Transmission through correlated Cun_nCoCun_n heterostructures

The effects of local electronic interactions and finite temperatures upon the transmission across the Cu$_4$CoCu$_4$ metallic heterostructure are studied in a combined density functional and dynamical mean field theory. It is shown that, as the electronic correlations are taken into account via a local but dynamic self-energy, the total transmission at the Fermi level gets reduced (predominantly in the minority spin channel), whereby the spin polarization of the transmission increases. The latter is due to a more significant $d$-electrons contribution, as compared to the non-correlated case in which the transport is dominated by $s$ and $p$ electrons.Comment: 29 pages, 7 figures, submited to PR

Role of lysines in cytochrome c – cardiolipin interaction

Cytochrome c undergoes structural variations during the apoptotic process; such changes have been related with modifications occurring in the protein when it forms a complex with cardiolipin, one of the phospholipids constituting the mitochondrial membrane. Although several studies have been performed to identify the site(s) of the protein involved in the cytochrome c/cardiolipin interaction, to date the location of this hosting region(s) remains unidentified and is a matter of debate. To gain a deeper insight into the reaction mechanism, we investigate the role that the Lys72, Lys73 and Lys79 residues play in the cytochrome c/cardiolipin interaction, as these side chains appear to be critical for cytochrome c/cardiolipin recognition. The Lys72Asn, Lys73Asn, Lys79Asn, Lys72/73Asn and Lys72/73/79Asn mutants of horse heart cytochrome c were produced and characterized by circular dichroism, UV-visible and resonance Raman spectroscopies, and the effects of the mutations on the interaction of the variants with cardiolipin have been investigated. The mutants are characterized by a subpopulation with non-native axial coordination, and are less stable than the wild type protein. Furthermore, the mutants lacking Lys72 and/or Lys79 do not bind cardiolipin and those lacking Lys73, although they form a complex with the phospholipid, do not show any peroxidase activity. These observations indicate that the Lys72, Lys73 and Lys79 residues stabilize the native axial Met80-Fe(III) coordination as well as the tertiary structure of cytochrome c. Moreover, while Lys72 and Lys79 are critical for cytochrome c/cardiolipin recognition, the simultaneous presence of Lys72, Lys73 and Lys79 is necessary for peroxidase activity of cardiolipin-bound cytochrome c

Use of Soft Penile Prosthesis in Grafting Surgery for Peyronie’s Disease and Mild Erectile Dysfunction: Still an Option?

Background: Plaque incision and grafting (PEG) is a primary surgical therapy for severe penile curvature in Peyronie’s disease (PD); However, it can increase the risk of erectile dysfunction (ED), particularly in patients with pre-operative mild ED. Soft penile prosthesis (SPP) implantation is a viable treatment option in such cases. This study aims to compare the outcomes of PEG-only approach to PEG plus SPP implantation. Methods: Between 2010 and 2019, 32 patients with PD and mild ED (5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function scores: 17–21) underwent PEG surgery. Two groups were defined based on the surgery type: PEG-only and PEG plus SPP. The long-term outcomes included correction of penile bending, erection quality, intercourse ability, penile length and sensitivity. The overall satisfaction and impact of surgery on sexual activity and quality of life were also assessed. Results: Of the 32 patients, 13 (40.6%) underwent PEG-only surgery, whereas 19 (59.4%) underwent PEG plus SPP. No significant differences were noted between the groups regarding pre-operative characteristics (all p > 0.1) or intra- and post-operative complication rates (all p > 0.2). The median patch area was larger in the PEG-only group (28 cm2 vs. 16.2 cm2; p = 0.001), whereas patients in the PEG plus SPP group were more likely to receive a single patch implant (100% vs. 53.8%; p < 0.001). The penile length increased in 18 patients (61.6%), with significant differences between the two groups (30% vs. 81.2%; p = 0.03). Overall, 14 patients (53.8%) reported greater satisfaction with their sexual life post-operatively, with comparable rates between the groups (p = 0.2). No significant differences were found in the post-operative 5-item version of the International Index of Erectile Function scores or severe post-operative ED (all p > 0.5). Conclusions: SPP placement during corporoplasty in patients with mild ED is safe and feasible, and it may be a suitable option for patients uncertain about inflatable prosthesis placement. The use of SPP resulted in longer penile lengths and necessitated smaller grafts. However, further data are required to understand the long-term clinical implications of this approach

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for the differential diagnosis between granulomatous prostatitis and prostate cancer: a literature review to an intriguing diagnostic challenge

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) is currently the most effective diagnostic tool for detecting prostate cancer (PCa) and evaluating adenocarcinoma-mimicking lesions of the prostate gland, among which granulomatous prostatitis (GP) represents the most interesting diagnostic challenge. GP consists of a heterogeneous group of chronic inflammatory lesions that can be differentiated into four types: idiopathic, infective, iatrogenic, and associated with systemic granulomatous disease. The incidence of GP is growing due to the increase in endourological surgical interventions and the adoption of intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer; therefore, the difficulty lies in identifying specific features of GP on mpMRI to avoid the use of transrectal prostate biopsy as much as possible

Transverse prostate maximum sectional area can predict clinically significant prostate cancer in PI-RADS 3 lesions at multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging

BackgroundTo evaluate multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) parameters, such as TransPA (transverse prostate maximum sectional area), TransCGA (transverse central gland sectional area), TransPZA (transverse peripheral zone sectional area), and TransPAI (TransPZA/TransCGA ratio) in predicting prostate cancer (PCa) in prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 3 lesions. MethodsSensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and negative predictive value (NPV), the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), and the best cut-off, were calculated. Univariate and multivariate analyses were carried out to evaluate the capability to predict PCa. ResultsOut of 120 PI-RADS 3 lesions, 54 (45.0%) were PCa with 34 (28.3%) csPCas. Median TransPA, TransCGA, TransPZA and TransPAI were 15.4cm(2), 9.1cm(2), 5.5cm(2) and 0.57, respectively. At multivariate analysis, location in the transition zone (OR=7.92, 95% CI: 2.70-23.29, P<0.001) and TransPA (OR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.76-0.92, P<0.001) were independent predictors of PCa. The TransPA (OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.082-0.99, P=0.022) was an independent predictor of csPCa. The best cut-off of TransPA for csPCa was 18 (Sensitivity 88.2%, Specificity 37.2%, PPV 35.7%, NPV 88.9%). The discrimination (AUC) of the multivariate model was 0.627 (95% CI: 0.519-0.734, P<0.031). ConclusionsIn PI-RADS 3 lesions, the TransPA could be useful in selecting patients requiring biopsy

Enhancing Electron Correlation at a 3d Ferromagnetic Surface

Spin-resolved momentum microscopy and theoretical calculations are combined beyond the one-electron approximation to unveil the spin-dependent electronic structure of the interface formed between iron (Fe) and an ordered oxygen (O) atomic layer, and an adsorbate-induced enhancement of electronic correlations is found. It is demonstrated that this enhancement is responsible for a drastic narrowing of the Fe d-bands close to the Fermi energy (EF) and a reduction of the exchange splitting, which is not accounted for in the Stoner picture of ferromagnetism. In addition, correlation leads to a significant spin-dependent broadening of the electronic bands at higher binding energies and their merging with satellite features, which are manifestations of a pure many-electron behavior. Overall, adatom adsorption can be used to vary the material parameters of transition metal surfaces to access different intermediate electronic correlated regimes, which will otherwise not be accessible. The results show that the concepts developed to understand the physics and chemistry of adsorbate–metal interfaces, relevant for a variety of research areas, from spintronics to catalysis, need to be reconsidered with many-particle effects being of utmost importance. These may affect chemisorption energy, spin transport, magnetic order, and even play a key role in the emergence of ferromagnetism at interfaces between non-magnetic systems

Transmission through correlated CunCoCun heterostructures

The effects of local electronic interactions and finite temperatures upon the transmission across the Cu4CoCu4 metallic heterostructure are studied in a combined density functional and dynamical mean field theory. It is shown that, as the electronic correlations are taken into account via a local but dynamic self-energy, the total transmission at the Fermi level gets reduced (predominantly in the minority spin channel), whereby the spin polarization of the transmission increases. The latter is due to a more significant d-electrons contribution, as compared to the non-correlated case in which the transport is dominated by s and p electrons

Immunohistochemistry analysis of PSMA expression at prostatic biopsy in high-risk prostate cancer: potential implications for PSMA-PET patient selection

Introduction: Prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is a transmembrane protein expressed by normal prostatic tissue. Therefore, molecular imaging targeting PSMA (PSMA-PET) has gained particular interest and diffusion for PCa staging and restaging. Several factors may affect PSMA-PET results, and many tools have been proposed to improve patient selection. Furthermore, PSMA expression is not homogeneous among different tissues and within the prostate itself. The aims of this study were to evaluate immunohistochemistry (IHC) features of prostate biopsy samples and to assess their correlation with whole-mount specimens and PSMA-PET parameters. Methods: We included consecutive high-risk PCa patients who underwent PSMA-PET for staging proposal at our institution from January 2022 to December 2022. The PET parameters selected were SUVmax, total volume (TV), and total lesion activity (TL). Each patient underwent multiparametric MRI (mpMRI) and fusion-targeted prostate biopsy prior to surgery. IHC analyses were performed on the index lesion cores. IHC visual score (VS) (1, 2, 3) and visual pattern (VP) (membranous, cytoplasmic, and combined) and the percentage of PSMA-negative tumor areas (PSMA%neg) within biopsy cores were evaluated. Results: Forty-three patients who underwent robotic radical prostatectomy after PSMA-PET were available for analyses. Concordance between VS and VP at biopsy and final pathology showed a Cohen’s kappa coefficient of 0.39 and 0.38, respectively. Patients with PSMA%neg <20% had a higher concordance in VS and VP (Cohen’s kappa 0.49 and 0.4, respectively). No difference emerged in terms of median PSMA-TV (p = 0.3) and PSMA-TL (p = 0.9) according to VS at biopsy, while median SUVmax was higher in patients with VS 3 (p = 0.04). Higher SUVmax was associated with membranous and combined VP expression (p = 0.008). No difference emerged between patients with PSMA%neg <20% or PSMA%neg >20% on biopsy cores in terms of SUVmax, PSMA-TL, and PSMA-TV (p = 0.5, p = 0.5, and p = 0.9 respectively). Conclusions: We found a correlation between IHC VS and VP on targeted biopsy cores and SUVmax at PSMA-PET. However, the correlation between the IHC parameters of biopsy cores and final pathology was not as high as expected. Nevertheless, the presence of PSMA%neg <20% seems to have a better concordance in terms of visual score