Long-term complications of continent catheterizable channels: a problem for transitional urologists.

A majority of the transitional urology patient population have neurogenic bladder and many of these patients have undergone creation of continent catheterizable channels (CCCs) to facilitate bladder emptying. Transitional urologists will be faced with revision of these channels due to a variety of possible complications. We performed a comprehensive literature review to the data regarding the incidence, timing, and predisposing factors that lead to complications of CCCs as well as surgical revision techniques and their outcomes. Long-term channel complications and related revisions are common (25-30%) and likely underestimated. While many predictors for revision have been posited, the only predictor that has been significant in robust multivariable analysis is channel type, with appendicovesicostomies having a lower chance of requiring revision compared to Monti channels. Channels created in adults have high likelihood of requiring revision, even within a relatively short follow-up period. We review techniques for management of channel complications and their outcomes. As patients with congenital urologic conditions requiring CCCs are gaining longer lifespans, transitional urologists will be faced with revision and/or replacement of these channels. While some of these patients may require supravesical diversion in the future, data show that revision is feasible with good outcomes. Longer-term follow-up data is needed to understand the life-span and best practices of new CCCs created among the transitional population

Development of Secretory Lactococcus Lactis Vectors with Characterized Heterologous Signal Peptide from Pediococcus Pentosaceus

Lactococcus lactis, the model of lactic acid bacteria (LAB), is a generally regarded as safe (GRAS) organism and one of the most widely used LAB in the food industry. The potential application of Lactococcus lactis as a live vehicle for the production and delivery of heterologous protein for industrial and medical applications are on the rise. Investigation of heterologous protein production in different location of L. lactis revealed that secretion is preferable to cytoplasmic production. Although considerable attentions have been given to the development of efficient gene expression and protein secretion systems, however, there is still an acute lack of system to secrete heterologous proteins in L. lactis. The Gram-positive low GC content bacterium, Pediococcus pentosaceus was isolated from a local herbal plant Polygonum minus and identified by biochemical and 16S rRNA sequencing. The nucleotide sequence of the cell wall binding protein from P. pentosaceus was amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloned into Zero Blunt® TOPO® plasmid and transformed into Escherichia coli. The coding region of signal peptides (SP) SPK1 and SPK3 were amplified from the cell wall binding proteins of P. pentosaceus and studied by in silico analysis. The in silico analysis of signal peptide revealed that SPK1 has higher hydrophobicity, GRAVY index, aliphatic index and more stability compared to SPK3 and USP45. The gene coding region of green fluorescent protein (GFP) and L. lactis signal peptide USP45 were then amplified by using Pfu DNA polymerase. Secretion cassettes were constructed using GFP as the reporter protein and USP45 as the control. Then, the SP-GFP cassette was cloned into L. lactis expression vectors pNZ8084 and pMG36e (inducible and constitutive) resulting in pNZK801, pNZK803, pNZU801 and pMGK36e1, pMGK36e3, pMGU36e1, respectively. The constructed plasmids were electro-transformed into L. lactis strain MG1363 and NZ9000 as host. Recombinant plasmids were identified by restriction enzyme digestion and sequence analyses. Western blot and ELISA analysis of transformants indicated the potential of the signal peptides SPK1 and SPK3 from P. pentosaceus to be used as a secretory signal for heterologous protein secretion in L. lactis

Jastrow-like ground states for quantum many-body potentials with near-neighbors interactions

We completely solve the problem of classifying all one-dimensional quantum potentials with nearest- and next-to-nearest-neighbors interactions whose ground state is Jastrow-like, i.e., of Jastrow type but depending only on differences of consecutive particles. In particular, we show that these models must necessarily contain a three-body interaction term, as was the case with all previously known examples. We discuss several particular instances of the general solution, including a new hyperbolic potential and a model with elliptic interactions which reduces to the known rational and trigonometric ones in appropriate limits.Comment: Typeset in LaTeX, 18 pages, 7 figure

Projection of Diabetes Population Size and Associated Economic Burden through 2030 in Iran : Evidence from Micro-Simulation Markov Model and Bayesian Meta-Analysis

Acknowledgments The authors would like to thank kindly all advisors and colleagues, for their valuable technical support. We would like to thank you Ms Laura Marie Dysart for editing the paper.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Sensitivity analysis of Monte Carlo model of a gantry-mounted passively scattered proton system

PURPOSE: This study aimed to present guidance on the correlation between treatment nozzle and proton source parameters, and dose distribution of a passive double scattering compact proton therapy unit, known as Mevion S250. METHODS: All 24 beam options were modeled using the MCNPX MC code. The calculated physical dose for pristine peak, profiles, and spread out Bragg peak (SOBP) were benchmarked with the measured data. Track-averaged LET (LET RESULTS: For the physical dose distribution, the MCNPX MC model matched measurements data for all the options to within 2 mm and 2% criterion. The Mevion S250 was found to have a LET CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed the importance of considering detailed beam parameters, and identifying those that resulted in large effects on the physical dose distribution and LETs for a compact proton therapy machine

Correlation of serum magnesium with dyslipidemia in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

One of the factors involved in accelerated atherosclerosis in hemodialysis patients is dyslipidemia. In this study we considered factors involved in intensification of dyslipidemia in hemodialysis patients. This study was done on 36 maintenance hemodialysis patients. Serum lipoprotein (a), Triglyceride, Cholesterol, HDL-C,LDL-C and also serum Intact parathormone(iPTH), Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium were measured. In statistical analysis there was not any correlation between serum lipids and iPTH. There was not correlation between serum calcium with serum lipids (p > 0.05). There was not correlation between CaxP product with serum lipids (p > 0.05). There was a positive correlation between serum Magnesium and Lipoprotein(a) (P < 0.05) and also positive correlation between serum magnesium with triglyceride level (P < 0.05) was seen too. Magnesium doesn't increase the lipoprotein synthesis. It may involve in the regulation of some enzymes responsible for lipoprotein synthesis. Correlation of serum magnesium with serum triglycerides can be due to changes in hepatic triglyceride metabolism. Lipoprotein(a) is a non traditional factor of premature atherosclerosis, its association with serum magnesium needs more attention in hemodialysis patients

Lipids in association with serum magnesium in diabetes mellitus patients

Aim: To investigate whether and how serum Magnesium (Mg) concentrations influence the serum lipids in diabetes mellitus (DM) patients. The cross-sectional study was conducted on diabetic mellitus (DM) patients with various kidney functions not yet on dialysis. Patients and methods: Serum lipoprotein(a), glycosilated hemoglobin (HbA1c), serum magnesium (Mg), serum creatinine (creat), serum lipids consisting of triglycerids (Tg), cholesterol (Chol), high-density lipoprotein (HDL) were measured. Results: Study patients included 122 patients (82F, 40M). The mean patients' age was 63 ( 10) years. The mean length of time they were diabetic was 7.4 ( +/- 5.8) years (median: 6 years). The mean serum Mg was 2 (+/- 0.4) mg/dl (median: 1.99 mg/dl). The mean creatinine clearance was 64 (+/- 24) cc/min (median: 64 cc/min). In this study significant inverse correlations of serum Mg with serum cholesterol and LDL as well as nonsignificant correlations of serum Mg with serum Lp(a), HDL, Tg and with serum HgbA1c were seen. More over a significant inverse correlation of serum Mg with ages of the patients and a significant positive correlation of serum Mg with serum creatinine were seen too. Conclusions: It seems that in diabetic patients, kidney function is a key role in the regulation of serum Lp(a) levels instead of other factors like serum Mg level. Our finding further supports the importance of Mg supplementation in diabetes mellitus patients. In our study no significant correlation between serum Mg with serum HDL and Tg were found, which needs further investigation (Tab. 1, Fig. 4, Ref. 53)