Biomarker Profiling of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Only and with Synchronous or Metachronous Bladder Cancer.

Background: Molecular profiling in upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) with synchronous or metachronous urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) is scarce. We intended to assess immunohistochemical (IHC) and genetic differences between UTUC-only and UTUC with synchronous or metachronous UBC (UTUC + UBC) and evaluate the effect of subsequent UBC on the outcome of UTUC patients stratified by luminal-basal subtypes.

Methods: A retrospective cohort of UTUC was divided into UTUC-only ( = 71) and UTUC + UBC ( = 43).

Bilayer and Trilayer CN/Blue-Phosphorene Heterostructures as Potential Anode Materials for Potassium-Ion Batteries.

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals heterostructures outperform conventional anode materials for postlithium-ion batteries in terms of mechanical, thermal, and electrochemical properties. This study systemically investigates the performance of bilayer and trilayer CN/blue phosphorene (CN/BlueP) heterostructures as anode materials for potassium-ion batteries (KIBs) using first-principles density functional theory calculations. This study reveals that the adsorption and diffusion of K ions on bilayer and trilayer CN/BlueP heterostructures are markedly superior to those of their monolayer counterparts.

Influence of Ethanol Parametrization on Diffusion Coefficients Using OPLS-AA Force Field.

Molecular dynamics simulations employing the all-atom optimized potential for liquid simulations (OPLS-AA) force field were performed for determining self-diffusion coefficients (D11) of ethanol and tracer diffusion coefficients (D12) of solutes in ethanol at several temperature and pressure conditions. For simulations employing the original OPLS-AA diameter of ethanol's oxygen atom (σOH), calculated and experimental diffusivities of protic solutes differed by more than 25%. To correct this behavior, the σOH was reoptimized using the experimental D12 of quercetin and of gallic acid in liquid ethanol as benchmarks.

Erection hardness score or penile Doppler ultrasound: which is a better predictor of failure of nonsurgical treatment of erectile dysfunction?

Background: In the evaluation of men presenting for erectile dysfunction (ED), specific diagnostic tests, such as an intracavernous injection test (IIT) with Erection Hardness Score (EHS) assessment or penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU), may be necessary.

Aim: The study sought to compare the prognostic value of PDU parameters with erection rigidity with EHS during IIT in predicting refractory ED after 5 years.

Methods: Patients referred for ED were evaluated and had a PDU with at least 15 μg of intracavernous alprostadil and without any sexual stimulation.

Microbiota of Urine, Glans and Prostate Biopsies in Patients with Prostate Cancer Reveals a Dysbiosis in the Genitourinary System.

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignant neoplasm with the highest worldwide incidence in men aged 50 years and older. Emerging evidence suggests that the microbial dysbiosis may promote chronic inflammation linked to the development of PCa. Therefore, this study aims to compare the microbiota composition and diversity in urine, glans swabs, and prostate biopsies between men with PCa and non-PCa men.

Numerical Design of a Thread-Optimized Gripping System for Lap Joint Testing in a Split Hopkinson Apparatus.

Currently, few experimental methods exist that enable the mechanical characterization of adhesives under high strain rates. One such method is the Split Hopkinson Bar (SHB) test. The mechanical characterization of adhesives is performed using different specimen configurations, such as Single Lap Joint (SLJ) specimens.

Prognostic Value of Bladder Involvement in the Outcome of Upper Tract Urothelial Carcinoma.

Accurately predicting the clinical prognosis of upper tract urothelial carcinoma (UTUC) seems crucial. We evaluated the effect of the involvement of urothelial bladder carcinoma (UBC) as a potential prognostic factor for overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS). The cohort included 115 patients with UTUC, subgrouped between January 2009 and December 2019 as follows: (1) only UTUC and (2) UTUC with synchronous or metachronous UBC (UTUC + UBC).

Modeling Tracer Diffusion Coefficients of Any Type of Solutes in Polar and Non-Polar Dense Solvents.

In this work, a simple two-parameters correlation based on the Rice and Gray, Lennard-Jones, and Stockmayer theories was devised for the calculation of binary diffusion coefficients (D12) of any type of solutes at infinite dilution in polar and non-polar solvents. This equation can be relevant for systems with polar solvents, since most models in the literature fail when strong intermolecular forces predominate in solution. The new correlation embodies the Stockmayer potential without requiring the dipole moments of any component, which significantly enlarges its application.

Enzymatic Potential of Filamentous Fungi as a Biological Pretreatment for Acidogenic Fermentation of Coffee Waste.

Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are a promising substrate that can be valorized by biotechnological processes, such as for short-chain organic acid (SCOA) production, but their complex structure implies the application of a pretreatment step to increase their biodegradability. Physicochemical pretreatments are widely studied but have multiple drawbacks. An alternative is the application of biological pretreatments that include using fungi and that naturally can degrade complex substrates such as SCGs.

Impact of a Pretreatment Step on the Acidogenic Fermentation of Spent Coffee Grounds.

Acidogenic fermentation (AF) is often applied to wastes to produce short-chain organic acids (SCOAs)-molecules with applications in many industries. Spent coffee grounds (SCGs) are a residue from the coffee industry that is rich in carbohydrates, having the potential to be valorized by this process. However, given the recalcitrant nature of this waste, the addition of a pretreatment step can significantly improve AF.

Can we rely on total testosterone measurement to exclude hypogonadism in erectile dysfunction?

Although male hypogonadism (MH) is a prevalent comorbidity in patients presenting for erectile dysfunction (ED), its screening relies solely on total testosterone (TT). Ageing and other conditions can increase sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) and lower free testosterone (FT) causing symptomatic MH despite normal TT. The primary objective was to measure the prevalence of normal TT/low FT among patients presenting for ED.

Production and Upgrading of Recovered Carbon Black from the Pyrolysis of End-of-Life Tires.

Increasing awareness regarding fossil fuel dependence, waste valorization, and greenhouse gas emissions have prompted the emergence of new solutions for numerous markets over the last decades. The tire industry is no exception to this, with a global production of more than 1.5 billion tires per year raising environmental concerns about their end-of-life recycling or disposal.

Biological, Psychological, and Physical Performance Variations in Football Players during the COVID-19 Lockdown: A Prospective Cohort Study.

This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate whether COVID-19 lockdown caused biological, psychological, and/or physical performance variations in footballers. We compared the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 seasons evaluating the plasma volume, hematological parameters, iron/ferritin, creatine kinase, vitamin D, cortisol, testosterone, and physiological state of players of the Italian football major league (Serie A). Measurements were performed before the preparatory period (T0), at the beginning (T1) and in the middle (T2) of the championship, and in March (T3) and at the end of season (T4).

Evaluating the Potential of the Defatted By-Product of sp. Industrial Cultivation as a Functional Food.

While sp. is an increasingly popular source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), its extraction generates high amounts of waste, including the spent, defatted residue. The composition and bioactivities of this by-product could prove to be a major part of the sustainable valorisation of this organism within the framework of a circular economy.

The Influence of an Alpha Band Neurofeedback Training in Heart Rate Variability in Athletes.

Neurofeedback training is a technique which has seen a widespread use in clinical applications, but has only given its first steps in the sport environment. Therefore, there is still little information about the effects that this technique might have on parameters, which are relevant for athletes' health and performance, such as heart rate variability, which has been linked to physiological recovery. In the sport domain, no studies have tried to understand the effects of neurofeedback training on heart rate variability, even though some studies have compared the effects of doing neurofeedback or heart rate biofeedback training on performance.

Uncovering the Bioactivity of Aurantiochytrium sp.: a Comparison of Extraction Methodologies.

Aurantiochytrium sp. is an emerging alternative source of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and squalene, playing an important role in the phasing out of traditional fish sources for these compounds. Novel lipid extraction techniques with a focus on sustainability and low environmental footprint are being developed for this organism, but the exploration of other added-value compounds within it is still very limited.

Effects of Commitment on Fear of Failure and Burnout in Teen Spanish Handball Players.

Under an observational, transversal, and descriptive design, the study analyze the degree of adjustment of the perceptions of fear of failure as a mediating variable of the estimated relationship between sporting commitment and the appearance of burnout in young handball players in a competitive context. The sample included a total of 479 youth category handball players (250 boys and 229 girls) selected to compete in the Spanish Regional Championships. The age range was 16 (40.

Bioaccumulation processes for mercury removal from saline waters by green, brown and red living marine macroalgae.

Mercury is a very toxic metal that persists and accumulates in the living organisms present in the aquatic systems and its elimination is an urgent need. Two green (Ulva intestinalis and Ulva lactuca), brown (Fucus spiralis and Fucus vesiculosus), and red (Gracilaria sp. and Osmundea pinnatifida) marine macroalgae were tested for mercury removal from saline waters.

Predictive Models for the Binary Diffusion Coefficient at Infinite Dilution in Polar and Nonpolar Fluids.

Experimental diffusivities are scarcely available, though their knowledge is essential to model rate-controlled processes. In this work various machine learning models to estimate diffusivities in polar and nonpolar solvents (except water and supercritical CO) were developed. Such models were trained on a database of 90 polar systems (1431 points) and 154 nonpolar systems (1129 points) with data on 20 properties.

Cognitive and Physical Activity-Related Aspects of Children Associated to the Performance of the Crunning Movement.

The aim of this investigation was to identify possible related factors associated to the performance of the crunning test in European children and adolescents. A total number of 559 children and adolescents (age range 6-14 years) of which 308 boys (55.1%) and 251 girls (44.

Mercury Removal from Aqueous Solution Using ETS-4 in the Presence of Cations of Distinct Sizes.

The removal of the hazardous Hg from aqueous solutions was studied by ion exchange using titanosilicate in sodium form (Na-ETS-4). Isothermal batch experiments at fixed pH were performed to measure equilibrium and kinetic data, considering two very distinct situations to assess the influence of competition effects: (i) the counter ions initially in solution are Na and Hg (both are exchangeable); (ii) the initial counter ions in solution are tetrapropylammonium (TPA) and Hg (only Hg is exchangeable, since TPA is larger than the ETS-4 micropores). The results confirmed that ETS-4 is highly selective for Hg, with more than 90% of the mercury being exchanged from the fluid phase.

Negligible effect of potentially toxic elements and rare earth elements on mercury removal from contaminated waters by green, brown and red living marine macroalgae.

Mercury (Hg) removal by six different living marine macroalgae, namely, Ulva intestinalis, Ulva lactuca, Fucus spiralis, Fucus vesiculosus, Gracilaria sp., and Osmundea pinnatifida was investigated in mono and multi-contamination scenarios. All macroalgae were tested under the same experimental conditions, evaluating the competition effects with all elements at the same initial molar concentration of 1 μmol dm.

Valuation of banana peels as an effective biosorbent for mercury removal under low environmental concentrations.

The use of banana peels as biosorbent for mercury sorption from different aqueous solutions was investigated in this work. The impact of the operating conditions, such as biosorbent dosage, contact time and ionic strength was evaluated for realistic initial Hg(II) concentrations of 50 μg dm. Biosorbent dosage and contact time showed more influence on Hg(II) removal than ionic strength, and their increase led to improve Hg(II) uptake achieving final concentrations with drinking water quality.

Experimental Measurement and Modeling of Hg(II) Removal from Aqueous Solutions Using Bark: Effect of pH, Salinity and Biosorbent Dosage.

Different experimental conditions were tested in order to optimize the Hg(II) removal by bark. Response surface methodology was applied to extract information about the significance of the factors and to obtain a model describing the sorption. The results were generated through the design of experiments by applying the methodology of a three-factor and three-level Box-Behnken design.

Is There a Point to Performing a Penile Duplex Ultrasound?

Introduction: Specialized diagnostic evaluation of erectile dysfunction (ED) may require an intracavernous injection test (IIT) or penile duplex ultrasound (PDU).

Aim: Our primary objective was to compare the prognostic value of IIT and PDU for treatment efficacy and patient satisfaction with first-line sildenafil citrate.

Methods: After 200 patients were screened, a total of 77 patients with ED had a standardized PDU by a blinded third party, and peak systolic velocity (PSV), end diastolic flow (EDF), and resistive index (RI) in timely intervals were recorded.