The impact of clinically insignificant residual fragments following endourological management of urolithiasis: a systematic review of complications and re-intervention rates.

Introduction: Achieving stone-free status (SFS) is a key goal of endourological treatment, yet definitions of SFS and clinically insignificant residual fragments (CIRF) remain controversial. While CIRF is frequently defined as residual fragments ≤4 mm, there is no consensus on its clinical significance regarding complications and re-intervention needs. We evaluate the risk of complications and the need for re-intervention associated with the presence of CIRF following endourological treatment for urolithiasis.

Office-Based Ureteral Stenting Using a Single-Use Flexible Cystoscope Under Local Anesthesia: A Two-Center Prospective Study on Feasibility and Patient Experience.

To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and patient satisfaction of Double-J (DJ) ureteral stenting using a flexible cystoscope under local anesthesia (LA). We analyzed prospectively collected data from all patients who underwent DJ stent insertion or replacement using flexible single-use cystoscope under LA between February 2022 and September 2024 at two tertiary referral centers. Failure was defined as the inability to effectively complete the scheduled stent insertion or replacement.

International mobility experiences among Italian students: a cross-sectional survey comparing motivations towards high- versus low-income countries.

Objectives: To examine the relevance of global health principles and identify motivational factors influencing international mobility experiences (IMEs) among Italian high school and undergraduate healthcare students, and to compare these motivations between high- and low-income country destinations.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

Setting: The study was conducted in Italy, with participants recruited from high schools during open days and from undergraduate healthcare programmes via email invitation.

Long-term outcomes of superselective transcatheter embolization in high-flow priapism.

This retrospective cohort study aims to evaluate the long-term outcomes of superselective transcatheter arterial embolization in patients with high-flow priapism. All patients treated with arterial embolization at our center between 2002 and 2017 for high-flow priapism were included. Demographic and clinical data were collected and analyzed.

Impact of ureteroscopy on renal function in solitary kidneys: a systematic review.

Purpose: This study aimed to assess ureteroscopy's impact on renal function in patients with a solitary kidney (SK), where nephron preservation is paramount. With the rising prevalence of SKs due to congenital anomalies or acquired conditions, understanding the safety profile of ureteroscopy, particularly its effects on renal function, seems essential.

Methods: A literature search following PRISMA guidelines was conducted to identify reports published until May 2024.

Stone dust in endourology: a systematic review of its definition, management, and clinical impact.

Objective: To evaluate and synthesise the existing literature on stone dust (DUST) in endourology, focusing on its definition, creation methods, and removal techniques.

Methods: A comprehensive electronic literature search was conducted using the PubMed/Medline, Web Of Science, and Embase databases to identify reports published until October 2024. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines were followed to identify eligible studies.

High-frequency in laser lithotripsy: do we truly know what it means?

Introduction And Objective: High frequency (HF) in laser lithotripsy lacks a consistent definition, potentially impacting clinical outcomes and patient safety. This review aims to analyze available evidence on the definition of HF.

Materials And Methods: A comprehensive literature search of MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane databases identified English-language studies published up to November 2024.

Evaluating Noise Emissions of Endourological Lasers: A Comparative Analysis of Ho:YAG, Tm:YAG, and Thulium Fiber Laser Systems.

Objective: To evaluate the noise levels of Holmium:YAG (Ho:YAG), Thulium Fiber (TFL), and pulsed Thulium:YAG (p-Tm:YAG) lasers across various settings, focusing on compliance with safety thresholds and potential impact on communication in the operating room (OR).

Materials And Methods: Noise measurements were taken in an empty OR using sound meters placed 1 m from the laser source. Ambient noise, standby, ready, and lasering modes at three settings (0.

Prostatic Artery Embolization in Elderly Comorbid Patients with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia: Safety, Efficacy, and Predictive Factors of Clinical Failure.

: This study aims to evaluate the safety and efficacy of prostatic artery embolization (PAE) in elderly, multimorbid patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Additionally, it seeks to identify technical and clinical factors that predict clinical failure at the mid-term follow-up. : We analyzed the clinical records of 175 consecutive patients who underwent PAE.

How "Light" Is "Light Smoking"? On the Cognitive Power of Nicotine Dependence.

In recent years, habits related to smoking have been changing. An increasing portion of light/occasional smokers tend to define themselves as non-smokers, leading to an incorrect perception of the risks that smoking even a few cigarettes can entail. In this study, we investigated the nicotine-induced cognitive distortion in young, higher-education students with low/moderate dependence (as indexed by the Fagerstrom questionnaire).

Fear of donation-related stimuli across different levels of donation experience and types of donation (whole-blood and plasma): A cross-sectional study in Italian donors.

Background: Donation-related fears are prevalent even among regular donors and can hinder both recruitment and retention. This cross-sectional study aimed to estimate the prevalence of these fears in Italian whole-blood and plasma donors, across different levels of donation experience.

Study Design And Methods: A sample of 615 voluntary, unpaid donors from Italy (64.

The association between attitude towards facemasks, quality of donation experience and relationship with healthcare providers: A cross-sectional exploratory study.

Background And Objectives: Facemasks represent an essential measure of prevention against the spread of infectious diseases; however, they lessen the ability to convey and understand emotions through facial expressions. In blood donation settings, facemask wearing could interfere with professionals' tasks, reduce the satisfaction of blood donors and affect their future blood donation behaviour. This preliminary cross-sectional study explored the association of mandatory facemask wearing with the quality of the blood donation process at the end of the coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic.

Plication surgery does not produce additional loss of length in Peyronie's disease patients.

Nesbit's procedure remains a cornerstone in surgical management of Peyronie's disease, despite the subjective loss of penile length. This retrospective study demonstrates that the perceived length loss has already occurred prior to surgery and that the Nesbit's procedure does not produce additional loss of length. Ninety-one patients who had undergone Nesbit's procedure between 2017 and 2022 at the Department of Urology of the University of Trieste were enrolled in the study.

A Bronze Age lip-paint from southeastern Iran.

A small chlorite vial, discovered among numerous artifacts looted and recovered in the Jiroft region of Kerman province, southeastern Iran, contains a deep red cosmetic preparation that is likely a lip-coloring paint or paste. Through analytical research involving XRD (X-ray diffraction), SEM-EDS (scanning electron microscopy-energy-dispersive spectroscopy), and HPLC-MS (high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry) analyses, the mineral components of the reddish substance were identified as hematite, darkened with manganite and braunite, and traces of galena and anglesite, mixed with vegetal waxes and other organic substances. The mixture, thus observed, bears a striking resemblance to the recipes of contemporary lipsticks.

Penile revascularization using the descending branch of the lateral circumflex femoral artery: An alternative vascular graft.

Introduction And Relevance: Microsurgical revascularization stands as the preferred method for addressing erectile dysfunction (ED) resulting from traumatic penile arterial insufficiency. Traditional microarterial bypass surgery (MABS) techniques have typically relied on utilizing the inferior epigastric artery (IEA) as the graft vessel. However, issues such as endothelial dysfunction in the vessel and alterations in abdominal tissue can negatively impact surgical outcomes.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy in Prostate Cancer: An Overview of Diagnostic Performance, Oncological Outcomes, Safety, and Feasibility.

Sentinel node biopsy (SNB) for prostate cancer (PCa) represents an innovative technique aimed at improving nodal staging accuracy. The routinary adoption of this procedure in patients undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) might be crucial to identify candidates who could effectively benefit from extensive pelvic lymph nodal dissection (ePLND). Despite some promising results, SNB for PCa is still considered experimental due to the lack of solid evidence and procedural standardization.

Chemical and Mechanical Characterization of Unprecedented Transparent Epoxy-Nanomica Composites-New Model Insights for Mechanical Properties.

Two nanomicas of similar composition, containing muscovite and quartz, but with different particle size distributions, have been used to prepare transparent epoxy nanocomposites. Their homogeneous dispersion, due to the nano-size, was achieved even without being organically modified, and no aggregation of the nanoparticles was observed, thus maximizing the specific interface between matrix and nanofiller. No exfoliation or intercalation has been observed by XRD, despite the significant dispersion of the filler in the matrix which produced nanocomposites with a loss in transparency in the visible domain of less than 10% in the presence of 1% wt and 3% wt of mica fillers.

Identification and quantification of tire wear particles by employing different cross-validation techniques: FTIR-ATR Micro-FTIR, Pyr-GC/MS, and SEM.

Tire wear particles (TWPs) are one of the environment's most important emission sources of microplastics. In this work, chemical identification of these particles was carried out in highway stormwater runoff through cross-validation techniques for the first time. Optimization of a pre-treatment method (i.

Early exploitation of Neapolitan pozzolan (pulvis puteolana) in the Roman theatre of Aquileia, Northern Italy.

The paper reports the results of the analyses on mortar-based materials from the Roman theatre of Aquileia (Friuli Venezia Giulia, Northern Italy), recently dated between the mid-1st Century BCE and the mid-1st Century CE. Samples were characterized by Polarized Light Microscopy on thin sections (PLM), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Quantitative Phase Analysis by X-Ray Powder Diffraction (QPA-XRPD). Pyroclastic aggregates (mainly pumices and scattered tuffs), incompatible with the regional geology, were found in two samples from the preparation layers of the ground floor of the building.

Investigations on Caesium Dispersion and Molybdenum Coating on SPIDER Components.

SPIDER is the 100 keV full-size Negative Ion Source prototype of the ITER Neutral Beam Injector, operating at Consorzio RFX in Padova, Italy. The largest Negative Ion Source in the world, SPIDER generates an RF driven plasma from which Deuterium or Hydrogen negative ions are produced and extracted. At the end of 2021, a scheduled long-term shutdown started to introduce major modifications and improvements aiming to solve issues and drawbacks identified during the first three years of SPIDER operations.

Systematic Exploration of the Synthetic Parameters for the Production of Dynamic VO(M1).

Thermochromic dynamic cool materials present a reversible change of their properties wherein by increasing the temperature, the reflectance, conductivity, and transmittance change due to a reversible crystalline phase transition. In particular, vanadium (IV) dioxide shows a reversible phase transition, accompanied by a change in optical properties, from monoclinic VO(M1) to tetragonal VO(R). In this paper, we report on a systematic exploration of the parameters for the synthesis of vanadium dioxide VO(M1) via an easy, sustainable, reproducible, fast, scalable, and low-cost hydrothermal route without hazardous chemicals, followed by an annealing treatment.