The mediating role of country of origin effect in the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on café preference

This research aims to investigate the mediating role of the country of origin effect (COO) in the relationship between consumer ethnocentrism (CE) and cafe preference. Consumer ethnocentrism refers to the extent to which consumers exhibit a preference for domestic products over foreign ones. The country of origin effect suggests that consumers’ evaluations and perceptions of a product are influenced by its country of origin. In the context of the cafe industry, this study examines whether consumer ethnocentrism influences Turkish/American cafe preference, and whether this relationship is mediated by the country of origin effect for Turkish consumers who live in Rize. The findings revealed that CE has an effect on both COO and cafe preference. COO has a direct effect on cafe preference and mediation role in the effect of consumer ethnocentrism on cafe preference. The result indicating that the country of origin effect of Turkish consumers has a positive impact on both Turkish and American cafe preferences suggests that Turkish consumers may have a favorable view of both Turkish and American cafes based on their perceived country of origin

Raznolikost plodova i sadnica u populacijama pitomoga kestena (Castanea sativa Mill.) u Turskoj

Sweet chestnut, Castanea sativa Mill., is an important multipurpose tree species in Asia Minor and Europe. The objective of this study was to investigate variation among eight sweet chestnut populations in Turkey by using different morphological characteristics of fruits and seedlings. A total of four fruit characteristics were analysed: fruit length, width and thickness, and fruit shape, i.e. the ratio of fruit length and width. Additionally, 1000 fruit mass and fruit moisture content were determined as well. Measurements of seedling length, root collar diameter and sturdiness quotient were carried out at one-year old seedlings. The highest values of fruit length, width and thickness were found in İzmir population, while the highest values of seedling length, root collar diameter and sturdiness quotient were found in Balıkesir population. The 1000 fruit mass ranged between 3815.1 g and 10516.5 g, and the highest average fruit moisture content was 52.21 %. In general, the fruit size increased from eastern to western populations. Furthermore, the results of statistical analyses showed that there were significant differences between analysed populations for measured morphological characteristics related to both fruit and seedling. Application of cluster analysis revealed grouping of populations according to the eco-geographic principle. However, human influence on the population structure cannot be excluded as well.Pitomi kesten, Castanea sativa Mill., plemenita je vrsta drveća od koje imamo višestruku gospodarsku korist (kvalitetno drvo, jestivi plodovi, med, ogrijev, listinac i dr.). Rasprostranjen je u mediteranskom području, od Kaspijskog jezera do Atlantskog oceana. U Turskoj najveće površine pod kestenovim šumama nalazimo na području sjeverne i zapadne Antolije te u regiji Marmara. U posljednjih nekoliko desetljeća pitomi kesten je ugrožen od raka kestenove kore i negativnih antropogenih utjecaja. S obzirom na to provedena su brojna istraživanja s ciljem očuvanje genofonda ove plemenite vrste drveća.Glavni cilj ovoga istraživanja bio je utvrditi morfološku varijabilnost plodova i jednogodišnjih sadnica pitomoga kestena u Turskoj. Plodovi za morfometrijsku analizu skupljeni su tijekom listopada u osam populacija pitomoga kestena na području istočne, središnje i zapadne Turske (slika 1, tablica 1). Unutar svake populacije sakupljeni su uzorci sa po 15 do 20 stabala. Ukupno su određene po četiri značajke na svakom plodu: dužina, širina i debljina ploda te omjer dužine i širine ploda. Osim toga, određen je i udio vlage u plodovima, kao i masa 1000 zračno suhih plodova. Plodovi su u proljeće posijani na unaprijed pripremljene gredice. Na kraju prvog vegetacijskog razdoblja mjerene su sljedeće značajke: visina sadnice, promjer sadnice pri osnovi i koeficijent čvrstoće. Za utvrđivanje varijabilnosti populacija korištene su deskriptivne i multivarijatne statističke metode. Podaci su obrađeni u programskom paketu SPSS 23.0.Rezultati deskriptivne statističke analize prikazani su na slici 2. Najviše vrijednosti za dužinu, širinu i debljinu ploda utvrđene su u populaciji Izmira, dok su najviše prosječne vrijednosti za visinu sadnice, promjer sadnice pri njenoj osnovi i koeficijent čvrstoće utvrđene u populaciji Balikesira. Masa 1000 zračno suhih plodova kretala se je od 3815,1 g do 10516,5 g, a udio vlage u plodovima od 38.46 % do 52,21 % (tablica 2). Istraživanjem je utvrđen visok stupanj varijabilnosti populacija pitomoga kestena u Turskoj (slika 3). Rezultati provedene analize varijance pokazali su da se populacije međusobno signifikantno razlikuju za sve istraživane značajke. Pearsonovim koeficijentom korelacije utvrđena je statistički značajna korelacija između dužine, širine i debljine ploda, kao i mase 1000 zračno suhih plodova (tablica 3). Osim toga, pozitivna korelacija utvrđena je i između visine sadnice i koeficijenta čvrstoće. Duncanovim testom i hijerarhijskom klasterskom analizom utvrđeno je da se one populacije koje su geografski bliže i ekološki sličnije nalaze u istoj skupini (slika 1 i 4). Također je utvrđeno da se veličina plodova u kestenovim šumama Turske povećava od istoka prema zapadu

Determınatıon of the seedlıngs qualıty classes of black locust (robinia pseudoacacia L. ) orıgıns

Bu çalışmada K.T.Ü. Orman Fidanlığında üretilen 1+0 yaşındaki Yalancı Akasya (Robinia pseudoacacia L. ) fidanları kullanılmıştır. Bunun için 11'i yabancı olmak üzere toplam 18 orijinden temin edilen Yalancı Akasya tohumları K.T.Ü. Orman Fidanlığına ekilmiş ve 1+0 yaşına gelmiş fidanlar, tekniğine uygun olarak sökülmüştür. Üretilen 18 Y.Akasya orijinlerine ait fidanlarda FB, KBÇ ve FB ile KBÇ değerlerine göre belirlenen yeni sınıf ayırım değerleri (YS), Türk Standartları Enstitüsü (TSE) sınıf ayırım değerleri ile karşılaştırılmıştır. Buna göre oluşturulan yeni kalite sınıflaması diskriminant analizi ile denetlenmiştir. Ayrıca faktör analizi yardımıyla fidan kalite sınıflamasında etkili olan morfolojik özellikler tespit edilmiştir. Çalışma sonucunda gerek TSE ve gerekse yeni oluşturulan kalite sınıflaması bakımından bütün orijinler yüksek oranda I. Sınıf fidana sahiptir. En önemli sınıflandırma kriteri ise FB ve KBÇ'nın birlikte değerlendirilmesidir.In this present study, 1+0 Black Locust ( Robinia pseudoacacia L. ) seedlings grown in KTÜ Nursery were used. Eighteen different origin seeds of Black locust of which eleven are egzotic provenances were soved in KTÜ Nursery. One year later, these seedlings were lifted. Quality norms determined according to height, root-colar diameter and combination of both height and root-colar diameter. The resulting seedling quality classification were controlled by using discriminant analysis. Furthermore the morphological characteristics that affect the seedling quality classification were determined by using factor analysis. According to the results of this study, all the origins determined with respect to either TSE or newly seedling quality classification (YS) have highly first grade seedlings. The most important classification criteria is the assesment of height and root-colar diameter together

In vivo evaluation of the neurogenotoxic effects of exposure to validamycin A in neuroblasts of drosophila melanogaster larval brain

Agriculture commonly utilizes crop protection products to tackle infestations from fungi, parasites, insects, and weeds. Validamycin A, an inhibitor of trehalase, possesses antibiotic and antifungal attributes. Epidemiological evidence has led to concerns regarding a potential link between pesticide usage and neurodegenerative diseases. The fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, has been recognized as a reliable model for genetic research due to its significant genetic similarities with mammals. Here, we propose to use D. melanogaster as an effective in vivo model system to investigate the genotoxic risks associated with exposure to validamycin A. In this study, we performed a neurotoxic evaluation of validamycin A in D. melanogaster larvae. Several endpoints were evaluated, including toxicity, intracellular oxidative stress (reactive oxygen species), intestinal damage, larval behavior (crawling behavior, light/dark sensitivity assay, and temperature sensitivity assay), locomotor (climbing) behavior, and neurogenotoxic effects (impaired DNA via Comet assay, enhanced by Endo III and formamidopyrimidine DNA glycosylase [FPG]). The results showed that exposure to validamycin A, especially at higher doses (1 and 2.5 mM), induced DNA impairment in neuroblasts as observed by Comet assay. Both larvae and adults exhibited behavioral changes and produced reactive oxygen species. Most importantly, this research represents a pioneering effort to report neurogenotoxicity data specifically in Drosophila larval neuroblasts, thus underscoring the importance of this species as a testing model in exploring the biological impacts of validamycin A. The in vivo findings from the experiments are a valuable and novel addition to the existing validamycin A neurogenotoxicity database.No sponso

Türkiye’deki ticari bankaların web sitesi performansları

The purpose of this paper is to measure the performances of commercial banks’ websites in Turkey by using “MultiCriteria Decision Making” (MCDM). The use of three MCDM methods (AHP, TOPSIS, VIKOR) consecutively constitutes the originality of this study. Based on the literature and expert opinions, 6 performance criteria (load time, page speed, markup, speed index, visitors, pageviews) and 5 website analysis tools were determined. First, the significance weights of the criteria were calculated with AHP (Analytical Hierarchy Process). Second, the data obtained in the 2-month period were analyzed by TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) and VIKOR (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) methods. “Page speed” was found to be the most important criterion in performance of banks’ websites. Most successful banks in terms of website efficiency are Garanti BBVA, Isbank and QNB Finansbank according to TOPSIS whereas QNB Finansbank, Garanti BBVA and Halkbank according to VIKOR results. It is observed that banks with high deposits and number of branches and employees do not show the same success in website performance. The results are expected to shed light on managers who want to set policies and strategies for digital banking applications.Bu çalışmanın amacı, “Çok Kriterli Karar Verme” (ÇKKV) yöntemlerini kullanarak, Türkiye’deki ticari bankaların web sitesi performanslarını ölçmektir. Bu kapsamda üç ÇKKV yönteminin (AHP, TOPSIS, VIKOR) bir arada kullanılması, çalışmanın özgünlüğünü oluşturmaktadır. Literatüre ve uzmanların görüşlerine dayanarak, 6 performans kriteri (yükleme süresi, sayfa hızı, biçimlendirme, hız endeksi, ziyaretçiler, sayfa görünümleri) ve 5 web sitesi analiz aracı belirlenmiştir. Çalışmanın ilk aşamasında AHP (Analitik Hiyerarşi Süreci) yöntemi ile kriterlerin önem ağırlıkları hesaplanmıştır. İkinci aşamada, 2 aylık periyotta elde edilen verilerin TOPSIS (Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) ve VIKOR (Vise Kriterijumska Optimizacija I Kompromisno Resenje) yöntemleri ile analizi yapılmıştır. Bulgulara göre, “sayfa hızı” değişkeninin, banka web sitelerinin performans değerlendirmesinde en önemli kriter olduğu saptanmıştır. TOPSIS yönteminde Garanti BBVA, İş Bankası ve QNB Finansbank web sitesi performansında en başarılı Türk ticari bankaları olmuştur. VIKOR yöntemine göre ise QNB Finansbank, Garanti BBVA ve Halkbank en başarılı bankalardır. Mevduat hacmi büyük, şube ve çalışan sayısı yüksek olan bankaların, web sitesi performansında aynı başarıyı göstermedikleri gözlemlenmiştir. Elde edilen sonuçların, dijital bankacılık uygulamalarına yönelik politika ve strateji belirlemek isteyen yöneticilere ışık tutması beklenmektedir

Comparison of HER-2 Amplification with Clinicopathological and Prognostic Parameters in Metastatic Gastric Carcinomas

Introduction: HER2 overexpression is present in 7 to 34% of gastric carcinomas. Several studies have demonstrated associations between HER2 overexpression and clinicopathological variables, including tumor depth, lymph node metastasis, and intestinal morphology. HER2 overexpression has been linked to shorter survival. Aim: In this study, we aimed to determine the frequency of HER2 overexpression in patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma referred to our clinic, to assess HER2 expression using immunohistochemistry (IHC) or silver in situ hybridization (SISH) and to demonstrate potential associations between HER2 expression and histopathological parameters. Materials and Methods: In this study, we assessed archival samples from 120 patients diagnosed with metastatic gastric carcinoma between 2015 and 2019 and tested for HER2 status. Samples had been obtained by endoscopic biopsy in 84 patients and gastric resection in 36 patients, whereas 36 patients were diagnosed in other health facilities and were referred to our department for consulting. Hematoxylin-eosin stained preparations were reassessed, and diagnoses were confirmed based on World Health Organization (WHO), and Lauren classifications and HER2 results were compared to previous results. HER2 status was assessed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) or silver in situ hybridization (SISH) in available paraffin-embedded tumor sections. Associations between HER2 expression levels and age, sex, tumor location,  size and histological type of the tumor, lymphovascular,  perineural and perinodal invasion and perinodal invasion, lymph node metastasis, and site of metastasis. Results: 84 (70%) out of 120 patients with metastatic gastric carcinoma were male, and 36  (30%) were female, and the mean age was  60.7 years  (age range: 21-90 years).  84 patients had undergone an endoscopic biopsy, and 36 patients had undergone gastric resection, whereas 39 patients were diagnosed in other health facilities and were referred to our department for consulting. In total 31(25.8%) out of 120 subjects tested positive for HER2 overexpression Comparisons of histological patterns, according to Lauren's classification, indicated that intestinal type was predominant in both groups, and none of the diffuse gastric carcinomas was HER2 positive. A statistically significant intergroup difference was found with respect to the prevalence of diffuse gastric carcinoma (p=0.03). Conclusion: In our study, HER-2 gene amplification (25.8%) is compatible with the literature. Her2 positive tumors were mostly located proximally and were not observed in diffuse type. In this respect, they were found statistically significant. Keywords:Her2,SISH,Gastric  Carcinoma Original Article: DOI: 10.7176/JHMN/79-07 Publication date:August 31st 202