Predicting the capability of carboxylated cellulose nanowhiskers for the remediation of copper from water using response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models

This study observed the influence of temperature, initial Cu(II) ion concentration, and sorbent dosage on the Cu(II) removal from the water matrix using surface-oxidized cellulose nanowhiskers (CNWs) bearing carboxylate functionalities. In addition, this study focused on the actual conditions in a wastewater treatment plant. Conductometric titration of CNWs suspensions showed a surface charge of 54 and 410 mmol/kg for the unmodified and modified CNWs, respectively, which indicated that the modified CNWs provide a relatively high surface area per unit mass than the unmodified CNWs. In addition, the stability of the modified CNWs was tested under different conditions and proved that the functional groups were permanent and not degraded. Response surface methodology (RSM) and artificial neural network (ANN) models were employed in order to optimize the system and to create a predictive model to evaluate the Cu(II) removal performance of the modified CNWs. The performance of the ANN and RSM models were statistically evaluated in terms of the coefficient of determination (R2), absolute average deviation (AAD), and the root mean squared error (RMSE) on predicted experiment outcomes. Moreover, to confirm the model suitability, unseen experiments were conducted for 14 new trials not belonging to the training data set and located both inside and outside of the training set boundaries. Result showed that the ANN model (R2 = 0.9925, AAD = 1.15%, RMSE = 1.66) outperformed the RSM model (R2 = 0.9541, AAD = 7.07%, RMSE = 3.99) in terms of the R2, AAD, and RMSE when predicting the Cu(II) removal and is thus more reliable. The Langmuir and Freundlich isotherm models were applied to the equilibrium data and the results revealed that Langmuir isotherm (R2 = 0.9998) had better correlation than the Freundlich isotherm (R2 = 0.9461). Experimental data were also tested in terms of kinetics studies using pseudo-first order and pseudo-second order kinetic models. The results showed that the pseudo-second-order model accurately described the kinetics of adsorption

PREDICTIVE MODEL FOR THE ADDED VALUE OF SULTANA SEEDLESS GRAPE PRODUCTION

Turkey after USA is the second important raisin grape producer by cv “Sultana”in the world (Kara,2014). The Manisa district alone accounts for 31% of totalgrape production and 80% of the whole sultana seedless raisin grape production inTurkey. 95% of total grape output generated in Manisa is made up of Sultanaseedless grape(TUIK, 2012). In thisstudy, the added value of grape production inManisa has been calculated and according to the findings, the per capita addedvalue of grape production has been computed. In order to calculate the addedvalue of grape production in Manisa, costs of labor, fuel, fertilizer, disinfection,hormone, repair and maintenance of the businesses around have been investigated.After calculated costs had been deducted from total business income, the totaladded value of grape production in Manisa and the per capita added valueofgrape production in Manisa were attained The efficiency per hectare in the sampleproduction units, which was investigated during the field research, measures up to26.470 kg. The percentile distributions of cost items at this efficiency level are;27,8% fuel costs, 23,2% fertilizing costs, 19,9% irrigation costs, 11,4%disinfection costs, 7,5% hormone usage costs, 4,6% harvesting and transportingcosts and the rest consists of maintenance costs. When the costs are deducted from income per hectare (11.646 USD), the added value per hectare turns out to be8843 US

Rethinking the Tunisian miracle: a party politics view

Five years on from the Tunisian revolution, Tunisia stands as the sole success story of the Arab Spring. The country since then has managed to adopt a pluralist and democratic constitution, and held three free and fair elections. Accordingly, in the eyes of several observers, Tunisia is now in the process of consolidating its new democracy. However, the reality on the ground seems much gloomier, as most recent opinion surveys suggest that there is a significant degree of dissatisfaction, not only with political parties and Parliament but also with the very institution of democracy. Nevertheless, what accounts for this change? After the collapse of the long-lasting and oppressive Ben Ali regime, how, just in five years, has Tunisians' confidence in the democratic process changed? This article accounts for this state of affairs from a party politics view, arguing that political parties, which are the main protagonists of the consolidation process, fail to fulfill their role of acquiring legitimacy for the new regime. While party-state relations seem to be stabilized due to the inclusiveness of the constitution-making process, both inter-party relationships and the relationship between parties and society suffer from numerous flaws which, in turn, hamper the democratic consolidation process

Analysis of the Relationships among Financial Development, Economic Growth, Energy Use, and Carbon Emissions by Co-Integration with Multiple Structural Breaks

In this study, the effects of financial and economic development on energy consumption and CO2 emissions are analyzed using multiple structural breaks, second-generation panel unit root tests, the Westerlund Cointegration Test, and PMG and MG estimators. Unlike classical studies, financial development is included, in the analysis, as an indicator of the accumulated capital as a result of industrial production that has been realized for many years. We conducted a panel data analysis on 13 developing countries for which we could obtain uninterrupted data in the Morgan Stanley Developing Countries index. We found significant relationships between economic growth, energy usage, and CO2 emissions. Financial development and carbon emissions are cointegrated in the long-term, and financial development is found to accelerate environmental pollution. Therefore, energy economists should consider the effect of financial development on energy use and carbon emissions in future studies. Policy-makers in emerging markets are also advised to take necessary actions to reduce carbon emissions while increasing financial development. It is important that the same results were obtained in medium- and small-scale countries, as well as in large economies (e.g., China) under the scope of this review

Correlation of anxiety and depression levels with attitudes towards coping with illness and sociodemographic characteristics in patients with a diagnosis of breast cancer

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship of anxiety and depression levels of breast cancer patients that had completed a year since receiving the diagnosis with their sociodemographic characteristics and attitudes towards coping with their disease. Method: This study was conducted with 94 female patients between the ages of 35 and 65 years who had been diagnosed with breast cancer and who were treated at the Oncology Department of Cukurova University's Faculty of Medicine between June 5 and July 31, 2017. Data were collected via a personal information form prepared by the investigator, Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and COPE inventory. Results: It was found that 27.7% and 16.0% of patients with breast cancer who had completed one year of treatment and had not presented or been referred to psychiatry experienced clinically relevant anxiety symptoms and depressive symptoms, respectively. A positive relationship was found between depression and anxiety in breast cancer patients (p<0.05, r=0.68). The level of anxiety was higher in patients who were not sufficiently informed about the disease (p=0.014) and who thought that the partner was behaving more distant (p=0.019). Patients between the ages of 35 and 44 years were found to be more depressive and anxious than those at age 55-65 (p=0.006 and p=0.010, respectively). It was found that primary school graduates were more likely to use "religious coping" (p=0.02) and university graduates were more likely to use "humor" (p=0.04). In addition, "positive reinterpretation" and "planning" attitudes were found to be more common in those with sufficient knowledge of the disease (p=0.045 and p=0.01, respectively). There was a negative correlation between depression and "mental disengagement" (p=0.011) and "active coping" (p=0.008). There was a positive relationship between anxiety and "use of emotional social support" (p=0.038). Conclusion: In our study, sufficient information about the disease and the partner's behavior were found to be associated with anxiety in breast cancer patients, and coping attitudes were found to be effective regarding depression and development of anxiety. Addressing the psychological effects of breast cancer and giving importance to psychosocial interventions and coping attitudes have been considered preventive factors in the development of depression and anxiety. © 2018 Yerkure Tanitim ve Yayincilik Hizmetleri A.S..All right reserved