The Determinants of the Price-Cost Margins of the Manufacturing Firms in Turkey

This study examines the determinants of the price-cost margins in the Turkish manufacturing industry spanning from 1995 to 2003. The literature on this subject points to the importance of market structure, business cycles and input costs. Utilizing panel data econometric techniques on a large number of manufacturing firms by conditioning on their firm size, age, ownership and export orientation, the study finds that there exists a marked difference among the firms’ pricing behaviors according to their market share. Import penetration seems to be ineffective to reduce the price-cost margins of large, high market share and foreign partner firms, while exporting activity was observed to act as a factor to enhance competition. The analysis also suggests that price-cost margins behave pro-cyclically in general and an appreciation of the domestic currency reduces price-cost margins by way of lowering input costs.Price-cost margins, Market Structure, Import Penetration

Theoretical study of a viscous turbine

M.S.Gene T. Colwel

Otpornost borovine i bukovine impregnirane ekstraktima biljaka R. luteum i R. ponticum na propadanje i promjenu boje

In this study, the effect of impregnation with natural extracts on decay resistance and color change of pine and beech wood was analyzed. Flowers of Rhododendron luteum and Rhododendron ponticum plants were extracted according to the decoction method and aqueous solutions were prepared at different concentration levels (2 %, 4 % and 7 %). In addition, ferrous sulfate, copper sulfate and aluminum sulfate mordants were added to the solution to improve the properties of the extracts. Then the wood specimens were impregnated with the prepared solutions. The results indicated that the effect of plant species on the mass loss of specimens exposed to T. versicolor (white-rot fungus) was insignificant. Non-mordant extracts had a slight effect on the mass loss of the specimens. However, in pine and beech specimens impregnated with mordant-added (especially ferrous sulfate-added) extracts, mass loss was significantly reduced and resistance to fungal rot was almost completely achieved. The concentration level did not have a significant effect on the mass loss of specimens treated with mordant-added extracts. After impregnation, the L* value of all specimens (especially those treated with ferrous sulfate-added extracts) decreased and the specimens darkened. The a* and b* values increased in specimens treated with non-mordant and aluminum sulfate-added extracts and these specimens tend to have a red-yellow color. The a* value decreased and the b* value increased in wood specimens treated with copper sulfate-added extracts. The green-yellow color trend of these specimens increased. Both the a* and b* values of the specimens treated with ferrous sulfate-added extracts decreased and the green-blue color tendency increased in these specimens. The increase in the concentration level positively affected the determined color changes. The total color change (ΔE*) was higher in wood specimens (especially pine) treated with ferrous sulfate-added R. ponticum extracts.U istraživanju je analiziran utjecaj impregnacije borovine i bukovine biljnim ekstraktima na otpornost na propadanje. Cvjetovi biljaka Rhododendron luteum i Rhododendron ponticum ekstrahirani su metodom dekocije te su pripremljene vodene otopine različitih koncentracija (2 %, 4 % i 7 %). Osim toga, otopini su dodani fiksatori željezov sulfat, bakrov sulfat i aluminijev sulfat radi poboljšanja svojstava ekstrakata. Zatim su uzorci uzoraka izloženih djelovanju T. versicolor (gljivi bijele truleži) bio neznatan. Ekstrakti bez fiksatora imali su mali učinak na gubitak mase uzoraka. Međutim, znatno je smanjen gubitak mase uzoraka borovine i bukovine impregniranih ekstraktima s dodatkom fiksatora (osobito željezova sulfata), a postignuta je gotovo potpuna otpornost na gljive truležnice. Koncentracija otopine nije imala znatniji utjecaj na gubitak mase uzoraka zaštićenih ekstraktima s dodatkom fiksatora. Nakon impregnacije smanjila se L* vrijednost svih uzoraka (posebno onih zaštićenih ekstraktima s dodatkom željezova sulfata) i uzorci su potamnjeli. Povećale su se vrijednosti a* i b* uzoraka impregniranih ekstraktima bez dodatka fiksatora i ekstraktima s dodatkom aluminijeva sulfata i ti su uzorci poprimili crvenožutu boju. Vrijednost a* uzoraka drva premazanih ekstraktima s dodatkom bakrova sulfata smanjila se, a vrijednost b* se povećala. Udio žutozelene komponente na tim se uzorcima povećao. Vrijednosti a* i b* uzoraka premazanih ekstraktima s dodatkom željezova sulfata smanjile su se i povećao se udio zelenoplave komponente. Povećanje koncentracije otopine kojom su uzorci impregnirani pozitivno je utjecalo na promjenu boje. Ukupna promjena boje (ΔE*) bila je veća na uzorcima drva (osobito borovim) impregniranim ekstraktima R. ponticum s dodatkom željezova sulfata

A Study on Composite Panels Prepared from Mixture of Mineral Adducts with Calabrian Pine Tree (Pinus brutia) Residues

The heat transfer coefficient values of 0.250 W/mK and l: 0.261 W/mK were found for Type 1 boards (bark based experimental boards of XBI and YBV)and l: 0.321 W/mK and l: 0.311 W/mK were found for Type 2 boards (cone based experimental boards of XCV and YCII), respectively. But all these are lower than standard value of 0.065 W/mK. However, visual evaluation show that all samples have low flame spreading properties which did not reach the threshold limit of 150 mm under a single flame combustion test. All Type 1 boards show lower mass loss (w, %) than control sample (B0: 11.97%), regardless of mineral additive type and proportions. The lowest mass loss of 6.36% was obtained with sample of YBIV. It is noticeable that olivine-cone (YC) and olivine-bark (YB) based panels usually show lower mass loss than dolomite-cone and dolomite-bark based panels at similar experimental conditions. The surface burning tests clearly indicate that the both mineral additions have lowering effects on burning feature of boards. This is probably olivine and dolomite could be absorbing heat and release water. Hence the burning area might become colder during evaporation of water with increasing charring and improve insulation of materials. The heat insulation levels of boards have found to be closely related with mineral content. But olivine seems to more effective for improving insulation properties for Type 1 boards. It is also found that both type panels (Type 1 and 2) which prepared from various proportions of dolomite and olivine as additives (10-50%) were show higher resistance against thermal degradation than control panels which prepared only (100%) from lignocellulosic material (cone and bark)

Benchmarking International Food Safety Performance in the Fresh Produce Sector

The objective of this paper is to assess food systems performance in Mediterranean countries to deliver safe food (fresh produce), and to demonstrate the capacity to the satisfaction of private customers and public regulators. To that end, an international benchmarking exercise was developed to assess the quality performance gap in food standards across countries and food systems. The study was carried out in three Mediterranean countries: Spain, Morocco and Turkey and involved an audit of the citrus and tomatoes supply chains, and a comparison with existing "best practice" in infrastructure and management practices at both firm and industry level. The aim was to identify the gaps between fresh produce exporters and a best practice company. To that end, the Spanish fresh produce supply chain was used as the benchmark since in many areas it is more advanced than elsewhere.benchmarking, performance, quality and safety, fresh produce, Mediterranean countries, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety,

Fragmented QRS complexes are associated with left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunctions in patients with metabolic syndrome

Background: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is found to be associated with deterioration of the left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic functions. One of the factors for this impairment is myocardial fibrosis. Fragmented QRS (fQRS) complexes are found to be associated with myocardial fibrosis. The aim of the study was to evaluate if the presence of fQRS on electrocardiogram (ECG) can detect pronounced impairment in the LV systolic and diastolic functions in MetS patients. Methods: The study included 111 (mean age 47 ± 9, 49.5% male) MetS patients and 96 (mean age 45 ± 9, 58.3% male) control subjects without MetS. ECG was evaluated for the presence of fQRS. Each patient underwent conventional echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging. Results: Fragmented QRS was more common among MetS patients (26.1% vs. 14.6%, p = 0.041). MetS was associated with subclinical LV systolic and LV diastolic dysfunctions. In subgroup analyses of MetS patients, the presence of fQRS on ECG had a higher E/E’ ratio and lower E’ velocity, indicating pronounced diastolic dysfunction, as well as lower isovolumic acceleration (IVA), indicating profound subclinical LV systolic dysfunction. E/E’ ratio and IVA were independent predictors of fQRS presence in patients with MetS. Conclusions: Fragmented QRS is more common among MetS patients compared to non-MetS patients. The presence of fQRS is associated with pronounced subclinical LV systolic and diastolic dysfunctions in MetS patients

Bringing Packed Red Blood Cells to the Point of Combat Injury: Are We There Yet?

INTRODUCTION: Hemorrhage is the leading cause of injury related pre-hospital mortality. We investigated worst case scenarios and possible requirements of Turkish Military. As we plan to use blood resources during casualty transport, the impact of transport related mechanical stress on PRBC (packed red blood cell) were analyzed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The in vitro experiment was performed in the environmental test laboratories of ASELSAN(R). Operational vibrations of potential casualty transport mediums such as Sikorsky Helicopters, Kirpi(R) Armoured Vehicle and NATO vibration standardsoftware MIL-STD-810G were recorded. The most powerful mechanical stress, which was created by the NATO standard, was applied to 15 units of fresh (7 day) PRBC in a blood cooler box. The vibrations were simulated by TDS v895 Medium-Force Shaker Device. On site blood samples were analyzed at 0, 6th and 24th hours for biochemical and biomechanical analyses. RESULTS: The mean age of fresh and old PRBCs was 4.9 (SD +/- 2.2) and 32.8 (SD +/- 11.8) days, respectively. Six-hour mechanical damage of fresh PRBC was demonstrated by increased erythrocyte fragmentation rates (p=0.015), hemolysis rates (p=0.003), supernatant potassium levels (p=0.003) and decreased hematocrit levels (p=0.015). Old PRBC hemolysis rates (p=0.015), supernatant potassium levels (p=0.015), supernatant Hb (p=0.015) were increased and Htc levels were decreased (p=0.015) within 6 hours. Two (%13) units of fresh and none of the old PRBC were eligible for transfusion after 6 hours of mechanical stress. CONCLUSION: When the austere combat environment was simulated for 24 hours, fresh and old PRBC hemolysis rates were above the quality criteria. Currently, a technology to overcome this mechanical damage does not seem to exist. In the light of the above data, a new national project is being performed

Editorial: Emerging mechanisms in cardiovascular disease

Editorial on the Research Topic Emerging mechanisms in cardiovascular disease The leading cause of worldwide mortality is cardiovascular disease (CVD) (Aboukhater et al., 2023). Despite many significant advances in the field, CVD continues to claim more lives than all cancers combined (Sawma et al., 2022). There is then an urgent need for more efficacious treatment modalities or therapeutics that could aid in the management of CVD (Badran et al., 2019; Maaliki et al., 2019; El-Hachem et al., 2021). For such potential new drugs to be determined, a better understanding of the underlying mechanisms and the potential targets is critical. This Research Topic seeks to highlight a few of these emerging mechanisms and targets that could be employed for a better treatment of CVD. Myocardial injury continues to be a major contributor to CVD-associated mortality. In this thematic issue, Liu et al. discuss how they established a model for coronary microembolization (CME) in rats, and report that ferroptosis and inflammation are two key players in CME-induced myocardial injury. The authors then show that suppressing ferroptosis attenuates myocardial injury and inflammation following CME. It appears that Ptgs2, a core factor in ferroptosis, and Hif1a are the two mediators of this suppressed ferroptosis. Importantly, the authors further report that by inhibiting the Hif1a/Ptgs2 axis, atorvastatin was able to suppress ferroptosis-dependent CME-precipitated myocardial injury and inflammation (Liu et al.)