[A case of successful plasma transurethral enucleationof benign prostatic hyperplasia the size of 530 cm3]

The article presents a description of the clinical case. Surgical treatment by plasma transurethral enucleation of the prostate was performed in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia of giant size - 530 cm3. Observation in the short term showed the absence of functional and organic complications. Comparison with the results of surgical treatment of giant prostate adenoma by classical transurethral enucleation of the prostate, obtained in our urological clinic in 2015, showed a reduction in operating time by 1 hour without a significant increase in blood loss during surgery and without operational complications. The results demonstrate the prospects of the widespread introduction of plasma methods of transurethral operations in urological practice.

Assessment of Oral Function and Proper Diet Level for Frail Elderly Individuals in Nursing Homes Using Chewing Training Food

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to investigate the relationship between the ability to press Process Lead (PL) in the oral cavity and the tongue pressure and recommended diet form for elderly individuals in nursing homes, using PL normalized physical properties.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional observation study.

SETTING

Geriatric facilities.

PARTICIPANTS

A 100 elderly individuals aged between 67-96 years.

MEASUREMENTS

PL was pressed between the tongue and palate to evaluate its deformation. The thickness was set at 6, 9, and 18 mm. The tongue pressure was measured with a JMS tongue pressure manometer. The number of chewing cycles until an 18-mm thick PL was first swallowed was measured (PL chewing test). The diet was set to level 4, and the recommended form was evaluated by video endoscopic evaluation of swallowing (VE). The results of the PL pressing test and correlations between PL chewing test, tongue pressure, and diet level were statistically examined.

RESULTS

The tongue pressure was significantly decreased in groups that could not press the PL. The PL pressing test and recommended diet form showed a significant correlation, and the elderly with difficulty in pressing the PL had a lower diet level. In addition, the diet level decreased with decreased PL chewing test performance in those without molar occlusion.

CONCLUSIONS

The PL pressing and chewing tests may aid in ascertaining the appropriate diet level. In the future, we would like to verify the usefulness of these tests in determining the diet level of elderly people requiring long-term care at the time of entering the facility.

EPR and HPLC Investigation of Pigments in Thai Purple Rice

We investigated the pigments in Thai purple rice using electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), X-band (9 GHz) EPR imaging (EPRI), and HPLC. The location and spatial distribution of the paramagnetic species in purple and white rice were determined by EPR and EPRI. EPR primarily detected three paramagnetic species in purple rice, which were identified as stable radicals, Mn²⁺, and Fe³⁺ based on the gvalues and hyperfine components of the EPR signals. Subsequent noninvasive two-dimensional (2D) EPRI revealed that these stable radicals are primarily located in the pigmented region of purple rice, while very few radicals were observed in the interior of the rice. HPLC revealed that the major compounds were cyanidin-3-O-glucoside and peonidin-3-O-glucoside. Scavenging activities, EPR, and EPR imaging results indicate that the stable radicals contain the radical state of anthocyanins and are mostly found within the pigmented embryo region of purple rice. They could be either associated with scavenging activities or could be one of the products of their oxidative decomposition.

Characterization of Melanin Radicals in Paraffin-embedded Malignant Melanoma and Nevus Pigmentosus Using X-band EPR and EPR Imaging

Continuous wave electron paramagnetic resonance (CW EPR) and X-band (9 GHz) EPR imaging (EPRI) were used to nondestructively investigate the possible differentiation between malignant melanoma (MM) and nevus pigmentosus (NP) melanin radicals in paraffin-embedded specimens. The EPR spectra of both samples were analyzed using linewidth, spectral pattern, and X-band EPRI. The CW-EPR spectra of the MM showed an additional signal overlap. Eumelanin- and pheomelanin-related radicals were observed in the MM specimens. The EPR results revealed that the peak-to-peak linewidths (ΔH_pp) of paraffin-embedded MM and NP samples were 0.65 ± 0.01 and 0.69 ± 0.01 mT, respectively. The g-value was 2.005 for both samples. Moreover, the two-dimensional (2D) EPRI of the MM showed different signal intensities at the different tumor stages, unlike the NP, which displayed fewer variations in signal intensity. Thus, the present results suggest that EPR and 2D EPRI can be useful for characterization of the two melanin radicals in the MM and for determination of their size and concentration.

Melanin Radicals in Paraffin-embedded Melanoma Investigated Using Surface-type Dielectric Resonator for X-band EPR

We investigated melanin radicals in paraffin-embedded malignant melanoma (MM) using a surface-type dielectric resonator for X-band electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) and analyzed the radical species. The surface-type resonator's performance was examined using 5 - 10 μL of 0.1 mM 4-hydroxy-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPOL) aqueous solution in a 1.0-mm (i.d.) glass capillary as well as 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) powder. The surface-type detection has approximately two times poorer S/N ratio than commercial insertion-type detection. A sample of the paraffin-embedded MM specimen was used for the radical detection. We obtained an EPR spectrum of melanin radicals in the paraffin-embedded melanoma sample (size ∼3 × 4 × 3 mm). A single line (∼0.64 mT peak-to-peak line-width) with a small shoulder was observed and was identified as a pheomelanin-related radical. The pheomelanin radical can be directly related to the MM. Thus, the present results were a good indication for noninvasive measurement, as well as for detailed analyses of melanin radicals in human MM.