Suicides by jumping from Bosphorus Bridge in Istanbul

Suicide methods may differ widely. One of these methods is jumping from a height. The people who choose a high bridge for jumping may be considered as a special group. In this study, we evaluated the demographic data, mortality rates and postmortem findings of individuals who jumped from the 64m high Bosphorus Bridge of Istanbul. For this purpose, we reviewed registration forms of two police centers on both sides of the bridge, court archives, and postmortem examination reports of the deceased for a period of 10 years between 1986 and 1995.During this period, 65 people had jumped from the Bosphorus Bridge of Istanbul. The mortality rate was 96.9%, as two individuals survived their suicide attempt. The male/female ratio for attempts was 15:1 (61 males, four females) in this study in contrast to the male/female ratio of 1.6:1 for all suicidal cases in Turkey. The average age of subjects was 29.2 (median: 26, range: 16-54). The frequency was highest in the 15-24 age group with a rate of 38.4%. People who jumped from the bridge were younger than other reported cases of suicide. For all methods of suicide in Turkey 53.5% of subjects are under the age of 35. However, in our study, 75.8% of individuals who committed suicide from the Bosphorus Bridge were under the age of 35. Unmarried people accounted for 56% of the individuals whose marital status was known. 20.8% of the individuals whose employment status was known were unemployed. 59% of the cases whose education was known were high school graduates. The highest rate of suicide by jumping was in 1990, and occurred during the fall and winter months, primarily between the hours of 24.00 and 06.00. The Bosphorus Bridge is forbidden to pedestrians. Arrival method to the bridge was by a taxicab in 53.3% of the cases. 91% of the recovered bodies had been discovered during the first 2 days of jumping. Positions on impact with the water were estimated according to external and internal injuries. Among the cases in which the position of impact could be assessed by external and internal injury patterns, combined lateral and horizontal positions were most common.     

Homicide in Adana, Turkey: a 5-year review

Violence is a significant public health problem. Thus, so as to prevent this problem, homicide, the severest form of violence depriving a human being of his right to live, deserves a detailed examination. This study is a retrospective research examining the 2951 cases of medicolegal autopsies in Adana during a period of 5 years (1997-2001). Among these cases, 620, which were determined to be homicidal, were taken into the scope of this study. The cases were examined with respect to sex, age groups, the method used during the act of homicide, the number and the localization of the wounds on the body. A total of 620 (21%) of the medicolegal autopsies conducted within this period were homicides. Of these cases, 515 (83.06%) were male and 105 (16.94%) female, and the rate of the males to females was 4.9; 72.74% of the victims were between the ages of 21 and 50. It was seen that 54.83% of the homicides involved firearms, while 35.16% of the victims were stabbed to death with a cutting object. It was also determined that the victims suffered a single wound in 47.35% of firearm-related murders and 29.35% of stabbings resulted in death. Alcohol was found in the blood of 7.58% of the homicide victims, while none had any illicit drugs.     

Childhood foreign body aspiration in Istanbul, Turkey

In this study, we present the data concerning 10 children (six boys, four girls) with a diagnosis of foreign body aspiration (FBA) amongst 19,951 cases that underwent autopsy between the years 1996-2002. Eight of the children were under 2 years old. All the incidents took place at home. One of the parents was in the company of the child at the time of incident. At least one of the risk factors was positive. Interestingly, all of the aspirated material was related to food except one. Only four cases had subpleural petechiae, whereas five of the seven subjects undergoing histopathological evaluation had edema, hyperemia or intra-alveolar fresh bleeding. The legal instructions, which regulate the standards of toy materials, came into force at the end of 2003. Even though the legal instructions regulating the size and consistency of toys are very important to prevent FBA, we believe that the education of the parents and carers in the prevention of food aspiration is of greater importance.     

Turkey and the IMF: A case study in the political economy of policy implementation

Research into IMF program implementation has usually taken the form of large sample regression analyses. A more detailed explanation is offered in this paper through a case study of program implementation in Turkey between 1999 and 2004. Our research is based on a series of in-depth interviews with policy makers, program negotiators, bureaucrats, interest groups and IMF personnel. Our results reinforce hypotheses that emerge from the theory of implementation and the large sample econometric work, but they also offer new and enhanced explanations. Program implementation depends on a range of factors which interact with one another. These include domestic political economy factors, such as the importance of special interest groups, political cohesiveness and program ownership by the government and the IMF, but also other idiosyncratic factors such as, in the case of Turkey, the existence of a crisis, the desire to join the EU and the role of influential technocrats. Our research has implications for the design of IMF programs.

Turkish delight a public affairs study on family business: The influence of owners in the entrepreneurship orientation of family‐owned businesses

Family‐owned businesses (FOBs) are as unique as the families that own and control them. As reported by Miller, Steier, and Le Breton‐Miller (2003, p.513), the founders of many of these businesses try to continue their legacy and ensure continued family control via intergenerational succession, as when they hand over leadership to their children. The initial statistics suggest only approximately one third of FOBs survive into the second generation, with just 12% remaining “viable” by the third, and only about 3% operating into the fourth generation or beyond. Thus, one of the central problems for FOBs is this inability to ensure competent cross‐generational family leadership through successful transfer of ownership and management to the next family generation. This is a core issue for the modern public affairs practitioner and policy maker, nationally and internationally, and the Turkish case is a good example of the multicomplex issues evident in succession planning and leadership for business founders and leaders in these organisations. A firm's strategic orientation is an indicator of the processes developed to integrate new information, to coordinate decisions, to examine the evolution of environmental factors, and to assess new projects (Escriba‐Esteve, Sanchez‐Peinado & Sanchez‐Peinado, 2009). However, few studies have provided a framework that jointly analyses the FOB owner characteristics, the mediating processes and attitudes by which owners shape the direction of their family firms, and the effect of these postures on firm performance. This paper addresses the influence of family business owner, over the behaviour of FOBs. By treating FOB owners' characteristics as predictors of a firm's strategic orientation, we seek to provide a deeper understanding of how the characteristics of FOB owners shape decision making process and FOBs' behaviours in order to successfully survive in generations. This study introduced the concept of FOB's entrepreneurship orientation (EO) as a variable that mediates between FOB owners' characteristics and business performance. The objective of this paper is twofold: (a) to identify the demographic predictors FOBs' EO and (b) to analyse the role of EO as a mediator of the relationship between FOB owners' characteristics and FOBs' performance.     

STR and SNP analysis of human DNA from Lucilia sericata larvae's gut contents

Importance of forensic entomology becomes inevitable when come across some incident where corpse is unidentifiable and lot of maggots or other insects are present. The most common application of forensic entomology is to use insects for the identification of specimens or human remains. DNA analysis recovered from a larva's gut contents can be used to identify a missing body. The obtained human STR and SNP profile support the association of a maggot to a specific patients or corpse. Main aim of this research was the identification of human DNA from gut contents of third instar maggots (larvae of Lucilia sericata) placed on diabetic patient's wounds for treatment purpose. Maggots (8–15) were taken from each diabetic patients (no. of the patients 8) and DNA was extracted from the gut contents manually by using Qiagen tissue protocol. Agarose gel electrophoresis was performed and the total size of DNA was seen using UV transilluminator. PCR amplification, STRs and SNPs profiling was then performed using PCR 9700 and AmpFLSTR Identifiler and SnaPshot Multiplex Kit (Applied Biosystems) respectively. The results were analyzed on ABI 310. SNP profiles were good and identifiable compared to the STRs where amplification was poor and the peaks were low. This may be the fact of the enzymatic activity present in the gut of the larvae which cause tremendous reduction in DNA size and thus yield. The results of this study reveals that it is possible to obtain a complete human profile using STRs and SNPs even if DNA is recovered from gut contents of maggots.     

Prevalence of Demodex in health personnel working in the autopsy room

The health personnel working in the autopsy rooms and laboratories are considered among the professional groups carrying a high risk of contamination with infection. In this study, we have investigated the prevalence of Demodex, which provides a convenient environment for bacteria and acts as a vector for certain microorganisms, in the health personnel working in autopsy rooms. The study, which was cross-sectional, was conducted on 58 health personnel working in autopsy rooms. A questionnaire was administered to the individuals. Specimens were obtained from 4 different regions of the face using the standard skin-surface biopsy technique. The data obtained were then evaluated statistically. This study group consisted of 76% males and 24% females. The prevalence of Demodex was 26%. Demodex was found to occur more frequently in women. The most frequent occurrence of Demodex was seen among people with darker complexion and in cheek localizations. We believe that Demodex, which has a role in the pathogenesis of dermatologic diseases, provides a convenient environment for bacteria, and acts as a vector for some pathogenic microorganisms, poses a risk as far as individuals working in the autopsy room are concerned.     

Malpractice and system of expertise in anaesthetic procedures in Turkey

Deaths which occur during the administration of anaesthetics require medicolegal investigations. The objective of this study is to form a database for future comparisons related to anaesthetic-associated malpractice claims and also to investigate the system of expertise, pertaining to such procedures. The decisions of the Supreme Health Council, whose expert opinion is requested by legal authorities (judges, prosecutors) for health workers brought to trial in a criminal court, were examined retrospectively over the period 1995-1999. In 21 (2.3%) of the 888 decision reports prepared by the council the team members (the anaesthesiologist , the anaesthetic assistant, the anaesthetic technician, the nurse) were directly interrogated. Data concerning these 21 council decisions were evaluated within the scope of this study. It was found that 57% of the 21 decisions were related to medical procedures carried out in state hospitals. Of the 21 cases, 62% were males, 38% females. General anaesthesia was applied to 19 of the cases while one received regional (local) anaesthesia and one axillary blockade. Twenty died of complications associated with anaesthesia. Autopsy was performed on 11 (55%) of the dead. Health workers were found to have different degrees of liability in the 16 (76%) of the 21 decision reports. In their medical practices, anaesthesiologists , like other specialists, are subject to legal procedures in the country where they perform their duties, to national and international principles of ethics, and to diagnostic and curative standards/procedures relevant to the scientific level of the country concerned. In anaesthetic malpractice claims, certain standards need to be followed in inquiries and approaches so as to determine the real reasons behind the disabilities and/or deaths which occur. In order that sound evaluations could be made in such cases, the experts as well as the system of expertise should be efficient and authorized.