A novel approach using electroacupuncture for erectile dysfunction after radical prostatectomy: A case report

INTRODUCTION

Research shows that electrical stimulation to damaged peripheral nerves has promising effects on nerve regeneration and recovery of function.

DESCRIPTION

A 71 yr. old male, who was 12 months post left intrafacial and right incremental nerve sparing robotic radical prostatectomy received 6 sessions of sacral electroacupuncture/acupuncture at weekly intervals, commencing 12 months post operatively.

METHODS

CARE guidelines informed the case study report. Positive changes in erectile function after electroacupuncture was recorded using validated scores (IIEF-5 and EHS). Qualitative information was collected via a feedback box.

DISCUSSION

Given that current treatments for post radical prostatectomy erectile dysfunction are invasive and largely unsuccessful, further investigation into electroacupuncture for this population should be pursued.

PEDAL protocol: a prospective single-arm paired comparison of multiparametric MRI and 18F-DCPFyl PSMA PET/CT to diagnose prostate cancer

INTRODUCTION

Prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography (PSMA-PET) has emerged as valuable imaging to assessing metastatic disease in prostate malignancy. However, there has been limited studies exploring the utility PSMA-PET as primary imaging assessing for index lesions prior to biopsy. The primary objective of this study is to compare the diagnostic accuracy of 18-fluorine PSMA (18F DCFPyL PSMA) PET scans to multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) to detect primary prostate cancer at prostate biopsy.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The PEDAL trial is a multicentre, prospective, single-arm, paired comparison, non-randomised phase III trial in subjects considered for diagnostic prostate biopsy. Subjects who are eligible for a diagnostic mpMRI prostate will undergo additional same-day 18 F DCFPyl PSMA PET/CT of the chest, abdomen and pelvis. Software coregistration of the mpMRI and PSMA-PET/CT images will be performed. The reporting of the mpMRI prostate, PSMA-PET/CT and PSMA PET/MRI coregistration will be performed blinded. The diagnostic accuracy of PSMA PET/CT alone, and in combination with mpMRI, to detect prostate cancer will be assessed. Histopathology at prostate biopsy will be used as the reference standard. Sample size calculations estimate that 240 subjects will need to be recruited to demonstrate 20% superiority of PSMA-PET/CT. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the combination of mpMRI prostate and PSMA PET/CT compared with targeted and systematic prostate biopsy will be evaluated. It is hypothesised that PSMA PET/CT combined with mpMRI prostate will have improved diagnostic accuracy compared with mpMRI prostate alone for detection of prostate cancer in biopsy-naïve men, resulting in a significant impact on patient management.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This study was approved by the independent Human Research Ethics Committee. Results will be published in peer-reviewed medical journals with eligible investigators will significantly contribute.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

ACTRN12620000261910.

Assessing the Quality of skin Healthcare Mobile Apps: a systematic review and scoring using the MARS

Background

With the number of skin healthcare-related apps users increasing, the selection of high-quality apps is not a simple task. The aim of this study was to (1)describe the content of available skin healthcare apps, (2)evaluate their objective quality regarding engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information and subjective quality.

Methods

The App Store and Google Play store were systematically searched to identify skin healthcare mobile apps for general population use. Eligible apps were downloaded and independently evaluated for quality by 4 reviewers using the Mobile App Rating Scale(MARS). The MARS is the only currently available tool that provides a comprehensive, multidimensional evaluation of app quality. MARS assesses the dimensions of engagement, functionality, aesthetics, information, and subjective quality on 5-point scales. In addition, the correlation between MARS score and user score was analyzed.

Results

The overall 37 apps obtained a mean quality score of 2.77(SD.62). 'Trove skin(Android: 4.13)' received the highest score, while 'Complete Beauty Guides(Android: 1.8)' received the lowest score. User scores were found to have no significant correlation between overall quality scores through MARS and content scores(r= .240, p= .153)(r= .290, p= .081), the overall quality score through MARS and the Content Score were significant static correlation(r= .487, p= .002).

Conclusions

As the use, and introduction, of mobile apps continue to grow, it will become increasingly important for consumers to adopt high-quality apps. Understanding the effectiveness of high-quality apps compared with low-quality apps can make it easier and more accurate for consumers decisions about using related to skin healthcare apps. Furthermore, qualities of apps that ranked higher could be used to improve existing apps or help with the development of new ones.

Key messages

Consumers refer to the User Score when selecting skin healthcare-related apps. However, User Score was not correlated with MARS content quality assessment scores evaluated by experts. This study is a significant help that enables consumers to select good-quality skin healthcare apps by high-quality content information through MARS.

Pharmacodynamics effects of CDK4/6 inhibitor LEE011 (ribociclib) in high-risk, localised prostate cancer: a study protocol for a randomised controlled phase II trial (LEEP study: LEE011 in high-risk, localised Prostate cancer)

INTRODUCTION

Despite the development of new therapies for advanced prostate cancer, it remains the most common cause of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer death in men. It is critical to develop novel agents for the treatment of prostate cancer, particularly those that target aspects of androgen receptor (AR) signalling or prostate biology other than inhibition of androgen synthesis or AR binding. Neoadjuvant pharmacodynamic studies allow for a rational approach to the decisions regarding which targeted therapies should progress to phase II/III trials. CDK4/6 inhibitors have evidence of efficacy in breast cancer, and have been shown to have activity in preclinical models of hormone sensitive and castrate resistant prostate cancer. The LEEP trial aims to assess the pharmacodynamic effects of LEE011 (ribociclib), an orally bioavailable and highly selective CDK4/6 inhibitor, in men undergoing radical prostatectomy for high-risk, localised prostate cancer.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

The multicentre randomised, controlled 4:1 two-arm, phase II, open label pharmacodynamic study will recruit 47 men with high risk, localised prostate cancer who are planned to undergo radical prostatectomy. Participants who are randomised to receive the study treatment will be treated with LEE011 400 mg daily for 21 days for one cycle. The primary endpoint is the frequency of a 50% reduction in Ki-67 proliferation index from the pretreatment prostate biopsy compared to that present in prostate cancer tissue from radical prostatectomy. Secondary and tertiary endpoints include pharmacodynamic assessment of CDK4/6 cell cycle progression via E2F levels, apoptotic cell death by cleaved caspase-3, changes in serum and tumour levels of Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA), pathological regression, safety via incidence of adverse events and exploratory biomarker analysis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The protocol was approved by a central ethics review committee (St Vincent's Hospital HREC) for all participating sites (HREC/17/SVH/294). Results will be disseminated in peer-reviewed journals and at scientific conferences.

DRUG SUPPLY

Novartis.

PROTOCOL VERSION

2.0, 30 May 2019 TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12618000354280).

Fine Control over the Compositional Structure of Trimetallic Core-Shell Nanocrystals for Enhanced Electrocatalysis

Pt-based multimetallic nanocrystals (NCs) have attracted tremendous research interest because of their excellent catalytic properties in various electrocatalysis fields. However, the development of rational synthesis approaches that can give multimetallic NCs with desirable compositional structures is still a radical issue. In the present work, we devised an efficient strategy for the systematic control of the spatial distribution of constituent elements in Pt-based trimetallic core-shell NCs, through which NCs with distinctly different compositional structures, such as Au@PdPt, Au@Pd@Pt, AuPd@Pt, and AuPdPt@Pt core-shell NCs, could selectively be generated. The adjustment of the amount of a reducing agent, hydrazine, which can provide control over the relative reduction kinetics of multiple metals, is the key to the selective formation of NCs. Through extensive studies on the effect of the compositional structure of the trimetallic NCs on their catalytic function toward the methanol electro-oxidation reaction, we found that the Au@Pd@Pt NCs exhibited considerably enhanced catalytic performance in comparison to the other trimetallic NCs as well as to their binary counterparts, a commercial catalyst, and reported Pt-based nanocatalysts due to the optimized surface electronic structure. The present strategy will be useful to design and construct multicomponent catalytic systems for various energy and environmental applications.

Shape-Controlled Synthesis of Dumbbell-like Pt-Fe3O4-MnO x Nanoparticles by Governing the Reaction Kinetics

The production of shape-controlled heterometallic nanoparticles (NPs) consisting of Pt and nonprecious metal oxides is crucial to demonstrate the composition-property relationship of NPs. Herein, we report a facile one-pot approach for the controlled synthesis of dumbbell-like Pt-Fe₃O₄-MnO _x and dendritic Pt-MnO _x NPs. The key to the success of this synthesis is in changing the quantity of Fe(CO)₅ additive to control the reaction kinetics. In the absence of Fe(CO)₅, dendritic Pt-MnO _x NPs were synthesized through the assembly of small seed NPs. On the other hand, dumbbell-like Pt-Fe₃O₄-MnO _x NPs were obtained in the presence of Fe(CO)₅ through controlling the nucleation and growth of Fe and Mn on the Pt NPs, followed by air oxidation. Compared to a Pt/graphene oxide (GO) catalyst, dumbbell-like Pt-Fe₃O₄-MnO _x NPs on GO showed an enhancement of specific activity toward the oxygen reduction reaction owing to the compressive-strain effect exerted on the Pt lattice.

Facile synthesis of hybrid Cu2O/Pd–Fe3O4 nanocatalysts for C–H arylation of 4-nitroimidazoles

A facile synthetic strategy for a hybrid Cu₂O/Pd–Fe₃O₄ nanocomposite via controlled thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)₅ and reduction of Pd(OAc)₂ and Cu(acac)₂ was developed.

Rose-like Pd-Fe3O4 hybrid nanocomposite-supported Au nanocatalysts for tandem synthesis of 2-phenylindoles

A facile synthesis of rose-like Pd-Fe3O4 nanocomposites via controlled thermal decomposition of Fe(CO)5 and reduction of Pd(OAc)2, followed by the immobilization of Au nanoparticles (NPs) onto the Pd-Fe3O4 supports, is reported. The morphology of these hybrid nanostructures could be easily controlled by varying the amount of Fe(CO)5 and the reaction temperature. Moreover, the synthesized Au/Pd-Fe3O4 catalyst exhibited high catalytic activity for the tandem synthesis of 2-phenylindoles and demonstrated magnetic recyclability.

A rate-based transcutaneous CO2 sensor for noninvasive respiration monitoring

The pain and risk of infection associated with invasive blood sampling for blood gas measurements necessitate the search for reliable noninvasive techniques. In this work we developed a novel rate-based noninvasive method for a safe and fast assessment of respiratory status. A small sampler was built to collect the gases diffusing out of the skin. It was connected to a CO2 sensor through gas-impermeable tubing. During a measurement, the CO2 initially present in the sampler was first removed by purging it with nitrogen. The gases in the system were then recirculated between the sampler and the CO2 sensor, and the CO2 diffusion rate into the sampler was measured. Because the measurement is based on the initial transcutaneous diffusion rate, reaching mass transfer equilibrium and heating the skin is no longer required, thus, making it much faster and safer than traditional method. A series of designed experiments were performed to analyze the effect of the measurement parameters such as sampler size, measurement location, subject positions, and movement. After the factor analysis tests, the prototype was sent to a level IV NICU for clinical trial. The results show that the measured initial rate of increase in CO2 partial pressure is linearly correlated with the corresponding arterial blood gas measurements. The new approach can be used as a trending tool, making frequent blood sampling unnecessary for respiratory status monitoring.

Congenital hypoventilation syndrome and Hirschsprung's disease - Haddad syndrome: A neonatal case presentation

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) is an uncommon cause of apnea in the newborn characterized by the occurrence of apnea predominantly during sleep. Haddad syndrome is CCHS with Hirschsprung's disease. We report a newborn with Haddad syndrome that had a family history of spinal muscular atrophy and discuss aspects of CCHS and important considerations in the evaluation of apnea in the term newborn.

Au nanoparticles supported on magnetically separable Fe2O3–graphene oxide hybrid nanosheets for the catalytic reduction of 4-nitrophenol

A one-pot hydrothermal synthesis approach was developed to prepare FeSO₄·(H₂O)–graphene oxide (GO) nanosheets. Au nanoparticles were immobilized onto this support, giving Au/Fe₂O₃–GO nanocomposites.

International retrospective study of the pipeline embolization device: a multicenter aneurysm treatment study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Flow diverters are increasingly used in the endovascular treatment of intracranial aneurysms. Our aim was to determine neurologic complication rates following Pipeline Embolization Device placement for intracranial aneurysm treatment in a real-world setting.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated all patients with intracranial aneurysms treated with the Pipeline Embolization Device between July 2008 and February 2013 in 17 centers worldwide. We defined 4 subgroups: internal carotid artery aneurysms of ≥10 mm, ICA aneurysms of <10 mm, other anterior circulation aneurysms, and posterior circulation aneurysms. Neurologic complications included spontaneous rupture, intracranial hemorrhage, ischemic stroke, permanent cranial neuropathy, and mortality. Comparisons were made with t tests or ANOVAs for continuous variables and the Pearson χ(2) or Fisher exact test for categoric variables.

RESULTS

In total, 793 patients with 906 aneurysms were included. The neurologic morbidity and mortality rate was 8.4% (67/793), highest in the posterior circulation group (16.4%, 9/55) and lowest in the ICA <10-mm group (4.8%, 14/294) (P = .01). The spontaneous rupture rate was 0.6% (5/793). The intracranial hemorrhage rate was 2.4% (19/793). Ischemic stroke rates were 4.7% (37/793), highest in patients with posterior circulation aneurysms (7.3%, 4/55) and lowest in the ICA <10-mm group (2.7%, 8/294) (P = .16). Neurologic mortality was 3.8% (30/793), highest in the posterior circulation group (10.9%, 6/55) and lowest in the anterior circulation ICA <10-mm group (1.4%, 4/294) (P < .01).

CONCLUSIONS

Aneurysm treatment with the Pipeline Embolization Device is associated with the lowest complication rates when used to treat small ICA aneurysms. Procedure-related morbidity and mortality are higher in the treatment of posterior circulation and giant aneurysms.

Magnetically separable and recyclable Fe3O4-supported Ag nanocatalysts for reduction of nitro compounds and selective hydration of nitriles to amides in water

As hybrid nanostructures have become more important in many fields of chemistry, Ag nanoparticles (NPs) are being increasingly immobilized onto Fe₃O₄ microspheres in situ. Structural characterization reveals that the Ag NPs are uniformly immobilized in the Fe₃O₄ microsphere-based supports. Moreover, Ag NPs are more stable in the hybrid structure than in the naked state and show high catalytic activity for the reduction of nitro compounds and hydration of nitriles to amides in water. The Fe₃O₄ microspheres were recycled several times using an external magnet.

Facile synthesis of Pd/Fe3O4/charcoal bifunctional catalysts with high metal loading for high product yields in Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions

Bifunctional Pd/Fe₃O₄/charcoal nanocatalysts are synthesized by simple solid-state grinding. Highly loaded Pd and Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles are observed and exhibit high product time yield for Suzuki–Miyaura coupling reactions.

CuO hollow nanosphere-catalyzed cross-coupling of aryl iodides with thiols

New functionalized CuO hollow nanospheres on acetylene black (CuO/AB) and on charcoal (CuO/C) have been found to be effective catalysts for C-S bond formation under microwave irradiation. CuO catalysts showed high catalytic activity with a wide variety of substituents which include electron-rich and electron-poor aryl iodides with thiophenols by the addition of two equivalents of K2CO3 as base in the absence of ligands.