Does the Pan‑European Personal Pension Product Suit All? Its Perspectives in the EU Member and Candidate Countries

This article aims to verify the development prospects of the Pan‑European Personal Pension Product (PEPP) in the European Union (EU). It focuses on the relationship between the quality of domestic public pension schemes and household savings for old age in the EU member and candidate countries. The study was conducted in two stages. The first stage examined the interrelationship between public pension schemes and household savings based on Pearson’s correlation coefficients. In the second stage, sub‑samples of countries with high and low‑quality public pension schemes were identified using hierarchical cluster analysis. The results showed significant links between households’ obligatory and voluntary saving for retirement in both samples. However, the study recognised the internal diversity of countries in terms of households’ preferences for the types of financial assets. Based on these findings, conclusions about the development potential of PEPP are drawn. The best prospects are identified for Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey. In most of these countries (except for France, Hungary, Romania, and Spain), the PEPP could serve as an alternative to household liquid assets. However, in Croatia, France and Italy, it was recognised as competing with existing domestic retirement and life insurance products, which may negatively impact its development. This is the first comprehensive study of the prospects of PEPP in a large group of countries. The results provide socially essential knowledge as they address the role of private savings in supplementing households’ future income from public pension schemes, considering the availability of a new product such as PEPP

Efficacy of subsequent treatments in patients with hormone-positive advanced breast cancer who had disease progression under CDK 4/6 inhibitor therapy

Background: There is no standard treatment recommended at category 1 level in international guidelines for subsequent therapy after cyclin-dependent kinase 4/6 inhibitor (CDK4/6) based therapy. We aimed to evaluate which subsequent treatment oncologists prefer in patients with disease progression under CDKi. In addition, we aimed to show the effectiveness of systemic treatments after CDKi and whether there is a survival difference between hormonal treatments (monotherapy vs. mTOR-based). Methods: A total of 609 patients from 53 centers were included in the study. Progression-free-survivals (PFS) of subsequent treatments (chemotherapy (CT, n:434) or endocrine therapy (ET, n:175)) after CDKi were calculated. Patients were evaluated in three groups as those who received CDKi in first-line (group A, n:202), second-line (group B, n: 153) and ≥ 3rd-line (group C, n: 254). PFS was compared according to the use of ET and CT. In addition, ET was compared as monotherapy versus everolimus-based combination therapy. Results: The median duration of CDKi in the ET arms of Group A, B, and C was 17.0, 11.0, and 8.5 months in respectively; it was 9.0, 7.0, and 5.0 months in the CT arm. Median PFS after CDKi was 9.5 (5.0–14.0) months in the ET arm of group A, and 5.3 (3.9–6.8) months in the CT arm (p = 0.073). It was 6.7 (5.8–7.7) months in the ET arm of group B, and 5.7 (4.6–6.7) months in the CT arm (p = 0.311). It was 5.3 (2.5–8.0) months in the ET arm of group C and 4.0 (3.5–4.6) months in the CT arm (p = 0.434). Patients who received ET after CDKi were compared as those who received everolimus-based combination therapy versus those who received monotherapy ET: the median PFS in group A, B, and C was 11.0 vs. 5.9 (p = 0.047), 6.7 vs. 5.0 (p = 0.164), 6.7 vs. 3.9 (p = 0.763) months. Conclusion: Physicians preferred CT rather than ET in patients with early progression under CDKi. It has been shown that subsequent ET after CDKi can be as effective as CT. It was also observed that better PFS could be achieved with the subsequent everolimus-based treatments after first-line CDKi compared to monotherapy ET.Breast Cancer Consortiu

Evaluation of patients with fibrotic interstitial lung disease: Preliminary results from the Turk-UIP study

OBJECTIVE: Differential diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is important among fibrotic interstitial lung diseases (ILD). This study aimed to evaluate the rate of IPF in patients with fibrotic ILD and to determine the clinical-laboratory features of patients with and without IPF that would provide the differential diagnosis of IPF. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The study included the patients with the usual interstitial pneumonia (UIP) pattern or possible UIP pattern on thorax high-resolution computed tomography, and/or UIP pattern, probable UIP or possible UIP pattern at lung biopsy according to the 2011 ATS/ERSARS/ALAT guidelines. Demographics and clinical and radiological data of the patients were recorded. All data recorded by researchers was evaluated by radiology and the clinical decision board. RESULTS: A total of 336 patients (253 men, 83 women, age 65.8 +/- 9.0 years) were evaluated. Of the patients with sufficient data for diag-nosis (n=300), the diagnosis was IPF in 121 (40.3%), unclassified idiopathic interstitial pneumonia in 50 (16.7%), combined pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema (CPFE) in 40 (13.3%), and lung involvement of connective tissue disease (CTD) in 16 (5.3%). When 29 patients with definite IPF features were added to the patients with CPFE, the total number of IPF patients reached 150 (50%). Rate of male sex (p<0.001), smoking history (p<0.001), and the presence of clubbing (p=0.001) were significantly high in patients with IPE None of the women <50 years and none of the men <50 years of age without a smoking history were diagnosed with IPE Presence of at least 1 of the symptoms suggestive of CTD, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), and antinuclear antibody (FANA) positivity rates were significantly higher in the non-IPF group (p<0.001, p=0.029, p=0.009, respectively). CONCLUSION: The rate of IPF among patients with fibrotic ILD was 50%. In the differential diagnosis of IPF, sex, smoking habits, and the presence of clubbing are important. The presence of symptoms related to CTD, ESR elevation, and EANA positivity reduce the likelihood of IPF

Export instability: the case of Turkey

M.S. - Master of Scienc

Length–Weight Relationship and Condition Factor of Red Mullet (Mullus barbatus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758) from the Western Black Sea, Turkey

A total of 1021 specimens of red mullet Mullus barbatus barbatus Linnaeus, 1758 were collected by using bottom trawl between April and December 2013 from Western Black Sea of Turkey. Total fish length ranged from 6.9-14.5 cm and weight ranged from 2.60-31.36 g. The lengthweight relationships were determined for males, females and combined sexes as W=0.0055L3.25 , W=0.0065L3.17, W=0.0059L3.21 respectively. All fishes have been found to be positive allometric growth (b˃3, P0.93, P<0.001). Fulton’s condition factor (K) was calculated as 0.968±0.16 for females, 0.970±0.14 for males and 0.974±0.12 for all individuals respectively

Some parameters about population biology of the common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus L.,1758)(Sparidae) in the Edremit Bay (Turkey)

Common pandora (Pagellus erythrinus L, 1758) were caught in the Edremit Bay using the trawls during the period of November 1999 to October 2000. the fork length varied between 77 and 228 mm. Protogynous hermaphroditism characterized the species. the overall ratio of males to females was 1:3.16. the duration of the reproductive season was from April to October and a peak in spawning activity occurred in August-September. Females reached fifty percent maturity at a fork length 13 mm. the length-weight relationship for all individuals was described by the following parameters: a= 0.00007 and b= 2.7388. Fish aged 0-VHI years were found. the von Bertalanffy growth parameters for the whole population were: $L_infty$ = 239.95 mm, k= 0.16 $year^{-1}$ and $t_o$ = -2.6 year. Negative allometric growth was observed for females, males and all individuals. For all fish, the rates of mortality were: Z= 0.764, %Z= %53, M= 0.375, F= 0.398 and the exploitation ratio E= 0.509. This data shows that the stock of the common pandora of the Edremit Bay is being exploited in the limit. It would be desirable to take measures to protect the spawning stock and recruits, for example by introducing a closed season or various changes in fishing patterns.Kırma mercan (Pagellus erythrinus L., 1758) bireyleri Kasım 1999-Ekim 2000 periyodu boyunca trolle Edremit Körfezi'nden yakalanmıştır. Çatal boy 77-228 mm. arasında değişmektedir. Bu tür protojin hermafroditizm özelliğindedir. Erkeklerin dişiye oranı l:3.16'dır. Üreme zamanı Nisan-Ekim olup yumurtlama aktivitesindeki pik Ağustos-Eylül arası oluşur. Dişiler %50 olgunluk yaşma 13 mm çatal boyda ulaşır. Boy-ağırlık ilişkisi parametreleri tüm bireyler için: a= 0.00007 ve b= 2.7388 olarak saptanmıştır. Balıklar O-VEI yaş arasında bulunmuştur. Tüm populasyon için von Bertalanfry büyüme parametreleri: $L_infty$ =239.95 mm, k= 0.16 $yıl^{-1}$ ve $t_o$ = -2.6 yıl. Dişi, erkek ve tüm bireyler için negatif allometrik büyüme gözlenmiştir. Tüm balıklar için mortalite oranlan: Z= 0.764, %Z= %53, M= 0.375, F= 0.398 ve sömürü oranı E= 0.509 olarak saptandı. Bu veriler, Edremit Körfezi'ndeki kırma mercan stoklarının sömürüsünün sınırda olduğunu göstermektedir. Yumurtlama stoklarının ve stoğa katılımın korunması için önlemler alınması gereklidir. Örneğin av yasaklan girişimleri veya balık avlama modellerinde çeşitli değişiklikler gibi