Sahin Beatty (tilemetal30)

INTRODUCTION Robotic surgery for the management of localized renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has gained increasing popularity during the last decade. An endophytic renal tumour represents a surgical technical challenge in terms of identification and resection related to the lack of external visual cues on the kidney surface. MATERIALS AND METHODS There is little evidence of functional outcomes of robotic surgery on treating endophytic masses. For this reason, we wanted to review the contemporary literature on the functional outcomes of endophytic RCC treated with robotic surgery. RESULTS Many studies investigating robotic partial nephrectomy for totally endophytic RCC confirmed the good functional results of this approach at intermediate follow-up. The greater relative importance of volume loss versus ischaemia duration in predicting long-term renal function after partial nephrectomy is now established, and the robotic technique may facilitate volume preservation. Accurate use of intra-operative ultrasonography, enucleation, and intra-operative techniques using near-infrared fluorescence imaging with indocyanine green dye could minimize excision of the parenchyma and prevent devascularization of adjacent healthy parenchyma. CONCLUSIONS Unfortunately, the overall quality of the literature evidence and the high risk of selection bias limit the possibility of any causal interpretation about the relationship between the surgical technique used and functional outcomes. © 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.Background： Excessive scarring of filtering blebs is the main cause of surgical failure in glaucoma. Previous studies have highlighted the role of chloride channels in scar formation , whereas the role of chloride channels in scarring of filtering blebs has not been studied. OBJECTIVES To investigate the effects of the ClC-2 chloride channel on scar formation of filtering blebs after glaucoma filtering surgery. METHODS ClC-2 siRNA-transfected Human conjunctival fibroblasts (HconFs) were cultured in type I collagen gels in the presence of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1. Collagen gel contraction was evaluated based on the gel area. 3D-cultured HConFs were treated with the chloride channel blocker NPPB in the presence of TGF-β1, and cell proliferation collagen synthesis and contractility were measured. The expression levels of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in HConFs were assessed by western blotting and q-PCR. RESULTS TGF-β1induced cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, collagen synthesis, and collagen gel contraction in HConFs. TGF-β1 increased MMP-2 and MMP-9 levels but inhibited the expression of TIMPs. NPPB and ClC-2 siRNA transfection inhibited TGF-β2-induced cell proliferation, cell cycle progression, collagen synthesis, and collagen gel contraction, mediated by HConFs. TGF-β2-induced increases in MMP-2 and MMP-9 were also inhibited by NPPB and ClC-2 siRNA transfection, but TIMP expression was increased by NPPB and ClC-2 siRNA transfection. CONCLUSIONS These findings demonstrate that ClC-2 chloride channels modulate TGF-β1-induced cell proliferation, collagen synthesis, and collagen gel contraction of HConFs by attenuating MMP-2 and MMP-9 production and by stimulating TIMP-1 production. NPPB may therefore prove to be of clinical value for the inhibition of scar formation of filtering blebs. © 2020 S. Karger AG, Basel.BACKGROUND Low antigravity muscle mass is strongly associated with poor prognosis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). However, the significance of longitudinal changes in antigravity muscle mass remains unclear in patients with COPD. OBJECTIVES The aims of this study were to investigate the factors associated with the longitudinal loss of antigravity muscles and whether the accelerated loss of these muscles has a negative impact on prognosis. METHODS This study was part of a prospective observational study at Kyoto University. We enrolle