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Southeastern Turkey perished by the M w 7.8, Kahramanmaras earthquake on February 6, 2023, at 01:17 UT (04:17 LT). The Kahramanmaras-centered event, hit by the break of the East Anatolian Fault Line, is felt in Syria, Egypt, Lebanon, Iraq, and Cyprus on the border of Turkey. Together with Syria, it causes loss of lives and severe damage in 10 cities. This work is dedicated to the people of the region. The study discusses the causality of anomalies by conducting ionospheric anomaly research via the interpolated TEC map obtained from the CODE according to the coordinates of the epicenter of the earthquake (latitude, longitude). The TEC amplitudes are observed by evolving the time-domain TEC map into the frequency-domain with the Fourier transform. The peaks of the amplitudes allow preliminary information for the anomaly days. For the anomaly, the TEC (TECU) boundaries are drawn by the statistical specification. The TEC map outside these boundaries is marked as an anomaly. The causality of abnormalities is tried to be read through the triad of the geomagnetic storm(s) , solar activity , and the earthquake effect. One can find seven anomaly days in the paper. January 30, February 2, 3, 11, 15, 16, and 21 are the anomaly days. The essay probably detects the anomaly before 3 days related to the Southeastern earthquake. • Reads the causality of the earthquake in southeast Turkey (Mw 7.8), through the ionosphere-earth crust relationship. • Notices potential anomalies by presenting the time-domain TEC atlas in the frequency domain with Fourier spectral analysis. • Considering all possible TEC anomaly essentials detect the precursors of the earthquake 3 days before the event day. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Wear resistance affects dental ceramics longevity and the functions of the opposing teeth. However, data for the effect of aqueous environment on wear resistance of dental ceramics are lacking. This study evaluated the effect of aqueous environment on wear resistance of typical dental glass–ceramics. Methods: Disk specimens were prepared from lithium disilicate glass–ceramics (LD) and leucite reinforced glass–ceramics (LEU). The disk specimens paired with steatite antagonists were tested in a pin-on-disk tribometer under both wet and dry conditions with 10 N up to 500,000 wear cycles. The wear analysis of glass–ceramics was performed using a 3D profilometer after 100,000, 300,000 and 500,000 wear cycles. Wear morphologies were analyzed by employing scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The crystalline compositions of specimens stored in a dry environment and subsequently immersed in distilled water for 40 h were separately determined using X-ray diffraction (XRD). The chemical states of the wear surfaces for LD were analyzed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The data analysis and multiple pair-wise comparisons of means were performed by using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and Tukey's post-hoc test. Results: LEU in a wet environment exhibited less wear volume loss than that in a dry environment (p < 0.05). The volume loss of LD in a wet environment was higher than that in a dry environment (p < 0.05). The wear volumes of steatite antagonists paired with two glass–ceramics under dry conditions were higher than under wet conditions. Conclusions: XPS spectra of LD under wet conditions indicated that high wear loss might result from the effect of stress corrosion by water and reaction of water with the ionic-covalent bonds at the crack tip. XPS spectra and SEM images of LD under dry conditions showed a possible formation of tribofilm. Within the limitations of this in vitro study, water was wear-friendly to LEU and all opposing steatites but aggravated wear for LD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fire hazard is a major problem in the Mediterranean region of Turkey and has a significant effect on both the climate system and ecosystems. During the last century, many forest fires accounted for the majority of the Mediterranean region in Turkey. Vector singular spectrum analysis (V-SSA) and vector multivariate singular spectrum analysis (V-MSSA) are relatively novel but powerful time series analysis techniques. The present study addresses how to forecast burned forest area (BFA) by V-SSA. One of the most important factors affecting forest fires is weather conditions. The prediction of BFA is therefore also obtained by V-MSSA using meteorological covariates (i.e., relative humidity (RH), temperature (T) and wind speed (WS). In the study, forest fire data records covering the years 2005–2019 were collected and analyzed. To gain forecast accuracy, the years 2017–2019 were used as testing data, and forecast values for 1, 3, 6, 12, 24 and 36 months were obtained. Then, V-SSA and V-MSSA models were compared via the root mean square errors (RMSEs) to reach the best model explaining BFA. Our results indicated that the RMSEs of the eight models were low and close to each other. Further, forecasts for the months of the years 2020–2022 were obtained and compared with actual BFA values by means of the RMSEs. According to RMSEs, the best forecasts are obtained using the V-MSSA model with meteorological covariates BFA, WS and T. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Büyük Menderes Graben (BMG) of western Turkey is bounded by E-W oriented normal faults and has been a depositional center for thick sedimentary layers since the Miocene. Four Mio-Pliocene depressions (from west to east, the Çine, Bozdoğan, Karacasu, and Denizli basins) having overall N-S trends are situated just south of the BMG. In this study, we focused on the structural characteristics of the BMG using Bouguer gravity data covering the area between 37°N and 39°N and 26°30'E and 30°E and gravity data along 4 profiles to estimate the discontinuous basement relief of the BMG. Our main objectives were to investigate the geometry of the faults bounding the BMG and surrounding faults, and to describe the extent of the cross-graben structures. Boundary analysis, analytical signals, and second derivative methods were applied to Bouguer gravity data in order to determine tectonic border lines. The 2D inversion of gravity data together with the analysis of the power spectrum for each profile exposed an image of the subsurface. As a result of both methods, the thickness of the sedimentary cover was determined to be 1.44-2.3 km in the BMG. According to model geometry, the thickness of the sedimentary deposits decreases to the south of the graben. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Digitalis grandiflora Miller (Plantaginaceae) led to the isolation of an undescribed cardenolide type glycoside digigrandifloroside (1) along with five known compounds, rengyoside A (2), rengyoside B (3), cleroindicin A (4), salidroside (5), and cornoside (6), from its aqueous fraction of methanolic extract. Structures of the isolated compounds were determined by means of spectroscopic techniques. 1–6 were isolated for the first time from D. grandiflora. 2 and 3 are being reported for the first time from Digitalis genus and Plantaginaceae family with this study. This is the second report for occurrence of 4 from a Digitalis species. Cytotoxic activity of the aqueous fraction was also tested against HEp-2 (Human larynx epidermoid carcinoma) and HepG2 (Human hepatocellular carcinoma) cancer cell lines and L929 (Mouse fibroblast cell) non-cancerous cell line. Aqueous fraction showed stronger cytotoxicity on HEp-2 cells than HepG2. Therefore, the cytotoxic activity of 1 , 2 , 4, and 6 were tested against HEp-2 and L929 cell lines. 3 and 5 couldn't be tested due to their insufficient amount. 1 showed the highest cytotoxicity against HEp-2 cells with IC 50 value 10.1 μM when compared with the positive control, etoposide and 2–6 (IC 50 of etoposide; 39.5 μM). Phytochemical investigation of the aerial parts of Digitalis grandiflora Miller (Plantaginaceae) led to the isolation of an undescribed cardenolide type glycoside digigrandifloroside along with five known compounds. Digigrandifloroside showed the highest cytotoxicity against HEp-2 cells with IC 50 value 10.1 μM. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypericum L. (Hypericaceae), which has 400 species in the world and 96 species in Turkey, has grown in Europe, Asia, North Africa, and America. Hypericum species have antidepressant, analgesic, spazmolytic, anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and wound healing effects. The purpose of this study was to analyze the magnesium (Mg) and calcium (Ca) contents of three Hypericum species (Hypericum perforatum L., Hypericum triquetrifolium Turra, and Hypericum empetrifolium Willd.) collected from the western part of Turkey. Analyses were done by atomic absorption spectrometer using convenient conditions. Mg and Ca concentrations were determined in three Hypericum species. Mg levels were determined as 1.053 ± 0.09, 0.792 ± 0.06, and 0.798 ± 0.17 mg.g-1 and Ca levels were determined as 0.573 ± 0.19, 0.433 ± 0.06, and 0.329 ± 0.005 mg.g-1 in H. perforatum L., H. triquetrifolium Turra, and H. empetrifolium Willd., respectively. The sedative effect of the drug is compensated with the metal concentration observed from the analysis, which shows that high Mg levels overlap with the sedative effect of the drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bridges in Turkey have been designed using a modified version of AASHTO Load Factor Design Specifications. In this paper, a new design spectrum is being analysed to address the characteristics of the Turkish earthquake records. The main contribution of this study is to suggest a mean Turkish site-dependent response spectra especially for the constant velocity region by analysing a number of Turkish earthquake records. The findings are compared to the two different design spectra of AASHTO. The mean site-dependent response spectra normalised with the peak ground accelerations are analysed for certain soil conditions and for a given range of moment magnitude values. The mean site-dependent response spectra corresponding to the largest moment magnitude range is observed to lie above the design spectra for periods larger than 1.0 s. Response spectrum analyses and time history analyses are performed on selected bridges using AASHTO design spectra and the mean site-dependent response spectra to observe the differences in corresponding structural responses. Results from analyses indicate that design spectrum is conservative for small to moderate moment magnitude levels. However, for the largest moment magnitude range considered, structural responses from mean site-dependent spectra are higher than those obtained from the design spectra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The apolar organic extract obtained from aerial parts of Centaurea drabifolia Sibth. & Sm. subsp. detonsa (Bornm.) Wagenitz, growing wild in Turkey, was investigated for the first time for its secondary metabolite composition. Seven sesquiterpene lactones belonging to the guaiane class ( 1 – 7 ), including the new compound 4 , along with a fatty acid lactone derivative ( 8 ), were isolated. The structures of these compounds were established by spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR spectroscopic techniques, with the stereostructure of the new guaiane 4 determined with the help of MTPA derivatization. Cytotoxic activities of compounds 1 – 7 were evaluated against two cancer cell lines, namely acute lymphoblastic leukemia (CCRF-CEM) and its multidrug-resistant subline CEM/ADR5000. Results showed that aguerin B ( 1 ) and cynaropicrin ( 2 ) showed a potent activity on both cell lines revealing interesting details about the structure-activity relationships in the class of acylated guaiane sesquiterpenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the normative database of macular and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness parameters in healthy Turkish children by OCT.Methods: 318 eyes of 318 children (138 boys, 183 girls) aged between 3 and 17 years were evaluated. The children were scanned by Cirrus HD-OCT (Carl Zeiss Meditec) to measure the macula, RNFL, and optic nerve head parameters.Results: Axial length (AL) (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.08), spherical equivalent (SE) (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.12), and rim area (p < 0.001, R2 = 0.15) were the strongest predictors of RNFL thickness. All of the macular measurements were significantly related to age (p < 0.001, R2 > 5%). Average macular thickness (p < 0.01) and outer macula (p = 0.002) showed significant relationship with the AL and SE.Conclusion: This study ensures an age-adjusted pediatric normative database using OCT to diagnose and monitor macular diseases, optic nerve diseases, and glaucoma in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Honeybee pollens are good food sources in terms of their mineral contents and are specific to the regions they are collected. In addition, they may be used as bioindicators in the assessment of environmental pollution based on their potentially toxic element contents. In the present study, mineral element composition and potentially toxic element levels of honeybee pollen samples collected from various cities in East Black Sea Region of Turkey (18 samples) were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) after microwave assisted acid digestion. The method validation was performed by using CRM (Certified Reference Material-BCR®279-Sea Lettuce-Ulva lactuca) to evaluate the accuracy and precision. Elemental composition of honeybee pollens were detected within the following ranges (minimum-maximum, mg kg -1 dry pollen); Mn (manganese): 11.579-117.349, Fe (Iron): 34.865-811.043, Zn (zinc): 17.707-56.223, Se (selenium): 0.422-0.722, Cr (chromium): 0.848-6.949, Cu (copper): 7.510-26.344, Mg (magnesium): 549.921-2149.716, Ca (calcium): 726.575-2201.837, Na (sodium): 36.518-120.283, Pb (lead): < 0.005-0.622, Cd (cadmium): 0.039-1.390, Ni (nickel): 2.317-21.710, and As (arsenic): 1.331-2.248. Recommended daily allowance, target hazard quotients, hazard index, and carcinogenic risk values of the pollens were calculated with the help of these results. In considering THQ values, pollens were determined to be safe for the consumption of both genders. Based on the carcinogenic risk calculation, most of the pollens examined in this study were categorized as moderately risky. Monitoring studies can be used to identify new sources of contamination or the origin and spread of a particular element. Hence, bee pollens can also be considered as potential bioindicators of toxic metal pollution. HIGHLIGHTS: • Mineral content and potentially toxic metal levels of 18 honeybee pollens were determined. • Recommended daily allowance (RDA) values were calculated. • The nutritional aspects of honeybee pollen samples were evaluated. • Hazard quotient (HQ), hazard index (HI), and carcinogenic risk (CR) estimation of honeybee pollens were assessed. • The potentiality of honeybee pollens as a bioindicator for pollution was discussed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Abstract: Alpha thalassemia (α-thal) is one of the most common genetic disorders in the world. It is characterized by the absence or reduced expression of α-globin genes. The frequency of α-thal mutations in the province of Hatay in South Turkey is unknown. Therefore, in the present study, we aimed to investigate the spectrum of α-thal mutations in this province. Three hundred and nine patients were tested for α-thal mutations by using reverse dot blot hybridization technique and nine different mutations were detected in 97 of them. Among the 9 different mutations found, the most frequent mutations were the -α3.7 (43.81%), -α2−5nt (6.70%), - -MED (5.67%) and α2Poly A2 (2.57%). In the present study, - -FIL mutation was detected in a patient for the first time in Turkey. Our results indicated that α-thal mutations are highly heterogeneous and -α3.7 is the most prevalent mutation in Hatay province of South Turkey. In addition, - -FIL mutation was detected in a patient for the first time in Turkey. This new finding may contribute to the establishment of a national mutation database and genetic counseling. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The May 19, 2011 an earthquake hit Simav (Kütahya) province in Turkey. Simav is a district of Kütahya located 255 km southwest from capital city of Turkey. According to Turkish General Directorate of Disaster Affairs (DAD), the magnitude of this moderate earthquake was 5.7. The major percent of the housing stock in the affected region was built in masonry. Many masonry dwellings, mosques and also minarets were heavily damaged due to this seismic activity. The Halil Aga Mosque and its minaret were also heavily damaged as a masonry structure around the earthquake region. In this paper, a site survey of masonry damages is presented and Response Spectrum Analysis of the Halil Aga Mosque is performed using the finite element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, effect of changing of the shear wall ratio to interstorey drift in multistory reinforced concrete buildings with flat slab with continuous drop panel depending on the local site classes is investigated. For that purpose, an R/C frame structure and three shear wall frame structures with different shear wall ratio which have 7 and 9 stories are designed. These structures are analyzed according to response spectrum analysis in Turkish earthquake code for four local site classes. According to the analysis results, interstorey drifts are determined and are compared with boundary values in the earthquake code. According to obtained results, it is seen that, values of interstory drifts lie below limit values for 7 storey models which have 1 % shear wall and 9 storey models which have 1.5 % shear wall. In analysis SAP 2000 structural analysis program is used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Ethnobotanical field surveys revealed that various parts of Cichorium intybus L. has been used for wound healing in Turkish folk medicine. Aim of the study: The present study aimed at verifying the efficiency of various traditional prescriptions prepared from the aerial parts and roots of C. intybus experimentally and to define the components responsible from the activity by bioassay-guided procedures. Material and methods: Initially, wound healing activity of the aerial parts, leaves, and roots as well as ashes of either leaves or roots were investigated. Subsequently, roots of the plant were submitted to further detailed investigations. The wound healing activity of the methanolic extract, its subextracts, and fractions were evaluated by using in vivo linear incision and circular excision wound models in rats. The hydroxyproline content of the tissues treated with test ointments were also assessed for the activity evaluation. Moreover, in order to find out a possible involvement of antioxidant activity in wound healing, the test samples were also investigated by DPPH radical scavenging activity and total phenolic concentration were also determined. Additionally anti-inflammatory activity was assessed by using the method of Whittle, which is based on the inhibition of acetic acid-induced increase in capillary permeability. Through the bioassay guided fractionation one compound was isolated and its structure was elucidated by spectroscopic methods. For the determination of the activity mechanisms, the fractions were screened for hyaluronidase, collagenase and elastase enzyme inhibitory activities. Results: Methanolic extract of C. intybus roots was found to possess potent wound healing activity. Then this extract was subjected to successive solvent extraction with n-hexane, dichloromethane (DCM), ethyl acetate and n-butanol. Each solvent extracts were also applied on the same wound models. DCM subextract was found to be the most active one and through chromatographic techniques DCM subextract was fractionated into several fractions and compound 1 was isolated as the compound being responsible from the wound healing activity. Conclusion : The experimental study revealed that C. intybus methanolic extract displays wound healing effect and β-sitosterol was determined as the active compound responsible from the activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Thirty granite samples commonly used in Turkey were surveyed for natural radioactivity. Concentrations of natural radionuclides in all samples were determined by gamma-ray spectroscopy with hyper-pure germanium detector. The activity concentrations measured for 226Ra and 232Th ranged from 0.7±0.1 to 186±1 Bq kg−1, and from 0.5±0.1 to 249±2 Bq kg−1, respectively. The activity concentrations obtained for 40K varied from minimum detectable activity (0.4 Bq kg−1) to 1935±11 Bq kg−1. The radium equivalent activity (Raeq), the absorbed dose rate (D), the external hazard index (Hex) and the annual effective dose equivalent were also calculated and compared with the international recommended values. Granite samples were also analysed mineralogically. It was observed that the presence of large amount orthoclase and radiogenic accessory minerals are the sources of high activity concentration levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the number of Earth geopotential models (EGM) grows with the increasing number of data collected by dedicated satellite gravity missions, CHAMP, GRACE and GOCE, measuring the differences among the models and monitoring the improvements in gravity field recovery are required. This study assesses the performance of recent EGMs derived from CHAMP, GRACE, and other data in comparison to the earlier two models in Turkish territory. Also the improvement capacities of these EGMs using local terrestrial data are inspected with two different approaches. In the first approach, the spherical harmonic coefficients of EGMs are modified depending on the local gravity data. In the second part, the original EGMs with their maximum harmonic expansions are employed in Remove Compute Restore algorithm for high resolution local geoid modelling. The assessment results with the local terrestrial data exhibited large disagreements among the models in Turkey. The outputs from regional improvements of EGMs using the gravity observations clarified the important role of the ground truth data contribution in geopotential models. The validations of the computed high resolution geoids rely on the EGMs at the GNSS/levelling networks, having 451 and 309 benchmarks, provided an absolute accuracy by means of standard deviations of the geoid height differences around 20 cm. These results from the final stage of the case study provide a comparison among the EGMs by means of their fit to the local gravity field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SUMMARY The estimation of shear wave velocity and attenuation in near-surface geology is of primary importance in engineering seismology. In fact, such knowledge is essential for site response studies when preparing improved seismic hazard scenarios. In this study, we propose a linear inversion of the spectra of a deconvolved wavefield collected by a borehole array in Istanbul, Turkey. The spectra are calculated using as a reference the recordings collected by a sensor at the surface. This allows us to minimize the effect of the deconvolution filter on the peaks' amplitudes. The feasibility of the proposed inversion scheme and the parametrization of the velocity and attenuation models were tested and assessed using synthetic data. The real data inversion is carried out using observation from three weak motion events. Several starting models are used for each event, changing the values of the quality factor Qs, whereas the starting Vs profiles are fixed to what was obtained by the analysis of the deconvolved wavefield in the time domain. Our results showed that fairly well-constrained Vs models can be obtained while the variability of the Qs profile, both between different inversions of the same data set, and between the inversions of different data sets, might be large. This indicates that Qs variations observed in models derived by strong motion data inversions should be considered with care. However, the high agreement of the estimated soil profiles in the uppermost layer, both when using different events and different starting models, suggests that any variation in the S-wave velocity that might be estimated when using strong motion data should be reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aeromagnetic values over the study region are relatively uniform except for a few anomalies in the northeastern and southwestern areas. Analyses of aeromagnetic data were performed in NW Turkey, in order to have a look into the subsurface regional thermal structure of the region. For this purpose, power spectra, reduced to pole (RTP), and band-pass filtered anomalies were produced using geophysical techniques. Band-pass filtered data were produced from the RTP aeromagnetic anomalies to isolate near surface and undesired deep effects. Based on the aeromagnetic data interpretation, the thickness of the magnetized crust, named the Curie Point Depth (CPD), in the study area lies between 9.7 and 20.3 km. The CPD estimates in the Thrace region of Turkey indicate two shallow CPD (SCPD1 and SCPD2) zones (the Istranca Massif and the Saros Graben area). The deep CPD are located within the Thrace Basin with sediment thickness of about 9 km. The corresponding heat flow map prepared from the averaged thermal conductivities and thermal gradients from the CPD reveals the existence of one low heat flow zone (75 mW/m) over the center of Thrace Basin, and two high heat flow zones over the Istranca Masif (100-125 mW/m) in the northern side and Saros Graben (125-135 mW/m) areas in the southern side of the Thrace Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we aimed to determine the molecular approaches used in the laboratory diagnosis of Hb D- Los Angeles and to show rapid and reliable diagnosis of the mutation by SPR (Surface Plasmon Resonance) spectroscopy based biosensor. Materials and Methods: In this study, we were investigated with heterozygote Hb D- Los Angeles [β121(GH4) Glu>Gln] (n:5) and healthy (Hb AA, n:5) individuals. These individuals were unrelated with each other. For the determination of the Hb D- Los Angeles mutation alkaline/acid electrophoresis DE-52 microcolumn chromatography procedures were applied at the protein level. This mutation were determinated by Eco RI restriction enzyme/SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) and labelled fluorescence automated DNA sequencing methods based on PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) at the gene level. We were examined by using SPR spectroscopy as real-time interactions in between biotinylated PCR products and the restriction enzyme Eco RI. Results: Differences between Hb AD-Los Angeles and Hb AA samples were determined with SPR spectroscopy as the real-time. According to our results, SPR spectroscopy method can detect the changes in between Hb AA and Hb AD Los Angeles mutation. The resonance recordings have been given 400 arc second as a result of interaction HbAA PCR products with Eco RI restriction endonuclease, whereas between Eco RI enzyme and target PCR products have been given 300 arc second in the case of heterozygous Hb D Los Angeles from the binding curves. In between them, 100 arc second of the resonance difference were caused by Hb D- Los Angeles mutation. Conclusion: Molecular diagnostic methods are important tools for the identification of the abnormal hemoglobins. Since abnormal hemoglobins present some similar results with electrophoretic and chromatographic methods, precise identification method is DNA sequencing analysis. DNA sequence analysis is not used to every laboratory routinely, because of the need for an experienced user, to give long term results and to be expensive. In this regard, we have been concluded that SPR spectroscopy can be used as routine applications in short period of time and real-time detection in the model of Hb D Los Angeles. Similar approaches based on SPR can be also developed for the abnormal hemoglobins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cathodoluminescence (CL) and optical absorption properties of rhodonite natural silicate mineral were investigated. CL spectra show an intense Mn2+ luminescence band, which occurs as broad-band emission in the orange-to-red range. The broadness of the emission is explained by strong interaction of 3d ions with the surrounding crystal field, which is strongly affected by lattice and atomistic vibrations of the ligands. Rhodonite rock exhibits luminescence maxima at 310, 425, and 626 nm. The Raman spectrum of rhodonite (from Turkey) is characterized by an intense band at about 668 cm−1 assigned to ν4 bending mode and showed additional bands exhibiting loss of degeneracy of the SiO4 units. A strong band at 408 cm−1 is attributed to the ν2 bending bond. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Wave energy which has a great potential among the other renewable energy resources is currently considered as an important instrument against global warming. Within this context the significance of wave energy to overcome the difficulties which will arise to attain the energy objectives of 2020 has been discovered. Hence at the beginning of 2000's, a great many companies throughout the world have been founded to generate energy via waves and they have been supported by governments. Waves have the following superiorities over the other alternative energy resources:1) waves can travel long distances without major energy losses and since their estimations can be done for longer periods their project risks decrease, 2) wave energy is approximately 1000 times greater than the kinetic energy of the wind, 3) wave energy generators can work all hours with respect to those of sun and wind, 4) wave energy varies with square of wave height whereas wind energy varies with cube of the speed which causes the wave to generate more power compared to the wind, 5) estimation of wave potential is much easier than that of wind which makes wave energy attractive for the investor, 6) wave energy generation systems are more silent and they do not cause visual pollution. The objective of this study is to make an examination of existing wave energy technologies and economic analysis so as to preapare a basis for future research. A first attempt has been made to investigate the wave energy potential along the coasts of Turkey. Other than that a comparison of actual wave data to estimated wave values has been done. During a storm the generated wave series is best expressed on total energy basis by the wave spectrum. By this way energy can be accessed by transferring from probability domain to frequency domain. In this study in cases where wave data is available the spectral method, where this data is unavailable the statistical method has been used. The analysis of hourly wind data which belong to 27 State Meteorological Stations situated all over Turkey along the Black Sea, Mediterranean and Agean coasts is made and wave properties have been determined. Making use of the wave properties the energy per unit crest length has been calculated in terms of the significant wave height and the period. This study can be considered as a preliminary work for the map of wave energy of Turkish coasts. Kilyos town has been selected as a pilot region which is detected as technically and economically highly suitable. At this location a wave measurement apparatus has been placed on the bottom of the sea. Also at the same location on land a wind anemometer (CR800 Datalogger) is placed to record data every 15 minutes. Wave energy transformers are classified into three groups as 1) coast, 2) near coast 3) off shore types. A significant part of coast type energy trasformers are systems which work by oscillating water column principle. Near coast type energy transformers are apparatuses that work within the area until a depth of 20m. These apparatuses may be rigitly connected to the sea bottom as well as being swimming bodies connected by different binding methods. Off shore type systems are installed at depths where waves do not interact with sea bottom and thus do not lose any energy. These systems have an advantage of using the total energy of the waves. Following the tidal and wind energy systems, the wave energy systems are requiring the least investment cost per MW among the other alternative renewable energy resource systems. Depending on the geographical position of any station firstly the directions in which energy can be produced is decided. Secondly for a given set of wind data, an average wind velocity is calculated for storms during which the wind velocity exceeds a selected wind velocity as u0 in the decided directions. Finally the characteristics of the waves that will be produced by these storms can be found as Hs significant wave height (m), T wave period (s) and J power per length (W/m). A comparison of the measured and calculated wave characteristics is performed for the pilot region Kilyos. It is generally observed that there is an harmony of wave heights for short duration storms. However for long duration storms there may be a difference of twice the wave heights between the calculated and the measured waves. It is determined by research that this diffrence in wave heights is due to the assumptions made while hindcasting of the waves. By this project, a significant data analysis on wave energy is realized and an infrastructure is formed for future studies. With this basis, it is aimed to make wave measurements at different coasts and thus determine actual energy production potentials. Turkey owns a long coast line on which more than 70% of its population lives. It is believed that Turkey should not fall behind the related developments which take place in the world [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a research study designed to use Singular Spectrum Analysis (SSA) to segments of sleep electroencephalogram (EEG) collected from healthy volunteers and patients diagnosed with psycho physiological insomnia or paradoxical insomnia. Topics covered include the different aspects of sleep EEG and SSA, the materials and methods used in the study, and details relating to the Artificial Neural Network (ANN) architectures used for EEG classification.

The article presents the spectral analysis of the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals in migraine and epileptic patients through visual evoked potentials (VEP). Topics discussed include the light hypersensitivity of migraine patients, the visual inspection of power spectral densities as well as the Burg AR parametric method of EEG signal analysis. Also mentioned are flash stimuli at different frequencies, neurological attacks and migraine/epileptic seizure detection.

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Juniperus oxycedrus L. (Cupressaceae) fruits and leaves are used internally and pounded fruits are eaten for diabetes in Turkey. Aim of the study: To evaluate the interrelationships between the levels of chosen trace elements (copper, iron, and zinc) and hepatic, renal lipid peroxidation (TBARS) in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats treated with Juniperus oxycedrus ssp. oxycedrus (J.o.s.o.) leaf and fruit extracts for 10 days. Materials and methods: J.o.s.o. fruit and leaf extracts were administered in STZ-induced diabetic rats, at doses of 500 and 1000mg/kg. The blood glucose levels were measured in the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th day of experiment. Fe, Cu, and Zn contents and lipid peroxidation levels of liver and kidney tissues were determined by atomic absorption spectrophotometry and ultraviolet spectrophotometry, respectively. Results: Treatment of diabetic rats with the J.o.s.o. fruit and leaf extracts decreased the blood glucose levels and both the levels of lipid peroxidation in liver and kidney tissues. J.o.s.o. extracts have augmented Zn concentrations in liver of STZ-induced diabetic rats. Conclusions: Results indicated that J.o.s.o. fruit and leaf extracts might be beneficial for diabetes and its complications. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We studied the species composition and soil nutrients in a Pinus brutia forest after a fire that occurred in 1989. Four permanent plots were created in the burnt and not burnt areas in the Amanos Mountains of Turkey. The floristic richness, biological spectra, above ground phytomass and soil features in the study areas were assessed during the first three years after the fire. After the fire, we found a reduced amount of organic matter (14.3%), total nitrogen (22%) and soil water saturation (13.1%), but an increased amount of available phosphorus (71%), acidity (3.6%), cation exchange capacity (9.9%), exchangeable sodium (20.8%) and exchangeable potassium (37.1%). The aboveground phytomass in the burned area reached 5284 kg ha-1, the third year after the fire. Forty-six pre-fire species were renewed in the first three years after the fire. Juniperus oxycedrus could not renew within three years after the fire. Pine phytomass has increased five times within three years after the fire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon concentration and gamma activity concentration of naturally occurring radionuclides were determined and presented for two tourist caves (Karaca and Çal caves) in this study. These caves are reported to receive about 77,000 visitors during the summer season in 2007. It was seen that mean radon activity concentrations for the winter and summer seasons for the Karaca cave is 1,023 and 823 Bq/m and for the Çal cave is 264 and 473 Bq/m. Mean Ra, Th, and K activity concentrations are found to be 43, 19, and 262 Bq/kg for the Karaca cave and 31, 27, and 460 Bq/kg for the Çal cave. Doses received by the cave guides due to radon were estimated to be 2.9 mSv/year for the winter season and 2.3 mSv/year for the summer season for the Karaca cave. Same values were estimated for the Çal cave, and the results were found to be 0.6 mSv/year for the winter season and 1.1 mSv/year for the summer season. Annual effective doses received by the visitors in both caves were estimated to be in the order of μSv/year because of the short exposure time comparing the cave guides. Although the reported values are below the recommended values, both groups are exposed to possible radiological risk during their stay inside the cave, since prolonged exposure to high radon concentration has been linked to lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Essential oil composition of the needles of Pinus nigra Arnold collected from different localities in Turkey was investigated by GC and GC/MS. The main components in the oils were α-pinene, β-pinene, β-caryophyllene, and germacrene D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), a major source of inter-annual atmospheric variability over the Northern Hemisphere in detecting climatic changes in Turkey. The author claims that hydrologic variables are important indicators of climatic change and climatic change is expected to be detected in the variation of lake levels. It also says that NAO investigates the variability of the lake levels of several lakes using the method of continuous wavelet transforms and global spectra. In addition, NAO has been considered as one of the most important teleconnection patterns which affects Atlantic weather patterns and therefore causes regional climatic anomalies, particularly over Europe and Mediterranean basin.

Surface sediments from 17 stations in the Istanbul Strait and Marmara Sea were collected and analysed for major and trace elements by wavelength-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (WDXRF). Metal concentrations in surface sediments varied from 1.3 to 7.2 % for Al, 4.8 to 18 mg kg- 1 for As, 119 to 599 mg kg- 1 for Ba, below detection limit (bdl) to 6.6 mg kg- 1 for Cd, 18 to 222 mg kg- 1 for Cr, 7.6 to 180 mg kg- 1 for Cu, 1.0 to 5.5 % for Fe (10 000 to 55 000 mg kg- 1), 171 to 718 mg kg- 1for Mn, 3.3 to 64 mg kg- 1 for Ni, 4.5 to 461 mg kg- 1 for Pb, 1.3 to 68 mg kg- 1 for Sn, 19 to 170 mg kg- 1 for V and 16 to 859 mg kg- 1 for Zn. Three tools have been applied in order to evaluate metal pollution in the sediments; Sediment quality guidelines (SQGs), enrichment factors (EFs) and geoaccumulation index (Igeo). SQGs values indicate that Pb and Ni are the most likely contaminants to cause adverse biological effects. On the other hand, both metal enrichment factors and geoaccumulation index show that As, Zn, Pb and Cd contaminations exist in the entire study area and contamination of other metals is also present in some sites depending on the sources. Factor analysis (FA) receptor modelling technique was applied to investigate the sources affecting surface sediment samples at the Istanbul Strait. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study we investigate the effects of solar activity on the surface air temperature of Turkey. This enables us to understand existence of solar activity effects on the temperature. We used surface air temperature, pressure and tropospheric absorbing aerosol data as climate parameters and solar flare index data as solar activity indicator. We considered the parameters temperature and flare index data for the period data ranging from the beginning of January 1976 to the end of December 2006, which cover almost three solar cycles, 21st, 22nd and 23rd. However, only the period interval starting from January 1980 up to December 2005 includes the tropospheric absorbing aerosol data. We found a significant correlation between solar activity and surface air temperature for only cycle 23. We applied multitaper method to obtain the cyclic behavior of surface air temperature data sets. The most pronounced power peaks were found by this transform to be present at 1.2 and 2.5 years, which were reported earlier for some solar activity indicators. We concluded that solar activity effect exists on surface air temperature of Turkey; besides changes of greenhouse gases and tropospheric absorbing aerosols concentration have also a dominant effect on the surface air temperature of Turkey. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Samples from four different parts of the peat deposits in the Yeniçaǧa (Bolu, Turkey) region were pyrolyzed in a fix-bed pipe type furnace at a heating rate of 2°C/min and at a temperature of 600°C. The analyses for the structure of the liquid products obtained were performed by elemental analysis, 1H-NMR spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The structure of the solid products was determined by proximate and ultimate analyses, while the composition of gas products was found by gas chromatography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper in roadside soil and plants in Elazig, Turkey were investigated. Soil samples were collected at distances of 0, 25 and 50 m from the roadside. The concentrations of lead, cadmium and copper were measured by Flame Atomic Absorption Spectrophotometry (FAAS). A slotted tube atom trap (STAT) was used to increase the sensitivity of lead and cadmium in FAAS. Lead concentrations in soil samples varied from 1.3 to 45 mg kg−1 while mean lead levels in plants ranged from120 ng g−1 for grape in point-4 to 866 ng g−1 for apple leaves in point-2. Lead analyses showed that there was a considerable contamination in both soil and plants affected from traffic intensity. Overall level of Cd in soil samples lies between 78 and 527 ng/g while cadmium concentration in different vegetations varied in the range of 0.8–98.0 ng g−1. Concentrations of copper in soil and plant samples were found in the range of 11.1–27.9 mg kg−1 for soil and 0.8–5.6 mg kg−1 for plants. Standard reference material (SRM) was used to find the accuracy of the results of soil analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The podocin ( NPHS2) gene encodes podocin protein, which has an important role in glomerular ultrafiltration and controlling slit membrane permeability. The detection of an NPHS2 mutation affects the treatment plan for children with nephritic syndrome (NS). The frequency and spectrum of podocin mutations in the Turkish population have remained largely unknown. The aim of this study was to screen for podocin mutations in Turkish patients with steroid-resistant NS (SRNS) and to compare it with other published series. There were 295 children with SRNS, originating from Turkey, included in this study. Forty-one patients (13.8%) had familial NS and 254 patients (86.2%) had sporadic NS. Mutation analysis was performed in all eight exons of the NPHS2 gene with the direct DNA sequencing method. There were 53 different pathogenetic NPHS2 mutations detected, including 37 novel mutations. The mutation detection rate was 24.7% for all patients, 29.2% for familial, and 24% for sporadic SRNS. The most common mutated exon was exon 5 (52 allele). The presence of mutations in exon 4 was found to increase the risk of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Among patients with mutations, the rates of renal failure and/or ESRD (26%) were significantly higher than in those without mutations (12.6%). The mean time of progression to renal failure and ESRD in patients with mutations (1.8 ± 2.5 years) was significantly shorter than in patients without mutations (3.7 ± 4.0 years). Additionally, in patients with heterozygote mutations, fewer cases (13.6%) progressed to renal failure and/or ESRD than in with patients who had homozygote/compound heterozygote mutations (31.3%). In conclusion, podocin mutations are responsible for some of both familial and sporadic SRNS cases in Turkey. The mutations in this gene should be searched for in every child after presentation with the first episode of NS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The bentonite deposits in Başören Kütahya, W Anatolia, Turkey were formed by alteration of Pliocene perlite and pyroclastic rocks. Two types of bentonites are distinguished in this area on the basis of their physical properties, chemistry and occurrence. Bentonites were examined to determine their mineralogical, chemical and physical properties. Analytical methods include X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), chemical analysis and measurement of cation exchange capacity (CEC), swelling volume, water adsorption, bleaching capacity, and firing shrinkage. Bentonites consist mainly of dioctahedral smectite. They also contain zeolite, opal-CT, cristobalite, quartz, feldspar, dolomite and calcite. The 'Type 2' bentonites had greater CEC, swelling volume, water adsorption and bleaching capacity than 'Type 1'. The variation in the physical properties of the two bentonites is attributed to the differences in the non-clay mineralogy and to the chemical composition and nature of interlayer cation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study some heavy metal uptake in mushroom species, their metal content in soil substrate and the relation in between metal concentration in mushroom and soil were investigated. Mushroom species and soil in which mushroom species were grown were collected from Tokat region of Turkey. Six different mushroom species and their underlying soil (0-10 cm layer) samples were analyzed for some heavy metals (Cu, Pb, Fe, Zn, Cd, Mn, Ni, Cr and Co). The analysis was performed with an atomic absorption spectrometer. The results indicate that in general, heavy metal contents in all mushroom species were lower than the underlying soil substrates except for some mushroom species. The results obtained from the analyses of mushroom and underlying soil samples were evaluated using linear correlation analysis and concentration factors to identify the metal accumulation of mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a study on spectral analysis of semi-rigid supported single story frames modeled as Timoshenko column with attached mass for 1999 Izmit earthquake in Turkey including rotatory inertia of the columns. Newmark-β method for period values of 0 to 3 seconds utilizing a computer program has created the response spectrum analysis of the model subjected to the earthquake.

Abstract: Radioactivity levels were determined in soil, coal and water samples collected from various locations in the south Marmara region of Turkey. The activities in samples were determined using TENNELEC LB 1000-PW detector. The absolute beta activities were observed to vary in the range for soil in units of , and for coal samples in units of and for water in units of . In addition, gamma spectra of soil and coal samples which have highest level of beta activities were measured by using HpGe detector. 235U, 214Pb, 134Cs, 137Cs, 214Bi and 40K were detected in soil samples. 235U, 214Pb, 134Cs and 214Bi were detected in coal samples. The radioactivity levels in water samples were compared with WHO and ITS recommended levels and the literature values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Annual effective dose equivalent due to natural gamma radiation from 238U, 232Th and 40K have been evaluated from granites in Turkey. Forty samples were taken for spectrometric analysis. Specific concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in granite samples were determined. Spectroscopy system was used with 1.8 keV (FWHM) coaxial high purity germanium (HPGe) detector. Average values of concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K were detected at 15.85, 33.76 and 359 Bq kg-1, respectively. The average value of radon varies from 0.073 to 0.185 Bq m-2 h-1 exhalation depends on the specific concentration of uranium. The dose rate due to this highest activity which have been evaluated by a Monte Carlo transport calculations does not exceed 0.4 mSv a-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The adsorption of 2-, 3- and 4-pyridinecarboxamide (PYCA) on montmorillonite and saponite has been investigated using FT-IR spectrometry. The intercalation of 2-, 3- or 4-pyridinecarboxamide within montmorillonite or saponite has been shown by X-ray diffraction to increase the interlayer spacings. PYCA interacted with clays by direct or indirect coordination (through water molecules) to the exchangeable cations. It is concluded that endocyclic nitrogen is mainly involved in coordination. Amido group hydrogens and oxygen, however, may involve weak H-bonding interaction with water molecules. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K in brick, cement and sand samples used as building materials in Manisa province were analysed by a gamma-ray spectroscopy coupled with a Nal (TI) detector. Doses received by the citizens living in Manisa due to these building materials were also calculated. The highest activity concentrations of 238U, 232Th and 40K found in the sand samples were 1559.10Bq·kg-1, 142.48Bq·kg-1 and 1711.47Bq·kg-1, respectively. The maximum mean of radium equivalent activity Raeq was 945 Bq·kg-1 calculated for levels in sand, gravel and stone samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most applications of the stochastic Green's function simulation, amplitude characteristics of seismic responses at target sites are taken into consideration, but phase information of them is often disregarded or just assumed to be random. However, when seismic waves from the source pass through different geological strata, they take multiple paths and, as result, the arrival times of different seismic phases to the receiver vary. Especially in basin structures, seismic waves trapped in unconsolidated deposits or secondarily induced at the basin edges elongate the duration of ground motion. In the present study, a simple empirical method using the Meyer-Yamada wavelet procedure is proposed for the phase-dependent site response estimation in time domain. The method reveals the amplitude and phase effects of extended duration of ground motion on site response by utilizing the wavelet transform. Because the wavelet transform yields a localization of a signal in both frequency and time domains, the phase information of the signal stays intact. Application of this method has been performed using the aftershock records of the 1999 Düzce, Turkey Earthquake (Mw 7.1). Amplitude spectra of absolute site responses were also calculated by a spectral calculation method at each station for comparison purpose. Good agreement between the amplitude spectra calculated with the wavelet method and those of the spectral calculation method supports the efficiency of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Curie point depth map of Western Anatolia was constituted from spectral analysis of the aeromagnetic data. The Curie point depth values from 53 overlapping blocks, 90 × 90 km in size, have been estimated from the band-pass filtered data. The slope of the longest wavelength part of the radially averaged log power spectrum divided by the radial frequency produced the depth to the centroid (z0) for the deepest crustal block. The depth to the top (zt) was obtained by the slope of the second longest wavelength part of the spectrum. From these depths, the Curie point depth was then calculated by usingz b=2z0-z t. The Curie point depth estimates for Western Anatolia range between 8.2 and 19.9 km.A corresponding heat-flow map has been constructed from the Curie point depths and thermal conductivity measurements. The boundary between the areas of shallow and deep Curie point depth coincides with an active extensional system which is characterized by a complex cross-cutting horst-graben system. Deepening of Curie point depths (low heat flows) are observed at Hellenic trench axes. The shallow Curie point depths observed in the western part of the study area correspond with recent geological features such as the grabens of the Menderes Massif. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral analyses, one of the most advanced remote sensing techniques, were used as a possible means of identifying the mineralogy of the clay fractions that corresponded to the Küçük Menderes Plain, south of İzmir, Turkey. Different spectral processes were used to execute the prospective spectral analyses. The processes include: i. the reflectance calibration of TM images belonging to the studied area, ii. using minimum noise fraction (MNF) transformation and iii. creating the pixel purity index (PPI), which was used to the most "spectrally pure", extreme, pixel in multi-spectral images. Spectral analyses of the clay mineralogy of the studied area were obtained by matching the unknown spectra of the purest pixels to pre-defined (library) spectra providing scores with respect to the library spectra. Three methods, namely Spectral Feature Fitting (SFF), Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) and Binary Encoding (BE) were used to produce a score between 0 and 1, where the value of 1 equals a perfect match showing the exact mineral type. We were able to identify 4 clay minerals i.e., vermiculite, kaolinite, montmorillonite and illite, recording different scores related to their abundance in the soils. In order to check the validity and accuracy of the results obtained regarding the spectral signatures of the minerals identified, soil samples taken from the same localities were subjected to X-ray analysis. As a result a good correlation was found between the spectral signatures and the X-ray diffractions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avcılar is the suburb of Istanbul that was most heavily damaged during the August 17, 1999 Mw 7.4 Izmit earthquake. Strong ground motion caused fatalities and damage in Avcılar despite being ∼90 km from the epicenter. We deployed five portable seismograph stations equipped with Reftek 24-bit recorders and L4C-3D seismometers for 2 months, in order to understand why the local site response was different from elsewhere in Istanbul. A reference station was placed on a hard rock site, and the remaining four stations were placed on other geological units, in areas that had experienced varying levels of damage. We calculated frequency-dependent ground amplification curves by taking the ratios of the spectra at soft and hard rock sites. We obtained similar site response curves for most earthquakes at each site in the frequency range of 0.3–1.6 Hz, and observed no significant site amplification beyond 2.0 Hz at any site. The overall characteristics of the recorded S-waveforms and our modeling of the calculated site amplification curves are consistent with amplification as a result of trapping of seismic energy within a 100–150 m thick, low-velocity subsurface layer. We also review the applicability of microtremor measurements to estimate local site effects at Avcılar. For these data, we used ratios of spectra of horizontal to vertical components to obtain each site response. These results are compared with standard spectral ratios. These microtremor measurements provide consistent estimates of the amplification at most sites at the higher end of the frequency band, namely above 1 Hz. The results from both methods indeed agree well in this part of the frequency band. However, the microtremor method fails to detect amplification at lower frequencies, namely <1.0 Hz. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a recent work, quartz single crystal extracted from the pegmatitic vein in the Menderes Massif (Western Turkey) was investigated and the most recent geological events of the sample was dated using A1 centers by ESR (electron spin resonance) techniques. The estimated age of 1.8±0.5 My agree with neither the previous age evaluated to be 12 My by using isotopic dating techniques nor the lifetimes of these centers in the sample. It was suggested that the thermal or geothermal stressing history of the metamorphic region must have changed the apparent ESR age several cycles in this period. The other possibility should also be considered that annealing and reirradiation processes repeated for many times over a long period might effect the paramagnetic characteristics, such as g (spectroscopic splitting factor) values, hyperfine structures of the centers as well as change the ESR ages. Hence the motivation should be investigated at least one cycle. In this study, the angular dependence of the ESR spectra of these centers has been surveyed to understand the influence of heating and reirradiation. Only 9 values of the Ti centers measured at 100 K could be investigated since their hyperfine structure was well-resolved, while the ESR spectra of A1 centers were too complex for this investigation. The principal values and direction cosines of the g-tensor of the Ti centers were calculated to be nearly the same for natural, irradiated and irradiated-annealed-reirradiated samples. Ti centers destroyed by annealing were recreated by ϒ-reirradiation, at least for one step, without affecting the behaviour of the angular dependence of g. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Six trace metals (Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, Pb, Cd) were determined in 12 different mushroom samples collected from polluted and unpolluted locations in Tokat, Turkey using flame and graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrometry after dry ashing, wet ashing and microwave digestion. The study of sample preparation procedures showed that the microwave digestion method was the best. The proposed method showed satisfactory recovery, detection limits and standard deviation for trace metals determination in mushroom samples. The results were in the ppm range 184-7560 (Fe), 12-181 (Cu), 16-122 (Mn), 18-403 (Zn), 0.75-7.77 (Pb), and 0.14-5.50 (Cd). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First study from Stratonikeia using chemometrics and a high number of samples. • Developed various multivariate models by FTIR spectroscopy for the discrimination. • Compared the discrimination capabilities of the models as statistically. • Investigated the mineralogical composition and the firing conditions by FTIR data. The use of attenuated total reflectance (ATR) Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra combined with chemometrics were tested to assess the firing conditions of the shard samples excavated from the ancient city of Stratonikeia. Totally thirty-six principal component analysis (PCA) models were compared according to their ability to classify fifty-five shard samples. The PCA model using normal FTIR spectra ranged between 825 and 400 cm−1 with 25 smoothing points showed the best classification results by dividing the shard samples into five different groups (A, B, C, D, E) based on their different spectral information. To determine the firing conditions and the mineralogical compositions of the shard groups, the second-derivative ATR-FTIR spectra (two polynomial degrees and 11 smoothing points of Savitzky-Golay) between 1700 and 400 cm−1 was successfully used. It was determined that the minerals of pseudo-amorphous structure of meta-smectite, quartz, muscovite, gehlenite, and gypsum were the main phases in the shard samples fired in the oxidizing atmospheric conditions. The obtained findings indicate that the firing temperature is about 800–950 °C and 600–800 °C for the shard groups of A, B, C, and D and E, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]