Self-adjusted Nitrous Oxide During Urodynamic Studies Reduces Patient Pain Without Compromising Study Quality: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background And Objective: A urodynamic study (UDS) is a routine clinic procedure that can cause significant discomfort for certain patients, with no satisfactory analgesic alternatives currently available. Our aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of low-dose self-adjusted nitrous oxide (SANO), titrated to the patient's desired effect, on standard metrics for bladder function and on patient-reported pain and anxiety.

Methods: We conducted a single-institution, double-blind, randomized crossover trial in adults undergoing UDS.

Unique Breast Cancer Screening Disparities in a Safety-Net Health System.

Introduction: Breast cancer screening (BCS) disparities leave historically underserved groups more vulnerable to adverse outcomes. This study explores granular associations between BCS and patient sociodemographic factors in a large urban safety-net health system.

Methods: A retrospective review among female patients ages 50-74 within an urban safety-net health system was conducted in 2019.

Colorectal cancer screening in a safety-net health system: The intersectional impact of race, ethnicity, language, and mental health.

Though rates of colorectal cancer (CRC) screening continue to improve with increased advocacy and awareness, there are numerous disparities that continue to be defined within different health systems and populations. We aimed to define associations between patients' socio-demographic characteristics and CRC screening in a well-resourced safety-net health system. A retrospective review was performed from 2018 to 2019 of patients between 50 and 75-years-old who had a primary care visit within the last two years.

Disparities in the prevalence and management of high-risk non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Objective: To evaluate the associations of socioeconomic characteristics with the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Methods: We identified adult patients aged 18 to 89 years with Ta, T1, or Tis NMIBC in the NCDB. We then examined the associations of patient and socioeconomic characteristics with the guidelines-based management of high-risk NMIBC using multivariable logistic regression.

Perceived Message Effectiveness of the Meatless Monday Campaign: An Experiment With US Adults.

Given the negative health and environmental impacts of red meat consumption, reducing red meat intake in the United States is important for both human and planetary well-being. To experimentally evaluate the impact of health-focused and environment-focused messages from the Meatless Monday campaign, we conducted an online randomized experiment among US adults aged 18 years or older (n = 1244). Compared with control messages, health-focused and environment-focused Meatless Monday messages led to significantly higher perceived message effectiveness and increased intention to reduce meat consumption.

Prognostic impact of muscular venous branch invasion in localized renal cell carcinoma cases.

Purpose: Beginning with the 2002 American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system, renal sinus muscular venous branch invasion has prognostic equivalence with renal vein invasion in renal cell carcinoma cases. To validate this presumed equivalence we compared patients with isolated muscular venous branch invasion to those with renal vein invasion and those with no confirmed vascular invasion.

Materials And Methods: From routine cataloging at our institution we identified 500 patients who underwent partial or radical nephrectomy from 2003 to 2008.

Radical prostatectomy reigns supreme.

The clinical incidence of prostate cancer continues to increase in the patient population, while the actual mortality has remained relatively low. As clinicians, we struggle to identify those patients who require intervention for their disease and to determine which treatment modality is best. Active surveillance, brachytherapy, external-beam radiation therapy, and surgical radical prostatectomy (RP) are the current options for prostate cancer treatment, each with a distinct impact on a patient's health-related quality of life.

Effects of physiologic challenge on the ADC of intracellular water in the Xenopus oocyte.

The biophysical determinants of the intracellular water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in mammalian tissues are poorly understood. Model systems that are more amenable to physical measurements may provide insights into the behavior of more complex systems. Toward that end, we used MRI to evaluate the effects of altered microtubule concentration, nuclear breakdown, and ATP depletion on intracellular water ADC in the Xenopus oocyte.

The mRNA export factor human Gle1 interacts with the nuclear pore complex protein Nup155.

The protein Gle1 is required for export of mRNAs from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in both lower and higher eukaryotic cells. In human (h) cells, shuttling of hGle1 between the nucleus and cytoplasm is essential for bulk mRNA export. To date, no hGle1-interacting proteins have been reported and the mechanism by which hGle1 interacts with the nuclear pore complex (NPC) and mediates export is unknown.

Effect of mineral oil on porcine urothelium.

Mineral oil has been used to facilitate ureteral stone extraction and to treat selected patients with infected residual urine. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of mineral oil on the urothelium. Twelve adult female farm pigs underwent bilateral ureteral catheter placement under general endotracheal anesthesia.

Laparoscopic pyeloplasty in the animal model.

Purpose: Laparoscopic pyeloplasty has been associated with long operative times. This study proposed to evaluate the feasibility of two different laparoscopic techniques for the performance of pyeloplasty repair of secondary ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction.

Materials And Methods: Sixteen female Yucatan minipigs underwent general anesthesia for cystoscopy, retrograde pyelography, urine culture and a baseline renal scan.

Comparison of fibrin glue, laser weld, and mechanical suturing device for the laparoscopic closure of ureterotomy in a porcine model.

Purpose: We evaluated fibrin glue, laser welding, and a mechanical suturing device (Endo-Stitch) as alternatives to standard laparoscopic suturing with a free needle.

Methods: In 14 pigs, 22 linear proximal ureterotomies were closed laparoscopically with one of 4 different methods: fibrin glue, laser welding, Endo-Stitch suture placement (4-0 polyglactin), and free-needle suture placement (4-0 polyglactin). The ureterotomy was left open in 6 ureters.

In vivo comparison of electrosurgical vaporization electrodes.

To determine the acute tissue effects of endoscopic electrosurgery using different electrodes, smooth ball, smooth bar, vertically grooved bar, and horizontally fluted bar electrodes were applied to the epithelial surface of porcine bladders in vivo with electrosurgical cutting current supplied at 100, 150, and 200 W. A single pass was made on the surface of the tissue under endoscopic control with sorbitol irrigation using an excursion rate of 5 mm/sec. Each electrode was tested five times at each setting.

Recent advances in laparoscopic partial nephrectomy: comparative study of electrosurgical snare electrode and ultrasound dissection.

Although technically feasible, laparoscopic partial nephrectomy (LPN) using conventional instrumentation presents the intraoperative challenge of hemostasis, creating a flush (i.e., precise guillotine) incision, and closure of the collecting system.

Functional MR imaging of the porcine kidney: physiologic changes of prolonged pneumoperitoneum.

Background: Increased intraabdominal pressure (IPA) during laparoscopy has been associated with decreased urine output. The purpose of this study was to use a noninvasive MRI technique to measure renal vessel flow velocity and change in differential renal medulla and cortex perfusion during pneumoperitoneum.

Study Design: Six female farm pigs underwent general endotracheal anesthesia and dynamic imaging following left ventricular (LV) injection of Gd-DTPA, utilizing a dual echo gradient echo sequence.

Comparative ureteral microanatomy.

Several animals have been used as models for experimental upper urinary tract surgery. Although minipigs have recently gained favor because their upper urinary tract is grossly similar to that of humans, the ureteral microanatomic features of the two species have not been compared. We evaluated the histologic features of human and animal ureters in order to provide addition information regarding experimental models for upper urinary tract surgery.

The iso1 gene of Chlamydomonas is involved in sex determination.

Sexual differentiation in the heterothallic alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii is controlled by two mating-type loci, mt+ and mt-, which behave as a pair of alleles but contain different DNA sequences. A mutation in the mt minus-linked imp11 gene has been shown previously to convert a minus gamete into a pseudo-plus gamete that expresses all the plus gametic traits except the few encoded by the mt+ locus. Here we describe the iso1 mutation which is unlinked to the mt- locus but is expressed only in minus gametes (sex-limited expression).