Treatment and follow up results of patients with monosymptomatic enuresis nocturna

Objective: To evaluate the treatment results of patientswith monosymptomatic enuresis nocturna.Methods: 97 patients with monosymptomatic enuresisnocturna were included. First, motivation and behavioraltreatment have been applied to the patients for 3 months.60-120 mcg desmopressin has been applied to 79 patientswho did not want to continue to the motivation andbehavioral treatment or who did not have benefit from motivationand behavioral treatment or whose disease haverelapsed. It is accepted as “full response” if the numberof wetting decreases 90-100%, “middle response” decreases50-90%, “failed response” decreases less than50%. Treatment and relapse rates were evaluated basedon the response to therapy at the time of controls.Results: Mean age of the patients was 7.75±1.96 (5-12)years. 20 of 97 (21%) patients who have taken motivationand behavioral treatment have been cured. Two (%10)of these patients’ diseases have relapsed. Desmopressinhas been applied to79 patients who did not have benefitfrom motivation and behavioral treatment or whosediseases have relapsed. Full dryness has been providedin 36 (46%) patients who have taken desmopressin andcame to the control visit. “Middle response” has been obtainedin 22 (28%) patients. “Failed response” has beenobtained in 21 (26%) patients. Relapse has been seen incase of quitting desmopressin in 35 (60%) patients whohave benefit from desmopressin.Conclusion: Although, Desmopressin is the most preferredmethod in monosymptomatic enuresis nocturna,because of easy usage and fast response, relapse ratio ishigh following discontinuation of the drug.Key words: Monosymptomatic enuresis nocturna, desmopressin,treatmen

Spatial and temporal distribution of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations in soils of an industrialized city in Turkey

Surface soil (0-5 cm) samples from 43 sampling sites covering the entire urban territory of Bursa, an industrialized city in Turkey, were collected in each season and analyzed for 83 polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs). The mean concentration of total PCBs (Sigma 83 PCBs) among all sites over the four seasons was 2121.51 pg/g dry weight (dw), with a range of 207.61-5461.95 pg/g dw. Total PCB concentrations in the soil samples collected near an industrial region were the highest in all seasons. In general, PCB patterns were dominated by low-chlorinated homologue groups (<= 5 Cl groups at a 79% level). The predominant homologue group found in Bursa city soils was the penta-CBs (29.1%) followed by the tetra-CBs (25.5%) and tri-CBs (17.6%). A total of seven dioxin-like PCB congeners (CB-77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, and 126) were found in every sampling location and their mean total concentration for all locations and seasons was 259.27 pg/g dw, with a range of 7.02-1581.13 pg/g dw. A significant relationship (r = 0.77, p < 0.01) was found between the concentrations of dioxin-like PCBs and the seasonal average sum of PCB concentrations. A correlation between light congeners (= penta-CB) and TOC was found. The pollution potential was assessed based on the values found in soils in different regions in relation to current guideline values. Overall, it was found that PCB levels in the urban soils of Bursa were much lower than both the target values and the values found in most European soils and other regions

Ambient air levels and trends of polychlorinated biphenyls at four different sites

In this study, samples were collected in order to determine atmospheric levels of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in four different sites by using a high-volume air sampler (HVAS). Eighty-three congeners of gas and particle- phase PCBs were investigated in air samples. The total (gas + particle) concentrations for Mudanya (coastal), Butal (traffic/urban), the Uludag University Campus (semirural), and Yavuz Selim (residential) were determined as 570, 394, 412, and 316 pg/m(3), respectively. These levels coincide with the values reported for the sites having similar characteristics. In terms of homolog groups, 3-chlorinated biphenyls (3-CBs) and 4-CBs constituted at least 47% of the total PCB concentration. PCBs in all sites were determined mostly in the gas phase, with a percentage from 85 to 95%. Obtained atmospheric PCB data were correlated with meteorological parameters and a significant relationship was obtained between coastal and semirural sites (p < 0.05). With the movements of air transportation and wind rose possible data sources of PCBs were enlightened. Partitioning of gas/particle was examined with available models; significant relationships were determined for coastal and semirural sites especially

Determination of mass transfer rates and deposition levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) using a modified water surface sampler

There are different approaches to determine dry deposition velocities (V-d) and mass transfer coefficients (K-G) of individual polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). A modified water surface sampler (MWSS) and a high volume air sampler were concurrently used to determine Vd and K-G in this study. Ambient air and deposition samples were collected from August 2004 to May 2005 in Bursa, Turkey. The mean particle-phase dry deposition flux of PAHs was 890 +/- 520 ng/m(2) d, while the mean gas-phase PAH flux was 5 060 +/- 4 260 ng/m(2) d. The ratio between fluxes and air concentration values was used in calculation of V-d and K-G. The average calculated V-d and K-G values for PAH compounds were 0.52 +/- 0.36 cm/s and 0.69 +/- 0.41 cm/s, respectively. Despite the fluctuation on seasonal atmospheric concentrations due to regional sources and meteorological conditions, there was no significant difference on deposition velocities and mass transfer rates. K-G was also calculated using some models reported in the literature and models developed using the MWSS. The predicted K-G determined by models developed using the MWSS was 0.59 +/- 0.02 cm/s showing a close agreement with the experimentally measured values

Wet and dry deposition fluxes of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in an urban area of Turkey

Atmospheric polychlorinated bihenyls (PCBs) deposit by dry and wet deposition mechanisms, and therefore they constitute a significant polluting source for lands and surface waters. Various samplers have been used to determine the PCB pollution level resulting from deposition. In the presented study, a modified wet deposition sampler (WDS) was used for sampling both wet and dry deposition samples with the same instrument by which wet deposition reservoir of the WDS is opened and dry deposition reservoir is closed when rain starts. Wet and dry deposition samples were collected between June 2008 and June 2009. In the samples taken from BUTAL which is known as an urban area with heavy traffic, Sigma PCB dry deposition fluxes were determined as 18 +/- 10 ng/m(2) -day, and wet deposition fluxes for dissolved and particle phase were measured as 480 +/- 1,185 and 475 +/- 1,000 ng/m(2) -day, respectively. The dissolved and particle-phase PCB concentrations in rain were 10 +/- 13 and 13 +/- 14 ng/l, respectively. The contribution of wet deposition to total PCB deposition was determined as 52%. PCB concentrations in the ambient air were measured to be 370 +/- 200 and 20 +/- 20 pg/m(3) for gas and particle phases, respectively. Washout ratio was determined by proportioning rain concentration to concentration in air. The washout ratios of the samples were between 1,675-311,800 and 12,775-2,511,120 for dissolved and particulate phases, respectively

Seasonal atmospheric deposition variations of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and comparison of some deposition sampling techniques

Ambient air and bulk deposition samples were collected between June 2008 and June 2009. Eighty-three polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners were targeted in the samples. The average gas and particle PCB concentrations were found as 393 +/- 278 and 70 +/- 102 pg/m(3), respectively, and 85% of the atmospheric PCBs were in the gas phase. Bulk deposition samples were collected by using a sampler made of stainless steel. The average PCB bulk deposition flux value was determined as 6,020 +/- 4,350 pg/m(2) day. The seasonal bulk deposition fluxes were not statistically different from each other, but the summer flux had higher values. Flux values differed depending on the precipitation levels. The average flux value in the rainy periods was 7,480 +/- 4,080 pg/m(2) day while the average flux value in dry periods was 5,550 +/- 4,420 pg/m(2) day. The obtained deposition values were lower than the reported values given for the urban and industrialized areas, yet close to the ones for the rural sites. The reported deposition values were also influenced by the type of the instruments used. The average dry deposition and total deposition velocity values calculated based on deposition and concentration values were found as 0.23 +/- 0.21 and 0.13 +/- 0.13 cm/s, respectively

Multipl Skleroz: Sitokinler, Mr Lezyon Y�K�, G�Rsel Uyar�Lm��� Potensiyeller Ve Sakatl�K Puanlar� Aras�Ndaki Ili��kiler

Aim: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationships between the disability (EDSS) scores, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lesion burden, the visual evoked potential (VEP) latencies and the cytokine levels in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) that previously not studied. Method: Study group consisted of 40 MS patients with either relapsing-remitting (RR) (n=29) or secondary progressive course (n=11) and control group comprised 35 matched healthy subjects. Student’s t test, Mann-Whitney U, Chi-squared and correlation analyses were used for statistical analyses. Result: In patient group EDSS scores varied from 1.5 to 8.5, all had abnormal MRI T2 plaque burden and 65.0% had abnormal VEP latencies. Serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-а) and interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) were significantly higher in patients compared to controls (P<0.001 and P<0.001, respectively). Serum levels of IL-6 and IL-10 were similar in patients and controls (P> 0.05). The total EDSS scores significantly correlated with the T2 plaque counts (r=0.637, P<0.001). Among all measured cytokines, only IL-8 levels were significantly correlated with the total EDSS scores and MRI lesion burden (r=0.590, P<0.001 and r=0.535, P<0.001, respectively). Other cytokine levels did not correlate with the disability scores, the amount of MRI lesions or the VEP latencies (P> 0.05). Conclusion: Our data indicate that despite clinical stability, immunological activity is not interrrupted in MS and the production of different cytokines were not uniformly affected by the immunomodulator medication. New therapeutic strategies correcting cytokine balance may be useful in MS.Amaç: Bu çalışmanın amacı multipl sklerozlu (MS) hastalarda sakatlık puanları (EDSS), magnetik rezonans görüntülemedeki (MRI) lezyon yükü, görsel uyarılmış potansiyel (VEP) gecikmeleri ve sitokin düzeyleri ilişkisini incelemektir. Metod: Çalışma grubu 40 MS’li hasta (29’u relaps-remisyon yapan tip, 11’i ikincil ilerleyici tip), kontrol grubu ise 35 eşlendirilmiş sağlıklı bireyden oluşturuldu. İncelenen değişkenler hast ve kontrol grubu arasında Student t testi, Mann-Whitney U testi, Ki-kare testi ile karşılaştırıldı ve korelasyon analizi kullanıldı. Bulgular:Hasta grubunun EDSS puanları 1.5-8.5 arasında değişiyordu, hepsinde anormal MRI T2 plak yükü vardı ve %65’inde anormal VEP gecikmesi mevcuttu. Serum TNF-alfa ve interlökin 2 reseptör düzeyleri hastalarda kontrol grubundan anlamlı yüksek bulundu (ırasıyla, p<0.01 ve p<0.001). Serum interlökin-6 (IL-6) ve IL-10 düzeyleri hasta ve kontrol gruplarında farklı bulunmadı (p>0.05). Total EDSS puanları T2 plak sayısı ile korele bulundu (r=0.637, p<0.001). Ölçülen tüm sitokinler içinde sadece IL-8 düzeyi total EDSS puanları ve MRI lezyon yükü ile korele bulundu (sırasıyla, r=0.590, p<0.001 ve r=0.535, p<0.001). Diğer sitokin düzeyleri sakatlık puanları, MRI lezyon yükü ve VEP gecikmeleri ile ilişkili bulunmadı (p>0.05). Sonuç: Elde ettiğimiz veriler klinik stabiliteye rağmen, MS’de immunolojik aktivitenin kesintiye uğramadığını farklı sitokinlerin üretiminin immunomodülatör tedaviyle tek düze etkilenmediğini göstermektedir. Sitokin dengesini düzeltecek yeni tedavi stratejileri MS’de yararlı olabilir

Temperature dependence of gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and organochlorine pesticide concentrations in Chicago air

The temperature dependence of gas-phase atmospheric concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides measured in Chicago, IL between June and October 1995 were investigated using plots of the natural logarithm of partial pressures (lnP) vs. reciprocal mean temperatures (1/T). For the eight lowest molecular weight PAHs, temperature dependence was statistically significant (at the 95% confidence level) and temperature accounted for 23-49% of the variability in gas-phase concentrations. The relatively higher slopes for most of the PAHs suggested that volatilization from local sources and short-range transport influenced their concentrations. For pesticides, temperature dependence was statistically significant for DDD and for trans-nonachlor (at the 95% and 90% confidence levels), and was not statistically significant for the other five compounds (2-18% of the variability in their gas-phase concentrations). The relatively lower slopes for individual pesticides suggested that they have mostly non-urban and distant sources.Results of back trajectory analyses suggested that the region, southwest of Chicago, might be an important local or regional source sector for PAHs and organochlorine pesticides. No statistically significant relationship was observed between wind speed and PAH or pesticide concentrations. None of the variables (temperature, wind speed, wind direction, local and regional sources) could fully explain the variation in their concentrations measured in Chicago, therefore, this variation can be attributed to the combined effect of those factors