High level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells positively correlates with serum vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Although accumulated evidence indicates that circulating endothelial progenitor cells contribute to tumor neovascularization, to our knowledge the level of these cells and its correlation with serum vascular endothelial growth factor in patients with renal cell carcinoma have not been studied. We measured this level and investigated its clinical significance in patients with renal cell carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: The level of circulating endothelial progenitor cells (percent of total peripheral blood mononuclear cells) was quantified by assaying the CD45(-)CD34(+)vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2(+) cell phenotype in 53 patients with renal cell carcinoma, 33 with benign renal tumors and 40 healthy controls.

Inhibition of human and rat 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases activities by bisphenol A.

Bisphenol A (BPA) is a potential endocrine disruptor. It has been shown that it can interfere with steroid biosynthesis and metabolism. However, the mechanism is unclear.

Novel evidence demonstrates that epithelial-mesenchymal transition contributes to nephrolithiasis-induced renal fibrosis.

Purpose: To investigate fibrotic lesions in renal tissues obtained from patients with large calculi, and to selectively evaluate the expression and clinical significance of Twist and E-cadherin in nephrolithiasis patients.

Methods: We recruited 50 patients with kidney stone and 32 matched healthy controls. We determined plasma creatinine (Cr) and corrected Cr clearance (CCr).

Transcriptome network analysis reveals candidate genes for renal cell carcinoma.

Context: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a kidney cancer that originates in renal parenchyma and it is the most common type of kidney cancer with approximately 80% lethal cases.

Aims: To interpret the mechanism, explore the regulation of TF-target genes and TF-pathway, and identify the potential key genes of renal cell carcinoma.

Settings And Design: After constructing a regulation network from differently expressed genes and transcription factors, pathway regulation network and gene ontology (GO) enrichment analysis were made.

Water oxidation electrocatalyzed by an efficient Mn3O4/CoSe2 nanocomposite.

The design of efficient, cheap, and abundant oxygen evolution reaction (OER) catalysts is crucial to the development of sustainable energy sources for powering fuel cells. We describe here a novel Mn(3)O(4)/CoSe(2) hybrid which could be a promising candidate for such electrocatalysts. Possibly due to the synergetic chemical coupling effects between Mn(3)O(4) and CoSe(2), the constructed hybrid displayed superior OER catalytic performance relative to its parent CoSe(2)/DETA nanobelts.

Adaptive sampling for learning gaussian processes using mobile sensor networks.

This paper presents a novel class of self-organizing sensing agents that adaptively learn an anisotropic, spatio-temporal gaussian process using noisy measurements and move in order to improve the quality of the estimated covariance function. This approach is based on a class of anisotropic covariance functions of gaussian processes introduced to model a broad range of spatio-temporal physical phenomena. The covariance function is assumed to be unknown a priori.

Thiopental-induced insulin secretion via activation of IP3-sensitive calcium stores in rat pancreatic β-cells.

While glucose-stimulated insulin secretion depends on Ca(2+) influx through voltage-gated Ca(2+) channels in the cell membrane of the pancreatic β-cell, there is also ample evidence for an important role of intracellular Ca(2+) stores in insulin secretion, particularly in relation to drug stimuli. We report here that thiopental, a common anesthetic agent, triggers insulin secretion from the intact pancreas and primary cultured rat pancreatic β-cells. We investigated the underlying mechanisms by measurements of whole cell K(+) and Ca(2+) currents, membrane potential, cytoplasmic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)](i)), and membrane capacitance.

Erythropoietin increases expression and function of transient receptor potential canonical 5 channels.

Hypertension is a common complication in hemodialysis patients during erythropoietin (EPO) treatment. The underlying mechanisms of EPO-induced hypertension still remain to be determined. Increased transient receptor potential canonical (TRPC) channels have been associated with hypertension.

Protective effects of SP600125 on renal ischemia-reperfusion injury in rats.

Background: Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) has a negative effect on renal allograft survival. Using a rat model of kidney IRI in this study, we investigated the overall effect of selective c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 on renal IRI events.

Methods: All 45 Fisher rats were anesthetized and renal IRI model was established by 45 min clamp of bilateral renal pedicles and 24 h reperfusion.

Partial cystectomy: Is it a reliable option for the treatment of bladder leiomyosarcoma?

Bladder leiomyosarcoma is a unique mesenchymal tumour, accounting for less than 0.5% of all primary bladder malignancies. Bladder leiomyosarcoma used to be treated with radical surgery in either old or young patients, often resulting in significant impact on the patients's quality of life after surgery.

Optimal control of the spine system.

The goal of this work is to present methodology to first evaluate the performance of an in vivo spine system and then to synthesize optimal neuromuscular control for rehabilitation interventions. This is achieved (1) by determining control system parameters such as static feedback gains and delays from experimental data, (2) by synthesizing the optimal feedback gains to attenuate the effect of disturbances to the system using modern control theory, and (3) by evaluating the robustness of the optimized closed-loop system. We also apply these methods to a postural control task, with two different control strategies, and evaluate the robustness of the spine system with respect to longer latencies found in the low back pain population.

Retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for renal-cell carcinoma in a solitary kidney: report of 56 cases.

Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the possibility and clinical efficacy of retroperitoneal laparoscopic partial nephrectomy for T(1)- and T(2)-stage renal-cell carcinoma (RCC) of a solitary kidney.

Patients And Methods: A total of 56 patients with RCC in a solitary kidney were selected in this study, including 41 men and 15 women with a mean age of 49 years. B-type ultrasonography and CT revealed T(1)N(0)M(0) tumors in 51 cases and T(2)N(0)M(0) tumors in the remaining 5 cases; 41 cases were RCC in left kidney, and 15 were RCC in right kidney.

Highly Nd3+-doped Y3Al5O12 crystal fiber tip for laser thermotherapy.

Based on phonon relaxation, a 12-at. % neodymium-doped YAG (Y3AlrO12) crystal fiber tip has been developed for photothermal conversion. The near-cylindrical tip, with an average diameter of 0.