Northern Cyprus Research Articles

Analysis of the relationship between fear of coronavirus and hand hygiene beliefs and practices of surgical nurses: A descriptive and cross-sectional study.

This study aimed to analyse the relationship between fear of COVID-19 and hand hygiene beliefs and practices of surgical nurses. This article is a descriptive correlational study. It was conducted between February and May 2021 with 306 surgical nurses working at public and private hospitals in Northern Cyprus. A personal information form, Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Hand Hygiene Belief Scale and Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory were used for data collection. Of the participants in the study, 25.41% were 29 years old or younger and 85.15% were female. The mean scores obtained from the Fear of COVID-19 Scale, Hand Hygiene Belief Scale and the Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory were 23.12 ± 8.03, 81.33 ± 7.67 and 69.15 ± 1.94, respectively. The Fear of COVID-19 Scale scores were negatively correlated with the Hand Hygiene Belief Scale scores and positively correlated with the Hand Hygiene Practices Inventory scores. Hand hygiene practices were better for nurses with higher level of COVID-19 fear. Therefore, a high level of seriousness and awareness of nurses about hand hygiene, which was achieved during the COVID-19 pandemic, should be sustained to maintain proper hand hygiene practices.

Harnessing Deep Learning and Reinforcement Learning Synergy as a Form of Strategic Energy Optimization in Architectural Design: A Case Study in Famagusta, North Cyprus

This study introduces a novel framework that leverages artificial intelligence (AI), specifically deep learning and reinforcement learning, to enhance energy efficiency in architectural design. The goal is to identify architectural arrangements that maximize energy efficiency. The complexity of these models is acknowledged, and an in-depth analysis of model selection, their inherent complexity, and the hyperparameters that govern their operation is conducted. This study validates the scalability of these models by comparing them with traditional optimization techniques like genetic algorithms and simulated annealing. The proposed system exhibits superior scalability, adaptability, and computational efficiency. This research study also explores the ethical and societal implications of integrating AI with architectural design, including potential impacts on human creativity, public welfare, and personal privacy. This study acknowledges it is in its preliminary stage and identifies its potential limitations, setting the stage for future research to enhance and expand the effectiveness of the proposed methodology. The findings indicate that the model can steer the architectural field towards sustainability, with a demonstrated reduction in energy usage of up to 20%. This study also conducts a thorough analysis of the ethical implications of AI in architecture, emphasizing the balance between technological advancement and human creativity. In summary, this research study presents a groundbreaking approach to energy-efficient architectural design using AI, with promising results and wide-ranging applicability. It also thoughtfully addresses the ethical considerations and potential societal impacts of this technological integration.

Higher Education in Northern Cyprus: The Path from Isolation to Oversaturation

Abstract This study explores the problems related to university teaching and academic research within de facto states in the context of their non-recognition via an analysis of the current situation in the higher education sector of Northern Cyprus. It reveals that although Northern Cyprus is a world leader in terms of the number of universities per capita, as well as the proportion of international students and the proportion of higher education students in its population, its higher education system nevertheless faces numerous problems. Among the most serious of these are the inconsistent and often very low quality of Northern Cyprus’s universities, the politicisation of and lack of confidence in the accreditation authorities responsible for the quality and sustainability of the higher education system, and the unregulated activities of “agents” who recruit new students.

Adverse childhood events of individuals and its relationship with resilience

ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine the relationship between childhood trauma and psychological resilience in the Turkish Cypriot community and to identify the predictors of psychological resilience. MethodThe research was conducted with 354 individuals in a web-based online environment in Northern Cyprus. Data were collected using a “Personal Information Form”, the “Adverse Childhood Events Scale”, and the “Resilience Scale for Adults”. Percentage, mean, standard deviation, and Pearson's correlation analysis were used in the data analysis. ResultsIn the study, 16.67 % of the participants were exposed to war or conflict when they were young and 10.17 % had a mental illness. In addition, it was determined that there were statistically significant and negative correlations between the Adverse Childhood Events Scale scores and the scores they got from the Adult Resilience Scale and the sub-dimensions of the scale. Female gender and education level predicted the scores on the Resilience Scale for Adults positively, and the presence of mental disease and the scores on the Adverse Childhood Events Scale negatively predicted the scores on the Resilience Scale for Adults. Conclusionİn this study, gender, educational status, presence of mental illness, and the total score on the Adverse Childhood Events Scale were determined to be predictive variables affecting resilience. Considering the research findings, it is recommended that nurses plan studies for the protection of the mental health of children and adolescents and the groups exposed to trauma should be psychologically supported to raise individuals with high resilience.

The Rationale of Turkish Cypriot Position on Two-State Solution in Cyprus

This article examines the rationale behind the Turkish Cypriot position on the Two-State solution in Cyprus. The analysis consists of three interrelated parts. Initially, the question of whether Turkish Cypriots are entitled to ‘peoplehood’ that can exercise the right of self-determination according to international law is discussed. This is followed by evaluating the reasons driving the Turkish Cypriot side to exercise the right of self-determination and whether Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) fulfills the criteria for statehood. In accordance with arguments carried out in the previous sections, the final part delves into the reasons for the Turkish Cypriot position on the Two-State solution in Cyprus in detail. It is argued that Turkish Cypriot people possess all of the attributes of statehood and are entitled to the same rights and status as the Greek Cypriot side currently exercises. Therefore, reinstating Turkish Cypriot people’s rights by reaffirming their sovereign equality and equal international status is necessary for a just and sustainable settlement in Cyprus.

From Nagorno-Karabakh to Taiwan: measuring patron-client relations of de facto states

ABSTRACT Seeking to add a comparative element to the study of patron-client relations, this article introduces a multidimensional measurement tool for analysing de facto-patron state relations. The tool is used to measure military, political, societal and cultural resource exchange sustaining de facto state patron-client relationships, focusing on the client side of this dyadic relationship as this is where the defining features of patron-client relationships are most evident due to the asymmetry of resources. The study uses original data on Abkhazia, Kosovo, Nagorno-Karabakh, Northern Cyprus, Taiwan, Transnistria and their respective patron states. Comparing their degrees of dependence and differences based on the type of patronage, the article also discusses the merits and shortcomings of the tool, inviting further development.

The Role of Higher Education and Financial Development on Economic Growth: Evidence on North Cyprus

This research aims to examine the effects of the development in the higher education and financial sector on economic growth in the case of North Cyprus. Findings of time series data show that there is a long-term equilibrium relationship between real income and its elements such as labor, capital, higher education, and financial growth. Results show that both capital and labor have a statistically significant effect on economic growth. Additionally, development in the financial sector is a significant contributor to economic growth, however, higher education shows evidence of greater contribution to economic growth in North Cyprus. It draws attention that the higher education sector has a greater impact on economic development than the financial sector. In this context, government authorities should support both the financial and higher education sectors in order to accelerate their contribution to economic development. Policymakers needed to concentrate more on the higher education sector in Northern Cyprus.

Academic Evolution in the Age of ChatGPT: An In-depth Qualitative Exploration of its Influence on Research, Learning, and Ethics in Higher Education

This study delves into the potential advantages and challenges presented by the implementation of the ChatGPT within the realm of higher education. Specifically, it endeavours to shed light on the transformative effects of ChatGPT on the research and learning processes. Moreover, this study explores the intricate issues surrounding academic integrity, ethics, and regulatory concerns in this context. Adopting a qualitative research design, the study engaged in semi-structured interviews with 75 esteemed academicians hailing from higher education institutions in North Cyprus. The outcomes of this research endeavour reveal a spectrum of ways in which ChatGPT can augment educational productivity, learning experience, creativity, and idea generation. Nevertheless, it underscores the importance of meticulous consideration of ethical aspects pertaining to academic honesty and the potential over-reliance on ChatGPT. The findings not only offer insights into the opportunities and challenges linked with ChatGPT's integration into higher education, but also advocate for the responsible and ethical utilisation of AI technologies within academic settings. This study substantially contributes to the expanding body of research on the incorporation of artificial intelligence into education. It uniquely focuses on the ChatGPT, an innovative AI-based language model, within the context of higher education. The study's qualitative research methodology, characterised by its exploratory nature, provides a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the impact of ChatGPT on learning and research writing and offers a wealth of valuable insights intended to assist educators, researchers, institutions and policymakers in their endeavours to seamlessly integrate AI technologies into their educational practices.

Navigating the legal liminalities of a de facto state: Migrant precarity and placeholder identity papers in Northern Cyprus

Abstract This article studies the contested legal–political dynamics around forced migration flows to and through an unrecognized state: the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). We adopt an analytical perspective drawn from the literature on performative politics and the legal anthropology of documents to explore how migration dynamics interact with the contested legal status of the TRNC. Our two main questions are: What practical shape do the human rights of refugees and asylum seekers take in an interstitial legal space, where the foundation of law is itself subject to ambiguity, suspension, and contestation? And what implications—opportunities and hazards—does this constellation have for refugees and asylum-seekers? Drawing on interviews, lived experience and fieldwork observations, we make two arguments. First, we contend that the interstitial status of the TRNC represents both an opportunity for refugees and a threat. Secondly, we argue that a purely legal or technical understanding of legal identity and concurrent rights is inadequate; we must subject these phenomena to a politically informed analysis of the everyday practices through which legal norms and spaces are continuously shaped and reshaped.

Correction to: Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) concentration and health risk assessment of aerosols dust in Nicosia, North Cyprus

Correction to: Naturally occurring radioactive materials (NORM) concentration and health risk assessment of aerosols dust in Nicosia, North Cyprus

SICK BUILDING SYNDROME: IMPACT OF IDEAL ROOFING ON OCCUPANTS HEALTH

Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) has been defined as a “set of adverse health or discomfort symptoms that individuals experience when they spend time indoors, particularly in office buildings, and that lessen while away from the building” Apte et al. (2000). Various construction elements such as windows, floors, roof designs and construction methods can substantially increase or reduce health and safety levels. This can affect internal and external environments in workplaces. Therefore, the more sustainable the construction elements, the less hazardous or negative impacts on the building construction, the workforce, the environment, the occupants and vice versa. This study aims to use existing building construction elements and designs in North Cyprus to create a framework for developing and evaluating suitable roofing structures for adequate insulation in the North Cyprus residential buildings. This was achieved through research experiments on the construction of building elements, that is, roofing. Most SBS buildings in Cyprus have no roof structure or adequate insulation. Therefore, this experiment was carried out to prove that wrong roof systems contribute to SBS formation in buildings and the rate of SBS effects on the end users.

THE STUDY OF SBS IN BUILDINGS – IMPACT ON HEALTH AND TECHNOLOGICAL SOLUTION

Sick Building Syndrome is a condition whereby occupants of a building experience sicknesses that can be linked to the amount spent in that particular building. The end users experience unhealthy mild or sometimes severe symptoms or fall sick with such conditions as allergies as well as irritations of the throat, eyes, nose and also lethargy and sometimes dizziness Mølhave (1989). Unlike Building-related illnesses (BRI), SBS has no identifiable cause. In 1984, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimated that 30% of new and remodelled buildings worldwide may have SBS. This study will analyze the severity of SBS in North Cyprus based on different building elements and how they support the development of SBS in a building. Part of the outcome of this work is to develop a framework to test the level of SBS in a residential building by testing how occupants react to the building and demonstrating that building design elements such as orientation, roofing insulation systems, roof installations, and thermal floor masses alter the SBS effect on occupants. The goal is to develop "SBS TEST SOFTWARE" to assist professionals in assessing the SBS level in a building utilizing direct interview software, which can readily identify SBS-prone structures in Cyprus and worldwide. Cyprus’ SBS difficulties can be attributed to several design flaws in building elements, improper ventilation, uneven or inadequate heat distribution, and a lack of moisture-proofing of roof decks, walls, and foundations Obi (2016).

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nightlife Industry in North Cyprus

The Impact of COVID-19 on the Nightlife Industry in North Cyprus

Stress and Anxiety Levels of International Nursing Students: Case of Northern Cyprus

Introduction: Stress is a multifaceted concept that focuses on changes in the interaction between people and their environment. Stress, which is increasing in developing and rich countries, is one of the biggest problems affcting the health sector, especially universities, and especially nursing practices. Aim: This study aimed to determine the stress and anxiety levels of undergraduate nursing students. Method: This descriptive study was conducted on 223 international nursing students studying at Near East University to determine the stress and anxiety levels of nursing students. Data were collected through online Google Forms using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 Scale, Perceived Stress Scale and Sociodemographic questionnaire in December 2022 and January 2023. Results: Of the students participating in this study, 182 (81.6%) were female and 41 (18.4%) were male. Students' average Perceived Stress Scale score was 22.00 ± 8.52; Generalized Anxiety Disorder -7 Scale mean score were found to be 7.43 ± 6.43. Perceived Stress Scale average scores vary depending on students' grade point averages and alcohol/substance use while under stress. Generalized Anxiety Disorder - 7 Scale mean scores vary depending on alcohol/ substance use while under stress (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Educational programs should be organized to enable students to cope more effctively with the stressors they encounter. On the other hand, it is recommended to create learning environments that will help alleviate the stress and anxiety that students encounter during the education process.

The mediating role of mothers’ conflict resolution skills in the relationship between mothers’ communication skills and behavioral problems of children aged 3–6 years

AbstractAlthough studies have revealed the importance and effect of mothers' communication levels on behavioral problems seen in children, the role of the other key variable in this relationship has not been adequately examined. This study aims to test a theoretical model developed based on the relevant literature to evaluate the mediating role of the mother's conflict resolution skills in the relationship between the behavioral problems of children aged 3–6 years and the mother's communication skills. The study was prepared based on the correlational survey model. Its sample consists of 410 mothers who have children in the age group of 3–6 years and live within the borders of Northern Cyprus. The mothers included in the sample were contacted using a stratified sampling method. The personal information form, Communication Skills Scale-Adult Form, Conflict Resolution Scale, and Social Competence and Behavior Assessment Scale were used to collect the data. Statistical data were analyzed using the SPSS 24.0 and Amos 21.0 software. The statistical analysis of the research data indicates that the fit indices, except for RMSEA, demonstrate that the χ2/df value has an acceptable fit and the GFI, NFI, and CFI values fall within the fit limits. According to the research findings, mothers' tendencies in conflict resolution significantly predict children's social competence and behaviors. Furthermore, the study reveals that mothers' communication skills do not significantly predict children's social competence and behaviors. As a result, it is determined that mothers' conflict resolution tendencies mediate the relationship between their communication skills and children's social competence and behaviors. In light of these findings, several recommendations are proposed for future research and practical applications.

Rainwater Harvesting System Analysis for Semi-Arid Climate: A Daily Linear Programming Model

Rainwater harvesting has proven to be an alternative water supply scheme for sustainable water management of regions with limited water resources. In this paper, a linear programming (LP) model with daily time steps, which minimizes a rooftop rainwater harvesting system (RWHS) cost, is developed and used to calculate the optimum RWH tank size. The developed LP model is applied to the semi-arid Northern Cyprus in the Eastern Mediterranean. The analysis is carried out for 33 sites which receive average annual rainfall ranging from 292 mm to 548 mm to evaluate the spatial effect of rainfall characteristic and the water cost on the financial feasibility and performance of the RWHS. At 29 out of 33 sites, RWHS investments are found to be financially feasible with discounted payback periods ranging from 12 to 28 years. The optimum RWH tank sizes are determined to be between 2 m3 and 6 m3 resulting in up to 20 % reliability with more than 50 m3 of average annual water savings per house. It is observed that the cost of water is a critical factor that affects the financial feasibility and water savings of a RWHS, especially in regions with limited rainfall. The comparison of the developed daily LP model with an LP model with monthly time steps demonstrates that the financial feasibility and the optimum tank size can only be assessed realistically when daily time steps are used. Finally, the sensitivity analysis shows that the discounted payback period is highly sensitive to the collector area.

Digital Addiction in Children and Affecting Factors.

This study was conducted to identify the digital addiction levels of secondary school students in Northern Cyprus and the factors affecting them. The study was a descriptive, cross-sectional and methodological study. In this study, seven primary and secondary schools were selected randomly in Northern Cyprus and a total of 844 students were included in the study. The children scored 48.12 ± 17.46 points on the "Digital Addiction Scale for Children". Gender, economic status, age, reasons for using the internet, own cell phone, duration of cell phone and computer use, own computer, mother's education and place of residence significantly affected the children's digital addiction level (p < 0.05). Digital tools have entered many areas of our lives and while they have positive and helpful aspects, their negative aspects are coming to light day by day. Especially with the COVID-19 pandemic, digital tools have entered our lives more and children have encountered digital tools at an earlier age. It is thought that there is a need to warn about the negative and harmful effects of digital tools on children and to inform families more about this issue. It is recommended not to ignore the negative effects of digital tools and to implement practices to prevent addiction under parental supervision.

Hypertension Control in North Cyprus and the Feasibility of Life Style Changes

Hypertension Control in North Cyprus and the Feasibility of Life Style Changes

INVESTIGATION OF THE PREDICTION LEVEL OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SYMPTOMS RELATED TO SOCIAL MEDIA ADDICTION

The aim of this study is to reveal the predictive levels of psychological symptoms of social media addiction in adults. The study was conducted among adults living in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC). The sample of the study consisted of 514 adult individuals, 63% (n=324) female and 37% (n=190) male, selected according to the convenience sampling method. In this study, Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), Bergen Social Media Addiction Scale (BSMAS) and socio-demographic information form were used to collect data. Frequency distribution, percentage calculation, ANOVA, correlation test and regression analysis were performed using SPSS software. As a result, a statistically significant difference was found in the level of social media addiction according to the duration of daily use of social media. A statistically significant difference was found in the level of social media addiction according to the time of using social media. A moderate statistically significant positive correlation was found between social media addiction and psychological symptom subscales. Depression and anger/aggression among psychological symptoms were found to be significant predictors of social media addiction. The results of the research were discussed in the context of the relevant literature and then suggestions were made for future studies.

The Primary Reading/Writing Education Process in Light of the Views of Mothers, Who Learn Reading/Writing in Turkish, and Their Children

The primary reading and writing education process is one of the most crucial experiences that shape individuals’ future lives and influence their achievements throughout life. With the help of acquired reading and writing skills, individuals learn their societal values and ensure that the society, in which they live, will look toward the future more confidently. Today when information is intensively produced and consumed, whether a person’s existence is acknowledged and whether a person continues to succeed are directly connected to whether a good quality reading and writing education was received by the person in the past. The goal of this research is to evaluate and analyze the views of mothers, who participated in the primary education course on reading and writing in Turkish at the Turkish Cypriot Child Protection Institution in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus approximately for five months in the spring semester of the 2022-2023 academic year, as well as the views of their children, who closely followed up the process. With this goal, a study was carried out with 15 mothers, who participated in the above course, and 15 children, who stood by their mothers during this process. Mothers and children participating in the study were asked to narrate the memories of their experiences during the primary education course on reading and writing in Turkish. The research data were collected via face-to-face interviews and written documents. The thematic analysis method was used in the analysis of research data, and themes produced from written documents were categorized into sub-themes and were evaluated.