A multicenter study of perioperative and functional outcomes of open vs. robot assisted uretero-enteric reimplantation after radical cystectomy.

Introduction: Open ureteroenteric reimplantation (OUER) of ureteroenteric strictures (UESs) is related to important morbidity. Robot-assisted ureteroenteric reimplantation (RUER) has been proposed to provide similar outcomes with lower morbidity. We aimed to compare perioperative and functional outcomes between RUER and OUER.

Convergent procedure for long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation in heart failure with reduced ejection fraction.

Background: Catheter ablation for atrial fibrillation in patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction is associated with a significant reduction in morbimortality. The convergent procedure is a valid ablation option for the treatment of long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation.

Aim: To describe the outcomes of patients with heart failure with reduced ejection fraction and long-standing persistent atrial fibrillation who underwent the convergent procedure.

The Safety and Feasibility of Aquablation in Patients with Previous Surgery for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.

Aquablation for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) secondary to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) has been adopted to treat a wide range of prostate anatomies including glands up to 150 cc. Patients with recurrence of LUTS after previous BPH procedure often present with variant anatomy, and a paucity of literature exists on the optimal treatment modality for these patients. Herein, we evaluate the safety and feasibility of aquablation in patients with previous BPH surgical history.

Role of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides as a Catalyst Support for Decorating Gold Nanoparticles for Enhanced Hydrogen Evolution Reaction.

The two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been widely used in various electrochemical applications, such as electrocatalysts, sensors, and energy storage. They have been potentially demonstrated not only as catalysts but also as supporting materials for boosting catalytic performance and durability. However, the different types of TMD nanosheets (transition metals and chalcogenide atoms) for supporting nanoparticles have not yet been investigated for electrocatalytic performance.

Robotic management of urinary fistula.

Objectives: To highlight critical preoperative and intraoperative considerations in approaching fistula repair robotically.

Methods: A search of the literature was conducted to identify relevant articles pertaining to robotic management of urinary fistulae.

Results: Fistulae of the genitourinary tract can be a challenging dilemma for urologists, as definitive management may require surgical intervention.

A Feasibility Study of [F]F-AraG Positron Emission Tomography (PET) for Cardiac Imaging-Myocardial Viability in Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury Model.

Purpose: Myocardial infarction (MI) with subsequent inflammation is one of the most common heart conditions leading to progressive tissue damage. A reliable imaging marker to assess tissue viability after MI would help determine the risks and benefits of any intervention. In this study, we investigate whether a new mitochondria-targeted imaging agent, F-labeled 2'-deoxy-2'-F-fluoro-9-β-d-arabinofuranosylguanine ([F]F-AraG), a positron emission tomography (PET) agent developed for imaging activated T cells, is suitable for cardiac imaging and to test the myocardial viability after MI.

SiamQuality: a ConvNet-based foundation model for photoplethysmography signals.

. Physiological data are often low quality and thereby compromises the effectiveness of related health monitoring. The primary goal of this study is to develop a robust foundation model that can effectively handle low-quality issue in physiological data.

Magnetic Tunability via Control of Crystallinity and Size in Polycrystalline Iron Oxide Nanoparticles.

Iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) are widely used for biomedical applications due to their unique magnetic properties and biocompatibility. However, the controlled synthesis of IONPs with tunable particle sizes and crystallite/grain sizes to achieve desired magnetic functionalities across single-domain and multi-domain size ranges remains an important challenge. Here, a facile synthetic method is used to produce iron oxide nanospheres (IONSs) with controllable size and crystallinity for magnetic tunability.

A feasibility study of [18F]F-AraG positron emission tomography (PET) for cardiac imaging - myocardial viability in ischemia-reperfusion injury model.

Purpose: Myocardial infarction (MI) with subsequent inflammation is one of the most common heart conditions leading to progressive tissue damage. A reliable imaging marker to assess tissue viability after MI would help determine the risks and benefits of any intervention. In this study, we investigate whether a new mitochondria-targeted imaging agent, F-labeled 2'-deoxy-2'-F-fluoro-9-β-d-arabinofuranosylguanine ([F]F-AraG), a positron emission tomography (PET) agent developed for imaging activated T cells, is suitable for cardiac imaging and to test the myocardial viability after MI.

Percutaneous Alginate Hydrogel Endomyocardial Injection with a Novel Dedicated Catheter Delivery System: An Animal Feasibility Study.

The objective of this preclinical study was to evaluate the feasibility and safety of transcatheter endocardial alginate hydrogel injection (TEAi) in a large animal model, utilizing the high-stiffness XDROP® alginate hydrogel in combination with the dedicated EndoWings® catheter-based system. All swine (n = 9) successfully underwent TEAi without complications. Acute results from a subset of animals (n = 5) demonstrated the ability of the catheter to access a wide range of endomyocardial areas and achieve consecutive circumferential hydrogel distribution patterns within the mid-left ventricular wall.

Learning From Alarms: A Robust Learning Approach for Accurate Photoplethysmography-Based Atrial Fibrillation Detection Using Eight Million Samples Labeled With Imprecise Arrhythmia Alarms.

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is a common cardiac arrhythmia with serious health consequences if not detected and treated early. Detecting AF using wearable devices with photoplethysmography (PPG) sensors and deep neural networks has demonstrated some success using proprietary algorithms in commercial solutions. However, to improve continuous AF detection in ambulatory settings towards a population-wide screening use case, we face several challenges, one of which is the lack of large-scale labeled training data.

Acute alcohol exposure and electrocardiographic changes: Finding from the HOLIDAY trial.

Background: Alcohol consumption is associated with a higher increased risk of atrial fibrillation (AF), but the acute effects on cardiac electrophysiology in humans remain poorly understood. The HOw ALcohol InDuces Atrial TachYarrhythmias (HOLIDAY) Trial revealed that alcohol shortened pulmonary vein atrial effective refractory periods, but more global electrophysiologic changes gleaned from the surface ECG have not yet been reported.

Methods: This was a secondary analysis of the HOLIDAY Trial.

Transfection of Unmodified MicroRNA Using Monolayer-Coated Au Nanoparticles as Gene-Delivery Vehicles.

This article describes a monolayer-coated gold nanoparticle-based transfection system for the delivery of microRNA (miRNA) into human osteosarcoma (HOS) cells. Two distinct ammonium-terminated adsorbates were used in this study, which provided a platform for ionic bonding of the miRNA onto gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). The custom-designed monolayer-coated gold nanoparticles were characterized by dynamic light scattering, gel mobility shift assay, transmission electron microscopy, ultraviolet-visible spectrometry, zeta potential, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Preoperative Predictors of Surgical Success for Robotic Ureteral Reconstruction of Proximal and Middle Ureteral Strictures.

Objective: To investigate predictors of surgical success for patients undergoing robotic ureteral reconstruction (RUR) for ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO), proximal, and middle ureteral stricture disease.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed our multi-institutional Collaborative of Reconstructive Robotic Ureteral Surgery database to identify all consecutive patients undergoing RUR for UPJO, proximal and/or middle ureteral stricture disease between April 2012 and December 2020. The specific reconstruction technique was determined by the primary surgeon based on clinical history and intraoperative findings.

Local decorin delivery via hyaluronic acid microrods improves cardiac performance, ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction.

Heart failure (HF) remains a global public health burden and often results following myocardial infarction (MI). Following injury, cardiac fibrosis forms in the myocardium which greatly hinders cellular function, survival, and recruitment, thus severely limits tissue regeneration. Here, we leverage biophysical microstructural cues made of hyaluronic acid (HA) loaded with the anti-fibrotic proteoglycan decorin to more robustly attenuate cardiac fibrosis after acute myocardial injury.

Fibulin-3 is necessary to prevent cardiac rupture following myocardial infarction.

Despite the high prevalence of heart failure in the western world, there are few effective treatments. Fibulin-3 is a protein involved in extracellular matrix (ECM) structural integrity, however its role in the heart is unknown. We have demonstrated, using single cell RNA-seq, that fibulin-3 was highly expressed in quiescent murine cardiac fibroblasts, with expression highest prior to injury and late post-infarct (from ~ day-28 to week-8).

Transition to Value-based Healthcare: Development, Implementation, and Results of an Optimal Surgical Care Framework at a National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Background: The continued rise in healthcare expenditures has not produced commensurate improvements in patient outcomes, leading US healthcare stakeholders to emphasize value-based care. Transition to such a model requires all team members to adopt a new strategic and organizational framework.

Objective: To describe and report a strategy for the implementation of a novel patient-centered value-based "optimal surgical care" (OSC) framework, with validation and cost analysis in kidney surgery.

Sum frequency generation spectroscopy of fluorinated organic material-based interfaces: a tutorial review.

Molecular interactions at interfaces have a significant effect on the wetting properties of surfaces on a macroscale. Sum frequency generation (SFG) spectroscopy, one of a few techniques capable of probing such interactions, generates a surface vibrational spectrum sensitive to molecular structures and has been used to determine the orientation of molecules at interfaces. The purpose of this review is to assess SFG spectroscopy's ability to determine the molecular orientations of interfaces composed of fluorinated organic molecules.

Hybrid epicardial and endocardial sinus node-sparing ablation therapy for inappropriate sinus tachycardia: Rationale and design of the multicenter HEAL-IST IDE trial.

Background: Inappropriate sinus tachycardia (IST) is defined as resting heart rate >100 beats/min and average 24-hour heart rate >90 beats/min. It is associated with distressing symptoms and significant loss of quality of life. Drugs are not effective in symptom control of IST in up to 30% of patients.