Template elimination has been achieved by “”washing”" of crosslin

Template elimination has been achieved by “”washing”" of crosslinked films with water. To check

the polymer imprentation and to determine the imprinted material effectiveness in xanthines separation, sorption studies have been performed. Freundlich, Langmuir, BET, Extended Langmuir models, and Scatchard analysis have been applied on the experimental selleck inhibitor data to better characterize the sorption mechanism. Fluorescence microscopy has been proposed as suitable method to check the imprentation level of the polymer. The information obtained by this method is in good agreement with the values for the efficiency of the imprinted polymer and could serve as an easier tool for prediction of the imprinted polymers performance. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 2081-2089, 2011″
“In2O3 nanocrystals and rare-earth Eu3+ ions co-doped SiO2 films were prepared by sol-gel method and subsequently annealed at high temperature to eliminate the hydroxyl groups. The formation of In2O3 nanocrystals with uniform distribution in the annealed sample was confirmed by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction Go 6983 datasheet spectra. A strong characteristic emission from

Eu3+ ions can be identified and the influences of In and Eu doping concentrations on photoluminescence properties were systematically evaluated. It was found that the photoluminescence from Eu3+ ions could be enhanced by two orders of magnitude. This was ascribed to the effective absorption of incident photons by In2O3 nanocrystals, the energy transfer process

through oxygen vacancy at the surface of In2O3 nanocrystals to nearby Eu3+ ions and the SiO2 matrix free of hydroxyl groups after high temperature annealing. VC 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3569889]“
“Multiple sclerosis (MS) is considered an autoimmune-mediated demyelinating disease that targets the central nervous system (CNS). Despite considerable research efforts over multiple decades, our understanding of the basic biological Pevonedistat processes that are targeted in the disease and the mechanisms of pathogenesis are poorly understood. Consequently, current therapies directed at controlling the progression of the disease are limited in their effectiveness. Historically, the primary focus of MS research has been to define the cellular and molecular basis of the immunological pathogenic mechanisms. Recently, however, it has become clear that long-term functional recovery in MS will require the development of strategies that facilitate myelin repair in lesion areas. The emerging evidence that the adult vertebrate CNS retains the capacity to regenerate neural cells that have been lost to disease or damage has provoked intensive research focused on defining the mechanisms of myelin repair. Unfortunately, the existing animal models of MS are poorly equipped to assess myelin repair, and new validated strategies to identify therapeutics targeted at promoting myelin repair are badly needed.

A total of 37 studies were selected

A total of 37 studies were selected MEK inhibitor side effects for inclusion.

Results: Studies on toilet sitting, biofeedback, anal plug, retrograde colon enemas (RCE) and antegrade colon enemas were found. Fecal continence was achieved in 67% of SB patients using conservative methods (n = 509). In patients using RCE (n = 190)

an 80% continence rate was reached. Patients following surgical treatment (n = 469) reached an 81% continence rate, however, 23% needed redo surgery because of complications. Better fecal continence was associated with an improved quality of life, which was negatively influenced by the amount of time spent on bowel management.

Conclusion: Evidence favors an individually tailored stepwise approach with surgery as a final step in case of failure of conservative measures. Continued specialized support throughout life remains important to maintain continence.

Cross-over and comparative trials are needed in order to optimize treatment.”
“Introduction: Malignant transformation is a rare complication of mature cystic OICR-9429 mw teratoma with squamous cell carcinoma being the most common type. We report a new case of squamous cell carcinoma in situ.

Case presentation: A 62 year old woman was admitted for an abdomino-pelvic mass and she underwent a left salpingo-oophorectomy. The histopathologic analysis revealed a squamous cell carcinoma in situ arising in mature cystic teratoma of the ovary. Then, she underwent a total hysterectomy, contralateral salpingo-oophorectomy and omentectomy without adjuvant treatment.

Conclusion: Optimal cytoreduction has been associated with a statistically

significant improvement in survival for malignant transformation of mature cystic teratoma.”
“In severe, infected scalp defects, locally available tissues are not sufficient for reconstruction and are often unhealthy. In this situation, healthy free tissue transfer offers abundant vascularity of uncompromised tissue that can control infections and a single-stage reconstruction. Between March 2002 and May 2010, 18 patients (20 cases) underwent traumatic scalp defect reconstruction SBI-0206965 cell line with coincident infections as follows: 16 cases of postcranioplasty infections with previous traumatic open skull fractures and 4 cases of traumatic defects with infections without cranioplasties. Eighteen patients underwent 20 latissimus dorsi free flaps: 8 cases were latissimus dorsi perforator flaps without muscle and 12 cases were latissimus dorsi myocutaneous flaps. The mean flap size was 214 cm(2). All patients healed well during the follow-up period. A latissimus dorsi flap in the supine position is an alternative for reconstruction of scalp defects with postcranioplasty or traumatic infections.”
“Background: Steroid use has prolonged ambulation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and combined with advances in respiratory care overall management has improved such that cardiac manifestations have become the major cause of death.

Although escape holes (only large enough for smaller test animals

Although escape holes (only large enough for smaller test animals) are available, and the aggressor

is unremittingly antagonistic, EX 527 only half of the mice tested utilize the possibility of escape. During training, for mice that choose to leave the arena and social interaction, latency to escape dramatically decreases over time; this is also true for control C57BL6/N mice which experienced no aggression. Therefore, the open field of the SAM apparatus is intrinsically anxiogenic. It also means that submission to the aggressor is chosen despite this anxiety and the high intensity of the aggressive attacks and defeat. While both groups that received aggression displayed stress responsiveness, corticosterone levels were GANT61 inhibitor significantly higher in animals that chose submissive coexistence. Although both escaping and non-escaping groups of animals experienced aggression and defeat, submissive animals also exhibited classic fear conditioning, freezing in response to the CS alone, while escaping animals did not. In the basolateral

amygdala (BLA), gene expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) was diminished, at the same time neuropeptide S (NPS) expression was significantly elevated, but only in submissive animals. This increase in submission-evoked NPS mRNA expression was greatest in the central amygdala (CeA), which coincided with decreased BDNF expression. Reduced expression

of BDNF was only found in submissive animals that also exhibit elevated NPS expression, despite elevated corticosterone in all socially interacting animals. The results suggest an interwoven relationship, linked by social context, between amygdalar BDNF, NPS and plasma corticosterone.”
“Starting from 1-benzyl-(2a) and 1-benzoyl-3-bromoacetyl indoles (2b) new heterocyclic, 2-thioxoimidazolidine (4a,b), imidazolidine-2,4-dione (5a,b), pyrano(2,3-d)imidazole (8a,b and 9a,b), 2-substituted quinoxaline (11a,b-17a,b) and triazolo(4,3-a) quinoxaline derivatives (18a,b and 19a,b) were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial and anticancer JIB 04 activities. Antimicrobial activity screening performed with concentrations of 0.88, 0.44 and 0.22 mu g mm(-2) showed that 3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl) quinoxalin-2(1H) ones (11a,b) and 2-(4-methyl piperazin-1-yl)-3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl)quinoxalines (15a,b) were the most active of all the tested compounds towards P. aeruginosa,b. cereus and S. aureus compared to the reference drugs cefotaxime and piperacillin, while 2-chloro-3-(1-substituted indol-3-yl) quinoxalines (12a,b) were the most active against C. albicans compared to the reference drug nystatin. On the other hand, 2-chloro-3-(1-benzyl indol-3-yl) quinoxaline 12a display potent efficacy against ovarian cancer xenografts in nude mice with tumor growth suppression of 100.0 +/- 0.3 %.

[doi:10 1063/1 3540695]“
“The thermal behaviors of polyacryl

[doi:10.1063/1.3540695]“
“The thermal behaviors of polyacrylonitrile precursor during thermal stabilization in inert gas were investigated by differential scanning calorimetry, thermomechanical analysis, and thermogravimetry.

Combining these methods with the tracing of chemical changes by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy indicated that complex reactions, including cyclization and pyrolytic reactions occurred sequentially. An imine-enamine tautomeric structure was formed at around 240 degrees C and was converted to a conjugated structure when the temperature was increased to 400 degrees C. A thermal stabilization mechanism was proposed and confirmed experimentally by using a two-step heating process. The apparent activation energies and the pre-exponential factors for these stabilization reactions were also estimated by the Kissinger, Ozawa, and “”Improved Coats-Redfern”" methods. To obtain this website a fit to the experiment data, a new kinetic model, named the “”Three Regions

Kinetic Model,”" was proposed using the Improved Coats-Redfern method. The applicability of this model and the prediction of the stabilization profile at a given heating rate were verified by plotting conversion rate against conversion GSK923295 supplier profiles. (C) 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 122: 480-488, 2011″
“We have prepared and investigated thin films of EuO doped with the rare-earth element cerium. X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy were used to determine the quality of these films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Ce doping leads to an enhanced Curie temperature near 150 K, close to that seen for oxygen-deficient EuO1-x. However, the magnetization of Ce-doped EuO exhibits differences from that observed for Gd-doped and oxygen-deficient samples. The high-resolution angular-resolved

photoemission from Ce-doped EuO reveals filling of conduction-band states near the X point. This indicates that the band gap in EuO is indirect, and that at 2% doping Ce-doped EuO1-x is at least semimetallic. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3544478]“
“Behcet’s disease (BD) is classified among vasculitides. There are actually five nationwide JQ1 research buy surveys of BD: Iran, Japan, China, Korea, and Germany. Among case series, four are on more than 200 cases (Turkey, Morocco, Tunisia, and UK). BD was classically seen around the Silk Route. Now, it is seen everywhere. The male to female ratios were, respectively (in nationwide surveys), 1.19, 0.98, 1.34, 0.63, and 1.40 to 1. The mean age at onset was 26.2, 35.7, 33.8, 29, and 26 years. Major manifestations were seen, respectively, in nationwide surveys: mucous membrane (oral aphthosis in 97%, 98%, 98%, 99%, and 98%; genital aphthosis in 65%, 73%, 76%, 83%, and 64%); skin manifestations (pseudo-folliculitis in 57%, N/A, 31%, N/A, and 62%; erythema nodosum in 22%, N/A, 38%, N/A, and 42%; ocular manifestations in 55%, 69%, 35%, 51%, and 53%).

Recent improvements in both surgical techniques and adjuvant and

Recent improvements in both surgical techniques and adjuvant and neoadjuvant radiotherapy and chemotherapy approaches have increased the survival of patients

with loco-regional disease. However most patients with GC have advanced disease either at diagnosis or at follow up. Despite recent advances in the treatment of advanced disease, these patients still have poor outcomes. An emerging understanding of the molecular MK-0518 price pathways that characterize cell growth, cell cycle, apoptosis, angiogenesis and invasion has provided novel targets in cancer therapy. In this review we describe the current status of targeted therapies in the treatment of GC. These therapeutic strategies include epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors, antiangiogenic agents, cell cycle inhibitors, apoptosis, promoters and matrix metalloproteinases inhibitors.”
“We see more report a case of globe rupture associated with the use of post cataract-surgery protective eyewear. The patient had routine cataract surgery 3 months before presentation and had adapted his post cataract-surgery glasses to use on the tennis court. He experienced a large posterior globe rupture after falling directly onto his face during a match. Spectacle torsion is the suspected bio-mechanical process that led to the rupture.

We conclude that although the glasses given to many patients after cataract surgery are protective for most low-impact injuries, patients should be aware they are Selleckchem GW4869 not designed for activities with a risk for significant impact. Patients should also be counseled to use protective eyewear specifically designed and approved for the sport or activity in which they participate.”
“We investigated properties of a differential read-head focusing on resolution, output signal, and bit error rate (BER) through experiments and calculations. We successfully observed particular

waveforms of the differential head. The fabricated differential heads showed much higher resolution and better BER than conventional heads. Through measurements and calculations, we clarified that as gap-length (GL) between two spin-valves decreases, the resolution for the differential head increases, but the output signal decreases. Accordingly, the differential head has optimal GL to achieve the best BER. The optimal GL is almost the same as the shortest bit length. We also clarified that a calculated differential head with optimized GL has better BER than a conventional head with a shield-gap length of 20 nm, especially at higher linear density. Therefore, the differential head is one of the candidates for reader structures for high-areal-density hard disk drives. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.

Five procedures (10%) resulted in a neurologic injury Two of the

Five procedures (10%) resulted in a neurologic injury. Two of these involved the musculocutaneous nerve, one involved the radial nerve, and two involved the axillary nerve. The three musculocutaneous and radial Belnacasan nerve injuries involved sensory neurapraxia that resolved fully within two months. Both of the patients with axillary nerve dysfunction continued to have persistent sensory disturbances

and one continued to have residual weakness that had not yet resolved fully at the time of the final follow-up.

Conclusions: The overall complication rate of 25% is higher than that reported in the literature. Although most of these complications resolved completely, two patients continued to have residual neurologic symptoms. Patients should be informed of the risk of complications associated with the Latarjet procedure, although most of the potential complications GSK690693 concentration will resolve.”
“Hole mobility enhancement in double-gate (DG) ultrathin-body (UTB) silicon-on-insulator (SOI) p-type metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors (MOSFETs) is investigated

systematically in comparison with single-gate (SG) UTB MOSFETs for various SOI thicknesses (T(SOI)) ranging from 2 to 30 nm. It is found that mobility in DG mode (mu(DG)) is higher than that in SG mode (mu(SG)) in all the measured ranges of T(SOI) and the surface carrier concentrations (N(s)). In particular, enhancement of mobility of the sub-10-nm-thick T(SOI) devices is greater at higher N(s). As a result, it is demonstrated that mu(DG) of the 8.1-nm-thick T(SOI) device is 12.9% greater than the universal mobility when N(s) is 6 X 10(12) cm(-2). Higher mu(DG) is attributed to the average effective mass reduction in DG mode because of the increased population in the light hole (LH) bands. Careful investigation also clarifies that mobility in the sub-10-nm-thick T(SOI) devices is enhanced Z-VAD-FMK purchase greatly at higher N(s), since the DG mode-induced increase in the hole population in LH bands is enhanced at higher N(s); the reduction in the hole population in

LH bands due to the high-N(s)-enhanced carrier confinement in the normal direction is larger in SG mode than in DG mode. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3182792]“
“In this work, biocompatible hydrogel matrices for wound-dressing materials and controlled drug-release systems were prepared from poly[hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-poly(ethylene glycol)-methacrylate] [p(HEMA-co-PEG-MA] films via UV-initiated photopolymerization. The characterization of the hydrogels was conducted with swelling experiments, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis (differential scanning calorimetry), and contact-angle studies. The water absorbency of the hydrogel films significantly changed with the change of the medium pH from 4.0 to 7.4.

We found an inverse correlation between triglyceride concentratio

We found an inverse correlation between triglyceride concentrations and vitamin D (r = -0.31, P = .04).

Conclusion: Vitamin D deficiency among resident physicians Adavosertib price is frequent and could have metabolic effects. Our findings highlight the consequences of the lack of sun exposure due to occupational reasons. We recommend a higher intake of vitamin D during this period. (Endocr Pract. 2013; 19: 59-63)”
“Pluripotent

stem cells have the unique capacity to contribute to all the tissues of an adult animal after transfer into a host embryo. How pluripotency is acquired during early development and how it is maintained in stem cells have attracted the interest of many scientists for over three decades. Much progress in our understanding of how stem cells arise in culture and the signals required for homoeostasis has enabled the derivation of pluripotent cells in multiple species. Here, we discuss recent developments in stem cell biology that will impact the generation of pluripotent cells from different embryonic origins and will contribute to increase RG-7388 our capacity for generating transgenic animals.”
“In

a child that is allergic to milk, the natural next step, following the elimination diet, is the reintroduction of cow’s milk. Several questions may arise. When feasible, this reintroduction has many benefits for the child and his family. However, the disease needs to be well defined by physicians and explained to parents. They need to understand that there are different types of allergy to cow’s milk, specifically IgE- and

non-IgE-mediated, and each of these may exhibit both a variable duration MK-8931 cell line and frequently an incomplete recovery. Deciding where to first reintroduce cow’s milk to a child who has previously followed a milk-free diet, whether it be at home or in a hospital, also frequently presents an issue. Following this first reintroduction, the progressive increase of milk into the diet needs to be managed properly, as not all children will go back to a normal dairy products intake. Recent studies show that most children with milk allergy tolerate products containing baked milk and that their consumption might speed up recovery. Hence, the purpose of the milk challenge in a child on a milk-free diet is becoming, even in a child still reactive to milk, the first step of gradual and individually adapted reintroduction of milk or dairy products. When reintroduction of cow’s milk does not work, immunotherapy becomes an option, and this is carried out in specialized centers.”
“Objective: Compare the safety and efficacy of liraglutide to that of sitagliptin or exenatide as add-on to metformin in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and glycated hemoglobin (A1C) <8.0%.

Methods: Post hoc analysis of 26-week data from liraglutide 1.8 mg once daily (OD) versus exenatide 10 mu g twice daily (LEAD-6) and liraglutide 1.

In this paper, we discuss the corner effects based on spatially r

In this paper, we discuss the corner effects based on spatially resolved mobility analysis. Taking into account the subband composition for local electrons, we could study the cross-sectional spatially resolved carrier transport. A strongly confined Si NW MOSFET showed that mobility hardly fluctuated in the cross-sectional distribution with strong volume inversion. On the other hand, a less-confined Si NW MOSFET showed that the corner mobility was lower than the side mobility; therefore, our result could imply that the corner effects were not positive for improvement in mobility. (C) 2011

American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3592252]“
“In this study, we determined BKM120 in vivo the association of 1180 non-synonymous single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with systolic blood pressure (SBP) and hypertensive click here status. A total of 8842 subjects were taken from two community-based cohorts-Ansung (n=4183) and Ansan (n=4659), South Korea-which had been established for genome-wide association studies (GWAS). Five SNPs

(rs16835244, rs2286672, rs6265, rs17237198 and rs7312017) were significantly associated (P-values: 0.003-0.0001, not corrected for genome-wide significance) with SBP in both cohorts. Of these SNPs, rs16835244 and rs2286672 correlated with risk for hypertension. The rs16835244 SNP replaces Ala288 in arginine decarboxylase (ADC) with serine, and rs2286672 replaces Arg172 in phospholipase D2 (PLD2) with cysteine. A comparison of peptide sequences between vertebrate homologues revealed that the SNPs identified occur at conserved amino-acid residues. In silico analysis of the protein structure showed that the substitution of a polar residue, serine, for a non-polar alanine at amino-acid residue 288 affects a conformational change in ADC, and that Arg172 in PLD2 resides in the PX domain, which is important for membrane trafficking. These results provide insights into the function of these non-synonymous SNPs

in the development of hypertension. The study investigating non-synonymous SNPs Caspase activity assay from GWAS not only by statistical association analysis but also by biological relevance through the protein structure might be a good approach for identifying genetic risk factors for hypertension, in addition to discovering causative variations. Journal of Human Hypertension (2010) 24, 763-774; doi:10.1038/jhh.2010.9; published online 11 February 2010″
“We examined a possible relationship between genes responsible for energy metabolism of the brain and addictive behavior in an animal model. We used non-inbred, Swiss mice exposed to a three-bottle free-choice model [water, 5% (v/v) ethanol, and 10% (v/v) ethanol] over a 16-week period, consisting of four phases: acquisition, withdrawal, reexposure, and quinine-adulteration.

B abortus and B melitensis were detected in 16 and 35 patients, r

B abortus and B melitensis were detected in 16 and 35 patients, respectively. B suis was not detected in

any of the specimens.

Conclusions: All methods tested in our study need to be used to ensure accurate diagnosis of brucellosis, although ELISA displayed the highest level of efficiency. Also, B melitensis showed a higher frequency rate than B abortus in our cohort.”
“A 2-month-old boy with a heart murmur and suspected coronary artery anomalies SBI-0206965 chemical structure presented for cardiac computed tomography to delineate the origin and course of these anomalies. A single-origin coronary artery was discovered, which arose from the left coronary sinus and coursed between the two outflow vessels, giving this single origin a potentially malignant course. This vessel then went on to split into right and left coronary arteries with normal anatomic distribution. Without the ability for collateral flow, this vessel was located in an extremely precarious position prone to

click here compression during times of stress or exercise. Very rarely has a single-origin coronary artery supplied both ventricles, and even more astonishing was the presence of its interarterial course. This patient will need long-term follow-up care and undoubtedly will be a candidate for surgery to correct this rare potentially malignant anomaly to lessen the boy’s chances of sudden cardiac death.”
“Objectives: To evaluate the responsiveness of generic and mapped preference-based measures based on the anchor of global change in health condition of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients.

Study Design and Setting: A baseline sample of 333 Chinese CRC patients was recruited between September 2009 and July 2010 and was surveyed prospectively at 6-month follow-up. Preference-based indices were derived from the generic SF-6D measure (SF-6D(Direct)), from the Short Form-12 (SF-6D(SF-12)), and

mapped from the condition-specific Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy-Colorectal (SF-6D(FACT-C)). this website Responsiveness of three measures was assessed using standardized effect size, standardized response mean, responsiveness statistic, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis.

Results: The SF-6D(SF-12) and SF-6D(FACT-C) indices were significantly more responsive to detect positive changes than the SF-6D(Direct) index in improved groups. In worsened group, the SF-6D(Direct) and SF-6D(FACT-C) indices showed significant decline from baseline to 6-month follow-up. The areas under the ROC curve for SF-6D(Direct) and SF-6D(FACT-C) indices were not statistically different from 0.7. The SF-6D(FACT-C) index was more responsive to changes in health status compared with other indices.

Conclusion: Direct SF-6D measure was more responsive than mapped preference-based measures in improved group but the direction was reversed in worsened group. The use of a preference-based index mapped from a condition-specific measure captures both negative and positive important changes among CRC. (C) 2014 Elsevier Inc.

05), and social QOL (p < 0 01) and in caregivers’ emotional QO

05), and social QOL (p < 0.01) and in caregivers’ emotional QOL (p < 0.05). Effects varied by intervention dose. Most effects were found at 3 months only. Risk for distress accounted for very few moderation effects.

Conclusions: Both brief and extensive programs had positive outcomes for patient-caregiver dyads, but few sustained effects. Patient-caregiver dyads benefit when viewed as the ‘unit of care’. Copyright (C) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.”
“Purpose: The classical radiobiological paradigm is

that DNA is the target for cell damage caused by ionising radiation. However, evidence is accumulating that other constituents, such as the membrane, organelles, and proteins, are also important targets. We have shown that the isolated 26S proteasome selleck inhibitor is one such target and here we wish to substantiate it within the cell, in situ. Materials and methods: We used confocal microscopy to quantitatively detect and subcellularly localise radiation-induced 26S proteasome inhibition in cells expressing an ornithine decarboxylase degron that targets a fused Zoanthus species green (ZsGreen) fluorescent protein reporter specifically to the 26S proteasome. Results: Exposure of cells to see more a range of radiation doses,

even as low as 0.05Gy inhibited 26S activity within minutes. Initially, punctate nuclear ZsGreen fluorescence was observed that became cytoplasmic after seven hours-a pattern distinct from the diffuse homogeneous fluorescence of cells incubated in the conventional proteasome inhibitor MG-132. Conclusions: AZD6244 Our study clearly indicates that the 26S proteasome is a radiation target with physiological consequences and introduces a new perspective in mechanistic investigations of

cellular responses to stresses.”
“Introduction: The standard treatment for upper urinary tract transitional cell carcinoma (UUT-TCC) is open radical nephroureterectomy with excision of a bladder cuff. We assess the successful endoscopic completion and oncological efficacy of the various minimally invasive transurethral techniques devised for the management of the intramural ureter during nephroureterectomy. Materials and Methods: A comprehensive review of the English literature until February 2009 using the PubMed database returned 42 relevant papers. Five methods of endoscopic management of the distal ureter were identified and compared to the open technique. Results: There are no randomised studies. Successful completion of the endoscopic procedure was less (91%) for the ureteric stripping technique than for the other endoscopic modalities (99.8-100%). Recurrences were highest for laparoscopic extravesical ureteric stapling in conjunction with cystoscopic detachment of the ureter, although the numbers analysed were small. For the other endoscopic modalities, bladder recurrence, positive margins and retroperitoneal recurrence (20-37, 0-4 and 1-3%, respectively) in case series were similar compared with the open method (36, 5 and 3%, respectively).