Urological Applications of Botulinum Toxin A

Botulinum toxin A (BoNT-A) has seen in the last two decades an increased level of application in urological practice, first FDA approved in 2011 for neurogenic detrusor overactivity and then later in 2013 for refractory overactive bladder. Hundreds of studies have been published in literature assessing the chemical structure of botulinum toxins and how urothelial injections in the lower urinary tract and vesical instillations can be employed in the management of a spectrum of urological conditions particularly voiding dysfunction. The consensus is still out on toxin A preparations, mode and pattern of application whether instilled or injected intradetrusally, units used, as well as time to onset and duration of effect of injections and is still a dense research topic. This is reflected in the continuously changing and differing grades of recommendations between societies of urological practitioners such as the EAU and AUA, among others. This chapter discusses both the FDA-approved and experimental applications of botulinum toxin A in urology, indications, techniques, and points of debate

Is earnings management associated with corporate environmental disclosure? Evidence from Kuwaiti listed firms

The file attached to this record is the author's final peer reviewed version. The Publisher's final version can be found by following the DOI link.Purpose: This study investigates the association between corporate environmental disclosure (CED) and earnings management (EM) in a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) emerging market, namely Kuwait. Design/methodology/approach: Using panel data from firms listed on the Kuwaiti stock exchange from 2010 to 2014, this paper applies a fixed-effects model to examine the CED-EM nexus. This analysis was supplemented with estimating a two-stage least squares (2SLS) model and a generalised method of moment (GMM) model to address any concerns regarding endogeneity problems. Findings: The results are suggestive of a significant and negative relationship between CED and EM in Kuwait. This implies that the environmentally responsible managers are less likely to be engaged in EM practices in Kuwait. Research limitations/implications: The theoretical implication of the results of this study is that managers in Kuwait seem to employ CED as a method to decrease the possibility of any formal or informal actions that could be imposed upon their activities. Originality/value: So far, a limited number of studies focused on examining the CED-EM nexus internationally. Furthermore, research carried out to examine the CED-EM link within a GCC market is virtually non-existent. This study, therefore, presents the first empirical analysis of this relationship in Kuwait. Also, this research is of a significant value stemming from the environmental challenges that are facing Kuwait as an oil-reliant economy coupled together with the crucial economic development in Kuwait and its critical contribution to the GCC economy

Gravity Probe B: Final Results of a Space Experiment to Test General Relativity

Gravity Probe B, launched 20 April 2004, is a space experiment testing two fundamental predictions of Einstein's theory of General Relativity (GR), the geodetic and frame-dragging effects, by means of cryogenic gyroscopes in Earth orbit. Data collection started 28 August 2004 and ended 14 August 2005. Analysis of the data from all four gyroscopes results in a geodetic drift rate of -6,601.8+/- 18.3 mas/yr and a frame-dragging drift rate of -37.2 +/- 7.2 mas/yr, to be compared with the GR predictions of -6,606.1 mas/yr and -39.2 mas/yr, respectively (`mas' is milliarc-second; 1mas = 4.848 x 10-9 rad)

The Impact of Psychosocial Factors of Physical Health Outcomes: A Review of the Biopsychosocial Model in Family Medicine

Discontent with the biological model of illness—which is still the predominant healthcare model—led to the development of the biopsychosocial model, which was described in Engel's seminal Science paper forty years ago. It is the foundation of the International Classification of Functioning (WHO ICF) developed by the World Health Organization Clinical outcomes for functional disorders and chronic diseases treated in family medicine may be improved by the biopsychosocial approach. Since clinical performance metrics and standards are biomedically focused, family medicine doctors have no financial incentive to implement the biopsychosocial paradigm in their practices. Implementing the biopsychosocial approach in family medicine may be hampered by workload and incompetence

MEDICAL STUDENTS' PERCEPTIONS OF COMPLEMENTARY AND ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE THERAPIES: A PRE- AND POST-EXPOSURE SURVEY IN MAJMAAH UNIVERSITY, SAUDI ARABIA

Background: Evidently, Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) is increasingly a recognized medical practice that efficiently uses multiple treatment therapies and techniques in promoting the health and wellbeing of people as well as preventing and managing a variety of human disorders. Research in CAM, which courses exposure to diverse healthcare professionals, is important from many perspectives including improvement in teaching skills of faculty, enhancing capacity building, and innovative curriculum development. This pre- and post-design crosssectional study aimed to assess perceptions, training needs, personal usage, use in office practice, and knowledge of two batches of medical students toward CAM therapies in Majmaah University, Saudi Arabia. Materials and Methods: The second year medical students of the first (year 2012-13) and second (year 2013-2014) batch [n=26 & 39, respectively] were selected for this study. A reliable 16-item self-administered questionnaire was distributed among all students for answering before and after the 48-hour specific 19 CAM therapies course, in terms of CAM therapies are clearly conventional or alternative, training needs, effectiveness, personal use, use in practice, management of two clinical cases by CAM or conventional therapies, and views about which evidence based approach strongly support individual CAM modalities. Results: Medical students' knowledge and perceptions of CAM therapies significantly improved across some sub-items of CAM questionnaire with a positive trend in the rest of its items including their views about CAM therapies, need for further training, personal use of therapies and advising patients regarding CAM practices strongly supported by randomized clinical controlled trials and published case studies. Conclusion: CAM course tends to have positive impact on the knowledge and perceptions of medical students, in addition to need for further training, and personal use and use of CAM therapies in practice in line with strong evidence-based data regarding therapeutic efficacy. The preliminary results of this study call for further research in specific CAM modalities with a larger sample in academic settings across the nation

Adsorptive removal of permanganate anions from synthetic wastewater using copper sulfide nanoparticles

The performance of Copper Sulfide (CuS) was evaluated as sorbent material for Permanganate ions ( ${{{\rm{MnO}}}_{4}}^{-}$ ). The influences of pH, ${{{\rm{MnO}}}_{4}}^{-}$ concentration, sorption time and temperature were inspected. The outcomes of this study approved that the sorbate primary concentration of 1200 mg l ^−1 , solution pH of 1.5, 90 min sorption time and temperature of 60 °C are the optimal conditions for ${{{\rm{MnO}}}_{4}}^{-}$ sorption by CuS. The study also revealed that the kinetic model of second order and model of Langmuir isotherm describe well the experimental data of this sorption. Furthermore, significant sorption capacities of 769.23, 909.09, 1111.11 and 1250.00 mg g ^−1 were resulted at 20 °C, 30 °C, 40 °C and 60 °C, one-to-one. Additionally, thermodynamic outcomes confirmed that the nature of ${{{\rm{MnO}}}_{4}}^{-}$ sorption by CuS is a heat-absorbing and spontaneous