Hi?

Karakter ge?irmi? oldu?u trajedi sonras? tak?nt?l? hale gelmi?tir. Ya?ad??? an?lar? deftere yazarak somutla?t?rmaya ?al??maktad?r

Income inequality and FDI: evidence with Turkish data

This article explores how foreign direct investment (FDI) and other determinants impact income inequality in Turkey in the short- and long-run. We apply the nonlinear auto-regressive distributed lag (ARDL) modelling approach, which is suitable for small samples. The data for the study cover the years from 1970 to 2008. The empirical results indicate the existence of a co-integration relationship among the variables with asymmetric adjustment of the income distribution in the short- and long-run. The negative impact of FDI on the Gini coefficient, decreasing income inequality, is statistically significant in the short- and long-run, though with a quantitatively small impact in both cases. In the short run, GDP growth increases inequality initially, an effect that is reversed in the next period, increases in domestic gross capital formation decreases inequality, and increases in the literacy rate have very minor adverse effects on income equality. However, in the long run these variables have no statistically significant effects on the Gini coefficient. A reduction in the population growth rate reduces inequality in the short run but has no effect in the long run, whereas an increase in the rate reduces inequality in the long run but has no effect in the short run

Correlation of ternary liquid--liquid equilibrium data using neural network-based activity coefficient model

Liquid--liquid equilibrium (LLE) data are important in chemical industry for the design of separation equipments, and it is troublesome to determine experimentally. In this paper, a new method for correlation of ternary LLE data is presented. The method is implemented by using a combined structure that uses genetic algorithm (GA)--trained neural network (NN). NN coefficients that satisfy the criterion of equilibrium were obtained by using GA. At the training phase, experimental concentration data and corresponding activity coefficients were used as input and output, respectively. At the test phase, trained NN was used to correlate the whole experimental data by giving only one initial value. Calculated results were compared with the experimental data, and very low root-mean-square deviation error values are obtained between experimental and calculated data. By using this model tie-line and solubility curve data of LLE can be obtained with only a few experimental data

Efficient approaches for furnace loading of cylindrical parts

This paper addresses the heat treatment operation in a manufacturing plant that produces different types of cylindrical parts. The immediate prior process to heat treatment is furnace-loading, where parts are loaded into baskets. The furnace-loading process is complex and involves issues relating to geometry, and heterogeneity in the parts and in their processing requirements. Currently, furnace-loading is accomplished by operator ingenuity; consequently, the parts loaded in heat treatment often do not use furnace capacity adequately. Efficiency in furnace operation can be achieved by improving basket utilization, which is determined by the furnace-loading process. This paper describes the development of integer and mixed integer LP models for 3D loading of cylindrical parts into furnace baskets. The models consider the exact location of parts to be loaded on the basket and incorporate three models with different objectives; the first addresses the nesting of parts within one another, the second addresses the number of basket layers used, and the third addresses the number of baskets used. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

Competition in Turkish Banking: Impacts of Restructuring and the Global Financial Crisis

This paper investigates the evolution of competition in the Turkish banking industry by taking into account the transformation in the sector in the aftermath of the country's financial crisis of 2000 to 2001 and the global financial crisis. The results demonstrate that the level of competition in the system did not increase despite the restructuring that was undertaken and the increased foreign bank participation. In addition, the level of competition in the sector deteriorated during the global crisis. There is also some evidence that the market power of banks with different ownership characteristics varied and did not converge over time

Effect of multiwalled carbon nanotube (MWNT) on the behavior of swelling of polyacrylamide-MWNT composites

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the role of multiwalled carbon nanotube in the swelling of polyacrylamide-multiwalled carbon nanotube composites. Swelling experiments were performed in water at various temperatures by real-time monitoring of the decrease in pyranine (Py) and emission light intensity (I-em). The Stern-Volmer equation is modified for low-quenching efficiencies to interpret the behavior of pyranine intensity during the swelling of polyacrylamide-multiwalled carbon nanotube composites. The Li-Tanaka equation was used to determine the swelling time constants, tau, and cooperative diffusion coefficients, D, from fluorescence intensity, weight, and volume variations of the composite at various temperatures. It was observed that when tau decreased, naturally D increased by increasing temperatures

Panel Data Analysis of Foreign Direct Investment and Poverty from the Perspective of Developing Countries

The purpose of this paper is to assess the relationship between foreign direct investment (FDI) and poverty at the macro-pathway in selected developing countries. The contribution to host countries from FDI can take several forms, such as the transfer of technology, human capital development, increased competition in domestic markets, and the generation of corporate tax revenues, among others. The paper develops a data set and an econometric model to analyse FDI flows and poverty relations at the macro level panel data set. Results show that there is statistically significant relationship between FDI and poverty and it is obvious that FDI reduces poverty in selected developing countries. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Selection and peer review under responsibility of Organizing Committee of BEM 2013.SciencePark Res, Org & Counseling Ltd; Acad World Educ & Res Ctr; Hacettepe Univ; Eastern Mediterranean Univ; Near E Univ; Zirve Uni

Spectroscopic study of film formation from polystyrene latex/TiO2 nanocomposites prepared by dip-coating method

In this study, we investigated the influence of TiO2 content and thickness of polystyrene (PS) template on film-formation behavior of PS/TiO2 composites using fluorescence and ultraviolet-visible techniques in conjunction with scanning electron microscopy. Films were prepared by coating PS templates with various layers of TiO2 using dip-coating method. The results showed that PS latexes present complete film formation on top surface of composites. After extraction of PS, a well-defined interconnected porosity were obtained for thin films when TiO2 content was increased, whereas thick samples did not present any interconnected porous structures above a certain TiO2 layer. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 54:288-302, 2014. (c) 2013 Society of Plastics Engineer

Dynamics of Cooperation and Conflict in NATO-EU Relations

NATO's supremacy in the security and defence structures of the Euro-Atlantic region during the Cold War era has prevented the development of a self-sustained European security mechanism. With the end of the Cold War, specifically with the St. Malo Summit in 1998 which was a breakthrough in the advancement of the Common Security and Defence Policy, the NATO-EU relationship became pronounced. Since then, opportunities for and difficulties of collaboration have both defined this inter-institutional relationship between NATO and the EU. Despite a series of arrangements for strengthening the institutional framework of NATO-EU relations as well as the Berlin-plus agreements, the argument of an effective cooperation between two organizations would be misguided. Particularly, discrimination against the non-EU NATO allies as well as the existence of challenges such as decoupling and duplication are hampering progress in NATO-EU relations. This article aims at shedding a light on the limited cooperation between these two organizations by focusing on the current challenges

Macroeconomic and institutional determinants of financialisation of non-financial firms: Case study of Turkey

We observe that industrial firms in Turkey have shifted substantial amounts of working capital from production activities to the purchase of high-yield interest-bearing assets, most notably public bonds, to ensure immediate short-term interest revenues. Introducing the new and historical institutional literatures to the financialisation research, this article empirically examines the influences of macroeconomic and institutional factors on non-financial firms' financialisation behaviour for the period 1990?2002. The findings from panel regression analyses using data from 41 firms listed on the Istanbul Stock Exchange indicate that both macroeconomic and institutional factors influence financialisation behaviour to different degrees. Turkish non-financial firms particularly engage in financialisation as a response to highly uncertain macroeconomic conditions. The findings indicate that the key characteristics of state-organised business system in Turkey, such as firms' ties with the government and family ownership, are not conducive to financialisation behaviour