International Economic Sanctions Outcome: The Influence Of Political Agreement

Economic sanctions have been dubbed mainly as ineffective foreign policy tools by political scientists. Despite this, countries continue to use economic sanctions given their less intrusive and offensive nature compared to wars. Therefore, policy-makers have a high stake in learning the critical factors behind effective economic sanctions. Overall, it is understood that an effective sanctions episode compels one state to change its attitude or behavior on an issue, the target state, in line with what another state, sender state, desires. This has given rise to literature known as the determinants of economic sanctions in international political economy. This dissertation contributes to the ongoing study of economic sanctions by introducing a neglected factor, the level of political agreement. This construct refers to the extent to which relevant political actors in a state and international system supports or opposes the sanctions episode. This dissertation has identified three types of political agreements, the sender, the target and the international community. The dissertation sets forth several hypotheses testing the relationship between political agreement levels and economic sanctions outcomes. Utilizing empirical analyses, the dissertation found that higher levels of political agreement in the sender are associated with higher likelihoods for sanctions to be effective. Besides, higher levels of political agreement on the opposition of sanctions in the target state are associated with less effective sanctions. Finally, higher levels of political agreement on the international level are associated with better chances for running an effective sanctions episode

A Review and Comparison of the Toulmin Model, Pragma-Dialectics, Political Discourse Analysis, and Argumentum Model of Topics

UIDB/00183/2020 UIDP/00183/2020 TUBITAK/0010/2014The inferential relation drawn between a reason and a claim constitutes the basis of all argument approaches and models. This article conducts a concept-based comparative literature review that aims to compile and compare four contemporary argument models that are used in the analysis of everyday discourse: the Toulmin Model, Pragma-Dialectics, Political Discourse Analysis, and Argumentum Model of Topics. Argumentation theory and models are inspired, on the one hand, by discursive approaches in the emphasis put on the content and context, and on the other, from analytical philosophy and logic in the application of rational norms and standards. Before examining the four models, developed in the framework of argumentation theory, the article positions the argument approach between the social constructionist and empirical approach of discourse analysis and the formal and normative approach of logic. In examining the four argument models and their analytical reconstruction operations, it seeks to clarify their approach to inferential relations in everyday communication and illustrate their analytical differences. Throughout the four sections, schematic illustrations of how each model reconstructs a simple everyday argument are thus provided. In the conclusion, the models are compared discussing the type of studies each model is most suitable for and the cases for which each can be used most fruitfully.publishersversionpublishe

Prevalence and antibiotic susceptibility of Mycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum in pregnant women

SummaryBackgroundMycoplasma hominis and Ureaplasma urealyticum are important opportunistic pathogens implicated in urogenital infections and complicated pregnancy. We aimed to study the role of these pathogens in symptomatic and asymptomatic pregnant women and determine their clinical significance and antibiotic susceptibility.MethodsOne hundred pregnant women were included in the study, 50 symptomatic patients and 50 asymptomatic controls. Duplicate endocervical samples were taken from each individual and analyzed using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit and A7 agar medium. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested against doxycycline, josamycin, ofloxacin, erythromycin, tetracycline, ciprofloxacin, azithromycin, clarithromycin, and pristinamycin using the Mycoplasma IST-2 kit.ResultsTwelve symptomatic pregnant women had spontaneous abortions. Of these, eight (66.7%) cases had been colonized with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum. Of the pregnant women infected with M. hominis and/or U. urealyticum, 40.7% delivered a low birth weight infant. M. hominis was successfully cultured in five women (5%) and U. urealyticum in 27 (27%). Among positive cultures, 15.6% and 84.4% of isolates were M. hominis and U. urealyticum, respectively. M. hominis and U. urealyticum were uniformly susceptible to doxycycline, tetracycline, and pristinamycin, which may be successfully used in the empirical therapy of infected individuals.ConclusionsIt can be concluded that genital colonization with M. hominis and U. urealyticum may predispose to spontaneous abortion and low birth weight

Recognition of Traffic Signs with Artificial Neural Networks:A Novel Dataset and Algorithm

Traffic sign classification is a prime issue for autonomous platform industries such as autonomous cars. Towards the goal of recognition, most recent classification methods deploy Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs) and Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs). In this work, we provide a novel dataset and a hybrid ANN that achieves accurate results that are very close to the state-of-the-art ones. When training and testing on German Traffic Sign Recognition Benchmarks (GTSRB) a top-5 classification accuracy of 80% was achieved for 43 classes. On the other hand, a top-2 classification accuracy of 95% was reached on our novel dataset for 10 classes. This accomplishment can be linked to the fact that the proposed hybrid ANN combines 9 different models trained on color intensity, HOG (Histograms of Oriented Gradients) and LBP (Local Binary Pattern) features

Software development for retrofitting columns with FRP composites: A case study

Ovaj rad predstavlja opsežno istraživanje građevine u Ankari (Turska) posebno se fokusirajući na njezino postojeće stanje, inicijativu za naknadno pojačanje i posljedični razvoj računalnog programa za proračun. Procjena trenutačnog stanja zgrade, potresnih opterećenja i očekivanih naprezanja u konstrukciji provedena je prema Turskim potresnim normama iz 2018. Analiziran je konstrukcijski model, uključujući podatke dobivene izravnim proučavanjem, pregledima i uzorcima betonskih jezgri iz zgrade te armaturnih elemenata, primjenom nelinearnih metoda proračuna. Sanacijske mjere poduzete su nakon prepoznavanja nedostataka u ponašanju konstrukcije, uključujući pojačanje stupova i odabir ploča primjenom vlaknima armiranih polimernih (FRP) kompozita. Zatim su autori izradili računalni program za proračun pojačanja stupova vlaknima armiranih polimernih kompozita (eng. FRP Composite Column Strenghtening software). Navedeni računalni program olakšava proračun aksijalne tlačne čvrstoće, posmične čvrstoće i povećanja duktilnosti za stupove nakon pojačanja.This manuscript delineates an extensive inquiry into a structure in Ankara, Turkey, specifically focusing on its existing state, retrofitting initiative, and concomitant software development. The evaluation of the building’s current state, earthquake loads, and anticipated structural stresses was conducted per the Turkish Seismic Code of 2018. The structural model was analysed, incorporating data derived from on-site inspections, surveys, and samples from the building’s concrete core and reinforcement elements by employing non-linear calculation methods. Remedial measures were undertaken after recognising deficiencies in the structure’s performance, including strengthening columns and selecting slabs by applying Fibre-Reinforced Polymer (FRP) composites. Subsequently, the authors engineered the FRP Composite Column Strengthening software. This software facilitates the computation of axial compression strength, shear strength, and ductility enhancements for columns after the retrofitting process

The Effects of Different Strength Training on Static and Dynamic Balance Ability of Volleyball Players

The aim of this study is to examine the effect of different strength training on the static and dynamic balance ability of volleyball players. A total of 20 male volleyball players, aged between 18 and 25, are participated in the study who has been playing in national volleyball competition in Gaziantep. The subjects were divided into two groups according to the randomized method as experimental group (n=10, age:21.60±2.06) and control group (n=10, age:20.50±1.77). The experimental group was given a different strength training program for 3 days a week for 8 weeks. Both groups continued their regular volleyball practice. Leg strength, static and dynamic balance measurements were made before starting the different strength training in both groups and after the training was finished. Takei Leg Dynamometer used for leg strength measurement and Biodex Balance SD Isokinetic Balance Test for balance measurement. Paired Sample t test was used for intra-group comparisons and Independent Sample t test was used for statistical analysis of the data. When the pre-test and post-test measurements of the experimental group were compared, there were significant differences in leg strength, static (Double leg-Overall Postural Stability Index (OPSI), Right Leg-OPSI, Left Leg-OPSI) and dynamic (Right Leg- Overall Stability Index (OSI), Left Leg-OSI) balance scores (p0.05). As a result, it is considered that the different strength training applied to the volleyball players has a positive effect on the static and dynamic balance ability. It can be said that static and dynamic balance abilities of regular strength training may increase