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Publication Open Access Existence of SARS-Cov-2 RNA on ambient particulate matter samples: a nationwide study in Turkey(Elsevier, 2021) Arı, Akif; Şahin, A. Ülkü; Gaga, O. Eftade; Kuzu, S. Levent; Arı Ertürk, Pelin; Odabaşı, Mustafa; Taşdemir, Yücel; Cindoruk, S. Sıddık; Esen, Fatma; Çalışkan, Burak; Sakin, Egemen; Tecer, H. Lokman; Fıçıcı, Merve; Altın, Ahmet; Onat, Burcu; Ayvaz, Coşkun; Uzun, Burcu; Saral, Arslan; Döğeroğlu, Tuncay; Malkoç, Semra; Üzmez, Ö. Özlem; Kunt, Fatma; Aydın, Senar; Kara, Melik; Yaman, Barış; Doğan, Güray; Olgun, Bihter; Dokumacı, N. Ebru; Güllü, Gülen; Uzunpınar, S. Elif; Kayalar, Özgecan; Konyalılar, Nur; Doğan, Özlem; Can, Füsun; Babuççu, Gizem; Bayram, Hasan; Researcher; PhD Student; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Faculty Member; Koç University Research Center for Translational Medicine (KUTTAM) / Koç Üniversitesi Translasyonel Tıp Araştırma Merkezi (KUTTAM); Koç Üniversitesi İş Bankası Enfeksiyon Hastalıkları Uygulama ve Araştırma Merkezi (EHAM) / Koç University İşbank Center for Infectious Diseases (KU-IS CID); School of Medicine; Graduate School of Health Sciences; N/A; N/A; 170418; 103165; N/A; 4890Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and has been affecting the world since the end of 2019. The disease led to significant mortality and morbidity in Turkey, since the first case was reported on March 11th, 2020. Studies suggest a positive association between air pollution and SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of ambient particulate matters (PM), as potential carriers for SARS-CoV-2. Ambient PM samples in various size ranges were collected from 13 sites including urban and urban-background locations and hospital gardens in 10 cities across Turkey between 13th of May and 14th of June 2020 to investigate the possible presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA on ambient PM. A total of 203 daily samples (TSP, n = 80; PM2.5, n = 33; PM2.5-10, n = 23; PM10?m, n = 19; and 6 size segregated PM, n = 48) were collected using various samplers. The N1 gene and RdRP gene expressions were analyzed for the presence of SARS-CoV-2, as suggested by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). According to real time (RT)-PCR and three-dimensional (3D) digital (d) PCR analysis, dual RdRP and N1 gene positivity were detected in 20 (9.8%) samples. Ambient PM-bound SARS-CoV-2 was analyzed quantitatively and the air concentrations of the virus ranged from 0.1 copies/m3 to 23 copies/m3. The highest percentages of virus detection on PM samples were from hospital gardens in Tekirdağ, Zonguldak, and Istanbul, especially in PM2.5 mode. Findings of this study have suggested that SARS-CoV-2 may be transported by ambient particles, especially at sites close to the infection hot-spots. However, whether this has an impact on the spread of the virus infection remains to be determined.Publication Open Access Human-environment interactions at a short-lived Arctic mine and the long-term response of the local tundra vegetation(Cambridge University Press (CUP), 2021) Kruse, Frigga; de Jong, Martha; van Bodegom, Rosanne M. K.; van Oortmerssen, G. J. M.; Kooistra, Jildou; van den Berg, Mathilde; Kuchelmann, Hans Christian; Schepers, Mans; Leusink, Elisabeth H. P.; Cornelder, Bardo A.; Kruijer, J. D.; Dee, Michael W.; Nobles, Gary; Researcher; Koç University Research Center for Anatolian Civilizations (ANAMED) / Anadolu Medeniyetleri Araştırma Merkezi (ANAMED)Arctic mining has a bad reputation because the extractive industry is often responsible for a suite of environmental problems. Yet, few studies explore the gap between untouched tundra and messy megaproject from a historical perspective. Our paper focuses on Advent City as a case study of the emergence of coal mining in Svalbard (Norway) coupled with the onset of mining-related environmental change. After short but intensive human activity (1904-1908), the ecosystem had a century to respond, and we observe a lasting impact on the flora in particular. With interdisciplinary contributions from historical archaeology, archaeozoology, archaeobotany and botany, supplemented by stable isotope analysis, we examine 1) which human activities initially asserted pressure on the Arctic environment, 2) whether the miners at Advent City were "eco-conscious," for example whether they showed concern for the environment and 3) how the local ecosystem reacted after mine closure and site abandonment. Among the remains of typical mining infrastructure, we prioritised localities that revealed the subtleties of long-term anthropogenic impact. Significant pressure resulted from landscape modifications, the import of non-native animals and plants, hunting and fowling, and the indiscriminate disposal of waste material. Where it was possible to identify individual inhabitants, these shared an economic attitude of waste not, want not, but they did not hold the environment in high regard. Ground clearances, animal dung and waste dumps continue to have an effect after a hundred years. The anthropogenic interference with the fell field led to habitat creation, especially for vascular plants. The vegetation cover and biodiversity were high, but we recorded no exotic or threatened plant species. Impacted localities generally showed a reduction of the natural patchiness of plant communities, and highly eutrophic conditions were unsuitable for liverworts and lichens. Supplementary isotopic analysis of animal bones added data to the marine reservoir offset in Svalbard underlining the far-reaching potential of our multi-proxy approach. We conclude that although damaging human-environment interactions formerly took place at Advent City, these were limited and primarily left the visual impact of the ruins. The fell field is such a dynamic area that the subtle anthropogenic effects on the local tundra may soon be lost. The fauna and flora may not recover to what they were before the miners arrived, but they will continue to respond to new post-industrial circumstances.