The Western Hemisphere Trading Corporation; in Outline

One of the last frontiers of effective tax reduction exists in the exporting field. This device was specifically created by Congress to enable American corporations trading in foreign countries within the Western Hemisphere to compete with foreign corporations and has been approved by the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. There is no federal law providing for the incorporation of Western Hemisphere Trade Corporations. The corporations are organized under applicable state law and qualify as Western Hemisphere Trade Corporations

Visual inspection with acetic acid in cervical cancer screening

PubMed ID: 21326031BACKGROUND: Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is an attractive screening method for early-phase cervical cancer in underdeveloped countries. OBJECTIVE: This study addressed the validity of VIA in cervical cancer screening by comparing results with colposcopy findings. METHODS: Of 350 women screened at the Ege University clinic using the Papanicolaou test, colposcopy and VIA were used additionally to screen 50 of these women. Colposcopy, VIA, and Papanicolaou test results were compared. A sociodemographic data questionnaire and a VIA questionnaire were used. RESULTS: When VIA findings were compared with Papanicolaou test findings, the sensitivity of VIA was 82.14%, specificity was 50.00%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 67.64%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 68.75%. When the method of VIA was compared with colposcopy, VIA had a sensitivity of 85.29%, specificity of 68.75%, PPV of 85.29%, and NPV of 68.75%. CONCLUSIONS: In the screening of cervical cancer, the sensitivity of VIA was high, whereas the corresponding specificity was only at an acceptable level. The PPV and NPV of VIA were found to be high. In other words, the validity of VIA during early-phase screening is high in terms of sensitivity and acceptable for specificity and predictive values. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Visual inspection with acetic acid is an acceptable screening method for cervical cancer and seems to be an efficient and cost-effective method to detect high-level dysplasia. © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc

The validity and reliability of Turkish version of the Duke anticoagulation satisfaction scale [Duke antikoagülan memnuniyet ölçeğinin Türkçe formunun geçerlik ve güvenirliği]

Background: This study aims to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Turkish version of Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale (DASS) which was developed to assess the requirements and perceptions of patients receiving anticoagulant treatment. Methods: In this methodological study, 227 volunteer patients (119 males, 108 females; mean age 55.8±15.2 years; range 20 to 86 years) using oral anticoagulants were recruited. Duke Anticoagulation Satisfaction Scale, which consists of 25 items and was developed in a three factors structure (limitations, hassles and burdens, and positive impacts), had high internal consistency (?=0.88) and high test-retest reliability (r=0.80) in the original study. Content validity index, Cronbach alpha, test-retest reliability, item total score correlation, and principal and confirmatory factor analysis were used to evaluate the data. The scale is answered in seven-Likert type, and high scores indicate worse patient satisfaction. Results: Scale mean score was 85.0±25.1 (range, 36-161 points). Scale content validity index was 0.99, and Cronbach alpha coefficient was 0.91. Total score correlations were between 0.21 and 0.79 (p<0.001 and p<0.01). Test-retest reliability was very high (r=0.98, p<0.001). Confirmatory factor analysis of the scale demonstrated an acceptable level of compliance root mean square error of approximation (RMSEA: 0.103, X2= 922.29 df: 272 p=0.000). Conclusion: Turkish version of the scale was demonstrated to be valid in terms of internal consistency reliability, content validity, and construct validity. The scale is an objective tool which may be used by health professionals to assess the problems and care requirements of patients using anticoagulants

Türk bankacılık sektöründe türev piyasa araçlarının riske etkileri

Her geçen gün teknolojinin ve finans sektörünün gelişme göstermesi sonucunda finans dünyası globalleşmiş, globalleşen dünyada yatırımcılar ve bankalar için risk eskisinden daha büyük önem arz etmeye başlamıştır. Özellikle globalleşmenin doğurduğu döviz kuru ve faiz riskinin kontrol edilebilmesi amacı ile bazı finansal enstrümanlar hayatımıza girmiş ve kullanımları yaygınlaşmaya başlamıştır. Bunlardan türev piyasa araçları olan forward, future, opsiyon, swap ve diğer türev piyasa araçları söz konusu risklerden korunmak, spekülasyon ve yeterince gelişmemiş piyasalarda zaman zaman da arbitraj amacı ile kullanılmaya başlanmıştır. Kurumların ve yatırımcıların bu araçların kullanımı ile geleceğe yönelik belirsizliklerini minimize etmesi, türev piyasa araçlarına olan ilgiyi gerek dünya çapında gerek ülkemizde her geçen gün arttırmaktadır. Bu çalışmanın amacı; 2007-2015 yılları arasında ülkemizdeki finans sektörünün en büyük kurumları olarak görülen bankaların, gün geçtikçe artan türev piyasa araçlarının kullanımlarını analiz etmek ve bankacılık sektöründe riske etkilerini ölçmektir. İlk bölümde türev piyasa araçlarının tarihçesine değinilmiş ve ikinci bölümde araçların tanımları ve kullanımları açıklanmıştır. Çalışmanın üçüncü bölümüne riskin tanımı ve risk türleri, dördüncü bölümüne uygulanacak yöntem ve veriler, grafikler ve panel regresyon analizi dahil edilmiştir. Son olarak beşinci bölüm araştırma sonuçlarını içermektedir. Elde edilen analiz sonuçları, değişkenlerin birim kök içermesi, durağan olmaması ve eşbütünleşik sonuçlar vermemesi nedeni ile kredi riski, piyasa riski ve sermaye yeterlilik rasyosu ile türev araçların yeterli düzeyde ilişki içermediğini göstermiştir. The finance world has globalised day by day with the results of the improving technology and finance thus in the globalising world the importance of risk has become even more than before for the investors and the banks. Especially with the purpose of being able to control exchange rate and interest risk, the result of globalisation, financial enstruments have become a part of our lives and use of them became widespread. The derivatives such as forward, future, opsion, swap and the other derivatives have been used for speculation and to be protected from the risk, and underdeveloped market used them from time to time with the purpose of arbitrage. With the use of derivatives by the institutions and the investors, the uncertainty towards future has been minimised, therefore, the interest, both in the World and in our country for derivatives has extended. The purpose of this study; is to analysed the use of derivatives increasing day by day in the banks, seen as the biggest finance sector in out country between the years of 2007- 2015, and to see effects to risk in the bank sector. The first chapter is the history of derivatives and the second chapter is the description and the purpose of using derivatives. The description and the types of risk are in the third chapter of the study, forth chapter is about the methods to use and the data, diagrams and the analysis of panel regression. And the last chapter is the fifth chapter, includes the result of the research. Obtained analyses results show that because of the consists unit root, un-stationarity and not giving cointegration results, credit risk, market risk and capital adequacy ratio does not have enough relation between deriatives

Beliefs of Turkish female teaching staff regarding mammography scanning

Background: To our knowledge, there has hitherto been no research to determine the beliefs of female teaching staff, who are highly educated and form a special risk group regarding breast cancer, towards mammography scanning in Turkey. Definitive research was planned to determine the beliefs of the female teaching staff working in a university. Methods: Data were collected by researchers via face-to-face interview using a sociodemographic questionnaire and "Health Belief Model". Results: The point average of the teaching staff in the mammography benefits sub-scale is 19.6± 3.87, their average item score is 3.91. The point average of the teaching staff in the mammography obstacles sub-scale is 21.17±6.87, their average item score is 1.92. Conclusions: They agree on the benefits of the mammography, but they do not agree on the obstacles to mammography

Training program to raise consciousness among adolescents for protection against skin cancer through performance of skin self examination

Background: Overexposure to sunlight in childhood and the adolescent period and associsated sunburns significantly increase the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. In Turkey, the incidence of skin cancer in the general population is 0.8%. The incidence is 0.6% and the mortality rate is 0.4% for men, while these rates are 1.0% and 0.7%, respectively, for women. If skin cancer is found early, its treatment is facilitated. Therefore, personal skin examination is important for early diagnosis. Objectives: Our aim was to determine the effects of training for raising consciousness among adolescents to protect against skin cancer by influencing skin self examination behavior. Method: This quasi experimental intervention study was conducted between February and April 2012 in Izmir. The study population consisted of students attending 6th, 7th and 8th classes of a primary school (n:302). No sampling was performed. Data were collected with a form developed by the researchers based on the literature. The first part of form is aimed to determine demographic characteristics of adolescents (3 questions) and their risk status of skin cancer (6 questions). The second part was prepared for skin cancer risks of adolescents (8 questions) and indications of skin cancer (12 questions). The last part was intended to determine their knowledge about skin self examination (4 questions) and behavioral stages of skin self examination (1 question). Data collection was achieved with a questionnaire form in three phases. In the 1st phase, data about demographic characteristics of students, risk status of skin cancer, knowledge level of skin cancer and behavior stages were collected. In the 2nd phase, skin self examination training based on the transtheoretical model was performed within the same day just after obtaining preliminary data. In the 3rd phase, adolescents were followed up three times to establish the efficacy of the training (on the 15th day after training program and at end of the 1st and 2nd months). Follow-up data were evaluated by questioning skin self examination performing behavior stages through electronic mail. Results: Half of the adolescents (50.5%) are male, and 58.4% of them are 13 years old with a mean age of 12±1.15 years. About 29.4% of adolescents had brown hair color, 37.9% had brown/hazel eye color, 29.4% had white skin, and 47.2% had fewer than 10 moles in their body. The pretest mean score on knowledge level about risks of skin cancer was found to be 4.19±1.96, while the post-test mean score was 6.79±1.67 (min:0, max:8).The pretest mean score about indications of skin cancer was 7.45±3.76, while the post-test mean score was 10.7±2.60 (min:0, max:12). The increases were statistically significant (p<0.05). The behavior "I do not perform skin self examination regularly in every month and I do not think to perform it in the next 6 months" was reduced from 52.8 to 35.5% after training. Conclusion: The training program organized to raise consciousness among adolescents for protection against skin cancer increased the knowledge level about risks and indications of skin cancer and it also improved the behavior of performing skin self examination