Risk Factors and Compression and Kyphosis Rates after 1 Year in Patients with AO type A Thoracic, Thoracolumbar, and Lumbar Fractures Treated Conservatively.

AIM: Conservative treatment is a frequently used treatment modality for traumatic thoracolumbar fractures. However, not many studies evaluating radiological and clinical results of conservative treatment are found. The aim of this study was to determine the risk factors, and compression and kyphosis rates after 1 year in patients with AO type A thoracic, thoracolumbar, and lumbar fractures treated conservatively. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Radiological and clinical results of 79 thoracolumbar fractures in 57 patients, who were treated conservatively, were evaluated one year after trauma. Fractures were classified according to thoracolumbar injury classification and severity (TLICS) score and AO spinal trauma classification system. Compression rate, wedge and kyphosis angles, and sagittal index were calculated in early and late periods after trauma. RESULTS: Female/male ratio was 25/32, and mean age was 41.7±16.7 years. They were followed for 15.2±4.9 months. Mean compression rates were 19.6% and 25.2%; wedge angles were 10.1 and 12.7 degrees; kyphosis angles were 5.82 and 8.9 degrees; and sagittal indexes were 8.01 and 10.13 in all patients just after trauma and after one year, respectively. Fractures in older patients ( > 60 years of age) and in patients with osteopenia or osteoporosis, located in the thoracolumbar junction, AO type A2 and A3 fractures, and solitary fractures had higher compression and kyphosis rates at last follow-up. CONCLUSION: Early mobilization without bed rest for stable thoracolumbar fractures according to the TLICS system is a good treatment option, and radiological and clinical results are usually acceptable. However, fractures in patients older than 60 years, those with osteoporosis or osteopenia, fractures located in the thoracolumbar junction, solitary fractures, and fractures in AO type A2 or A3, are more inclined to increase in compression and kyphosis and may require a closer follow-up.

Effects of alpha lipoic acid on motor function and antioxidant enzyme activity of nerve tissue after sciatic nerve crush injury in rats.

AIM: Background: Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) that is a strong antioxidant drug is tried for both protection and treatment of various diseases of central and peripheral nervous systems. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Material and Methods: Protective effects of ALA on crush type peripheral nerve injury were evaluated. 28 Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: In Group 1, sciatic nerve was only explored. Sciatic nerve crush injury was performed after serum physiologic injection intraperitoneally in Group 2, and after ALA injection in Groups 3 and 4. In all subjects, Sciatic Functional Index (SFI) was calculated. All subjects were sacrificed 1 hour after injury in first three groups, and 48 hours after in Group 4. Nerve samples were taken. Superoxide dismutase, catalase and glutathione peroxidase activities were measured in nerve tissue. RESULTS: Results: Administration of ALA before injury provided significantly better SFI values and higher levels of antioxidant enzymes than control group. These effects were significantly prominent 48 hours after injury. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: ALA that was given before crush type peripheral nerve injury provided to decrease damage of the nerve. Specific mechanisms of this effect must be clarified and must be shown that it is whether effective when it is given after injury or not.

Use and modifications of cervical and upper thoracic laminar screws in posterior stabilization.

AIM: Laminar screw technique is used to stabilize C2 and other levels when other techniques cannot be performed. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients underwent laminar screws at cervical and upper thoracic levels in our clinic during 5 yearswere evaluated retrospectively. RESULTS: In 25 patients, 6 to 82 years old,total 54 laminar screws were used. Most frequent diagnoses were cervical spinal stenosis and craniovertebraljunction anomalies.There were handicaps to perform other type of screwsin 19 out of 25 screws during first 4 years, and 9 out of 29 in the last year (p=0.0009).Two modifications were performed in some cases. In 4 segments with thin lamina, a shorter screw was performed to leave clear the thinnest part, and in 3 C2 levels with almost full length bifid spinous process,shorter screws were inserted from medial sides of the bifid processes with a more vertical orientation. There was ventral cortex penetration in 11 screws without new neurological deficits. One of them was removed because of its full thickness insertion into the spinal canal.Fusion rate was 75% in 16 patients followed radiologically longer than 6 months.In one patient out of 4 without fusion, unilateral screw was loosened, and in others laminar screws were not loosened. CONCLUSION: Laminar screw technique is easy, safe and effective at C2, C7 and upper thoracic levels. Some modifications may be required due to the anatomical variations.It can be used at other subaxial levels also in theselected cases that other techniques could not be performed.

Rapidly Progressive Spontaneous Spinal Epidural Abscess.

Spinal epidural abscess (SEA) is a rare disease which is often rapidly progressive. Delayed diagnosis of SEA may lead to serious complications and the clinical findings of SEA are generally nonspecific. Paraspinal abscess should be considered in the presence of local low back tenderness, redness, and pain with fever, particularly in children. In case of delayed diagnosis and treatment, SEA may spread to the epidural space and may cause neurological deficits. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) remains the method of choice in the diagnosis of SEA. Treatment of SEA often consists of both medical and surgical therapy including drainage with percutaneous entry, corpectomy, and instrumentation.

Performances of anaerobic and aerobic membrane bioreactors for the treatment of synthetic textile wastewater.

This study aims at comparatively evaluating anaerobic and aerobic MBRs for the treatment of azo-dye containing synthetic wastewater. Also, the filtration performances of AnMBR and AeMBR were compared under similar operating conditions. In both MBRs, high COD removal efficiencies were observed. Although almost complete color removal was observed in AnMBR, only partial (30-50%) color removal was achieved in AeMBR. AnMBR was successfully operated up to 9 L/(m(2)h) (LMH) and no chemical cleaning was required at 4.5 LMH for around 50 days. AeMBR was operated successfully up to 20 LMH. The filtration resistance of AnMBR was generally higher compared to AeMBR although reversible fouling rates were comparable. In both MBRs, offline chemical cleaning with NaOCl and sulfuric acid almost completely removed irreversible fouling and the resistances of chemically cleaned membranes were close to those of new membranes.

Effluent quality and reuse potential of domestic wastewater treated in a pilot-scale hybrid constructed wetland system.

The study investigates treatment and reuse potential of domestic wastewater of a small community of about 30 people sequentially by anaerobic pretreatment followed by horizontal (HSSF-CW) and vertical (VSSF-CW) sub-surface flow constructed wetlands operated in series. The organic and suspended solids load to the hybrid wetland system was decreased by anaerobic pretreatment. HSSF-CW mainly removed organic matter and supported denitrification whereas VSSF-CW mainly obtained nitrification and phosphorus removal. Recirculation of the effluent increased particularly total nitrogen removal in the wetland system. The study involves evaluation of the whole system in terms of effluent quality. It was achieved on average >95% organic matter and >90% nitrogen removal in the hybrid constructed wetland system with anaerobic pretreatment at a specific wetland surface area of only about 1 m(2) per person. Average mass removal rates were 21.17 gCOD/m(2)day, 5.58 gBOD5/m(2)day, 2.78 gTKN/m(2)day, 1.35 gTN/m(2)day, 0.44 gTP/m(2)day and 5.21 gTSS/m(2)day throughout the total duration of the operation. Consequently, the effluent met the regulations for discharge limits for organic matter and suspended solids. COD and TN concentrations decreased to below 20 mg/L in the effluent. It was also shown that effluent of the system could be reused for irrigation if it is disinfected properly.

Extraction of the essential oil from endemic Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis with two different methods: comparison of the oil composition and antibacterial activity.

The antibacterial activity and chemical composition of the essential oils (EOs) isolated from Origanum bilgeri P.H.Davis by two different extraction methods, i.e., hydrodistillation (HD) and solvent-free microwave extraction (SFME), were examined. This endemic Origanum species had shown very good antibacterial activity. The composition of the O. bilgeri EOs obtained by SFME and HD was investigated by GC/MS analysis. The main components of the oils obtained by both methods were carvacrol (90.20-84.30%), p-cymene (3.40-5.85%), γ-terpinene (0.47-1.20%), and thymol (0.69-1.08%). The EO isolation by SFME offered many important advantages, including a higher extraction yield, a shorter extraction time, and a higher content of the active component carvacrol. The carvacrol-rich oils obtained by both HD and SFME showed a good antibacterial activity. The largest inhibition zones were observed for the O. bilgeri EO obtained by SFME. Our study suggests that O. bilgeri EO has the potential to be used as preventative against bacterial contamination in many foods, instead of the common synthetic antimicrobial products.

Effect of chloroethene concentrations and granular activated carbon on reductive dechlorination rates and growth of Dehalococcoides spp.

This study focused on the investigation of (i) the tetrachloroethene (PCE) toxicity threshold of a reductively dechlorinating mixed culture containing Dehalococcoides spp., (ii) the adsorption of PCE on different types of granular activated carbon (GAC), and (iii) the bioavailability and reductive dechlorination in the presence of GAC. The abundance of Dehalococcoides spp. detected by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) was found to increase by 2-4 orders of magnitude during degradation of PCE. No degradation occurred at dissolved concentrations beyond 420 µM (70 mg/L). Different adsorption isotherms were determined for thermally and chemically activated carbons. The addition of GAC to biological assays reduced the dissolved PCE concentration below the toxicity threshold. The combination of microbial reductive dechlorination with GAC adsorption proved to be a promising method for remediation of groundwater contaminated by high concentrations of chloroethenes.

Continuously tunable terahertz metamaterial employing magnetically actuated cantilevers.

Terahertz metamaterial structures that employ flexing microelectromechanical cantilevers for tuning the resonance frequency of an electric split-ring resonator are presented. The tuning cantilevers are coated with a magnetic thin-film and are actuated by an external magnetic field. The use of cantilevers enables continuous tuning of the resonance frequency over a large frequency range. The use of an externally applied magnetic field for actuation simplifies the metamaterial structure and its use for sensor or filter applications. A structure for minimizing the actuating field is derived. The dependence of the tunable bandwidth on frequency is discussed.

Chemical composition, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils of Sideritis erythrantha Boiss. and Heldr. (var. erythrantha and var. cedretorum P.H. Davis) endemic in Turkey.

In the present study, chemical compositions, antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils of Sideritis erythrantha var. erythrantha (SE) and Sideritis erythrantha var. cedretorum (SC), which are endemic taxa in Turkey, were investigated. The essential oils obtained by hydrodistillation were analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). α-Pinene was the major component of the essential oils of SC and SE. SC essential oil was as effective as antibiotic against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin resistant Enterococcus faecalis (VRE), ampicillin resistant Haemophilusinfluenzae and vancomycin sensitive E. faecalis. Similarly, SE essential oil was also as effective as antibiotic against VRE and ampicillin resistant H. influenzae. Antioxidant activities of the essential oils of SC and SE were determined by 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH), ß-carotene/linoleic acid and reducing power. Both essential oils exhibited weak antioxidant activity. This is the first report on antimicrobial and antioxidant activities of the essential oils of SC and SE.

Adsorption and cometabolic bioregeneration in activated carbon treatment of 2-nitrophenol.

The extent of cometabolic bioregeneration of activated carbons loaded with 2-nitrophenol was investigated in lab-scale batch activated sludge reactors. Bioregeneration was quantified by measuring the deterioration in adsorption capacity of a fresh activated carbon after a pre-loading and a subsequent bioregeneration sequence. Activated carbons loaded with 2-nitrophenol could be partially bioregenerated cometabolically in the presence of phenol as the growth substrate. The occurrence of exoenzymatic bioregeneration was also possible during cometabolic bioregeneration of thermally activated carbon. However, cometabolic bioregeneration of chemically activated carbon was higher in accordance with higher desorbability. Rather than biodegradation, desorption was the rate-limiting step in bi-solute bioregeneration of phenol and 2-nitrophenol. The absence of oxidative coupling reactions leads to sufficient reversible adsorption, which eventually makes 2-nitrophenol an ideal compound in terms of bioregenerability.

Cometabolic bioregeneration of activated carbons loaded with 2-chlorophenol.

Thermally and chemically activated carbons were used to investigate the extent of cometabolic bioregeneration in laboratory scale activated sludge reactors. Bioregeneration was determined and quantified by measuring the substrate and chloride concentrations, oxygen uptake rates, and deterioration in adsorption capacities. Activated carbons loaded with 2-chlorophenol could be partially bioregenerated in the presence of phenol as the growth substrate. The occurrence of exoenzymatic bioregeneration was also possible during cometabolic bioregeneration of thermally activated carbons. However, cometabolic bioregeneration of chemically activated carbons was much superior compared with thermally activated carbons. In cometabolic bioregeneration of activated carbons loaded with 2-chlorophenol, biodegradation, rather than desorption, was the rate-limiting step. Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy analyses showed that groups of cocci-shaped phenol-oxidizers were attached to the outer surface or internal cavities of activated carbon as a fingerprint of bioregeneration.

Adsorption, desorption and bioregeneration in the treatment of 2-chlorophenol with activated carbon.

This study aims to clarify the effect of activated carbon type on the extent of adsorbability, desorbability, and bioregenerability in the treatment of 2-chlorophenol. Four different activated carbon types; thermally activated and chemically activated powdered carbons (PAC), and their granular countertypes (GAC) with similar physical characteristics were used. Thermally activated carbons adsorbed 2-chlorophenol much better than chemically activated ones. However, adsorption was more reversible in the case of chemically activated ones. The use of powdered and granular activated carbon countertypes resulted in comparable adsorption and desorption characteristics. For each activated carbon type, 2-chlorophenol exhibited higher adsorbability and lower desorbability than phenol. Biodegradation of 2-chlorophenol took place very slowly when it was used as the sole carbon source in acclimated and non-acclimated activated sludges. Bioregeneration occurred only via desorption due to an initial concentration gradient and no further desorption took place due to low biodegradability. Bioregeneration of activated carbon loaded with 2-chlorophenol was not a suitable option when 2-chlorophenol was the only carbon source. It is suggested to remove 2-chlorophenol via adsorption onto activated carbon rather than applying biological treatment. Also in such cases, the use of thermally activated carbons with higher adsorption and lower desorption capacities is recommended rather than chemically activated carbons.