THE EFFECT OF CREDIT DEFAULT SWAPS (CDS) ON BIST100 IN TURKEY: MS-VAR APPROACH

2008 Global Financial Crisis has brought financial risk control to the forefront for countries. In this context, the Credit Default Swap (CDS), which shows the country's risk premiums as well as the credit ratings of the countries, has become an important indicator especially for foreign investors. Thus, investor decisions in stock markets have become more sensitive to CDS premiums. In particular, it is expected that foreign investments needed in a country such as Turkey having a volatile financial system may be affected from risk premiums such as CDS. In this study; the non-linear relationship between CDS premiums and Borsa Istanbul 100 Index (BIST100) has been analyzed by using Markov Regime Switching Vector Autoregressive (MS-VAR) model for the period of March 2005-May 2017. According to the findings; it has been seen that there is a negative relationship between CDS premiums and BIST100 index in both regimes. From this point of view; it is possible to say that investors consider CDS premiums as an important indicator while taking investment decisions

Evaluation of multidrug resistance-1 gene C>;T polymorphism frequency in patients with asthma

OBJECTIVES:Asthma is a chronic inflammatory lung disease characterized by bronchial hyperresponsiveness and airflow obstruction. Genetic and oxidative stress factors, in addition to pulmonary and systemic inflammatory processes, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of asthma. The products of the multidrug resistance-1 gene protect lung tissue from oxidative stress. Here, we aimed to evaluate the association between the multidrug resistance-1 gene C>;T polymorphism and asthma with regard to oxidative stress-related parameters of asthmatic patients.METHODS:Forty-five patients with asthma and 27 healthy age-matched controls were included in this study. Blood samples were collected in tubes with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid. DNA was extracted from the blood samples. The multidrug resistance-1 gene polymorphism was detected by polymerase chain reaction and a subsequent enzyme digestion technique. The serum levels of total oxidant status and total antioxidant status were determined by the colorimetric measurement method.RESULTS:The heterozygous polymorphic genotype was the most frequent in both groups. A significant difference in the multidrug resistance-1 genotype frequencies between groups indicated an association of asthma with the TT genotype. A significant difference between groups was found for wild type homozygous participants and carriers of polymorphic allele participants. The frequency of the T allele was significantly higher in asthmatic patients. The increase in the oxidative stress index parameter was significant in the asthma group compared with the control group.CONCLUSIONS:The multidrug resistance-1 gene C/T polymorphism may be an underlying genetic risk factor for the development of asthma via oxidant-antioxidant imbalance, leading to increased oxidative stress

Effects of 1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride on anterior segment parameters obtained with Pentacam in young adults

Purpose: To investigate the effects of topically applied 1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride on anterior segment parameters obtained with a Pentacam rotating Scheimpflug camera in healthy young adults. Methods: Anterior segment analyses of 25 eyes from 25 young adults (Group 1), before and after 45 min of 1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride application, were performed. For a control group (cycloplegia-free, Group 2), 24 eyes of 24 age- and sex-matched healthy cases were evaluated twice at 45 min intervals. The results obtained from the groups were compared statistically. Results: The mean ages of the groups were 23.04 ± 3.42 (range, 18-29) and 22.4 ± 2.05 (range, 18-27) years for Groups 1 and 2, respectively (p=0.259). In Group 1, measurements between the two analyses were significantly different for the values of anterior chamber depth (ACD), anterior chamber angle (ACA), and anterior chamber volume (ACV) (p<0.05), whereas no statistical difference was found for the central corneal thickness (CCT) and keratometry (K1, K2) measurements. In Group 2, none of these parameters were statistically different between the two analyses. Conclusions: Topically applied 1% cyclopentolate hydrochloride caused an increase in the ACD and ACV values, and a decrease in the ACA value. However, it had no significant effect on the CCT and keratometry measurements. It is important to consider these effects when using the Pentacam device on young adults with cycloplegia and when applying it for various reasons

Development of high-speed and high-efficiency downlink transmitter with GaN-HEMT amplifier and pre-distortion technique for nano/small satellite

A high-speed downlink telecommunication system is required to meet various applications for small satellites such as earth observation. The purpose of this research is to develop a high-data-rate (typically over 300Mbps) communication system. Generally, the operation at nonlinear region provides high efficiency for a RF power amplifier. However the amplitude-phase modulated signal, which is an efficient scheme in term of frequency band, requires high linearity. In order to amplify amplitude-phase modulated signal for high data rate, a 2W X Band GaN-HEMT power amplifier and digital pre-distortion technique were developed. In this paper measurements and simulations of the system are presented

Shifts in appraisal dimensions as mediators of efficiency of reappraisal in emotion regulation

Üks viis oma emotsiooni reguleerida on kasutada ümberhindamist ehk muuta oma tõlgendust emotsiooni tekitanud olukorrast. Kuigi tõlgendusdimensioonide rolli ümberhindamises on ammu teadvustatud, pole seda ideed ümberhindamise uurimisel seni kasutatud. Käesoleva uurimistöö eesmärk on uurida, kas ja kuivõrd võivad muutused tõlgendusdimensioonidel vahendada ümberhindamise mõju emotsiooni regulatsioonile. Igapäevaelus ettetulevate emotsioonide reguleerimise mõõtmiseks kasutati 7 päeva jooksul kogemuse väljavõtte meetodit. Tekstisõnumiga teavitades paluti uuritavatel kella 11, 13 ja 15 ajal täita küsimustiku päevane osa ning kell 19 küsimustiku õhtune kokkuvõtlik osa. Regressioonanalüüsidega uuriti tõlgendusdimensioonide muutuse ja emotsiooni muutuse vahelisi seoseid ning medieerimisanalüüsiga uuriti, kas ja kuivõrd tõlgendusdimensioonide muutused vahendavad ümberhindamise kasutamise mõju emotsioonide muutusele. Uuringus osales 181 inimest vanuses 18-52 aastat ( M =28.25; SD =7.75), kellest 85% olid naised. Saadud tulemused kinnitasid, et kolme analüüsitud emotsiooni - viha, ärevuse, lõõgastuse - muutused on arvestatavas osas seletatavad muutustega kindluse, olulisuse, eesmärgipärasuse, vastutuse ja kontrolli tõlgendusdimensioonidel. Tulemused näitavad ka, et eesmärgipärasus on universaalne tõlgendusdimensioon, mille hinnang tõuseb nii negatiivse emotsiooni vähendamisel kui ka positiivse emotsiooni suurendamisel. Medieerimisanalüüsid näitasid ainult lõõgastuse puhul, et tõlgendusdimensioonid vahendavad ümberhindamise kasutamise ja emotsiooni muutuse vahelist seost ning seda läbi muutuste eesmärgipärasuse, vastutuse ja kontrolli tõlgendusdimensioonidel. Käesolev uuring demonstreerib tõlgendusdimensioonide väärtust ümberhindamise käigus toimuvate kognitiivsete protsesside mõistmisel. Kuna tulemused on eripalgelised, vajab küsimus täiendavat uurimist

Perspectives of the Apiaceae Hepatoprotective Effects - A Review

The liver has the crucial role in the regulation of various physiological processes and in the excretion of endogenous waste metabolites and xenobiotics. Liver structure impairment can be caused by various factors including microorganisms, autoimmune diseases, chemicals, alcohol and drugs. The plant kingdom is full of liver protective chemicals such as phenols, coumarins, lignans, essential oils, monoterpenes, carotenoids, glycosides, flavonoids, organic acids, lipids, alkaloids and xanthenes. Apiaceae plants are usually used as a vegetable or as a spice, but their other functional properties are also very important. This review highlights the significance of caraway, dill, cumin, aniseed, fennel, coriander, celery, lovage, angelica, parsley and carrot, which are popular vegetables and spices, but possess hepatoprotective potential. These plants can be used for medicinal applications to patients who suffer from liver damage

Spontaneous Breathing in Early Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Insights From the Large Observational Study to UNderstand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory FailurE Study

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome with or without spontaneous breathing and to investigate whether the effects of spontaneous breathing on outcome depend on acute respiratory distress syndrome severity. DESIGN: Planned secondary analysis of a prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study. SETTING: International sample of 459 ICUs from 50 countries. PATIENTS: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and at least 2 days of invasive mechanical ventilation and available data for the mode of mechanical ventilation and respiratory rate for the 2 first days. INTERVENTIONS: Analysis of patients with and without spontaneous breathing, defined by the mode of mechanical ventilation and by actual respiratory rate compared with set respiratory rate during the first 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Spontaneous breathing was present in 67% of patients with mild acute respiratory distress syndrome, 58% of patients with moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 46% of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients with spontaneous breathing were older and had lower acute respiratory distress syndrome severity, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, ICU and hospital mortality, and were less likely to be diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome by clinicians. In adjusted analysis, spontaneous breathing during the first 2 days was not associated with an effect on ICU or hospital mortality (33% vs 37%; odds ratio, 1.18 [0.92-1.51]; p = 0.19 and 37% vs 41%; odds ratio, 1.18 [0.93-1.50]; p = 0.196, respectively ). Spontaneous breathing was associated with increased ventilator-free days (13 [0-22] vs 8 [0-20]; p = 0.014) and shorter duration of ICU stay (11 [6-20] vs 12 [7-22]; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous breathing is common in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome during the first 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Spontaneous breathing is not associated with worse outcomes and may hasten liberation from the ventilator and from ICU. Although these results support the use of spontaneous breathing in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome independent of acute respiratory distress syndrome severity, the use of controlled ventilation indicates a bias toward use in patients with higher disease severity. In addition, because the lack of reliable data on inspiratory effort in our study, prospective studies incorporating the magnitude of inspiratory effort and adjusting for all potential severity confounders are required

Identifying associations between diabetes and acute respiratory distress syndrome in patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure: an analysis of the LUNG SAFE database

Background: Diabetes mellitus is a common co-existing disease in the critically ill. Diabetes mellitus may reduce the risk of acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), but data from previous studies are conflicting. The objective of this study was to evaluate associations between pre-existing diabetes mellitus and ARDS in critically ill patients with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure (AHRF). Methods: An ancillary analysis of a global, multi-centre prospective observational study (LUNG SAFE) was undertaken. LUNG SAFE evaluated all patients admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) over a 4-week period, that required mechanical ventilation and met AHRF criteria. Patients who had their AHRF fully explained by cardiac failure were excluded. Important clinical characteristics were included in a stepwise selection approach (forward and backward selection combined with a significance level of 0.05) to identify a set of independent variables associated with having ARDS at any time, developing ARDS (defined as ARDS occurring after day 2 from meeting AHRF criteria) and with hospital mortality. Furthermore, propensity score analysis was undertaken to account for the differences in baseline characteristics between patients with and without diabetes mellitus, and the association between diabetes mellitus and outcomes of interest was assessed on matched samples. Results: Of the 4107 patients with AHRF included in this study, 3022 (73.6%) patients fulfilled ARDS criteria at admission or developed ARDS during their ICU stay. Diabetes mellitus was a pre-existing co-morbidity in 913 patients (22.2% of patients with AHRF). In multivariable analysis, there was no association between diabetes mellitus and having ARDS (OR 0.93 (0.78-1.11); p = 0.39), developing ARDS late (OR 0.79 (0.54-1.15); p = 0.22), or hospital mortality in patients with ARDS (1.15 (0.93-1.42); p = 0.19). In a matched sample of patients, there was no association between diabetes mellitus and outcomes of interest. Conclusions: In a large, global observational study of patients with AHRF, no association was found between diabetes mellitus and having ARDS, developing ARDS, or outcomes from ARDS. Trial registration: NCT02010073. Registered on 12 December 2013

Epidemiology and patterns of tracheostomy practice in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome in ICUs across 50 countries

Background: To better understand the epidemiology and patterns of tracheostomy practice for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), we investigated the current usage of tracheostomy in patients with ARDS recruited into the Large Observational Study to Understand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory Failure (LUNG-SAFE) study. Methods: This is a secondary analysis of LUNG-SAFE, an international, multicenter, prospective cohort study of patients receiving invasive or noninvasive ventilation in 50 countries spanning 5 continents. The study was carried out over 4 weeks consecutively in the winter of 2014, and 459 ICUs participated. We evaluated the clinical characteristics, management and outcomes of patients that received tracheostomy, in the cohort of patients that developed ARDS on day 1-2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure, and in a subsequent propensity-matched cohort. Results: Of the 2377 patients with ARDS that fulfilled the inclusion criteria, 309 (13.0%) underwent tracheostomy during their ICU stay. Patients from high-income European countries (n = 198/1263) more frequently underwent tracheostomy compared to patients from non-European high-income countries (n = 63/649) or patients from middle-income countries (n = 48/465). Only 86/309 (27.8%) underwent tracheostomy on or before day 7, while the median timing of tracheostomy was 14 (Q1-Q3, 7-21) days after onset of ARDS. In the subsample matched by propensity score, ICU and hospital stay were longer in patients with tracheostomy. While patients with tracheostomy had the highest survival probability, there was no difference in 60-day or 90-day mortality in either the patient subgroup that survived for at least 5 days in ICU, or in the propensity-matched subsample. Conclusions: Most patients that receive tracheostomy do so after the first week of critical illness. Tracheostomy may prolong patient survival but does not reduce 60-day or 90-day mortality. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073. Registered on 12 December 2013