Monochorionic Pregnancy Complicated by Selective Intrauterine Fetal Death and Severe Anemia of the Co-Twin: The Role of Intrauterine Transfusion - Systematic Review of the Literature.

Introduction: The management of selective intrauterine demise in monochorionic pregnancies has high rates of adverse outcomes in the surviving co-twin. One of the complications might be severe anemia. The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the role of intrauterine transfusion in case of selective intrauterine fetal death in monochorionic pregnancies with the surviving co-twin diagnosed with severe anemia.

Frequency-dependent effects of superimposed NMES on spinal excitability in upper and lower limb muscles.

Superimposing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on voluntary contractions has proven to be highly effective for improving muscle strength and performance. These improvements might involve specific adaptations occurring at cortical and spinal level. The effects of NMES on corticospinal activation seem to be frequency dependent and differ between upper and lower limb muscles.

Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation Does Not Influence Spinal Excitability in Multiple Sclerosis Patients.

(1) : Neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) has beneficial effects on physical functions in Multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. However, the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying these functional improvements are still unclear. This study aims at comparing acute responses in spinal excitability, as measured by soleus Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex), between MS patients and healthy individuals, under three experimental conditions involving the ankle planta flexor muscles: (1) passive NMES (pNMES); (2) NMES superimposed onto isometric voluntary contraction (NMES+); and (3) isometric voluntary contraction (ISO).

Communication Strategies in Human-Autonomy Teams During Technological Failures.

Objective: This study examines low-, medium-, and high-performing Human-Autonomy Teams' (HATs') communication strategies during various technological failures that impact routine communication strategies to adapt to the task environment.

Background: Teams must adapt their communication strategies during dynamic tasks, where more successful teams make more substantial adaptations. Adaptations in communication strategies may explain how successful HATs overcome technological failures.

Pelvic floor function after third and fourth degree perineal lacerations: a case-control study on quality of life.

Background: The primary aim of this study was to compare the quality of life between women with obstetric anal sphincter injury (OASI) and women with intact perineum or minor vaginal tears following their first vaginal birth through a validated urogynaecological questionnaire. As a secondary aim, we wanted to identify the specific symptoms for pelvic floor dysfunction after a vaginal birth.

Methods: One hundred thirty-three cases (III- and IV-degree vaginal tears) and 133 controls (intact perineum or I- and II-degree vaginal tear) were asked to fill the PFDI-20 condition-specific and quality of life survey at three and 12 months after vaginal delivery.

Comparison of acute responses in spinal excitability between older and young people after neuromuscular electrical stimulation.

Purpose: This study aims at comparing acute responses in spinal excitability, as measured by H-reflex, between older and young individuals, following a single session of NMES superimposed onto voluntary isometric contractions of the ankle plantar-flexor muscles (NMES+), with respect to passive NMES (pNMES) and voluntary isometric contractions only (ISO).

Methods: Thirty-two volunteers, 16 older (OLDER) and 16 young (YOUNG), were asked to sustain a constant force at 20% of maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the ankle plantar-flexor muscles in the dominant limb during each of the 3 conditions (NMES+ , pNMES and ISO). Fifteen repetitions of 6 s were performed, with a resting interval of 6 s between repetitions.

Adjustments in the motor unit discharge behavior following neuromuscular electrical stimulation compared to voluntary contractions.

The application of neuromuscular electrical stimulation superimposed on voluntary muscle contractions (NMES+) has demonstrated a considerable potential to enhance or restore muscle function in both healthy and individuals with neurological or orthopedic disorders. Improvements in muscle strength and power have been commonly associated with specific neural adaptations. In this study, we investigated changes in the discharge characteristics of the tibialis anterior motor units, following three acute exercises consisting of NMES+, passive NMES and voluntary isometric contractions alone.

Granulosa cell tumour of the ovary complicated by spontaneous haemoperitoneum in menopause - a case report and systematic review of the literature.

Introduction: A possible cause for acute abdomen is haemoperitoneum resulting from the rupture of an ovarian tumour. Here we discuss a case of spontaneous haemoperitoneum caused by granulosa cell tumour (GCT) rupture in a postmenopausal woman.

Material And Methods: We present a systematic review of the current literature to draw attention to this rare gynaecological complication and provide guidance about the most appropriate management.

Placental Chorangiocarcinoma a Specific Histological Pattern of Uncertain Incidence and Clinical Impact: Systematic Review of the Literature.

Chorangiocarcinoma is a very rare and misdiagnosed placental neoplasm. The unique morphologic features of the lesion distinguish it from other trophoblastic tumors and vascular abnormalities. We present a systematic review of the literature to provide clarity on chorangiocarcinoma entity and biology.

Acute effects of neuromuscular electrical stimulation on cortical dynamics and reflex activation.

Superimposing neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) on voluntary muscle contractions has shown the potential to improve motor performance even more than voluntary exercise alone. Nevertheless, the neurophysiological and neurocognitive mechanisms underlying this technique are still unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate the acute responses in spinal excitability and brain activity following three conditions: NMES superimposed on isometric contractions (NMES + ISO), passive NMES, and voluntary isometric contractions (ISO).

Ladylift non-ablative laser technology for the treatment of menopausal vestibulodynia and genitourinary syndrome.

Introduction: Genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM) affects up to 48% of pre-menopause women and up to 90% of menopausal women. Many menopausal women with dyspareunia have significant vestibular tenderness due to oestrogen deficiency, which increases the density of sensory nerve fibres in the vulva and the vagina. For this reason, GSM is recognized as one of the causes of provoked vestibulodynia.

Induced Dryness Stress on Human Vaginal Epithelium: The Efficacy of a New Vaginal Gel.

An experimental model of dryness on vaginal mucosa is proposed to assess the efficacy of a new vaginal gel (Respecta Hydragel Ref 17031). The dryness model was induced on reconstituted human vaginal epithelium (HVE) by incubating the tissues in modified environmental conditions (R.H.

Ultrasound- Versus Fluoroscopy-Guided Femoral Access for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention of Chronic Total Occlusions: Insights From FOUND BLOOD CTO Registry.

Objective: To compare vascular complications in patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) of chronic total occlusions (CTO) using ultrasound guidance (USG) versus fluoroscopy guidance (FSG) for femoral access.

Background: In patients undergoing PCI, using the arterial femoral access increases the risk of vascular complications compared using the radial access. USG reduces time to access, number of attempts, and vascular complications compared with FSG, but the efficacy of USG has never been tested in the setting of CTO-PCI.

Coronary Cannulation After Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement: The RE-ACCESS Study.

Objectives: The aims of this study were to investigate the feasibility of coronary ostia cannulation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and to assess potential predictors of coronary access impairment.

Background: Certain data concerning the feasibility and reproducibility of coronary cannulation after TAVR are lacking.

Methods: RE-ACCESS (Reobtain Coronary Ostia Cannulation Beyond Transcatheter Aortic Valve Stent) was an investigator-driven, single-center, prospective, registry-based study that enrolled consecutive patients undergoing TAVR using all commercially available devices.

Ultrastructural Sperm Flagellum Defects in a Patient With Compound Heterozygous Mutations and Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia/.

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by structural or functional motile cilia abnormalities. Up to 40 different genes seem, at the moment, to be involved in the pathogenesis of PCD. A number of ultrastructural defects have also been reported in sperm flagella, but the sperm mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) has never been described in these cases.

Ovarian aging increases small extracellular vesicle CD81 release in human follicular fluid and influences miRNA profiles.

Ovarian aging affects female reproductive potential and is characterized by alterations in proteins, mRNAs and non-coding RNAs inside the ovarian follicle. Ovarian somatic cells and the oocyte communicate with each other secreting different molecules into the follicular fluid, by extracellular vesicles. The cargo of follicular fluid vesicles may influence female reproductive ability; accordingly, analysis of extracellular vesicle content could provide information about the quality of the female germ cell.

Isolation and Characterization of a New Human Corneal Epithelial Cell Line: HCE-F.

Purpose: To isolate and characterize an epithelial cell (EC) line from a human donor cornea, which may serve as a reliable test cell line to address biomolecular issues and study the response of corneal epithelium to stressing events and therapeutic treatments.

Methods: A corneal button from a donor patient was treated with enzymes to separate the epithelial sheet and to free EC, which were put in tissue culture. ECs were characterized by optic and electronic microscopies, cytokeratins and PAX6 were detected by SDS-PAGE and western immunoblotting, the barrier function was evaluated by transepithelial electric resistance and by the immune detection of membrane junction proteins, and the karyotype was characterized according to the classical methods.

PARP-14 Promotes Survival of Mammalian α but Not β Pancreatic Cells Following Cytokine Treatment.

PARP-14 (poly-ADP Ribose Polymerase-14), a member of the PARP family, belongs to the group of Bal proteins (B Aggressive Lymphoma). PARP-14 has recently appeared to be involved in the transduction pathway mediated by JNKs (c Jun N terminal Kinases), among which JNK2 promotes cancer cell survival. Several pharmacological PARP inhibitors are currently used as antitumor agents, even though they have also proved to be effective in many inflammatory diseases.

Identification of extracellular vesicles and characterization of miRNA expression profiles in human blastocoel fluid.

In this study, for the first time, we demonstrated the presence of microRNAs and extracellular vesicles in human blastocoel fluid. The bioinformatic and comparative analyses identified the biological function of blastocoel fluid microRNAs and suggested a potential role inside the human blastocyst. We found 89 microRNAs, expressed at different levels, able to regulate critical signaling pathways controlling embryo development, such as pluripotency, cell reprogramming, epigenetic modifications, intercellular communication, cell adhesion and cell fate.

The Effect of an Orthotic Device for Balancing Neck Muscles During Daily Office Tasks.

Objective: This study aimed at evaluating the acute effect of the combined and single use of two orthotic devices (neck balance system [NBS] and lumbar support [LS]) on muscle activity of neck and back muscles during typical computer working tasks.

Background: An excessive activation of neck muscles could threaten the balance between agonist and antagonist muscles, resulting in a lower stability of the head and possibly leading to neck pain. At present, no study evaluated the effect of a specific orthotic device in reducing neck muscles activation.

Exposure to cuticular bacteria can alter host behavior in a funnel-weaving spider.

Contact with environmental microbes are arguably the most common species interaction in which any animal participates. Studies have noted diverse relationships between hosts and resident microbes, which can have strong consequences for host development, physiology, and behavior. Many of these studies focus specifically on pathogens or beneficial microbes, while the benign microbes, of which the majority of bacteria could be described, are often ignored.

Erratum: Exposure to cuticular bacteria can alter host behavior in a funnel-weaving spider.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox064.]

LncRNA UCA1, Upregulated in CRC Biopsies and Downregulated in Serum Exosomes, Controls mRNA Expression by RNA-RNA Interactions.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs) contribute to the onset of many neoplasias through RNA-RNA competitive interactions; in addition, they could be secreted by cancer cells into biological fluids, suggesting their potential diagnostic application. By analyzing the expression of 17 lncRNAs and 31 circRNAs in biopsies and serum exosomes from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients through qRT-PCR, we detected CCAT1, CCAT2, HOTAIR, and UCA1 upregulation and CDR1AS, MALAT1, and TUG1 downregulation in biopsies. In serum exosomes, UCA1 was downregulated, while circHIPK3 and TUG1 were upregulated.