An assessment of deterioration in cultural heritage: the unique case of Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument in Konya, Turkey

Stone monuments are important symbols of cultural heritage of countries. However, many environmental factors negatively affect these monuments. The increasing damage on the stone monuments and the danger of irreversible loss of cultural heritage have resulted in growing efforts for the preservation of the monuments. Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument in Beyşehir, Konya, Turkey, is a unique Hittite cultural monument that has survived for nearly 3200 years even though it has been exposed to many environmental effects. In this study, non-destructive testing (NDT) was used to detect the degradation on the building stones of the Eflatunpınar Hittite Water Monument and change-deterioration maps were prepared subsequently. It was also investigated whether the chemistry of the Eflatunpınar spring water may cause deterioration. Additionally, the petrographic, chemical, and physico-mechanical properties of the rocks taken from the ancient stone quarry were determined in order to compare with the properties of the monument’s building stones. Based on the physico-chemical characteristics of the Eflatunpınar spring water and XRD results of crusts in building stone surface of the monument, it was identified that water can be effective on the formation of calcite and gypsum crusts especially in the lower parts of the monument. However, applied NDT methods and change-deterioration maps indicated that the deterioration as well as neglect and abandonment in the monument are mostly associated with the capillary effect of the flowing water through the structure and the deterioration effect is more apparent in contact points between the building stone and the flowing water. Additionally, in the building stones above the capillary front, the conservation condition is significantly better. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Determination of deterioration of the main facade of the Ferit Paşa Cistern by non-destructive techniques (Konya, Turkey)

Building stones have long been one of the most widely used construction materials in the world. Building stones used in historical monuments are deteriorated partly or completely depending on the environmental and atmospheric effects. In recent years, non-destructive test methods have been used to assess deterioration of building stones used in historical monuments. Gödene stone is one of the building stones being widely used in the historical buildings in the Konya region, Central Anatolia. The most deterioration effects are observed in the Ferit Paşa Cistern among the historical structures built with Gödene stone in the region. The aim of this study is to assess the deteriorating effects in the street façade of the Ferit Paşa Cistern via non-destructive testing methods (Schmidt hardness rebound value, P-wave velocity, humidity measurement and thermal imaging) and create maps of deteriorated features. Turkey’s historic places are integrated to Turkish culture, efforts are made to conserve heritage through rehabilitation. Therefore, this study will help developers and federal managers during the project planning stage by providing technical data. © 2018, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Interpreting sulfated crusts on natural building stones using sulfur contour maps and infrared thermography

In this study, the effect of sulfation due to air pollution in the portals of the Ince Minareli Madrasa built of pyroclastic rocks and the Karatay Madrasas (Konya, Turkey) built of marble was investigated. Since the sulfur element in sulfate salts is represented as sulfate, the sulfur contour maps (SCM), obtained by transferring the portable X-ray fluorescence measurements onto the orthophotographs, also show the sulfated crust formation, distribution and anomaly regions on the portal surfaces. Additionally, the anomaly regions originating from the difference in thermal conduction between the sulfated crusts and portal surfaces on thermal camera images were determined, and they were observed to be compatible with the anomaly regions on SCM. However, the size of this correlation depends on the chemistry of the building stone and the thickness of the sulfated crusts. Then, it was determined that the anomaly regions on SCM were distributed in relation to the washing out of sulfated crusts by rainfall and capillary moisture content. Accordingly, portal surfaces were divided into three as the sheltered, washing and capillary regions. Consequently, it was demonstrated that the sulfation effect due to air pollution on historical building surfaces which have appropriate rock chemistry can be determined by non-destructive testing methods like using the SCM supported by infrared thermography. The fact that the method is simple and repeatable and is easily applicable to other buildings was considered as the most important success of the method. © 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature

Sustainability of Constructions. Suleyman's Mosque, Istanbul

In the Turkish Architectural History, Mimar Sinan has the most important place to define the landmarks. The Mosques, the bridges, the kulliyes(with a mosque in the heart of the kulliye as an extensive assembly of religious schools and buildings housing social functions), etc. of Mimar Sinan are coining today along a more than 400years period. The compositon of the full dome and semi domes is very important for the rich space value under. The additional structural elements for controlling the praying sound to God prepare a fully solved situation in the meaning of acoustical control. In the paper, after the definition of the complex in the meaning of history and in the meaning of space compositions, its structural system in the context of building materials and constructional details, the reasons of its acoustical performance and the degree of the efficiency of the daylight use will be explained

Adult Philadelphia Chromosome-Positive Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Daily Practice: A Multicenter Experience.

BACKGROUND: The prognosis of Philadelphia-positive acute lymphoblastic leukemia (Ph(+) ALL) is generally poor. Currently, allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (allo-HCT) is the only accepted therapy with curative potential. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Herein, we report our multicenter, retrospective experience with 46 (23 female; 23 male) Ph(+) ALL patients, who were treated off-study between 2005 and 2012. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 46 years (range, 19-73 years). During induction, 30 (65%), 13 (28%), and 3 (7%) patients received tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) concurrent with chemotherapy (TKIs/chemotherapy), chemotherapy only, and TKIs only, respectively. Following induction, rates of complete remission (CR) of the study population were 85% (n = 39). CR rate in patients receiving TKIs during induction (n = 33) was significantly higher compared with patients who received chemotherapy only (n = 13; P = .011). Taking TKIs during induction significantly reduced induction mortality (3.3% vs. 38%; P = .01). Allo-HCT was performed subsequently in 21 (46%) patients. More patients who received TKIs with or without chemotherapy (19/33; 58%) during induction were able to undergo to allo-HCT compared with patients who received chemotherapy only (2/13; 15%; P = .005). Median overall survival of patients who were treated with TKIs during induction and received allo-HCT (not reached; NR) was significantly prolonged compared with patients who received allo-HCT but without TKIs during induction (23.2 months) and to the rest of the cohort (21.2 months; P = .019). CONCLUSIONS: Current state-of-the art management of Ph(+) ALL in real-life seems to be incorporation of TKIs to chemotherapy regimens and proceeding to allo-HCT, whenever possible