Mapping of bioclimatic comfort for potential planning using GIS in Aydin

People are relaxed (satisfied or well-off) in what is described as comfortable climatic conditions. In such conditions, a person’s energy balance is not disturbed because of stresses from extreme heat or cold. Bioclimatic structure has been well researched and should be a consideration in the planning process for arranging comfortable spaces. It represents the understanding that energy balance is one of the basic elements of a sustainable landscape design. The goals of this study have been to create ideal places for human thermal comfort and to advance objectives focused on the importance of sustainable and ecological landscape planning and design work, along with their accompanying economic benefits. In this study, which focuses on the climate of the Province of Aydin, the most suitable areas for bioclimatic comfort have been identified. The climate values for the Aydin Province have been taken from a total of 22 meteorological stations. Stations at altitudes ranging from 11 to 871 m were used to note the climate changes that occurred. The average temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed from each station, including data collected using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, were transferred. GIS maps were then created from the imported data, and areas of optimal comfort around the city of Aydin were determined. The results show the range that is suitable for a bioclimatic comfort zone in Aydin. The bioclimatic comfort range was determined to be roughly 17 °C for Aydin, and the city of Aydin demonstrated a comfort range between 14 and 19 °C. As a result, the city of Aydin was shown to be a suitable area for bioclimatic comfort.     

The effects of evening primrose oil on arsenic-induced oxidative stress in rats

Forty-eight male Wistar albino rats were allocated to the four groups such that each comprised 12 animals. The first group was maintained as the control. In group 2, evening primrose oil was administered at a dose of 0.1 mL rat^?1 day^?1 (～500 mg kg^?1 bw) into the stomach via gavage, whilst in group 3 sodium arsenide was administered at a concentration of 100 mg L^?1 in ad-libitum drinking water for 30 days. The fourth group was given 0.1 mL rat^?1 day^?1 evening primrose oil into the stomach via gavage plus 100 mg L^?1 of sodium arsenide in ad-libitum drinking water for 30 days. At the end of the 30th day, tissue (liver, lung, kidney, brain, heart, spleen, and testis) and blood samples were collected from each group. Malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) levels and superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were measured in the samples. Exposure to arsenic in rats causes oxidative stress by increasing lipid peroxidation (increase of MDA and NO levels) and altering the activity of antioxidant enzymes. Evening primrose oil did not have any adverse effects. Furthermore, it was ascertained that the administration of arsenic with evening primrose oil reduced the severity of oxidative stress.     

A sustainability index for small island developing states

This paper proposes a novel approach to measuring the progress of small island developing states (SIDS) towards sustainable development (SD) as set by the UN Sustainable Development Goals 2030. Currently, these goals do not provide adequate guidance on how countries might measure their progress towards sustainability. We use these goals and a subset of their targets to develop an index with concrete targets, through the use of pertinent sustainability indicators, that SIDS should aim to achieve a sustainable society. In addition to the three categorical pillars of SD (social, economic and environmental), we included the category Climate Change and Disaster Management (incorporating Disaster Risk Reduction). The basis of our decision is that the UN and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change have both recognized the vulnerability of SIDS to both environmental hazards. Our index scores a total 70 individual indicators for the four categories to track the progress of a SIDS towards a sustainable society. Using the Caribbean nation, Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, as our SIDS case study, we report the average of the scores for each category to illustrate its progress towards sustainability. Overall Trinidad and Tobago is slowly progressing towards a more sustainably developed society. Our results show that the nation is only moderately successful regarding progress in three traditional pillars of SD, social, economic and environmental. However, Trinidad and Tobago scores poorly in the Climate Change and Disaster Management category and needs to improve in this area especially due to its vulnerability.     

Environmental and climatic signals from stable isotopes in Anatolian tree rings, Turkey

Dendrochronological and oxygen–carbon isotopic analysis was conducted on tree rings collected at two different elevations from three different regions in western Anatolia, Turkey. Tree rings were sampled from Anatolian black pines (Pinus nigra Arn. subsp. pallasiana (Lamb.) Holmboe) of at least 200?years old through an N–S transect covering Bolu-Mengen (north), Kütahya–Simav, and Antalya–Alanya (south) forests. Cellulose was extracted from 5-year blocks of tree rings from lower to upper altitudes in each region. Dendrochronological site chronologies were built for each of the 6 sites, and response to climate was evaluated. The long-term δ¹³C chronologies comprising the period 1800–2008 strongly decline by an average of 2.5‰ from the mid-twentieth century, which corresponds with the commencement of industrialization in Turkey. Oxygen isotope (δ¹⁸O) time series show dominantly low undulations, although some high-frequency variations of up to 6‰ are also observed. As a result of latitude and continent effects, oxygen isotope values of tree rings show an average of 3‰ increase from south (Antalya) to the north (Bolu). Correlations between carbon isotope ratios yield high positive values indicating that industrial pollution exerts a major control on the δ¹³C systematics of the studied trees. Corrected δ¹³C ratios are mostly represented by strong positive responses to variations in temperature and precipitation, whereas δ¹⁸O and summer temperature/precipitation are negatively correlated. Tree-ring widths and δ¹⁸O display similar responses to the temperature and sensitivity to the climatic impact of historic volcanic eruptions, and changes in the solar irradiance record are also detected in other high-resolution paleoclimate archives for the region.     

Adsorption of cationic and anionic surfactants onto organic polymer resin Lewatit VPOC 1064 MD PH

The adsorption of a cationic (CTAB, cetyl trimethylammonium bromide) and an anionic surfactant (SLES, sodium dodecylethersulfate) from aqueous solution onto organic polymer resin (Lewatit VPOC 1064 MD PH) was studied. A series of batch experiments were performed to determine the sorption isotherms of surfactants to organic polymer resin. The experimental studies were analyzed by Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms. Furthermore, the isotherm parameters, average percentage errors (ε) of model data, and separation factor (R _L) were calculated. Other factors influencing the adsorption capacity (contact time, adsorbent amount, and initial surfactant concentration) were also discussed. The experimental data fitted very well to the Langmuir equilibrium model in the studied concentration range. The calculated R _L values showed that the adsorption of both surfactants were favorable. Among the surfactants, CTAB showed higher adsorption capacity onto organic polymer resin compared to SLES (Q ⁰ = 250 and 34.36 mg g⁻¹, respectively).     

Delineation of soil and groundwater contamination using geophysical methods at a waste disposal site in Çanakkale, Turkey

Direct current (DC) resistivity, self potential (SP) and very low frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM) measurements are carried out to detect the spread of groundwater contamination and to locate possible pathways of leachate plumes, that resulted from an open waste disposal site of Canakkale municipality. There is no proper management of the waste disposal site in which industrial and domestic wastes were improperly dumped. Furthermore, because of the dumpsite is being located at the catchment area borders of a small creek and is being topographically at a high elevation relative to the urban area, the groundwater is expected to be hazardously contaminated. Interpretations of DC resistivity geoelectrical data showed a low resistivity zone (<5 ohm-m), which appears to be a zone, that is fully saturated with leachate from an open dumpsite. The VLF-EM and SP method, support the results of geoelectrical method relating a contaminated zone in the survey area. There is a good correlation between the geophysical investigations and the results of previously collected geochemical and hydrochemical measurements.     

Impacts of sublethal lead exposure on the hemato-immunological parameters in tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus)

The effects of exposure of tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) to sublethal concentrations of lead on hematological and immunological parameters were investigated. The fish were semistatically exposed to low (L) (0.5 mg L^?1), medium (M) (2.5 mg L^?1), and high (H) (5 mg L^?1) lead concentrations for 14 days. At the end of the trial, red blood cell (RBC) count, hematocrit (Hct) ratio and hemoglobin levels showed significant decreases in M and H groups, while RBC was significantly increased in L group compared to control group. Lysozyme activity showed a decrease in all groups on day 14 compared to control. A decrease in myeloperoxidase activity was seen in M and H groups on day 7, and in all treatment groups on day 14. In conclusion, it was found that exposure of O. mossambicus to lead concentrations affected hematological and immunogical parameters adversely.     

Genotoxic biomonitoring study of population residing in pesticide contaminated regions in Göksu Delta: micronucleus, chromosomal aberrations and sister chromatid exchanges

Pesticides are widely used throughout the world in agriculture to protect crops and in public health to control diseases. Nevertheless, exposure to pesticides represents a potential risk to humans. This paper describes a study of possible genetic damage in the people living in regions contaminated with complex mixture of pesticides in G?ksu Delta. In this study, used methods were chromosomal aberration (CA), sister chromatid exchange analysis (SCE) in the peripheral blood lymphocytes, and micronucleus (MN) assay in the buccal epithelial cells. In the present investigation, 32 affected subjects consist of 16 smoking and 16 non-smokings and an equal number of control subjects were assessed for genome damage. Micronucleus (MN), Broken egg (BE), Karyorrhexis (KR), Karyolysis (KL) and Binucleus (BN) frequencies were higher in affected subjects than in controls. Smoking had a statistically significant effect on the Micronucleus, Karyorrhexis and Binucleus frequencies for both the control and the exposed group. Also smoking and exposure affected the frequency of sister chromatid exchange and chromosomal aberrations compared with control groups.     

Deconstructing compassionate conservation

Compassionate conservation focuses on 4 tenets: first, do no harm; individuals matter; inclusivity of individual animals; and peaceful coexistence between humans and animals. Recently, compassionate conservation has been promoted as an alternative to conventional conservation philosophy. We believe examples presented by compassionate conservationists are deliberately or arbitrarily chosen to focus on mammals; inherently not compassionate; and offer ineffective conservation solutions. Compassionate conservation arbitrarily focuses on charismatic species, notably large predators and megaherbivores. The philosophy is not compassionate when it leaves invasive predators in the environment to cause harm to vastly more individuals of native species or uses the fear of harm by apex predators to terrorize mesopredators. Hindering the control of exotic species (megafauna, predators) in situ will not improve the conservation condition of the majority of biodiversity. The positions taken by so-called compassionate conservationists on particular species and on conservation actions could be extended to hinder other forms of conservation, including translocations, conservation fencing, and fertility control. Animal welfare is incredibly important to conservation, but ironically compassionate conservation does not offer the best welfare outcomes to animals and is often ineffective in achieving conservation goals. Consequently, compassionate conservation may threaten public and governmental support for conservation because of the limited understanding of conservation problems by the general public.