Search

Anna Kamieniarz, Justyna Michalska, Anna Brachman, Michał Pawłowski, Kajetan J Słomka, Grzegorz Juras Department of Human Motor Behavior, The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice, Katowice, Poland Abstract: Postural instability is common in Parkinson’s disease (PD), often contributing to falls, injuries, and reduced mobility. In the clinical setting, balance disorder is commonly diagnosed using clinical tests and balance scales, but it is suggested that the most sensitive measurement is the force platform. The aim of this systematic review was to summarize the methods and various posturographic procedures used to assess the body balance and gait in PD. A systematic review was conducted of papers published from 2000 to 2017. Databases searched were PubMed and EBSCO. Studies must have involved patients with PD, used force platform or motion analysis system as a measurement tool, and described posturographic procedure. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the included studies. A total of 32 studies met the inclusion criteria. The PEDro scores ranged from 5 to 7 points. The analysis of the objective methods assessing balance disorders revealed a large discrepancy in the duration and procedures of measurements. The number of repetitions of each trial fluctuated between 1 and 8, and the duration of a single trial ranged from 10 to 60 seconds. Overall, there are many scales and tests used to assess the balance disorders and disabilities of people with PD. Although in many included studies the authors have used posturography as a method to evaluate the postural instability of PD patients, the results are contradictory. To solve this issue, it is indicated to establish a “gold standard” of procedures of measures of balance. Keywords: Parkinson’s disease, posturography, balance disorders, postural instability

The paper presents the results of the electrochemical corrosion tests of Inconel 600 and Inconel 625 laser-welded superalloys. The studies were conducted in order to assess the resistance to general and pitting corrosion in 3.5% NaCl solution. It was found that Inconel 600 possesses good corrosion resistance, however Inconel 625 is characterized by a greater resistance to general and also to pitting corrosion of the weld as well as the base metal.

W pracy przedstawiono badania woltamperometryczne procesu elektroosadzania cyrkonu z roztworu DMSO na różnych podłożach. Stwierdzono, że jest to procees wieloelektronowy zachodzący w kilku etapach. Ponadto otrzymano warstwy cyrkonu na tytanie, miedzi, stali kwasoodpornej i niklu. Wytworzony osad katodowy miał formę białego proszku, na skutek natychmiastowego utlenienia cyrkonu w kontakcie z powietrzem.

The paper presents the results on biofilm formation induced by pure Desulfovibrio desulfuricans strains and its effect on corrosion behaviour of 2205 duplex stainless steel (DSS). Biofilm formation and damage process stimulated by D. desulfuricans strains are analysed with reference to their metabolic activity and to the surface characterisation of structure and configuration of the biofilm. Electrochemical techniques are applied to monitor bacterial attachment to the steel surface and to determine the influence of bacteria on the passivity and corrosion resistance of 2205 DSS. The obtained results prove that 2205 DSS is rapidly colonised by D. desulfuricans and that the biofilms formed affect its corrosion resistance. Bacterial activity leads to the more noble corrosion potential values and to the increased current densities on the potentiodynamic polarisation curves. SEM observations reveal micropits as well as signs of crevice attack on the steel surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Archives of Metallurgy & Materials is the property of Polish Academy of Sciences and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Plastic Surgery & Burns / Chirurgia Plastyczna i Oparzenia is the property of Evereth Publishing Ltd. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A boy is presented in whom Down Syndrome mosaicism and spinal muscular atrophy by overlapping clinical symptoms delayed the diagnosis and caused complicated motor development. The boy from the first pregnancy was delivered vaginally, week 37, Apgar 10, birth weight 3,650 g. The mother, aged 30, had no family history of Down Syndrome or neuromuscular diseases. Primary diagnosis at the age of 3 weeks: unbalanced male karyotype -mos 47, XY+21 [22]/46, XY. At 20 months, the parents observed the disappearance of the high kneeling function and asked for a neurologist's consultation. The neurological examination showed symmetrically reduced muscle tone and symmetrically weakened knee and ankle tendon reflexes. The physiotherapeutic assessment revealed a symmetrical weakening of muscle strength and hand tremor (features characteristic of patients with spinal muscular atrophy). The final diagnosis, set at the age of 27 months, was thus the mosaic form of Down Syndrome and spinal muscular atrophy type 2., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Gajewska, Fliciński, Sobieska, Michalska, Żarowski and Steinborn.)

This study introduces a novel soil conditioning approach using humic substances (HSs) and nutrients co-recovered from reject water from sewage sludge anaerobic digestion. For the first time, HSs and nutrients were simultaneously recovered through sorption on low-cost, environmentally inert materials: natural rock opoka (OP) and waste autoclaved aerated concrete (WAAC). This innovative application of OP and WAAC as carriers and delivery agents for soil-relevant substances offers potential for resource recovery and soil conditioning. Results indicate that the post-sorption opoka (PS-OP) and post-sorption waste autoclaved aerated concrete (PS-WAAC) effectively release retained HSs at 350-480 μg g⁻ 1  d⁻ 1 , respectively. These materials also show potential as NPK fertilizers, releasing 280-430 μg g⁻ 1  d⁻ 1  N-NH₄⁺, 80-150 μg g⁻ 1  d⁻ 1  P-PO₄³⁻, and 270-350 μg g⁻ 1  d⁻ 1  K⁺. Additionally, PS-OP demonstrated promising fungicide properties, reducing P. diachenii growth by 31% at a concentration of 1 g L⁻ 1 . A two-way ANOVA indicated that the effects of PS-OP and PS-WAAC on soil physicochemical and biological parameters varied with plant species. Both post-sorbents improved the quality of soil collected from sand mining area, increasing cation exchange capacity by 7%-85% and organic matter content by 10%-58%. They also enhanced the functional potential of soil microbial communities, increasing their metabolic activities by 23%-36% in soils sown with clover and by 33%-39% in soils sown with rapeseed. An opposite effect was observed in soils sown with sorghum, suggesting these amendments may not universally act as plant biostimulants. The effectiveness of these post-sorbents in enhancing plant growth varied depending on plant species and the mineral base of the post-sorbent. PS-OP increased the total length of clover and sorghum by 41% and 36%, and their fresh biomass by 82% and 80%, respectively. In turn, PS-WAAC increased the total length of clover and sorghum by 76% and 17%, and their fresh biomass by 29% and 15%, respectively. It was notably more effective than PS-OP for rapeseed. This study proposes a strategy to decrease reliance on non-renewable resources and costly sorbents while minimizing environmental impact. It shows that PS-OP and PS-WAAC can enhance soil quality, microbial activity, and plant growth. Given their origins, these amendments are recommended for soil remediation, particularly in degraded areas. Future research should focus on optimizing their application across various plant species to maximize effectiveness., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, increasing attention has been paid to the possibility of converting waste materials, e.g. manure, bio-waste, green waste, waste from the water and sewage industries (e.g. post-fermentation sludge), and agri-food waste into biochars (BCs) by pyrolysis. The ability of biochar to improve soil health and fertility is driving growing interest in its use as a soil amendment. A high soil stability of BCs and their excellent nutrient sorption properties are the main reasons for the superiority of such materials over other organic soil amendments. In addition, BCs can retain soil-relevant compounds, including humic substances (HSs). Since most of the resources used to produce humic fertilisers are non-renewable, the effluent from anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge (reject water, RW), which contains high levels of HSs, is considered a promising target for their recovery. In this study, the potential of ten BCs derived from pine, oak, straw, sunflower, and digestate at different pyrolysis temperatures for the recovery of HSs from RW was evaluated. The sorption of HSs on the applied BCs was conducted using contact method for 24 h and then determined spectrophotometrically. The most effective sorbents for HSs from RW were BCs obtained from straw in the low and high temperatures with the sorption capacity of 3.10 mg g -1 and 5.31 mg g -1 , respectively. It was observed that the BCs produced from the same biomass at different pyrolysis temperatures had different sorption capacities for FA, HA, and a mixture of these compounds. The results indicated that BCs obtained from sunflower at different temperatures and oak at high temperature were the most promising sorbents for the recovery of HSs from RW. Such materials have the potential to be applied to soil and were selected for further evaluation due to their ability to enhance soil quality and immobilize pollutants. Further studies will assess their effectiveness in different soil conditions, their stability and persistence, and their impact on plant health and growth., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)