ARNTL2 facilitates bladder cancer progression through potentiating ENO1-mediated glycolysis in a SLC31A1-independent and -dependent manner.

BACKGROUND: Basic helix-loop-helix ARNT like 2 (ARNTL2) is a transcription factor that controls the circadian rhythm. Amounts of studies have demonstrated the carcinogenic function of ARNTL2 in human malignant tumors albeit the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We aimed to study the significance of ARNTL2 in bladder cancer (BLCA). METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining, immunoblotting and the database from TCGA were used to analyze the clinical relevance of ARNTL2, enolase 1 (ENO1) and solute carrier family 31 member 1 (SLC31A1) in BLCA. The function of ARNTL2 was explored by cell proliferation assay, apoptosis, colony formation and xenografted tumorigenesis. The molecular mechanisms of ARNTL2-driving BLCA development were investigated by RT-qPCR, immunoblotting and luciferase assays. Glycolysis was checked by measuring glucose consumption and lactate production. ENO1 activity was assessed by using indicated assay kit. RESULTS: Overexpression of ARNTL2 facilitates the proliferation and tumorigenesis of BLCA cells through suppression of apoptosis and enhancement of glycolysis. Up-regulation of SLC31A1, ENO1, and enhancement of SLC31A1-mediated ENO1 activity were critical for ARNTL2-triggered glycolysis and malignant growth in BLCA cells. ARNTL2 was positively correlated with SLC31A1 and ENO1 in BLCA patients. High expression of ARNTL2, SLC31A1 or ENO1 predicted the poor prognosis of BLCA patients. Depletion of SLC31A1 and inhibition of glycolysis completely blunted the growth ability of BLCA cells. CONCLUSION: In summary, ARNTL2 facilitates the progression of BLCA via activating ENO1-mediated glycolysis in a SLC31A1-independent and -dependent manner. Inhibiting SLC31A1 and glycolysis may be an aspirational approach for the treatment of BLCA patients with overexpression of ARNTL2.

Regulation of Interferon-ß-Modified Human Umbilical Cord Mesenchymal Stem Cell-Derived Exosomes in Proliferation and Apoptosis of Prostate Cancer Cells.

Prostate cancer (PCa) poses a serious burden to men. Interferon-ß (IFN-ß) is implicated in cancer cell growth. This study hence explored the regulation of IFN-ß-modified human umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cell-derived exosomes (hUCMSC-Exos) in PCa cells. In vitro-cultured hUCMSCs were transfected with pcDNA3.1-IFN-ß plasmid or IFN-ß siRNA. hUCMSC-Exos were extracted by ultracentrifugation and identified. PCa cells (PC3 and LNCap) were treated with Exos. Cellular internalization of Exos by cells was detected by uptake assay. Cell proliferation, cycle, and apoptosis were evaluated by CCK-8, EdU staining, and flow cytometry. Levels of cell cycle-related proteins (cyclin D/cyclin E) were determined by Western blot. The effect of IFN-ß-modified hUCMSC-Exos in vivo was analyzed. IFN-ß-modified hUCMSC-Exos (Exooe-IFN-ß or Exosi-IFN-ß) were successfully isolated. IFN-ß was encapsulated in Exos, and PCa cells could uptake Exos. After treating with Exooe-IFN-ß, PCa cell proliferation was impeded, the percentage of cells in the G0/G1 phase, cyclin D/cyclin E levels, and cell apoptotic rate were elevated, while cells treated with Exooe-IFN-ß exhibited contrary trends. IFN-ß-modified hUCMSC-Exos reduced PCa tumor size and weight in vivo. Conjointly, IFN-ß-modified hUCMSC-Exos suppress PCa cell proliferation and facilitate apoptosis.

GLIDR promotes the aggressiveness progression of prostate cancer cells by sponging miR-128-3p.

Glioblastoma downregulated RNA (GLIDR) is a newly discovered long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) that its increased expression indicates a poor prognosis of prostate cancer (PCa). However, the effect of GLIDR on PCa cells is not clear. Our study investigated the role and molecular mechanism of GLIDR in PCa cells. The results showed that GLIDR expression levels were higher in PCa samples and cells than in control. GLIDR could regulate the invasive potential, epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and proliferation in PC-3 and LnCaP cells. Besides, GLIDR could weaken the inhibitory effects of miR-128-3p on invasion, EMT and proliferation in PCa cells. Western blotting proved that miR-128-3p affected the expression of EMT markers, such as E-cadherin, Snail and N-cadherin, and GLIDR could reversed the effects of miR-128-3p on the expression levels of EMT markers in PCa cells. In addition, knockdown of miR-128-3p stimulated the invasion, EMT, and proliferation in PCa cells, whereas these effects were reversed when GLIDR expression was knocked down. GLIDR knockdown inhibited the invasion, EMT, and proliferation in PCa cells, and GLIDR was shown to sponge miR-128-3p. Together, these results highlight GLIDR as a potential therapeutic target for the PCa treatment.

Nonsingular Integral Terminal Sliding Mode Control for Resonant Frequency Tracking of Electromagnetic Acoustic Transducers (EMATs) Based on Fixed-Time Strategy.

Resonant frequency tracking control of electromagnetic acoustic transducers (EMATs) remains a challenge in terms of drifting working frequency and reduced conversion efficiency caused by working environment changes. This paper presents a fixed-time nonsingular integral terminal sliding mode (FT-NITSM) control strategy for resonant frequency tracking of EMATs to realize precise and high robustness resonant frequency tracking performance. Specifically, a FT-NITSM control method with fast convergence feature is developed and a resonant frequency tracking controller for EMATs is further designed to improve the convergence speed and tracking accuracy. Fixed time stability of the proposed frequency tracking control system is proved through Lyapunov function analysis. Moreover, numerical simulations demonstrate that the FT-NITSM control strategy can ensure precise tracking of the system's operating frequency to its natural resonant frequency in less than 3 s with a tracking error of less than 0.01 × 104 Hz. With the maximum overshoot variation between -20 and 20 and error range in -5 and 5° at the steady state, the FT-NITSM control strategy can ensure the control system impedance angle θ being consistent and eventually bounded. This study provides a toolbox for the resonant frequency tracking control and performance improvement of EMATs.

A High-Performance Coniform Helmholtz Resonator-Based Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Acoustic Energy Harvesting.

Harvesting acoustic energy in the environment and converting it into electricity can provide essential ideas for self-powering the widely distributed sensor devices in the age of the Internet of Things. In this study, we propose a low-cost, easily fabricated and high-performance coniform Helmholtz resonator-based Triboelectric Nanogenerator (CHR-TENG) with the purpose of acoustic energy harvesting. Output performances of the CHR-TENG with varied geometrical sizes were systematically investigated under different acoustic energy conditions. Remarkably, the CHR-TENG could achieve a 58.2% higher power density per unit of sound pressure of acoustic energy harvesting compared with the ever-reported best result. In addition, the reported CHR-TENG was demonstrated by charging a 1000 µF capacitor up to 3 V in 165 s, powering a sensor for continuous temperature and humidity monitoring and lighting up as many as five 0.5 W commercial LED bulbs for acoustic energy harvesting. With a collection features of high output performance, lightweight, wide frequency response band and environmental friendliness, the cleverly designed CHR-TENG represents a practicable acoustic energy harvesting approach for powering sensor devices in the age of the Internet of Things.

Rapid detection of sulfamethazine and ofloxacin residues in duck meat using synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy coupled with chemometric methods.

Rapid detection of antibiotic residues in duck meat is of great significance for strengthening food safety and quality supervision of duck meat and fighting against inferior products in the duck meat market. The objective of the current paper was to evaluate the potential of synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy (SFS) coupled with chemometric methods for the rapid detection of sulfamethazine (SM2) and ofloxacin (OFL) residues in duck meat.The SFS spectral data from duck meat containing different concentrations of SM2 and OFL were preprocessed by baseline offset. The detection conditions, including the adding amounts of ß-mercaptoethanol solution and o-phthalaldehyde solution, as well as the reaction time, were optimized by a single factor experiment for obtaining a better detection effect, and their optimal values were 400 µL , 25 µL , and 40 min, respectively. By comparing 2 chemometric models based on peak-height algorithm and peak-area algorithm, the prediction model based on peak-height algorithm was a better quantitative model with correlation coefficient for the prediction set (Rp) of 0.9031 and 0.9981, the root mean error for the prediction set (RMSEP) of 7.9509 and 0.5267 mg/kg, recovery of 81.7 to 155.1% and 96.4 to 111.2%, and relative standard deviation (RSD) of 4.1 to 6.7% and 2.9 to 6.8% to predict SM2 and OFL residues in duck meat, respectively. Overall, the results of this investigation showed that SFS technique was an effective and rapid tool for the detection of SM2 and OFL residues in duck meat.

FAM64A is an androgen receptor-regulated feedback tumor promoter in prostate cancer.

Endocrine therapy for prostate cancer (PCa) mainly inhibits androgen receptor (AR) signaling, due to increased androgen synthesis and AR changes, PCa evolved into castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC). The function of Family With Sequence Similarity 64 Member A (FAM64A) and its association with prostate cancer has not been reported. In our research, we first reported that FAM64A is up-regulated and positively associated with poor prognosis of patients with prostate cancer (PCa) by TCGA database and immunohistochemistry staining. Moreover, knockdown of FAM64A significantly suppressed the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of PCa cells in vitro. Mechanistically, FAM64A expression was increased by dihydrotestosterone (DHT) through direct binding of AR to FAM64A promoter, and notably promoted the proliferation, migration, invasion, and cell cycle of androgen-dependent cell line of PCa. In addition, abnormal expression of FAM64A affects the immune and interferon signaling pathway of PCa cells. In conclusion, FAM64A was up-regulated by AR through directly binding to its specific promoter region to promote the development of PCa, and was associated with the immune mechanism and interferon signaling pathway, which provided a better understanding and a new potential for treating PCa.

Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy method for classification of doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin in duck meat using gold nanoparticles.

This paper investigated on 478 duck meat samples for the identification of 2 kinds of antibiotics, that is, doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin, that were classified based on surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) combined with multivariate techniques. The optimal detection parameters, including the effects of the adsorption time, and 2 enhancement substrates (i.e., gold nanoparticles as well as gold nanoparticles and NaCl) on Raman intensities, were analyzed using single factor analysis method. The results showed that the optimal adsorption time between gold nanoparticles and analytes was 2 min, and the colloidal gold nanoparticles without NaCl as the active substrate were more conducive to enhance the Raman spectra signal. The SERS data were pretreated by using the method of adaptive iterative penalty least square method (air-PLS) and second derivative, and from which the feature vectors were extracted with the help of principal component analysis. The first four principal components scores were selected as the input values of support vector machines model. The overall classification accuracy of the test set was 100%. The experimental results showed that the combination of SERS and multivariate analysis could identify the residues of doxycycline hydrochloride and tylosin in duck meat quickly and sensitively.

Classification and detection of testosterone propionate and nandrolone residues in duck meat using surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy coupled with multivariate analysis.

There is a critical need for a rapid and simple method of qualitative and quantitative analysis of testosterone propionate (TP) and nandrolone (NT) residues in duck meat. In this study, we applied surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled multivariate analysis for the classification and detection of TP and NT residues in duck meat. A total of 294 duck meat extract samples were obtained from duck breast meats based on a LC-MS/MS sample preparation method with slight modification including 102 duck meat extract samples without TP and NT, 43 duck meat samples containing TP, 47 duck meat extract samples containing NT, and 102 duck meat extract samples containing TP and NT. Raw Raman spectra were pretreated by using adaptive iteratively reweighted penalized least squares (airPLS), normalization and first derivative, and then the score values of first 10 principal components were selected as the inputs of the developed models. A particle swarm optimization-support vector classification (PSO-SVC) model was created to classify all the duck meat samples into the 4 groups (i.e., control group, TP group, NT group, and TP combined with NT group) with the classification accuracies of 99.49 and 100% for training set and test set, respectively. Furthermore, 2 least squares support vector regression (LS-SVR) models were developed to predict the TP values in samples with a determination coefficient (R2) value of 0.9316, root mean square error (RMSE) value of 2.1739, and ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD) value of 3.2189 for the test set, and NT values in samples with an R2 value of 0.9038, RMSE value of 2.2914, and RPD value of 2.9701 for the test set. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy technology, in combination with multivariate analysis, has the potential to become the qualitative and quantitative analysis tool for TP and NT residues in duck meat extract.

Tumor suppressor miR-33b-5p regulates cellular function and acts a prognostic biomarker in RCC.

BACKGROUND: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a renal parenchyma neoplasm with a 30% recurrence rate even when treated properly. MicroRNAs are noncoding small RNAs that are involved in cellular communication and may participate in cancer development. This study aimed to explore the relationship between miR-33b-5p expression and RCC progression and prognosis. METHOD: RT-qPCR, CCK-8 assay, wound scratch assay, transwell assay and flow cytometry assay were used to evaluate the expression and function of miR-33b-5p in RCC. Additionally, RCC samples and survival data from The Cancer Genome Atlas were used to analyze the prognostic functions of miR-33b-5p. RESULTS: miR-33b-5p expression in RCC tissues and cell lines (786-O, ACHN) were found to be significantly downregulated, compared with normal tissues and cell lines (P<0.001). The miR-33b-5p mimic transfected cells showed a slower proliferation rate (P<0.01), while its invasion ability decreased by 38.16% (786-O, P<0.001) and 49.19% (ACHN, P<0.05), compared with the negative control (NC). The migration ability of both RCC lines were found to be as follows: miR-33b-5p inhibitor > NC or NC inhibitor > miR-33b-5p mimic. Additionally, TCGA and RCC samples reveal that low miR-33b-5p expression is related to poor survival outcomes (univariate analysis, P=0.029; multivariate analysis, P=0.024; Kaplan-Meier survival curves, P=0.014). Target genes prediction suggests that miR-33b-5p performs its tumor-suppressive effects and prognostic role through targeting TBX15, SLC12A5, and PTGFRN. CONCLUSIONS: miR-33b-5p may function as a tumor-suppressive regulator and prognostic biomarker in RCC.

Multichannel Inductive Sensor Based on Phase Division Multiplexing for Wear Debris Detection.

Inductive wear debris sensor has been widely used in real time machine lubricant oil condition monitoring and fault forecasting. However, the small sensing zone, which is designed for high sensitivity, of the existing sensors leads to low throughput. In order to improve the throughput, a novel multichannel wear debris sensor that is based on phase division multiplexing is presented. By introducing the phase shift circuit into the system, multiple sensing coils could work at different initial phases. Multiple signals of sensing coils could be combined into one output without information loss. Synchronized sampling is used for data recording, and output signals of multiple sensing coils are extracted from the recorded data. A four-channel wear debris sensor system was designed to demonstrate our method. Subsequently, crosstalk analysis, pseudo-dynamic testing and dynamic testing were conducted to check the sensing system. Results show that signals of four sensing coils could be simultaneously detected and the detection limit for ferrous wear debris is 33 µm. Using the presented method, real time wear debris detection in multiple channels could be achieved without increasing the number of excitation source and data acquisition equipment.

Analysis of Diethylstilbestrol Residues in Chicken Using Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) Coupled with Multivariate Analysis.

Estrogen residues, including diethylstilbestrol in chicken, are one of the main food safety concerns all over the world owing to a series of negative effects on the human body. Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) coupled with multivariate analysis was applied to detect rapidly diethylstilbestrol residues in chicken. The detection conditions, including the sizes of colloidal gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) and the additional amounts of Au NPs, chicken extract containing diethylstilbestrol, and magnesium sulfate solution, as well as the adsorption time, were optimized by a single factor experiment to obtain a better detection effect of diethylstilbestrol residues in chicken. Partial least squares regression (PLSR) was the best quantitative model for the detection of diethylstilbestrol residues in chicken by comparing four chemometric models. Diethylstilbestrol residues in chicken could be predicted by PLSR with the low root mean square error (RMSE = 0.4128 mg/L), and the high determination coefficient (R2 = 0.9811) and ratio of prediction to deviation (RPD = 7.2566) for the test set. A novel approach, which has the potential for the analysis of other estrogen residues in meat, was developed to detect rapidly the diethylstilbestrol residues in chicken by using SERS coupled with multivariate analysis.

[FABRICATION AND BIOCOMPATIBILITY EVALUATION OF POLYURETHANE- ACELLULAR MATRIX COMPOSITE SCAFFOLD IN VITRO AND IN VIVO].

OBJECTIVE: To prepare a composite scattold using bladder acellular matrix (BACM) and polyurethane (PU) for bladder repair and regeneration, and to evaluate its mechanical properties and biocompatibility. METHODS: Fresh bladder tissues were obtained from New Zealand rabbits and then treated with 1%SDS and 1%Triton X-100 to obtain BACM. The BACM was combined with PU to fabricate PU-BACM composite scaffold. The tensile strength and elongation at break of BACM and PU-BACM scaffolds were tested. Scaffolds and extracts of scaffolds were prepared to evaluate the biocompatibility. For cell-proliferation analysis, cell counting kit 8 method was used at 1, 3, 5, and 7 days after co-culture of human. bladder smooth muscle cell (HBSMC) and scaffolds. The cell cycle was tested by flow cytometry after HBSMC co-cultured with extracts of scaffolds and DMEM culture medium (control group) for 24 hours. Finally, 12 New Zealand rabbits were used to establish the model of bladder repair and regeneration. Incision of 5 mm was made on the bladder, and PU-BACM scaffold was sutured with the incision. The rabbits were sacrificed at 10, 20, 40, and 60 days after surgery to observe the inflammatory cell infiltration, new tissues formation, and regeneration of epithelium by HE staining. RESULTS: The tensile strength of BACM and PU-BACM composite scaffold was (5.78 ± 0.85) N and (11.88 ± 3.21) N, and elongation at break was 14.46% ± 3.21% and 23.14% ± 1.32% respectively, all showing significant diffeence (t = 3.182, P = 0.034; t = 4.332, P = 0.012). The cell-proliferation rates of controls, PU, BACM, and PU-BACM were 36.78% ± 1.21%, 30.49% ± 0.89%, 18.92% ± 0.84%, and 22.42% ± 1.55%, it was significantly higher in PU-BACM than BACM (P < 0.05). In the bladder repair and regeneration experiment, inflammatory cell infiltration was observed at 10 days after operation, and reduced at 20 days after implantation. In the meanwhile, the degradation of scaffolds was observed in vivo. The regeneration of epithelium could be observed after 40 days of implantation. At 60 days after implantation, in situ bladder tissue formed. CONCLUSION: PU-BACM composite scaffold has higher mechanical properties and better biocompatibility than BACM scaffold. PU-BACM composite scaffold will not lead to strong immune response, and new bladder tissue can form in the in vivo rabbit bladder repair experiment. These results can provide research basis and theoretical data for further study.

Laparoscopic resection of a huge mature cystic teratoma of the right adrenal gland through retroperitoneal approach: a case report and literature review.

BACKGROUND: At present, the primary mature cystic teratoma in the adrenal gland is extremely rare in adults, according to the literature. In addition, a completely retroperitoneoscopic resection of mature cystic teratomas has been reported only in two cases. CASE PRESENTATION: We report a case of a large mature cystic teratoma with a regular margin in the right adrenal gland. Three months before surgery, abdominal enhanced computer tomography revealed a 5.7 × 4.9 × 4.3 cm lipoid tumour of mixed density with calcification in the tumorous centre, clinically diagnosed as adrenal myelolipoma or adenoma. Retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy was successfully performed; however, the tumour had increased in size to approximately 6.0 × 7.0 × 11 cm. The pathological report suggested the final diagnosis of mature cystic teratoma. The patient had an uneventful course after the surgery and was free of recurrence or metastasis within 8 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Retroperitoneoscopic adrenalectomy for large adrenal masses is safe and feasible. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report where of a large mature cystic teratoma of the right adrenal gland has been completely resected using retroperitoneoscopic approach.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors Plus Phosphodiesterase-5 Inhibitors for Premature Ejaculation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combination therapy with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) inhibitors for the treatment of premature ejaculation (PE). METHODS: A systematic search of EMBASE, MEDLINE, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews was undertaken to identify articles that referred to the use of a combination of SSRIs and PDE-5 inhibitors for the treatment of PE. A meta-analysis of these clinical studies was performed. The post-treatment intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) and adverse events (AEs) were used in this meta-analysis. RESULTS: Six publications involving 971 patients were included in the meta-analysis. In the analysis, we found significantly improved IELT in the combination use group compared with the use of SSRIs (mean differences [MD], 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.61-1.41; P <.01) or PDE-5 inhibitors alone (MD, 1.11; 95% CI, 0.79-1.43; P <.01) for PE whether or not these patients suffered from erectile dysfunction. Combined treatment was more efficacious than use of PDE-5 inhibitors alone on sexual satisfaction. Although the occurrence of drug-related AEs in the combination use group was higher than that in the use of SSRIs or PDE-5 inhibitors alone group (37.5% vs 25.63%, P <.01), the most common AEs were mild and tolerable. CONCLUSION: The combined use of SSRIs and PDE-5 inhibitors provided additive favorable effects in men with PE compared with SSRIs or PDE-5 inhibitors monotherapy and was generally well tolerated.

A New Treatment Strategy for Inactivating Algae in Ballast Water Based on Multi-Trial Injections of Chlorine.

Ships' ballast water can carry aquatic organisms into foreign ecosystems. In our previous studies, a concept using ion exchange membrane electrolysis to treat ballast water has been proven. In addition to other substantial approaches, a new strategy for inactivating algae is proposed based on the developed ballast water treatment system. In the new strategy, the means of multi-trial injection with small doses of electrolytic products is applied for inactivating algae. To demonstrate the performance of the new strategy, contrast experiments between new strategies and routine processes were conducted. Four algae species including Chlorella vulgaris, Platymonas subcordiformis, Prorocentrum micans and Karenia mikimotoi were chosen as samples. The different experimental parameters are studied including the injection times and doses of electrolytic products. Compared with the conventional one trial injection method, mortality rate time (MRT) and available chlorine concentration can be saved up to about 84% and 40%, respectively, under the application of the new strategy. The proposed new approach has great potential in practical ballast water treatment. Furthermore, the strategy is also helpful for deep insight of mechanism of algal tolerance.

The effect of intravesical chemotherapy in the prevention of intravesical recurrence after nephroureterectomy for upper tract urothelial carcinoma: a meta-analysis.

CONTEXT: The standard management of upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma (UUT-UC) is nephroureterectomy with bladder cuff excision, but after surgery, approximately 22-47% of patients with UUT-UC develop subsequent bladder tumour recurrence, potentially because of the implantation of cancer cells from the primary tumour. OBJECTIVE: To conduct a meta-analysis to evaluate the effect of prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy in the prevention of bladder recurrence after nephroureterectomy for UUT-UC. DATA ACQUISITION: An electronic database search of Medline, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CancerLit and ClinicalTrials.gov was performed to identify appropriate studies prior to March 2013.All studies comparing nephroureterectomy alone with prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy after nephroureterectomy were included. The main outcome measure for this meta-analysis was the rate of bladder recurrence after nephroureterectomy. The search was not limited by language. The review process followed the guidelines of the Cochrane Collaboration. The analysis was conducted using the Review Manager Version RevMan 5.0 software (The Nordic Cochrane Centre, The Cochrane Collaboration). RESULTS: A total of 592 patients were included in this study, of whom 257 underwent intravesical instillation after nephroureterectomy and 335 underwent nephroureterectomy alone. Our meta-analysis demonstrated that the rate of recurrence after 12 months was significantly lower in the intravesical instillation after nephroureterectomy group than in the nephroureterectomy-alone group [odds ratio (OR): 0.48; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.28-0.81; P = 0.006]. A significant decrease in bladder recurrence after at least 24  months was also observed in the intravesical instillation after nephroureterectomy group (OR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.24-0.67; P = 0.0004). A subgroup analysis demonstrated that the pattern of differences was similar to those from the total group analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy was effective for the prevention of bladder recurrence after nephroureterectomy. Therefore, we suggest that prophylactic intravesical chemotherapy should be performed in patients with UUT-UC after nephroureterectomy, but the optimal chemotherapy regimen and the initial time of instillation should be explored in future studies.

The efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy under general versus regional anesthesia: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis was performed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) under regional anesthesia (RA) vs. general anesthesia (GA). A systematic literature search in the electronic databases (Cochrane CENTRAL, Medline and EMBASE) was performed up to April 2014. Twelve trials, including 1954 patients, met the inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis. Our pooled analysis showed that PCNL under RA could reduce surgical duration (MD, -2.47; 95 % CI, -3.51 to -1.44), hospitalization period (MD, -0.48; 95 % CI -0.93 to -0.04), fluoroscopy time (MD, -0.48; 95 % CI, -0.83 to -0.14), blood transfusion (OR, 0.59; 95 % CI, 0.38-0.92), postoperative pain (MD, -1.99; 95 % CI, -2.2 to -1.78), and analgesic requirements (MD, -19.14; 95 % CI, -26.64 to -11.63). However, there was no difference between RA and GA groups with regard to stone-free rate (OR, 1.09; 95 % CI, 0.86-1.37) and postoperative complications associated with PCNL (OR, 0.95; 95 % CI 0.58-1.54). Our results show that PCNL under RA offers several potential advantages over GA in terms of surgical duration, hospitalization period, fluoroscopy time, blood transfusion, postoperative pain, and analgesic requirements, but both anesthetic techniques appear to be equivalent with regard to the stone-free rate and complication rate. Along with the suggested favorable hemodynamic profile and lower cost, RA may prove a better alternative than GA.

Assessing the Impact of Barbed Suture on Vesicourethral Anastomosis During Minimally Invasive Radical Prostatectomy: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To examine the effectiveness of barbed suture (BS) compared with conventional sutures for vesicourethral anastomosis (VUA) during minimally invasive radical prostatectomy (RP). METHODS: Relevant studies comparing the safety and efficacy of BS with conventional sutures during minimally invasive RP were identified through a literature search using MEDLINE, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library. The outcome measures included baseline characteristics, primary outcomes, and secondary outcomes. RESULTS: Ten studies (378 cases and 369 controls) were included. No significant differences between the 2 groups were detected in any of the baseline variables except for age (P = .02). The BS group had a shorter operation time (mean difference [MD], 10.54; 95% confidence interval [CI], -14.38 to -6.69; P <.01), a shorter VUA time (MD, -5.35; 95% CI, -7.44 to -3.25; P <.01), and a shorter posterior reconstruction time (MD, -0.56; 95% CI, -1.10 to -0.02; P = .04) than those in the conventional sutures group. No significant differences were detected between the 2 groups in other outcomes of interest. In subgroup and sensitivity analyses, there was no change in the significance of any of the outcomes. CONCLUSION: This meta-analysis indicates that VUA using BS as opposed to conventional suture is associated with a shorter operative time, comparable postoperative complication rate, and convenience for manipulation, which is of benefit to the surgeon learning robot-assisted RP and laparoscopic RP. Given that the inherent limitations, future well-designed randomized controlled trials are required to confirm our findings.

[Bladder reconstruction using autologous bone marrow mesenchyaml stem cells-seeded bladder acellelar matrix graft in a canine model].

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of autologous bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells(BMSCs) seeded on bladder acellular matrix graft (BAMG) for bladder reconstruction in a canine model. METHODS: This study included 25 mongrel dogs. Five dogs were sacrificed for the preparation of BAMG. Twenty dogs were randomly divided into two groups and received partial cystectomy. In group A, the bladder defect was repaired with unseeded BAMG. In group B, the bladder defect was repaired with autologous BMSCs-seeded BAMG. The bladders were retrieved and studied histologically and immunohistochemically at the time point of 1, 2, 4, 8, 12 weeks after surgery to evaluate tissue regeneration. RESULTS: All dogs survived the procedure. Histopathological examination in group B showed there was urothelium developed at the end of the 2 weeks. By 8 and 12 weeks all bladder wall components were regenerated in the repaired area, which were similar to normal bladder tissue. In group A, urothelium regeneration was observed at the end of the 4 weeks, whereas smooth muscle was still not well-formed by 12 weeks. CONCLUSION: Autologous BMSCs-seeded BAMG could promote the repair of bladder defect, which is superior to unseeded BAMG in regenerative properties.