Small Bowel Ischemia due to Jejunum Volvulus in Pregnancy: A Case Report

The diagnosis of intestinal obstruction in pregnancy is difficult, as the symptoms may mimic pregnancy-associated complaints. The surgical management is challenging, as the mortality rate of midgut volvulus in pregnancy is high. We report the case of a 35-year-old woman at 21 weeks and 5 days of gestation with small bowel obstruction who presented to our institution with a 24 h history of colicky abdominal pain and nausea and who finally had a successful open repair

Selection and Presentation of Imaging Figures in the Medical Literature

Background: Images are important for conveying information, but there is no empirical evidence on whether imaging figures are properly selected and presented in the published medical literature. We therefore evaluated the selection and presentation of radiological imaging figures in major medical journals. Methodology/Principal Findings: We analyzed articles published in 2005 in 12 major general and specialty medical journals that had radiological imaging figures. For each figure, we recorded information on selection, study population, provision of quantitative measurements, color scales and contrast use. Overall, 417 images from 212 articles were analyzed. Any comment/hint on image selection was made in 44 (11%) images (range 0–50% across the 12 journals) and another 37 (9%) (range 0–60%) showed both a normal and abnormal appearance. In 108 images (26%) (range 0–43%) it was unclear whether the image came from the presented study population. Eighty-three images (20%) (range 0–60%) had any quantitative or ordered categorical value on a measure of interest. Information on the distribution of the measure of interest in the study population was given in 59 cases. For 43 images (range 0–40%), a quantitative measurement was provided for the depicted case and the distribution of values in the study population was also available; in those 43 cases there was no over-representation of extreme than average cases (p = 0.37). Significance: The selection and presentation of images in the medical literature is often insufficiently documented; quantitative data are sparse and difficult to place in context

The Addition of Endometrial Injury to Freeze-All Strategy in Women with Repeated Implantation Failures

(1) Background: Recurrent implantation failure (RIF) after IVF remains a challenging topic for fertility specialists and a frustrating reality for patients with infertility. Various approaches have been investigated and applied towards the improvement of clinical outcomes. Through a nonrandomized clinical trial, we evaluated the effect of the combination of hysteroscopic endometrial injury and the freeze-all technique on pregnancy parameters in a cohort of RIF patients; (2) Methods: The study group comprised of 30 patients with RIF that underwent a hysteroscopic endometrial injury prior to a frozen embryo transfer cycle; another 30 patients with RIF, comprising the control group, underwent a standard frozen cycle with no adjuvant treatment before. Live birth comprised the primary outcome. Logistic and Poisson regression analyses were implemented to reveal potential independent predictors for all outcomes. (3) Results: Live birth rates were similar between groups (8/30 vs. 3/30, p = 0.0876). Biochemical and clinical pregnancy and miscarriages were also independent of the procedure (p = 0.7812, p = 0.3436 and p = 0.1213, respectively). The only confounding factor that contributed to biochemical pregnancy was the number of retrieved oocytes (0.1618 ± 0.0819, p = 0.0481); (4) Conclusions: The addition of endometrial injury to the freeze-all strategy in infertile women with RIF does not significantly improve pregnancy rates, including live birth. A properly conducted RCT with adequate sample size could give a robust answer

Vertebrae Morphometric Measurement and Ca/P Levels of Different Age European Seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax)

The European seabass is one of the most important species of the Mediterranean, specifically Greece. Individuals with different numbers of vertebrae have been reported. This number ranges from 24 to 26 vertebrae. In this study a sample of 73 individual seabass were collected from fish farms and divided into three age groups. The first group included fingerling individuals, the second group, juvenile individuals and the third group, adult individuals. The number and the length of their vertebrae were measured by radiographs. The individuals were divided into subgroups according to their vertebrae number, and from each one the tenth vertebra was taken. Ca and P levels (%) of each tenth vertebra were measured by X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and the Ca/P ratio was determined. Vertebrae length, Ca and P levels and Ca/P ratio were compared among age groups and among individuals with different numbers of vertebrae. It was shown that the European seabass’s vertebral column can be divided to three sections—cervical, abdominal and caudal—following the striped bass (Morone saxatilis) model

Bisphenol-A and Female Fertility: An Update of Existing Epidemiological Studies

Humans interfere with a variety of endocrine disruptors on a daily basis, which may result in adverse health effects. Among them, Bisphenol-A (BPA) is the most debated endocrine disruptor, despite being widely studied, regarding its effects on fertility. The aim of this review was to investigate the interrelation of BPA and female fertility. PubMed (Medline) was searched from 2013 until 2022 to identify epidemiological studies that report the association of BPA with fertility parameters, in vitro fertilization (IVF) outcomes, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Regarding general fertility, most studies report an inverse association between BPA and ovarian reserve markers, namely antral follicle count (AFC) and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH). The BPA and estradiol (E2) levels did not correlate significantly in the majority of studies. No definite conclusions can be reached regarding BPA and IVF endpoints or endometriosis. Lastly, most studies report higher prevalence of PCOS in women with higher BPA concentrations, although no casualty has been proven. Although most studies fail to reach definite conclusion regarding the impact of BPA on fertility, there is accumulating evidence suggesting a negative role of BPA in female reproductive health

Road to conception and successful delivery for a facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy patient

Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy is a muscular dystrophy affecting all ages, primarily people in the second decade. The disease is initially presented with face, shoulder girdle, and upper arm involvement, followed by lower extremity muscle weakness. Disease progression is usually slow, although about one-fifth of patients will require a wheelchair to accommodate mobility. Women with this muscular dystrophy could rarely have poor birth outcomes, with facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy symptom deterioration post-partum. In this study, we present a case of a woman with a genetically confirmed facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy I who underwent cesarean section with epidural anesthesia with favorable outcomes following the procedure. Eight months post cesarean section, the patient reported no facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy symptom deterioration. We reviewed the literature with emphasis on large studies concerning facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy and birth outcomes and concluded that the hereby presented approach is important for the comprehensive obstetric care and future risk assessment and management in such patients

Metabolic Mechanisms and Potential Therapeutic Targets for Prevention of Ovarian Aging: Data from Up-to-Date Experimental Studies

Female infertility and reproduction is an ongoing and rising healthcare issue, resulting in delaying the decision to start a family. Therefore, in this review, we examine potential novel metabolic mechanisms involved in ovarian aging according to recent data and how these mechanisms may be addressed through new potential medical treatments. We examine novel medical treatments currently available based mostly on experimental stem cell procedures as well as caloric restriction (CR), hyperbaric oxygen treatment and mitochondrial transfer. Understanding the connection between metabolic and reproductive pathways has the potential to offer a significant scientific breakthrough in preventing ovarian aging and prolonging female fertility. Overall, the field of ovarian aging is an emerging field that may expand the female fertility window and perhaps even reduce the need for artificial reproductive techniques

Diversity of Fish and Decapod Fry in the Coastal Zone of Amvrakikos Gulf

Amvrakikos Gulf and its surrounding coastal lagoons are of primary importance for the local biodiversity and fishing activities. Fish species inhabited the coastal lagoons based on the seasonal ongoing migration movements of fry and adult fish individuals from the sea towards the lagoons. Information on the early stages of fish and decapod species in the Amvrakikos Gulf is limited only to the planktonic ontogenetic stages and reproduction biology, respectively. The aim of this study was to describe the spatial distribution of fry from commercially important fish and decapod species in the coastal zone of Amvrakikos Gulf. The seasonal appearance of the early stage of the most commercially important fish species caught in the coastal zone of the gulf ranged from one to four seasons, depending on the species. Individuals of all ontogenetic stages (fry, juveniles, and adults) were reported for several species (A. boyeri, A. fasciatus, S. abaster, S. tyfle, and B. ocellaris), indicating that these species may be regarded as residents in the coastal zone, providing habitats for their entire life cycle. The average relative abundance of the species/genera exhibited no differences compared to other Greek brackish waters. The species composition in the Amvrakikos Gulf at 10 cm and above was in agreement with the transitional nature of the area, with permanent and occasional species present. The present study emphasizes the importance of the coastal zone as a nursery habitat for commercially important species

Does Cancer Therapy Causes Cancer? A Case Report and Mini Review of the Literature

The subject of whether cancer treatment causes cancer is less widely recognized but obviously not insignificant. Although previous studies have attempted to address the concept of “postradiation carcinoma” there is no direct evidence that these tumors are caused by radiation or simply present incident malignancies in an at-risk population. The risk of second primary cancer in women with cervical cancer in previously irradiated fields remains still unclear. We present an atypical case of endometrial cancer formerly submitted to pelvic irradiation because of cervical carcinoma and we discuss the eventual association of pelvic radiation with a subsequent endometrial carcinoma