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Background: Numerous studies have focused on skin damage, the most prevalent physical injury, aiming to improve wound healing. The exploration of biomaterials, specifically eggshell membranes (ESMs), is undertaken to accelerate the recovery of skin injuries. The membrane must be separated from the shell to make this biomaterial usable. Hence, this investigation aimed to identify more about the methods for membrane isolation and determine the most efficient one for usage as a biomaterial. Methods and materials: For this purpose, ESM was removed from eggs using different protocols (with sodium carbonate, acetic acid, HCl, calcium carbonate, and using forceps for separation). Consequently, we have examined the membranes' mechanical and morphological qualities. Results: According to the analysis of microscopic surface morphology, the membranes have appropriate porosity. MTT assay also revealed that the membranes have no cytotoxic effect on 3T3 cells. The results indicated that the ESM had acquired acceptable coagulation and was compatible with blood. Based on the obtained results, Provacol 4 (0.5‐mol HCl and neutralized with 0.1‐mol NaOH) was better than other methods of extraction and eggshell separation because it was more cell‐compatible and more compatible with blood. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that ESMs can be used as a suitable biomaterial in medical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) in the elderly is challenging due to age-related decline in organ function and the general depletion of the physiological reserve. We aimed to compare the efficacy and safety of complete supine PCNL (csPCNL) between young and elderly patients with kidney stones. Materials and Methods: In this cross-sectional comparative study, a total of 656 patients aged 18-64 years (young group) and 83 patients aged =65 years (elderly group) who underwent csPCNL between April 2009 and September 2021 were studied. The two groups were compared in terms of clinical characteristics, stone-related parameters, perioperative parameters, and postoperative outcomes. Results: The mean age of elderly and young patients was 69.87 and 47.1 years, respectively. The female-to-male ratio was 1:1.21. The mean hemoglobin drop was significantly greater in the younger group (1.38 ± 1.08 vs. 1.01 ± 0.84 g/dL, P = 0.007). The stone-free rate was comparable in the two groups (96.8% vs. 91.5%), whereas hospitalization was significantly longer in the younger group (P = 0.014). There was no significant between-group difference regarding the postoperative complication rates (P = 0.36). On multivariate analysis, body mass index, stone burden, and presence of staghorn stone were identified as independent predictors of the success of the operation (P = 0.04, odds ratio [OR] = 1.091; P = 0.000, OR = 0.962; P = 0.045, OR = 0.404). None of these factors had an independent effect on the occurrence of postoperative complications (P > 0.05). Conclusion: CsPCNL in the elderly age group is an effective and safe procedure with high stone-free rates and similar complication rates compared to younger patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the benefits of spinal anesthesia and the preference of anesthesiologists for this technique, it is less accepted by urologists due to the proximity of the stone place in the ureter and the possibility of pain, restlessness, and occasional movements of the patient during surgery. The current study investigated the success of bupivacaine plus intrathecal fentanyl in patients undergoing transurethral lithotripsy (TUL). In this randomized clinical trial, from April 2021 to September 2021, 54 patients with proximal urolithiasis candidates for TUL were enrolled. Patients were randomly categorized into two groups: group A received bupivacaine 10 mg and 0.5 ml of normal saline, while group B received bupivacaine 10 mg with 0.5 ml (25μg) of intrathecal fentanyl. According to our findings, about 74% of the patients were men, and the mean age of the patients was 66.14±22.46 years. The onset time of the sensory block, sensory block level, pain score, degree of relaxation, depth of the motor block, occurrence of anesthesia complications, oxygen saturation, and mean arterial blood pressure were not significantly different between the two groups. However, the duration of the motor block in group B was longer than in group A (p<0.001). Also, retropulsion was observed only in five patients (18.5%) in group A, significantly higher than in group B (p=0.019). Bupivacaine with fentanyl 25μg provided adequate spinal anesthesia with lower retropulsion in patients with urolithiasis who are candidates for TUL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: There are different approaches to the treatment of urinary incontinence (UI), including pharmacological, nonpharmacological, and surgical methods. Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) stimulation is a nontraditional and noninvasive type of treatment, which is gaining increasing popularity in healthcare departments for UI treatment. Materials and Methods: In this quasi-experimental study, women (age ≥21 years) with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) were assigned to three groups regarding the UI type (urgency, stress, and mixed UI). The Bristol Female LUTS (BFLUTS) questionnaire was used to evaluate the UI severity. The patients were treated with PEMF stimulation twice per week up to 6 weeks. The results were evaluated at three and 6 months posttreatment. Results: Ninety women completed 6 months of follow-up in this study. The mean age of the participants was 58.5 ± 13.9 years. Of 90 patients, 61 (67.8%) had mixed UI, 22 (24.4%) had urge UI, and 7 (7.8%) had stress UI. There were significant differences between the groups regarding the frequency of leakage from baseline to 3 and 6 months after treatment; the reduction of leakage severity was only nonsignificant in the stress UI group (P = 0.368). Based on the results, the number of used pads reduced from 4.18 ± 3.00 to 1.08 ± 2.03 (P < 0.001); this reduction was also significant in each of the groups. The mean BFLUTS score reduced from 7.42 ± 2.53 at baseline to 5.56 ± 2.37 and 3.00 ± 2.33 at 3 and 6 months after treatment, respectively (P < 0.001). No significant complications were detected in the groups. Conclusion: The PEMF stimulation is a safe and effective approach for reducing the symptoms of patients with UI. The best response to treatment was reported at 6 months posttreatment. Therefore, it is recommended to use PMEF stimulation as a noninvasive treatment along with routine therapies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The aim of this study was to compare the breastfeeding outcome between those who conceived via assisted reproduction techniques (ART) and those who had spontaneous conception.Methods: This case-control study was conducted during a 2-year period between 2014 and 2016 in a tertiary healthcare center in Tehran, capital of Iran. We included a total number of 80 women with ATR conception and 81 women with spontaneous conception. The two study groups were matched regarding the age, parity and the gestational age. Those with contraindication of breastfeeding and history of psychiatric disorders were excluded. The breastfeeding outcome was measured using a structured-based interview and the results were compared between the two study groups.Results: The exclusive breastfeeding was significantly higher in spontaneous conception (p < .001). The duration of the breastfeeding was significantly higher in those with spontaneous conception (p < .001). In the same way, the exclusive breastfeeding within the first week was significantly higher in the spontaneous conception group (p = .002). The ATR conception was associated with higher bad feeling during the breastfeeding (p < .001), higher breastfeeding dysfunction (p < .001) and higher experience with difficult breastfeeding (p < .001). The return of the work after 3 months was significantly higher in spontaneous conception (p = .004).Conclusions: The results of this study demonstrate that ATR conception is associated with worse breastfeeding outcome determined by lower rate of exclusive breastfeeding and higher rate of breastfeeding dysfunction and bad feeling during breastfeeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Several studies have reported that cigarette smoking affects sperm parameters, especially semen quality, but their results are contradictory. Objective This retrospective study aims to evaluate the relationship of sperm parameters with smoking in men with idiopathic infertility. Materials and Methods This retrospective study was conducted on 1744 infertile men with at least one year of idiopathic infertility. They were divided into two groups of smokers (n=379) and non-smokers (n=1365) according to their smoking habits and based on their inclusion and exclusion criteria. The semen analysis was extracted from subjects' medical records, and the collected data were analyzed in SPSS V. 19 software. Results Smoking significantly reduced semen volume in smokers (2.88±1.50 mL) compared to non-smokers (3.28±1.77 mL) (P=0.002). There was a significant decrease in sperm motility in smokers (36.1±21.9%) compared to non-smokers (34.4±19.6%) (P=0.009). However, the association of smoking with sperm motility between men with normal and abnormal semen volumes was not statistically significant, and there was no significant difference in sperm count and morphology between infertile smokers and nonsmokers (P>0.05). Conclusion Smoking causes a significant reduction in semen volume, but has no significant effect on sperm count, morphology, and motility in men with abnormal and normal semen volume. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Different post‐synthesis approaches were used to increase the adsorption abilities of zeolite mordenite and Y in removal of cationic dye molecules as typical dyestuff pollutants. Various methods including acid leaching, alkaline treatment, dealumination with hexafluorosilicate, sonication and combination of them were employed to alter the porous structure of various types of selected zeolites. The dealumination (due to acid leaching), desilication (due to alkaline treatment) and disintegration (due to shear forces generated by ultrasound waves) were responsible for the alteration of pores size and accessibility in mordenite. Acid leaching combined with irradiation of ultrasound was found to be most effective technique in adsorption of rhodamine B as a large dye molecule into mordenite. In the case of zeolite Y, a chemical treatment with ammonium hexafluorosilicate resulted in considerable improvement of adsorption of rhodamine B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]