A Proposal for the Restitution of the World’s First Baptistry and University, Mor Yakup Church, Turkey

The structure known today as St.Jacob’s Church represents one of the oldest Christian medieval monuments in the region.With the emergence of findings suggesting that the structure was the world’s first university during recent excavation efforts,it has gained even more significance.Since 2006,the excavation works conducted by the Mardin Museum Directorate in the vicinity of Mor Yakup Church have yielded information about various phases of the structure.However,assessments regarding the nature of the structure are still debated within the academic environment.This study aimed to thoroughly investigate the functional changes and periods that St.Jacob’s Church underwent throughout history and to provide a detailed description and restitution for each period.In this study,we utilized excavation reports,data from written sources related to the settlement and structure,information obtained from the structure itself,traces existing on the structure,and data derived from architectural necessities(logic/scenario).The results indicate that this structure served three different functions(baptistry,church,university)and went through two main periods(pre-Christianity and post-Christianity).

Hydrothermal conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into high-value energy storage materials

Preparation of hierarchically porous, heteroatom-rich nanostructured carbons through green and scalable routes plays a key role for practical energy storage applications. In this work, naturally abundant lignocellulosic agricultural waste with high initial oxygen content, hazelnut shells, were hydrothermally carbonized and converted into nanostructured ‘hydrochar’. Environmentally benign ceramic/magnesium oxide（Mg O） templating was used to introduce porosity into the hydrochar. Electrochemical performance of the resulting material（HM700） was investigated in aqueous solutions of 1 M H;SO;, 6 M KOH and1 M Na;SO;, using a three-electrode cell. HM700 achieved a high specific capacitance of 323.2 F/g in 1 M H;SO;（at 1 A/g,-0.3 to 0.9 V vs. Ag/Ag Cl） due to the contributions of oxygen heteroatoms（13.5 wt%）to the total capacitance by pseudo-capacitive effect. Moreover, a maximum energy density of 11.1 Wh/kg and a maximum power density of 3686.2 W/kg were attained for the symmetric supercapacitor employing HM700 as electrode material（1 M Na;SO;, E = 2 V）, making the device promising for green supercapacitor applications.

Clonal propagation of mastic tree(Pistacia lentiscus var.chia Duham.) in outdoor beds using different rootstock and grafting techniques

We assessed different rootstocks and grafting techniques to clonally propagate mastic tree （Pistacia lentiscus var. chia）. Mastic tree is a dioecious tree but the quantity and quality of the resin secreted by female trees are very low; therefore, male trees that are clonally propagated are used to establish commercial plantations for mastic production. Conventional long branch cuttings for clonal production requires too much materials and has a very low rooting rate. Rooting with tissue culture and green cuttings has also failed outdoors. Grafting of mastic on other Pistacia species has not been tried so far; therefore, this study was aimed at developing grafting methods for the clonal propagation of mastic. P. atlantica and P. lentiscus rootstocks were grafted from 15 February to 15 October every 15 days using three grafting methods and a two-factor randomized block trial design. Early spring （15 February-15 March） proved to be the best time for grafting using either of the rootstocks. The highest grafting success was attained using the scions grafted on P. atlantica from 15 February to 15 March. The best bud-burst percentage was obtained using P. atlantica and P. lentiscus rootstocks.

Determination of fire-access zones along road networks in firesensitive forests

Wild forest fires are one of the greatest environmental disasters affecting forest resources. Along the coastal zone of the Mediterranean region in Turkey, forested areas are classified as first-degree, fire-sensitive areas. Every year, thousands of hectares of forests have been destroyed in Turkey. In this study, fire-access zones were determined in the Mediterranean forests of Turkey, by utilizing geographic information systems （GIS） technology. The effective reach distance of fire hoses from both sides of roads was considered in order to delineate fireaccess zones. The effective reach distance can vary based on the technical capabilities and hydraulic capacity of fire trucks （minimum and maximum pressures on water pump）; terrain structures （uphill, downhill and flat）; and ground slope. These factors and their influences were studied in fire sensitive forest areas located in the eastern Mediterranean city of Kahramanmaras in Turkey. First, terrain structures on both sides of the road network and groundslope classes were determined based on GIS data layers. Then, fire access zones were delineated according to water pressure data, terrain structures, and ground-slope classes. The results indicated that 69.30 % of the forested areas were within the fire-access zones, while the rest of the forest was out of reach the fire hoses. The accessible areas were also calculated for forested areas with different fire- sensitivity degrees. The accessible areas were 69.59, 69.96, and 67.16 % for the forested areas that are sensitive to fires at the first, second, and third degrees, respectively. This finding has implications for the monitoring and management of fire threats in areas outside of the reach distance. The outside areas should receive extra attention and monitoring during the fire season so that fires are detected ahead of time and management has sufficient time to react. Besides, new roads should be considered for these areas in order to access more lands in a shorter amount of time.

Influence of Al-B grain refiner on porosity formation of directionally solidified Al-Si alloys

This work aims to present a perspective for porosity formation in three different alloys:A356,A413 and A380.1 by taking into account the addition of Al-B grain refiners:AlTi5B1 and Al3B.The directional solidification method was used,and microstructural changes of the alloys and its correlation with porosity formation were investigated.Pore size,number of pores,average pore length and distribution of pores were statistically analyzed.Also,external shrinkage was examined,and the volume of external shrinkage was calculated.It was found that there was a relationship between external shrinkage and the size and number of pores.As the size and number of pores internally decrease,external shrinkage increases.Additionally,porosity is decreased in all the three Al-Si alloys when Al-B grain refiners are used.The distribution of pore diameters is low when AlTi5B1 is used.Grain refiners have a different effect on porosity formation of Al-Si alloys with regard to their solidification morphology.

Analyzing dynamic curve widening on forest roads

Forest roads require important design specifications to ensure all-season access for various vehicles. Long and heavy log trucks can face serious maneuvering problems on forest roads due to insufficient amount of area to the left for road widening on horizontal curves. In order to provide safe and continuous shipment and transportation,appropriate curve widening areas should be provided for long vehicles along horizontal curves. In this study, a statistical model was developed to provide curve-widening solutions for long trucks（e.g., those with 18 wheels） considering various curve radius and deflection angles. The dynamic curve widening feature of Plateia 2013 program was employed to calculate curve widening for the specified vehicle. During the solution process, nine different horizontal curve diameters from 10 to 50 m（by 5 m intervals）and 17 different deflection angles from 90° to 170°（by 5°intervals） were evaluated to run horizontal curve-widening analysis. Using a multiple regression model, we made suitable predictions about curve widening. The curvewidening areas decrease as the horizontal curve radius increases, while increasing the deflection angle on horizontal curves increases curve widening areas. Clearly, the computer-based dynamic curve widening model developed in this study can be effectively used in determining optimum widening for horizontal curves by evaluating the number of alternatives that fit geometrical specifications and vehicle types.

Determining the edge effect of pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa) in its horizontal distribution in the stand

Pine processionary moth is one of the most important forest pests in the Mediterranean Basin. There is need to explore its distribution behaviour to undertake effective control and determine the edge effect of its horizontal distribution in the stand. Five trial sites damaged by the insect were selected and traps installed in all trees in the sites. The number of nests and larvae was counted and diameter increment cores were taken. The distance to the edge of the stand revealed that there was no statistical difference in the number of nests and larvae up to 25 m while there was a statistically significant difference(0.5%)at [25 m. There was a 2-fold difference in the density of nests between 0 and 25 m and [25 meters, and a 3.8-fold difference in the number of larvae. The effect of pine processionary moth on tree diameter was not significant between trees at the edge of the stand and those in the stand.

Effect of surfactant on the dielectric and electrorheological properties of zinc borate/silicone oil dispersions

Zinc borate(ZB)particles dispersed in silicone oil(SO)at concentrations of φ=5vol%-20vol% were subjected to dielectric analysis to elucidate their polarization strength,time,and mechanism.Results revealed that all virgin dispersions lacked polarization.Triton X-100,a non-ionic surfactant,was added to ZB/SO dispersions to enhance the polarizability of ZB particles.The addition of 1vol% Triton X-100 enhanced the polarizability of ZB/SO dispersions,and the 15vol% ZB/SO system provided the highest dielectric difference Δε′(the difference in ε′values at zero and infinite frequency,Δε′=ε0–ε∝)of 3.64.The electrorheological(ER)activities of the ZB/SO/Triton-X dispersion system were determined through the ER response test,and viscoelastic behaviors were investigated via oscillation tests.A recoverable deformation of 36% under an applied electrical field strength of 1.5 kV/mm was detected through creep and creep recovery tests.

Assessing the effects of site factors on the productivity of a feller buncher:a time and motion analysis

We evaluated,for the first time in Turkey,the productivity of a feller buncher during clear-cut operations of two Brutian pine stands located in Canakkale,northwestern Turkey with different diameter classes and terrain conditions.In the first stand with 24.6 cm average DBH,the feller buncher cut full trees and moved them to roadside.In the second stand with 34.3 cm average DBH,the feller buncher cut trees in two stages due to their larger diameters and the relatively steep and rough terrain conditions of the site.The effects of specific stand features,DBH and tree height measurements were assessed through statistical analysis in relation to productivity.The results indicate that the average productivity for the first stand was about 118 m^3h^-1,while it was about 80 m3h-1 in the second stand.Even though tree diameter and volume were higher in the second stand,productivity decreased by32.3%due to extra time spent on the two-stage cutting operation.The results revealed that harvesting operations should be planned carefully and the right equipment selected by accounting for different tree sizes,terrain conditions and machine specifications in order to better understand their effects on production.

Persisting challenges for performance-based building assessment

Intense research and refinement of the tools used in performance-based seismic engineering have been made,but the maturity and accuracy of these methods have not been adequately confirmed with actual data from the field. The gap between the assumed characteristics of actual building systems and their idealized counterparts used for analysis is wide. When the randomly distributed flaws in buildings as they exist in urban areas and the extreme variability of ground motion patterns combine,the conventional procedures used for pushover or dynamic response history analyses seem to fall short of reconciling the differences between calculated and observed damage. For emergency planning and loss modeling purposes,such discrepancies are factors that must be borne in mind. Two relevant examples are provided herein. These examples demonstrate that consensus-based analytical guidelines also require well-idealized building models that do not lend themselves to reasonably manageable representations from field data. As a corollary,loss modeling techniques,e.g.,used for insurance purposes,must undergo further development and improvement.

A new nano approach to prevent tumor growth in the local treatment of glioblastoma: Temozolomide and rutin-loaded hybrid layered composite nanofiber

Total resection of glioblastoma(GB)tumors is nearly impossible,and systemic administration of temozolomide(TMZ)is often inadequate.This study presents a hybrid layered composite nanofiber network(LHN)designed for localized treatment in GB tumor bed.The LHN,consisting of polyvinyl alcohol and core-shell polylactic acid layers,was loaded with TMZ and rutin.In vitro analysis revealed that LHN^(TMZ) and LHNrutin decelerated epithelial-mesenchymal transition and growth of stem-like cells,while the combination,LHN^(TMZ)+rutin,significantly reduced sphere size compared to untreated and LHNTMZ-treated cells(P<0.0001).In an orthotopic C6-induced GB rat model,LHNTMZ+rutin therapy demonstrated a more pronounced tumor-reducing effect than LHNTMZ alone.Tumor volume,assessed by magnetic resonance imaging,was significantly reduced in LHN^(TMZ)+rutin-treated rats compared to untreated controls.Structural changes in tumor mitochondria,reduced membrane potential,and decreased PARP expression indicated the activation of apoptotic pathways in tumor cells,which was further confirmed by a reduction in PHH3,indicating decreased mitotic activity of tumor cells.Additionally,the local application of LHNs in the GB model mitigated aggressive tumor features without causing local tissue inflammation or adverse systemic effects.This was evidenced by a decrease in the angiogenesismarker CD31,the absence of inflammation or necrosis in H&E staining of the cerebellum,increased production of IFN-γ,decreased levels of interleukin-4 in splenic T cells,and lower serum AST levels.Our findings collectively indicate that LHN^(TMZ)+rutin is a promising biocompatible model for the local treatment of GB.

Antibiotic ciprofloxacin removal from aqueous solutions by electrochemically activated persulfate process:Optimization,degradation pathways,and toxicology assessment

Ciprofloxacin(CIP)is a commonly used antibiotic in the fluoroquinolone group and is widely used in medical and veterinary medicine disciplines to treat bacterial infections.When CIP is discharged into the sewage system,it cannot be removed by a conventional wastewater treatment plant because of its recalcitrant characteristics.In this study,boron-doped diamond anode and persulfate were used to degrade CIP in an aquatic solution by creating an electrochemically activated persulfate(EAP)process.Ironwas added to the system as a coactivator and the process was called EAP+Fe.The effects of independent variables,including pH,Fe^(2+),persulfate concentration,and electrolysis time on the systemwere optimized using the response surface methodology.The results showed that the EAP+Fe process removed 94%of CIP under the following optimum conditions:A pH of 3,persulfate/Fe^(2+)concentration of 0.4 mmol/L,initial CIP concentration 30 mg/L,and electrolysis time of 12.64 min.CIP removal efficiency was increased from 65.10%to 94.35%by adding Fe^(2+)as a transition metal.CIP degradation products,7 pathways,and 78 intermediates of CIP were studied,and three of those intermediates(m/z 298,498,and 505)were reported.The toxicological analysis based on toxicity estimation software results indicated that some degradation products of CIP were toxic to targeted animals,including fathead minnow,Daphnia magna,Tetrahymena pyriformis,and rats.The optimumoperation costswere similar in EAP and EAP+Fe processes,approximately 0.54€/m^(3).

A High Gain Switched-inductor-capacitor DC-DC Boost Converter for Photovoltaic-based Micro-grid Applications

Maximum power point tracking(MPPT)systems are being developed to produce switching pulses with proper duty ratios for power switches to exert photovoltaic(PV)panels under maximum instantaneous generated power,usually through a traditional DC-DC boost converter.The fundamental issue,particularly for micro-grid and small-scale green DC or AC energy applications,is that the voltage supplied by the MPPT boost converter is insufficient.In order to increase resulting MPP voltage,this research proposes a new high-voltage gain DC-DC boost converter for a cascade connection with an MPPT boost converter.Input side of the proposed converter employs a switched-inductor cell to reduce input current source ripples which is a critical problem in PV systems for high-reliability applications.Additionally,a switched-capacitor cell is used at the converter’s output side to boost voltage gain and reduce voltage stress across converter’s power switches,which is a crucial factor for longer life of PV panel and proposed converter components,particularly semiconductor devices.Performance of the converter is assessed while taking into account variations in irradiation and temperature brought on by changing weather conditions.A prototype converter at a laboratory scale is utilized and examined.Outcomes of hardware tests support the findings of theoretical and simulation studies.

Low-frequency Oscillation Damping Control for Large-scale Power System with Simplified Virtual Synchronous Machine

This study focuses on a virtual synchronous machine(VSM) based on voltage source converters to mimic the behavior of synchronous machines(SMs) and improve the damping ratio of the power system. The VSM model is simplified according to some assumptions(neglecting the speed variation and the stator transients) to allow for the possibility of dealing with low-frequency oscillation in large-scale systems with many VSMs. Furthermore, a virtual power system stabilizer(VPSS) structure is proposed and tuned using a method based on a linearized power system dynamic model. The linear and nonlinear analyses examine the stability of two modified versions of a 16-machine power system in which, in the first case, partial classical machines are replaced by VSMs, and in the second case, all SMs are replaced by VSMs. The simulation results of the case studies validate the efficiency of the proposed control strategy.

Evaluation of mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ criteria for fatigue crack propagation using experiments and modeling

In this study, in-plane mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ fatigue crack growth simulations and experiments are performed for the Al 7075-T651 aluminum alloy which is widely used in the aerospace industry. Tests are carried out under different mode mixity ratios to evaluate the applicability of a fracture criterion developed in a previous study to mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ fatigue crack growth tests.Results obtained from the analyses and experiments are compared with existing and developed criteria in terms of crack growth lives. Compact Tension Shear（CTS） specimens, which enable mixed mode loading with loading devices under different loading angles, are used in the simulations and experiments. In an effort to model and simulate the actual conditions in the experiments, crack surfaces of fractured specimens are scanned, crack paths are modeled exactly, and contacts are defined between the contact surfaces of a specimen and the loading device for each crack propagation step in the analyses. Having computed the mixed mode stress intensity factors from the numerical analyses, propagation life cycles are predicted by existing and the developed mixed mode-Ⅰ/Ⅱ criteria and then compared with experimental results.

Lyophilized nano-liposomal system for red onion(Allium cepa L.)peel anthocyanin:Characterization,bioaccessibility and release kinetics

In recent years,there has been extensive research on valorization of food wastes and a growing interest in nano-liposomal systems for food applications.This paper discusses the case of phosphatidylcholine basednanophytosomes loaded with anthocyanins extracted from red onion(RNPs)to overcome the bio-stability during digestion.The characterization of lyophilized RNPs in terms of entrapment efficiency,particle size,poly-dispersity index(PDI),ζ-potential,morphological properties,in vitro bioaccessibility and release kinetics were investigated.Entrapment efficiency was determined as 78.63%with lowest particle size(177.73 nm)and PDI value(0.45)and non-dense spherical microstructure for RNP6(red onion peel anthocyanin extract:soybean phosphatidylcholine at 1:6 ratio).Apart from the particle size,entrapment efficiency was determined higher than 75%,which indicates good entrapment.Additionally,from the cumulative release of RNPs concluded as a successful nano-structure with a two-fold increase in intestinal medium.However,poor Carr index and Hausner ratio suggest some limitations of the current nanoliposomes process which could be further improved.Red onion peel wastes,which are typically discarded,can serve as excellent sources of anthocyanins,and its preparation to nanophytosomes could be used as functional food ingredient or food supplements.

Nanophytosomes as a protection system to improve the gastrointestinal stability and bioavailability of phycocyanin

Nano-phytosomes(NP),lipid-based nano-carriers,were used to encapsulate the phycocyanin.Phycocyanin(Phy)is known for its important biological properties with low bioavailability and low stability.The aim of the study was to prepare phosphatidylcholine(PC)based Phy loaded NP to overcome the bioavailability and storage stability issues.The characterization of NP such as entrapment efficiency(EE),particle size,poly-dispersity index(PDI),ζ-potential and microstructural properties was conducted and in vitro bioaccessibility and storage stability of bioactive properties were investigated.The highest EE was determined as 81.92%however with a loading capacity(LC)of 58.12%.Phy-NPs showed good characteristics,such as low PDI values(<0.5),low particle size(106.13–134.10 nm),and non-dense spherical shape of microstructure.All NP complexes showed significant bioaccessibility with total phenolic content(TPC)values greater than 50%in intestinal tract.Unfortunately,PC based NP did not show a clear-cut pattern of TPC and color protection of Phy via increased PC content.

Role of magnesium and aluminum substitution on the structural properties and bioactivity of bioglasses synthesized from biogenic silica

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of magnesium(1 wt%)and aluminum(1 wt%)incorporation on the in vitro bioactivity and biodegradation behavior of 45S5 bioactive glasses synthesized from rice husk biogenic silica.The performance of biogenic silica-based samples was compared well with commercial silica-based counterparts.The in vitro biodegradation behavior of bioactive glasses was evaluated by the weight loss of samples and pH variation in the Tris buffer solution.Based on composition,bioglasses possessed different properties before and after simulated body fluid(SBF)immersion.The incorporation of magnesium(Mg)and aluminum(Al)enhanced the Vickers hardness of bioglasses.All the bioglasses showed the hydroxyapatite layer formation after SBF treatment as confirmed by the dissolution,FTIR,SEM and XRD analysis,however it was more prominent in the rice husk silica-based 45S5 bioglass.The biogenic silica seems to be a promising starting material for bioglass systems to be used in bone tissue engineering applications.

Formability of friction stir processed low carbon steels used in shipbuilding

The stretch formability of a low carbon steel processed by friction stir processing （FSP） was studied under biaxial loading condition applied by a miniaturized Erichsen test. One-pass FSP decreased the ferritic grain size in the processed zone from 25 μm to about 3 μm, which also caused a remarkable increase in strength values without considerable decrease in formability under uniaxial loading. A coarse-grained （CG） sample before FSP reflected a moderate formability with an Erichsen index （EI） of 2.73 mm. FSP slightly decreased the stretch formability of the sample to 2.66 ram. However, FSP increased the required punch load （FEI） due to the increased strength by grain refinement. FSP reduced considerably the roughness of the free surface of the biaxial stretched samples with reduced orange peel effect. The average roughness value （Ra） decreased from 2.90 in the CG sample down to about 0.65 μm in fine-grained （FG） sample after FSP. It can be concluded that the FG microstructure in low carbon steels sheets or plates used generally in shipbuilding provides a good balance between strength and formability.

Encapsulated black garlic: Comparison with black garlic extract in terms of physicochemical properties, biological activities, production efficiency and storage stability

In this paper, the convenience of encapsulation technique was investigated in terms of characterization of capsule, changing the volatile compounds and preservation biological activity throughout six months for black garlic (BG) by comparison with the aqueous extract which prepared from BG (stored at 4 °C) each analysis period. Besides, the genotoxic and antigenotoxic aspects of aqueous black garlic extract (BGE) and black garlic capsule (BGC) developed as a novel promising product were also researched. The S-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC) content, which is mostly known to be responsible for biological activity, was preserved in BGC during six months. The variety of volatile compound of BGC (2 compounds) was significantly reduced compared to BG (17 compounds) and BGE (7 compounds), which indicates that the extraction and encapsulation traps the undesirable odor. A significant decrease was observed for total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity (performed with DPPH and CUPric Reducing Antioxidant Capacity (CUPRAC)) of BGC with storage like BGE. In contrast, the values obtained with the ABTS method remained constant with storage. The antimicrobial activity (carried out on five Gram-positive bacteria, three Gram-negative bacteria and three yeasts) of BGC was preserved better than BGE. The treatment concentrations (50, 100, 200 μg/mL) of both BGE and BGC did not have a genotoxic effect and moreover they have antigenotoxic effects against mitomycin C on human lymphocyte cells. All these results implied that BGC can be good a candidate to increase the consumption of BG providing health benefits and functional supplement for food.