Evaluation of Physico-Mechanical Properties and Thermal Conduction to Energy-Saving Effects of Wood Compression Layered Structural Materials.

In this study, specimens were prepared from Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica) with different thicknesses to determine the best hot-pressing conditions for wood compression layered structural materials (WCLS) through densification at various temperatures and compressing time conditions. However, residual stress-releasing after densification recovery can cause dimensional instability. To address this issue, the drying set method was combined with the compression-set recovery test to determine the best setting time. As a result, the bending strength and modulus of rupture (MOR) of WCLS increased by 9.98 ± 9.71 to 20.87 ± 13.09% and the modulus of elasticity (MOE) increased by 9.87 ± 11.92 to 22.40 ± 17.97%. The volumetric swelling coefficient (S), water absorption percent (WAP), and equivalent moisture content (EMC) decreased as the drying time increased. The anti-swelling efficiency (ASE) and moisture excluding efficiency (MEE) were found to be the highest at a drying time of 12 h, with values ranging from 13.20 ± 15.11 to 36.46 ± 6.83% and 15.18 ± 1.11 to 19.58 ± 8.31%, respectively. The drying method was found to be effective in increasing dimensional stability. The glass transition temperature (Tg) moved to a lower temperature as the compression-set increased, which was due to plasticization of wood caused by high temperature and pressure. The cell walls of WCLS presented viscous buckling, which provided effective dimensional stability. The thermal conductivity of Japanese cedar and each compression-set WCLS were 0.1863 ± 0.0071, 0.1520 ± 0.0147, 0.1817 ± 0.0106, and 0.1423 ± 0.0137 W/mK, respectively. The thermal conductivity of each WCLS increased with an increase in compression-set, but decreased by 10.67 to 22.52% compared to Japanese cedar. The total electricity energy consumption of each WCLS after 24 h of testing decreased with a trend of 30.50 ± 0.84, 29.83 ± 0.42, 29.57 ± 0.51, and 29.4 ± 0.36 kWH.

Endoscopic papillary balloon dilatation less than three minutes for biliary stone removal increases the risk of post-ERCP pancreatitis.

OBJECTIVES: The adequate duration for EPBD was unclear. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the effect of balloon dilatation duration of EPBD on the occurrence of PEP. METHODS: One hundred and ninety-eight patients with common bile duct (CBD) stone treated by EPBD were retrospectively recruited. The dilatation duration was determined according to adequate opening of the biliary orifice without bleeding. The clinical outcomes and complications of EPBD were recorded. RESULTS: We stratified the patients according to dilatation duration (Group A, <3 minutes; Group B, 3-5 minutes; Group C, ≥5 minutes). The group C patients had a higher proportion of large CBD stones (stones ≥10 mm) (33.3% vs. 26.8% vs. 53.5%, p = 0.01). Patients in group A had a significantly higher PEP rate than patients in group B (13.3 vs. 3.1, p = 0.032). There were no significant differences in perforation and bleeding rate among the three groups. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that a dilatation duration of <3 minutes, CBD diameter < 10 mm and age ≤ 75 years were independent risk factors of PEP in post-EPBD patients. CONCLUSIONS: In patients receiving EPBD, dilatation duration <3 minutes, lower CBD diameter, and younger age were independent risk factors of PEP.

Antidermatophytic Activity of Ethanolic Extract from Croton tiglium.

Dermatophytosis, which is caused mainly by genera of Trichophyton, Epidermophyton, and Microsporum, is a frequent dermatological problem in tropical and subtropical countries. Investigations were carried out in this study to evaluate the antidermatophytic activity of the stems, leaves, and seeds of Croton tiglium, one of the traditional medicine plants indigenous to Asia. Ethanolic extracts of the stems, leaves, and seeds of C. tiglium were prepared by cold soak or heat reflux methods. The antidermatophytic activities of the extracts were evaluated by disc diffusion and microdilution susceptibility assays against Trichophyton mentagrophytes, T. rubrum, and Epidermophyton floccosum. The active components in the extracts were analyzed and identified by GC-MS. All ethanolic extracts of C. tiglium showed some antifungal activities against the three dermatophytes. The ethanolic stem extract had the greatest inhibitory activities against T. mentagrophytes and E. floccosum with MICs at 0.16 mg/mL and had a lower activity against T. rubrum (MIC: 0.31 mg/mL). Oleic acid and hexadecanoic acid were found to be the major constituents in the stem extract that demonstrated strong antidermatophytic activities. The ethanolic extracts of stem or seed of C. tiglium exhibit strong antidermatophytic activities and, thus, could be considered for application on treating skin fungal infections after appropriate processing.