Oil Price, Output and Employment in Turkey: Evidence from Vector Error Correction Model

This paper assesses the relationship among oil prices, real output growth and employment in Turkey over the period 2000:1-2012:4 by using vector error correction methodology. Empirical findings indicate a long-run relationship among the variables. Besides, short-run causality results based on vector error correction model provide an evidence of bi-directional causality linkage between oil prices and output, where uni-directional causality from oil prices and output to employment is established. The long-run causality analysis on the other hand shows that (i) the oil prices and real output do not cause employment, (ii) employment and real output do not cause oil prices, and however (iii) the oil price and employment cause output. Keywords: Oil price; output; employment; Turkish economy JEL Classifications: E24; Q4

Developing a scoring function for NMR structure-based assignments using machine learning

Determining the assignment of signals received from the ex- periments (peaks) to speci_c nuclei of the target molecule in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR1) spectroscopy is an important challenge. Nuclear Vector Replacement (NVR) ([2, 3]) is a framework for structure- based assignments which combines multiple types of NMR data such as chemical shifts, residual dipolar couplings, and NOEs. NVR-BIP [1] is a tool which utilizes a scoring function with a binary integer programming (BIP) model to perform the assignments. In this paper, support vector machines (SVM) and boosting are employed to combine the terms in NVR-BIP's scoring function by viewing the assignment as a classi_ca- tion problem. The assignment accuracies obtained using this approach show that boosting improves the assignment accuracy of NVR-BIP on our data set when RDCs are not available and outperforms SVMs. With RDCs, boosting and SVMs o_er mixed results

Impact of active smoking on survival of patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma harboring an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation

Lung cancer in smokers and non-smokers demonstrates distinct genetic profiles, and cigarette smoking affects epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) function and causes secondary EGFR tyrosine kinase resistance. We evaluated the effect of active smoking in patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma. A total of 132 metastatic lung adenocarcinoma patients, diagnosed between 2008 and 2013, with known EGFR mutation status, were evaluated retrospectively. Among these patients, 40 had an activating EGFR mutation. Patients who continued smoking during the treatment were defined as active smokers. Former smokers and never smokers were together defined as non-smokers. The outcomes of the treatment in relation to the EGFR mutation and smoking status were evaluated. The median follow-up time was 10.5 months. The overall response rate for the first-line therapy was significantly higher among the EGFR-mutant patients (p = 0.01), however, smoking status had no impact on the response rate (p = 0.1). The EGFR-mutant active smokers progressed earlier than the non-smokers (p < 0.01). The overall survival (OS) of the non-smokers and patients treated with erlotinib was significantly longer (p = 0.02 and p = 0.01, respectively). Smoking status did not affect the OS in EGFR wild type tumors (p = 0.49) but EGFR-mutant non-smokers had a longer OS than the active smokers (p = 0.01).The active smokers treated with erlotinib had poorer survival than the non-smokers (p = 0.03). Multivariate analysis of EGFR-mutant patients showed that erlotinib treatment at any line and non-smoking were independent prognostic factors for the OS (p = 0.04 and p = 0.01, respectively). Smoking during treatment is a negative prognostic factor in metastatic lung adenocarcinoma with an EGFR mutation

Growth, tolerance and safety outcomes with use of an extensively hydrolyzed casein-based formula in infants with cow’s milk protein allergy

ObjectiveTo evaluate growth, tolerance and safety outcomes with use of an extensively hydrolyzed casein-based formula (eHCF) in infants with cow’s milk protein allergy (CMPA).MethodsA total of 226 infants (mean ± SD age: 106.5 ± 39.5 days, 52.7% were girls) with CMPA who received eHCF comprising at least half of the daily dietary intake were included. Data on anthropometrics [weight for age (WFA), length for age (LFA) and weight for length (WFL) z-scores] were recorded at baseline (visit 1), while data on infant feeding and stool records, anthropometrics and Infant Feeding and Stool Patterns and Formula Satisfaction Questionnaires were recorded at visit 2 (on Days 15 ± 5) and visit 3 (on Days 30 ± 5).ResultsFrom baseline to visit 2 and visit 3, WFA z-scores (from −0.60 ± 1.13 to −0.54 ± 1.09 at visit 2, and to −0.44 ± 1.05 at visit 3, p &lt; 0.001) and WFL z-scores (from −0.80 ± 1.30 to −0.71 ± 1.22 at visit 2, and to −0.64 ± 1.13 at visit 3, p = 0.002) were significantly increased. At least half of infants never experienced irritability or feeding refusal (55.7%) and spit-up after feeding (50.2%). The majority of mothers were satisfied with the study formula (93.2%), and wished to continue using it (92.2%).ConclusionsIn conclusion, eHCF was well-accepted and tolerated by an intended use population of infants  ≤ 6 months of age with CMPA and enabled adequate volume consumption and improved growth indices within 30 days of utilization alongside a favorable gastrointestinal tolerance and a high level of parental satisfaction

Neuropsychological Assessment of Adult Patients with Shunted Hydrocephalus

WOS: 000276525300005PubMed: 20379471Objective : This study is planned to determine the neurocognitive difficulties of hydrocephalic adults. Methods : The research group contained healthy adults (control group, n : 15), and hydrocephalic adults (n : 15). Hydrocephalic group consisted of patients with idiopathic aquaduct stenosis and post-meningitis hydrocephalus. All patients were followed with shunted hydrocephalus and not gone to shunt revision during last two years. They were chosen from either asymptomatic or had only minor symptoms without motor and sensorineural deficit. A neuropsychological test battery (Raven Standart Progressive Matrices, Bender-Gestalt Test, Cancellation Test, Clock Drawing Test, Facial Recognition Test, Line Orientation Test, Serial Digit Learning Test, Stroop Color Word Interference Test-TBAG Form, Verbal Fluency Test, Verbal Fluency Test, Visual-Aural Digit Span Test-B) was applied to all groups. Results : Neuropsychological assessment of hydrocephalic patients demonstrated that they had poor performance on visual, semantic and working memory, visuoconstructive and frontal functions, reading, attention, motor coordination and executive function of parietal lobe which related with complex and perseverative behaviour. Eventually, these patients had significant impairment on the neurocognitive functions of their frontal, parietal and temporal lobes. On the other hand, the statistical analyses performed on demographic data showed that the aetiology of the hydrocephalus, age, sex and localization of the shunt (frontal or posterior parietal) did not affect the test results. Conclusion : This prospective study showed that adult patients with hydrocephalus have serious neuropsychological problems which might be directly caused by the hydrocephalus: and these problems may cause serious adaptive difficulties in their social, cultural, behavioral and academic life

Memory Difficulties of Adult Patients with Shunted Hydrocephalus: A Clinical Study

WOS: 000293805200007PubMed: 21845567AIM: The purpose of this prospective study was to describe memory problems of adult patients with hydrocephalus. MATERIAL and METHODS: The research group consisted of healthy adults (control group) and hydrocephlic adults (hydrocephalus group). The hydrocephalus group (n: 19) had no clinical signs or symptoms of increased intracerebral pressure. The control group (n:20) was chosen from healthy adults. Both groups were evaluated by an experienced neuro-psychologist blinded to the groups. The examiner performed a battery of three different neuropsychological tests (Raven Standart Progressive Matrices, RSPM; Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, RCFT; and Rey Auditory-Verbal Learning Test, AVLT) to all groups. RESULTS: Almost all subtest scores of the AVLT and RCFT remained significant after the RSPM scores were controlled. Almost all neuropsychological test results of the hydrocephalus group were significantly worse than control group. CONCLUSION: This prospective study showed that adult patients with hydrocephalus have serious problems in memory function which might be directly caused by the hydrocephalus

Long-term results of total hip arthroplasty in developmental dysplasia of hip patients

Objectives: This study aims to report the physiological and radiological long-term results of total hip arthroplasty (THA) combined with or without subtrochanteric osteotomy in a group of developmental dysplasia of hip (DDH) patients