The objective of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using salvaged timber from deconstructed buildings in Turkey. The intention was to show that the re-use of &lsquo / waste&rsquo / materials, while decreasing the cost of construction also preserves the environment from wasteful and extensive use of natural resources. It is hoped that the findings of such a study will encourage professionals to use second hand timber components in Turkey. In order to deal with the waste problem and to save our planet the re-use of construction materials from economic, environmental, social, and historic points of views should be pursued. This research incorporated information about the re-use of timber, including ongoing projects around the world, as reported by the International Council for Research and Innovation in Building Construction (CIB) Task Group on Deconstruction (TG39), a local survey of individuals, organizations, and businesses that are related to the recycling and reuse of building materials. Local deconstruction works, recovery and re-use of timber elements and components were investigated on the basis of information obtained from the demolition contractors in Bentderesi locality in Ankara, a salvaged materials market. iii Moreover the study aimed to observe how used timber components are recovered from a demolition project. By observing the demolition of a building the author was able to determine the problems in recovering timber with the least damage. The findings of the investigation indicated that the architects and the building industry can play an important role to increase recovery rates and conditions of used timber components in construction, considerably. Instead of using nails for timber joints bolted connections should be preferred since they allow demounting and re-use with minimum damage during the deconstruction process. At the same time defects in timber due to extensive and unnecessary nailing can also be avoided. The decision on type of deconstruction, time and cost estimation, worker ability and sensitivity during disassembly influence the success of deconstruction. Tools and machinery used both on the work site and in the UBMs selling area have direct effects on the condition of recovered materials.

The entrance space of a hospital has formed an effective period of hospital life since it has reflected the scope and the image of the entire facility. Therefore it has directly influenced by the new formation of healthcare facilities on preserving and growing role of the community health instead of threatening the illnesses. Since entrance space is apart from the other spaces in the facility that has shaped by the restrictive nature of the medical technology, the space most efficiently implement these new objectives more than any space of the entire facility. However, entrance spaces of hospitals in Turkey are still bothered with many insufficiencies and displayed a problematic panorama. Therefore, this thesis has obtained the problems of main entrance space, and has analyzed it with a consistent form of criteria to gather new solution proposals. In order to serve for this purpose, the present Turkish health care environment has explored and entrance space has been analyzed around new emerging concepts that reflect the changing ideals of the community. To present the problems and solution proposals about this specific place sufficiently, they are also evaluated through design and performance criteria. The essence of coping with the stress created by the environment with healing potential is emphasized. As a result, this thesis is expected to influence further researches, new hospital main entrance space designs as well as the renovation of older ones.

The purpose of the study was twofold, first to create an example of a parent training for parents of adolescents and second to explore the effects of a parent training on different dimensions of parent-adolescent relationships and communication skills of parents of adolescents. The participants of this study were the parents of 9th and 10th grade adolescents from two different lycees in Ankara / METU Foundation School and Deneme Lycee. 10 volunteer parents (mothers or fathers) from METU Foundation School and 11 parents from Deneme Lycee participated in that study as the members of the experimental group. In this study, an experimental design with treatment and control groups and 3 measurements (pre, post and follow up) was used. The 5-session training for parents generally consisted of activities aimed at developing their communication skills and their relationships with their children. The program mainly focused on social skills for parents to develop better communication and improve the satisfaction of parents and also to help parents improve their parenting skills. Data were collected through qualitative and quantitative methods. In order to assess the effects of training on parents, instruments called Parent Success Indicator and Communication Skills Evaluation Scale were used in the study. Moreover, an openended evaluation form was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the training. In order to explore the differences between experimental and control groups, two way repeated measures of analysis of variance was used. The results revealed no significant differences between groups, however, the qualitative findings indicated that the parent training in this study helped parents to develop positive interaction with their children.

If children do not experience social inclusion, this can have a negative impact, both in the short- and long-term, such as aggression, poor academic attainment, reduced social skills and psychopathological symptoms. The causes of social exclusion are complex and incorporate many factors, including aggressiveness, shyness and social competence, and the influence of peers. Children with a hearing impairment (HI) have been shown to be at risk of difficulties with social skills. This study evaluates the effectiveness of Circle of Friends (CoF – Newton & Wilson, 2003), a peer support intervention, in improving the social inclusion of four children with a HI who were identified as having issues with social inclusion and friendships by Teachers of the Deaf. The multiple-baseline AB single-case experimental design utilised sociometric data, and was supported by pre-post measures of the children’s happiness and social, emotional and behavioural adjustment. Findings indicate that CoF had some impact on the peer acceptance for all pupils. There was moderate evidence for one pupil, a change in composite score for another, and positive trends for the other two pupils. There appeared to be a small impact on ratings of pro-social behaviours for two of the pupils. There was an improvement (reduction) on one of the pupil’s ‘neutral’ ratings, but no impact on pupils’ ‘unsure’ ratings. There was variable evidence to suggest an impact on peer rejection or adult ratings of behaviour difficulties. There was strong evidence to indicate an improvement for one pupil, moderate evidence for another and none for a third. The final pupil’s peer rejection had a negative trend. The CoF did not improve happiness scores or adult ratings of pupils’ emotional distress. Findings are discussed in relation to relevant literature. Methodological issues and ethical concerns are discussed, and implications for future practice and research are considered.

This study is an evaluation of the 'Circle of Friends' (CoF) intervention used to support five pupils with a diagnosis of autism (the focus pupils) in their mainstream classrooms. Relevant theory and existing research is outlined before the study is described. A single case experimental design is used to evaluate the impact of the CoF intervention on the focus children's level of social inclusion (calculated from peer ratings). Results suggest that the CoF whole class meeting had an initial positive impact on all focus children's levels of peer acceptance and rejection. During the course of weekly CoF meetings, however, results suggest that this level of change was not maintained. For four of the five focus children, levels of peer acceptance and rejection generally returned to levels comparable to those observed prior to the start of the intervention. The study also reports some changes in measures taken before and after the CoF intervention. For four out of the five cases, a positive change in the focus children's happiness was observed. For three out of the five cases generally positive changes in adults' ratings of the focus children's behaviour were observed. In an attempt to understand how the CoF intervention works, attributions made by peers about one of the focus children's behaviour were explored before and after the CoF intervention though no clear overall change following the intervention was found. The results reported are examined in relation to the theory and research outlined in the Literature Review and the design, measures and procedures described in the Methodology. Limitations of the research are discussed and implications for practice and future research outlined.

If f(z) is an entire function of exponential type, hf(π/2) = 0 and f(z) 0 for Im(z) > 0 then according to a well-known result of R. P. Boas, for, we have. R. P. Boas proposed the problem of obtaining an inequality analogous to this if being real and the answer to this question in the case k < 0 was given by Govil and Rahman. In this paper we present generalizations of these results of Govil and Rahman.

If f(z) is an asymmetric entire function of exponential type t, Both of these inequalities are sharp. In this paper we generalize the above two inequalities of Boas by proving a sharp inequality which, besides giving as special cases the above two inequalities of Boas, yields some other results as well.

Care in the community increasingly means care by the community, i.e. the family. The present focus on informal carers by policy makers reflects their importance to the success of community care legislation (NHS and Community Care Act, 1990; Carers (Recognition and Services) Act, 1995). Much of the published information on the impact of caring has neglected the circumstances of carers from minority ethnic groups. Hence, this research explores the caring situations and experiences of informal carers of older people from Gujarati, Punjabi and white indigenous communities. Semi-structured interview schedules were used to elicit both quantitative and qualitative information from each of the three groups. Overall, the data confirmed some universal features of caring in that it is the family, and in particular women, who care for older people. However, the motivation for caring dffered between the three cultural groups. Findings also showed that many of the socio-demo graphic characteristics in the Gujarati and Punjabi groups were similar in that they tended to be co-resident, were younger and cared for a younger age group than white indigenous carers. However, a closer look at the data on the psychosocial aspects of caring revealed some distinct differences between the two South Asian groups. Gujarati and white indigenous carers reported higher levels of morale, significantly lower levels of stress and significantly higher perceived coping abilities than the Punjabi group of carers. This latter group reported using a proportionately lower number of active coping strategies and more avoidance coping techniques than Gujarati and white indigenous carers. Punjabi carers were also significantly less satisfied with any help received from formal and informal sources than the other two groups. In light of these findings, which emphasize some distinct dfferences in caring circumstances, a number of recommendations are made for both policy makers and future research

My thesis focuses on the experiences of people with albinism in higher education (HE) in Tanzania. Albinism is a genetically inherited condition and it affects people of all ethnic backgrounds worldwide. In Tanzania, the condition affects one in every 1,400 people. People with albinism in Tanzania often face social discrimination, superstition, and prejudice including murder threats due to myths and beliefs that their body parts are a source of wealth and prosperity. They also experience physical challenges including threats from the African tropical sun and visual impairment. All these factors interact with educational opportunities. Information about the oppression, killings and amputation of body parts of people with albinism in Tanzania has been widely reported in the media globally. However, albinism remains socially under-researched and under-theorized – especially in relation to how it interacts with HE opportunity structures. This research attempts to contribute to existing literature and construct new insights into albinism and HE. In so doing, I draw upon a range of theoretical approaches including Sarah Ahmed's concept of affective economies and fear of difference, Margaret Archer's notions of the internal conversation and reflexivity as well as various established feminist theorists such as Simone de Beauvoir to analyse and explain issues arising from the study including misogyny. I also draw upon Pierre Bourdieu's concept of symbolic violence. My research is a case study of albinism in HE in Tanzania. Using qualitative methods I draw upon feminist methodological approaches, values and principles to explore albinism and explain what constrains and enables students with the condition to interact with HE opportunities. The data for this research were collected from 35 participants in Tanzania, namely: 14 students with albinism (involving current and graduate students with albinism); six teaching staff and five HE support staff members. Other participants included officials from four non-governmental organisations (NGOs), four government officials, one parent and one student reader/note-taker. I conducted 19 face-to-face semi-structured interviews with six current students with albinism, three teaching staff, four NGO officials and four government officials. Likewise, I conducted face-to-face semi-structured interviews with one parent and one student reader. I also conducted one Skype interview with a current student with albinism as well as three focus groups discussions with 14 participants. The first group was of seven graduates with albinism, the second involved three teaching staff and the third was of four HE support staff. I also used desk-based research methods, conducting telephone conversations with 52 statistics officers in order to investigate where students with albinism are located within HE in Tanzania. Looking at literature and my research questions, the data were then compared across different participants and universities to establish patterns and common themes among them. The findings from this research indicated that the systems of power that work to oppress people with albinism are multifaceted with structural, cultural and socio-economic conditions. Some key findings included how people with albinism were subjected to misogyny, myths and fear of the ‘other'. However, the 14 students with albinism in this study demonstrated a high level of agency, creativity, autonomy and motivation to improve their lives and thus overcome discriminatory social structures, oppression and harassment. They also illustrated their commitments to contribute usefully to society despite the constraints and limited support that they often encountered. Access to HE was seen as a major way to transform their identity by challenging deeply ingrained social prejudices, which often label people with albinism as having limited cognitive capacity. The implications of this research are that government commitment will be required in order to allocate sufficient funds to promote awareness of, and create change about, albinism and the elimination of household poverty, particularly that of female-headed households (FHH), as well as to adequately finance HE institutions so they can put in place support services and arrangements for students with albinism.

Together with a global concern for the reduction and conservation of energy, the oil crisis of 1973 brought about a turning point in the design of buildings. Responses in this vein were mostly concentrated on the simplistic one of sealing the building against outdoor conditions. This approach towards energy consumption, associated with the introduction of air-conditioning systems, led to different problems such as Sick Building Syndrome. Lack of user satisfaction also appeared to be a common complaint in such sealed, air-conditioned buildings, leading to a marked drop in employee efficiency and, hence, return on capital investments. In this study, Emek iShani, a sealed office building located in Ankara, whose curtain wall system was renovated in 2001, was investigated in terms of its natural ventilation potential under two sub-topics. With a survey conducted, user perception towards environmental conditions, and health problems they suffered were investigated. With a computer simulation, natural ventilation potential of the building in terms of energy consumption was examined. It was resulted from the survey that building occupants have serious health problems. They are also not satisfied with the way the ventilation system functions and most of the occupants liked to have a window opening to outside in order to adjust the inner conditions. It was resulted from the computer simulation that integration of natural ventilation did not make any significant difference in the annual energy consumption of the building. On the other hand, cooling loads of the building were eliminated in summer months. As a result, introduction of natural ventilation appeared to be an appropriate tool for more user satisfaction and energy conservation.