Effect of graphene nanoplatelets on the mechanical and gas barrier properties of woven carbon fibre/epoxy composites

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications RouterHistory: received 2021-05-14, accepted 2021-08-14, registration 2021-08-23, pub-electronic 2021-09-05, online 2021-09-05, pub-print 2021-12Publication status: PublishedFunder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100000266; Grant(s): EP/K016946/1Abstract: Carbon-fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) composites are promising materials for non-metallic pipe applications in the oil and gas industry owing to their high corrosion resistance, specific strength and stiffness. However, CFRP has poor gas barrier performance meaning that a liner has to be inserted. Graphene-based nanomaterials have been demonstrated to improve gas barrier properties in thermoplastic polymers, and thus, a CFRP–graphene hybrid composite could provide an alternative to lined pipes. In this work, a method combining spray coating with vacuum-assisted resin infusion was developed to fabricate CFRP hybrid composites with preferred in-plane aligned graphene nanoplatelets. Tensile and flexural properties, as well as CO2 gas permeability, were evaluated. It was illustrated that both tensile and flexural properties performed better under relatively low GNP loadings (< 0.2 vol%), while gas barrier property was significantly improved with the increasing GNP loadings which fits the Nielsen model with an effective GNP aspect ratio of 350. Graphical abstract

Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome: A Report from the Patient-Reported Outcomes After Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study

Functional outcomes after ileoanal pouch creation have been studied; however, there is great variability in how relevant outcomes are defined and reported. More importantly, the perspective of patients has not been represented in deciding which outcomes should be the focus of research.The primary aim was to create a patient-centered definition of core symptoms that should be included in future studies of pouch function.This was a Delphi consensus study.Three rounds of surveys were used to select high-priority items. Survey voting was followed by a series of online patient consultation meetings used to clarify voting trends. A final online consensus meeting with representation from all 3 expert panels was held to finalize a consensus statement.Expert stakeholders were chosen to correlate with the clinical scenario of the multidisciplinary team that cares for pouch patients, including patients, colorectal surgeons, and gastroenterologists or other clinicians.A consensus statement was the main outcome.patients, 62 colorectal surgeons, and 48 gastroenterologists or nurse specialists completed all 3 Delphi rounds. Fifty-three patients participated in online focus groups. One hundred sixty-one stakeholders participated in the final consensus meeting. On conclusion of the consensus meeting, 7 bowel symptoms and 7 consequences of undergoing ileoanal pouch surgery were included in the final consensus statement.The study was limited by online recruitment bias.This study is the first to identify key functional outcomes after pouch surgery with direct input from a large panel of ileoanal pouch patients. The inclusion of patients in all stages of the consensus process allowed for a true patient-centered approach in defining the core domains that should be focused on in future studies of pouch function. See Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B571.Un Informe de los Resultados Reportados por los Pacientes Posterior a la Cirugía de Reservorio (PROPS) Estudio de Consenso DelphiANTECEDENTES:Los resultados funcionales después de la creación del reservorio ileoanal han sido estudiados; sin embargo, existe una gran variabilidad en la forma en que se definen y reportan los resultados relevantes. Más importante aún, la perspectiva de los pacientes no se ha representado a la hora de decidir qué resultados deberían ser el foco de investigación.OBJETIVO:El objetivo principal era crear en el paciente una definición centrada de los síntomas principales que debería incluirse en los estudios futuros de la función del reservorio.DISEÑO:Estudio de consenso Delphi.ENTORNO CLINICO:Se emplearon tres rondas de encuestas para seleccionar elementos de alta prioridad. La votación de la encuesta fue seguida por una serie de reuniones de consulta de pacientes en línea que se utilizan para aclarar las tendencias de votación. Se realizo una reunión de consenso final en línea con representación de los tres paneles de expertos para finalizar una declaración de consenso.PACIENTES:Se eligieron partes interesadas expertas para correlacionar con el escenario clínico del equipo multidisciplinario que atiende a los pacientes con reservorio: pacientes, cirujanos colorrectales, gastroenterólogos / otros médicos.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE VALORACION:Declaración de consenso.RESULTADOS:Ciento noventa y cinco pacientes, 62 cirujanos colorrectales y 48 gastroenterólogos / enfermeras especialistas completaron las tres rondas Delphi. 53 pacientes participaron en grupos focales en línea. 161 interesados participaron en la reunión de consenso final. Al concluir la reunión de consenso, siete síntomas intestinales y siete consecuencias de someterse a una cirugía de reservorio ileoanal se incluyeron en la declaración de consenso final.LIMITACIONES:Sesgo de reclutamiento en línea.CONCLUSIONES:Este estudio es el primero en identificar resultados funcionales claves después de la cirugía de reservorio con información directa de un gran panel de pacientes con reservorio ileoanal. La inclusión de pacientes en todas las etapas del proceso de consenso permitió un verdadero enfoque centrado en el paciente para definir los dominios principales en los que debería centrarse los estudios futuros de la función del reservorio. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B571

Patients Undergoing Ileoanal Pouch Surgery Experience a Constellation of Symptoms and Consequences Representing a Unique Syndrome: A Report From the Patient-Reported Outcomes After Pouch Surgery (PROPS) Delphi Consensus Study

The primary aim was to create a patient-centered definition of core symptoms that should be included in future studies of pouch function.Functional outcomes after ileoanal pouch creation have been studied; however, there is great variability in how relevant outcomes are defined and reported. More importantly, the perspective of patients has not been represented in deciding which outcomes should be the focus of research.Expert stakeholders were chosen to correlate with the clinical scenario of the multidisciplinary team that cares for pouch patients: patients, colorectal surgeons, gastroenterologists/other clinicians. Three rounds of surveys were employed to select high-priority items. Survey voting was followed by a series of online patient consultation meetings used to clarify voting trends. A final online consensus meeting with representation from all 3 expert panels was held to finalize a consensus statement.One hundred ninety-five patients, 62 colorectal surgeons, and 48 gastroenterologists/nurse specialists completed all 3 Delphi rounds. Fifty-three patients participated in online focus groups. One hundred sixty-one stakeholders participated in the final consensus meeting. On conclusion of the consensus meeting, 7 bowel symptoms and 7 consequences of undergoing ileoanal pouch surgery were included in the final consensus statement.This study is the first to identify key functional outcomes after pouch surgery with direct input from a large panel of ileoanal pouch patients. The inclusion of patients in all stages of the consensus process allowed for a true patient-centered approach in defining the core domains that should be focused on in future studies of pouch function

A consensus guide to capturing the ability to inhibit actions and impulsive behaviors in the stop-signal task

© Verbruggen et al. Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in some of these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the stop-signal task. To this end, we provide 12 easy-to-implement consensus recommendations and point out the problems that can arise when they are not followed. Furthermore, we provide user-friendly open-source resources intended to inform statistical-power considerations, facilitate the correct implementation of the task, and assist in proper data analysis

Introducing BASE: the Biomes of Australian Soil Environments soil microbial diversity database

Microbial inhabitants of soils are important to ecosystem and planetary functions, yet there are large gaps in our knowledge of their diversity and ecology. The ‘Biomes of Australian Soil Environments’ (BASE) project has generated a database of microbial diversity with associated metadata across extensive environmental gradients at continental scale. As the characterisation of microbes rapidly expands, the BASE database provides an evolving platform for interrogating and integrating microbial diversity and function

A consensus guide to capturing the ability to inhibit actions and impulsive behaviors in the stop-signal task.

Response inhibition is essential for navigating everyday life. Its derailment is considered integral to numerous neurological and psychiatric disorders, and more generally, to a wide range of behavioral and health problems. Response-inhibition efficiency furthermore correlates with treatment outcome in some of these conditions. The stop-signal task is an essential tool to determine how quickly response inhibition is implemented. Despite its apparent simplicity, there are many features (ranging from task design to data analysis) that vary across studies in ways that can easily compromise the validity of the obtained results. Our goal is to facilitate a more accurate use of the stop-signal task. To this end, we provide 12 easy-to-implement consensus recommendations and point out the problems that can arise when they are not followed. Furthermore, we provide user-friendly open-source resources intended to inform statistical-power considerations, facilitate the correct implementation of the task, and assist in proper data analysis

Emotional predictors of bowel screening: the avoidance-promoting role of fear, embarrassment, and disgust

Abstract Background Despite considerable efforts to address practical barriers, colorectal cancer screening numbers are often low. People do not always act rationally, and investigating emotions may offer insight into the avoidance of screening. The current work assessed whether fear, embarrassment, and disgust predicted colorectal cancer screening avoidance. Methods A community sample (N = 306) aged 45+ completed a questionnaire assessing colorectal cancer screening history and the extent that perceptions of cancer risk, colorectal cancer knowledge, doctor discussions, and a specifically developed scale, the Emotional Barriers to Bowel Screening (EBBS), were associated with previous screening behaviours and anticipated bowel health decision-making. Results Step-wise logistic regression models revealed that a decision to delay seeking healthcare in the hypothetical presence of bowel symptoms was less likely in people who had discussed risk with their doctor, whereas greater colorectal cancer knowledge and greater fear of a negative outcome predicted greater likelihood of delay. Having previously provided a faecal sample was predicted by discussions about risk with a doctor, older age, and greater embarrassment, whereas perceptions of lower risk predicted a lower likelihood. Likewise, greater insertion disgust predicted a lower likelihood of having had an invasive bowel screening test in the previous 5 years. Conclusions Alongside medical and demographic factors, fear, embarrassment and disgust are worthy of consideration in colorectal cancer screening. Understanding how specific emotions impact screening decisions and behaviour is an important direction for future work and has potential to inform screening development and communications in bowel health

Clinical utility of Gastric Alimetry® in the management of intestinal failure patients with possible underlying gut motility disorders

Summary: Background/Aims: Gut dysmotility is an increasingly common contributor to intestinal failure. However, differentiating true cases of severe dysmotility requiring intensive nutritional support from other causes of symptoms (e.g., gut-brain or visceral hypersensitivity disorders) is clinically challenging. Reliable motility tests are not widely accessible and may be non-contributory, while transit studies can be labile and insensitive for neuromuscular pathologies. Methods: Gastric Alimetry® (Alimetry, New Zealand) is a new test of gastric function that was recently shown to define patient subgroups with neuromuscular dysfunction in chronic nausea and vomiting syndromes. Here, we report the first application of Gastric Alimetry to a cohort of adult patients established on PN for a possible GI motility disorder. Results: Ten patients with diagnostic uncertainty were evaluated, nine on PN, one recently weaned due to a line infection. Gastric Alimetry evaluation was found to contribute to management decisions in all 10 cases, with clinical diagnoses being updated in 6/10, primarily to refocus on disorders of gut-brain interaction in subjects with normal tests. Changed management based on test results facilitated successful weaning of PN in 6/9 patients at median 5 months of follow-up, due to effective targeted pharmacological therapy and integrated care. Conclusions: These data support the role of Gastric Alimetry in the work-up of possible intestinal failure patients with suspected motility disorders, with utility in diagnosis and management. Test results facilitated gut rehabilitation, reduced PN dependence, and therefore reduced healthcare costs (estimated at >NZ$100,000 per PN patient per year in nutritional support alone)