: Between March and September 2020, individuals with two or more positive PCR results with a 14-day interval were included in the case group, and those whose PCR results turned negative within 14 days were included in the control group. The relationship between age, gender, contact environment, presence of additional disease, drugs used, smoking and alcohol consumption; type, duration and severity of COVID-19 symptoms, treatment applied for COVID-19 and duration of PCR positivity were examined. RESULTS: Among 126 participants the mean duration of PCR positivity was 23.38 days (min 6, max 52). Symptoms lasted 15-30 days in 41 patients (32.5 %) and 5 -10 days in 30 patients (23.8 %). The positivity duration varied according to age, smoking and alcohol consumption status, and body mass index. Patients with chronic disease, and who had loss of taste and smell during the disease had a longer positive stay. This period was shorter in favipiravir users. CONCLUSION: In COVID-19 infection, there are several factors that affect the PCR test to remain positive. Early-term favipiravir use may shorten this period as a modifi able factor (Tab. 3, Ref. 14).

Tularemia is a zoonotic disease that can infect animals and people. It is known that tularemia outbreaks in Turkey is water-borne and causative agent F. tularensis subsp. holarctica. Eight F. tularensis were isolated from the water samples in tularemia outbreaks observed in Sivas during 2011-2013. In this study; tul4, fopA, RD1 and 16S rRNA gene regions of eight F. tularensis isolates were amplified by PCR method and investigated by sequencing method. Sequence analysis of the gene regions were compared with each other and the samples found in GenBank. All samples were found to be similar in terms of the partial sequence of the tul4 and fopA gene region. In terms of 16S rRNA gene region, Belkent2012 and Belkent2013 isolates and Çiçekoğlu and Döllük isolates were detected similar among themselves. Bahçeiçi and Karaören isolates were found similar at RD1 gene regions. In the sequence comparison of GenBank in terms of examined gene regions, 94-100% similarity was determined with F. tularensis subsp. holarctica LVS and F. tularensis subsp. holarctica PHIT-FT049. As a result of our study; the tul4 and fopA gene regions of eight F. tularensis subsp. holarctica isolates were found to have identical and different base sequence origins in 16S rRNA and RD1 gene regions in tularemia outbreaks in Sivas. In order to reveal the phylogeography of F. tularensis' in Turkey, it is necessary to produce new isolates from epidemic regions and to investigate them with advanced molecular techniques.