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Voluminous moderate- to high-magnesian [Mg# = molar Mg/(Mg + Fe2+) = 44–64] andesitic and dacitic rocks with high silica (mostly 61–66 wt%) adakitic affinity (Y = 13–22, Yb = 1.3–2.1, Sr/Y = 18–44, La/Yb = 10–25) and common mafic magmatic enclaves (MMEs) are first reported in the Keçiboyduran stratovolcano (KSV) from the Cappadocia volcanic province (CVP), Central Anatolia, Turkey. We present comprehensive whole-rock geochemistry and Sr–Nd–Pb isotope data, mineral chemical compositions and 40Ar–39Ar ages for KSV samples. Based on the volcanostratigraphy and 40Ar–39Ar dating results, two successive eruption ages of 2.2–1.6 Ma (stage I: amphibole-rich) and 1.6–1.2 Ma (stage II: pyroxene-rich) were established for the KSV, corresponding to the Gelasian and Calabrian stages of Early Pleistocene, respectively. Textural and geochemical evidence indicates that the KSV magnesian andesites–dacites are products of a hybrid magma formed by mixing between mantle-derived mafic and crust-derived felsic magmas with further fractionation and minor contamination during magma storage and ascent. Our new data, combined with previous geological and geophysical results suggest that parental magnesian mafic melts of the KSV rocks originated from a heterogenous mantle source generated through the metasomatism of mantle wedge material by subducted sediment-derived melts, and then partially melted through asthenospheric upwelling in response to slab break-off. The mafic magma underplated the overlying lower crust, resulting in its partial melting to generate crustal felsic magma. Both magmas mixed at lower crustal levels creating MME-rich hybrid magmas. Subsequently, the hybrid magmas were emplaced at different depths of the crust (c. 4–11 and 11–15 km for the stage I and II, respectively), where they crystallized at moderate temperatures (c. 1180–840 °C) and under relatively high oxygen fugacity (LogƒO2 = − 11.4 to − 9.2), water-rich (H2Omelt = 5.6–3.6 wt%) and polybaric (~ 1.2 to 5.1 kbars) conditions, and underwent fractionation of primarily amphibole ± pyroxene causing adakitic affinity. We propose a new petrogenetic model for the early Quaternary magnesian/adakitic andesites/dacites of the CVP in a post-subduction tectonic setting. Our results provide robust evidence for slab break-off of the eastern Cyprus oceanic lithosphere and put further constraints on the tectonic evolution of the eastern Mediterranean collision zone during the Early Quaternary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The goal of multi-criteria decision making (MCDM) is to select the most appropriate of the alternatives by evaluating many conflicting criteria together. MCDM methods are widely available in the literature and have been used in various energy problems. The key problems studied in electrical power systems in recent years have included voltage instability and voltage collapse. Different flexible alternating current transmission systems (FACTS) equipment has been used for this purpose for decades, increasing voltage stability while enhancing system efficiency, reliability and quality of supply, and offering environmental benefits. Finding the best locations for these devices in terms of voltage stability in actual electrical networks poses a serious problem. Many criteria should be considered when determining the most suitable location for the controller. The aim of this paper is to provide a comparative analysis of MCDM techniques to be used for optimal location of a static VAR compensator (SVC) device in terms of voltage stability. The ideal location can be determined by means of sorting according to priority criteria. The proposed approach was carried out using the Power System Analysis Toolbox (PSAT) in MATLAB in the IEEE 14-bus test system. Using ten different MCDM methods, the most appropriate locations were compared among themselves and a single ranking list was obtained, integrated with the Borda count method, which is a data fusion technique. The application results showed that the methods used are consistent among themselves. It was revealed that the integrated model was an appropriate method that could be used for optimal location selection, providing reliable and satisfactory results to power system planners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Postcollisional magmatism in the eastern Sakarya zone was recorded by voluminous basic volcanism and repeated plutonism during the early Cenozoic. The temporal and geochemical evolution of these magmatic rocks is important for understanding the possible geodynamic history of the Sakarya zone. Here, we investigated three representative plutons lying between the towns of Çamlıhemşin (Rize) and İspir (Erzurum), Turkey. These are largely composed of medium-K gabbroic diorites (Marselavat Pluton), shoshonitic monzonites (Güllübağ Pluton), and high-K granites (Ayder Pluton). We present whole-rock geochemistry, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope analyses from the plutons to constrain the timing of variations in magmatism and source characteristics, and we provide a new approach to the proposed geodynamic models, which are still heavily debated. The 40Ar/39Ar geochronology reveals a cooling sequence from ca. 45 Ma for the Marselavat Pluton through ca. 41 Ma for the Güllübağ Pluton to ca. 40 Ma for the Ayder Pluton. Whole-rock geochemistry and Sr, Nd, Pb isotopes suggest that crustal contamination was not an important factor affecting magma compositions. Although there was no arc-related tectonic setting in the region during the middle Eocene, the Marselavat Pluton shows some subduction affinities, such as moderately negative Nb and Ta anomalies, and slightly positive Pb anomalies. These signatures were possibly inherited from a depleted mantle source that was modified by hydrous fluids released from the oceanic slab during Late Cretaceous subduction. Geochemical traces of the earlier subduction become uncertain in the Güllübağ samples. They display ocean-island basalt-like multi-element profiles and Nb/Ta, Ce/Pb, and La/Ba ratios. All these point to a mantle source in which earlier subduction signatures were hybridized by the addition of asthenospheric melts. Melting of calc-alkaline crustal material, probably emplaced during the first phase of middle Eocene magmatism (Marselavat), led to the formation of granitic plutonism (Ayder Pluton). Our data in conjunction with early Eocene adakite-like rocks show that melt generation, as in the given sequence, was most probably triggered by breakoff of the northern Neotethyan oceanic slab, ~13 m.y. after the early Maastrichtian collision between the Sakarya zone and Anatolide-Tauride block, and continued until the end of the middle Eocene. A shallow-marine transgression occurred contemporaneously with the middle Eocene magmatism throughout the Sakarya zone. An extension in this magnitude seems unlikely to be the result of orogenic collapse processes only. The main cause of this extension was most probably related to the northward subduction of the southern Neotethys Ocean beneath the Anatolide-Tauride block. The result is a volumetrically larger amount of middle Eocene magmatism than that expected in response to slab breakoff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The eastern Blacksea magmatic arc (EBMA) in the eastern Sakarya Zone (ESZ) provides an excellent opportunity to investigate birth of an extensional intra-arc and back-arc settings in the Late Cretaceous over the Early Cretaceous northern passive margin of the Neotethys Ocean. Volcano-stratigraphy clearly shows that the Late Cretaceous volcanic activity of the EBMA occurred in two major phases. Bimodality, characterized by mafic/basaltic rocks at the base and felsic/silicic types on top of it, is a typical feature of the lower (LVS) and upper (UVS) volcanic successions in the Giresun region of the ESZ. U Pb and Ar Ar ages support the volcanic succession as two-stage (LVS: ca. 92–85 and UVS: ca. 83–67 Ma) bimodal volcanism. Both the volcanic successions are represented by similar rock types consisting of tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalt-basaltic andesites and calc-alkaline to shoshonitic dacite-rhyolites. Basaltic (M1- and M2-series) and felsic/silicic (F1- and F2-series) samples of the LVS and UVS have an arc-like signature with enriched large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted high field strength elements (HFSEs). Also, the felsic/silicic samples of the F1- and F2-series show prominent negative Sr and Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.4 to 0.9), suggesting that plagioclase fractionation played a key role on the evolution of both felsic series. Bimodal rock series in two phases have a wide range of 87Sr/86Sr (i) (0.7048–0.7075) and 143Nd/144Nd (i) (0.5123–0.5127) ratios with variable ɛNd (i) values of −3.8 to +3.0. 206Pb/204Pb (i) , 207Pb/204Pb (i) and 208Pb/204Pb (i) isotope ratios of the Giresun volcanic rocks vary in the range of 17.97–18.52, 15.55–15.65 and 37.53–38.56, respectively. Geochemical and isotopic data suggest that the parental magma of the M1-basaltic rocks were probably derived from a shallow (spinel-bearing) mantle metasomatized by slab/sediment-derived fluids. In contrast, the M2-basalts seem to have been originated from a deeper mantle source (spinel-garnet transition zone) enriched by slab/sediment-derived fluids and hydrous melts (bulk sediment) metasomatism with some contributions of lower/upper crustal materials. The least evolved basaltic samples in two phases are consistent with moderate (∼10–15%) to high degree (∼20–30%) partial melting of the metasomatized mantle. The silicic melts of the F1- and F2-rocks series, on the other hand, were likely derived from melting of lower crustal materials consisting of meta-basalts/andesites and lesser amount of meta-sediments. Subsequently, these melts experienced FC ± AFC and mixing processes during their ascent and emplacement to generate high-silica (rhyolitic) melts. Our data, combined with previous studies, suggest that two-stage bimodal volcanic rocks of the Late Cretaceous in the ESZ were formed in the transition from an extensional continental intra-arc to a back-arc setting during the northward subduction of the northern branch of Neotethys Ocean. [Display omitted] • Late Cretaceous two-stage (92–85 and 83–67 Ma) bimodal volcanism in the ESZ. • Bimodality is characterized by basaltic and dacitic-rhyolitic rocks in both stages. • Basaltic rocks were derived from mantle metasomatized by slab/sediment fluids±melts. • Dacite-rhyolites were originated from the melting of a heterogeneous crustal source. • Two-stage bimodal volcanism formed in an extensional arc/back-arc setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Maçka subvolcanic intrusions (MSIs) in the eastern part of the Sakarya zone, northeastern Turkey, play a critical role in understanding the petrogenetic and geodynamic processes that took place during the growth of Late Cretaceous arc crust of this region. U–Pb zircon (79.97 ± 0.97 Ma) and two40Ar–39Ar amphibole ages (average 81.37 ± 0.5 Ma) indicate that the MSIs were emplaced in Late Cretaceous (Campanian) time into the coeval volcanic rocks. A slightly younger zircon fission track (FT) age (73 ± 9 Ma) points to a rapid exhumation and cooling after crystallization. The intrusions are observed in areas less than 1 km2in the field and contain abundant mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs). The host rocks (HRs) are entirely composed of tonalite (SiO2 = 63–65 wt.%, Mg# = 43–52), and the MMEs are gabbro-diorite in composition (SiO2 = 53–57 wt.%, Mg# = 45–48). Both the HRs and the MMEs are I-type, high-K calc-alkaline in composition and display a metaluminous character. They are characterized by geochemical features typical for magmas of subduction-related environments. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are moderately fractionated [(La/Yb)N = 6–11] and display slightly negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.7–0.9), with weak concave-upward REE patterns, suggesting that amphibole fractionation played a role during their evolution. The MMEs have slightly differentISr(0.7081–0.7085) and εNd(−5.0 to −5.4) values compared with those of their HRs (ISr = 0.7084–0.7087 and εNd = −5.7 to −6.9), indicating that variable amounts of crustal and mantle components were involved in the generation of parental magma to these rocks. All of these data, combined with those of previous regional studies, suggest that the MSIs are hybrid in origin, produced by the mixing of enriched lithospheric mantle- and lower crust-derived melts in an extensional arc setting that was caused by slab rollback. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chemical and structural data are reported for C2/c pyroxene phenocrysts collected from three potassic series (Group A: basanite-tephrite, Group B: tephrite-phonolitic tephrite, Group C: alkaline basalt-trachybasalt) of the Neogene alkaline volcanics (NAVs) in northeastern Turkey, in order to investigate the evolution of the magmatic plumbing system and the location of magma chamber(s) with crystallization conditions. The rock series hosting the clinopyroxene phenocrysts show generally porphyritic texture and have a variable phenocryst-rich nature (20–58%), with phenocryst assemblages characterized by cpx ± ol ± plag ± foid ± amp ± bio. The clinopyroxene phenocrysts can be chemically classified as Ti- and Fe3+-rich Al-diopsides for Groups A and B (AB-cpxs) and Ti- and Fe3+-poor Al-diopsides for Group C (C-cpxs). They have poorly variable composition, clustering in the diopside field. Structurally, the diopside groups have nearly similar a (ranging from 9.73 to 9.75 Å), Vcell (437.2–440.9 Å3), and 〈 beta〉 angle values (106.01°–106.23°), but some differences in polyhedral parameters and geometries of the AB-cpxs and C-cpxs have been observed. For example, the AB-cpxs are characterized by larger c (5.27–5.30 vs. 5.25–5.28 Å), VT (2.27–2.30 vs. 2.23–2.28 Å3), and VM2 (25.53–25.72 vs. 25.41–25.59 Å3) values and smaller b (8.87–8.88 vs. 8.88–8.91 Å) and VM1 (11.49–11.63 vs. 11.64–11.83 Å3) values with respect to the C-cpxs. In addition, the AB-cpxs show higher values of VM2/ VM1 (2.20–2.23) due to large VM2 and small VM1 compared to the VM2/ VM1 ratios of the C-cpxs (<2.19). Such differences in the crystal structure of the AB-cpxs and C-cpxs from the NAVs are partly related to different crystallization pressures, but mostly related to variation in melt composition and, possibly, the influence of other crystallizing mineral phases. In particular, R(M2-O1) and R(M1-O2) (i.e. bond lengths) differences in the clinopyroxenes of different groups support the presence of evolved host rocks with different alkaline character (i.e. silica-undersaturated Groups A–B and silica-saturated Group C). Based on the cpx-geothermobarometry, the crystallization pressures for the C-cpxs are lower than 4.5 kbars, but the AB-cpxs have relatively high-pressure values (5.6–10.6 kbars), suggesting that the AB-cpxs crystallized in higher pressure environments. The relatively higher crystallization temperatures of the AB-cpxs also indicate higher cooling rates. The P– T estimates suggest that the source regions of the clinopyroxene phenocrysts from the NAVs were crustal magma chambers in a closed plumbing system at a moderate- to low-pressure regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clinopyroxene phenocrysts and microphenocrysts in different series of the Neogene alkaline volcanic rocks from the eastern Pontides (NE Turkey) record various stages in the crystallization conditions and evolution history of the alkaline melt as well as its origin. Crystal chemical studies reveal that the clinopyroxenes in each rock series show strong textural and compositional similarities, which all reflect a common petrogenetic affinity. They have relatively high Mg-numbers (0.68-0.95). variable Al2O3 (1.3 - 9.6 wt%), low TiO2 (<2.7 wt%) and Na2O (<0.9 wt%) contents and low Al[6]/Al[4] ratios (mostly <0.25), suggesting relatively low-pressure crystallization conditions of the magma in the storage region. The pressures calculated for the clinopyroxenes in each series are nearly similar and vary in the range of 2.4-4.6 ± 0.9 kbars, which approximately corresponds to a crystallization depth of 7- 14 ± 3 km. The analyses of the compositional trends of the clinopyroxenes indicate the following types of zoning: (i) oscillatory and sectorial zoning related to melt crystallization (i.e. rapid cooling and crystallization), (ii) oscillatory, reverse zoning related to the different crystallization paths under a variable fluid regime, (iii) normal zoning related to the differentiation and fractional crystallization of the magma. Based on the primitive mantle- and chondrite-normalized trace and rare earth element patterns, all clinopyroxenes have high abundances of incompatible elements (i.e. La, Ce) with negative high field strength element anomalies (i.e. Zr, Ti) and low Nb/Y (0.1-0.2). Th/Y (<0.1) and Rb/Y (<0.03) ratios, suggesting derivation from a similar source. Obtained textural and mineral chemical data, as well as whole-rock compositions, thus suggest that the clinopyroxenes may have started to crystallize from alkaline basaltic magma derived from a homogeneous lithospheric mantle enriched by an earlier subduction event. After this process, the alkaline magma, from which early clinopyroxenes crystallized, underwent a relatively low-pressure fractional crystallization process. This was in closed magma chambers at different levels of the crust (or within a volcanic conduit system devoid of interaction processes), shown by variations in the different crystallization paths and in the fluid regime of the melt during differentiation and ascent of the magma, in a post-collisional extensional tectonic regime which affected the eastern Pontides during the Neogene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Whole-rock geochemistry, Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes and K–Ar data are reported for alkaline samples collected from the Neogene alkaline volcanics (NAVs) in the Eastern Pontides, northeastern Turkey, in order to investigate their source and petrogenesis and geodynamic evaluation of the region. The NAVs were made of three groups that comprise of basanite–tephrite (feldspar-free; Group A), tephrite–tephriphonolite (feldspar and feldspathoid-bearing; Group B) and alkaline basalt–rhyolite (feldspathoid-free; Group C) series. These rocks cover a broad compositional range from silica-undersaturated to silica-oversaturated types, almost all of which are potassic in character. They show enrichment of LREE and LILE and depletion of HFSE, without a Eu anomaly in most of the mafic samples. Textural features and calculated pressures based on the Cpx-barometer in each series indicate that the alkaline magma equilibrated at shallow crustal depths under a pressure of about 3–4.5 kbar and approximating a crystallization depth of 9–14 km. The NAVs are slightly depleted in isotopic composition, with respect to 87Sr/86Sr (ranging from 0.705018 to 0.705643) and 143Nd/144Nd (ranging from 0.512662 to 0.512714) that indicate young Nd model ages (0.51–059 Ga). This may indicate that the parent melts tapped a homogeneous and young lithospheric mantle source which was metasomatized by subduction-derived sediments during the Late Mesozoic. Pb isotopic compositions (206Pb/204Pb=18.85–18.95; 207Pb/204Pb=15.60–15.74; 208Pb/204Pb=38.82–39.25) may also be consistent with a model for an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle source. Lithospheric thinning and resultant upwelling of asthenosphere induced by lithospheric delamination may have favoured partial melting of chemically enriched, young lithospheric mantle beneath the Eastern Pontides. Then, the melt subsequently underwent a fractional crystallization process along with or without minor amounts of crustal assimilation, generating a wide variety of rock types in a post-collision extensional regime in the Eastern Pontides during the Neogene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Magnetite-ulvospinel and ilmenite-hematite solid solution intergrowths from the high-K calc-alkaline Dolek and Saricicek plutons, Eastern Turkey, were investigated using microprobe analyses. Compositions of twenty-eight samples from the host rocks and their enclaves in the plutons were used to estimate the oxygen fugacity and temperature. The ilmenite and ulvospinel component exsolves out along certain preferred crystallographic planes in the titanomagnetite of the host rocks, while they are always absent in those of the mafic microgranular enclaves. The titanomagnetite and ilmenite show variations as Mt98-70Usp02-30 and Ilm99-65Hm01-35 in composition, respectively. Estimations of oxygen fugacity and temperature using the titanomagnetite-ilmenite thermometry/oxygen barometry range from logfO2 of -15.30 to -20.48 in host rocks, logfO2 of -15.39 to -20.80 in the mafic microgranular enclaves and 617±6 to 758±23 °C in host rocks, 622±6 to 735±24 °C in the mafic microgranular enclaves, possibly indicating crystallisation temperature. Applying magnetite-ilmenite thermometry/oxygen barometry to the granitoid rocks also involves microprobe analyses of ilmenite lamellae in titanomagnetite and this method yielded mean temperatures of 679±18 °C. The specific forms and chemical properties of Fe-Ti oxides, and similarities in crystallization temperature and oxygen fugacity of the host rocks and the mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) obtained from the Fe-Ti oxide pairs imply that thermal equilibrium probably occurred between two contrasted magmas, which mixed in various proportions so that possibly a felsic and a more mafic magma interaction occurred in a convectively dynamic magma chamber during crystallization of the plutons. Probably, underplating may be responsible for genesis of the hybrid plutons. Thus, for mixing of coeval magmas derived from a lithospheric upper mantle (mafic end-member) and lower crust (felsic end-member), a thermal anomaly should be supplied. Upwelling of hot asthenospheric material results in thermal perturbation and melting of lithospheric mantle. Intrusion of hot lithospheric mantle-derived mafic magma then induced lower crustal melting, producing felsic melt. Mixing of the lower crust-derived melt and lithospheric mantle-derived magma formed the hybrid plutons. This process requires a post-collisional extensional tectonic setting during the Eocene in the Eastern Pontides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Magnetite-ulvtispinel and ilmenite-hematite solid solution intergrowths from the high-K calc-alkaline DOlek and Sarıçiçek plutons, Eastern Turkey, were investigated using microprobe analyses. Compositions of twenty-eight samples from the host rocks and their enclaves in the plutons were used to estimate the oxygen fugacity and temperature. The ilmenite and ulvospinel component exsolves out along certain preferred crystallographic planes in the titanomagnetite of the host rocks, while they are always absent in those of the mafic microgranular enclaves. The titanomagnetite and ilmenite show variations as Mt98-70Usp02-30 and llm99-65Hm01-35 in composition, respectively. Estimations of oxygen fugacity and temperature using the titanomagnetite-ilmenite thermometry/oxygen barometry range from logfO2 of -15.30 to -20.48 in host rocks, l0gfO2 of-15.39 to -20.80 in the mafic microgranular enclaves and 617±6 to 758±23 °C in host rocks, 622±6 to 735±24 °C in the mafic microgranular enclaves, possibly indicating crystallisation temperature. Applying magnetite-ilmenite thermometry/oxygen barometry to the granitoid rocks also involves microprobe analyses of ilmenite lamellae in titanomagnetite and this method yielded mean temperatures of 679±18 T. The specific forms and chemical properties of Fe-Ti oxides, and similarities in crystallization temperature and oxygen fugacity of the host rocks and the mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) obtained from the Fe-Ti oxide pairs imply that thermal equilibrium probably occurred between two contrasted magmas. which mixed in various proportions so that possibly a felsic and a more mafic magma interaction occurred in a convectively dynamic magma chamber during crystallization of the plutons. Probably, underplating may be responsible for genesis of the hybrid plutons. Thus, for mixing of coeval magmas derived from a lithospheric upper mantle (mafic end-member) and lower crust (felsic end- member), a thermal anomaly should be supplied. Upwelling of hot asthenospheric material results in thermal perturbation and melting of lithospheric mantle. Intrusion of hot lithospheric mantle-derived mafic magma then induced lower crustal melting, producing felsic melt. Mixing of the lower crust-derived melt and lithospheric mantle-derived magma formed the hybrid plutons. This process requires a post-collisional extensional tectonic setting during the Eocene in the Eastern Pontides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plagioclase crystals characterized by compositional zoning are typical of the Zigana Granitoid (ZG), NE Turkey. The zoned crystals, which show textural equilibrium with the assemblage quartz + plagioclase + K-feldspar + hornblende + biotite + pyroxene + magnetite + ilmenite, exhibit oscillatory zoning. The zoned plagioclase crystals, ranging in size from 3 to 6 mm, are oval and larger than normal lath-shaped crystals. The zoned crystals are divided petrographically into two main types: (i) crystals zones only at their rims, with spongy cores; and (ii) completely zoned ones. Composition of the zoned crystals ranges from An23 (oligoclase) to An70 (labradorite). Plagioclase crystals with oscillatory zoning are governed by strong substitution mechanisms of Ca2+ ⇔ Na+, Al3+ ⇔ Si4+ and weak substitution of Fe3+ for Si++. The Fe2O3(t) (wt %) contents of the subject plagioclases increase with increasing An content. The petrographic and compositional changes from rim to rim (oscillatory zoning), and positive correlation between Fe2O3(t) (wt %) and An (mol %) contents of the zoned plagioclases, suggest recurrent mafic magma injection into a felsic magma chamber, and thus magma interaction as a dominant magmatic process during the evolution of the Zigana Granitoid (ZG). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which investigated the anti-bacterial activity of Lactobacillus strains of vaginal origin. Classification of anti-microbial proteins produced by lactic acid bacteria; Effect of the growth media on bacteriocin production; Sensitivity of lipid-containing bacteriocins to chloroform.

• Late Cretaceous volcanism of the ESZ erupted in two successive stages. • The successive stages are characterized by mafic and felsic volcanic rocks. • Mafic rocks of both stages were derived from underplated basaltic melts. • Composition of the felsic rocks was controlled by MASH and crustal processes. • Volcanism took place during northward subduction of the northern Neotethys Ocean. The Late Cretaceous Artvin volcanic rocks (LCAVs) from the eastern Sakarya zone (ESZ) of NE Turkey are composed of mafic/basaltic (S1-Çatak and S2-Çağlayan) and felsic/acidic (S1-Kızılkaya and S2-Tirebolu) rock types that occurred in two successive stages: (i) first stage (S1: Turonian–Early Santonian) and (ii) second stage (S2: Late Santonian–Campanian). Clinopyroxene thermobarometric results point that the S2-Çağlayan basaltic rocks have crystallised at higher temperatures and under deeper crustal conditions than those of the S1-Çatak basaltic rocks. The LCAVs show a wide compositional spectrum, ranging from tholeiite to calc-alkaline/shoshonite and are typically represented by a geochemical composition resembling subduction-related arc rocks although the 87Sr/86Sr (i) (0.7044–0.7071) and ɛNd (i) values (−0.63 to + 3.47) as well as 206Pb/204Pb (i) (18.07–18.56), 207Pb/204Pb (i) (15.57–15.62) and 208Pb/204Pb (i) (37.12–38.55) ratios show very limited variation. The parent magmas of the S1-Çatak and S2-Çağlayan mafic volcanic rocks were derived from underplated basaltic melts that originated by partial melting of metasomatised spinel lherzolite and spinel-garnet lherzolite, respectively. It is proposed that the compositions of the S1-Kızılkaya (mainly dacitic) and S2-Tirebolu (rhyolitic to trachytic) felsic rocks were particularly controlled by metasomatised mantle–crust interaction and MASH zone + shallow crustal fractionation processes. Our data, together with data from previous studies, suggest that the S1- and S2-mafic and felsic rocks of the LCAVs (~95–75 Ma) are the products of two-stage volcanic event that took place during the northward subduction of the northern Neotethys Ocean (NNO). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on two siblings with tyrosinaemia type 2, a 6-year-old girl and her 3.5-year-old brother with a main complaint of painful palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis. The boy presented also conjunctival injection, photophobia, lacrimation and conjunctivitis. Blood tyrosine levels were increased in both patients, 150.6 and 202.3 µmol/dl, respectively (reference value: 5.8±2.2 µmol/dl). After 1 month of dietary treatment with low protein, low phenylalanine and tyrosine, tyrosine levels decreased to 37.7 and 65.6 µmol/dl, respectively; the cutaneous lesions improved in both of them, and conjunctivitis disappeared. Conclusion: the association of bilateral ulcero-conjunctivitis with photophobia and palmo-plantar hyperkeratosis since early infancy is the clue to the diagnosis of tyrosinaemia type 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An integrated study of comprehensive geochronological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data was undertaken for the A-type Topcam pluton that intruded within the Sakarya Zone (NE Turkey) with the aims of elucidating its origin and tectonic significance and gaining new insights into the generation of aluminous A-type granites. New LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb crystallization ages of 72 and 73 Ma indicate emplacement in the Late Cretaceous time, just after extensive metaluminous I-type magmatism in the area. The pluton consists mainly of alkali feldspar, quartz, plagioclase, amphibole, and biotite with accessory minerals such as magnetite, apatite, and zircon. The outcrop is composed of granite, syenite, monzonite, and quartz monzonite and possesses a wide range of SiO 2 content (57–70 wt%) with elevated Ga/Al ratios and low Mg# (mostly < 43). The pluton is metaluminous to weakly peraluminous, with aluminium saturation index (ASI) (molar Al 2 O 3 /[CaO + K 2 O + Na 2 O]) values of 0.82 to 1.18, and belongs to the shoshonitic and ultra-potassic series. All the samples exhibit relative enrichment in light rare earth elements (LREE) and significant negative Eu (Eu/Eu* = 0.31 to 0.86) anomalies on the chondrite-normalized REE diagram. The rocks are enriched in some large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Th and Ba), and spidergrams show a relative depletion in Nb, Ti, and Sr. The granitic rocks of the pluton have identical 87 Sr/ 86 Sr (i) ratios ranging from 0.70518 to 0.70716, relatively low ε Nd ( t ) values varying from − 5.5 to − 0.4, and T DM ages (0.82–1.19 Ga). In situ zircon analyses show that the rocks have variable negative and positive ε Hf ( t ) values (− 5.5 to 5.9) and Hf two-stage model ages (742 to 1468 Ma), which are indicative of minor addition of juvenile material. Sr-Nd isotope modelling suggests mixing of 70–90% of lower crustal-derived melt with ~ 10–30% of mantle-derived melt at lower crust depths. The heat source for partial melting is provided by upwelling of hot asthenosphere triggered by slab roll-back events. Geochemical and isotopic data reveal that metaluminous A 2 -type granites were derived from partial melting of the Paleozoic lower continental crust dominated by mafic rocks in amphibolitic composition, with minor input of subcontinental lithospheric mantle-derived magma followed by subsequent limited fractional crystallization to generate a variety of rock types. From integrating all available data with the regional tectonic evolution in the Sakarya Zone and adjacent regions, we attribute generation of aluminous A 2 -type granites to a back-arc extension in the subduction zone, which is induced by the roll-back of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab around 72 Ma. Consequently, we conclude that these A-type granites were related to intensive extension tectonic, which peaked during the late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) in response to the roll-back of the Neo-Tethyan oceanic slab, which is indicative of the final-stage subduction-related magmatism in the Sakarya Zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Turkey's Early Paleozoic tectonic evolution has received much attention in recent years. Early Paleozoic intrusive rocks are mainly distributed across Europe, Turkey (İstanbul-Zonguldak Zone, Strandja Zone, and Tauride Block), and Iran. However, the Early Paleozoic rocks have not yet been identified in north Turkey's Sakarya Zone, and thus the Early Paleozoic paleogeography of the Sakarya Zone remains enigmatic. Here, we provide new field observations, petrography, geochemistry, and geochronology of the western Sakarya Zone to identify the nature, origin, and tectonic setting of the Ordovician magmatic rocks cropping out in the Söğüt area (Bilecik, northwest Turkey). Our Laser Ablation Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U Pb analyses on zircons suggest that the Söğüt metagranites were emplaced at ∼484–461 Ma (except two zircons with ages of 490 and 494 Ma). There are abundant inherited zircon cores in the Söğüt metagranites, with ages of >500 Ma to ∼2.2 Ga. The inherited Cadomian cores give concordant ages of 588 and 572 Ma. The Söğüt metagranites are felsic and have high SiO 2 (72–76 wt%) and K 2 O (4.1–5.3 wt%) contents, with high K 2 O/Na 2 O ratios (1.2–1.9), and low Mg# (17–35) values. The samples are Ca-poor (CaO = 0.52–0.68 wt%) and show peraluminous [A/CNK = molar Al 2 O 3 /(K 2 O + CaO + Na 2 O) = 1.15–1.28] and high-K calc-alkaline geochemical characters, with high modal content of muscovite (∼10%), consistent with S-type compositions. The samples have low REE concentrations, with negative Eu anomalies. Ordovician zircon rims show εΗf (t) values of +3.6 to −35.4, whereas inherited zircon cores have εΗf (t) values of +33.9 to −26.1. Our data, in conjunction with previous studies, suggest that the Söğüt metagranites were generated by fluid-absent muscovite-dehydration melting of metasediments accumulated in a back-arc setting. This back-arc basin was characterized by a denuded continental crust with abundant pelite-dominated sediments and minor input of juvenile mafic melts. Our results, combined with previously published data and paleogeographic reconstructions, allow us to conclude that the Ordovician S-type granites were formed by progressive back-arc extension and crustal thinning prompted by the rollback of the southward subducting oceanic-lithosphere slab. This led to the opening of the Rheic Ocean on the northern side of Gondwana in response to the final closure and termination of the Tornquist Ocean as a branch of the Iapetus Ocean. We argue that the Ordovician S-type granites from the northern side of Gondwana could signal significant crustal reworking away from any clear continental collision zone. [Display omitted] • Ordovician S-type granites have been reported for the first time in Sakarya Zone. • The S-type granites were formed by the melting of a metapelitic source. • Our data confirm that the S-type granites originated in a subduction setting. • We propose that the crustal reworking may occur away from continental collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Autothermal reforming (ATR), which uses the inverse diffusion flame (IDF) configuration, is a promising technology to economically mass-produce hydrogen, which is seen as a key energy source in the future decarbonized society, from methane. Flame length is an important characteristic of IDFs, as it is used to validate theoretical, numerical and phenomenological models. In this work, the flame lengths of carbon dioxide-diluted methane IDFs were determined by OH* chemiluminescene. The effects of the fuel mole fraction, the oxidizer flowrate, and the oxygen mole fraction in the oxidizer stream on the flame length at the atmospheric pressure were assessed. Like normal diffusion flames (NDFs), the flame length of IDFs was primarily governed by the central jet flowrate but was moderately affected by the fuel mole fraction. Nonlinear relationships between the flame length and the oxygen mole fraction were found. The flame length peaked at a certain oxygen mole fraction, and then decreased at higher oxygen mole fractions. The flame lengths were also analytically predicted by Roper's correlation. It was found that the nonlinear trend could be due to a competition between the effect of stoichiometry and the effects of elevated flame temperature and promoted gas diffusivity. However, modified Roper's correlations proposed by previous studies failed to predict this nonlinear behavior. An empirical formula was proposed to estimate a term that is a function of characteristic flame temperature and diffusivity. A better first order prediction of the flame length was achieved. This is the first comprehensive study of the effects of the oxygen content in the oxidizer stream on the flame lengths of carbon dioxide-diluted methane inverse diffusion flames. This is a flame configuration that is used in autothermal reforming (ATR), which is an efficient method to mass-produce blue hydrogen. A new equation was proposed to account for the effects of the changes in the oxygen content. In addition, oxygen-enriched combustion is of an interest of the community as it is an avenue to decarbonize our economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) antibodies are produced in persons who have been infected by the virus or have received the vaccine. Many features of these antibodies, including their dynamics and neutralization capacities, are still unclear. Understanding the immune response of the host is very important for the development of appropriate treatment methods, vaccines, and epidemiological control strategies. The present study aimed to monitor the change in antibody levels over time in individuals diagnosed with SARSCoV-2 infections and to determine their neutralization capacity. Materials and Methods: Anti-nucleocapsid and anti-spike antibody titers were measured using different kits on monthly obtained serum samples of patients of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The neutralizing antibodies were evaluated using a microneutralization assay. Results: A total of 134 serum samples taken from 43 patients with a mild-moderate disease course were analyzed. Anti-spike antibody positivity was detected on day seven at the earliest and day 334 at the latest following a positive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. The mean antibody levels were observed to increase gradually to a peak after three months, and then started to decrease after month six. Anti-nucleocapsid IgM and IgG antibodies were detected alone or in combination. The highest neutralizing antibody titer was 1/80 in the first month, which was seen to drop below 1/10 after four months. Conclusion: The combined use of kits for the detection of antibodies against different antigens or testing total antibodies would result in a more accurate and earlier detection of the antibodies that start to emerge on the seventh day and decrease six months after SARS-CoV-2 PCR positivity. In addition, the dramatic decrease in neutralizing antibody titers after four months may be one of the causes of early reinfections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopes of the host rocks and the mafic microgranular enclaves (MME) gathered from the Dölek and Sariçiçek plutons, Eastern Turkey, were studied to understand the underlying petrogenesis and geodynamic setting. The plutons were emplaced at ∼43 Ma at shallow depths (∼5 to 9 km) as estimated from Al-in hornblende geobarometry. The host rocks consist of a variety of rock types ranging from diorite to granite (SiO2 =56.98–72.67 wt.%; Mg#=36.8–50.0) populated by MMEs of gabbroic diorite to monzodiorite in composition (SiO2 =53.21–60.94 wt.%; Mg#=44.4–53.5). All the rocks show a high-K calc-alkaline differentiation trend. Chondrite-normalized REE patterns are moderately fractionated and relatively flat [(La/Yb) N =5.11 to 8.51]. They display small negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu⁎ =0.62 to 0.88), with enrichment of LILE and depletion of HFSE. Initial Nd–Sr isotopic compositions for the host rocks are ε Nd(43 Ma)=−0.6 to 0.8 and mostly I Sr =0.70482–0.70548. The Nd model ages (T DM) vary from 0.84 to 0.99 Ga. The Pb isotopic ratios are (206Pb/204Pb)=18.60–18.65, (207Pb/204Pb)=15.61–15.66 and (208Pb/204Pb)=38.69–38.85. Compared with the host rocks, the MMEs are relatively homogeneous in isotopic composition, with I Sr ranging from 0.70485 to 0.70517, ε Nd(43 Ma) −0.1 to 0.8 and with Pb isotopic ratios of (206Pb/204Pb)=18.58–18.64, (207Pb/204Pb)=15.60–15.66 and (208Pb/204Pb)=38.64–38.77. The MMEs have T DM ranging from 0.86 to 1.36 Ga. The geochemical and isotopic similarities between the MMEs and their host rocks indicate that the enclaves are of mixed origin and are most probably formed by the interaction between the lower crust- and mantle-derived magmas. All the geochemical data, in conjunction with the geodynamic evidence, suggest that a basic magma derived from an enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle, probably triggered by the upwelling of the asthenophere, and interacted with a crustal melt that originated from the dehydration melting of the mafic lower crust at deep crustal levels. Modeling based on the Sr–Nd isotope data indicates that ∼77–83% of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle involved in the genesis. Consequently, the interaction process played an important role in the genesis of the hybrid granitoid bodies, which subsequently underwent a fractional crystallization process along with minor amounts of crustal assimilation, en route to the upper crustal levels generating a wide variety of rock types ranging from diorite to granite in an extensional regime. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the carriage of ß-lactamase genes in ampicillin-resistant (Ampr) Escherichia coli ( E. coli) isolates from human normal fecal flora. Methods: Ten Ampr E. coli strains isolated from the stool samples of 21 healthy persons with no antibiotic use during at least three months were screened for TEM-, SHV-, or OXA-type ß-lactamase genes by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The susceptibility of the strains to antibiotics was determined by disk diffusion method, and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of ampicillin to the strains was determined by agar dilution method. Plasmid transfer assays were performed by broth mating technique. Plasmid DNA was isolated by alkaline lysis method. Digoxigenin-labeled TEM-1 probe was used in hybridization assays. Results: Two of 10 strains were found to be carrier for only TEM-type ß-lactamase gene (blaTEM) by PCR, and their resistances to ampicillin were conjugatively transferred to a recombinant E. coli K-12 strain C600. MIC of ampicillin to two representative strains and their transconjugants was detected as >512 μg/ml. Moreover, ß-lactamase inhibitor resistance was also observed in these two strains and their transconjugants. Digoxigenin-labeled TEM-1 DNA probe was hybridized to some non-conjugative but mobilizable plasmid DNAs purified from two of the TEM-gene-carrying organisms. Conclusions: These results indicate that commensal E. coli strains carrying ß-lactamase gene in the bowel environment could retain resistance determinants on small-sized resistance plasmids (R plasmids) and become a potential reservoir for resistance genes in the community, even in the absence of recent antibiotic consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Eastern Black Sea Region has an extensive flora because of ample rainfall lasting all year. In this study, antimicrobial effects of 74 crude extracts of 22 endemic plants were investigated. Among the 30 active crude extracts, water-insoluble crude extracts from Betula medwediewii, Heracleum platytaenium, Primula longipes, Anthemis cretica ssp. argaea and Centaurea helenioides were the prominent ones with their MIC values. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: It has been suggested that Helicobacter pylori strains containing the cytotoxin-associated gene A ( cagA), and s1m1 genotype of vacuolating cytotoxin gene A ( vacA) may have been associated with peptic ulcer disease. The aim of the present study was to analyze such an association of cagA presence and vacA subtypes of H. pylori with histopathological findings in patients with gastritis. Methods: Sixty-five independent H. pylori strains isolated from Turkish patients with gastritis were analyzed. The antral biopsy specimens were processed for culture and histopathology. Histopathological features were recorded and graded according to updated Sydney system. The vacA subtypes and cagA gene were tested by polymerase chain reaction. Results: Mild degree of antral density was associated with mild degree of gastric neutrophil infiltration ( P = 0.010). Positive cagA status correlated significantly with the presence of atrophy ( P = 0.035) and neutrophil infiltration ( P < 0.001), but not with H. pylori density ( P = 0.754) nor the degree of mononuclear cell infiltration ( P = 0.945). The vacA subtypes were independent of gastric histopathology. The odds ratios for atrophy and neutrophil infiltration of cagA+ versus cagA– strains were 3.62 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.04–12.66) and 53.18 (95%CI: 11.08–255.23), respectively. Conclusion: The presence of the cagA gene is strongly associated with atrophic and active gastritis. Distinct vacA subtypes of H. pylori appear to have no association with histopathological findings of gastritis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Early Eocene porphyries are I-type metaluminous in composition. • These porphyries were derived from an enriched mantle domain. • Infiltration of asthenosphere due to slab break-off event triggered partial melting. • The porphyries represent an early stage of extensional tectonic in the Sakarya Zone. The initiation of the break-off of the northern branch of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere is an important but poorly understood event in the geology of the Sakarya Zone (SZ) in northeastern Turkey. Although it is well-known that Latest Cretaceous intrusives (~70 Ma) and early Eocene adakitic magmatic rocks are present in the eastern SZ, the outcrops of the early Eocene non-adakitic rocks are very limited, and their tectono-magmatic evolution has not been studied. We describe a small outcrop of non-adakitic quartz diorite porphyry in the Kov area of the Gümüşhane region in northeastern Turkey. The genesis of these porphyries is significant in evaluating the syn- to post-collision-related magmatism. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating revealed that the Kov quartz diorite porphyries (KQDP) formed at ca. 50 Ma, coeval with adakitic rocks, and ~20 Myr later than the slab roll-back-related intrusive rocks. The KQDPs are calc-alkaline in composition and enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) and light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs; e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti), with significant negative anomalies of Nb, Ta, and Ti but positive anomalies of Th, U, and Pb. Isotopic compositions of the samples show limited range of variation and slight enrichment of 87Sr/86Sr(t) (0.70489 to 0.70555), ε Nd (t) (−1.4 to −1.2) with T DM of 1.11 to 1.61 Ga. Pb isotopic ratios of the samples point to an enriched mantle source. They were likely crystallized from the melt that originated from an EM2-type spinel-facies subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM), followed by the fractionation with insignificant crustal assimilation. The SCLM was metasomatically enriched, and the metasomatic agent was likely H 2 O-rich fluids rather than sediments released from subducting oceanic crust during the Late Cretaceous closure of the Neotethyan oceanic lithosphere. In conjunction with the geological background and previous data, we propose that the generation of the KQDPs resulted from a slab break-off event that caused ascending or infiltration of hot asthenosphere, triggering mantle melting. Such sporadic occurrences of the KQDPs, with coeval adakitic rocks in the SZ, are likely associated with the onset of extensional tectonics due to the earlier stage of slab break-off along the region during the early Eocene period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Describes a case of helicobacter heilmannii-associated gastritis in a male patient. Case history; Clinical findings; Diagnosis; Treatment.

The timing of major tectonic events and the driving mechanisms for magma generation during Late Cenozoic convergence and collision between Arabia and Eurasia still remain unknown. The Sakarya Zone (SZ) in northern Turkey is a critical member of this collisional assemblage. In the easternmost part of the SZ, we have recognized a Late Miocene volcanic suite termed the Çağirankaya volcanics which displays characteristic post-collisional geochemical features. Here, we report a new data set of zircon U Pb ages, whole-rock major and trace element, as well as Sr Nd isotope analyses for dacite and andesite samples from the Çağirankaya volcanics. Zircon U Pb ages for a selected dacitic lava sample average 5.16 ± 0.11 Ma (mean square of weighted deviates, MSWD = 0.45, n = 35), confirming a late Miocene age of this volcanic episode. The high-K calc-alkaline andesites and dacites exhibit an adakite-like geochemical signature, and are characterized by high Sr (424 to 552 ppm), Sr/Y ratios (31–43), and low Mg# (42 to 46) values, along with low Y (12–14 ppm) and heavy rare earth element (HREE) concentrations, that resemble those in adakites formed by partial melting of hot oceanic slab during subduction. Isotopic compositions are near bulk Earth (87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70482 to 0.70489, ε Nd (t) = +1.08 to +1.33), which rules out a solely asthenospheric origin. Elevated Nb/Ta (14 to 17) and K 2 O/Na 2 O (0.6–1.0) imply a juvenile mafic lower crustal source composed of ~20% garnet-bearing amphibolite. Geochemical modeling suggests that adakite-like parental melts were generated in the absence of subduction and without large-scale delamination of lower continental crust. Instead, our findings suggest that Late Miocene adakite-like volcanic rocks in the SZ formed in a post-collisional intra-continental setting, which experienced far-field extension after the subducted slab of the southern Neotethyan branch became detached in the collision zone. Asthenospheric upwelling and underplating of basaltic magma provided the heat for partial melting of lower crustal amphibolite, forming minor amounts of adakite-like melts in the SZ. • The Çağirankaya volcanics erupted in Late Miocene in the Sakarya Zone. • They exhibit adakite-like geochemical signature. • All characteristics suggest that they were derived from a juvenile lower crust. • Upwelling of hot asthenosphere due to far-field forces caused partial melting. • Adakitic melt do not require contemporaneous subduction of a hot oceanic slab. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In this study, we aimed to determine the epidemiological properties of metallo-beta-lactamase-producing Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MBL-PA) isolates and to investigate the relationship between the presence of MBL-PA and patient morbidity and mortality. Materials and Methods: The study included carbapenem-resistant P. aeruginosa isolates recovered from various clinical specimens of 334 patients in Karadeniz Technical University Faculty of Medicine Hospital, a 900-bed university hospital in Trabzon, Turkey. MBL-related carbapenem-resistant PA strains were phenotypically investigated using the Modified Hodge test and the imipenem/imipenem-ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid combined disc tests. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was used to investigate the presence of blaIMP, blaVIM, blaGIM, blaSIM, and blaSPM genes, which are responsible for MBL production. Clonal relationships among MBL-PA isolates were analyzed by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. The patients' hospital records were retrospectively examined. Various demographic and clinical characteristics were evaluated in relation to MBL-PA. Results: Thirty-two (9.6%) of the carbapenem-resistant PA isolates were found to carry blaVIM and/or blaIMP, with three strains harboring both blaVIM and blaIMP. MBL-PA isolates were more resistant to aminoglycosides and quinolones. Eight Verona integron-encoded metallo-beta-lactamase-type MBL-PA isolates were found to be identical in adults, while several clonally-related clusters were observed among MBL-PA isolates in both the pediatric and adult inpatients. Compared to non-MBL carbapenem-resistant PA, the risk factors evaluated were found to have no association with MBL-PA. In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in mortality between patients from whom MBL-PA or non-MBL-PA was isolated. Conclusion: Although MBL-PA has been implicated in various healthcare-related outbreaks, no specific risk factor has been identified in association with MBL-PA isolation. To our knowledge, this is the first study in Turkey to detect P. aeruginosa isolates carrying both blaVIM and blaIMP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cadomian realms have recently received much attention in the Alpine–Mediterranean orogenic belts, with discontinuous outcrops extending from the Alps to the İstanbul Zone, Menderes Massif, Taurides in Turkey and Iran as well. However, they have not been identified in the Sakarya Zone, northern Turkey to date. Here, we present, for the first time, zircon U Pb geochronology, zircon Hf-isotopes and trace elements as well as whole-rock geochemistry and Nd-isotopes from the Karameşe metagranitoid in the Yusufeli (Artvin) area, NE Turkey. The zircon U Pb age data demonstrate that the Karameşe metagranitoid intruded into the Precambrian basement units in the Early Cambrian (ca. 534–530 Ma). Zircon overgrowths in the Karameşe metagranitoid interpreted as a result of metamorphic overprint yielded ages of 328 Ma. This age indicates that the Sakarya Zone experienced the Variscan metamorphic events at 328 Ma. The Early Cambrian metagranitoid shows that some rocks in the basement of the Sakarya Zone date back to Precambrian in age. The Karameşe metagranitoid is an S-type granite, with high modal content of muscovite (~10%). The samples show highly peraluminous [A/CNK = molar Al 2 O 3 /(CaO + K 2 O + Na 2 O) = 1.34–1.58] and medium-K calc-alkaline geochemical affinities. The Karameşe metagranitoid displays low REE concentrations and a slight positive Eu anomaly and show slightly light REEs and LILEs enrichments, and HFSEs depletions. The samples have negative ε Nd (t) of −4.76 to −2.90 and ε Hf (t) of −4.75 to −1.08 values. These geochemical-isotopic characteristics reveal that the Karamaşe metagranitoid originated through fluid-absent muscovite dehydration melting of heterogeneous metasedimentary source rocks (mostly greywacke), with a minor input of juvenile mafic melt. We argue that the Early Paleozoic metagranitoids along the eastern Sakarya Zone is an expression of crustal thinning in the Cadomian orogenic belt in northern Gondwana, with the tectonic turnover from convergent margin to crustal extension possibly induced by break-off of Tornquist oceanic lithosphere which is a branch of Iapetus Ocean during Early Cambrian. [Display omitted] • Cambrian S-type granites have been reported for the first time in Sakarya Zone. • The S-type granites originated from the melting of a metasedimentary source. • Variscan metamorphism overprinted the Early Cambrian magmatism. • Our data reveal that the S-type granites were formed in a post-collision setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The effects of serotonin and/or noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors on memory have been investigated in various clinical and pre-clinical studies. However, contradictory results have been reported. In this study, the effect of the selective noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors atomoxetine and reboxetine, a tricyclic antidepressant, amitriptyline, and a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor, paroxetine, on learning and memory were examined alone or in combination with scopolamine in mice using a passive avoidance task. Methods: Male Balb-C mice (25-30 g) were used. Reboxetine (10 mg/kg), atomoxetine (5 mg/kg), paroxetine (10 mg/kg) and amitriptyline (10 mg/ kg) were investigated alone or in combination with scopolamine (1 mg/kg). A passive avoidance task was used to evaluate memory function. Acquisition time was recorded on the first day and retention time on the second (after 24 h). All drugs and saline were administered intraperitoneally 30 min prior to testing in order to evaluate retention time. Results: None of the drugs or saline impaired retention time when administered alone; however, scopolamine significantly impaired retention time (p=0.003). Reboxetine, atomoxetine and paroxetine all resulted in a marked improvement in retention time in combination with scopolamine. A combination of amitriptyline and scopolamine also significantly reduced retention time (p=0.013). Conclusion: Our results suggest that the effect of atomoxetine and reboxetine on improving memory deficit may be attributed to their inhibition of noradrenaline re-uptake. The effect of paroxetine on improving memory deficit may arise from enhanced serotonergic activity. Amitriptyline's lack of positive effect on memory deficit may be due to its own anticholinergic effect. Further studies using the same models and animal species are needed to clarify the mechanisms of the effects of each drug. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Eastern Pontides in NE Turkey is one of the major orogenic belts in Anatolia. In this paper, we report our new 40Ar/39Ar dating, mineral chemistry, major and trace elements and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic analyses of the lamprophyre intrusions in this region. The lamprophyres are widely scattered and intrude Late Carboniferous granitoid rocks. The lamprophyres exhibit fine-grained textures and are mineralogically uniform. Hornblende 40Ar/39Ar dating yielded a plateau age of 216.01±10.64Ma. Based on their geochemistry, mineral compositions and paragenesis, the lamprophyres are classified as calc-alkaline lamprophyres in general and spessartites in particular, which are rich in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Rb, Ba, K) but depleted in Nb and Ti. Our samples exhibit moderate fractionation in LREE patterns approximately 100 times that of chondrite but HREE abundances less than 10 times that of chondrite. These calc-alkaline lamprophyres display a range of ISr (216Ma) values from 0.70619 to 0.71291 and εNd (216Ma) values from −1.4 to 4.1, with T DM =1.11 to 2.20Ga. Their Pb isotopic ratios indicate an enriched mantle source. The enrichment process is related to metasomatism of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle source, which is caused by a large quantity of H2O-rich fluids, rather than sediments released from oceanic crust at depth during the closure of the Paleotethys Ocean in Triassic times. All of the geochemical data and the trace element modeling suggest that the primary magma of the calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline spessartites was generated at depth by a low degree of partial melting (~1–10%) of a previously enriched lithospheric mantle wedge consisting of phlogopite-bearing spinel peridotite. The ascendance of a hot asthenosphere triggered by extensional events caused partial melting of mantle material. The rising melts were accompanied by fractional crystallization and crustal contamination en route to the surface. All of the geochemical features combined with regional data suggest that the Eastern Pontides calc-alkaline lamprophyres originated in an extensional environment along an active continental margin throughout the Late Triassic. Such an extensional event, causing upwelling of hot asthenosphere, led to the opening of the northern branch of the Neotethys as a back-arc basin farther south of the Eastern Pontides. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Early Eocene adakitic volcanic and granitoid rocks are widespread in the Eastern Pontides of NE Turkey, providing significant constraints for the early Cenozoic tectonomagmatic evolution of the region. These adakitic rock units exhibit relatively high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, but low Y and Yb values, similar to modern adakites generated by partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab. They also have high K2O and low MgO contents, and show moderately enriched ISrand low ϵNd(t) isotopic signatures. Our trace element modelling suggests that these adakitic magmas were generated from partial melting at low pressures of a garnet-bearing amphibolitic source in the continental lower crust. This lower crustal melting resulted from slab break off-induced asthenospheric upwelling and related magmatic underplating beneath the Eastern Pontides. We interpret this melting event and the adakitic magmatic activity as a syn- to post-collisional process involving early Cenozoic collision of the Pontide and Anatolide–Tauride continental blocks. The geochemical and tectonic constraints presented here indicate that early Eocene adakitic magmatism in the Eastern Pontides did not result from partial fusion of a subducted oceanic slab, but instead represent continental-type adakite formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protracted pre-eruptive zircon residence is frequently detected in continental rhyolites and can conflict with thermal models, indicating briefer magma cooling durations if scaled to erupted volumes. Here, we present combined U-Th and (U-Th)/He zircon ages from the Acigöl rhyolite field (Central Anatolia, Turkey), which is part of a Quaternary bimodal volcanic complex. Unlike other geochronometers, this approach dates crystallization and eruption on the same crystals, allowing for internal consistency testing. Despite the overall longevity of Acigöl rhyolite volcanism and systematic trends of progressive depletion in compatible trace elements and decreasing zircon saturation temperatures, we find that zircon crystallized in two brief pulses corresponding to eruptions in the eastern and western part of the field during Middle and Late Pleistocene times, respectively. For Late Pleistocene zircon, resolvable differences exist between interior (average: 30.7 ± 0.9 ka; 1 σ error) and rim (21.9 ± 1.3 ka) crystallization ages. These translate into radial crystal growth rates of ~10 to 10 cm/s, broadly consistent with those constrained by diffusion experiments. Rim crystallization and (U-Th)/He eruption ages (24.2 ± 0.4 ka) overlap within uncertainty. Evidence for brief zircon residence at Acigöl contrasts with many other rhyolite fields, suggesting that protracted zircon crystallization in, or recycling from, long-lived crystal mushes is not ubiquitous in continental silicic magma systems. Instead, the span of pre-eruptive zircon ages is consistent with autochthonous crystallization in individual small-volume magma batches that originated from basaltic precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The tectonic setting of the Eastern Pontides during the late Mesozoic to early Cenozoic remains a subject of debate. Petrogenesis of adakite-like granitoid porphyries plays a critical role in determining the nature of the lower continental crust and mantle dynamics during orogenic processes in the region. Here we describe, for the first time, the late Paleocene to early Eocene adakite-like granitoid porphyries from the northern part of the Eastern Pontides although their counterparts in the southern part have recently been found. The adakitic porphyries, which emplaced into the subduction-related Turonian–Santonian volcanics from northern part of the region, consist of I-type calc-alkaline quartz monzonite–tonalite (SiO2 =62.89–65.07wt.%) and high-K calc-alkaline granodiorite–granite associations (SiO2 =69.06–70.43wt.%). The former displays peraluminous to metaluminous signatures, whereas the latter shows peraluminous geochemical character. The granite–granodiorite porphyries have high K2O (3.32–3.84wt.%), and low Na2O (3.48–4.61wt.%) and MgO (0.91–1.04wt.%) relative to the quartz monzonite–tonalite association (K2O=1.50–1.92 wt.%; Na2O=4.08–6.45 wt.%; MgO=1.44–2.07 wt.%). Ar–Ar geochronology studies on the amphibole separates reveal that the adakite-like porphyries have a crystallization ages of 51.34±0.27 to 53.55±0.34Ma. Here, we contend that these rocks were formed by partial fusion of a mafic lower continental crust in a collisional phase but not in a subduction setting. All the samples exhibit the typical geochemical characteristics of adakite, that is, high Sr (250–1141ppm), high Sr/Y ratios (16–147), low Y (6.8–14.8ppm) and low HREE concentrations; they are similar to adakites formed by slab melting associated with the subduction zone. However, the rocks exhibit heterogeneity in isotopic composition, with ISr ranging from 0.70554 to 0.70986, εNd (51Ma) from –8.5 to –0.9 and Nd model ages from 0.72 to 1.26 Ga. The samples are characterized by relatively high Th, Th/U and no significant Eu anomalies, implying that garnet was stable in their source during partial melting. The compositional diversity between rock groups is probably related to partial melting of heterogeneous lower crustal source. All of the features are inconsistent with a slab-melting origin and slab-related petrogenetic model, but instead, they favor an origin by melting of heterogeneous lower continental crust due to a thermal anomaly that was induced by the upwelling of the asthenosphere through a slab break-off in a collisional setting. These interpretations argue against the evidence for the presence of an early Cenozoic arc setting in the Eastern Pontides. Instead, the early Cenozoic time in the region may be attributed to a geodynamic response to a post-collisional uplift phase that occurred along the continent-continent collision between the Pontide and the Anatolide-Tauride blocks. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We present elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic data for the magmatic suite (~79 Ma) of the Harşit pluton, from the Eastern Pontides (NE Turkey), with the aim of determining its magma source and geodynamic evolution. The pluton comprises granite, granodiorite, tonalite and minor diorite (SiO = 59.43–76.95 wt%), with only minor gabbroic diorite mafic microgranular enclaves in composition (SiO = 54.95–56.32 wt%), and exhibits low Mg# (<46). All samples show a high-K calc-alkaline differentiation trend and I-type features. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns are fractionated [(La/Yb) = 2.40–12.44] and display weak Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.30–0.76). The rocks are characterized by enrichment of LILE and depletion of HFSE. The Harşit host rocks have weak concave-upward REE patterns, suggesting that amphibole and garnet played a significant role in their generation during magma segregation. The host rocks and their enclaves are isotopically indistinguishable. Sr–Nd isotopic data for all of the samples display I = 0.70676–0.70708, ε(79 Ma) = −4.4 to −3.3, with T = 1.09–1.36 Ga. The lead isotopic ratios are (Pb/Pb) = 18.79–18.87, (Pb/Pb) = 15.59–15.61 and (Pb/Pb) = 38.71–38.83. These geochemical data rule out pure crustal-derived magma genesis in a post-collision extensional stage and suggest mixed-origin magma generation in a subduction setting. The melting that generated these high-K granitoidic rocks may have resulted from the upper Cretaceous subduction of the Izmir–Ankara–Erzincan oceanic slab beneath the Eurasian block in the region. The back-arc extensional events would have caused melting of the enriched subcontinental lithospheric mantle and formed mafic magma. The underplating of the lower crust by mafic magmas would have played a significant role in the generation of high-K magma. Thus, a thermal anomaly induced by underplated basic magma into a hot crust would have caused partial melting in the lower part of the crust. In this scenario, the lithospheric mantle-derived basaltic melt first mixed with granitic magma of crustal origin at depth. Then, the melts, which subsequently underwent a fractional crystallization and crustal assimilation processes, could ascend to shallower crustal levels to generate a variety of rock types ranging from diorite to granite. Sr–Nd isotope modeling shows that the generation of these magmas involved ~65–75% of the lower crustal-derived melt and ~25–35% of subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Further, geochemical data and the Ar–Ar plateau age on hornblende, combined with regional studies, imply that the Harşit pluton formed in a subduction setting and that the back-arc extensional period started by least ~79 Ma in the Eastern Pontides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Early Cenozoic (48–50 Ma) adakitic volcanic rocks from the Eastern Pontides, NE Turkey, consist of calc-alkaline and high-K calc-alkaline andesite and dacite, with SiO2 contents ranging from 56.01 to 65.44 wt.%. This is the first time that Early Eocene volcanism and adakites have been reported from the region. The rocks are composed of plagioclase, amphibole, quartz, and Mg-rich biotite. They have high and low-Mg# values ranging from 55 to 62 and 13 to 42, respectively. High-Mg# rocks have higher Ni and Co contents than low-Mg# samples. The rocks exhibit enrichments in large ion lithophile elements including the light rare earth elements, depletions in Nb, Ta and Ti and have high La/Yb and Sr/Y ratios. Their relative high I Sr (0.70474–0.70640) and low ε Nd (50 Ma) values (−2.3 to 0.8) are inconsistent with an origin as partial melts of a subducted oceanic slab. Combined major- and trace element and Sr–Nd isotope data suggest that the adakitic magmas are related to the unique tectonic setting of this region, where a transition from a collision to an extension stage has created thickening and delamination of the Pontide mafic lower crust at 50 Ma. The high-Mg adakitic magmas resulted from partial melting of the delaminated eclogitic mafic lower crust that sank into the relatively hot subcrustal mantle, and its subsequent interaction with the mantle peridotite during upward transport, leaving garnet as the residual phase, elevates the MgO content and Mg# of the magmas, whereas low-Mg# magmas formed by the melting of newly exposed lower crustal rocks caused by asthenospheric upwelling, which supplies heat flux to the lower crust. The data also suggest that the mafic lower continental crust beneath the region was thickened between the Late Cretaceous and the Late Paleocene and delaminated during Late Paleocene to Early Eocene time, which coincides with the initial stage of crustal thinning caused by crustal extensional events in the Eastern Pontides and rules out the possibility of an extensional regime before ~50 Ma in the region during the Late Mesozoic to Early Cenozoic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Whole-rock geochemical and Sr, Nd and Pb isotope data are presented for a representative suite of the Quaternary Erzincan Volcanics (QEV) from the Erzincan basin (EB) along the North Anatolian Fault Zone, aiming to understand their origin and implications for basalt–lower crust interaction. Unspiked K–Ar and 40Ar/39Ar dating of dome lavas from the QEVs yielded ages of 102±2 to 1061±88 ka. The QEVs range from high-K low silica trachy-andesite to rhyolite in composition, with rhyolite volumetrically the most abundant. All rocks show high-K calc-alkaline affinity, a geochemical signature common to many post-collisional magmas. They are characterized by enrichment in LILE (Rb, Ba, K, Th) and LREE ((La/Yb)CN =3–33), with pronounced depletion of HFSE. All lavas show negligible or small negative Eu anomalies in the andesitic to dacitic and strong Eu anomalies in the rhyolitic samples. These rocks have relatively low 87Sr/86Sr=0.70404–0.70587 and slightly depleted Nd isotopic compositions (ε Nd from −0.9 to 2.8), with significantly varied Mg# ranging from 2 to 53. Pb isotopic compositions [206Pb/204Pb=18.90–19.02, 207Pb/204Pb=15.64–15.70, 208Pb/204Pb=38.91–39.97] reveal an enriched source signature, which implies that some portions of metasomatized lithospheric mantle could have contributed to their genesis. The isotopic ratios and chemical features along with the textural and compositional disequilibrium of the plagioclases and amphiboles suggest that mixing of mafic and felsic magmas played an important role in the magma genesis. A possible scenario for the genesis of these volcanic rocks is that basaltic magma formed as a result of partial melting of a subcontinental lithospheric mantle source responding to a possible upwelling of asthenospheric mantle which was caused by the extension produced by strike-slip tectonics. Underplating of these high-temperature basaltic magmas sparked partial fusion of a juvenile lower continental crust producing felsic melts; then magma mixing between basaltic and the felsic magmas followed. Fractional crystallization, with minor amounts crustal contamination could have played an important role in the evolution of magma. Modelling based on Sr and Nd isotope data shows that less than 10% of a basic magma and about 90% of juvenile lower continental crustal material was involved in the generation of the QEVs in a pull-apart basin along the North Anatolian Fault Zone. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background and Introduction: It has been suggested that chronic infections may have a role in both the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis. While the majority of available data are focused on coronary artery disease, our aim was to investigate the presence of Chlamydia pneumoniae and Helicobacter pylori in samples from aortoiliac occlusive disease. Methods: Aorta-iliac atherectomy specimens were collected under sterile conditions from 21 patients (19 male, 2 female) undergoing surgery for aortoiliac occlusive disease. Seventeen macroscopically healthy vessels (12 internal mammary arteries, 3 radial arteries, prepared for coronary artery bypass graft, and 2 traumatic artery specimens, one of which was a superficial femoral artery and the other was a radial artery) were used as control. Blood samples for serological assays were obtained immediately before surgery. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was employed to search for H. pylori and C. pneumoniae DNA in atherosclerotic plaques and healthy vessel samples. Group-specific chlamydial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) antigens in atherosclerotic plaques and in healthy vessel samples and serum IgG antibodies to chlamydial LPS were determined by using a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Antibodies to H. pylori were also tested in all cases by means of an in-house ELISA. Results: Chlamydial LPS and DNA were detected in 6 of 21 (28.57%) atherosclerotic lesions using ELISA or PCR, respectively. There was no evidence of H. pylori DNA in any plaque specimens. All cases in which C. pneumoniae DNA was positive were also seropositive for antichlamydial LPS. Neither C. pneumoniae DNA nor antigen nor H. pylori DNA was found in the macroscopically healthy samples. Conclusion: Our results suggest that C. pneumoniae but not, as proposed, H. pylori may be involved in the pathogenesis of aortoiliac atherosclerosis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of the present report was to evaluate the prevalent species of airborne fungi in the outdoor environment in the city of Trabzon, Turkey. The area is surrounded by high mountains running parallel to the Black Sea, and has a mostly rainy and temperate climate together with a most varied and widespread flora. Air samples were collected in four seasons by means of the gravitational settling method using petri dishes with SDA culture media. Those fungi colonies that formed after an incubation period of 7–10 days at 25 °C were determined on the basis of micro and macromorphological features. With respect to seasons, it was found that in Summer Penicillium, Alternaria and Fusarium, in Autumn and Winter Penicillium and in Spring and Summer Alternaria were the most prevalent fungal genera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Late Mesozoic evolution of the Neotethys Ocean is critical and still remains unclear along the entire Sakarya Zone (SZ), Turkey, because previous interpretations of the Middle to Late Jurassic rifting of the SZ have not been consensually accepted. We identified, for the first time, the Early Cretaceous dykes intruded into the Late Jurassic and Late Carboniferous bodies in the Çamlıkaya (Erzurum) area in the SZ. Here, we present a data set of new field observations, 40Ar/39Ar geochronology, whole-rock geochemical and Sr–Nd isotopes to find out the tectonic setting of previously undated basic to intermediate igneous rocks. 40Ar/39Ar technique on the groundmass separations yielded the plateau ages of 128.78 ± 1.02 to 122.89 ± 0.82 Ma. The investigated dykes are compositionally divided into two sub-groups: calc-alkaline lamprophyres (CAL) and high-Nb alkaline basalts (HNB). They show enrichment in large ion lithophile elements (LILE: e.g., Rb, Ba, K) and depletion in high field strength elements (HFSE: Nb and Ti) as well as moderate fractionation of light rare earth elements relative to heavy rare earth elements. The HNB have high Mg# (47–66), and relatively unradiogenic Sr 87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70385 to 0.70510] and Nd [ε Nd (t) = +0.5 to +5.3] isotopic composition, whereas the CAL possess moderate to high Mg# (32–72), and relatively high Sr 87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70586 to 0.71379] and Nd [ε Nd (t) = +1.5 to −9.9] isotopic composition. Early Cretaceous high-angle subduction triggered upwelling of the asthenosphere at 126 Ma, which likely generated a heat anomaly. This anomaly has probably induced melting of the oceanic slab and the metasomatized mantle to form the CAL and HNB. The HNB were generated by low degrees of melting of mantle domain that was previously reacted by oceanic slab-related adakitic melts at the depths of the garnet stability field (≥70 km). However, the CAL were probably formed at shallower mantle levels within the garnet-amphibole field by a relatively higher degree of melting of the mantle, also modified by subducted slab sediments. A new field, age, and petrochemical data from the Early Cretaceous dykes, combined with the presence of Aptian deep-water sediments to the north and the Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous platform carbonates deposited in the passive margin setting along the entire SZ, imply the initiation of active-margin magmatism in the SZ. We suggest that the coexistence of the Early Cretaceous CAL and HNB points to the formation of an Andean-type active margin above a north-dipping Neotethyan oceanic slab. Their emplacement ages are associated with the inception of the magmatic arc structure and refer to a significant geodynamic turnover from passive-margin to active-margin tectonics along the SZ. • Ar–Ar dating suggest presence of an Early Cretaceous volcanism in the Sakarya Zone. • The CALs and HNBs were originated from an enriched mantle wedge. • All geochemical features indicate that they formed in a subduction setting. • All data refer a geodynamic shift from passive- to active-margin tectonics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Rheic Ocean is the most significant Paleozoic ocean that detached peri-Gondwana terranes from the northern Gondwana margin throughout the closure of the Iapetus Ocean. The suture of the Rheic Ocean spreads from Mexico to the Middle East, and the timing of its final closure is well-documented by the rocks formed in the Variscan-Alleghanian-Ouachita orogeny which led to the formation of the supercontinent Pangaea. However, as robust paleomagnetic and quantitative data are mostly lacking, the onset and evolution of the subduction of the Rheic Ocean are highly speculative, and they require further confirmation. Recently, the well-preserved metagranitoids along the western Sakarya Zone (SZ) in Anatolia have been identified, and they provide new data that improve our knowledge on the evolution of the Early Paleozoic Rheic Ocean along the northern Gondwana. Here, we present new geochronological, in situ zircon Hf isotope, and whole-rock geochemical analyses of these metagranitoids from the western SZ to enhance our understanding of the subduction processes of the Rheic Ocean. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating demonstrated that the Bozüyük and Borçak metagranitoids from the western SZ were emplaced during the Silurian to Early Devonian (431 ± 2.7 to 403 ± 3.5 Ma). The both granitoids have medium- to high-K, calc-alkaline magmatic character, and exhibit peraluminous to slightly metaluminous geochemical signature. They show a typical arc pattern in terms of trace elements and have a uniform, moderate negative ε Hf (t) of −3.2 to −9.7, with Mesoproterozoic Hf depleted mantle model ages (T DM1 = 1.2 to 1.4 Ga). The geochemical and isotopic characteristics are not consistent with those of depleted mantle melts and melts derived from the crustal rocks in an intracontinental environment. Instead, the parental magma is likely generated from the partial melting of a homogeneous and enriched mantle wedge source. We propose that the Silurian to Early Devonian arc-related magmatism is associated with a northward subduction episode of the Rheic Oceanic lithosphere beneath the peri-Gondwana terranes. Hence, we consider that the opening of Paleotethys Ocean formed in a back-arc basin of subduction in Andean style to the north rather than a continental rift to the south in response to south-directed and short-lived supra-subduction zone (SSZ)-type subduction during the Silurian to Early Devonian. Unlabelled Image • Silurian to Early Devonian magmatism were recognized in the Sakarya Zone. • The metagranitoids originated from an enriched mantle domain. • Asthenospheric upwelling due to slab roll-back caused partial melting of mantle. • All the geochemical features indicate that they formed in a subduction setting. • The closure of Rheic Ocean triggered opening of Paleotethys in back-arc to north. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]