Case Study For The Evaluation Of Total Quality Of Suburban Buildings In Turkey

Housing demand increased in the 80s and 90s due to rapid industrialization of theTurkey. The rapid and uneven spatial growth within and among cities was largely a result ofmigration from rural areas during the 80's. Many buildings constructed in this period were characterized with low quality of life. Similar to the situation faced in almost all developingcountries, making adequate shelter available, accessible and affordable to meet the housing need for the ever-increasing populations of the urban settlements has always been and remains to be a challenge for Turkey. However, during the past decade, the quality of the life becomes an important issue due to increased wealth of the country. In this study, a case study for the evaluation of the total quality of an existing suburban area that was built in the past and unqualified for today's requirements has been conducted for various criteria

Remembering Dr. Cirilo F. Bautista

Excerpt: In my youth, I would often hear my teachers declare with pride, “I was the student of this artist, this great economist, this political thinker, this poet.” And those pronouncements did not mean anything to me. I was young. I cared about nothing, and even matters of great consequence would have slipped through my innocent, if not ignorant, hands. To paraphrase A.E. Housman, “I was young and not even twenty, no use talking to me.

The Fracture Behavior of Pure and Hybrid Intraply Knitted Fabric-Reinforced Polymer Composites

Due to the high synergistic effects of the components, hybrid composite materials are more advantageous than nonhybrid composite materials for advanced engineering applications. Additionally, knitted fabrics may have a different behavior than woven ones. Although the nonhybrid composites have only one reinforcing fiber type, the hybrid composites have multiple reinforcing fibers. In this chapter, fracture characterizations of laminated composites reinforced with intraply pure and hybrid knitted fabrics are experimentally and numerically investigated under different loading conditions. For this purpose, pure (100%) and hybrid fabrics (50–50%), which have 1 × 1 rib-knitted structure, were knitted by using glass and carbon fibers. Also, hybrid fabrics were knitted in three different widths in order to investigate the effect of knitting pattern width on the fracture toughness. Fracture toughness and energy strain release rates of pure and hybrid Arcan test specimens were determined under mode I (0o), mixed-mode I/II (30o, 45o, and 60o), and mode II (90o) loading conditions. Also, the J-integral method was used to determine the fracture toughness. Experimental and numerical results were found to be consistent. When the results obtained from pure and hybrid fabrics are compared, it is seen that hybridization had positive effects on the fracture strength of composite material compared to pure glass/epoxy material. Additionally, as the width of the pattern decreased, the fracture strength of the hybrid composites increased. In this respect, the hybridization processing should be done in the narrowest pattern width for higher resistance to fracture

Use of Istijrar Contract as Financing Model for Islamic Banks in Türkiye

This research examines the istijrar contract as a potential solution to the operational and Shariah compliance challenges commonly encountered in murabahah-based financing, particularly in scenarios involving continuous and repeated purchases. Such flexible purchasing arrangements often generate complexities and elevate compliance risks. To address these issues, the study adopts a structured literature review methodology, implemented in three stages. First, it reviews scholarly debates concerning the Shariah compliance of the istijrar contract. Second, it assesses existing global practices. Third, it analyzes Turkish practices and legal regulations, critically examining the discussions and models at each stage to identify the most suitable adaptation for implementation in Türkiye. Key findings highlight the absence of standardized frameworks in both global and Turkish contexts, along with the limited practical application of istijrar in Türkiye’s Islamic banking sector. In response, this research synthesizes these insights to develop a structured and independent istijrar model specifically tailored to the Turkish Islamic banking environment. It is anticipated that this model will enable Islamic banks to more effectively finance customers engaged in production and trade activities, thereby supporting the growth of the real economy

Relation between the rapid evaluation method scores and the damage states of buildings

A major portion of the existing Turkish building stock consists of seismically deficient buildings, like in many other earthquake-prone developing countries. For the mitigation of the damage before an earthquake, the seismic evaluation of the existing building stock is the first step. However, the great number of buildings to be evaluated is an obstacle for the detailed assessment. Rapid evaluation methods are developed to minimize the need of resources for the evaluation of the buildings in great numbers. In this study, performances of the rapid evaluation methods to estimate seismic damage are investigated by examining the correlation between the rapid evaluation method scores and the quantified damage states after the 19 May 2011 Simav (Turkey) earthquake. A total of 144 reinforced concrete buildings are carefully examined in terms of the properties of structural system, architectural layout, concrete strength, soil conditions and damage state. The correlation of rapid evaluation methods with the observed damage happened to be low. It is concluded that, if the building damage state is determined by the local brittle damages in members, the estimations with the rapid evaluation methods may diverge from the actual scene after an earthquake. © 2013 Author(s)

Premedication with oral midazolam with or without parental presence

Background and objective In this study, we aimed to investigate whether the combination of low-dose (0.25mgkg 1) midazolam premedication with parental presence can effectively reduce anxiety at induction as well as provide a smoother emergence. Methods Institutional ethics committee approval and informed consent from one of the parents were obtained prior to the study. Sixty ASA grade I or II children undergoing surgery were enrolled in the study. Children were randomized to receive either 0.5mgkg 1 midazolam orally (group M) or 0.25mgkg 1 midazolam orally with parental presence (group MP) or parental presence alone (group P). The child’s anxiety and sedation scores were evaluated as 1–4 points on the Anxiety Scale and as 0–4 points on the University of Michigan Sedation Scale (UMSS), respectively, at the entrance to the operating room and for tolerance to the face mask. Heart rate, the mean arterial blood pressure and O2 saturation (%) were assessed at repeated intervals before and after induction. At the end of surgery, the child’s Anxiety Scale score, UMSS score, Observer’s Pain Scale (OPS) score and FLACC score were also assessed. Results There were no differences between groups in demographic variables and duration of surgery or anaesthesia. Mean blood pressure changes were similar between groups at measured intervals, but the heart rate was higher in group M before and after induction of anaesthesia (P<0.05). UMSS score was greater in both midazolam groups (groups M and MP) in the preoperative period (P<0.05). Anxiety Scale scores for anxiolysis were higher in groups M and MP than in group P (less anxious and more sedated) at 20 min after premedication, at the entrance to the operating room and at mask tolerance time points (P<0.05). During recovery there was no significant difference in sedation, recovery scores or behavioural anxiety assessment between groups, Anxiety Scale score, UMSS score, FLACC score, Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score and Observer’s Pain Scale score in groups MP, M and P. Conclusion Preoperative administration of midazolam 0.5 mgkg 1 for premedication alone, without parental presence at induction, and that of low-dose midazolam 0.25mgkg 1 for premedication with parental presence at induction are both equally effective in reducing separation anxiety and providing a smooth emergence. However, parental presence alone, without midazolam for premedication, is not an adequate approach for this outcome. If the environment for parental presence is convenient, the dose of midazolam may be reduced and induction and emergence conditions may still be of high quality

Simvastatin promotes cardiac myocyte relaxation in association with phosphorylation of Troponin I

The number of people taking statins is set to increase across the globe due to recent changes in prescription guidelines. For example, half the US population over 40 is now eligible for these drugs, whether they have high serum cholesterol or not. With such development in policy comes a stronger need for understanding statins’ myriad of effects. Surprisingly little is known about possible direct actions of statins on cardiac myocytes, although claims of a direct myocardial toxicity have been made. Here we determine the impact of simvastatin administration (40 mg/kg/day) for 2 weeks in normocholesterolaemic rats on cardiac myocyte contractile function and identify an underlying mechanism. Under basal conditions, statin treatment increased the time to half (t0.5) relaxation without any effect on the magnitude of shortening, or the magnitude/kinetics of the [Ca2+]i transient. Enhanced myocyte lusitropy could be explained by a corresponding increase in phosphorylation of troponin I (TnI) at Ser23,24. Statin treatment increased expression of eNOS and Ser1177 phosphorylated eNOS, decreased expression of the NOS-inhibitory proteins caveolin 1 and 3, and increased (P=0.06) NO metabolites, consistent with enhanced NO production. It is well established that NO stimulates protein kinase G, one of the effectors of TnI phosphorylation at Ser23,24. Trends for parallel changes in phospho-TnI, phospho-eNOS and caveolin 1 expression were seen in atrial muscle from patients taking statins. Our data are consistent with a mechanism whereby chronic statin treatment enhances TnI phosphorylation and myocyte lusitropy through increased NO bioavailability. We see no evidence of impaired function with statin treatment; the changes we document at the level of the cardiac myocyte should facilitate diastolic filling and cardiac performance

Performance Improvement for Fighter Aircraft Using Fuzzy Switching LQI Controller

In this work, a switching linear quadratic integral (LQI) controller based on fuzzy logic is designed for the load-factor tracking problem of high-performance aircraft referred to as the Aero-Data Model in Research Environment (ADMIRE). ADMIRE is a new generation aircraft and has a wide flight operation envelope in terms of altitude and speed. Hence, it is difficult to design a flight controller to achieve a high tracking performance. First, the LQI controller is selected due to good tracking performance and robustness in the model dynamics. Combining switching LQI controller and fuzzy logic improves the transient performance of the closed-loop switched system. The results obtained with the fuzzy switching controller have been compared with the conventional LQI and the switching LQI in terms of robust demand tracking. The simulation results have demonstrated that the fuzzy switching controller is superior to the conventional LQI and switching LQI controllers due to better transient performance and robust stability

Changes in tryptase levels during cardiac surgery in patients at low risk for allergic reaction

Tryptase test can be used as a clinical marker of mast cell activation. The present study is was aimed to identify variations in serum tryptase levels and their possible relationships with allergic reactions to protamine in low-risk patients undergoing cardiac bypass surgery. Thirty patients according to American Society of Anesthesiologists physical status III who underwent cardiac bypass surgery were enrolled. This prospective, non-randomised, clinical study was conducted in an operating room. Venous blood samples for tryptase measurements were obtained from cardiac bypass surgery patients upon admission to the operating room and immediately before and 30 min after the initiation of protamine administration. Signs of allergic reactions were recorded and management steps based on rapid effect response-based clinical assessments for diagnosis and treatment decisions during protamine administrations were described. Serum tryptase levels and clinical signs of allergic reactions, primarily mean arterial pressure (MAP), were recorded. Serum tryptase levels increased significantly and progressively during the bypass procedure (study power, 80%; sample size, 28; power of analysis, 99.8% with α=0.05); however, tryptase levels did not reach a sufficiently high level to confirm an allergic reaction. The MAP and heart rate decreased in 50% of the patients. Although tryptase increased significantly when compared with baseline levels, protamine-associated increases were not significant and failed to provide an unequivocal indication of an allergic response to protami