Hydrogeological features and environmental impacts of geothermal waters in the Yildiz River Basin (Sivas, Turkey).

The study area, located in the Yildiz River Basin (Sivas), has eight geothermal waters, which are used for balneotherapy. The aim of this study was to investigate the natural and/or anthropogenic water pollution in terms of drinking and irrigation water in the Sicak Çermik, Uyuz Çermigi, and Hamzaseyh Çermigi geothermal areas. Na+, Cl-, SO4(-2), B, Mn, Fe, As, and Se concentrations of the geothermal waters generally exceed the upper limits stated in the Turkish Standards for Water Intended for Human Consumption and World Health Organization regulations. Based on the irrigation water classification by the U.S. Salinity Laboratory Diagram, it is concluded that these waters may have hazardous levels of salinity and sodium when used as irrigation water. Wastewater from these health and tourism centers is discharged into the Yildiz River and to agricultural land. This procedure causes increase in the concentrations of major and minor elements and negatively affects the river water quality.

In vivo human brain biochemistry after aerobic exercise: preliminary report on functional magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

BACKGROUND: Our aim was to disclose whether the positive psychological changes observed after a single bout of aerobic exercise have a biochemical correlate that can be visualized by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) of the human brain. METHODS: Right-handed male volunteers underwent psychological testing and MRS of the frontal lobe of the left hemisphere, both before and after 20 minutes of jogging at about 70% of their maximal aerobic capacity. RESULTS: Although there was a significant decrease on the postexercise anxiety test scores (z = -2.201, P < .05), there was no significant difference between the preexercise and postexercise scores of positive and negative affect. Considering both "amplitude" and "area under the curve" values calculated for the peaks of metabolites N-acetylaspartate (NAA), creatine, and choline, none were found to be significantly changed (P > .05) after the exercise. CONCLUSION: This is, to our knowledge, the first study to report on a functional application of MRS to mood states. Because it offers the ability to directly measure metabolic changes in the brain during neuronal activation, "functional MRS" may be a potential new tool that may be used as an adjunct to functional magnetic resonance imaging.

Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: correlation of serial MRI and outcome.

Twenty-four patients with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy were examined with serial magnetic resonance imaging up to 4 years of age. Magnetic resonance imaging studies were performed in the neonatal period, at the fourth month and the fourth year of age, and the findings were compared with the patients' neurodevelopmental outcome at the fourth year of age. Periventricular signal alterations and deep gray matter involvement were usually evident in the initial magnetic resonance imaging studies, and encephalomalacia, periventricular leukomalacia, and atrophy were the common findings on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging studies. In the patients with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, some correlation between magnetic resonance imaging findings and neurodevelopmental outcome was recognized. The patients with deep gray matter involvement on the initial magnetic resonance imaging had a poor prognosis, and the ones with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings had a favorable neurodevelopmental outcome. On the follow-up magnetic resonance imaging findings, encephalomalacia and periventricular leukomalacia were associated with poor neurodevelopmental outcome. In predicting the neurologic outcome at 4 years of age, magnetic resonance imaging findings of the neonatal period had the highest negative predictive value, whereas magnetic resonance imaging findings at 4 months of age and 4 years of age had the highest positive predictive value.