Effects of Low Temperature, Freeze-Thaw Cycles, and Healing Conditions on Viability of Non-Ureolytic Bacteria in Biological Self-Healing Concrete.

The capacity of biological self-healing concrete (BSHC) to repair cracks relies on the sustained viability and metabolic function of bacteria embedded within the concrete. BSHC structures face significant risk in cold climates due to low temperatures and freeze-thaw (FT) cycles, during which freezing water can generate internal pressure that damages bacterial cells and diminishes their activity. A special feature of this study is the incorporation of bacterial spores within expanded clay aggregates, tested under varying environmental conditions.

Implantation of a sutureless aortic valve into the ring of a mechanical valve: an extreme solution for extreme cases.

Reoperations due to dysfunction of artificial mechanical aortic valves represent a complex and high-risk surgical procedure, particularly for elderly patients. In this report, we present a case of an 81-year-old female patient where, due to structural degeneration of the mechanical valve, an emergency surgical procedure was indicated. After the removal of the valve leaflets, a sutureless aortic valve was implanted within the mechanical ring.

Case Volume Is Not Associated With Outcomes After Adrenalectomy Performed by Urologic Surgeons.

Introduction: Our goal was to compare outcomes of adrenalectomy performed by low-volume and high-volume academic urologists with extensive experience in renal surgery.

Methods: A single-center retrospective review identified patients undergoing adrenalectomy by urologists from 2009 to 2023. Data were gathered on demographics, tumor characteristics, surgeon volume, surgical outcomes including length of procedure, estimated blood loss, length of stay, and complications identified by the Clavien-Dindo complication classification system.

Outcomes of open versus robotic partial nephrectomy: a 20-year single institution experience.

Robotic assisted partial nephrectomy (RPN) has emerged in urologic practice for the management of appropriately sized renal masses. We provide a 20-year comparison of the outcomes of open partial nephrectomy (OPN) versus RPN for renal cell carcinoma (RCC) at our institution. An IRB-approved retrospective review was conducted of RCC patients at a single institution from 2000 to 2022 who underwent RPN or OPN.

Investigating the High-Temperature Bonding Performance of Refractory Castables with Ribbed Stainless-Steel Bars.

Refractory materials containing calcium aluminate cement (CAC) are commonly used in the metallurgical and petrochemical industries due to their exceptional mechanical resistance, even at temperatures exceeding 1000 °C, and do not require additional reinforcement. This study seeks to advance this practice by developing ultra-high-performance structures that offer building protection against fire and explosions. Such structures require bar reinforcement to withstand accidental tension stresses, and the bond performance becomes crucial.

Comparing Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Prostate-Specific Membrane Antigen-Positron Emission Tomography for Prediction of Extraprostatic Extension of Prostate Cancer and Surgical Guidance: A Prospective Nonrandomized Clinical Trial.

Purpose: Survivors of surgically managed prostate cancer may experience urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction. Our aim was to determine if Ga-prostate-specific membrane antigen-11 positron emission tomography CT (PSMA-PET) in addition to multiparametric (mp) MRI scans improved surgical decision-making for nonnerve-sparing or nerve-sparing approach.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively enrolled 50 patients at risk for extraprostatic extension (EPE) who were scheduled for prostatectomy.

Does larger prostate size provide protection for cancer specific outcomes in localized prostate cancer.

Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia is common in the aging population and frequently comorbid with localized prostate cancer. Large prostate volume places significant challenges in robotic prostatectomy including reduced mobility and visualization. The goal of this study is to evaluate the effect of prostate volume as a continuous variable on cancer specific outcomes.

Preoperative aspirin and anticoagulants do not affect partial nephrectomy bleeding.

Introduction: Studies have reached mixed conclusions on the role of antiplatelet and anticoagulant agents on postoperative complications of partial nephrectomies. This study examines whether preoperative anticoagulation use affected the risk of hemorrhagic complications after partial nephrectomy.

Materials And Methods: This is a retrospective chart review of all partial nephrectomies performed between 2017 and 2022 at a single institution.

Referral patterns and genetic testing outcomes in a contemporary hereditary renal cancer clinic.

Objectives: Multidisciplinary hereditary tumor clinics are a collaborative format to identify and treat patients with genetic cancer predispositions. The hereditary renal cancer clinic at Indiana University is comprised of a urologic oncologist, medical oncologist, clinical geneticist, and genetic counselor. The clinic holds regular tumor board meetings, where patient histories, pedigrees, imaging, pathology, and management plans are collectively reviewed and discussed.

A Study on the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Portland Cement Incorporating Aluminosilicate Waste.

The influence of aluminosilicate pozzolanic waste, specifically spent fluid catalytic cracking waste (FCCW) and metakaolin waste (MK) from the expanded glass industry, on the properties of hardened Portland cement paste were analysed. The study involved replacing part of cement with FCCW and MK and observing their impact on the hydration, microstructure, density, and compressive strength of hardened cement paste. Various analysis methods were employed, including X-ray diffraction (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TG), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), to understand the changes in the structure of the hardened cement paste during hydration.

The Influence of Acid Casein on the Selected Properties of Lime-Metakaolin Mortars.

One of the ways to modify selected parameters of lime mortars is the use of biopolymers of animal origin, such as bone glue, skin glue, bovine blood, eggs, and casein. These are protein-based biopolymers. Casein is an example of an organic polymer produced from cow's milk.

Data-Independent Acquisition Phosphoproteomics of Urinary Extracellular Vesicles Enables Renal Cell Carcinoma Grade Differentiation.

Translating the research capability and knowledge in cancer signaling into clinical settings has been slow and ineffective. Recently, extracellular vesicles (EVs) have emerged as a promising source for developing disease phosphoprotein markers to monitor disease status. This study focuses on the development of a robust data-independent acquisition (DIA) using mass spectrometry to profile urinary EV phosphoproteomics for renal cell cancer (RCC) grades differentiation.

The Impact of Microorganisms on the Performance of Linseed Oil and Tung Tree Oil Impregnated Composites Made of Hemp Shives and Corn Starch.

In this study, the performance characteristics of hemp shives impregnated with linseed oil and tung tree oil (HS)- and corn starch (CS)-based biocomposites containing flame retardants were evaluated before and after treatment with the mixture of bacterium and fungus . Enzymatic activities and physical-mechanical properties such as water absorption, thickness swelling, compressive strength, and thermal conductivity were tested to evaluate the suitability of selected composites for thermal insulation purposes. In addition, electron microscopy was used to investigate the impact of microorganisms on the microstructure of the material.

Numerical Simulation of Thermal Conductivity and Thermal Stress in Lightweight Refractory Concrete with Cenospheres.

The main objective of this paper was to investigate the heat transfer of modified lightweight refractory concrete at the microscopic scale. In this work, such material was treated as a porous composite based on the compound of calcium aluminate cement and aluminosilicate cenospheres. The presence of air inclusions within the cenospheres was an essential factor in the reduction in thermal performance.

The Construction of a Footbridge Prototype with Biological Self-Healing Concrete: A Field Study in a Humid Continental Climate Region.

Biological self-healing concrete (BSHC) offers a sustainable and economical way of increasing the lifespan of structures vulnerable to cracking. In recent decades, an enormous research effort has been dedicated to developing and optimizing the bacterial healing process. Nevertheless, most studies have been carried out under laboratory conditions.

Outcomes of Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Pyeloplasty Based on Degree of Obstruction on Preoperative Tc-99 MAG-3 Renal Scintigraphy.

Management of symptomatic ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction with hydronephrosis and discordant Tc-99 mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG-3) renal scintigraphy is challenging. In this study we describe long-term outcomes of patients who underwent robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty for the correction of symptomatic UPJ obstruction with discordant preoperative Tc-99m MAG-3 renal scintigraphy. Patients undergoing robot-assisted laparoscopic pyeloplasty for symptomatic UPJ obstruction at a single academic center from 2009 to 2021 were retrospectively reviewed.

Can Retroperitoneal Lymph Node Dissection (RPLND) be feasibly performed to prolong survival in Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) with limited lymph node involvement? An Analysis of Recurrence Patterns.

Introduction: The therapeutic benefit of performing a lymph node dissection (LND) in patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has been controversial. In prior studies, it was thought that a low event rate for nodal metastases affected the ability to draw any conclusions. Here, we opted to select patients that had low burden 1 or 2 nodes positive to study survival outcomes and recurrence patterns based on limited LND or extended LND with a template retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (RPLND).

Impact of Cellulolytic Fungi on Biodegradation of Hemp Shives and Corn Starch-Based Composites with Different Flame-Retardants.

Biocomposite boards (BcBs) composed of hemp shives and corn starch are known as thermal insulating or structural building materials. Therefore, they must be stable during exploitation. However, BcBs are exposed to microorganisms present in the environment, and it is of great interest to investigate the biodegradation behaviour of these materials.

Investigations of the Influence of Nano-Admixtures on Early Hydration and Selected Properties of Calcium Aluminate Cement Paste.

In this work, the hydration of calcium aluminate cement (CAC, AlO ≥ 70%) paste with nano admixtures (0, 0.05%, 0.1% and 0.

The Effect of Active Additives and Coarse Aggregate Granulometric Composition on the Properties and Durability of Pervious Concrete.

Pervious concrete (PCO) has many advantages and applications, such as water pooling reduction, noise attenuation, replenishment of groundwater reserves, etc. However, the use of pervious concrete is limited due to its low compressive strength and durability, especially as a result of portlandite leaching from concrete exposed to flowing water. The effects of active additives (nano SiO (NS) spent catalyst generated at the fluid catalytic cracking unit (FCCCw) and paper sludge waste burned at 700 °C (PSw)) along with particle size distribution of the coarse aggregate on the properties and durability of pervious concrete were determined in the research.

Development and Validation of an Objective Scoring Tool for Robot-Assisted Partial Nephrectomy: Scoring for Partial Nephrectomy.

To develop a structured and objective scoring tool for assessment of robot-assisted partial nephrectomy (RAPN): Scoring for Partial Nephrectomy (SPaN). : RAPN was deconstructed into 6 domains by a multi-institutional panel of 10 expert robotic surgeons. Performance on each domain was represented on a Likert scale of 1 to 5, with specific descriptions of anchors 1, 3, and 5.

Modification of the Structure and Properties of Lightweight Cement Composite with PVA Fibers.

This study addresses the application of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) fibers to improve the performance of lightweight cement composites with pozzolans. Blended cement mixes based on expanded glass granules were modified with PVA fibers (Type A: Ø40 µm, L = 8 mm and Type B: Ø200 µm, L = 12 mm). The following research methods were used to analyse the effect of the fibers on the structure of cement matrix and physical-mechanical properties of lightweight composite: SEM, XRD, DTG, calorimetry tests, and standard test methods of physical and mechanical properties.

Evaluation of the Performance of Bio-Based Rigid Polyurethane Foam with High Amounts of Sunflower Press Cake Particles.

In the current study, rigid polyurethane foam (PUR) was modified with 10-30 wt.% sunflower press cake (SFP) filler, and its effect on performance characteristics-i.e.