AN ORGANIC AGRICULTURE MODEL FOR TURKEY

Organic farming presents a solution to socio-economic, environmental and health problems caused by conventional food production methods. In this paper, we propose a linear programming model to plan Turkey’s organic food production. Specifically, we want to find how many hectares of each food type should be planted in each municipality of Turkey so that the whole population consumes organic foods only. The model incorporates transportation between regions while identifying any missing or excess foods. We also describe the data requirements of the model and discuss data availability. Results on an aggregate (small) model are promising

Enterprise Resource Planning Systems : An Assessment of Applicability to Make-to-Order Companies.

Many vendors of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems claim their software is widely applicable - configurable to meet the needs of any business, whatever the product or service offering. But Make-To-Order (MTO) companies, which produce high-variety and bespoke products, have particularly challenging decision support requirements, leading to questions about the effectiveness of ERP. This thesis takes a contingency-based perspective, assessing both the applicability and impact of ERP systems on MTO companies. A theoretical assessment is first provided based on a comprehensive literature review. This suggests a substantial misalignment does exist between ERP functionality and MTO requirements and calls for empirical research into the applicability and impact on ERP systems on MTO companies. This thesis addresses this gap through a mixed method study in which a survey is followed by case research. The survey is both explanatory and exploratory and compares MTO with Make-To-Stock (MTS) companies. Significant differences are found between the adoption of ERP systems in MTO and MTS companies. At an exploratory level, for example, MTO companies find ERP system selection more difficult than MTS companies while many non-adopters, particularly MTO nonadopters, claim ERP would not suit their needs. At an explanatory level, for example, Customer Enquiry Management (CEM) and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) are the best-utilised functionality by MTO companies, leading to improved performance but the effectiveness of Product Configurator (PC) and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) functionality could not be demonstrated. The case study research involved two MTO adopters and one MTO non-adopter. While two cases had implemented ERP, only high-level functionality was in operation to get an overview of the status of company resources and processes. This is because there is not only a gap between the software available and MTO decision support requirements, but also between the expertise required to utilise the software and that found in small MTO companies in practice. Finally, this thesis has focused on comparing decision support requirements with ERP functionality and performance at a given planning stage. Future research should investigate the knock-on effects of planning at one stage on the effectiveness of planning at subsequent stages

The applicability and impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems:results from a mixed method study on Make-To-Order (MTO) companies

The effect of a Make-To-Order (MTO) production strategy on the applicability and impact of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is investigated through a mixed method approach comprised of an exploratory and explanatory survey followed by three case studies. Data on Make-To-Stock (MTS) companies is also collected as a basis for comparison. The exploratory data demonstrates, for example, that MTO adopters of ERP found the system selection process more difficult than MTS adopters. Meanwhile, a key reason why some MTO companies have not adopted ERP is that it is perceived as unsuitable. The explanatory data is used to test a series of hypotheses on the fit between decision support requirements, ERP functionality, and company performance. In general, a poor fit between the decision support requirements of MTO companies and ERP functionality is identified, although certain modules can lead to performance improvements – most notably for Customer Enquiry Management (CEM). MTS companies make more use of planning tools within ERP systems, and it is concluded that production strategy is an important contextual factor affecting both applicability and impact. Follow-up cases with two MTO adopters and one MTO non-adopter develop a deeper understanding of the survey results. For example, in one adoption case, a system was rented to minimise the consequences of making a poor selection decision. Future research could explore how more MTO-specific planning concepts can be embedded within ERP systems to improve alignment

Transcanalicular multidiode laser versus external dacryocystorhinostomy in the treatment of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction

Objectives: This study was a comparison of the outcomes of transcanalicular multidiode laser dacryocystorhinostomy (TCLDCR) and external dacryocystorhinostomy (EXDCR) treatment for patients with acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction. Methods: Thirty-one consecutive patients who underwent TCLDCR (TCLDCR group) and 68 consecutive patients who underwent EXDCR (EXDCR group) due to acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction were enrolled in the study. Follow-up visits were performed on the first day, and at the first week, first month, third month, sixth month, and every six months thereafter. Surgical success was defined as achievement of a patent osteotomy and a successful bicanalicular silicone intubation during the procedure. Anatomical success was defined by observation of a patent osteotomy on lacrimal irrigation, regardless of epiphora. The surgery time and intra- and postoperative complications were noted for each patient. Results: The TCLDCR group had a significantly shorter mean surgery time (27.9±5.5 minutes) compared with the EXDCR group (58.5±12.0 minutes) (p<0.001). However, the mean anatomical and functional rates of TCLDCR (58.0% and 54.8%, respectively) were significantly lower than those of the EXDCR group (94.1% and 91.1%, respectively) (both p<0.001). Two patients had "cheese wiring" damage of the lower canaliculus and 1 patient in the TCLDCR group had a full-thickness skin defect in the medial canthal region. No serious intra- or postoperative complication occurred in the EXDCR group. Conclusion: Although a TCLDCR procedure decreased the surgical time, it had a significantly lower success rate in the treatment of acquired nasolacrimal duct obstruction compared to EXDCR. The decision of the type of surgery should be made based on the cosmetic and success expectations of the patients and the presence of systemic problems

The role of a civil society organization in the development of the domestic organic market in Turkey

In this paper, we report of a case from Turkey where a civil society organization took an active role in influencing laws, regulations and their implementations regarding organic agriculture and the marketing of organic products. Although the country’s climate and biodiversity is suitable for organic agriculture, the domestic market remained underdeveloped; the organic sector was directed mainly towards exports. By establishing the first marketplace solely for certified organic products in 2006, a non-governmental organization became the locomotive of the domestic sector. The process that leads to the 100% organic bazaar exhibits a contingent characteristic where particularly social and symbolic capital were mobilized by the NGO together with a framing of positive ‘ecological living’ discourse and therefore contributing to the 'organic' movement

The Effect of Communication and Immigration Activities in 7th Grade Social Studies Course on the Empathy Skills of Students

The feeling of empathy is as old as the humankind. Empathy is an attempt to perceive the emotions and to understand the thoughts of other individuals and discern their point of view. Due to such aspects, empathy presents “a focus on other individuals”. In general terms, empathy was defined as “adopting a sensitive attitude towards correctly understanding the emotions and thoughts of another individual, encountering any event, through placing oneself in the place of that individual during the process of communication.”The present study was intended to determine the effects of the communication and immigration subjects in the 7th grade social studies course on the empathy skills of students through employing the didactic approach, which is one of the techniques for empathy development.Concurrent nested (embedded) design, a mixed research method, was employed in the present study. Mixed-method research is defined as the approach through which the researcher draws conclusions by using the advantage of integrating qualitative and quantitative methods, approaches and concepts in a study or consecutive studies with the aim to understand diverse research models. The quantitative data in the present study were obtained via the “Index of Empathy for Children and Adolescents”, whereas the qualitative data were collected through interview forms.Almost all students emphasized the significance of empathy and understanding the feelings of the migrants for understanding the causes and consequences of immigration throughout the activities related to immigration

Does climate change affect bank lending behavior?

We examine how banks adjust credit supply in areas with higher exposure to climate risks by utilizing the province-level air pollution and loan growth data of a large emerging market, Turkey, following the Paris Agreement in 2015. Our results show that banks limit their credit extension to more polluted provinces in the post-agreement interval, implying that banks consider climate change-related risks and adjust their credit provisioning accordingly. Our baseline findings are intact against a myriad of robustness checks. We also find that the shift in the climate risk-credit provisioning nexus is asymmetric depending on the levels of air pollution.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Erratum to:cloud-based SVM for food categorization

[No abstract available

Retrospective Analysis of Lymphangitis Carcinomatosa Regarding Primer Tumor Spectrum and Computer Tomography Features

INTRODUCTION: Lymphangitis carcinomatosis (LC) is used to describe the metastatic involvement of pulmonary lymphatic canals and perilymphatic connective tissue by primary tumor cells and commonly occurs secondary to primary tumors, mostly adenocarcinomas, originated from breast, lung, gastrointestinal system cancers. Common findings in lung computed tomography (CT) are interlobular septal thickening and increased reticular/reticulonodular density. In this study, we aim to present the primary tumor spectrum and most frequent computed tomography findings of patients with LC. METHODS: In this double-centered study 63 patients, who had lung CT examination due to prediagnosis of LC, were retrospectively investigated. 41 patients with final diagnosis of LC due to findings upon Positron emission tomography/Computed tomography (PET/CT), ultrasonography, CT scan, endoscopic, bronchoscopic and cytopathologic investigations and/or clinical manifestations are ultimately included RESULTS: In 41 patients with LC, lung in 11 cases, esophagus in 7 cases, colon in 6 cases, stomach in 4 cases, pancreas in 3 cases, breast in 2 cases, bladder in 2 cases, thyroid in 2 cases and singly larynx, kidney, prostate and bone marrow in 4 cases were respectively revealed as primary tumor origins. Most frequent lung CT findings were increased reticular/reticulonodular and nodular densities, thickenings of interlobular septa, mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies, pleural and/or pericardial effusions, atelectasis, ground-glass opacities. Extrapulmonary involvement was detected in 14 patients DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: LC occurs with metastatic involvement of pulmonary lymphatics in patients with primary malignancy, especially adenocarcinomas. In CT, the reticular, reticulonodular, and noduler pattern (most common pulmonary parenchymal changes) and mediastinal lymphadenopathies (LAP) are the most common findgs. Pulmonary CT examination is accepted as the most important radiological modality in diagnosis and follow up of LC