Brain Pathways in LIS1-Associated Lissencephaly Revealed by Diffusion MRI Tractography.

Lissencephaly (LIS) is a rare neurodevelopmental disorder with severe symptoms caused by abnormal neuronal migration during cortical development. It is caused by both genetic and non-genetic factors. Despite frequent studies about the cortex, comprehensive elucidation of structural abnormalities and their effects on the white matter is limited.

Integration of structural MRI and epigenetic analyses hint at linked cellular defects of the subventricular zone and insular cortex in autism: Findings from a case study.

Introduction: Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication and repetitive, restrictive behaviors, features supported by cortical activity. Given the importance of the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventrical to cortical development, we compared molecular, cellular, and structural differences in the SVZ and linked cortical regions in specimens of ASD cases and sex and age-matched unaffected brain.

Methods: We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and diffusion tractography on postmortem brain samples, which we further analyzed by Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing (WGBS), Flow Cytometry, and RT qPCR.

Optimizing decision-making after ventral onlay buccal mucosa graft urethroplasty failure.

Objectives: To evaluate factors predicting recurrence after treatment and to assess the best rescue option for patients failing buccal mucosa graft (BMG) urethroplasty.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated the data from 575 patients treated with ventral onlay BMG urethroplasty. Multivariable Cox regression analysis was performed to identify predictors of BMG urethroplasty failure, and their effect on failure risk was estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared using log-rank tests.

Semen cryopreservation in men undergoing cancer treatment: a ten-year study.

Background: The advancement of Assisted Reproductive Technologies and the improvement in sperm freezing made male fertility preservation widely available. This study aims to evaluate the impact of cancer diseases on semen parameters before cryopreservation and the reproductive outcomes of patients who have thawed their semen samples.

Methods: An observational, cohort study was conducted on cancer patients submitted to fertility preservation in AUSL-IRCCS of Reggio Emilia between 2007 and 2018.

A Customized Tool of Incident Reporting for the Detection of Nonconformances at a Single IVF Center: Development, Application, and Efficacy.

In IVF centers, risk assessment applies to complex processes potentially accounting for adverse events and reactions that undergo well-established legislative oversight, and nonconformances (NCs), that lack of established tracking systems. NCs account for an integral part of the quality management system, so that their documentation is important. The study evaluated the performance of a customized tool for incident reporting (IR) to track and characterize NCs in a public IVF center.

Small Nucleus Accumbens and Large Cerebral Ventricles in Infants and Toddlers Prior to Receiving Diagnoses of Autism Spectrum Disorder.

Early interventions for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are increasingly available, while only 42-50% of ASD children are diagnosed before 3 years old (YO). To identify neuroimaging biomarkers for early ASD diagnosis, we evaluated surface- and voxel-based brain morphometry in participants under 3YO who were later diagnosed with ASD. Magnetic resonance imaging data were retrospectively obtained from patients later diagnosed with ASD at Boston Children's Hospital.

Improvement of sperm morphology after surgical varicocele repair.

Background: A causative relationship between varicocele and impairment of semen quality has been largely investigated in the context of male infertility, although its clinical benefit remains controversial.

Objective: To investigate the effect of varicocele correction on detailed morphologic microscopic semen parameters in a large homogeneous cohort of patients and to evaluate which factors could predict semen improvement after the surgical treatment.

Materials And Methods: An observational, retrospective cohort study was carried out including all patients undergoing surgical treatment for varicocele from September 2011 to March 2020 in the same clinical centre.

Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection versus conventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Intracytoplasmic morphologically selected sperm injection (IMSI) is still proposed and employed in the clinical practice to improve the reproductive outcome in infertile couples scheduled for conventional intracytoplasmic sperm injection (cICSI). The aim of the current randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to test the hypothesis that IMSI gives a better live birth delivery rate than cICSI.

Methods: Infertile couples scheduled for their first cICSI cycle for male factor were allocated using a simple randomization procedure.

Physical activity before IVF and ICSI cycles in infertile obese women: an observational cohort study.

This study assessed the relationship between regular physical activity and reproductive performance in obese infertile patients who receive assisted reproduction cycles with stable bodyweight. A total of 216 obese infertile women at their first fresh assisted reproduction attempt with stable body mass index (BMI) and available data on their physical activity carried out up to the beginning of the treatment cycle were enrolled in this observational cohort study. Clinical and biological data were recorded and analysed.

Pronuclear morphology evaluation in in vitro fertilization (IVF) / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles: a retrospective clinical review.

Background: The assessment of the embryo quality is crucial to maintain an high pregnancy rate and to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancy. The evaluation of the pronuclear and nucleolar characteristics of human zygote have been proposed as an indicator of embryo development and chromosomal complement. The aim of the current study was to assess the role of pronuclear morphology evaluation in vitro fertilization (IVF) / intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles.

Impact of insemination technique, semen quality and oocyte cryopreservation on pronuclear morphology of zygotes derived from sibling oocytes.

Pronuclear morphology seems to be an important predictive value of zygote development and integrity. In this study we want to evaluate the effect of insemination technique, male factor and oocyte cryopreservation on pronuclear morphology of zygotes derived from sibling oocytes in our Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Nitric oxide as an early marker of human embryo metabolic cleavage in ART using fresh or thawed oocytes.

Objective: To study a possible role of nitric oxide (NO) as a marker of development in the early phases of human embryo cleavage during assisted reproduction.

Study Design: 179 women having ART were included. 123 women used fresh oocytes and 56 oocyte thawing cycles in the Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale S.

The effect of legislation on outcomes of assisted reproduction technology: lessons from the 2004 Italian law.

Objective: To evaluate the effect of the 2004 Italian regulations (insemination of
Design: Case-control study.

Setting: The Center of Reproductive Medicine, Arcispedale Santa Maria Nuova, Reggio Emilia, Italy.

Limited importance of pre-embryo pronuclear morphology (zygote score) in assisted reproduction outcome in the absence of embryo cryopreservation.

Objective: To investigate the hypothesis that Z-score criteria represent a reliable predictor of implantation rate and pregnancy outcome in in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, excluding the possibility of embryo selection before the embryo transfer.

Design: Retrospective clinical study.

Setting: Centre of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale S.

Testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) in 327 ICSI cycles.

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of testicular sperm recovery by testicular sperm aspiration (TESA) in an IVF program.

Design: Retrospective Data Analysis.

Setting: The Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Arcispedale S.

Transformation of beta-amyloid (A beta) (1-42) tyrosine to L-dopa as the result of in vitro hydroxyl radical attack.

A form of beta-amyloid peptide A beta ending at amino acid 42 (A beta42) is the major component of senile amyloid plaques in Alzheimer's Disease (AD). The A beta-peptide earliest modifications are extremely important since they constitute the key events in the progression towards further changes finally leading to fibril formation and to A beta deposits which constitute the core pathological change in AD. Chemical and conformational early modifications of the beta-amyloid peptide are critical steps in AD pathogenesis and have been widely investigated.

Effects of the neuropeptide Y on estradiol and progesterone secretion by human granulosa cells in culture.

Objective: To investigate the possible effects of neuropeptide Y on steroid release by human granulosa cells in culture.

Design: Prospective study.

Setting: A university laboratory and the division of obstetrics and gynecology in a hospital.

Combination thymosin alpha 1 and lymphoblastoid interferon treatment in chronic hepatitis C.

Background: Monotherapy for chronic hepatitis C using interferon (IFN) results in a very small proportion of patients exhibiting a sustained response. Clinical trials assessing the benefit of combination drug therapy may provide evidence of improved treatment response over that seen with single drug treatment.

Aim: To assess the response in patients with chronic hepatitis C to one year of combination treatment: thymosin alpha 1 (T alpha 1), 1 mg twice weekly, and lymphoblastoid (L)-IFN, 3 MU thrice weekly.