Seroprevalence and genotyping of hepatitis B,hepatitis C and HIV among healthy population and Turkish soldiers in Northern Cyprus

AIM： To compare the prevalence of hepatitis viral markers among soldiers from Turkey, blood donors from Northern Cyprus, and soldiers from Northern Cyprus. METHODS： Hepatitis B surface antigen （HBsAg）, anti-HCV and anti-human immunodeficiency virus （HIV） seroprevalence, HBV DNA, HCV RNA and HCV genotyping among soldiers from Turkey （group Ⅰ ）, civil blood donors from Northern Cyprus （group Ⅱ ）, and soldier candidates from Northern Cyprus （group Ⅲ） were studied and compared to one another. In total, 17 545 cases （13 546 males and 3999 females with a mean age of 34.5 ± 10.3 year, group Ⅰ = 11234, group Ⅱ = 5057, and group Ⅲ = 1254） were included into the study. RESULTS： Among all cases, HBsAg positivity rates were 2.46%, anti-HCV was 0.46% and anti-HIV was 0.00%. HBV DNA was 2.25%, HCV RNA was 0.33% in all groups. HBsAg positivity rates were 2.16% in group Ⅰ, 3.00% in group Ⅱ and 2.71% in group Ⅲ. There was a significant difference between group Ⅰ and group Ⅱ （χ^2= 6.11, P = 0.047 〈 0.05）. Anti-HCV positivity rates were 0.45% in group Ⅰ, 0.45% in group Ⅱ, and 0.56% in group Ⅲ. Genotypes of HCV were 1b and 1a in group Ⅰ, 1b, 1a and 2 in group Ⅱ, and tb, 1a in group Ⅲ. HBsAg carrier rates were 2.20% in females and 2.53% in males. Anti-HCV prevalence was 0.38% in females and 0.48% in males. HBsAg positivity rates were 2.53% in individuals younger than 50, and 1.47% in older than 50. There was a significant difference between the two groups （χ^2 =23.48, P = 0.001） CONCLUSION： Prevalences of HBsAg, HCV and HIV infections in Northern Cyprus population are similar to those of Turkey.

Triggering economic growth to ensure financial stability:case study of Northern Cyprus

This study questions the importance of public debt in stable growth between 1980 and 2018,specifically,the Ricardian equivalence hypothesis and Keynesian view are questioned.This study used data obtained from the Northern Cyprus State Planning Office.A restricted vector autoregressive model is used to test the causal relationships between this model and public debt,government expenditure,total capital,consumption,investment,employment,net exports,exchange rate,and gross domestic product growth rate.To ensure financial stability,the variables that trigger economic growth through increased interactions were evaluated.Accordingly,unlike other studies,the Wald test results reveal that public debt does not have a direct effect on the gross national product but indirectly affects total capital,consumption,investment,and public expenditure,all of which influence real gross domestic product(RGDP).It has been observed that employment affects RGDP,consumption,government spending,and investment.There is also bidirectional causality between consumption,government spending,and RGDP.The estimates of the Ricardian equivalent hypothesis are important.However,today’s changing economic policies,declining real incomes,and consumer behavior in the face of ever-increasing inflation require that the theory be redesigned.Therefore,contrary to theoretical predictions,consumers are concerned about maintaining their standard of living rather than directing tax deductions to savings.Contrary to the claims of Keynesian researchers,no causal relationship is observed between public debt and growth in this study.However,public debt directly affects total capital,consumption,government spending,and investment,which are important for sustainable economic policy.

Monitoring of Pesticides in Drinking, Surface and Ground Water of Cyprus by Liquid-Liquid and Solid Phase Extraction in Combination with GC/MS and UPLC/MS/MS

Pesticides having different structures and biological activities are widely used for agricultural and non-agricultural purposes throughout the world. Monitoring of pesticides in water contribute to the protection of human health and the protection of environment too. Analysis of a big number of water samples each year is revealed a clear image for pollution by pesticides. Twenty-four pesticides are monitored in drinking, surface and ground waters of Cyprus according to the European legislation. During the last 4 years (2013-2016) 2860 samples were analysing using two different techniques of extraction and determination. Pesticides were separated at two groups according to their polarity and stability and determined using GC/MS and UPLC/MS/MS. The limit of quantification is 0.01 μg/L for those determined with UPLC/MS/MS and 0.01 - 0.03 μg/L for those determined with GC/MS. The results revealed that only 1.5% of the samples analysed found to contain some of these compounds at concentration over the limit of quantification. Only nine of the pesticides were found at the samples and those with the highest frequency were Chloropyrifos, Prosulfocarb and Simazine.

The Biodiversity of Cyprus Island

The aspects considered in this paper refer to remains of food plants found in the archaeological area of Pyrgos （Early Bronze Age, 2000 B.C.） near Limassol in Cyprus, related to the history of agriculture and cultivated plant processing technologies. For the purposes of an initial comparison of the archaeobotanical data, the authors updated a map of rainfall distribution on Cyprus with rainfall and temperature data for the period from 1973 to 2007, to produce an updated view of possible microclimates on the island. Cyprus was one of the Mediterranean islands whose particular orographic features encouraged the phylogenetic evolution of many species, and today it is especially rich in endemic species. Cyprus located at the southeastern boundary among the Mediterranean region, the Pontic region （the Irano-Turanic element） and the Near East （the Syriac and Nubo-Sindic elements） it doesn＇t seem to have effectively influenced the most important endemic species, they were probably preserved by the island＇s microclimates and particular edaphic conditions.

Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore （Hemiptera： Aphalaridae）, the New Exotic Pest of Eucalyptus in Northern Cyprus

Eucalypt-feeding psyllids, Glycaspis brimblecombei Moore （Hemiptera： Psylloidea： Aphalaridae）, native to the Australian region, has emerged as an aggressive pest on Eucalyptus in many countries as it was described recently in Greece and Turkey. This study aimed to report this invasive species and its parasitoids on Eucalyptus growing area in Northern Cyprus. G. brimblecombei infested leaves were collected and brought to the laboratory for identification and collection of parasitoids emerged from the pest. In this paper, presence of G. brimblecombei and the parasitoid of the red gum lerp psyllid Psyllaephagus bliteus Riek （Hymenoptera： Encyrtidae） were reported for the first time in Northern Cyprus. Detailed information about the pest and its parasitoids were discussed.

The Never Ending Cold War Over Energy and the Cyprus Issue

Within the context of a never ended Cold War in the energy field, the discoveries of natural gas resources in the Southern Eastern Mediterranean definitely create new impetus for the resolution of the longstanding Cyprus issues. After the failure of the last negotiations talks in July 2017, there is common strategic reason that calls for a mutually accepted resolution among all the parties involved. The situation calls to put aside national feelings and the burden of history and move forward. What is of crucial importance is not only the maintenance of international peace and regional stability but also the enhancement of the welfare of the people of this turbulent region. Whether the path of reason will be followed is remained to be seen.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging Department Cost Study： A Glance from Cyprus

MRI （Magnetic Resonance Imaging） usage tends to be rapidly increasing over the last decades in clinical applications. Although MRI service is a powerful and very useful diagnostic tool for the doctors, it is very expensive. This research paper concerns the economic cost of the NGH （Nicosia General Hospital） MRI Department for the calendar year 2015. Data were collected and analysed through triangulate data collection methods. Research methods include empirical observation, interviews and secondary data analysis. Calculations were made by the bottom-up method. The total cost for the MRI department for the year 2015 was 434,987.52. The external services bought from private sector in order to eliminate waiting list cost 1,071,803. In case NHIS （National Health Insurance System） was implemented in 2015 possible incomes should be 1,412,152. Nicosia General Hospital MRI department balance in case NHIS was implemented in 2015 was 94,638.52 loss. The negative result strongly supports that there is space for improvement in the MRI department. Our research suggests that changes must be done in the management of the MRI Department. Implementation of TQM （Total Quality Management） method could reduce the cost of the aforementioned diagnostic department. This work is the first cost study for the NGH MRI Department and could be used as a reference and give basic costing data for MRI service to healthcare policy makers.

Perception and Challenges for Sustainable Construction in Developing Countries： North Cyprus Case

Sustainable construction, together with sustainability, is a growing concern in developed countries in order to influence construction organizations to make ＂achieving sustainability＂ in their projects a stringent prior objective. North Cyprus is a rapidly developing country with an annual economic growth of 7%. Construction became the leading sector within the economy after the boom in demand for holiday and retirement houses especially from English and German holidaymakers. Due to lack of government policy on sustainability, developers usually use traditional ways of construction, and the lack of an established link with international construction, which would help local developers be aware of the latest technology and sustainable building techniques, is the main challenges for North Cyprus construction sector to develop sustainable construction practices.

Commemorative Sculpture and Ceremonial Behaviors in the Public Sphere： Cyprus as a Case Study

This paper focuses on the symbolic power exercised through the memorials in the Republic of Cyprus. Public sculpture is almost exclusively memorial sculpture and it reflects the predominant values of the national identity. This paper constitutes the first analysis of current historical and cultural perceptions in the southern part of the island through these visual representations and the ceremonial behaviors they generate. Characteristic cases of memorials presented here prove that commemoration in the Republic of Cyprus is inextricably linked to location which is either associated with an actual event of death, or draws power from its relation to culturally symbolic institutional buildings. The memorials illustrate the blending of private and public sphere and, respectively, private and social identity of the deceased. They prove that the affinities between heroism and sanctity within the Greek cultural milieu have imbued the social subconscious and impacted significantly on the collective recollections and the national narratives. This paper focuses on the aesthetics of the memorials which, due to their affinities with tombs in Greek and Cypriot cemeteries, lack affirmative hope, healing and closure of the trauma. On the contrary, they persist in portraying victimhood as a state of being.

Cyprus, the European Union and the Recent Crisis： Inspiration for New Processes of Convergence or Incentive for Regional Disparities？

In the EU （European Union）, Cyprus＇s problems aren＇t new. Ten years later, the same debate is being held all over again, just from a different point of view. It is emblematic of this current financial crisis because the banking system is much bigger than GDP （Gross Domestic Product）. Setting aside the sluggish economic performance, as well as the usual gap between northern and southern regions, people are uncomfortable with the EU. Getting the EU to finance a deficit is very tempting because it seems to be a politically and socially painless option, but can we count on the EU to devise such a smoothly running system？ Cyprus is interesting on many levels, from the debate concerning the limits of cohesion policy to the need of finding new solutions for the European periphery. It raises the question of whether a real fiscal and political union is possible, in light of the actual geoeconomic and geopolitical dynamics among the EU, Turkey, and Russia. The aim of this paper is to explore the possible mechanisms for an integration of Cyprus in order to go beyond fiscal burden sharing. It is an important starting point to paving the way to new policies and strategies for changing the objectives of economic convergence.

Increase Under standing , Deepen Friendship and Promote Cooperation——Report on CPPCC Vice-Chairman Chen Zongxing's Visit to Italy, Malta, Cyprus and Israel

正At the invitation of the parliaments of Italy, Malta, and Cyprus and the Organizing Committee of the Fourth Presidents' Meeting of Israel, Chen Italy: China-Italy relations are developing smoothly. Cultural exchanges are at the best time ever.

Insecticide resistance in Bemisia tabaci from Cyprus

A comprehensive study on the Bemisia tabaci （biotype B） resistance to neonicotinoid insecticides imidacloprid, acetamiprid and thiamethoxam, and pyrethroid bifenthrin was conducted in Cyprus. The resistance level to eight field-collected B. tabaci populations was investigated. The activities of enzymes involved in metabolic detoxification and the frequencies ofpyrethroid and organophosphates target site resistance mutations were determined. Moderate to high levels of resistance were detected for imidacloprid （re- sistance factor [RF] 77-392） and thiamethoxam （RF 50-164） while low resistance levels were observed for acetamiprid （RF 7-12）. Uniform responses by the Cypriot whiteflies could be observed against all neonicotinoid insecticides. No cross-resistance between the neonicotinoids was detected as well as no association with the activity of the P450 microsomal oxidases. Only imidacloprid resistance correlated with carboxylesterase activity. Low to extremely high resistance was observed for insecticide bifenthrin （RF 49 1 243） which was associated with the frequency of the resistant allele in the sodium channel gene but not with the activity of the detoxification enzymes. Finally, the F331W mutation in the acetylcholinesterase enzyme acel gene was fixed in all B. tabaci populations from Cyprus.

CYPRUS 移居爱神之岛

30万欧元起,或者买到一套海边的独栋别墅,或者两套能看海的公寓,而且还可以最快2个月全家移民欧洲——地中海岛国塞浦路斯的买房移民新政,是不是让你有点儿动心?爱神之岛塞浦路斯塞浦路斯位于地中海东北角,与希腊、土耳其、叙利亚、黎巴嫩、以色列、埃及隔海相望,是地中海的第三大岛。面积925l平方公里,人口也仅有87万。虽然很小,却自古以来都是连结中东、非洲和欧洲的交通要道,东西方文明在此交汇。在塞浦路斯岛最南端的库里翁,保存着公元前8世纪建的阿波罗神庙遗址;岛西南的帕福斯,古希腊神话中爱与美之神阿芙洛蒂特(维纳斯)就在此诞生,所以人们也将塞浦路斯称作"

Deployment Challenges of Offshore Renewable Energy Systems for Sustainability in Developing Countries

This research aims to expose deployment challenges of offshore renewable energy systems in developing countries. The investigation of the deployment model covers climate conditions, economic conditions, necessary infrastructure services and wind power by considering the case of Cyprus Island which is one of the Small Island Developing States (SIDS) countries. The convenience of Offshore Energy Systems to the territory and their systematic proper work is an important issue. Because of that, the setting up of Offshore Wind Energy Tribunes in Cyprus, the planning process, structuring of cost values and necessary resources, the investigation of the geographic conditions for obtaining the energy flow and assessment of these conditions for Offshore Wind Tribunes are the prime objectives of this study. The orientation period and the applicable qualifications of the offshore energy systems were evaluated on the basis of the world wide references. The study is concluded by the estimation of the advantages and disadvantages of the system for Cyprus.

Transition of Thalassaemia and Friedreich ataxia from fatal to chronic diseases

Thalassaemia major(TM) and Friedreich's ataxia(FA) are autosomal recessive inherited diseases related to the proteins haemoglobin and frataxin respectively. In both diseases abnormalities in iron metabolism is the main cause of iron toxicity leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Major efforts are directed towards the prevention of these diseases and also in their treatment using iron chelation therapy. Both TM and FA are endemic in Cyprus, where the frequency per total population of asymptomatic heterozygote carriers and patients is the highest worldwide. Cyprus has been a pioneering nation in preventing and nearly eliminating the birth of TM and FA patients by introducing an organized health structure, including prenatal and antenatal diagnosis. Effective iron chelation therapy, improved diagnostic methods and transfusion techniques as well as supportive therapy from other clinical specializations have improved the survival and quality of life of TM patients.Despite the tiresome clinical management regimes many TM patients are successful in their professional lives, have families with children and some are now living well into their fifties. The introduction of deferiprone led to the elimination of cardiac failure induced by iron overload toxicity, which was the major cause of mortality in TM. Effective combinations of deferiprone with deferoxamine in TM patients caused the fall of body iron to normal physiological ranges. In FA different mechanisms of iron metabolism and toxicity apply to that of TM, which can be targeted with specific iron chelation protocols. Preliminary findings from the introduction of deferiprone in FA patients have increased the hopes for improved and effective therapy in this untreatable condition. New and personalised treatments are proposed in TM and FA. Overall, advances in treatments and in particular of chelation therapy using deferiprone are transforming TM and FA from fatal to chronic conditions. The paradigm of Cyprus in the prevention and treatment of TM can be used for application worldwide.

Six Sigma： The Panacea to Sustainability

Whilst there are a number of qualified methodologies, the researchers have opted to utilise the tools available through Six Sigma to prove that Six Sigma can be used to save resources and improve quality and process. Five industry sectors were identified as the ones to be surveyed using quantitative and qualitative methods and finally piloting the results on five different SMEs. Since this is a relative new methodology to the Cypriot entrepreneur and regrettably at the time of carrying out the study an international financial crisis caused a lot of financial problems to many respondents and as such could not see the immediate effects or benefits of Six Sigma and were reluctant to co-operate or participate. The Six Sigma methodology can be customized to industrial sectors and a tailored version of the methodology can be developed for a particular process or problem. The paper illustrates the problem areas identified from both the qualitative and quantitative research per industry. This is the first study carried out on Six Sigma in a small economy like Cyprus and tested on five industry sectors using both qualitative and quantitative methods

The Black Suits of Mayday:The Turkish Cypriot Opposition in a Period of Siege

The present article analyzes the emergence of the Turkish Cypriot state of exception in the period of intercommunal riots in Cyprus on two main levels.The first level identifies its structures and ideological aspects.The enclaves of the 1964-1974 period in Cyprus are treated as areas of exclusion and siege of the Turkish Cypriots.Therefore,they are studied as spaces that produce certain political activity against the“other”community,the Greek Cypriot community.The creation of the enclaves resulted from the armed violence of this decade;it was a direct response to an emergency situation which contributed,to a certain degree,and to the territorial and political partition of the two communities.Therefore,this article aims to describe the aspects of the nationalist hegemony and the efforts to reproduce its power through the activation of the threat.On a second level,the article studies the dynamics that led to the emergence of opposition forces and which eventually became an important aspect of the development of the Turkish Cypriot community.On this level,the paper examines the space where the Turkish Cypriots lived for a decade as areas where state power sovereignty,or the dominance of the nationalist elite,met with alternative forms of existence and with other notions of belonging that opposed the dominant ones.

Troodos: A Giant Serpentinite Diapir

Troodos is a classical ophiolite complex. It is proposed that the serpentinized harzburgites that now form the top of the mountain and represent the originally lowest part of the ophiolite sequence rose as a diapir. This diapiric rise is caused by the pervasive serpentinization of a suboceanic harzburgite, due to rock-sea water interaction. The serpentinization caused a 44% expansion of the rocks. Contrary to salt diapirism, the driving force for this diapiric rise is not so much the difference in density, but the volume increase asscociated with the transformation of harzburgite into serpentinite. The overlying gabbros, sheeted dike complex and pillow lavas were pierced by this serpentinite diapir but barely deformed. Their interaction with sea water was li- mited to some pyroxenes in the gabbros being transformed to amphiboles, and epidotisation of some of the dikes in the sheeted dike complex. The location of steep faults in the Troodos massif is determined by the contrasting expansion behavior of different rock-types on both sides of the fault.

The Massive Sulfide Deposit of Siirt Madenkoy,South-Eastern Turkey--Geology,Geochemistry and Mineral Raw Material Potential

The Siirt Madenköy massive sulfide ore deposit has been in operation since 2005. With its approx. 39 Mt reserves (2.40% Cu), it represents the largest Cu deposit and the largest mining operation in the country (1.5 Mt ore/year). The thickness of the adjacent rocks is composed of olivine-pyroxenite basalts pillow lava, which is spilite, interchangeable ore lenses of chalcopyrite and pyrite is about 170 m and reaches a depth of 350 m. The mid-Eocene aged porphyritic, strongly altered spilites are locally interspersed with diabase and covered by conglomerates. The ores appear massive, stock work and disseminated. Main ore minerals are idiomorphic pyrite, cataclastic chalcopyrite and fine-grained magnetite. The geochemical composition of the Cu ores of the Siirt-Madenköy deposit shows in places high levels of Cu, Fe and S, as important trace elements, As, Ba, Co and Ti are listed. In relation to Clarke values, Se, Bi, Cu, Mo and Co are strongly enriched, while Na, K and Ca as well as their coherent trace elements Rb, Sr and Cd are depleted due to hydrothermal alteration. The elemental distribution is characterized by log-normal distribution, proportionality effect, high Cu/Ni ratio and significantly positive correlation between the element pairs MgO-Ni, Cr-Ni and Co/FeO-Co. The dependence of Cu and SO3 contents and Cu/FeO, SO3/FeO ratios are to be interpreted as an indication of the common origin of Cu, Fe and S. In general, Cu, Zn, Pb and S content decrease with depth, whereas those of Fe3O4 increase. The variograms of the ore distributions are characterized by hole effect, trend and zonal anisotropy, which reflect alternation of ores with host rocks and changes in elemental contents. The Siirt Madenköy deposit is attributable to Cu and Zn ratios of the Cu class of ophiolitic massive sulfide deposits. Due to the very high Cu/Pb and Cu/Zn ratios, it can be described as an analogous deposit of the mid oceanic ridge, for example comparable to ores of Galapagos Ridge. The Siirt Madenköy deposit is considered to be a syngenetic volcanogenic-exhalative massive sulfide ore deposit based on the results of the study. It belongs to the “Cyprus deposit type”. Similar deposits are Küre and Ergani-Maden in Turkey, Ermioni in Greece and Outukumpu in Finland.