Convergence in house prices across OECD countries: A panel data analysis

This study examines whether housing prices converged in OECD countries over the 1996–2015 period. The unconditional and conditional convergence hypotheses are tested via the system-GMM method using five-year span panel data of twenty OECD countries. The results reveal that there exists a significant convergence process within this country group. To test the conditional convergence hypothesis, the convergence equation is estimated also with some control variables that may reflect market activity and demand side impacts such as income level, construction, unemployment rate, permits for dwellings and share prices. The findings show that the speed of convergence is even higher when the above-mentioned variables are controlled

VISUOMOTOR AND AUDIOMOTOR REACTION TIME IN ELITE AND NON-ELITE BADMINTON PLAYERS

The ability to quickly perceive appropriate motor response is essential in the badminton sport under the critical time pressure. This study aimed to evaluate the visual and auditory reaction time, speed, anaerobic power and vertical jump between elite and non-elite badminton athletes. With this purpose, various anthropometric measurements, hexagonal obstacle test, vertical jump test, anaerobic power measurement and auditory and visual reaction time tests were performed to the elite and non-elite athletes. When auditory reaction time, vertical jump and anaerobic power measurements were evaluated, there was no significant difference between the elite and non-elite groups, but it was noticed that there was a significant differences in quickness and visual reaction time in favor of elite athletes. It is also seen that speed and visual reaction time have a positive effect on badminton athletes are able to get to the high performance level in other literature information. For this reason, it has been thought that training programs designed for badminton athletes by considering these physiological parameters and training systems designed to increase the reaction time may be beneficial.  Article visualizations

Актуальные вопросы развития правового регулирования арбитража (третейского разбирательства) в Российской Федерации

В магистерской диссертации ставились следующие цели и задачи: Целью работы является изучение теоретических и практических проблем, связанных с отдельными вопросами арбитрабельности споров в развитии законодательства и судебной практики. Актуальность вопроса вызвана произошедшей в 2015-2016 гг. в РФ реформой третейского разбирательства, связанной с принятием Федерального закона от 29.12.2015 № 382-ФЗ «Об арбитраже (третейском разбирательстве) в Российской Федерации» и Федерального закона от 29.12.2015 № 409-ФЗ «О внесении изменений в отдельные законодательные акты Российской Федерации и признании утратившим силу пункта 3 части 1 статьи 6 Федерального закона „О саморегулируемых организациях“ в связи с принятием Федерального закона „Об арбитраже (третейском разбирательстве) в Российской Федерации». В основу исследования легли правовые позиции, выраженные в Постановлении Президиума ВАС РФ от 11.02.2014 № 11059/13 по делу № А26-9592/2012, а также отдельных выводов, сформулированных в Определениях КС РФ от 15.01.2015 № 5-О и от 29.09.2015 № 2214-О, касающихся вопросов установления критериев, позволяющих сделать вывод о неарбитрабельности споров, возникающих из природоресурсных договоров, и, в частности, из такого основания для возникновения специального права лесопользования, как договор аренды лесного участка, заключенного в целях заготовки древесины. Помимо вышеуказанного, к задачам и целям исследования относятся: 1. Обзор существующих в доктрине права третейского разбирательства научных взглядов и представлений об институте арбитрабельности споров, их краткая характеристика. Изложение автором собственной позиции в отношении критериев арбитрабельности. 2. Характеристика лесных имущественных правоотношений, основанных на договорных основаниях возникновения права природопользования. Исследование вопроса арбитрабельности споров, возникающих из лесных имущественных правоотношений, с позиции материально-правового (позитивного) критерия установления арбитрабельности. Анализ стадий заключения, исполнения, расторжения договора аренды лесного участка, а также признания его недействительным. 3. Исследование вопроса о допустимости передачи гражданско-правового спора, возникшего из лесных имущественных правоотношений, на рассмотрение в третейский суд с позиции обеспечения необходимых гарантий прав участников юрисдикционного процесса в рамках процессуальной формы арбитража, в её соотношении с судопроизводством, осуществляемом по правилам АПК РФ и ГПК РФ. Выводы, сделанные по результатам исследования: • Изменения, внесенные в правовое регулирование арбитража в результате третейской реформы, позволяют расширить категории споров, относимых к компетенции третейского суда ввиду «юридизации» процедуры третейского разбирательства с одной стороны, и усиления диспозитивных начал в определении правил арбитража – с другой. • Ввиду особенностей третейского процесса, следует согласиться с позицией ВАС РФ о том, что споры, возникающие на стадии заключения договора аренды лесного участка, в настоящий момент являются неарбитрабельными по причине необходимости учёта законных интересов заведомо неопределённого круга лиц – потенциальных участников аукциона по продаже права на заключение договора аренды лесного участка. Представляется, что соответствующая позиция правомерна до принятия изменений в законодательном регулировании, обеспечивающих учет интересов широкого круга субъектов при обращении за юрисдикционной защитой в третейский суд – по аналогии с арбитражем корпоративных споров. • Публичный интерес РФ, субъектов РФ, выражающийся в необходимости соблюдения природоохранных требований, а также в администрировании неналоговых доходов бюджетов, не может являться аргументом в признании данной категории споров неарбитрабельными. Данный публичный интерес в конкретном деле, рассмотренном ВАС РФ, не сводим к содержанию «публичного порядка», либо «основополагающих принципов российского права», являющимися безусловными основаниями для отмены решения третейского суда. Аналогичный вывод следует и применительно к объекту лесного правоотношения – земельного участка лесного фонда. • Процессуальная форма арбитража как до проведения третейской реформы, так и после неё позволяет отнести к категории арбитрабельных споров, возникающих в связи с исполнением, изменением, расторжением договора аренды лесного участка, признания его недействительным, поскольку стороны третейского соглашения вправе предъявлять повышенные требования к механизму юрисдикционной защиты прав участника арендного правоотношения, а также приспособить процедуру третейского разбирательства к особенностям экономической деятельности в сфере лесного хозяйства. • С учетом судебной практики Европейского Суда по правам человека, заключение сторонами арбитражного соглашения рассматривается как допустимое в определенной степени ограничение права на судебную защиту. В связи с этим, стороны арбитражного соглашения, признавая компетенцию третейского суда по окончательному разрешению гражданско-правового спора, несут повышенный риск совершения, либо не совершения ими необходимых процессуальных действий, в том числе при выборе арбитра. Вынесенное третейским судом решение по существу обладает свойством обязательности для сторон, выражающейся, в том числе, в запрете последующего пересмотра данного решения по существу. По обстоятельствам дела, рассмотренного ВАС РФ, действия проигравшей арбитраж стороны были направлены на преодоление окончательного решения третейского суда и представляли собой злоупотребление правом. В свою очередь, ВАС РФ необоснованно не применил в отношении заявления проигравшей спор стороны правило эстоппель, применимое и в процессуальных правоотношениях.In the master's thesis, the following goals and tasks were set: The aim of the work is to study theoretical and practical problems related to specific issues of arbitrability in the development of legislation and judicial practice. The urgency of the issue is caused by happened in 2015-2016. in the Russian Federation the reform of arbitration proceedings related to the adoption of Federal Law No. 382-FZ of December 29, 2015 "On Arbitration (Arbitration) in the Russian Federation" and Federal Law No. 409-FZ of December 29, 2015 "On Amending Certain Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation and the invalidation of paragraph 3 of Part 1 of Article 6 of the Federal Law "On Self-Regulating Organizations" in connection with the adoption of the Federal Law "On Arbitration (Arbitration Proceedings) in the Russian Federation". The research was based on the legal positions expressed in the Resolution of the Presidium of the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation of 11.02.2014 No. 11059/13 in the case No. A26-9592 / 2012, as well as certain conclusions formulated by Constitutional Court of RF, Decrees No. 5-O of 15.01.2015 and 09/29/2015 № 2214-О, concerning the issues of establishing criteria allowing to conclude, that the disputes, arising from nature resources contracts are not arbitrary, and in particular from such grounds for the emergence of a special forest use right, as a lease contract for a forest plot, concluded for the purpose of harvesting timber . Besides the above-mentioned, there are following goals and tasks of the research: 1. Review of existing in the doctrine of the right of arbitration proceedings of scientific views and representations about the institution of arbitrability of disputes, their brief description. The author's statement based on his own position with respect to the criteria of arbitrability. 2. Characteristics of forest proprietary relations, based on the contractual grounds for the emergence of the right to use nature. Investigation of the issue of arbitrability of disputes arising from forest proprietary relations, from the position of a substantive (positive) criterion for establishing arbitrability. Analysis of the stages of conclusion, execution, cancellation of the lease contract for the forest plot, and its recognition as invalid. 3. Investigation of the issue of the admissibility of the transfer of a civil dispute, arising out from a forest property relations to the arbitration court, for ensuring the necessary guarantees of the rights of participants in the jurisdictional process within the procedural form of arbitration, in its relation to legal proceedings, carried out per rules of Arbitrage Procedural Code and Civil Procedural Code of Russian Federation. Conclusions drawn from the study: • The changes made to the legal regulation of arbitration because of the arbitration reform make it possible to expand the categories of disputes falling within the competence of the arbitral tribunal due to the "legalization" (formalizing) of the arbitration procedure on the one hand, and the strengthening of the discretionary principles in determining arbitration rules, on the other. • Due to the peculiarities of the arbitrage, we should agree with the position of the Supreme Arbitration Court of RF, that the disputes, arising at the stage of concluding the lease contract for the forest plot are currently non-arbitrable, considering the legitimate interests of an uncertain circle of potential participants in the auction for the sale of the right to concluding a lease agreement for a forest plot. It seems, that the corresponding position is legitimate until be made changes in the legislative regulation, that ensure the consideration of the interests of a wide range of subjects, applying for jurisdictional protection in an arbitrage - by analogy with arbitration of corporate disputes. • The public interest of the RF, RF subjects, expressed in the propositions of complying by land plot leaser environmental requirements, as well as in the administration of non-tax revenues of budgets, cannot be an argument in recognizing this category of disputes as non-arbitrable. This public interest in a case, considered by the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation is not reduced to the content of "public policy" or "fundamental principles of Russian law", which are unconditional grounds for canceling the decision of the arbitral tribunal. A similar conclusion follows also regarding to the object of the forest legal relationship - the land plot of the forest fund. • Remedial form of arbitration as before the arbitration reforms, and after them can be attributed to the category of arbitrability of disputes, arising about the execution, modification, cancellation of lease agreement, annulment; as for the parties of the arbitration agreement causes to demand higher mechanism jurisdictional protect the rights of parties, as well as to adapt the arbitration procedure to the peculiarities of the economic activity in the forestry. • Considering the judgment practice of the European Court of Human Rights, conclusion by the parties the arbitration agreement is considered as valid to some extent, restrictions on the right to judicial protection. In this regard, the parties of the arbitration agreement, recognizing the competence of the arbitral tribunal for the final settlement of a civil dispute, bear an increased risk of committing or not committing the necessary procedural actions, including choosing an arbitrator. The decision, made by the arbitrage has the property of binding on the parties, which is expressed, inter alia, in the prohibition of the subsequent revision of this decision on the merits. Due to the circumstances of the case, considered by the Supreme Arbitration Court of RF, the actions of the losing party were aimed at overcoming the final decision of the arbitration court and represented abuse of law. In turn, the Supreme Arbitration Court of the Russian Federation unreasonably denied to apply estoppel rule to the statement of the losing party of the dispute, which is also applicable in procedural legal relations

The interplay between quantitative easing, risk and competition: The case of Japanese banking

The Japanese economy is infamous for the magnitude of bank nonperforming loans that have originated back in the 1990s, whereas they are still causing controversies. Japan is also known for an extended quantitative easing programme of unprecedented scale. Yet the links between risk-taking activities, quantitative easing and bank competition are largely unexplored. This paper employs, for the first time, the Boone indicator to measure bank competition in Japan to examine these underlying linkages. Given the scale of nonperforming loans, we explicitly measure bank risk-taking based on a new data set of bankrupt and restructured loans. The dynamic panel threshold and panel Vector Autoregression analyses show that enhancing quantitative easing and competition would reduce bankrupt and restructured loans, but it would negatively affect financial stability. Given the recent adoption of negative rates in January 2016 by the Bank of Japan, our study provides new insights as clearly there is a trade-off between quantitative easing and financial stability beyond a certain threshold. Caution, therefore, regarding further scaling up quantitative easing is warranted

What is the effect of unconventional monetary policy on bank performance?

This paper examines the relationship between unconventional monetary policy and the US banking performance. Unconventional monetary policy is captured through the central bank’s assets and excess reserves. Results show that unconventional monetary policy has a negative relationship with bank performance. Further analysis shows that the negative association between unconventional monetary policy and performance is mitigated for banks with a high level of asset diversification and low deposit funding. We also find that the negative relationship between unconventional monetary policy and performance subdues for deposit insured financial institutions. Finally, we use dynamic panel threshold analysis which reveals that the negative association between unconventional monetary policy and bank performance is particularly pronounced above the reported threshold value

EXAMINING THE FEARS AND CONCERNS OF UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

This study was conducted to determine and classify the reasons for the fears and concerns that deteriorate students’ quality of life and identify the strategies they use to cope with them. The study population consisted of students in at least four-year long programs at a public University in Turkey during the 2013-2014 academic year. The sample included 403 participants. The participants were asked to answer three questions on a written document in this study, which was limited to findings obtained from the data of the study group members who were selected from the undergraduates studying at İnönü University. These questions were: Write your fears and concerns that complicate your life and reduce your quality of life. To what do you attribute the reasons for these fears and concerns? What do you do to cope with these fears and concerns?. The data obtained in writing were analyzed using descriptive analysis. A coding form for the analysis was prepared in compliance with the basic principles of this method. The reliability of the coding used in the study was examined for the codings of all data. The data were organized under three themes, considering the study questions. These themes are: types of fears and concerns, reasons for fears and concerns and methods for coping with fears and concerns. The subthemes of these themes were determined in the second stage of the study. The data obtained in the main themes and subthemes were related to one another in the third stage of the analysis, and frequency distributions were reported with direct quotations. The data indicated that students’ greatest fears and concerns were related to the present time. These fears and concerns were ordered from the most to least significant as follows: academic failure, lack of self-confidence, family-related issues (losing them or one of them, their attitudes, being away from them), issues related to bodily integrity and health, politics and government, social relations, financial possibilities, phobias, authority, spirituality and beliefs. The participants’ fears and concerns related to their future were from most to least significant: issues related to finding a job, uncertainty about the future, failure to perform what their professions require or disliking their professions, starting a family, financial possibilities and natural disasters. Participants attributed the reasons for their fears and concerns to external issues rather than internal issues. These reasons were from most to least significant: reasons related to other people, the educational system, politics and government, family, the economy, conditions in their department, spirituality and beliefs, geographical and economic conditions, unknown creatures and social media. The internal reasons were from most to least significant: reasons related to their characteristics, lack of self-confidence, issues in their lives, their health status, intolerance of uncertainties and lack of sufficient professional skills. The strategies used by the participants in this study to cope with the fears and concerns were from most to least significant: working, doing nothing or procrastinating, making suggestions for themselves and avoidance. Participants selected seeking psychological support as the least significant strategy for coping with fears and concerns. With these findings in mind, the reasons why students fail to seek psychological support to cope with the fears and concerns can be investigated

Effect of precipitation temperature and organic additives on size and morphology of ZnO nanoparticles

Low temperature (25 degrees C-80 degrees C) synthesis of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (<20 nm) at short synthesis periods (similar to 30 min) was achieved by precipitation. The precipitation system was formed using zinc acetate dihydrate as zinc source, ethylene glycol (EG) as solvent and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) as chelating agent. The size of spherical ZnO nanoparticles was manipulated by the choice of precipitation temperature (13.0 +/- 1.9 nm at 25 degrees C and 9.0 +/- 1.3 nm at 80 degrees C), which essentially changes the nature of adsorption events between ZnO crystals and organic molecules. The particle size can also be regulated by the amount of chelating agent as a result of further enhancement in adsorption between ZnO crystals and organic additives. The spherical ZnO nanoparticles were agglomerated into triangular form when different solvent was used - by substituting water for EG, which has different adsorption ability. Accordingly, formation and growth mechanisms controlling the size and morphology of ZnO nanoparticles have been proposed

Synthesis of zinc oxide nanoparticles elaborated by microemulsion method

Zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles were synthesized by a reverse microemulsion system formed from sodium bis(2-ethylhexyl)sulfosuccinate (Aerosol OT, or AOT):glycerol:n-heptane. The zinc precursor was zinc acetate dihydrate. The formation of ZnO nanoparticles was achieved by calcination of premature zinc glycerolate microemulsion product in air at 300, 400 and 500 degrees C. The crystal structure and the morphology of the ZnO nanoparticles were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Thermal analysis was employed to reveal structural and chemical changes during calcination. Both surfactant concentrations - AOT - in the initial microemulsion formulation and the calcination temperature influenced the morphology and size of the ZnO nanoparticles. Low surfactant concentrations (5:5:90, AOT:glycerol:n-heptane, wt.%) resulted in formation of spherical ZnO nanoparticles. The average particle size increased from 15 +/- 1 to 24 +/- 1 nm with calcination temperature, but spherical morphology remained unchanged after all calcination treatments. The microemulsion system containing higher surfactant amount (30:5:65, AOT:glycerol:n-heptane, wt.%) resulted in rod-like ZnO nanostructures after calcination at 300 and 400 degrees C, with a diameter of 22 +/- 3 and 28 +/- 1 nm: and with a length of 66 +/- 3 and 72 +/- 1 nm, respectively. Further increase in the calcination temperature to 500 degrees C initiated rod-to-sphere shape transformation for the ZnO nanoparticles produced using this particular microemulsion formulation. For all ZnO microemulsion products, the photoluminescence measurements suggested a high defect concentration which increases with calcination temperature. (C) 2010 Elsevier By. All rights reserved

Room temperature synthesis of Cu incorporated ZnO nanoparticles with room temperature ferromagnetic activity: Structural, optical and magnetic characterization

Copper-incorporated zinc oxide (ZnO:Cu) nanoparticles with different amounts of Cu incorporation (Cu:Zn ratio at% of 1.25, 2.5 and 5) were synthesized for the first time by a room temperature precipitation technique without any subsequent post thermal treatment. Pure ZnO nanoparticles were also synthesized for direct structural and property-related comparison purposes. ZnO:Cu nanoparticles were thoroughly characterized by x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, UV-visible and photoluminescence spectroscopy. Detailed crystallographic investigation was accomplished through Rietveld refinement. ZnO:Cu nanoparticles exhibited room temperature ferromagnetic (RTFM) property. The origin of RTFM in ZnO:Cu nanoparticles has been investigated and this property was attributed to the substitutional incorporation of Cu ions into the ZnO lattice. The evidence for substitutional incorporation has been demonstrated with the positional changes in XRD peaks of ZnO and accompanying precise lattice parameter analyses by Rietveld refinement. Chemical analysis by XPS revealed incorporation of copper as Cu2+ ions. The Rietveld-based percent occupancy values for Zn sites imply certain limited substitution of the Cu2+ ions into the ZnO lattice with the increasing amount of Cu. Meanwhile, the magnetization enhanced with increasing Cu amount, due to the narrowing band gap, suggesting that RTFM characteristics are an intrinsic property of ZnO:Cu nanoparticles. This work gives insight into the origin of RTFM in ZnO nanoparticles and can be used to enhance ferromagnetism in diluted magnetic semiconductors. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved

Effects of three different doses of atropine drops on myopic progression in children during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of low doses of atropine drops (0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% atropine sulfate) on spherical equivalent (SE) and axial length (AL) in children with myopia during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. Participants were randomly classified into 4 groups: 0.05%, 0.025%, and 0.01% doses of atropine sulfate and placebo. Cycloplegic refraction diopters and AL were regularly calculated at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the onset of treatment. At the end of the first year, the difference in the mean SE values were −1.07±0.40 D, −0.71±0.66 D, −0.53±0.46 D, and −0.35±0.62 D in the placebo, 0.01% atropine, 0.025% atropine, and 0.05% atropine groups, respectively (p [Med-Science 2023; 12(2.000): 393-7