Work goal orientation of construction professionals in Turkey: comparison of architects and civil engineers

The construction industry is a significant part of the global economy, affected by and affecting all dynamics of global competition. However, there seems to have been a limited amount of research conducted on differences between countries through the construction industry's culture. Such comparisons are crucial to identify the cultural factors that are likely to influence the competitive advantage of the Turkish construction industry at both domestic and international levels. Cultural similarities and differences in work goal orientation are compared between selected groups of professionals in the Turkish construction industry. We aim to provide information on the work goals of both civil engineers and architects involved with the construction sector in terms of occupation, gender and age, respectively. Hofstede's VSM question form was used to establish cultural profiles of the participants. The cultural dimensions of architects and civil engineers provide a sample picture of Turkish construction industry.     

Microwave,Vacuum, and Air Drying Characteristics of Collard Leaves

Collard leaves (Brassica oleracea L. var. acephala) with an initial moisture content of 6.65 on percentage dry basis (%db) were dried by three different drying methods: microwave, air, and vacuum. Samples of fresh leaves, 25 g each, were dried until their moisture was down to 0.1 on a dry basis. The following drying levels were used in each of the drying processes: 350, 500, 650, 750, 850, and 1000 W for microwave drying; 50, 75, 100, 125, 150, and 175°C for air drying; and 0.4, 50, and 100 mmHg at 50 and 75°C for vacuum drying, respectively. Drying times ranged between 2.5 to 7.5 min, 8 to 210 min, and 35 to 195 min for microwave, air, and vacuum drying, respectively. The data obtained compared well with a thin-layer drying model. Microwave drying at 750 W provided optimal results with respect to drying time, color, and ascorbic acid content (vitamin C).     

Correlation of standard penetration test and pressuremeter data: a case study from Istanbul, Turkey

In this study, correlations were obtained between standard penetration test (SPT) and pressuremeter data measured during an extensive geotechnical investigation conducted in Istanbul, Turkey. In this context, SPT blow counts (N) were correlated with pressuremeter modulus (E _PMT) and limit pressure (p _L). Empirical equations were proposed to estimate limit pressure from pressuremeter modulus, and E _PMT/p _L ratios were calculated and evaluated. An attempt was also made to correlate limit pressure to undrained shear strength (s _u) measured by unconfined compression strength test. Correlations were carried out for sandy and clayey soils separately. The quantity (total of 182) and quality of the data (use of same equipment and procedures during data acquisition in a well defined geological setting) mean the obtained correlations may be valuable for similar soils. It is anticipated that the correlations obtained may help designers in evaluating, comparing, interpreting or cross checking the soil parameters obtained from these two important in situ tests.     

Macroporous rubber gels as reusable sorbents for the removal of oil from surface waters

Macroporous organogels were prepared by solution crosslinking various rubbers in benzene at ?18 °C. Butyl rubber (PIB), cis-polybutadiene (CBR) and styrene–butadiene rubber (SBR) were used as the rubber components, while sulfur monochloride was the crosslinker in the gel preparation. The organogel networks consist of large pores of 10¹–10² μm in size caused by the benzene crystals acting as a template during gelation. The networks formed by CBR and SBR showed an aligned porous structure consisting of regular pores, whereas those derived from PIB had irregular pores with a broad pore size distribution due to the phase separation of PIB chains at low temperatures. All organogels were very tough and could be completely compressed without any crack development. Sorption tests showed that the organogels were efficient at removing crude oil, gasoline, diesel, fuel oil and olive oil. The organogels are reusable once they are squeezed, leading to continuous sorption capacities of CBR or SBR gels for crude oil and olive oil of 33–38 g/g and 24–27 g/g, respectively. These sorption capacities are two to three times the capacity of the gels derived from PIB.     

The influence of the surface chemistry of silver nanoparticles on cell death

The influence of the surface chemistry of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) on p53 mediated cell death was evaluated using human dermal fibroblast (HDF) and lung cancer (A549) cells. The citrate reduced AgNPs (C-AgNPs) were modified with either lactose (L-AgNPs) or a 12-base long oligonucleotide (O-AgNPs). Both unmodified and modified AgNPs showed increased concentration and time dependent cytotoxicity and genotoxicity causing an increased p53 up-regulation within 6 h and led to apoptotic or necrotic cell deaths. The C-AgNPs induced more cytotoxicity and cellular DNA damage than the surface modified AgNPs. Modifying the C-AgNPs with lactose or the oligonucleotide reduced both necrotic and apoptotic cell deaths in the HDF cells. The C-AgNPs caused an insignificant necrosis in A549 cells whereas the modified AgNPs caused necrosis and apoptosis in both cell types. Compared to the O-AgNPs, the L-AgNPs triggered more cellular DNA damage, which led to up-regulation of p53 gene inducing apoptosis in A549 cells compared to HDF cells. This suggests that the different surface chemistries of the AgNPs cause different cellular responses that may be important not only for their use in medicine but also for reducing their toxicity.     

Porous rubber cryogels: effect of the gel preparation temperature

This paper examines the effect of the gel preparation temperature (T _prep) on the physical properties of the rubber-based macroporous organogels prepared by solution crosslinking in benzene at subzero temperatures. Cis-polybutadiene (CBR) and styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) were used as the rubber components, while sulfur monochloride (S₂Cl₂) was the crosslinker in the gel preparation. It was shown that T _prep is an extremely important parameter to adjust the porous structure and thus, the cryogel properties. The networks formed by CBR and SBR showed an aligned porous structure with an exception of honey-comb structured porous SBR cryogels prepared at ?2 °C. 10¹- to 10²-μm sized regular pores of the networks caused by the benzene crystals act as a template during gelation, separated by 10–20 μm pore walls in thickness. They exhibit fast swelling and deswelling properties as well as reversible swelling–deswelling cycles in toluene and methanol, respectively. The ability of the organogels for the removal of petroleum products from aqueous solutions was also demonstrated using diesel and crude oil as model pollutants. In addition, the reusability of the organogels and their continuous sorption capacities were checked by repeated sorption–squeezing cycles. All the tests showed that the aligned porous organogels are suitable materials for the oil spill cleanup procedures.     

Microwave, air and combined microwave-air-drying parameters of pumpkin slices

Pumpkin slices (Cucurbita maxima) which weighs 50 g with moisture of 9.31 g water/g dry solids, were dried using three drying methods, microwave, air and combined microwave-air. Drying continued until slice moisture reduced to 0.1 g water/g dry solids. Two different microwave output powers 160 and 350 W were used in the microwave drying. Drying treatments in air-drying were 50 and 75 °C and 1 m/s fan speed. The combination drying in which microwave and air-drying were applied together was four different combination levels. Drying periods lasted 125-195, 45-90 and 31-51 min for microwave, air and combined microwave-air-drying, respectively, depending on the drying level. Energy consumption was 0.23-0.34, 0.61-0.78 and 0.29-0.42 kW h, respectively. In this study, measured values were compared with predicted values obtained from Page's semi-empirical equation. Optimum drying period, colour and energy consumption was obtained when microwave and air-drying was applied simultaneously and the optimum combination level was 350 W microwave applications at 50 °C.     

A new nano-TiO2 immobilized biodegradable polymer with self-cleaning properties

This study concentrated on the direct immobilization of anatase nano titanium dioxide particles (TiO(2), 10nm particle size) into or onto a biodegradable polymer, polycaprolactone, by solvent-cast processes. The self-cleaning, namely photocatalytic properties of the produced materials were tested by photocatalytic removal of methylene blue as model compound and antimicrobial properties were investigated using Candida albicans as model microorganism. Produced TiO(2) immobilized polymer successfully removed methylene blue (MB, 1 × 10(-5)M) from aqueous solution without additional pH arrangement employing a UV-A light (365 nm) source. Almost 83.2% of dye was removed or decomposed by 5 wt% TiO(2) immobilized into PCL (0.08 g) and removal percentage reached to 94.2% with 5 wt% TiO(2) immobilized onto PCL after a 150 min exposure period. Although removal percentage decrease with increased ionic strength and usage of a visible light source, produced materials were still effective. TiO(2) immobilized onto PCL (5 wt%) was quite effective killing almost 54% of C. albicans (2 × 10(6)CFU/mL) after only 60 min exposure with a near visible light source. Control experiments employing PCL alone in the presence and absence of light were ineffective under the same condition.     

An investigation of quartz type pressure transducer behavior under continuous pressure conditions and metrological characterization

In this work the behavior of high accurate quartz based pressure transducer under the continuous pressure conditions was investigated and metrologically characterized. Paroscientific digiquartz pressure transducer which belongs to the pressure laboratory of INRIM was chosen as a device. First measurements were realized in INRIM and UME in 2005. Two different measurement procedures were applied. The pressure was applied at each pressure points approximately during 25 min to observe the behavior of transducer under applied continuous pressure conditions. The results of standard calibration procedure were compared with the results of applied continuous conditions procedure. The same measurements were repeated in INRIM and UME in 2010 to compare the results taken from 2005 to 2010 and the long term stability was evaluated.