African perceptions of female attractiveness

Little is known about mate choice preferences outside Western, educated, industrialised, rich and democratic societies, even though these Western populations may be particularly unrepresentative of human populations. To our knowledge, this is the first study to test which facial cues contribute to African perceptions of African female attractiveness and also the first study to test the combined role of facial adiposity, skin colour (lightness, yellowness and redness), skin homogeneity and youthfulness in the facial attractiveness preferences of any population. Results show that youthfulness, skin colour, skin homogeneity and facial adiposity significantly and independently predict attractiveness in female African faces. Younger, thinner women with a lighter, yellower skin colour and a more homogenous skin tone are considered more attractive. These findings provide a more global perspective on human mate choice and point to a universal role for these four facial cues in female facial attractiveness.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

Ex-Vivo Ureteroscopy at the Time of Live Donor Nephrectomy

Background and Purpose: Potential transplant renal allograft recipients exceed the number of donors. Our institution now considers patients with small, unilateral, nonobstructing, incidental renal calculi for possible renal donation. We adopted ex-vivo ureteroscopy (ExURS) to render these kidneys stone free at the time of renal transplantation. We examined the safety and efficacy of ExURS. Patients and Methods: After confirming a lack of significant metabolic defects on 24-hour urinalysis, 23 patients with small nonobstructing unilateral nephrolithiasis detected on preoperative CT angiography underwent donor nephrectomy. Immediately after cold perfusion, ExURS was performed with ice cold saline irrigation. Retrospective review was performed. Results: Pyeloscopy was successfully performed in all 23 patients. A total of 28 calculi, mean largest diameter 3.9-mm (range 3-6-mm), were visualized in 19 kidneys. Basket extraction and holmium laser lithotripsy was performed in 12 and 6 kidneys, respectively. Treatment rendered 17/19 stone-containing kidneys stone free with a mean treatment time of 6.2 minutes (3-10-min). There were no intraoperative complications. Median serum creatinine level of recipients at 1 month and 1 year were 1.4+/-1.8-mg/dL and 1.3+/-0.6-mg/dL, respectively. At a median follow-up of 63+/-47.2 months, there were no transplant urinary calculi among the recipients. Conclusions: ExURS safely renders live donor kidney allografts stone free with low risk of recurrence. When used appropriately, ExURS could safely increase the number of potential kidney donors and minimize the risk of adverse stone events.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90444/1/end-2E2010-2E0627.pd

Damping Properties vs. Structure Fineness of the High-zinc Aluminum Alloys

The subject of this study is the presentation of relation between the degree of structure fineness and ultrasonic wave dampingcoefficient for the high-zinc aluminium alloys represented in this study by the sand mould cast alloy Al - 20 wt% Zn (AlZn20). Thestudied alloy was refined with a modifying (Al,Zn)-Ti3 ternary master alloy, introducing Ti in the amount of 400 pm into metal. Based on the analysis of the initial and modified alloy macrostructure images and ultrasonic testing, it was found that the addition of (Al,Zn)-Ti3 master alloy, alongside a significant fragmentation of grains, does not reduce the coefficient of ultrasonic waves with a frequency of 1 MHz

Authors' Response to Letter to the Editor

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/98450/1/end%2E2012%2E1527.pd

Long-term Outcomes of Immediate Versus Delayed Nephroureterectomy for Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma

Purpose: To compare immediate nephroureterectomy with delayed nephroureterectomy after a trial of nephron-sparing endoscopic surgery in patients who were treated initially at our institution from 1996 to 2004 for upper tract urothelial carcinoma. Patients were monitored for upper tract recurrences, metastases, cancer-specific and overall survival. Survival outcomes and perioperative measurements were compared between treatment groups. Results: Of 73 patients, 62 underwent immediate nephroureterectomy and 11 proceeded to nephroureterectomy after failed endoscopic management. Mean follow-up for all patients was 58 months and 75 months for patients who were alive at last follow-up. Patients treated initially with endoscopy averaged a surveillance procedure every 3.7 months and had a median delay to nephroureterectomy of 10 months. Perioperative measurements at time of nephroureterectomy did not differ between groups. Overall survival 5 years from initial resection in the delayed group and from nephroureterectomy in the immediate group was 64% and 59%, respectively; the corresponding 5-year cancer-specific and metastasis-free survival estimates were 91% vs 80% and 77% vs 73%, respectively (P>0.05). Pathologic progression from low to high-grade occurred in three of seven patients from the delayed group. Conclusions: Failure of endoscopic management necessitating nephroureterectomy does not appear to affect survival outcomes compared with immediate nephroureterectomy in patients with upper tract urothelial carcinoma. A trial of endoscopic management can be considered in patients with low-grade disease and a normal contralateral kidney. Endoscopy is a viable option when there are imperative indications for nephron sparing in the setting of high-grade disease.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/90447/1/end-2E2011-2E0220.pd

Dynamics of Aesthetic Appreciation for Artificial Categories

Everyday life in westernised countries is characterised by ongoing changes in the environment, for instance, through the introduction of new, innovative designs. Innovative or untypical designs often disrupt the visual habits leading to the rejection of these designs at first sight. However, since humans adapt to new experiences, e.g. through intensive elaboration of such products, the perception and thus the aesthetic appreciation (AA) inherits a dynamic quality leading to changes of AA. In six projects I demonstrated this dynamic quality of AA, which was implemented as a construct of different variables (e.g. attractiveness, arousal, interestingness, valence, boredom and innovativeness). Dynamic changes of AA were investigated using two main paradigms: the Repeated Evaluation Technique (RET), which emphasises deep elaboration of the stimulus material, and adaptation paradigms massively exposing participants to innovative or untypical exemplars. Results of all projects supported the hypothesis that new experiences trigger dynamics in AA. These dynamics were moderated by primed semantic concepts, the implemented stimulus set and situational effects. Results of the projects using adaptation paradigms supported the hypothesis that adaptation leads to the recalibration of the norm of a category being in line with the norm-based model. In this context, two important moderators were identified - namely the distance as well as the similarity of the adaptors to the tested stimuli. These results illustrated the ongoing adaptive changes of AA due to new experiences and underline the adaptive nature of perception and the representation of objects.Das Alltagsleben in "westlichen" Ländern ist durch die fortwährenden Veränderungen der Umwelt gekennzeichnet – z. B. durch die Markteinführung neuer, innovativer Produktdesigns. Innovative oder untypische Designs durchbrechen oft die Sehgewohnheiten. Dieser Umstand führt anfänglich häufig zu einer Zurückweisung dieser Designs. Da Menschen jedoch auf neue Erfahrungen adaptieren, z.B. durch die intensive Beschäftigung mit solchen Produkten, haben die Wahrnehmung und damit auch die ästhetische Beurteilung (AEB) eine dynamische Qualität, welche zu Änderungen der AEB führt. In sechs Projekten wurde diese dynamische Qualität der AEB demonstriert, welche als Konstrukt der Variablen Attraktivität, Anregung, Interessantheit, Valenz, Langeweile und Innovativität implementiert wurde. Die Dynamiken der AEB wurden durch zwei Hauptparadigma untersucht: die Repeated Evaluation Technique (RET), welche eine tiefe Elaboration des Stimulusmaterials forciert, und das Adaptationsparadigma, welches die VersuchsteilnehmerInnen massiv innovativen oder untypischen Exemplaren aussetzt. Die Resultate aller sechs Projekte unterstützen die Hypothese, dass neue Erfahrungen Dynamiken der AEB auslösen. Diese Dynamiken werden durch das Priming semantischer Konzepte, das implementierte Stimulus-Set und situationsspezifische Effekte moderiert. Die Resultate der Projekte mit Adaptationsparadigmen unterstützen die Hypothese, dass Adaptation zu der Rekalibrierung der Norm einer Kategorie führt, wie es von dem Norm-Based-Model vorhergesagt wird. In diesem Zusammenhang wurden zwei Moderatorvariablen identifiziert: die Distanz und die Ähnlichkeit der Adaptoren zu dem getesteten Stimuli. Die Resultate demonstrieren die fortwährenden adaptiven Änderungen der AEB aufgrund von neuen Erfahrungen und unterstreichen die adaptive Natur der Wahrnehmung und der Repräsentation von Objekten

Definitive Management of Failure After Pyeloplasty

Introduction: Failure after pyeloplasty is difficult to manage. We report our experience managing pyeloplasty failures. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the case log of a single surgeon, from August 1996 to August 2014, to identify all patients undergoing a surgical procedure after failed pyeloplasty. We excluded patients without follow-up exceeding 1 year from initial postpyeloplasty procedure. Failure was defined as a need for additional definitive intervention. Results: Of 247 laparoscopic pyeloplasties, 68 endopyelotomies and 305 simple laparoscopic nephrectomies reviewed, 41 were performed after previous pyeloplasty and had sufficient follow-up. Laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed in nine patients. All three secondary laparoscopic pyeloplasties were successful. Of 29 secondary endopyelotomies, 10 (34%) were successful. Of the 19 failures after secondary endopyelotomy, 12 patients had tertiary pyeloplasty (5 laparoscopic and 7 open surgical), 5 (26%) underwent tertiary endopyelotomy, and 2 (11%) required nephrectomy. Our overall endopyelotomy success rate was 38% (13/34) vs 100% (11/11) for secondary or tertiary pyeloplasty (4 patients lost to follow-up). Median time to failure was 5 months for endopyelotomy. Median follow-up for patients free from intervention was 40.2 months. Conclusions: Secondary pyeloplasty (including both laparoscopic and open surgical approach) is more than twice as successful as endopyelotomy after failed pyeloplasty. Secondary pyeloplasty is an excellent alternative to endopyelotomy in select patients with failure after initial pyeloplasty.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140085/1/end.2015.0837.pd

Ureteral Stents for Impassable Ureteroscopy

Background: For the narrow ureter that will not accommodate a ureteroscope, it is common practice to place a ureteral stent, to allow subsequent ureteroscopy in the passively dilated ureter. Surprisingly, there are limited data on the effectiveness or safety of these maneuvers. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients managed with ureteral stent placement followed by another attempt at ureteroscopy after an initial attempt of flexible ureteroscopy failed because the ureteroscope would not pass up an otherwise normal ureter. Results: Of 41 patients with follow-up who underwent ureteral stenting for this reason, the ureteroscope passed with ease poststenting in 29 (71%) and there was continued resistance in 12. Of these 12 patients, the ureteroscopy was continued despite resistance in 9, while another stent was placed in the remaining 3. Of these three patients, the third attempt at ureteroscopy was successful in two, and further attempts at ureteroscopy were not made after the third attempt failed in one. With a mean overall follow-up of 32 months, two patients (5%) developed ureteral strictures. Both were among nine patients in whom repeat ureteroscopy was performed despite resistance, with a rate of obstruction of 22% in this subgroup. Overall, ureteral stenting allowed successful ureteroscopy in 98% of patients. Conclusions: Ureteral stenting with subsequent ureteroscopy is a successful and safe method of addressing a narrow ureter that initially does not allow passage of a flexible ureteroscope, as long as persistent subsequent attempts to insert the ureteroscope are made only if it passes easily.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140373/1/end.2012.0414.pd

Symptomatic Subcapsular and Perinephric Hematoma Following Ureteroscopic Lithotripsy for Renal Calculi

Objective: Ureteroscopic lithotripsy (URSL) is believed to be associated with less risk of symptomatic renal hematoma than extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) and percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). We sought to document the rate of and risk factors for this rare complication following URSL for renal calculi. Methods: With Institutional Review Board approval, we reviewed 1087 cases of URSL performed between July 2009 and October 2012 for four surgeons. We identified cases for renal calculi complicated by symptomatic ?hematoma? by searching electronic medical records of patients undergoing URSL with a web-based search tool and cross-referencing with a departmental quality improvement database for postoperative complications. Chi-squared tests were used to assess risk factors. Results: Among 877 renal units exposed to URSL for renal calculi, 4 were complicated by symptomatic subcapsular hematomas (SH) and 3 by symptomatic perinephric hematomas (PH), yielding a 0.5% and 0.3% rate for each complication, respectively. Pain was the primary presenting symptom. Almost all cases presented within 24 to 48 hours postop. Two PH patients required postoperative blood transfusion. Four patients (two SH, two PH) were hospitalized for observation. Ureteral sheaths were used in two cases (one PH and one SH). There was no association with age, diabetes, body mass index (BMI), or operative duration (p-values all>0.05). However, hematoma did correlate with female gender, preoperative hypertension, preoperative ureteral stenting, intraoperative ureteral sheath use, and postoperative ureteral stenting (all p-values<0.0001). Conclusions: While symptomatic hematoma is a complication of URSL, the rate of such outcome (0.8%) is far less than that reported by prior series with SWL and PCNL. This may partially be attributable to collection biases, where subclinical cases are not imaged, or anchoring biases, where clinicians attribute symptoms to another possible etiology. This outcome can be morbid, but can often be conservatively managed with observation.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/140379/1/end.2014.0176.pd