Comparative analysis of unilateral and bilateral flexible ureterorenoscopy: a cohort multicentre study

Introduction. Flexible ureteroscopy (fURS) with laser lithotripsy is the «gold standard» for minimally invasive treatment in patients with kidney stones less than 20 mm. Currently, there are no objective data on the efficacy and safety of bilateral interventions.Objective. To study the results of bilateral flexible URS (B-fURS) versus unilateral flexible URS (U-fURS).Materials & methods. Eighty patients prospectively enrolled in the study from July 2022 to December 2022 and was divided into 2 groups. Group 1 (n = 40) underwent U-fURS and Group 2 (n = 40) underwent B-fURS. A single stone up to 20 mm or multiple small calyx stones was an indication for the operation. The baseline values were comparable between the groups, but in the B-fURS group a 39.0% higher incidence (p > 0.002) of multiple stones and a 28.0% higher incidence (p > 0.001) of stones in the lower pole. Previous interventions were also more frequent in Group 1 (B-fURS) patients.Results. Stone-free rate did not differ (p > 0.9) between the groups and was 95.0% and 97.5%, respectively. No serious complications (p > 0.9) of Clavien III–V were observed in both groups.Conclusion. Bilateral flexible ureteroscopy is a safe and effective option for patients with bilateral kidney stones, allowing removal of stones in one anesthesia on both sides

Conservative therapy of uric acid lithiasis: a review of literature

Urolithiasis (UL) continues to play an important role in the daily practice of urologists and general practitioners. According to various sources, uric acid nephrolithiasis accounts for about 20% of all cases of urolithiasis. Risk factors for uric acid nephrolithiasis include hyperuricemia, hyperuricosuria, decreased urine output and low urine pH. The major risk factor for UL, low urine pH, is managed by different citrate drugs. Citrate mixtures are strong base salts combined with weak acids which alkalize (neutralize) urine pH, whereas the acid component is metabolised. In patients diagnosed with hyperuricemia, uric acid production can be reduced with the help of xanthine oxidase inhibitors which act as suppressors of xanthine oxidase - an enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid which is the end-product of purine metabolism in humans. The medical literature confirms the efficacy of citrate mixtures and xanthine oxidase inhibitors for the treatment of patients with uric acid nephrolithiasis

Improvement of the Methodology of Forming the Financial Result of the Organization in the Conditions of Economic Transformation

The relevance of the research topic is determined by the fact that in a market economy, obtaining income and expenses is the direct goal of the enterprise, since it is the profit that creates guarantees for the existence and development of the organization. Significant changes occurring both in the macroeconomic aspect and at the level of an individual organization require an immediate solution to issues related to the optimization of production activities, namely, maximizing income and minimizing costs. The experience that the organizations have faced has shown to a greater extent the need to improve the methodological approach to the formation of financial results

ns or fs pulsed laser ablation of a bulk InSb target in liquids for nanoparticles synthesis

International audienceLaser ablation of bulk target materials in liquids has been established as an alternative method for the synthesis of nanoparticles colloidal solutions mainly due to the fact that the synthesized nanoparticles have bare, ligand-free surfaces since no chemical precursors are used for their synthesis. InSb is a narrow band gap semiconductor which has the highest carrier mobility of any known semiconductor and nanoparticles of this material are useful in optoelectronic device fabrication. In this paper a bulk InSb target was ablated in deionized (DI) water or ethanol using a nanosecond (20ns) or a femtosecond (90fs) pulsed laser source, for nanoparticles synthesis. In all four cases the largest percentage of the nanoparticles are of InSb in the zincblende crystal structure with fcc lattice. Oxides of either In or Sb are also formed in the nanoparticles ensembles in the case of ns or fs ablation, respectively. Formation of an oxide of either element from the two elements of the binary bulk alloy is explained based on the difference in the ablation mechanism of the material in the case of ns or fs pulsed laser irradiation in which the slow or fast deposition of energy into the material results to mainly melting or vaporization, respectively under the present conditions of ablation, in combination with the lower melting point but higher vaporization enthalpy of In as compared to Sb. InSb in the metastable phase with orthorhombic lattice is also formed in the nanoparticles ensembles in the case of fs ablation in DI water (as well as oxide of InSb) which indicates that the synthesized nanoparticles exhibit polymorphism controlled by the type of the laser source used for their synthesis. The nanoparticles exhibit absorption which is observed to be extended in the infrared region of the spectrum

Thoughts on an education

Research in nanoscience and nanotechnology has grown rapidly in recent years and has provided numerous scientific and technological breakthroughs. The field has also, in some sense, changed the way in which a research topic can be tackled, unconstrained by traditional scientific disciplines. However, what effect have the developments in research had on the curriculum being taught in universities? And what sort of education do the nanotechnologists of the future need to succeed? Nature Nanotechnology asked a range of current, or recently graduated, masters and PhD students about their own experiences, and what, if anything, they would change about the current education system.3 page(s