ANALYZING THE RETRIEVAL ACCURACY OF OPTICALLY ACTIVE WATER COMPONENTS FROM SATELLITE DATA UNDER VARYING IMAGE RESOLUTIONS

Water quality monitoring has a key role in maintaining a sustainable ecosystem and environmental health. To ensure consistent monitoring, remote sensing provides regular data acquisition with varying spatial resolutions. However, more accurate, and effective solutions can be achieved by integrating remote sensing data with in-situ measurements. This study investigates the integration of in-situ measurements with satellite data, which have different spectral and spatial resolutions, using linear and exponential regression models for four optically active components in the Gulf of Izmit. In this context, Sentinel-2 (S2) and PlanetScope SuperDove (PS) multispectral images, which were acquired on the same date, were used for the comparative analysis of the accurate mapping of chlorophyll-a (Chl-a), turbidity, Secchi disk depth (SDD) and total suspended matter (TSM) water quality parameters combined with simultaneously collected in-situ measurements. The models were evaluated using validation data, along with visual comparison, to assess their accuracy. The results indicate that, overall, exponential models provide more accurate results than linear models, except for the SDD parameter. Furthermore, models created with S2 data demonstrate better performance in retrieving water quality parameters for Chl-a, turbidity, and TSM, with R2 values of 0.71, 0.84, and 0.91, respectively. The linear model created with PS data stands out in the accurately mapping of SDD parameter. Nevertheless, the spatial distribution of these parameters using both satellite dataset exhibits a similar pattern throughout the gulf, which is under threat from significant terrestrial pollution sources, particularly in the eastern part

Effect of Drought Stress on Essential Oil Composition of Thymus vulgaris L. (Chemotype 1, 8-cineole) from wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula

[EN] 1,8-cineole defines a typical chemotype of Thymus vulgaris L. in Iberian Peninsula. This compound has a wide range of potentially useful bioactive properties. In order to study the influence of drought stress in the essential oil (EO) composition of this chemotype, sixty plants from six wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula were distilled and analyzed by GC and GC/MS. The harvest dates (May and August) were selected in such a way that the typical summer drought in Mediterranean climates was the critical factor affecting EO composition. Despite the high intrapopulational variability, significant increases of 1,8-cineole were found after the drought period (21.8%-43.2%, in May, up to 42.6%-68.5% in August). On the other hand, individuals from one of the populations showed different profiles rich in linalool and camphor or sesquiterpenoid compounds, such as a-cadinol.Llorens Molina, JA.; Vacas González, S. (2016). Effect of Drought Stress on Essential Oil Composition of Thymus vulgaris L. (Chemotype 1, 8-cineole) from wild populations of Eastern Iberian Peninsula. Journal of Essential Oil Research. 29(2):145-155. doi:10.1080/10412905.2016.1211561S14515529

Are skin disorders related to work strain in hospital workers? A cross-sectional study

To evaluate whether occupational stress factors (high demands, low control, low social support, strain, and iso-strain) are associated with skin disorders in hospital workers and whether psychological problems, such as anxiety and depression, act as potential mechanisms through which occupational stress factors are associated with skin disorders

Progress on optimizing miscanthus biomass production for the European bioeconomy:Results of the EU FP7 project OPTIMISC

This paper describes the complete findings of the EU-funded research project OPTIMISC, which investigated methods to optimize the production and use of miscanthus biomass. Miscanthus bioenergy and bioproduct chains were investigated by trialing 15 diverse germplasm types in a range of climatic and soil environments across central Europe, Ukraine, Russia, and China. The abiotic stress tolerances of a wider panel of 100 germplasm types to drought, salinity, and low temperatures were measured in the laboratory and a field trial in Belgium. A small selection of germplasm types was evaluated for performance in grasslands on marginal sites in Germany and the UK. The growth traits underlying biomass yield and quality were measured to improve regional estimates of feedstock availability. Several potential high-value bioproducts were identified. The combined results provide recommendations to policymakers, growers and industry. The major technical advances in miscanthus production achieved by OPTIMISC include: (1) demonstration that novel hybrids can out-yield the standard commercially grown genotype Miscanthus x giganteus; (2) characterization of the interactions of physiological growth responses with environmental variation within and between sites; (3) quantification of biomass-quality-relevant traits; (4) abiotic stress tolerances of miscanthus genotypes; (5) selections suitable for production on marginal land; (6) field establishment methods for seeds using plugs; (7) evaluation of harvesting methods; and (8) quantification of energy used in densification (pellet) technologies with a range of hybrids with differences in stem wall properties. End-user needs were addressed by demonstrating the potential of optimizing miscanthus biomass composition for the production of ethanol and biogas as well as for combustion. The costs and life-cycle assessment of seven miscanthusbased value chains, including small- and large-scale heat and power, ethanol, biogas, and insulation material production, revealed GHG-emission- and fossil-energy-saving potentials of up to 30.6 t CO2eqC ha(-1) y(-1) and 429 GJ ha(-1)y(-1), respectively. Transport distance was identified as an important cost factor. Negative carbon mitigation costs of-78 epsilon t(-1) CO2eq C were recorded for local biomass use. The OPTIMISC results demonstrate the potential of miscanthus as a crop for marginal sites and provide information and technologies for the commercial implementation of miscanthus-based value chains

Dyadic adjustment, family coping, body image, quality of life and psychological morbidity in patients with psoriasis and their partners

Background Psoriasis is an incurable and chronic disease that includes unpredictable periods of remission and relapse requiring long-term therapy. Purpose This paper focuses on the relationship among family coping, psychological morbidity, body image, dyadic adjustment and quality of life in psoriatic patients and their partners. Method One hundred and one patients with psoriasis and 78 partners comprised the sample. They were regular users of the Dermatology Service of a Central Northern hospital in Portugal and a private dermatology clinic. Patients with psoriasis were assessed on anxiety, depression, body image, quality of life, dyadic adjustment and family coping. Partners were assessed on the same measures except body image and quality of life. Results A positive relationship among dyadic adjustment, psychological morbidity and family coping in patients and their partners was found. Also, patients with lower levels of quality of life had partners with higher levels of depressive and anxious symptoms. Better dyadic adjustment predicted family coping in the psoriatic patient. High levels of dyadic adjustment in patients and low partners’ trait anxiety predicted better dyadic adjustment in partners. Conclusion The results highlight the importance of incorporating family variables in psychological interventions in psoriasis’ care, particularly family coping and dyadic adjustment as well as the need for psychological intervention to focus both on patients and partners

THE INFLUENCE OF DEHYDRATION AND INSERTION HEIGHT ON ALKALOIDS IN VARIETIES OF TURKISH TOBACCO

WOS: A1985AWS6500008

A study of yield and yield components of different ornamental pepper (Capsicum sp.) species and lines in Cukurova ecological conditions

PubMedID: 21870629This study examined some phenological, morphological and pomological features of different ornamental pepper (Capsicum sp.) species and lines under the conditions of Cukurova Region, Turkey. The field trials used a randomized complete block design with three replications. Different ornamental pepper species and lines varied depending on testing years, in terms of plant height (cm), the number of branches (number/plant), the number of fruits (number/plant), the weight of fresh fruit (g plant-1), the yield of fresh fruit (kg ha-1) and the breadth and length of fruit. Fresh yields of different ornamental pepper species and lines varied between 9412-24418 kg ha-1 in the testing years. The highest fresh yield was observed from line C. frutescens 26 (24418 kg ha-1). It was determined that the fresh yield from the first harvest was higher than the others. © 2011 Asian Network for Scientific Information