Gas Evacuation Research Articles

Efficacy and safety of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia for ovarian cancer.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common malignant tumors in female reproductive system in the world, and the choice of its treatment is very important for the survival rate and prognosis of patients. Traditional open surgery is the main treatment for ovarian cancer, but it has the disadvantages of big trauma and slow recovery. With the continuous development of minimally invasive technology, minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia has been gradually applied to the treatment of ovarian cancer because of its advantages of less trauma and quick recovery. However, the efficacy and safety of minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in the treatment of ovarian cancer are still controversial. To explore the efficacy and safety of general anesthesia minimally invasive surgery in the treatment of ovarian cancer. The clinical data of 90 patients with early ovarian cancer in our hospital were analyzed retrospectively. According to the different surgical treatment methods, patients were divided into study group and control group (45 cases in each group). The study group received minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia for ovarian cancer, while the control group received traditional open surgery for ovarian cancer. The European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire (EORTC QLQ-C30), clinical efficacy and safety of the two groups were compared. The intraoperative blood loss, length of hospital stay, postoperative gas evacuation time, and postoperative EORTC QLQ-C30 score of the study group were significantly better than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The incidence of postoperative complications in the study group was significantly lower than in the control group (P < 0.05). The two groups had no significant differences in the preoperative adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH), androstenedione (AD), cortisol (Cor), cluster of differentiation 3 positive (CD3+), and cluster of differentiation 4 positive (CD4+) indexes (P > 0.05). In contrast, postoperatively, the study group's ACTH, AD, and Cor indexes were lower, and the CD3+ and CD4+ indexes were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). Minimally invasive laparoscopic surgery under general anesthesia in patients with early ovarian cancer can significantly improve the efficacy and safety, improve the short-term prognosis and quality of life of patients, and is worth popularizing.

Effect of Iberogast (STW5) on tolerance to colonic gas in patients with irritable bowel syndrome: A randomized, double-blind, placebo control clinical trial.

STW5 is an herbal medicinal product that, in previous studies, reduced abdominal pain in irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). The effect of STW5 on gas-related abdominal symptoms is unknown. To determine the effects of STW5, compared to placebo, on the responses to colonic gas in IBS. Using a cross-over design, two gas challenge tests were performed in 10 patients with IBS and bloating after 2-weeks treatment with (a) STW5 and (b) placebo. The challenge test consisted in continuous infusion of gas into the colon (24 mL/min for 60 min), followed by a 30-min free evacuation period. Gas evacuation, symptom perception, and abdominal distension were continuously registered. Colonic gas filling was associated to a significant rise in abdominal symptom perception, that was significantly greater when patients were on-placebo (score increment 4.0 ± 0.3) compared with on-STW5 (score increment 3.2 ± 0.4; p = 0.035). Gas filling was associated to a progressive abdominal distension that was similar with both treatments. Opening of the rectal cannula produced a massive gas evacuation, similar after both treatments, associated to a return of abdominal perception and distension to basal levels when patients were on-STW5 (score increment -0.1 ± 0.4; distension 0.3 ± 0.2 cm; p = 0.399, and p = 0.112 vs. basal), whereas both remained increased on-placebo (score increment 0.5 ± 0.3; distension 0.8 ± 0.3 cm; p = 0.048, and p = 0.016 vs. infusion start). STW5 improves colonic gas tolerance in IBS patients with bloating without a significant effect on gas retention and evacuation. This medicinal product can be beneficious for treatment of gas-related abdominal symptoms in patients with bloating. EudraCT: 2019-003976-38.

Dynamically Adaptive Bubbling for Upgrading Oxygen Evolution Reaction Using Lamellar Fern-Like Alloy Aerogel Self-Standing Electrodes.

Adopting renewable electricity to produce "green" hydrogen has been a critical challenge because at a high current density the mass transfer capability of most catalytic electrodes deteriorates significantly. Herein, a unique lamellar fern-like alloy aerogel (LFA) electrode, showing a unique dynamically adaptive bubbling capability and can effectively avoid stress concentration caused by bubble aggregation is reported. The LFA electrode is intrinsically highly catalytic-active and shows a highly porous, resilient, hierarchically ordered, and well-percolated conductive network. It not only shows superior gas evacuation capability but also exhibits significantly improved stability at high current densities, showing the record lowest oxygen evolution reaction (OER) overpotential of 244mV at 1000mA cm-2 and stably over 6000 h. With the merits of mechanical robustness, excellent electron transport, and efficient bubble evacuation, LFA can be self-standing catalytic electrode andgas diffusion layers in anion-exchange-membrane water electrolysis (AEMWE), which can achieve 3000 mA cm-2 at a low voltage of 1.88V and can sustain stable electrolysis at 2000 mA cm-2 for over 1300 h. This strategy can be extended to various gas evolution reactions as a general design rule for multiphase catalysis applications.

Core-rim microstructure formation and mechanical properties of TiB2 ceramics with TiC, B4C, Co, and Mo sintering aids

This research investigates titanium diboride (TiB2) ceramics, renowned for their exceptional properties: high hardness, chemical inertness, and thermal stability. The challenge lies in achieving dense structures through pressureless sintering, given TiB2 ceramics' high melting point and low self-diffusion coefficient. To address this, a combined method of liquid phase and reactive sintering is employed, focusing on the influence of metallic cobalt (Co) and molybdenum (Mo) as sintering aids to enhance microstructural and mechanical properties. Vacuum sintering at 1900 °C facilitates the reaction between TiC and B4C, forming TiB2, with Co improving wettability and Mo inhibiting high-temperature grain growth. The matrix of 90TiB2+10(TiC + B4C + Co + Mo) recipe achieved 94.7 % relative density and a hardness of 31.97 GPa. Moreover, adding polyvinyl butyral (PVB) assists in creating gas evacuation channels during the sintering process. The research also reveals the reaction between TiC and B4C, forming (TiMoB)C with molybdenum, while the eutectic Co–Mo alloy dissolves into borides, promoting densification and forms dense core-rim structures.

Halo scaling relations and hydrostatic mass bias in the simba simulation from realistic mock X-ray catalogues

ABSTRACT We present a new end-to-end pipeline for Mock Observations of X-ray Haloes and Analysis (moxha) for hydrodynamic simulations of massive haloes, and use it to investigate X-ray scaling relations and hydrostatic mass bias in the simba cosmological hydrodynamic simulation for haloes with M500 ∼ 1013−15M⊙. moxha ties together existing yT-based software packages and adds new functionality to provide an end-to-end pipeline for generating mock X-ray halo data from large-scale or zoom simulation boxes. We compare moxha-derived halo properties in simba to their emission-weighted counterparts, and forecast the systematic mass bias in mock Athena observations. Overall, we find inferred hydrostatic masses are biased low compared to true simba values. For simple mass-weighting, we find $b_\text{MW} = 0.15^{+0.15}_{-0.14}$ (16–84 per cent range), while emission-weighting increases this to $b_\text{LW}=0.30^{+0.19}_{-0.10}$. The larger bias versus mass-weighted values we attribute to the spectroscopic and emission-weighted temperatures being biased systematically lower than mass-weighted temperatures. The full moxha pipeline recovers the emission-weighted hydrostatic masses at R500 reasonably well, yielding $b_\text{X}=0.33^{+0.28}_{-0.34}$. moxha-derived halo X-ray scalings are in very good agreement with observed scaling relations, with the inclusion of lower mass groups significantly steepening the LX − M500, M500 − TX, and LX − TX relations. This indicates the strong effect the simba feedback model has on low-mass haloes, which strongly evacuates poor groups but still retains enough gas to reproduce observations. We find similar trends for analogous scaling relations measured at R500, as expected for halo-wide gas evacuation.

(Invited) From Material Discovery Towards a Prototype Hydrogen Generator

This contribution illustrates the approach that has been taken to develop a pre-commercial prototype of a water electrolyzer. The aim has been to develop and integrate novel nanostructured materials for both electrodes and membranes, demonstrating their upscaling potential by integrating them together in a water electrolysis cell with an active surface are of 50 cm² in order to proof their potential for further advancing the state of the art of green hydrogen generation.Based on industrial experience with medium flow hydrogen generators, the boundary conditions for the new electrode and membrane components were set, safeguarding their integration potential in a scalable stack. A nano-porous intrinsically conductive membrane material has been developed, that allows to drastically reduce the thickness of the separator, reducing ohmic losses without compromising gas separation quality during operation at elevated pressures (up to 20 barg). This was combined with nanostructured electrodes of 4-10 μm thickness on both sides of the membrane. Given the vast range of dimensional scales, from 10-8 to 10-1 m, special attention was needed for the interconnections of the materials to establish the required electronic and ionic coupling together with adequate mechanical robustness. Two phase fluid flow modelling was done do have an optimal reactant distribution and gas evacuation from the electrode surfaces. Aspects like contact resistance, elasticity, stiffness, and overall electric field distribution inside the cell were considered. To characterize the cell in operation, a dedicated balance of plant has been built (Fig.1). The installation is automated and takes care of the electrolyte solution conditions and of the process window settings in terms of applied current, electrolyte flow and operational temperature at a pre-set pressure. The resulting cell potential, the gas purity of both oxygen and hydrogen streams and the differential pressure between anolyte and catholyte chambers are continuously monitored. The upscaled cell demonstrates a high hydrogen generation efficiency of 85% (HHV) that outperforms currently installed alkaline systems in terms of productivity and gas purity when operated at an elevated pressure 20 bar. The cell robustness, documented over 800 hours, reveals further areas of improvement for both the internal construction of the stack and the control logic of the balance of plant. Figure 1

Metabolic response of intestinal microbiota to guar gum consumption.

Guar gum is used extensively as a thickening agent in food, but it remains uncertain whether and to what extent it is fermented by colonic microbiota and whether it has microbiota modulatory properties. To determine the metabolic response of intestinal microbiota to guar gum consumption, specifically, the extent of initial fermentation and subsequent adaptation. Single-center, single arm, open label, proof-of-concept study testing the effect of guar gum on microbiota metabolism and adaptation. Healthy male subjects (n = 12) were administered gum guar (8 g/day) for 18 days. Outcomes were measured before, at initial and late administration: (a) anal gas evacuations (number/day); (b) digestive sensations (daily scales); and (c) fecal gut microbiota taxonomy and metabolic functions by shotgun sequencing. At initial consumption, guar gum induced a transient increase in anal gas evacuations and digestive sensations; gas evacuation completely reverted upon continuous administration, whereas sensations reverted only in part. Guar gum induced moderate changes in human microbiota composition at both taxonomic and functional levels. Positive associations between effects on microbiota (proliferation of Agathobaculum butyriciproducens and Lachnospira pectinoschiza) and hedonic sensations were detected. Guar gum is metabolized by intestinal microbiota, and, upon continuous consumption, induces a selective adaptation of microbial taxonomy and function. These data highlight the potential interest of guar gum for novel prebiotic ingredient formulation.

Vacuum-bag-only consolidation of C/PEKK fiber placed preforms with engineered gas evacuation channels

Vacuum-bag-only (VBO) consolidation of automated fiber placed (AFP) thermoplastic composites can be a cost-effective processing route for large and complex thermoplastic composite structures. This paper explores the possibility of two-step AFP and VBO consolidation of advanced thermoplastic composites. Two commercially available carbon fiber reinforced Poly-Ether-Ketone-Ketone (C/PEKK) thermoplastic tapes were evaluated. Different process parameters were needed for the two material systems. Further, for the first time, an attempt was made to create in-plane air evacuation channels by deliberately introducing gaps between the tapes in the preforms during the placement. In the case of one material system, the VBO consolidation of preforms with and without gaps yielded good consolidation quality with less than 1% voids. In the other case, VBO consolidation of preforms with gaps showed a improved consolidation quality with less than 1% voids than the preform without gaps, indicating that the gaps possibly help accelerate the gas evacuation process.

Water entry of cups and disks

It is known that the water entry of a body with a recessed, cupped nose can suppress the splash and air cavity typically observed for solid body entry (Mathai, Govardhan &amp; Arakeri, Appl. Phys. Lett., vol. 106, 2015, 064101). However, the interplay between the captive gas in the cup, the cavity and the splash is quite subtle and has not been thoroughly explored. Here we study the cavity and splash dynamics associated with the vertical water entry of cups and find a variety of regimes over a range of Weber numbers ( $We_D$ ) and dimensionless cup depths. Our parameter space spans a transition between slow-developing cavities with long closure times (low $We_D$ ) to fast-sealing cavities (high $We_D$ ). An important dynamic event is the evacuation of trapped gas from within the cup, which drives the ensuing cavity and splash behaviour. Through modelling, we predict the conditions for which the evacuating gas inflates a cavity that opens to the atmosphere versus inflating a submerged cavity that suppresses air entrainment from above the surface. We also compare our cup water entry findings to the impact phenomena observed for flat disks, which entrap gas on the front surface similar to cups. In doing so, we reveal the sensitivity of disk splash and cavity behaviour to impact angle, and show that disks share a common regime with cups, in which a thin splash quickly seals on the body. We deduce the mechanisms by which increasing cup depth delays the cavity seal time in this regime. These findings reveal that cups may in fact promote or suppress cavity growth, depending on the cup depth and impact conditions.

Polymer Electrolyte/Sulfur Double-Shelled Anisotropic Reduced Graphene Oxide Lamellar Scaffold Enables Stable and High-Loading Cathode for Quasi-Solid-State Lithium-Sulfur Batteries.

Lithium-sulfur batteries (LSBs) can replace lithium-ion batteries by delivering a higher specific capacity. However, the areal capacity of current LSBs is low because the intrinsic limitations of sulfur make achieving a high sulfur loading difficult. Herein, the authors report vertically aligned reduced graphene oxide (rGO) with sulfur and poly(ethylene oxide)-based polymer electrolyte double-shell layers (VRG@S@PPE) as a high-loading sulfur cathode. The addition of vapor-grown carbon fiber (VGCF) into rGOis the key to success, as it allows for gas evacuation from internal nano/micropores without structural collapse, enabling perfect double-shell layer contact. Owing to the anisotropic rGO lamellar structure that enables straightforward ion/electron transport and provides numerous active sites, sulfur-infiltrated rGO reinforced via VGCF (VRG@S)exhibits a high capacity of 998 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 C under high sulfur loading (6mg cm-2 ). Interestingly, an additional polymer electrolyte layer further increases the cycle retention (1005 and 718 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.1 and 1 C, respectively), because intimate contact between the solid polymer electrolyte and sulfur could suppress the loss of sulfur due to lithium polysulfide (LPS) shuttling or volume change during lithiation/delithiation. Therefore, it is possible to realize safe and stable quasi-solid-state LSBs with high sulfur loading.

Electrochemical Performance Enhancement of 3D Printed Electrodes Tailored for Enhanced Gas Evacuation during Alkaline Water Electrolysis

AbstractA zero‐gap cell with porous electrodes is a promising configuration for alkaline water electrolysis. However, gas evacuation becomes a challenge in that case, as bubbles can get trapped within the electrode's 3D structure. This work considers a number of 3D printed electrode geometries with so‐called triply periodic minimal surfaces (TPMS). The latter is a mathematically defined structure that repeats itself in three dimensions with zero mean curvature, and can therefore be expected to be particularly well‐suited to enhance gas evacuation. Another advantage as compared to other state‐of‐the‐art 3D electrodes like foams or felts lies in the fact that their porosity, which determines the available surface area, and their pore size or flow channel dimensions, which determines the degree of bubble entrapment, can be varied independently. By a combined experimental and modeling approach, this work then identifies the structural parameters that direct the performance of such 3D printed TPMS geometries toward enhanced gas evacuation. It is demonstrated that an optimal combination of these parameters allows, under a forced electrolyte flow, for a reduction in cell overpotential of more than 20%. This indicates that efforts in optimizing the electrode's geometry can give a similar electrochemical performance enhancement as optimizing its electro‐catalytic composition.

Air refiner breather/disinfection unit (water seal system) is a clinically useful and cost-effective device for COVID-19 patients

Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID- 19) pandemic declared by the World Health Organization (WHO) on 11th March 2020, caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus is at an exponentially rising state across the globe. Bangladesh is also facing the toll of this highly transmissible zoonotic disease with community transmission (at a different rate) across the country. This is a new coronavirus, still evolving, and has put the scientific authority in a puzzle. Prevention of transmission and contamination (especially via air-borne route) is the main aim here. Moreover, prevention of contamination of Intensive care unit (ICU) and operation theater (OT) equipment and environment is an optimal target. Gas and smoke evacuation during laparoscopy and pneumoperitoneum is also a big question. Cost-effectiveness is another important aspect. Different processes, techniques, devices, etc. have been tried so far. Here, a new device is going to be reported in this paper in such relation. Mediscope 2022;9(2): 81-84

Maturation study of vitrinite in carbonaceous shales and coals: Insights from hydrous pyrolysis

The presence of vitrinite in sedimentary rocks of post-Silurian age allows its reflectance to be used to estimate the thermal maturation of organic matter in petroleum systems. Increasing reflectance of vitrinite, which is primarily driven by aromaticity, depends primarily on the time and temperature attributes of its evolutionary pathway. This study evaluated carbonaceous shales proximal to coal measures and coal samples via isothermal hydrous pyrolysis (HP) to compare differences in the maturation pathways of vitrinite. Sample residues were analysed via vitrinite reflectance (VRo), geochemical screening tests (organic carbon and programmed temperature pyrolysis), and infrared spectroscopy. The study included samples from Indian and North American basins, to observe differences in vitrinite evolution with respect to enclosing mineral matrix, starting degree of aromaticity, organic matter types, stratigraphic age, and depositional environment. The organic content of HP residues shows an intuitive response to the thermal stress of HP, e.g., a general depletion of total organic carbon (TOC) content, pyrolyzate (S2), and hydrogen index with increasing HP temperature. Infrared proxies including C-factor and CH2/CH3 generally decrease with increasing thermal maturity indicating loss of O via CO2 generation and the thermal cracking of aliphatic organic matter. Tmax, production index (PI), and VRo show intuitive increasing values with respect to HP temperature. The least mature sample (0.48 ± 0.05% VRo) generally experienced the maximum change in these parameters during maturation, whereas the most mature sample (0.99 ± 0.06% VRo) generally showed the least change. This observation is consistent with higher kinetic barriers to reaction in more aromatic vitrinite which contains higher bond dissociation energies. Devolatilization of vitrinite during HP causes formation of gas evacuation vacuoles and contraction cracks in the vitrinite grains of both coal and carbonaceous shale. Similarities in vitrinite response to HP between coal and carbonaceous shale suggest that thermal evolution of the vitrinite maceral is principally controlled by inherent rate-limiting kinetic parameters related to its molecular structure. Whereas, the stratigraphic age, sedimentary environment, surrounding organic matter, lithology, and catalysis by mineral composition have less effect. To further improve our understanding of vitrinite aromatization and kinetic parameters, future studies of vitrinite reflectance thermal evolution with temperature should include coal and carbonaceous shale from the same stratigraphic section and extant woody tissue from modern vascular plants.

Effect of the initial resin distribution in partially impregnated thermoplastic prepregs on consolidation

The relation between the initial resin distribution in partially-impregnated thermoplastic UD prepregs and the gas evacuation mechanism as they are consolidated under oven vacuum bagging (OVB) process is explored. To conduct the investigation, carbon fiber (CF) tows were partially impregnated using poly (ether ketone) (PEEK) powders to fabricate three specific prepreg architectures with different surface and through-thickness resin distributions. The initial through-thickness resin distributions, porosity, surface impregnation and surface roughness of the prepregs were measured. Next, OVB consolidation experiments were performed. The effectiveness of gas evacuation and void reduction were quantified based on the initial and the final porosity state of their consolidated laminates. The results show that dry prepreg surfaces provide the most effective gas evacuation through interlayer air pathways, whereas, uniform impregnation in the midzone likely reduces the interconnectedness of voids potentially reducing the ability to evacuate voids both in the through-thickness and the in-plane directions. To achieve void-free consolidation, extra attention must be attributed to design features of prepregs to create more discontinuous through-thickness and surface resin distributions to reduce the distance between dry fiber zones on the surface while maintaining interconnectedness of interlayer and intralayer voids. A preliminary 1D single-ply consolidation model was developed, and a numerical study was carried out. The model predictions were assessed by comparison with single-ply (prepreg) consolidation experiments. It was found that the model gives plausible predictions however the model can be improved by coupling it with other simultaneous phenomena occurring during the consolidation process.

Using a large-scale cyanoacrylate fuming chamber for latent fingermark detection in vehicles

ABSTRACT Latent fingermarks contain precise information about the identities of individuals present at the crime scene. Cyanoacrylate (CA) fuming is a popular and effective technique for fingermark development on non-porous surfaces, but few approaches have been proposed for processing vehicles. We report the use of a large CA fuming chamber for latent fingermark development in vehicles related to serious crimes in Brasilia, Brazil. The chamber consists of a fuming compartment with a stainless-steel structure and is supplied with movable heating trays, air circulation fans, humidifying system, gas evacuation system, and an integrated control unit for process monitoring. Processing an entire regular vehicle requires 16 g of liquid CA and ~2 h. Identifiable fingermarks were recognized on the exterior and interior of the examined vehicles, including the door handles and the seat belt metallic tongue. Detected fingermarks were positively matched to individuals whose involvement in criminal activities was confirmed. The results support the efficiency of the CA fuming technique for fingermark development in the interior and exterior of vehicles and indicate certain parts of vehicles as being of potential interest. Considering the efficiency of the CA polymerization reaction for fingermark development in vehicles involved in crimes, large-scale chambers may offer important advantages.

Development of automated fumigation chamber for treatment of grapes with SO2 and CO2

AbstractThe export of grapes from one country to another is dependent on the grape's quality that should pass the strict phytosanitary requirements of the importing country. There is a requirement of fumigation of grapes with CO2 and SO2 at specified concentrations for a certain period besides the other pack‐house protocols and export standards. This study was focused to develop and establish an electronically controlled model fumigation chamber for the treatment of grapes in the grapes‐producing region. The gas injection and evacuation systems are electronically operated, and the fumigant concentration can be varied according to the requirement. Heaters of 2 kW are fitted inside the chamber to maintain the treatment temperature above 16°C for grapes fumigation. The fumigation chamber was found leak‐proof during pressurized helium leak testing. The CO2 and SO2 gas concentrations can be maintained between 600 and 60,000 ± 100 ppmv and 10 and 10,000 ± 2 ppmv, respectively, for 1–90 min (1% is equivalent to 10,000 ppmv). The fumigation of grapes with 6% CO2 for 30 min followed by fumigation with 1% SO2 for 30 min ensured 100% mortality of the adult fruit fly (Drosophilla melanogaster). This chamber may also be used for the fumigation treatment of other fruits, vegetables, nuts, and so on, as per the time and concentration of gases required for the 100% mortality of target pest. Nevertheless, the protocol for such treatments should be developed for other fruits, and the effect of the gases on the quality of the products should be studied.Practical ApplicationsThe developed automated fumigation chamber for treatment of grapes with CO2 and SO2 is an effective measure for disinfesting the grapes from invasive pests like Drosophilla suzukii, spiders, and so on. This would help in overcoming phytosanitary measures put in place by many grapes importing countries like New Zealand, Australia, and so on. These countries offer huge market potential for export of Indian grapes, and if the trade barriers are overcome, it would lead to earning huge foreign exchange. Furthermore, the developed automated fumigation chamber can be used as an integral part of horticultural pack houses both for domestic as well as international trade as it would eliminate most of the adult field pests at preliminary stages before pack‐house operation.

A Comparative Study of the Short-Term Efficacy of Laparoscopic Radical Resection of Right-Sided Colon Cancer with Two Different Surgeon Positions and Trocar Placements

Objective: To investigate the short-term efficacy of laparoscopic radical resection of right-sided colon cancer with two different surgeon positions and trocar placements. Methods: The data of 78 patients who underwent laparoscopic radical resection of right-sided colon cancer between January 2018 and August 2019 were retrospectively analysed. The surgical method was selected by the patients. The patients were divided into two groups according to the surgeons’ positioning habits and trocar placements. The group with the lead surgeon standing between the patient’s legs had 35 patients, and the group with the lead surgeon standing at the left side of the patient had 43 patients. The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, postoperative anal gas evacuation time, postoperative urinary catheter indwelling time, postoperative hospital stay, C-reactive protein (CRP) level on the first day after surgery, and postoperative pathological data and complications were compared between the two groups. Results: All patients underwent the laparoscopic radical resection of right-sided colon cancer, none converting to laparotomy. No significant difference (P > 0.05) in intraoperative blood loss (57.6 ± 21.3 ml vs 60.2 ± 35.3 ml), postoperative anal gas evacuation time (3.5 ± 1.1 d vs 3.8 ± 1.3 d), postoperative urinary catheter indwelling time (2.6 ± 1.3 d vs 2.4 ± 1.2 d), postoperative hospital stay (7.1 ± 1.8 d vs 7.5 ± 2.1 d), or CRP level on the first day after surgery (54.7 ± 9.6 mg/L vs 53.9 ± 8.2 mg/L) was detected between the two groups. The operation time was shorter in the group with the lead surgeon standing between the patient’s legs (185.2 ± 25.6 min vs 196.2 ±19.7 min) (P 0.05). No patients died or had anastomotic fistula during their postoperative hospital stay, and the incidence of postoperative complications did not differ between the two groups (22.9% (8/35) vs 23.3% (10/42); P > 0.05). Conclusion: Under the principle of radical resection, the surgeon should adopt the most suitable standing position and trocar placement according to the specific situation. If the surgeon stands between the patient’s legs, this might shorten the operation time and promote a smoother surgery.

Plasma Conversion of CO2 in DC Glow Discharge with Distributed Gas Injection and Pumping

Accumulation of carbon dioxide in the Earth's atmosphere leads to an increase in the greenhouse effect and, as a consequence, to significant climate change. Thus, the demand to develop effective technologies of carbon dioxide conversion grows year to year. Additional reason for research in this direction is the intention of Mars exploration, since 96% of the Martian atmosphere is just carbon dioxide, which can be a source of oxygen, rocket fuel, and raw materials for further chemical utilization. In the present paper, the plasma conversion of carbon dioxide have been studied in the dc glow discharge at the gas pressure of 5 Torr in a chamber with distributed gas injection and evacuation from the same side for the case of narrow interelectrode gap. The conversion coefficient and the energy efficiency of the conversion were determined using mass spectrometry of the exhaust gas mixture in dependence on CO2 flow rate and the discharge current and voltage. Maximum conversion rate was up to 78% while the energy efficiency of the conversion was always less than 2%. It was found that the discharge at this pressure can operate in normal and abnormal modes and the transition between the modes corresponds just to the maximum value of the conversion coefficient for a given gas flow. It was shown that even in anomalous regime, when the cathode is completely covered by the discharge, the discharge contraction occurs in whole range of parameters studied. The anode glow and the plasma column outside the cathode layer occupy the central part of the discharge only that reduces the conversion efficiency. Optical emission spectra from the carbon dioxide plasma were measured in the range of 200-1000 nm, which allowed to make a conclusion that the Oxygen atom emission is mostly origins from the exited atoms appearing after dissociation rather than after electron impact excitation.

The complex atmospheric corrosion of α/δ bronze bells in a marine environment

• Long term corrosion of a high-tin bronze bell in a steeple under marine atmosphere. • A corroded high-tin α/δ alloy Cu-Sn-Pb: comparaison with ancient buried artefacts. • Complex alteration due to environment, shocks and vibrations of bells. • Particular pitting corrosion of α/δ alloy. • Hypothesis of a micro-infiltrating alteration scenario of the α/δ bronze bell. α/δ bronze bells are heritage materials subject to corrosion. The alteration of a high-tin bronze bell casted in the 1930s and exposed to a marine environment in a steeple was studied. The ternary bronze (Cu-Sn-Pb) alloy displays inclusions and a porosity due to micro-shrinkages and poor gas evacuation. This altered bronze is characterized to (1) assess the influence of the manufacturing techniques and (2) hypothesize a micro-infiltration scenario of its alteration. After exposure to the atmosphere, a transformed superficial medium overlaying layers of atacamite-paratacamite-cassiterite appears. Under them, the corrosion of the α dendritic structure and α/δ eutectoid characteristic of bronze bell is evidenced. The α pitting has a pronounced multilayered structure of cassiterite and cuprite-copper chloride, whereas the δ corrosion is composed of cassiterite and traces of cuprite. To understand better the lead impact on corrosion process, samples of the alloy were exposed in the laboratory to a synthetic marine solution. The long-term corrosion behavior of the studied bell shows some similarities to those of other high tin bronze artefacts. The hypothesis of a corrosion scenario emphasizes the importance of the bells manufacturing techniques, α/δ structure of the ternary Cu-Sn-Pb alloy, and infiltrating networks of environmental fluids.

Transplastron Enterocentesis to Manage Buoyancy Disorder in an Adult Loggerhead Sea Turtle (Caretta caretta)

Buoyancy disorder in sea turtles is a common condition that contributes to increased morbidity and mortality in the wild and because of this, is often encountered in rehabilitation facilities. The pathological gas accumulation that is a sequelae of this disorder can create challenges in treatment of this disease, especially when concurrent systemic disease is present. These challenges increase with patient size, as anatomy and location of pathology makes gas evacuation more difficult utilizing conventional methods when medical therapy alone is unsuccessful. This report discusses a novel technique utilizing ultrasonic-guided transplastron enterocentesis of the proximal gastrointestinal tract in an adult loggerhead sea turtle ( Caretta caretta ) with suspected intestinal obstruction. The sea turtle presented with positive buoyancy and routine workup revealed gas accumulation in the gastrointestinal tract, as well as concurrent pneumonia. Medical therapy alone did not diminish the positive buoyancy or gastrointestinal distension. Ultrasonic-guided transplastron enterocentesis was performed via the connective tissue lateral to the 3rd inframarginal scute while the turtle was positioned with its left side raised, allowing any gas-filled intestine to be positioned laterally. Approximately 10.3 L of gas were evacuated from the proximal gastrointestinal lumen and within 15 mins, the turtle was neutrally buoyant. It continued to exhibit normal surfacing, diving, and resting behavior. The turtle was released 111 days after enterocentesis in order to allow treatment of the concurrent pneumonia. The technique discussed in this report has implications for improving treatment of buoyancy disorder in large adult sea turtles and increasing likelihood of release.