Can ureteral stents with a different format reduce patients' symptomatology? A single-blinded, randomized, controlled study comparing smooth-walled and grooved ureteral stents.

INTRODUCTION: The true benefits of perioperative JJ stent placement are being widely studied due to its known side effects. However, no consensus has been reached in the literature regarding the best type of stent. This prospective, randomized, single-blinded study therefore aimed to compare the symptomatology associated with two JJ stent designs: smooth-walled and grooved. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study prospectively recruited 42 patients who underwent JJ stent placement between July 2019 and August 2020. The patients were randomly divided into two groups according to the JJ stent design used: the smooth-walled stent (control) and grooved stent (intervention) groups. After surgery, all patients completed the Portuguese-validated Ureteral Stent Symptom Questionnaire at three timepoints (days 7 and 30 post-surgical procedure, and day 30 post-stent removal). RESULTS: No significant differences in gender, age, median body mass index, laterality, type of surgical procedure (flexible, semi-rigid or mixed ureteroscopy) were found. Smooth-walled JJ stents were associated with a higher incidence of flank pain (52.38% vs. 10%, P = .006) and suprapubic pain (57.14% vs. 30%, P = .04) on the 7th post-procedure day. Linear mixed regression showed significantly lower flank (P < .001) and suprapubic pain (P < .01), and significantly better sexual performance in the intervention group (P = .03). CONCLUSIONS: Ureteral stent with a grooved format are associated with a lower incidence of flank and suprapubic pain and had less impact on the sexual performance of patients.

Urinary albumin excretion rate and glomerular filtration rate in single-kidney type 2 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER) and the glomerular filtration rate (GFR) of single-kidney type 2 diabetic patients (SKD) and of single-kidney non-diabetic patients (SKN). RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: Patients who had only one kidney for at least 5 years, with no renal disease or hypertension at the time of the nephrectomy and with no calculus or systemic disease at the time of the evaluation, were included in this controlled cross-sectional study A total of 20 SKD (8 men, age 62 +/- 9 years; diabetes duration 8.5 +/- 7 years), 17 SKN (2 men, age 57 +/- 13 years), and 184 type 2 diabetic patients who were matched to the single-kidney diabetic group for age, sex, and BMI were studied. UAER was measured by immunoturbidimetry in timed 24-h sterile urine, and GFR was determined by the 51Cr-EDTA single-injection method. RESULTS: SKD patients presented a higher proportion (8 of 20, 40%) of microalbuminuria (UAER 20-200 microg/min) than SKN patients (3 of 17, 17.6%) and type 2 diabetic patients (37 of 184, 20%). SKD patients presented a higher proportion of macroalbuminuria (UAER >200 microg/min; 6 of 20, 30%) than SKN patients (1 of 17, 6%) but were similar to type 2 diabetic patients (43 of 184, 23%). The GFRs of normoalbuminuric SKN (71.7 +/- 21.4 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2)) and SKD patients (73.0 +/- 21.5 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2)) were similar but higher than the one-kidney GFR (GFR / 2) of the age-, sex-, and BMI-matched normal individuals (50.5 +/- 9.0 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2)) and normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients (54.0 +/- 11.6 ml x min(-1) x 1.73 m(-2)). CONCLUSIONS: Increased GFR related to single-kidney status confers an increased risk of developing renal disease in the presence of diabetes.

Evaluation of climatic factors on the yield and chemical composition of the essential oil of Myrocarpus frondosus.

The species Myrocarpus frondosus is native to southern Brazil, and it is known as cabreúva. It is a large tree, and its wood is used as a reservoir for distilled spirits, especially Cachaça. In this pioneering work, the essential oil was extracted monthly from the leaves of M. frondosus, for a period of 1 year. The essential oil was extracted by using hydrodistillation and the determination of the chemical composition of essential oil was performed by using the chromatographic techniques GC-FID and GC-MS. Thirty-three compounds were identified in the essential oil and bicyclogermacrene was the major compound. Through multivariate analysis, it was determined that ß-caryophyllene, limonene and terpinen-4-ol were directly proportional to climatic factors. The yield of the oil was directly proportional to temperature and radiation.

[Geographical differences in esophageal neoplasm mortality in Rio Grande do Sul]. / Diferenças geográficas na mortalidade por câncer de esôfago no Rio Grande do Sul.

Mortality data from cancer of esophagus were studied in the 24 microregions of the State of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, from 1970 to 1989, in males and females. The mortality data were calculated through information from the Health Department of RS and the population was obtained in IBGE and FEE. The average, the standard deviation and, by linear regression, the angular parameter of the temporal series for the State and each microregion, were calculated. We noticed great differences between the average of death rates in the 24 microregions, with values between 16.49 to 4.74, in males. The microregions of the south of the State, where there are many farms, revealed higher death rates of mortality by esophageal cancer. The tendency showed to be ascending in 54% of the microregions, in the males.

[Mortality from uterine cervix cancer in Rio Grande do Sul]. / Mortalidade por câncer de colo uterino no Rio Grande do Sul.

The mortality from cervical cancer was studied by checking the death rates in Rio Grande do Sul (RS) and in its 24 microregions. Each tendency (linear regression), in the period from 1970 to 1989, was also investigated. We have also studied the relative rates of this kind of cancer, the comparison with the rate in other places and the risk factors. The data were obtained at the Office of Health in Rio Grande do Sul as well as in the Statistics and Geography Brazilian Institute and World Health Organization. The average mortality rates/100,000 women in RS (1970-1989) was 3.8, with ascending tendency. Important differences in the death rates in the 24 microregions in RS were observed and they ranged from 2.5 to 6.7. The cervical cancer was the fourth cause of death in women from RS (mortality by cancer), in 1989. Papillomaviruses and smoking were important factors in the development of cervical cancer.

Biodegradation of alachlor by soil streptomycetes.

Streptomycetes resistant to the herbicide alachlor [2-chloro-2',6'-diethyl- N-(methoxymethyl) acetanilide] were used in degradation assays to characterize the products of alachlor biodegradation. Of six strains tested, Streptomyces sp. LS166, LS177, and LS182 were able to grow at an alachlor concentration of 144 mg l(-1) and degraded approximately 60-75% of the alachlor in 14 days, as evaluated by high performance liquid chromatography. The alachlor biodegradation products were identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry based on mass spectral data and fragmentation patterns. All compounds detected in these assays were similar for all streptomycetes strains tested, and involved dechlorination with subsequent N-dealkylation and cyclization of the remaining N-substituent with one of the ethyl groups to produce indole and quinoline derivatives. The enzymatic pathway used by Streptomyces sp. LS182 did not generate DEA (2',6'-diethylaniline), a carcinogenic derivative of alachlor reported in other studies. Given the high degradation rates observed here, the Streptomyces strains tested may be useful in the degradation/detoxification processes of alachlor.