Procjena mogućnosti upotrebe strnjike obične pšenice (Triticum aestivum L.) za proizvodnju celuloze i papira

The aim of the study was to determine the properties of pulp and paper produced from wheat stubble (Triticum aestivum L.), using soda-oxygen-sodium borohydride (NaBH4) cooking method. Whole wheat straw (Triticum aestivum L.) was also used for comparison with stubbles. The morphological and chemical properties of the raw materials were investigated. The results showed that stubble had high holocellulose, cellulose, and alpha-cellulose contents and low lignin content. Fiber length, fiber width, lumen diameter, and cell wall thickness were measured in order to determine suitability of the fibers for pulp and paper production. The values were used to calculate fiber parameters. The effects of these parameters on paper strength were also discussed. The effect of NaBH4 on the yield and chemical, physical, and optical properties of pulp and paper were investigated. The addition of NaBH4 increased pulp yield by 4.1 %, and improved the physical and optical properties of the pulp. The physical and optical properties of the stubble pulp were better than those of whole wheat straw pulp. It was concluded that these characteristics demonstrate the suitability of wheat stubbles for pulp and paper production.Cilj istraživanja bio je odrediti svojstva celuloze i papira proizvedenih od strnjike pšenice (Triticum aestivum L.) metodom kuhanja s dodatkom soda-kisik-natrijborohidrida (NaBH4). Radi usporedbe, određena su i svojstva celuloze i papira izrađenih od slame pšenice (Triticum aestivum L.). Određena su i analizirana morfološka i kemijska svojstva istraživanih sirovina. Rezultati istraživanja pokazali su da strnjika pšenice ima visok sadržaj holoceluloze, celuloze i α-celuloze te nizak sadržaj lignina. Radi utvrđivanja prikladnosti vlakanaca za proizvodnju celuloze i papira, izmjereni su duljina vlakanaca, širina vlakanaca, promjer pora i debljina stanične stijenke. Dobivene su vrijednosti iskorištene za izračun parametara vlakanaca. Također je analiziran utjecaj tih parametara na čvrstoću papira. Istražen je utjecaj NaBH4 na prinos celuloze te na kemijska, fizikalna i optička svojstva celuloze i papira. Dodatak NaBH4 povećao je prinos celuloze za 4,1 % i poboljšao fi zikalna i optička svojstva celuloze. Fizikalna i optička svojstva celuloze izrađene od strnjike pšenice bila su bolja od svojstava celuloze proizvedene od pšenične slame. Zaključeno je da svojstva celuloze proizvedene od strnjike pšenice potvrđuju pogodnost te sirovine za proizvodnju celuloze i papira

Antibacterial and antioxidant activities of traditional medicinal plants from the Erzurum region of Turkey

Background In this study, 13 different extracts were investigated which are grown in the region of Erzurum. Objective The aim of this study was to screen various plant extracts that are known and used for medicinal purposes such as Ferula communis L., Rumex patientia L., Gundelia tournefortii L., Rheum ribes L., Asphodeline taurica, Polygonum arenastrum, Allium schoenoprasum L., and Ferula orientalis L. Materials and methods Medicinal parts of plants such as leaves, flowers, and stems were investigated by 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl, ferric reducing antioxidant power, and cupric reducing antioxidant capacity assays: Centaury and Blackthorn. Total phenolic content, total flavonoid content, and antimicrobial properties were also determined. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were investigated by the microdilution method and the agar diffusion method respectively. Results Accordingly, the results of the Rheum ribes L. plant have the highest antioxidant activity among all analyses made. But in almost all antioxidant analysis methods, the lowest antioxidant activity was found in Ferula orientalis L. According to the antibacterial analysis applied, it was found that the plant extracts were generally more effective on yeast strains than the test bacteria used; that is, most of the plants have antifungal effect. Conclusions Due to their antimicrobial, antifungal, and antioxidant properties, the extracts of these plants might be used as natural sources in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries

Chronic occupational lead exposure and thyroid function

Thyroid function was studied in 27 male workers occupationally exposed to lead. The mean blood lead concentration of the workers was 17.07 mu g/dl [standard deviation (SD) 8.96, range 6-36]. The mean and SD duration of lead exposure was 16.70 and 5.38 (range 1-22) years. The total thyroxine (T4), free thyroxine (FT4), total triiodothyronine (T3), free triiodothyronine (FT3), and thyrotropin [thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH)] concentrations in serum showed an increase compared with the normal values of the Kayseri population (n = 30). However, these values were in the "normal" range of the Kayseri population and Amerlex Firm. In regression equations, the duration of lead exposure and age had a weak but significant association with T4. (C) 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc

The effect of maternal age, parity, and fetal sex on the amniotic fluid and maternal serum levels of CA 125, CA 19.9, CA 15.3, and CEA

Objective-To determine the effects of maternal age, parity and fetal sex on amniotic fluid (AF) and maternal serum (MS) levels of CA 125, CA 19.9, CA 15.3 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA). Subjects and Setting-MS samples for CA 125, CA 19.9, CA 15.3 and CEA assay were obtained from 62 pregnant women at 16-20 weeks of gestation. AF was obtained from the same patients during genetic amniocentesis. Methods-Radioimmuno assay to determine tumor marker concentrations. Results-The following statistically significant differences were observed: (1) MS CA 19.9 and CA 15.3 values were elevated in the primigravida group. MS mean CA 19.9 value was also abnormally elevated. (2) MS mean CA 19.9 and CEA values and AF mean CA 19.9 value were elevated in the female fetus group. Conclusions-Parity and fetal sex were associated with AF and MS levels of some tumor markers. Therefore, to prevent misinterpretation of the tumor marker values during pregnancy further investigation is needed to find normal values for each trimester, paying particular attention to parity and fetal sex

Measurement of CA 72.4 in maternal serum and amniotic fluid

Aim: To evaluate the concentration of CA 72.4 in second trimester maternal serum (MS) and amniotic fluid (AF) from normal pregnancies

Cholescintigraphy in the diagnosis of rotor syndrome

A 2-year-old boy with Rotor syndrome was studied with Tc-99m N-(di-isopropylphenyl carbamoylmethyl) iminodiacetic acid (DIPA). In this patient, the liver was not visualized, and there was persistent visualization of the cardiac blood pool and along with prominent kidney excretion. It is concluded that Tc-99m DIPA cholescintigraphy may be helpful in the diagnosis of Rotor syndrome

Chemical treatment of recycled pulp fibres for property development: Part 3. Effects on OCC pulps

Chemical treatment with sodium hydroxide, formamide and ethyl acetate is shown to affect certain properties of paper made from recovered fibres. Sodium hydroxide treatment improves the brightness of sheets by approx. 0.12–17.2% under similar recycling conditions. All chemical treatments usually improve the tensile and burst strengths of sheets to some degree. The highest tensile and burst strength values of 42.09 Nm/g and 2.60 kPa m2/g were obtained at the first recycling stage with 10% ethyl acetate treatment (O10Et1), and these represent approximately 142.2% and 100% improvement of tensile and burst strength respectively. In contrast, although the results revealed that certain chemical treatments markedly improved both tensile and burst strengths, there is some variation observed for tear strengths. The largest improvement in tear strength (72.9%) was found at the third recycling stage with 5.0% formamide treatment (O5Fa3), followed by O10Et3 (33.9%) and O10Na3 (29.2%). It is important to note that the highest tear strength value of 9.09 Nm2/g was found at the second recycling stage of the control samples. The results clearly show that the tensile and burst strengths of sheets can be improved by certain chemical treatments, but there is no correlation with tear strengths

The prevalence of non-classic adrenal hyperplasia due to 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency among hirsute women in a Turkish population

OBJECTIVE The present study was designed to determine the prevalence of 11 beta-hydroxylase deficiency in adult women with hirsutism in a Turkish population