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Introduction: This bibliometric study is designed to investigate the relations of urology journals with access types and article processing charges (APCs) to assess the changing paradigm in urology publishing. Methods: The three major databases: The Master Journal List directory by Clavirate Analytics, Scopus® and PubMed were queried for relevant journals in urology and subspecialties. Characterization of urology journals was undertaken, and citation metrics and APCs were compared across access types. A partial sampling was used to investigate the number of open access (OA) articles according to access types and correlations with both APCs and CiteScore. Results: Seventy-seven journals were included into the study. Gold and diamond OA journals comprised 35.4% of urology journals in 2009 and were increased to 49.3% in 2022. No significant difference was found for change in the CiteScore of 2017 and 2021 between the access types, F (2,63) = 0.152, P = 0.859, η2 = 0.005. A moderate positive correlation was found between APCs and CiteScore for both hybrid (rs [27] =0.431, P < 0.0005) and gold OA (rs [27] =0.489, P = 0.007) journals. The authors need to pay $1175 more to publish their articles in OA model in hybrid journals. The number of articles published in OA model by hybrid journals were not correlated with APCs (rs = 0.332, P = 0.078) but correlated with CiteScore (rs = 0.393, P = 0.035). Conclusions: A paradigm shift in urology publishing toward OA model has been occurring. Authors choose prestige, OA model, rapid publication, and less rigorous peer-review to publish their articles. APCs bear only moderate correlation with the citation metrics of the urology journals.
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OBJECTIVE: This study investigated the relationship of anthropometric and metabolic risk factors with seminal and sex steroidal hormone parameters in a screened population of healthy males. METHODS: The participants were healthy young men without chronic or congenital diseases. The body composition parameters that we investigated were measured weight, height, and waist circumference (WC), as well as bioelectrical impedance analysis. Semen samples were analyzed for semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm motility and morphology, seminal pH, and liquefaction time. Biochemistry analysis, including glucose and lipid metabolism parameters, was conducted on fasting blood samples. Testicular volume was calculated separately for each testis using ultrasonography. RESULTS: Body mass index exhibited an inverse association with total sperm count. WC showed negative correlations with numerous seminal parameters, including sperm concentration, total sperm count, sperm morphology, and follicle-stimulating hormone levels. The basal metabolic rate was associated with seminal pH, liquefaction time, and sperm motility. WC, fat mass percentage, and triglyceride levels exhibited negative correlations with sex hormone binding globulin. The measures of glucose metabolism were associated with a greater number of seminal parameters than the measures of cholesterol metabolism. C-reactive protein levels were inversely associated with sperm concentration and total sperm count. CONCLUSION: Anthropometric and metabolic risk factors were found to predict semen quality and alterations in sex steroidal hormone levels.
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INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: To investigate the role of suprapubic bladder aspiration (SBA) in the diagnosis of retrograde ejaculation (RE) which is diagnosed with the observation of sperm in post-ejaculatory urine (PEU). However, sperm is also observed in PEU after the wash out of the retained ejaculate in the urethra with the expulsion of urine in several subjects. Therefore, detection of sperm in PEU in the diagnosis of RE is problematic and a better method is needed to overcome the ambiguity of positive PEU and to identify which patient experience true RE. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A cohort of patients underwent an examination for RE over a two-year period at a single specialist centre. All patients underwent SBA and semen analysis. Sperm was investigated in urine aspirated from the bladder and in PEU. RESULTS: Thirty-two patients (age range 18-62 years) underwent SBA and PEU for investigation of RE. Sperm was detected both in SBA and PEU in 19 patients, while 5 patients revealed sperm only in PEU. The mean number of sperm found in SBA was less than the mean number of sperm observed in PEU in all 19 patients. CONCLUSION: SBA is a reliable and feasible method in the diagnosis of RE and can distinguish the true RE in which sperm flows backward into the bladder from the retained ejaculate in the urethra. The whole ejaculate does not likely flow retrogradely and RE could be a partial leakage of the ejaculate into the bladder.