Recent changes in the number of spoon-billed sandpipers Calidris pygmaea wintering on the Upper Gulf of Mottama in Myanmar

The spoon-billed sandpiper Calidris pygmaea, a migratory arctic-breeding shorebird, is one of the world’s rarest birds and its population has undergone a large decline in recent decades. We conducted surveys at its most important known wintering area in the Upper Gulf of Mottama in Myanmar to estimate recent (2009 – 2016) changes in its numbers there. The total number of small shorebirds present in the Upper Gulf was counted and the proportion of them that were spoon-billed sandpipers was estimated from sample scans. These two quantities were multiplied together to give the estimated number of spoon-billed sandpipers in each of four years. Total numbers of combined small shorebird species tripled from 21,000 to 63,000 between 2009 and 2016, coincident with efforts to reduce hunting pressure on waterbirds. However, the proportion of small shorebirds that were spoon-billed sandpipers declined and their estimated absolute numbers fell by about half from 244 to 112 individuals. It is probable that loss of intertidal habitat and shorebird hunting elsewhere on the migration route of the spoon-billed sandpipers wintering at Mottama is causing a continued decline, though this is occurring at a less rapid rate than that recorded from Arctic Russia before 2010. The number of spoon-billed sandpipers wintering on the Upper Gulf of Mottama remains the highest single-site total for this species from any known wintering site. Preventing any resurgence of illegal shorebird hunting and ensuring long-term protection of the intertidal feeding habitats and roost sites in the Gulf are high priorities if extinction of this species is to be averted

An automated composite table algorithm considering zero liquid discharge possibility in water regeneration–recycle network

In this study, a novel Automated Composite Table Algorithm (ACTA) is developed for targeting the water regeneration–recycle network of single contaminant problem. The ACTA is based on Pinch Analysis, but is automated by taking into consideration the possibility of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) for the water network. In the existing literature, the targeting procedure for ZLD network is based on the graphical tool of Limiting Composite Curve (LCC). However, identification of key parameters (i.e. freshwater, wastewater, regenerated water flowrates, along with pre-regeneration concentrations) is very tedious for highly integrated water network system. The magnification around the turning point of LCC is required to identify the correct pinch points and targeting procedure is done iteratively until the reliable network targets can be determined. These limitations are now overcome by the ACTA, which is an improved version of Composite Table Algorithm that is capable of identifying key parameters algebraically for a given post-regeneration concentration. The newly developed ACTA is capable of handling a wide range of problems including ZLD and non-ZLD network, for both fixed load and fixed flowrate problems

Synthesis of triazolylmethyl-linked nucleoside analogs via combination of azidofuranoses with propargylated nucleobases and study on their cytotoxicity

KARAYILDIRIM, Tamer/0000-0001-7451-0810; HALAY, Erkan/0000-0002-0084-7709WOS: 000429350900009Copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions (CuAAC) between azidofuranoses and propargyl-nucleobases were carried out in the presence of CuSO4 center dot 5H(2)O and sodium ascorbate as catalytic system to provide the corresponding 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole-bridged nucleoside analogs in good yields. Twelve new sugar-based triazolylmethyl-linked nucleoside analogs were synthesized and screened for their cytotoxic activity against MDA-MB-231, Hep3B, PC-3, SH-SY5Y, and HCT-116 cancer cell lines and control cell line (L929). Most of the compounds were moderately effective against all the cancer cell lines assayed. Particularly, among the tested compounds, 1,2,3-triazole-linked 5-fluorouracil-mannofuranose hybrid was found to be the most potent cytotoxic agent against HCT-116, Hep3B, SH-SY5Y cells with IC50 values of 35.6, 71.1, and 75.6 mu M, respectively. None of the triazolylmethyl-linked nucleoside analogs exhibited cytotoxic effect against the control cells L929.TUBITAK-Research Council of Turkey [114Z757]; TUBITAK-BIDEBTurkiye Bilimsel ve Teknolojik Arastirma Kurumu (TUBITAK) [2211A]This work was supported by TUBITAK-Research Council of Turkey with the project number 114Z757. Author E. Halay also offers his profound thanks to TUBITAK-BIDEB 2211A for their bursary support