Oncological and functional outcomes of sexual function–preserving cystectomy compared with standard radical cystectomy in men: A systematic review

Introduction

Different sexual function–preserving surgical techniques aimed at improving voiding and sexual function in patients undergoing radical cystectomy for bladder cancer have been described. The objective of this systematic review is to determine the effect of sexual function–preserving cystectomy (SPC) on functional and oncological outcomes.

Compared Ontogenesis of Courtship Song Components of Males from the Sibling Species, D. melanogaster and D. simulans

The courtship song of Drosophila is known to be an important signal involved in sex and species recognition. It consists of pulse song and sine song, which have been studied in a quantitative way with different parameters. For the first time the setting of both components of the acoustic signaling is described and compared for males belonging to the sibling species D. melanogaster and D. simulans. At early ages, these two species share similar interpulse interval values but maturation establishes the species specificity of this character. For D. melanogaster the variations of several acoustic parameters take place in two successive periods, whereas for D. simulans the majority of the acoustic features does not change much with age. In D. melanogaster, copulation success seems to be linked to the maturation of the acoustic performance, which is not the case for D. simulans.     

Tunable Surface Nanoporosity by Electropolymerization of N‐Alkyl‐3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrroles With Different Alkyl Chain Lengths

The tuning of the surface morphology is crucial in the development of superhydrophobic surfaces with various wetting properties. Here, we report the synthesis and electrodeposition of poly(3,4‐ethylenedioxypyrrole) (PEDOP) derivatives containing hydrocarbon chains (ethyl to tetradecyl). Surprisingly, the alkyl chain length has a very important influence on the surface morphology and as a consequence on the water‐repellency properties. The amount of the nanoporosity and the water‐repellency properties can be controlled with alkyl chain length. Moreover, it seems the presence of surface nanoporosity is in correlation with the steric hindrances induced by the alkyl chains during the electrodeposition. This paper uses bioinspired approaches (fluorocarbon free) to reach superhydrophobic surfaces.     

Epidemic Spread of Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis in Johannesburg,South Africa

Numerous reports have documented isolated transmission events or clonal outbreaks of multidrug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, but knowledge of their epidemic spread remains limited. In this study, we evaluated drug resistance, strain diversity, and clustering rates in patients diagnosed with multidrug-resistant (MDR) tuberculosis (TB) at the National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) Central TB Laboratory in Johannesburg, South Africa, between March 2004 and December 2007. Phenotypic drug susceptibility testing was done using the indirect proportion method, while each isolate was genotyped using a combination of spoligotyping and 12-MIRU typing (12-locus multiple interspersed repetitive unit typing). Isolates from 434 MDR-TB patients were evaluated, of which 238 (54.8%) were resistant to four first-line drugs (isoniazid, rifampin, ethambutol, and streptomycin). Spoligotyping identified 56 different strains and 28 clusters of variable size (2 to 71 cases per cluster) with a clustering rate of 87.1%. Ten clusters included 337 (77.6%) of all cases, with strains of the Beijing genotype being most prevalent (16.4%). Combined analysis of spoligotyping and 12-MIRU typing increased the discriminatory power (Hunter Gaston discriminatory index [HGDI] = 0.962) and reduced the clustering rate to 66.8%. Resolution of Beijing genotype strains was further enhanced with the 24-MIRU-VNTR (variable-number tandem repeat) typing method by identifying 15 subclusters and 19 unique strains from twelve 12-MIRU clusters. High levels of clustering among a variety of strains suggest a true epidemic spread of MDR-TB in the study setting, emphasizing the urgency of early diagnosis and effective treatment to reduce transmission within this community.     

A Rare Case of Late LAD Reimplantation after Arterial Switch Operation

Arterial switch operation (ASO) is a complex neonatal operation in which transfer of the coronary arteries originsis the key to success. Coronary events after a successful ASO are not uncommon. We describe a rare case of achild who underwent an ASO in the neonatal period with one coronary (LAD) described as atretic left in place.At age seven, he developed myocardial ischemia due to retrograde flow with a steal phenomenon from the LADinto the pulmonary artery. The patient underwent a late LAD reimplantation. This case underscores that evenvery small ostia should be translocated at the time of ASO.     

Patient Blood Management in der Geburtsvorbereitung,Geburtshilfe und postpartalen Phase

Die Anaesthesiologie - Die Implementierung eines Patient Blood Management (PBM) wird zunehmender Standard in der operativen Medizin. Seit einiger Zeit gilt das Interesse auch den vulnerablen...