SUPPORT MATERIAL ALTERNATIVES FOR BIOLOGICAL FILTER REACTORS (BFRs)

Biyolojik Filtre Reaktörler (BFR) klasik filtre sistemlerinin modifiye edilerek atıksu arıtımı amacıyla kullanıldığı yeni teknolojilerdir. Günümüzde farklı isimler altında geliştirilen biyolojik filtreleri birbirinden ayıran özelliklerin başında filtrelerde kullanılan dolgu malzemeleri gelmektedir. Sunulan makalede “pellet†olarak isimlendirilen, su yumuşatma sistemlerinden atık olarak çıkan bir malzemenin BFR'de dolgu malzemesi olarak kullanılabilirliği incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda, Türk Standartları Enstitüsü'nün (TSE) ilgili şartnamelerinde açıklanan analiz yöntemleri kullanılarak malzemenin tane boyutu dağılımı, özgül ağırlık, birim hacim ağırlık, porozite, özgül yüzey alanı gibi fiziksel özellikleri belirlenmiştir. Laboratuvarda kurulu bir filtre kolonundan yararlanılarak malzemenin akışkanlaşma özellikleri (minimum akışkanlaşma hızı) araştırılmıştır. Ayrıca, yukarı akışlı akışkan yatak olarak işletilen bir reaktöre “pellet†doldurularak malzemenin atıksu arıtımı amacıyla kullanılabilirliği incelenmiş; organik madde giderimi esas alınarak arıtma verimi değerlendirilmiştir. Biological Filter Reactors (BFRs) are modified conventional filter systems which were used for wastewater treatment in recent years. One of the most substantial differences among the BFRs, which are currently developed with various trade names, is the nature of support material. In this study, a new support material called as “pellet†which is the waste material of water softening process was investigated as filter media in the BFRs. The major physical characteristics of pellet such as particle size distribution, specific weight, porosity, specific surface area were determined by using standard test methods set by Turkish Institute of Standards (TSE). Fluidisation characteristics such as minimum fluidisation velocity of pellets were also studied in a deep bed filter column. In addition pellet material was used in an up-flow fluidised bed filter reactor and the performance of the reactor in terms of COD removal was evaluated

A DIFFERENT EXAMPLE FOR CONTEMPORARY CAMPUS GATES: DOKUZ EYLUL UNIVERSITY TINAZTEPE CAMPUS EAST GATE

Türkiye’nin son 20 yılda değişen yükseköğretim politikalarına koşut olarak sayısı hızla artan üniversite yerleşkeleri vebinaları farklı yöntem ve yaklaşımlarla elde edilmekte, bunun sonucu olarak da oldukça geniş bir nitelik yelpazesineyayılmaktadırlar. Bu çalışmanın odağına aldığı yapı tipi bu geniş stokun mütevazı bir kısmını oluşturan yerleşke girişkapılarıdır.Giriş ve giriş yapılarının gerek kavramsal gerekse yapısal olarak geçmişi inşa edilen ilk mimari ürünlere kadargötürülebilir. Bu konudaki tarihsel okumalardan çıkarılabilecek sonuçlardan bir tanesi giriş yapılarının salt işlevselyapılar olmalarının dışında sembolik anlamları da üzerlerinde taşıdıklarıdır. Bu perspektifle, çalışmada, yakın dönemdeinşa edilen yerleşke giriş yapılarının birincil işlevleri dışındaki anlamlarının tartışılmasında kullanılabilecek birkategorizasyon önerisi sunulmaktadır.Son yıllarda üretilen üniversite giriş yapılarına dair bir değerlendirme yapıldığında biçimci ve rasyonel olmak üzerebaşlıca iki yaklaşımın baskın olduğunu söylenebilir. Biçimci yaklaşımların kaynağı tarihsel veya simgesel olabilmekte yada önceden tasarlanmış bir logonun mimariye aktarılması gibi yöntemler benimsenebilmektedir. Bu yaklaşımlatasarlanarak inşa edilen giriş kapılarının simgesel yönlerinin ön plana çıktığı, işlevlerinin ikinci planda kaldığıgözlenmektedir. Rasyonel yaklaşımların ise biçimi önceki yaklaşım kadar öncelemediğini ancak temel tasarım ilkelerigözetilerek tasarlanmış kütlelerin işlevle örtüştürülmesini ilke edindiğini söylemek yanlış olmaz.Günümüzde biçimci yaklaşımların yoğunluğunun arttığı gözlenirken bu anlamda farklılaşan bir örnek olarak yakınzamanda tamamlanan Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Tınaztepe Yerleşkesi Doğu Kapısı’nın mimarisi ve tasarım ilkeleri elealınmaya değer görünmektedir. Yapının tasarımındaki tavrın yakın dönem örneklerinden ayrılan noktaları ile bazımodernist öncüllerle paralellikleri yapının anlam dünyasını zenginleştirmekte ve onu öğretici kılmaktadır.The number of university campuses and buildings in Turkey has been rapidly increasing since the 2000s. In parallel tochanges in higher education policy in this period, university buildings are obtained via different methods andapproaches, which influence their architectural quality. Given that, university buildings built in this period show a widerange of qualities. This study focuses on campus gate buildings, which can be considered as the modest part of thislarge university building stock.The gates and entrance buildings’ history on conceptual and structural characteristics can be traced back to the firstarchitectural products. One of the conclusions that can be drawn from historical readings on this topic is that the gatestructures are not solely considered as functional structures as they involve and demonstrate symbolic meanings. Withthis perspective, the study aims to offer a categorization of contemporary campus gates. This categorization can beused to discuss the meanings of the recently built campus gates as it relies on information beyond the gate’s primaryfunctions.When an evaluation is made on contemporary university gates, it would not be wrong to argue that two mainapproaches are dominant in designing urban gates; formal and rational. Form-oriented approaches tend to rely onhistorical or symbolic information. They often tend to adopt methods such as transferring a pre-designed logo to thearchitecture. It is observed that the gates designed with this approach value the symbolic aspects and ignore thefunctional quality. On the other hand, rational approaches do not give priority to form as much as the former one andtend to focus on the harmony between form and function. The form is designed by considering the basic designprinciples.While the number of gates which are designed with form-oriented approaches is increasing nowadays, discussing therecently completed campus gate’s architecture and its design principles are important. Dokuz Eylül UniversityTınaztepe Campus East Gate offers a different example in this sense. The unique ideas that differ from the other recentcounterparts and some characteristics which are parallel to the ideas of some modernist premises could enrich themeaning of the building and make it instructive

Arsenic removal from drinking water by chemical methods

Arsenik içeren su kaynakları dünyanın pek çok ülkesinde karşılaşılan bir sorundur. Dünya Sağlık Örgütü, 1993 yılında yapmış olduğu düzenlemeyle içme sularında izin verilen azami arsenik miktarını 50 µg/L’den 10 µg/L’e indirmiştir. Ülkemizde de, “İnsani Tüketim Amaçlı Sular Hakkında Yönetmelik” kapsamında içme ve kullanma sularında 50 μg/L olan arsenik limiti, 2005 yılı itibariyle 10 μg/L şeklinde değiştirilmiş ve 2008 yılından bu yana uygulamaya konmuştur. Arsenik standardının 10 μg/L olarak uygulanması, ülkemizdeki bazı su kaynaklarının kullanımını kısıtlamıştır. Özellikle batı bölgelerimizdeki birçok yerleşimde (Kütahya, Emet, Simav, Uşak, İzmir, Manisa, vb.) arsenik kirliliğinin kontrolüne yönelik önlemler alınması ihtiyacı ortaya çıkmıştır. Gerek literatürde, gerekse uygulamada (laboratuvar ve arazi ölçeğinde) arsenik ile ilgili çeşitli arıtma yöntemleri mevcuttur. Bu yöntemler i) arıtılacak suyun miktarına (debisine), ii) sudaki arsenik konsantrasyonuna ve formuna (As3+ ve/veya As5+), iii) su içinde bulunan diğer parametrelere (pH, sülfat, fosfat, organik madde, silikat, vb.) bağlı olarak farklılıklar gösterir. Sunulan makalede arsenik arıtımında kullanılan kimyasal destekli yöntemler incelenmiştir. Bu kapsamda kireç-soda yöntemi, konvansiyonel koagülasyon-filtrasyon, koagülasyon destekli mikrofiltrasyon ve oksidasyon-filtrasyon yöntemleri irdelenmiş; karar alma sürecinde yapılması gerekenler özetlenmiştir. Ülkemizdeki içme suyu arıtma tesislerinde genellikle kimyasal arıtma ve filtrasyon üniteleri kullanılmaktadır. Arsenik bakımından problemli yerlerde mevcut içme suyu arıtma tesislerinde modifikasyonlar yapılarak arsenik giderimi sağlanabilir. Bu kapsamda ön oksidasyon kademesinin eklenmesi, koagülan türü ve dozunun optimizasyonu, konvansiyonel filtrelerin modifikasyonu (adsorban özelliği olan malzemelerin kullanılması), tesis sonunda adsorpsiyon, iyon değişimi, membran filtrasyon gibi sistemlerin kullanılması önerilmektedir. Anahtar Kelimeler: Arsenik, filtrasyon, kimyasal arıtma, kireç soda ile yumuşatma, koagülasyon, oksidasyon.Arsenic in natural waters is a worldwide problem. Weathering of arsenic rich minerals and volcanic activities are natural sources releasing arsenic to the environment. Apart from the natural phenomena, anthropogenic (man-made) inputs are also responsible from the arsenic contamination. Effluents from metallurgical industry, glassware and ceramic industries, dye and pesticide manufacturing industries, petroleum refining, leather processing, and other organic and inorganic chemical industries are major anthropogenic sources of arsenic. Furthermore agricultural uses of pesticides, herbicides, insecticides, defoliants, and soil sterilants which include arsenic and arsenic compounds increase the arsenic content in water resources. Arsenic is a fairly common environmental contaminant. Both groundwater and surface water sources of drinking water can contain arsenic. The levels of arsenic are typically higher in groundwater sources. Arsenic levels in groundwater tend to vary geographically. The major routes are through inhalation, skin absorption .and ingestion. Ingestion is the predominant form of exposure among others. High doses of arsenic can cause acute toxic effects including gastrointestinal symptoms (poor appetite, vomiting, diarrhea, etc.), disturbance of cardiovascular and nervous systems functions (e.g. muscle cramps, heart complains) or death. Because of the proven and widespread negative health effects on humans, in 1993, the World Health Organization (WHO) lowered the health-based provisional guideline for arsenic concentration in drinking water from 50 to 10 µg/L. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) subsequently revised the maximum contaminant level (MCL) as 10 µg/L in 2001. New standards have been adopted as a national standard by most countries, including Japan, Jordan, Laos, Mongolia, Namibia, Syria and the USA, and the European Union (EU). However, many countries have retained the earlier WHO guideline of 50 µg/L as their standard or as an interim target including Bangladesh, India, Bahrain, China, Egypt, Indonesia, Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, etc.. Since implementation of the new guideline value of 10 µg/L requires certain investments, those countries need additional time and support to harmonize their national standards with new regulations. Turkey is a country facing and struggling with those emerging arsenic problems. Stringent standards of drinking water were promulgated by Ministry of Health (MoH) in 2005, and arsenic level was lowered from 50  g/L to 10  g/L. The new standard has been enforced since February 2008. After this limitation a number of wells which have been (planned being) used for potable water supply are considered as "arsenic-contaminated". Besides prolonged drought induced by climate change caused release of arsenic from aquifer sediments and this resulted in elevated concentrations in groundwater sources. This fact triggered problems stemming from arsenic in water in some areas. Particularly, western parts of central Anatolia (e.g. Kutahya, Emet, Simav, Usak) have high risk due to their geological formations and geothermal inputs which pose suitable conditions for arsenic contamination of water resources. Inventory study results carried out by General Directorate of Mineral Research and Exploration (MTA) showed elevated arsenic concentrations in the Kutahya-Emet-Hisarcik and Nevsehir Basins (20-200 µg/L). There are several treatment technologies that are available for arsenic removal from drinking water. The most commonly used technologies include oxidation, co-precipitation and adsorption onto coagulated flocs, lime treatment, adsorption onto sorptive media, ion exchange resin and membrane techniques. Selection of an appropriate method is a quite complex decision and affected from a number of factors (e.g. arsenic compound, raw water quality, target arsenic concentration, existing water treatment plant, land availability, operational and maintenance costs, etc.). In the presented paper, chemical treatment methods used in arsenic removal (i.e. chemical oxidation, conventional coagulation and filtration, coagulation assisted microfiltration, oxidation filtration and lime-soda method etc.) are evaluated considering treatment performance, costs, operational features. In Turkey, generally chemical processes and filtration have been used in many water treatment plants. Existing water treatment plants can be modified for arsenic removal. In this framework, involvement of pre-oxidation stage, optimization of the coagulant type and dose, modification of conventional filters (utilization of adsorbent based filter materials), utilization of adsorption, ion exchange, membrane filtration processes for post-treatment purpose are recommended. Keywords: Arsenic, filtration, chemical treatment, coagulation, lime - soda softening, oxidation

Retrospective Analysis of Lymphangitis Carcinomatosa Regarding Primer Tumor Spectrum and Computer Tomography Features

INTRODUCTION: Lymphangitis carcinomatosis (LC) is used to describe the metastatic involvement of pulmonary lymphatic canals and perilymphatic connective tissue by primary tumor cells and commonly occurs secondary to primary tumors, mostly adenocarcinomas, originated from breast, lung, gastrointestinal system cancers. Common findings in lung computed tomography (CT) are interlobular septal thickening and increased reticular/reticulonodular density. In this study, we aim to present the primary tumor spectrum and most frequent computed tomography findings of patients with LC. METHODS: In this double-centered study 63 patients, who had lung CT examination due to prediagnosis of LC, were retrospectively investigated. 41 patients with final diagnosis of LC due to findings upon Positron emission tomography/Computed tomography (PET/CT), ultrasonography, CT scan, endoscopic, bronchoscopic and cytopathologic investigations and/or clinical manifestations are ultimately included RESULTS: In 41 patients with LC, lung in 11 cases, esophagus in 7 cases, colon in 6 cases, stomach in 4 cases, pancreas in 3 cases, breast in 2 cases, bladder in 2 cases, thyroid in 2 cases and singly larynx, kidney, prostate and bone marrow in 4 cases were respectively revealed as primary tumor origins. Most frequent lung CT findings were increased reticular/reticulonodular and nodular densities, thickenings of interlobular septa, mediastinal and hilar lymphadenopathies, pleural and/or pericardial effusions, atelectasis, ground-glass opacities. Extrapulmonary involvement was detected in 14 patients DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: LC occurs with metastatic involvement of pulmonary lymphatics in patients with primary malignancy, especially adenocarcinomas. In CT, the reticular, reticulonodular, and noduler pattern (most common pulmonary parenchymal changes) and mediastinal lymphadenopathies (LAP) are the most common findgs. Pulmonary CT examination is accepted as the most important radiological modality in diagnosis and follow up of LC

Of the importance of a leaf: the ethnobotany of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans

BACKGROUND: Sarma - cooked leaves rolled around a filling made from rice and/or minced meat, possibly vegetables and seasoning plants - represents one of the most widespread feasting dishes of the Middle Eastern and South-Eastern European cuisines. Although cabbage and grape vine sarma is well-known worldwide, the use of alternative plant leaves remains largely unexplored. The aim of this research was to document all of the botanical taxa whose leaves are used for preparing sarma in the folk cuisines of Turkey and the Balkans. Methods: Field studies were conducted during broader ethnobotanical surveys, as well as during ad-hoc investigations between the years 2011 and 2014 that included diverse rural communities in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Kosovo, Albania, Macedonia, Bulgaria, Romania, and Turkey. Primary ethnobotanical and folkloric literatures in each country were also considered. Results: Eighty-seven botanical taxa, mainly wild, belonging to 50 genera and 27 families, were found to represent the bio-cultural heritage of sarma in Turkey and the Balkans. The greatest plant biodiversity in sarma was found in Turkey and, to less extent, in Bulgaria and Romania. The most commonly used leaves for preparing sarma were those of cabbage (both fresh and lacto-fermented), grape vine, beet, dock, sorrel, horseradish, lime tree, bean, and spinach. In a few cases, the leaves of endemic species (Centaurea haradjianii, Rumex gracilescens, and R. olympicus in Turkey) were recorded. Other uncommon sarma preparations were based on lightly toxic taxa, such as potato leaves in NE Albania, leaves of Arum, Convolvulus, and Smilax species in Turkey, of Phytolacca americana in Macedonia, and of Tussilago farfara in diverse countries. Moreover, the use of leaves of the introduced species Reynoutria japonica in Romania, Colocasia esculenta in Turkey, and Phytolacca americana in Macedonia shows the dynamic nature of folk cuisines. Conclusion: The rich ethnobotanical diversity of sarma confirms the urgent need to record folk culinary plant knowledge. The results presented here can be implemented into initiatives aimed at re-evaluating folk cuisines and niche food markets based on local neglected ingredients, and possibly also to foster trajectories of the avant-garde cuisines inspired by ethnobotanical knowledge

The genetic history of the Southern Arc: a bridge between West Asia and Europe

By sequencing 727 ancient individuals from the Southern Arc (Anatolia and its neighbors in Southeastern Europe and West Asia) over 10,000 years, we contextualize its Chalcolithic period and Bronze Age (about 5000 to 1000 BCE), when extensive gene flow entangled it with the Eurasian steppe. Two streams of migration transmitted Caucasus and Anatolian/Levantine ancestry northward, and the Yamnaya pastoralists, formed on the steppe, then spread southward into the Balkans and across the Caucasus into Armenia, where they left numerous patrilineal descendants. Anatolia was transformed by intra–West Asian gene flow, with negligible impact of the later Yamnaya migrations. This contrasts with all other regions where Indo-European languages were spoken, suggesting that the homeland of the Indo-Anatolian language family was in West Asia, with only secondary dispersals of non-Anatolian Indo-Europeans from the steppe

Clinical evaluation and classification of patients with temporomandibular disorders using ‘Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders’

Objective: The aim of the study was to evaluate the frequency of subgroups in a clinical setting of the patients with temporomandibular disorders (TMD) using ‘Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD)’. Materials and Method: A total of 128 patients with TMD (92 females and 36 males, mean age 33.5 ± 8.28) were involved in the study. DC/TMD Axis I diagnosis criteria was used for the clinical examination of pain disorders and temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorders. Also, in DC/TMD Axis I, The TMD Pain Screener, focusing on pain within the last 30 days, was used. In DC/TMD Axis II evaluation, the Jaw Functional Limitation Scale-8 (JFLS-8) was preferred to detect symptom severity and functional limitations. The data analysis was conducted by using the Chi-square, Kruskal Wallis test, and the Bonferroni correction for the Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Out of 128 patients, 120 patients (93.75%) had TMJ disorders that were accompanied by muscle pain disorders. The effect of gender and age on TMJ/muscle pain disorders was not significant (TMJ disorders; p=0.123, p=0.263; Muscle pain disorders; p=0.145, p=0.100, respectively). According to JFLS-8, the limitation in mastication (item 1 and 2) and joint mobility (item 4) were major complaints in the group of patients with ‘disc displacement without reduction with limited opening’ compared to the other TMJ disorders (p=0.001, p=0.004, p=0.007, p<0.008). Conclusion: DC/TMD Axis I is a significant reference to clinicians in the diagnosis and evaluation of TMD. In DC/TMD Axis II, JFLS-8 is an efficient instrument for the measurement of functional limitation associated with temporomandibular disorders