Search

The aim of this paper is to examine the MINT countries comparative advantage and international competitiveness of manufacturing industries as a whole and of all sub-sectors of these industries. The analysis is based on Vollrath’s (1991) competitiveness indices. The analysis based on Vollrath’s indices shows that Turkey has a strong comparative advantage in aggregate commodity groups of manufacturing industry. In general terms, it can be stated that the competitive disadvantage in the manufacturing industry is in Nigeria, Indonesia and Mexico, respectively. Our findings show that Turkey has high competitiveness compared to the other three countries in this period. However, the predictions that MINT countries as a whole will be a center of economic power among emerging economies will depend on their use of economic policies in a way that makes their existing advantages a reality.

Crohn disease has a wide spectrum of clinical presentations and rarely can present with complications such as a bowel stricture or fistula. In this case report, we describe a 17-year-old male who presented with a history of recurrent anterior abdominal wall abscesses and dysuria. He was diagnosed with Crohn disease and also found to have a fistulous communication between the terminal ileum and a patent urachus. An ileocecectomy with primary anastomosis and complete resection of the abscess cavity was performed. He is on azathioprine for maintenance therapy and currently in remission. Clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for this complication in Crohn disease patients presenting with symptoms suggestive of urachal anomalies such as suprapubic abdominal pain, dysuria, umbilical discharge, and periumbilical mass.

Loss of response to anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) agents in the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is a major consideration to maintain sustained response. Reversal of immunogenicity can re-establish response and increase the durability of these agents. Strategies to reverse immunogenicity include dose-intensification and/or the addition of an immunomodulator. However, there is a relative paucity of data on the efficacy of such interventions in pediatric IBD patients. Available reports have not strictly utilized homogenous mobility shift assay, which reports on anti-drug antibodies even in the presence of detectable drug, whereas prior studies have been confounded by the use of drug sensitive assays. We report four pediatric inflammatory bowel disease patients with successful reversal of immunogenicity on an anti-TNF agent using dose intensification and/or addition of an immunomodulator.