The effect of intraurethral dexpanthenol in hypospadias repair: experimental rabbit study.

INTRODUCTION: In this study, the authors aimed to research the histopathologic effects of intraurethral use of dexpanthenol for hypospadias repair. Dexpanthenol is a derivative of pantothenic acid, a B complex vitamin. Pantothenic acid is a molecule contributing in the structure of coenzyme A. It decreases the release of myeloperoxidase from granulocytes and inhibits the formation of free oxygen radicals, and it exhibits an anti-inflammatory effect by increasing mitotic activity. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study is to evaluate the use of dexpanthenol after a tubularized incised plate urethroplasty (TIP) on wound healing, inflammation, and fibrosis. STUDY DESIGN: In this study, 18 healthy male New Zealand white rabbits weighing 2500-3000 g were used. The 18 rabbits were randomly divided into 3 groups. For the hypospadias model, rabbits had a urethral catheter inserted in the urethra and a ventral midline incision was made from the glans tip to the central line of the penis. Afterward, the incision was closed with Vicryl (7/0) using the continuous suture technique, and urethroplasty was completed. For fourteen days, group I had 0.9% saline solution administered intraurethrally twice per day with a 22G catheter sleeve (control group), group II had one dose of 500 mg/kg dexpanthenol (Bepanthene®; Bayer Turk Chemical Industry Limited Company, Turkey) ampoule and one dose of saline solution administered in the same way, and group III had two doses of 500 mg/kg dexpanthenol ampoule administered. On the fifteenth day, the penis was degloved and rabbits had penectomy performed with samples sent to the pathology department for histopathological assessment. RESULTS: The degree of fibrosis and inflammation in group I (control group) was more severe than groups II and III. The differences between groups I and II were statistically significantly different for both fibrosis and inflammation (P = 0.018 and P = 0.041, respectively). The differences between groups I and III were also statistically significantly different for both fibrosis and inflammation (P = 0.019 and P = 0.011, respectively). Groups II and III were not different significantly for fibrosis and inflammation (P > 0.05). DISCUSSION: This study shows that intraurethral dexpanthenol application has positive effects on fibrosis and inflammation. The main limitations of the study are that the hypospadias model was created surgically and long-term follow-up for fistula formation was not assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Administration of intraurethral dexpanthenol after hypospadias repair has positive effects on fibrosis and inflammation.

Observation of Mie ripples in the synchrotron Fourier transform infrared spectra of spheroidal pollen grains.

Conceptually, biological cells are dielectric, photonic resonators that are expected to show a rich variety of shape resonances when exposed to electromagnetic radiation. For spheroidal cells, these shape resonances may be predicted and analyzed using the Mie theory of dielectric spheres, which predicts that a special class of resonances, i.e., whispering gallery modes (WGMs), causes ripples in the absorbance spectra of spheroidal cells. Indeed, the first tentative indication of the presence of Mie ripples in the synchrotron Fourier transform infrared (SFTIR) absorbance spectra of Juniperus chinensis pollen has already been reported [Analyst140, 3273 (2015)ANLYAG0365-488510.1039/C5AN00401B]. To show that this observation is no isolated incidence, but a generic spectral feature that can be expected to occur in all spheroidal biological cells, we measured and analyzed the SFTIR absorbance spectra of Cunninghamia lanceolata, Juniperus chinensis, Juniperus communis, and Juniperus excelsa. All four pollen species show Mie ripples. Since the WGMs causing the ripples are surface modes, we propose ripple spectroscopy as a powerful tool for studying the surface properties of spheroidal biological cells. In addition, our paper draws attention to the fact that shape resonances need to be taken into account when analyzing (S)FTIR spectra of isolated biological cells since shape resonances may distort the shape or mimic the presence of chemical absorption bands.

Infrared refractive index dispersion of polymethyl methacrylate spheres from Mie ripples in Fourier-transform infrared microscopy extinction spectra.

We performed high-resolution Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of a polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) sphere of unknown size in the Mie scattering region. Apart from a slow, oscillatory structure (wiggles), which is due to an interference effect, the measured FTIR extinction spectrum exhibits a ripple structure, which is due to electromagnetic resonances. We fully characterize the underlying electromagnetic mode structure of the spectrum by assigning mode numbers to each of the ripples in the measured spectrum. We show that analyzing the ripple structure in the spectrum in the wavenumber region from about 3000 cm-1 to 8000 cm-1 allows us to determine both the unknown radius of the sphere and the PMMA index of refraction, which shows a strong frequency dependence in this infrared spectral region. While in this paper we focus on examining a PMMA sphere as an example, our method of determining the refractive index and its dispersion from infrared extinction spectra is generally applicable for the determination of the index of refraction of any transparent substance that can be shaped into micron-sized spheres.

Analysis of Allergenic Pollen by FTIR Microspectroscopy.

Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy is a powerful tool for the identification and characterization of pollen and spores. However, interpretation and multivariate analysis of infrared microscopy spectra of single pollen grains are hampered by Mie-type scattering. In this paper, we introduce a novel sampling setup for infrared microspectroscopy of pollens preventing strong Mie-type scattering. Pollen samples were embedded in a soft paraffin layer between two sheets of polyethylene foils without any further sample pretreatment. Single-grain infrared spectra of 13 different pollen samples, belonging to 11 species, were obtained and analyzed by the new approach and classified by sparse partial least-squares regression (PLSR). For the classification, chemical and physical information were separated by extended multiplicative signal correction and used together to build a classification model. A training set of 260 spectra and an independent test set of 130 spectra were used. Robust sparse classification models allowing the biochemical interpretation of the classification were obtained by the sparse PLSR, because only a subset of variables was retained for the analysis. With accuracy values of 95% and 98%, for the independent test set and full cross-validation respectively, the method is outperforming the previously published studies on development of an automated pollen analysis. Since the method is compatible with standard air-samplers, it can be employed with minimal modification in regular aerobiology studies. When compared with optical microscopy, which is the benchmark method in pollen analysis, the infrared microspectroscopy method offers better taxonomic resolution, as well as faster, more economical, and bias-free measurement.

Seasonal preponderance in testicular torsión: is it a myth / Preponderancia estacional de la torsión testicular: ¿Es un mito?

OBJECTIVE: In this study, we aimed to investigate the relation of testicular torsion and weather conditions, and to report results from Turkey, a country located between temperate and sub-tropical climate zones. METHODS: A total of 56 patients that had surgery with the diagnosis of testicular torsion in Ankara Education and Research Hospital Urology Clinic between 2005 and 2014 were included in the study. Age of the patient, side of torsion, date and time at onset of pain, scrotal exploration time, ischemia duration, degree Arch. Esp. Urol. 2015; 68 (10): 750-754 of cord torsion, the surgical procedure performed, and scrotal Doppler ultrasound (USG) findings at the time of diagnosis and 1 month after surgery were retrospectively analyzed. The web archives of Turkish Republic Meteorology General Directorate was used to determine the seasonal and mean temperatures at the time of diagnosis. The data were analyzed with SPSS V. 16 statistical package program using Chi-square, Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: The mean age of 56 males included in the study was 18.88 ± 0.73 years. Right testicular torsion was seen in 23, and left testicular torsion was seen in 33 patients. Testicular arterial flow was absent in 37, arterial flow was moderately decreased in 12, and significantly decreased in 7 patients on Doppler USG. Detorsion procedure was performed in 46 patients while 10 patients had orchiectomy. Nine patients were admitted in summer, 14 in fall, 15 in winter, and 18 in spring. The mean air temperature at the time of admittance was 9.31 ± 1.05ºC. The prevalence of testicular torsion was not found different among the seasons (p = 0.39). The analysis of air temperature at the time of admittance of the patients revealed that it was below 15ºC in 40 patients while it was above 15ºC in 16 patients, with a significant difference in between (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of testicular torsion did not change in relation with the seasons. However, it was determined that its prevalence was directly proportional to the air temperature, and increased particularly below 15ºC

OBJETIVO: En este estudio buscamos investigar la relación entre la torsión testicular y las condiciones meteorológicas, y comunicar los resultados de Turquía, un país localizado entre las zonas climáticas templada y subtropical. Metodos: Se incluyeron en el estudio 56 pacientes que fueron intervenidos con el diagnostico de torsión testicular en la consulta de Urología del Hospital Ankara Education and Research Hospital entre 2005 y 2014. La edad del paciente, el lado de la torsión, la fecha y hora del inicio del dolor, la hora de la exploración escrotal, el tiempo de isquemia, el grado de torsión del cordón, la intervención quirúrgica realizada y los hallazgos de la ecografía Doppler en el momento del diagnostico y al mes de la cirugía fueron analizados retrospectivamente. Se utilizaron los archivos web de la Dirección General de Meteorología de la República Turca para determinar las temperaturas estacionales y medias en el momento del diagnóstico. Los datos se analizaron con el programa SPSS V. 16 statistical package utilizando las pruebas de Chi-cuadrado, U de Mann-Whitney y Wilcoxon. RESULTADOS: La edad media de los 56 varones incluidos en el estudio fue de 18,88 ± 0.73 años. La torsión fue derecha en 23 pacientes e izquierda en 33. No había flujo arterial testicular en la ecografía Doppler en 37 pacientes, estaba moderadamente disminuido en 12 y significativamente disminuido en 7. Se realizó detorsión en 46 pacientes y orquiectomía en 10. Nueve pacientes ingresaron en verano, 14 en otoño, 15 en invierno y 18 en primavera. La temperatura media del aire en el momento del ingreso era de 9,31 ± 1,05ºC. No se encontró una prevalencia diferente de torsión testicular entre las estaciones (p = 0,39). El análisis de la temperatura del aire en el momento del ingreso reveló que era menor de 15ºC en 40 pacientes y mayor de 15ºC en 16 pacientes, con una diferencia significativa (p = 0,002). CONCLUSION: La prevalencia de torsión testicular no cambia en relación con las estaciones. Sin embargo, se determinó que su prevalencia era directamente proporcional a la temperatura del aire, y aumentaba particularmente por debajo de 15ºC

Recovery of absorbance spectra of micrometer-sized biological and inanimate particles.

In this paper, we first provide an overview of the Mie type scattering at absorbing materials and existing correction methods, followed by a new method to obtain the pure absorbance spectra of biological systems with spherical symmetry. This method is a further development of the recently described iterative algorithm of van Dijk et al. The method is tested on FTIR synchrotron spectra of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) microspheres and pollen grains with approximately spherical shape. The imaginary part of the refractive index was successfully recovered for both systems. Good agreement was obtained between the pure absorbance spectra obtained by this method and the measured spectra.