Discerning causal relationship between operational cost and bank profit for commercial banks: Turkish evidence with ARDL approach

The purpose of this study is to identify the causality relationship between bank profits and operational expense for the commercial banks in Turkish banking sector. A robust time series technique, ARDL is applied by using the monthly data for the year between 2007 and 2017, which is collected from the website of Banking Regulation and Supervision Agency of Turkey. While Net Profits (PR) and Operational Expense (OE) are determined as focus variables, Total Asset (TA) and Liquidity (LQ) are chosen as control variables. The results indicate that there is long-term causality relationship between PR and OE. We found OE as an exogenous variable leading PR which is an endogenous variable. Operational expense as the most exogenous variable leads the bank profits in the long run. Findings suggest that efficient operational investments will provide more profitability. Therefore, investing in sales and marketing, new branches, advertisement, human forces, IT services which are called efficient operational cost is suggested for more profitability in the long-term

Design of a Horizontal Penetrometer for Measuring On-the-Go Soil Resistance

Soil compaction is one of the main negative factors that limits plant growth and crop yield. Therefore, it is important to determine the soil resistance level and map it for the field to find solutions for the negative effects of the compaction. Nowadays, high powered communication technology and computers help us on this issue within the approach of precision agriculture applications. This study is focused on the design of a penetrometer, which can make instantaneous soil resistance measurements in the soil horizontally and data acquisition software based on the GPS (Global Positioning System). The penetrometer was designed using commercial 3D parametric solid modelling design software. The data acquisition software was developed in Microsoft Visual Basic.NET programming language. After the design of the system, manufacturing and assembly of the system was completed and then a field experiment was carried out. According to the data from GPS and penetration resistance values which are collected in Microsoft SQL Server database, a Kriging method by ArcGIS was used and soil resistance was mapped in the field for a soil depth of 40 cm. During operation, no faults, either in mechanical and software parts, were seen. As a result, soil resistance values of 0.2 MPa and 3 MPa were obtained as minimum and maximum values, respectively. In conclusion, the experimental results showed that the designed system works quite well in the field and the horizontal penetrometer is a practical tool for providing on-line soil resistance measurements. This study contributes to further research for the development of on-line soil resistance measurements and mapping within the precision agriculture applications

Aktinik şelitis tedavisinde 5-fluorourasıl (5-fu) kullanımı: derleme ve iki olgunun sunumu

Actinic (solar) cheilitis is an epithelial precancerous lesion with a predilection of lower lip rather than upper lip. Clinically they may be undistinguishable from squamous cell carcinomas. Therefore actinic cheilitis should not be left untreated and the effected area should be protected from exposure to excess sun light. Two patients complaining of chronic ulcers and burning sensation on their lower lips were referred to the oral surgery clinic. Clinical examination revealed keratotic areas and superficial ulcers on lower lip vermillion. Patients’ history and the clinical findings led us to a clinical diagnosis of actinic cheilitis in both cases. The diagnoses were confirmed histopathologically, treatment was with topical 5-FU and one of the cases is still under our review. Clinical appearance of actinic cheilitis can be similar to lip carcinomas and there is the risk of transformation to squamous cell carcinoma. For this reason it is imperative that a biopsy is taken promptly to confirm the diagnosis. Recurrence is possible after treatment and this necessitates regular review appointments. Patient compliance is a must, and to improve this, treatment options should be discussed with the patient and their preferences should be considered. ÖZET Aktinik (solar) şelitis daha çok alt dudakta görülen epitelyal prekanseröz bir oluşumdur. Klinik olarak, skuamoz hücreli karsinomdan ayrılması güç olabilir. Bu nedenle aktinik şelitis tedavisiz bırakılmamalı ve etkilenen bölge güneş ışığından korunmalıdır. Alt dudaklarında iyileşmeyen yara ve yanma şikayeti olan 2 olgu, Ağız Diş Çene Hastalıkları ve Cerrahisi Anabilim Dalı kliniğine başvurmuşlardır. Muayenede alt dudak vermilyonlarında iyileşmeyen yüzeyel ülserler ve keratotik alanlar içeren lezyonlar saptanmıştır. Her iki olgunun da hikayeleri ve klinik muayeneleri sonucunda aktinik şelitis ön tanısı konmuştur. Tanılar histopatolojik tetkikle doğrulandıktan sonra topikal 5-FU tedavisi uygulanmış olup, olgulardan birinin kontrolleri halen devam etmektedir. Aktinik şelitisin klinik görünümü dudak karsinomuna benzeyebileceği gibi, skuamoz hücreli karsinoma dönüşme riski de bulunmaktadır. Bu nedenle klinik tanının doğrulanması için en kısa sürede biyopsi alınmalıdır. Tedavi sonrasında nüks ihtimali olduğundan hastaların düzenli aralıklarla kontrolü önem taşır. Tedavide hasta uyumunu ve memnuniyetini önemsemek gerekir ki, bu nedenle olası tedavi seçenekleri hakkında hasta bilgilendirilmeli ve tedaviye tercih edilen yöntem ile başlanmalıdır. Anahtar kelimeler: Aktinik şelitis, şelitis, 5-fluorourasi

Mechanical and Tribological Performance of Polypropylene/Tin Powder Composites

In this study, the effect of Tin powder filler content on the mechanical and tribological performance of Tin filled Polypropylene (PP) composites were investigated. Polypropylene composites were prepared in a Brabender kneading chamber. The melt was transferred to a laboratory hot press and compression molded into samples for tests. The mechanical performances of the polymer based composites were determined by tensile and notched izod impact tests. The tribological tests were carried out in dry condition using pin-on-disc at 0.5−1.5 m/s Sliding Speed (SS) and 10–30 N loads. The mechanical test results demonstrated that the incorporation of Tin powders increased the Tensile Strength (TS) (5.6%), tensile modulus (TM) (19.8%) and izod Impact Strength (IS) (41.8%) while decreased the Elongation at Break (EB) (80%) values of Tin powder filled PP composites. The Friction Coefficient (COF) and Specific Wear Rate (SWR) decreased with the increase in filler content. The COF of unfilled PP, PP-8% Tin powder, PP-16% Tin powder and PP-24% Tin powder composites decreased about 20%, 23.4%, 21.8% and 29.3% with the increase in applied load from 10 N to 30 N, respectively. The SWR of the Tin powder filled PP composites decreased by 91% compared to unfilled PP polymer at 1.5 m/s speed and 30 N load value

The effect of magnetic field on the impurity binding energy of shallow donor impurities in a Ga1−xInxNyAs1−y/GaAs quantum well

ABSTRACT: Using a variational approach, we have investigated the effects of the magnetic field, the impurity position, and the nitrogen and indium concentrations on impurity binding energy in a Ga1−xInxNyAs1−y/GaAs quantum well. Our calculations have revealed the dependence of impurity binding on the applied magnetic field, the impurity position, and the nitrogen and indium concentrations

Can pretreatment hepatic artery perfusion scintigraphy in patients with liver malignancies predict the treatment response of the selective internal radiation therapy with 90Y resin microspheres?

PURPOSEWe aimed to evaluate whether the perfusion pattern from pretreatment hepatic artery perfusion scintigraphy (HAPS) in patients with liver malignancies can predict response to selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).METHODSThis retrospective study analyzed 152 consecutive patients treated with yttrium-90 (90Y) resin microspheres between April 2015 and July 2017. HAPS using single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) with 99mtechnetium macroaggregated albumin (99mTc-MAA) was performed before SIRT. Investigators visually classified perfusion patterns of tumors as heterogeneous or diffuse in HAPS. Between diffuse and heterogeneous pattern group, positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in third and sixth month after SIRT, and tumor response assessed and compared by using RECIST 1.1 or mRECIST. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were also compared with Kaplan-Meier/log-rank analyses.RESULTSOf 216 SIRT procedures, 172 were classified as heterogeneous and 44 as diffuse. Diffuse 99mTc- MAA uptake was associated with longer median OS than heterogeneous (22.2 vs. 14.4 months, respectively; P = .047). Subsegmental infusion was associated with longer OS than either lobar or segmental infusion (P = .090). Mean estimated OS was longer in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) (34.2 months) than with colorectal carcinoma (CRC) (16.4 months) (P = .044). Patients with both diffuse and heterogeneous patterns were able to show complete response after SIRT. No statistically significant differences were observed between perfusion patterns and PFS or response rates to SIRT.CONCLUSIONAlthough tumor perfusion patterns from preplanning HAPS analyses are useful for estimating tumor uptake of 90Y, they may not reliably predict hepatic treatment response, as patients with different perfusion patterns can show clinical response to SIRT

Management of small bowel volvulus in a patient with simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT): a case report

There are several surgical complications which can occur following simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation (SPKT). Although intestinal obstruction is known to be a common complication after any type of abdominal surgery, the occurrence of small bowel volvulus, which is one of the rare causes of intestinal obstruction, following SPKT has not been published before. A 24-year-old woman suffering from type I diabetes mellitus with complications of nephropathy resulting in end stage renal disease (ESRD), neuropathy and retinopathy underwent SPKT. On the postoperative month 5, she was brought to the emergency service due to abdominal distention with mild abdominal pain. After laboratory research and diagnostic radiological tests had been carried out, she underwent exploratory laparotomy to determine the pathology for acute abdominal symptoms. Intra-operative observation revealed the presence of an almost totally ischemic small bowel which had occurred due to clockwise rotation of the mesentery. Initially, simple derotation was performed to avoid intestinal resection because of her risky condition, particularly for short bowel syndrome, and subsequent intestinal response was favorable. Thus, surgical treatment was successfully employed to solve the problem without any resection procedure. The patient's postoperative follow-up was uneventful and she was discharged from hospital on postoperative day 7. According to our clinical viewpoint, this study emphasizes that if there is even just a suspicion of acute abdominal problem in a patient with SPKT, surgical intervention should be promptly performed to avoid any irreversible result and to achieve a positive outcome

Clinical usefulness of epicardial adipose tissue in patients with high-intermediate pre-test probability for coronary artery disease

Background: Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) is thought to be associated with the extension and severity of coronary artery disease (CAD), and echocardiographic measurement of EAT thickness is considered to be a possible cardiovascular risk indica­tor. The European Society of Cardiology Task Force recommends further non-invasive testing in patients with an intermediate pre-test probability (PTP) for the diagnosis of CAD. Aim: We sought to evaluate the clinical usefulness of performing EAT measurements in patients with a high-intermediate PTP. Methods: Patients referred to an outpatient clinic with stable chest pain symptoms, with PTP for CAD between 66% and 85%, were included in the study. Echocardiographic measurement of the EAT was identified as the echo-free space between the outer wall of the myocardium and the visceral layer of the pericardium. Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) was performed in all patients. The diagnosis of CAD was based on the presence of reversible perfusion defects on SPECT. Results: A total of 126 patients (76 men, 60.3%) with a mean age of 65.3 ± 9.1 years were recruited. The EAT thickness was 7.3 ± 0.7 mm in patients with positive SPECT and 6.2 ± 0.6 mm in patients with negative SPECT (p < 0.001). Multivariable analysis revealed higher rates of positive SPECT in patients with higher EAT (odds ratio [OR] 9.80; 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.72–25.79; p < 0.001), and receiver operating characteristic curve analysis showed that the greatest specificity was obtained when the cut-off value of EAT thickness was 6.75 mm (sensitivity 76%; specificity 74%). Conclusions: In patients with high-intermediate PTP, EAT is a useful measurement that may assist in risk stratification

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Hyperprolactinemia in Children and Adolescents: National Survey

Conclusion: We present the largest cohort of children and adolescents with hyperprolactinemia in the literature to date. Hyperprolactinemia is more common in females and cabergoline is highly effective and practical to use in adolescents, due to its biweekly dosing. Indications for surgery in pediatric cases need to be revised