An updated overview of spectrum of gluten-related disorders: clinical and diagnostic aspects.

The incidence of gluten-related disorders (GRDs) continues to increase and its global prevalence is estimated at approximately 5% of the population. Celiac disease (CD), dermatitis herpetiformis (DH), gluten ataxia (GA), wheat allergy (WA), and non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) are the five major GRDs that present with a wide range of clinical manifestations. The diagnosis of GRDs can be challenging because the typical and atypical clinical manifestations of the GRDs overlap. In this review, the current definitions of gluten-related disorders, focusing on their clinical features, diagnostic and therapeutic approaches are presented. We concluded that GRDs are usually diagnosed using a combination of clinical features, serological tests, and histopathological findings. Treatment usually involves dietary modification.

Extended targeted retinal photocoagulation versus conventional pan-retinal photocoagulation for proliferative diabetic retinopathy in a randomized clinical trial.

PURPOSE: To determine the clinical efficacy of extended targeted retinal photocoagulation (ETRP) compared to conventional panretinal photocoagulation (CPRP) in proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). METHODS: In a single-masked randomized clinical trial, 270 eyes of 234 patients with naïve early or high-risk PDR were randomly assigned to receive either CPRP or ETRP (135 eyes, each treatment arm). Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) measurement, fundus examination, wide-field fluorescein angiography (WFFA) and optical coherence tomography were carried out before and 3 months after retinal photocoagulation. Primary outcome was early PDR regression, specified as reduction in retinal neovascularization based on WFFA at 3 months. Secondary outcomes were BCVA and central macular thickness (CMT) changes. RESULTS: There were significantly more high-risk PDR eyes in ETRP group compared to CPRP (109 and 94 eyes, respectively, P = 0.04). Early PDR regression occurred in 71.9 and 64.4% of eyes in the ETRP and CPRP groups, respectively (P = 0.19). The mean number of applied laser spots in the ETRP was significantly fewer than CPRP (1202 vs. 1360, respectively, P < 0.001). Mean BCVA at baseline and 3 months post-laser were 0.37 ± 0.26 and 0.47 ± 0.19 logMAR in the ETRP arm, respectively. In the CPRP arm these values were 0.40 ± 0.27 and 0.47 ± 0.24 logMAR, respectively. Although mean BCVA decreased significantly in both treatment arms (ETRP P < 0.001, CPRP P = 0.009), the difference was not significant between arms (P = 0.68). CMT increased significantly in both groups (ETRP 41.08 µm, P < 0.001, CPRP 33.31 µm, P < 0.001). Nevertheless, the difference between the groups was not significant (P = 0.26). CONCLUSIONS: ETRP with fewer number of laser spots may be an appropriate alternative to CPRP in PDR regression at least through 3 months. GOV REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01232179.

Deflection-based laser sensing platform for selective and sensitive detection of H2S using plasmonic nanostructures.

Considering the severe hazards of abnormal concentration level of H2S as an extremely toxic gas to the human body and due to the disability of olfactory system in sensing toxic level of H2S concentration, a reliable, sensitive, selective and rapid method for the detection of H2S is proposed and its efficacy is analyzed through simulation. The proposed system is based on the deflection of a laser beam in response to the temperature variations in its path. In order to provide selectivity and improve sensitivity, gold nanostructures were employed in the system. The selectivity was introduced based on the thiol-gold interactions and the sensitivity of the system was enhanced due to the modification of plasmon resonance behavior of gold nanostructures in response to gas adsorption. Results from our analysis demonstrate that compared with Au and SiO2-Au, the Au nanomatryoshka structures (Au-SiO2-Au) showed the highest sensitivity due to promoting higher deflections of the laser beam.

Intravenous Laser Therapy in Patients With Acute Kidney Injury: A Randomized Clinical Trial.

Introduction: Although intravascular laser irradiation of blood (ILIB) is deemed an innocuous and useful technique for laser therapy, particularly when systemic effects are required, no study, to our knowledge, has been conducted on the effectiveness and innocuousness of ILIB in treating acute kidney injury (AKI). Objective: This study aimed to assess the feasibility and outcomes of ILIB in the management of patients with AKI and comparing them with the Sham-laser group. Materials and Methods: Twenty-six patients with intra-renal AKI (24-95 years old) at Tajrish Hospitals were evaluated for enrollment eligibility in this clinical trial study. This study was conducted at the nephrology department of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran, between 2018 and 2019. Based on the treatment method, the patients' assignment to two groups (ILIB or Sham-laser) was randomly done. Demographic characteristics, need for dialysis, hemoglobin and serum biochemistry changes, serum and urine neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) changes, laser complications, and the hospitalization period were recorded. Results: In terms of the baseline characteristics and biochemistry serum level, no differences were seen between the two groups. All post-treatment parameters, except the hemoglobin value, significantly improved in both groups. Urine NGAL and serum NGAL show declines from the baseline in both groups; however, the reduction slope of these parameters occurred faster in the laser group in a statistically significant manner. Conclusion: A decline in NGAL levels in the laser group during the treatment may suggest that the ILIB can help patients with AKI recover better.

Holmium LASER in Comparison with Transurethral Resection of the Bladder Tumor for Non-muscle Invasive Bladder Cancer: Randomized Clinical Trial with 18-month Follow-up.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of holmium LASER resection of the bladder tumor (HoLRBT) vs. transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) as the first treatment modality for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Eighty-eight patients with primary non-muscle invasive bladder cancer were allocated randomly in two groups who were treated with HoLRBT or TURBT. The intraoperative and postoperative characteristics and complications of the HoLRBT and TURBT groups were compared. The data of operation time, obturator nerve reflex rate, bladder perforation, bladder irrigation, catheterization time, hospital stay, and 1, 3, 6, 12, 18 months recurrence free survivals were considered in two groups. RESULTS: There was not significant difference in operative duration among the two groups. Compared with the TURBT group, HoLRBT group had less intraoperative and postoperative complications, including obturator nerve reflex, transient hematuria and postoperative bladder irritation. There were no significant differences among the two groups in the transfusion rate and occurrence of urethral strictures. Patients in the HoLRBT group had less catheterization and hospitalization time in comparison to those in the TURBT group. There were no significant differences in the overall recurrence rate among the TURBT and HoLRBT groups. CONCLUSION: HoLRBT can be regarded as a safe and efficient method with several advantages over TURBT. HoLRBT can be used as an alternative procedure for TURBT in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Prognostic value of microRNA-125a/b family in patients with gastric cancer: a meta-analysis.

AIM: This meta-analysis was designed to reassess the prognostic and clinicopathologic values of the microRNA-125 family in GC patients. BACKGROUND: The miR-125 family (including miR-125a, miR-125b) has been reported as being pivotal prognostic biomarkers of gastric cancer (GC). However, there is controversy about the role of the miR-125 family in predicting the progression of GC. METHODS: The miR-125 family (including miR-125a, miR-125b) has been reported as being pivotal prognostic biomarkers of gastric cancer (GC). However, there is controversy about the role of the miR-125 family in predicting the progression of GC. RESULTS: The electronic databases of PubMed, ISI Web of Science, Scopus, and Cochrane Library were systematically searched for relevant studies. Overall survival (OS) rate as the primary outcome from each study was extracted. The overall hazard ratio (HR or survival rate in patients with GC) and odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated to evaluate the association between miR-125 family expression and prognosis and susceptibility to gastric cancer. The quality of evidence was evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottava Scale (NOS). The extracted data was combined based on the random-effects model. CONCLUSION: The low expression of miR-125 family predicts poor OS in GC patients. Thus, the miR-125 family may be helpful as a potential biomarker for the prognosis of gastric cancer.

Circulating non-coding RNAs as potential diagnostic biomarkers in liver diseases.

The liver plays a principal role in the human body as a metabolic and detoxifying unit. Liver diseases are the world's major health problems and affect millions of people worldwide. Early detection of liver diseases is certainly effective in timely treatment and prevention of their progression. Liver injury is associated with significant alterations in immune responses and pattern changes in various tissue-related gene expressions and cytokine production. Increasing or decreasing the specific spectrum of non-coding RNAs in different phases of liver disease can be a criterion for diagnosis. Novel diagnostic biomarkers are needed for liver diseases. Currently, micro-RNAs (miRNAs) are known to play important roles in the diagnosis of liver diseases. Circulating biomarkers such as miRNA-assisted diagnosis can conceivably be helpful for the early treatment of liver diseases. In this review, we look at miRNAs and their potential applications in liver diseases as diagnostic biomarkers were investigated.

Spectroscopic Characteristics of Xeloda Chemodrug.

Introduction: Spectroscopic properties of Xeloda chemodrug have been studied over varying concentrations ranging between 0.001 and 10 mg/mL, using laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy. The alternative photoluminescence (PL) and near infrared (NIR) measurements are carried out to authenticate the obtained results by the LIF method. Methods: The XeCl laser as the excitation coherent source with 160 mJ/pulse at 308 nm is employed for LIF measurements of the fluorophore of interest in the modular spectroscopic set-up. Results: Xeloda as a significant chemodrug acts as a notable fluorophore. LIF, PL and NIR spectroscopy techniques are employed to investigate the spectral properties of the chemodrug in terms of concentration. The maximum LIF peak intensity of Xeloda is achieved at λmax=410.5 nm and the characteristic concentration of CP1=0.05 mg/mL. PL signals are in good agreement with the data given by the LIF measurements. The characteristic NIR spectra of Xeloda as solid evidence of chemical bonding formation attest to fluorescence quenching at the fluorophore concentration of ~ 0.2 mg/ mL. Besides, the spectral shift of fluorescence signals which is obtained in terms of fluorophore concentration- demonstrating as a diagnostic marker for the purpose of optimized chemotherapy. Conclusion: Xeloda exhibits outstanding fluorescence properties over the allowable concentration in human serum (Cmax). These characteristics could benefit potential advantage of simultaneous laser-based imaging of cell-chemodrug interaction over in-vivo studies.

Effect of a Low-Level Laser on Liposomal Doxorubicin Efficacy in a Melanoma Cell Line.

Introduction: The cytotoxicity of chemotherapy drugs is a significant challenge in the way of surmounting cancer. Liposomal drug delivery has proven to be efficacious in increasing the function of the drugs. Its potential to accumulate drugs in the target site and enhance the efficiency of anti-cancer agents with lower doses hinders their cytotoxicity on normal healthy cells. Since the release of drugs from liposomes is not generally on a controlled basis, several studies have suggested that external stimuli including lasers could be used to induce controlled release and boost the efficiency of liposomal drug delivery systems (LDDSs). Methods: The A375 cancer cell line was used and exposed to the liposomes containing doxorubicin in the presence of a low-level laser beam to investigate its effect on the liposomal stimuli-responsiveness release and its toxicity on cancer cells. So as to achieve that goal, Annexin V/PI was employed to analyze the number of cells that underwent apoptosis and necrosis. Results: Here, we report the effect of laser irradiation on LDDSs. According to the results obtained from the annexin V/PI assay, the pattern of viability status has shifted, so that the number of pre-apoptotic cells treated with liposomal doxorubicin and a laser beam was more than that of cells treated with only liposomal doxorubicin. Conclusion: The use of stimuli-responsive LDDSs, in this case, laser-responsive, has led to favorable circumstances in the treatment of cancer, offering enhanced cancer cell cytotoxicity.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy Combined with Drug Therapy in Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndrome : A Randomized Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: Chronic prostatitis/ chronic pelvic pain syndrome (CP/CPPS) is a nonspecific pelvic pain in the absence of signs of infection or other obvious local pathology for at least three of the last 6 months. Evidence for treatment approach is limited. So the aim of this study is to investigate the effect of extracorporeal shock wave therapy (ESWT) combined with pharmacotherapy in the treatment of CP/CPPS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this randomized clinical  trial, 31 patients with CP/CPPS were investigated in two groups: the intervention group (n=16) was treated with a combination of an alpha-blocker, an anti-inflammatory agent, a muscle relaxant and a short course of antibiotic in combination with 4 sessions of focused ESWT (a protocol of 3000 impulses, 0.25 mJ/mm2  and 3 Hz of frequency). The control group (n=15) received the aforementioned pharmacotherapy with 4 sessions of sham-ESWT . Follow-up was performed 4 and 12 weeks following ESWT by using the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), International index of Erectile function (IIEF) 5, National Institutes of Health-Chronic Prostatitis Symptom Index (NIH-CPSI) and International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS) questionnaires. Post void residual (PVR) urine and maximum flow rate (Qmax) were also assessed in both groups. RESULTS: The patients mean age was 43.7 ±12.6 years. In both groups, the mean scores of NIH-CPSI (total and sub-domains) and VAS showed statistically significant improvements after 4 and 12 weeks compared to the baseline (P < .001). In the intervention group, IPSS (mean difference: 4.25) and Qmax (mean difference: 2.22) were also significantly improved (P < .001).  There was a significant improvement in NIH-CPSI (mean difference: 1.1) and VAS scores (mean difference: 1.1) in the intervention group as compared to the control group (P < .01). Qmax, PVR and IIEF score were not statistically different in the two groups. CONCLUSION: ESWT in combination with pharmacotherapy could improve the treatment outcome in patients with CP/CPPS.

The Long-term Effects of Percutaneous Laser Disc Decompression (PLDD) Treatment on Lumbar Disc Protrusion: A 2-Year Follow-up.

Introduction: Nowadays many physicians have focused their attention on using low invasive methods for the treatment of disc protrusion. Thus, the current study was carried out to evaluate the effect and therapeutic outcomes of clinical percutaneous laser disc decompression (PLDD) in the treatment of chronic low back pain caused by disc protrusion during a two-year follow-up. Methods: This historical cohort study was conducted on 40 patients, who were suffering from chronic low back pain caused by disc protrusion diagnosed, and referred to the pain clinic of Akhtar Hospital from March to August 2016 were treated with PLDD and were followed up for at least two years after performing PLDD (from 2018 to 2019). All the information has been extracted using medical records and patient interview. The severity of pain was measured by the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), and the Oswestry disability index (ODI) was measured before and two years after the treatment. Results: The most common sites for two-level PLDD were L4-S1 and L3-L5, and the most common sites for one-level PLDD were L5-S1 and L4-L5. Overall, the levels of pain and functional disability two years after PLDD showed significant improvements (P =0.0001). The results revealed no statistically significant differences in NRS and ODI scores between the two groups of men and women two years after PLDD (P >0.05). Furthermore, they indicated no statistically significant differences in NRS and ODI scores between the different disc protrusion levels two years after PLDD (P >0.05). Conclusion: It seems that the PLDD is a low-invasive, safe, and effective method that can be used in patients with chronic low back pain caused by a disc protrusion. Therefore, it can be considered as a suitable choice in treating patients with chronic low back pain caused by a disc protrusion.

Is Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate a Good Surgical Alternative in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Management? A Review Article.

Several therapeutic approaches such as holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP) have been introduced to relieve bladder outlet obstruction caused by benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Compared with other techniques including the transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) and simple open prostatectomy, HoLEP results in a shorter hospital stay and catheterization time and fewer blood loss and transfusions. HoLEP is a size-independent treatment option for BPH with average gland size from 36 g to 170 g. HoLEP is a safe procedure in patients receiving an anticoagulant and has no significant influence on the hemoglobin level. Also, HoLEP is an easy and safe technique in patients with a prior history of prostate surgery and a need for retreatment because of adenoma regrowth. The postoperative erectile dysfunction rate of patients treated with HoLEP is similar to TURP or open prostatectomy and about 77% of these patients experience loss of ejaculation. Patients with transitional zone volume less than 30 mL may suffer from persistent stress urinary incontinence following HoLEP so other surgical techniques like bipolar TURP are a good choice for these patients. In young patients, considering HoLEP with high prostate-specific antigen density and a negative standard template prostate biopsy, multiparametric MRI needs to be considered to exclude prostate cancer.

Association of macrophage inhibitory factor -173 gene polymorphism with biological behavior of prostate cancer.

PURPOSE: Chronic inflammation is an important factor in the etiology of prostate cancer. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays an important regulatory role in inflammatory responses. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential association between MIF-173 G/C polymorphism, and both biological behavior and incidence of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Analysis of polymorphic variants for MIF was performed using the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) method in 128 subjects with prostate cancer and 135 controls. RESULTS: The frequency of MIF-173 *C allele was significantly (OR = 2.18, 95% CI = 1.32-3.61) higher in patients with prostate cancer (19.5%) than in healthy individuals (10%). Prostate cancer patients with Gleason scores ? 7 had higher frequency of MIF-173 *C allele than Gleason scores < 7 (86.1% vs. 27.1%, P = 0.003, OR = 3.18, 95%CI = 1.46-6.95). The frequency of MIF-173 *C allele was significantly different in patients with T1, T2 and ?T3 clinical stages of prostate cancer (15.2% vs. 42.6% and 47.8%, P = 0.003). CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that MIF-173 polymorphisms may be associated with a higher incidence of prostate cancer compared to controls. We believe that MIF-173 GC+CC genotype can be used as a predictive factor for aggressive behavior of prostate cancer including pathological stage and Gleason scores as well as metastatic potential.

Mueller matrix imaging of prostate bulk tissues; Polarization parameters as a discriminating benchmark.

The polarimetry imaging technique has provided a powerful tool for discriminating normal from cancerous tissues. In this paper, based on the backscattering Mueller matrix imaging of prostate bulk tissues, (received immediately after surgery without any further processing), we have extracted the characteristic features of the Mueller matrix images. In order to provide a quantitative and more accurate comparison, three different methods have been used; the Mueller matrix polar decomposition (MMPD), the Mueller matrix transformation (MMT) and the frequency distribution histograms (FDHs) and their central moment parameters. Comparing different tissues, the results of our study indicate that these methods provide the indicators for the characteristics of the microstructural features of the tissues. The indicators have the potential to distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissues. Determining the polarimetric characteristics of the tissue immediately after surgery and prior to the pathology, and the potential possibility of this technique to be used in vivo as an optical biopsy technique, can significantly reduce the cost and time of diagnosis of cancer.

Is Holmium Laser an Appropriate Modality to Treat Genital Warts?

Introduction: Genital warts in young adults aged 18-28 years are very common. Several approaches are routinely used in the treatment of warts, viz., medical treatment (podophyllin and trichloroacetic acid), conventional surgery (excision or electrocautery), cryotherapy, and laser treatment. Because of high recurrence rates after treatment, complications and long duration of treatment, newer modalities have been developed. One of these newer methods is laser, which has been used in several urologic diseases. However, there are only a few studies about use of Holmium laser for treatment of genital warts. This retrospective study compared the success rate of Holmium laser with other available treatments for genital warts. Methods: Between October 2011 and May 2016, 142 patients with genital warts attended the urology clinics at Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital in Tehran, Iran. Out of these, a total of 101 patients were included in this study consisting of 42, 39, 11 and 9 patients treated with cryotherapy, laser, conventional surgery and podophyllin respectively. Results: The most successfully cleared lesions were seen in the holmium laser treatment group (P=0.001). The lowest recurrence rate was observed in the holmium laser treatment group (P=0.001). 17 patients had one of these following problems: dysuria, initial hematuria or a change in the force and caliber of their urinary stream that after physical examination showed them to have a meatal wart. These patients then underwent cystoscopy up to urinary sphincter. All of them in addition to the meatus wart had a penile shaft lesion(s). Thirteen patients had meatal lesions, 9 of whom received holmium laser therapy and 4 patients were treated with electrocautery. Based on routine follow up after treatment, none of the patients treated with holmium laser had urinary stricture, but one case treated with electrocautery returned with a penile urethral stricture. Conclusion: This study showed that treatment with Holmium laser has the highest clearance rate (92.2%) and lowest recurrence rate (14.3%) compared to other available treatments in this study. It may be concluded that holmium laser is a safe and effective treatment for genital warts with a low rate of recurrence.

Experience of 138 Transurethral Urethrotomy With Holmium:YAG Laser.

Introduction: Many valid option modalities are available for the management of urethral stricture disease (USD), such as internal urethrotomy which has the success rates of 33%-60%. The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of holmium: YAG (Ho: YAG) laser urethrotomy (HLU). Methods: One hundred thirty-eight patients with urethral stricture with the mean age of 48±3.03 years old treated by HLU from March 2011 to August 2017. The main purpose of this investigation was to evaluate mean operation time, stricture recurrence rate and post-operation Qmax and complications of transurethral HLU. Results: The most common cause of USD was trauma in 82 (59.4%) patients. Mean laser operation time, mean hospital stay and mean postoperative duration of catheterization were 23.08 ± 9.1 minutes, 19.02 ± 10.7 hours and 10.3 ± 1.05 days respectively. The mean Qmax was 8.3 ± 2.07 mL/s before surgery and 16 ±3.1 mL/s afterward. At the end of 12 months follow-up, a total of 37 (26.8%) patients developed recurrence of the stricture. Patients with posterior, longer urethral strictures and previous history of interventions have more recurrence rate of the stricture. Conclusion: HLU is minimally invasive and seems to be an effective and safe management option for primary, short, urethral strictures. The hospital stay is remarkably short and complications are negligible.

Laser Application in Iran Urology: A Narrative Review.

The usage of laser in medicine is not recent, and its history in urology goes back to 40 years ago. For the last 2 decades, common uses of laser have been treatments of subjects with urolithiasis, bladder tumors, benign prostatic enlargement, lesions of the genitalia and urinary tract strictures. To evaluate laser application in urology in Iran, we reviewed all of the Iranian literature on the topic. This study was designed to retrieve all studies on laser application in urology in Iran, regardless of publication status or language, covering years 1990-2017. Twenty-six articles were identified: 12 about urolithiasis, 8 about benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), 2 case reports, 1 paper about prostate cancer, 1 on female urethral stricture, 1 review and 1 basic sciences study. We conclude that the use of this technology has not yet found its position in Iran, especially in the field of urology. The main causes for it are the difficult accessibility and disturb of laser devices and its accessories, as well as the lack of adequate knowledge of the medical community about this modality.

Pneumatic Lithotripsy Versus Laser Lithotripsy for Ureteral Stones.

Introduction: Several different modalities are available for ureteral stone fragmentation. From them pneumatic and holmium: yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Ho: YAG) lithotripsy have supportive outcomes. In this study we studied 250 subjects who had ureteroscopic pneumatic lithotripsy (PL) or laser lithotripsy (LL). Methods: Two-hundred fifty patients with ureteral stones underwent ureteroscopic lithotripsy (115 subjects in the PL group, 135 subjects in the LL group) from August 2010 to April 2016. The purpose of this investigation was to evaluate stone-free rate (SFR), mean operation time (MOT), mean hospital stay (MHS), stone migration and complications. Results: Two groups were similar in age, gender, mean size of stones, side of stone, and complications. There was a statistical difference in terms of SFR, stone migration and MHS in favor of the LL group (P ≤ 0.05, P ≤ 0.05 respectively), and MOT in favor of the PL group (P ≤ 0.05). Conclusion: Both the PL and LL techniques were effective and safe for ureteral stones, however a slightly higher SFR was found in the LL group.

Surgical Management of Vesical Stones in Children: A Comparison Between Open Cystolithotomy, Percutaneous Cystolithotomy and Transurethral Cystolithotripsy With Holmium-YAG Laser.

Introduction: Bladder stone is more common in developing countries and it is one of the rare diseases affecting children. In recent years, there is an increasing tendency in urologists to have minimal invasive approaches. The aim of this study was to compare the results of surgical bladder stone management in our single tertiary center. Methods: From 159 children younger than 18 years with vesical stones treated during January 2000 to January 2015 in Shohada-e-Tajrish hospital, Tehran, Iran, 146 subjects entered to the study. According to type of intervention, patients stratified to three groups. First group included 80 patients that open cystolithotomy (OCL) was done for them, second group was 39 patients who underwent percutaneous cystolithotomy (PCCL) and third group was 27 patients who treated by transurethral cystolithotripsy with holmium-YAG laser (TULL). Demographic data, hospital stay, operation time, and post operation complications were recorded and comparison were drawn between the three groups. Results: Mean age was 8.3±5.1 years (8.6±5.1, 6±4.2 years for boys and girls, respectively). Mean stone size (MSS) was 2.76±1.07 cm and no significant differences were found between the three groups but it was larger in OCL group. Mean operative time (MOT) was 29.15±7.12 minutes in separate; MOT in TULL was significantly higher than PCCL and OCL respectively (36.3±5.97, 30.54±5.27 and 26.06±6.32 minutes/P =0.000). Mean hospital stay (MHS) in OCL group was 3.55±1 days that was higher than PCCL and TULL groups significantly (P =0.000). Conclusion: Based on our study, holmium:YAG lithotripsy has a high success rate, and is a minimally invasive management, therefore it is a safe method for children bladder calculi treatment if proper equipment was available and done by expert hands.

Detection and Discrimination of Bacterial Colonies with Mueller Matrix Imaging.

The polarization imaging technique is a powerful approach to probe microstructural and optical information of biological structures (e.g., tissue samples). Here, we have studied the polarization properties of different bacterial colonies in order to evaluate the possibility of bacterial detection and discrimination. In this regard, we have taken the backscattering Mueller matrix images of four different bacteria colonies (i.e., Escherichia coli, Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Rhodococcus erythropolis, and Staphylococcus aureus). Although the images have the potential to distinguish qualitatively different bacterial colonies, we explored more accurate and quantitative parameters criteria for discrimination of bacterial samples; more specifically, we have exploited the Mueller matrix polar decomposition (MMPD),frequency distribution histogram (FDH), and central moment analysis method. The outcomes demonstrated a superior capacity of Mueller matrix imaging, MMPD, and FDH in bacterial colonies identification and discrimination. This approach might pave the way for a reliable, efficient, and cheap way of identification of infectious diseases.