Laparoscopic appendectomy in the adult

AIM OF THE STUDY: The benefits of laparoscopic appendectomy remain controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of this technique. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Four hundred and forty-eight patients operated on for suspected appendicitis during a 5-year period were analysed in a retrospective study. The preoperative diagnosis was corrected in 21.4% of the cases (8.1% for males and 28.7% for females) and the conversion rate was 9.7%. There were 17 patients with generalized peritonitis and 28 with localized peritonitis. During the past year, this surgical method was introduced in another hospital and a prospective study included 92 consecutive patients operated on for appendicitis. The operating time was 53 minutes and the conversion rate was 7.6%. There were five patients with generalized peritonitis and eight with localized peritonitis. RESULTS: There were no postoperative deaths. In the first period, the morbidity rate was 2.3% in the laparoscopic group without conversion. After pathological examination, there was a 14.2% rate of normal appendix. The mean hospital stay was 4.3 days. In the second period, there were only three minor complications and the mean hospital stay was 4.19 days. CONCLUSION: The choice of laparoscopic approach is associated with some advantages: corrections of the diagnosis (mainly in young women) and simplification of the postoperative course, provided that the surgeon has sufficient experience.     

Neighborhood min distance descriptor for kinship verification

Multimedia Tools and Applications - The verification of parental and family relationships based on the facial appearance of subjects is a recent topic that attracted the attention of the computer...     

Study of autoabsorption for total α and β counting

The RaMsEs Group (Radioprotection et Mesures Environnementales) of the IPHC performs research and offers services mainly in the field of radioactivity measurements and sample analysis. This report will describe some of our recent experience using a semiautomatic evaporation system to prepare large area thin deposits for total α and β counting and gives experimental and simulated results for the autoabsorption coefficients.     

Activity of Ni Substituted Ca-La-hexaaluminate Catalyst in Dry Reforming of Methane

Ca_1?x La _x NiAl₁₁O_19?δ(O ≤ x≤1) hexaaluminate oxydes were synthesized starting from nitrate salts of Ca, La, Ni and Al precipitated by citric acid. After calcination they were used as catalysts precursors in dry reforming of methane to synthesis gas at atmospheric pressure (600–800 °C) with a mixture of CH₄/CO₂/Ar:1/1/3. The solids were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET surface area, temperature programmed reaction and oxidation (TPO) and by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. XRD analysis shows a pure hexaluminate phase as soon as a part of calcium has been substituted by lanthanum. After H₂ reduction and after reactivity test, Ni metal characterized by XRD is responsible of the high activity (equilibrium conversion near 100% at 800 °C). Ni hexaaluminate shows a remarkable high stability (more than 300 h test) probably due to the low formation of surface carbon (TPO).     

Effect of oxygen dissolved in metal on the strength of Silver-Alumina junctions formed in the solid state

In this study, the strength of the junctions formed by thermal compression of solid silver and alumina is measured using an indirect tensile test. The essential role of the oxygen content in solid solution of metal on the adherence force is particularly highlighted. Our results are analyzed starting from the surfactant effect of oxygen, in solid solution of metal at the interface Ag/Al₂O₃. It’s clearly shown that an unfavourable couple (weak energy of adhesion) can have an interesting behaviour if the beneficial role of certain elements of additions is taken into account. It is also shown that strong junctions can be obtained while exploiting the initial preparation of metal.     

Numerical Study of Heat Transfer Around the Small Scale Airfoil Using Various Turbulence Models

A numerical investigation of low-Reynolds number flows with thermal effect around the MAV airfoils using various turbulence models, including an algebraic Baldwin-Lomax model, Spalart-Allmaras one equation, and two equation (k-ω and SST-k-ω) turbulence models, is presented. First, the thermal effect on the aerodynamic efficiency is studied for flow around a rectangular MAV wing, based on the NACA0012 airfoil section at low-aspect ratio (AR = 2) and an angle of attack equal to 0°. Second, details of the thermal effect are limited to the two-dimensional NACA0012 airfoil with chord length of 3.81 cm. This study shows that the improvement of aerodynamic efficiency (increase lift and reduce drag) is achieved by the generation of a temperature difference between extrados and intrados of the airfoil (by cooling the upper surface and heating the lower surface). The numerical results obtained with various turbulence models are in good agreement with experiment data, except the k-ω turbulence model. These results are performed with the CFD-FASTRAN code, using the fully implicit scheme for time integration and the upwind Roe flux difference splitting scheme for space discretization augmented by a high order Osher-Chakravarthy limiter.     

Nonthermal Plasma–Liquid Interactions in Food Processing: A Review

Nonthermal processing methods are often preferred over conventional food processing methods to ensure nutritional quality. Nonthermal plasma (NTP) is a new field of nonthermal processing technology and seeing increased interest for application in food preservation. In food applications of NTP, liquid interactions are the most prevalent. The NTP reactivity and product storability are altered during this interaction. The water activated by NTP (plasma‐activated water [PAW]) has gained considerable attention during recent years as a potential disinfectant in fruits and vegetable washing. However, detailed understanding of the interactions of NTP reactive species with food nutritional components in the presence of water and their stability in food is required to be explored to establish the potential of this emerging technology. Hence, the main objective of this review is to give a complete overview of existing NTP–liquid interactions. Further, their microbial inactivation mechanisms and the effects on food quality are discussed in detail. Most of the research findings have suggested the successful application of NTP and PAW for microbial inactivation and food preservation. Still, there are some research gaps identified and a complete analysis of the stability of plasma reactive species in food is still missing. By addressing these issues, along with the available research output in this field, it is possible that NTP can be successfully used as a food decontamination method in the near future.