Adversarially Trained Autoencoders for Parallel-Data-Free Voice Conversion

We present a method for converting the voices between a set of speakers. Our method is based on training multiple autoencoder paths, where there is a single speaker-independent encoder and multiple speaker-dependent decoders. The autoencoders are trained with an addition of an adversarial loss which is provided by an auxiliary classifier in order to guide the output of the encoder to be speaker independent. The training of the model is unsupervised in the sense that it does not require collecting the same utterances from the speakers nor does it require time aligning over phonemes. Due to the use of a single encoder, our method can generalize to converting the voice of out-of-training speakers to speakers in the training dataset. We present subjective tests corroborating the performance of our method

Coal Consumption and Economic Growth in Turkey

This aim of this paper is to use asymmetric causality tests to examine the coal consumption and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) relationship in Turkey based on data from 1980 to 2006. To investigate this relationship, a multivariate system is employed by including fixed capital formation and labor force variables into the model. The empirical results obtained from asymmetric causality tests show no causality for coal consumption and GDP relationship in Turkey. The results indicate that coal consumption does not affect growth; hence, energy conservation policies may be pursued without adversely affecting growth in Turkey. Thus, neutrality hypothesis is confirmed for Turkey. This means that a decrease in coal consumption does not affect economic growth and vice versa. In this case, policymakers should explore the feasibility of either decreasing the coal consumption or increasing the efficiency of coal consumption. Keywords: Economic growth; coal consumption; asymmetric causality; Turkey JEL Classifications: O; Q4

HLA B-27 Subtypes in Turkish Patients with Spondyloarthropathy and Healthy Controls

The frequency and the distribution of HLA-B27 subtypes in spondylarthropathy (SpA) patients and controls were investigated in a sample Turkish population. B27 subtyping was performed by PCR-SSP method in two groups: 49 unrelated HLA-B27 positive Turkish patients with the diagnosis of SpA according to the European Spondyloarthropathy Study Group Criteria, and 55 HLA-B27 positive healthy controls. The frequency of HLA-B(∗)27 was 2.6% in the Turkish population, and B(∗)2705 was the predominant allele among patients with SpA. The difference was mainly between male patients and male controls The proportion of B(∗)2705 among B27-positive patients and controls was significantly different (P = 0.02). Our study supports other reports from different populations which showed that B(∗)2705 and B(∗)2702 were more frequent in Caucasian patients with SpA

The role of renewable energy consumption in economic growth: Evidence from asymmetric causality

This paper investigates the causality among economic growth, renewable energy consumption, capital and labor for new EU member countries for the period of 1990-2009, by using asymmetric causality test approach and autoregressive distributed lag (ARDL) approach. The empirical results support that renewable energy consumption has positive impacts on economic growth for all investigated countries. But only for Bulgaria, Estonia, Poland, and Slovenia there is statistically significant impact on economic growth has found. And also supports neutrality hypothesis for Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Poland and Slovenia while the conservation hypothesis is present for Czech Republic. The fact that there is a causal relationship from economic growth to renewable energy consumption and the growth hypothesis is supported for Bulgaria, referring to causality from energy consumption to economic growth. (C) 2016 Published by Elsevier Ltd

Renewable energy consumption-economic growth nexus in Turkey

This paper examines the renewable energy consumption-economic growth causality nexus in Turkey. Studies in the literature can be grouped as country-specific and multi-country studies. The results of these studies are inconsistent, and there is no agreement on the existence or the direction of causality between renewable energy consumption and economic growth. The results of this country-specific study support conservation hypothesis. The results of empirical tests from ARDL approach show that renewable energy consumption has a negative impact on economic growth, and the ones of Toda-Yamamoto causality tests show that there is a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to renewable energy consumption. (C) 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Turkey's intangible cultural heritage

200 p. : col. ill. ; 19 cm

The relationship among natural gas energy consumption, capital and economic growth: Bootstrap-corrected causality tests from G-7 countries

This paper examines the relationship between natural gas consumption, economic growth and capital by using G-7 countries data and a bootstrap-corrected causality test for the period 1970-2008. It was found eight significant Granger causality relationships. For Italy, the Granger causality is from natural gas consumption to growth and United Kingdom adverse. For pattern of France, Germany and United States there is two sided Granger causality between natural gas and growth. Crown Copyright (C) 2012 Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Competitive Environment Hypothesis in Turkish Banking System

TThis paper investigates the persistence of profit in Turkish banking system for the period of 2004:1 – 2009:4 by focusing net income after tax to total equity (ROE) as profit measures by utilizing panel unit root tests. We found that competition among surviving banks is high in the Turkish Banking System for the period 2004:1 – 2009:4 which means that competitive environment hypothesis is valid in Turkish banking system.Persistence, ROE, Turkish Banking System

Reactivated and clinical Toxoplasma gondii infection in young lambs: Clinical, serological and pathological evidences

Babur, Cahit/0000-0002-6524-3260; ATMACA, HASAN TARIK/0000-0001-8379-4114WOS: 000305100900054In this study, fatal toxoplasmosis with severe neurological clinical signs was evaluated in 20 lambs of a sheep flock containing 90 Akkaraman sheep, 60 lambs and 3 rams. The clinical signs in infected lambs (n = 20) included incoordination, head shaking, tremors, shaking up, difficulty walking and subsequent death. No incidence of abortion observed in pregnant ewes. Two lambs with severe clinical signs were euthanized and necropsied following clinical and hematological examinations. Blood samples were also collected from the mothers of dead lambs and rams for Sabin-Feldman dye test to detect Toxoplasma gondii-specific antibodies. T. gondii infection was further confirmed by PCR analysis using T. gondii B1 gene specific primers. The histopathological findings included non-purulent myositis with T. gondii-like tissue cysts in the heart and skeletal musculature, severe necrotic vasculitis and multifocal necroses in the brain, liver and lungs. T. gondii immunoreactivity was present in the lungs, liver and spleen as well as tissue cyst-like structures. In differential diagnosis, Neospora caninum infection was excluded by immunohistochemical and PCR analyses. According to current literature, there has been no previous report on clinical toxoplasmosis in newborn lambs or goat kids, and the number of reports on clinical toxoplasmosis in small ruminants is limited to two adult goats with fatality following systemic toxoplasmosis. Our study indicated that toxoplasmosis occurs in lambs with severe neurological signs and subsequent death. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.Kirikkale University Research CouncilKirikkale University [21/2006]This study is financially supported by Kirikkale University Research Council Project with 21/2006 project number. The clinical toxoplasmosis cases were presented as oral presentation at XXIVth World Buiatrics Congress, 2008 Hungary and at the 4th national Veterinary Pathology Congress, 2008, Antalya, Turkey

Hepatogenous photosensitization in Akkaraman lambs: special emphasis to oxidative stress and thrombocytopenia

WOS: 000334986200007In this study, a total of 24 Akkaraman lambs with clinical signs that are reminiscent of photosensitization composed the experimental group (Group I). Additional 10 healthy lambs were included as controls (Group II). We were aimed to make definitive diagnosis of photosensitization, which can be confused with blue tongue, big head and sunburns and to establish etiology as primary or hepatogenous. In total blood analyses, the leukocyte count was higher, but thrombocyte count was lower (thrombocytopenia) in Group I compared to Group II. The lower MCV indicates presence of a case of microcytosis. Furthermore, affected lambs had significantly higher levels of phylloerythrin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase, alkaline phosphatase, cholesterol and serum urea nitrogen. Histopathological lesions included periaciner necrosis, periportal fibrosis and biliary duct hyperplasy. The grazing field, where the lambs had been grazing, was very rich in Tribulus terrestris, a hepatotoxic plant. Based on the increased levels of phylloerythrin, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, aspartate aminotransferase and alkaline phosphatase as well as pathological findings in liver, the cases were diagnosed as hepatogenous photosensitization. In addition, presence of Tribulus terrestris in the grazing pasture strongly supported the diagnosis. Increased levels of serum malondialdehyde in affected lambs showed an ongoing oxidative stress. In addition, thrombocytopenia in such cases should be considered as a risk factor for disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Thus in addition to a semptomatical treatment protocol, use of antioxidants, anticoagulants, and liver protective agents shoud be taken into consideration in hepatogenous photosensitization in lambs