Treatment of vinegar industry wastewater by electrocoagulation with monopolar aluminum and iron electrodes and toxicity evaluation.

We present electrocoagulation (EC) treatment results of vinegar industry wastewater (VIW) using parallel plate aluminum and iron electrodes, and analyze the toxicity of the treatment processes. Due to the chemical complexity of vinegar production wastewater, several parameters are expected to alter the treatment efficiency. Particularly, current density, initial pH, Na2SO4 as support electrolyte, polyaluminum chloride (PAC) and kerafloc are investigated for their effects on chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal. Following several treatment experiments with real wastewater samples, aluminum-plate electrodes were able to reach to a removal efficiency of 90.91% at pH 4, 10 mg/L PAC and an electrical current density of 20.00 mA/cm2, whereas iron-plate electrodes reached to a removal efficiency of 93.60% at pH 9, 22.50 mA/cm2 current density. Although EC processes reduce COD, the usefulness of the system may not be assessed without considering the resultant toxicity. For this purpose, microtox toxicity tests were carried out for the highest COD removal case. It was observed that the process reduces toxicity, as well as the COD. Consequently, it is concluded that EC with aluminum and iron electrodes is COD removal-wise and toxicity reduction-wise a plausible method for treatment of VIW, which has high organic pollutants.

Relationship of preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio with prognosis in gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

OBJECTIVE: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors are believed to play a role in immunosuppression with their local effect. In some cancers with associated inflammation, an increased pretreatment neutrophil lymphocyte ratio is considered as an indicator of poor prognosis. The aim of our study was to assess the relationship of increased blood neutrophil lymphocyte ratio with disease prognosis in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The data of 78 patients who underwent surgery with the diagnosis of primary gastrointestinal stromal tumor in our clinic were evaluated retrospectively. The preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in the peripheral blood was determined. The neutrophil lymphocyte ratio and its relationship with tumor risk and prognosis were compared. The data were evaluated by Pearson's correlation analysis and the Welch ANOVA test. RESULTS: The preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio was significantly increased in the high-risk groups (p<0.05). An increased preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio was associated with shorter survival (r=-0.32, p=0.009). In addition, an increase in the neutrophil lymphocyte ratio was associated with an increase in the mitotic activity of the tumor (r=-0.364, p=0.025). CONCLUSION: The preoperative neutrophil lymphocyte ratio in gastrointestinal stromal tumors can be used as an indicator of high-risk tumors and poor prognosis.

A challenging decision for emergency physicians: Routine repeat computed brain tomography of the brain in head trauma in infants and neonates.

BACKGROUND: Head trauma is a leading cause of death and disability. While standard treatment protocols exist for severe head trauma, no clear follow-up standards are available for mild head trauma with positive imaging findings in infants and newborns. Although routine follow-up brain computed tomography (CT) imaging is not recommended for children with moderate and mild head trauma, the necessity for follow-up imaging in infants and newborns remains uncertain. METHODS: Our study is a retrospective, observational, and descriptive study. Infants under 1 year old presenting to the emergency department with isolated head trauma were reviewed with the approval of the Ethics Committee of Ankara Etlik City Hospital. Inclusion criteria included presentation to the emergency department, undergoing more than one brain CT scan, and sustaining mild head trauma (Glasgow Coma Scale [GCS] >13). Patients with incomplete follow-up data or multiple traumas were excluded. Age, gender, mechanism of trauma, initial and follow-up brain CT findings, hospital admission, and surgical procedures were recorded and analyzed using the SPSS statistical package. RESULTS: Out of 238 screened patients, 154 were included in the study. Of these, 66.9% were male and the average age was 5.99 months. The most common presenting symptom was swelling at the trauma site, observed in 79.2% of cases. The most common mechanism of injury was falling from a height of less than 90 cm, accounting for 85.1% of cases. Pathological progression on follow-up CT was observed in 5.2% of the patients, and only 1.9% required surgical treatment. A total of 34.4% of the patients required hospitalization. Patients with parenchymal brain pathology had a higher rate of pathological progression on follow-up CT and a longer hospital stay. CONCLUSION: Follow-up CT scans in infants with mild head trauma do not alter patient outcomes except in cases with brain parenchymal pathology. Study data indicated that repeat imaging is not beneficial for isolated skull fractures. Imaging artifacts often necessitated repeated scans, contributing to increased radiation exposure. Unnecessary repeat imaging escalates radiation exposure and healthcare costs. Only a small percentage of patients exhibited progression of intracranial pathology, justifying follow-up imaging solely in the presence of brain parenchymal injury. Larger prospective studies are necessary to confirm these findings.

Low temperature synthesis of MCM-48 and its adsorbent capacity for the removal of basic red 29 dye from model solutions.

The low temperature synthesis of MCM-48 was performed and its adsorptive properties were investigated for the first time in literature by studying Basic Red 29 (BR29) dye adsorption from model solutions. The modification of the surface properties and pore structure of silica-based material MCM-48 induced by BR29 adsorption were characterized using XRD, nitrogen physisorption, and SEM methods before and after dye adsorption. The effects of contact time, solution pH, dye concentration, and temperature on the adsorption capacity of MCM-48 were investigated. Different adsorption models and different kinetic models were used, respectively to define the equilibrium data and the kinetics of adsorption. Adsorption data was seen to fit the Langmuir isotherm and the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. In addition, MCM-48 was found to be very successful for the removal of the BR29 dye model solutions, even at an initial dye concentration of 500 mg/L for which the removal efficiency was above 97%.

Preliminary Report of the ministry of health working group on standardization of living donor liver transplantation in Turkiye.

Liver transplantation is successfully achieved all over the world and in Turkiye. Similar to many middle and far east countries, donation from deceased donors has not reached the desired level in Turkiye. Therefore, in Turkiye, living donors have been frequently used for liver transplantation. Although Turkiye is the leading country in Europe and one of the top three countries in the world executing LDLT, nationwide standardization of LDLT protocols, including donor and recipient evaluation and acceptance criteria, donor and recipient follow-up and reporting rules, and routine periodic audits by the ministry of health authorities, has not been established. Therefore, we created a working group to study reviewing regulations of LDLT operation in Europe and the USA. The establishment and implementation of standardization of LDLT operation will serve to improve the donor and recipient outcomes while preventing incomplete or incorrect practices. The guide prepared on this subject is presented in the Appendix.

Acute appendicitis in pregnancy.

BACKGROUND: Acute appendicitis is the most common cause of non-obstetric acute abdomen in pregnant women. We examined the patients who were admitted to our emergency department with abdominal pain and diagnosed with acute appendicitis in the light of the literature. METHODS: Seventeen pregnant patients with acute appendicitis who were admitted to the emergency department of Sanliurfa Training and Research Hospital between the years of 2016-2019 were retrospectively analyzed using an electronic recording system. Our patients were evaluated concerning age, gestational week, clinical status, the operation performed, ultrasonography results, pathology results, presence of additional diseases, laboratory results and hospital stay length. RESULTS: The mean age of our patients was 25.5 (18-41) years. Three patients were in the first trimester (17.6%), 11 patients were in the second trimester (64.8%), and three patients were in the third trimester (17.6%) at the time of admission. All of our patients had abdominal pain. Acute appendicitis was detected in 11 patients, while it was not detected in six patients on the USG examination. Two patients having term delivery underwent caesarean section with concurrent appendectomy. The mean hospital stay length was 2.9 (2-5) days. Histopathologically, 13 (86.7%) of our operated patients were diagnosed with appendicitis. No additional problems were observed in the mothers and infants in the postoperative period. CONCLUSION: Acute appendicitis should be considered as a non-obstetric pathology in pregnant patients admitted to the emergency department with abdominal pain. We think that it is important for both maternal and infant health to examine this condition, which shows differences concerning clinical course and physical examination, with a meticulous and multidisciplinary approach.

Mesenteric Cyst in 22 Cases.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to retrospectively and multi-centerly examine the clinicopathological features of patients who were operated with the diagnosis of mesenteric cyst, which is a rare cause of intra-abdominal mass in the last 9 years, in the light of the literature. METHODS: The patients were operated due to mesenteric cysts in the general surgery clinics of two Training and Research Hospital between 2010 and 2019; age, gender, preoperative clinical findings, computed tomography (CT) findings, localization of the mass, surgical procedure, morbidity, histopathological results, and follow-up period status were analyzed and reported electronically. RESULTS: The patients generally applied with the complaints of abdominal pain, palpable abdominal mass, and abdominal distention. Fourteen (63.7%) of the cases were male and 8 (36.3%) were female. The mesenteric cysts were located in the small intestine in 18 cases and colon in 4 cases. In the histopathological examination of the surgical materials, simple cyst was detected in 17 cases, lymphangioma in 4 cases, colon adenocarcinoma, and simple cyst in 1 case. In the postoperative period, superficial surgical site infection developed in 3 patients and morbidity developed in 1 patient due to anastomotic leakage. CONCLUSION: Although mesenteric cysts are rarely seen, although most of them are not histopathologically malignant, they can reach large sizes and require extensive surgical operation, and related morbidities can be seen. Therefore, mesenteric cysts should be followed carefully in the postoperative period as well as during the diagnosis and surgical treatment process.

The Investigation of 14 Appendiceal Mucocele Cases Encountered in 4850 Appendectomy Patients.

BACKGROUND: Appendiceal mucocele is a rarely seen disease which occurs when the appendix lumen is filled and obstructed by mucous. In our study, we aimed to reveal the surgical approach of our clinic, features of tumors, and clinical presentations in line with literature in cases of appendix mucocele. METHODS: Fourteen appendix mucocele patients who were admitted in our hospital between 2012 and 2019 were examined retrospectively in the electronic recording medium. Our patients were evaluated in terms of age, gender, clinical status, operation, imaging results, and pathology results. RESULTS: Of the fourteen patients, 12 applied to the emergency department and 2 to the general surgery clinic. All of our patients had abdominal pain at the time of admission. In the physical examination, 5 (35%) patients had defenses, 10 (71%) patients had rebound tenderness, and 12 (85%) patients had tenderness. In preoperative imaging studies, 11 patients were interpreted as having acute appendicitis and 3 patients were evaluated as having appendix mucocele. The pathological results were reported as 6 patients had appendiceal mucocele and 8 patients had appendiceal mucocele together with acute appendicitis. CONCLUSION: Appendiceal mucocele is a disease which generally causes similar clinical findings of acute appendicitis. Ultrasound and CT may be useful in preoperative diagnosis. Surgical treatment options of mucocele are open or laparoscopic appendectomy, cecum resection, and right hemicolectomy. Although its incidence is low, due to pseudomyxoma peritonei, it is a pathology that requires careful surgery.

A Rare Case; Hydatid Cyst of the Breast

Hydatid cyst is a helminthic infection caused by Echinococcus granulosus that we encounter in various organs, especially in the liver and the lungs. Hydatid cyst of the breast is seen very rarely even in regions where the disease is endemic. In this article, we aimed to present a female patient who presented with complaints of a mass in her right breast, was diagnosed as having hydatid cyst as a result of physical examination and radiological imaging methods, and was treated.

Electrochemical degradation and toxicity reduction of C.I. Basic Red 29 solution and textile wastewater by using diamond anode.

Electrochemical oxidation of Basic Red 29 (BR29) was studied in a bipolar trickle tower (BTT) reactor by using Raschig ring shaped boron-doped diamond (BDD) electrodes, which were originally employed by the present researchers, in a recirculated batch mode. The model solution was prepared with BR29 using distilled water. The effects of initial dye concentration, Na(2)SO(4) concentration as supporting electrolyte, current density, flow rate and initial pH on the removal efficiency were investigated, and practically, complete BR29 removal (over 99%) was obtained in all the studies. After optimum experimental conditions were determined, textile wastewater has also studied by monitoring the destruction of color and COD. With the textile wastewater, 97.2% of color and 91% of COD removal were, respectively, achieved at the current density of 1mA/cm(2). Microtox toxicity tests were performed in both BR29 solution and textile wastewater under optimum experimental conditions, and relatively good toxicity reductions were obtained with respect to the initial values. According to the results, BDD anode was seen to be a unique material for the degradation of BR29 and COD and also the reduction of toxicity simultaneously.

Electrochemical oxidation of phenol in a parallel plate reactor using ruthenium mixed metal oxide electrode.

In this study, electrochemical oxidation of phenol was carried out in a parallel plate reactor using ruthenium mixed metal oxide electrode. The effects of initial pH, temperature, supporting electrolyte concentration, current density, flow rate and initial phenol concentration on the removal efficiency were investigated. Model wastewater prepared with distilled water and phenol, was recirculated to the electrochemical reactor by a peristaltic pump. Sodium sulfate was used as supporting electrolyte. The Microtox bioassay was also used to measure the toxicity of the model wastewater during the study. As a result of the study, removal efficiency of 99.7% and 88.9% were achieved for the initial phenol concentration of 200 mg/L and chemical oxygen demand (COD) of 480 mg/L, respectively. In the same study, specific energy consumption of 1.88 k Wh/g phenol removed and, mass transfer coefficient of 8.62 x 10(-6)m/s were reached at the current density of 15 mA/cm(2). Electrochemical oxygen demand (EOD), which can be defined as the amount of electrochemically formed oxygen used for the oxidation of organic pollutants, was 2.13 g O(2)/g phenol. Electrochemical oxidation of petroleum refinery wastewater was also studied at the optimum experimental conditions obtained. Phenol removal of 94.5% and COD removal of 70.1% were reached at the current density of 20 mA/cm(2) for the petroleum refinery wastewater.

Treatment of Basic Red 29 dye solution using iron-aluminum electrode pairs by electrocoagulation and electro-Fenton methods.

The aim of this study is the treatment of Basic Red 29 (BR29) dye solution using hybrid iron-aluminum electrodes by electrocoagulation and electro-Fenton methods. The effect of current density, initial pH, supporting electrolyte, H2O2, and initial dye concentration on dye removal efficiency was investigated, and the best experimental conditions were obtained. Time-coarse variation of UV-Vis spectra and toxicity and chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal were also examined at the best experimental conditions. Both systems were found very successful for the removal of BR29 dye. The removal efficiency of >95% for BR29 dye solution was reached easily in a short time. At the best experimental conditions, for the initial BR29 concentration of 100 mg/L, >95% BR29 dye and 71.43% COD removal were obtained after 20 and 40 min of electrolysis, respectively. Additionally, toxicity results for electro-Fenton treatment of 100 mg/L BR29 were also very promising. According to the results obtained, although electro-Fenton is more effective, both systems can be used successfully to treat textile wastewater including dyes.