Voltage decay and redox asymmetry mitigation by reversible cation migration in lithium-rich layered oxide electrodes.

Despite the high energy density of lithium-rich layered-oxide electrodes, their real-world implementation in batteries is hindered by the substantial voltage decay on cycling. This voltage decay is widely accepted to mainly originate from progressive structural rearrangements involving irreversible transition-metal migration. As prevention of this spontaneous cation migration has proven difficult, a paradigm shift toward management of its reversibility is needed.

Nanoscale Phenomena in Lithium-Ion Batteries.

The electrochemical properties and performances of lithium-ion batteries are primarily governed by their constituent electrode materials, whose intrinsic thermodynamic and kinetic properties are understood as the determining factor. As a part of complementing the intrinsic material properties, the strategy of nanosizing has been widely applied to electrodes to improve battery performance. It has been revealed that this not only improves the kinetics of the electrode materials but is also capable of regulating their thermodynamic properties, taking advantage of nanoscale phenomena regarding the changes in redox potential, solid-state solubility of the intercalation compounds, and reaction paths.

Testosterone modulates endothelial progenitor cells in rat corpus cavernosum.

Objective: To investigate the effects of testosterone on cavernosal endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in a castrated rat model.

Materials And Methods: In all, 45 male Sprague-Dawley rats (12-weeks old) were divided into control, surgical castration, and castration with testosterone replacement groups. The rats were castrated under ketamine anaesthesia, and testosterone was administered by daily subcutaneous injection of 3 mg/kg testosterone propionate.

The Effect of Korean Red Ginseng on Sexual Function in Premenopausal Women: Placebo-Controlled, Double-Blind, Crossover Clinical Trial.

This study investigated whether Korean red ginseng (KRG) extracts could improve sexual function in premenopausal women. Forty-one premenopausal women participated in this placebo-controlled, double-blind, and crossover clinical study with administration of either three ginseng capsules (1 g per capsule) or placebo daily. After 8 weeks of medication of KRG or placebo, medication was changed for the subjects to placebo or KRG after 2 weeks of washout period.

Men with Hypertension are More Likely to Have Severe Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Large Prostate Volume.

Objective: Patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular disease. We evaluated the correlation between LUTS and cardiovascular risk factors in men presenting with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 295 men with transurethral resection of the prostate for the treatment of BPH and LUTS.

Upgrading and upstaging of low-risk prostate cancer among Korean patients: a multicenter study.

Only 54% of prostate cancer cases in Korea are localized compared with 82% of cases in the US. Furthermore, half of Korean patients are upgraded after radical prostatectomy (41.6%-50.

Application of bone scans for prostate cancer staging: Which guideline shows better result?

Introduction: We evaluated the accuracy of current guidelines by analyzing bone scan results and clinical parameters of patients with prostate cancer to determine the optimal guideline for predicting bone metastasis.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients who were diagnosed with prostate cancer and who underwent a bone scan. Bone metastasis was confirmed by bone scan results with clinical and radiological follow-up.

Predictors of intravesical recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma: an inflammation-based prognostic score.

Purpose: Systemic inflammatory responses, which are defined in terms of the Glasgow prognostic score (GPS), have been reported to be independent predictors of unfavorable outcomes in various human cancers. We assessed the utility of the GPS as a predictor of intravesical recurrence after radical nephroureterectomy (RNU) in upper urinary tract carcinoma (UTUC).

Materials And Methods: We collected data for 147 UTUC patients with no previous history of bladder cancer who underwent RNU from 2004 to 2012.

Prognostic factors for recurrence-free and overall survival after adrenalectomy for metastatic carcinoma: a retrospective cohort pilot study.

Background: The survival benefits of adrenalectomy (ADx) in the setting of metastatic cancer and prognostic factors for recurrence-free (RFS) and overall survival (OS) after adrenalectomy for metastatic carcinoma are still under debate. We evaluated the impact of clinicopathological variables on RFS and OS after ADx for metastatic carcinoma in patients with primary cancer.

Methods: A total of 32 patients undergoing ADx for metastatic cancer between 2004 and 2012 at two tertiary medical centers.

Factors influencing the failure of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy with Piezolith 3000 in the management of solitary ureteral stone.

Studies of predictive factors of extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL) failure in patients with ureteral stones have not yielded results sufficient to prevent ESWL failure. The present study investigated patients with ureteral stone and analyzed the predictive factors of ESWL failure. Ninety patients with ureteral stone treated from January 2006 to June 2012 using ESWL for ureteral stone were enrolled.

Is larger tumor size a contraindication to retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy?

Purpose: To evaluate the surgical feasibility of retroperitoneal laparoscopic adrenalectomy for tumors exceeding 5 cm.

Methods: A retrospective review was carried out on all adrenalectomies performed between 2002 and 2011. All surgical procedures were performed or supervised by one of two experienced laparoscopic surgeons.

Are more low-risk prostate cancers detected by repeated biopsy? A retrospective pilot study.

Purpose: We hypothesized that there might be a higher incidence of low-risk prostate cancer (PCa) in men diagnosed at a repeated biopsy. Thus, we investigated differences in clinicopathological results of PCa after primary and repeated biopsy.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with PCa at a primary or repeated biopsy from January 2004 to April 2011.

Preoperative hydronephrosis and diabetes mellitus predict poor prognosis in upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma.

Introduction: We assess the impact of traditional prognostic factors, tumour location, degree of hydronephrosis and diabetes mellitus (DM) on the survival of patients treated for upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUTUC).

Methods: From January 2004 to March 2010, we analyzed data from 114 patients with UUTUC who underwent nephroureterectomy with a bladder cuff excision. Median patient age was 71 years and median follow-up was 26.

Self-Reported Prevalence of and Attitudes toward Premature Ejaculation in a Community-Based Study of Married Couples.

Purpose: We evaluated the self-reported prevalence of and attitudes toward premature ejaculation (PE) in a community-based study of married couples.

Materials And Methods: A community-based cross-sectional study of PE was conducted among married couples in Gwangju, Korea. Self-reported data were collected through the use of questionnaires, which included demographic questions, the Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool (PEDT), the intravaginal ejaculation latency time (IELT), patient-reported outcome (PRO), and the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI).

A preliminary study of the variability in location of the ureteral orifices with bladder filling by fluoroscopic guidance: the gender difference.

Background And Purpose: To determine landmarks for stent positioning in both ureteral orifices (UOs) and the gender differences in their location in men and women.

Patients And Methods: The location of the UO and the bladder neck (BN) was measured fluoroscopically by the intravesical distal location of an open-ended catheter marked with radiopaque materials. We compared the location in men (n = 12) and women (n = 12) with a full bladder (hydrostatic pressure of 50 cmH2O) or an empty bladder.

Expression and localization of aquaporins in benign prostate hyperplasia and prostate cancer.

The aquaporin (AQP) families of water channels are intrinsic membrane proteins that facilitate selective water and small solute movement across the plasma membrane. The purposes of this study were to determine the expression and localization of AQPs in benign prostatic hyperplasia and prostate cancer. Prostatic tissue was collected from patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia or prostate cancer by transurethral resection of the prostate.

Is further evaluation needed for incidental focal uptake in the prostate in 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography images?

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of secondary evaluation to detect prostate cancer that was primarily manifested as abnormal hypermetabolism detected by 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT). We also evaluated the association of maximum standardized uptake values (SUVmax) on PET/CT with clinicopathologic results.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated PET/CT reports from a total of 12,037 patients to find cases with abnormal prostate hypermetabolism.