[Association of vitamin D and cognitive disorders an older population of Amirkola]

Vitamin D receptors are widespread in brain tissue, and the active form of vitamin D has been documented for its neuroprotective effects. This study was conducted to determine the association between vitamin D level and cognitive disorders. This descriptive-analytical cross sectional study was conducted within the framework of the "Amikola Health and Aging Project [AHAP]", [2011-12], conducted on 1616 older people, aged>60 years in the city of Amirkola, Iran. Serum levels of vitamin D were measured in morning blood samples and mental status was investigated using Mini-Mental State Examination [MMSE]. Data was analyzed with T test, ANOVA and Chi-square, and P-values <0.05 were considered significant. The mean age of study participants was 68.81 +/- 7.1 years. Among them 509 [31.5%] had cognitive impairment and 1103 [68.4%] did not. There was significant association between serum vitamin D level and normal and abnormal MMSE in women [P=0.029], but not in men [P=0.49]. Mean serum vitamin D level in participants with normal MMSE was 34.45 +/- 32.79 ng/ml and in participants with abnormal MMSE was 32.80 +/- 29.39 ng/ml but this finding was not significant [P=0.31]. Serum vitamin D level in older persons with normal MMSE was higher than in those with abnormal MMSE, although it was not significant. In this study, there was no association between serum vitamin D levels in older people with or without cognitive impairment

[Study the results of less invasive decompressive surgery in lumbar spinal stenosis]

Spinal stenosis of the lumbar area is the most common problem of this area in older patients and surgery is needed in refractory cases. The purpose of this study was to assess the surgical outcome of the less invasive decompressive surgery in the patients with lumbar spinal stenosis. In a retrospective study, we reviewed 50 cases with lumbar spinal stenosis that carried out this type of surgery and followed regularly. For assessing the results, we used anatomical economical functional rating system of Prolo, visual analogue scale and White and Panjabi instability criteria. The patients were followed-up for a mean of 3.5 years [2 to 8] after surgery. Good or excellent results were obtained in 82% of the patients. A significant reduction of the low back pain intensity and disability was seen. Claudication and radicular pain was disappeared in 100% and 94% of them, respectively. Less invasive decompressive surgery by limited laminotomy, undercutting of the facet joints and not doing extensive laminectomy is a safe and reliable surgery for the treatment of the refractory patients with lumbar spinal stenosis

Performance evaluation of waste water stabilization ponds in Arak-Iran

Arak waste stabilization pond facilities consist of two stabilization pond systems, module 1 and module 2. The existing facilities have had several problems in their operation. The objectives of this research were to evaluate the performance of stabilization ponds in wastewater treatment of the city of Arak, because of several problems in their operation, and to prepare a scheme of its upgrading, if necessary. Within the period of May to September 2007, analyses were carried out for both raw and treated wastewaters. Results of these investigations showed that the average effluent concentrations of BOD5, COD and SS taken from primary and secondary facultative ponds of module 1 were 91.5, 169, 114; and 70, 160, 123 mg/L, respectively. These results indicated that the effluent of the primary facultative ponds of module 1 were complied with the Iranian treated wastewater standards for agricultural reuse in terms of BOD5 and COD concentrations; hence the secondary facultative ponds could be changed to other primary facultative ponds in order to increase the capacity of wastewater treatment plant. For module 2, BOD5, COD, and SS average concentrations of treated wastewater for the secondary and tertiary facultative ponds were obtained as 69, 101, 77; and 76, 127, 78 mg/L, respectively. Thus the effluent of the secondary facultative pond was complied with the considered standards in terms of all studied parameters. Consequently, the tertiary facultative pond could be changed to other secondary facultative pond to upgrade both the quality and the quantity of treated wastewater