Open Abdominal Management Among Non-Trauma Patients: The Appropriate Duration and a New Clinical Index

Purpose Despite widespread adoption of open abdominal management (OAM), there is currently no threshold criterion for OAM duration for non-trauma patients. Moreover, there is a positive relationship between morbidity and the duration of OAM, but an uncertain relationship with patients’ age. Therefore, a novel clinical index for the duration of open abdominal management (IDOM) was developed based on the patient’s age and risk of severe complications following OAM to indicate the maximum tolerable number of days of OAM based on the individual’s age. The utility of this new index was evaluated. Methods This retrospective study included 65 non-trauma patients managed with an open abdomen (OA) from August 2015 to August 2018. The IDOM was developed based on the patient’s age. The result indicated the maximum number of OA days. Patients’ demographic and operative variables were examined and patient data was assigned to one of two groups according to whether the actual number of OA days was above or below the calculated IDOM. Prevalence of complications between these groups was compared. Measures of validity were employed to assess the utility of the IDOM for patient complications. Results Sixty-five patients were included. The above-the calculated IDOM group exhibited a significantly longer OA and higher rates of wound complications and postoperative respiratory complications compared with the below the calculated IDOM group. The IDOM predicted the incidence of OA-related complications with a sensitivity of 72.4%, and a specificity of 80.6%. Conclusion The IDOM is a potentially useful tool for appropriate duration at the outset of OA

Food and Habitat Selection of Lepus brachyurus lyoni

We determined the environmental requirements for Lepus brachyurus lyoni on Sado Island, Japan. during the winter when food resources are low Flare track survey sites were classified by vegetation type. The movement distances of hares, which indicated habitat preference, were evaluated as the relative length of tracks in a I-ha area In addition, we examined browse marks on plants and the protein content of plants to determine the preferred plant species. Movement distances of hares decreased significantly with increasing tree stand height, mean tree diameter. basal area of the tree stand, and forest canopy closure, but increased with branch-and-stem density. The percentage of browse marks Oil the branches of tree/shrub species decreased significantly with increasing branch-and-stem diameter The rate of feeding increased significantly with increased protein content in the branches These findings suggest that hares prefer shrub stands with high branch-and-stem density to mature forests. which have lower branch-and-stem densities Hares also prefer branches and stems containing large amounts of protein Young stands offering many shrub species as food resources and shelter constitute preferable environments for hare

Synthesis and size control of monodispersed BaTiO3–PVP nanoparticles

Monodispersed, spherical nanoparticles of the BaTiO3–polyvinylpyrrolidone (BT–PVP) composite were synthesized through the surface modification of the oxide BT by the polymer PVP, using TiCl4, BaCl2, PVP, and KOH (as the mineralizer) in an aqueous solution. To reduce the size of the particles and ensure that they were monodispersed, the concentrations of the Ba and Ti sources were increased and the reaction parameters such as reaction temperature, reaction time, and KOH concentration were optimized. As a result, monodispersed BT–PVP particles with an average diameter of 114 nm (coefficient of variation, CV = 20.0%) were obtained from a Ba-rich solution ([Ti]/[Ba] = 0.2 M:0.3 M; [KOH] = 1.4 M), and their dynamic light scattering in an aqueous suspension demonstrated that the average diameter was 162 nm (CV = 26.6%). A higher KOH concentration resulted in smaller particles, but the excess KOH promoted particle aggregation and PVP gelation. The mechanism of dispersion and aggregation of BT–PVP will be discussed in detail

Effect of PVP on the synthesis of high-dispersion core–shell barium-titanate–polyvinylpyrrolidone nanoparticles

Monodispersed nanoparticles consisting of barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) as the core and polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as the shell were synthesized in a PVP-assisted low-temperature process in an aqueous solution at ambient pressure. In order to clarify the mechanism of this unique BT–PVP nanoparticle growth and the origin of the dispersion, the concentration and molecular weight of PVP used in the synthesis were varied, and the size and dispersion of the resulting nanoparticles in water were investigated by field-emission scanning electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering. Monodispersed nanoparticles with an average size of 130 nm were obtained by using an intermediate PVP concentration of 100 g/L and a PVP molecular weight of 10,000 g/mol. The thickness of the PVP shell was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. For the highly dispersed BT–PVP, the thickness of PVP adsorbed on the BT surface was around 3–5 nm. Direct SEM observation of monodispersed BT–PVP in an aqueous solution using a unique sample holder was also demonstrated for the first time

Synthesis of highly disperse tetragonal BaTiO3 nanoparticles with core–shell by a hydrothermal method

In order to synthesize of high-dispersion and tetragonal BaTiO3 (BT) nanoparticle, a hydrothermal method is used in a mixture of chloride metal sources and KOH with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP). The properties of BT–PVPs prepared by different reaction temperature and time are investigated via XRD, FE-SEM, DLS, FT-IR, and TEM to clarify the changes of the crystal phase, dispersion, and particle structure. The reaction is finished at 230 °C for 24 h and the critical reaction condition for that the crystal phase of the obtained BT particle changed from the cubic to the tetragonal is found to be 190 °C fixed in reaction time 24 h, and 9 h. During reaction the PVP on the BT surface decomposed to different form, and the PVP plays the role of dispersant in aqueous solution. By the hydrothermal condition of 230 °C for 24 h almost monodisperse BT–PVP with sizes of 83 nm and tetragonality (c/a) of 1.0062 were synthesized. The structure of nanoparticle, core (BT)–shell (PVP) was investigated by FT-IR and direct observed by TEM and the mechanism of particle growth and dispersion was discussed

Thin Film Coating with Highly Dispersible Barium Titanate-Polyvinylpyrrolidone Nanoparticles

Thin BaTiO3 (BT) coating layers are required in various multilayer ceramic technologies, and fine nanosized BT particles with good dispersion in solution are essential for this coating process. In this work, cubic and tetragonal phase monodispersed BT nanoparticles—which were referred to as LBT and HBT-PVP coated on their surface by polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) polymer—were prepared by low temperature synthesis (LTS) and hydrothermal method (HT) at 80 and 230 °C, respectively. They were applied for the thin film coating on polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and Si wafer substrates by a simple bar coating. The thickness of BT, LBT-PVP, and HBT-PVP films prepared by their 5 wt % coating agent on Si are around 268, 308, and 263 nm, and their surface roughness are 104.6, 91.6, and 56.1 nm, respectively. The optical transmittance of BT, LBT-PVP, and HBT-PVP films on PET are 55, 66, and 73% at 550 nm wavelength and the haze values are 34.89, 24.70, and 20.53% respectively. The mechanism of dispersant adsorbed on the BT surface for densification of thin film during the drying process of the film was discussed

Formation Mechanism and Dispersion of Pseudo-Tetragonal BaTiO3-PVP Nanoparticles from Different Titanium Precursors: TiCl4 and TiO2

Nano-sized tetragonal BaTiO3 (BT) particles that are well dispersed in solution are essential for the dielectric layer in multilayer ceramic capacitor technology. A hydrothermal process using TiCl4 and BaCl2, as source of Ti and Ba, respectively, or the precursor TiO2 as seed for the formation of BT, and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP) as a surfactant, was employed in this study to enhance both the dispersibility and tetragonality (c/a) simultaneously in a single reaction process. The process parameters, i.e., the ratio of TiO2 substitution of TiCl4, the reaction time, and PVP content were systematically studied, and the growth mechanism and relation between the tetragonality and the particle size are discussed. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis was used to show that truncated pseudo-tetragonal BT-PVP particles with an average size of 100 nm, having a narrow size distribution and a coefficient of variation (CV) as low as 20% and being mono-dispersed in water, were produced. The narrow particle size distribution is attributed to the ability of PVP to inhibit the growth of BT particles, and the high c/a of BT-PVP to heterogeneous particle growth using TiO2 seeds

Intraluminal Apple as a Rare Cause of Small Bowel Obstruction

Small bowel obstruction due to ingested foreign bodies is rare in adults. A 48-year-old male visited our hospital with abdominal pain and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed intestinal obstruction by a 3 × 4 cm apple-shaped foreign body. Emergency surgery was performed to clear the obstruction which, upon inspection, was caused by a sexual toy made of rubber. Flexible rubber products that are ingested should be carefully followed after they pass thorough the pylorus. For obstructions related to sexual behavior, the patient’s sense of shame often delays the process of seeking medical attention, thereby making preoperative diagnosis difficult