RESULTS: Results showed that the performance of food waste composting was significantly different in systems with UA amendment and without UA amendment. Treatment with UA addition was the first to reach the thermophilic phase. Dibutyryl-cAMP More intensive mass reduction took place in the UA-amended treatments at an early stage. The variations of pH and O2 uptake were also correlated with the added UA. A decreasing trend in C/N ratio and a general increasing trend for NH4+-N concentration were observed when UA was added. CONCLUSIONS: The overall effect of UA can be assumed to be the sum of a large number of individual events with different mechanisms.
Appropriate strategies could be applied to adjust the composting process, mediating both selleck chemical positive and negative effects of the coexistence of food waste and UA as well as manure. The results from this study may have important implications for composting technologies used to treat food waste. Copyright (c) 2012 Society of Chemical Industry”
“Background: Poor wound-healing and skin necrosis
are potentially devastating complications after total knee arthroplasty. Primary soft-tissue coverage with a medial or lateral gastrocnemius transposition flap is typically the first choice for reconstruction. The aim of this study was to evaluate the use of a distally based secondary-pedicle flap of the gracilis muscle for reconstruction of a soft-tissue defect.
Methods: The characteristics of the distally based (secondary) pedicles of the gracilis muscle were studied with use of dissection
(ten cadavers) and computed tomographic angiograms (fifty patients). On the basis of the anatomical features, Selleck MK-0518 an extended reversed gracilis flap based on the secondary pedicles was used in three patients with severe soft-tissue complications of total knee arthroplasty.
Results: The mean number of secondary pedicles was 1.8 (range, one to four). The pedicles originated from the superficial femoral or popliteal artery. The most proximal pedicle was often the largest (mean caliber, 2.0 mm), and its point of entry into the gracilis muscle was an average (and standard deviation) of 21 +/- 3.6 cm (range, 16 to 28 cm) from the ischiopubic branch. A significant positive association (p = 0.001; r(2) = 0.49) was found between the caliber of the proximal secondary pedicle and the number of other secondary pedicles. In all three patients, the adequate caliber of the secondary pedicles (as shown on preoperative computed tomographic angiograms) and good muscle vascularization confirmed the utility of the gracilis as a distally based pedicle flap.
Conclusions: For the treatment of large soft-tissue defects of the patella or the proximal part of the knee, or for soft-tissue reconstruction over an exposed total knee prosthesis, the reversed gracilis pedicle flap may be an alternative to, or may be integrated with, a lateral or medial gastrocnemius flap.