Intravesical Instillation of Hyaluronic Acid With Epidermal Growth Factor for Restoring Urothelial Denudation and Alleviating Oxidative Stress in Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Interstitial Cystitis of Rats.

PURPOSE: To investigate the efficacy of an intravesical instillation of hyaluronic acid (HA) combined with epidermal growth factor (EGF) for the treatment of interstitial cystitis (IC) using a lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced IC animal model. METHODS: A total of 24 female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomized to 4 groups: sham control, IC, HA, and treatment (HA/ EGF) groups. A polyethylene-50 tube was placed inside the bladder of each animal. IC was induced by twice-weekly instillations of LPS for 3 weeks, which resulted in chronic injury of the urothelium. Animals in the sham control group only received saline instillation. Treatment solutions of HA and HA/EGF were given on days 0, 7, and 14 after IC induction (400 µL of HA in a concentration of 0.4 mg/0.5 mL and 400 µL of NewEpi, a commercialized HA/EGF mixture containing 2 µg of EGF and 0.4 mg of sodium hyaluronate). Animals were sacrificed on day 21 for further examinations. RESULTS: The HA/EGF group showed visible improvement in hematuria with a significant reduction of red blood cells in the urine compared to the HA group. Histological examination revealed that HA/EGF treatment reversed the abnormalities developed in IC, including infiltration of inflammatory cells, irregular re-epithelialization, and fibrotic tissue. Moreover, HA/ EGF significantly reduced the levels of proinflammation cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin [IL]-6, and IL-1ß) and substantially lowered the elevated oxidative stress biomarker malondialdehyde, yet restored the levels of antioxidant enzymes glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase, with superior results than HA treatment. Cystometry studies indicated that HA/EGF significantly prolonged intercontraction interval and increased micturition volume. CONCLUSION: HA/EGF has been demonstrated as a more effective treatment for enhancing the urothelium lining and reducing inflammatory changes to alleviate clinical symptoms associated with IC in rats, compared to HA alone.

Ultrasound in Female Urinary Incontinence.

Urinary incontinence (UI) is a common health condition that may interfere with the quality of life. A comprehensive evaluation of female UI helps with effective and safe treatments. Ultrasound has gained popularity to explore UI recently because it can collect crucial information for treatment planning and counseling. Translabial and introital approaches are commonly and reliably applied to ultrasound. The images can be obtained using two-dimensional and three-dimensional ultrasounds. Ultrasound is the only modality capable of confirming the presence or absence of a mid-urethral sling (MUS) and is able to demonstrate bulking agents as well. Although some of the ultrasound findings may only be incidental or supplementary to the patient's symptoms, ultrasound benefits for investigating the pathophysiology of UI and surgical outcomes of MUS procedures. It is anticipated that standardization in terminology, measurement techniques, and reporting can be established in the near future.

Comparison of two outside-in transobturator midurethral slings in the treatment of female urodynamic stress incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the difference between two brands of outside-in transobturator midurethral sling (TOT) for urodynamic stress incontinence (USI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Women who underwent an outside-in TOT procedure by either Monarc or Obtryx were retrospectively reviewed. Data of women with available information at baseline and postoperative 12-month follow-up were analyzed. The analyzed data included standardized interview, pelvic examination, as well as sling location and sling tension explored by introital four-dimensional ultrasound. Sling position were explored through the distances between the sling center and the caudal margin of the pubic symphysis (SPd) as well as sling percentile (SP) along the urethral length as a percentage in the midsagittal plane. SPd was also used to explore sling tension. Clinical outcomes were compared between two groups. Sling location and sling tension were compared in success cases between two groups. RESULTS: There were 138 women in Monarc group and 140 women in Obtryx group. Rates of stress urinary continence and adverse events were not statistically different after two TOT. SPd was similar between both procedures. Obtryx located more ventrally than Monarc, indicated by a smaller SP during resting (41.6% vs 58.5%, P < 0.001), straining (38.0% vs 54.4%, P < 0.001), and coughing (39.8% vs 48.8%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: At 12-month assessment, both outside-in TOT procedures were not significantly different in terms of clinical results and sling tension, while Obtryx sling located more ventrally than Monarc.

A urethral diverticulum presenting with pure stress urinary incontinence.

OBJECTIVE: To report the management for a urethral diverticulum presenting with pure stress urinary incontinence (SUI). CASE REPORT: A 67-year-old postmenopausal woman resorted to urogynecological outpatient department for the treatment of bothersome SUI. She denied other lower urinary tract symptoms and previous pelvic surgeries. On examination, there was stage I anterior vaginal wall prolapse. Urinalysis showed negative findings. Urodynamic studies revealed negative findings. An ultrasound disclosed a complex paraurethral lesion and no urethral hypermobility. A magnetic resonance image of the pelvis revealed a 4-cm circumferential urethral diverticulum. A urethral diverticulectomy was performed. Histopathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of urethral diverticulum. The patient recovered uneventfully and reported freedom from SUI postoperatively. CONCLUSION: In women deemed uncomplicated stress urinary incontinence after undertaking a holistic urogynecological evaluation including detailed clinical history, physical examination, and urodynamic studies, further image studies investigating lower urinary tract is required for disclosing other rare conditions that necessitate different management from anti-incontinence surgery.

Association of Baseline Pelvic Floor Muscle Activities With Sexual and Urinary Functions In Female Stress Urinary Incontinence.

BACKGROUND: The presence of reactive and strong pelvic floor muscle (PFM) activities is supposed to be associated with better urinary and sexual functions in female stress urinary incontinence (SUI). AIM: This study was to explore the association of baseline PFM activities, both volitional and reflex, with urinary and sexual functions in women with SUI but who had no experience of PFM training programs before. METHODS: Secondary analysis of a prospectively maintained database identified 125 sexually active women with SUI who had met the eligibility criteria. All patients had undergone intravaginal digital examination and pelvic ultrasound to detect volitional and reflex PFM activities, respectively, and responded to questionnaire surveys, including short forms of the urogenital distress inventory, incontinence impact questionnaire-7, and Pelvic Organ Prolapse/Urinary Incontinence Sexual Questionnaire. On pelvic ultrasound, an inward clitoral motion and an anorectal lift preceding or during coughing were regarded as the presence of reflex activities of the PFM. OUTCOMES: The relationship of volitional and reflex PFM activities with pelvic floor dysfunction relating questionnaires and urethral function on urodynamic studies was analyzed. RESULT: Of the 125 women studied, 30 (24.0%) had volitional PFM contraction strength less than grade 2, 74 (59.2%) grade 2 to 3, and 21 (16.8%) greater than grade 3 based on the modified Oxford grading scale. During or preceding coughing, an inward clitoral motion was not observed on ultrasound in 9 (7.2%) women and an anorectal lift was not observed in 8 (6.4%) women. The strength of volitional PFM contraction and the presence or absence of anorectal lift reflex was not associated with urethral and sexual function. In contrast, the absence of reflex inward clitoral motion was significantly associated with lower maximum urethral closure pressure (P = .042) and higher scores of urogenital distress inventory-6 (P = .006) and incontinence impact questionnaire-7 (P = .029). CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS: Higher volitional PFM contraction strength was not associated with better sexual and urinary functions; however, loss of one reflex PFM activity was associated with poorer urinary function. STRENGTHS & LIMITATION: To our knowledge, this is the first study that evaluates the association of baseline PFM activities with sexual and urinary functions in female SUI. Nevertheless, the cross-sectional design of this study cannot well support the cause-effect relationship CONCLUSION: Besides PFM physiotherapy for enhancing sexual and urinary functions in female SUI, additional treatment strategies such as neuromodulation should take into consideration for those who had absent reflex PFM activities. Yang E, Yang SH, Huang WC, et al. Association of Baseline Pelvic Floor Muscle Activities With Sexual and Urinary Functions In Female Stress Urinary Incontinence. J Sex Med 2021;18:1698-1704.

Factors associated with treatment outcomes after intravesical hyaluronic acid therapy in women with refractory interstitial cystitis: A prospective, multicenter study.

BACKGROUND: Bladder instillation of hyaluronic acid (HA) is an acceptable treatment for bladder pain syndrome/interstitial cystitis (BPS/IC). The treatment is limited by a high proportion of non-responders (~30%-40%). Here, we aimed to evaluate predisposing factors associated with treatment outcomes. METHODS: This is a prospective multicenter study. We enrolled a total of 137 (out of 140) women with refractory IC. They all underwent a standard protocol of 6-month intravesical HA therapy (initial 4 weeks, once weekly, followed by once monthly). To assess the outcomes, we used the pain Visual Analog Scale (Pain-VAS), Interstitial Cystitis Symptom and Problem Index (ICSI & ICPI), and a scaled Global Response Assessment (GRA). RESULTS: The age of patients was 47.6 ± 27.5 (range 24-77) years. We found statistically significant improvement (p < 0.001) in the Pain-VAS and the ICSI & ICPI scores both after the initial 4-weekly instillations and at the end of 6-month treatment. Those who reported moderate/marked improvement on GRA at the 2 follow-up visits were considered responders: 39.4% (n = 54) at the first follow-up, and 59.9% (n = 82) at the second follow-up. No remarkable side effect was noted. After statistical analyses, treatment outcomes on GRA were positively associated with baseline functional bladder capacity and with Pain-VAS scores. The initial treatment responses optimally (p < 0.001) predicted final treatment outcomes (McNemar). CONCLUSION: Intravesical HA therapy is safe and effective for most (~60%) of our patients with refractory IC. Functional bladder capacity and Pain-VAS scores before treatment, and the early treatment responses are helpful predictors of treatment outcomes.

Four-Dimensional Introital Ultrasound in Assessing Perioperative Pelvic Floor Muscle Functions of Women with Cystoceles.

PURPOSE: Research on the use of ultrasound to explore the pelvic floor in women is rarely done with introital ultrasound. This study aimed to investigate the performance of four-dimensional (4D) introital ultrasound in the perioperative assessment of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function in women with cystocele. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The reliability and agreement of ultrasound measurements were determined by intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) with 95 % confidence interval and Bland-Altman analysis in 20 women. The validity of ultrasound parameters was assessed by correlating squeezing ultrasound measurements with the modified Oxford scale (MOS) in 317 women. 4D introital ultrasound data of 241 women with (n = 29) and without (n = 212) postoperative cystocele at the 12-month postoperative assessment were retrospectively analyzed. Levator avulsion was diagnosed using tomographic ultrasound imaging. Involuntary and voluntary PFM functions were explored by dynamic changes in the bladder neck and genital hiatus, respectively, upon coughing and squeezing on 4D introital ultrasound. RESULTS: The ICC for the reliability of all tested ultrasound parameters was good to very good. The changes and change ratios of most ultrasound measurements from resting to squeezing were fairly correlated with MOS. Women with postoperative cystocele demonstrated more rates of complete levator avulsion [41.3 % vs. 4.7 %, P < 0.001, odds ratio (OR) 14.26, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 4.88-42.42] and fewer rates of capable voluntary PFM contraction (65.5 % vs. 92.5 %, P < 0.001, OR 0.16, 95 % CI 0.06-0.43) than those without postoperative cystocele postoperatively. CONCLUSION: 4D introital ultrasound is feasible to assess perioperative PFM function in women with cystocele.

Five-year clinical and imaging outcomes of primary transobturator midurethral sling procedures for uncomplicated urodynamic stress incontinence.

OBJECTIVES: To report 5-year clinical and imaging outcomes of primary transoburator midurethral sling (TOT) procedures for uncomplicated urodynamic stress incontinence (USI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We retrospectively investigated the data of 136 women who underwent primary TOT procedures for uncomplicated USI. All women received preoperative as well as 1-year and 5-year postoperative assessments comprising clinical interview, pelvic examination, and introital four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound. The primary outcome was stress urinary incontinence (SUI), defined as the report of SUI in patient interview, a positive response to item 3 of the short form of the Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6), or a positive cough stress test and negative dysuria or urinalysis. Secondary outcomes included SUI severity, SUI bother, scores on the short forms of the UDI-6 and Incontinence Impact Questionnaire (IIQ-7), rates of de novo overactive bladder (OAB) symptoms, de novo voiding dysfunction, groin/thigh pain, and sling exposure, as well as ultrasound manifestations of bladder neck, midurethra, and sling. RESULTS: At 1 and 5 years, rates for SUI (7.4% vs 8.8%, P = 0.824), de novo OAB symptoms (4.4% vs 5.1%, P = 1.000), de novo voiding dysfunction (11.2% vs 10.3%, P = 1.000), groin/thigh pain (3.7% vs 0.7%, P = 0.216), and sling exposure (2.2% vs 0.0%, P = 0.246) were similar. Scores on the UDI-6 and IIQ-7 were significantly decreased postoperatively. Sling location and a more cranioventral midurethral location were sustained during follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: For uncomplicated USI, TOT has good and sustained clinical and imaging outcomes, though a notable rate of de novo voiding dysfunction.

The significance of pelvic floor support on the pelvic floor muscle functions of women with lower urinary tract symptoms.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the significance of pelvic organ prolapse (POP) on pelvic floor muscle (PFM) function among women with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Four-dimensional ultrasound data of 577 women with LUTS were retrospectively analyzed. The bladder neck and genital hiatus were assessed during resting, coughing, and squeezing. The bladder neck location, genitohiatal size, and genitohiatal location were evaluated with bladder neck distance (BNd) and bladder neck angle (BNa), genitohiatal dimension (GHd) and genitohiatal area (GHAR), and genitohiatal angle (GHa), respectively. RESULTS: Compared with women without POP (n = 306), women with POP (n = 271) exhibited higher rates of levator complete avulsion (6.5% vs. 40.2%, P < 0.001), shorter BNd (2.84 ± 1.56 cm vs. 2.45 ± 0.45 cm, P = 0.018), larger BNa (92 ± 15° vs. 101 ± 21°, P < 0.001), longer GHd (5.25 ± 0.72 cm vs. 5.60 ± 0.87 cm, P < 0.001), larger GHa (141 ± 10° vs. 145 ± 9°, P = 0.004), and larger GHAR (20.0 ± 4.7 cm2 vs. 24.2 ± 5.6 cm2, P < 0.001) during resting. Fewer women with POP were able to maintain stable bladder neck location (79.5% vs. 65.5%, P < 0.001), genitohiatal size (60.7% vs. 51.9%, P = 0.042), and genitohiatal location (61.6% vs. 52.8%, P = 0.044) following coughing. Fewer women with POP were capable of squeezing (77.8% vs. 58.3%, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Among women with LUTS, the presence of POP is associated with weaker resting, involuntary, and voluntary PFM functions.

Fabrication and Characterization of Solid Composite Yarns from Carbon Nanotubes and Poly(dicyclopentadiene).

In this report, networks of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are transformed into composite yarns by infusion, mechanical consolidation and polymerization of dicyclopentadiene (DCPD). The microstructures of the CNT yarn and its composite are characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), and a focused ion beam used for cross-sectioning. Pristine yarns have tensile strength, modulus and elongation at failure of 0.8 GPa, 14 GPa and 14.0%, respectively. In the composite yarn, these values are significantly enhanced to 1.2 GPa, 68 GPa and 3.4%, respectively. Owing to the consolidation and alignment improvement, its electrical conductivity was increased from 1.0 × 105 S/m (raw yarn) to 5.0 × 105 S/m and 5.3 × 105 S/m for twisted yarn and composite yarn, respectively. The strengthening mechanism is attributed to the binding of the DCPD polymer, which acts as a capstan and increases frictional forces within the nanotube bundles, making it more difficult to pull them apart.

Medium-term outcomes for primary native tissue reconstructive surgeries with and without transobturator vaginal meshes in stress continent women with stage 3 or higher pelvic organ prolapse.

AIMS: To compare the surgical outcomes of conventional surgeries with or without concomitant transobturator vaginal mesh (TVM) for ≥Stage 3 pelvic organ prolapse (POP). METHODS: We retrospectively investigated 166 women who received conventional surgery including vaginal total hysterectomy, modified McCall culdoplasty, and AP-repair (conventional group) and 98 women with concomitant TVM (mesh group). Follow-up at 3, 12, and 24 months comprised symptom interview, pelvic examination, and ultrasound assessments. The primary outcome was anatomical success defined as ≤Stage 1 POP. Secondary outcomes were subjective symptoms, ultrasound manifestations, and complications. RESULTS: Both groups showed improvements in functional and anatomical outcomes after operations. Compared with the conventional group, the mesh group had higher rates of de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) at 3-month (3.6% vs 19.4%; P < .001), 12-month (3.7% vs 26.4%; P < .001), and 24-month (2.4% vs 21.4%; P = .001) follow-up, a higher POP-C point (-7.3 ± 0.7 cm vs -7.6 ± 0.6 cm; P < .001) at 3-month follow-up, a smaller straining bladder neck angle indicating a more cranioventral straining bladder neck position (117 ± 25° vs 102 ± 20°; P < .001) at 3-month follow-up, and a less bladder neck mobility at 3-month (19 ± 24° vs 8 ± 14°; P = .002) and 12-month (26 ± 18° vs 12 ± 15°; P = .003) follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Concomitant TVM is associated with a higher rate of de novo SUI, more cranioventral straining bladder neck position, and less bladder neck mobility.

Ultrasonication-assisted synthesis of high aspect ratio gold nanowires on a graphene template and investigation of their growth mechanism.

We report a facile synthesis of Au nanowires (AuNWs) with a high aspect ratio (l/D) of up to 5000 on a plasma activated graphene template with ultrasound assistance. We demonstrate that the ultrasonication induced symmetry breaking of Au clusters facilitates the growth of AuNWs from the embryonic stages. Furthermore, the growth mechanism of AuNWs is systematically investigated using high resolution electron transmission microscopy (HRTEM), which reveals the unique role of the defective graphene template in directing the growth of AuNWs.

One-Step Synthesis of Tunable-Size Gold Nanoplates on Graphene Multilayers.

Au nanoplates (quasi-two-dimensional single crystals) are most commonly synthesized using a mixture of Au precursors via approaches involving multiple processing steps and the use of seed crystals. Here, we report the synthesis of truncated-hexagonal {111}-oriented micrometer-scale Au nanoplates on graphene multilayers using only potassium tetrabromoaurate (KAuBr4) as the precursor. We demonstrate that the nanoplate sizes can be controllably varied from tens of nanometers up to a few micrometers by introducing desired concentrations of chloroauric acid (HAuCl4) to KAuBr4 and their thicknesses from ∼13 to ∼46 nm with the synthesis time. Through a series of experiments carried out as a function of synthesis time and precursor composition [mixtures of HAuCl4 and KAuBr4, KBr, or ionic liquid 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide ([Bmim]Br)], we identify the optimal HAuCl4 and KAuBr4 concentrations and synthesis times that yield the largest and the thinnest size nanoplates. We show that the nanoplates are kinetically limited morphologies resulting from preferential growth of {111} facets facilitated by bromide ions in KAuBr4 solutions; we suggest that the presence of chloride ions enhances the rate of Au deposition and the relative concentration of chloride and bromide ions determines the shape anisotropy of resulting crystals. Our results provide new insights into the kinetics of nanoplate formation and show that a single precursor containing both Au and Br is sufficient to crystallize nanoplates on graphitic layers, which serve as reducing agent while enabling the nucleation and growth of Au nanoplates. We suggest that a similar approach may be used for the synthesis of nanoplates of other metals on weakly interacting van der Waals layers for, potentially, a variety of new applications.

Graphene template-induced growth of single-crystalline gold nanobelts with high structural tunability.

Assembling Au nanocrystals with tunable dimensions and shapes on graphene templates has attracted increasing attention recently. However, directly growing anisotropic Au nanobelts on a graphene support has been rarely reported. Here, a facile, one-pot, and surfactant-free route is demonstrated to synthesize well-defined Au nanobelts with the induction of a multilayer graphene (mlG) template. The obtained Au nanobelts are single-crystalline with a preferable (111) orientation. More importantly, their structural evolution starting from Au clusters is systematically investigated using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results confirm that mlG consistently induces the growth of Au nanobelts from nucleation to the growth completion. The interfacial interaction between Au atoms and the graphene lattice is a predominant factor to direct the shapes and structures of Au nanocrystals, which makes the structures of Au nanobelts highly tunable with the surface modification of the mlG template. The assembly of mlG-Au nanobelts also presents extraordinary detection sensitivity when employed as a flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, suggesting their great potential application in high-performance sensors. This report strengthens the fundamental understanding of the interactions between noble metals and carbon interfaces, which paves the way to construct and manipulate the complex structures of metals on graphitic substrates.

Menopause is associated with impaired responsiveness of involuntary pelvic floor muscle contractions to sudden intra-abdominal pressure rise in women with pelvic floor symptoms: A retrospective study.

AIMS: To explore the effect of menopause on the movements of the bladder neck and genital hiatus during involuntary and voluntary pelvic floor muscle (PFM) contractions among women with pelvic floor symptoms. METHODS: The data of 162 premenopausal and 215 postmenopausal women were retrospectively analyzed. The investigation encompassed clinical interview, pelvic examination, and four-dimensional ultrasound. The ultrasound manifestations of the bladder neck and genital hiatus during involuntary and voluntary PFM contractions were assessed during coughing and maximal squeezing. The bladder neck location, genitohiatal size, and genitohiatal location were evaluated with bladder neck distance (BND) and bladder neck angle (BNA), genitohiatal dimension (GHD) and genitohiatal area (GHAR), as well as genitohiatal angle (GHA), respectively. RESULTS: From resting to coughing, postmenopausal women exhibited a more caudodorsal bladder neck movement (changes in BND/BNA, premenopausal vs. postmenopausal women: -0.91 ± 1.22 cm/-12 ± 47° vs. -0.48 ± 0.83 cm/11 ± 38°, P < 0.001), less genitohiatal size reduction (changes in GHD/GHAR, premenopausal vs. postmenopausal women: -1.38 ± 2.15 cm/-5.5 ± 8.4 cm2 vs. -0.46 ± 1.68 cm/-1.9 ± 7.6 cm2 , P < 0.001), and less cranioventral genitohiatal movement (changes in GHA, premenopausal vs. postmenopausal women: -33 ± 63° vs. -11 ± 43°, P < 0.001) than premenopausal women. Premenopausal and postmenopausal women demonstrated comparable ultrasound manifestations of the bladder neck and genital hiatus during maximal squeezing. CONCLUSIONS: For women with pelvic floor symptoms, menopause is associated with impaired responsiveness of involuntary PFM contractions to sudden intra-abdominal pressure rise but not with voluntary PFM contractions.

Pelvic floor muscle functions are improved after successful transobturator vaginal mesh procedures.

AIMS: To explore functional changes of pelvic floor muscle (PFM) after successful Perigee procedures. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed information from 145 women having achieved anatomic success, defined as

Environmental durability of protected silver mirrors prepared by plasma beam sputtering.

Various overcoat layers have been developed to protect silver mirrors from tarnish and corrosion. However, the mechanisms by which these protective layers improve mirror durability are not fully understood. Mixed flowing gas exposure was used to investigate the corrosion behavior of plasma beam sputtered silver mirrors with different adhesion layer materials. A small amount of nickel in the adhesion layer had a significant impact on the silver-dielectric interface. Additionally, lateral transport of silver was found to be an important factor in the corrosion process. Better stability at all layer interfaces is suggested to improve mirror durability.

Novel Strategy for One-Pot Synthesis of Gold Nanoplates on Carbon Nanotube Sheet As an Effective Flexible SERS Substrate.

In this work, we demonstrate a novel route for one-pot synthesis of two-dimensional gold nanoplates (2-D AuNPLs) on carbon nanotube (CNT) sheet. Well-defined AuNPLs are grafted onto CNT sheet via a facile hydrothermal reduction process, during which bromine ions are employed as the surfactant for gold anisotropic growth. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) shows large-scale AuNPLs with micrometer-scaled length and sub-100 nm thickness are deposited uniformly on the CNT sheet. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) results confirm the synthesized AuNPLs are single-crystalline with preferential {111} orientation. Based on the CNT sheet/AuNPLs hybrid, we have fabricated a flexible surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate, which can effectively detect the analyte Rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) at the concentration as low as 1 × 10-7 M. The excellent SERS performance of this novel flexible substrate is mainly attributed to nanoscaled gaps between the neighbors, large surface area with roughness, and their sharp edges and corners.

A Proximal Straining Mesh Location Is Associated With De Novo Stress Urinary Incontinence After Transobturator Mesh Procedures.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to explore the association between mesh location and de novo stress urinary incontinence (SUI) after transvaginal mesh procedures. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed a database of women who had received transvaginal mesh procedures for stage III or greater cystocele according to the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification system. Only data for women who neither reported SUI preoperatively nor had received concomitant anti-incontinence surgery were included for analyses. The mesh location was investigated by sonography via the percentage of the urethra covered by mesh, defined as the number calculated by dividing the portion of the urethral length covered by mesh (the distance from the bladder neck to the point of the urethra, which was indicated by an imaginary line at the level of the lower [caudal] mesh end and perpendicular to the urethra) by the total urethral length (the distance from the bladder neck to the external urethral meatus) in the sagittal plane. The resting, straining, coughing, and squeezing mesh locations of women who did (n = 29) and did not (n = 54) report SUI at the 12-month follow-up were compared. RESULTS: At the 12-month follow-up, women who reported SUI had a significantly smaller straining percentage of the urethra covered by mesh (mean ± SD, 28.5% ± 9.6%) compared with continent women (35.2% ± 15.8%), indicating a more proximal straining mesh location. CONCLUSIONS: Sonography is useful in investigating the location of the transvaginal mesh. De novo SUI after transvaginal mesh procedures is associated with a more proximal straining mesh location.

Processing and properties of magnesium containing a dense uniform dispersion of nanoparticles.

Magnesium is a light metal, with a density two-thirds that of aluminium, is abundant on Earth and is biocompatible; it thus has the potential to improve energy efficiency and system performance in aerospace, automobile, defence, mobile electronics and biomedical applications. However, conventional synthesis and processing methods (alloying and thermomechanical processing) have reached certain limits in further improving the properties of magnesium and other metals. Ceramic particles have been introduced into metal matrices to improve the strength of the metals, but unfortunately, ceramic microparticles severely degrade the plasticity and machinability of metals, and nanoparticles, although they have the potential to improve strength while maintaining or even improving the plasticity of metals, are difficult to disperse uniformly in metal matrices. Here we show that a dense uniform dispersion of silicon carbide nanoparticles (14 per cent by volume) in magnesium can be achieved through a nanoparticle self-stabilization mechanism in molten metal. An enhancement of strength, stiffness, plasticity and high-temperature stability is simultaneously achieved, delivering a higher specific yield strength and higher specific modulus than almost all structural metals.