Comparing Patient-Reported Outcomes Following the Minimally Invasive Treatment of Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH)-Related Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms: Rezum Versus UroLift.

Purpose The purpose of this study is to compare patient-reported outcomes of minimally invasive treatments for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), namely, transurethral water vapor therapy (Rezum) and prostatic urethral lift (UroLift), due to the lack of direct comparison in the existing literature. Methods A retrospective single-institution study was conducted comparing Rezum and UroLift procedures performed by three surgeons between January 2019 and June 2022. The difference in American Urological Association Symptom Scores (AUA SS) was the primary outcome measure.

Proteomic and phosphoproteomic characterization of cardiovascular tissues after long term exposure to simulated space radiation.

It may take decades to develop cardiovascular dysfunction following exposure to high doses of ionizing radiation from medical therapy or from nuclear accidents. Since astronauts may be exposed continually to a complex space radiation environment unlike that experienced on Earth, it is unresolved whether there is a risk to cardiovascular health during long-term space exploration missions. Previously, we have described that mice exposed to a single dose of simplified Galactic Cosmic Ray (GCR) develop cardiovascular dysfunction by 12 months post-radiation.

Video analysis of beating hearts during preservation on the TransMedics® organ care system.

Background: Reliable biomarkers for assessing the viability of the donor hearts undergoing perfusion remain elusive. A unique feature of normothermic perfusion on the TransMedics® Organ Care System (OCS™) is that the donor heart is maintained in a beating state throughout the preservation period. We applied a video algorithm for an assessment of cardiac kinematics, video kinematic evaluation (Vi.

Gene Delivery to Porcine Cardiac Allografts Using a Myocardial-Enhanced Adeno-Associated Viral Vector.

Transplantation, the gold standard intervention for organ failure, is a clinical field that is ripe for applications of gene therapy. One of the major challenges in applying gene therapy to this field is the need for a method that achieves consistent and robust gene delivery to allografts. Normothermic perfusion is a growing organ preservation method and a device for cardiac preservation was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) (Organ Care System, OCS™; TransMedics, Inc.

Transvenous Endomyocardial Biopsy Technique for Intra-abdominal Heterotopic Cardiac Grafts.

The porcine intra-abdominal heterotopic heart transplantation model allows for the assessment of immunologic effects on cardiac transplantation without relying on the allograft to maintain hemodynamic support for the animal. Historically, allograft function and histology is monitored by physical exam, echocardiogram evaluation, percutaneous core biopsy, and open biopsy. We performed transvenous endomyocardial biopsies in three pigs that had undergone heterotopic heart implantation.

Late onset cardiovascular dysfunction in adult mice resulting from galactic cosmic ray exposure.

The complex and inaccessible space radiation environment poses an unresolved risk to astronaut cardiovascular health during long-term space exploration missions. To model this risk, healthy male c57BL/6 mice aged six months (corresponding to an astronaut of 34 years) were exposed to simplified galactic cosmic ray (GCR; 5-ion sim) irradiation at the NASA Space Radiation Laboratory (NSRL) at Brookhaven National Laboratories (BNL). Multi-modal cardiovascular functional assessments performed longitudinally and terminally revealed significant impairment in cardiac function in mice exposed to GCR compared to unirradiated controls, gamma irradiation, or single mono-energetic ions (Fe or O).

A Porcine Heterotopic Heart Transplantation Protocol for Delivery of Therapeutics to a Cardiac Allograft.

Cardiac transplantation is the gold standard treatment for end-stage heart failure. However, it remains limited by the number of available donor hearts and complications such as primary graft dysfunction and graft rejection. The recent clinical use of an ex vivo perfusion device in cardiac transplantation introduces a unique opportunity for treating cardiac allografts with therapeutic interventions to improve function and avoid deleterious recipient responses.

Prediction and Interpretation of Polymer Properties Using the Graph Convolutional Network.

We present machine learning models for the prediction of thermal and mechanical properties of polymers based on the graph convolutional network (GCN). GCN-based models provide reliable prediction performances for the glass transition temperature ( ), melting temperature ( ), density (ρ), and elastic modulus () with substantial dependence on the dataset, which is the best for ( ∼ 0.9) and worst for ( ∼ 0.

Comparison of Machine Learning Methods towards Developing Interpretable Polyamide Property Prediction.

Polyamides are often used for their superior thermal, mechanical, and chemical properties. They form a diverse set of materials that have a large variation in properties between linear to aromatic compounds, which renders the traditional quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) challenging. We use extended connectivity fingerprints (ECFP) and traditional QSPR fingerprints to develop machine learning models to perform high fidelity prediction of glass transition temperature (Tg), melting temperature (Tm), density (ρ), and tensile modulus (E).

Regulation of glucose responsive protein (GRP) gene expression by insulin.

While screening for insulin-induced genes, we identified two members of a family of stress-induced genes referred to as glucose-regulated proteins (GRPs). GRPs are members of the stress-responsive superfamily of genes which also includes heat shock proteins (HSPs). The GRP proteins are not normally heat-inducible, but are overproduced when cells are starved of glucose.

The use of an inexpensive processing aid device (the Mouse PAD) to facilitate rodent tissue banking.

The generation of an experimental animal model often requires considerable investment of both time and money. Typically, investigators are interested in specific organs and when experimental animals are euthanized, tissues that are not the focus of the research project are discarded. However, the remaining tissues from these animals could provide valuable scientific information if efficient, error-proof and economical approaches to collect and biobank them were available.

A normothermic ex vivo organ perfusion delivery method for cardiac transplantation gene therapy.

Clinically, both percutaneous and surgical approaches to deliver viral vectors to the heart either have resulted in therapeutically inadequate levels of transgene expression or have raised safety concerns associated with extra-cardiac delivery. Recent developments in the field of normothermic ex vivo cardiac perfusion storage have now created opportunities to overcome these limitations and safety concerns of cardiac gene therapy. This study examined the feasibility of ex vivo perfusion as an approach to deliver a viral vector to a donor heart during storage and the resulting bio distribution and expression levels of the transgene in the recipient post-transplant.

Solution-Phase Conformation and Dynamics of Conjugated Isoindigo-Based Donor-Acceptor Polymer Single Chains.

Conjugated polymers are the key material in thin-film organic optoelectronic devices due to the versatility of these molecules combined with their semiconducting properties. A molecular-scale understanding of conjugated polymers is important to the optimization of the thin-film morphology. We examine the solution-phase behavior of conjugated isoindigo-based donor-acceptor polymer single chains of various chain lengths using atomistic molecular dynamics simulations.

Insulin attenuates TNFα-induced hemopexin mRNA: An anti-inflammatory action of insulin in rat H4IIE hepatoma cells.

Proinflammatory cytokines, including TNF-α and IL-6, can contribute to insulin resistance. Conversely, insulin has some actions that can be considered anti-inflammatory. Hemopexin is a Class 2 acute phase reactant and control of its transcription is predominantly regulated by IL-6, with TNF-α and IL-1β also inducing hemopexin gene expression.

Polytrauma-induced hepatic stress response and the development of liver insulin resistance.

Insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction are common following injury. Polytrauma is defined as combined injuries to more than one body part or organ system, and is common in modern warfare, as well as automobile and industrial accidents. Polytrauma can include any combination of burn injury, fracture, hemorrhage, trauma to the extremities, and blunt or penetrating trauma.

Urinary Catheter Management for Nonurologists: A Resident Driven Educational Initiative.

Introduction: Prevention of catheter associated urinary tract infection relies on timely catheter removal and care of indwelling catheters. Educational and quality improvement initiatives to prevent catheter associated urinary tract infection should address the basics of urinary catheter placement and management. Internal medicine residents are an appropriate target for these efforts and they may lack formal training in these issues.

Preoperative Belladonna and Opium Suppository for Ureteral Stent Pain: A Randomized, Double-blinded, Placebo-controlled Study.

Objective: To investigate whether the use of a belladonna and opium (B&O) rectal suppository administered immediately before ureteroscopy (URS) and stent placement could reduce stent-related discomfort.

Methods: A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study was performed from August 2013 to December 2014. Seventy-one subjects were enrolled and randomized to receive a B&O (15 mg/30 mg) or a placebo suppository after induction of general anesthesia immediately before URS and stent placement.

Prenylation differentially inhibits insulin-dependent immediate early gene mRNA expression.

Increased activity of prenyl transferases is observed in pathological states of insulin resistance, diabetes, and obesity. Thus, functional inhibitors of farnesyl transferase (FTase) and geranylgeranyl transferase (GGTase) may be promising therapeutic treatments. We previously identified insulin responsive genes from a rat H4IIE hepatoma cell cDNA library, including β-actin, EGR1, Pip92, c-fos, and Hsp60.

A rat model of concurrent combined injuries (polytrauma).

Polytrauma, a combination of injuries to more than one body part or organ system, is common in modern warfare and in automobile and industrial accidents. The combination of injuries can include burn injury, fracture, hemorrhage, trauma to the extremities, and trauma to specific organ systems. To investigate the effects of combined injuries, we have developed a new and highly reproducible model of polytrauma.

First in Human Clinical Trial of Ultrasonic Propulsion of Kidney Stones.

Purpose: Ultrasonic propulsion is a new technology using focused ultrasound energy applied transcutaneously to reposition kidney stones. We report what are to our knowledge the findings from the first human investigational trial of ultrasonic propulsion toward the applications of expelling small stones and dislodging large obstructing stones.

Materials And Methods: Subjects underwent ultrasonic propulsion while awake without sedation in clinic, or during ureteroscopy while anesthetized.

Use of the Acoustic Shadow Width to Determine Kidney Stone Size with Ultrasound.

Purpose: Ultrasound is known to overestimate kidney stone size. We explored measuring the acoustic shadow behind kidney stones combined with different ultrasound imaging modalities to improve stone sizing accuracy.

Materials And Methods: A total of 45 calcium oxalate monohydrate stones were imaged in vitro at 3 different depths with the 3 different ultrasound imaging modalities of conventional ray line, spatial compound and harmonic imaging.

Renal Vasoconstriction Occurs Early During Shockwave Lithotripsy in Humans.

Introduction: In animal models, pretreatment with low-energy shock waves and a pause decreased renal injury from shockwave lithotripsy (SWL). This is associated with an increase in perioperative renal resistive index (RI). A perioperative rise is not seen without the protective protocol, which suggests that renal vasoconstriction during SWL plays a role in protecting the kidney from injury.

Shockwave lithotripsy with renoprotective pause is associated with renovascular vasoconstriction in humans.

Animal studies have shown that shock wave lithotripsy (SWL) delivered with an initial course of low-energy shocks followed by a pause reduces renal injury. The pause correlates with increased arterial resistive index (RI) during SWL as measured by ultrasound. This suggests that renal vasoconstriction is associated with protecting the kidney from injury.

Ultrasonic propulsion of kidney stones: preliminary results of human feasibility study.

One in 11 Americans has experienced kidney stones, with a 50% average recurrence rate within 5-10 years. Ultrasonic propulsion (UP) offers a potential method to expel small stones or residual fragments before they become a recurrent problem. Reported here are preliminary findings from the first investigational use of UP in humans.