Analysis of a landfill gas to energy system at the municipal solid waste landfill in Gaziantep, Turkey.

This paper presents an analysis of the electricity generation from municipal solid waste (MSW), via landfill gas valorization technology, at the landfill of Gaziantep City, Turkey. Rapid increase in population, and industrial developments, throughout the world including Turkey results in larger amount of waste materials generated, increased need for energy, and adverse affects on the environment and human health. Turkey plans to produce 1/3 of its electricity demand using renewable energy sources by the year of 2023. It is recommended to use each year around 25 million tonnes of the MSW generated nationwide for a renewable energy supply. In this study, a concise summary of current status of electricity generation from a MSW landfill gas plant (via biogas harnessing) located in Gaziantep City was analyzed as a case study.

The relationship between dipping-non-dipping arterial blood pressure pattern and frequency of restless leg syndrome with related factors.

OBJECTIVE: The lack of nocturnal decline in blood pressure (BP) is associated with an increase in cardiovascular events. Restless leg syndrome (RLS) is an uncomfortable feeling in which the patient wants to budge the legs with ache in the legs. RLS also increases the hypertension and cardiovascular risk. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the relationship between dipping and non-dipping blood pressure patterns with RLS and its severity. METHODS: Two hundred patients who had 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) were enrolled into this cross-sectional study. They were classified by blood pressure pattern as dipping and non-dipping. Then, 100 patients with the dipper pattern and 100 patients with the non-dipper pattern were chosen. A questionnaire for RLS diagnosis that was prepared by the International RLS Study Group was given performed to the patients. RESULTS: RLS symptom score was higher in patients with non-dipping blood pressure patterns (NDBPP), and patients with NDBPP had more severe RLS. Beside this, there were no differences in terms of RLS frequency in dipping and non-dipping blood pressure patterns. CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, dipping and non-dipping blood pressure patterns do not increase RLS risk. But, if patients with NDBPP have RLS, they have more severe RLS. So, we suggest that evaluating a patient with a non-dipping blood pressure pattern, considering RLS, would be helpful to ameliorate the quality of life of the patient.

The relationship between vitamin D and PTH levels and cardiovascular risk in the elderly hypertensives.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relationship between vitamin D, parathyroid hormone (PTH) and cardiovascular risk (CVR) in hypertensive patients aged 65 years and over. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This study was performed with 84 hypertensive patients and 68 normotensive control group in Afyon Kocatepe University Faculty of Medicine Hospital. The determined cardiovascular risk degrees and the stages of blood pressure were compared with the levels of 25-(OH) vitamin D and PTH. RESULTS: Mean systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP) levels of the patients with vitamin D deficiency (VDD) were significantly higher than those without VDD (p<0.001 for both). Mean systolic and diastolic BP levels of the patients with hyperparathyroidism were significantly higher than those without hyperparathyroidism (p=0.012, p=0.036, respectively). CVR was reversely correlated with vitamin D but the correlation with hyperparathyroidism did not reach statistically significant level (r=-0.752, p<0.001) and (r=0.210, p=0.055), respectively. CONCLUSION: These results indicate that the presence of hypertension is associated with VDD, as well as the stage of hypertension contributes to insufficiency, hyperparathyroidism and increased CVR. Clinicians should be aware and perhaps more aggressive for the treatment of HT and VDD in patients over 65 years of age.

Is impaired sleep quality responsible for a nondipping pattern even in normotensive individuals?

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between sleep quality and a dipping-nondipping pattern in normotensive individuals. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Our study was carried out on 100 normotensive individuals; 50 of these individuals had a dipping pattern and 50 had a nondipping pattern, and were chosen from among patients in whom ambulatory blood pressure monitoring was applied before for any reason. All study participants underwent the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index survey to evaluate sleep disturbances. RESULTS: The overall scores and all the components of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores were significantly higher in the nondipper normotensive group compared with the dipper normotensive group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the nondipping blood pressure pattern appears to be associated with poor sleep quality not only in hypertensive patients but also in normotensive healthy individuals. When evaluating patients with poor sleep quality, the possibility that they may have a nondipping pattern even if they are normotensive should be kept in mind.