Application of peripheral nerve conduits in clinical practice: A literature review

Understanding the pathomechanisms behind peripheral nerve damage and learning the course of regeneration seem to be crucial for selecting the appropriate methods of treatment. Autografts are currently the gold standard procedure in nerve reconstruction. However, due to the frequency of complications resulting from autografting and a desire to create a better environment for the regeneration of the damaged nerve, artificial conduits have become an approved alternative treatment method. The aim of this mini-review is to present the nerve scaffolds that have been applied in clinical practice to date, and the potential directions of developments in nerve conduit bioengineering. Articles regarding construction and characterization of nerve conduits were used as the theoretical background. All papers, available in PubMed database since 2000, presenting results of application of artificial nerve conduits in clinical trials were included into this mini-review. Fourteen studies including ≤10 patients and 10 trials conducted on >10 patients were analyzed as well as 24 papers focused on artificial nerve conduits per se. Taking into consideration the experiences of the authors investigating nerve conduits in clinical trials, it is essential to point out the emergence of bioresorbable scaffolds, which in the future may significantly change the treatment of peripheral nerve injuries. Also worth mentioning among the advanced conduits are hybrid conduits, which combine several modifications of a synthetic material to provide the optimal regeneration of a damaged nerve

Testing properties of sewage sludge for energy use

The properties of sewage sludge in the context of their further energy use have been examined. For this purpose, 34 samples of sewage sludge from municipal sewage treatment plants from the area of Lower Silesia with a capacity higher than the 2000 population equivalent (PE) with separate sludge management were tested. As part of the study, tests were made to determine the technological usefulness of fuels and their elemental composition, i.e., technical analyses and elemental analyses. The obtained results show a large diversity of basic physicochemical properties of the tested sewage sludge. The share of volatile components important for energetic use ranged from 38.4 to 59.8 wt. %. The content of carbon (C) in the mass of tested sewage sludge ranged from 22.4 to 39.2 wt. %, which means that they have a lower content of elemental carbon compared to solid fuels. The higher heating value (HHV) of sewage sludge ranged from 9.3 to 17.4 MJ/kg dry mass

Nitrate removal from wastewater generated in wet Flue Gas Desulphurisation Systems (FGD) in coal-fired power generation using the heterotrophic denitrification method

The article presents an assessment of the possibilities of using the heterotrophic denitrification process to remove nitrates from wastewater produced in wet flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) installations and also its optimization in the scope of basic technological parameters. This kind of wastewater is characterized by high salinity (even up to 40,000 g/m3), high temperature (up to 50°C) and low biodegradability, which is expressed by the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD5). The experimental rig consisted of a storage tank and a bioreactor in the form of a bed with an apparatus for measuring basic parameters (temperature, pH, nitrate nitrogen). After an initial adaptation period, a high degree of nitrate nitrogen removal from wastewater (exceeding 95% reduction) was obtained with a reaction time of 180 minutes during the denitrification rate test (NUR). It was also determined that the optimal loading range of the active surface of the bed of 300 m2/m3 should be between 1.5–2.5 gN-NO3/m2·d. The results of the study show that when the required conditions for the development of microorganisms are provided, it is possible to fully adapt the denitrification biomass to the adverse composition of wastewater from wet FGD unit