Assessing Benzene and TVOC Pollution and the Carcinogenic and Noncarcinogenic Risks to Workers in an Industrial Plant in Southeastern Romania.

The article aims to analyze the pollution with Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) emitted from the biggest refinery in Romania, using the daily and monthly series registered for two years in two sites on the industrial platform, and the carcinogenic and noncarcinogenic risks for workers at the industrial plant. Since the values of the basic statistics (minimum, maximum, and average) and outliers indicate that most recorded values exceed the maximum admissible limits established by law, the Peaks Over Threshold (POT) method was utilized to model the maximum values of the series and determine the return levels for benzene and total VOC (TVOC). Given the high values obtained for relatively short return periods, indicating potential danger for the workers, we assessed the noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks to benzene and TVOC exposure by computing the hazard index (HI) and lifetime cancer risk (LCR). The results indicate that 43.75% of the HI values are above 1, indicating a relatively high noncarcinogenic risk for different categories of workers. LRC indicates a high LRC for 93.75% of the workers in all considered categories exposed to TVOC.

Improving the predictions of leaf photosynthesis during and after short-term heat stress with current rice models.

In response to increasing global warming, extreme heat stress significantly alters photosynthetic production. While numerous studies have investigated the temperature effects on photosynthesis, factors like vapour pressure deficit (VPD), leaf nitrogen, and feedback of sink limitation during and after extreme heat stress remain underexplored. This study assessed photosynthesis calculations in seven rice growth models using observed maximum photosynthetic rate (Pmax ) during and after short-term extreme heat stress in multi-year environment-controlled experiments. Biochemical models (FvCB-type) outperformed light response curve-based models (LRC-type) when incorporating observed leaf nitrogen, photosynthetically active radiation, temperatures, and intercellular CO2 concentration (Ci ) as inputs. Prediction uncertainty during heat stress treatment primarily resulted from variation in temperatures and Ci . Improving FVPD (the slope for the linear effect of VPD on Ci /Ca ) to be temperature-dependent, rather than constant as in original models, significantly improved Ci prediction accuracy under heat stress. Leaf nitrogen response functions led to model variation in leaf photosynthesis predictions after heat stress, which was mitigated by calibrated nitrogen response functions based on active photosynthetic nitrogen. Additionally, accounting for observed differences in carbohydrate accumulation between panicles and stems during grain filling improved the feedback of sink limitation, reducing Ci overestimation under heat stress treatments.

Optical properties of ZnSe using linear response theory.

The electronic structure and optical response of ZnSe are studied in this work. The studies are carried out using first-principles full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. After settling the crystal structure, the electronic band structure of the ground state of ZnSe is calculated. Linear response theory is applied to study optical response considering bootstrap (BS) and the long range contribution (LRC) kernels for the first time. We also use the random phase and adiabatic local density approximations for comparison. A procedure based on empirical pseudopotential method is developed to find material dependent parameterαrequired in the LRC kernel. The results are assessed by calculating the real and imaginary parts of linear dielectric function, refractive index, reflectivity, and the absorption coefficient. Results are compared with other calculations and available experimental data. The results of LRC kernel findingαfrom the proposed scheme are encouraging and at par with the BS kernel.

The prognostic role of tumor associated macrophages in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) is an immunogenic cancer type, and tumor associated macrophages (TAMs) are a major component of the tumor microenvironment (TME). In this systematic review and meta-analysis, studies assessing tumor infiltration with CD68+, iNOS+, HLA-DR+, CD11b+, CD163+, CD206+, and CD204+TAMs were included, and correlation to survival hazard was studied. A low number of CD68+TAMs correlated to better overall survival (OS) in multivariate analysis (HR 1.36 95 %CI (1.07-1.72) P = .01). CD68+TAMs did not correlate to disease free survival (DFS), disease specific survival (DSS), progression free survival (PFS), or recurrence free survival (RFS). A low number of CD163+TAMs correlated to better OS in uni- and multivariate analysis (resp. HR 2.65 95 %CI (1.57-4.46) P = .01 and HR 2.42 95 %CI (1.72-3.41) P < .001). A low number of CD163+TAMs also correlated to better DFS and PFS, whereas a low number of CD204+TAMs only correlated to PFS. While IHC analysis of pan macrophage marker CD68 and M2-like marker CD163 both show prognostic utility in OS, CD163 is a stronger prognosticator, as indicated by multivariate meta-analysis. CD163+TAMs also correlate to DFS and PFS; outcomes that are more relevant to patients, thus showing promising results for future clinical implementation.

Inclusive EFL Teaching for Young Students with Special Needs: A Case in China.

In China, English as a foreign language is important and compulsory from primary education to higher education, essentially because English has become a global language. The Ministry of Education emphasizes that school principals should attempt to train teachers in special education and in assisting students with special education needs (SEN) in regular classes via supportive services. However, EFL teachers usually have insufficient training and do not know how to adjust their teaching methods for students with SEN in regular classes. This study investigated 328 teachers' teaching practices and their attitudes toward including students with SEN in K-12 English classes in the three largest provinces in east, south, and central China. The findings indicated that English teachers have not used specific teaching resources to teach students with SEN. Teachers noted that they were not provided with specialized training and there were not enough teaching assistants to help the students with SEN. There were significant statistical differences found between primary school teachers and middle school teachers with and without special education training regarding inclusion practices and their attitudes toward inclusion (regarding students with SEN). Most English teachers believe that students with SEN should be taught in special classes with specialized materials rather than in regular EFL classes.

Systematic review and meta-analysis on laparoscopic cystectomy in bladder cancer.

BACKGROUND: This study aimed to systematically evaluate the efficacy of laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) surgical therapy in patients with bladder cancer (BC), and to provide evidence for the clinical treatment of BC. METHODS: The Embase, Ovid, PubMed, Medline, Springer, and Web of Sciences database were searched to screen articles with clinical controlled trials on LRC treatment of BC. The Cochrane Handbook 5.0.2 software and Review Manager 5.3 software were adopted to evaluate the risk of bias and to perform a meta-analysis of the included articles in this study. RESULTS: A total of 12 articles were obtained, including 1,283 research cases. The meta-analysis results showed that relative to the control group (Ctrl), the observation group (Observ group) had significantly lower intraoperative blood loss (IBL) after LRC [mean difference (MD) =-458.75; 95% confidential interval (CI): -505.75 to -411.76; Z=19.13; P<0.00001], blood transfusion rate (BTR) (odds ratio =0.36; 95% CI: 0.13-0.94; Z=2.08; and P=0.04), use of analgesics (MD =-24.53; 95% CI: -39.04 to -10.01; Z=3.31; and P=0.0009), and incidence of postoperative complications (Risk ratio =0.58; 95% CI: 0.39-0.85; Z=2.77; and P=0.006). However, and the length of hospital stay could not be shortened (MD =-2.43; 95% CI: -4.83 to -0.02; Z=1.98; and P=0.05). DISCUSSION: LRC treatment of BC could effectively reduce the amount of IBS, and lower the intraoperative BTR, use of analgesics, and incidence of postoperative complications. Therefore, it could be used in the clinical surgical treatment of BC patients.

The Genomic Organization of the LILR Region Remained Largely Conserved Throughout Primate Evolution: Implications for Health And Disease.

The genes of the leukocyte immunoglobulin-like receptor (LILR) family map to the leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) on chromosome 19, and consist of both activating and inhibiting entities. These receptors are often involved in regulating immune responses, and are considered to play a role in health and disease. The human LILR region and evolutionary equivalents in some rodent and bird species have been thoroughly characterized. In non-human primates, the LILR region is annotated, but a thorough comparison between humans and non-human primates has not yet been documented. Therefore, it was decided to undertake a comprehensive comparison of the human and non-human primate LILR region at the genomic level. During primate evolution the organization of the LILR region remained largely conserved. One major exception, however, is provided by the common marmoset, a New World monkey species, which seems to feature a substantial contraction of the number of LILR genes in both the centromeric and the telomeric region. Furthermore, genomic analysis revealed that the killer-cell immunoglobulin-like receptor gene KIR3DX1, which maps in the LILR region, features one copy in humans and great ape species. A second copy, which might have been introduced by a duplication event, was observed in the lesser apes, and in Old and New World monkey species. The highly conserved gene organization allowed us to standardize the LILR gene nomenclature for non-human primate species, and implies that most of the receptors encoded by these genes likely fulfill highly preserved functions.

Pseudospectral implementations of long-range corrected density functional theory.

We have implemented pseudospectral density-functional theory (DFT) with long-range corrected DFT functionals (PS-LRC) in quantum mechanics package Jaguar, and applied it in the calculations of geometry optimizations, dimmer interaction energies, polarizabilities and first-order hyperpolarizabilities, harmonic vibrational frequencies, S1 and T1 excitation energies, singlet-triplet gaps, charge transfer numbers, oscillator strengths, reaction barrier heights, electron-transfer couplings, and charge-transfer excitation energies. From our accuracy benchmark analysis, PS grids, PS dealiasing functions, PS atomic corrections, PS multigrid strategy, PS length scales, and PS cutoff scheme perform well in PS DFT with LRC density functionals with very small and ignorable deviations when compared to the conventional spectral (CS) method. The timing benchmark study of S1 excitation energy calculations of fullerenes (Cn , n up to 540) demonstrates that PS-LRC achieves 1.4-8.4-fold speedups in SCF, 22-32-fold speedups in Tamm-Dancoff approximation, and 6-15-fold speedups in total wall clock time with an average error 0.004 eV of excitation energies compared to the CS method.

Modified ileal conduit intracorporeally accomplished following laparoscopic radical cystectomy with enhanced recovery protocols: experience with 48 cases.

BACKGROUND: This study introduces the results of laparoscopic radical cystectomy with modified intracorporeal ileal conduit (mICIC), which was accompanied by enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols. METHODS: From March 2014 to June 2020, 48 patients underwent mICIC. Patients were divided into ERAS (n=17) and non-ERAS groups (n=31). Baseline and perioperative variables were analyzed. The primary outcome was 90-day complications. Secondary outcomes were operative time, length of stay, two-year overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and disease-free survival. RESULTS: Forty-eight patients underwent intracorporeal ileal conduit with no transition to open surgery. Twenty-five patients (52.1%) experienced at least one complication, including 22 minor cases (45.8%) and three major cases (6.2%). The median operative time, urinary diversion time, estimated blood loss, and length of stay were 320 min, 135 min, 200 mL, and 10.5 days, respectively. The median time to flatus and normal diet were two days and three days, respectively. A comparison between ERAS and non-ERAS groups indicated that ERAS implementation was associated with less complications (29.4% vs. 64.5%, P=0.018), faster time to flatus (2 vs. 3 days, P=0.016) and liquid diet (2 vs. 4 days, P<0.001). The results of hydronephrosis and compromised renal function showed no difference between the preoperative period and six months after surgery. The mean follow-up time was 25.4 months, and the two-year overall survival, cancer-specific survival, and disease-free survival rates were 61.3%, 73.2%, and 58.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The complication rate and operative time of the mICIC were acceptable. Clinical outcomes can be optimized with ERAS pathway.

From the Field to the Laboratory: Quantifying Outdoor Mosquito Landing Rate to Better Evaluate Topical Repellents.

Vector-borne diseases are a worldwide threat to human health. Often, no vaccines or treatments exist. Thus, personal protection products play an essential role in limiting transmission. The World Health Organization (WHO) arm-in-cage (AIC) test is the most common method for evaluating the efficacy of topical repellents, but it remains unclear whether AIC testing conditions recreate the mosquito landing rates in the field. This study aimed to estimate the landing rate outdoors, in an area of Europe highly infested with the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus (Skuse, 1894, Diptera: Culididae)), and to determine how to replicate this rate in the laboratory. To assess the landing rate in the field, 16 individuals were exposed to mosquitoes in a highly infested region of Italy. These field results were then compared to results obtained in the laboratory: 1) in a 30 m3 room where nine volunteers were exposed to different mosquito abundances (ranges: 15-20, 25-30, and 45-50) and 2) in a 0.064 m3 AIC test cage where 10 individuals exposed their arms to 200 mosquitoes (as per WHO requirements). The highest mosquito landing rate in the field was 26.8 landings/min. In the room test, a similar landing rate was achieved using 15-20 mosquitoes (density: 0.50-0.66 mosquitoes/m3) and an exposure time of 3 min. In the AIC test using 200 mosquitoes (density: 3,125 mosquitoes/m3), the landing rate was 229 ± 48 landings/min. This study provides useful reference values that can be employed to design new evaluation standards for topical repellents that better simulate field conditions.

Capturing SNP Association across the NK Receptor and HLA Gene Regions in Multiple Sclerosis by Targeted Penalised Regression Models.

Conventional genome-wide association studies (GWASs) of complex traits, such as Multiple Sclerosis (MS), are reliant on per-SNP p-values and are therefore heavily burdened by multiple testing correction. Thus, in order to detect more subtle alterations, ever increasing sample sizes are required, while ignoring potentially valuable information that is readily available in existing datasets. To overcome this, we used penalised regression incorporating elastic net with a stability selection method by iterative subsampling to detect the potential interaction of loci with MS risk. Through re-analysis of the ANZgene dataset (1617 cases and 1988 controls) and an IMSGC dataset as a replication cohort (1313 cases and 1458 controls), we identified new association signals for MS predisposition, including SNPs above and below conventional significance thresholds while targeting two natural killer receptor loci and the well-established HLA loci. For example, rs2844482 (98.1% iterations), otherwise ignored by conventional statistics (p = 0.673) in the same dataset, was independently strongly associated with MS in another GWAS that required more than 40 times the number of cases (~45 K). Further comparison of our hits to those present in a large-scale meta-analysis, confirmed that the majority of SNPs identified by the elastic net model reached conventional statistical GWAS thresholds (p < 5 × 10-8) in this much larger dataset. Moreover, we found that gene variants involved in oxidative stress, in addition to innate immunity, were associated with MS. Overall, this study highlights the benefit of using more advanced statistical methods to (re-)analyse subtle genetic variation among loci that have a biological basis for their contribution to disease risk.

Bi-Functional Chicken Immunoglobulin-Like Receptors With a Single Extracellular Domain (ChIR-AB1): Potential Framework Genes Among a Relatively Stable Number of Genes Per Haplotype.

The leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) in humans encodes many receptors with immunoglobulin-like (Ig-like) extracellular domains, including the killer Ig-like receptors (KIRs) expressed on natural killer (NK) cells among others, the leukocyte Ig-like receptors (LILRs) expressed on myeloid and B cells, and an Fc receptor (FcR), all of which have important roles in the immune response. These highly-related genes encode activating receptors with positively-charged residues in the transmembrane region, inhibitory receptors with immuno-tyrosine based motifs (ITIMs) in the cytoplasmic tail, and bi-functional receptors with both. The related chicken Ig-like receptors (ChIRs) are almost all found together on a microchromosome, with over 100 activating (A), inhibitory (B), and bi-functional (AB) genes, bearing either one or two extracellular Ig-like domains, interspersed over 500-1,000 kB in the genome of an individual chicken. Sequencing studies have suggested rapid divergence and little overlap between ChIR haplotypes, so we wished to begin to understand their genetics. We chose to use a hybridization technique, reference strand-mediated conformational analysis (RSCA), to examine the ChIR-AB1 family, with a moderate number of genes dispersed across the microchromosome. Using fluorescently-labeled references (FLR), we found that RSCA and sequencing of ChIR-AB1 extracellular exon gave two groups of peaks with mobility correlated with sequence relationship to the FLR. We used this system to examine widely-used and well-characterized experimental chicken lines, finding only one or a few simple ChIR haplotypes for each line, with similar numbers of peaks overall. We found much more complicated patterns from a broiler line from a commercial breeder and a flock of red junglefowl, but trios of parents and offspring from another commercial chicken line show that the complicated patterns are due to heterozygosity, indicating a relatively stable number of peaks within haplotypes of these birds. Some ChIR-AB1 peaks were found in all individuals from the commercial lines, and some of these were shared with red junglefowl and the experimental lines derived originally from egg-laying chickens. Overall, this analysis suggests that there are some simple features underlying the apparent complexity of the ChIR locus.

The Structure, Evolution, and Gene Expression Within the Caprine Leukocyte Receptor Complex.

The leukocyte receptor complex (LRC) encodes a large number of immunoglobulin (Ig)-like receptors involved in the immune response, particularly in modulating natural killer (NK) cell function. The killer cell Ig-like receptors (KIR), the leukocyte Ig-like receptors (LILR), and a recently described novel Ig-like receptor family are highly variable between species, which is consistent with rapid evolution driven by selection pressure from pathogens. Among the species studied to date, only simians (such as humans) and bovids (such as cattle and goats) have an expanded complement of KIR genes and represent an interesting model to study KIR evolution. Using recently improved genome assemblies and an assembly of bacterial artificial chromosomes, we describe the structure of the LRC, and the KIR region in particular, in goats and compare this to sheep as the assemblies allow. These species diverged from a common ancestor ~10 million years ago and from cattle ~25 million years ago. We identified conserved KIR genes common to both goats and sheep and confirm a partial sheep haplotype shared between the Rambouillet and Texel breeds. Goats and sheep have independently expanded two novel KIR subgroups, and unlike cattle or any other mammal, they do not appear to possess a functional 3DL-lineage KIR gene. Investigation of LRC gene expression using available transcriptomic data for various sheep and goat tissues largely confirmed putative gene annotation and revealed that a relatively conserved caprinae-specific KIR subgroup is expressed in macrophages. The LILR and novel Ig-like receptors were also highly expressed across a diverse range of tissues. This further step toward our understanding of the LRC receptor repertoire will help inform future studies investigating immune response variation in these species.

The putative role of insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein 5 independent of IGF in the maintenance of pulpal homeostasis in mice.

Although insulin-like growth factor binding protein 5 (IGFBP5) may play a crucial role in activating the functions of periodontal and bone marrow stem cells, the factors responsible for regulating the maintenance of dental pulp stem cells (DPSCs) remain to be clarified. This study aimed to elucidate the role of IGFBP5 in maintaining pulpal homeostasis during tooth development and pulpal healing after tooth injury in doxycycline-inducible TetOP-histone 2B (H2B)-green fluorescent protein (GFP) transgenic mice (GFP expression was induced at E14.5 or E15.5) by using TUNEL assay, RT-PCR, in situ hybridization for Igfbp5, and immunohistochemistry for IGFBP5, Nestin, and GFP. To observe the pulpal response to exogenous stimuli, the roots of the maxillary first molars were resected, and the coronal portion was autografted into the sublingual region. Intense IGFBP5/Igfbp5 expression was observed in cells from the center of the pulp tissue and the subodontoblastic layer in developing teeth during postnatal Week 4. Intense H2B-GFP-expressing label-retaining cells (LRCs) were localized in the subodontoblastic layer in addition to the center of the pulp tissue, suggesting that slowly dividing cell populations reside in these areas. During postoperative days 3-7, the LRCs were maintained in the dental pulp, showed an IGFBP5-positve reaction in their nuclei, and lacked a TUNEL-positive reaction. In situ hybridization and RT-PCR analyses confirmed the expression of Igfbp5 in the dental pulp. These findings suggest that IGFBP5 play a pivotal role in regulating the survival and apoptosis of DPSCs during both tooth development and pulpal healing following tooth injury.

Screening the full leucocyte receptor complex genomic region revealed associations with pemphigus that might be explained by gene regulation.

Pemphigus foliaceus (PF) is a blistering autoimmune skin disease rare in most of the world but endemic in certain regions of Brazil. PF is characterized by the detachment of epidermal cells and the presence of autoantibodies against desmoglein 1. In previous studies, we have shown that genetic polymorphisms and variable expression levels of certain leucocyte receptor complex (LRC) genes were associated with PF. However, the role of the LRC on PF susceptibility remained to be investigated. Here, we analysed 527 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) distributed within the 1·5 Mb LRC. After quality control, a total of 176 SNPs were analysed in 229 patients with PF and 194 controls. Three SNPs were associated with differential susceptibility to PF. The intergenic variant rs465169 [odds ratio (OR) = 1·50; P = 0·004] is located in a region that might regulate several immune-related genes, including VSTM1, LILRB1/2, LAIR1/2, LILRA3/4 and LENG8. The rs35336528 (OR = 3·44; P = 0·009) and rs1865097 (OR = 0·57; P = 0·005) SNPs in LENG8 and FCAR genes, respectively, were also associated with PF. Moreover, we found four haplotypes with SNPs within the KIR3DL2/3, LAIR2 and LILRB1 genes associated with PF (P < 0·05), which corroborate previously reported associations. Thus, our results confirm the importance of the LRC for differential susceptibility to PF and reveal new markers that might influence expression levels of several LRC genes, as well as candidates for further functional studies.

Validation of extracellular ligand-receptor interactions by Flow-TriCEPS.

OBJECTIVE: The advent of ligand-based receptor capture methodologies, allows the identification of unknown receptor candidates for orphan extracellular ligands. However, further target validation can be tedious, laborious and time-consuming. Here, we present a methodology that provides a fast and cost-efficient alternative for candidate target verification on living cells. RESULTS: In the described methodology a ligand of interest (e.g. transferrin, epidermal growth factor or insulin) was conjugated to a linker (TriCEPS) that carries a biotin. To confirm ligand/receptor interactions, the ligand-TriCEPS conjugates were first added onto living cells and cells were subsequently labeled with a streptavidin-fluorophore and analyzed by flow cytometry (thus referred as Flow-TriCEPS). Flow-TriCEPS was also used to validate identified receptor candidates when combined with a siRNA knock down approach (i.e. reduction of expression levels). This approach is versatile as it can be applied for different classes of ligands (proteins, peptides, antibodies) and different cell lines. Moreover, the method is time-efficient since it takes advantage of the large variety of commercially available (and certified) siRNAs.

New Binary Locally Repairable Codes with Locality 2 and Uneven Availabilities for Hot Data.

In this paper, a new family of binary LRCs (BLRCs) with locality 2 and uneven availabilities for hot data is proposed, which has a high information symbol availability and low parity symbol availabilities for the local repair of distributed storage systems. The local repair of each information symbol for the proposed codes can be done not by accessing other information symbols but only by accessing parity symbols. The proposed BLRCs with k = 4 achieve the optimality on the information length for their given code length, minimum Hamming distance, locality, and availability in terms of the well-known theoretical upper bound.

Radical cystectomy: from open to laparoscopic to robotic surgery / 中华泌尿外科杂志

In recent years,the techniques of radical cystectomy and urinary diversion are continually improving,the surgical safety and efficacy are continually increasing.From open to laparoscopic to robotic,surgical techniques are progressing,but it is not yet possible to replace each other.With the development of equipment,laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) and robotic-assisted laparoscopic radical cystectomy (RARC) can further improve the perioperative efficacy,the basic principles of open surgery can be copied,their perioperative oncologic outcomes are not inferior to open surgery.RALRC seems to have more advantages in pelvic lymph node dissection,long-term oncologic outcomes of the three techniques are simnilar,and open surgery seems to have more advantages in advanced tumors.Intracorporeal construction of the urinary diversion is still the mainstream,extracorporeal is likely to be the future direction.Laparoscopy is still the most suitable minimally invasive technique of radical cystectomy according to our national conditions.

Internal versus external ureteric stents for uretero-ileal anastomosis after laparoscopic radical cystectomy with orthotopic neobladder: A prospective comparative study.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively compare the use of external ureteric stents with internal JJ stenting of the uretero-ileal anastomosis in patients undergoing laparoscopic radical cystectomy (LRC) with a Y-shaped ileal orthotopic neobladder (ON). PATIENTS AND METHODS: The study included 69 patients undergoing LRC with ON. Patients were grouped according to the type of uretero-ileal stents used. An external ureteric stent was used in Group A (33 patients) and a JJ stent was used in Group B (36). We prospectively compared the duration of hospital stay, the incidence of short- and intermediate-term complications in the two study groups. RESULTS: The mean (SD) follow-up periods were 29.18 (3.94) and 28.19 (3.37) months for patients in Groups A and B, respectively. Perioperative patient characteristics were comparable in the two study groups. The use of JJ stenting was associated with a shorter hospital stay compared with external stenting, at a mean (SD) of 14.63 (3.74) and 6.8 (3.03) days in Groups A and B, respectively (P < 0.001). The incidence of urinary leakage was comparable in the two study groups, at 6.1% in Group A vs 8.3% in Group B (P = 1.0). Strictures of the uretero-ileal anastomosis occurred in two patients (6%) in Group A and confirmed by intravenous urography. All strictures were treated with antegrade JJ fixation. CONCLUSION: JJ stents could be used as an effective alternative to external ureteric stents to support the uretero-ileal anastomosis. JJ stenting is associated with a shorter hospital stay and similar complication rates compared with external stenting in patients undergoing LRC with ON.

Effect of Locomotor Respiratory Coupling Induced by Cortical Oxygenated Hemoglobin Levels During Cycle Ergometer Exercise of Light Intensity.

This study aimed to clarify the effects of locomotor-respiratory coupling (LRC) induced by light load cycle ergometer exercise on oxygenated hemoglobin (O2Hb) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), supplementary motor area (SMA), and sensorimotor cortex (SMC). The participants were 15 young healthy adults (9 men and 6 women, mean age: 23.1 ± 1.8 (SEM) years). We conducted a task in both LRC-inducing and LRC-non-inducing conditions for all participants. O2Hb was measured using near-infrared spectroscopy. The LRC frequency ratio during induction was 2:1; pedaling rate, 50 rpm; and intensity of load, 30 % peak volume of oxygen uptake. The test protocol included a 3-min rest prior to exercise, steady loading motion for 10 min, and 10-min rest post exercise (a total of 23 min). In the measurement of O2Hb, we focused on the DLPFC, SMA, and SMC. The LRC frequency was significantly higher in the LRC-inducing condition (p < 0.05). O2Hb during exercise was significantly lower in the DLPFC and SMA, under the LRC-inducing condition (p < 0.05). The study revealed that even light load could induce LRC and that O2Hb in the DLPFC and SMA decreases during exercise via LRC induction.