Additive outcome of platelet rich fibrin neourethral coverage of tubularized incised plate in primary distal hypospadias repair.

Background: Healing complications are a significant concern after hypospadias repair, often attributed to deficient growth factors and reduced healing potential of hypospadiac tissue. Platelet-Rich Fibrin (PRF), a new generation of platelet concentrates rich in growth factors, has been successfully applied to provide a mechanical barrier and promote healing in different surgical fields. The objective of this study was to assess the role of a PRF membrane covering the neourethra, in addition to a Dartos flap, optimizing the outcomes of primary distal hypospadias repair.

Outcomes of para-sacral transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation in treatment of primary and refractory overactive bladder among children.

Background: Overactive bladder (OAB) is the most prevalent lower urinary tract dysfunction among children. Refractory OAB lacks response to the first line treatments, including anticholinergic, and it is a major clinical challenge. This study aims to compare the efficacy of para-sacral transcutaneous electric nerve stimulation (PS-TENS) in the treatment of primary and refractory OAB among children.

A Cross-Day Analysis of EMG Features, Classifiers, and Regressors for Swallowing Events Detection and Fluid Intake Volume Estimation.

Dehydration is a common problem among older adults. It can seriously affect their health and wellbeing and sometimes leads to death, given the diminution of thirst sensation as we age. It is, therefore, essential to keep older adults properly hydrated by monitoring their fluid intake and estimating how much they drink.

Diffusion tensor imaging pipeline measures of cerebral white matter integrity: An overview of recent advances and prospects.

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a leading cause of age-related microvascular cognitive decline, resulting in significant morbidity and decreased quality of life. Despite a progress on its key pathophysiological bases and general acceptance of key terms from neuroimaging findings as observed on the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), key questions on CSVD remain elusive. Enhanced relationships and reliable lesion studies, such as white matter tractography using diffusion-based MRI (dMRI) are necessary in order to improve the assessment of white matter architecture and connectivity in CSVD.

Mitragynine (Kratom)-Induced Cognitive Impairments in Mice Resemble Δ9-THC and Morphine Effects: Reversal by Cannabinoid CB Receptor Antagonism.

Kratom is a widely abused plant-based drug preparation with a global interest in recent years, well beyond its native grounds in Southeast Asia. Mitragynine, its major psychoactive constituent is known to exhibit opioid-like behavioral effects with resultant neuroplasticity in the brain reward system. Its chronic administration is associated with cognitive impairments in animal studies.

The IntelliCage System: A Review of Its Utility as a Novel Behavioral Platform for a Rodent Model of Substance Use Disorder.

The use of animal models for substance use disorder (SUD) has made an important contribution in the investigation of the behavioral and molecular mechanisms underlying substance abuse and addiction. Here, we review a novel and comprehensive behavioral platform to characterize addiction-like traits in rodents using a fully automated learning system, the IntelliCage. This system simultaneously captures the basic behavioral navigation, reward preference, and aversion, as well as the multi-dimensional complex behaviors and cognitive functions of group-housed rodents.

Role of surgeon experience in the outcome of transurethral resection of bladder tumors.

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to assess the quality of transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURBTs) performed by "senior" and "junior" urologists in terms of detrusor muscle (DM) presence at the initial resection and presence of missed and residual tumors at second-look TURBT.

Patients And Methods: An analytic prospective cohort study included 171 patients with stage T1 and Ta bladder cancer who had undergone an initial TURBT. Patients were divided into two groups according to surgeon experience.

Effect of Intracavernosal Injection of Prostaglandin E1 on Duration and Rigidity of Erection in Patients With Vasculogenic Erectile Dysfunction: Is It Dose Dependent?

Objective: To assess if the effect of intracavernosal injection of prostaglandin E1 (PGE1) on duration and rigidity of erection is dose dependent in patients with different types of vasculogenic erectile dysfunction (ED)?

Methods: A hundred patients with ED were assigned into 4 groups (n = 25/each); group (A) patients with arteriogenic ED, group (B) patients with veno-occlusive ED, group (C) patients with mixed (arteriogenic and veno-occlusive) ED, and group (D) patients who have only psychogenic ED (control). After intracavernosal injection of PGE1, patients were assessed using penile Doppler ultrasonography and erection hardness score together with calculation of erection duration. The starting dose of PGE1 was 5 μg which was increased to 10 µg and 20 µg as a maximal dose when needed.

-Coumaric acid attenuates non-catalytic protein glycosylation in the retinas of diabetic rats.

In this study, we investigated the inhibitory effects of -coumaric acid on the glycosylation of proteins in the retinas of diabetic rats. Male rats were divided into two main groups, Group I (normal control) and Group II (diabetic); Group II was further divided into four subgroups: Group IIa (diabetic control), Group IIb (diabetic rats were given -coumaric acid orally [150 mg/kg, body weight (bw)/day]), Group IIc (diabetic rats were given HCA -coumaric acid orally [300 mg/kg bw/day]), and Group IId (diabetic rats were given insulin [10 units/kg bw/day]) as a positive control). The treatment lasted for six weeks, and the data obtained suggested that -coumaric acid reduced glucose and glycated hemoglobin levels, which further decreased the formation of glucose-derived advanced glycation end products.

Contraceptive Utilisation Among Mothers of Reproductive Age in Ajman, United Arab Emirates.

Objectives: This study aimed to determine contraceptive utilisation among mothers aged 18-49 years old in Ajman, United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Methods: This cross-sectional study was carried out from May to November 2013. A total of 400 participants were recruited from two primary healthcare centres and one private hospital in Ajman.

Evaluation of second-look transurethral resection in restaging of patients with nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: Evaluation of second-look transurethral resection (TUR) in avoidance of staging errors, and determination of risk factors of upstaging in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.

Patients And Methods: An analytic prospective cohort study included 91 patients with stage T(1) and T(a) bladder cancer. All patients underwent second-look TUR within 2 to 6 weeks after the initial resection.