Measuring banking efficiency in the pre- and post-liberalization environment : evidence from the Turkish banking system

The authors examine banking efficiency before and after liberalization, drawing on Turkey's experience. They also investigate the scale effect on efficiency by type of ownership. Their findings suggest that liberalization programs were followed by an observable decline in efficiency, not an improvement. During the study period Turkish banks did not operate at the optimum scale. Another unexpected result was that efficiency was no different between state-owned and privately owned banks. Banks that were privately owned or foreign owned had been expected to respond better to liberalization, because they were smaller and more dynamically structured, but they were no more efficient than state-owned banks. One reason for the systemwide decline in efficiency might have been the general increase in macroeconomic instability during the period studied.Financial Crisis Management&Restructuring,Banks&Banking Reform,Environmental Economics&Policies,Financial Intermediation,Economic Theory&Research

Phylogenetic relationship analysis of Genista L. (Fabaceae) species from Turkey as revealed by intersimple sequence repeat amplification

Genista L. (Fabaceae) is distributed in Europe, South Africa, and West Asia and consists of almost 90 species in the world. Thirteen species of the genus are distributed in Turkey. Taxonomic problems of the species started to be resolved with recently developed DNA-based molecular methods. These methods, in contrast to phenotypical analyses, are free from the effects of environmental conditions. In this study, DNA of the species which belong to the Genista genus, grown naturally in Turkey and collected from the different localities, were isolated with a commercial kit. Inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) is a simple molecular marker system that provides reliable results. Based on ISSR data, genetic similarities anddendrogram demonstrating the phylogenetic relationships among the Genista taxa were prepared by the NTSYSpc 2.0 software. In this study, infrageneric classifications of the Genista taxa belonging to the Flora of Turkey were conducted based on molecular data. ISSR analysis strongly supported the hypothesis that G. aucheri is accepted as the synonym of G. sessilifolia

Classic and spatial shift-share analysis of state-level employment change in Brazil

This paper combines classic and spatial shift-share decompositions of 1981 to 2006 employment change across the 27 states of Brazil. The classic shift-share method shows higher employment growth rates for underdeveloped regions that are due to an advantageous industry-mix and also due to additional job creation, commonly referred to as the competitive effect. Alternative decompositions proposed in the literature do not change this broad conclusion. Further examination employing exploratory spatial data analysis (ESDA) shows spatial correlation of both the industry-mix and the competitive effects. Considering that until the 1960s economic activities were more concentrated in southern regions of Brazil than they are nowadays, these results support beta convergence theories but also find evidence of agglomeration effects. Additionally, a very simple spatial decomposition is proposed that accounts for the spatially-weighted growth of surrounding states. Favourable growth in northern and centre-western states is basically associated with those states’ strengths in potential spatial spillover effect and in spatial competitive effect

Optimizing Injection Molding for Propellers with Soft Computing, Fuzzy Evaluation, and Taguchi Method

This research explores multi-objective optimization in injection molding with a focus on identifying the optimal configuration for the moldability index in aviation propeller manufacturing. The study employs the Taguchi method and fuzzy analytic hierarchy process (FAHP) combined with the Technique for the Order Performance by Similarity to the Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) to systematically evaluate diverse objectives. The investigation specifically addresses two prevalent defects—shrinkage rate and sink mark—that impact the final quality of injection-molded components. Polypropylene is chosen as the injection material, and critical process parameters encompass melt temperature, mold temperature, filling time, cooling time, and pressure holding time. The Taguchi L25 orthogonal array is selected, considering the number of levels and parameters, and Finite Element Analysis (FEA) is applied to enhance precision in results. To validate both simulation outcomes and the proposed optimization methodology, Artificial Neural Network (ANN) analysis is conducted for the chosen component. The Fuzzy-TOPSIS method, in conjunction with ANN, is employed to ascertain the optimal levels of the selected parameters. The margin of error between the chosen optimization methods is found to be less than one percent, underscoring their suitability for injection molding optimization. The efficacy of the selected optimization method has been corroborated in prior research. Ultimately, employing the fuzzy-TOPSIS optimization method yields a minimum shrinkage value of 16.34% and a sink mark value of 0.0516 mm. Similarly, utilizing the ANN optimization method results in minimum values of 16.42% for shrinkage and 0.0519 mm for the sink mark. Doi: 10.28991/ESJ-2024-08-05-025 Full Text: PD

Social and Emotional Skills in at-Risk Adolescents through Participation in Sports

(1) Background: Adolescents who are under the care of child and youth institutions are vulnerable due to factors that can include disruption to family structure or education and adverse experiences. They often experience poor or unstable support systems, leaving them at risk of delinquency. In this context, sports engagement may provide a stable structure and have positive effects in this population. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions, knowledge, beliefs, and behaviors regarding social and emotional skills among at-risk adolescents, with a specific focus on their engagement in sports. (2) Methods: Ninety-six adolescents aged 12 to 17 years (66 female, 30 male), residing in child and youth care institutions across Italy, Portugal, the UK, and Turkey, participated in this study. The participants were divided into 14 focus groups, each with six to eight participants of similar ages. (3) Results: Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: Emotional causes of behavioral problems; Emotional skills to regain control; Social support makes sports worthwhile; Sport as a socio-emotional resource. (4) Conclusions: The study findings highlight that although sports create many challenging emotional situations for these adolescents, they also provides resources that may help them cope with their emotions within and beyond sports

Urinary incontinence related to perineal muscle strength in the first trimester of pregnancy: cross-sectional study

Objective To analyze pelvic floor muscle strength (PFMS), urinary continence and quality of life related to urinary incontinence (UI) of women in the first trimester of pregnancy. Method Cross-sectional study with a sample of 500 women who started prenatal care in a complementary healthcare facility in Guarulhos, state of São Paulo, from 2012 and 2013. Pelvic floor muscle strength was evaluated through perineometry. The pregnant women who presented UI answered the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire-Short Form (ICIQ-SF). Results It was found that maternal age (OR=1.06; CI95% 1.02-1.11) and prior UI (OR=15.12; 95%CI 8.19-27.92) are the variables that, in tandem, best explain the occurrence of UI at the beginning of pregnancy. The mean score on the ICIQ-SF was 8.2 (SD=3.9), considered a moderate impact on quality of life. Conclusion Older pregnant women with prior UI are more likely to have UI in the first trimester of pregnancy.
</jats:p

Corporate governance compliance and disclosure in the banking sector: using data from Japan

Using regression model this study investigates which characteristics of a bank is associated with the extent of corporate governance disclosure in Japan. The findings suggest that on average 8 banks out of a sample of 46 disclose optimal corporate governance information. The regression model results reveal in general that non-executive directors, cross-ownership, capital adequacy ratio and type of auditors are associated with the extent of corporate governance disclosure. Of these four variables, non-executive directors have a more significant impact on the extent of disclosure contrary to total assets and audit firms of banks in the context of Japan. The findings of this paper are relevant for corporate regulators, professional associations and developers of corporate governance code when designing or updating corporate governance code

Methemoglobinemia presenting in a circumcised baby following application of prilocaine: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Local anesthesia with prilocaine has become a routine part of ambulatory circumcision procedures. Methemoglobinemia is a rare but potentially lethal complication of local anesthetics.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the case of a 40-day-old Turkish boy who presented with cyanosis after receiving local anesthesia with prilocaine. His methemoglobin level revealed severe methemoglobinemia (methemoglobin = 44%). His cyanosis resolved after intravenous administration of methylene blue.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Although the association between prilocaine use and methemoglobinemia has generally restricted the use of prilocaine in babies, it is still widely used in ambulatory procedures, especially during circumcision in the neonatal period. Prilocaine should not be used in babies who are less than 3 months old because of the risk of methemoglobinemia; other local anesthetics may be used for this age group. Furthermore, general anesthesia by mask ventilation may be favored for babies less than 3 months of age instead of local anesthetics.</p