Online Εvaluation of Earth Observation Derived Indicators for Urban Planning and Management

Extensive urbanization and growth of population density have acquired a paramount interest towards a sustainable urban development. Earth Observation (EO) is an important source of information required for urban planning and management. The availability of EO data provides the immense opportunity for urban environmental indicators development easily derived by remote sensors. In this study, the state of the art methods were employed to develop urban planning and management relevant indicators that can be evaluated by using EO data. The importance of this approach lies on providing alternatives for improving urban planning and management, without consuming time and resources in collecting field or archived data. The evaluated urban indicators were integrated into a Web‐based Information System that was developed for online exploitation. The results for three case studies are therefore available online and can be used by urban planners and stakeholders in supporting their planning decisions

The relationship between second-to-fourth digit (2D:4D) ratios and problematic and pathological Internet use among Turkish university students

The ratio of the second and fourth fingers (2D:4D ratio) is a sexually dimorphic trait, with men tending to have lower values than women. This ratio has been related to prenatal testosterone concentrations and addictive behaviors including problematic video-gaming. We aimed to investigate the possible association between 2D:4D ratios and Internet addiction and whether such a relationship would be independent of impulsivity. Methods A total of 652 university students (369 women, 283 men), aged 17–27 years, were enrolled in the study. Problematic and pathological Internet use (PPIU) was assessed using the Internet Addiction Test (IAT). The participants also completed the Barratt Impulsiveness Scale (version 11; BIS-11) and had their 2D:4D ratios measured. Results 2D:4D ratios were not significantly different in women with PPIU and in those with adaptive Internet use (AIU). Men with PPIU exhibited lower 2D:4D ratios on both hands when compared with those with AIU. Correlation analysis revealed that 2D:4D ratios on both hands were negatively correlated with IAT scores among men, but not among women. The multiple linear regression analysis revealed that age, duration of weekly Internet use, impulsiveness, and 2D:4D ratios on the right hand were independently associated with IAT scores among men, and impulsivity did not mediate the relationship between 2D:4D ratios and PPIU. Conclusions For men, 2D:4D ratios on the right hand were inversely correlated with Internet addiction severity even after controlling for individual differences in impulsivity. These findings suggest that high prenatal testosterone levels may contribute to the occurrence of PPIU among men

Using an in-situ infra-red camera system for sea turtle hatchling emergence monitoring

We tested for the first time the efficiency of the use of infra-red (IR) cameras for sea turtle hatchling monitoring. The cameras were installed on one green turtle (Chelonia mydas) and four loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) nests during 2014 and 2015 nesting season in the south-east Mediterranean, Turkey. The camera monitoring, even with the limited sample size, have successfully corroborated the previous observations and provided further insights on hatchling emergence behavior. The analysis of the camera recordings revealed that hatchlings emerged from the nests asynchronously in varying numbers of groups and different group sizes, while c. 60% hatchlings emerged during the first 5 days of emergence activity. 98.6% of hatchlings emerged at night with a peak activity between 21:00 and 00:00. The day of first emergence varied between 38 and 64 days since egg deposition, while the day of last emergence varied only between 60 and 65 days. Total emergence activity continued up to maximum of 22 days, which is longer than that of previous records. Overall, the present study showed that IR camera monitoring is a promising tool for sea turtle monitoring and can provide detailed insights on sea turtle hatchling behavior

Solid-state reference electrodes based on carbon nanotubes and polyacrylate membranes

A novel potentiometric solid-state reference electrode containing single-walled carbon nanotubes as the transducer layer between a polyacrylate membrane and the conductor is reported here. Single-walled carbon nanotubes act as an efficient transducer of the constant potentiometric signal originating from the reference membrane containing the Ag/AgCl/Cl− ions system, and they are needed to obtain a stable reference potentiometric signal. Furthermore, we have taken advantage of the light insensitivity of single-walled carbon nanotubes to improve the analytical performance characteristics of previously reported solid-state reference electrodes. Four different polyacrylate polymers have been selected in order to identify the most efficient reservoir for the Ag/AgCl system. Finally, two different arrangements have been assessed: (1) a solid-state reference electrode using photo-polymerised n-butyl acrylate polymer and (2) a thermo-polymerised methyl methacrylate:n-butyl acrylate (1:10) polymer. The sensitivity to various salts, pH and light, as well as time of response and stability, has been tested: the best results were obtained using single-walled carbon nanotubes and photo-polymerised n-butyl acrylate polymer. Water transport plays an important role in the potentiometric performance of acrylate membranes, so a new screening test method has been developed to qualitatively assess the difference in water percolation between the polyacrylic membranes studied. The results presented here open the way for the true miniaturisation of potentiometric systems using the excellent properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes

Abstracts from the 20th International Symposium on Signal Transduction at the Blood-Brain Barriers

https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/138963/1/12987_2017_Article_71.pd

Serum soluble CD30 levels in Behçet's disease

PubMed: 15515777Behçet's disease is associated with the inflammatory response. Several reports indicate the presence of primarily CD4+ T cells of the Th1 subtype in the inflammation process of the disease. Serum soluble CD30 (sCD30) is reported to be released from CD4+ Th2 type cells and has been suggested to be a marker of Th2 activity. In this study, serum sCD30 levels were measured in active and inactive patients with Behçet's disease, healthy controls and a group of patients with rheumatoid arthritis, typical Th1 disorder using enzyme immunoassay kit. Mean sCD30 value of 54 active patients were found significantly higher than in those of 17 inactive patients (p = 0.027), 20 healthy controls (p = 0.040) and 25 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (p < 0.001). There was a significant correlation between increased sCD30 levels and clinical activity index in active patients with Behçet's disease. High serum levels of sCD30 may reflect the activation qf CD4+ T cells or a subset of them in active BD patients. In addition to serum sCD30 levels, measurements of the Th2 cytokines may be a helpful tool for the evaluation of Th2 activity in Behçet's disease. © Copyright Clinical and Experimental Rheumatology 2004

Effect of the number of years of experience on physical fitness, sports skills and quality of life in wheelchair basketball players

Purpose: The aim of this study was to identify the effect of the number of years of experience playing wheelchair basketball on physical fitness level and quality of life. Material and methods: Thirty two male wheelchair basketball players from three Turkish teams including amateur, national and professional teams participated in this study. The physical characteristics, medical history, the number of years of disability and experience in wheelchair basketball were recorded. The body composition, strength, aerobic and anaerobic capacity, flexibility, skills and quality of life of the players were evaluated. Results: There was a significant difference among the groups with regard to their years of experience in playing basketball (p0.05). Conclusion: Performance in the sport of wheelchair basketball affects physical fitness, sports skills and quality of