Multivariate statistical analysis of urban soil contamination by heavy metals at selected industrial locations in the Greater Toronto area, Canada

A good understanding of urban soil contamination with metals and the location of pollution sources due to industrialization and urbanization is important for addressing many environmental problems. The results are reported here of an analysis of the metals content in urban soils samples next toindustrial locations in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) in Ontario, Canada. Theanalyzed metals are Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pb. Multivariate geostatistcalanalysis (correlation matrix, cluster analysis, principal component analysis) is used to estimate soil chemical content variability. The correlation matrix exhibits a positive correlation with Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb. The principal component analysis (PCA) displays two components. The first component explains the major part of the total variance and is loaded heavily with Cr, Mn, Fe, Zn,and Pb, and the sources are industrial activities and traffic flows. The second component is loaded with Ni, and Cd, and the sources could be lithology andtraffic flow. The results of the cluster analysis demonstrate three major clusters: 1) Mn-Zn, 2) Pb-Cd-Cu and Cr, 3) Fe-Ni. The geo-accumulation index and the pollution load index are determined and show the main I geovalues to be in the range of 0-1.67; the values indicate that the soil samples studied for industrial locations in the GTA are slightly to moderately contaminated with Cr, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Cd, and moderately contaminated with Pb,while Ni, and Mn fall in class "0". Regarding the pollution load ingindex (PLI), the lowest values are observed at stations 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12,25, 27 and 28, while the highest values are recorded for stations 1, 5, 6, 13,14, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22 and 24, and very high PLI readings are seen for stations 5, 13, 16, 17, 18, 22 and 24. These data confirm that the type of industries, especially metallurgical and chemical related ones, in the study area, in addition to high traffic flows, are the main sources for soil pollution in the GTA

Conservative Therapy is an Effective Option in Patients With Localized Infection After Penile Implant Surgery

INTRODUCTION: Traditionally, penile implant (PI) infections have been managed by removal with immediate or delayed replacement. Recently, interest has been focused on conservative therapy (CT) using antibiotic therapy. AIM: To investigate the success rate and predictive factors affecting the outcome of CT in PI infection patients. METHODS: Patients diagnosed with early, localized PI infection were considered candidates for CT. Exclusion criteria included temperature >37.5°C, WBC >13,000/μL, and appearance of any sign of sepsis. In patients with purulent drainage, culture swabs were taken and an antibiotic was chosen based on sensitivity results. Oral antibiotics were used until the local infection was completely resolved. Patients were evaluated weekly during this process. RESULTS: Thirty-seven patients were retrospectively reviewed and constituted the study population. Mean age was 58.1 (range 37-85; SD 9.9) years. All were diabetic. Mean BMI was 31.8 (range 24-47; SD 5.0). PI was malleable in 33 cases and inflatable in 4 cases. Culture results (n = 19) included Staphylococcus epidermidis (42 %), pseudomonas (21%), Escherichia coli (21%), and S aureus (16%). Four of 37 patients needed the PI removed due to CT failure and onset of systemic symptoms, at a mean time-point of 75 ± 1.8 days after CT commencement. In men who were cured, mean time to complete healing was 49 (range 29-97; SD 15.8) days. Two of 37 patients (5%) had PI removal because of persistent penile pain despite complete wound healing, at a mean time point of 128 ± 2.5 days after CT commencement. All men managed conservatively resumed sexual intercourse. CONCLUSION: CT of localized PI infection appears to be a viable option for such patients, with the majority of patients retaining their implant and resuming sexual activity

Malleable Penile Implant Is an Effective Therapeutic Option in Men With Peyronie's Disease and Erectile Dysfunction

BACKGROUND: The inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) is typically the preferred implant for Peyronie's disease (PD) and malleable penile prostheses (MPPs) have been discouraged. Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness and patient satisfaction of the MPP vs IPP in patients with PD. METHODS: Men with PD and erectile dysfunction who elected for penile implant surgery constituted the study population. Preoperatively, demographic and comorbidity parameters were recorded. Curvature was measured with a goniometer at maximum rigidity after intracavernosal injection of a vasoactive agent. Postoperatively, overall satisfaction was measured at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months on 5-point Likert scale from 1 (dissatisfied) to 5 (very satisfied). RESULTS: 166 men with a mean age of 59 ± 10 years were analyzed. The mean preoperative curvature in the entire cohort was 65° (range = 30–130°). 94% of patients with MPP had total resolution of their curvature at the end of the operation, whereas 8 patients (6%) had residual curvature (25–40°). In the IPP group 25 of 30 (83.3%) had a straight penis at the end of surgery, whereas 5 of 30 (16.7%) had residual curvature, with the mean magnitude being 33° in the MPP group and 30° in the IPP group. 86% of all patients had diabetes. There were no differences between the 2 implant groups in age, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, or smoking status. The mean patient satisfaction was 4.42 ± 0.70 (range = 2–5) and there was no difference between the 2 groups. The mean follow-up period was 23.4 months (range = 6–29 months). CONCLUSION: We found that the MPP is as effective as the IPP in curvature correction in patients with PD, with similar patient satisfaction for the 2 groups. Habous M, Farag M, Tealab A, et al. Malleable Penile Implant Is an Effective Therapeutic Option in Men With Peyronie's Disease and Erectile Dysfunction. Sex Med 2018;6:24–29

Epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance of Mycobacterium spp. in the United Arab Emirates: a retrospective analysis of 12 years of national antimicrobial resistance surveillance data

Introduction: The Eastern Mediterranean Regional Office (EMRO) region accounts for almost 8% of all global Mycobacterium tuberculosis (TB) cases, with TB incidence rates ranging from 1 per 100,000 per year in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to 204 per 100,000 in Djibouti. The national surveillance data from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region on the epidemiology and antimicrobial resistance trends of TB, including MDR-TB remains scarce. Methods: A retrospective 12-year analysis of N = 8,086 non-duplicate diagnostic Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTB complex) isolates from the UAE was conducted. Data were generated through routine patient care during the 2010–2021 years, collected by trained personnel and reported by participating surveillance sites to the UAE National Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Surveillance program. Data analysis was conducted with WHONET, a windows-based microbiology laboratory database management software developed by the World Health Organization Collaborating Center for Surveillance of Antimicrobial Resistance, Boston, United States (https://whonet.org/). Results: A total of 8,086 MTB-complex isolates were analyzed. MTB-complex was primarily isolated from respiratory samples (sputum 80.1%, broncho-alveolar lavage 4.6%, pleural fluid 4.1%). Inpatients accounted for 63.2%, including 1.3% from ICU. Nationality was known for 84.3% of patients, including 3.8% Emiratis. Of UAE non-nationals, 80.5% were from 110 countries, most of which were Asian countries. India accounted for 20.8%, Pakistan 13.6%, Philippines 12.7%, and Bangladesh 7.8%. Rifampicin-resistant MTB-complex isolates (RR-TB) were found in 2.8% of the isolates, resistance to isoniazid, streptomycin, pyrazinamide, and ethambutol, was 8.9, 6.9, 3.4 and 0.4%, respectively. A slightly increasing trend of resistance among MTB-complex was observed for rifampicin from 2.5% (2010) to 2.8% (2021). Conclusion: Infections due to MTB-complex are relatively uncommon in the United Arab Emirates compared to other countries in the MENA region. Most TB patients in the UAE are of Asian origin, mainly from countries with a high prevalence of TB. Resistance to first line anti-tuberculous drugs is generally low, however increasing trends for MDR-TB mainly rifampicin linked resistance is a major concern. MDR-TB was not associated with a higher mortality, admission to ICU, or increased length of hospitalization as compared to non-MDR-TB

Noninvasive treatments for iatrogenic priapism: Do they really work? A prospective multicenter study

Objectives: Intracorporeal injections (ICIs) of vasoactive substances during penile Doppler ultrasound (PDU) are a common investigation for erectile dysfunction (ED) diagnosis. ICI can be responsible of priapism, a pathological condition of prolonged penile erection not related to sexual stimulation. The aim of our study is to investigate the effectiveness of physical exercise and medical treatment as noninvasive therapy to restore detumescence in prolonged erections after ICI. Materials and Methods: Data were prospectively collected on men undergoing PDU in three urological centers. Three hundred and sixty-nine patients underwent PDU for the investigation of ED. All the participants received an ICI of quadrimix; prostaglandine E1, papaverine, phentolamine, and atropine. The data of the patients have been analyzed to record their comorbidities, results of PDU, and the complications encountered. Results: Fifty-three patients (14.4%) developed prolonged erections. Physical exercise alone was successful in reversing prolonged erection within 30 min in 21 (39.6%) patients. Out of the remaining 32 patients, oral salbutamol induced detumescence in 18 (34%) within the observation period of 60 min. Nonresponders were managed successfully with aspiration and irrigation of corpora with saline (11 patients, 20.75%) or with Phenylephrine (three patients, 5.66%). Conclusions: Physical exercise and oral salbutamol are safe and effective in restoring detumescence of pharmacologically-induced priapism. Noninvasive therapy may save a significant number of these patients an invasive treatment

Management of severe complications following penile surgery for erectile dysfunction and Peyronie disease: Three case reports

Rationale:Erectile dysfunction (ED) and Peyronie's disease (PD) are conditions commonly observed in andrology. Despite the surgical refinement and the technical improvement in this field, even in expert hands, detrimental consequences have been reported and it can be related to patient's comorbidities or misconduct in the postoperative period. In this article we report anecdotal cases of severe complications following penile surgery for ED and PD in high volume centers, describe the strategies adopted to treat it and discuss the options that would have helped preventing these events.Patients' concerns:The first case describes a patient with history of ED and PD causing penile shortening and a slight dorsal deviation of penile shaft. In the second case it is described a corporeal necrosis and urethral fistula following inflatable penile prosthesis implant. In the last case it is described the migration of reservoir into the abdomen after inflatable penile prosthesis implantation post-radical prostatectomy.Diagnosis:All 3 patients were investigated with a penile doppler ultrasound with PGE1 intracorporeal injection for ED and PD diagnosis. An abdominal computed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging were ordered for patient of case three.Interventions:The patients underwent different combined procedures depending on the case and including: glansectomy, penile prosthesis implantation associated with a penile elongation with double dorsal-ventral patch graft ("sliding technique"), penile urethroplasty with buccal mucosa graft, and laparotomy for reservoir removal.Outcomes:No further serious complications were reported after the procedures described.Lessons:Penile surgery in patients with concomitant PD and systemic comorbidities can be at high risk of complications. As shown in this series there are possible dramatic evolution of these complications that may cause irreversible consequences to the patient. For this reason, a dedicated surgical and nursing team is necessary to reduce the chances that it happens. When this event occurs, a team trained in their management can improve the patient outcome