Tobacco exposure and sleep disturbance in 498 208 UK Biobank participants.

Background: The prevalence of sleep disturbance is high and increasing. The study investigated whether active, former and passive smoking were associated with sleep disturbance. Methods: This cross-sectional study used data from the UK Biobank: a cohort study of 502 655 participants, of whom 498 208 provided self-reported data on smoking and sleep characteristics. Multivariable multinomial and logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between smoking and sleep disturbance. Results: Long-sleep duration (>9 h) was more common among current smokers [odds ratio (OR): 1.47; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.17-1.85; probability value (P) = 0.001] than never smokers, especially heavy (>20/day) smokers (OR: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.66-4.89; P < 0.001). Former heavy (>20/day) smokers were also more likely to report short (<6 h) sleep duration (OR: 1.41; 95% CI: 1.25-1.60; P < 0.001), long-sleep duration (OR: 1.99; 95% CI: 1.47-2.71; P < 0.001) and sleeplessness (OR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.38-1.57; P < 0.001) than never smokers. Among never smokers, those who lived with more than one smoker had higher odds of long-sleep duration than those not cohabitating with a smoker (OR: 2.71; 95% CI: 1.26-5.82; P = 0.011). Conclusions: Active and passive exposure to high levels of tobacco smoke are associated with sleep disturbance. Existing global tobacco control interventions need to be enforced.

Improving products of anaerobic sludge digestion by microaeration.

Biogas, digested sludge and sludge liquor are the main products of anaerobic sludge digestion. Each of the products is influenced significantly by specific conditions of the digestion process. Therefore, any upgrade of the digestion technology must be considered with regard to quality changes in all products. Microaeration is one of the methods used for the improvement of biogas quality. Recently, microaeration has been proved to be a relatively simple and highly efficient biological method of sulfide removal in the anaerobic digestion of biosolids, but little attention has been paid to comparing the quality of digested sludge and sludge liquor in the anaerobic and microaerobic digestion and that is why this paper primarily deals with this area of research. The results of the long-term monitoring of digested sludge quality and sludge liquor quality in the anaerobic and microaerobic digesters suggest that products of both technologies are comparable. However, there are several parameters in which the 'microaerobic' products have a significantly better quality such as: sulfide (68% lower) and soluble chemical oxygen demand (COD) (33% lower) concentrations in the sludge liquor and the lower foaming potential of the digested sludge.

Comparison of microbial activity in anaerobic and microaerobic digesters.

Microaerobic alternative of anaerobic digestion offers many advantages especially when sulfide concentration in the digester is high. For better understanding of the microaerobic technology more detailed characterization of biomass activity is needed. Two equal digesters were operated under the same condition except of microaeration in one of them. During long term operation of anaerobic and microaerobic digesters the sludge quality and the biomass activity was monitored. The activity of sulfide oxidizing bacteria of microaerobic biomass was significantly higher in comparison with anaerobic biomass. The activity of sulfate reducing bacteria was comparable. The activity of methanogenic bacteria activity depended on sulfide concentration more than on microaeration. The extent of foaming problems was lower in the microaerobic than in the anaerobic digester.

Enferemdad hemorroidal: tratamiento quirúrgico por la técnica de Fergusson / Hemorrhoidal disease: Fergusson's surgical technique

Entre enero de 1983 y enero de 1991 se llevo a cabo un estudio prospectivo de la enfermedad hemorroidal tratada quirurgicamente por la tecnica de Fergusson en la Clinica San Rafael de Santafe de Bogota, D.C. Se revisaron 132 historias clinicas de pacientes cuya edad promedio era de 40 años; al sexo masculino le correspondio un 48 por ciento y al femenino, el 52 por ciento. Se encontraron hemorroides mixtas en 70 pacientes (53 por ciento), internas en 51 (39 por ciento), y externas en 11 (8 por ciento). El motivo principal de consulta fue el sangrado, el cual se produjo en 34 pacientes (26 por ciento), y 66 enfermos (50 por ciento), acusaron estreñimiento como antecedente de importancia. A todos se les practicó rectosigmoidoscopia como estudio fundamental para definir la conducta, y a un 40 por ciento se les practicó colon por enema. El seguimiento se realizó entre 1 y 8 años, con un promedio de 5; se presentaron complicaciones en el 4 por ciento de los pacientes. Se presentan los resultados obtenidos y se discuten con relacion a la literatura mundial.

Tratamiento quirúrgico del quiste pilonidal: técnica semiabierta / Surgical treatment of pilonidal cysts, semi-open technique

Se evalua en forma prospectiva el protocolo de tratamiento del quiste pilonidal en 73 pacientes sometidos a cirugia en la Clinica San Rafael de Santafe de Bogota, D.C., entre enero de 1983 y enero de 1991. No se encontro predominio de sexo en la presentacion del quiste pilonidal y el promedio de edad fue de 24 años; la mayoria de los pacientes eran empleados; consultaron por dolor y secrecion; 35 (48 por ciento) mostraban masa; 55 (75 por ciento) presentaban un orificio de drenaje. Se sometieron a tratamiento quirurgico por la tecnica semiabierta (Mc. Fee) 58 pacientes (79 por ciento), de los cuales 1 (1.7 por ciento) tuvo complicaciones: infección de la herida quirurgica. Se analizan los resultados con otro informe de la literalura mundial.