Imaging Aspects in a Case of Persistent Müllerian Duct Syndrome (PMDS): A Case Report and Overview.

Persistent Müllerian duct syndrome (PMDS) is a rare kind of internal male pseudohermaphroditism. The patient, who has a male karyotype and phenotypic characteristics, exhibits Müllerian duct derivatives such as the uterus, cervix, fallopian tubes, and upper two-thirds of the vagina. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the CT and MRI characteristics of a case of PMDS in a 35-year-old male patient who sought medical attention at our clinic due to pain in the left inguinal region and the presence of undescended testes on both sides. The imaging results showed a pelvic mass with a bicornuate appearance, situated adjacent to the bladder on the left side. The diagnosis of compensated hypergonadotropic hypogonadism with a normal male karyotype is confirmed through biological and genetic studies. The final diagnosis was confirmed through histopathological examination following laparoscopic transperitoneal surgical removal. The examination revealed a left lateral vesical pelvic tumor with a firm-elastic, bicornuate appearance, along with a thickened endometrium. Microscopic findings included simple glandular hyperplasia with edema in the endometrium, a small adenomatous polyp at the uterine fundus, and bilateral rigid cords consistent with vas deferens histology. The primary issue with PMDS is in its rarity, which consequently limits the availability of comprehensive case series and prospective research. As a result, radiologists and surgeons must possess knowledge of this ailment, as there is a scarcity of defined treatment guidelines and long-term care strategies.

Predictors of Pregnant Women's Decision to Opt for Cesarean Section in Romania.

INTRODUCTION: In Romania, the latest official report indicates that more than half of the births (80,890 cases, representing 52.88% of the total) are performed by cesarean, a rate significantly higher than the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 15-20%. This study aims to identify the predictors associated with women's decisions to opt for cesarean in Romania. MATERIALS AND METHODS:  An analytical cross-sectional observational study was conducted in the general population of Romania. The study was carried out over the course of 2023, with a total duration of four months. During this period, researchers targeted pregnant women from various regions of the country, regardless of their place of residence, age, or education level. The primary data collection tool was a self-administered online questionnaire, distributed via Google Forms, an accessible and efficient platform that allows for automatic response collection. The questionnaire was distributed online, particularly on social media platforms frequented by pregnant women, such as Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok. RESULTS: A total of 1,301 participants were validated. Socio-demographic and clinical factors significantly influence women's decisions to give birth by cesarean. Among these participants, 435 expressed a preference for cesarean delivery. Key predictors include fear of pain and concern for the child's health. Fear of pain at birth is the first predictor in Romanian women to choose cesarean (OR=2.09; 95% CI: 1.62-2.68). Concerns about the child's health do not increase the likelihood of opting for a cesarean. CONCLUSION:  By utilizing valuable resources such as midwives and implementing strategies like birth plans, significant contributions can be made toward reducing the cesarean rate and improving the childbirth experience for women worldwide.

Exploring Factors Influencing Pregnant Women's Perceptions and Attitudes Towards Midwifery Care in Romania: Implications for Maternal Health Education Strategies.

BACKGROUND: Midwives are strong advocates for vaginal births. However, their visibility and accessibility are poorly perceived by women in Romania. Consequently, the women's options are limited to a single direction when pregnancy occurs, involving the family doctor, the obstetrician, and often an interventional technical approach at the time of birth. The aim of this research is to identify specific variables that affect the perceptions and attitudes of pregnant women towards the care provided by midwives. This knowledge could contribute to the development of more effective education and information strategies within maternal health services. METHODS: A cross-sectional observational analytical survey was conducted in Romania among pregnant women from the general population. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire, with informed consent obtained from each participating pregnant woman. The questionnaire was administered online using the cloud-based Google Forms platform and was available on the internet for seven months, from January to July 2023. The questionnaire was distributed through various media channels, both individually and in communication groups, in the form of a link. All questions were mandatory, and the questionnaire could only be submitted after answering all questions. RESULTS: A total of 1301 individual responses were collected. The analysis of the socio-demographic and obstetrical profile of the pregnant women revealed that approximately half, 689 (52.95%), of the participants were aged between 18-29 years, and 1060 (81.47%) of the participants were married. Among our group of 1301 pregnant women, 973 (74.78%) had higher education, and 987 (75.86%) had a regular job. A majority of the survey participants, 936 (71.94%), lived in an urban geographic area, while 476 (36.58%) had attended childbirth education courses, and 791 (60.79%) were in the third trimester of pregnancy. A total of 298 (22.9%) respondents did not want to give birth in a hospital, and one-third, 347 (26.67%), did not place significant importance on control over the childbirth process. CONCLUSIONS: The main factors influencing women's decisions regarding perinatal care and the importance of midwives as a component of the maternal-infant care team are modifiable, and thorough educational and psychological preparation would reduce the increasing predominance of preference for cesarean section, thereby promoting healthier and more woman- and child-centered perinatal care.

Renal Sinus Pathologies Depicted by CT Imaging: A Pictorial Review.

Diverse conditions comprise the spectrum of renal sinus pathologies, which have diagnostic and therapeutic implications for patients. Using CT imaging as a lens, this exhaustive review examines the representation of these pathologies. The article begins with a concise synopsis of renal anatomy and the specialized CT methodologies utilized to achieve excellent visualization. Transformational cell carcinoma, leiomyosarcoma, renal cell carcinoma, multilocular nephroma, and lymphoma are among the tumoral origins of the renal sinus pathologies that are investigated. Further, vascular pathologies including fistulas, hematomas, and aneurysms are included in the discourse, along with parapelvic and peripelvic cysts, and lipomatosis. In addition to urolithiasis and encrusted uretero-pyelitis, the review examines the consequences of metal toxicity and non-neoplastic conditions. With a focus on critical CT imaging findings that aid in the provision of an accurate diagnosis, every pathology is meticulously examined. With the intention of improving clinical decision-making and patient care, this article intends to function as a valuable resource for radiologists, clinicians, and researchers who are engaged in the interpretation and comprehension of renal sinus pathologies.

Correction: Bolocan et al. Convolutional Neural Network Model for Segmentation and Classification of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Based on Multiphase CT Images. J. Imaging 2023, 9, 280.

In the original publication [...].

Convolutional Neural Network Model for Segmentation and Classification of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma Based on Multiphase CT Images.

(1) Background: Computed tomography (CT) imaging challenges in diagnosing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) include distinguishing malignant from benign tissues and determining the likely subtype. The goal is to show the algorithm's ability to improve renal cell carcinoma identification and treatment, improving patient outcomes. (2) Methods: This study uses the European Deep-Health toolkit's Convolutional Neural Network with ECVL, (European Computer Vision Library), and EDDL, (European Distributed Deep Learning Library). Image segmentation utilized U-net architecture and classification with resnet101. The model's clinical efficiency was assessed utilizing kidney, tumor, Dice score, and renal cell carcinoma categorization quality. (3) Results: The raw dataset contains 457 healthy right kidneys, 456 healthy left kidneys, 76 pathological right kidneys, and 84 pathological left kidneys. Preparing raw data for analysis was crucial to algorithm implementation. Kidney segmentation performance was 0.84, and tumor segmentation mean Dice score was 0.675 for the suggested model. Renal cell carcinoma classification was 0.885 accurate. (4) Conclusion and key findings: The present study focused on analyzing data from both healthy patients and diseased renal patients, with a particular emphasis on data processing. The method achieved a kidney segmentation accuracy of 0.84 and mean Dice scores of 0.675 for tumor segmentation. The system performed well in classifying renal cell carcinoma, achieving an accuracy of 0.885, results which indicates that the technique has the potential to improve the diagnosis of kidney pathology.

H3 histone methylation landscape in male urogenital cancers: from molecular mechanisms to epigenetic biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

During the last decades, male urogenital cancers (including prostate, renal, bladder and testicular cancers) have become one of the most frequently encountered malignancies affecting all ages. While their great variety has promoted the development of various diagnosis, treatment and monitoring strategies, some aspects such as the common involvement of epigenetic mechanisms are still not elucidated. Epigenetic processes have come into the spotlight in the past years as important players in the initiation and progression of tumors, leading to a plethora of studies highlighting their potential as biomarkers for diagnosis, staging, prognosis, and even as therapeutic targets. Thus, fostering research on the various epigenetic mechanisms and their roles in cancer remains a priority for the scientific community. This review focuses on one of the main epigenetic mechanisms, namely, the methylation of the histone H3 at various sites and its involvement in male urogenital cancers. This histone modification presents a great interest due to its modulatory effect on gene expression, leading either to activation (e.g., H3K4me3, H3K36me3) or repression (e.g., H3K27me3, H3K9me3). In the last few years, growing evidence has demonstrated the aberrant expression of enzymes that methylate/demethylate histone H3 in cancer and inflammatory diseases, that might contribute to the initiation and progression of such disorders. We highlight how these particular epigenetic modifications are emerging as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers or targets for the treatment of urogenital cancers.

Beer and Microbiota: Pathways for a Positive and Healthy Interaction.

Beer is one of the most consumed drinks worldwide. It contains numerous categories of antioxidants, phenolic products, traces of group B vitamins, minerals (selenium, silicon, potassium), soluble fibers and microorganisms. Low or moderate beer consumption, with or without alcohol, showed positive effects on health by stimulating the development of a healthy microbiota. In the present review we focused on four components responsible with interaction with gut microbiota: microorganisms, polyphenols, fiber and melanoidins, their presence in usual beers and on perspectives of development of fortified beers with enhanced effects on gut microbiota. Though microorganisms rarely escape pasteurization of beer, there are new unpasteurized types that might bring strains with probiotic effects. The polyphenols from beer are active on the gut microbiota stimulating its development, with consequent local anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Their degradation products have prebiotic action and may combat intestinal dysbiosis. Beer contains dietary fiber such as non-starchy, non-digestible carbohydrates (ß-glucans, arabinoxylans, mannose, fructose polymers, etc.) that relate with gut microbiota through fermentation, serving as a nutrient substrate. Another type of substances that are often considered close to fiber because they have an extremely low digestibility, melanoidins (melanosaccharides), give beer antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Though there are not many research studies in this area, the conclusion of this review is that beer seems a good candidate for a future functional food and that there are many pathways by which its ingredients can influence in a positive manner the human gut microbiota. Of course, there are many technological hinderances to overcome. However, designing functional beers fortified with fiber, antioxidants and probiotics, with a very low or no alcoholic content, will counteract the negative perception of beer consumption, will nullify the negative effects of alcohol, while simultaneously exerting a positive action on the gut microbiota.

Epigenetics and Testicular Cancer: Bridging the Gap Between Fundamental Biology and Patient Care.

Testicular cancer is the most common solid tumor affecting young males. Most testicular cancers are testicular germ cell tumors (TGCTs), which are divided into seminomas (SGCTs) and non-seminomatous testicular germ cell tumors (NSGCTs). During their development, primordial germ cells (PGCs) undergo epigenetic modifications and any disturbances in their pattern might lead to cancer development. The present study provides a comprehensive review of the epigenetic mechanisms-DNA methylation, histone post-translational modifications, bivalent marks, non-coding RNA-associated with TGCT susceptibility, initiation, progression and response to chemotherapy. Another important purpose of this review is to highlight the recent investigations regarding the identification and development of epigenetic biomarkers as powerful tools for the diagnostic, prognostic and especially for epigenetic-based therapy.

COVID-19 Parental Vaccine Hesitancy in Romania: Nationwide Cross-Sectional Study.

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 vaccination started in Romania in December 2020. Child vaccination started in 2021 with children aged 12-15 years in August. For children aged 5-11 years, vaccination started in January 2022. The aim of our study was to describe COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy in Romanian children and vaccine acceptability in the general population. As parental consent is required for child vaccination in Romania, these aspects have a significant association. METHODS: An analytical cross-sectional survey was conducted in October and November 2021 during the peak of the 4th COVID-19 wave. RESULTS: After validation, 1645 participants formed the main study group: median age 35 years, 72.83% women, and 35.44% from the medical domain. In total, 1311 (79.70%) participants were vaccinated against COVID-19 and 188 (11.42%) had vaccinated their 12-18-year-old children against COVID-19. Parents' level of education, geographic area of residence, and COVID-19 vaccination status were significantly associated with COVID-19 vaccination. The hesitancy factors of child vaccination included the novelty of COVID-19 vaccines (62, 47.32%), fear of adverse reactions (32, 24.42%), and anti-vaccinism in general (29, 22.13%). In the studied group, only 188 (11.42%) participants recommended vaccination of 5-11-year-old children. Vaccine acceptability was higher in the general population (1311, 79.70%) than in the medical domain (326 out of 583, 55.91%). General vaccine hesitancy was based mainly on beliefs regarding inefficiency (131, 39.22%) and fears about the side effects of the vaccine (76, 22.75%). CONCLUSIONS: Overall, the acceptability of COVD-19 vaccines in the Romanian population was influenced by the level of education, area of residence, and being a COVID-19-vaccinated parent. Public health intervention programs are essential.

Morphological, imaging and surgical aspects in a complex case of uterine leiomyosarcoma - case report and review of the literature.

Leiomyosarcoma is a rare condition so there are relatively few and small case series and no prospective studies to provide clear guidelines regarding management. We report on a case that presents some particularities that further underline diagnostic and treatment difficulties posed by the affliction of such a rare tumor. This is the case of a 43-year-old woman who had a large tumor arising from the uterus, with a spectacular growth rate over a short period. The patient, with congenital spastic tetraparesis and hydrocephalus, came for belly enlargement with rapid increase in size over the previous two months. Physical exam and ultrasound lead to the conclusion of a large abdominal mass. A computed tomography scan showed a mass arising from the pelvis and a large amount of ascites. An exploratory laparotomy was performed and the histopathology report confirmed the diagnosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma. Leiomyosarcoma poses challenging problems regarding histological grading and, due to its rate of growth, real surgical difficulties. Final diagnosis is done by histopathological examination after surgical excision. Frequently, it is late diagnosed when complete removal of the tumor is often impossible.