Namik Kemal University

About: Namik Kemal University is a education organization based out in Tekirdağ, Turkey. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Cyclic voltammetry. The organization has 1396 authors who have published 3009 publications receiving 31698 citations.

Evaluation of the effect of a new alternative fuel containing boron and hydrogen on gasoline engine performance and emission responses

Abstract: In this research, the impacts of the use of a new fuel additive called octamix, which is obtained by mixing trioctyl borate as a boron source, ammonia borane as a hydrogen enhancer and ethyl alcohol, on the performance and emission values in a gasoline engine have been investigated experimentally. The experiments were carried out using four different fuel mixtures obtained by mixing octamix with gasoline at 0.5%, 1%, 2% and 3% by volume and pure gasoline at different engine load values in a single cylinder spark ignition engine. While brake thermal efficiency and brake specific fuel consumption were evaluated as performance parameters, carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon, carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxide were taken into consideration as emission responses. Experimental results revealed that using octamix higher than 0.5% was not efficient in terms of performance and emission. With the use of a fuel blend containing 0.5% octamix, overall emission and performance values improved but deteriorated with other octamix-containing fuels. According to the results, it can be said that octamix fuel is more suitable for use as a fuel additive rather than as a stand-alone fuel for gasoline engines and the use of only 0.5% octamix-containing fuel mixture is efficient.

The Effect of Linen and Linen Blends on the Comfort Properties of Bedding Fabrics

Abstract: In this study, the effect of linen and linen blends on the comfort properties of bedding fabrics was investigated. Therefore, 10 different fabric types were produced by using the same warp ...

Vibration analysis of symmetric laminated composite plates with attached mass

Abstract: In this study, vibration of symmetrically laminated composite plates with attached mass is studied. The Ritz method with algebraic polynomial displacement field is used. The plates with at least two adjacent free edges are considered in the formulations. The effect of various parameters (number of layers, ratio of attached mass to the plate mass, position of attached mass, fiber orientation) upon the frequencies and mode shapes is investigated. It is found that attachment of a mass has important effects on the vibration characteristics of composite laminated plates.

Can low brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels be a marker of the presence of depression in obese women?

Abstract: OBJECTIVE: Depression is a common condition in obese women that can result in severe impairment of their physical and social functioning. A deficiency of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is involved in the mechanism of depression. The aim of this study is to investigate whether BDNF levels differ between obese female patients and healthy controls and whether BDNF levels alter with affective states in depressive obese women. METHODS: The study group included 40 obese, 40 preobese, and 40 normal weight women. BDNF levels were measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in patient and control groups. For identifying the depression and anxiety status, Beck Depression/Anxiety Inventories were used; and for the evaluation of cognitive functions, the mini-mental state examination was used. RESULTS: BDNF levels were significantly lower in obese patients compared to the control group (P<0.01). BDNF levels were significantly lower in obese patients with depression compared to the obese patients without depression (P<0.05). The Beck Depression Inventory showed a negative correlation with BDNF (r=-0.044; P<0.01) and a positive correlation with the Beck Anxiety Inventory (r=0.643; P<0.001), vitamin B12 levels (r=0.023; P<0.001), and insulin levels (r=0.257; P<0.05) in obese patients. When receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to analyze the suitability of BDNF to identify depression in obese women, the area under the curve for BDNF, 0.756, was found to be significant (P=0.025). BDNF levels lower than 70.2 pg/mL were associated with a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms. CONCLUSION: The results of our study suggest that the decrease in BDNF levels can be used as a marker for depression diagnosis in obese patients.

Improving thermal dewatering characteristics of mechanically dewatered sludge: response surface analysis of combined lime-heat treatment.

Abstract: In this study, disintegration of dewatered sludge (dry solids content [DS%] = 23 +/- 2) was studied to assess the possibility of enhancing the overall performance of a thermal dewatering processes. Powdered lime was used as an alkaline disintegrator. The combined effects of drying temperature, powdered lime dosage, and organic content on the thermal drying rate of dewatered sludge were investigated in a full-scale wastewater treatment plant. Effects of selected design parameters on the sludge drying rate were modeled using a response surface method. In addition, the possible interaction between lost on ignition and total organic carbon parameters also was investigated statistically. Specific resistance to filtration and free water contents of raw and disintegrated mixed sludge (DS% = 1.0 to 1.8) samples were compared statistically. The obtained results indicated that all of the selected design parameters have a significant effect on thermal dewatering characteristics, and the alkaline disintegration technique could remarkably improve thermal evaporation rate of dewatered sludge. These results are important because they could help to establish a sustainable sludge management model, which is critical in reducing environmental health risks.