ABSTRACT
Synthetic biology is an emerging interdisciplinary research field. By designing and constructing new or re-designing the existing natural systems, it confers them novel functions, which do not exist in nature. Owing to the predictability and controllability, synthetic biology attracts more and more interest from biologists, physicists, and engineers. Synthetic biology approaches not only can be widely used for biotechnological applications but also can be used to study complex biological systems to address fundamental questions. Here, we reviewed the recent studies following the concept of "build-to-understand", particularly, the studies to understand intracellular network structure, cell physiology, the behavior of multicellular populations, and ecosystems.
ABSTRACT
Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of retrograde flexible ureteroscopic lithotripsy ( RFUL) with holmium:YAG laser for the treatment of renal stones with a large series.Methods The data of 466 patients who underwent RFUL with holmium:YAG laser for the treatment of kidney stones between January 2013 and December 2013 were collected.The maximum diameter of stone was 23 ±16 mm.The stone free rate, complications, retreatment rate were evaluated.Results Out of the 466 patients, the mean operative time and postoperative hospital stay were 33.5 ±18.8 min and 2.3 ±2.0 d.The stone free rate was 67.6% ( 315/466 ) after single procedure, which increased to 69.5% ( 324/466 ) via re-treatments after 3 months.The retreatment rate was 4.3%(20/466), with a total of 493 RFUL procedures performed and 1.06 times per patient.There were 67 (14.4%) cases undergoing complications.Five cases had false passage of ureter orifice causing slight ureteral wall injuries.Steinstrasse occurred in 9 cases, ureteral perforation in 3 cases and perirenal hematoma in 1 case.Overall postoperative fever rate was 10.7%(50/466) with urosepsis in 16 cases (3.4%).When the stone size was≤10, 11-20, 21-30, 31-40, and >40 mm, the stone free rates after a single procedure were 97.0% ( 65/67 ) , 84.2% ( 160/190 ) , 63.1%(70/111), 29.2%(14/48), 12.0%(6/50) (P<0.001), and the postoperative fever rates were 1.5%(1/67), 9.5%(18/190), 13.5% (15/111), 14.6% (7/48), 18.0% (9/50), respectively. The postoperative fever rates were 19.3%(27/140) and 7.1%(23/326) (P<0.001) in the patient with positive and negative preoperative urine leukocyte, and 22.0% ( 22/100 ) and 7.7% ( 28/366 ) ( P <0.001) in patients with positive and negative preoperative urine culture.Conclusions RFUL with holmium:YAG laser is a safe and effective treatment for kidney stones.The postoperative fever rate would increase and stone free rate would reduce with the increased stone size.