Characteristics of patients operated for primary hyperparathyroidism at university hospitals in Türkiye: Differences among Türkiye's geographical regions

Purpose: The aim of this study was to define the clinical and laboratory characteristics of patients operated on for primary hyperpatathyroidism (PHPT) at university hospitals in Türkiye, and to investigate the differences in the clinical presentations of the disease between different geographical regions. Methods: Patients operated on for PHPT in the university hospitals of Türkiye were included in the study. The demographic, clinical, and laboratory findings and the operational data of the patients were investigated according to the whole country and to different geographical regions. Comparisons were performed according to whole country and regions. Results: A total of 1,162 cases were included in the study from different regions and 20 university hospitals. The mean age of patients was 52.4 ± 0.38 (mean ± standard error) in the general population of Türkiye. The rates of hypertension, urolithiasis, bone disease and 25-hydroxyvitamin D insufficiency were 35%, 18.6%, 67.6%, and 63%, respectively. The median parathormone (PTH), serum total calcium (Ca+2) and phosphorus value were 220 pg/mL (range, 70-2,500 pg/mL), 11.2 mg/dL (range, 9.5-11.2 mg/dL), and 2.4 mg/dL (range, 1-4.7 mg/dL), respectively. The median size of the adenomas resected was 16 mm (range, 4-70 mm). Significant differences were observed in the clinical and laboratory findings of the patients operated on due to PHPT between different geographical regions of Türkiye (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The clinical and laboratory characteristics of the patients with PHPT in different geographical regions of Türkiye differ. Furthermore, the general findings of the cases in Türkiye give us a hint that the severity of the disease here is somewhere between Eastern and Western countries. Copyright © 2016, the Korean Surgical Society

Extraction of heavy metals from compost using a mixture of Na(2)EDTA and Na2S2O5: column studies

This study reports on a method to extract heavy metals from compost. Compost samples were initially characterized to determine the type and content of heavy metal compounds. Column studies were carried out by solid liquid extraction method using 0.01 M Na(2)EDTA-0.1 M Na2S2O5 solution. Target heavy metal removal efficiencies were achieved for Cu (72%), Zn (77%), Pb (47%), Cd (86%), but not for Ni (12%) after160 minutes contact time at a solid: liquid ratio of 1:15 g mL and 360 mL solution volume

Change in the available and toxic concentrations of metals in the soil when compost and commercial soil conditioners were used

In order to determine the possible effects of metals in soil on plants and other living beings, it is being beneficial to determine the available and toxic concentrations of metals in the soil. For the improvement of soils with rich metal content, addition of organic remediators such as compost, or lime in the soil is among the applicable methods. In this study, it was aimed to examine the changes in the immediately available, potentially available and toxic concentrations of metals found in the soil having acidic character when municipal solid waste compost, lime (CaCO3) and commercial soil conditioners (A2 and T50) were used. When the toxicity characteristic leaching procedure results were examined, it was observed that the concentrations which can be regarded as the amount of compost added to the soil were increasing as toxic concentrations for heavy metals decrease. When the values are defined as immediately available which are expressing the weakly bound metal concentrations was determined that the mobility of metals in soil is pretty decreasing by the use of T50 from among the soil remediators. And by the use of lime, it was observed that the potentially available concentrations of metals are being reduced to minimum

Gasification of biomass and treatment sludge in a fixed bed gasifier

This study aims to compare synthetic gas (syngas) production efficiencies of a specific forest residue (chamaecyparis lawsoniana) and treatment sludge from a textile industry. The experiments were carried out in a lab-scale fixed bed steel reactor with cyclone separator. Gasification process was assisted by pre-pyrolysis of the samples at 300 degrees C in an inert media via N-2 gas. Internal temperature of the reactor during gasification was 750 degrees C. Dried air was used as an oxidizing agent with the varying flow rates of 0.05, 0.1 and 0.2 L min(-1) in order to determine optimum flow rate. The highest syngas calorific values was calculated around 2500-2677 kcal m(-3) for chamaecyparis and 2500-2680 kcal m(-3) for the treatment sludge when the flow rate was 0.05 L min(-1). Solid residues and liquid products were weighed after each experiment. 55 wt% of chamaecyparis and 30 wt% of treatment sludge were converted in to medium calorific syngas. (C) 2015 Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Preparation of activated carbon from waste tires, and its use for dye removal

In this study, activated carbon derivation from end-of-life tires (ELT), and color removal from waste-water with produced activated carbon were investigated. In activated carbon production stage, granulated waste tires were first washed in KOH solution at 1:1 (1-K) and 1:2 (2-K) impregnation ratios prior to thermal activation. Chemically activated waste tires were then subjected to pyrolysis. Following pyrolysis, solids (char) were used as adsorbent material. Surface area of 2-K adsorbent was measured to be 2.945 m(2)/g by Brunauer-Emmett-Teller analysis. In the second stage of the study, adsorptive removal of methylene blue dye from synthetically prepared wastewater was investigated using 1-K and 2-K activated carbons. Results have shown that activated carbon produced in the study was an appropriate adsorbent for removal of dye. The optimum conditions for 2-K adsorbent, which yielded 83% dye removal, were pH 6.5, 30 degrees C temperature, 7.5 g/L adsorbed dose, and 30 min contact time. Isotherm, kinetic and thermodynamic studies were carried out in order to elucidate the adsorption mechanism. Since ELT derived activated carbon provided good efficiency in adsorption of dye, whole operation may be scaled-up considering the necessity of aligning rates of ELT production and its upcycling