This study failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in stone-free rates between SWL and URS for the treatment of small lower pole renal calculi. However, SWL was associated with greater patient acceptance and shorter convalescence.

This study failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference in stone-free rates between SWL and URS for the treatment of small lower pole renal calculi. However, SWL was associated with greater patient acceptance and shorter convalescence.

Angiogenesis plays a crucial role in wound healing by forming new blood vessels from preexisting vessels by invading the wound clot and organizing into a microvascular network throughout the granulation tissue. This dynamic process is highly regulated by signals from both serum and the surrounding extracellular matrix environment. Vascular endothelial growth factor, angiopoietin, fibroblast growth factor and transforming growth factor-beta are among the potent angiogenic cytokines in wound angiogenesis. Specific endothelial cell ECM receptors are critical for morphogenetic changes in blood vessels during wound repair. In particular integrin (αvβ3) receptors for fibrin and fibronectin, appear to be required for wound angiogenesis: αvβ3 is focally expressed at the tips of angiogenic capillary sprouts invading the wound clot, and any functional inhibitors of αvβ3 such as monoclonal antibodies, cyclic RGD peptide antagonists, and peptidomimetics rapidly inhibit granulation tissue formation. In spite of clear knowledge about influence of many angiogenic factors on wound healing, little progress has been made in defining the source of these factors, the regulatory events involved in wound angiogenesis and in the clinical use of angiogenic stimulants to promote repair.

Summary Objective Examine therapeutic potential of a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) and a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (NERI) in an animal model of comorbidity between epilepsy, depression-like, and impulsive-like impairments. Methods Epilepsy was induced in male Wistar rats by LiCl and pilocarpine. An SSRI fluoxetine (FLX), and a NERI reboxetine (RBX) were administered either alone or as a combination over one week. Depressive-like and impulsive-like behaviors were examined using forced swim test. Fast scan cyclic voltammetry was used to analyze serotonergic transmission in the raphe nucleus (RN)-prefrontal cortex (PFC) pathway, and noradrenergic transmission in locus coeruleus (LC)-PFC, and LC-RN projections. Monoamine levels in PFC were measured using high performance liquid chromatography. Functional capacities of 5-HT1A receptors and α2A adrenoreceptors in PFC were analyzed by autoradiography. Results Epileptic rats showed behavioral signs of depression and hyper-impulsivity, suppressed serotonergic and noradrenergic tones, decreased levels of serotonin (5-HT) and norepinephrine (NE); 5-HT1A receptor and α2A adrenoreceptors functions remained intact. FLX failed to improve behavioral deficits, but effectively raised 5-HT level and marginally improved RN-PFC serotonergic transmission. RBX reversed impulsive-like behavior, normalized content of NE and noradrenergic tone in LC-PFC and LC-RN. FLX-RBX combination fully reversed depressive-like behavior, and normalized RN-PFC serotonergic transmission. None of the treatment modified the function of 5-HT and NE receptors. Significance Depressive- and impulsive-like behaviors in the pilocarpine model of epilepsy stem respectively from dysfunctions of serotonergic and noradrenergic ascending pathways. At the same time, epilepsy-associated depression is SSRI-resistant. The finding that an SSRI-NERI combination exerts antidepressant effect, along with RBX-induced improvement of LC-RN noradrenergic transmission point towards the involvement of LC-RN noradrenergic input in enabling therapeutic potential of FLX. Medications that improve serotonergic and noradrenergic transmission, such as serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors may be effective in treating epilepsy-associated SSRI-resistant depression, as well as concurrent depression and ADHD.

Laparoscopic urology has gained considerable popularity since the first laparoscopic nephrectomy was performed. However, the rapid application of the technique in urologic practice has led to increased reports of complications, even in the hands of surgeons who are well experienced in open surgical techniques, often early in a surgeon's laparoscopic experience. The lack of translation of open surgical skills into laparoscopic results has led us to reappraise the learning curves relevant to open and laparoscopic surgery, to understand the differences, and enable us to make changes in the curriculum and the training to acquire laparoscopic skills.

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Objective The goal of the present study was to determine whether spike and wave discharges (SWDs) and SWDs with superimposed fast ripples (SWDFRs) could be biomarkers of posttraumatic epileptogenesis. Methods Fluid percussion injury was conducted on 13–14‐week old male Sprague Dawley rats. Immediately after traumatic brain injury (TBI), they were implanted with microelectrodes in the neocortex, hippocampus, and striatum bilaterally. Age‐matched sham rats with the same electrode implantation montage acted as controls. Wideband brain electrical activity was recorded intermittently from Day 1 of TBI, and continued from 2 to 21 weeks after TBI. SWD and SWDFR analysis was performed during the first 2 weeks to investigate whether the occurrence of this pattern predicted development of epilepsy. The remaining 3–21 weeks were used for identifying which rats became epileptic (E+ group) and which did not (E‐ group). Results The E+ group (n = 9) showed a significant increase in SWD rate in prefrontal cortex during Weeks 1 and 2 after TBI. The E‐ group showed a significant increase in SWD rate only in the second week. One hundred percent of rats in the E+ group displayed SWDFRs beginning from the first week after TBI. The SWDFR pattern was observed in all recorded brain areas: prefrontal and perilesional cortices, hippocampus, and striatum. None of rats in the E‐ group showed coexistence of fast ripples with SWDs. Significance Occurrence of SWDFRs after TBI, but not an increase in the rate of SWDs, could be a noninvasive electroencephalographic biomarker of posttraumatic epileptogenesis.

Autism is a developmental disorder characterized by impairments in social and communication abilities, as well as by restricted and repetitive behaviors. Incidence of autism is higher than earlier estimates, and treatments have limited efficacy and are costly. Limited clinical and experimental evidence suggest that patients with autism may benefit from electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). We examined the therapeutic potential of ECT in BTBR T+ tf/j mice, which represent a validated model of autism. A series of 13 electroconvulsive shocks (ECS) delivered twice a day over 7 days reversed core autism-like behavioral abnormalities-impaired sociability, social novelty, and repetitive behavior-when the animals were tested 24 h after the last ECS. The effect lasted up to 2 weeks after ECT. Neither single ECS nor a series of 6 ECS modified animals' behavior. Chronic infusion into the lateral brain ventricle of a preferential oxytocin receptor blocker (2S)-2-Amino--(methylsulfonyl)butanamide hydrochloride abolished ECTinduced improvement of sociability and mitigated improvement of social novelty but did not affect ECT-induced reversal of repetitive behavior. These proof-of-principle experiments suggest that ECT may, indeed, be useful in the treatment of autism, and that its therapeutic effects may be mediated, in part, by central oxytocin signaling.