Voiding Contraction Research Articles

Is It Possible to Regenerate the Underactive Detrusor? Part 1 Molecular and Stem Cell Therapies Targeting the Urinary Bladder and Neural Axis ICI-RS 2024.

Detrusor muscle weakness is commonly noted on urodynamics in patients with refractory voiding difficulty. No approved therapies have been proven to augment the strength of a detrusor voiding contraction. This subject was discussed by a think-tank at the International Consultation on Incontinence- Research Society (ICI-RS) meeting held in Bristol, June 2024. The discussions of the think-tank are being published in two parts. This first part discusses molecular and stem cell therapies targeting the urinary bladder and the neural axis. Senescence of the urothelium and extracellular ATP acting through P2X3 receptors might be important in detrusor underactivity. Several molecules such as parasympathomimetics, acotiamide, ASP8302, neurokinin-2 agonists have been explored but none has shown unequivocal clinical benefit. Different stem cell therapy approaches have been used, chiefly in neurogenic dysfunction, with some studies showing benefit. Molecular targets for the neural axis have included TRPV-4, Bombesin, and serotoninergic receptors and TAC-302 which induces neurite growth. Several options are currently being pursued in the search for an elusive molecular or stem cell option for enhancing the power of the detrusor muscle. These encompass a wide range of approaches that target each aspect of the contraction mechanism including the urothelium of bladder and urethra, myocyte, and neural pathways. While none of these have shown unequivocal clinical utility, some appear promising. Lessons from other fields of medicine might prove instructive. Not necessary. Not a clinical trial.

Detrusor Overactivity After Partial Bladder Outlet Obstruction Is Associated With High Urinary Adenosine Triphosphate Levels in Female Wistar Rats.

Bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) commonly causes detrusor overactivity (DO). In this study, a post hoc analysis of previous obtained data, we investigate if DO occurring in initial phases of BOO is associated with changes in urinary adenosine triphosphate (ATP) levels. Adult female Wistar rats were submitted to partial BOO (pBOO) or to sham obstruction. Cystometry was performed at 3 or 15 days after pBOO and saline voided was collected for ATP determination. Normality was tested using Shapiro-Wilk test. The mean frequency of voiding contractions (VCs) of the sham-operated animals at 15 days after surgery, plus or minus 3 standard deviations, was used to represent the normal range. Statistical analyses were performed using the chi-square and Mann-Whitney tests. DO was indicated by a VC frequency greater than or equal to 0.9 VCs/min. DO was observed in 63% of animals at 3 days and in 33% at 15 days following pBOO. ATP levels were significantly higher in rats with DO compared to those without DO. The DO phenotype, occurring in the initial phases of BOO, is associated with comparatively high urinary ATP levels.

Capacity of Minor’s Contracts under the Contract Act in Pakistan: A Critical Appraisal

According to Section 10 of the Contract Act, 1872 (CA), an agreement concluded by the parties is only enforceable where the consent of the parties is free with their competence. Section 11 indicates that minors lack the legal competence to enter into contracts. CA specifically highlight the effects if the contract is entered into by the vitiating factor provided under sections 19, 19A and 20 but does not suggest any inference about the contracts of minors. In this regard the Privy Council (PC) in its verdict of Mohori Bibee v. Dharmodas Ghose answer this proposition and interpreted the CA and declared that contracts by the minors are ab initio void neither the contracts are void nor voidable. As to this interpretation contracts of minors cannot be enforced against them and nobody can claim restitution under section 64 as voidable contract and under section 65 as void contract. Since the courts accepted the above interpreted rule in stricto meaning as unquestionable. This article suggests that the PC’s interpretation in the Mohori Bibee (MB) case of CA is problematic, and its creation of new type of contract as void ab initio is not supported by CA. Embargo on the minors to contract or seek remedy need urgent judicial reinterpretation or reforms in legislation in Pakistan. In this paper doctrinal methodology is applied.

Real-time prediction of bladder urine leakage using fuzzy inference system and dual Kalman filtering in cats

The use of electrical stimulation devices to manage bladder incontinence relies on the application of continuous inhibitory stimulation. However, continuous stimulation can result in tissue fatigue and increased delivered charge. Here, we employ a real-time algorithm to provide a short-time prediction of urine leakage using the high-resolution power spectrum of the bladder pressure during the presence of non-voiding contractions (NVC) in normal and overactive bladder (OAB) cats. The proposed method is threshold-free and does not require pre-training. The analysis revealed that there is a significant difference between voiding contraction (VC) and NVC pressures as well as band powers (0.5–5 Hz) during both normal and OAB conditions. Also, most of the first leakage points occurred after the maximum VC pressure, while all of them were observed subsequent to the maximum VC spectral power. Kalman-Fuzzy method predicted urine leakage on average 2.2 s and 1.6 s before its occurrence and an average of 2.0 s and 1.1 s after the contraction started with success rates of 94.2% and 100% in normal and OAB cats, respectively. This work presents a promising approach for developing a neuroprosthesis device, with on-demand stimulation to control bladder incontinence.

Could a better understanding of the underlying pathophysiologies lead to more informed treatment choices in patients with lower urinary tract dysfunction due to an acontractile or underactive detrusor? ICI-RS 2023.

The underlying pathophysiology behind a diagnosis of acontractile or underactive detrusor at invasive urodynamics is very heterogeneous. Lack of etiological classification currently limits the possibility of stratifying therapy. This subject was discussed at a think-tank on the subject at the International Consultation on Incontinence-Research Society held in Bristol, June 2023. This manuscript is a result of those deliberations and the subsequent discussions of the think-tank. There are challenges in defining abnormalities of detrusor contraction with resultant implications for available evidence. Pathology at any level of the neuromuscular pathway can impair or prevent a detrusor voiding contraction. Attempts have been made to identify clinical markers that might predict an underactive detrusor but strong supporting evidence is lacking. Hence, a holistic approach to phenotyping requires specialized neuro-imaging as well as physiological investigations. Several general measures can help individuals with an abnormal detrusor contraction. The search for a molecule to enhance the detrusor voiding contraction remains elusive but there are promising new candidates. Neuromodulation can help select individuals but data is not well stratified by underlying etiology. Manipulation of central neurotransmitters might offer an alternate therapeutic option. A better understanding of the underlying pathophysiologies behind an abnormality of the detrusor voiding contraction is needed for improving management. Towards this goal, the think-tank proposes a classification of the underactive detrusor that might help in selecting and reporting more well-defined patient cohorts.

Osnovi prestanka trgovinskih ugovora u srpskom pravu

The paper presents the grounds for terminating commercial contracts according to the rules of the Law on Obligations. Bearing in mind that trade contracts are bilaterally binding, they terminate upon the special rules of the Law for mentioned group of contracts which include: fulfilment of all contractual obligations as stipulated, termination of a contract, impossibility of performance and judicial termination of the contract due to changed circumstances. The paper also discusses the situation of execution of a void contract because of their rescission arise the same questions. Finally, starting from the fact that contract is one among several sources of obligations, the general rules of the Law for the termination of obligations regardless of the source of their origin are considered too, as they, under certain circumstances, can lead to contract termination. The analysis of each ground could be the subject of separate scientific work and in domestic literature, they are frequently treated in this manner. In contrast, the possible grounds for terminating the contract are systematically presented here, as well as the effects resulting from that. In this work, this issue is presented in a rounded and comprehensive way that is justified by the fact that the legal rules regulating contract termination are not systematized in one place in the Law of Obligations which may make their application more difficult. This approach is justified by the fact that the legal rules regulating contract termination are not systematized in one place in the Law of Obligations and that complicates their application. The paper aims to contribute to the prevention of disputed situations in the execution of contracts, that is, to the proper application of the law in the process of resolving them.

ICS-SUFU standard: Theory, terms, and recommendations for pressure-flow studies performance, analysis, and reporting, Part 1: Background theory and practice

Aims:The working group (WG) initiated by the International Continence Society Standardization Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction has revised the (1997) ICS Standard for pressure flow studies. Methods:Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence-based standards, the WG developed this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in January 2023 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. Results:The WG summarizes the theory and recommends the practice and the terms used for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult female and male patients without relevant neurological abnormalities, in part 1 of this standard. The WG has also recommended standard principles and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance and detrusor voiding contraction on the basis of pressure flow studies in part 2. The recommendations for practice in this part have also the aim to increase the understanding of the physiology as well as the psychology of voiding. The potential effects of the laboratory situation of the test on the voiding as well as the role of the urodynamicist in this regard are discussed. The WG has recommended to use for diagnosis only the voidings that are considered representative by the patient. Conclusion:A pressure flow study is the gold standard to assess voiding function and to quantify dysfunction. This part of the standard explains the clinical background, gives recommendations for the execution of a pressure flow study and lists relevant terms, parameters, and units of measurements.

ICS-SUFU standard: Theory, terms, and recommendations for pressure-flow studies performance, analysis, and reporting, Part 2: Analysis of PFS, reporting, and diagnosis

Aims:The Working Group (WG), initiated by the International Continence Society (ICS) Standardisation Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction, has revised the ICS Standard for pressure-flow studies of 1997. Methods:Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence-based standards, the WG developed this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in December 2022 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. Results:The WG has recommended analysis principles for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult men and women without relevant neurological abnormalities. New standard terms and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance (UR), bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) and detrusor voiding contraction (DVC) are introduced in this part 2 of the standard. The WG has summarized the theory and recommendations for the practice of pressure-flow study (PFS) for patients in part 1. A pressure-flow plot is recommended for the diagnosis of every patient, in addition to time-based graphs. Voided percentage and post void residual volume should always be included in PFS analysis and diagnosis. Only parameters that represent the ratio or subtraction of pressure and synchronous flow are recommended to quantify UR and only parameters that combine pressure and flow in a product or sum are recommended to quantify DVC. The ICS BOO index and the ICS detrusor contraction index are introduced in this part 2 as the standard. The WG has suggested clinical PFS dysfunction classes for male and female patients. A pressure-flow scatter graph including every patient’s pdet at maximum flow (pdetQmax) with maximum flow rate (Qmax) point should be included in all scientific reports considering voiding dysfunction. Conclusion:PFS is the gold standard used to objectively assess voiding function. Quantifying the dysfunction and grading of abnormalities are standardized for adult males and females.

Ineffective contracts, restitution and the change of position defence

The paper, moving from a cross-border case and with a comparative law perspective, addresses which is the operative rule of Restitutionary claim resulting from an ineffective contract, assessing whether it would be achievable, under Italian Law, the same results of the “Change of Position Defence” under common law. The topic relates to the broader issue of allocating costs incurred by the party who performed a void contract in reliance on its validity, for which, under Italian Law, guidance could be given by Section 1328, paragraph 1, second part, of Italian Civil Code.

EVALUATING MURĀBAḤAH FINANCING IN SRI LANKA: PRACTITIONER PERCEPTION

The most popular service offered by Islamic financial institutions is Murābaḥah financing. Thus, the purpose of this research is to investigate the historical roots of the Murābaḥah contract and its modern financial derivatives. The legal stratagems (LS) used to create these derivatives are themselves a source of criticism. Hence, the validity of these legal stratagems is analyzed through classical and contemporary literature. In addition, an investigation on the use of Murābaḥah instruments in Sri Lanka is carried out by conducting thematic analysis on interviews with nine respondents who are both practitioners and scholars of Sharīʻah. Based on the findings, it was determined that the mere presence of LS does not render a contract void. However, there should be some standards and limitations placed on the application of LS. In addition, there is a disconnect between the theory and practice of Murābaḥah in IFIs, in which practitioners frequently tend to conflate Murābaḥah financing with conventional loans due to a lack of understanding of the concept of LS. In order to ensure the legality and feasibility of using Murābahah financing and other products, this study suggests that IFIs not only educate their employees on the basics of Islamic finance, but also have Sharīʻah review and audit systems in place on a regular basis.

ICS-SUFU standard: Theory, terms, and recommendations for pressure-flow studies performance, analysis, and reporting. Part 2: Analysis of PFS, reporting, and diagnosis.

The Working Group (WG), initiated by the International Continence Society (ICS) Standardisation Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction, has revised the ICS Standard for pressure-flow studies of 1997. Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence-based standards, the WG developed this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in December 2022 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. The WG has recommended analysis principles for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult men and women without relevant neurological abnormalities. New standard terms and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance (UR), bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) and detrusor voiding contraction (DVC) are introduced in this part 2 of the standard. The WG has summarized the theory and recommendations for the practice of pressure-flow study (PFS) for patients in part 1. A pressure-flow plot is recommended for the diagnosis of every patient, in addition to time-based graphs. Voided percentage and post void residual volume should always be included in PFS analysis and diagnosis. Only parameters that represent the ratio or subtraction of pressure and synchronous flow are recommended to quantify UR and only parameters that combine pressure and flow in a product or sum are recommended to quantify DVC. The ICS BOO index and the ICS detrusor contraction index are introduced in this part 2 as the standard. The WG has suggested clinical PFS dysfunction classes for male and female patients. A pressure-flow scatter graph including every patient's pdet at maximum flow (pdetQmax ) with maximum flow rate (Qmax ) point should be included in all scientific reports considering voiding dysfunction. PFS is the gold standard used to objectively assess voiding function. Quantifying the dysfunction and grading of abnormalities are standardized for adult males and females.

ICS-SUFU standard: Theory, terms, and recommendations for pressure-flow studies performance, analysis, and reporting. Part 1: Background theory and practice.

The working group (WG) initiated by the International Continence Society Standardization Steering Committee and supported by the Society of Urodynamics, Female Pelvic Medicine and Urogenital Reconstruction has revised the (1997) ICS Standard for pressure flow studies. Based on the ICS standard for developing evidence-based standards, the WGdeveloped this new ICS standard in the period from May 2020 to December 2022. A draft was posted on the ICS website in January 2023 to facilitate public discussion and the comments received have been incorporated into this final release. The WG summarizes the theory and recommends the practice and the terms used for the diagnosis of voiding dysfunction for adult female and male patients without relevant neurological abnormalities, in part 1 of this standard. The WG has also recommended standard principles and parameters for objective and continuous grading of urethral resistance and detrusor voiding contraction on the basis of pressure flow studies in part 2. The recommendations for practice in this part have also the aim to increase the understanding of the physiology as well as the psychology of voiding. The potential effects of the laboratory situation of the test on the voiding as well as the role of the urodynamicist in this regard are discussed. The WG has recommended to use for diagnosis only the voidings that are considered representative by the patient. A pressure flow study is the gold standard to assess voiding function and to quantify dysfunction. This part of the standard explains the clinical background, gives recommendations for the execution of a pressure flow study and lists relevant terms, parameters, and units of measurements.

MP74-18 DETRUSOR VOIDING CONTRACTION VELOCITY IS RELEVANT TO PATIENTS WITHOUT BLADDER OUTFLOW OBSTRUCTION

You have accessJournal of UrologyCME1 Apr 2023MP74-18 DETRUSOR VOIDING CONTRACTION VELOCITY IS RELEVANT TO PATIENTS WITHOUT BLADDER OUTFLOW OBSTRUCTION Peter F. W. M. Rosier Peter F. W. M. RosierPeter F. W. M. Rosier More articles by this author View All Author Informationhttps://doi.org/10.1097/JU.0000000000003348.18AboutPDF ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints ShareFacebookLinked InTwitterEmail Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Bladder outflow obstruction (BOO) is prevalent in male patients >45 y with LUTS but much less in women. Detrusor voiding contraction underactivity (DVC-DU) is (equally?) prevalent in in both sex. BOO affects DVC through 'compensation'; muscle training, to gain force, which is represented in DVC-detrusor- pressure. DVC-muscle shortening velocity (muscle function Hill equation) is less known/studied and is potentially relevant as an element of DVC-DU. We analysed DVC parameters including contraction velocity in a large cohort of adult men and women without BOO. METHODS: Patients without relevant neurological or anatomical abnormalities, voiding (pressure flow studies PFS) >100 mL and <800 mL with PVR <500 mL, representative, after ICS (quality) standard UDS, for all usual/possible indications, with 7F double lumen water fill cystometry, were included. All known DVC parameters were analysed and DVC-velocity is calculated: (bladder circumference (based on mL) at begin voiding minus circumference at end) / voiding time (tQ>0). All patients had BOO<3 linPURR (ICS- noOBS). 2488 patients were 63.5 y (sd 16.8) men (n1511) 66.3 y (15.1) and women (n977) 59.2 y (18.3). They voided 359 mL with PVR 47 mL; void% 89.3. RESULTS: PFS-voided volumes were not different Void% was slightly lower in men (88.6 vs 90.4). Men's Qmax 12.5 mL/s; pdetQmax 43.3 cm H2O; BOOI 18.1; and Wmax 12.3 W/m2 differed signific. from women Qmax 19.9 mL/s; pdetQmax 25.7 cm H2O; BOOI -14.1; and Wmax 13.0 W/m2. DVC-velocity was 0.37 cm/s in men vs 0.56 cm/s (p.000). 58.4% of men had void%100 62.2% of women. The Figure 1 demonstrates the relevance of DVC-velocity to predict incomplete voiding, in absence of BOO. CONCLUSIONS: Men with LUTS have somewhat higher outflow resistance than women even when they are all within the no BOO -category. Anatomical differences likely the cause. Only a small percentage of all female patients has outflow obstruction (>grade 2) and diagnosing DVC especially in cohorts of female patients (but also in men without BOO) requires a parameter that includes detrusor contraction velocity. Most of the currently available parameters to represent the contraction force or -strength of the DVC include detrusor pressure -with a certain weight- in a mathematical product. If there is no or low grade outflow resistance however, not contraction power (≈pressure), but contraction speed (velocity or (flow)rate) is more important. This is now supported by this analysis showing that, in patients without BOO (<grade3) DVC-velocity, has the highest predictive value to predict incomplete micturition. Source of Funding: none © 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Volume 209Issue Supplement 4April 2023Page: e1077 Advertisement Copyright & Permissions© 2023 by American Urological Association Education and Research, Inc.MetricsAuthor Information Peter F. W. M. Rosier More articles by this author Expand All Advertisement PDF downloadLoading ...

In the Event of Void of Contract: Application of the Restitution Rules in the Chinese Civil Code

If a contract that includes a payment is void, the rule of Article 157 of the Civil Code of PRC “return of the property” can be the relief of real right or the relief of obligation. In particular, when the contract is aimed at the transfer of ownership, and its public notice is not completed, the claim for recovery shall be established; on the contrary, the claim for unjust enrichment shall be established. The difference in contract type is decisive in determining the claim of restitution. In the event of the contract void, the right of claims derives from property law, unjust enrichment law， or contract law. Therefore, Article 157 cannot be used as the basis of the independent claim. Regarding forms of restitution, restitution in kind is the principle, and restitution in value is the supplement, but the parties may make a special agreement on the form. The scope of restitution for the recipient includes the extant enrichments and the fruits; meanwhile, its subjective state should be considered. If malicious, he should return the fruits that should have been collected but not collected. Overall, the Contract Part of the Civil Code realizes the renewal and expansion of unjust enrichment law.

Nigerian Law of Contract: Void and Voidable Contracts

Nigerian Law of Contract: Void and Voidable Contracts

Consensual Contract to Transfer Vehicle Ownership in Iraqi Law

The consensual contract to transfer vehicle ownership is a widespread subject in Iraq and the Kurdistan region, and creates many legal problems in its legal adaptation and in its effects that depend on this adaptation. These problems are apparent in the jurisprudence’s handling of the subject, and these problems are also reflected in the decisions of the judiciary in Iraq and the Kurdistan region, which includes more than one trend in this regard. This study is an attempt to explore the subject of the consensual contract to transfer vehicle ownership in Iraqi law in both jurisprudence and the judiciary in order to realize its concept, characteristics, legal adaptation and effects. Accordingly, the study was divided into two sections. In the first one, we defined the consensual contract to transfer vehicle ownership through clarifying its concept and characteristics, and in the second section we explored the legal adaptation of this contract and its effects. In the conclusion of the study, we presented the results that we reached in the folds of the study and the suggestions that we presented regarding the subject of the study. One of the results of this study is that the consensual contract to transfer vehicle ownership in Iraqi law is an indefinite contract, which arises from the beginning in this way, and without being the result of the transformation from a void contract. It is a distinct contract in its origin and effects from the contract that conveys vehicle ownership. The study also presented several suggestions with texts, in the hope that they could be used from the Iraqi legislature, to evaluate the legislative regulation of the consensual contract to transfer vehicle ownership, and to end the confusion and ambiguity regarding its legal adaptation and its effects.

Explaining the Conditions of Realization of Responsibility in Repairing Detriments Caused by Void Transactions

As long as the basic conditions of the accuracy of the contract and the specific conditions necessary for the accuracy of some contracts are met and the contract does not contradict public order and good ethics, the principle is the accuracy of the contracts. In case of loss or non-compliance with any of these conditions, the marriage will be invalid. Invalidation of the marriage has some effects, including the responsibility of one of the parties to the invalid contract in compensation for detriments to the other party of the marriage. Liability arising from a void contract and the obligation to compensate for the detriments arising from it is of non-contractual origin. In order to achieve the purpose of civil liability, i.e. to fully compensate for detriments, it is essential to determine the best method of compensation that courts in each case consider relative compensation and avoid compensating for any kind and order to pay cash for detriments in all cases. In the event of a breach of obligation, it is conceivable that it violates the obligation, which has a variety of types and includes civil or coercive liability, contractual liability, criminal and moral liability. The conditions for the realization of responsibility are: indisputableness, directness, personality, lack of prior compensation, foreseeeability, and detriment to the legitimate right to be detrimentd.In this paper, we try to use descriptive-analytical method and library study.Explaining the conditions of realization of responsibility in repairing detriments caused by void transactions to discuss.

Initiating daily acute intermittent hypoxia (dAIH) therapy at 1-week after contusion spinal cord injury (SCI) improves lower urinary tract function in rat

Spinal cord injury (SCI) above the level of the lumbosacral spinal cord produces lower urinary tract (LUT) dysfunction, resulting in impairment of urine storage and elimination (voiding). While spontaneous functional recovery occurs due to remodeling of spinal reflex micturition pathways, it is incomplete, indicating that additional strategies to further augment neural plasticity following SCI are essential. To this end, acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH) exposure has been proposed as a therapeutic strategy for improving recovery of respiratory and other somatic motor function following SCI; however, the impact of AIH as a therapeutic intervention to improve LUT dysfunction remains to be determined. Therefore, we examined the effects of daily AIH (dAIH) on both spontaneous micturition patterns and reflex micturition event (rME) behaviors in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats with mid-thoracic moderate contusion SCI. For these experiments, dAIH gas exposures (five alternating 3 min 12% O2 and 21% O2 episodes) were delivered for 7 consecutive days beginning at 1-week after SCI, with awake micturition patterns being evaluated weekly for 2–3 sessions before and for 4 weeks after SCI and rME behaviors elicited by continuous infusion of saline into the bladder being evaluated under urethane anesthesia at 4-weeks after SCI; daily normoxia (dNx; 21% O2 episodes) served as a control. At 1-week post-SCI, both an areflexic phenotype (i.e., no effective voiding events) and a functional voiding phenotype (i.e., infrequent voiding events with large volumes) were observed in spontaneous micturition patterns (as expected), and subsequent dAIH, but not dNx, treatment led to recovery of spontaneous void frequency pattern to pre-SCI levels; both dAIH- and dNx-treated rats exhibited slightly increased void volumes. At 4-weeks post-SCI, rME behaviors showed increased effectiveness in voiding in dAIH-treated (compared to dNx-treated) rats that included an increase in both bladder contraction pressure (delta BP; P = 0.014) and dynamic voiding efficiency (P = 0.018). Based on the voiding and non-voiding bladder contraction behaviors (VC and NVC, respectively) observed in the BP records, bladder dysfunction severity was classified into mild, moderate, and severe phenotypes, and while rats in both treatment groups included each severity phenotype, the primary phenotype observed in dAIH-treated rats was mild and that in dNx-treated rats was moderate (P = 0.044). Taken together, these findings suggest that 7-day dAIH treatment produces beneficial improvements in LUT function that include recovery of micturition pattern, more efficient voiding, and decreased NVCs, and extend support to the use of dAIH therapy to treat SCI-induced LUT dysfunction.

Evolution of Mechanical Behaviors and Microstructure of Tianjin Binhai Cohesive Soil during Freeze-Thaw Cycles

The variation of soil structure and mechanical damage caused by freeze-thaw cycles results in degradation of engineering properties and engineering geological problems, such as deformation, cracking, and even project accidents. In this study, the freeze-thaw cycle tests, unconfined compressive strength tests, scanning electron microscope (SEM) tests, and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) tests were carried out to find out the effects of freeze-thaw cycles on the mechanical behaviors and microstructure properties of Tianjin Binhai cohesive soil. The results show that the original structure of the cohesive soil has been destroyed after the first freeze-thaw cycle, resulting in severe loss of compressive strength by 84.2%. The axial stress-strain response showed a strain-hardening behavior transitioned to a strain-softening behavior after 15 freeze-thaw cycles. The unconfined compressive pressure, sensitivity, and void ratio showed the same corresponding reaction with the increase of freeze-thaw cycles. The effects of freezing and thawing on void ratio were weakening with the increase of consolidation pressure, since the void expansion and contraction were limited with smaller void sizes. The frost-heaving force during the freezing process increased the compaction of the soil structure, and face to face contact became the main contact formation, which led to a reduction in void ratio. This study provides technical guidance for evaluation on the mechanical properties and engineering stability of cohesive soil in seasonally frozen areas and technical support for artificial ground freezing treatment on underground construction of the west coast of Bohai Bay.

General Rules on Invalidity of Contracts in Serbia

The effective Serbian Law on Obligations in the most part retained the general rules on invalidity of contracts from the former federal Law on Obligations from 1978. The Law explicitly differentiates two categories of invalid contracts: null and void contracts, on the one hand, and voidable contracts, on the other. Whereas the general legal consequences of both categories are principally the same, restitutio in integrum, null and void contracts have some other, more stringent legal consequences as well. The most important is the ban of restitution of performance of the party who acted in bad faith, which in cases when the contract grossly violates good morals may be supplemented by the forfeiture of the object of performance. The effective Serbian Law on Obligations, namely, still contains the rule retained from the former federal Law from 1978, according to which the court may order the party who acted in bad faith to transfer the object of his/her performance to the municipality of his/her residence or domicile.&#x0D; Voidable are considered contracts with flawed contractual intention, such as contracts concluded in mistake, deceit or under threat. In addition, voidable are contracts of minors older than 14 years concluded without the consent of their natural or legal guardian, or contracts of adults whose capacity is not completely excluded, but only partially reduced, concluded outside their capacity or without the consent of their legal guardian. Furthermore, since leasio is considered a case of mistake making the contractual intention flawed, the remedy is also the voidability of the contract.&#x0D; Under Serbian law, a contract is null and void, if it infringes public order, imperative rules or good morals, unless something else is prescribed by the law or the purpose of the infringed rule implies a different remedy. The illegality and immorality of a contract is scrutinised through its object (content) and cause. Aside these general rules, the Law on Obligations specifically qualifies usurious contracts as null. Yet, there are several means of „saving” a contract from the consequences of invalidity, primarily by performance, convalidation and partial invalidity. &#x0D; Non-existent contracts are clearly distinguished in the doctrine, but it is questionable whether the Law on Obligations envisages separate legal regime applicable to this category, distinct from the one applicable to null and void contracts. The law, namely, uses wording or implies in certain cases as if the contract had not been concluded at all. However, in the rules pertaining to legal consequences of invalidity refers only to null and void, and avoidable contracts. The doctrinal standpoints differ whether a separate legal regime applicable only to non-existent contracts could be implied from the general rules, regardless that no specific set of rules exists.