INTRODUCTION Miniaturization of instruments has changed the paradigms of percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). To date, however, few studies have analyzed the possible renal trauma generated by PCNL tract dilation. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare systematically the renal injury of all PNCL dilation techniques in pork kidneys (PK) and cadaveric kidney models (CK). MATERIAL ...

BACKGROUND The treatment of recurrent esophageal stricture secondary to the ingestion of a caustic agent is an arduous task. Self-expanding esophageal stents may be an alternative to repeated endoscopic esophageal dilations. CASE REPORT We present the case of a two-year-old male with a severe and long esophageal stricture successfully treated by the combination of dilations and stent placemen...

Abstract. Let A be a square matrix or a linear operator on a Hilbert space H. A dilation of A is a linear operator M on a larger space K ⊃ H such that A = PHM |H, where PH is orthogonal projection onto H. Often it is required additionally that M be a dilation of A for all or a range of positive integer powers k. While much work has been aimed at proving existence of dilations with various prope...

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2-DM) markedly increases the incidence of ischemic heart disease (IHD) and, consequently, mortality. However, the underlying mechanisms leading to IHD in T2-DM are not completely understood. We hypothesized that in T2-DM the regulation of coronary microvascular resistance by local mechanisms is altered. Thus, in coronary arterioles (diameter: approximately 80 microm) ...

OBJECTIVE In response to changes in wall shear stress (WSS) the vascular endothelium releases several factors, among others nitric oxide. On the basis of studies of endothelial cells in culture, suggesting that platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) is specifically involved in sensing and coupling high temporal gradients of fluid shear stress with activation of eNOS, we hypothe...

Responses to hypercapnia and acetylcholine by newborn piglet pial arterioles are prostanoid dependent but appear to require both prostanoids and nitric oxide in juvenile pigs. We hypothesized that cerebrovascular dilatory responses become less prostanoid dependent and more NO dependent with development. Pial arteriolar responses to hypercapnia and histamine were recorded from α-chloralose-anest...