Clinical application of flexible ureteroscopic sheath with controllable intraluminal pressure in treating ureteral stones

Objective:The purpose of the study was to assess the clinical efficacy and safety of a combined perfusion suction platform with pressure feedback control function and an ureteroscopic suction sheath that can measure the ureteropelvic pressure in implementing lithotripsies.Methods:Fifty-two patients who underwent lithotripsy under intelligent monitoring of ureteral intraluminal pressure from June 2016 to January 2018 were retrospectively recruited.The inclusion standard was stone diameter>1.5 cm but<2.5 cm.After the 12/14 Fr suction sheath was placed,manometer interface and suction interface of the sheath were connected to the platform via the pressure sensor and suction tube,respectively.The ureteroscope was connected to the platform perfusion pump,and the crushed stones were aspirated out under negative pressure.Results:According to the location of the stone,21(40.4%)cases were classified as upper ureteral stones,19(36.5%)were midureteral stones,and 12(23.1%)were lower ureteral stones.Forty-seven patients underwent successful primary sheath placement and lithotripsy with a mean operative time of 34.5(standard deviation 18.3)min.Retrograde stone migration did not occur.There were eight patients with hematuria postoperatively.Serious complication was 1.9% with one case of ureteral perforation.Stone clearance was 95.7% at Day 1e2 postoperatively,and 100% at Day 30 postoperatively.Conclusion:Ureteroscopic lithotripsy with intelligent pressure control using our device improved the efficiency of the lithotripsy and rate of stone clearance.The safety of the operation can be ensured.It is worth popularization and application in clinical practice.

Growth factors for therapeutic angiogenesis in hypercholesterolemic erectile dysfunction

The past decade has seen an explosion of new information on the physiology of penile erection, and pathophysiology of erectile dysfunction （ED）. Hypercholesterolemia is a chronic condition that can lead to degeneration in the vasculature bed and can result in ED if the penile vasculature is involved. Angiogenesis is the growth of new blood vessels from preexisting vasculature. Therapeutic angiogenesis seeks to harness the mechanisms of vascular growth to treat disorders of inadequate tissue perfusion, such as coronary artery disease and ED. There have been tremendous changes in the field of therapeutic angiogenesis over the past decade, and there is much promise for the future. Initial preclinical work with cytokine growth factor delivery resulted in a great deal of enthusiasm for the treatment of ischemic heart and/or peripheral vascular disease, though clinical studies have not achieved similar success. With an increased understanding of the complex mechanisms involved in angiogenesis, novel therapies which target multiple different angiogenic pathways are also being developed and tested. The penis is a convenient tissue target for gene therapy because of its external location and accessibility, the ubiquity of endothelial lined spaces, and low level of blood flow, especially in the flaccid state. Therapeutic angiogenesis is an exciting field that continues to evolve. This review will focus on the development of growth factors for hypercholesterolemic ED, the use of various growth factors for ED therapy, their routes of delivery, and the results in animal studies.

The application of indocyanine green in guiding prostate cancer treatment

Objective:Indocyanine green(ICG)with near-infrared fluorescence absorption is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration for clinical applications in angiography,blood flow evaluation,and liver function assessment.It has strong optical absorption in the near-infrared region,where light can penetrate deepest into biological tissue.We sought to review its value in guiding prostate cancer treatment.Methods:All related literature at PubMed from January 2000 to December 2020 were reviewed.Results:Multiple preclinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in identifying prostate cancer by using different engineering techniques.Clinical studies have demonstrated the usefulness of ICG in guiding sentinel node dissection during radical prostatectomy,and possible better preservation of neurovascular bundle by identifying landmark prostatic arteries.New techniques such as adding fluorescein in additional to ICG were tested in a limited number of patients with encouraging result.In addition,the use of the ICG was shown to be safe.Even though there are encouraging results,it does not carry sufficient sensitivity and specificity in replacing extended pelvic lymph node dissection during radical prostatectomy.Conclusion:Multiple preclinical and clinical studies have shown the usefulness of ICG in identifying and guiding treatment for prostate cancer.Larger randomized prospective studies are warranted to further test its usefulness and find new modified approaches.

Strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2

The heavy fermion physics arises from the complex interplay of nearly localized 4f/5f electrons and itinerant band- like ones, yielding heavy quasiparticles with an effective mass about 100 times （or more） of the bare electrons, Recently, experimental and theoretical investigations point out a localized and delocalized dual nature in actinide compounds, where itinerant quasiparticles account for the unconventional superconductivity in the vicinity of a magnetic instability. Here we report the strong coupling between localized 5f moments and itinerant quasiparticles in the ferromagnetic superconductor UGe2. The coupling is nearly antiferromagnetic. As embedded in the ferromagnetic matrix of localized 5f moments below Tc ~ 52 K, this coupling leads to short-range dynamic correlations of heavy quasiparticles, characterized by fluctuations of magnetic clusters. Those cluster-like spins of itinerant quasiparticles show a broad hump of magnetization at Tx≈28 K, which is typical for the spin-glass freezing. Thus, our results present the direct observation of itinerant quasiparticles coexisting with localized 5f moments by conventional magnetic measurements, providing a new route into the coexistence between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in heavy fermion systems.

Three-Dimensional Welded Mn_(1) Site Catalysts with nearly 100% Singlet Oxygen Fabrication for Contaminant Elimination

Reactive oxygen species(ROS)have a significant part in the elimination of recalcitrant organic pollutants and commonly coexist in one advanced oxidation system.It is difficult for us to make clear the effect of the co-instantaneous generation of radicals and nonradicals,which would cover and obscure the transformation pathway.Herein,a coordinate welding process is presented for fabricating accessible Mn1 site catalysts(Mn SSCs)in order to clarify the nonradical(singlet oxygen/^(1)O_(2))generated pathway and transformation in oxidative removal of contaminants.The Mn SSCs achieve nearly 100%^(1)O_(2) fabrication by activating peroxymonosulfate,which displays an excellent sulfamethoxazole elimination performance,super anti-anion interference,and extraordinary stability.As revealed by density functional theory calculations,the Mn SSCs with a special welded three-dimensional nanostructure could significantly boost the activation process by oxidizing the peroxymonosulfate at the interlayer of Mn SSCs and reducing dissolved oxygen on the surface of Mn SSCs.This design of Mn SSCs with a three-dimensional welded nanostructure might offer a potential approach for employing single site catalysts for environmental remediation.