ABSTRACT
Colocolic fistulas are usually a complication of an inflammatory or neoplastic process. Development of these abnormal bowel communications may lead to bacterial overgrowth. We report on a 71-year-old man with a one-year history of recurrent abdominal distension and irregular bowel habits. Abdominal X-rays and computed tomography showed multiple air-fluid levels and loops of distended bowel without evidence of mechanical obstruction or diverticulitis. Colonoscopy showed a fistulous tract between the sigmoid colon and cecum. Results of a lactulose breath test showed high fasting breath CH4 levels, which were thought to be the result of intestinal bacterial overgrowth. The patient was diagnosed with a colonic pseudo-obstruction associated with bacterial overgrowth due to a sigmoidocecal fistula. We recommended surgical correction of the sigmoidocecal fistula; however, the patient requested medical treatment. After antibiotic therapy, the patient still had mild symptoms but no acute exacerbations.
Subject(s)
Aged , Humans , Male , Anti-Bacterial Agents/therapeutic use , Breath Tests , Colonic Pseudo-Obstruction/diagnosis , Colonoscopy , Intestinal Fistula/diagnosis , Methane/chemistry , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Escherichia coli (E. coli) strain isolated from biogas plant sludge was examined for its ability to enhance biogas from kitchen waste during solid phase anaerobic digestion. The laboratory experiments were conducted for total solid concentrations of 20% and 22%. Kitchen waste was characterized for physico-chemical parameters and laboratory experiments were conducted with and without E. coli strain. It was found that the reactor with E. coli produced 17% more biogas than the reactors that are operated without E. coli strain.
Subject(s)
Anaerobiosis , Biodegradation, Environmental , Bioreactors , Chromatography, Gas , Conservation of Natural Resources , Equipment Design , Escherichia coli/metabolism , Food Industry , Gases , Methane/chemistry , Refuse Disposal , Waste ManagementABSTRACT
Electromotive-force methods and cells without liquid junction have been utilized to determine the acidic dissociation constant of protonated tris [hydroxymethyl] aminomethane in aqueous 2- ethoxyethanol mixture at five temperatures in the range 25 to 45degree. The change of the dissociation constant with temperature has been used to calculate the change of Gibbs free energy entropy and enthalpy when the dissociation takes place in the standard state. Comparison with earlier work on various water-organic solvent systems shows that the characteristic minimum observed in the delta degree [BH + B]sys -composition profile is much more pronounced in the water -2- ethoxyethanol solvent. It is shown that electrostatic considerations alone are unable to explain the solvent effect on the dissociation energy, and that solute -solvent interactions play the primary role in the dissociation process