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e type of surgical correction. selleck inhibitor The IRV can be used in evaluation of the heart geometry for any cardiac pathology. It makes the approach to the analysis of pathological remodeling of the heart understandable, consistent, and universal, and also opens up opportunities for further expanding the diagnostic capabilities of radiology in cardiac surgery at all stages of the diagnostic process.Extinction of natural resources builds up pressure on governments to invest in research to find more sustainable resources within the construction sector. Earlier studies on mortar and concrete show that bottom ash and basalt fiber are independently alternative binders in the concrete sector. This study aims to use bottom ash and basalt fiber blends as alternative novel-based composites in pure cement paste. The strength and durability properties of two different percentages of bottom ash (40% and 50%) and three volume fractions of basalt fiber (0.3%, 0.75%, and 1.5%) were used at three curing periods (7, 28, and 56 days). In order to measure the physical properties of the basalt-reinforced bottom ash cement paste composites flowability, dry unit weight, porosity, and water absorption measurements at 7, 28, and 56 days of curing were performed. Furthermore, the mechanical properties of composites were determined by unconfined compressive strength and flexural strength tests. Finally, to assess the durability, sulfate-resistance and seawater-resistance tests have been performed on composites at 28 and 56 days of curing. Results showed that the addition of basalt fiber improves the physical, mechanical, and chemical stability properties of paste up to a limiting basalt fiber addition (0.3% volume fraction) where, above, an adverse effect has been monitored. It is clear that observed results can lead to the development of sustainability strategies in the concrete industry by utilizing bottom ash and basalt fiber as an alternative binder.BACKGROUND We compared the utility of the penile cuff test (PCT) and the conventional urodynamic study (UDS) for the preoperative assessment of patients undergoing scheduled photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) for benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH). METHODS Fifty-nine patients with voiding lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) underwent a simultaneous PCT and conventional UDS before PVP. The modified International Continence Society (ICS) nomogram was used to confirm bladder outlet obstruction after measuring maximum urinary flow rate and highest pressure at flow interruption. The PCT and UDS results, in terms of modified ICS nomogram predictions, were compared. Their sensitivities, specificities, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS Thirty-six patients were diagnosed as obstructed and 23 as non-obstructed/equivocal using the modified ICS nomogram during the PCT. All 36 of the first group were confirmed as obstructed by UDS. Of the 23 diagnosed as non-obstructed/equivocal by the PCT, 14 were confirmed to be non-obstructed by UDS, with nine diagnosed as obstructed. The PCT showed a sensitivity of 80% and a specificity of 100%. The positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 60.9%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS In conclusion, despite our small number of patients, the PCT’s high sensitivity and specificity suggest that it may provide diagnostic information about bladder outlet obstruction before PVP for patients with voiding LUTS. Evidently, the PCT has the potential to be used for some patients as a screening alternative to invasive UDS.Slurry treatments such as acidification and alkalization have proven to be promising solutions to reduce gaseous emission produced by farm animals. The optimization of these technologies requires detailed knowledge of how and to what extent the buffer capacities in slurries will change during storage under the influence of different temperatures, as this may save resources needed to adjust a targeted pH value. Fresh slurries from dairy cows, fattening pigs and sows were collected and stored for 12 weeks under either cold (4.7 ± 1.1 °C) or warm (23.6 ± 2.1 °C) conditions to perform titrations in acidic and alkaline milieu at regular intervals. Based on these results, we successfully verified a new mathematical tool that we have developed to be able to calculate and visualize the most important buffer systems found in the analyzed slurries. Our experimental results showed a strong correlation between the degradation of the volatile fatty acid (VFA) buffer and the emergence of the carbonate buffers, i.e., the HCO3- and the CO32- buffer. Furthermore, a drop in the pH value caused by enhanced microbial production of VFAs can be mitigated by the presence of the NH3 buffer. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the buffers cannot be considered individually but must be interpreted as a complex and interacting system.Background The objective of this study is to evaluate the application of National guidelines for prevention and clinical management of traumatic dental injuries (NGPCMTDI) in developmental age published by the Italian Ministry of Health. Methods In the present retrospective and multicenter study, 246 patients who underwent dental injury were selected to assess the management of the traumatic event compiled with the protocol provided by the National guidelines. Each health worker involved completed a form related to the dental injury in order to standardize the collected data. Two reference centers have been identified for data collection. Analyses for comparisons between groups were performed using the X2 test for categorical variables or by Fisher exact test as appropriate. Statistical significance was assumed at p less then 0.05. Results Evaluating the distribution by age we concluded that 27.24% of the enrolled patients were aged 1-5 years, 51.63% 6-10 years, and 19.92% 11-17 years. The dental injuries occurred in 10.16% of the situations at home, 50.81% at school, 28.86% during recreation, and 9.35% at the gym. The deciduous dentition is involved in 34.96% of the traumas while the permanent dentition is involved in 69.51%. Conclusion From the present study it emerged that the National guidelines are not uniformly applied.