86, 95% CI: 6.77-32.61, P < 0.0001).

Conclusion. Translaminar screw fixation is a straightforward and effective technique for short-segment fusion in the lumbar spine. For patients with a strict indication for spondylodesis, intact posterior elements (lamina and facets) and a low preoperative disc find more height, translaminar screw fixation represents a successful fixation technique in the lumbar

spine with good long-term results.”
“BACKGROUND

Ammonia (NH3) was converted to dinitrogen gas (N-2) cooperating between ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and anaerobic ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AnAOB) with low amounts of nitrous oxide (N2O) as the side-product in the completely autotrophic nitrogen removal over nitrite (CANON) process. SCH727965 Contributions of anaerobic ammonia oxidation (anammox) by AnAOB and nitrifer denitrification by AOB for nitrogen (N) removal and the

characteristics of N2O production were investigated comprehensively in this study.

RESULTS

AnAOB was the dominant contributor to autotrophic nitrogen removal, and the contributions from nitrifier denitrification were less than 13.55% of the N removal. Nitrite (NO2-) addition increased the N removal rate of the CANON process under oxygen limiting conditions; N2O primarily produced from nitrifier denitrification by AOB was 0.41-7.25% of the N removal, and there was a positive correlation between NO2- concentration and N2O production. Under anaerobic conditions, 10 mmol L-1 methanol did not completely

inhibit the activity of AnAOB, but N2O production rate was significantly decreased with the addition of methanol.

CONCLUSION

The contribution from nitrifier denitrification by AOB was less than 13.55% of the N removal, and AnAOB played an impotent role in N2O production by providing hydroxylamine as an electron donor for AOB to reduce NO2- in the CANON process. (c) 2013 Society of Chemical Industry”
“In this study, biodegradable blends of poly(epsilon-carprolactone) (PCL) and poly(N-vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) were prepared by a new strategy in the following steps: (1) GSK1210151A purchase free radical polymerization of N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone (NVP) in epsilon-caprolactone (CL); (2) ring-opening polymerization of epsilon-caprolactone in the presence of PVP to obtain the target blends. The structure of the blends was confirmed by FTIR and H-l NMR, and the molecular weight of PCL and PVP were determined by GPS. SEM study revealed that this polymerization method could decrease the disperse phase size and improve the interphase when compared with solution-blending method. The phase inversion occurred when PVP content was 15-20 wt %. Subsequently, the PCL sphere dispersed in PVP matrix and its size decreased with the increase of PVP content. The contact angle results showed that PCL/PVP blend. PCL/PVP blends are believed to be promising for drug delivery, cell therapy, and other biomedical applications.