OBJECTIVES To evaluate the safety and persistence of injectable polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) microspheres as a long-lasting urethral bulking agent in pigs. PMMA microspheres of 2 different diameters (40 and 125 μm) were tested to investigate the potential for migration and dislocation after injection. A similar product containing 40-μm PMMA microspheres has been used as an injectable wrinkle f...

Aetna considers endoscopic injection of dextranomer/hyaluronic acid copolymer (Deflux), polydimethylsiloxane (Macroplastique), polytetrafluoroethylene (Teflon), or other bulking agents approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) medically necessary for the treatment of members with primary or secondary VUR who have any of the following conditions when...

"Candidatus Microthrix" bacteria are deeply branching filamentous actinobacteria which occur at the water-air interface of biological wastewater treatment plants, where they are often responsible for foaming and bulking. Here, we report the first draft genome sequence of a strain from this genus: "Candidatus Microthrix parvicella" strain Bio17-1.

OVERVIEW Transesophageal endoscopic therapies are being developed for the treatment of gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). A variety of procedures are being evaluated, including transesophageal (or transoral) incisionless fundoplication (TIF), application of radiofrequency (RF) energy, and injection/implantation of prosthetic devices or bulking agents. Note: This policy does not pertain to ...

This paper presents a 1D intrinsically universal cellular automaton with four states for a first neighbors neighborhood, improving on the previous lower bound and getting nearer to the Turing universality bound. Intrinsic universality is discussed. Construction and proof rely on a combination of bulking techniques with programming using particles and collisions.

Few drugs are of proven efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome. Bulking agents probably relieve constipation, spasmolytics may alleviate pain and antidiarrhoeals help control urgency and diarrhoea. With a combination of reassurance and therapeutic intervention up to 75% of patients can be expected to improve. For the 25% who do not, alternative therapies such as stress management, psychotherapy o...