Kidney stone disease: Practice patterns among urologists in Canada.

Introduction: Despite kidney stone disease (KSD) guidelines, high-quality evidence for KSD management in Canada is lacking. We aimed to assess Canadian urologists' practice patterns, preferences, and barriers in managing KSD.

Methods: A cross-sectional survey was distributed to Canadian urologists via the Canadian Urological Association (CUA), Quebec Urological Association (QUA), and Canadian Endourology Group (CEG), as well as directly to urology departments nationwide.

Incidence and trends in the treatment of kidney stones in Canada A population-based cohort study.

Introduction: Our objective was to assess the incidence of kidney stones requiring acute care, trends in the surgical treatment of stones, and the demographics of stone formers in Canada.

Methods: We conducted a population-based, retrospective cohort study using administrative data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information. We included Canadian residents age >18 years, outside of Quebec, who presented between January 1, 2013, and December 31, 2018, with a kidney stone episode.

Potential complications with the prescrotal approach for the palpable undescended testis? A comparison of single prescrotal incision to the traditional inguinal approach.

Purpose: Prescrotal orchiopexy is emerging as an alternative surgical approach to undescended testicles. We compare operative times, success rates and complications of single incision prescrotal orchiopexy and the traditional inguinal approach.

Materials And Methods: During a 3-year period all patients who underwent prescrotal orchiopexy were retrospectively reviewed and compared to age matched controls operated on via the traditional inguinal approach.

Novel expression of the stanniocalcin gene in fish.

It is currently accepted that the fish stanniocalcin (STC) gene is expressed exclusively in the corpuscles of Stannius (CS), unique endocrine glands on the kidneys of bony fishes. In this study, we have re-examined the pattern of fish STC gene expression in the light of the recent evidence for widespread expression of the gene in mammals. Surprisingly, we found by Northern blotting that the fish gene was also expressed in the kidneys and gonads, in addition to the CS glands.

Urinary choloyl-PABA excretion in diagnosing small intestinal bacterial overgrowth: evaluation of a new noninvasive method.

The synthetic substrate cholyl-PABA, developed by conjugating cholic acid with paraaminobenzoic acid, is hydrolyzed by the bacterial enzyme cholyl hydrolase to release free PABA. This study aimed to evaluate whether quantitating urinary excretion of PABA after oral administration of cholyl-PABA can detect small intestinal bacterial overgrowth. In the first phase, investigations were performed on 10 healthy volunteers to study the dynamics of urinary excretion of PABA and any adverse reactions after oral administration of 1.

Hypnotizability and the use of traditional dhami-jhankri healing in Nepal.

This study examined the role of hypnotic responsiveness in the practice of a dhami-jhankri, a traditional Nepali healer. The hypnotic capacity of 248 male patients was measured in an allopathic (Western) clinic, an Ayurvedic (ancient Hindu healing art) clinic, and a dhami-jhankri's practice. Hypnotizability was assessed using the Hypnotic Induction Profile (HIP).

Imagery and hypnotizability revisited.

The objective of this study was to correlate computer-generated imagery tasks and a self-report measure of imagery ability with hypnotizability, hypothesizing that computer-generated imagery tasks would be better predictors of hypnotizability than will the self-report measure. Hypnotizability of 43 subjects was assessed using the Hypnotic Induction Profile and the Stanford Hypnotic Susceptibility Scale, Form C. Imagery ability was assessed by the Visual Vividness Imagery Questionnaire (VVIQ) and by computer-generated imagery tasks measuring the ability to generate, maintain, and transform images.

Genomic structure and chromosomal localization of the human GDNFR-alpha gene.

GDNFR-alpha is a glycosyl-phosphotidylinositol-linked receptor for glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF). GDNF binds to GDNFR-alpha and this complex, in turn, is believed to interact with the RET receptor tyrosine kinase to effect downstream signalling. GDNFR-alpha belongs to a novel gene family without strong homology to known genes.

Effects of medical and psychotherapeutic treatment on the survival of women with metastatic breast carcinoma.

Background: The authors previously reported a statistically significant effect of psychosocial intervention on survival time of women with metastatic breast carcinoma. In this study, the authors investigated whether this effect could be explained by differences in the medical treatment patients received subsequent to their group participation or differences in causes of death.

Methods: Of the original 86 study participants, medical treatment charts for 61 and death certificates for 83 were available for further analysis.

Psychological and metabolic effects of dietary carbohydrates and dexfenfluramine during a low-energy diet in obese women.

Dietary carbohydrates and dexfenfluramine (dF) have been shown to influence serotoninergic neurotransmission. To assess their effect on spontaneous physical activity, mood, sleep quality, and resting metabolic rate (RMR), 32 obese females were studied while consuming diets providing 3970 kJ (950 kcal)/d. They were randomly allocated to either a diet relatively high in carbohydrates (carbohydrate:fat:protein, 49%:22%:29% of energy intake; group 1) or to a diet relatively high in fat (carbohydrate:fat:protein, 12%:59%:29%); subjects receiving the latter diet were treated additionally with either 30 mg dF (group 2) or placebo (group 3) daily in a double-blind fashion.

Atypical gap junctions in the ciliary epithelium of the albino rabbit eye.

Gap junctions are present between nonpigmented and pigmented epithelial cells layers, as well as between the adjacent pigmented cells, but not between the nonpigmented epithelial cells which face the posterior chamber. The unusual feature of these gap junctions is a dark banding which regularly appears every three rows of subunits. This dark band is the equivalent width of two rows of facets.