Overactive bladder phenotypes: development and preliminary data.

INTRODUCTION: The purpose of this study is to develop overactive bladder (OAB) phenotypes that can be used to develop diagnostic and treatment pathways and offer clues to the underlying etiologies of patients with OAB. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This is a retrospective, multicenter study of patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Evaluation included a 24-hour bladder diary (24HBD), the lower urinary tract symptoms score (LUTSS) questionnaire, uroflowmetry (Q), and post-void residual urine (PVR) measurement. Patients completed the 24HBD and LUTSS on a smartphone application or paper. Those with an OAB symptom sub-score (OABSS) ≥ 8 were included. An expert panel developed a phenotype classification system based on variables considered to be important for treatment. RESULTS: The following variables were selected for inclusion in the phenotype modeling: 24-hour voided volume (24HV), maximum voided volume (MVV), Qmax and PVR. Subjects were divided into three phenotypes based on the 24HV: polyuria (24HV > 2.5 L), normal (24 HV 1-2.5 L), and oliguria (24HV < 1 L). Each phenotype was subdivided based on MVV, Qmax & PVR, resulting in 18 sub-types. Five hundred thirty-three patients, 348 men and 185 women, completed the LUTSS and 24HBD. OAB was present in 399 (75%) - 261 men and 138 women. The prevalence of the primary phenotypes was polyuria (25%), normal (63%), and oliguria (11%). CONCLUSIONS: Classification of OAB variants into phenotypes based on 24HV, MVV, Qmax, and PVR provides the substrate for further research into the diagnosis, etiology, treatment outcomes and development of granular diagnostic and treatment algorithms.

Evaluation of the Impact of Different Surface Treatments on Implant Surface: An In Vitro Study.

Aim: The current study was conducted to assess the effects of various surface treatments on the implant surface. Materials and Methods: A total of 45 dental implants measuring 16 mm in length and 5 mm in diameter were used, along with the appropriate abutments. Depending on the surface treatment used, the samples were randomly split into three groups, with 15 implants in each group: Group 1: Control, Group 2: UV light-treated, Group 3: Sandblasted and acid-etched (SLA)-treated. After surface treatment, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to assess the test samples' surface properties. All sample images were captured using a 3000× magnification. After all three groups' surfaces were treated, the surface roughness was measured using a digital optical profilometer with a stylus speed of 0.5 mm/s that was connected to computer software. Results: The maximum surface roughness was found in the group treated with SLA (0.714 ± 0.12), followed by the group treated with UV light (0.692 ± 0.09) and the control group (0.516 ± 0.12). There was a significant difference found between different surface treatment methods. Conclusion: The present study concluded that the group that received the SLA treatment had the highest surface roughness when compared to the UV light and control groups.

Cyanine Modification Tuned for Amine Photorelease.

Cyanines are emerging as useful agents for photoreleasing biological compounds because of their capability of utilizing near-infrared (NIR) light. Another benefit is their ability to self-sensitize to produce singlet oxygen for the release of aryl amines, a process that has not been as feasible in the past. Here, we highlight the paper by Schnermann et al. (https://doi.org/10.1111/php.13090), which reports on a cyanine conjugate for heterolytic photocleavage of aryl amines. This paper is timely-delving into a photorelease mechanism involving a domino rearrangement and ß-elimination triggered by NIR light.

Evolution of B-cell clonal expansions with age.

B-cell clonal expansions (BCE) in young mice are transient, detectable for less than 4 weeks. In contrast, BCE in old mice persist more than 2 months. The greater persistence of BCE in old mice does not appear to be due to the age of the host as the survival of phenyloxazolone chicken serum albumin-induced BCE in most old mice was shorter than in young mice. This raises the possibility that persistent BCE seen in old mice develop over time from transient BCE present earlier in life. To test this hypothesis, young C57BL/6 mice were immunized with hen egg lysozyme (HEL) during the first year of life. By 28 months of age, the majority of these mice had developed a benign, persistent BCE associated with a HEL-specific serum mIg. We also investigated whether benign, persistent BCE, present in 18-month-old mice, can evolve into B-cell lymphomas. We observed that four of eight C57BL/6 mice that survived to 29 months of age had developed diffuse large cell lymphomas. In three of these mice, this diagnosis was made by microscopic analysis of the lymphoid organs. In one mouse, a macroscopic lymphoma was present that permitted us to demonstrate that the IgH mRNA CDR3 length and sequence in the malignant lymphoma was derived from a persistent BCE present 11 months earlier. Together these observations are consistent with the hypothesis that stepwise accumulation of genetic alterations combined with Darwinian selection underlies the evolution of B cells from transient BCE in young mice into persistent BCE, serum mIg, and B-cell lymphomas observed in older mice.