Unemployment and Labor Market Institutions: Theory and Evidence from the GCC

The theoretical model delves into the relationship between labor market institutions and unemployment by proving two propositions: (1) allowing informal activity bolsters job creation, and (2) if the institutional environment is initially, sufficiently, weak, then mitigating it will lower unemployment. Simulating the model with the GCC’s unemployment for the period 1990-2007 allows us to decipher the validity of the model. The institutional environment is represented in this simulation by social insurance which is captured through oil prices. Hence, an increase in oil prices is assumed to lead to higher social insurance and, therefore ,to higher cost of hiring labour . The parameters are selected with the objective of minimizing the error gap between the effective unemployment rate and the simulated unemployment rate . The effective unemployment rate is constructed as a weighted average of the unemployment rate of nationals and non-nationals. The weights are the shares of national and non-national labour-force in the GCC countries. Expositional simulations verified the second proposition. Thus, improving labor market institutions, that are initially weak may discernibly alleviate unemployment problems in the GCC.Unemployment; institutions; GCC

The Institutional Environment and the Banking - Growth Nexus: Theory and Investigation for MENA

This paper seeks to provide some theoretical and empirical answers to the following question: Does the institutional environment affect the causality relationship between banking development and economic growth? In the theoretical part, we develop an endogenous growth model where the institutional environment is captured through two indicators: the judicial system efficiency and the easiness of informal trade. We show that an improvement of the institutional environment has two effects. First, it intensifies the causality direction from banking to economic growth through a reduction of defaulting loans. Second, it reduces the interest rate spread. In the empirical part, considering twenty-two MENA countries over the period 1984-2004, we find a bi-directional causality. The first one, which runs from banking development to economic growth, is more intense in countries with a more developed institutional environment. The second causality runs from economic growth to banking and indicates that a more developed economy has a more developed banking system.Banking; Growth; Institutions; MENA

A study on biological occupational hazards in emergency medicine in Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia

Background: Hazards in working environment have posed significant risk to health care workers (HCWs). Biological hazard is one of the hazards and exists in most departments in hospital, including Emergency Department (ED). The objectives of this study were to look at the prevalence of biological hazards in ED, determine the association of different work shift and different triage zones with type of biological hazards. The associated factors of blood-borne and non-blood-borne diseases were also being determined. Methodology This was a prospective study conducted from 1st August 2013 to 30th November 2013. All patients who presented to ED, Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia (HUSM) were reviewed based on the ED records. Hospital records of the patients with biological hazards were traced and reviewed. Demographic data and type of biological hazards were collected and association of work shift and triage zone were also analysed. Final diagnosis of those with biological hazards was also being determined by reviewing discharge note of the patients. All the data were entered using SPSS based on the sample size of each type of biological hazards. In order to avoid missing data, work sheet form year 2013 from Microbiology department was reviewed for all patients with blood-borne biological hazards. Based on the registered number of the patients, their visits to ED HUSM were traced and correlated with the study period. All the data was collected using a standardised proforma form. Results: A total of 200 cases that presented to ED HUSM had biological hazards. Majority of the cases was Malay (96.5%) and community acquired pneumonia .Apart from CAP and scabies there were no statistically significant association between biological hazards and the different time of the work shift. Majority of CAP and scabies cases came during PM shift with the percentage of 42.6% and 78.1% respectively. Most of the biological hazards had statistically significant association with triage zone except Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Hepatitis B virus (HBV). Majority of tuberculosis (TB), CAP and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) cases presented to yellow zone with the percentage of 54.6%, 42.6% and 48.7% respectively. Majority of scabies and impetigo cases presented to the green zone. Age and gender were significant association factors of blood-borne diseases. Conclusion: Yellow zone had higher biological hazards exposure for CAP, TB and HCV while green zone had higher exposure for scabies and impetigo to HCWs in ED HUSM. PM shift had higher exposure for CAP and scabies. Age and male gender were the only significant predictors for the blood-borne biological hazards exposure to the HCWs in ED HUSM

Determining of the University Freshmen Students’ Misconceptions and Alternative Conceptions about Mitosis and Meiosis

AbstractThe purpose of our study is to determine the misconceptions and inadequate information which the university freshmen students’ held about mitosis and meiosis. We majored mostly on the numbers of chromosome potential and the DNA amount in our questions. In addition we wanted our students to interpret their past information about the subject. The results of our qualitative analyses show that students reword interphase as preparatory period but they don’t recognize what happens in this period, precisely. Also, they don’t explain DNA, chromosome and gene concepts. And they don’t precisely recognize the importance of mitosis and meiosis for life

SYNTHETIC AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES ON ANALOGUES OF FR901464 AND TMC-205

FR901464 is a natural product that elicits anticancer activity via inhibition of pre-mRNA splicing, a novel therapeutic approach. Through structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies on FR901464, the Koide group reported a potent stable synthetic analogue of FR901464, meayamycin B (GI50 4 – 211 pM). An objective of this thesis was to probe electrophilic sites of meayamycin B through SAR anaylsis. This studies in this thesis provided insights into the effects of cis-C2´-C3´ enamide and epoxide moieties. A newly synthesized inhibitor, in which the epoxide was replaced with a ketone, exhibited elevated inhibition against cellular proliferation. Cell growth assays illustrated that this analogue inhibited the proliferation of cells in an irreversible manner. Addtionally, an in vivo study led to the development of meayamycin C which, although less potent than meayamycin and meayamycin B, exhibited single digit nanomolar GI50 values and selectivity to inhibit the proliferation of certain human cancer cells. Continuing with the design of pre-mRNA splicing inhibition tools, we also report the preparation and evaluation of two tetraethylene-linked derivatives of meayamycin. These two derivatives inhibited the proliferation of human cell lines and pre-mRNA splicing in cells. Structurally, one of the derivatives is far less complex than tetraethylene glycol-linked meayamycin, though still retained sufficient inhibitory activity towards cell proliferation and pre-mRNA splicing. These two compounds have the potential serve as starting points for conjugatable FR901464 analogues. Furthermore, a new synthetic route for meayamycin is described. The new route consists of 8 steps to prepare the western fragment, followed by a final cross metathesis interchange strategy between the right half and FR901464 to yield meayamycin. This is the shortest synthetic approach to prepare meayamycin. Finally, a study was begun on TMC-205, which was discovered in 2001 in a similar manner to FR901464. The work in this dissertation reports the first synthesis of TMC-205 and developed analogues, including alcohol 3.21, an eight-fold more potent analogue of TMC-205. Importantly, there is a range of TMC-205 and analogue 3.13 concentrations where the compounds activate an SV40-controlled gene without detectable antiproliferative activity

A WEB BASED SERVICE APPLICATION FOR VISUAL SINKHOLE INVENTORY INFORMATION SYSTEM; CASE STUDY OF KONYA CLOSED BASIN

Sinkholes are commonly defined as deep pits giving the appearance of a chimney or well resulting by collapsing of underground rivers in horizontal or near-bedded lime stones or active cave ceilings. Sinkholes appear as deep pits in the so-called karst land, usually on limestones and carbonates that are easily rinsed with water. The sinkhole occurrences in our country are very often seen on the Obruk Plateau in the Konya Closed Basin. In Karapinar region and its surroundings located in this plateau, especially in recent years surface deformations and sinkhole formations are frequent. The resulting sinkholes in the field of agriculture and occurred in areas close to residential areas is to upset the locals.Several studies have been carried out about the formation of sinkholes in Konya Closed Basin and especially around Karapinar. As a result of the literature survey, different information about the number of sinkholes in the region has been reached. Therefore, an inventory information system that is as up-to-date as daily, accurate, and rich in attribute information (position information, shape, diameter, depth, distance to settlements, year of formation, region etc.), has been created as a result of detailed field work, analyzing satellite images, and examining digital terrain model. The inventory information of the 283 objects created within the scope of the study will be used as support data in the future hazard, risk and planning studies. In addition, the inventory data will be shared through a Web-based system with the relevant people and institutions. The Geoinformation System-like Web application is built using Google Maps and Fusion Tables services for data storage and management, both are free services from Google Inc. The web application's infrastructure includes HTML5, CSS3, JavaScript, Google Maps API V3, and Google Fusion Tables API technologies. Using these technologies, it is possible to create effective map "Mash-Up" applications by adding Google maps to a Web page, where spatial data is stored in Fusion Tables and can be displayed as a layer on Google maps. The sinkhole inventory information system presented with web-based application is handled in detail in this article

Blue stain degradation on the scots pine log and ıts effect on the sale prices

Bu araştırma, orman depolarındaki sarıçam tomruklarında etkili olan mavi renklenme zararını tespit etmek ve bu zararın satış fiyatları üzerine etkilerini belirlemek amacıyla, 2010 yılında Trabzon Orman Bölge Müdürlüğüne bağlı, Torul Orman İşletme Müdürlüğünün Merkez Altınpınar orman deposunda yürütülmüştür. Bu amaçla, 41 adet sarıçam tomruk istifi mavi renklenmeye maruz kalma açısından incelenerek tomruk enine kesit yüzeylerindeki hasarlı kısımlar tespit edilip ölçülmüştür. İncelenen tomruk istifleri, adet ve hacme bağlı hasar grupları dikkate alınarak satış fiyatı ve muhammen bedel artırma oranları yönünden karşılaştırılmıştır. Sonuçta, mavi renklenme zararının sarıçam tomruk istiflerinin satış fiyatlarını ve muhammen bedel artırma oranlarını azalttığı belirlenmiştir.The aim of this study is to ascertain the degradation which is effective on logs in forest enterprise depots and to determine the effects of it on log stack sale prices. The research was carried out at Central Altınpınar forest depot of Torul Forest Enterprise Management in Trabzon Regional Forest Management in 2010. As a material, 41 stacks of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) logs were investigated and cross section of wood were measured for exposure to blue stain. Investigated timber stacks, with respect to damaged log number and volume degradation groups, are compared for sales prices and rate of appraised value. As a result, it has been found out that the degradation of blue stain at log stacks decreased the rate of appraised value and sale prices

The Institutional Environment and the Banking - Growth Nexus: Theory and Investigation for MENA

This paper seeks to provide some theoretical and empirical answers to the following question: Does the institutional environment affect the causality relationship between banking development and economic growth? In the theoretical part, we develop an endogenous growth model where the institutional environment is captured through two indicators: the judicial system efficiency and the easiness of informal trade. We show that an improvement of the institutional environment has two effects. First, it intensifies the causality direction from banking to economic growth through a reduction of defaulting loans. Second, it reduces the interest rate spread. In the empirical part, considering twenty-two MENA countries over the period 1984-2004, we find a bi-directional causality. The first one, which runs from banking development to economic growth, is more intense in countries with a more developed institutional environment. The second causality runs from economic growth to banking and indicates that a more developed economy has a more developed banking system

The effective damage in forestry enterprises selling storage and precautions

Ormanlardan üretimi gerçekleştirilen odun hammaddesi, depoya nakli, istiflenmesi, istiflerin ihaleye hazırlanması, ihale ilanlarının yapılması ve ihale sonucunda emvalin alıcıya teslim edilmesine kadarki süreçte; istenmeyen renk değişiklikleri, çatlaklar, mikroorganizma tahribatı, böcek tahribatı ve çürüklükler gibi etkilere maruz kalmaktadır. Bu etkiler, tomruk kalite sınıfını değiştirerek satış fiyatlarının düşmesine, tomruk işleyen işletmelerde üretim verimliliğinin azalmasına ve genel bakış açısıyla odun hammaddesinin rasyonel şekilde değerlendirilememesine yol açmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, orman işletmeleri satış depolarında tomruklara zarar veren faktörler genel olarak belirlenmeye çalışılmış ve bu faktörlere alınabilecek önlemler irdelenmiştir. Çalışmada orman işletmeleri satış depolarında yapılan incelemelerden ve bu konuda daha önce hazırlanmış literatürlerden yararlanılmıştır.Wood raw material which produces from forests, in the process of transportation to storage, preparation of piling, tender advertisement, auction and the results of tender summitting its assets’ to buyer; such as undesirable color changes, cracks, microorganisms damage, insect damage and rot, such as the effects are exposed to. These effects have caused that decreasing the selling price by changing the quality classes of the logs, logs of reduced production efficiency in the business process and generally not to be assessed as rational perspective wood raw material. In this study, it was examined that in general damage to logs in the forest enterprise storage try to be determined the factors and these factors which are the precautions. It was utilized from the investigation of forest management storage and the literature which was prepared earlier