Factors Predicting Failure in Anorectal Biofeedback

Anorectal biofeedback is a method used by specialists in gastrointestinal motility to treat disorders of defecation. In the case of the anorectal biofeedback, unlike in biofeedback applications in other medical fields, the signal is represented by the pressure in the anorectal canal. The pressure is assessed by anorectal manometry. Patients are trained to become aware of this signal in an attempt to reeducate them for a correct defecation. Following the variation of the signals, patients can learn how to modulate the anal sphincter pressure and to improve their defecation disorders. Anorectal biofeedback is therefore used for fecal incontinence and for chronic terminal constipation. Despite its potential, the method is not intensively used and many patients ignore it. The specialists’ evaluation of the method is controversial: from enthusiastic to deceiving results, different data are available. The aim of this presentation is to analyze factors of success and of failure in the use of anorectal biofeedback in a single center specialized in anorectal manometry and to compare our data with results described by other authors

Corrosion and tribological performance of quasi-stoichiometric titanium containing carbo-nitride coatings

Zr, Nb and Si doped TiCN coatings, with (C+N)/(metal + Si) ratios of approximately 1, were deposited on stainless steel and Si wafer substrates using a cathodic arc technique in a mixture of N2 and CH4 gases. The coatings were comparatively analysed for elemental and phase composition, adhesion, anticorrosive properties and tribological performance at ambient and 250 °C. Zr, Nb and Si alloying contents in the coatings were in the range 2.9–9.6 at.%. All the coatings exhibited f.c.c. solid solution structures and had a 〈111〉 preferred orientation. In the adhesion tests conducted, critical loads ranged from 20 to 30 N, indicative of a good adhesion to substrate materials. The Ti based coatings with Nb or Si alloying elements proved to be resistant to corrosive attack in 3.5% NaCl and of these coatings the TiNbCN was found to have the best corrosion resistance. TiCN exhibited the best tribological performance at 250 °C, while at ambient temperatures it was TiNbCN. Abrasive and oxidative wear was found to be the main wear mechanism for all of the coatings. Of the tested coatings, TiNbCN coatings would be the most suitable candidate for severe service (high temperature, corrosive, etc.) applications

In Vitro Sensitivity Research Concerning Some Microorganisms at Hydroxyquinoline and Cupric Derivatives Deposited onto Hydroxyapatite

ABSTRACT Introduction: The preparations based on hydroxyquinoline, in various combinations, are used in medicine, being shown to have an inhibitory effect against bacteria, molds, fungi, parasites, and viruses, but also having other beneficial effects mentioned in other medical conditions (anti-cancer, anti-degenerative, anti-inflammatory). Aims: In vitro susceptibility testing of microorganisms: bacteria (Gram positive and Gram negative), yeast (Candida spp.,) and unicellular algae (Prototheca spp.) at the preparations based on hydroxyquinoline (HQ) and its cupric derivatives deposited on hydroxyapatite (HAP). Materials and methods: There were tested microbial strains of the following genera: Escherichia, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Bacillus, Candida, and Prototheca. The tested products (developed in the Laboratory for Nanobiomaterials Synthesis, Center of Physical Chemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, UBB Cluj-Napoca) were developed in three versions: 1) HQ-Cu2+-HAP1; 2) HQ-Cu2+-HAP2; and 3) NHQ-Cu2+-HAP2, where NHQ stands for nitro hydroxyquinoline. Determination of the inhibitory effect was conducted by diffusion technique in nutrient agar, according to CLSI 2013 standards, with necessary adaptations for testing of products made in the form of suspensions. Results: Following interpretation, it was found that the inhibition zones, arising from the antimicrobial effect of the tested products showed variability in size, depending on the test product and the microbial strain: Escherichia coli (8-10 mm), Staphylococcus sp. (17.6 - 23.2 mm), Micrococcus spp. (24.4 - 27.6 mm), Bacillus spp. (14.0 - 16.0 mm), Candida spp. (20.4 - 25.2 mm), Prototheca spp. (20.8 - 30.0 mm). From the three tested products, the best efficacy was found at the product no. 3 (NHQ - Cu2+ - HAP2), followed by no. 1 (HQ- Cu2+-HAP1) and no. 2 (HQ-Cu2+-HAP2). Conclusions: The inhibitory effect was bactericidal, manifested more intensively against Gram-positive bacteria, yeasts, and prototheca. Such products, prepared in the form of suspensions, may have practical application in the prevention and treatment of skin or hooves disorders. No resistance phenomena are recorded. Keywords: copper, hydroxyapatite, hydroxyquinoline, microorganisms, sensitivity

Corrosion and tribological performance of quasi-stoichiometric titanium containing carbo-nitride coatings

Zr, Nb and Si doped TiCN coatings, with (C+N)/(metal + Si) ratios of approximately 1, were deposited on stainless steel and Si wafer substrates using a cathodic arc technique in a mixture of N2 and CH4 gases. The coatings were comparatively analysed for elemental and phase composition, adhesion, anticorrosive properties and tribological performance at ambient and 250 °C. Zr, Nb and Si alloying contents in the coatings were in the range 2.9–9.6 at.%. All the coatings exhibited f.c.c. solid solution structures and had a 〈1 1 1〉 preferred orientation. In the adhesion tests conducted, critical loads ranged from 20 to 30 N, indicative of a good adhesion to substrate materials. The Ti based coatings with Nb or Si alloying elements proved to be resistant to corrosive attack in 3.5% NaCl and of these coatings the TiNbCN was found to have the best corrosion resistance. TiCN exhibited the best tribological performance at 250 °C, while at ambient temperatures it was TiNbCN. Abrasive and oxidative wear was found to be the main wear mechanism for all of the coatings. Of the tested coatings, TiNbCN coatings would be the most suitable candidate for severe service (high temperature, corrosive, etc.) applications

Abdominal Surgery in Patients With Idiopathic Noncirrhotic Portal Hypertension: A Multicenter Retrospective Study

In patients with idiopathic noncirrhotic portal hypertension (INCPH), data on morbidity and mortality of abdominal surgery are scarce. We retrospectively analyzed the charts of patients with INCPH undergoing abdominal surgery within the Vascular Liver Disease Interest Group network. Forty‐four patients with biopsy‐proven INCPH were included. Twenty‐five (57%) patients had one or more extrahepatic conditions related to INCPH, and 16 (36%) had a history of ascites. Forty‐five procedures were performed, including 30 that were minor and 15 major. Nine (20%) patients had one or more Dindo‐Clavien grade ≥ 3 complication within 1 month after surgery. Sixteen (33%) patients had one or more portal hypertension–related complication within 3 months after surgery. Extrahepatic conditions related to INCPH (P = 0.03) and history of ascites (P = 0.02) were associated with portal hypertension–related complications within 3 months after surgery. Splenectomy was associated with development of portal vein thrombosis after surgery (P = 0.01). Four (9%) patients died within 6 months after surgery. Six‐month cumulative risk of death was higher in patients with serum creatinine ≥ 100 μmol/L at surgery (33% versus 0%, P < 0.001). An unfavorable outcome (i.e., either liver or surgical complication or death) occurred in 22 (50%) patients and was associated with the presence of extrahepatic conditions related to INCPH, history of ascites, and serum creatinine ≥ 100 μmol/L: 5% of the patients with none of these features had an unfavorable outcome versus 32% and 64% when one or two or more features were present, respectively. Portal decompression procedures prior to surgery (n = 10) were not associated with postoperative outcome. Conclusion: Patients with INCPH are at high risk of major surgical and portal hypertension–related complications when they harbor extrahepatic conditions related to INCPH, history of ascites, or increased serum creatinine

Large-Area, Highly Sensitive SERS Substrates with Silver Nanowire Thin Films Coated by Microliter-Scale Solution Process

A microliter-scale solution process was used to fabricate large-area, uniform films of silver nanowires (AgNWs). These thin films with cross-AgNWs were deposited onto Au substrates by dragging the meniscus of a microliter drop of a coating solution trapped between two plates. The hot spot density was tuned by controlling simple experimental parameters, which changed the optical properties of the resulting films. The cross-AgNW films on the Au surface served as excellent substrates for surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy, with substantial electromagnetic field enhancement and good reproducibility

Historical Everyday Geopolitics on the Chile-Peru Border

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Wiley via the DOI in this record.Geopolitics is increasingly seen by scholars as occurring in everyday spaces and performed by ordinary people. This paper extends this idea to historical work to examine how citizens themselves (re)produce geopolitics at the time of historical events. It does so through a case study of geopolitical tension on the Chile‐Peru border in the 1970s. Through oral histories and newspaper analysis, a historical everyday geopolitics approach reveals how those living in the Chilean border city of Arica played a part in promoting national and border security. This centres the embodied and emotional experiences of those affected by violence and conflict