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Objective: Caffeine is frequently used for the treatment of apnea in preterm babies. Its mechanism of action includes not only antagonism of adenosine receptors on central nervous system but also an increase in electrical activity of the diaphragm. Caffeine’s direct effect on diaphragm was investigated via electromyography, but ultrasound has not been used to show visible changes in muscles after the treatment before. Therefore, we aimed to assess the effect of caffeine on diaphragmatic function through ultrasonographic examination. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective observational study. Fifty-six participants receiving nasal continuous positive airway pressure with less than or equal to 32 weeks’ gestational age born were enrolled. Diaphragmatic thickness, amplitude of excursion, and velocity of movement were measured before and within 5 minutes after caffeine loading dose and compared to each other. The protocol was registered with ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier NCT04483492. Results: Diaphragmatic thicknesses and diaphragmatic velocity of movement did not differ after the treatment. However, amplitude of excursion of the diaphragm was found significantly higher after caffeine loading dose (8.7 mm, 10mm, respectively, P < .05). Conclusion: Diaphragm excursion increased after caffeine treatment in preterm babies, and this finding was potentially supported the direct effect of the caffeine on diaphragm. Another important finding of this study is that it reinforces the utility of ultrasonography in assessing diaphragmatic function in preterm infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The M w 7.8 earthquake in Turkey on 6 February 2023 was extraordinary for various reasons. It originated in depth of only 10 km, ruptured along a fault plane around 300 km long and the surface was covered by an extensive network of high-quality seismic instruments. The strong motions resulted in a vast number of tragic casualties and huge material losses in Turkey and Syria. However, abundant and proximate seismic observations of this event and numerous aftershocks give an opportunity to deepen the understanding of earthquake processes. In this study, we carried out an assessment of coseismic changes of seismic velocity using passive image interferometry. We used data from one strong-motion and twenty-four broad-band sensors. We observed coseismic drops of seismic velocity, which reached up to −1.79 per cent at a location directly at the ruptured East Anatolian Fault Zone. Along the M w 7.8 earthquake fault, we observe frequency dependence of the velocity changes. At frequencies above 0.5 Hz, the velocity drops seem to be higher at locations close to the ruptured faults than in the more distant areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to determine the datum definition for the geodetic vertical velocity field derived from temporary and continuous GNSS observations. The observations have been analysed to investigate how the effect of vertical velocity for GNSS stations depends on the reference station selection. For this purpose, a network consisting of 26 GNSS stations has been designed. The GNSS observations have been processed using Bernese GNSS software v5.2 according to the different strategies. The strategies have been generated from ten different datum definitions of one to ten continuous GNSS stations within the IGS network in the Eurasia region, which is thought to be the least affected by tectonic movements. The vertical velocities of our solution derived from four reference stations concur within 0.4 mm/yr with those of the IGS/EUREF/NGL solution. It has been determined that the vertical velocities obtained based on the four reference stations proposed within the scope of the study are equal to the vertical velocities obtained from the ten stations distributed over the European region. The usability of these outcomes has been investigated in the studies to be carried out on Turkey's west and south coasts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anatolian Plateau, currently experiencing rapid uplift and westward escape, records both the termination of oceanic subduction and the conversion to continental collision. The crustal response to the transition of the subduction environment from eastern to western Anatolia can be inferred by the seismic velocity and attenuation structures. With this study, we construct a broadband Lg‐wave attenuation model for the Anatolian Plateau and use it to constrain lateral crust heterogeneities linked to this transition. Crustal Lg attenuation links late Cenozoic magmatism with asthenospheric upwelling by characterizing the lithospheric thermal structure. The widely distributed strong attenuation observed in eastern Anatolia may be related to the crustal partial melting due to mantle upwelling after the delamination and subsequent break‐off of the Bitlis slab. Lithospheric dripping in central Anatolia likely facilitates the mantle flows through the window between the Cyprus and Aegean slabs, which results in the piecemeal low QLg ${Q}_{\mathit{Lg}}$ anomaly in central Anatolia. Plain Language Summary: Different parts of the Anatolian Plateau are in different evolution stages between oceanic subduction and continental collision and currently undergoing plateau uplift and tectonic escape. The regional seismic velocity and attenuation can be used to characterize crustal partial melting and lateral heterogeneity, which can further identify the underlying subduction process. In this study, we construct a high‐resolution broadband Lg‐wave attenuation model for the Anatolian Plateau. Strong Lg attenuation in Anatolia correlates well with late Cenozoic magmatism distributions and can be an indicator of high temperature or partial melting in the crust. Combined with previous studies, we suggest that the mantle upwelling induced by the delamination of the Bitlis slab is likely reworking the crust in eastern Anatolia and is the cause of widespread thermal anomalies there. The lithospheric dripping process in central Anatolia may facilitate the mantle flows through the window between the Cyprus and Aegean slabs, and results in a piecemeal low QLg ${Q}_{\mathit{Lg}}$ anomaly pattern in central Anatolia. Key Points: A high‐resolution broadband Lg‐wave attenuation model is constructed for the Anatolian PlateauWidespread strong attenuation in the eastern Anatolian crust is likely related to slab delaminationThe circular‐shaped attenuation anomaly may result from slab tearing and lithospheric dripping beneath central Anatolia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Anatolia-Aegean domain represents a broad plate boundary zone, with the deformation accommodated by major faults bounding quasi-low deforming units. First-order features of this deformation were obtained in the form of a GNSS-derived velocity field. During the last decade, the accuracy of velocity solutions was improved, and the expansion of continuous networks increased spatial resolution. Nonetheless, an accurate representation of the deformation field requires interstation distances much lower than the locking depth of nearby faults, which has not yet been satisfied. The basis for creating a precise and accurate velocity field is uniform processing of the time series recorded both in the campaign and permanent GNSS stations, at once and for a single reference system. Although for Anatolia the data density has increased 6-fold since the landmark work of Reilinger et al. (2006), this crucial integration has not been made. We aim to fill this gap by analyzing the data and providing a uniform velocity solution. In this study, we processed the time series of 836 stations, of which 178 are published for the first time. With a period of up to 28 years, we present the most accurate velocity field with increased spatial and temporal resolution and homogeneity. We used the improved coverage of the velocity field to calculate strain accumulation on the North and East Anatolian Faults. Modelled slip rates vary between 20 and 26 mm/yr and 9.7 and 11 mm/yr for the North and East Anatolian faults, respectively. The data can better constrain the kinematics of continental deformation, provide accurate boundary conditions for dynamic models, and help test outstanding hypotheses about the kinematics of the Anatolia-Aegean domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Global Positioning System (GPS), although it has existed for only 30 years, is an important source for active tectonics, resulting in estimates of plate motions very close to geologic estimates over millions of years. GPS is also used for elastic block models to calculate slip rates for a better understanding of Earth's active crustal deformation. GPS-derived velocity fields may be used as the basis for clustering analysis to create a preliminary definition of block geometry. In this study, we used published horizontal velocity fields to evaluate the effects of data dependences on determining the optimum number of clusters with algorithms. For this purpose, we used different variations of velocity fields in Turkey and tested four different algorithms that are Davies–Bouldin index, the elbow method, GAP statistics algorithm and the silhouette method. We also clustered velocity components with the k -means technique and compared the results with previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control of a grid-connected doubly fed induction generated (DFIG)-based wind energy conversion system (WECS) at variable wind speed was designed and analyzed. The real wind speed data of the Edremit/Balıkesir region in Turkey was used as the wind speed profile. A N90/2.5 MW wind turbine model of Nordex Company was used in the study. Firstly, a conventional PI controller was applied to both rotor and grid side converters. The rotor-side converter (RSC) controls the power generated from the DFIG, whereas the grid-side converter (GSC) controls the DC bus voltage. An MPPT controller was applied to the RSC to generate reference torque at instant variable wind speeds. Thus, the system's response time, electromagnetic torque, generated power, and grid-side currents parameters were improved. In the MPPT controller, the reference torque value is produced by using the angular velocity and reference angular velocity values of the DFIG. The proposed system was modeled and simulated in Matlab/Simulink. Generated power, DC bus voltage, response time, electromagnetic torque, and grid side currents results were obtained. The results of the conventional PI controller and the results of the PI controller with MPPT were compared. The results of the proposed control were also compared with the related studies. The results showed that the proposed system is reliable, applicable, and valid for the grid-connected DFIG at variable wind speeds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The noncondensable gases in most geothermal resources include CO2 and smaller amounts of other gases. Currently, the worldwide geothermal power is a small sector within the energy industry, and CO2 emissions related to the utilisation of geothermal resources are consequently small. In some countries, however, such as Turkey and Iceland, geothermal energy production contributes significantly to their energy budget, and their CO2 emissions are relatively significant. SUCCEED is a targeted innovation and research project, which aims to investigate the reinjection of CO2 produced at geothermal power production sites and develop, test, and demonstrate at field scale innovative measurement, monitoring and verification (MMV) technologies that can be used in most CO2 geological storage projects. The project is carried out at two operating geothermal energy production sites, the Kızıldere geothermal field in Turkey and the CarbFix project site at the Hellisheiði geothermal field in Iceland. Together with a brief description of the project, this paper presents the details of the two field sites and the progress made in seismic velocity characterisation and modelling relevant to the Kızıldere geothermal field in Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant damage observed during recent earthquakes resulting from liquefaction of shallow saturated soil deposits beneath structures has illustrated the need for further research in the area of liquefaction-induced ground movement effects. This study used the shake table facility at the University of California, San Diego to evaluate the liquefaction-induced settlement of a shallow foundation founded on top of liquefiable ground conditions. To study the seismic performance of a shallow rigid foundation, two large-scale shake table tests were conducted using different input motions with varying peak accelerations. The experimental model comprised three soil layers and included a shallow foundation seated over an unsaturated crust layer underlain by saturated loose and dense layers. The model ground was based on similar subsurface ground conditions observed in recent earthquakes in New Zealand, Japan, and Turkey. The seismic response of the model foundation and the soil was captured through intensive instrumentation. The main purpose of this study was to better understand the contributing mechanisms in liquefaction-induced settlement of buildings during strong shaking. Results from this series of tests were used to explore different liquefaction mitigation countermeasures; this study served as a baseline for two follow-on shake table tests which are not discussed in this paper. Detailed discussions of the excess pore-water pressure generation and dissipation, and its effect on the contributing mechanisms of liquefaction-induced settlement are presented, along with the application of standardized cumulative absolute velocity as an intensity measure to estimate the amount of liquefaction-induced settlement. The flow velocity calculation due to hydraulic transient gradient indicated an upward flow in the loose layer, which explains the observed sand ejecta. Measured and estimated foundation settlements were compared using simplified procedures. The observed foundation settlement generally was higher than the estimated settlement. This series of large-scale shake table tests provides a unique benchmark for calibration of numerical models, and simplified procedures to reliably estimate liquefaction-induced building settlements. Future mitigation tests can be evaluated using the results of this baseline experimental study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, shallow seismic surveys, including seismic refraction, Multichannel Analysis of Surface Waves (MASW), Refraction Microtremor (ReMi), and Microtremor measurements were conducted to estimate site characterization at 26 strong-motion stations of AFAD (Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency) in the province of Hatay, situated in one of the most seismically active regions in southern Turkey. The Horizontal to vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) technique was applied, using smoothed Fourier spectra derived from a long duration series to determine dominant frequency values at different amplification levels. Shear wave velocity up to 30 m of the ground was detected with MASW analysis. In the ReMi analysis, up to 80 m was reached with a corresponding average of 650 m/s shear wave velocity. The shear wave velocities estimated by the MASW method up to 30 m were compared with those found by the ReMi method, and they were observed to be very compatible. The province of Hatay was classified according to Vs30 based NEHRP Provisions, Eurocode-8, the Turkish Building Earthquake Regulation (TBDY-2018), and Rodriguez-Marek et al. (2001). The shear-wave velocity (Vs30), Horizontal to Vertical ratio's (H/V) peak amplitude, dominant period, and site class of each site were determined. The H/V peak amplitudes range between 1.9 and 7.6 while the predominant periods vary from 0.23 sec to 2.94sec in the study area. These results are investigated in order to explain the consistency of site classification schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the shear wave velocity and thickness of geologic units in a sedimentary structure is important for quantifying the local site effect caused by an earthquake. Inversion of the Rayleigh wave dispersion alone is sensitive to the absolute average shear wave velocity, while the H/V spectral ratio is sensitive to velocity contrasts. The solution of these models in a joint system using conventional inversion techniques suffers from difficulties while evaluating partial derivatives, dependencies to the initial model that is sometimes difficult to estimate, and trapping at a local minimum. Herein, a joint model using the Pareto optimality technique with multiobjective particle swarm optimization was constructed as an effective global optimization method to decrease weakness and increase performance while estimating the depths and velocities. The presented approach is a multiobjective optimization method that does not require weighting, and allows evaluations of the individual objective function separately in a joint system. This study presents 2 synthetic joint system examples to account for a gradient-type and sharp velocity contrast cases, and an application from field data obtained from the Bursa Basin in Turkey. With these examples, an automated parameter search space was demonstrated to account for the abrupt velocity changes and a number of additional key points that are essential for a reasonable optimal solution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uzungöl settlement and Lake Uzungöl are located in the south of Çaykara, Trabzon, Eastern Black Sea region, and are an important tourist destination in Turkey, with natural beauty and rich flora. However, the settlement and the lake were formed by a historical landslide that covered the front of the Haldizen stream. Residential buildings, tourist facilities, transportation routes, and agricultural activities are located on ground that consists of the material that accumulated from the landslide. In this study, a geophysical investigation using integrated shallow seismic methods was carried out in Uzungöl settlement to provide detailed scientific imaging data on the structure of the subsurface, the physical properties of the soil and rock, the bedrock topography, and the vertical and lateral variation in the landslide deposits. For this purpose, seismic refraction and active and passive multichannel surface wave data were collected from 16 profiles in four separate zones designated according to the agricultural activity and geomorphology of the area. In addition, an electrical resistivity tomography survey of a profile was carried out to determine the reason for low-velocity anomalies such as cavities or man-made voids appearing in P-wave velocity–depth sections and underground water content. After applying basic processes including trace killing/editing, random noise filtering of the data, and amplitude balancing to all seismic data, 2D P-wave velocity–depth sections obtained by tomographic inversion, 1D S-wave velocity–depth profiles, and 2D S-wave velocity–depth sections were generated via analysis of MASW and ReMi data. P- and S-wave velocity–depth sections generally demonstrate three main lithological units in the area: the soil (Vp = 300–600 m/s, Vs = 195–350 m/s and H = 0–2.5 m), the landslide material (Vp = 600–2400 m/s, Vs = 350–680 m/s and H = 2.5–15 m), and the bedrock (Vp > 2400 m/s, Vs > 680 m/s and H ≥ 15 m). In particular, the landslide material exhibits variable thickness from profile to profile and represents the complexity of the subsurface. However, we observed that the deposit thickness increases close to the lake. It was determined that the high seismic velocities of the landslide deposits are attributable to the densely packed deposits and the primarily dry or very poor underground water, according to electrical resistivity tomography results. Moreover, the top of the bedrock is characterized by soft rock, and the deeper part of the bedrock is harder and more compact. We believe that this information will be a useful contribution to geotechnical project development and risk mitigation in the Uzungöl area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey's poultry industry has experienced significant growth in recent years, resulting in the construction of many new production facilities. It is important to maintain optimum environmental conditions for a profitable production. In this study, temperature, relative humidity and air velocity distribution inside a broiler house were analysed. Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations (numerical method) and direct measurements (experimental method) were used to determine the appropriate indoor environmental conditions. Simulated values were validated by comparison with the measured values using the normalised mean square error (NMSE). The measured and predicted parameters of temperature, relative humidity and air velocity at birds' height, human height, and roof height upon comparison gave average NMSE values of 0.139, 0.181 and 0.090, respectively. The results showed a good agreement between simulated and measured values as obtained NMSE values were less than 0.25. In conclusion, CFD simulation can be used as an alternative method for the analysis of poultry house indoor environment. A better understanding of indoor environment conditions in poultry house provides useful information for manufacturers and end users for better management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, density, porosity, void ratio, and ultrasonic P- and S-wave first arrival times were measured on limestone, sandstone, and siltstone samples obtained by using mechanical soundings in the city of Zonguldak. Turkey. Fracture and fissure indexes of rocks were calculated from ultrasonic P- (Vp) and S-wave (Vs) velocities. Multi-parameter relationships occurred between ultrasonic velocities with seismic fracture and fissure indexes and physical and mechanical properties of the rocks. Root mean squared error (RMSE = 0.5–0.8%) values correlated between measured densities and densities calculated from Vp and Vs. The correlation coefficients of experimental relations between densities, void ratio, and porosity with seismic velocities that were obtained ranged from 78, 86, 67, and 84%, respectively. Consequently, natural, water-saturated and grain densities, porosity, and void ratio values were determined from new multi-parameter relationships obtained from the combined use of Vp and Vs. In addition, the results of this study suggest that the rock quality may wrongly be determined using the only Vp, whereas it can be obtained more accurately by using Vp and Vs together. The reason for this is that the P wave spreads in solid, liquid, and gas media, while the S-wave spreads only in solid media. Therefore, S-waves will not be altered by fracture filling (gas or liquid), while P-waves are affected by fracture filling. In the present study, the use of Vp and Vs together in relationships was more useful in determining the strength and hydraulic properties of rock mass that the use of either Vp or Vs alone. Also, Rock Quality Designation (RQD) and Rock Mass Rating (RMR) values can be correctly calculated from the combined use of Vp and Vs. As a result, interpretation of crack fill and classification of the rocks can be quickly performed using seismic velocities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We use observations of surface waves in the ambient noise field recorded at a dense seismic array to image the North Anatolian Fault zone (NAFZ) in the region of the 1999 magnitude 7.6 Izmit earthquake in western Turkey. The NAFZ is a major strike-slip fault system extending ∼1200 km across northern Turkey that poses a high level of seismic hazard, particularly to the city of Istanbul. We obtain maps of phase velocity variation using surface wave tomography applied to Rayleigh and Love waves and construct high-resolution images of S-wave velocity in the upper 10 km of a 70 × 30 km region around Lake Sapanca. We observe low S-wave velocities (<2.5 km s -1) associated with the Adapazari and Pamukova sedimentary basins, as well as the northern branch of the NAFZ. In the Armutlu Block, between the two major branches of the NAFZ, we image higher velocities (>3.2 km s -1) associated with a shallow crystalline basement. We measure azimuthal anisotropy in our phase velocity observations, with the fast direction seeming to align with the strike of the fault at periods shorter than 4 s. At longer periods up to 10 s, the fast direction aligns with the direction of maximum extension for the region (∼45 ∘). The signatures of both the northern and southern branches of the NAFZ are clearly associated with strong gradients in seismic velocity that also denote the boundaries of major tectonic units. Our results support the conclusion that the development of the NAFZ has exploited this pre-existing contrast in physical properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convergence of the Africa, Arabia, and Eurasia plates and the westward escape of Anatolia have resulted in an evolving plate boundary zone in the Eastern Mediterranean. The current location and nature of the plate boundary between the Anatolian and the African plate is difficult to trace due to the scattered crustal earthquakes and the absence of deep ones. We examine various types and locations for the plate boundary as constrained by seismicity, seismic reflection studies, tomographic studies, and geodetic measurements and we use a spherical plane stress finite element model to test these possibilities. In our regional model, we impose the convergence of Africa, Arabia, and stable Eurasia by applying GPS-derived velocities in the far-field, as well as the roll-back of the Hellenic trench to solve for regional deformation. Model velocity and stress fields are compared with GPS-derived velocities and stress directions from focal mechanism solutions. We find that the plate boundary via the Pliny and Strabo trenches, the Anaximander Mountains, the Eratosthenes Seamount collisional segment, and the Latakia-Larnaka ridges gives the best fit to the data. The Anaximander Mountains plate boundary has both down-dip and strike-slip motions, and the Latakia segment is pure strike-slip. The Cyprus subduction contact is 42% locked. From a combined analysis of indicators for long-term deformation (predominantly slip-rates on major faults) and model results we infer that this southern plate boundary configuration may have existed since the Late Pliocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are numerous methods used nowadays to monitor landslide movements. Of these methods, Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) and Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) are the ones that are most commonly used. In this study, the amounts of movements acquired via these two methods were compared and relations between them were analysed. The Koyulhisar landslide region was selected as the field of study. In this study, 10 Envisat images of the region taken between 2006 and 2008 were evaluated using Persistent Scatterers Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (PSInSAR) technique and annual velocity values at the direction of line of slight at PS points were obtained for the region of interest. The velocity values were then obtained from PSInSAR results and compared with those obtained from six periods of GNSS measurements that were performed between April 2007 and November 2008 on Koyulhisar Landslide area after which the relationship between the two was analysed. Two different movement models from GNSS and PSInSAR results were fit to the landslide region. The velocity values estimated from these movement models for the region were compared and correlation between them was determined. As a conclusion, a high correlation ofr= 0.84 was determined between the models obtained from nine GNSS points, except one point at the city centre, and PSInSAR. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objectives: This prospective clinical study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of long-term of anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) therapy on arterial stiffness in ankylosing spondylitis. Patients and methods: A total of 28 active ankylosing spondylitis patients (21 males, 7 females; mean age 33.5±9.5 years; range 20 to 52 years) were enrolled. Patients' values for before the initiation of biological therapy and mid-term (24 weeks) evaluation were reported. For further evaluation, this initially reported patients were contacted two years after anti-TNF-α therapy, and their arterial stiffness was assessed by using pulse wave velocity. Results: After two years of anti-TNF-α therapy, despite the significant improvements in patients' symptoms and clinical activity parameters including Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Disease Activity Index score (4.9±0.9, 1.9±0.5 and 1.8±0.9, p=0.0001), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (35.5±23.1 mm/h, 13.8±9.2 mm/h and 25.0±17.9 mm/h, p=0.0001), and C-reactive protein (2.1±1.6 ng/dL, 0.4±0.3 ng/dL and 0.6±0.9 ng/dL p=0.0001), no significant difference was observed in arterial stiffness parameters (7.9±1.3 meter/second, 7.7±1.3 meter/second and 8.3±1.1 meter/second, p=0.620). Conclusion: In line with the previous 24-week evaluation, the results at two-year follow-up indicates that anti-TNF-α therapy does not improve arterial stiffness in patients with ankylosing spondylitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Atmospheric deposition is a significant pollution source leading to contamination of remote and clean sites, surface waters and soils. Since persistent organic pollutants (POPs) stay in atmosphere without any degradation, they can be transported and deposited to clean surfaces. Organochlorine pesticides are an important group of POPs which have toxic and harmful effects to living organisms and environment. Therefore, atmospheric deposition levels and characteristics are of importance to determine the pollution quantity of water and soil surfaces in terms of POPs. This study reports the distribution quantities of atmospheric deposition including bulk, dry, wet and air–water exchange of particle and gas phase OCPs as a result of 1-year sampling campaign. Atmospheric deposition distribution showed that the main mechanism for OCPs deposition is wet processes with percentage of 69 of total deposition. OCP compounds' deposition varied according to atmospheric concentration and deposition mechanism. HCH compounds were dominant pesticide species for all deposition mechanisms. HCH deposition constituted the 65% of Σ10OCPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective. The availability of new-generation drugs has provided significant success reflected by disease activity markers and clinical status in AS, but controversial reports necessitate further assessment of associated increased risk of cardiovascular burden that might persist. Hence this prospective clinical study evaluated the effectiveness of a 24-week anti-TNF-α therapy on vascular stiffness [pulse wave velocity (PWV)] in AS.Methods. A total of 28 active AS patients (21 males, 7 females) were enrolled before the start of biologic therapy. Demographic and clinical characteristics were recorded. Arterial stiffness was assessed using PWV. Patients were evaluated before and 24 weeks after anti-TNF-α therapy.Results. The mean disease duration was 8.4 (4.9) years. After 24 weeks of anti-TNF-α therapy, despite significant improvements in patients’ symptoms and clinical activity parameters, including BASDAI score [4.9 (0.9) vs 1.9 (0.5), P = 0.0001], ESR [35.5 (23.1) vs 13.8 (9.2) mm/h, P = 0.0001) and CRP level [2.1 (1.6) vs 0.4 (0.3) ng/dl, P = 0.0001], no significant change was seen in arterial stiffness parameters [7.9 (1.3) vs 7.7 (1.3) m/s, P = 0.412]. Significant correlation was determined between arterial stiffness and age, systolic blood pressure and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels.Conclusion. Despite significant improvement in markers of disease activity, anti-TNF-α therapy does not seem to improve arterial stiffness, a significant AS-associated cardiovascular burden. Thus, when treating AS, significant end-points other than DASs should also be considered, and any hidden threat like arterial stiffness should be addressed further. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

SUMMARY As a part of the DEad Sea Integrated REsearch (DESIRE) project a near-vertical incidence reflection (NVR) experiment with a profile length of 122 km was completed in spring 2006. The profile crossed the southern Dead Sea basin (DSB), a pull-apart basin due to the strike-slip motion along the Dead Sea Transform (DST). The DST with a total displacement of 107 km since about 18 Ma is part of a left-lateral fault system which connects the spreading centre in the Red Sea with the Taurus collision zone in Turkey over a distance of about 1100 km. The seismic experiment comprises 972 source locations and 1045 receiver locations. Each source was recorded by ∼180 active receivers and a field data set with 175 000 traces was created. From this data set, 124 444 P-wave first-break traveltimes have been picked. With these traveltimes a tomographic inversion was carried out, resulting in a 2-D P-wave velocity model with a rms error of 20.9 ms. This model is dominated by a low-velocity region associated with the DSB. Within the DSB, the model shows clearly the position of the Lisan salt diapir, identified by a high-velocity zone. A further feature is an unexpected laterally low-velocity zone with P-velocities of 3 km s-1 embedded in regions with 4 km s-1 in the shallow part on the west side of the DSB. Another observation is an anticlinal structure west of the DSB interpretated to the related Syrian arc fold belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2001, rock falls occurred on the southern slope of the Sumela Monastery, which was built on a cliff in Trabzon, north east Turkey, and is visited by many tourists. Considering the steepness of the slope and difficulty of access, rock classifications were made based on seismic wave velocity, rock mass quality ( Q), rock quality designation (RQD) and rock mass rating (RMR). The results indicated extremely poor to very poor rock in the cracked, fractured and weathered parts and poor to fair rock in the intact parts of the monastery slope. As a consequence, rock fall, slide and rolling may occur from time to time. These constitute a hazard to the facilities of the monastery and access paths. It is recommended that cracked areas are strengthened with cement-based materials, that accumulated rocks are removed, and that retaining walls are constructed on solid rock around the unstable rock blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For Anatolian earthquakes, there are insufficient strong motion data from rock sites to model an attenuation relationship for Turkey. This necessitates the use of records from soil sites, which are significantly affected by amplification. In order to include soil site data in the attenuation analyses, boreholes were drilled at 64 recording stations on soil sites. After removing the effects of soil amplification, rock site and soil site data were combined to establish an attenuation relationship. Various models were tested through regression analyses using moment magnitude, epicentral distance and threshold peak horizontal ground acceleration. A new attenuation relationship is modeled for Turkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wet and dry deposition samples were collected along with the ambient air samples between September 2008 and June 2009 in an urban site, BUTAL, Turkey. A modified deposition sampler was used for dry and wet periods. Average dissolved and particle phase wet deposition flux values were determined to be 7.4±7.3μg/m2 day and 21±30μg/m2 day, respectively. The highest PAH wet fluxes were observed in the winter and fall seasons. Dissolved and particle phase rainwater concentrations of PAHs were 290ng/L and 665ng/L. The average of total (particle+gas) atmospheric concentration of ∑12PAH was 130±160ng/m3. In general, percentages of PAHs with five or more aromatic rings were bigger in particle phase in air. Average washout ratios of PAH compounds were determined 8.97×105 and 8.52×105 for gas and particle phase, respectively. Gas phase washout ratios of high molecular weight PAHs were greater than the lower molecular weight PAHs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The seismicity of the northern part of Turkey is mainly controlled by the North Anatolian Fault zone (NAFZ). The NAFZ is one of the world''s most active seismic zones, and has produced destructive earthquakes and related hazards in the northern region of Turkey. Several earthquakes and earthquake-related hazards have occurred along different segments of this fault zone in the recent past. The study area, Erbaa town, is located along the eastern segment of North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) and is one of the largest towns of Tokat Province in the Middle Black Sea Region of Turkey. The center of Erbaa is located on the left embankment of the Kelkit River. After the disastrous 1942 (Ms =7.2) and 1943 (Ms =7.6) earthquakes, the settlement was shifted southwards. As a part of a seismic microzonation study of the Erbaa area, shear wave velocity (Vs) values of the geological units exposed in this area were required for site response analyses. The geological units in the study area consist mainly of alluvial and Pliocene units. These layers were evaluated on the basis of drilling, in-situ (SPT, SCPTU and SPT-based uphole) and laboratory testing. In this study, empirical correlations between shear wave velocity (Vs) and standard penetration test blow counts (SPT-N) were considered in order to define shear wave velocity profiles for the study area. The relationships between shear wave velocity, Standard Penetration Test (SPT) blow-counts and the soil properties were evaluated as functions of depth. SPT-based uphole tests were performed to measure shear wave velocity during drilling operations in some of the borings. The SPT-based Vs values were computed with different empirical formulas and compared with the measured SPT–based uphole Vs measurements. The empirical correlations were found to require modification to provide the best correlation for this site. The depth factor was considered during the development of new empirical equations. Therefore, a site-specific formula was proposed in order to obtain Vs profiles for all layers in the study area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The atmospheric concentrations and dry deposition of carbazole were measured to present the temporal changes, gas/particle partitioning and magnitude of fluxes. Atmospheric samples were collected from July 2004 to May 2005 at four different sites in Bursa, Turkey. The average total (gas and particulate) carbazole concentrations were 7.6±9.9ngm−3 in Gulbahce (Residential), 1.1±1.2ngm−3 in BUTAL (Traffic), 3.3±5.0ngm−3 in BOID (Industrial), and 1.2±0.7ngm−3 in the Uludag University Campus (UU) (Suburban). Experimental gas/particle partition coefficient (K p) was determined using the study results and compared with K p values calculated from octanol–air and soot–air+octanol partitioning models. Total dry deposition fluxes of carbazole were 290±484ngm−2 d−1 in BUTAL and 72±67ngm−2 d−1 in the UU Campus. Particulate phase dry deposition velocities were 0.81±0.78cms−1 and 0.90±1.53cms−1 for BUTAL and the UU Campus, respectively. On the other hand, gas-phase mass transfer coefficients were calculated to be 0.34±0.29cms−1 and 0.26±0.17cms−1 for BUTAL and the UU Campus, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Inversion of Pn traveltime residuals from a 39-station broad-band array provides a high-resolution image of the velocity structure in the uppermost mantle beneath central Turkey. Individually picked Pn phase arrivals from events recorded by the North Anatolian Fault Passive Seismic Experiment and the Kandilli Observatory were combined with additional events associated with the Eastern Turkey Seismic Experiment. Tomography results show no change in Pn velocity across the North Anatolian Fault, although longitudinal variations are evident. A region of very low Pn velocities (<7.8 km s−1) is imaged east of the Central Anatolian Fault Zone (CAFZ), with a transition to faster velocities (>8.1 km s−1) west of the fault. The sharp transition along the CAFZ, which follows the palaeotectonic Inner-Tauride Suture, may represent the location of the edge of the slab window, created when the oceanic slab broke off along the Bitlis-Zagros Suture around 11 Ma, as the Arabian plate collided with the Eurasian plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Soil and atmospheric concentrations, dry deposition and soil-air gas exchange of organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) were investigated at an industrial site in Aliaga, Izmir, Turkey. Current-use pesticides, endosulfan and chlorpyrifos, had the highest atmospheric levels in summer and winter. Summertime total (gas+particle) OCP concentrations in air were higher, probably due to increased volatilization at higher temperatures and seasonal local/regional applications of current-use pesticides. Particle deposition fluxes were generally higher in summer than in winter. Overall average dry particle deposition velocity for all the OCPs was 4.9±4.1cm s−1 (average±SD). ΣDDXs (sum of p,p′-DDT, p,p′-DDD, and p,p′-DDE) were the most abundant OCPs in Aliaga soils (n =48), probably due to their heavy historical use and persistence. Calculated fugacity ratios and average net gas fluxes across the soil-air interface indicated volatilization for α-CHL, γ-CHL, heptachlorepoxide, cis-nonachlor, trans-nonachlor, and p,p′-DDT in summer, and for α-CHL, γ-CHL, trans-nonachlor, endosulfan sulfate, and p,p′-DDT in winter. For the remaining OCPs, soil acted as a sink during both seasons. Comparison of the determined fluxes showed that dry particle, gas-phase, and wet deposition are significant OCP input mechanisms to the soil in the study area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Beside of measuring thermal conductivity of rocks directly, this study aims to measure thermal conductivity values from P wave velocities indirectly. The P wave velocities of the study area, in the NW of Isparta city, determined by seismic profiles were used to compute thermal conductivity values. Thermal conductivity contour map of the study area was created by this computed thermal conductivity values. When the maps of P wave velocity and thermal conductivity are examined, both the low thermal conductivity and low P-velocity contours were observed in the southern part of the study area. It was thought that the area characterized by lower thermal conductivity and velocities might be prevent astenospheric heat flow not to reach at the surface. As a result, the complex deformational crust of the study area has a style colder than the extensional crust of the western Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dry deposition samples were collected using a smooth surrogate surface at the Kaynaklar Campus of the Dokuz Eylul University in Izmir, Turkey. Concurrently ambient aerosol samples were collected. All samples were analyzed for anthropogenic and crustal trace elements. The average trace element concentrations and fluxes measured in this study were generally higher than those reported previously for urban and rural areas. The contribution of local terrestrial and anthropogenic sources were also investigated using enrichment factors (EFs) calculated relative to the local soil. Relatively lower EFs for ambient samples and high ambient concentrations indicated that the local soil was polluted and contributed significantly to ambient trace element concentrations. Deposition samples had higher EFs than the air samples. The EF sequences of trace elements were also different for deposition and ambient samples, probably due to the fact they have different mass median diameters and deposition velocities. The overall dry deposition velocities for trace elements calculated by dividing the particulate fluxes measured with the surrogate surfaces by ambient concentrations ranged from 0.6 (Al) to 6.2 cm s−1 (Fe). The agreement between the experimental dry deposition velocities determined in this study and the previously reported ones using similar techniques for trace elements was good. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Here, we investigated the crustal structure beneath eastern Anatolia, an area of high seismicity and critical significance for earthquake hazards in Turkey. The study was based on the local tomography method using data from earthquakes that occurred in the study area provided by the Turkiye Cumhuriyeti Ministry of Interior Disaster and Emergency Management Directorate Earthquake Department Directorate of Turkey. The dataset used for tomography included the travel times of 54,713 P-waves and 38,863 S-waves from 6355 seismic events. The distributions of the resulting seismic velocities (Vp, Vs) down to a depth of 60 km demonstrate significant anomalies associated with the major geologic and tectonic features of the region. The Arabian plate was revealed as a high-velocity anomaly, and the low-velocity patterns north of the Bitlis suture are mostly associated with eastern Anatolia. The upper crust of eastern Anatolia was associated with a ~10 km thick high-velocity anomaly; the lower crust is revealed as a wedge-shaped low-velocity anomaly. This kind of seismic structure under eastern Anatolia corresponded to the hypothesized existence of a lithospheric window beneath this collision zone, through which hot material of the asthenosphere rises. Thus, the presented results help to clarify the deep structure under eastern Anatolia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Throughout the last century, the North Anatolian Fault (NAF) produced mostly west migrating sequence of M>7 earthquakes, and in this period of time, the NAF did not break beneath the Marmara Sea. The Main Marmara Fault (MMF), which is the north branch of the North Anatolian Fault in the Marmara Region, is the most active branch in this area. The interseismic behavior of the MMF beneath the Marmara Sea is crucial with regards to assessments for the earthquake risk of the Marmara Region which has a population over 24 million. As a result, the prediction of the locking depth and the fault slip rate have great importance as they provide a comprehension concerning the seismic moment deficit, that can be released at the time of a future event.In this study, we modeled the interseismic locking of the MMF by making use of the interseismic GPS velocities and implementing a 3D finite-element analysis. Our kinematic model has a realistic 3D fault geometry, in which each and every fault section of MMF is confined to a fault slip rate down below a given locking depth which ranges from 2.5 to 15 km. We improve the fits to GPS velocity data just by changing the interseismic locking depth of each segment and placing more complexity to the locking structure in cases where the data needs. Our preliminary models reveal that a change in locking depth is required in between the Ganos Segment at the western end of the Marmara Sea and Central Segment. A model with a locking depth of 10 km for the Ganos Segment and 2.5 km for the Central Segment fits the GPS velocities well. We outrule the likelihood of similar locking patterns for the two segments. This result is consistent with the earlier work utilizing 1D profiles demonstrating that there is no significant strain accumulation beneath the Central Segment and also seismicity studies show that the background seismicity is very different in these two segments. Under the Princes' Islands Segment, the data is more compatible when we add some shallow creep. For the Izmit Segment, we predict that the locking depth is around 8 km, yet further analysis is needed. Our results show that in most cases, the variation in the seismic behavior of each segment is in accordance with its interseismic behavior in relation to the fault locking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been two decades since the publication of the 5-degree global crustal model CRUST5.1in 1998. More recently, the 1-degree model CRUST1.0 was released for wide use in 2013.The more recent model was based on a comprehensive, updated database of crustal structureinformation from active source experiments as well as receiver function studies, Moho depthmaps from regional seismic tomography and, in some instances, results from gravity studies.A change in strategy to compile CRUST1.0 also was an iterative model validation andsubsequent update to fit global surface wave dispersion data. Yet, in an attempt to updateCRUST1.0 to the final version, some discrepancies with surface wave constraints remained.This project zooms in on the Mediterranean Sea and compares model predictions withobservations. CRUST1.0 subsequently was used as a starting model to compile a global model of theentire lithosphere, LITHO1.0 that was released in 2014. This model is based on surfacewave data alone, with an updated and larger database that includes proprietarydata in the Eastern Mediterranean/Asia Minor area. While intermediate-period(40 – 29 s) Rayleigh wave phase velocity is well-explained by CRUST1.0, groupvelocities are underpredicted in the western Mediterranean and overpredicted inthe eastern Mediterranean, by up to nearly 10%. Both CRUST1.0 and LITHO1.0fail to model Love wave group velocities adequately, even at long periods (T&#x003E; 50s). Recently, new surface wave constraints collected around the Mediterranean area allowtomographic imaging to unprecedented detail. The extension to shorter periods than what isavailable on global scale allows assessment of structure not only on the crust in general butalso in areas with thick sediment cover, such as the Nile Delta in the eastern Mediterranean.At this level, we validate the 1997 Laske and Masters global sediment model that wasadopted into CRUST1.0. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey poses a complex crustal structure as a result of the convergence of the Arabian and African plates. The North Anatolian Fault Zone (NAFZ) represents 1600 km long active right-lateral strike-slip fault system of the country that has caused several destructive earthquakes. Location of historical earthquakes indicates that the activity on the fault tends to migrate westward. In the western part of NAFZ, there is a seismic gap inside the Sea of Marmara. Reliable knowledge of physical properties of the crustal structure of the unruptured segment within the Sea of Marmara is crucial for proper seismic hazard assessments considering that the megacity Istanbul with its millions of habitants, is closely located to this seismic gap. In this study, ambient seismic noise tomography, for the first time, has been applied to obtain a high-resolution image of the crustal structure of northwestern Turkey. For forward estimation of traveltimes, we employed the Fast Marching Method. A Bayesian framework was utilized to invert traveltime residuals extracted from Green's functions for the Rayleigh wave group velocity models at various frequencies. Besides the Transdimensional Bayesian tomography imaging, we also applied a rather simple and computationally fast 2-D nonlinear tomography scheme on the same data-set to gain a rough idea on group velocity variation in the regions. Our high-resolution tomographic images included group velocities of Rayleigh waves resolved between 1 and 20 s. Lateral variation of group velocities successfully revealed the basin structures such as Çınarcık, Tekirdağ, and Adapazarı Basins between periods 1 and 10 s that are characterized by typically low group velocities with low uncertainties. The low-velocity zones appear to mark well weakness zones along the NAFZ in the crust and the complex structure due to the active tectonics of the Anatolia. Finally, different tectonic units, in particular, to the east were identified from each other as our maps highlight Istanbul-Zonguldak Zone from Armutlu-Almacik Block with a sharp high to low-velocity change in N-S direction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study we present the results of an ongoing 3D full-waveform inversion for theArabian-Eurasian collision zone in eastern Turkey and Iran. This is intended to extract asmuch information as possible from available seismograms in order to constrain seismicstructure in both the crust and the upper mantle. In our method we simulate the 3D visco-elastic wavefield using the newly developedspectral-element solver Salvus. Our numerical mesh honors topography of the surface andinternal discontinuities. We compare observed and synthetic waveforms using time frequencyphase misfits. Using adjoint techniques, we then compute sensitivity kernels with respect tothe model parameters, which are VSV, VSH, VPV, and VPH. Finally, the kernels enable theiterative solution of the nonlinear inverse problem with the help of the L-BFGSalgorithm. For this study we obtained seismic waveform data of 143 earthquakes within themagnitude range of Mw 4.5 to 6.3 that occurred in the region between 2012 and 2016. Theseevents were recorded by 271 broadband seismic stations belonging to the two nationalIranian networks and freely available seismic stations of the Turkish Network, madeavailable by IRIS. For data management and workflow organisation we employ theLarge-Scale Seismic Inversion Framework (LASIF), modified to operate with theAdaptable Seismic Data Format (ASDF), which facilitates simulations on large HPCclusters. Starting from the first generation of the Collaborative Seismic Earth Model, we firstconstrain longer-wavelength structure. To this end, we consider 3-component recordingsfrom a subset of 41 events in the period range from 50 to 80 s. This period range issuccessively broadened to include shorter periods; for instance, the lower end of theperiod range was meanwhile extended to 35 s. For each period band, the number andthe length of measurements are increased to ultimately comprise almost completeseismograms, and also the number of events is increased to use complete of dataset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]