Bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate:Whether it is ready to supersede TURP?

Objective:According to the EAU Guidelines,transurethral resection of the prostate(TURP)has so far still been considered as the gold standard for surgical treatment for patients with obstructing clinical benign prostate hyperplasia(BPH).However,its relatively high rate of complications and postoperative recurrence necessitates further modification and innovation on the surgery technique.We reported the patient outcomes with our technique.Methods:We retrospectively analyzed 52 patients with obstructing clinical BPH who underwent bipolar transurethral enucleation and resection of the prostate(B-TUERP)between March 2015 and September 2015.Pre-and perioperative parameters were obtained from medical charts.Postoperative follow-ups were administrated at 1,3,6,12 and 24 month(s)after surgery,respectively.Results:All the operations were performed successfully with a mean operative time of 43.1 min and an average tissue removal rate of 74.7%.Qmax was significantly improved immediately after surgery,followed by a continuous improvement throughout the follow-ups.Following a steep decrease in mean prostate specific antigen(PSA)and post void residual(PVR)observed within the first half year after surgery,the serum PSA was then maintained at a constant level of 0.61 ng/mL.Temporary urinary retention was found in four cases(7.7%).Stress urinary incontinence occurred in five patients(9.6%),with the condition resolved in 1e2 weeks without extra treatment.Urethral strictures and bladder neck contractures,as the most commonly observed long-term complications,developed in four patients(7.7%).No recurrence was found during 2 years of follow-ups.An improvement in International Index of Erectile Function(IIEF-5)scores was witnessed in 17 patients preoperatively with normal sexual function during the first 6 months after surgery,and sustained throughout the 24-month period.Conclusions:Enucleation reflects an improvement on surgical technique in many ways with a need for surgical equipment that can be broadly accessible in clinical practice.Currently,bipolar resection is a commonly employed procedure in clinical settings,and its similarity shared with bipolar enucleation technique warrants a quick learning of B-TUERP by urologists.Based on these findings,we believe that the substitution of TURP by TUERP as the gold standard for prostate endoscopic procedure can be expected in the future.

Lubrication condition monitoring of journal bearings in diesel engine based on thermoelectricity

There is still a lack of effective lubrication condition monitoring methods in the field of diesel engines.The paper proposes a novel thermoelectric approach to divide the lubrication state of bearings.First,the generation mechanism of thermoelectric potential on bearings is clarified.Then,both experimental and simulation studies are done,and a strong correlation between lubrication and thermoelectric potential is shown.The film thickness and temperature are further confirmed as significant factors influencing thermoelectric potential.Generally,the thermoelectric potential increases with temperature.However,a small film thickness ratio(when the film thickness ratio is less than 4)will suppress the thermoelectric potential.Three typical lubrication states of bearings are distinguished through thermoelectric potential and supported by the Stribeck curve results.Moreover,the significant influence of lubrication on the bearing is confirmed through the analysis of surface morphology and composition.

Well-aligned carbon nanotube array membrane synthesized in porous alumina template by chemical vapor deposition

A new simple approach was developed for preparing well-aligned and monodispersed carbon nanotuoe (CNT) array membrane within the cylindrical pores of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Acetylene and hydrogen were used in the CVD process with Fe-catalyzer at 700℃ under 250 Pa. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM) were employed to characterize the resulting highly-oriented uniform hollow tube array which had a diameter of about 250 nm, a tube density of 5.3×108cm2 and a length of about 60 μm. The length and diameter of the tubes depend on the thickness and pore diameter of the template. The growth properties of the CNT array film can be achieved by controlling the structure of the template, the particle size of Fe-catalyzer, the temperature in the reactor, the flow ratio and the deposition time. The highly-oriented and uniform CNT array membrane fabricated by this simple method is very much useful in a variety of

Synthesis of ordered Si nanowire arrays in porous anodic aluminum oxide templates

Highly ordered poly crystalline Si nanowire arrays were synthesized in porous anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) templates by the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The morphological structure, the crystal character of Si nanowire arrays and the individual nanowire were analyzed by the transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), atom force microscopy (AFM) and the X-ray diffraction spectrum (XRD), respectively. It is shown that most fabricated silicon nanowires (SiNWs) tend to be assembled parallelly in bundles and constructed with highly orientated arrays. This method provides a simple and low cost fabricating craftwork and the diameters and lengths of SiNWs can be controlled, the large area Si nanowire arrays can be achieved easily under such a way. The curling and twisting SiNWs are fewer than those by other synthesis methods.