, , and clinical tests of a novel flexible ureteroscope for the diagnosis and treatment of kidney and ureteral diseases.

Purpose: Despite advances in flexible ureteroscopy, the high cost and long repair time of ureteroscopes limit their use in the urology. We compared the performance of a novel flexible ureteroscope (fURS) 'HF-EH' with that of the two contemporary fURSs 'URF-P6' and 'COBRA'.

Materials And Methods: We compared measurements of deflection angle, irrigation flow rate, and image quality between HF-EH and URF-P6 while also inspecting renal collecting systems in five female pigs.

The effect of terpene combination on ureter calculus expulsion after extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy.

Purpose: Terpene combination (Rowatinex) is known to help with the expulsion of urinary stones. The aim of this study was to determine how Rowatinex affects the expulsion of remnant stones after shock wave lithotripsy (SWL).

Materials And Methods: Clinical data were collected retrospectively from 499 patients with a diagnosis of ureteral stones who underwent SWL from January 2009 to August 2012.

Gravistimulation changes the accumulation pattern of the CsPIN1 auxin efflux facilitator in the endodermis of the transition zone in cucumber seedlings.

Cucumber (Cucumis sativus) seedlings grown in a horizontal position develop a specialized protuberance (or peg) on the lower side of the transition zone between the hypocotyl and the root. This occurs by suppressing peg formation on the upper side via a decrease in auxin resulting from a gravitational response. However, the gravity-stimulated mechanism of inducing asymmetric auxin distribution in the transition zone is poorly understood.

Bladder reconstruction using bovine pericardium in a case of enterovesical fistula.

The use of graft materials in bladder mucosa has been examined in animal models, but debate exists over which materials are effective. Intestine has been used as a substitute in augmentation cystoplasty for patients with neuropathic bladder, but serious adverse effects of the operation have occurred in some instances. We report a case of a successful repair of an enterovesical fistula by use of bovine pericardium.

Unusual foreign bodies in the urinary bladder and urethra due to autoerotism.

Most foreign bodies in the lower genitourinary tract are self-inserted via the urethra as the result of exotic impulses, psychometric problems, sexual curiosity, or sexual practice while intoxicated. Diagnosis of these foreign bodies can be done by clinical history, physical examination, and image studies of the patient. The treatment of foreign bodies is determined by their size, location, shape, and mobility.

Identification of novel mitochondrial membrane protein (Cdf 3) from Arabidopsis thaliana and its functional analysis in a yeast system.

We screened the Arabidopsis cDNA library to identify functional suppressors of AtBI-1, a gene that suppresses cell death induced by Bax gene expression in yeast. Cdf 3 encodes a 118-amino-acid protein with a molecular mass of 25 kDa. This protein has two uncharacterized domains at amino acids residues 5-64 and 74-117.