Production of ceramic tiles by using marine sludge additives

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Chemical Engineering, Izmir, 2006Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 89-94)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishxii, 94 leavesThe harbour sediment accumulated in time in the zmir Bay was investigated by a number of researchers from various aspects. These sediments called marine sludge in this thesis contain organics and heavy metals which pose an important environmental problem. Marine sludge removed from the harbor is required to be safely kept in some form. In this thesis, production of ceramic tiles by using marine sludge additives was investigated. The sludge is regarded as a suitable raw material for ceramic tile production because of its physical properties and chemical composition. After the sludge is removed from the harbor floor, it was subjected to a series of treatments such as washing, sieving, dewatering, drying and grinding. This treated marine sludge was pressed in the form of pellets and sintered in the 1000-1100 °C range. The treated, untreated and sintered marine sludge along with the separated shells present in marine sludge were characterized by a variety of techniques such as XRD, FTIR, and SEM-EDX. Marine sludge powders at different proportions (0-50 %) were blended via incorporation into a structural ceramic tile raw material. The mixtures were compressed, and then pellets were fired at temperatures in the 1000-1200 °C range with one-hour hold with a firing rate of 10 °C/min. The products were characterized for mechanical and microstructural properties. Marine sludge added tiles were observed to have higher compressive strength after firing at 1100 °C. The sludge addition caused a lower firing temperature for densification/vitrification of the pellets with higher pore content. Their densities and water absorption values were determined. The densities and water absorption of the tiles fired at 1100 °C was observed to decrease with increasing sludge addition. Leaching tests were performed by varying the leach solution pH and ground tile particle size for chemical durability of the products in the final part of the work. The leaching data have shown that heavy metals were immobilized in the vitrified ceramic structure. The results of this work indicated that blending marine sludge in to the ceramic powder mixtures in the 20-50% range was beneficial for tile production

The Identity of Turkey:Muslim and Secular

This article analyses the rise of political Islam in Turkey in the context of the akp's tenure in power with reference to complex social, economic, historical and ideational factors. It aims to answer one of the key questions, which has wider implications for the West and Islamic world: ‘having experienced the bad and good of the West in secularism and democracy’, as claimed by Samuel Huntington's ‘clash of civilisations’ thesis, is Turkey in transition from a secular to an Islamic state? The article first questions Turkey's ‘bridge’ or ‘torn-country’ status and then explains the akp's ambivalent policies towards religious and identity issues in relation to the increased public visibility of Islam and a ‘performative reflexivity’ of ‘Muslim-selves’. It concludes that the real issue at stake is not the assumed clash of secular and Muslim identities but the complex of interdependence between Islam, secularism and democratisation in Turkey

Physiological and genetic characterization of salt tolerance in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum)

Thesis (Master)--Izmir Institute of Technology, Molecular Biology and Genetics, Izmir, 2006Includes bibliographical references (leaves: 59-65)Text in English; Abstract: Turkish and Englishx, 66 leavesPlant growth is limited by different environmental conditions. Salt stress is one of these conditions that affects plant growth. Elimination of salt from the soil is time consuming and very expensive. The most effective way to eliminate salinity effects is to produce salt tolerant crops. Both transgenic applications and molecular marker technology are of importance in producing salt tolerant plants. In this study, responses to salt stress of tomato were studied during the germination and vegetative stages of the life cycle. Inbred Backross Lines (IBLs) from a cross between salt-sensitive L. esculentum and a salt-tolerant L. pimpinellifolium were used for evaluation of salt tolerance during seed germination and QTL mapping. At the end of the germination study, it was observed that the IBLs have some degree of salt tolerance. L. esculentum alleles provided improved total percent germination on salt, however, L. pimpinellifolium alleles provided an improved rate of germination on salt. Thus, different parameters of salt tolerance are controlled by different mechanisms during seed germination. L. pennellii introgression lines (ILs) generated by crossing L. pennellii (LA716) to L. esculentum cv. M82 were used to map antioxidant traits related to salt tolerance at the vegetative stage of tomato. Plants of cultivated tomato (M82) and 32 IL lines were grown in aerated Hoagland solution in the greenhouse. At the seven-true leaf stage salt treatment was started and was achieved with the gradual addition of NaCl to the nutrient solution until 150 mM NaCl was reached. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) activities were measured in the leaf tissues of these plants. Enzyme activities of the ILs were compared with M82 and QTLs associated with SOD and CAT activity under control and salt conditions were mapped

Logistics outsourcing and 3PL selection: A Case study in an automotive supply chain

Outsourcing logistics functions to third-party logistics (3PL) providers has been a source of competitive advantage for most companies. Companies cite greater flexibility, operational efficiency, improved customer service levels, and a better focus on their core businesses as part of the advantages of engaging the services of 3PL providers. There are few complete and structured methodologies for selecting a 3PL provider. This paper discusses how one such methodology, namely the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), is used in an automotive supply chain for export parts to redesign the logistics operations and to select a global logistics service provider

Utjecaj načina korištenja zemljišta / vegetacijskog pokrova i ekspozicije na svojstva tla u slivnom području Gökdere u sjeverozapadnoj Turskoj

Different studies have shown that the effects of land use conversion on soil properties are variable, so that more researches that focus on different ecological regions and land use types are required. The objectives of this study were (1) to evaluate the effects of land use types in two aspects (north and south) on soil properties and (2) to examine the impact of tillage and grazing on hydrological soil properties. Primarily, three different main land use type /land cover (LUTLC) were selected in north and south facing slope to investigate the soil properties, namely, forest, grassland, and agricultural land. Soil samples were taken from a soil depth of 30 cm. For these soil samples, various soil properties such as texture, dry bulk density (BD), soil organic matter (SOM), soil pH, water stable aggregates (WSA) field capacity, wilting point, infiltration rate, and saturated hydraulic capacity (Ks) were analyzed. According to the results BD, WSA, SOM, Ks, and infiltration rate significantly change with LUTLC and aspect. Soil characteristics negatively affected by tillage practices and grazing are SOM, WSA, infiltration rate, Ks, and BD. Finally, the findings indicated that tillage and over grazing, in semi – arid region, effected adversely on soil properties, and that over grazing damaged the hydrological properties of surface soil.Brojne studije pokazale su da konverzija zemljišta ima raznoliki utjecaj na svojstva tla, pa stoga daljnja istraživanja treba usmjeriti na različite ekološke regije i načine korištenja zemljišta. Ciljevi ove studije su: (1) procijeniti utjecaj korištenja zemljišta na različitim ekspozicijama (sjeverna i južna) na svojstva tla i (2) ispitati utjecaj obrade tla i ispaše na hidrološka svojstva tla. Za ispitivanje svojstva tala odabrana su tri različita načina korištenja zemljišta/vegetacijskog pokrova (LUTLC) na sjevernim i južnim padinama, a to su šuma, travnjak i obradiva površina. Uzorci tla uzeti su sa dubine od 30 cm. U uzorcima tla analizirani su sljedeći parametri: tekstura tla, gustoća tla (BD), organska tvar u tlu (SOM), pH, stabilnost agregata u vodi (WSA), kapacitet tla za vodu, točka venuća, stopa infiltracije i zasićena hidraulička provodljivost (Ks). Rezultati su pokazali da se gustoća tla (BD), stabilnost agregata u vodi (WSA), organska tvar u tlu (SOM), hidraulička provodljivost i stopa infiltracije, značajno mijenjaju s načinom korištenja zemljišta/promjenom vegetacijskog pokrova (LUTLC) te s ekspozicijom. Značajke tala na koje nepovoljno utječu obrada tla i ispaša su organska tvar u tlu (SOM), stabilnost agregata u vodi (WSA), stopa infiltracije, hidraulička provodljivost (Ks) i gustoća tla (BD). Na kraju, rezultati sugeriraju da obrada tla i prekomjerna ispaša u polu-suhom području negativno utječu na svojstva tala, te da prekomjerna ispaša šteti hidrološkim svojstvima površinskog tla

Measurement of Specific Heat of Organic Materials Using Non-Isolating Container and Arduino

This study reports a novel method for specific heat measurements of organic materials namely potaoes, quinces and radishes. The method proposed in this work is novel in the sense that it employs a non-isolated container and an Arduino microprocessors. The actual measurements are simply managed by placing the organic materials within hot water in a non-isolating container and by monitoring the temperature and time by means of Arduino UNO microprocessor. The heat leakage due to the non-isolated container is determined by using the heat versus time graph of the system and by mathematically modeling the temperature decrease by the time due to the heat exchange between the hot water and the environment. The measurements have revealed that the relative errors for the measurements are approximately % 4.75 for potatoes, % 21.50 for radishes and % 1.30 for quinces. The approach described in this work is inexpensive, very easy to apply and can potentially be beneficial for basic physics, science and engineering research activities

Conhecimento e práticas dos provedores de cuidados primários sobre o câncer de pele e o autoexame da pele

Objective: To determine the knowledge and practices related to skin cancer and skin self-examination of primary care providers. Method: This cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted in Turkey. The study was carried out in primary health centers such as family health centers, community health centers, early cancer detection centers and family planning centers in 2016-2017. Participants’ socio-demographic characteristics, their knowledge and practices related to skin cancer, skin cancer risk factors and skin self-examination were determined. Results: The study population included 94 primary care providers. The symptoms of which the participants were most aware were changes in the color of moles or skin spots (95.71%), and of which participants were the least aware was the itching of a mole (71.43%). Among participants, the most recognized risk factor was having fair skin (97.14%), whereas the least known was the presence of birthmarks (24.29%). The mean scores the participants obtained from the questionnaire were as follows: 5.39±1.61 for skin cancer risk factors and 10.47±2.73 for skin cancer symptoms. Of the participants, 14.29% received training on skin self-examination, 38.57% knew how to perform skin self-examination, and 67.14% did not perform skin self-examination. Of the participants, 61.7% did not perform skin self-examination because they did not know what to look for. Of the participants, 85.71% did not have continuing education/workshop about skin self-examination after graduation. Conclusion: Although the primary care providers’ knowledge of skin cancer symptoms was adequate, their knowledge of skin cancer risk factors was not sufficient. Primary care providers’ knowledge of skin self-examination was good, but they did not perform skin self-examination adequately

Genetic diversity and population structure of faba bean (Vicia faba) from Turkey

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) is an important food and feed legume because of the nutritional value of its seed protein and starch content, good biomass, and high efficiency nitrogen fixation.This study analyzed the molecular genetic diversity and population structure of 101 Turkish faba bean accessions using simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers.A total of 32 SSR markers yielded 281 loci of which 277 (98.6%) were polymorphic.Mean dissimilarity between genotypes was 0.355, a relatively high value which was expected given faba bean’s large genome and limited breeding history.According to the results, faba bean individuals grouped into three main clusters based on both distance matrix (neighbor-joining algorithm) and model-based (population structure) clustering analyses.Clustering was not correlated with seed size or origin within Turkey.Six cultivars were included in the analysis and showed high genetic diversity compared with the landraces, as expected, given the fact that at least some of the cultivars were bred by hybridization.A total of 47 individuals were selected for the core collection to represent the diversity of Turkish faba bean germplasm.This core set encompasses material adapted to all growing regions and should be a priority for morphological characterization. © 2016, American Society for Horticultural Science.All rights reserved.Republic of Turkey's Ministry of Science, Industry and Technology (0424.STZ.2013-2