Fecal incontinence (FI) is a multifactorial disorder that imposes considerable social and economic burdens. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of current and emerging treatment options for FI. A MEDLINE search was conducted for English-language articles related to FI prevalence, etiology, diagnosis, and treatment published from January 1, 1990 through June 1, 2013. The search was...

Thauera aminoaromatica MZ1T, a floc-forming bacterium isolated from an industrial activated-sludge wastewater treatment plant, overproduces exopolysaccharide (EPS), leading to viscous bulking. This phenomenon results in poor sludge settling and dewatering during the clarification process. To identify genes responsible for bacterial flocculation, a whole-genome phenotypic-sequencing technique wa...

Three typical biological solid wastes, animal manure, garbage, and sewage sludge, were compared with regard for the composting process and the changes in microbial community structure. The effect of different bulking agents such as rice straw, vermiculite, sawdust, and waste paper were compared in manure compost. The differences in the microbial community were characterized by the quinone profi...

BACKGROUND Environmental as well as cultivation factors may greatly influence the chemical composition of plants. The main factors affecting the chemical composition of foodstuff are level and type of fertilizer (conventional and organic cultivation systems), location or soil type, and year of harvest. Organic foods are defined as products that are produced under controlled cultivation conditio...

The digestibility of ispaghula, a mucilage from Plantago ovata composed mainly of arabinoxylans, and its faecal bulking effect were studied in seven healthy volunteers who ingested a low fibre controlled diet plus either placebo or 18 g/day of ispaghula for two 15 day periods. Whole gut transit time and gas excretion in breath and flatus were not different during the periods of ispaghula and pl...

In our previous study, growth factor (basic fibroblast growth factor [bFGF] or vascular endothelial growth factor)-immobilized polycaprolactone (PCL)/Pluronic F127 porous beads were fabricated by an isolated particle-melting/melt-molding particulate-leaching method. The growth factors were easily immobilized onto the pore surfaces of the PCL/F127 beads via heparin binding, and were continuously...

According to the movement characteristics of surrounding rock gob-side entry retaining by roof cutting (GERRC), structural evolution mechanism and stability control countermeasures are studied in this paper. Taking bulking as core point, process GERRC is divided into five stages: cutting, dynamic pressure support, gangue bulking, double arch roadway formation. Combined with mechanical analysis,...

By the consideration of the microscopic picture of activated sludge samples it is possible to introduce a further biological parameter apart from the conventional physico-chemical parameters for the evaluation and control of biological stages of waste water treatment plants. It is reported that different parameters have certain influences on the activated sludge floc and on the developing bioze...