Short-Term Hormonal Changes Following Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction among Men with Non-Obstructive Azoospermia: Findings from a Large Longitudinal Prospective Multicentric Study.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate possible hormonal changes following microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) across three referral centers.

Materials And Methods: We prospectively analyzed data from 102 consecutive NOA men. Patients with prior hormonal therapies were excluded.

Role of Follicle-stimulating Hormone, Inhibin B, and Anti-Müllerian Hormone in Predicting Sperm Retrieval from Men with Nonobstructive Azoospermia Undergoing Microdissection Testicular Sperm Extraction: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Background And Objective: No clear-cut markers for predicting positive sperm retrieval (+SR) at microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE) have been identified thus far. Our aim was to conduct a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the ability of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), inhibin B (InhB), and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) to predict +SR in men with nonobstructive azoospermia (NOA) undergoing mTESE.

Methods: We performed a search in the PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and Scopus databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis statement.

Medium-term follow up of active surveillance for early prostate cancer at a non-academic institution.

Objectives: To report oncological outcomes of active surveillance (AS) at a single non-academic institution adopting the standardised Prostate Cancer Research International Active Surveillance (PRIAS) protocol.

Patients And Methods: Competing risk analyses estimated the incidence of overall mortality, metastases, conversion to treatment, and grade reclassification. The incidence of reclassification and adverse pathological findings at radical prostatectomy were compared between patients fulfilling all PRIAS inclusion criteria vs those not fulfilling at least one.

Anti-Müllerian hormone predicts positive sperm retrieval in men with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia-findings from a multi-centric cross-sectional study.

Study Question: Is it possible to identify a reliable marker of successful sperm retrieval (+SR) in men with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia (iNOA) undergoing microdissection testicular sperm extraction (mTESE)?

Summary Answer: A higher likelihood of +SR during mTESE is observed in men with iNOA and lower preoperative serum anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels, with good predictive accuracy achieved using an AMH threshold of <4 ng/ml.

What Is Known Already: AMH has been previously linked to +SR in men with iNOA undergoing mTESE prior to ART.

Study Design, Size, Duration: A multi-centre cross-sectional study was carried out with a cohort of 117 men with iNOA undergoing mTESE at three tertiary-referral centres.

Influence of Ionomer Content in the Catalytic Layer of MEAs Based on Aquivion Ionomer.

Perfluorinated sulfonic acid (PFSA) polymers such as Nafion are widely used for both electrolyte membranes and ionomers in the catalytic layer of membrane-electrode assemblies (MEAs) because of their high protonic conductivity, σ, as well as chemical and thermal stability. The use of PFSA polymers with shorter side chains and lower equivalent weight (EW) than Nafion, such as Aquivion PFSA ionomers, is a valid approach to improve fuel cell performance and stability under drastic operative conditions such as those related to automotive applications. In this context, it is necessary to optimize the composition of the catalytic ink, according to the different ionomer characteristics.

Applicability of COVID-19 Pandemic Recommendations for Urology Practice: Data from Three Major Italian Hot Spots (BreBeMi).

Background: Lombardy has been the first and one of the most affected European regions during the first and second waves of the novel coronavirus (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 [SARS-CoV-2]).

Objective: To evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on all urologic activities over a 17-wk period in the three largest public hospitals in Lombardy located in the worst hit area in Italy, and to assess the applicability of the authorities' recommendations provided for reorganising urology practice.

Design Setting And Participants: A retrospective analysis of all urologic activities performed at three major public hospitals in Lombardy (Brescia, Bergamo, and Milan), from January 1 to April 28, 2020, was performed.

The impact of COVID-19 prevention measures on epidemiology of orthopedic injuries: the outbreak ages fractures!

Background: The application of stringent prevention measures for contrasting COVID-19 spread generated changes not only in the outbreak course, but also in epidemiology of traumatic fractures. The aim of this study was to report the epidemiologic characteristics of surgically-treated fractures during the COVID-19 outbreak over a six-month period, and to describe the variation in volumes and types of injuries, by comparing them with fractures which occurred during the same period in 2019.

Methods: We retrospectively analyzed all surgically-treated fractures which were admitted from the January 1st 2020 to June 30th 2020, and compared these data to those of the corresponding timeframe in 2019.

Effects of the Chemical Treatment on the Physical-Chemical and Electrochemical Properties of the Commercial Nafion™ NR212 Membrane.

Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells (PEFCs) are one of the most promising power generation systems. The main component of a PEFC is the proton exchange membrane (PEM), object of intense research to improve the efficiency of the cell. The most commonly and commercially successful used PEMs are Nafion™ perfluorosulfonic acid (PFSA) membranes, taken as a reference for the development of innovative and alternative membranes.

Chitosan-Sulfated Titania Composite Membranes with Potential Applications in Fuel Cell: Influence of Cross-Linker Nature.

Chitosan-sulfated titania composite membranes were prepared, characterized, and evaluated for potential application as polymer electrolyte membranes. To improve the chemical stability, the membranes were cross-linked using sulfuric acid, pentasodium triphosphate, and epoxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane. Differences in membranes' structure, thickness, morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties prior and after cross-linking reactions were evaluated.

Composite Sulfonated Polyether-Ether Ketone Membranes with SBA-15 for Electrochemical Energy Systems.

The aim of this work is the evaluation of a Sulfonated Poly Ether-Ether Ketone (S-PEEK) polymer modified by the addition of pure Santa Barbara Amorphous-15 (SBA-15, mesoporous silica) and SBA-15 previously impregnated with phosphotungstic acid (PWA) fillers (PWA/SBA-15) in order to prepare composite membranes as an alternative to conventional Nafion membranes. This component is intended to be used as an electrolyte in electrochemical energy systems such as hydrogen and methanol Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) and Electrochemical Hydrogen Pumping (EHP). The common requirements for all the applications are high proton conductivity, thermomechanical stability, and fuel and oxidant impermeability.

Development of Polymeric Membranes Based on Quaternized Polysulfones for AMFC Applications.

A series of quaternary ammonium-functionalized polysulfones were successfully synthesized using a chloromethylation two-step method. In particular, triethylammonium and trimethylammonium polysulfone derivatives with different functionalization degrees from 60% to 150% were investigated. NMR spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the degree of functionalization of the polymers.

Sperm retrieval rates in non-mosaic Klinefelter patients undergoing testicular sperm extraction: What expectations do we have in the real-life setting?

Background: A recent meta-analysis (Human Reproduction Update 23, 2017 and 265) reported positive sperm retrieval rates (SRR) in 50% of patients with Klinefelter syndrome (KS) undergoing testicular sperm extraction (TESE). However, these results do not reflect the rates of SR that we observe in clinical practice. We assessed the rate and potential predictors of SR in Klinefelter patients in the real-life setting.

Difference in Frequency and Distribution of Nodal Metastases Between Intermediate and High Risk Prostate Cancer Patients: Results of a Superextended Pelvic Lymph Node Dissection.

To evaluate the frequency and distribution of pelvic nodes metastases, in intermediate-high risk prostate cancer (PCa) patients (pts), who underwent open radical prostatectomy (ORP) and superextended pelvic lymph node dissection (sePLND). We retrospectively evaluated 630 consecutive pts with clinically localized, intermediate-high risk PCa, treated with ORP and sePLND from 2009 to 2016 at a single institution. The sePLND always removed all nodal/fibro-fatty tissue of the internal iliac, external iliac, obturator, common iliac, and presacral regions.

Anti-Mullerian Hormone-to-Testosterone Ratio is Predictive of Positive Sperm Retrieval in Men with Idiopathic Non-Obstructive Azoospermia.

The lack of clinically-reliable biomarkers makes impossible to predict sperm retrieval outcomes at testicular sperm extraction (TESE) in men with non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA), resulting in up to 50% of unnecessary surgical interventions. Clinical data, hormonal profile and histological classification of testis parenchyma from 47 white-Caucasian idiopathic NOA (iNOA) men submitted to microdissection TESE (microTESE) were analyzed. Logistic regression analyses tested potential clinical predictors of positive sperm retrieval.

Towards Highly Performing and Stable PtNi Catalysts in Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells for Automotive Application.

In order to help the introduction on the automotive market of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs), it is mandatory to develop highly performing and stable catalysts. The main objective of this work is to investigate PtNi/C catalysts in a PEFC under low relative humidity and pressure conditions, more representative of automotive applications. Carbon supported PtNi nanoparticles were prepared by reduction of metal precursors with formic acid and successive thermal and leaching treatments.

A Simple yet Accurate Method for the Estimation of the Biovolume of Planktonic Microorganisms.

Determining the biomass of microbial plankton is central to the study of fluxes of energy and materials in aquatic ecosystems. This is typically accomplished by applying proper volume-to-carbon conversion factors to group-specific abundances and biovolumes. A critical step in this approach is the accurate estimation of biovolume from two-dimensional (2D) data such as those available through conventional microscopy techniques or flow-through imaging systems.

Thulium Laser Prostate Enucleation in Refractory Urinary Retention: Operative and Functional Outcomes in a Large Cohort of Patients.

Objective: To evaluate the functional and operative results of thulium laser enucleation of the prostate (ThuLEP) in patients with indwelling catheters for refractory urinary retention.

Methods: Patients with indwelling catheter, undergoing ThuLEP for benign prostate hyperplasia, were prospectively enrolled. Every episode of urinary retention was treated with urinary catheter positioning followed by at least 2 attempts of catheter removal.

Upper Urinary Tract Urothelial Carcinoma Tumor Seeding along Percutaneous Nephrostomy Track: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Upper urinary tract urothelial carcinomas (UTUC) account for 5-10% of all transitional cells neoplasms. Kidney-sparing treatment should be considered for low grade (LG) UTUC and for imperative conditions. Percutaneous approach may have a role in LG tumors not manageable endoscopically.

Conventional testicular sperm extraction (TESE) and non-obstructive azoospermia: is there still a chance in the era of microdissection TESE? Results from a single non-academic community hospital.

Spermatozoa can be retrieved in non-obstructive azoospermia (NOA) patients despite the absence of ejaculated spermatozoa in their semen because of the presence of isolated foci with active spermatogenesis. Conventional testicular sperm extraction (c-TESE) in patients with NOA has been partially replaced by micro-TESE. It is still under debate the problem regarding the higher costs related to micro-TESE when compared with c-TESE.

Updating Biodiversity Studies in Loricate Protists: The Case of the Tintinnids (Alveolata, Ciliophora, Spirotrichea).

Species determination is crucial in biodiversity research. In tintinnids, identification is based almost exclusively on the lorica, despite its frequent intraspecific variability and interspecific similarity. We suggest updated procedures for identification and, depending on the aim of the study, further steps to obtain morphological, molecular, and ecological data.

Extracellular Vesicles Present in Human Ovarian Tumor Microenvironments Induce a Phosphatidylserine-Dependent Arrest in the T-cell Signaling Cascade.

The identification of immunosuppressive factors within human tumor microenvironments, and the ability to block these factors, would be expected to enhance patients' antitumor immune responses. We previously established that an unidentified factor, or factors, present in ovarian tumor ascites fluids reversibly inhibited the activation of T cells by arresting the T-cell signaling cascade. Ultracentrifugation of the tumor ascites fluid has now revealed a pellet that contains small extracellular vesicles (EV) with an average diameter of 80 nm.

Crystal structure of (μ-N,N'-di-benzyl-dithio-oxamidato-κN,S:N',S')bis-[(η(3)-crotyl)palladium(II)].

In the centrosymmetric dinuclear title compound, [Pd2(C4H7)2(C16H14N2S2)], the metal atom is η(3)-coordinated by three C atoms of a crotyl ligand [Pd-C = 2.147 (4), 2.079 (5) and 2.

Tetra-kis(μ-4-chloro-benzoato-κ(2) O:O')bis-[(ethanol-κO)copper(II)](Cu-Cu).

In the centrosymmetric dinuclear title Cu(II) complex, [Cu2(C7H4ClO2)(C2H5OH)2], the Cu-Cu distance is 2.5905 (4) Å. The two metal atoms are bridged by four 4-chloro-benzoate ligands and each has an ethanol mol-ecule in the axial position of the overall octahedral coordination environment.

Delay in seeking medical help in patients with new-onset erectile dysfunction remained high over and despite the PDE5 era--an ecological study.

Introduction: It is common knowledge among researchers that erectile dysfunction (ED) is an important sentinel marker of cardiovascular and overall men's health.

Aim: Determine whether the delay of time between ED onset and seeking medical help (DSH), considered as a proxy of awareness of the importance of ED for overall men's health, has shortened during the phosphodiesterase type 5 inhibitors (PDE5) era.

Methods: Complete data from 619 patients seeking first medical help for new-onset ED as their primary disorder between July 2000 and July 2010 were analyzed (i.

Subarachnoid versus General Anesthesia in Penile Prosthetic Implantation: Outcomes Analyses.

The leading patient complaint during the perioperative period for penile prosthesis implantation is postoperative pain, while emesis and urticaria also affect the procedure's perceived success. In analyzing surgical outcomes, assessment of the anesthetic for postoperative pain and side effects should be included. This paper retrospectively reviews 90 consecutive, primary inflatable penile prosthetic operations performed by a single surgeon at one private medical center.