[Application and Effect of Patient Portal System in the Remote Management of Chronic Diseases for Older Adults With Coronary Heart Disease]. / æ‚£è€ é—¨æˆ·ç³»ç»Ÿåœ¨è€å¹´å† å¿ƒç— æ ¢ç— è¿œç¨‹ç®¡ç†ä¸­çš„åº”ç”¨åŠæ•ˆæžœ.

Objective: To investigate the application of personal health record (PHR) and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of patient portal system (PPS) in managing older adults with coronary heart disease and to examine the effect on patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life. Methods: A total of 532 elderly patients with coronary heart disease were included in the study. All the participants enrolled were admitted to a tertiary-care hospital between January 2019 and June 2021. They were randomly assigned to the study group (269 cases) and the control group (263 cases). Patients in the control group were discharged with the routine discharge procedures and received the routine follow-up care. On the other hand, patients in the study group were discharged and followed up through the PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the Exercise of Self-Care Agency (ESCA) Scale, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ) and Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ) were used to evaluate the patients' self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life, respectively. The patient management effects of the two groups were analyzed. Results: Before the management programs started, there was no statistically significant difference in the scores for the scales between the two groups of patients. After 6 months, 12 months, and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). Facing scores in the MCMQ of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05), while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower than those before patient management started (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of both groups were higher than those before patient management started (P<0.05). After 6 months, 12 months and 18 months of patient management, the ESCA scores of the study group were always higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The facing score of the study group was higher, while the scores for avoidance and yielding were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The SAQ scores of the study group were higher compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The medication compliance rate in the study group (83.27%) was higher than that in the control group (69.96%) (P<0.05). The incidence of adverse cardiovascular events in the study group (4.09%) was lower than that in the control group (10.27%) (P<0.05). The average times of emergency treatment and readmission in the study group were lower compared with those of the control group (P<0.05). The patient satisfaction score of the study group was higher compared with that of the control group (P<0.05). Conclusion: The PHR and chronic disease management platform established on the basis of PPS can increase the convenient access to medical care among elderly patients with coronary heart disease, which is conducive to improving their self-care ability, coping mode, and quality of life. In addition, the patient management effect is good.

Transurethral surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia with detrusor underactivity: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: The efficacy of surgical treatment for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) patients with detrusor underactivity (DU) remains controversial. METHODS: To summarize relevant evidence, three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) were searched from database inception to May 1, 2023. Transurethral surgical treatment modalities include transurethral prostatectomy (TURP), photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP), and transurethral incision of the prostate (TUIP). The efficacy of the transurethral surgical treatment was assessed according to maximal flow rate on uroflowmetry (Qmax), International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), postvoid residual (PVR), quality of life (QoL), voided volume, bladder contractility index (BCI) and maximal detrusor pressure at maximal flow rate (PdetQmax). Pooled mean differences (MDs) were used as summary statistics for comparison. The quality of enrolled studies was evaluated by using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale. Sensitivity analysis and funnel plots were applied to assess possible biases. RESULTS: In this study, 10 studies with a total of 1142 patients enrolled. In BPH patients with DU, within half a year, significant improvements in Qmax (pooled MD, 4.79; 95% CI, 2.43-7.16; P < 0.05), IPSS(pooled MD, - 14.29; 95%CI, - 16.67-11.90; P < 0.05), QoL (pooled MD, - 1.57; 95% CI, - 2.37-0.78; P < 0.05), voided volume (pooled MD, 62.19; 95% CI, 17.91-106.48; P < 0.05), BCI (pooled MD, 23.59; 95% CI, 8.15-39.04; P < 0.05), and PdetQmax (pooled MD, 28.62; 95% CI, 6.72-50.52; P < 0.05) were observed after surgery. In addition, after more than 1 year, significant improvements were observed in Qmax (pooled MD, 6.75; 95%CI, 4.35-9.15; P < 0.05), IPSS(pooled MD, - 13.76; 95%CI, - 15.17-12.35; P < 0.05), PVR (pooled MD, - 179.78; 95%CI, - 185.12-174.44; P < 0.05), QoL (pooled MD, - 2.61; 95%CI, - 3.12-2.09; P < 0.05), and PdetQmax (pooled MD, 27.94; 95%CI, 11.70-44.19; P < 0.05). Compared with DU patients who did not receive surgery, DU patients who received surgery showed better improvement in PVR (pooled MD, 137.00; 95%CI, 6.90-267.10; P < 0.05) and PdetQmax (pooled MD, - 8.00; 95%CI, - 14.68-1.32; P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis results showed that transurethral surgery can improve the symptoms of BPH patients with DU. Surgery also showed advantages over pharmacological treatment for BPH patients with DU. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42023415188.

A novel predictive model for noninvasively diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction in female patients based on clinical features and uroflowmetry parameters.

OBJECTIVE: To develop and validate a simple prediction model to diagnose female bladder outlet obstruction (fBOO) because of the invasive nature of standard urodynamic studies (UDS) for diagnosing fBOO. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the data of 728 women who underwent UDS at Tongji Hospital between 2011 and 2021. The definition of fBOO was Pdet.Qmax - 2.2 × Qmax > 5 (BOOIf > 5). Independent predictive factors of fBOO were determined by multivariable logistic regression analysis. These predictive factors were incorporated into a predictive model to assess the risk of fBOO. RESULTS: Of the 728 patients, 249 (34.2%) were identified as having fBOO and these women were randomly assigned to two groups, a model development group and a model validation group. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated that age, Qmax , flow time, and voiding efficiency were independent risk factors for fBOO. The predictive model of fBOO showed a satisfactory performance, with area under the curve being 0.811 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.771-0.850, P < 0.001), which was confirmed to be 0.820 (95% CI 0.759-0.882, P < 0.001) with external validation. The calibration curve indicated that the predicted probability had an excellent correspondence to observed frequency. Decision curve analysis demonstrated a greater clinical net benefit compared with the strategies of treat all or treat none when the predicted risk was in a range of 3% and 75%. CONCLUSION: A novel predictive model of fBOO was developed and validated based on clinical features and noninvasive test parameters in female patients with lower urinary tract symptoms. The model is a quick and easy-to-use tool to assess the risk of fBOO for urologists in their routine practice without an invasive UDS.

De novo aging-related NADPH diaphorase positive megaloneurites in the sacral spinal cord of aged dogs.

We investigated aging-related changes in nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate-diaphorase (NADPH-d) in the spinal cord of aged dogs. At all levels of the spinal cord examined, NADPH-d activities were observed in neurons and fibers in the superficial dorsal horn (DH), dorsal gray commissure (DGC) and around the central canal (CC). A significant number of NADPH-d positive macro-diameter fibers, termed megaloneurites, were discovered in the sacral spinal cord (S1-S3) segments of aged dogs. The distribution of megaloneurites was characterized from the dorsal root entry zone (DREZ) into the superficial dorsal horn, along the lateral collateral pathway (LCP) to the region of sacral parasympathetic nucleus (SPN), DGC and around the CC, but not in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar segments. Double staining of NADPH-d histochemistry and immunofluorescence showed that NADPH-d positive megaloneurites co-localized with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) immunoreactivity. We believed that megaloneurites may in part represent visceral afferent projections to the SPN and/or DGC. The NADPH-d megaloneurites in the aged sacral spinal cord indicated some anomalous changes in the neurites, which might account for a disturbance in the aging pathway of the autonomic and sensory nerve in the pelvic visceral organs.

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Roots from a Wild Eggplant Species Solanum sisymbriifolium in Defense Response to Verticillium dahliae Inoculation.

Eggplant verticillium wilt, caused by Verticillium spp., is a severe eggplant vascular disease. Solanum sisymbriifolium, a wild species of eggplant that is resistant to verticillium wilt, will be beneficial for genetically modifying eggplants. To better reveal the response of wild eggplant to verticillium wilt, proteomic analysis by iTRAQ technique was performed on roots of S. sisymbriifolium after exposure to Verticillium dahliae, and some selected proteins were also validated using parallel reaction monitoring (PRM). After inoculation with V. dahliae, the phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) enzymes and the malondialdehyde (MDA) and soluble protein (SP) of S. sisymbriifolium roots all exhibited an increase in activity or content compared with that of the mock-inoculated plants, especially at 12 and 24 h post-inoculation (hpi). A total of 4890 proteins (47.04% of the proteins were from S. tuberosum and 25.56% were from S. lycopersicum according to the species annotation) were identified through iTRAQ and LC-MS/MS analysis. A total of 369 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) (195 downregulated and 174 upregulated) were obtained by comparison of the control and treatment groups at 12 hpi, and 550 DEPs (466 downregulated and 84 upregulated) were obtained by comparison of the groups at 24 hpi. The most significant Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment terms at 12 hpi were regulation of translational initiation, oxidation-reduction, and single-organism metabolic process in the biological process group; cytoplasm and eukaryotic preinitiation complex in the cellular component group; and catalytic activity, oxidoreductase activity, and protein binding in the molecular function group. Small molecule metabolic, organophosphate metabolic, and coenzyme metabolic processes in the biological process group; the cytoplasm in the cellular component group; and catalytic activity and GTPase binding in the molecular function group were significant at 24 hpi. Then, KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) analysis was performed, and 82 and 99 pathways (15 and 17, p-value < 0.05) were found to be enriched at 12 and 24 hpi, respectively. Selenocompound metabolism, ubiquinone, and other terpenoid-quinone biosyntheses, fatty acid biosynthesis, lysine biosynthesis, and the citrate cycle were the top five significant pathways at 12 hpi. Glycolysis/gluconeogenesis, biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, linoleic acid metabolism, pyruvate metabolism, and cyanoamino acid metabolism were the top five at 24 hpi. Some V. dahliae-resistance-related proteins, including phenylpropanoid-pathway-related proteins, stress and defense response proteins, plant-pathogen interaction pathway and pathogenesis-related proteins, cell wall organization and reinforcement-related proteins, phytohormones-signal-pathways-related proteins, and other defense-related proteins were identified. In conclusion, this is the first proteomic analysis of S. sisymbriifolium under V. dahliae stress.

Quantitative evaluation of the spinal cord compression in patients with cervical spondylotic myelopathy using synthetic MRI.

Objectives: This work aimed to investigate the feasibility and diagnostic value of synthetic MRI, including T1, T2 and PD values in determining the severity of cervical spondylotic myelopathy (CSM). Methods: All subjects (51 CSM patients and 9 healthy controls) underwent synthetic MRI scan on a 3.0T GE MR scanner. The cervical canal stenosis degree of subjects was graded 0-III based on the method of a MRI grading system. Regions of interest (ROIs) were manually drawn at the maximal compression level (MCL) by covering the whole spinal cord to generate T1MCL, T2MCL, and PDMCL values in grade I-III groups. Besides, anteroposterior (AP) and transverse (Trans) diameters of the spinal cord at MCL were measured in grade II and grade III groups, and relative values were calculated as follows: rAP = APMCL/APnormal, rTrans = TransMCL/Transnormal. rMIN = rAP/rTrans. Results: T1MCL value showed a decreasing trend with severity of grades (from grade 0 to grade II, p < 0.05), while it increased dramatically at grade III. T2MCL value showed no significant difference among grade groups (from grade 0 to grade II), while it increased dramatically at grade III compared to grade II (p < 0.05). PDMCL value showed no statistical difference among all grade groups. rMIN of grade III was significantly lower than that of grade II (p < 0.05). T2MCL value was negatively correlated with rMIN, whereas positively correlated with rTrans. Conclusion: Synthetic MRI can provide not only multiple contrast images but also quantitative mapping, which is showed promisingly to be a reliable and efficient method in the quantitative diagnosis of CSM.

Analysis of urethral blood flow by high-resolution laser speckle contrast imaging in a rat model of vaginal distension.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) for monitoring urethral blood flow (UBF). MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 18 healthy, virgin female Sprague-Dawley rats aged 8-week-old were used. The animals were divided into the sham group (n = 9) and the vaginal distension (VD) group (n = 9). The sham group underwent one catheterization of the vagina without distension and the VD group underwent one VD. Following the VD or sham treatment for one week, LSCI assessment of urethral blood flow was performed during bladder filling and leak point pressure (LPP) process. RESULTS: During the LPP process, in the VD group, the mean LPP was significantly lower than in the sham group (p < 0.05) and the mean UBF level was also significantly lower than in the sham group (p < 0.05) in the LPP condition. The mean relative change of UBF (Δ Flow) was significantly different between the sham group and VD group. The value was 0.646 ± 0.229 and 0.295 ± 0.19, respectively (p < 0.05). During the bladder filling process, the VD group had a significant lower mean UBF level than the sham group under full bladder conditions (p = 0.008). The mean ΔFlow was also significantly lower than in the sham group. The value was 0.115 ± 0.121 and 0.375 ± 0.127, respectively (p = 0.016). CONCLUSIONS: The results confirmed that LSCI was able to determine UBF in female rats. The VD group had lower baseline UBF and lower increases in UBF during bladder filling and LPP process compared with the sham group.

Effects of Gibberellin Pre-Treatment on Seed Germination and Seedling Physiology Characteristics in Industrial Hemp under Drought Stress Condition.

The present study aimed to explore the effects of exogenous gibberellins (GAs) on seed germination and subsequent seedling growth of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) under drought stress. Seeds of two industrial hemp cultivars i.e., 'Yunma 1', (YM) and 'Bamahuoma', (BM) were treated with different concentrations of GA3 solution (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 mg/L) at 20 °C for 8 h. The effect of pre-treatment was assessed on germination characteristics and physiological indexes on subsequent exposure to drought stress using 20% (m/v) polyethylene glycol (PEG) for 7 days. The results revealed that seed germination in hemp was sensitive to drought stress, as the germination indexes (germination rate and germination potential) decreased significantly, and seedling growth (hypocotyl length and radicle length) was impeded under 20% PEG-6000 condition. GA3 pre-treatment affected germination rate, germination potential, hypocotyl length and radicle length. With increasing GA3 concentration, these indexes first increased and then decreased. For seedling physiology characteristics in hemp, GA3-pretreatment remarkedly increased the osmotic regulating substances (soluble sugar and soluble protein contents) and the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, superoxide dismutase and POD, peroxidase), while sharply decreased the lipid peroxidation (malondialdehyde, MDA) in seedlings grown under PEG-6000 induced drought stress. These results suggested that seeds pre-treated with GA3 could enhance the drought tolerance of hempseeds, and the optimal effect of GA3 for seed pre-treatment of YM and BM could be obtained when the concentration of GA3 solution reached 400 mg/L and 600 mg/L, respectively.

Identification and validation of novel biomarkers affecting bladder cancer immunotherapy via machine learning and its association with M2 macrophages.

Background: Immunotherapy has shown promising results in bladder cancer therapy options. Methods: Analysis of open-access data was conducted using the R software. Open-access data were obtained from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and IMvigor210 databases. Immunofluorescence and co-culture systems were utilized to validate the effect of PTHLH on M2 macrophage polarization. Results: Here, through the combined (TCGA, GSE128959, GSE13507, and GSE83586) and IMvigor210 cohorts, we comprehensively investigated the biological and immune microenvironment differences in patients with diverse immunotherapy responses. Meanwhile, we found that M2 macrophage could affect bladder cancer immunotherapy sensibility. Moreover, based on the machine learning algorithm (LASSO logistics regression), PTHLH, BHMT2, and NGFR were identified, which all have good prediction abilities for patient immunotherapy. Then, a logistics regression model was established based on PTHLH, BHMT2, and NGFR, and each patient was assigned a logistics score. Subsequently, we investigated the difference in patients with high low logistics scores, including biological enrichment, immune microenvironment, and genomic characteristics. Meanwhile, data from the Human Protein Atlas database indicated a higher protein level of PTHLH in bladder cancer tissue. Immunofluorescence indicated that the knockdown of PTHLH in bladder cancer cells can significantly inhibit the M2 polarization of co-culture M0 macrophages. Conclusions: Our study investigated the difference between bladder cancer immunotherapy responders and non-responders. Meanwhile, the PTHLH was identified as a novel biomarker for bladder cancer immunotherapy.

The diagnostic value of non-invasive methods for diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction in men with lower urinary tract symptoms: A meta-analysis.

Purpose: We conducted the first meta-analysis to determine the diagnostic value of non-invasive methods for diagnosing bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) in men with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Methods: We searched a range of databases for relevant publications up to June 2022, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library. Retrieved studies were then reviewed for eligibility and data were extracted. The risk of bias (RoB) was assessed using the QUADAS-2 tool. We then performed a formal meta-analysis to evaluate the accuracy of various non-invasive methods for diagnosing BOO in men. Results: We identified 51 eligible studies including 7,897 patients for meta-analysis. The majority of the studies had a low overall RoB. Detrusor wall thickness (DWT) (pooled sensitivity (SSY): 71%; specificity (SPY): 88%; diagnostic odds ratio (DOR): 17.15; area under curve (AUC) 0.87) and the penile cuff test (PCT) (pooled SSY: 87%; SPY: 78%; DOR: 23.54; AUC: 0.88) showed high accuracy for diagnosing BOO. Furthermore, data suggested that DWT had the highest pooled SPY (0.89), DOR (32.58), and AUC (0.90), when using 2 mm as the cut-off. Conclusion: Of the non-invasive tests tested, DWT and PCT had the highest levels of diagnostic accuracy for diagnosing BOO in men with LUTS. DWT, with a 2 mm cut-off, had the highest level of accuracy. These two methods represent good options as non-invasive tools for evaluating BOO in males.

Molecular mechanism of ferroptosis and its role in the occurrence and treatment of diabetes.

Ferroptosis is an iron-dependent programmed cell death, which is different from apoptosis, necrosis, and autophagy. Specifically, under the action of divalent iron or ester oxygenase, unsaturated fatty acids that are highly expressed on the cell membrane are catalyzed to produce lipid peroxidation, which induces cell death. In addition, the expression of the antioxidant system [glutathione (GSH) and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4)] is decreased. Ferroptosis plays an important role in the development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. In this article, we review the molecular mechanism of ferroptosis in the development of diabetes mellitus and its complications. We also summarize the emerging questions in this particular area of research, some of which remain unanswered. Overall, this is a comprehensive review focusing on ferroptosis-mediated diabetes and providing novel insights in the treatment of diabetes from the perspective of ferroptosis.

The complete chloroplast genome of Solanum sisymbriifolium (Solanaceae), the wild eggplant.

Solanum sisymbriifolium is a critical wild eggplant resource with resistance to many serious diseases that affect eggplant production. In this study, the chloroplast genome of S. sisymbriifolium was successfully sequenced using Illumina high-throughput sequencing technology. The length of the complete chloroplast genome is 155,771 bp, and its GC content is 37.76%. There is a large single-copy region (86,404 bp), a small single-copy region (18,525 bp), and a pair of inverted repeat regions (25,421 bp) in the chloroplast genome. A total of 128 coding genes were annotated in the entire chloroplast genome, including 83 protein-coding genes, 37 transfer RNA genes and eight ribosomal RNA genes. The phylogenetic tree of 17 complete chloroplast genomes shows that S. sisymbriifolium is closely related to Solanum wrightii.

Selection and Evaluation of Candidate Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Aboveground Tissues and Drought Conditions in Rhododendron Delavayi.

There has been no systematic identification and screening of candidate reference genes for normalization of quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR) results in Rhododendron delavayi to date. Therefore, the present study used GAPDH, Act, EF1, Tub-, Tub-5, UEC1, TATA, TATA-2, UEP, TIP41, and Ubiquitin to predict their stabilities on different aboveground tissues (matured leaves (ML), stem tips (STM), and flower buds (FB)) at different developmental stages (young and adult plants) using five statistical algorithms: Delta Ct method, BestKeeper, geNorm, Normfinder, and RefFinder. The findings were confirmed using ML obtained from plants that had been stressed by drought. By using RefFinder with ML samples collected under drought conditions, it was determined that the top five most stable reference genes were GAPDH > UEC1 > Actin > Tubulin- > Tubulin-5, whereas the least stable reference gene was Ubiquitin. In addition, under control conditions, UEC1, UEC2, Actin, and GAPDH were selected as the highest stable potential reference genes at the juvenile stage of R. delavayi with ML and STM. When ML and STM were combined with drought-stressed samples, TIP41, GAPDH, or their combination proved to be the most effective qRT-PCR primers. The findings will aid in the improvement of the precision and reliability of qRT-PCR data and laying the groundwork for future gene functional studies in R. delavayi.

Morphological and histological changes in the urethra after intraurethral nonablative erbium YAG laser therapy: an experimental study in beagle dogs.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the morphological and histological changes in the urethra in beagle dogs after intraurethral Er:YAG laser irradiation in nonablative mode to confirm the safety of this therapy. Six 2-year-old healthy female virgin beagle dogs (13 ± 1.51 kg) were used in this study. The animals were divided into 2 groups: the sham group, which received sham treatment (n = 3) involving insertion of an intraurethral cannula and laser delivery handpiece into the urethra without laser irradiation, and the experimental group (n = 3), which received intraurethral Er:YAG laser irradiation. The laser irradiation parameters were set according to clinical criteria (4 mm spot size, 1.5 J/cm2, 1.4 Hz, and 4 pulses) in nonablative mode. All animals received three sequential sessions at 4-week intervals. Urethrography and urethroscopy were performed in the 12th week and 13th week, respectively, after the first treatment. After urethroscopy, the animals were sacrificed, and urethral tissue was harvested for histological investigations. All procedures were performed under general anesthesia (40 mg/kg 3% sodium pentobarbital, i.v.). Transforming growth factor ß1 (TGF-ß1) and α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) expression levels were measured to evaluate the biochemical characteristics of the scar. Urethral stricture was not found by urethrography or urethroscopy in either group. Urethral epithelium thickness and collagen expression under the urethral mucosa were significantly increased in the experimental group compared with the sham group. However, there were no significant differences in TGF-ß1 and α-SMA expression between the experimental group and sham group (p > 0.05). Urethral stricture is not found in beagle dogs after clinically relevant intraurethral nonablative mode Er:YAG laser irradiation. Proliferation of urethral collagen and the urethral mucosa may be one of the mechanisms by which urine leakage symptoms can be improved.

The influence of intubation on urinary flow parameters in pressure-flow study and its significance for urodynamic diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Transurethral catheterization in pressure-flow study (PFS) may interfere with the function of the lower urinary tract and produce an incorrect urodynamic diagnosis. We aimed to investigate the influence of a 7F catheter on urinary flow parameters in PFS and its significance for urodynamic diagnosis. Our hypothesis was that intubation causes adverse effects on urinary flow rate and further influences the urodynamic diagnosis. METHODS: We reviewed a urodynamic database of men and women referred for evaluation of lower urinary tract symptoms. The urinary flow parameters of PFS and free flow (FF) were compared. The influence of intubation on urodynamic diagnosis was determined by re-evaluating bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) and detrusor underactivity (DU), with the maximum flow rate of PFS (Qmax.P) being replaced by Qmax of FF (Qmax.F). RESULTS: We initially screened 1,791 patients and included 1,144 for the analysis. Overall, PFS had a lower Qmax (p < 0.001), longer flow time (p < 0.001), and a similar voided volume (p > 0.05). However, Qmax.P displayed inconsistent changing directions: Qmax.P decreased in 72.8% of male patients and 83.5% of female patients but increased in 14.7% of male patients and 9.5% female patients. Qmax.P was unchanged in the remaining patients. The urodynamic diagnosis of BOO and DU changed correspondingly in both the decreased group and the increased group when Qmax.P was replaced by Qmax.F. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with Qmax.F, the changing directions and magnitude of Qmax.P varied with each individual, which could have a significant impact on urodynamic diagnosis. Thus, when a similar volume is voided in FF and PFS, and Qmax.P differs obviously from Qmax.F, replacing Qmax.P with Qmax.F for evaluating BOO and DU may be a sensible choice.

Evaluation of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) as an industrial crop: a review.

Rising human population has increased the utilization of available resources for food, clothes, medicine, and living space, thus menacing natural environment and mounting the gap between available resources, and the skills to meet human desires is necessary. Humans are satisfying their desires by depleting available natural resources. Therefore, multifunctional plants can contribute towards the livelihoods of people, to execute their life requirements without degrading natural resources. Thus, research on multipurpose industrial crops should be of high interest among scientists. Hemp, or industrial hemp, is gaining research interest because of its fastest growth and utilization in commercial products including textile, paper, medicine, food, animal feed, paint, biofuel, biodegradable plastic, and construction material. High biomass production and ability to grow under versatile conditions make hemp, a good candidate species for remediation of polluted soils also. Present review highlights the morphology, adaptability, nutritional constituents, textile use, and medicinal significance of industrial hemp. Moreover, its usage in environmental conservation, building material, and biofuel production has also been discussed.

Remediation of arsenic-contaminated paddy soil: Effects of elemental sulfur and gypsum fertilizer application.

Heavy metal(loid) contamination represents an immense challenge in sustainable agriculture. Arsenic, in particular, poses a great risk to the quality of agricultural products (e.g., rice grain). The sulfur amendment is recommended as an effective practice to remediate heavy metal(loid)-polluted soil, given its function in enhancing crop production and alleviating heavy metal(loid) accumulation in the plant. This study aims to investigate the roles of sulfur fertilizer on arsenic accumulation in rice and to explore the key mechanisms. In this study, Elemental sulfur (ES) and gypsum sulfur (GS) were chosen as sulfur fertilizers, with different application rates (0, 0.15, and 0.30 g S kg-1 soil). The results showed that ES and GS treatment significantly increased rice grain yield by 46.6-59.7% and significantly reduced the rice grain arsenic content by more than 39.1%. The sulfur treatment decreased soil pe + pH values. ES treatment increased the availability of arsenic in the bulk soil, whereas GS showed little effect. Sulfur application promoted the formation of iron and manganese plaques, which could suppress the migration of arsenic from soil to rice root. In addition, the sulfur treatment decreased the arsenic that migrating from rice roots to grains by 33.3-66.7%. This study indicates that sulfur application could increase arsenic availability in paddy soil; however, it can inhibit arsenic accumulation in rice grains via increasing the root plaques content and inhibiting the translocation of arsenic from roots to grains.

Prophylactic Antibiotics for Urinary Tract Infections after Urodynamic Studies: A Meta-Analysis.

AIM: We aimed to perform a meta-analysis to determine whether antibiotic prophylaxis reduces the incidence of urinary tract infections (UTIs) after urodynamic studies (UDS). METHODS: We conducted a systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, Ovid, Elsevier, ClinicalKey, Embase, Cochrane Library, Medline, and Wiley Online Library. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) comparing the effectiveness of prophylactic antibiotics with placebo or no treatment in preventing UTI after UDS were included. Two reviewers extracted data independently, and RevMan 5.3 software was used to analyze relative risk (RR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Heterogeneity was assessed by the Q test and I 2 test. RESULTS: The final meta-analysis included 1829 patients in 13 RCTs. Compared with the placebo or no treatment group, prophylactic antibiotics could significantly reduce the risk of bacteriuria (RR = 0.42, 95% CI: 0.30-0.60) and the risk of symptomatic UTI (RR = 0.65, 95% CI: 0.48-0.88). In addition, there was no statistically significant difference in the risk of adverse events (RR = 4.93, 95% CI: 0.61-40.05). No significant heterogeneity or publication bias was found in this study. CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence showed that prophylactic antibiotics could reduce the risk of asymptomatic bacteriuria and symptomatic UTI after UDS without increasing the incidence of adverse events.

Refractory lower urinary tract symptoms in patients with lumbar disc hernia relieved by non-surgical treatment.

PURPOSE: Refractory lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) coexisting with lumbar disc hernia (LDH) have been shown to resolve following LDH surgery, implying that LDH causes these LUTS. The purpose of this study was to report outcomes in patients with refractory LUTS and LDH following non-surgical treatment targeting LDH. METHODS: A retrospective cohort study was conducted using outpatient data collected at Tongji Hospital, China, between 2016 and 2018. This study included 131 adult patients with refractory LUTS and LDH. Patients were stratified into two groups. Group A underwent non-surgical treatment for LDH plus pharmacological treatment for LUTS. Group B underwent only pharmacological treatment for LUTS. The International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the IPSS quality of life (QoL) score, and uroflowmetry were used to evaluate outcomes. RESULTS: In group A, following treatment, the maximum flow rate (Qmax) increased by 3.92 ml/s (p < 0.001), the IPSS reduced by 5.99 points (p < 0.001), and the QoL score decreased by 1.51 points (p < 0.001). In group B, the Qmax increased by 0.09 ml/s (p = 0.833), the IPSS reduced by 0.72 points (p = 0.163), and the QoL score decreased by 0.07 points (p = 0.784). CONCLUSIONS: LUTS can be relieved by a combination of pharmacological treatment for LUTS and non-surgical treatment for LDH in some refractory LUTS patients with LDH. MRI is recommended for these patients.

Verification and Defined Dosage of Sodium Pentobarbital for a Urodynamic Study in the Possibility of Survival Experiments in Female Rat.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the effects of pentobarbital dosages on lower urinary tract function and to define an appropriate dosage of sodium pentobarbital that would be suitable for urodynamic studies in which recovery from anesthesia and long term survive were needed for subsequent experiment. METHODS: Twenty-four 8-week-old, female, virgin, Sprague-Dawley rats (200-250 g) were used in this study. Rats in study groups received gradient doses of pentobarbital intraperitoneally, and those in the control group received urethane intraperitoneally. External urethral sphincter electromyography (EUS-EMG) was recorded simultaneously during cystometry and leak point pressure tests. The toe-pinch reflex was used to determine the level of anesthesia. RESULTS: Micturition was normally induced in both the urethane group and 32 mg/kg pentobarbital group. However, in groups of 40 mg/kg or 36 mg/kg pentobarbital, micturition failed to be induced; instead, nonvoiding contractions accompanied by EUS-EMG tonic activity were observed. There were no significant differences in leak point pressure or EUS-EMG amplitude or frequency between the urethane and 32 mg/kg pentobarbital groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirmed significant dose-dependent effects of pentobarbital on lower urinary tract function and 32 mg/kg pentobarbital as an appropriate dosage for recovery urodynamic testing, which enable the achievement of expected essential micturition under satisfactory anesthesia in female rats.