Production and characterization of chars from cherry pulp via pyrolysis.

Pyrolysis is an eco-friendly process to achieve valuable products like bio-oil, char and gases. In the last decades, biochar production from pyrolysis of a wide variety of industrial and agricultural wastes become popular, which can be utilized as adsorbent instead of the expensive activated carbons. In this study, cherry pulp was pyrolyzed in a fixed bed tubular reactor at five different temperatures (400, 500,550, 600 and 700 °C) and three different heating rates (10, 100 and 200 °C/min) to obtain biochar. Proximate, ultimate, nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, x-ray fluorescence, x-ray diffraction, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were performed on cherry pulp and its chars to examine the chemical alterations after the pyrolysis process. Biochar yields were decreased with increasing pyrolysis temperature and heating rate, based on experimental results. Porous biochars are carbon rich and includes high potassium content. The aromaticity of biochars increased and O/C mass ratio reduced with an increase in the pyrolysis temperature as a result of the development of compact aromatic structure in char. Pyrolysis provides a promising conversion procedure for the production of high energy density char which has promising applications in existing coal-fired boilers without any upgrading.

Identifying the determinants of microalbuminuria in obese patients in primary care units: the effects of blood pressure, random plasma glucose and other risk factors.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the demographic characteristics, blood pressure and blood glucose and the other related factors that affect the microalbuminuria levels in the obese patients aged 40 and above who applied to the primary care for medical evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The population of the research, which was a cross-sectional type, comprised obese patients aged 40 and above who had applied to the community health centers in the center of Malatya. A total of 422 obese patients consisting of 116 males and 306 females were included in the research. The anthropometric measurements of the participants were determined, their blood pressures and their random blood glucoses were evaluated, as well. A microalbuminuria measurement was performed in the urine samples taken from the patients using "Nycocard Reader II" device. FINDINGS: The incidence of microalbuminuria in patients was found as 31.5%, whereas the incidence of macroalbuminuria was 6.6%. The incidence of microalbuminuria in female patients was 32.7%, while it was 28.4% in male patients; on the other hand, the incidence of macroalbuminuria in female patients was found as 6.8%, whereas this percentage was determined as 7.8 in male patients (p > 0.05). The probability of the incidence of microalbuminuria increased 2.8 times more in those with the diastolic blood pressure of 90 mmHg and above when compared to those without it (GA: 1.79-4.56), whereas the incidence increased 3.2 times more in those with the random blood glucose of 200 mg/l and above (GA: 1.32-7.84) (p < 0.001). In our study, among the variables predicting the microalbuminuria in obese patients; the cutoff values of the diastolic and systolic blood pressures, the waist circumference were found as >85 mmHg; >130 mmHg; >141 mg/dl, respectively, in male patients and found as >85 mmHg, >114 cm, and 109 cm, respectively, in female patients. The sensitivity and specificity of the tests indicating the cutoff values showed significance (p < 0.05). There was no statistically significant relevance between the microalbumin levels of the obese patients via the anthropometric criteria, except for their waist circumference (p > 0.05). RESULT: In this study, the blood pressure and blood glucose levels of the patients along with their waist circumference that indicated a central obesity were specified as the determinants of microalbuminuria. While the obese patients are being evaluated in terms of proteinuria, the cutoff values of these variables can be taken into consideration.

Use of modified wheat bran for the removal of chromium(VI) from aqueous solutions.

Novel adsorbents, wheat bran (WB) and modified wheat bran (M-WB) with tartaric acid were developed and Cr(VI) adsorption was investigated by changing various parameters. The adsorption increased with contact time and become optimum at 180 min for WB and 200 min for M-WB. When the pH of the solution phase increased, some of toxic Cr(VI) reduced into less toxic Cr(III) on the WB surface. The maximum removal of Cr(VI) from the solution having an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 200 mg L(-1) was obtained at pH 2.0 as 51.0% and 90.0% for WB and M-WB, respectively. Isotherm data of Cr(VI) adsorption on WB and M-WB was described by the Freundlich adsorption model. The adsorption capacity of 4.53 mg of Cr(VI)/g for WB and 5.28 mg of Cr(VI)/g for M-WB was obtained at pH 2 and 2.2 respectively.

Sugarcane bagasse treated with hydrous ferric oxide as a potential adsorbent for the removal of As(V) from aqueous solutions.

The mechanism of As(V) removal from aqueous solutions by means of hydrated ferric oxide (HFO)-treated sugarcane bagasse (SCB-HFO) (Saccharum officinarum L.) was investigated. Effects of different parameters, such as pH value, initial arsenic concentration, adsorbent dosage, contact time and ionic strength, on the As(V) adsorption were studied. The adsorption capacity of SCB-HFO for As(V) was found to be 22.1 mg/g under optimum conditions of pH 4, contact time 3h and temperature 22 °C. Initial As(V) concentration influenced the removal efficiency of SCB-HFO. The desorption of As(V) from the adsorbent was 17% when using 30% HCl and 85% with 1M NaOH solution. FTIR analyses evidenced two potential binding sites associated with carboxyl and hydroxyl groups which are responsible for As(V) removal. Adsorption, surface precipitation, ion exchange and complexation can be suggested as mechanisms for the As(V) removal from the solution phase onto the surface of SCB-HFO.

Modified barley straw as a potential biosorbent for removal of copper ions from aqueous solution.

Barley straw (BS), a very low-cost material, has been utilized as a biosorbent material for the removal of copper (Cu(2+)) ions from aqueous solutions after treatment with citric acid. Barley straw was thermochemically modified with citric acid (CA-BS) for the purpose of improving the Cu(2+) ion sorption capacity of the straw. Biosorption studies have been carried out to determine the effect of pH, adsorbent concentration, contact time, extent of modification, and adsorbate concentration on the biosorption capacity of Cu(2+) ions by the esterified straw. The equilibrium sorption capacities of Cu(2+) were 4.64 mg/g and 31.71 mg/g for BS and CA-BS, respectively. The optimum pH for the removal of Cu(2+) ions by CA-BS was around pH 7.0 and the removal of Cu(2+) ions was 88.1%. Langmuir, Freundlich, Scatchard and D-R (Dubinin-Radushkevich) isotherms have been used to characterize the observed biosorption phenomena of Cu(2+) ions on CA-BS. The carboxyl groups on the surface of the modified barley straw were primarily responsible for the sorption of Cu(2+) ions.

Sorption of Cr(VI) ions on two Lewatit-anion exchange resins and their quantitative determination using UV-visible spectrophotometer.

The sorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions with macroporous resins which contain quarternary amine groups (Lewatit MP 64 and Lewatit MP 500) was studied at varying Cr(VI) concentration, adsorbent dose, pH, contact time and temperature. Batch shaking sorption experiments were carried out to evaluate the performance of Lewatit MP 64 and Lewatit MP 500 anion exchange resins in the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. The concentration of Cr(VI) in aqueous solution was determined by UV-visible spectrophotometer. The ion exchange process, which is dependent on pH, showed maximum removal of Cr(VI) in the pH range 3-7 for an initial Cr(VI) concentration of 1x10(-3) M. The optimum pH for Cr(VI) adsorption was found as 5.0 for Lewatit MP 64 and 6.0 for Lewatit MP 500. The maximum Cr(VI) adsorption at pH 5.0 is 0.40 and 0.41 mmol/g resin for Lewatit MP 64 and Lewatit MP 500 anion exchangers, respectively. The maximum chromium sorption occurred at approximately 60 min for Lewatit MP 64 and 75 min for Lewatit MP 500. The suitability of the Freundlich and Langmuir adsorption models was also investigated for each chromium-sorbent system. The uptake of Cr(VI) by the anion exchange resins was reversible and so it has good potential for the removal of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions. Both ion exchangers had high bonding constants but Lewatit MP 500 showed stronger binding. The rise in the temperature caused a slight decrease in the value of the equilibrium constant (K(c)) for the sorption of Cr(VI) ion.

Uptake of Cr3+ from aqueous solution by lignite-based humic acids.

Humic acid (HA) produced from brown coal, a relatively abundant and inexpensive material is currently being investigated as an adsorbent to remove toxic metals from aqueous solution. The influence of five parameters (contact time, solution pH, initial metal concentration, temperature and amount of adsorbent) on the removal at 20+/-1 degrees C was studied. HAs were prepared from lignites by using alkaline extraction, sedimentation and acidic precipitation. Adsorption equilibrium was achieved in about 60 min for Cr3+ ion. The Langmuir adsorption isotherm was used to describe observed sorption phenomena. The maximum adsorption capacity of 0.17 mmol for Ilgin (HA1), 0.29 mmol for Beysehir (HA2) and 0.18 mmol Ermenek (HA3) and 0.17 mmol of Cr3+/g for activated carbon (AC) was achieved, respectively at pH of 4.1. More than 84% of Cr3+ was removed by HA2, 54% by HA3 and 51% by HA1 and 50% by AC from aqueous solution. The adsorption was strongly dependent on pH but independent of ionic strength and metal ions. The adsorption of Cr3+ was higher between pH 4.1 and 5.1 for all HAs and maximum sorption was observed at pH 4.1. The rise in temperature caused a slight decrease in the value of the equilibrium constant (Kc) for the sorption of Cr3+ ion. Complex mechanisms including ion exchange, complexation and adsorption and size exclusion are possible for sorption of Cr3+ ion on HAs.

Equilibrium isotherm studies for the uptake of cadmium and lead ions onto sugar beet pulp.

The adsorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+ on sugar beet pulp (SBP), a low-cost material, has been studied. In the present work, the abilities of native (SBP) to remove cadmium (Cd2+) and lead (Pb2+) ions from aqueous solutions were compared. The (SBP) an industrial by product and solid waste of sugar industry were used for the removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions from aqueous water. Batch adsorption studies were carried out to examine the influence of various parameters such as initial pH, adsorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration, and time on uptake. The sorption process was relatively fast and equilibrium was reached after about 70 min of contact. As much as 70-75% removal of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions for (SBP) are possible in about 70 min, respectively, under the batch test conditions. Uptake of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions on (SBP) showed a pH-dependent profile. The overall uptake for the (SBP) is at a maximum at pH 5.3 and gives up to 46.1 mg g(-1) for Cd2+ and at pH 5.0 and gives 43.5 mg g(-1) for Pb2+ for (SBP), which seems to be removed exclusively by ion exchange, physical sorption and chelation. A dose of 8 gL(-1) was sufficient for the optimum removal of both the metal ions. The Freundlich represented the sorption data for (SBP). In the presence of 0.1M NaNO3 the level of metal ion uptake was found to reach its maximum value very rapidly with the speed increasing both with the (SPB) concentration and with increasing initial pH of the suspension. The reversibility of the process was investigated. The desorption of Cd2+ and Pb2+ ions which were previously deposited on the (SBP) back into the deionised water was observed only in acidic pH values during one day study period and was generally rather low. The extent of adsorption for both metals increased along with an increase of the (SBP) dosage. (SBP), which is cheap and highly selective, therefore seems to be a promising substrate to entrap heavy metals in aqueous solutions.

Rubella seroprevalence in an unvaccinated pregnant population in Malatya, Turkey.

BACKGROUND: Controlling congenital rubella by 2010 is one of the targets of the World Health Organization. Most European countries currently include rubella vaccine in their national immunization programmes, but not yet in Turkey. OBJECTIVES: To define rubella seroprevalence in pregnancy in Malatya, Turkey. STUDY DESIGN: A cross-sectional interview survey was conducted among pregnant women living in Malatya province from November 2003 to May 2004, together with a follow-up component. METHODS: Stratified probability proportional to size sampling methodology. A total of 824 pregnant women from 60 clusters were enrolled. After obtaining informed consent, participants' socio-demographic and fertility characteristics were collected by interview questionnaire. Various blood samples were drawn. After storing serum samples at -20 degrees C for 6 months, anti-rubella IgM and IgG titres were studied by micro ELISA. Only 803 sera were eligible for serological study. RESULTS: Of the 803 samples tested for rubella antibodies, 753 cases (93.8%) had anti-rubella IgG positivity, indicating past infection. Five of the pregnant women (0.6%) had both anti-rubella IgM and IgG positive results, suggesting a recent infection. The remaining 45 women (5.6%) were seronegative for both antibodies. Seroprevalence was not associated with age or urban/rural residency. All the five anti-rubella IgM positive women were in the second trimester of pregnancy. CONCLUSIONS: As 5.6% of pregnant women were susceptible to rubella during pregnancy, and five of them had already had a recent infection, immunization efforts should be directed at babies and adolescents.

Comparison of adsorption capacity of young brown coals and humic acids prepared from different coal mines in Anatolia.

Binding of Zn2+ and Cd2+ cations to relatively young brown coals YBC (lignite), humic acids (HAs) and commercial humic acid (CHA) were studied in aqueous media at pH 2.7-6 by polarographic method. This study was conducted to evaluate the removal of heavy metals in an aquatic system without prior treatment. The general principles of cation binding to YBC and humic materials are discussed. Sorption of heavy metal ions (Zn2+ and Cd2+) on samples of YBCs from three areas (Ilgin, Beysehir, and Ermenek) in the vicinity of the city of Konya in Anatolia (Turkey) were compared with sorption of these metal ions on HAs, prepared from these YBCs. The ability of both types of sorbent to remove metals from aqueous solutions was studied as a function of pH and concentration of initial metal solutions. Sorption depends strongly on pH, the origin of the YBC and on the nature of the metal ion. Whereas, for YBCs the main ligand groups seem to be carboxylate ions, this is not the case for the HA polymers, prepared from three YBCs, which differ substantially from properties of commercial samples of "HA". The process is very efficient especially in the case of low concentrations of pollutants in water, where common methods are either economically unfavorable or technically complicated. Of the two metal ions examined, Cd2+ was found to form the most stable HA complexes, followed by Zn. Effective removal of metals was demonstrated at pH-values of 5-5.7. The adsorption isotherm was measured at 25 degrees C, using adsorptive solutions at the optimum pH-value to determine the adsorption capacity. An important aspect of the proposed method was that the removal was performed on several metals at a pH-range in which a given metal undergoes an adsorption process making the method useful for wastewater treatment.

Ceramic encapsulated latex composites.

This work reports the encapsulation of latex particles in Al2O3-polystyrene (PS) composite films. These films were prepared from PS particles in Al2O3 dispersion at room temperature in various latex contents. Composite films were annealed at elevated temperatures in 10 min time interval above the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polystyrene. Transmitted photon intensities, I(tr) were monitored after each annealing step. AFM micrographs were also used to observe the physical changes of the composite films during annealing. It was observed that latex particles are encapsulated above a critical Al2O3 content of 33 wt% which corresponds to the critical occupation probability of p(c) = 0.33 at which the film obey the site-percolation model with a critical exponent of 0.45. Below p(c), it was seen that complete latex film formation process took place, where transparency of the film was increased by annealing.

Equilibrium studies for the sorption of zinc and copper from aqueous solutions using sugar beet pulp and fly ash.

In the present work, the abilities of native sugar beet pulp (SBP) and fly ash (FA) to remove copper (Cu(2+)) and zinc (Zn(2+)) ions from aqueous solutions were compared. The SBP and FA, an industrial by-product and solid waste of sugar industry, were used for the removal of copper and zinc from aqueous water. Batch adsorption experiments were performed in order to evaluate the removal efficiency of SBP and lignite-based FA. The effect of various operating variables, i.e. initial pH, adsorbent dose, initial metal ion concentration, and time on adsorption of copper and zinc onto the SBP and FA, has been studied. The sorption process was relatively fast and equilibrium was reached after about 60 min of contact. As much as 60-97% removal of copper and zinc for SBP and FA are possible in about 60 min, respectively, under the batch test conditions. Uptake showed a pH-dependent profile. The overall uptake for the SBP is at a maximum at pH 5.5 and gives up to 30.9 mg g(-1) for copper and at pH 6.0 and gives 35.6 mg g(-1) for zinc for SBP, which seems to be removed exclusively by ion exchange and physical sorption. Maximum adsorption of copper and zinc occurred 7.0 and 7.84 mg g(-1) at a pH value of 5.0 and 4.0 for FA, respectively. A dose of 8 g l(-1) of SBP and 8 g l(-1) FA were sufficient for the optimum removal of both the metal ions. The sorption data were represented by the Freundlich for SBP and the Langmuir and Freundlich for FA. The sorption data were better represented by the Langmuir isotherm than by the Freundlich one for FA in the adsorption of zinc ion, suggesting that the monolayer sorption, mainly due to ion exchange. The presence of low ionic strength or low concentration of Na and Cl ions does not have a significant effect on the adsorption of these metals by SBP and FA. The SBP and FA are shown to be effective metal adsorbents for these two metals.

Factors affecting survival of hospitalised patients with COPD.

Factors determining in-hospital mortality and long-term survival of patients hospitalised with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (AECOPD) are not precisely understood. The aim of the present study was to assess the parameters related to in-hospital mortality and long-term survival after hospitalisation of patients with AECOPD. Clinical and epidemiological parameters on admission in 205 consecutive patients hospitalised with AECOPD were prospectively assessed. Patients were followed-up for 3 yrs. Factors determining short- and long-term mortality were analysed. In total, 17 patients (8.3%) died in hospital. In-hospital mortality was significantly associated with lower arterial oxygen tension (P(a,O2)), higher carbon dioxide arterial tension, lower arterial oxygen saturation and longer hospital stay. The overall 6-month mortality rate was 24%, with 1-, 2- and 3-yr mortality rates of 33%, 39% and 49%, respectively. Cox regression analysis revealed that long-term mortality was associated with longer disease duration (relative risk (RR) = 1.158), lower albumin (RR = 0.411), lower P(a,O2) (RR = 0.871) and lower body mass index (RR = 0.830). When the model was run for the time elapsed since first hospitalisation, it also appeared as statistically significant (RR = 1.195). These findings show that patients hospitalised with acute exacerbations of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease have poor short- and long-term survival. Prediction of survival status may be enhanced by considering arterial oxygen tension, albumin, body mass index, disease duration and time elapsed since the first hospitalisation.

Evaluation of the immune response to hepatitis B vaccination in children aged 1-3 years in Malatya, Turkey.

By the end of 1998, Turkey had launched the routine vaccination of infants against hepatitis B. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the immune response in a sample of vaccinated children aged 1-3 years in the city of Malatya. A total of 210 vaccinated children 12 to 48 months old were selected for the study with 30 cluster sampling in the city of Malatya, Turkey. The children were visited at their homes during January-April 2002. The information on demographic characteristics, family's and child's medical history was gathered, childrens' weight and height were measured and blood samples were taken. Anti-HBs, HbsAg and anti-HBc titers were assayed by micro-ELIZA from the sera. The mean age of the children was 26.3 months, 100 (47.6%) were male and 110 (52.4%) were female. Overall, 203 (96.7%) children had protective anti-HBs levels (> or = 10 IU/l), 0.5% showed evidence of natural infection (with positive anti-HBc and anti-HBs titers), 0.5% had acute or chronic infection (with positive HbsAg and anti-HBc titers) and 2.3% were seronegative. Geometric mean titer of anti-HBs among vaccinated children except those who had positive anti-HBc titers was 138.7 mIU/ml (95% CI:124.7-154.2) and seroconversion rates did not differ by age, sex, anthropometric measurements, time after third dose and place of vaccine administered (P > 0.05). The high seroprotection rate over 95% showed that routine infant vaccination program for hepatitis B was successfully carried out in the city Malatya.

A comparative study of two chelating ion-exchange resins for the removal of chromium(III) from aqueous solution.

Macroporous resins containing iminodiacetic acid (IDA) groups (Lewatit TP 207 and Chelex-100) were investigated as a function of concentration, temperature and pH for their sorption properties towards chromium(III). The chromium(III) ions sorbed onto the resin and in the equilibrium concentration were determined by inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometer. The maximum sorption for chromium ions was observed at pH 4.5. Solution pH had a strong effect on the equilibrium constant of Cr(III). The equilibrium constants were 320 and 7 at pH value 4.5 for Lewatit TP 207 and Chelex-100 resin, respectively. The Langmuir isotherm was used to describe observed sorption phenomena. Both the sorbents had high bonding constants with Lewatit TP 207 showing stronger binding. The equilibrium related to adsorption capacity and energy of adsorption was obtained by using plots of Langmuir adsorption isotherm. It was observed that the maximum adsorption capacity of 0.288 mmol of Cr(III)/g for Chelex-100 and 0.341 mmol of Cr(III)/g for Lewatit TP 207 was achieved at pH of 4.5. The rise in temperature caused a slight increase in the value of the equilibrium constant (K(c)) for the sorption of chromium(III) ion.

The role of axial length in central and branch retinal vein occlusion.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To assess whether the axial length is a local risk factor in central retinal vein occlusion (CRVO) and branch retinal vein occlusion (BRVO). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The axial lengths of affected and fellow eyes of 19 patients with CRVO and 27 with BRVO and of their controls were measured with A-scan ultrasonography. The control group consisted of 17 individuals for CRVO and 25 for BRVO matched in age, sex and the prevalence of hypertension and diabetes in patient groups. The results of measurements in affected, unaffected and control eyes were compared. RESULTS: The mean axial length was different among the affected and unaffected eyes in patients with CRVO and their controls (P < .05). The affected eyes had significantly shorter axial length compared to the fellow and control eyes (P < .01 and P < .01, respectively). In the BRVO group, the mean axial length did not differ among affected, unaffected and control eyes (P > .05). CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrates a significantly shorter axial length in eyes with CRVO and not significantly shorter axial length in those with BRVO. The shorter axial length could be an additional risk factor in the pathogenesis of CRVO.

Analysis of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in fly ash from a waste incineration plant.

In this study, a method for the congener-specific analysis of polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) in fly ash from a waste incineration plant is described. This method involves extraction, column chromatography, and gas chromatographic-mass spectrometric techniques. Representative fly ash samples are obtained from the waste incinerator. The purpose of this research is to briefly present the findings as they relate to PCDFs. Analyses indicate that PCDFs are consistently found in the municipal incinerator.