Willingness to Buy Foreign Products in Relation to Ethnocentric Tendencies and Worldminded Attitudes of Consumers

AbstractThe aim of this study is to investigate how consumer ethnocentrism and worldmindedness change consumer attitudes, and how domestic product judgment moderates this relationship. Associated hypotheses are tested with data collected with a field survey of a sample of 292 consumers in Çanakkale. The research illustrates the worldmindedness construct with recognized consumer ethnocentrism notion. Results reveal that consumer ethnocentrism is negatively related to willingness to buy foreign products, and domestic product judgment does not have significant moderating effect in this relationship. Worldmindedness, on the contrary, is not related with willingness to buy foreign products, but domestic product judgment has a significant moderator role on the relationship between worldmindedness and willingness to buy foreign products. At the end, the research findings are discussed and also future research opportunities are presented

Revegetation of Abandoned Sulphur Flotation Waste in Keciborlu, Isparta/Turkey: Heavy Metals Concentrations of Growing Media and Agropyron elongatum Grass

The main objectives of the study are to evaluate the effectiveness of using amendment materials (calcareous soil and farmyard manure) and to grow Agropyron elongatum (tall wheat grass) for the revegetation of sulphur flotation waste in tailing ponds. Calcareous soil (CS) at 10, 20, 30, 40% and farmyard manure (FYM) at 4, 8% were applied to the flotation waste (FW). pH, electrical conductivity (EC), DTPA-extractable Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pd, Cd, Co concentrations of growing media, also, total Fe, Zn, Mn, Cu, Ni, Cr, Pd, Cd, Co concentrations of plants were analysed together with the dry weight yield of the plant which were determined at end of the experiment. The results have shown that pH, shoot Zn, Mn, Cu and Pb concentrations increased by CS-alone but this increment tended to decrease by FYM. The EC, DTPA-extractable Fe, Zn, Mn, Ni, Cr, Co and shoot Fe, Ni, Cr, Co concentrations were decreased by CS-alone, but this decline tended to increase by FYM. There was no change in DTPA-extractable Pb and Cd concentrations between CS and CS with FYM. The dry weight of the plant shoots increased CS with FYM more than CS-alone. The plant grew well and had high cover in CS with FYM treatments compared to CS-alone. However this work indicates that A. elongatum can be used to revegetate sulphur flotation waste, further studies with different plant species are needed in order to obtain better plant cover in revegetation efforts

Rola krążącego sTWEAK w patogenezie choroby Hashimoto — badanie pilotażowe

  Introduction: We aimed to investigate the role of sTWEAK in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, which is a chronic inflammatory autoimmune disease. Material and methods: A total of 80 patients were included in the study, 60 of whom were newly diagnosed with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (20 patients in each of the euthyroid, subclinical hypothyroid, and overt hypothyroid subgroups), and 20 of whom were healthy volunteers. Thyroid function tests and autoantibodies were measured using the electro-chemiluminescence immunoassay method, and sTWEAK, IL-17A, IL-12, and TGF-beta1 were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. Results: The Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis group had lower levels of sTWEAK and TGF-beta1, but had higher levels of IL-12 and IL-17A as compared to the control group. Of these, only the difference between IL-17A levels reached statistical significance (2.1 pg/mL vs. 1.8 pg/mL, respectively; p < 0.001). While the levels of sTWEAK were similar in the control, euthyroid, and subclinical groups, the overt hypothyroidism group had lower level of sTWEAK than that of subclinical hypothyroidism (687.6 ± 153.3 pg/mL vs. 888.2 ± 374.4 pg/mL, respectively; p = 0.03). A negative correlation was determined between sTWEAK level and anti-TPO (r = –0.533, p = 0.028) and IL-17A (r = –0.600, p = 0.005) levels in the overt hypothyroidism group. Conclusions: The reduced levels of sTWEAK with progression of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and the significant correlation between the sTWEAK levels and anti-TPO found in this study suggest that sTWEAK plays an active role in chronic inflammation in the pathogenesis of Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and in the progression of autoimmunity. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (6): 562–566)    Wstęp: Badanie przeprowadzono w celu ustalenia roli sTWEAK w patogenezie zapalenia tarczycy Hashimoto, przewlekłej zapalnej choroby autoimmunologicznej. Materiał i metody: Do badania włączono łącznie 80 chorych, w tym 60 osób z nowo rozpoznaną chorobą Hashimoto (po 20 chorych w podgrupach z eutyreozą, subkliniczną niedoczynnością tarczycy i jawną niedoczynnością tarczycy) i 20 zdrowych ochotników. Badania czynności tarczycy oraz oznaczenia stężenia autoprzeciwciał przeprowadzono przy użyciu metod elektrochemiluminescencji, a stężenia sTWEAK, IL-17A, IL-12 i TGF-beta1 oznaczono za pomocą testów enzymatycznych. Wyniki: W grupie osób z chorobą Hashimoto stężenia sTWEAK i TGF-beta1 były niższe, a stężenia IL-12 i IL-17A wyższe niż w grupie kontrolnej. Jednak tylko różnice między stężeniami IL-17A osiągnęły poziom istotności statystycznej (odpowiednio 2,1 pg/ml vs. 1,8 pg/ml; p < 0,001). Podczas gdy stężenia sTWEAK były podobne w grupach kontrolnej, z eutyreozą i z subkliniczną niedoczynnością tarczycy, stężenia sTWEAK w grupie z jawną niedoczynnością tarczycy były niższe niż u osób z subkliniczną niedoczynnością tarczycy (odpowiednio 687,6 ± 153,3 pg/ml vs. 888,2 ± 374,4 pg/ml; p = 0,03). Stwierdzono ujemną korelację między stężeniem sTWEAK a stężeniami przeciwciał przeciw TPO (r = –0,533; p = 0,028) oraz IL-17A (r = –0,600; p = 0.005) w grupie z jawną niedoczynnością tarczycy. Wnioski: Obniżanie się stężenia sTWEAK z progresją choroby Hashimoto oraz istotna korelacja między stężeniem sTWEAK a stężeniem przeciwciał przeciw TPO stwierdzone w tym badaniu wskazują, że sTWEAK odgrywa aktywną rolę w przewlekłym zapaleniu w patogenezie choroby Hashimoto, a także w progresji autoagresji. (Endokrynol Pol 2016; 67 (6): 562–566)

The Impact of Interest Rate Changes by Federal Reserve On Turkey

Central banks play an important role in the direction of capital flows through the interest rate channel. Capital flows also impact the exchange rate, which are important goals of monetary policy. Due to the prominence of the U.S. Dollar in international trade, decisions made by the Federal Reserve Bank (FED) also affect the decisions of Central Banks of other countries. During the 2008 financial crisis the FED reached the zero-bound of its policy rate (the federal funds rate) and engaged in quantitative easing. This lead to capital outflows from developing countries, who then raised interest rates defensively to protect their economies from adverse effects in their terms of trade. This study examines the relationship between interest rates, effective exchange rates and growth by means of Granger Causality test, as a result of interest rates determined by FED in post-2003 period, in the direction of interest rate Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT/TCMB) applies to Dollar deposits. Turkey is a country that floats its exchange rate but protects against large movements. According to analysis results, the decisions made by CBRT are affected by FED interest rate changes. On the other hand, it was concluded that there was not any effect of CBRT interest rates on the exchange rate, consistent with its floating regime

Retroperitoneal ganglionörom

Nöroblastom, ganglionöroblastom ve ganglionörom sempatik sinir sistemini oluşturan, değişik derecelerde olgunlaşmış, primordial nöral krest hücrelerinden köken alan heterojen bir grup tümördür. Abdominal distansiyon, sol üst kadran ağrısı ve daire şikayetleriyle başvuran 12 yaşındaki erkek hastaya yapılan tetkikler sonucu rastlantısal olarak primer retroperitoneal ganglionörom saptanmıştır.Neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroblastoma and ganglioneuroma are tumors of varying maturity derived from the primordial neural crest cells that form the sympathetic nervous system. A primary extraadrenal retroperitoneal ganglioneuroma was found incidentally in a 12-year-old boy during a series of examinations for abdominal distension, left upper quadrant pain and diarrhoea

Altos níveis de cobre no solo e nas folhas reduz crescimento e produtividade de tomateiros

Fertilizantes, fungicidas e bactericidas cúpricos são usados em larga escala em casas de vegetação na Turquia. Informações sobre os efeitos das aplicações destes produtos sobre as plantas são escassas. Este trabalho investiga os efeitos da aplicação de Cu na forma de CuSO4.5H2O a um solo calcário (0, 1000 e 2000 mg Cu kg-1) e em cobertura (controle, semanal e duas vezes por semana), nas formas de oxicloreto de cobre ou calda bordalesa na produção total, número de frutas, peso seco da raiz e altura de tomateiros cultivados em casa de vegetação. Produtividade total, número de frutas por planta, peso seco da raiz e altura das plantas foram reduzidas pelo aumento da quantidade de Cu aplicado ao solo. O aumento da concentração de CU no solo e folhas diminuiu número final de frutos por planta, peso seco da raiz e altura da planta na quarta, quinta e sexta semanas. A aplicação combinada de Cu ao solo e em cobertura pode ser mais deletéria às plantas que a aplicação de Cu somente ao solo ou em cobertura.Copper-containing fertilizers, fungicides and bactericides are extensively used in greenhouses in Turkey. Informations on effects of these applications to plants are scarce. The aim of the present study was to investigate effects of Cu application to a calcareous soil and to leaves on the yield and growth of tomato plants. Cu was first applied to soil as CuSO4.5H2O in three different levels (0, 1000, and 2000 mg Cu kg-1) and then to leaves in three different frequencies (no application, biweekly and weekly) using two cupric fungicides (Cu oxychloride, and Cu salts of fatty and rosin acids) in pot experiments carried out in a computer-controlled greenhouse. Total yield, fruit number, dry root weight and plant height decreased with increasing Cu application to soil. Increasing levels of Cu applied to soil and leaves resulted in decreasing final fruit number, dry root weight and plant height in 4th, 5th and 6th weeks. Combined applications of Cu to soil and leaves could be more deleterious to plants than when Cu is applied only to soil or leaves

The effects of crypto-currency miming on environmental sustainability

Şifreli blok zincir teknolojisi kullanılarak üretilen kriptoparalar son 10 yılda piyasa değeri ve işlem hacmi itibariyle gösterdikleri gelişimle finansal piyasalar ve yatırımcılar açısından hem sağladıkları getiri imkânı hem de esnek üretim kabiliyetleriyle önemli fırsatlar sunmakta, küresel ölçekte önemli bir dönüşümü beraberinde getirmektedirler. Bununla birlikte, kripto madenciliği sürecinde gerçekleşen enerji tüketimi, karbon emisyonu ve elektronik atık miktarı önemli çevresel etkiler ortaya çıkarmakta ve ileriye yönelik tehditler oluşturmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, kriptopara madenciliğinde yapılan işlemlerin neden olduğu etkiler global ısınma ve iklim değişikliği de dahil olmak üzere çevresel sürdürülebilirliğe olan etkileri boyutuyla çok yönlü olarak incelenmektedir. Çalışma sonuçları, kriptopara madenciliği sonucu tüketilen enerjinin, gerçekleşen karbon emisyonu ve elektronik atık miktarının artan büyüklükleri itibariyle küresel ısınma, iklim değişikliği ve hava kirliliği gibi önemli çevresel etkileri olduğunu, bu etkilerin azaltılamaması durumunda hem kriptopara piyasalarının hem de çevresel sürdürülebilirliğin olumsuz etkilenebileceğini göstermektedir. Bu etkilerin azaltılabilmesi ve kripto madenciliğinde kullanılan donanımın verimliliğinin artırılabilmesi için yenilikçi adımların atılması, yeni yasal düzenlemelerin getirilmesi, farklı kanıt protokollerinin kullanılması ve yenilenebilir enerji kaynaklarından daha fazla istifade edilmesi gerekmektedir.Cryptocurrencies derived by a cryptographic blockchain technology have shown an impressive growth in market value and trading volume over the last decade, leading to a significant transformation in financial markets. These digital assets do not only produce satisfactory returns for investors but also guarantee quick transfer of ownership by its decentralized, safe, and flexible system. However, the growing popularity of cryptocurrencies also brings several challenges and concerns for environmental sustainability due to high energy consumption, carbon emission and electronic waste generated by crypto-mining process. This study discusses the effects of crypto mining on environmental sustainability, particularly focusing on global warming and climate change. The findings show that crypto-mining has negative effects on climate change and air pollution by its increasing electricity consumption, carbon emission and electronic waste and may seriously influence the sustainability of crypto-markets and environmental eco-system. Thus, policy makers should take innovative actions to increase the efficiency of the hardware used in crypto-mining, introduce minimum standards, impose new regulations i.e., carbon emission tax and encourage increasing use of renewable energy sources for crypto-mining to preserve environmental sustainability

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of malignant melanoma in Southeast Anatolia in Turkey

Introduction: The present study aimed to establish the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with malignant melanoma (MM). Methods: The present study retrospectively analyzed the data of 78 patients who were histopathologically diagnosed with MM in Dicle University Medical Faculty, Dermatology and Medical Oncology departments between 2005 and 2014. Results: The study included 78 patients in total with 44 (56.4%) male and 34 (43.6%) female. Median age of the patients was 62.50 years (range: 27 - 84 years). Of the patients, 78.2% (n=61) had cutaneous melanoma, 8.9% had solid organ melanoma, and 2.5% had ocular and mucosal melanoma. The most common tumor localization among the patients was the lower extremities with 29.4% (n=23). The most common histopathological type was nodular malignant melanoma with 35.8% (n=28). Based on TNM, Clark and Breslow classifications, 26.9% (n=21) of the patients were stage 4, 26.9% (n=21) were Clark stage 4, and 37.1% (n=29) were Breslow stage 4. Median overall survival in all patients was 14.9 months (95% CI 10.9 - 18.8 months). In the multivariate Cox analysis, only stage statistically significantly affecting survival [odds ratio (OR): 0.54; (95% CI 0.16-1.82, p=0.02)]. Conclusion: Malignant melanoma data are also important for the optimal utilization of effective methods and healthcare resources to prevent the disease. In order to minimize MM mortality and morbidity, not only the society but also physicians from primary and secondary care hospitals should become familiar with melanoma.Pan African Medical Journal 2016; 2

Does non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase tumor necrosis factor-alpha levels?

Background: The study was designed to investigate the possible effects of the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs on the levels of TNF-alpha in osteoarthritis patients.  Methods: Three different non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug; diclofenac sodium (100 mg), indomethacin (25 mg) and nabumethon (500 mg) have been included to the study. Twenty osteoarthritis patients who do not have another inflammatory disease for each group of NSAID were recruited from outpatients’ clinics of our hospital. Blood samples of these patients were collected before (at 0 hour) and after (at first and sixth hours) one of these NSAIDs was given orally for the sequential measurements of the serum levels of TNF-α.Results: In all groups, levels of TNF-alpha were similar at the beginning of the study before the placebo and drugs. One hour later, after the NSAIDs were given, increased levels of TNF-alpha were obtained in diclophenac and nabumethone (55.4 ± 52.4 and 35.7 ± 27.9) groups. In contrast to diclofenac group, increased levels of TNF-alpha was insignificant in nabumethone group (P>0.05). However, at six hours later after drugs have been given, TNF-alpha levels decreased to basic levels at the beginning in only nabumethone group. Levels of the TNF-alpha in diclofenac group (101.9 ± 142.2) increased significantly at sixth hour, too. In contrast to this result, insignificant increase has been found in indomethacin and nabumethone groups (39.6 ± 34.6 and 30.2 ± 15.9). No significant changes were obtained in control group.Conclusions: This study shows that levels of TNF-alpha may increase after NSAIDs have been taken orally. NSAIDs effects in our study, increasing TNF-alpha levels may cause unexpected results and may also alter the inflammation.  

Rapid and enhanced germination at low temperature of alfalfa and white clover seeds following osmotic priming

Abstract Seeds of alfalfa (Medicago sativa) and white clover (Trifolium repens) were primed in 3 priming solutions [2% NaCl, 2% KNO 3 and 300 g/L polyethylene glycol (PEG)] for 2 days at 20°C and their subsequent germination compared with that of untreated seed. Four replications of 50 seeds for germination and 25 seeds for emergence were arranged in a 2-factor factorial completely randomised design. All priming treatments significantly (P<0.05) advanced germination rate and percentage of white clover at 15°C, but produced minimal or negative effects on alfalfa. Priming with PEG significantly (P<0.05) reduced time to 50% of final germination percentage (G 50 = 4.2 days) of white clover in comparison with control seeds (G 50 = 6.5 days). The results indicated that priming seeds in KNO 3 for 2 days at 20°C could improve germination rate and germination percentage of white clover at 15 o C. Possible reasons for the differing responses in the two species are discussed