Anaerobic biodecolorization of textile reactive anthraquinone and phthalocyanine dyebaths under hypersaline conditions.

The biological decolorization of two industrial, spent textile reactive dyebaths was investigated using a suspended-growth, halophilic mixed culture fed with glucose. Dyebath I contained mainly Reactive Blue 19 (RB19), an anthraquinone dye, whereas dyebath II contained mainly Reactive Blue 21 (RB21), a phthalocyanine dye. Batch assays under anaerobic conditions with the two neutralized dyebaths resulted in 87 and 37% extent of decolorization for dyebaths I and II, respectively. The rate of glucose utilization and the extent of acetate production were impacted in the presence of each dyebath as compared to the control culture. However, dyebath decolorization occurred despite moderate culture inhibition. Reuse of a biologically renovated RB19-containing dyebath in the dyeing process resulted in reproducible but not identical cotton fabric shades as compared to a standard dyeing (i.e., control) using fresh water. This difference is attributed to a variable degree of RB19 aggregation during the dyeing process and is not related to the efficiency of the biodecolorization process. Further improvement of the redyeing efficiency will lead to the development of an in-plant, closed-loop decolorization system resulting in significant water conservation and minimization of textile pollutants such as salt and dyes.

Decolorization of a reactive copper-phthalocyanine dye under methanogenic conditions.

The objective of this research was to assess the biological decolorization of the copper-phthalocyanine dye Reactive Blue 7 (RB7) under methanogenic conditions using a mixed, methanogenic culture in a repetitive dye addition batch assay. The initial rate of decolorization was 13.2 mg/L-d and 5.7 mg/L-d for the first and second dye addition, respectively. For an initial RB7 concentration of ca. 300 mg/L, the extent of decolorization remained constant (about 62%) for each repetitive RB7 addition and resulted in a residual color build up. Declining absorbance ratio values (A664/A620) with increasing incubation time confirmed that the observed color removal was due to transformation as opposed to adsorption on the biomass. Chemical decolorization assays using sodium dithionite as the reducing agent resulted in similar absorbance spectra to that obtained after biological decolorization. In addition, in both the chemical and biological decolorization assays, partial oxidation of the reduced dye solution upon exposure to air resulted in higher residual color, indicating that the reduction and decolorization of RB7 are partially reversible. These results also suggest that RB7 reduction and decolorization both chemically and biologically most likely followed a similar reduction mechanism.

Oesophageal atresia: a handshake with malrotation.

Oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula patients are known to have associated anomalies. Malrotation is a dangerous diagnosis to miss. The association of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula with malrotation is known but not quantified and certainly not emphasised enough in the literature. We retrospectively studied our population of oesophageal atresia and tracheo-oesophageal fistula patients to look for an associated malrotation. Ninety-one patients with oesophageal atresia were reviewed during 1978 - 1997, of whom 60 patients had an upper gastrointestinal study. Three of these patients (5 %) were noted to have malrotation. We would recommend a routine post-operative upper gastrointestinal study to look for abnormalities of intestinal rotation along with other information that can be obtained by the study. We also recommend that in patients with pure atresia, at the time of gastrostomy, intestinal rotation should be determined. All clinicians dealing with infants with oesophageal atresia should be aware of this association.

Persistence of autologous free fat transplant in bladder submucosa of rats.

The endoscopic correction of vesicoureteral reflux is a well accepted procedure. However, the search for the ideal injectable substance continues. We compared the persistence of autologous free fat transplants from the perivesical fat pad and the abdominal wall to the bladder submucosa in an animal model. Perivesical fat consistently showed greater persistence than abdominal wall fat over time. Perivesical fat may be an ideal substance for endoscopic injection when treating vesicoureteral reflux.

Ultrasound evaluation of the prostate after abdominoperineal resection.

Prostate evaluation after abdominoperineal resection is hampered by the inability of the physician to perform digital rectal examination and transrectal ultrasound. Laboratory evaluation alone is not specific, and computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are costly while yielding unclear results. We evaluated 23 men with prostate specific antigen, prostatic acid phosphatase and transperineal ultrasound of the prostate, using an elevated prostate specific antigen level and/or hypoechoic focus as indications for biopsy. Ten men underwent transperineal biopsy of the prostate and in 2 biopsies revealed prostate carcinoma. Transperineal ultrasound allows for accurate evaluation of the prostate in men following abdominoperineal resection as well as accurate biopsy when indicated.

Bone mineral density and body composition in adult patients with cystic fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: Cystic fibrosis is a multisystem disease characterised by chronic pulmonary sepsis and malnutrition. To ascertain whether osteoporosis is a feature of cystic fibrosis in adult patients, total body and regional bone mineral density (BMD) was measured in a group of eight men and eight women aged 17-42 years. METHODS: Total body and regional BMD (lumbar spine L2-L4, femoral neck, trochanteric, and Ward's triangle), as well as total body fat and lean mass, were measured by dual energy x ray absorptiometry. A range of biochemical, lifestyle, and anthropometric variables was also assessed. RESULTS: Patients with cystic fibrosis had significantly reduced bone density at all sites compared with normal young adults. The mean reductions ranged from 7% at Ward's triangle to 13% at the trochanter. Body mass index (BMI) was positively correlated with BMD at four sites and disease severity negatively correlated with BMD at two sites. Other biochemical and anthropometric variables were not predictive of bone density. Total body fat mass was reduced by 30% compared with normal young adults. CONCLUSIONS: Bone density is decreased in adult patients with cystic fibrosis and BMI and disease severity are independent predictors of bone density.

Transurethral surgery using intravesical bupivacaine and intravenous sedation.

We report our experience using intravesical 0.5% bupivacaine as a topical anesthetic along with intravenous fentanyl and midazolam sedation to perform a variety of transurethral procedures in 78 patients. We achieved adequate pain control in all patients and observed no anesthetic complications. Use of this combination of intravesical topical anesthesia and intravenous sedation provided safe, adequate anesthesia to our patients undergoing various transurethral procedures in an outpatient clinic setting.

Migration of intravascular balloon after percutaneous embolotherapy of varicocele.

Migration of an intravascular balloon following embolic therapy for varicocele is uncommon. A third case is reported of migration of a left internal spermatic vein embolic balloon to the right lung in an otherwise healthy twenty-five-year-old male who was treated for a symptomatic left varicocele. The patient, a student naval aviator in the jet pilot program, has had his career adversely affected by this complication.