Estimation of daily sunshine duration using support vector machines

Although sunshine duration (SD) is one of the most frequently measured meteorological parameters, there is a lack of measurements in some parts of the world. Hence, it should be estimated accurately for areas where no reliable measurement is possible. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the potential of support vector machine (SVM) approach for estimating daily SD. For this purpose, three different kernels of SVM, such as linear, polynomial, and radial basis function (RBF), were used. Different combinations of five related meteorological parameters, namely cloud cover, maximum temperature (T_max), minimum temperature (T_min), relative humidity (RH), and wind speed (WS), and one astronomic parameter, day length, were considered as the inputs of the models, and the output was obtained as daily SD. Simulated values of the models were compared with ground measured values, and concluded that the usage of the SVM-RBF estimator with combination of all input attributes produced the best results. The coefficient of determination, root mean square error, and mean absolute error were found to be 0.8435, 1.5105 h, and 1.0771 h, respectively, for the pooled four-year daily data set of 14 stations in Turkey. It was also deduced that accuracy increased as the number of attributes increased and the major contribution to this came from RH as compared with T_max, T_min, and WS. This study has shown that the SVM methodology can be a good alternative for conventional and artificial neural network methods for estimating daily SD.     

From feathers to syngas - technologies and devices

The poultry waste produced by industrial slaughterhouses typically contains not only feathers, but also a mixture of animal entrails, nails, blood, beaks and whole carcasses. Economical utilisation of this mixture, varying strongly in composition and moisture content, is, in general, difficult. We demonstrate that this awkward material can be successfully used for gasification in a simple, fixed-bed gasifier. The method of gasification, which we developed, enables control of the gasification process and ensures its stability in the operational regime of a working poultry processing plant. The installation, which has been working in Poland for 2 years, utilises 2 tons of feathers per hour and produces syngas of stable composition and fairly high quality. The syngas is burnt in the combustion chamber adjacent to the gasifier. Heat is recuperated in a boiler producing 3.5 tons per hour of technological steam continuously used for the operation of the slaughterhouse. The whole process complies with the stringent emission standards. In the paper we present the end-use device for feather utilisation and describe the underlying gasification and syngas combustion processes. Key elements of the whole installation are briefly discussed. The environmental impacts of the installation are summarized.     

1999年土耳其伊兹米特地震

简要介绍了 1 999年土耳其伊兹米特地震的有关情况 ,包括 :震中附近地区的经济地位、构造背景、地震活动背景、震前地震预报研究国际合作情况 ;这次地震造成的地震灾害、破坏特征和灾害严重的主要原因以及土耳其对地震灾害的法制管理工作等     

Biotope mapping in an urban environment and its implications for urban management in Turkey

The biotopes of ecological importance in urban environments worldwide are under the pressure of many negative factors such as urbanization, air pollution, human disturbance, etc. Biotope mapping is an important tool for urban planning and management and of importance for the protection of biotopes for future generations. The biotopes in Antalya city of Turkey, which has faced to a great population pressure due to tourism developments and immigration in the last two decades, were investigated in this study. The selective biotope mapping method was used and major biotope sites were determined by the interpretation of panchromatic aerial photographs, assisted with field verifications. A sensitivity assessment based on two parameters, the rarity and the re-establishment ability of biotopes, was made as it was considered important information for urban planning and management. According to the results of the assessment, the majority of biotopes in Antalya city were found to be very sensitive or sensitive. It was concluded that insufficient legislation, the lack of an ecological urban planning approach and poor urban management are the most important reasons for today's pressures on urban biotopes in Turkey.     

Contents and sources of DDT impurities in dicofol formulations in Turkey

Background, aim, and scope  Dicofol is widely used as a pesticide in agriculture applications. Since dicofol is mainly synthesized from dichlorodiphenyltrichlorethane (DDT), it contains DDT as an impurity. The European Community has forced Prohibition Directive 79/117/EEC to reduce DDT in dicofol formulations. Specifically, DDT content in a dicofol formulation cannot exceed 0.1%. The goal of this project was to determine the DDT content in dicofol formulations used in Turkey. Materials and methods  Samples of all the dicofol formulations in Turkey were collected to quantify DDT and DDT-related compounds. Four replicates were used for each sample. GC/MS/MS was used to analyze p,p′ and o,p′ isomers of DDT, DDD, and DDE. A HPLC was used to determine p,p′-Cl-DDT concentrations. Results  The total DDT content of the formulated dicofol was found between 0.3% and 14.3%. The concentration of p,p′-DDE ranged from 167 to 1,042 mg kg⁻¹ in dicofol samples. p,p′-DDT concentrations were found to be 32 to 183 mg kg⁻¹. The o,p’-DDT level ranged from 2 to 34 mg kg⁻¹ in the dicofol formulations analyzed. Discussion  It was estimated that 617.8 kg of DDT was released from dicofol. The main impurity was identified as p,p-Cl-DDT. Based on these results, dicofol serves as a continuing source of DDT contamination. Conclusions  All DDT concentrations in dicofol samples analyzed were higher than the permitted 0.1% level of Prohibition Directive 79/117/EEC. The reduction of dicofol is critical since it serves as a continual source of DDT contamination. Recommendations and perspectives  DDT has been found in soil, water, and air samples. Dicofol has been identified as a contributor to continued DDT contamination in soil and water. More studies are needed to ascertain the source of DDT in the air.     

Successes and failures of compulsory risk mitigation: re‐evaluating the Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool

The Turkish Catastrophe Insurance Pool (TCIP) is one of the best practices of public–private partnerships in an emerging market designed to reduce economic losses from disasters. This paper reviews the application of this compulsory mechanism along with data relating to the performance of the scheme following recent earthquakes in Turkey. We also consider the current perceptions of Turkish society towards the TCIP and how they can be enhanced. Our conclusions aim to assist stakeholders in government, homeowners, insurance companies, media, banks and civil society to appreciate the value of the system and key actions necessary to improve it.     

Flagship regeneration project as a tool for post-disaster recovery planning: the Zeytinburnu case

Sustainable redevelopment following disasters has been a main policy objective of post-disaster recovery efforts over the past few decades. Yet, nine years after the 1999 Marmara earthquake in Turkey, the redevelopment of risky housing areas is still a point of debate on the urban planning and disaster mitigation agenda. However, planning studies on mildly and moderately damaged areas located in the centre of Istanbul are ongoing. This article presents the evidence of a pilot project undertaken by Zeytinburnu Municipality, Istanbul, four years after the Marmara earthquake. ² The aim is to generate a debate on the preconditions required for a sustainable urban regeneration approach in the post-disaster recovery phase. The results of the pilot project underline the importance of capacity building in sustaining social capital, strengthening the legal framework, restructuring planning regulations, and managing the housing redevelopment process by taking advantage of a window of opportunity afforded by the disaster recovery period.     

磺化蓖麻油胶束强化超滤特性研究

采用一种由天然油脂蓖麻油磺化制得的磺化蓖麻油作为阴离子表面活性剂,与超滤膜相结合处理含微量Cr3＋废水。探讨了膜过程的超滤特性及影响Cr3＋去除效果的因素,并对该表面活性剂的回收再利用问题做了初步实验。实验表明,溶液中加入Cr3＋,磺化蓖麻油截留率明显增大,可见磺化蓖麻油胶束在水溶液中与Cr3＋作用可形成比纯磺化蓖麻油胶束更大的胶束或胶束聚集体。经过超滤膜过程处理,透过液中Cr3＋浓度〈0.254 mg/L,用于含Cr3＋废水处理,可达到国家废水排放标准或装置回用要求。初步回收实验表明,磺化蓖麻油在酸性条件下析出,通过离心法可将其从浓缩液中分离出来。     

Unauthorised development and seismic hazard vulnerability: a study of squatters and engineers in Istanbul, Turkey

Many cities in developing nations have experienced an influx of poor migrants in search of work. This population influx has often been accommodated through land squatting, irregular construction and unauthorised housing. For the urban poor, this has resulted in immediate affordable housing; however, this housing frequently has long-term vulnerability to natural hazards. This article examines the ways in which squatters in Istanbul, Turkey, understand the seismic vulnerability of their unauthorised housing. Distrust of professional engineers and contractors has led Istanbul squatters to believe that self-built housing will not only be less costly but also safer than commercially built housing. The impact of residents' risk perceptions on their vulnerability to natural hazards is examined through a comparison of social attitudes regarding safe housing and the quality of unauthorised construction. This comparison highlights how squatters' risk perceptions necessitate innovative means of reducing vulnerability in unauthorised neighbourhoods of developing cities.     

An assessment of the quality of various bottled mineral water marketed in Turkey

Fifteen bottled mineral waters purchased at random all over Turkey were analyzed for their chemical composition by OPTIMA-2000 ICP-AES Perkin Elmer techniques. Results show a wide spread in the chemical specification of these mineral waters, with differences in chemical composition observed in the regions being due to the geological environment and the majority of bottled mineral waters exceeding the pH limit of Turkish drinking water standards. When the concentrations of elements are evaluated, it can readily be seen that generally there are three types of mineral water in Turkey. The concentrations of Al, B, Ba, Cd, Cu, Cr, Fe, Mn Pb and Zn in mineral water were compared with the limits established by the Turkish Standard for Natural Mineral Waters (Turkish Official Gazette 2004); water standards prepared by World Health Organization (2006) and the United States of America Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) drinking water standards (1993). Such a comparison shows that, except for Ba and Mn, the concentrations of the other heavy metals are lower than the limit of the US.EPA in Turkey. Some parameters examined were found to comprise strong correlations pair-wise.