First-Principle Investigations of (Ti1-xVx)(2)FeGa.lloys. A Study on Structural, Magnetic, Electronic, and Elastic Properties

The structural, magnetic, electronic and elastic properties of ternary and quaternary (Ti1-xVx)(2)FeGa alloys with inverse-Heusler (XA) structure were investigated at x = 0, 0.25, 0.50, 0.75, and 1. The crystal structures of (Ti1 - xVx)(2)FeGa compounds are cubic (space group: F (3) over barm) with Hg2CuTi prototype for x = 0 and 1. At x = 0.5 the structure is also cubic (space group: F (3) over barm) with LiMgPdSn protype, while it is tetragonal (space group: P m2) at x = 0.25 and 0.75. Calculated optimized lattice parameters (a and c), bulk modulus (B), and elastic constants (C-ij) are consistent with the available data in the literature. Total and partial magnetic moments of (Ti1 - xVx)(2)FeGa alloys were obtained. An increase in the total magnetic moment values were observed upon addition of V to the Ti2FeGa alloy. From spin polarized band calculations, Ti2FeGa, (Ti0.75V0.25)(2)FeGa, TiVFeGa, and V2FeGa have a minority-spin energy gap of 0.65, 0.38, 0.83, and 0.64 eV, respectively, and they are guessed as half-metallic ferromagnets. According to the results of second-order elastic constants, these compounds met the Born mechanical stability criteria. In addition, according to Pugh criteria, it was found that they have a ductile structure and show anisotropic behavior

Integrated aircraft and passenger recovery with cruise time controllability

Disruptions in airline operations can result in infeasibilities in aircraft and passenger schedules. Airlines typically recover aircraft schedules and disruptions in passenger itineraries sequentially. However, passengers are severely affected by disruptions and recovery decisions. In this paper, we present a mathematical formulation for the integrated aircraft and passenger recovery problem that considers aircraft and passenger related costs simultaneously. Using the superimposition of aircraft and passenger itinerary networks, passengers are explicitly modeled in order to use realistic passenger related costs. In addition to the common routing recovery actions, we integrate several passenger recovery actions and cruise speed control in our solution approach. Cruise speed control is a very beneficial action for mitigating delays. On the other hand, it adds complexity to the problem due to the nonlinearity in fuel cost function. The problem is formulated as a mixed integer nonlinear programming (MINLP) model. We show that the problem can be reformulated as conic quadratic mixed integer programming (CQMIP) problem which can be solved with commercial optimization software such as IBM ILOG CPLEX. Our computational experiments have shown that we could handle several simultaneous disruptions optimally on a four-hub network of a major U.S. airline within less than a minute on the average. We conclude that proposed approach is able to find optimal tradeoff between operating and passenger-related costs in real time. © 2013, Springer Science+Business Media New York

Intra muros = dört duvar arasında

This is a supplementary text that investigates the process of the exhibition, “Intra Muros//Dört Duvar Arasında” and can not be considered separately from it. This exhibition is an attempt to display the designated gender role of the women and the violence they face in domestic settings. The first chapter is devoted to the theoretical arguments on gender, male dominance, violence and subordination of women. The second chapter focuses on the development process of the exhibition. Finally, the last chapter analyses the pieces of works displayed in the exhibition. This exhibition could also be considered as an attempt to raise a voice against gender discrimination of the women

L-MYC gene polymorphism and risk of thyroid cancer

L-myc gene polymorphism is a representative genetic trait responsible for an individual’s susceptibility to several cancers. However, there have been no reports concerning the association between thyroid cancer and L-myc gene polymorphism. Aim: To analyze the distribution of L-myc gene polymorphism in Turkish patients with thyroid disorders and thyroid cancers. Methods: We used a molecular genotyping method, polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP). We studied 138 patients of whom 47 had multinodular goiter, 13 had follicular cancer and 69 had papillar cancer, in comparison with control group of 109 healthy individuals. Results: No significant difference in the distribution of genotypes was observed between thyroid patients and controls. Carrying SS or LS genotype revealed a 1.96-fold (95% CI 0.573–6.706) risk for the occurrence of follicular cancer when compared with controls, and 3.11-fold (95% CI 0.952–10.216), when compared with multinodular goiter patients (p = 0.04). Conclusion: We suggest that L-myc genotype profiling together with other susceptibility factors, may be useful in the screening for thyroid nodular malignancy.Для ряда опухолей человека показана корреляция между риском развития опухоли и определенным вариантом гена L-MYC. Данные о наличии такой связи при раке щитовидной железы к настоящему времени отсутствуют. Цель: проанализировать распределение полиморфных типов гена L-MYC в популяции больных с доброкачественными и злокачественными поражениями щитовидной железы, включая рак щитовидной железы, в Турции. Методы: для анализа полиморфизма гена L-MYC использован метод молекулярного генотипирования, в частности, метод определения полиморфизма длины рестрикционных фрагментов, основанный на полимеразной цепной реакции (PCR-RFLP). Определение проводили в лейкоцитах 138 больных, в том числе 48 больных с узловым зобом, 13 больных фолликулярным раком щитовидной железы и 69 больных папиллярным раком. Контрольную группу составляли 109 здоровых лиц. Результаты: статистически достоверных различий в распределении исследуемых генотипов у больных с патологией щитовидной железы и здоровых лиц не выявили. Показано, что относительный риск фолликулярного рака щитовидной железы у больных-носителей генотипа SS или LS составляет 1,96 по сравнению со здоровыми лицами (при 95% доверительном интервале от 0,573 до 6,706) и 3,11 по сравнению с больными с узловым зобом (при 95% доверительном интервале от 0,952 до 10,216) (р = 0,04). Выводы: по нашему предположению, определение профиля полиморфизма гена L-MYC с учетом других факторов, определяющих предрасположенность к развитию опухолей, может быть полезным при скрининге озлокачествления узелковых образований щитовидной железы

Machine-based classification of ADHD and nonADHD participants using time/frequency features of event-related neuroelectric activity

Objective Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most frequent diagnosis among children who are referred to psychiatry departments. Although ADHD was discovered at the beginning of the 20th century, its diagnosis is still confronted with many problems. Method A novel classification approach that discriminates ADHD and nonADHD groups over the time-frequency domain features of event-related potential (ERP) recordings that are taken during Stroop task is presented. Time-Frequency Hermite-Atomizer (TFHA) technique is used for the extraction of high resolution time-frequency domain features that are highly localized in time-frequency domain. Based on an extensive investigation, Support Vector Machine-Recursive Feature Elimination (SVM-RFE) was used to obtain the best discriminating features. Results When the best three features were used, the classification accuracy for the training dataset reached 98%, and the use of five features further improved the accuracy to 99.5%. The accuracy was 100% for the testing dataset. Based on extensive experiments, the delta band emerged as the most contributing frequency band and statistical parameters emerged as the most contributing feature group. Conclusion The classification performance of this study suggests that TFHA can be employed as an auxiliary component of the diagnostic and prognostic procedures for ADHD. Significance The features obtained in this study can potentially contribute to the neuroelectrical understanding and clinical diagnosis of ADHD. © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiolog

Cross-cultural Adaptation and Validation of Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire on Asthma and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Patients

OBJECTIVES: Inadequate adaptation to long-term treatment of chronic illnesses is the most common reason for the inability to obtain the benefits medications can provide. Treatment compliance is influenced by several factors. Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire (BMQ) developed by Horne et al. in 1999 to evaluate the cognitive representation of medicines have many validation studies, which resulted in good psychometric properties. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the BMQ Turkish translation in patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifty asthma and 50 COPD patients participated in this methodological study. The scale was adapted to Turkish through translation, comparison with other language versions, back translation, and a pre-test. The structural validity was assessed using factor analysis. RESULTS: Similar to the original scale, factor analysis confirmed that BMQ had a four-factor structure that accounts for 58.23% of the total variance. The BMQ showed an acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient: specific-necessity, 0.832: specific-concerns, 0.722; general-harm, 0.792; and general-overuse, 0.682). The factor analysis revealed the same patterns for all questions between the Turkish and original scales. CONCLUSION: The psychometric properties of the BMQ were consistent with those reported in the original study. We found that the Turkish translation of BMQ is a valid and reliable tool for assessing medicine-related beliefs in patients with asthma and COPD

The impact of corporate social responsibility, service quality and customer- company identification on customers

Conference: 9th International Strategic Management Conference -- Location: Riga, LATVIA -- Date: JUN 27-29, 2013Despite the importance of corporate social responsibility (hereafter CSR) as an important construct in academia and a pressing item on corporate agenda, some contradictory results suggesting that CSR is far away from being the most dominant criteria in purchase behavior call for further research on the topic. Research supporting this view suggests that traditional criteria such as price, quality and brand familiarity are still the most important choice criteria. Acknowledging the significant role that quality can play in the context of services, this study incorporates these two separate views and considers the effect that both CSR and service quality have on customer-related outcomes such as customer- company identification, customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. The study also investigates the mediating role of customer- company identification, pointing to the fact that improving customers' psychological attachment to a company can serve as a strategic tool for enhancing the effect that CSR and service quality have on customer satisfaction and customer loyalty. To test the hypothesized relationships, an online questionnaire is conducted to a sample of 242 bank customers.Int Strateg Management & Managers Assoc

Gelişmekte olan ülkelere IMF tarafından önerilen istikrar programları ve Türkiye örneği

Ürün, fiyat ve dağıtımla birleşerek pazarlama karmasını oluşturan promosyon faaliyetleri; kişisel satış, reklam, satış geliştirme ve tanıtım aktivitelerinden oluşur. İşletmeler, tarihsel olarak promosyon metotlarından önce kişisel satıştan, sonra reklamlardan, daha sonra da tanıtımdan yararlanmıştır. Bunlara ek olarak, promosyon karmasına satış geliştirme metodu eklenmiştir. Kişisel satış; kimliği belirlenebilir bir kuruluşun pazarlama sunusunun, kişiler tarafından doğrudan doğruya sürülmesine yarayan, ikna edici iletişim ve tutundurma faaliyetleridir. Günümüzde yerini profesyonel satışçılığa bırakan kişisel satışçılık; kişisel satışçıların, her tip müşteri ve satış durumu için adapte edilebilecek etkin, sistematik bir yaklaşım geliştirmesini gerekli kılmıştır. Kişisel satış süreci adı verilen bu süreç; müşteri adaylarının belirlenmesi, yaklaşma öncesi hazırlıkların yapılması, müşteri adayına yaklaşılması, satış sunumunun yapılması, itirazların karşılanması, satışın sonlandırılması ve satışın izlenmesi adımlarından oluşur. Kişisel satış sürecinin adımlarına bakılınca, satış sunumunun yapılması adımının bu sürecin kalbi olduğu görülmektedir. Kişisel satışçılar; sunumlarını yaparken birçok teknik kullanmaktadır. Bu teknikler; uyaran-tepki satış, zihinsel-durum satış, problem çözen satış, ihtiyaç gideren satış, takım satış, uyarlayıcı satış ve satış önerileri şeklindedir. Bu tekniklerin birbirlerine göre avantajları ve dezavantajları mevcuttur. Hangi tekniğin kullanılması gerektiği; teklif, satış gücünün profesyonelliği, maliyet, müşteri tipi, rekabet, hedef pazar, firmanın amaçları, firmanın pazarlama anlayışı, pazarlama karması, ürün tipine, vb. gibi faktörlere bağlıdır. Ayrıca profesyonel satışçılıkla birlikte sunumların yerini satış görüşmeleri almıştır. Bunun nedeni, iki yönlü iletişimin ve alıcı-satıcı arasında kurulan ilişkinin önem kazanmasıdır. Ayrıca karşılıklı iş şeklindeki satışın artması, sunumların birer görüşme haline gelmesine sebep olmuştur. Kişisel satışçılığın en fazla kullanıldığı sektörlerden biri de ilaç sektörüdür. İlaç sektörü; hem dünyada, hem Türkiye'de gelişme gösteren bir sektördür. Bu sektördeki satışçılar, kendi sektörlerine uygun ve adapte edilmiş bir kişisel satış süreci yaşamaktadır. Bu sürecin adımları; ziyaret öncesi planlama, ihtiyaçları belirlemek, faydalarla ilişkilendirmek ve pekiştirmek, geri besleme almak, görüşbirliği sağlamak ve izlemektir. Misyoner satışçılar, sunum adımında ihtiyaç gideren satış tekniği kullanmalarına rağmen birçok sorunla karşılaşmaktadır. Bu sorunlar; misyoner satışçıların eğitimlerinin ve teknik bilgilerinin yetersizliği; doktorlar ve eczacılar hakkında gerekli bilgilerin yetersizliği; doktorlar ve eczacılar hakkında bilgi alınacak kaynakların yetersizliği; sunumların yapılacağı mekan veya ortamların yeterince uygun olmaması; doktorların, eczacıların hareketleri, sözleri, tacizleri, vb.; misyoner satışçıların sunum sırasında iyi zaman yönetimi yapmaması; doktorlarla veya eczacılarla iki yönlü iletişim kurulamaması; sunum sırasında kullanılan malzemelerin, araçların, raporların, testlerin, deneylerin yetersiz olması; her müşteriye aynı sunum tekniği kullanılması; para-medikal çalışma şeklinde sıralanabilir. Bu sorunları çözmek için; firmalar, satışçıları daha iyi eğitip daha fazla teknik bilgiyle donatmalı; bölgesel organizasyon yöntemini kullanmalı; uyarlayıcı satış tekniğini benimsemeli; SFA(Sales Force Automation) yardımıyla teknolojiyi takip etmeli; sunum mekanlarını belirlerken değişken alternatifler belirmeli; sunum sırasında daha etkin görsel malzemeler(Testler, araştırma raporları, makaleler, garantiler, takdirnameler, teminatlar, ürün örnekleri, vb.) kullanmalı ve para-medikal çalışmalardan kaçınmalıdır. Yaşanan sorunların en önemli ve en büyük nedeni, ülkemizde pazarlama konusunda olduğu gibi, satışta da hala üretim ve satış anlayışının geçerli olmasıdır. Halbuki, profesyonel satışçılıkla beraber satış sunumlarının yerini satış görüşmeleri alacaktır. Profesyonel satışçılık, Türkiye'de birçok sektörde uygulanmaya başlandığı zaman, satış görüşmeleri de yerini bulacak ve de kişisel satış süreci daha etkin hale gelecektir. -SUMMARY- -STABILIZATION PROGRAMMES WHİCH SUGGGESTED FROM IMF TO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES AND EXAMPLE SUCH AS THAT PURSUED BY TURKEY IN 1950-1995 PERIODS- IMF was established to creat an cooperate international monetary system for improving World economic trade with 39 participants country in Washington in 1946. Dating from the breakdown of the Bretton Woods system of fixed exchange rates in 1973, it began to play a new role. It would be in a position such as surveillance and supervision between international trade banks and member countries and international financial institutions and on the other hand it will postpone the debt and prepare new debt plan. The main purpose of stabilization programmes is to provide together both internal and external stabilization. Member countries which faces high level of inflation and the problems of the balance of payments apply stabilization program that supported by the IMF with technical and financial area. İt is essential for the international community to have an organization such as the International Monetary Fund to provide sufficient financial assistance to countries seeking to correct their macroeconomic and structural imbalances. In less developed countries (LDCs), such an orthodox program will be primarily focused on the reduction of goverment expenditures coupled with tax increases and price adjustments for publicly supplied goods and services, a reduction of real wages and the depreciation of the real exchange rate. As to IMF,Large budget deficits and inflation are fundemantally monetary problems and in order to reach identified purposes that IMF presents stabilization programs wchich consist of supply, demand and exchange rate. If Goverments increases money supply, ınflation occurs. 79 economies's money supply and ınflation figures were easly investigated and at the end of studies they find out high positive corelasyon relations