Abstract Background context The classic surgical treatment of spinal stenosis involves bilateral dissection of paraspinal muscles to expose all the involved levels, wide laminectomy, and medial ...facetectomy and foraminotomy. The surgical morbidity of the procedure is further magnified by being more common in elderly with associated medical comorbidities and being usually global involving multiple levels. To address this problem, several less invasive techniques have been introduced over the past decade including the microendoscopic decompression. Purpose The aim was to describe and evaluate a new endoscopic technique for lumbar spinal canal decompression named irrigation endoscopic decompressive laminotomy. Study design This was a technical report. Patient sample One hundred four consecutive patients suffering from neurogenic claudication and resistant to 3 months of conservative management were included in the study. Grade I degenerative spondylolisthesis and degenerative scoliosis were not considered a contraindication. Patients with segmental instability and predominant low back pain were excluded. Outcome measures Primary outcome measures included the final functional outcome using modified Macnab criteria and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI). In addition, the operative time and complication rate have been evaluated. Secondary outcome measures included the evaluation of the early postoperative course using visual analog scale for postoperative incisional pain, time for ambulation, and length of hospital stay. Methods Two 0.5-cm portals were used, one for the endoscope and the other for instruments. For every additional level, one portal is added. The endoscope and instruments are directly placed over the surface of lamina without any dissection, and saline under pump pressure is used to open a potential working space. Unilateral laminotomy/laminectomy is performed according to the severity of stenosis, followed by bilateral decompression beneath the midline structures. Results Mean follow-up period was 28 months. The final outcome was excellent in 63%, good in 24%, fair in 9%, and poor in 4%. The preoperative ODI dropped from a mean of 64.2±10.0 to 23.1±20.8 postoperatively. Complications were limited to six cases of dural tear, which required no open conversion. Conclusions Irrigation endoscopic decompressive laminotomy allows the surgeon to safely perform effective central and foraminal decompression resulting in satisfactory midterm clinical results. Substituting long surgical incisions with 0.5-cm stabs and direct placement of instruments without dissection or dilatation could result in an improved postoperative course, shortened time for hospitalization, and reduced infection rate. However, still multicenter studies and randomized trials are needed before making final conclusions.
Abstract
Utilizing Glutaraldehyde crosslinked sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-GA) hydrogel and its nanographene oxide composite (CMC-GA-GOx), an effective carboxymethyl cellulose-graphene oxide ...biobased composites adsorbent was developed for the adsorption removal of methylene blue (MB) cationic dye contaminate from industrial wastewater. The CMC-GA-GOx composites developed were characterized using FTIR, RAMAN, TGA, SEM, and EDX analysis instruments. Through batch experiments, several variables affecting the removal of MB dye, including the biocomposites GO:CMC composition, adsorption time, pH and temperature, initial MB concentration, adsorbent dosage, and NaCl concentration, were investigated under different conditions. The maximum dye removal percentages ranged between 93 and 98%. They were obtained using biocomposites CMC-GA-GO
102
with 20% GO weight percent, adsorption time 25 min, adsorption temperature 25 °C, MB concentrations 10–30 ppm, adsorption pH 7.0, and 0.2 g adsorbent dose. The experimental data of the adsorption process suit the Langmuir isotherm more closely with a maximal monolayer adsorption capacity of 76.92 mg/g. The adsorption process followed the kinetic model of pseudo-second order. The removal of MB was exothermic and spontaneous from a thermodynamic standpoint. In addition, thermodynamic results demonstrated that adsorption operates most effectively at low temperatures. Finally, the reusability of the developed CMC-GA-GO
102
has been proved through 10 successive cycles where only 14% of the MB dye removal percentage was lost. These results suggest that the developed CMC-GA-GO
102
composite may be an inexpensive and reusable adsorbent for removing organic cationic dyes from industrial wastewater.
A novel chitosan grafted citronellal (Ch-Cit) schiff base amphiphilic polymer was developed for the adsorptive removal of oil spills. The chemical structure was verified by FT-IR spectroscopy and
H ...NMR spectrometer, while the morphological changes and surface area were investigated by SEM and BET analysis tools. The amphiphilic character of Ch-Cit schiff base was controlled through variation of the grafting percentage (G%) of citronellal from 11 to 61%. Dramatic changes in the ion exchange capacity (IEC), solubility and water uptake profiles were established, while the oil adsorption capacity was founded in direct relation with the G (%) of citronellal. Operational conditions such as oil amount, adsorption time, adsorbent dose and agitation speed were investigated. The developed Ch-Cit schiff base exhibited a higher surface area (115.94 m
/g) compared to neat chitosan (57.78 m
/g). The oil adsorption capacity of the Ch-Cit schiff base was greatly improved by 166% and 120% for light crude and heavy crude oil, respectively. Finally, the adsorption process was optimized using response surface methodology (RSM).The results substantiate that the amphiphilic Ch-Cit schiff base could be efficiently applied as a low-cost oil-adsorbent for the removal of crude oil spills from sea-water surfaces.
Jojoba shrubs are wild plants cultivated in arid and semiarid lands and characterized by tolerance to drought, salinity, and high temperatures. Fungi associated with such plants may be attributed to ...the tolerance of host plants against biotic stress in addition to the promotion of plant growth. Previous studies showed the importance of jojoba as jojoba oil in the agricultural field; however, no prior study discussed the role of jojoba-associated fungi (JAF) in reflecting plant health and the possibility of using JAF in biocontrol. Here, the culture-independent and culture-dependent approaches were performed to study the diversity of the jojoba-associated fungi. Then, the cultivable fungi were evaluated for in-vitro antagonistic activity and in vitro plant growth promotion assays. The metagenome analysis revealed the existence of four fungal phyla: Ascomycota, Aphelidiomycota, Basidiomycota, and Mortierellomycota. The phylum Ascomycota was the most common and had the highest relative abundance in soil, root, branch, and fruit samples (59.7%, 50.7%, 49.8%, and 52.4%, respectively).
Alternaria
was the most abundant genus in aboveground tissues: branch (43.7%) and fruit (32.1%), while the genus
Discosia
had the highest abundance in the underground samples: soil (24%) and root (30.7%). For the culture-dependent method, a total of 14 fungi were isolated, identified, and screened for their chitinolytic and antagonist activity against three phytopathogenic fungi (
Fusarium oxysporum, Alternaria alternata
and
Rhizoctonia solani
) as well as their in vitro plant growth promotion (PGP) activity. Based on ITS sequence analysis, the selected potent isolates were identified as
Aspergillus stellatus
EJ-JFF3,
Aspergillus flavus
EJ-JFF4,
Stilbocrea
sp. EJ-JLF1,
Fusarium solani
EJ-JRF3
,
and
Amesia atrobrunnea
EJ-JSF4. The endophyte strain
A. flavus
EJ-JFF4 exhibited the highest chitinolytic activity (9 Enzyme Index) and antagonistic potential against
Fusarium oxysporum
,
Alternaria alternata
, and
Rhizoctonia solani
phytopathogens with inhibitory percentages of 72, 70, and 80 respectively. Also,
A. flavus
EJ-JFF4 had significant multiple PGP properties, including siderophore production (69.3%), phosphate solubilization (95.4 µg ml
−1
). The greatest production of Indol-3-Acetic Acid was belonged to
A.
atrobrunnea
EJ-JSF4 (114.5 µg ml
−1
). The analysis of FUNGuild revealed the abundance of symbiotrophs over other trophic modes, and the guild of endophytes was commonly assigned in all samples. For the first time, this study uncovered fungal diversity associated with jojoba plants using a culture-independent approach and in-vitro assessed the roles of cultivable fungal strains in promoting plant growth and biocontrol. The present study indicated the significance of jojoba shrubs as a potential source of diverse fungi with high biocontrol and PGP activities.
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•COOH-Activated carbon powder was prepared by mechanical attrition method.•The maximum methylene blue adsorption of the modified AC was approximately 123.75 mg/g and 120 mg/g for ...crystal violet.•Langmuir isotherm and pseudo-second-order kinetic models best described adsorption results.•Effect of initial dye concentration, contact time, pH, and temperature of modified AC powder were examined.•Thermodynamic results illustrated that the adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous.
In this study, Activated carbon (AC) was successfully modified by carboxylic group (–COOH) via AC mechanical attrition in the presence of NaOH and Chloroacetic acid. Modified activated carbon (AC-COOH) was characterized by XRD, SEM, EDS and FTIR. The effect of modified activated carbon by NaOH and Chloroacetic acid towards the adsorption of methylene blue and crystal violet dyes was demonstrated. Various adsorption parameters were studied as a function of contact time, initial concentration of the dye, adsorbent content, pH, and temperature. The modified AC-COOH can quickly adsorb the two dyes and equilibrium is achieved within 15 min. Moreover, the adsorption performance was enhanced with increasing the pH of the dye solution. The adsorption isotherms of both dyes were significantly described by the Langmuir model with maximum adsorption capacities of 123.75 mg g−1 for MB and 120 mg g−1 for CV. Based on the values of the correlation coefficient and the adsorption capacities, the kinetics of both dyes were pseudo-second-order. Furthermore, the measured thermodynamic parameters indicated that the organic dye adsorption was endothermic and spontaneous. Finally, the AC-COOH demonstrated acceptable removal percentage of the two dyes over five cycles. This study showed that the role of ball milling technique in the modification of activated carbon and showed the effect of functional groups and active sites on the activated carbon adsorbent (phenol, alcohol and carboxylic groups) contributed to its considerable affinity for adsorption in dye removal. As a result, the optimum AC-COOH can serve as efficient and inexpensive adsorbents for removing dyes from industrial wastewater.
This report deals with converting the agriculture waste (rice straw) to environmental cleaner materials (biochar) using airless pyrolysis followed by eco-friendly activation. The biochar (p-Biochar) ...obtained after pyrolysis step (poorly active material) was activated using wet attrition method to give m-Biochar (highly active materials). The both p-Biochar and m-Biochar were characterized in detail and utilized for MB and CV dye removal from aqueous solution. Various parameters affecting the adsorption process such as dye concentration, adsorbent dose, contact time, temperature, NaCl dose and pH were investigated. The adsorption isotherm was well fitted using Langmuir isotherm, and the maximum adsorption capacity is 90.91 and 44.64 mg/g, for MB and CV dyes, respectively. The contact time data obtained showed that the two dyes were poorly adsorbed over p-Biochar. The equilibrium was reached quickly in 15 min for MB dye and 20 min for CV dye using the m-Biochar, and removal percent was 94.45 and 92.70% for MB and CV dyes, respectively. Moreover, the kinetic isotherm presented very well fitted by pseudo-second-order model. In addition, the adsorption percent increases with further increasing the pH value. Finally, we observed that m-Biochar highly adsorbs the MB dye compared with the CV dye over all experimental conditions.
Bismuth Telluride (Bi2Te3) layered structure results in extraordinary features in diagnostic and therapeutic applications. However, Bi2Te3 synthesis with reliable stability and biocompatibility in ...biological systems was the major challenge that limited its biological application. Herein, reduced graphene oxide (RGO) or graphitic carbon nitride (CN) nanosheets were incorporated into Bi2Te3 matrix to improve exfoliation. Bi2Te3 nanoparticles (NPs) and its novel nanocomposites (NCs): CN@Bi2Te3 and CN-RGO@Bi2Te3 were solvothermally synthesized, physiochemically characterized and assessed for their anticancer, antioxidant, and antibacterial activities. X-ray diffraction depicted Bi2Te3 rhombohedral lattice structure. Fourier-transform infrared and Raman spectra confirmed NC formation. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy revealed 13 nm thickness and 400–600 nm diameter of hexagonal, binary, and ternary nanosheets of Bi2Te3-NPs/NCs. Energy dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy revealed the presence of Bi, Te, and carbon atoms in the tested NPs with negatively charged surfaces as depicted by zeta sizer. CN-RGO@Bi2Te3-NC displayed the smallest nanodiameter (359.7 nm) with the highest Brunauer–Emmett–Teller surface area and antiproliferative activity against MCF-7, HepG2 and Caco-2. Bi2Te3-NPs had the greatest scavenging activity (96.13 ± 0.4%) compared to the NCs. The NPs inhibitory activity was greater against Gram-negative bacteria than that of Gram-positive bacteria. Integration of RGO and CN with Bi2Te3-NPs enhanced their physicochemical properties and therapeutic activities giving rise to their promising capacity for future biomedical applications.
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•Bi2Te3 and novel NCs: CN@Bi2Te3 and CN-RGO@Bi2Te3 were solvothermally synthesized.•RGO and CN nanosheets exfoliate Bi2Te3 NPs enhancing its physicochemical properties.•CN-RGO@Bi2Te3-NC had the smallest size to large surface area.•CN-RGO@Bi2Te3-NC exhibited strong antiproliferative activity and biocidal efficacy.•Bi2Te3 NPs showed strong antioxidant activity.
This research examined the effectiveness of Biobran as a bioactive substance that could potentially improve wound healing. It also looked at how Biobran affects the properties of a nanofibrous ...scaffold made through coaxial electrospinning. This is the first study exploring the use of Biobran in this context and its interaction with nanofibrous scaffolds. The scaffolds were composed of poly( -caprolactone) (PCL) in the shell and various concentrations of Biobran blended with polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) in the core. The properties of the scaffolds were characterized by SEM, TEM, FTIR, XRD, TGA, DSC, stress-strain test, WCA, release test, MTT cytotoxicity assay, wound scratching assay, and the dye exclusion method using trypan blue. The scaffolds loaded with Biobran exhibited a more compact and smooth morphology compared with the scaffold without Biobran. The physical interaction and crystallinity of the polymers in the scaffolds were also affected by Biobran in a concentration-dependent manner. This positively influenced their tensile strength, elongation at break, thermal stability, and hydrophilicity. The porosity, water uptake capacity, and WVTR of the nanofibrous scaffolds are within the optimal ranges for wound healing. The release rate of Biobran, which revealed a biphasic release pattern, decreased with increasing Biobran concentration, resulting in controlled and sustained delivery of Biobran from the nanofiber scaffolds. The cell viability assays showed a dose-dependent effect of Biobran on WISH cells, which might be attributed to the positive effect of Biobran on the physicochemical properties of the nanofibrous scaffolds. These findings suggest that Biobran-loaded core/shell nanofiber scaffolds have a potential application in wound healing as an ideal multifunctional wound dressing.
Biobran encapsulated PCL/PVA core shell nanofibers.
The process of secondary intention wound healing includes long repair and healing time. Electrospun nanofibrous scaffolds have shown potential for wound dressing. Biopolymers have gained much ...attention due to their remarkable characteristics such as biodegradability, biocompatibility, non-immunogenicity and nontoxicity. This study anticipated to develop a new composite metronidazole (MTZ) immobilized nanofibrous scaffold based on poly (3-hydroxy butyrate) (PHB) and Gelatin (Gel) to be utilized as a novel secondary intention wound healing accelerator. Herein, PHB and Gel were mixed together at different weight ratios to prepare polymer solutions with final concentration of (7%), loaded with two different concentrations 5% (Z
) and 10% (Z
) of MTZ. Nanofibrous scaffolds were obtained by manipulating electrospinning technique. The properties of MTZ immobilized PHB/Gel nanofibrous scaffold were evaluated (SEM, FTIR, TGA, water uptake, contact angle, porosity, mechanical properties and antibacterial activity). Additionally, in vitro cytocompatibility of the obtained nanofibrous scaffolds were assessed by using the cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8 assay). Moreover, in vivo wound healing experiments revealed that the prepared nanofibrous scaffold highly augmented the transforming growth factor (TGF-β) signaling pathway, moderately suppressed the pro-inflammatory cytokine (IL-6). These results indicate that MTZ immobilized PHB/Gel nanofibrous scaffold significantly boost accelerating secondary intention wound healing.
Graphene oxide-activated carbon (GO-AC) composite was synthesized by a single-step mixing method via direct conjugation of m-AC particles onto GO using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a chemical ...linker. GO-AC composite was employed for the removal of methylene blue (MB) and crystal violet (CV) dyes from an aqueous solution. GO-AC composite was investigated by IR, SEM, TEM, XRD, and TGA analyses. Notably, SEM photographs and TGA data of GO-AC composite showed a rough surface morphology and a significant thermal stability, respectively, due to incorporation of m-AC. The obtained data exhibited that the removal of dyes increased clearly with high initial dye concentration, contact time, high composite dosage, and pH. Moreover, these data revealed that, composite possesses an efficient adsorption performance appeared in the maximum adsorption capacity which reached to ~70 and 147 mg/g for removal of CV and MB dyes, respectively, according to Langmuir isotherm. Meanwhile, the adsorption kinetics data for GO-AC composite modeled using the pseudo-second-order kinetic found to be justify the experimental data, as well. Furthermore, the GO-AC composite shows reusability performance. These results suggest that GO-AC composite is a potential costless adsorbent for the removal of organic dyes from industrial wastewater.
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•Simple one-step mixing route for preparation of graphene oxide-activated carbon composite.•The activated carbon particles are well distributed over the GO-monolayer.•The composite showed a good adsorption performance for the removal of cationic dyes from aqueous solution.•The kinetics and isotherm analysis were utilized to characterize the adsorption process.
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