Neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio as a predictor of BCG response in non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the role of preoperative neutrophils to lymphocytes ratio (NLR) as a predictor for the response to BCG in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials: Nighty six patients with NMIBC were prospectively included in our study. Our study population was classified into two groups, based on pre-operative (NLR) either ⩽ or > 3.

Correction: A survey on the knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists towards the application of antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring and its challenges in Qatar.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.

Intralesional injection of mitomycin C following visual internal urethrotomy for recurrent urethral stricture: a randomized controlled study.

Aim: To assess the efficacy of Intralesional injection of mitomycin C (MMC) following visual internal urethrotomy (VIU) in the management of recurrent urethral stricture.

Materials: Fifty male patients diagnosed with recurrent single bulbar urethral stricture measuring less than 1.5 cm previously treated with VIU were randomly allocated into two equal groups, (Group A) planned for VIU only and (Group B) planned for VIU with intralesional MMC injection using Botox injection needle.

Immunotherapy and Cannabis: A Harmful Drug Interaction or Reefer Madness?

A retrospective (N = 140) and a prospective (N = 102) observational Israeli study by Bar-Sela and colleagues about cannabis potentially adversely impacting the response to immunotherapy have together been cited 202 times, including by clinical practice guidelines. There have also been concerns on PubPeer outlining irregularities and unverifiable information in their statistics and numerous errors in calculating percentages. This reanalysis attempted to verify the data analysis while including non-parametric statistics.

Is supine a preferred position for percutaneous nephrolithotomy in the pediatric age group? A randomized controlled study.

Background: The aim is to evaluate supine versus prone position in mini-percutaneous nephrolithotomy in pediatric renal urolithiasis management.

Methods: A randomized controlled trial was constructed to evaluate supine versus prone position in pediatric PCNL. Seventy pediatric patients with a stone burden ≥1.

A survey on the knowledge and attitudes of pharmacists towards the application of antimicrobial therapeutic drug monitoring and its challenges in Qatar.

Introduction: Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is an integral part of pharmaceutical care. Antimicrobials are amongst the most commonly monitored medications. Therefore, identifying the gaps in antimicrobial pharmacokinetics and TDM knowledge and skills among pharmacists is crucial to optimize TDM application.

Short course of dutasteride in treatment of a refractory category IIIB chronic prostatitis (A placebo-controlled study).

Objective: To evaluate the short-term efficacy of Dutasteride in the management of chronic prostatitis (CP)/chronic pelvic pain syndrome.

Materials And Methods: A randomized placebo-controlled double-blind study was conducted that including 50 patients diagnosed with CP based on the presence of pelvic pain for ≥3 months of the preceding 6 months. Patients were randomized into 2 equal groups to evaluate Dutasteride of 0.

Holmium: YAG Versus Cold Knife Internal Urethrotomy in the Management of Short Urethral Strictures: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

our study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of Holmium: YAG laser internal urethrotomy compared to the cold knife internal urethrotomy. Eighty adult male patients presented with a urethral stricture less than 1.5 cm were included in our study; they were randomly allocated into 2 groups representing Holmium and cold knife internal urethrotomy.

Effect of perioperative selective alpha-1 blockers in non-stented ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy for ureteric stones: a randomized controlled trial.

Introduction: The aim of this studywas to assess the efficacy of perioperative alpha-1 blockers on improving the success rate and decreasing complications of non-stented ureteroscopic laser lithotripsy for ureteric stones.

Material And Methods: A randomized control trial was conducted at two high volume urological centers from September 2017 to December 2018. We enrolled 150 patients with lower ureteric stones.

Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate versus bipolar transurethral enucleation of the prostate in management of benign prostatic hyperplasia: A randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and cost-effectiveness of holmium enucleation of the prostate and bipolar transurethral enucleation of the prostate.

Methods: In our randomized controlled trial, 120 patients were allocated into two equal groups representing holmium enucleation of the prostate and bipolar enucleation of the prostate. Operative parameters were recorded according to operative, enucleation and resection time in addition to the intraoperative complications.

Prostatic artery embolization versus transurethral resection of the prostate in management of benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Background: Transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) is considered the gold standard surgical intervention for prostate size less than 80 g. Prostatic artery embolization (PAE) has been suggested as a minimally invasive interventional radiological procedure in the management of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), especially by using the PErFecTED technique. We aim through our study to evaluate the efficacy and safety of PAE compared with those of monopolar transurethral resection of prostate (M-TURP) and bipolar transurethral resection of prostate (B-TURP) in treating lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTSs) secondary to BPH.

Simultaneous antegrade and retrograde endourological approach in Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia position for the management of missed stents associated with complex renal stones: a non-randomized pilot study.

Purpose: To evaluate the simultaneous antegrade and retrograde endourological approach in the Galdakao-modified supine Valdivia position (GMSVP) for the management of missed stent with complex renal stones.

Methods: Over 5 years, patients presented to our clinic or referred to our hospital with missed DJ stent and complex renal stones were included prospectively in our study. Inclusion criteria were patients with neglected DJ stents (more than 6 months) complicated with complex stone burden, in addition to stents that was Fragmented and required renal access for removal.

Prolapsing inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of the urinary bladder: A case report and a review of literature.

Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor (IMT) of the urinary bladder is a rare soft tissue benign tumor usually presents with hematuria, dysuria or obstructive urinary symptoms. No distant metastasis has been reported except in a single case. There is no clear consensus on the management plan yet.

Surgical management of a large iatrogenic urethral diverticulum in a male patient: A case report.

Acquired urethral diverticula in male patients are a rare finding. We report a case of a 70-year male with a past medical history of type 2 diabetes who presented with post micturition dribbling and a scrotal mass which was identified as a urethral diverticulum. We also outline the surgical management in this patient and review similar cases reported in the literature.

Surgical management of a locally invasive renal cell carcinoma in an ectopic pelvic kidney.

The coincidence of renal cell carcinoma in an ectopic kidney is a unique phenomenon. We report a case of 55 years old male patient who presented with backache and accidentally discovered ectopic kidney with an upper polar mass. Preoperative assessment was done with pelviabdominal sonography and triphasic renal CT.

Exploring the gaps between education and pharmacy practice on antimicrobial stewardship: a qualitative study among pharmacists in Qatar.

Antimicrobial resistance is a public health issue and is the focus of antimicrobial stewardship (AMS) teams within health care institutions. However, AMS is not comprehensively and fully taught in medical or pharmacy curricula and little is known about the relevance of pharmacist training to meet AMS needs in the Middle East region. We aimed to explore the discord that may exist between infectious diseases education and actual clinical practice with regard to AMS knowledge and training skills in Qatar.

Antimicrobial and anticancer activities of metabolites.

This study was conducted to evaluate the antimicrobial activities and cytotoxicity of both crude extracts of and their fractions. cytotoxicity assay against human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2), colon cancer (HCT116) and breast cancer (MCF7) cell line was monitored. The highest inhibition was observed using diethyl ether crude extract (DEE) recording between 12.

Effect of environment on the preparation of CdSe quantum dots capped with mercaptoacetic acid.

We report a preparation of CdSe quantum dots in the presence of capping molecules under ambient air and argon atmospheres. The growth of the quantum dots with applying an equimolar ratio of precursor of Cd2+ and Se2- in the presence of a high percentage of the mercaptoacetic acid as capping molecules is studied. Quantum dots are characterized via EDX, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), UV-Vis optical absorption, Raman and infrared spectroscopy.

Propolis induced antibacterial activity and other technical properties of cotton textiles.

Propolis is a gum gathered by honey bees from various plants; the honey bees use propolis to seal holes in their honey combs, smooth out the internal wall and protect the entrance against intruders. It is composed of 50% resin (flavonoids and related phenolic acid), 30% wax, 10% essential oils, 5% pollen and 5% various organic components. As a natural mixture, propolis is widely used in medicine, cosmetics and food.

One-step UV-induced modification of cellulose fabrics by polypyrrole/silver nanocomposite films.

Cellulose fabrics were coated with polypyrrole-silver (PPy/Ag) nanocomposite films via one pot photopolymerization in aqueous media. This process was optimized for various concentrations of pyrrole/textile weight ratios with fixed molar ratio of [pyrrole]/[AgNO(3)] as 2.5.

Relationship between insulin resistance and some coagulation and fibrinolytic parameters in patients with metabolic syndrome.

Background: Insulin resistance syndrome has been shown to be associated with many coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins, and these associations suggest that some coagulation and fibrinolytic proteins have a role in atherothrombotic disorders. This study was conducted to determine the levels of some of the hemostatic parameters in subjects having metabolic syndrome and to correlate these values with the anthropometric and metabolic variables associated with this syndrome.

Subjects And Methods: The participants were 46 obese nondiabetic subjects, 28 (group 1) who fulfilled the Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of the metabolic syndrome and 18 (group 2) who did not have metabolic syndrome, and a control group of 14 lean subjects (group 3) of matched age and sex.

Ultrasonic studies on polystyrene/styrene butadiene rubber polymer blends filled with glass fiber and talc.

The compatibility of solid blends: PS/SBR, PS/SBR filled with glass fiber and PS/SBR filled with talc were studied using ultrasonic pulse echo technique. Measurements were carried out at room temperature (298 K) and a frequency of 3 MHz. The ultrasonic velocity for the compressional wave and that for shear wave have been measured to obtain the elastic moduli data by knowing of density.