Synchronous occurrence of intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) and ductal carcinoma of the pancreas has been reported. Branch duct IPMNs with lower likelihood of malignancy are not ...submitted to resection but are followed-up, so ductal carcinoma may develop during the follow-up. The development of ductal carcinoma of the pancreas during follow-up of branch duct IPMNs was investigated.
60 patients with branch duct IPMN who had an intraductal tumour of <10 mm on imaging examinations and a negative result for malignancy on cytological examination of the pancreatic juice were investigated. They were followed-up mainly by ultrasonography (US), and additionally by endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS), CT, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) or endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) with cytological examination of the pancreatic juice for an average period of 87 months.
Ductal carcinoma of the pancreas distinct from IPMN developed in 5 of 60 (8%) branch duct IPMNs during follow-up. The 5-year rate of development of ductal carcinoma was 6.9% (95% CI 0.4% to 13.4%), the incidence of ductal carcinoma was 1.1% (95% CI 0.1% to 2.2%) per year and the standardised incidence ratio of development of ductal carcinoma was 26 (95% CI 3 to 48). Patients >70 years old developed ductal carcinoma significantly more frequently than those under 69. Four of five ductal carcinomas identified during follow-up were resectable. Cancer developed in IPMN in 2 of 60 (3%) branch duct IPMNs during follow-up.
During follow-up of branch duct IPMNs, ductal carcinoma of the pancreas not infrequently developed distinct from IPMN. In the follow-up of IPMN, special attention should be paid to the development of ductal carcinoma of the pancreas.
Six plant sources of hydrolyzable tannins (HT) or HT and condensed tannins (CT; designated as HT1, HT2, HT3, HT + CT1, HT + CT2, and HT + CT3) were evaluated to determine their effects in vitro on ...CH4 production and on ruminal archaeal and protozoa populations, and to assess potential differences in biological activities between sources containing HT only or HT and CT. Samples HT1, HT2, and HT3 contained only HT, whereas samples HT + CT1, HT + CT2, and HT + CT3 contained HT and CT. In experiment 1, in vitro incubations with samples containing HT or HT + CT resulted in a decrease in CH4 production of 0.6 and 5.5%, respectively, compared with that produced by incubations containing the added tannin binder polyethylene glycol-6000. Tannin also suppressed the population of methanogenic archaea in all incubations except those with HT2, with an average decrease of 11.6% in HT incubations (15.8, 7.09, and 12.0 in HT1, HT2, and HT3) and 28.6% in incubations containing HT + CT (35.0, 40.1, and 10.8 in HT + CT1, HT + CT2, and HT + CT3) when compared with incubations containing added polyethylene glycol-6000. The mean decrease in protozoal counts was 12.3% in HT and 36.2% in HT + CT incubations. Tannins increased in vitro pH, reduced total VFA concentrations, increased propionate concentrations, and decreased concentrations of iso-acids. In experiment 2, when a basal diet was incubated with graded levels of HT + CT1, HT + CT2, and HT + CT3, the total gas and CH4 production and archaeal and protozoal populations decreased as the concentration of tannins increased. Our results confirm that tannins suppress methanogenesis by reducing methanogenic populations in the rumen either directly or by reducing the protozoal population, thereby reducing methanogens symbiotically associated with the protozoal population. In addition, tannin sources containing both HT and CT were more potent in suppressing methanogenesis than those containing only HT.
The effects of cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL) feeding on methane production and rumen fermentation were investigated by repeatedly using 3 Holstein nonlactating cows with rumen fistulas. The cows ...were fed a concentrate and hay diet (6:4 ratio) for 4 wk (control period) followed by the same diet with a CNSL-containing pellet for the next 3 wk (CNSL period). Two trials were conducted using CNSL pellets blended with only silica (trial 1) or with several other ingredients (trial 2). Each pellet type was fed to cows to allow CNSL intake at 4g/100kg of body weight per day. Methane production was measured in a respiration chamber system, and energy balance, nutrient digestibility, and rumen microbial changes were monitored. Methane production per unit of dry matter intake decreased by 38.3 and 19.3% in CNSL feeding trials 1 and 2, respectively. Energy loss as methane emission decreased from 9.7 to 6.1% (trial 1) and from 8.4 to 7.0% (trial 2) with CNSL feeding, whereas the loss to feces (trial 1) and heat production (trial 2) increased. Retained energy did not differ between the control and CNSL periods. Digestibility of dry matter and gross energy decreased with CNSL feeding in trial 1, but did not differ in trial 2. Feeding CNSL caused a decrease in acetate and total short-chain fatty acid levels and an increase in propionate proportion in both trials. Relative copy number of methyl coenzyme-M reductase subunit A gene and its expression decreased with CNSL feeding. The relative abundance of fibrolytic or formate-producing species such as Ruminococcus flavefaciens, Butyrivibrio fibrisolvens, and Treponema bryantii decreased, but species related to propionate production, including Prevotella ruminicolla, Selenomonas ruminantium, Anaerovibrio lipolytica, and Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens, increased. If used in a suitable formulation, CNSL acts as a potent methane-inhibiting and propionate-enhancing agent through the alteration of rumen microbiota without adversely affecting feed digestibility.
Novel pressure-free Cu nanoparticle joints for power electronic devices were fabricated, and their reliability was investigated. Si heater chips were bonded to Cu-65Mo baseplates without applied ...pressure in a N2 atmosphere. The increase in thermal resistance was found to be less than 30% after 1000 thermal cycles of −40/150 °C and −40/200 °C. Samples with Ag- or Cu-coated baseplates showed no deterioration following 3000 power cycles of 65/250 °C. In contrast, samples with baseplates coated with Au or Ni exhibited an increase in thermal resistance in power cycle tests of 65/200 °C and 65/250 °C.
Αim of the study was to determine the effect of mirabegron, used for overactive bladder (OAB) treatment, on female sexual function.
Eighty five sexually active women suffering from overactive bladder ...were prospectively enrolled in this study. Females were divided into two groups. In Group A (control), 48 patients received no treatment and in Group B, 37 patients received mirabegron 50 mg/daily for 3 months. Patients were evaluated with FSFI-Gr at the beginning of the study and again after a period of 3 months.
In Group B, there was a significant increase post-treatment compared to baseline (p < 0.001) in total FSFI (20.3 (3.8) to 26.6 (4.2)) and all domains (desire: 3.0 (1.2) to 4.8 (1.2)), arousal: 3.0 (0.8) to 4.8 (0.9), lubrication: 3.9 (1.1) to 4.8 (1.2), orgasm: 3.6 (0.8) to 4.8 (1.0), satisfaction: 3.2 (0.4) to 4.0 (0.8) and pain: 3.2 (0.8) to 4.4 (1.2)). In Group A, there were no statistically significant changes in pre- and post-observation values.
This study is one of the few demonstrating that management of OAB with mirabegron improves female sexual function.
TRN ISRCTN17199301 , 20/10/2017, retrospectively registered.
Methane emissions from ruminant livestock are problematic with respect to the energy utilization efficiency of animal feed as well as environmental sustainability due to such emissions being a major ...greenhouse gas source. The objective of this experiment was to determine the methane emissions and feeding performance of two breeds of Zebu beef cattle fed rice straw based diets with oil plant inclusion. Eight mature bulls (four Thai native and four Brahman crossbred beef cattle weighing 290±10.2 and 401±29.7kg (mean±SD), respectively) were assigned to a replicated 4×4 Latin square design with 21 day periods. The following dietary treatments were assigned: 1=control diet, 2=whole cottonseed diet, 3=whole sunflower seed diet and 4=coconut kernel diet. The animals were individually placed in metabolic cages and respiration chambers to determine feed intake, total tract digestibility and methane emissions. The two cattle breeds were not different in their dry matter intake per body weight (or metabolic body weight) and digestibility, but the corresponding values for the oil plant dietary treatments were less (P<0.001) than those for the control diet. All of the oil plant treatments decreased (P<0.001) the dry matter and NDF digestibility compared to the control diet, but the oil plants had no effect on ruminal pH, ammonia nitrogen or total volatile fatty acid concentration. The methane emissions of the Brahman crossbred beef cattle were greater (P<0.001) than those of the Thai native cattle (135.4 and 171.5L/day), but there was no difference (P>0.05) when corrected for dry matter intake, organic matter intake, metabolic size or gross energy intake. The methane emission rate was reduced (P<0.001) by up to 50.1% by the oil plant feeding strategy compared to the control diet. The methane emission rate of the base line typical feeding system in the control diet (10.4%) appeared to be much greater than the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change value of 6.5% for cattle fed low-quality crop residues or by-products. Our results demonstrated that methane emissions did not differ between Zebu beef cattle when corrected for metabolic body weight and feed or gross energy intake. The inclusion of oil plants in the diets, such as the coconut kernel, sunflower seed and cottonseed, affects intake, digestibility and potentially be used as an enteric methane mitigation feeding strategy.
The aim of this study is to elucidate the diagnostic efficacy between transperineal and transrectal 12-core prostate biopsy for prostate cancer. We prospectively randomized 200 consecutive men into ...two groups to undergo systematic prostate biopsy. Overall positivity for cancer was similar (47% by transperineal and 53% by transrectal; P=0.480). However, in case with 'gray zone' PSA (from 4.1 to 10.0 ng/ml), significantly more cores were positive when approach was transperineal, especially among transition zone cores. Therefore, urologist preferences are sufficient for choosing an approach, except for a possible small advantage of transperineal biopsy when PSA is in gray zone.
Summary
The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between the expression of leptin, leptin receptor in the testis and spermatogenesis, and testosterone (T) concentration in infertile ...men. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of five fertile volunteers, eight patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), six patients with Sertoli cell‐only syndrome (SCO) and 32 oligospermic patients with varicocele testis. In testicular tissue, leptin and leptin receptor were identified by staining with polyclonal antibodies. Serum follicle stimulating hormone, lutenising hormone (LH), and T were determined by chemiluminescence assays. Leptin was expressed on germ cells, mainly on spermatocytes. The ratio of immunostained germ cells to total germ cells was inversely correlated with the concentration of T (r = −0.32, P = 0.01), sperm concentration (r = −0.51, P = 0.002) and Johnsen's score (r = −0.44,P = 0.005). In contrast, leptin receptor immunostained cells were found in the interstitium, primarily in Leydig cells. Leptin receptor expression on Leydig cells was inversely correlated with serum T concentration (r = −0.50, P < 0.001). The dysfunction of spermatogenesis is associated with an increase in leptin and leptin receptor expression in the testis.
Summary
Diabetes mellitus (DM) affects the male ejaculatory function. This study was designed to evaluate the role of oxidative stress in the development of diabetes‐induced dysfunction of vas ...deferens (VD) in the rat. DM was induced by streptozotocin in 40 male Wistar rats. Subsequently, the diabetic animals were divided into three groups: DM group, DM + Eda group and DM + Tau group. These groups were administered saline, edaravone and taurine, respectively, daily for 4 weeks. Another group of ten rats served as a control group. DM was diagnosed in the 40 streptozotocin‐injected rats. DM significantly reduced the VD weight. Additionally, DM induced in vitro VD hypercontractility, VD histological abnormalities and increased the serum and VD tissue concentration of malondialdehyde. VD immunohistochemistry revealed overexpression of three markers of oxidative stress. DM significantly reduced serum testosterone levels. No live birth was documented in all DM rats in mating experiments. Antioxidants significantly improved all the aforementioned parameters, except the testosterone levels. This study indicates a deleterious impact of DM‐induced oxidative stress on VD histological and functional features. Antioxidant treatment may provide an adjunct tool to alleviate ejaculatory disorders for male patients with type 1 diabetes.
Purpose: Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a multi-organ viral infection with many manifestations. However, its impact on the genitourinary system is nowadays under investigation. This study aimed to ...evaluate the consequences on bladder function in patients suffering from post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) transferred to inpatient rehabilitation for long-term care after initial treatment for COVID-19 pathophysiology. Materials and Methods: All the patients were initially asked the question (after having recovered from the acute stage of COVID-19 disease): "Have you noticed a sudden, uncontrolled need to urinate and sometimes a urine leakage accompanying the voiding desire?" Sixty-six out of 147 patients responded positively to this question and were assessed with the AUA Urology Care Foundation Overactive Bladder Assessment Tool (AUA-OAB-tool). All included men were evaluated with the IPSS score. Results: The median age of patients was 59.5 (range 44-72). We identified 44 patients with newly diagnosed OAB (Group A; postCOVID assessment) and 22 with worsening OAB symptoms (Group B). The mean symptom score + or - standard deviation in Group A patients was 18.25 + or - 2.11 (using the above AUA OAB tool). In the patients of Group B, there was an increase in the above score from 10.43 + or - 1.52 (pre-COVID condition) to 17.87 + or - 1.89 (post-COVID assessment). In patients of Group A, the total quality of life (QOL) score was 17.74 + or - 2.34. Patients in Group B presented an escalation in total QOL score from 9.04 + or - 1.41 (pre-COVID) to 18.84 + or - 1.96 (post-COVID condition). There was no statistically significant difference in symptoms and QOL scores between men and women in groups A and B. There were 11 men in Group A and 5 in Group B with an IPSS score >20. Conclusion: OAB symptoms may be essential to PACS syndrome and influence quality of life, delaying full recovery. Keywords: post-acute COVID-19, quality of life, AUA-OAB tool, overactive bladder, nocturia
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