Nano-enhanced Dialytic Fluid Purification: CFD Modeling of Pb(II) Removal by Manganese Oxide.

Nano-enhanced dialytic fluid purification is an evolution of biomedical dialysis that has been proposed as a novel method for applying nanomaterials in water treatment. Using nanosized hexagonal birnessite (δ-MnO) in a simplified dialytic system, we demonstrate herein an almost complete removal (98%) of Pb(II) within 3 h of treatment while monitoring environmental variables pH and Eh (redox potential). A mathematical model of the purification process is constructed in COMSOL Multiphysics to demonstrate how nanoadsorption using free-flowing nanoparticles in a dialytic system can be studied theoretically using computational fluid dynamics (CFD).

Biomimetic System for the Application of Nanomaterials in Fluid Purification: Removal of Arsenic with Ferrihydrite.

The use of nanomaterials has transformed fields such as medicine and electronics. However, aggregation of nanomaterials in aqueous solutions, difficult recovery of spent nano-adsorbents from reactors, and a tremendous pressure loss caused by nano-adsorbents in adsorption columns have prevented the wide-scale use of nano-adsorbents in industrial applications for water purification. An over-reliance on traditional adsorption media for fluid purification practices has slowed innovation in this field.

Evidence-Based Interventions for Increasing Work Participation for Persons With Various Disabilities.

Title I of the Americans With Disabilities Act prohibits discrimination in employment; however, 26 years later, employment rates for persons with disabilities hover at 34%. This systematic review investigates the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions to increase employment for people with various disabilities. Forty-six articles met the inclusion criteria for evidence-based interventions.

A three-step process to facilitate the annulation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.

A new efficient three-step process to annulate polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been developed, providing access to PAHs with saturated rings that under current chemical methods would be difficult to produce in an efficient manner. This method relies on a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction of various brominated PAHs with cyclohexanone to yield α-arylated ketones, which are converted to regiospecific vinyl triflates and cyclized by a palladium-catalyzed intramolecular arene-vinyl triflate coupling to produce PAHs with incorporated saturated rings or "tetrahydroindeno-annulated" PAHs.

Lichtenstein technique for inguinal hernia repair using polypropylene mesh fixed with sutures vs. self-fixating polypropylene mesh: a prospective randomized comparative study.

Purpose: Chronic postoperative pain is probably the most significant complication of tension-free inguinal hernia repair as its presence can considerably affect the life quality of the patient. Different mesh materials and different surgical techniques for mesh fixation have been applied to reduce chronic postoperative pain, with controversial, nevertheless, results. The aim of this prospective randomized study was to evaluate the effect of a relatively new mesh with self-fixating properties, used to repair inguinal hernia with the Lichtenstein technique, on early and chronic postoperative pain.

Gastric schwannoma: a case report and literature review.

Schwannomas are generally benign, slow growing tumors, which can originate from any nerve that has a Schwann cell sheath. Digestive tract schwannomas are rare and are usually asymptomatic. We present the case of a 48-year-old woman with a symptomatic submucosal tumour of the gastric antrum.

Pedunculated cecal lipoma causing colo-colonic intussusception: a rare case report.

Colonic lipomas are uncommon nonepithelial neoplasms that are typically sessile, asymptomatic and incidentally found during endoscopy, surgery, or autopsy. We present a very rare case of a 34-year-old female patient with symptomatic pedunculated cecal lipoma causing intermittent colo-colonic intussusception. Despite adequate imaging studies, definite preoperative diagnosis was not established and the patient underwent exploratory laparotomy.

Retroperitoneal Abscess Formation as a Result of Spilled Gallstones during Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy: An Unusual Case Report.

One of the complications of laparoscopic cholecystectomy for gallstone disease that seems to exceed that of the traditional open method is the gallbladder perforation and gallstone spillage. Its incidence can occur in up to 40% of patients, and in most cases its course is uneventful. However in few cases an abdominal abscess can develop, which may lead to significant morbidity.

Detrimental effect of apoptosis of lymphocytes at an early time point of experimental abdominal sepsis.

Background: Apoptosis of lymphocytes is considered a late sequelum in the sepsis cascade. The role of apoptosis of lymphocytes as a driver of final outcome was investigated.

Methods: Abdominal sepsis was induced after cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) in 31 rabbits.

Acute forearm compressive myopathy syndrome secondary to upper limb entrapment: an unusual cause of renal failure.

Compressive myopathy syndrome (SCM) is a syndrome characterized by the lesion of skeletal muscle resulting in subsequent release of intracellular contents (myoglobin, creatine phosphokinase, potassium, etc.) into the circulatory system, which can cause potentially lethal complications. There are numerous causes that can lead to SCM resulting to acute rhabdomyolysis, and many patients present with multiple causes.

Clarithromycin modulates immune responses in experimental peritonitis.

Based on clinical data revealing a promising immunomodulatory effect of clarithromycin in sepsis due to ventilator-associated pneumonia, the efficacy of clarithromycin in experimental peritonitis and sepsis was assessed with particular emphasis on immune function. Cecal puncture and ligation was performed in rabbits assigned to the following groups: Group A, controls (n=12); Group B, intravenous clarithromycin treatment (n=15); Group C, piperacillin/tazobactam (TZP) treatment (n=10); Group D, clarithromycin+TZP combination treatment (n=12). Blood was sampled at serial time intervals and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated.

Incarcerated femoral hernia containing ipsilateral fallopian tube.

Femoral hernias are more common in women and lead to a substantial higher rate for an emergency operation, due to strangulation. Incarcerated femoral hernia with fallopian tube as a content is an extremely rare condition. A 20-year-old woman presented to the emergency department complaining of a 6-day right groin swelling, which became painful and tender to palpation during the last 48 hours.

Perforated jejunal diverticulum presenting as acute abdomen.

We present a case of a 66-year-old man, who was admitted with a 6-hour history of severe diffuse abdominal pain of acute onset, accompanied by nausea and flatulence. The patient underwent an exploratory laparotomy, which revealed the presence of multiple diverticules of the jejeunum, one of which was ruptured. The patient was treated with segmental resection of the jejunum carrying the ruptured diverticle.

Spontaneous perforation of solitary ulcer of transverse colon.

Spontaneous ruptures of the colon and rectum are extremely uncommon clinical entities and always require laparotomy. A 44-year-old female was admitted with a 12-hour history of severe abdominal pain periumbilically and at the right hypochondrium. The patient was immediately transferred to the department of surgery for close surgical observation.

Obstructive ileus due to a giant fibroepithelial polyp of the anus.

Fibroepithelial polyps or hypertrophied anal papillae are essentially skin tags that project up from the dentate line and the junction between the skin and the epithelial lining of the anus. They are usually small in size, but sometimes they become enlarged, causing unexpected medical conditions. An extremely rare case of a giant hypertrophied anal papilla complicated by obstructive ileus is reported.

Repair of a giant inguinoscrotal hernia.

Giant inguinoscrotal herniae are infrequent in developed countries nowadays, nonetheless they may still typically present after years of neglect. The morbidity associated with them can be significant. Surgical management, although challenging even for the experienced surgeon, enables the patient to return to a reasonable level of function and quality of life.

Effect of time on risk of perforation in acute appendicitis.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to quantify the role of time between symptom onset and surgery on the changing risk of perforation, and to evaluate the possible factors leading to delay to the operation.

Patients And Methods: The files of 169 patients who underwent appendectomy in our clinic over a two-year period (May 2004-June 2006) were reviewed. The relative risk of perforation was calculated according to the "time-table" method.

Spermatic cord metastasis presenting as strangulated inguinal hernia - first manifestation of a multifocal colon adenocarcinoma: a case report.

Spermatic cord is a rare metastatic site of colorectal cancer. We herein report a case of spermatic cord metastasis of a previous undiagnosed multifocal colon adenocarcinoma, which was clinically presented as a strangulated groin hernia.