Pushover analysis involves certain approximations and simplifications that some amount of variation is always expected to exist in seismic demand prediction of pushover analysis. In literature, some improved pushover procedures have been proposed to overcome the certain limitations of traditional pushover procedures. The effects and the accuracy of invariant lateral load patterns utilised in pushover analysis to predict the behavior imposed on the structure due to randomly selected individual ground motions causing elastic and various levels of nonlinear response were evaluated in this study. For this purpose, pushover analyses using various invariant lateral load patterns and Modal Pushover Analysis were performed on reinforced concrete and steel moment resisting frames covering a broad range of fundamental periods. Certain response parameters predicted by each pushover procedure were compared with the &#039 / exact&#039 / results obtained from nonlinear dynamic analysis. The primary observations from the study showed that the accuracy of the pushover results depends strongly on the load path, properties of the structure and the characteristics of the ground motion. Pushover analyses were performed by both DRAIN-2DX and SAP2000. Similar pushover results were obtained from the two different softwares employed in the study provided that similar approach is used in modeling the nonlinear properties of members as well as their structural features. The accuracy of approximate procedures utilised to estimate target displacement was also studied on frame structures. The accuracy of the predictions was observed to depend on the approximations involved in the theory of the procedures, structural properties and ground motion characteristics.

Mobile robotics has become a rapidly developing field of interdisciplinary research within robotics. This promising field has attracted the attention of academicy, industry, several government agencies. Currently from security to personal service mobile robots are being used in a variety of tasks. The use of such robots is expected to only increase in the near future. In this study, it is aimed to design and manufacture a versatile robot base. This base is aimed to be the main driving unit for various applications performed both indoors and outdoors ranging from personal service and assistance to military applications. The study does not attempt to individually address any specific application, indeed it is aimed to shape up a robotic module that can be used in a wide range of application on different terrain with proper modification. The robot base is specifically designed for mixed terrain applications, yet this study attempts to provide some guidelines to help robot designers. The manufactured robot base is tested with tracks, wheels, and with both tracks and wheels, results are provided as guidelines to robot designers. Last but no the least, this study aims to obtain the know-how of building functional and flexible robots in Turkey by facilitating local resources as much as possible.

This thesis analyses the utilization of intellectual property rights (IPRs) by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), their contribution to economic and technological development and policies to be implemented for the SMEs to make more use of the system in order to reach a desired level of growth. Small and medium-scaled enterprises constitute more than 90 % of all firms almost all over the world and a substantial proportion of employment and turnover. This fact bares the necessity for the SMEs to make more use of the intellectual property rights system which is one of the components of innovation and technological growth, in order to achieve the desired level of economic and technological development. This paper discusses the existing and possible contribution of the IPRs obtained by SMEs to economic and technological development and the policies to be implemented in order to encourage intensive utilization of the system by the SMEs. The results of surveys previously carried out both in Turkey and abroad are incorporated within the results of a survey which was organized in the context of this thesis among 86 enterprises in 12 organized industrial zones all over Turkey. The latter survey measures the IPR utilization of the SMEs and the reasons behind under-utilization. Among the firms studied, 60 % of them are R&amp / D performers, 34 % have a distinct R&amp / D department while 56 % of them reported to have developed a new product, process or design. However only one third of these innovative firms have had an IP application and the percentage was even lower with IPR supports / only 2.3 % of the firms applied for IPR supports. The main reason for this underutilization of both IPRs and IPR supports was found as lack of awareness. Policy proposals were tried to be put forward depending on the findings of the survey and raising awareness was defined as the most important measure to be taken.

In this thesis, the measurement uncertainty of Coordinate Measuring Machine (CMM) is analysed and software is designed to simulate this. Analysis begins with the inspection of the measurement process and structure of the CMMs. After that, error sources are defined with respect to their effects on the measurement and then an error model is constructed to compensate these effects. In other words, systematic part of geometric, kinematic and thermal errors are compensated with error modelling. Kinematic and geometric error model is specific for the structure of CMM under inspection. Also, a common orthogonal kinematic model is formed and with using the laser error data of the CMM and error maps of the machine volume is obtained. Afterwards, the models are compared with each other by taking the difference and ratio. The definition and compensation of the systematic errors leave the uncertainty of measurements for analysing. Measurement uncertainty consists of the uncompensated systematic errors and random errors. The other aim of the thesis is to quantify these uncertainties with using the different methods and to inspect the success of these methods. Uncertainty budgeting, comparison, statistical evaluation by designing an experiments and simulation methods are examined and applied to the CMM under inspection. In addition, Virtual CMM software is designed to simulate the task specific measurement uncertainty of circle, sphere and plane without using the repeated measurements. Finally, the performance of the software, highly depending on the mathematical modelling of machine volume, is tested by using actual measurements.

Historical Turkish baths still keeping their functional systems represent their original architectural and building technologies. Studies on the functional systems of historical baths are therefore needed to discover such technologies and to maintain them in working order. This study was conducted on a 15th century historical Turkish bath, Seng&uuml / l Hamami, in Ankara for assessment of its water supply and drainage systems. These systems comprised of hot and cold-water supply, wastewater and rainwater drainage, were examined in terms of their adequacy, capacity and faults. Comparisons were made with certain other historical Turkish baths to determine their original water storage and consumption capacities. The investigations were made by using non-destructive methods. Among them, the calculation methods used for discharge capacity assessment of drainage systems in Seng&uuml / l Hamami and consumption capacities of its water supply system were adapted and developed from the calculation methods used for contemporary buildings. Serious dampness problems arising from certain roof drainage faults were identified in the building. The wastewater collection and discharge system was found to have serious problems due to improper grading and inadequate flow dimensions of drains and wastewater channels. The ideal situation for the improvement of discharge systems was discussed together with some suggestions on the urgent remedial interventions, preventive measures and future improvements. The methods developed in this study were considered useful for the calculation of adequacy and capacity of wastewater and roof drainage systems and of water storage and consumption capacities of water supply system for the other historical baths.

Glycolysis is the main metabolic route in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and it is the sequence of enzyme catalyzed reactions that oxidatively convert glucose to pyruvic acid in the yeast cytoplasm. In addition to the basic steps, glycolysis involves branch points providing the intermediary building blocks of the cell (i.e amino acids and nucleotides). One of these pathways is glucose-6-phosphate branch point which is a junction of glycolytic pathway and pentose phosphate pathway. At this point glucose-6-phosphate can be converted to fructose-6-phosphate a metabolite of glycolytic pathway by phosphoglucoisomerase or it can be dehydrogenated to 6-phosphogluconolactone by glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase which is the first enzyme of the pentose phosphate pathway. In this study, the influence of different nitrogen sources on the flux distribution through the pentose phosphate pathway and glycolysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae was examined. For this purpose, four different compositions of nitrogen sources were used in growth media. The growth medium contained one of the following composition of nitrogen sources / only ammonium sulfate, only yeast nitrogen base, ammonium sulfate and histidine, yeast nitrogen base and histidine. Histidine was added because its synthesis branches from pentose phosphate pathway. In order to analyse the effect of the different compositions of nitrogen sources on the physiology of the yeast, specific activities of hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase enzymes were measured in the crude extracts of the biomass samples taken in the late exponential phase of the cultures. Addition of histidine caused an increase in the specific activities of all the enzymes analysed in medium containing ammonium sulfate. The specific activity of hexokinase, phosphoglucose isomerase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase in medium containing yeast nitrogen base and histidine were higher than medium containing yeast nitrogen base. However, the specific activity of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase decreased 3.1% in medium containing yeast nitrogen base and histidine medium with respect to medium with only yeast nitrogen base. The OD value and dry weight in the culture containing histidine aminoacid was higher than the cultures contaning only ammonium sulfate and only yeast nitrogen base. Also the period of the exponential phase was shorter in medium containing ammonium sulfate and histidine and yeast nitrogen base and histidine than medium only ammonium sulfate and only yeast nitrogen base.

In the nineteenth century, specialization and segregation of land uses necessitated to identify formal spaces for child&rsquo / s play activity in the cities. In the late nineteenth century, &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playgrounds&rsquo / &rsquo / were provided for children. However, formally designed, spatially segregated play space brought its own problems itself. Rapid changes in the urban pattern and dominance of cars in the urban environment restricted the safe accessibility of children to such play spaces by themselves. Also, &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playground&rsquo / &rsquo / has been criticized because of its inefficiency to answer the needs of children and to contribute to the continuity of play activity. Due to the inefficiency of &lsquo / &lsquo / traditional playgrounds&rsquo / &rsquo / for the continuity of &lsquo / &lsquo / play&rsquo / &rsquo / , children prefer to establish their own informal play spaces, as it was before the introduction of formal ones. However, parental concerns regarding child&rsquo / s safety in the urban environment restrict the use of outdoor play spaces, especially the residential street which is the oldest traditional informal play space. For these reasons, children&rsquo / s play habits changed and children today are becoming more dependent to indoors. If child&rsquo / s developmental needs are considered, the contribution of outdoor environment to the development of children should be reevaluated by making comparison between formal and informal play spaces. Regarding children&rsquo / s needs and the contribution of outdoor environment to their development, some approaches have been developing and changing to design better play spaces. Thus, this thesis tries to clarify that what kind of approach would be efficient in order to provide permanent answers for the needs and rights of children and for the continuity of &lsquo / &lsquo / play&rsquo / &rsquo / in today&rsquo / s urban pattern.