73 research outputs found
Assessing the Currency Crises in Turkey
This study presents the significance of the currency crises, discusses the related literature and applies a model of economic vulnerability to Turkey during 1985Q2-2004Q2. The common approach in currency crisis literature is to focus on the performance of thresholds for a set of early warning indicators. Following the explanation of “Index of Speculative Pressure” (ISP), Granger causes of the ISP is discussed. The study shows that, current account/ GDP ratio, M2/international reserves ratio, real credit growth and current account/foreign direct investment ratio are Granger causes of the ISP at 1% level. Then by using Vector Auto Regression (VAR) model, the ISP index is forecasted. The study shows that the combination of VAR(1)+VAR(2)+VAR(5) models generate relatively better forecast values than all other single models. Finally the study estimates dynamic probit and logit models by using maximum likelihood to predict currency crises. It shows that logit model gives a better performance than the probit, for a better prediction of the probabilities of the Turkish currency crises. The most important contribution of this study is to show that the logit model has a very high performance in the prediction of Turkish currency crises. It can be used to foresee forthcoming currency crises. Also the forecast of the ISP (as a level) is giving very successful results. It is observed that the ISP and forecasted ISP values are almost moving together or very close to each other.Currency Crises, Speculative Pressure, Exchange Rates, Financial Crises
English language teachers’ conceptualizations of one-to-one private tutoring: An international phenomenographic study
Private English tutoring, understood as the paid English teaching service offered to
students to supplement their learning of English at school or prepare them for an examination
in English, has become a popular out-of-school learning activity. In order to obtain deeper
insights into its intricacies, the need arises to examine the experience of one of its pivotal stakeholders – the private tutors. This article is based on a phenomenographic study with a view to investigating the conceptions of private tutoring held by 15 English teachers from three countries (Poland, Portugal, and Turkey) who offer private teaching services in English in their local contexts. The findings suggest that there are at least three conceptions according to which private tutoring can be experienced by the participants: as a source of income, as helping, and as professional development. The study also poses the question if there is space for formal training of private tutors and calls for further research into English private tutoring
Lead Removal from Industrial Waste
In this study, the heavy metal removal performance of poly 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-N-methacryloyl- L -histidine methyl ester , poly HEMA-MAH cryogel, a known polymer, in HNO was investigated. To determine the heavy metal removal performance of cryogel, wastewater was used as obtained from an inorganic material manufacturer. The characterization studies using scanning electron microscopy SEM , Fourier transform infrared FT-IR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, waterswelling tests and surface area analysis were conducted. The effect of HNO3 on the adsorption process, especially for metals, was found very effective even in trace amount
Factors associated with substance use among preclinical medical students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study
Introduction: Medical students experience high levels of stress due to their rigorous training, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate substance use habits of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and the association on their mental health and demographic factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March-April 2022 among preclinical medical students (years 1-3 of a 6-year program). A confidential, anonymous online survey consisting of four sections on sociodemographic and educational characteristics, nicotine use and dependence [Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)], alcohol use [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], mental health status [12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)], was distributed to 1131 students via WhatsApp and Telegram text messages. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests compared variables’ distribution in the questionnaire categories. Spearman's correlation assessed associations between scales. Significance was p < 0.05.
Results: The study included 190 medical students. A total of 26.3% of the participants were smokers, with 8.4% showing moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence. An estimated 45.8% and 8.4% reported low-risk consumption and risky usage of alcohol, respectively. There were statistically significant associations between substance use and demographic factors such as sex, GPA, and religious belief. The study found a statistically significant correlation between FTND scores and GHQ-12 scores, and, between FTND scores and AUDIT scores.
Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health and academic performance of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Furthermore, it will raise awareness about the importance of addressing substance use among medical students in Turkey
Risk factors of multidrug-resistant bacteria in community-acquired urinary tract infections
Background: Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are one of the most seen
infection among community. Objectives: In this cross-sectional study we
aimed to investigate the risk factors of multidrug-resistant (MDR)
bacteria that caused community-acquired UTI (CA-UTI). Methods:
Consecutive patients admitted to the Urology and Infectious Diseases
policlinics with the diagnosis of CA-UTI were included in the study. A
standard form including possible predisposing factors for MDR bacteria
was applied. Results: In total, 240 patients (51.3% females) were
enrolled in the study. The mean age of participants were 59.8 \ub1
18.3 years old. Escherichia coli (n =166; 69.2%)was the most
frequently isolated bacteria and its incidence was higher in females
than in males (p=0.01). In total, 129 (53.8%) of the identified
pathogens were MDR bacteria. According to multivariate analysis, the
use of antibiotics three or more times increased the risk of infection
with MDR bacteria by 4.6 times, the history of urinary tract infection
in the last 6 months by 2 times, being male and over 65 years old by 3
times. Conclusion: Doctors should consider prescribing broad-spectrum
antibiotics in patients with severe UTIs with a history of UTI,
advanced age, male gender, and multiple antibiotic usage, even if they
have a CA-UTI
Factors associated with substance use among preclinical medical students in Turkey: a cross-sectional study
Introduction: Medical students experience high levels of stress due to their rigorous training, which can negatively affect their mental health. This study aimed to investigate substance use habits of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa and the association on their mental health and demographic factors.
Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted in March-April 2022 among preclinical medical students (years 1-3 of a 6-year program). A confidential, anonymous online survey consisting of four sections on sociodemographic and educational characteristics, nicotine use and dependence [Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND)], alcohol use [Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT)], mental health status [12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12)], was distributed to 1131 students via WhatsApp and Telegram text messages. Mann-Whitney U and Kruskal Wallis tests compared variables’ distribution in the questionnaire categories. Spearman's correlation assessed associations between scales. Significance was p < 0.05.
Results: The study included 190 medical students. A total of 26.3% of the participants were smokers, with 8.4% showing moderate to high levels of nicotine dependence. An estimated 45.8% and 8.4% reported low-risk consumption and risky usage of alcohol, respectively. There were statistically significant associations between substance use and demographic factors such as sex, GPA, and religious belief. The study found a statistically significant correlation between FTND scores and GHQ-12 scores, and, between FTND scores and AUDIT scores.
Conclusion: The findings of this study will inform the development of interventions to improve the mental health and academic performance of medical students at Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa. Furthermore, it will raise awareness about the importance of addressing substance use among medical students in Turkey
Analysis of human body kinematics using a hybrid markerless video acquisition and processing
A main objective of the human movement analysis is the quantitative description of joint
kinematics and kinetics. This information may have great possibility to address clinical problems
both in orthopaedics and motor rehabilitation. Previous studies have shown that the assessment of
kinematics and kinetics from stereophotogrammetric data necessitates a setup phase, special
equipment and expertise to operate. Besides, this procedure may cause feeling of uneasiness on the
subjects and may hinder with their walking. The general aim of this thesis is the implementation
and evaluation of new 2D markerless techniques, in order to contribute to the development of an
alternative technique to the traditional stereophotogrammetric techniques.
At first, the focus of the study has been the estimation of the ankle-foot complex kinematics
during stance phase of the gait. Two particular cases were considered: subjects barefoot and
subjects wearing ankle socks. The use of socks was investigated in view of the development of the
hybrid method proposed in this work. Different algorithms were analyzed, evaluated and
implemented in order to have a 2D markerless solution to estimate the kinematics for both cases.
The validation of the proposed technique was done with a traditional stereophotogrammetric
system. The implementation of the technique leads towards an easy to configure (and more
comfortable for the subject) alternative to the traditional stereophotogrammetric system.
Then, the abovementioned technique has been improved so that the measurement of knee
flexion/extension could be done with a 2D markerless technique. The main changes on the
implementation were on occlusion handling and background segmentation. With the additional
constraints, the proposed technique was applied to the estimation of knee flexion/extension and
compared with a traditional stereophotogrammetric system. Results showed that the knee
flexion/extension estimation from traditional stereophotogrammetric system and the proposed
markerless system were highly comparable, making the latter a potential alternative for clinical use.
A contribution has also been given in the estimation of lower limb kinematics of the children
with cerebral palsy (CP). For this purpose, a hybrid technique, which uses high-cut underwear and
ankle socks as “segmental markers” in combination with a markerless methodology, was proposed.
The proposed hybrid technique is different than the abovementioned markerless technique in terms
of the algorithm chosen. Results showed that the proposed hybrid technique can become a simple
and low-cost alternative to the traditional stereophotogrammetric systems
Assessing Ecotourism Potential of Traditional Wooden Architecture in Rural Areas: The Case of Papart Valley
The aim of this study is to reveal the resource values that the rural areas host, and with a very disciplined approach, to discuss opportunities to benefit from those values in terms of ecotourism practices specific to Papart Valley. As a first step in this study, we took an inventory of natural and cultural assets of Papart Valley in Eastern Black Sea Region, Artvin province. Then, a Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats ( SWOT) analysis was conducted with the participation of all stakeholders and the current situation was analyzed in terms of ecotourism practices. In light of SWOT results, along with observed natural resource assets in the region, the traditional wooden houses were seen to have potential in terms of ecotourism and it was detected that there were a large number of wooden homes and home plans suitable for both the settlement of the local people and accommodation of guests. On the other hand, it was determined that there was a lack of information for sufficient protection and care of wooden houses, and despite their potential, there was a lack of regulations and positive attitudes towards accomodation businesses in traditional wooden houses. In order to eliminate these deficiencies, proposals for the protection of traditional building stock were developed, by first determining the causes of material degradation in the wooden houses. Also, to emphasize the worth and importance of these structures, dendrochronology studies were conducted in order to determine the antiquity of the structures and potentially to make them more attractive for eco-tourism
Comparing the Distances of Different Intramuscular Gluteal Injection Sites to the Sciatic Nerve
Introduction: Sciatic nerve injury is a well-known complication of intra-muscular gluteal muscle injections. Affected individuals usually present with foot drop and this results in varying degrees of motor disability. There are different sites such as ventrogluteal, dorsogluteal that can be used for gluteal injections. In last years, the ventrogluteal site is accepted as a more safe and suitable injection site than dorsogluteal site. This study was carried out to compare the distance to the siatic nerve under the piriformis muscle of these different gluteal injection sites. The study also aimed to evaluate the muscle thicknesses at these injection sites. Materials and Methods: Twenty five participants with BMI<22 were recruited from outpatient clinic that were prescribed intramuscular treatment. Firstly, by an experienced nurse the dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal injection points have been marked. By using a linear array probe (7–12 MHz Logiq P5a) the distances of both the dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal sites to the siatic nerve just under the piriformis muscle have been measured. Later on the muscle thickness at these sites were measured. Result: The mean distances between the dorsogluteal and ventrogluteal injection points to the siatic nerve under the piriformis muscle are consecutively 9±2.3cm and 18±3.5 cm. No statistical difference has been found between the muscle thickness of the ventrogluteal and dorsogluteal injections sites (p<0.01).Conclusion: According to the distance to sciatic nerve, the ventrogluteal injection site seems a more advisable and safe injection point. </p
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