Clinical Experience and Sexual Function Outcome of Patients With Priapism Treated With Penile Cavernosal-Dorsal Vein Shunt Using Saphenous Vein Graft

OBJECTIVES To assess the outcome of new penile cavernosal-dorsal vein shunt using a saphenous vein graft. Traditional surgeries for priapism have high failure rate and subsequent impotence. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of, and administered a questionnaire and the International Index of Erectile Function to, 16 consecutive patients with priapism who had treated with the penile cavernosal-dorsal vein shunt from 1997 to 2007. Their age was 15-65 years. The duration of ischemic priapism was 32 hours to 8 days. Ten patients had previously undergone shunt surgery by other urologists. Of the 16 patients, 5 returned the questionnaires. RESULTS Priapism resolved or was improved after surgery in all 16 patients. One patient was lost to follow-up. One pediatric patient was excluded from the analysis. One patient with nonischemic priapism continued to have sexual intercourse. Of the 13 adult patients with ischemic priapism and follow-up for ≤ 6.5 years, 3 patients had no erection, 1 had very little erection, and 9 (69%) had erection. Of the 9 patients with erections possible, six had had sexual intercourse (International Index of Erectile Function score 32-70) and 3 had not; 1 had a mental disorder, 1 was in prison, and for 1, the reason was unknown. After surgery, color Doppler ultrasound studies showed a patent shunt in all patients and restoration of cavernosal arterial flow in 12 of 13 patients studied. CONCLUSIONS A penile cavernosal-dorsal shunt appears effective for priapism. It resulted in priapism resolution even in patients who had experienced a previous failed cavernosal-glandular shunt or cavernosalspongiosal shunt, with a high rate of sexual function preservation

Partial inhibition of RNA polymerase I promotes animal health and longevity

Health and survival in old age can be improved by changes in gene expression. RNA polymerase (Pol) I is the essential, conserved enzyme whose task is to generate the pre-ribosomal RNA (rRNA). We find that reducing the levels of Pol I activity is sufficient to extend lifespan in the fruit fly. This effect can be recapitulated by partial, adult-restricted inhibition, with both enterocytes and stem cells of the adult midgut emerging as important cell types. In stem cells, Pol I appears to act in the same longevity pathway as Pol III, implicating rRNA synthesis in these cells as the key lifespan determinant. Importantly, reduction in Pol I activity delays broad, age-related impairment and pathology, improving the function of diverse organ systems. Hence, our study shows that Pol I activity in the adult drives systemic, age-related decline in animal health and anticipates mortality

Renormalization group approach to multiscale modelling in materials science

Dendritic growth, and the formation of material microstructure in general, necessarily involves a wide range of length scales from the atomic up to sample dimensions. The phase field approach of Langer, enhanced by optimal asymptotic methods and adaptive mesh refinement, copes with this range of scales, and provides an effective way to move phase boundaries. However, it fails to preserve memory of the underlying crystallographic anisotropy, and thus is ill-suited for problems involving defects or elasticity. The phase field crystal (PFC) equation-- a conserving analogue of the Hohenberg-Swift equation --is a phase field equation with periodic solutions that represent the atomic density. It can natively model elasticity, the formation of solid phases, and accurately reproduces the nonequilibrium dynamics of phase transitions in real materials. However, the PFC models matter at the atomic scale, rendering it unsuitable for coping with the range of length scales in problems of serious interest. Here, we show that a computationally-efficient multiscale approach to the PFC can be developed systematically by using the renormalization group or equivalent techniques to derive appropriate coarse-grained coupled phase and amplitude equations, which are suitable for solution by adaptive mesh refinement algorithms

Van der Waals loops and the melting transition in two dimensions

Evidence for the existence of van der Waals loops in pressure p versus volume v plots has for some time supported the belief that melting in two dimensions is a first order phase transition. We report rather accurate equilibrium p(v) curves for systems of hard disks obtained from long Monte Carlo simulations. These curves, obtained in the constant volume ensemble, using periodic boundary conditions, exhibit well defined van der Waals loops. We illustrate their existence for finite systems that are known to undergo a continuous transition in the thermodynamic limit. To this end, we obtain magnetization m versus applied field curves from Monte Carlo simulations of the 2D Ising model, in the constant m ensemble, at the critical point. Whether van der Waals loops for disk systems behave in the thermodynamic limit as they do for the 2D Ising model at the critical point cannot be ruled out. Thus, the often made claim that melting in 2D is a first order phase transition, based on the evidence that van der Waals loops exist, is not sound.Comment: 10 pages, 6 Postscript figures (submitted to Phys.Rev.E). For related work, see http://pipe.unizar.es/~jf

The role of maternal stress in early pregnancy in the aetiology of gastroschisis : An incident case control study

We wish to thank all the women who took the time to take part in this study, the research nurses who undertook interviews and data collection: Sandra Edwards-Fenton, Anne Chamberlain, Marit Bodley, Sharon Brown, Isobel Clegg, Catherine Collins and the British Isles Network of Congenital Anomaly Registers (BINOCAR) for their support in facilitating this study.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Thermoelastic Damping in Micro- and Nano-Mechanical Systems

The importance of thermoelastic damping as a fundamental dissipation mechanism for small-scale mechanical resonators is evaluated in light of recent efforts to design high-Q micrometer- and nanometer-scale electro-mechanical systems (MEMS and NEMS). The equations of linear thermoelasticity are used to give a simple derivation for thermoelastic damping of small flexural vibrations in thin beams. It is shown that Zener's well-known approximation by a Lorentzian with a single thermal relaxation time slightly deviates from the exact expression.Comment: 10 pages. Submitted to Phys. Rev.

Lipids in meso- and bathypelagic fishes from the North Atlantic Ocean: dietary inputs suggested from fatty acid trophic markers

Trophic interactions of mesopelagic fishes are key pathways in the vertical transport of carbon through the biological carbon pump. However, diet and feeding behaviours of many members of the mesopelagic community, including lanternfish (Myctophidae) and bristlemouths (Gonostomatidae), remain poorly resolved. We obtained specimens from 1 species of lanternfish, Benthosema glaciale, and several bristlemouths of the genus Cyclothone, from 8 locations in the Northeast Atlantic Ocean, within 19-22° W and 20-55° N, at depths down to 1900 m, and used fatty acid trophic marker (FATM) analysis to assess the main dietary sources and potential feeding habits of those fish. We compared the FA profiles of the fish to those of their zooplankton prey sampled at the same time and locations. The fatty acid composition of the fish separated them into 3 distinct groups. The first group, which included only B. glaciale, was characterized by the phytoplankton trophic markers 16:4 and 18:4(n-3), indicating that the fish had fed on primary consumers, likely zooplankton. The second group included C. microdon and 2 unidentified Cyclothone sp. and was characterized by the monounsaturated FA markers 20:1(n-9) and 22:1(n-11), indicative of lipid-rich calanoid copepods. Finally, the third group, comprising C. pseudopallida and 22 unidentified Cyclothone sp., was characterized by bacterial FA markers (15:0 and 17:0) and saturated FAs (16:0 and 18:0) that, in the deep sea, are likely associated with marine snow. The results show that meso- and bathypelagic fishes sahttps://stirling-research.worktribe.com/record_edit.jx?recordid=1932531&goto=10&propertyrecordfieldsstring=|recordprogress|recordtext4|recordtext31|recordtext49|recordtext45|recordtext36|recordtext68|recordtext69|recordtext70|recordtext85|recordtext24|recordtext23|recordtext91|recordtext130|recordtext129|recordtext71|recordname|recordtext105|recordtext21|recordtext18|recorddate19|recorddate1|recorddate2|recorddate9|recorddate14|recorddate6|recordtext66|recordtext95|recordtext6|recordtext43|recordtext29|recordtext133|recordtext58|recordtext10|recordtext140|recordtext28|recordtext50|recordtext7|recordtext11|recordtext12|recordtext52|recordtext8|recordnumber6|recordtext44|recordtext112|recordtext106|recordtext17|recordtext65|recordtext128|recorddate4|recorddate5|recordtext113|recordtext114|recordtext74|recordtext48|recorddate13|recordtext76|recordtext77|recordtext72|recordtext61|recordtext80|recordtext81|recorddate11|recordtext59|recordtext46|recordtext63|recordtext62|recordnumber1|recordtext25|recordtext124|recordtext125|recordtext13|recordtext53|recordtext9|recordtext123|recordtext5|recordtext107|recordtext126|recordtext3|recordtext116|recordtext96|recordtext87|recordtext89|recordtext41|recordassignedto|#mpled at different locations will display differences in FA profiles, reflecting distinct dietary sources. In this way, FATMs may facilitate a better understanding of trophic interactions and energy transfer in deep ocean ecosystems

Staff experiences of integrating community and secondary care musculoskeletal services: A qualitative investigation

YesIntegrated models of care intend to provide seamless and timely access to health and social care services. This study investigated the integration of musculoskeletal services across community and secondary care boundaries, including the introduction of a single point of access from which patients were triaged. Staff (n = 15) involved in service development and delivery were interviewed about how, why and to what extent integration impacted service delivery. The analysis focused on staff experiences of using an on-line patient self-referral form and co-located clinics to enhance decision-making in triage, and on the provision of educational materials and de-medicalising language in patient consultations to support self-management. Single point of access, including online self-referral, were operationalised during data collection, but co-located clinics were not. Triage staff explained that the volume of referrals and quality of information provided in online self-referrals sometimes constrained decision-making in triage. Secondary care staff discussed concerns that the single point of access might not consistently identify patients with hard to diagnose conditions that require timely surgical intervention. This concern appeared to constrain staff engagement with integration, potentially inhibiting the delivery of co-located clinics. However, triage staff accessed support to inform secondary care referral via alternate modes. Patient circumstances, for example, need for reassurance, necessitated multiple self-management strategies and innovative approaches were developed to provide patients ongoing and professionally led support. Findings emphasise that restructuring services requires engagement from diverse stakeholders. Collaborating with stakeholders to address their concerns about the impact of restructures on well-established pathways may help cultivate this engagement.Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trus

Cellobiohydrolase B of Aspergillus niger over-expressed in Pichia pastoris stimulates hydrolysis of oil palm empty fruit bunches

Background. Aspergillus niger, along with many other lignocellulolytic fungi, has been widely used as a commercial workhorse for cellulase production. A fungal cellulase system generally includes three major classes of enzymes i.e.,β-glucosidases, endoglucanases and cellobiohydrolases. Cellobiohydrolases (CBH) are vital to the degradation of crystalline cellulose present in lignocellulosic biomass. However, A. niger naturally secretes low levels of CBH. Hence, recombinant production of A. niger CBH is desirable to increase CBH production yield and also to allow biochemical characterisation of the recombinant CBH from A. niger. Methods. In this study, the gene encoding a cellobiohydrolase B (cbhB) from A. niger ATCC 10574 was cloned and expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris X-33. The recombinant CBHB was purified and characterised to study its biochemical and kinetic characteristics. To evaluate the potential of CBHB in assisting biomass conversion, CBHB was supplemented into a commercial cellulase preparation (Cellic ® CTec2) and was used to hydrolyse oil palm empty fruit bunch (OPEFB), one of the most abundant lignocellulosic waste from the palm oil industry. To attain maximum saccharification, enzyme loadings were optimised by response surface methodology and the optimum point was validated experimentally. Hydrolysed OPEFB samples were analysed using attenuated total reflectance FTIR spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR) to screen for any compositional changes upon enzymatic treatment. Results. Recombinant CBHB was over-expressed as a hyperglycosylated protein attached to N-glycans. CBHB was enzymatically active towards soluble substrates such as 4-methylumbelliferylβ-D-cellobioside (MUC), p-nitrophenyl-cellobioside (pNPC) and p-nitrophenyl-cellobiotrioside (pNPG3) but was not active towards crystalline substrates like Avicel ® and Sigmacell cellulose. Characterisation of purified CBHB using MUC as the model substrate revealed that optimum catalysis occurred at 50 °C and pH 4 but the enzyme was stable between pH 3 to 10 and 30 to 80 °C. Although CBHB on its own was unable to digest crystalline substrates, supplementation of CBHB (0.37%) with Cellic ® CTec2 (30%) increased saccharification of OPEFB by 27%. Compositional analyses of the treated OPEFB samples revealed that CBHB supplementation reduced peak intensities of both crystalline cellulose Iα and Iβ in the treated OPEFB samples. Discussion. Since CBHB alone was inactive against crystalline cellulose these data suggested that it might work synergistically with other components of Cellic R CTec2. CBHB supplements were desirable as they further increased hydrolysis of OPEFB when the performance of Cellic® CTec2 was theoretically capped at an enzyme loading of 34% in this study. Hence, A. niger CBHB was identified as a potential supplementary enzyme for the enzymatic hydrolysis of OPEFB

Nucleation and Bulk Crystallization in Binary Phase Field Theory

We present a phase field theory for binary crystal nucleation. In the one-component limit, quantitative agreement is achieved with computer simulations (Lennard-Jones system) and experiments (ice-water system) using model parameters evaluated from the free energy and thickness of the interface. The critical undercoolings predicted for Cu-Ni alloys accord with the measurements, and indicate homogeneous nucleation. The Kolmogorov exponents deduced for dendritic solidification and for "soft-impingement" of particles via diffusion fields are consistent with experiment.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, accepted to PR