Currency Substitution: A Case of Kazakhstan (2000:1-2007:12)

This paper aims to investigate the demand for money in Kazakhstan. This study covers the period starting from 2000:01, when capital liberalization program was launched and National Bank approved managed float regime (National Bank employed adjustable exchange rate regime before exchange rate crisis in Kazakhstan in 1999) to 2007:12 as recent available data for investigation variables. In order to achieve the goal we set demand for money function is estimated using cointegration methodology aimed for variables integrated of order one. The results show important key factors for controlling money demand could be applied by National Bank of Kazakhstan. Besides, there was reversal of currency in Kazakhstan over the period under the investigation.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/64401/1/wp946.pd

CURRENCY SUBSTITUTION: A CASE OF KAZAKHSTAN (2000:1-2007:12)

This paper aims to investigate the demand for money in Kazakhstan. This study covers the period starting from 2000:01, when capital liberalization program was launched and National Bank approved managed float regime (National Bank employed adjustable exchange rate regime before exchange rate crisis in Kazakhstan in 1999) to 2007:12 as recent available data for investigation variables. In order to achieve the goal we set demand for money function is estimated using cointegration methodology aimed for variables integrated of order one. The results show important key factors for controlling money demand could be applied by National Bank of Kazakhstan. Besides, there was reversal of currency in Kazakhstan over the period under the investigation.Demand for money, currency substitution, dollarization, Kazakhstan

Turkey’s Strategic Economic Relations with Africa: Trends and Challenges

The Ottoman Empire had extensive economic relations with Africa which provides the structural frameworks for the speedy acceleration of economic partnership and trade interactions between Africa and modern Turkey. This study seeks to examine the structural relevance, challenges and prospects of Turkey’s economic relations and interest in Africa from the traditional period of Ottoman Empire to the contemporary era of competitive interdependence. From a broad perspective, trade interactions between Turkey was driven but the values of economic pluralism and less of colonialist tendencies. Therefore, the greatest challenge that tacitly limits the geometric expansion of trade is the shift in perception of Africa as a hub for disease, economic stagnation, waste and wars. This form of stereotype is a direct input of neo-colonial propaganda adopted by the Western media to keep at bay competitive investors from Africa. So, Africa with an economic growth rate of over 5% offers Turkey new horizon for economic diversification. The consistent use of soft power by Turkey has brought new image and perception of Turkey as a credible economic partner with pragmatic approach promote symbiotic trade relations devoid of the manipulative devices of free market syndrome that benefits only the West at the detriment of Africa. Africa sees Turkey as an economic partner that will assist the continent to intensify the industrialization of its economic base in line with the global economic configuration. Therefore, Turkey-Africa economic partnership and trade volume is likely to expand in future because Turkey’s opening to Africa has created new markets and investment potential that will increase Africa’s participation in global economy and enhance Turkey’s role as a major player in the politics of resource allocation in the international economic system

Size effect in splitting diagonal cubes

The experimental investigations on fracture mechanics of cement-based materials until 1970s indicated that classical linear elastic fracture mechanics (LEFM) is invalid for quasibrittle materials such as concrete. This inapplicability of LEFM is due to existence of an inelastic zone with large scale and full cracks in front of the main crack tip in concrete. This so-called fracture process zone (FPZ) is ignored by LEFM. Consequently, several investigators have developed non-linear fracture mechanics approaches to describe failure of concrete/reinforced concrete structures. Deterministic size effect laws among these non-linear approaches, for instance size effect law (SEL) by Bazant (1984), suggest that size effect on strength is primarily related to a relatively large FPZ in concrete. One of the main requirements in this law is the need to test samples, which are geometrically similar and made of the same material, and which must provide a minimum size range=1:4. The split-tension test has been used to indirectly test the tensile strength of quasi-brittle materials such as concrete and rock. Recently, concrete splitting specimens have been commonly used in concrete fracture because they have certain advantages, such as compactness and lightness, compared to beams. However, the number of theoretical and experimental studies with diagonal split-tension specimens, to which compressive forces are applied along two opposite edges, is limited. In this study, two series of concrete diagonal cube specimens of different size (size range 1:4) were tested by splitting loading. The concrete mixes with the maximum aggregate size=8 mm were designed as the gap-graded aggregate and the continuously graded aggregate. The ultimate loads obtained from the test results were analysed via Bazant’s SEL. Consequently, it was observed from the analysis based on SEL that the concrete with gapgraded aggregate is the more ductile material than the concrete with continuously graded aggregate

Employment and Problems in Turkish Aquaculture Industry

Technical staff employment at fish farms is regulated by legislations and circulars in Turkey. However, it is frequently observed that those rules are not followed. This study deals with the resources of aquaculture production in Turkey and the actual employment situation in this area. Besides, current and ideal employees’ numbers were compared and current and ideal aquaculture engineers’ numbers in aquaculture industry were quoted. In this context, actual production, costs and fixed capital investment and sales over the last decade were assessed in relation to employment. The conclusion is that the employment problems related to the qualified workers will continue to increase in the coming years

The Absolute Parameters of The Detached Eclipsing Binary V482 Per

We present the results of the spectroscopic, photometric and orbital period variation analyses of the detached eclipsing binary \astrobj{V482~Per}. We derived the absolute parameters of the system (M$_{1}$ = 1.51 M$_{\odot}$, M$_{2}$ = 1.29 M$_{\odot}$, R$_{1}$ = 2.39 R$_{\odot}$, R$_{2}$ = 1.45 R$_{\odot}$, L$_{1}$ = 10.15 L$_{\odot}$, L$_{2}$ = 3.01 L$_{\odot}$) for the first time in literature, based on an analysis of our own photometric and spectroscopic observations. We confirm the nature of the variations observed in the system's orbital period, suggested to be periodic by earlier works. A light time effect due to a physically bound, star-sized companion (M$_{3}$ = 2.14 M$_{\odot}$) on a highly eccentric (e = 0.83) orbit, seems to be the most likely cause. We argue that the companion can not be a single star but another binary instead. We calculated the evolutionary states of the system's components, and we found that the primary is slightly evolving after the Main Sequence, while the less massive secondary lies well inside it.Comment: Published in New Astronomy, Vol. 41, p. 42-4

Resistance to colistin associated with a single amino acid change in protein PmrB among Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates of worldwide Origin

A series of colistin-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates recovered from different countries was investigated in order to evaluate the involvement of the PmrA/PmrB two-component system in this resistance. Six isolates possessed a mutated PmrB protein, which is encoded by the pmrB gene, part of the pmrCAB operon involved in lipopolysaccharide modification. The same amino acid substitution (Thr157Pro) in PmrB was identified in the six isolates. The six isolates belonged to four distinct clonal groups, recovered in South Africa (sequence type 14 [ST14]), Turkey (ST101), and Colombia (ST258 and ST15). Three out of the four clones produced a carbapenemase, OXA-181, OXA-48, or KPC-3, while a single isolate did not produce any carbapenemase. Expression assays revealed an overexpression of the pmrA (70-fold), pmrB (70-fold), pmrC (170-fold), and pmrK (40-fold) genes in the pmrB-mutated isolate compared to expression of the pmrB wild-type isogenic K. pneumoniae isolate, confirming that the PmrB substitution was responsible for increased expression levels of those genes. Complementation assays leading to the expression of a wild-type PmrB protein restored the susceptibility to colistin in all isolates, confirming that the substitution in PmrB was responsible for the resistance phenotype. This study identified a key amino acid located in the PmrB protein as being responsible for the overexpression of pmrCAB and pmrHFIJKLM operons, leading to resistance to colistin

Case Report Community Acquired Chronic Arthritis due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a Previously Healthy Pregnant Woman

Septic arthritis caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa is uncommon in the immunocompetent population, despite its occurrence in younger patients with open injuries and in intravenous drug abusers. Here we report a case of septic arthritis caused by P. aeruginosa. This case is unique for several reasons. First, it is a case of septic arthritis in a pregnant woman with no traditional risk factors reported in the literature including history of prior traumatic events, hospitalisation, or chronic underlying disease. She was suspected of having transient osteoporosis associated with pregnancy to involve both hip joints. Second, this is the first reported case of a community acquired chronic septic arthritis due to P. aeruginosa involving large joints of both upper and lower extremities. The patient was treated successfully with a combination of ceftazidime and amikacin for 4 weeks followed by oral ciprofloxacin 750 mg twice daily for 8 weeks