Hormonal Contraception and Bone Metabolism: Emerging Evidence from a Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Studies on Post-Pubertal and Reproductive-Age Women.

Background/objectives: This study aims to assess the effects of combined hormonal contraceptives (CHCs) on bone metabolism markers. It primarily measures osteocalcin and additionally examines other bone health markers, seeking to determine their responses to estrogen-progestogen treatments.

Methods: This study involved a comprehensive evaluation of the pertinent literature and a meta-analysis explicitly conducted on data describing women of reproductive age.

Why does tinnitus vary with naps? A polysomnographic prospective study exploring the somatosensory hypothesis.

Background: Tinnitus, defined as the conscious awareness of a noise without any identifiable corresponding external acoustic source, can be modulated by various factors. Among these factors, tinnitus patients commonly report drastic increases of tinnitus loudness following nap sleep. Previous studies have suggested that this clinical pattern could be attributed to a somatosensory modulation of tinnitus.

The central role of creatine and polyamines in fetal growth restriction.

Placental insufficiency often correlates with fetal growth restriction (FGR), a condition that has both short- and long-term effects on the health of the newborn. In our study, we analyzed placental tissue from infants with FGR and from infants classified as small for gestational age (SGA) or appropriate for gestational age (AGA), performing comprehensive analyses that included transcriptomics and metabolomics. By examining villus tissue biopsies and 3D trophoblast organoids, we identified significant metabolic changes in placentas associated with FGR.

Menopausal symptoms in breast cancer survivors on adjuvant endocrine therapy compared with those of menopausal women.

Objectives: To compare menopausal symptoms of breast cancer survivors on adjuvant endocrine therapy with those of menopausal women.

Study Design: In a retrospective nested case-control study menopausal symptoms were compared of breast cancer survivors in pre-, peri- or post-menopause at the time of diagnosis, on tamoxifen or an aromatase inhibitor, plus a gonadotrophin-releasing hormone analogue, if pre- or peri-menopausal, and age-matched control women either in the late peri-menopause, or in surgical or in physiological post-menopause on no hormone replacement therapy. Differences between women on tamoxifen and those on aromatase inhibitors were also evaluated.

Results of two cross-sectional database analyses regarding nap-induced modulations of tinnitus.

The influence of naps on tinnitus was systematically assessed by exploring the frequency, clinical and demographic characteristics of this phenomenon. 9,724 data from two different tinnitus databases (Tinnitus Hub: n = 6115; Tinnitus Research Initiative (TRI): n = 3627) were included. After separate analysis of the databases, these results were then compared with each other.

Phenylseleninate-Connected Telluroxane Clusters.

Hydrolysis of PhTeI in the presence of sodium phenylseleninate and M ions (M = Y, Nd, Ce) gives well-defined, bowl-shaped telluroxane clusters. Each of the two half-spheres of the compositions [(PhTe){ML}O] ({ML} = {Y(NO)(HO)} (), {Nd(NO)(HO)} (), or {Ce(NO)} ()) are connected by two (compound ) or four (compounds and ) PhSeO bridges. The resulting chalcogenoxane spheres have internal volumes of approximately 1500 Å.

Exploring the mystical relationship between the Moon, Sun, and birth rate.

Objective: The Moon has a noticeable influence on the Earth due to its gravity, the most visible manifestation of which are tides. We aimed to see if the Moon's daily cycle, like the Sun's, affects the prevalence and incidence of childbirth.

Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, we examined all deliveries at the Academic Hospital of Udine between 2001 and 2019.

Breast cancer and the steadily increasing maternal age: are they colliding?

Background: Pregnancy-related cancers are mostly breast cancers, and their incidence is likely to increase as a result of the modern trend of delaying childbearing. In particular, advanced maternal age increases breast cancer risk, and younger breast cancer patients are more likely to die and metastasize. This study compared a population with a high incidence of delayed childbearing with another population with a lower mean age at childbirth in order to determine whether breast cancer diagnosis and childbearing age overlap.

Elasticity of the Cervix in Relation to Uterus Position.

Strain elastography allows the evaluation of tissue elasticity. Tissue elasticity depends on the content and distribution of collagen fibers and is shaped by the applied tensile forces that may differ in uteri with a different angle of flexion of the corpus on the cervix. The objective was to investigate whether the angle of uterine flexion is related to cervical tissue elasticity.

[Management of subjective tinnitus].

MANAGEMENT OF SUBJECTIVE TINNITUS. Subjective tinnitus, which is the perception of a sound in the absence of any actual external or internal acoustic stimulation, is a common symptom affecting about 15% of the population. It should be distinguished from objective tinnitus, which is the perception of a sound produced inside the human body (vascular pulsation or muscular contraction).

Timing of cesarean delivery for fetal heart rate abnormalities in hypertensive pregnancies induced with oral misoprostol or Foley catheter: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

Objective: The study aims to assess how oral misoprostol for cervical ripening affects the time of cesarean delivery (CD) for fetal heart rate (FHR) abnormalities in pre-eclampsia patients. Secondary goals include determining the role of uterine hyperstimulation, comparing misoprostol with Foley catheter, and identifying risk factors for FHR abnormalities associated with CD.

Methods: A previously published randomized clinical trial was subjected to a secondary analysis (NCT01801410).

Gut Microbiota and Endometriosis: Exploring the Relationship and Therapeutic Implications.

Endometriosis is a common inflammatory disease affecting women of reproductive age, characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue beyond the uterus. In addition to gynecological manifestations, many endometriosis patients experience gastrointestinal symptoms, indicating a potential association between gut health and the disease. Recent studies have revealed alterations in the gut microbiota of individuals with endometriosis, including reduced diversity, microbial composition imbalances, and pathogenic bacteria.

Oxidative Stress: The Role of Estrogen and Progesterone.

The effect of estrogen and progesterone on oxidative status is not yet very clear, improvements and detrimental effects having been reported with the use of menopausal hormone therapy or hormonal contraceptives, respectively. In this study, we evaluated the role played by estrogen and progesterone separately, on the oxidative status of 32 women, 18 to 43 years old, by inducing high levels of estrogen and then adding high levels of progesterone. During a cycle of in vitro fertilization, blood samples were collected prior to gonadotrophin stimulation (low estradiol levels), on the day of oocyte retrieval (high levels of estrogen), and on the day of embryo transfer (high levels of estrogen and progesterone).

Does transperineal ultrasound predict the risk of perineal trauma in women with term pregnancy? A prospective observational study.

Purpose: This study was conducted to evaluate the prevalence of perineal trauma during childbirth and to assess the correlations of the pelvic floor dimensions and fetal head station with obstetric trauma in a prospectively recruited cohort of women.

Methods: The study included women with a gestational age of at least 37 weeks, who were carrying a single fetus in a cephalic presentation. Transperineal ultrasound (TPU) was performed prior to the onset of labor or labor induction.

Examining the Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Network in the Placental Tissues of Pregnancies Complicated by Pre-Eclampsia: An Explorative Case-Control Analysis.

Severe maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality associated with pre-eclampsia, which are caused partly by premature delivery, affect a factual proportion of pregnancies. Despite its prevalence, the underlying causes of pre-eclampsia remain elusive, with emerging evidence implicating the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) in its pathogenesis. This study sought to elucidate the involvement of the AhR and its associated pathway in pre-eclampsia by comparing placental components of the AhR pathway in pregnant individuals with and without pre-eclampsia.

Clinical and ultrasonographic characteristics of pregnancy-related enhanced myometrial vascularity: prospective cohort study.

Objective: To assess the ultrasonographic, epidemiological, clinical and evolutive characteristics of enhanced myometrial vascularity (EMV) following a first-trimester termination of pregnancy (TOP) or management of non-viable pregnancy.

Methods: This prospective study included women who underwent follow-up ultrasound examination 5-6 weeks after a first-trimester TOP or after management of a first-trimester non-viable pregnancy at the University Hospital Polyclinic San Martino of Genoa between March 2021 and March 2022. EMV was characterized using two- and three-dimensional ultrasound and Virtual Organ Computer-aided Analysis.

[Noise pollution: what are the health impacts?].

WHAT ARE THE HEALTH IMPACTS? Noise pollution resulting from human activities is more and more present and important. It can have deleterious consequences for hearing and health in general, but also for the quality of life. Its economic and societal cost is significant.

Paternal age and perinatal outcomes: an observational study.

Objectives: The study's primary aim was to examine the relationship between paternal age and perinatal outcomes.

Methods: This study used data from two hospital birth registries to examine the association between paternal age and adverse perinatal outcomes. The sample included all live singleton births between 2010 and 2022.

Assisted Reproductive Technology and Breech Delivery: A Nationwide Cohort Study in Singleton Pregnancies.

Since essential factors have changed in recent years in assisted reproduction technologies (ARTs), this study reassessed the association between ART and breech presentation. We primarily aimed to estimate the correlation between ART and breech at delivery. Secondary purposes were to evaluate the correlation between other subfertility treatments (OSTs) and breech and to assess possible confounding factors and temporal trends.