Acreage Allocation Model Estimation and Policy Evaluations for Major Crops in Turkey

This study estimates a system of supply equations for major field crops in Turkey and evaluates alternative agricultural policies for crop supply control. The author suggests that the supply of major field crops in Turkey responds significantly to both own-price and substitute price changes. The Turkish wheat price or gross return is the most important factor determining area allocation in Turkish field crops. Findings from this study will be useful to policy makers who establish agricultural policy on issues such as crop support prices, input subsidies, and input restrictions

Frame Analysis and Design of Industrial Cold-formed Steel Racks

Industrial cold-formed steel racks have semi-rigid joints between the columns and beams. Frame analysis of such structures call for special considerations that are studied in this paper. The current design approach uses a linear idealization of the moment-rotation relation relationship based on an empirically decided secant to the nonlinear moment rotation curve. This study presents a refined analytical approach to the analysis such frames using the state-of-art finite elemen t based nonlinear analysis program LARSA 4D. Parametric studies are carri ed out to obtain an accurate design approach for usin g computer programs that treat linear moment-rotation relationships

Adsorption of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) for Different Gas Concentrations, Temperatures and Relative Humidities by using Activated Carbon Filter: An Experimental Study

Noxious gases can be reduced through activated carbon; nevertheless, this process is very complex due to the changing parameters. Nitrogen dioxides take place in the so-called reactive gases. The nitrogen dioxide concentration existing in the environment can be harmful, in particular for asthmatics and it also has the potential to bring about other serious diseases. For instance, interior diseases are often caused by nitrogen oxide gases. Through this study, we have observed the nitrogen dioxide adsorption on the active carbon for varying air temperatures, gas concentrations and air relative humidities. In this context, it has been examined the effect of all three parameters. While conducting this project, we have used parameters between 1ppm and 30ppm (for NO2 concentration), 23°C and 33°C (for air temperature), 30% and 90% (for air relative humidity). In order to understand this process, breakthrough curves of NO2evaluated from experiments have been used in the present study. Results show that the humidity has not a remarkable effect on the adsorption of NO2; however, increasing relative humidity causes to a decrease in the capacity of the activated carbon for NO2 adsorption. Additionally, NO2 adsorption is exothermic, therefore it increases the air temperature

Sugar Policy Reform in the Republic of Turkey

Recently, the Republic of Turkey passed a significant milestone on its road to becoming a full member of the European Union when the customs union agreement became effective. The agreement eliminates barriers to trade between Turkey and the EU in industrial goods and processed agricultural products. In 1997 the Turkish Sugar Corporation drafted a proposal to change Turkey\u27s current sugar policies to coincide with the existing Common Agricultural Policy. This paper examines the impact of the proposed sugar regulation on Turkey\u27s sugar production and trade

Türkiye’de yabancı dil ağırlıklı beşinci sınıf İngilizce dersi öğretim programının uygulanması: nitel bir değerlendirme

This qualitative evaluation study aims to investigate the implementation process of a current educational reform on teaching English to young learners in Turkey, the Intensive English Language Program in the Fifth Grade, from English as a foreign language (EFL) teachers’ viewpoints. Seven EFL teachers at pilot schools in the city-center of Erzincan were interviewed twice. The results of the first round of interviews indicated that despite the challenges arising from the pilot program, the teachers had positive attitudes regarding the potential advantages of the program. However, the final interview results painted a different picture in that although the main principles of the policy were seen as beneficial for young learners, the teachers faced a variety of challenges, such as a heavy compulsory curriculum in terms of content, lack of professional development support on the new program and scarcity of suitable language teaching materials. Based on both these problems and the benefits of the program, the teachers offered several suggestions for improving the quality of the program; these targeted elements including poor design of the program and unsatisfying professional development support. This study takes a snapshot of the implementation of the current EFL reform and presents suggestions for policymakers and teachers.Bu nitel değerlendirme araştırması, Türkiye’de çocuklara İngilizce öğretimi üzerine geliştirilen güncel eğitim reformlarından biri olan Yabancı Dil Ağırlıklı Beşinci Sınıf İngilizce Dersi Öğretim Programı uygulamasını, yabancı dil öğretmenlerinin gözünden değerlendirmeyi amaçlamaktadır. Çalışmada, Erzincan ili şehir merkezindeki pilot okullarda görev yapan yedi farklı İngilizce öğretmeni ile uygulama sürecinde iki kez görüşme gerçekleştirilmiştir. Görüşmelerin ilk turunda elde edilen sonuçlar; pilot uygulama kendi içerisinde bir takım sorunlar doğursa da, İngilizce öğretmenlerinin programın potansiyel avantajlarını göz önünde bulundurarak olumlu tutumlar geliştirdiğini göstermektedir. Bununla beraber, son görüşme bulguları tamamen farklı bir resim ortaya koymaktadır; bu sonuçlara göre, uygulamanın temel prensiplerinin çocuklar açısından faydalı görülmesine rağmen İngilizce öğretmenleri program süresince içerik açısından yoğun müfredatın uygulamasında, mesleki gelişim kapsamında yapılan eğitimlerin eksikliği ve uygun dil öğretim materyallerinin yetersizliği gibi konularda bir takım zorluklarla karşılaşmıştır. Öğretmenler, belirtilen bu problemler ve ayrıca programın faydalı yönlerini dikkate alarak, uygulanan programın kalitesini arttırmak amacıyla bir takım öneriler sunmuştur. Bu önerilerin temelde programın zayıf olan tasarımı ve çocuklara yabancı dil öğretimi konusundaki mesleki gelişim desteği eğitimlerinin yetersizliğini hedef aldığı görülmüştür. Bu çalışma, mevcut yabancı dil eğitimi reformlarının değerlendirilmesi açısından genel bir bakış açısı ortaya koyarken öğretmen ve eğitim program düzenleyicilerine bir takım öneriler sunmaktadır

Inquiring the main assumption of the assembly line balancing problem : solution procedures using and/or graph

Cataloged from PDF version of article.In this thesis, we consider the assembly/disassembly line balancing (ADLB) problem. The studies in the literature consider assembly and disassembly problems separately and use task precedence diagram (TPD) and AND/OR Graph (AOG) in assembly and disassembly line balancing problems, respectively. In contrast to these studies, we use AOG for both assembly and disassembly line balancing problems, considering these two problems as complementary of each other. Hence, we call the complementary problem as ADLB-AOG. We show theoretically that AOG is a more general version of the TPD. We also develop integer programming (IP) and dynamic programming (DP) formulations to solve the ADLB-AOG problem. Our analysis indicates that the DP formulation performs much better than the IP formulation in terms of the problem sizes that can be optimally solved. We also develop a DP-based heuristic to solve large-size instances of the ADLB-AOG problem. An experimentation of the procedures on some sample problems and the implementation of the heuristic on a sample problem are also given.Koç, AliM.S

Off-shore Wind Energy Potential Research for Antakya Bay

In this study, the key factors associated with Off-shore wind energy have been examined with the aim of assessing off-shore wind-energy potential in Antakya. Currently, there are no nationally-agreed procedures and practices on how to construct off-shore wind farms or how to conduct feasibility study as there is no installed off-shore wind farm in the boundaries of Turkey. To that end, this paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of off-shore wind power plants and introduces a case study for planning, designing and implementing wind turbines on Antakya bay, Turkey. A software package called Wind Atlas Analysis and Application Program (WAsP), which is a standard tool in wind energy industry, was used in the case study for analysing and modelling wind climate in the studied area. The outputs of WAsP were created based on quantitative wind data (e.g., hourly wind speed and direction) recorded at Samadağ meteorological station between 2013-2015. A geographic information program called Global Mapper was employed for advanced analysis and turbine placement by means of converting topographic maps of selected areas into vector format. Additionally, roughness measurements and information on the presence of obstacles in the surrounding environment were entered to the software in order to reduce the error rate. Based on the estimations and outputs of WAsP software package, cost-benefit analysis was conducted to examine whether it is economically feasible to install wind energy turbines in Antakya. The results showed that the break-even point comes in 6.6 operational years, which lead to the conclusion that the placement of off-shore wind energy turbines is economically wise. Moreover, it was concluded in case study that the installation of wind energy farm in Antakya bay is also favorable in terms of wind power density of this region

VHF suspended plate transmitter antenna design for DVB-T and DAB-T

This paper presents the design of stacked suspended plate transmitter antenna for digital video and audio broadcasting. Contrary to conventional dipole structures, we have designed the antenna in VHF band (174-254MHz) with two plates for wideband matching and design flexibility. Radiating primary plate has been excited by novel wideband modified inverted L-type probe. Parasitic secondary plate, and vertical wall between primary plate, and ground plane have been used for further matching and beamwidth adjustment. A bandwidth of 42% and gain of 8.5dBi is obtained at center frequency. Together with equivalent lumped element circuit model of designed antenna and experimental results for S-11, gain, and radiation pattern are presented. To the best of authors knowledge this is the first stacked suspended plate antenna achieving a record bandwidth of 42% in VHF band

Farm-Level Feed Demand in Turkey

Using farm-level survey data from Turkey, the authors provide estimates of the price responsiveness of feed demand beef, dairy, and sheep producers. In addition, the authors assess the impact of feed quality on animal yields in the Turkish dairy cattle sector

Acute necrotizing encephalopathy associated with RANBP2 mutation: Value of MRI findings for diagnosis and intervention

Introduction: Acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANEC) is a rare entity characterized by encephalopathy following a febrile illness. Most patients are sporadic; however, recurrent and familial cases have been associated with RAN-binding protein 2 (RANBP2) mutation. Well-defined MRI findings can even be life-saving with early diagnosis and treatment. Methods: In this article, nine pediatric cases diagnosed with ANEC1 both clinically and radiologically, and with least one variation in the RANBP2 gene, are presented. Results: All patients were previously healthy and presented with encephalopathy after an acute febrile infection. The patients of 44% had a similar attack history in their family. Influenza A/B was detected in 7 patients (78%). One patient was admitted at age 32 years old. The first clinical findings of patients were encephalopathy (100%), seizure (44%), vision problems (33%), ataxia (11%), and monoplegia (11%). Recurrent attacks were seen in two (22%) patients. Brain MRI findings including bilateral thalamus, external capsules, and brainstem involvements were highly suggestive for RANBP2 mutation. Based on MRI findings, genetic analyses were quickly performed and confirmed. All of the patients were treated with empirical encephalitis treatment, oseltamivir, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), high-dose steroid and, if necessary, plasmapheresis, but three (33%) patients died despite treatment. Conclusion: ANEC associated with RANBP2 mutation may occur early or late-onset and can be recurrent and fatal. Therefore, early diagnosis and treatment have the potential to modify the severity of this encephalopathy. Well-defined MRI findings are highly instructive for early diagnosis