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IntroductionParkinson’s disease (PD) is commonly characterized by severe dopamine (DA) depletion within the substantia nigra (SN) leading to a myriad of motor and non-motor symptoms. One underappreciated and prevalent non-motor symptom, Parkinson’s disease-associated psychosis (PDAP), significantly erodes patient and caregiver quality of life yet remains vastly understudied. While the gold standard pharmacotherapy for motor symptoms Levodopa (LD) is initially highly effective, it can lead to motor fluctuations like LD-induced dyskinesia (LID) and non-motor fluctuations such as intermittent PDAP. One source of these fluctuations could be the serotonergic raphe nuclei and their projections. Serotonin (5-HT) neurons possess the machinery necessary to convert and release DA from exogenous LD. In DA-depleted brain regions these 5-HT projections can act as surrogates to the DA system initially compensating but chronically leading to aberrant neuroplasticity which has been linked to LID and may also contribute to non-motor fluctuations. In support, recent work from our lab established a positive relationship between LID and PDAP in parkinsonian rats. Therefore, it was hypothesized that normalizing 5-HT forebrain input would reduce the co-expression of LID and PDAP.MethodsTo do so, we expressed 5-HT projection specific inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) using Cre-dependent AAV9-hM4di in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2)-Cre bilaterally 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Thereafter we used the designer drug Compound 21 to selectively inhibit 5-HT raphe projections during LD treatment to modulate the expression of PDAP, assayed by prepulse inhibition (PPI) and LID, quantified by the abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) test.ResultsOur results suggest that chemogenetic inhibition of 5-HT raphe-projecting cells significantly reduces LID without affecting stepping ability or established sensorimotor gating deficitsDiscussionOverall, this study provides further evidence for the complex influence of 5-HT raphe-projecting neurons on LD’s neurobehavioral effects.

Abstract. Background. Recently, an innovative tool called “proficiency score” was introduced to assess the learning curve for robot-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP). However, the initial study only focused on patients with low-risk prostate cancer for whom pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND) was not required. To address this issue, we aimed to validate proficiency scores of a contemporary multicenter cohort of patients with high-risk prostate cancer treated with RARP plus extended PLND by trainee surgeons. Material and methods. Between 2010 and 2020, 4 Italian institutional prostate-cancer datasets were merged and queried for “RARP” and “high-risk prostate cancer.” High-risk prostate cancer was defined according to the most recent European Association of Urology guidelines as follows: prostate-specific antigen >20 ng/mL, International Society of Urological Pathology ≥4, and/or clinical stage (cT) ≥ 2c on preoperative imaging. The selected cohort (n = 144) included clinical cases performed by trainee surgeons (n = 4) after completing their RARP learning curve (50 procedures for low-risk prostate cancer). The outcome of interest, the proficiency score, was defined as the coexistence of all the following criteria: a comparable operation time to the interquartile range of the mentor surgeon at each center, absence of any significant perioperative complications Clavien-Dindo Grade 3–5, no perioperative blood transfusions, and negative surgical margins. A logistic binary regression model was built to identify the predictors of 1-year trifecta achievement in the trainee cohort. For all statistical analyses, a 2-sided p < 0.05 was considered significant. Results. A proficiency score was achieved in 42.3% patients. At univariable level, proficiency score was associated with 1-year trifecta achievement (odds ratio, 8.77; 95% confidence interval, 2.42–31.7; p = 0.001). After multivariable adjustments for age, nerve-sparing, and surgical technique, the proficiency score independently predicted 1-year trifecta achievement (odds ratio, 9.58; 95% confidence interval, 1.83–50.1; p = 0.007). Conclusions. Our findings support the use of proficiency scores in patients and require extended PLND in addition to RARP.

Simone Ferretti,1 Paolo Dell’Oglio,2– 4 Davide Ciavarella,1 Antonio Galfano,2 Luigi Schips,1 Michele Marchioni1 1Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti, Urology Unit, Chieti, Italy; 2Department of Urology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy; 3Department of Urology, Netherlands Cancer Institute-Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, the Netherlands; 4Interventional Molecular Imaging Laboratory, Department of Radiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, the NetherlandsCorrespondence: Michele Marchioni, Department of Medical, Oral and Biotechnological Sciences, G. d’Annunzio University of Chieti, Urology Unit, Chieti, Italy, Tel +393296544866, Fax +390871357756, Email mic.marchioni@gmail.comAbstract: Robotic-assisted radical prostatectomy (RARP) is the gold standard for localized prostate cancer. Several RARP approaches were developed and described over the years, aimed at improving oncological and functional outcomes. In 2010, Galfano et al described a new RARP technique, known as Retzius-sparing RARP (RS-RARP), a posterior approach through the Douglas space that spares the anterior support structures involved with urinary continence and sexual potency. This approach has been used increasingly in many centers around the world comparing its results with those of the most used standard anterior approach. Several randomized controlled trials, systematic reviews and meta-analyses demonstrated an important advantage relative to standard anterior RARP in terms of early urinary continence recovery, with comparable perioperative and long-term oncological outcomes. Several surgeons are concerned regarding RS-RARP because it appears to increase the risk of positive surgical margins (PSMs). However, this statement is based on low-certainty evidence. Indeed, the available studies compared the results of surgeons who had an initial experience with posterior RARP with those who had a solid experience with anterior RARP. Recent evidence strongly suggests that RS-RARP is feasible and safe not only in low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patient but also in challenging scenario such as high-risk setting, salvage prostatectomy and after transurethral resection of the prostate.Keywords: radical prostatectomy, Retzius-sparing, urinary continence, positive surgical margins, high-risk prostate cancer

ABSTRACT Objective: The search for medical information on the internet is a part of people's daily lives. Exponential volumes of data are available through various media and platforms. There are several problems related to the ease of creating and accessing medical information on the internet, as evidenced by the quantity of false content and increasing anxiety due to the consumption of these data. In light of this accessibility, it is necessary to understand how people use internet-based medical information and its impact on specific populations. This prospective study aimed to analyze pregnant women's behavior when searching for health-related information on the internet, and how they were influenced by the information. Methods: Questionnaires were administered to the participants during their immediate puerperium, and their answers were tabulated. Results: Three hundred and two patients answered the questionnaires. We observed that internet use was frequent, and most patients discussed the findings with their physicians. However, this did not affect the delivery routes. Conclusion: The search for health information by pregnant women is very prevalent but does not interfere with the delivery route.

Background and Aims: The aim of our study is to evaluate the possible urodynamic effect of prostatic urethral lift (PUL) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods: A consecutive series of patients undergoing PUL placement were consecutively enrolled in two centers. Inclusion criteria: ≥50 years of age, benign prostatic obstruction (BPO), international prostate symptom score (IPSS) ≥ 13, prostate volume ≤ 60 mL, and no middle prostate lobe. All patients were evaluated using a detailed clinical history, a validated questionnaire, flexible cystoscopy, and pressure flow studies (PFS) at baseline. PFS were performed at 6 months to evaluate the urodynamic effect of PUL. Results: Overall, 20 patients with a median age of 63 were enrolled. At six months, statistically significant improvements in terms of median Qmax (11.5 vs. 8.5; p < 0.05) and median IPSS (16 vs. 10.5; p < 0.05) were recorded, and sexual function was maintained. All urodynamic parameters improved at 6 months, and significance was reached for all values except for PdetQmax. Finally, Schäfer’s class improved from a median of III to a median of II. More specifically, 16/20 presented an improvement in the Schäfer class, and 12/20 patients presented a BOOI < 20 at 6 months. Conclusions: PUL represents an effective treatment in patients with LUTS due to BPH and improves bladder outlet obstruction without any effect on sexual function.

Introduction: To describe operatory room (OR) setting, trocar placement, surgical technique and perioperative outcomes of retroperitoneal (rRAPN) and transperitoneal (tRAPN) robot-assisted partial nephrectomy with the Hugo™ robot-assisted surgical (RAS) system. Patients and surgical procedure: We present our prospective, series of the first ten consecutive patients submitted to either rRAPN or tRAPN with the Hugo™ RAS system (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) at ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Milan, Italy, between April 2023 and June 2023. The outcomes of interest were to describe the OR setting, trocar placement and the performance of this novel robotic system. Pre, intra and post-operative variables were recorded. A descriptive analysis was performed. Results: Overall, ten patients underwent RAPN with the Hugo™ RAS system, of which two were rRAPN (one left and one right renal mass) and eight tRAPN (two left, five right, one bilateral). Median (interquartile range, IQR) tumor size was 2.75 cm, with a median PADUA score of 7 (7,9). Median time from first trocar placement to console was 20 (15, 23) minutes, median console time was 136 (100, 159) minutes, and median operative time was 185 (170, 232) minutes. No intra-operative complications were recorded. Four post-operative complications were reported: one patient developed acute kidney injury (AKI, Clavien-Dindo 1), one patient required a longer hospital stay due to chylous production from the drain after hilar lymphadenectomy (Clavien-Dindo 2) and two pneumothoraxes (Clavien-Dindo 3a). Median (IQR) hospital stay was 5 (3,7) days. At final pathology, clear cell RCC, papillary RCC, chromophobe RCC and oncocytoma were found in respectively seven (70 %), one (10 %), one (10 %), and one (10 %) patients, with T1a, T1b and T3a (perirenal fat invasion) stages in six (60 %), three (30 %) and one (10 %) patients, respectively. Conclusions: This video article illustrates the steps of both rRAPN and tRAPN with the Hugo™ RAS system. Our preliminary results demonstrate that both rRAPN and tRAPN are feasible with this novel robotic platform. Future large case series with long-term follow-up are needed to understand whether Hugo™ RAS system represents a true alternative to Intuitive platforms for nephron-sparing surgery.

Recent meta-analytic work has highlighted lower creativity in schizophrenic patients as compared to control participants, but the cognitive and affective underpinnings of this difference still need to be fully understood. To this purpose, we adopted a multi-measure approach and compared a group of schizophrenic outpatients and a group of demographically-matched controls (N = 34) on the Alternative Uses Test (AUT) and the Remote Association Test (RAT), assessing divergent and convergent thinking respectively. The participants' cognitive status, affective status, and response inhibition skills were also appraised. The results showed a significantly worse performance in patients vs. control participants in both tests of creativity. Performance was also negatively correlated with patients' symptoms, being lower in more severe clinical conditions. The difference between groups in the RAT was no more significant when controlling for individuals' cognitive functioning, in line with previous studies in healthy populations. In contrast, the difference in AUT fluency remained significant even when controlling for cognitive and affective measures. Our findings suggest that creativity reduction in schizophrenic patients involves both convergent and divergent thinking, and that the latter aspect is not simply the consequence of a general cognitive or inhibitory impairment.

The article discusses the feasibility, operative setup, and surgical outcomes of Retzius‐sparing robot‐assisted radical prostatectomy (RS‐RARP) using the Hugo robot‐assisted surgery system. The study evaluated 26 patients who underwent RS‐RARP with the Hugo system, reporting on patient characteristics, operative setup, complications, and outcomes. The findings suggest that RS‐RARP with the Hugo system is feasible and safe, with high rates of urinary continence recovery, but also highlight the need for a learning process due to higher positive surgical margin rates compared to other systems. Further research is needed to assess long-term outcomes and compare the Hugo system with other robotic platforms. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction: Parkinson's disease (PD) is commonly characterized by severe dopamine (DA) depletion within the substantia nigra (SN) leading to a myriad of motor and non-motor symptoms. One underappreciated and prevalent non-motor symptom, Parkinson's disease-associated psychosis (PDAP), significantly erodes patient and caregiver quality of life yet remains vastly understudied. While the gold standard pharmacotherapy for motor symptoms Levodopa (LD) is initially highly effective, it can lead to motor fluctuations like LD-induced dyskinesia (LID) and non-motor fluctuations such as intermittent PDAP. One source of these fluctuations could be the serotonergic raphe nuclei and their projections. Serotonin (5-HT) neurons possess the machinery necessary to convert and release DA from exogenous LD. In DA-depleted brain regions these 5-HT projections can act as surrogates to the DA system initially compensating but chronically leading to aberrant neuroplasticity which has been linked to LID and may also contribute to non-motor fluctuations. In support, recent work from our lab established a positive relationship between LID and PDAP in parkinsonian rats. Therefore, it was hypothesized that normalizing 5-HT forebrain input would reduce the co-expression of LID and PDAP. Methods: To do so, we expressed 5-HT projection specific inhibitory designer receptor exclusively activated by designer drugs (DREADDs) using Cre-dependent AAV9-hM4di in tryptophan hydroxylase 2 (TPH2)-Cre bilaterally 6-OHDA-lesioned rats. Thereafter we used the designer drug Compound 21 to selectively inhibit 5-HT raphe projections during LD treatment to modulate the expression of PDAP, assayed by prepulse inhibition (PPI) and LID, quantified by the abnormal involuntary movements (AIMs) test. Results: Our results suggest that chemogenetic inhibition of 5-HT raphe-projecting cells significantly reduces LID without affecting stepping ability or established sensorimotor gating deficits Discussion: Overall, this study provides further evidence for the complex influence of 5-HT raphe-projecting neurons on LD's neurobehavioral effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) the role of the extent of tumor thrombus into the inferior vena cava (IVC) has never been addressed from a surgical and oncologic standpoint. This study aims to evaluate differences between level III–IV versus level I–II patients concerning peri- and postoperative morbidity, additional treatments and long-term oncological outcomes. Patients and Methods: Overall, 40 patients with RCC underwent radical nephrectomy (RN) with IVC thrombectomy at a single European institution between 2010 and 2023. Complications were reported according to the European Union (EAU) guidelines recommendations. Spider chart served as graphical depiction of surgical and oncologic outcomes. Results: Overall, 22 (55%) and 18 (45%) patients harbored level III–IV and I–II IVC thrombus. Level III–IV patients experienced significantly higher rates of intraoperative transfusions (68 vs 39%), but not significantly higher rates of intraoperative complications (32% vs 28%). Level III–IV patients had significantly higher rates of postoperative transfusions (82% vs 33%) and Clavien Dindo ≥3 complications (41% vs 15%). In level III–IV versus level I–II patients, median follow up was 482 and 1070 days, the rate of distant recurrence was 59% and 50%, the rate of systemic progression was 27% and 13%, and the rate of additional treatment/s was 64% and 61%, respectively (all p values > 0.05). Overall survival was 36% in level III–IV patients and 67% in level I–II (p = 0.001). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that patients with level III–IV RCC who are candidates for IVC thrombectomy should be counselled about the higher likelihood of postoperative severe adverse events and worse overall survival relative to level I–II counterparts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: The aim of our study is to evaluate the possible urodynamic effect of prostatic urethral lift (PUL) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia. Methods: A consecutive series of patients undergoing PUL placement were consecutively enrolled in two centers. Inclusion criteria: ≥50 years of age, benign prostatic obstruction (BPO), international prostate symptom score (IPSS) ≥ 13, prostate volume ≤ 60 mL, and no middle prostate lobe. All patients were evaluated using a detailed clinical history, a validated questionnaire, flexible cystoscopy, and pressure flow studies (PFS) at baseline. PFS were performed at 6 months to evaluate the urodynamic effect of PUL. Results: Overall, 20 patients with a median age of 63 were enrolled. At six months, statistically significant improvements in terms of median Qmax (11.5 vs. 8.5; p < 0.05) and median IPSS (16 vs. 10.5; p < 0.05) were recorded, and sexual function was maintained. All urodynamic parameters improved at 6 months, and significance was reached for all values except for PdetQmax. Finally, Schäfer's class improved from a median of III to a median of II. More specifically, 16/20 presented an improvement in the Schäfer class, and 12/20 patients presented a BOOI < 20 at 6 months. Conclusions: PUL represents an effective treatment in patients with LUTS due to BPH and improves bladder outlet obstruction without any effect on sexual function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]