Definition Change and Update of Clinical Guidelines for Interstitial Cystitis and Bladder Pain Syndrome.

The clinical guidelines for interstitial cystitis (IC) and bladder pain syndrome (BPS) have been revised by updating our previous guidelines. The symptoms of IC and BPS, collectively called as hypersensitive bladder (HSB) symptoms, are virtually indistinguishable between IC and BPS; however, IC and BPS should be considered as a separate entity of disorders. We define IC as a bladder disease with Hunner lesions, usually associated with HSB symptoms and bladder inflammation, and BPS as a condition with HSB symptoms in the absence of Hunner lesions and any confusable diseases.

Transitional Urology in Korea: Initial Insights Through a Cross-Sectional Study.

Purpose: In Korea, the field of transitional urology (TU) is in its nascent stages, with its introduction only beginning. This study aims to evaluate the existing state of TU prior to implementing a transition protocol, and to identify key areas of focus for the development of an effective transition protocol.

Methods: From June 1, 2021 to May 31, 2023, clinical data were retrospectively collected for patients who visited the adult urology or pediatric urology outpatient departments of this hospital and were aged 10 or older, with medical conditions falling under the category of TU.

Reversible Solar Heating and Radiative Cooling Devices via Mechanically Guided Assembly of 3D Macro/Microstructures.

Solar heating and radiative cooling are promising solutions for decreasing global energy consumption because these strategies use the Sun (≈5800 K) as a heating source and outer space (≈3 K) as a cooling source. Although high-performance thermal management can be achieved using these eco-friendly methods, they are limited by daily temperature fluctuations and seasonal changes because of single-mode actuation. Herein, reversible solar heating and radiative cooling devices formed via the mechanically guided assembly of 3D architectures are demonstrated.

Three-dimensional printing technology applied to the production of prosthesis: A systemic narrative review.

The purpose of this scoping review was to investigate the effects of 3-dimensional (3D)-printed prostheses. Articles published up to August 19, 2023, were searched in the PubMed, Cochrane Library, Embase, and Scopus databases. The search terms used were "3D printed prosthesis," "3D printed prostheses," "3D printed prosthe*," "3D printed artificial arm," "3D printed artificial leg," "3D printing prosthesis," "3D printing prostheses," "3D printing prosthe*," "3D printing artificial arm," and "3D printing artificial leg.

Peripheral zone thickness in preoperative MRI is predictive of Trifecta achievement after Holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).

Purpose: To investigate various anatomical features of the prostate using preoperative MRI and patients' clinical factors to identify predictors of successful Holmium:YAG laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).

Methods: 71 patients who had received HoLEP and undergone a 3.0-T prostate MRI scan within 6 months before surgery were retrospectively enrolled.

Safety and efficacy of beta-3 adrenergic agonists in treating neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate efficacy and safety of beta-3 adrenergic agonists in adults with neurogenic lower urinary tract dysfunction.

Materials And Methods: According to a protocol (CRD42022350079), we searched multiple data sources for published and unpublished randomized controlled trials (RCTs) up to 2nd August 2022. Two review authors independently screened studies and abstracted data from the included studies.

Water Vapor Therapy and Zonal Anatomy of the Prostate.

Water vapor therapy using Rezūm has been recently introduced as a minimally invasive surgery for benign prostatic hyperplasia and is being increasingly performed. However, there is a lack of real-time images showing this practice and how convective water vapor acts in the prostate gland. In real-time ultrasonography, convective water vapor rapidly spreads throughout the ipsilateral transitional zone and is mostly limited within the transitional zone.

A Pneumatically Controlled Prosthetic Socket for Transfemoral Amputees.

Amputees typically experience changes in residual limb volume in their daily lives. It causes an uncomfortable fit of the socket by applying high pressure on the sensitive area of the residual limb or by loosening the socket. In this study, we developed a transfemoral prosthetic socket for above-the-knee amputees that ensures a good socket fit by maintaining uniform and constant contact pressure despite volume changes in the residual limb.

The Use of Artificial Intelligence to Predict the Prognosis of Patients Undergoing Central Nervous System Rehabilitation: A Narrative Review.

Applications of machine learning in the healthcare field have become increasingly diverse. In this review, we investigated the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) in predicting the prognosis of patients with central nervous system disorders such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and spinal cord injury. AI algorithms have shown promise in prognostic assessment, but challenges remain in achieving a higher prediction accuracy for practical clinical use.

Experiences with an Extraperitoneal Transvesicoscopic Repair of a Vesicovaginal Fistula.

Purpose A vesicovaginal fistula (VVF) is a debilitating condition for women in terms of both its personal and social impacts. A reported transperitoneal laparoscopic approach to treatment has some limitations such as risk of intra-peritoneal organ injury and unnecessary bladder dissection. We here report on our experiences with an extraperitoneal transvesicoscopic approach to a VVF repair, which overcomes these drawbacks.

Effects of Puffing, Acid, and High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatments on Ginsenoside Profile and Antioxidant Capacity of Mountain-Cultivated .

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of puffing, acid, and high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) treatments on the ginsenoside profile and antioxidant capacity of mountain-cultivated (MCPG) before and after treatments. Puffing and HHP treatments decreased extraction yield and increased crude saponin content. The combination of puffing and HHP treatment showed significantly higher crude saponin content than each single treatment.

Effect of β3-adrenoceptor agonist on the micromotion of bilateral major pelvic ganglion-excised rat bladder.

Aims: Micromotion is an autonomous intramural movement of the bladder, and is believed to be an initial step in the generation of urinary urgency. Therefore, controlling micromotion may be a novel target in overactive bladder (OAB) treatment. However, developing micromotion treatment has been limited by the absence of a standardized animal model.

A Multicenter, Open-Label, Observational Study Evaluating the Quality of Life After Using a Hydrophilic-Coated Catheter (SpeediCath) With Self-Intermittent Catheterization.

Purpose: We evaluated the change in patient quality of life after the use of a hydrophilic-coated catheter (SpeediCath) in adults requiring intermittent catheterization (IC).

Methods: This was a multicenter, open-label, observational study using the Patient Perception of Intermittent Catheterization (PPIC) questionnaire and the Intermittent Self-Catheterization questionnaire (ISC-Q) and safety at 12 and 24 weeks in adult patients who had already used other type of catheters prior to switching to SpeediCath or in patients undergoing self-IC for the first time for any reason.

Results: Among a total of 360 subjects, 215 (59.

The Asia-Pacific AMS800 artificial urinary sphincter consensus statement.

This Asia-Pacific (AP) AMS 800™ artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) consensus statement aims to provide a set of practical recommendations to assist surgeons with the AMS 800 device surgery. The AP consensus committee consisted of key opinion leaders with extensive experience with AMS 800 surgery across several AP countries. The panel reviewed and discussed relevant findings with emphasis on locoregional and specific clinical challenges relevant to the AP region.

Multilevel Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers and Polymer Colloids for a Transparent and Sensitive Gas Sensor Platform.

The recent emerging significance of the Internet of Things (IoT) demands sensor devices to be integrated with many different functional structures and devices while conserving their original functionalities. To this end, optical transparency and mechanical flexibility of sensor devices are critical requirements for optimal integration as well as high sensitivity. In this work, a transparent, flexible, and sensitive gas sensor building platform is introduced by using multilevel self-assembly of block copolymers (BCPs) and polystyrene (PS) colloids.

Atomically Flat, 2D Edge-Directed Self-Assembly of Block Copolymers.

Nanoscale shape engineering is an essential requirement for the practical use of 2D materials, aiming at precisely customizing optimal structures and properties. In this work, sub-10-nm-scale block copolymer (BCP) self-assembled nanopatterns finely aligned along the atomic edge of 2D flakes, including graphene, MoS , and h-BN, are exploited for reliable nanopatterning of 2D materials. The underlying mechanism for the alignment of the self-assembled nanodomains is elucidated based on the wetting layer alternation of the BCP film in the presence of intermediate 2D flakes.

A 2D Ultrathin Nanopatterned Interlayer to Suppress Lithium Dendrite Growth in High-Energy Lithium-Metal Anodes.

A novel strategy for robust and ultrathin (<1 µm) multilayered protective structures to address uncontrolled Lithium (Li) dendrite growth at Li-metal battery anodes is reported. Synergetic interaction among Ag nanoparticles (Ag NPs), reduced graphene oxide (rGO) films, and self-assembled block-copolymer (BCP) layers enables effective suppression of dendritic Li growth. While Ag NP layer confines the growth of Li metal underneath the rGO layer, BCP layer facilitates the fast and uniformly distributed flux of Li-ion transport and mechanically supports the rGO layer.

Prospective randomized controlled trial comparing fulguration versus fulguration and hydrodistension for Hunner-type interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome.

Purpose: In Hunner-type interstitial cystitis/bladder pain syndrome (IC/BPS), it is unclear whether suburothelial afferents underlying normal-appearing background areas contribute to symptom development. We examined whether adding hydrodistension (HD) to transurethral fulguration (TUF) of Hunner lesions, for the purpose of treating the background areas, is superior to TUF alone.

Methods: This randomized controlled trial included 52 patients with Hunner-type IC/BPS allocated at a 1:1 (TUF:TUF+HD) ratio.

Block Copolymer Nanopatterning for Nonsemiconductor Device Applications.

Block copolymer (BCP) nanopatterning has emerged as a versatile nanoscale fabrication tool for semiconductor devices and other applications, because of its ability to organize well-defined, periodic nanostructures with a critical dimension of 5-100 nm. While the most promising application field of BCP nanopatterning has been semiconductor devices, the versatility of BCPs has also led to enormous interest from a broad spectrum of other application areas. In particular, the intrinsically low cost and straightforward processing of BCP nanopatterning have been widely recognized for their large-area parallel formation of dense nanoscale features, which clearly contrasts that of sophisticated processing steps of the typical photolithographic process, including EUV lithography.

Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms are Common After Artificial Urinary Sphincter Implantation.

Objective: To investigate lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) observed after artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) implantation for post-radical prostatectomy urinary incontinence (PRPUI).

Materials And Methods: Cases of AUS for PRPUI were evaluated. Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) was assessed using the Sandvik-incontinence severity index.

Large-Area Uniform 1-nm-Level Amorphous Carbon Layers from 3D Conformal Polymer Brushes. A "Next-Generation" Cu Diffusion Barrier?

A reliable method for preparing a conformal amorphous carbon (a-C) layer with a thickness of 1-nm-level, is tested as a possible Cu diffusion barrier layer for next-generation ultrahigh-density semiconductor device miniaturization. A polystyrene brush of uniform thickness is grafted onto 4-inch SiO /Si wafer substrates with "self-limiting" chemistry favoring such a uniform layer. UV crosslinking and subsequent carbonization transforms this polymer film into an ultrathin a-C layer without pinholes or hillocks.

Machine learning analysis to predict the need for ankle foot orthosis in patients with stroke.

We investigated the potential of machine learning techniques, at an early stage after stroke, to predict the need for ankle-foot orthosis (AFO) in stroke patients. We retrospectively recruited 474 consecutive stroke patients. The need for AFO during ambulation (output variable) was classified according to the Medical Research Council (MRC) score for the ankle dorsiflexor of the affected limb.