Identification and Apportionment of Sources of Ozone‐forming Potential for Proper Reduction Strategies

In this study, results of source identification and apportionment for ambient volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from a previous work were used to estimate ozone‐forming potentials (OFPs) of effective sources for developing proper strategies for reduction of tropospheric ozone pollution. The source identification and apportionment of ambient VOC pollution within Yildiz Technical University's Davutpasa Campus (Istanbul, Turkey) was done by positive matrix factorization (PMF). The results suggested five effective source groups with the emissions related with paint use and solvent use having the highest contributions (36.8 and 28.2%). The results from PMF were used along with maximum incremental reactivities to estimate potentials of individual sources for ozone formation. It was found that biogenic emissions (3.78) and traffic related emissions (gasoline and diesel vehicle exhaust) (3.83 and 3.15, respectively) have the highest potential for ozone formation in terms of grams O₃/g VOC emitted. The results were used to suggest proper source‐based reduction strategies for OFP.     

Environmental effect and genetic influence: a regional cancer predisposition survey in the Zonguldak region of Northwest Turkey

The Cretaceous-Eocene volcano-sedimentary units of the Zonguldak region of the western Black Sea consist of subalkaline andesite and tuff, and sandstone dominated by smectite, kaolinite, accessory chlorite, illite, mordenite, and analcime associated with feldspar, quartz, opal-CT, amphibole, and calcite. Kaolinization, chloritization, sericitization, albitization, Fe–Ti-oxidation, and the presence of zeolite, epidote, and illite in andesitic rocks and tuffaceous materials developed as a result of the degradation of a glass shards matrix, enclosed feldspar, and clinopyroxene-type phenocrysts, due to alteration processes. The association of feldspar and glass with smectite and kaolinite, and the suborientation of feldspar-edged, subparallel kaolinite plates to fracture axes may exhibit an authigenic smectite or kaolinite. Increased alteration degree upward in which Al, Fe, and Ti are gained, and Si, Na, K, and Ca are depleted, is due to the alteration following possible diagenesis and hydrothermal activities. Micromorphologically, fibrous mordenite in the altered units and the presence of needle-type chrysotile in the residential buildings in which cancer cases lived were detected. In addition, the segregation pattern of cancer susceptibility in the region strongly suggested an environmental effect and a genetic influence on the increased cancer incidence in the region. The most likely diagnosis was Li-Fraumeni syndrome, which is one of the hereditary cancer predisposition syndromes; however, no mutations were observed in the p53 gene, which is the major cause of Li-Fraumeni syndrome. The micromorphology observed in the altered units in which cancer cases were detected may have a role in the expression of an unidentified gene, but does not explain alone the occurrence of cancer as a primary cause in the region.     

On the Investigations of Resilient Modulus of Residual Tropical Gravel Lateritic Soils from Senegal (West Africa)

Investigations on the mechanical behavior of compacted gravel lateritic soils have been the subject of several studies. Used as road materials, soils tests were mainly performed using standard tests. Static loads as unconfined compression test (UCT) remain the only engineering approach used. Alternative testing techniques can be chosen as supplementary tests for characterizing pavement materials. These researches were conducted so as to determine the response of these particular and problematic soils in its compacted form with road traffic loads. This paper presents the results of research conducted to investigate the effect of the soil compacity on the resilient modulus of lateritic soils. The influence of the percentage of cement added so as to stabilize each sample at the optimum modified proctor (OPM) State was also determined. Soil big specimens of around 180 mm diameter (with length to diameter aspect ratio of 2:1) were prepared according to the standard procedure described by AASHTO T 307 and then were subjected to repeated load triaxial tests. The models used, analyzed and developed in this paper are mainly the Andrei and the Uzan–Witczak universal model. Test results showed that the specimen compacity has no significant influence on the resilient modulus of the investigated gravel lateritic soils. Soil specimens with variation of the percentage of cement added exhibited the highest resilient modulus values while the specimens with variation of the compacity exhibited the lowest values. The resilient modulus variation seems to be independent of the level of stress.     

Entropy change and phase transitions in an expanding Universe

The work compiles a correlated study of a gravitational quasi equilibrium thermodynamic approach for establishing and signifying a unique behavior of the cosmological entropy and phase transitions in an expanding Universe. On the basis of prescribed boundary conditions for the cluster temperature a relation for the intra‐cluster medium (ICM) of galaxy clusters has been derived. A more productive and signifying approach of the correlation functions used for galaxy clustering phenomena shows a unique behavior of the entropy change where a phenomenon known as the gravitational phase transition occurs. This unique behavior occurs with a symmetry breaking from mild clustering to low clustering and from mild clustering to high clustering which differs from a normal symmetry breaking in material sciences. We also derive results for the specific latent heat associated with the phase transitions of 3.20 T_c and 0.55 T_c for the mildly clustered phase to the low clustered phase and from the mildly clustered phase to the highly clustered phase, respectively. (© 2015 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

An engineering classification for certain basalt-derived lateritic soils

Engineering classifications which are useful for “temperate” zone soils usually fail to predict the field performance of lateritic soils, because the index tests upon which the classifications are based are not always reproducible for lateritic soils. Undisturbed and disturbed samples of twelve lateritic soils from Hawaii and Puerto Rico, all derived from basalt but representing various stages of weathering were subjected to engineering and mineralogic tests. The specific gravity of the solids increases as the degree of weathering increases; and both strength and void ratio exhibit systematic trends with increased weathering. These results suggest a classification based upon specific gravity and void ratio. Soils with specific gravities less than 3.05 and void ratios greater than 1.25 have low cohesion (less than 20 psi) and low internal friction angles (less than 35°); whereas soils with void ratios between 1.25 and 0.9 have higher cohesions. Still greater values for cohesion and friction angles are noted in soils with void ratios lower than 0.9. Soils with specific gravities greater than 3.05 and void ratios greater than 1.25 have low cohesion but high friction angles. Thus by measuring the void ratio and specific gravity of these soils one can estimate their strength.     

Preparation and identification of clay samples with controlled fabric

Techniques have been developed to prepare reasonably homogeneous, reproducible bulk samples of a kaolinite clay (Hydrite 10) with predetermined microfabrics and to reliably identify these microfabrics both quantitatively and qualitatively. Eight samples with quite diverse histories were produced in the laboratory by controlling the chemistry of the clay-water system, the consolidation stress path (either isotropic or anisotropic), and the magnitude of the consolidation stresses. The fabrics of these samples are identified and quantified by the combined use of scanning electron microscopy, optical microscopy, and X-ray diffractometry, and reasonably comprehensive appraisals of particle associations and orientation are obtained. Anisotropic consolidation was found to induce a preferred particle orientation, whereas isotropic consolidation tended to provide basically random samples. The anisotropically consolidated samples from dispersed slurries exhibited somewhat greater particle orientation than those from flocculated slurries, and, although considerable particle orientation occurred at low values of the consolidation stress, increases in the major principal consolidation stress did accentuate the particle orientation. The presence of domains or small groups of particles is suggested in certain samples, especially in those consolidated isotropically.     

Numerical investigation of seismic performance of high modulus columns under earthquake loading

Earthquake Engineering and Engineering Vibration - This paper presents the result of two-dimensional finite element modeling studies in order to investigate the seismic behavior of high modulus...     

Prediction of Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) Based on Wavelet Decomposition and Neural Networks

The chemical oxygen demand (COD) parameter of a wastewater treatment plant is predicted based on wavelet decomposition, entropy, and neural networks (NN) for rapid COD analysis. This paper also describes the usage of wavelet and NNs for parameter prediction. Data from a wastewater treatment plant in Malatya, Turkey, were used. This dataset consists of daily values of influents and effluents for a year. To reduce the dimension of input parameters and to decrease the NN training time, wavelet decomposition and entropy were used. Test results were presented graphically. The test results of the trained model were found to be closer to the measured COD values.     

An obliquity-controlled Early Pleistocene river terrace record from Western Turkey?

Investigation of the Pleistocene sequence of the Gediz River, Western Turkey, has revealed a record of Early Pleistocene river terraces. Eleven terraces spanning the interval from 1.67 to 1.245 million years ago (MIS 59–37) are preserved beneath basaltic lava flows. The high number of terraces over this short time period reflects high-frequency sedimentation/incision cycles preserved due to the fortuitous combination of relatively high uplift rates (0.16 mm yr⁻¹) and progressive southwards valley migration. Comparison of this record with ODP967 from the Eastern Mediterranean Basin suggests a link between the production of terraces and obliquity-driven 41,000 year climate cycles in the Early Pleistocene.