Explaining and evaluating the quality of “light” in religious environments and its effect on spirituality

The current study aimed to investigate the quality of the interior architecture of the religious spaces regarding inducing the sense of spirituality with an emphasis on light. Thus, the authors introduced the best option by simulating the light intensity of the interior environment of the Nasir Al-Mulk Mosque, Shiraz, in software and developing a visual standard questionnaire with a statistical population including the experts. This research was a field, and survey study and computational software were used to simulate the light intensity of the interior environment of the mosque in the first part. Then, the researcher-made visual questionnaire was developed. Also, this questionnaire was sent to the experts online due to the current situations due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The statistical population was selected using the purposive sampling method from the universities of Iran, Malaysia, India, and Turkey, whose expertise was architecture, environmental psychology, and sacred arts.     

Comparative effect of simulated solar light,UV, UV/H2O2 and photo-Fenton treatment (UV–Vis/H2O2/Fe) in the Escherichia coli inactivation in artificial seawater

Innovative disinfection technologies are being studied for seawater, seeking a viable alternative to chlorination. This study proposes the use of H₂O₂/UV₂₅₄ and photo-Fenton as disinfection treatment in seawater. The irradiations were carried out using a sunlight simulator (Suntest) and a cylindrical UV reactor. The efficiency of the treatment was compared for Milli-Q water, Leman Lake water and artificial seawater. The presence of bicarbonates and organic matter was investigated in order to evaluate possible effects on the photo-Fenton disinfection treatment. The photo-Fenton treatment, employing 1 mg L⁻¹ Fe²⁺ and 10 mg L⁻¹ of H₂O₂, led to the fastest bacterial inactivation kinetics. Using H₂O₂/UV₂₅₄ high disinfection rates were obtained similar to those obtained with photo-Fenton under UV₂₅₄ light. In Milli-Q water, the rate of inactivation for Escherichia coli was higher than in Leman Lake water and seawater due to the lack of inorganic ions affecting negatively bacteria inactivation. The presence of bicarbonate showed scavenging of the OH^• radicals generated in the treatment of photo-Fenton and H₂O₂/UV₂₅₄. Despite the negative effect of inorganic ions, especially HCO₃^-, the disinfection treatments with AOPs in lake water and seawater improved significantly the disinfection compared to light alone (simulated sunlight and UV₂₅₄). In the treatment of photo-Fenton with simulated sunlight, dissolved organic matter had a beneficial effect by increasing the rate of inactivation. This is associated with the formation of Fe³⁺-organo photosensitive complexes leading to the formation of ROS able to inactivate bacteria. This effect was not observed in the photo-Fenton with UV₂₅₄. Growth of E. coli surviving in seawater was observed 24 and 48 h after treatment with UV light. However, growth of surviving bacteria was not detected after photo-Fenton with UV₂₅₄ and H₂O₂/UV₂₅₄ treatments.     

Discussion on article “Surface subsidence induced by twin subway tunneling in soft ground conditions in Istanbul” by Yılmaz Mahmutoğlu,Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment, 2011 70(1):115–131

Bulletin of Engineering Geology and the Environment -