Audiological Risk Factors, Referral Rates and Dropouts: 9 Years of Universal Newborn Hearing Screening in North Sardinia.

Background: Objectives of the present work were to analyze the prevalence of hearing loss in our population of screened newborns during the first 9 years of the universal newborn hearing screening (UNHS) program at University Hospital Sassari (Italy) (AOU Sassari), to analyze the risk factors involved, and to analyze our effectiveness in terms of referral rates and dropout rates. Methods: Monocentric retrospective study whose target population included all the newborns born or referred to our hospital between 2011 and 2019. Results: From 2011 to 2019, a total of 11,688 babies were enrolled in our screening program.

Fetal Growth and Neonatal Outcomes in Pregestational Diabetes Mellitus in a Population with a High Prevalence of Diabetes.

The aim of this retrospective study, conducted in an Italian tertiary care hospital, was to evaluate maternal-fetal and neonatal clinical outcomes in a group of patients with pregestational diabetes mellitus (PGDM), such as diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1), diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2), and maturity onset diabetes of the young (MODY). Overall, 174 pregnant women, nulliparous and multiparous, with a single pregnancy were enrolled. Data on pregnancy, childbirth, and newborns were collected from medical records.

Metformin and vitamin D modulate adipose-derived stem cell differentiation towards the beige phenotype.

Adipose-derived stem cells (ADSCs) represent an ideal stem cell population for regenerative medicine. ADSC adipogenic differentiation is controlled by the activation of a specific transcriptional program, including epigenetic factors and key adipogenic genes. Under certain conditioned media, ADSCs can differentiate into several phenotypes.

High Incidence of Gestational Trophoblastic Disease in a Third-Level University-Hospital, Italy: A Retrospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: to assess incidence, prognosis and obstetric outcome of patients treated for gestational trophoblastic disease GTD in a twenty-year period. Incidence, prognosis and obstetric outcome of gestational throphoblastic disease.

Methods: retrospective study.

The role of surgery in platinum-resistant ovarian cancer: A call to the scientific community.

In the last decade, a growing attention has been focused on identifying effective therapeutic strategies also in the orphan clinical setting of women with platinum-resistant disease. In this context, secondary cytoreductive surgery (SCS) remains a potential approach only in women with platinum sensitive relapse, but experimental data have been published supporting the role of SCS also in patients with platinum-resistant recurrence. In particular, surgery is emerging as a potential option in specific subgroups of women, such as those patients with low-grade serous histology, or low-volume relapse with disease located in the so-called pharmacological sanctuaries.

Human Umbilical Cord: Information Mine in Sex-Specific Medicine.

Biological differences between sexes should be considered in all stages of research, as sexual dimorphism starts in utero leading to sex-specific fetal programming. In numerous biomedical fields, there is still a lack of stratification by sex despite primary cultured cells retaining memory of the sex and of the donor. The sex of donors in biological research must be known because variations in cells and cellular components can be used as endpoints, biomarkers and/or targets of pharmacological studies.

Assessing the Long-Term Role of Vaccination against HPV after Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP): A Propensity-Score Matched Comparison.

: Primary prevention through vaccination is a prophylactic approach aiming to reduce the risk of developing human papillomavirus (HPV)-related lesions. No mature and long-term data supported the adoption of vaccination in women undergoing conization. This is a retrospective multi-institutional study.

Recurrence rate after loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) and laser Conization: A 5-year follow-up study.

Objective: Conization aims to remove pre-neoplastic lesions of the uterine cervix. Several techniques for conization have been compared, but evidence regarding the most effective therapeutic option is scant. Here, we aimed to compare the recurrence rate following laser conization and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in patients with high-grade cervical dysplasia (HSIL/CIN2+).

Materno-Fetal and Neonatal Complications of Diabetes in Pregnancy: A Retrospective Study.

The aim of this case-control study was to evaluate maternal-fetal and neonatal clinical outcomes in a group of patients with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and pregestational diabetes such as diabetes mellitus type 1 (DM1) and diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM2) and compare them with those of patients without diabetes. A total of 414 pregnant women, nulliparous and multiparous, with single pregnancy were recruited. The selected patients were divided into two groups.

Behavioral Changes in Stem-Cell Potency by HepG2-Exhausted Medium.

Wharton jelly mesenchymal stem cells (WJ-MSCs) are able to differentiate into different cell lineages upon stimulation. This ability is closely related to the perfect balance between the pluripotency-related genes, which control stem-cell proliferation, and genes able to orchestrate the appearance of a specific phenotype. Here we studied the expression of stemness-related genes, epigenetic regulators (), miRNAs (, and ) related to stemness, exosomes, the cell-cycle regulators () and , and the senescence-associated genes (, and .

COVID-19 in pregnant women: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a novel infectious disease caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Several reports highlighted the risk of infection and disease in pregnant women and neonates. To assess the risk of clinical complications in pregnant women and neonates infected with SARS-CoV-2 carrying out a systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.

Feasibility and safety of laparoscopic approach in obese patients with endometriosis: a multivariable regression analysis.

Purpose: To evaluate the feasibility and safety of laparoscopic excision of endometriotic lesions in obese women.

Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data involving consecutive women scheduled for complete laparoscopic removal of macroscopic endometriotic lesions between January 2012 and November 2018. Operative time, laparotomic conversion rates, complication rates, and length of hospital stay were recorded.

Efficacy and effectiveness of bulking agents in the treatment of stress and mixed urinary incontinence: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The objective of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the efficacy and the effectiveness, as well as the safety and tolerability, of urethral bulking agents (UBAs) in women with mixed or stress urinary incontinence. PubMed, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were used to identify relevant articles. In total, 3510 records were found.

Efficacy of HPV Vaccination in Women Receiving LEEP for Cervical Dysplasia: A Single Institution's Experience.

The aim of this study was to assess the role of a human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine after loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) in reducing recurrent cervical dysplasia. A series of 503 women with cervical dysplasia received LEEP between January 2012 and October 2018. Of these patients, 379 were treated between January 2012 and June 2017, thus ensuring an adequate follow-up time.

Epigenetics, Stem Cells, and Autophagy: Exploring a Path Involving miRNA.

MiRNAs, a small family of non-coding RNA, are now emerging as regulators of stem cell pluripotency, differentiation, and autophagy, thus controlling stem cell behavior. Stem cells are undifferentiated elements capable to acquire specific phenotype under different kind of stimuli, being a main tool for regenerative medicine. Within this context, we have previously shown that stem cells isolated from Wharton jelly multipotent stem cells (WJ-MSCs) exhibit gender differences in the expression of the stemness related gene OCT4 and the epigenetic modulator gene DNA-Methyltransferase (DNMT1).

Lessons from human umbilical cord: gender differences in stem cells from Wharton's jelly.

Objective: To study the molecular features of mesenchymal stem cells from Wharton Jelly (WJ-MSCs) of umbilical cord to predict their differentiation capacity.

Design: Comparison of gene expression from mesenchymal stem cells of male and female umbilical cord SETTING: University hospital PATIENT (S): umbilical cords (n = 12, 6 males and 6 females) retrieved from spontaneous full-term vaginal delivery of healthy women INTERVENTION: we analyzed the expression of the stemness related genes C-MYC, OCT4, SOX2 and NANOG and of the epigenetic modulating gene DNA-methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1).

Mean Outcome Measure: WJ-MSCs were isolated by standard procedures and immunophenotypically characterized.

Primary extranodal vaginal non-hodgkin lymphoma: Diagnostic pitfalls and therapeutic challenges.

Introduction: Primary extranodal non-hodgkin vaginal lymphoma (PeNHVL) represents a rare entity, with few data published until now. We present here a series of patients with PeNHVL, analyzing our data as part of a detailed review of the available literature.

Methods: The study included a consecutive series of 6 patients with final diagnosis of PeNHVL admitted at our Institution between January 2000 and December 2017.

Thyroid function and thyroid disorders during pregnancy: a review and care pathway.

Purpose: To review the literature on thyroid function and thyroid disorders during pregnancy.

Methods: A detailed literature research on MEDLINE, Cochrane library, EMBASE, NLH, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Google Scholar databases was done up to January 2018 with restriction to English language about articles regarding thyroid diseases and pregnancy.

Clinical and Ultrasound Predictors of Placenta Accreta in Pregnant Women with Antepartum Diagnosis of Placenta Previa: A Multicenter Study.

Background/aims: Abnormally invasive placenta (AIP) includes placenta accreta, increta, and percreta and represents major complications of pregnancy. This study was designed to assess the role of ultrasonography in the identification of AIP among pregnant women with antepartum diagnosis of placenta previa.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was performed between May 2015 and April 2016 in 11 centers, including 242 women with antepartum diagnosis of placenta previa.

Red blood cell distribution width in pregnancy: a systematic review.

Anisocytosis has been associated with the severity and prognosis of several acute and chronic diseases, as well as physiological conditions such as pregnancy. Anisocytosis is quantified by the red blood cell distribution width (RDW), expressed as the ratio, multiplied by 100, between the standard deviation (SD) of red blood cell volumes and the mean corpuscular volume, or as the SD of erythrocyte volumes (RDW-SD). The aim of the present review was to report the state of the art on the physiological values and the putative diagnostic and prognostic roles of RDW in complicated pregnancy.

Balloon Catheter for Cervical Priming before Operative Hysteroscopy in Young Women: A Pilot Study.

To investigate regarding the safety and effectiveness of a balloon catheter (Aqueduct-100 device) to dilate the uterine cervix before operative hysteroscopies. Secondary objectives were to evaluate the duration of the dilatation procedure and to investigate on physicians' satisfaction with the device. Fifty women younger than 40 years, wishing pregnancies and diagnosed with apparently benign intrauterine lesions and/or uterine anomalies, were enrolled into this study and submitted to cervical priming with Aqueduct-100 device before operative hysteroscopy.

Urolastic®, a new bulking agent for treatment of stress urinary incontinence: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Introduction And Hypothesis: The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to assess the effectiveness and safety of injections of the new bulking agent Urolastic® in the treatment of patients with stress urinary incontinence (SUI).

Methods: A systematic search was carried out to select observational and experimental studies on Urolastic® in female patients with SUI. Three different databases, Pubmed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, and Scopus, were used to retrieve scientific articles published from their inception to 31 January 2018.

Management of female stress urinary incontinence: A care pathway and update.

Stress urinary incontinence (SUI) is a condition characterized by an involuntary loss of urine occurring as result of an increase in intra-abdominal pressure due to effort or exertion or on sneezing or coughing. Estimates of its prevalence in the female population range from 10% to 40%. A literature search of the Medline, Cochrane library, EMBASE, NLH, ClinicalTrials.