Evaluation of the effect of 9.5/11.5-fr ureteral access sheath use on acute kidney injury with the myo-inositol oxygenase biomarker in patients undergoing retrograde intrarenal surgery: a prospective, randomized, and controlled study.

INTRODUCTION: We aimed to investigate whether a low intrarenal pressure provided by ureteral access sheath (UAS) use had a positive effect on the prevention of acute kidney injury through the evaluation of the myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX). MATERIAL AND METHODS: The patients were divided into two groups according to whether a 9.5/11.5-Fr UAS was used during retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS): UAS group and non-UAS group. RIRS was performed under gravity irrigation and manual pumping was not used. For the measurement of MIOX, 5 cc blood samples were taken from the patients preoperatively and four hours postoperatively. RESULTS: Operation time and hospital stay were significantly longer in the UAS group. The mean preoperative and postoperative MIOX values were 0.77 ± 0.36 ng/ml and 0.74 ± 0.38 ng/ml, respectively, in the UAS group, and 0.74 ± 0.31 ng/ml and 0.83 ± 0.40 ng/ml, respectively, in the non-UAS group. The mean MIOX change was -0.29 ± 0.36 in the UAS group and 0.08 ± 0.44 in the non-UAS group, indicating no significant difference between the groups. CONCLUSION: Even if UAS is not used, significant acute kidney injury is not observed under gravity irrigation and therefore, if we avoid manual pumping, the intrarenal pressure remains low, thus potentially rendering the use of 9,5/11,5-Fr UAS unnecessary.

Bladder Stone Formation due to Intravesical Migration of the Intrauterine Device: A Report of 2 Cases.

INTRODUCTION: Approximately 5% of bladder stones occur in women and are usually associated with foreign bodies or urinary stasis. Spontaneous migration of the intrauterine device (IUD) into the bladder is a rare complication. In this report, we present 2 cases of migrated IUD who had undergone surgery at our clinic due to bladder stones. CASE PRESENTATIONS: We detected migrated IUDs into the bladder in 2 female patients, aged 37 and 56 years, who presented with lower urinary tract symptoms and urinary tract infection. In the first case, endoscopic cystolithotripsy was performed, and the IUD was removed without complications. In the second case, the IUD could not be removed endoscopically since it had fractionally invaded the bladder wall, and the IUD was removed without complications by performing an open cystolithotomy. CONCLUSION: A comprehensive gynecological history should be taken from every female patient presenting with recurrent urinary tract infections and lower urinary tract symptoms. If these patients have a history of IUD placement, the possibility of the intravesical migration of this device should be kept in mind.

Effect of isgin (Rheum ribes L.) on biochemical parameters, antioxidant activity and DNA damage in rats with obesity induced with high-calorie diet.

The present study was designed to investigate the effects of Rheum ribes L. plant root extracts on DNA damage, biochemical and antioxidant parameters in rats with experimental obesity induced with a high-calorie diet. The study groups were divided as "normal control(NC)", "obese control(OC)", "obese + Rheum ribes(OR1)(200 mg/kg)" and "obese + Rheum ribes (OR2)(400 mg/kg)". At the end of the application, rats were sacrificed and blood and tissue samples were obtained. According to the results obtained, the marker of DNA damage in tissues of 8-OHdG was determined to be significantly reduced in brain tissue of the OR1 and OR2 groups compared to the NC group. However, fluctuations were identified in the MDA activity, antioxidant defense system elements and serum biomarkers in tissues. In conclusion, Rheum ribes plant root extract ensured improvements in DNA damage in brain tissues and MDA levels and showed positive effects on antioxidant parameter activities in different tissues.

Comparison of serum Kim-1 and Miox levels in patients that underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy and flexible ureterorenoscopy.

OBJECTIVE: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) are common surgical methods in the treatment of kidney stones. Possible effects on kidneys are an important factor in determining the surgical procedure and the surgical method. In our study, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and myo-inositol oxygenase (MIOX) were used to compare acute kidney injury in patients that underwent PNL and RIRS. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Eighty patients aged 20-75, who underwent PNL or RIRS in our urology clinic between November 2018 and February 2020 were included in the study. In this prospective study, the demographic characteristics, stone size, operation time, preoperative and postoperative hemoglobin and biochemistry values of the patients were recorded. About 5 cc blood samples taken from the patients before the operation and at the fourth hour after the operation were centrifuged and kept at -80°C, and the KIM-1 and MIOX levels were measured in the biochemistry department. RESULTS: There was no difference between the groups in terms of demographic data; however, the operation time and length of hospital stay were significantly longer in the PNL group. The mean increase in MIOX was 10.583 ± 9.73 and 7.501 ± 16.46 ng/ml in the PNL and RIRS groups, respectively. Although there was a statistically significant increase in both groups, this increase was greater in the PNL group. A significant increase was observed only in the PNL group in the postoperative period (p = 0.003). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The findings of the study suggest that the PNL procedure causes more damage to the kidneys than RIRS.

A review on the application of nanoporous zeolite for sanitary landfill leachate treatment.

This review deals with low-cost nanoporous zeolites for the treatment of sanitary landfill leachate. Organic contaminants and ammoniacal nitrogen are significant parameters in landfill leachate treatment. Adsorption processes are regarded as promising alternative treatment options in this respect. Zeolites are aluminosilicate materials that are widely used in separation, filtration, adsorption and catalysis. Natural zeolite is a low-cost and readily available form of zeolite and is a promising candidate to be used as an ion-exchange material for ammonia and other inorganic pollutant removal from landfill leachate. In this review, adsorption isotherms and kinetic models in batch systems are evaluated and adsorption design parameters of the fixed-bed system are presented. Studies on ammonia removal from landfill leachate via zeolites have been thoroughly investigated. Leachate treatment systems combined with zeolites are presented. Cost of zeolites are also reported in comparison with other adsorbents. The investigated studies demonstrate that activated zeolite can improve the removal of chemical oxygen demand, NH3-N and colour significantly compared to the case where raw zeolite is used. Moreover, the composite of activated carbon and zeolite is also favorable for ammonia removal according to reported findings, where best adsorptive removal is attained on the composite media (24.39 mg/g).

A garlic oil-based organo-hydrogel for use in pH-sensitive drug release.

In this study, six different organo-hydrogels containing agar-glycerol (AG)-based garlic oil (GO) were synthesized using two different crosslinkers (N,N, methylenebisacrylamide (MBA), glutaraldehyde (GA)) to ensure the controlled release of ceftriaxone (Ce) and carboplatin (Cp). Synthesized organo-hydrogels were characterized by FT-IR. Afterward, swelling behaviors were investigated in DI, tap water, ethanol, acetone, ethanol/DI water (1:1), acetone/DI water (1:1) and gasoline environments and different pH. As a result of hemolysis, blood clotting and antioxidant analysis, organo-hydrogels have been shown to have blood compatibility and antioxidant properties. Ce and Cp release properties of the prepared organo-hydrogels were also determined. The highest Ce release rate was obtained to be 37.8% for p (AG-g-GO)3 at pH 8.0 after 7 days. However, the highest Cp release rate was found to be 95.4% for p (AG-g-GO)3 at pH 7.4 after 1 day.

Relationship between urolithiasis and the fat halo sign.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to examine the relationship between urolithiasis and gastric wall fat halo sign (FHS). MATERIALS AND METHOD: The data of 382 patients who presented to our clinic with the complaint of flank pain were analyzed retrospectively. According to the results of noncontrast computed tomography, the patients were divided into two groups those with ureteral stones (Group 1) and those without urinary stones (Group 2). The patients' age, gender, weight, height, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, triglyceride, blood urea nitrogen, creatinine, and gastric wall FHS data were evaluated. RESULTS: When Groups 1 and 2 were compared in terms of FHS positivity, FHS was detected in 140 (57.3%) of 244 patients in Group 1 and 24 (17%) of 138 patients in Group 2, indicating a statistically significant difference (P < .001). CONCLUSION: A statistically significant relationship was found between urinary stone disease and gastric wall FHS.

Can we contribute to the diagnosis of diabetes and regulation of blood glucose by increasing the urologists' awareness of glucosuria?

AIMS: Diabetes mellitus is a progressive, chronic, systemic, metabolic disease that must be managed effectively. Its prevalence is increasing rapidly. We investigated whether urologists' awareness and recognition of glucosuria contributed to the diagnosis of diabetes and regulation of blood glucose. METHODS: A total of 39,053 patients were retrospectively evaluated between January 2018 and February 2019. Of them, 16,211 had undergone urinalysis for varied reasons. Glucosuria was semi-quantitatively measured as (+), (++), (+++), and (++++). Patients were assessed in terms of whether they had been referred to endocrinology or internal medicine departments within the 15 days and the presence/absence of a previous or new diagnosis of diabetes mellitus by measuring blood glucose and HgbA1c levels. RESULTS: Glucosuria was detected in 665 patients (4.1%), of whom 495 were included in the study. 417 (84.2%) had been previously diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, and 56 (11.3%) newly received a diabetes mellitus diagnosis. Blood glucose and HbA1c values were normal in 22 (4.4%) patients with glucosuria. HgbA1c value was determined as 7 or above in 381 (91.3%) of 417 cases with a previous diabetes mellitus diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Referring all patients detected to have glucosuria in the spot urine test at any time regardless of fasting/non-fasting to the relevant departments can contribute to the diagnosis and treatment of diabetes mellitus disease.

Is prostate volume better than PSA density and free/total PSA ratio in predicting prostate cancer in patients with PSA 2.5-10 ng/mL and 10.1-30 ng/mL?

Objective: Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer (PCa) are the most common benign and malignant diseases of the prostate gland. The clinical distinction between BPH and PCa should be determined to guide patients to appropriate treatment. We aimed to evaluate the value of PSA, prostate volume (PV) and associated parameters for the detection of PCa in patients with PSA levels of 2.5-30.0 ng/mL.Materials and methods: A total of 211 men with a biopsy (≥10 cores) and a PSA of 2.5-30.0 ng/ml were included in the study. To evaluate the performance of PV in diagnosing PCa, subjects were divided into PSA 2.5-10.0 ng/ml and PSA 10.1-30.0 ng/ml groups. Age, BMI, PSA, PV, f/t PSA, PSAD, and biopsy Gleason score were included in the analysis.Results: PCa was diagnosed in 74 (35.1%) of the 211 patients. The differences in f/t PSA, PV, and PSAD for patients with and without PCa were statistically significant. (p < .001). PV was a significantly better indicator of PCa than PSAD and f/t PSA ratio in both groups.Conclusions: PV plays an active role in predicting PCa in patients with PSA in gray-zone as well as in patients with PSA 10.1-30 ng/mL.

Antioxidant and hepatoprotective properties of dried fig against oxidative stress and hepatotoxicity in rats.

The aim of this study was to investigate the hepatoprotective effect and antioxidant role of dried fig (DF) (Ficus carica L.) against ethanol-induced oxidative stress. Experiment was designed as normal Control, 20% ethanol, 10% DF and 10% DF+20% ethanol groups. The hepatoprotective and antioxidant role of the dried DF supplementation feed against ethanol induced oxidatif stress were evaluated by liver histopathological changes, measuring liver damage serum enzymes (LDSE), antioxidant defense system (ADS) and malondialdehyde (MDA) content in various tissues of rats following the exposure of experimental for 50days. The biochemical analysis showed a considerable increase the LDSE in the ethanol group as compared to that of control group whereas, decreased in 10% DF+20% ethanol group as compared to that of ethanol group. In addition, the DF supplementation diet restored the ethanol-induced MDA and ADS towards to control. The hepatoprotection of DF is further substantiated by the almost normal histologic findings of liver in 10% DF+20% ethanol group against degenerative changes in ethanol group. The results indicated that the DF could be as important as diet-derived antioxidants and antihepatotoxicity in preventing oxidative damage in the tissues by inhibiting the production of ethanol-induced free radicals and hepatotoxicity in rats.

Feasibility analysis of color removal from textile dyeing wastewater in a fixed-bed column system by surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ).

In this study, the ability of surfactant-modified zeolite (SMZ) to remove color from real textile wastewater was investigated. Tests were performed in a fixed-bed column reactor and the surface of natural zeolite was modified with a quaternary amine surfactant hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (HTAB). The zeolite bed that was modified at 1 g L(-1) HTAB concentration and HTAB flow rate of 0.015 L min(-1) showed good performance in removing color. Effects of wastewater color intensity, flow rates and bed heights were also studied. Wastewater was diluted several times in the ratios of 25%, 50% and 75% in order to assess the influence of wastewater strength. The breakthrough curves of the original and diluted wastewaters are dispersed due to the fact that breakthrough came late at lower color intensities and saturation of the bed appeared faster at higher color intensities. The column had a 3-cm diameter and four different bed heights of 12.5, 25, 37.5 and 50 cm, which treated 5.25, 19.50, 35.25 and 51 L original textile wastewater, respectively, at the breakthrough time at a flow rate of 0.025 L min(-1). The theoretical service times evaluated from bed depth service time (BDST) approach for different column variables. The calculated and theoretical values of the exchange zone height were found with a difference of 27%. The various design parameters obtained from fixed-bed experimental studies showed good correlation with corresponding theoretical values, under different bed heights. The regeneration of the SMZ was also evaluated using a solution consisting of 30 g L(-1) NaCl and 1.5 g L(-1) NaOH at pH 12 and temperature 30 degrees C. Twice-regenerated SMZ showed the best performance compared with the others while first- and thrice-regenerated perform lower than the original SMZ.

Evaluation of diagnosis and treatment results in children with Graves' disease with emphasis on the pubertal status of patients.

This retrospective study evaluated the clinical and laboratory characteristics at presentation and treatment results of patients with Graves' disease (GD) with respect to pubertal status. Records of 143 patients (108 F, 35 M) were reviewed in a multicenter study. At diagnosis, 38% of patients were prepubertal. Anti-thyroid drugs (ATD) were used as initial therapy. There was no significant difference in clinical and laboratory characteristics at diagnosis, during treatment and adverse reaction to ATD with respect to pubertal status. Twenty patients (7 prepubertal, 13 pubertal) reached remission on ATD. Surgery was performed in seven and radioiodine (RAI) in four patients. Duration of treatment needed to achieve remission was longer in prepubertal (4.2 +/- 1.0 yr) than in pubertal patients (3.1 +/- 1.3 yr) (p = 0.02). The rate of remission was not different between prepubertal (25.9%) and pubertal patients (33.3%) (p = 0.59). ATD were associated with low remission rate in pediatric GD and required longer duration of therapy in prepubertal patients. For definitive treatment in older children, RAI could be evaluated as the initial therapy.

Color removal from textile dyebath effluents in a zeolite fixed bed reactor: determination of optimum process conditions using Taguchi method.

Taguchi method was applied as an experimental design to determine optimum conditions for color removal from textile dyebath house effluents in a zeolite fixed bed reactor. After the parameters were determined to treat real textile wastewater, adsorption experiments were carried out. The breakthrough curves for adsorption studies were constructed under different conditions by plotting the normalized effluent color intensity (C/C(0)) versus time (min) or bed volumes (BV). The chosen experimental parameters and their ranges are: HTAB concentration (C(htab)), 1-7.5 gL(-1); HTAB feeding flowrate (Q(htab)), 0.015-0.075 L min(-1); textile wastewater flowrate (Q(dye)), 0.025-0.050 L min(-1) and zeolite bed height (H(bed)), 25-50 cm, respectively. Mixed orthogonal array L(16) (4(2)x2(2)) for experimental plan and the larger the better response category were selected to determine the optimum conditions. The optimum conditions were found to be as follows: HTAB concentration (C(htab))=1g L(-1), HTAB feeding flowrate (Q(htab))=0.015 L min(-1), textile wastewater flowrate (Q(dye))=0.025 L min(-1) and bed height (H(bed))=50 cm. Under these conditions, the treated wastewater volume reached a maximum while the bed volumes (BV) were about 217. While HTAB concentration, gL(-1) (A); zeolite bed height, cm (D) and wastewater flowrate, L min(-1) (C) were found to be significant parameters, respectively, whereas, HTAB flowrate, L min(-1) (B) was found to be an insignificant parameter.