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Gaziantep University

UniversityGaziantep, Türkiye

Research output, citation impact, and the most-cited recent papers from Gaziantep University (Türkiye). Aggregated across the NobleBlocks index of 300M+ scholarly works.

Total works
20.8K
Citations
795.3K
h-index
260
i10-index
14.5K
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Gaziantep UniversityGaziantep Üniversitesi

Top-cited papers from Gaziantep University

The ATLAS Experiment at the CERN Large Hadron Collider
G. Aad, S. Bentvelsen, G. J. Bobbink, K. Bos +4 more
2008· Research Explorer (The University of Manchester)2.4Kdoi:10.1088/1748-0221/3/08/s08003

The Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at CERN will extend the frontiers of particle physics with its
\nunprecedented high energy and luminosity. Inside the LHC, bunches of up to 1011 protons (p)
\nwill collide 40 million times per second to provide 14 TeV proton-proton collisions at a design
\nluminosity of 1034 cm􀀀2s􀀀1. The LHC will also collide heavy ions (A), in particular lead nuclei, at
\n5.5 TeV per nucleon pair, at a design luminosity of 1027 cm􀀀2s􀀀1.
\nThe high interaction rates, radiation doses, particle multiplicities and energies, as well as the
\nrequirements for precision measurements have set new standards for the design of particle detectors.
\nTwo general purpose detectors, ATLAS (A Toroidal LHC ApparatuS) and CMS (Compact
\nMuon Solenoid) have been built for probing p-p and A-A collisions.
\nThis paper presents a comprehensive overview of the ATLAS detector prior to the first LHC
\ncollisions, written as the installation of the ATLAS detector is nearing completion. This detector
\nrepresents the work of a large collaboration of several thousand physicists, engineers, technicians,
\nand students over a period of fifteen years of dedicated design, development, fabrication, and installation.

Combined Measurement of the Higgs Boson Mass in<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mi>p</mml:mi><mml:mi>p</mml:mi></mml:math>Collisions at<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>7</mml:mn></mml:math>and 8 TeV with the ATLAS and CMS Experiments
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, O. Abdinov +4 more
2015· Physical Review Letters1.3Kdoi:10.1103/physrevlett.114.191803

A measurement of the Higgs boson mass is presented based on the combined data samples of the ATLAS and CMS experiments at the CERN LHC in the H→γγ and H→ZZ→4ℓ decay channels. The results are obtained from a simultaneous fit to the reconstructed invariant mass peaks in the two channels and for the two experiments. The measured masses from the individual channels and the two experiments are found to be consistent among themselves. The combined measured mass of the Higgs boson is m_{H}=125.09±0.21 (stat)±0.11 (syst) GeV.

Measurements of the Higgs boson production and decay rates and constraints on its couplings from a combined ATLAS and CMS analysis of the LHC pp collision data at s = 7 $$ \sqrt{s}=7 $$ and 8 TeV
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, O. Abdinov +4 more
2016· Journal of High Energy Physics1.1Kdoi:10.1007/jhep08(2016)045

Combined ATLAS and CMS measurements of the Higgs boson production and decay rates, as well as constraints on its couplings to vector bosons and fermions, are presented. The combination is based on the analysis of five production processes, namely gluon fusion, vector boson fusion, and associated production with a W or a Z boson or a pair of top quarks, and of the six decay modes H → ZZ, W W , γγ, ττ, bb, and μμ. All results are reported assuming a value of 125.09 GeV for the Higgs boson mass, the result of the combined measurement by the ATLAS and CMS experiments. The analysis uses the CERN LHC proton-proton collision data recorded by the ATLAS and CMS experiments in 2011 and 2012, corresponding to integrated luminosities per experiment of approximately 5 fb$^{−1}$ at $\sqrt{s}$=7 TeV and 20 fb−1 at $\sqrt{s}$=8 TeV. The Higgs boson production and decay rates measured by the two experiments are combined within the context of three generic parameterisations: two based on cross sections and branching fractions, and one on ratios of coupling modifiers. Several interpretations of the measurements with more model-dependent parameterisations are also given. The combined signal yield relative to the Standard Model prediction is measured to be 1.09 ± 0.11. The combined measurements lead to observed significances for the vector boson fusion production process and for the H → ττ decay of 5.4 and 5.5 standard deviations, respectively. The data are consistent with the Standard Model predictions for all parameterisations considered.

Performance of the ATLAS trigger system in 2015
M. Aaboud, G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah +4 more
2017· The European Physical Journal C737doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-4852-3

During 2015 the ATLAS experiment recorded [Formula: see text] of proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text]. The ATLAS trigger system is a crucial component of the experiment, responsible for selecting events of interest at a recording rate of approximately 1 kHz from up to 40 MHz of collisions. This paper presents a short overview of the changes to the trigger and data acquisition systems during the first long shutdown of the LHC and shows the performance of the trigger system and its components based on the 2015 proton-proton collision data.

Observation of a Centrality-Dependent Dijet Asymmetry in Lead-Lead Collisions at<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msqrt><mml:msub><mml:mi>s</mml:mi><mml:mi>NN</mml:mi></mml:msub></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>2.76</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>TeV</mml:mi></mml:math>with the ATLAS Detector at the LHC
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, A. A. Abdelalim +4 more
2010· Physical Review Letters736doi:10.1103/physrevlett.105.252303

By using the ATLAS detector, observations have been made of a centrality-dependent dijet asymmetry in the collisions of lead ions at the Large Hadron Collider. In a sample of lead-lead events with a per-nucleon center of mass energy of 2.76 TeV, selected with a minimum bias trigger, jets are reconstructed in fine-grained, longitudinally segmented electromagnetic and hadronic calorimeters. The transverse energies of dijets in opposite hemispheres are observed to become systematically more unbalanced with increasing event centrality leading to a large number of events which contain highly asymmetric dijets. This is the first observation of an enhancement of events with such large dijet asymmetries, not observed in proton-proton collisions, which may point to an interpretation in terms of strong jet energy loss in a hot, dense medium.

Is the lockdown important to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic? Effects on psychology, environment and economy-perspective
Abdülkadir Atalan
2020· Annals of Medicine and Surgery621doi:10.1016/j.amsu.2020.06.010

COVID-19's daily increasing cases and deaths have led to worldwide lockdown, quarantine and some restrictions. This study aims to analyze the effect of lockdown days on the spread of coronavirus in countries. COVID-19 cases and lockdown days data were collected for 49 countries that implemented the lockdown between certain dates (without interruption). The correlation tests were used for data analysis based on unconstrained (normal) and constrained (Tukey-lambda). The lockdown days was significantly correlated with COVID-19 pandemic based on unconstrained (r = -0.9126, F-ratio = 6.1654; t-ratio = 2.40; prob > .0203 with 49 observations) and based on Tukey-lambda (r = 0.7402, λ = 0.14). The lockdown, one of the social isolation restrictions, has been observed to prevent the COVID-19 pandemic, and showed that the spread of the virus can be significantly reduced by this preventive restriction in this study. This study offers initial evidence that the COVID-19 pandemic can be suppressed by a lockdown. The application of lockdown by governments is also thought to be effective on psychology, environment and economy besides having impact on Covid-19.

Meteorological conditions, climate change, new emerging factors, and asthma and related allergic disorders. A statement of the World Allergy Organization
Gennaro D’Amato, Stephen T. Holgate, Ruby Pawankar, Dennis K. Ledford +4 more
2015· World Allergy Organization Journal586doi:10.1186/s40413-015-0073-0

The prevalence of allergic airway diseases such as asthma and rhinitis has increased dramatically to epidemic proportions worldwide. Besides air pollution from industry derived emissions and motor vehicles, the rising trend can only be explained by gross changes in the environments where we live. The world economy has been transformed over the last 25 years with developing countries being at the core of these changes. Around the planet, in both developed and developing countries, environments are undergoing profound changes. Many of these changes are considered to have negative effects on respiratory health and to enhance the frequency and severity of respiratory diseases such as asthma in the general population. Increased concentrations of greenhouse gases, and especially carbon dioxide (CO2), in the atmosphere have already warmed the planet substantially, causing more severe and prolonged heat waves, variability in temperature, increased air pollution, forest fires, droughts, and floods - all of which can put the respiratory health of the public at risk. These changes in climate and air quality have a measurable impact not only on the morbidity but also the mortality of patients with asthma and other respiratory diseases. The massive increase in emissions of air pollutants due to economic and industrial growth in the last century has made air quality an environmental problem of the first order in a large number of regions of the world. A body of evidence suggests that major changes to our world are occurring and involve the atmosphere and its associated climate. These changes, including global warming induced by human activity, have an impact on the biosphere, biodiversity, and the human environment. Mitigating this huge health impact and reversing the effects of these changes are major challenges. This statement of the World Allergy Organization (WAO) raises the importance of this health hazard and highlights the facts on climate-related health impacts, including: deaths and acute morbidity due to heat waves and extreme meteorological events; increased frequency of acute cardio-respiratory events due to higher concentrations of ground level ozone; changes in the frequency of respiratory diseases due to trans-boundary particle pollution; altered spatial and temporal distribution of allergens (pollens, molds, and mites); and some infectious disease vectors. According to this report, these impacts will not only affect those with current asthma but also increase the incidence and prevalence of allergic respiratory conditions and of asthma. The effects of climate change on respiratory allergy are still not well defined, and more studies addressing this topic are needed. Global warming is expected to affect the start, duration, and intensity of the pollen season on the one hand, and the rate of asthma exacerbations due to air pollution, respiratory infections, and/or cold air inhalation, and other conditions on the other hand.

Muon reconstruction performance of the ATLAS detector in proton–proton collision data at $$\sqrt{s}$$ s =13 TeV
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, O. Abdinov +4 more
2016· The European Physical Journal C557doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-4120-y

collision data, measurements of the reconstruction efficiency, as well as of the momentum scale and resolution, are presented and compared to Monte Carlo simulations. The reconstruction efficiency is measured to be close to [Formula: see text] over most of the covered phase space ([Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text] GeV). The isolation efficiency varies between 93 and [Formula: see text] depending on the selection applied and on the momentum of the muon. Both efficiencies are well reproduced in simulation. In the central region of the detector, the momentum resolution is measured to be [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) for muons from [Formula: see text] ([Formula: see text]) decays, and the momentum scale is known with an uncertainty of [Formula: see text]. In the region [Formula: see text], the [Formula: see text] resolution for muons from [Formula: see text] decays is [Formula: see text] while the precision of the momentum scale for low-[Formula: see text] muons from [Formula: see text] decays is about [Formula: see text].

Observation of Associated Near-Side and Away-Side Long-Range Correlations in<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msqrt><mml:msub><mml:mi>s</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mi>N</mml:mi><mml:mi>N</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:msqrt><mml:mo mathvariant="bold">=</mml:mo><mml:mn>5.02</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>TeV</mml:mi></mml:math>Proton-Lead Collisions with the ATLAS Detector
G. Aad, T. Abajyan, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah +4 more
2013· Physical Review Letters553doi:10.1103/physrevlett.110.182302

Two-particle correlations in relative azimuthal angle ($\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}$) and pseudorapidity ($\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}$) are measured in $\sqrt{{s}_{\mathrm{NN}}}=5.02\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{TeV}$ $p+\mathrm{Pb}$ collisions using the ATLAS detector at the LHC. The measurements are performed using approximately $1\text{ }\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}{\mathrm{b}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of data as a function of transverse momentum (${p}_{\mathrm{T}}$) and the transverse energy ($\ensuremath{\Sigma}{E}_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$) summed over $3.1&lt;\ensuremath{\eta}&lt;4.9$ in the direction of the Pb beam. The correlation function, constructed from charged particles, exhibits a long-range ($2&lt;|\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}|&lt;5$) ``near-side'' ($\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{\sim}0$) correlation that grows rapidly with increasing $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{E}_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$. A long-range ``away-side'' ($\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}\ensuremath{\sim}\ensuremath{\pi}$) correlation, obtained by subtracting the expected contributions from recoiling dijets and other sources estimated using events with small $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{E}_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$, is found to match the near-side correlation in magnitude, shape (in $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\eta}$ and $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}$) and $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{E}_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$ dependence. The resultant $\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}$ correlation is approximately symmetric about $\ensuremath{\pi}/2$, and is consistent with a dominant $\mathrm{cos}2\ensuremath{\Delta}\ensuremath{\phi}$ modulation for all $\ensuremath{\Sigma}{E}_{\mathrm{T}}^{\mathrm{Pb}}$ ranges and particle ${p}_{\mathrm{T}}$.

Exosomes: From Garbage Bins to Promising Therapeutic Targets
Mohammed H. Rashed, Emine Bayraktar, Gouda K. Helal, Mohamed F. Abd‐Ellah +3 more
2017· International Journal of Molecular Sciences531doi:10.3390/ijms18030538

Intercellular communication via cell-released vesicles is a very important process for both normal and tumor cells. Cell communication may involve exosomes, small vesicles of endocytic origin that are released by all types of cells and are found in abundance in body fluids, including blood, saliva, urine, and breast milk. Exosomes have been shown to carry lipids, proteins, mRNAs, non-coding RNAs, and even DNA out of cells. They are more than simply molecular garbage bins, however, in that the molecules they carry can be taken up by other cells. Thus, exosomes transfer biological information to neighboring cells and through this cell-to-cell communication are involved not only in physiological functions such as cell-to-cell communication, but also in the pathogenesis of some diseases, including tumors and neurodegenerative conditions. Our increasing understanding of why cells release exosomes and their role in intercellular communication has revealed the very complex and sophisticated contribution of exosomes to health and disease. The aim of this review is to reveal the emerging roles of exosomes in normal and pathological conditions and describe the controversial biological role of exosomes, as it is now understood, in carcinogenesis. We also summarize what is known about exosome biogenesis, composition, functions, and pathways and discuss the potential clinical applications of exosomes, especially as biomarkers and novel therapeutic agents.

Charged-particle multiplicities in<i>pp</i>interactions measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, A. A. Abdelalim +4 more
2011· New Journal of Physics507doi:10.1088/1367-2630/13/5/053033

CERN-LHC. Measurement of inclusive charged particle distributions in proton proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies 0.9, 2.36 and 7 TeV using a single-arm minimum-bias trigger. Distributions of charged particle multiplicity and its dependence on pseudorapidity and transverse momentum are presented from ~190 mub-1 of data at 7 Tev, ~7 mub-1 at 0.9 TeV, and ~0.1 mub-1 at 2.36 GeV. UPDATE 20/05/2016: A wrong point was removed from table 16.

Measurement of the azimuthal anisotropy for charged particle production in<mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:msqrt><mml:msub><mml:mi>s</mml:mi><mml:mrow><mml:mi>N</mml:mi><mml:mi>N</mml:mi></mml:mrow></mml:msub></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>2.76</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:math>TeV lead-lead collisions with the ATLAS detector
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, S. Abdel Khalek +4 more
2012· Physical Review C482doi:10.1103/physrevc.86.014907

Differential measurements of charged particle azimuthal anisotropy are presented for lead-lead collisions at s NN = 2.76 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC, based on an integrated luminosity of approximately 8 b -1 . This anisotropy is characterized via a Fourier expansion of the distribution of charged particles in azimuthal angle relative to the reaction plane, with the coefficients v n denoting the magnitude of the anisotropy. Significant v 2 -v 6 values are obtained as a function of transverse momentum (0.5 < p T < 20 GeV), pseudorapidity (|| < 2.5), and centrality using an event plane method. The v n values for n 3 are found to vary weakly with both and centrality, and their p T dependencies are found to follow an approximate scaling relation,

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production and decay using up to <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:mrow><mml:mn>80</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:msup><mml:mrow><mml:mi>fb</mml:mi></mml:mrow><mml:mrow><mml:mo>−</mml:mo><mml:mn>1</mml:mn></mml:mrow></mml:msup></mml:mrow></mml:math> of proton-proton collision data at <mml:math xmlns:mml="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><mml:msqrt><mml:mi>s</mml:mi></mml:msqrt><mml:mo>=</mml:mo><mml:mn>13</mml:mn><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mtext> </mml:mtext><mml:mi>TeV</mml:mi></mml:math> collected with the ATLAS experiment
G. Aad, B. Abbott, D. C. Abbott, O. Abdinov +4 more
2020· Physical review. D/Physical review. D.476doi:10.1103/physrevd.101.012002

Combined measurements of Higgs boson production and decay using up to 80

Topological cell clustering in the ATLAS calorimeters and its performance in LHC Run 1
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, O. Abdinov +4 more
2017· The European Physical Journal C471doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-017-5004-5

have shape and location information, which is exploited to apply a local energy calibration and corrections depending on the nature of the cluster. Topological cell clustering is established as a well-performing calorimeter signal definition for jet and missing transverse momentum reconstruction in ATLAS.

Performance of pile-up mitigation techniques for jets in $$pp$$ p p collisions at $$\sqrt{s}=8$$ s = 8  TeV using the ATLAS detector
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, O. Abdinov +4 more
2016· The European Physical Journal C438doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-016-4395-z

The large rate of multiple simultaneous proton-proton interactions, or pile-up, generated by the Large Hadron Collider in Run 1 required the development of many new techniques to mitigate the adverse effects of these conditions. This paper describes the methods employed in the ATLAS experiment to correct for the impact of pile-up on jet energy and jet shapes, and for the presence of spurious additional jets, with a primary focus on the large 20.3 [Formula: see text] data sample collected at a centre-of-mass energy of [Formula: see text]. The energy correction techniques that incorporate sophisticated estimates of the average pile-up energy density and tracking information are presented. Jet-to-vertex association techniques are discussed and projections of performance for the future are considered. Lastly, the extension of these techniques to mitigate the effect of pile-up on jet shapes using subtraction and grooming procedures is presented.

Jet energy measurement with the ATLAS detector in proton-proton collisions at $\sqrt{\mathrm{s}}=7\ \mathrm{TeV}$
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, A. A. Abdelalim +4 more
2013· The European Physical Journal C435doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-013-2304-2

The jet energy scale and its systematic uncertainty are determined for jets measured with the ATLAS detector at the LHC in proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy of s = 7 TeV corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 38 pb -1 . Jets are reconstructed with the anti-k t algorithm with distance parameters R = 0.4 or R = 0.6. Jet energy and angle corrections are determined from Monte Carlo simulations to calibrate jets with transverse momenta p T 20 GeV and pseudorapidities || < 4.5. The jet energy systematic uncertainty is estimated using the single isolated hadron response measured in situ and in test-beams, exploiting the transverse momentum balance between central and forward jets in events with dijet topologies and studying systematic variations in Monte Carlo simulations. The jet energy uncertainty is less than 2.5 % in the central calorimeter region (|| < 0.8) for jets with 60 p T < 800 GeV, and is maximally 14 % for p T < 30 GeV in the most forward region 3.2 || < 4.5. The jet energy is validated for jet transverse momenta up to 1 TeV to the level of a few percent using several in situ techniques by comparing a well-known reference such as the recoiling photon p T , the sum of the transverse momenta of tracks associated to the jet, or a system of low-p T jets recoiling against a high-p T jet. More sophisticated jet calibration schemes are presented based on calorimeter cell energy density weighting or hadronic properties of jets, aiming for an improved jet energy resolution and a reduced flavour dependence of the jet response. The systematic uncertainty of the jet energy determined from a combination of in situ techniques is consistent with the one derived from single hadron response measurements over a wide kinematic range. The nominal corrections and uncertainties are derived for isolated jets in an inclusive sample of high-p T jets. Special cases such as event topologies with close-by jets, or selections of samples with an enhanced content of jets originating e-mail: atlas.publications

Electron performance measurements with the ATLAS detector using the 2010 LHC proton-proton collision data
G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah, A. A. Abdelalim +4 more
2012· The European Physical Journal C417doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-012-1909-1

Detailed measurements of the electron performance of the ATLAS detector at the LHC are reported, using decays of the Z, W and J / particles. Data collected in 2010 at s = 7 TeV are used, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of almost 40 pb -1 . The inter-alignment of the inner detector and the electromagnetic calorimeter, the determination of the electron energy scale and resolution, and the performance in terms of response uniformity and linearity are discussed. The electron identification, reconstruction and trigger efficiencies, as well as the charge misidentification probability, are also presented.

Study of the material of the ATLAS inner detector for Run 2 of the LHC
M. Aaboud, G. Aad, B. Abbott, J. Abdallah +4 more
2017· Journal of Instrumentation409doi:10.1088/1748-0221/12/12/p12009

The ATLAS inner detector comprises three different sub-detectors: the pixel detector, the silicon strip tracker, and the transition-radiation drift-tube tracker. The Insertable $B$-Layer, a new innermost pixel layer, was installed during the shutdown period in 2014, together with modifications to the layout of the cables and support structures of the existing pixel detector. The material in the inner detector is studied with several methods, using a low-luminosity $\sqrt{s}=13$ TeV $pp$ collision sample corresponding to around $2.0\,\mathrm{nb}^{-1}$ collected in 2015 with the ATLAS experiment at the LHC. In this paper, the material within the innermost barrel region is studied using reconstructed hadronic interaction and photon conversion vertices. For the forward rapidity region, the material is probed by a measurement of the efficiency with which single tracks reconstructed from pixel detector hits alone can be extended with hits on the track in the strip layers. The results of these studies have been taken into account in an improved description of the material in the ATLAS inner detector simulation, resulting in a reduction in the uncertainties associated with the charged-particle reconstruction efficiency determined from simulation.

Metformin in the treatment of patients with non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis
Ahmet Uygun, Abdurrahman Kadayıfçı, A. T. Isik, T. Ozgurtas +4 more
2004· Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics407doi:10.1111/j.1365-2036.2004.01888.x

BACKGROUND: Increased insulin resistance is the major pathogenic mechanism in the development of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. AIM: To investigate the therapeutic effect of metformin, a well-known insulin-sensitizing agent, in the treatment of non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. METHODS: Thirty-six patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis were randomized into two groups. The first group was given lipid and calorie-restricted dietary treatment alone, and the second group was given metformin 850 mg b.d. plus dietary treatment, for 6 months. The changes in biochemical, sonographic and histological parameters were compared. RESULTS: The mean serum alanine/aspartate aminotransferase, insulin and C-peptide levels decreased and the index of insulin resistance improved significantly from baseline in the group given metformin. The mean changes in these parameters in the metformin group were significantly greater than those in the group given dietary treatment alone. Although more patients in the metformin group showed improvement in the necro-inflammatory activity, compared with the group given dietary treatment alone, no significant differences in necro-inflammatory activity or fibrosis were seen between the groups. CONCLUSION: The data suggest that improvement of the insulin sensitivity with metformin may improve the liver disease in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis.

An analysis of the relationship between TQM implementation and organizational performance
Mehmet Demirbağ, Ekrem Tatoğlu, Mehmet Tekinkuş, Selim Zaim
2006· Journal of Manufacturing Technology Management401doi:10.1108/17410380610678828

Abstract Purpose – The principal aim of this paper is to determine the critical factors of total quality management (TQM) and to measure their effect on organizational performance of SMEs operating in Turkish textile industry. Design/methodology/approach – Data for this study was collected using a self‐administered questionnaire that was distributed to 500 SMEs in textile industry in the city of Istanbul in Turkey selected randomly from the database of Turkish Small Business Administration (KOSGEB). Of the 500 questionnaires posted, a total of 163 questionnaires were returned. Findings – Using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, seven empirically validated dimensions of TQM were identified. The structural equation modelling technique was employed to investigate the relationship between the implementation of TQM practices and organizational performance. Data analysis reveals that there is a strong positive relationship between TQM practices and non‐financial performance of SMEs, while there is only weak influence of TQM practices on financial performance of SMEs. With only a mediating effect of non‐financial performance that the TQM practices has a strong positive impact on financial performance of SMEs. Research limitations/implications – The sample is restricted to only a single region and a single industry, so it would be strongly recommended that data be gathered from various parts of Turkey including both various manufacturing and service industries. As the data in this study were collected from top managers of organizations on the basis of their subjective evaluations, objective performance indicators should also be employed in the analysis. Originality/value – Despite some attempts on the applicability of TQM practices and advanced manufacturing technologies as well as their impact on organizational performance of SMEs, there is a lack of systematic empirical evidence regarding the extent of TQM implementation and its effect on performance of SMEs in emerging market economies. This paper presents new data and empirical insights into the relationship between TQM implementation and organizational performance in SMEs operating in Turkey.