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© 2019, The Author(s). Abstract: In 2014, the International Endohernia Society (IEHS) published the first international “Guidelines for laparoscopic treatment of ventral and incisional abdominal wall hernias.” Guidelines reflect the currently best available evidence in diagnostics and therapy and give recommendations to help surgeons to standardize their techniques and to improve their results. However, science is a dynamic field which is continuously developing. Therefore, guidelines require regular updates to keep pace with the evolving literature. Methods: For the development of the original guidelines, all relevant literature published up to year 2012 was analyzed using the ranking of the Oxford Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine. For the present update, all of the previous authors were asked to evaluate the literature published during the recent years from 2012 to 2017 and revise their statements and recommendations given in the initial guidelines accordingly. In two Consensus Conferences (October 2017 Beijing, March 2018 Cologne), the updates were presented, discussed, and confirmed. To avoid redundancy, only new statements or recommendations are included in this paper. Therefore, for full understanding both of the guidelines, the original and the current, must be read. In addition, the new developments in repair of abdominal wall hernias like surgical techniques within the abdominal wall, release operations (transversus muscle release, component separation), Botox application, and robot-assisted repair methods were included. Results: Due to an increase of the number of patients and further development of surgical techniques, repair of primary and secondary abdominal wall hernias attracts increasing interests of many surgeons. Whereas up to three decades ago hernia-related publications did not exceed 20 per year, currently this number is about 10-fold higher. Recent years are characterized by the advent of new techniques—minimal invasive techniques using robotics and laparoscopy, totally extraperitoneal repairs, novel myofascial release techniques for optimal closure of large defects, and Botox for relaxing the abdominal wall. Furthermore, a concomitant rectus diastasis was recognized as a significant risk factor for recurrence. Despite insufficient evidence with respect to these new techniques, it seemed to us necessary to include them in the update to stimulate surgeons to do research in these fields. Conclusion: Guidelines are recommendations based on best available evidence intended to help the surgeon to improve the quality of his daily work. However, science is a continuously evolving process, and as such guidelines should be updated about every 3 years. For a comprehensive reference, however, it is suggested to read both the initial guidelines published in 2014 together with the update. Moreover, the presented update includes also techniques which were not known 3 years before.

© 2019, Spandidos Publications. All rights reserved. Adiponectin, endothelin and nitric oxide (NO) are major regulators of vascular function. An imbal-ance of vasoactive factors contributes to the onset and progression of atherosclerosis. Various single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are considered to be risk factors for coronary heart disease. However, the molecular mechanisms of their associations with the components of endothelial dysfunction are poorly understood. In the present study, rs17366743, rs17300539, rs266729, rs182052 and rs2241766 SNPs of the adiponectin (ADIPOQ) gene and rs2070699, rs1800542 and rs1800543 SNPs of the endothelin-1 (EDN1) gene were genotyped in 477 patients with coronary heart disease who were subjected to coronary angiography, in order to determine the presence or absence of coronary atherosclerosis. The serum levels of adiponectin, endothelin and stable metabolites of NO, (nitrate and nitrite NOx), were assayed and their associations with the SNP genotypes and coronary lesions were calculated. The results indicated that rs17366743 of the ADIPOQ gene and rs2070699 and rs1800543 of the EDN1 gene were associated with the levels of NOx in women, which in turn was associated with cardiovascular mortality. In men, rs182052 and rs266729 of the ADIPOQ gene were associated with adiponectin levels, whereas rs17366743 of the ADIPOQ gene was associated with endothelin levels. Additionally, these SNPs were indirectly associated with the prevalence of coronary lesions in men. Therefore, the tested SNPs can be considered potential risk factors that lead to imbalance of vasoactive mediators in a gender-specific manner and contribute to the development of clinical manifestations of atherosclerosis.

© 2019, Federación de Sociedades Españolas de Oncología (FESEO). Purpose: To evaluate the added value of diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) to T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) for improved identification of pelvic lymph nodes (LN) by radiation oncologists. Methods/patients: This retrospective study included 20 patients with histopathologically proven node-negative prostate cancer. All patients underwent 3T-MRI of the prostate; matched axial T2WI and DWI sequences were assessed by an experienced uro-radiologist as the reference standard. Consultant and specialist registrar radiation oncologists were asked to identify all LN first on T2WI alone (read 1) and then on T2WI and DWI combined (read 2); LN were measured in size and divided into true positives (TP), false positives (FP) and false negatives (FN). Sensitivity, positive predictive value (PPV) and false negative rate (FNR) were then calculated and compared using Pearson’s Chi square test. Results: A total of 177 LN comprised the reference standard. 16 TP, 16 FP and 161 FN LN (sensitivity 9.0%, PPV 50.0%, FNR 91.0%) and 124, 15 and 53 LN (70.1%, 89.2%, 30%) were identified by reader 1 on reads 1 and 2, respectively; χ2 (2, N = 385) = 137.8, p < 0.0001. 27, 21 and 150 LN (15.3%, 56.3%, 84.8%) and 120, 13 and 57 LN (67.8%, 90.2%, 32.2%) were identified by reader 2 on the two reads; χ2 (2, N = 388) = 102.4, p < 0.0001. Conclusions: Adding DWI to T2WI significantly improved identification of pelvic LN by radiation oncologists and can therefore be regarded as a useful LN contouring technique for RT planning in pelvic malignancies.

Heart failure is a complex syndrome whose phenotypic presentation and disease progression depends on a complex network of adaptive and maladaptive responses. One of these responses is the endothelial release of NRG (neuregulin)-1-a paracrine growth factor activating ErbB2 (erythroblastic leukemia viral oncogene homolog B2), ErbB3, and ErbB4 receptor tyrosine kinases on various targets cells. NRG-1 features a multitasking profile tuning regenerative, inflammatory, fibrotic, and metabolic processes. Here, we review the activities of NRG-1 on different cell types and organs and their implication for heart failure progression and its comorbidities. Although, in general, effects of NRG-1 in heart failure are compensatory and beneficial, translation into therapies remains unaccomplished both because of the complexity of the underlying pathways and because of the challenges in the development of therapeutics (proteins, peptides, small molecules, and RNA-based therapies) for tyrosine kinase receptors. Here, we give an overview of the complexity to be faced and how it may be tackled.

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Aim: To evaluate the association between testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in prostate cancer (CaP) patients who underwent definitive local therapy with curative intent with biochemical recurrence (BCR). Materials and methods: A literature search using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library was conducted on November 2018 to identify relevant studies according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta Analysis guidelines. The pooled BCR rate in CaP men treated with TRT after definitive local therapy with curative intent was calculated using a random effects model. Results: Twenty-one studies were eligible. The overall pooled BCR rate was 0.01 (95%CI 0.00–0.02) suggesting a lack of association between TRT and BCR; there was no heterogeneity among included studies (I2 = 24.34%, P = 0.15). In subgroup analyses, pooled BCR rates were 0.00 (95%CI 0.00–0.02) in patients treated with radical prostatectomy and 0.02 (95%CI 0.00–0.04) in patients treated with external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy, cryotherapy, or high intensity focused ultrasound; there was no heterogeneity in the subgroup analyses (I2 = 19.88%, P = 0.18). Conclusions: In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we did not observe higher rate of BCR after TRT for nonmetastatic CaP patients after definitive local therapy. Based on these data, others and we have outlined a phase I/II trial assessing the safety and benefits of TRT in select men with secondary symptomatic hypogonadism who have no active disease after definitive local CaP therapy with curative intent.

© Copyright © 2019 Krasil’nikova, Surin, Sorokina, Fisenko, Boyarkin, Balyasin, Demchenko, Pomytkin and Pinelis. Glutamate excitotoxicity is implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases, such as stroke, traumatic brain injury, and Alzheimer’s disease, for which insulin resistance is a concomitant condition, and intranasal insulin treatment is believed to be a promising therapy. Excitotoxicity is initiated primarily by the sustained stimulation of ionotropic glutamate receptors and leads to a rise in intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i), followed by a cascade of intracellular events, such as delayed calcium deregulation (DCD), mitochondrial depolarization, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion that collectively end in cell death. Therefore, cross-talk between insulin and glutamate signaling in excitotoxicity is of particular interest for research. In the present study, we investigated the effects of short-term insulin exposure on the dynamics of [Ca2+]i and mitochondrial potential in cultured rat cortical neurons during glutamate excitotoxicity. We found that insulin ameliorated the glutamate-evoked rise of [Ca2+]i and prevented the onset of DCD, the postulated point-of-no-return in excitotoxicity. Additionally, insulin significantly improved the glutamate-induced drop in mitochondrial potential, ATP depletion, and depletion of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a critical neuroprotector in excitotoxicity. Also, insulin improved oxygen consumption rates, maximal respiration, and spare respiratory capacity in neurons exposed to glutamate, as well as the viability of cells in the MTT assay. In conclusion, the short-term insulin exposure in our experiments was evidently a protective treatment against excitotoxicity, in a sharp contrast to chronic insulin exposure causal to neuronal insulin resistance, the adverse factor in excitotoxicity.

© 2019 The Author(s). Background: Liver resection is a treatment of choice for colorectal and neuroendocrine liver metastases, and laparoscopy is an accepted approach for surgical treatment of these patients. The role of liver resection for patients with non-colorectal non-neuroendocrine liver metastases (NCNNLM), however, is still disputable. Outcomes of laparoscopic liver resection for this group of patients have not been analyzed. Material and methods: In this retrospective study, patients who underwent laparoscopic liver resection for NCNNLM at Oslo University Hospital between April 2000 and January 2018 were analyzed. Perioperative and oncologic data of these patients were examined. Postoperative morbidity was classified using the Accordion classification. Kaplan-Meier method was used for survival analysis. Median follow-up was 26 (IQR, 12-41) months. Results: Fifty-one patients were identified from a prospectively collected database. The histology of primary tumors was classified as adenocarcinoma (n = 16), sarcoma (n = 4), squamous cell carcinoma (n = 4), melanoma (n = 16), gastrointestinal stromal tumor (n = 9), and adrenocortical carcinoma (n = 2). The median operative time was 147 (IQR, 95-225) min, while the median blood loss was 200 (IQR, 50-500) ml. Nine (18%) patients experienced postoperative complications. There was no 90-day mortality in this study. Thirty-five (68%) patients developed disease recurrence or progression. Seven (14%) patients underwent repeat surgical procedure for recurrent liver metastases. One-, three-, and five-year overall survival rates were 85%, 52%, and 38%, respectively. The median overall survival was 37 (95%CI, 25 to 49) months. Conclusion: Laparoscopic liver resection for NCNNLM results in good outcomes and should be considered in patients selected for surgical treatment.

© 2019, Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Background: Natural orifice specimen extraction (NOSE)surgery is gaining popularity among colorectal surgeons. The technical aspects of this new procedure are still debated and many variations have been presented in the last decade. Methods: We propose a new variation of transanal NOSE after robotic and laparoscopic LAR consisting of rectal eversion by using a special rod after laparoscopic TME. Eversion makes it possible to perform resection and placement of the anvil extracorporeally. We included a video demonstration of the technique. Clinical Patient Grading Assessment Scale was calculated 1 month after stoma closure and the Low Anterior Resection Syndrome (LARS)score was calculated preoperatively and 1 month after stoma closure. Results: Seven female patients with rectal cancer, all with normal BMI, underwent laparoscopic (n = 5) or robotic (n = 2) TME with rectal eversion. No intraoperative and postoperative complications were reported. One month after stoma closure, the median Clinical Patient Grading Assessment Scale was 5 (range 3–7), which means “a good deal better”. The median LARS score was 14 (IQR 14–19,5) preoperatively and 19 (IQR 19–21,5) 1 month after stoma closure. Conclusions: This variation of NOSE surgery was safe and effective in our patient population.

© 2019, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Abstract: It is shown that the efficacy of the photosensitized oxidation of organic substrates in aqueous media (with the oxidation of tryptophan being used as an example) does not depend on adding biologically active dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNICs) with thiol-containing ligands to the reaction medium if it contains Pluronic F127, a poly(ethylene oxide)–poly(propylene oxide)– poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer, at concentrations higher than the critical micelle concentration. Photosensitizer molecules are localized in Pluronic micelles and are shielded from the damaging impact of NO• radicals that form upon the photodegradation of DNIC molecules. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) sessions (the photoinduced necrosis and apoptosis of cells in pathologically altered tissues and the simultaneous initiation of regeneration and repair of the treated tissues due to the photodecomposition of DNIC molecules) thus become fundamentally possible.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Acid-sensing ion channel (ASIC) channels belong to the family of ligand-gated ion channels known as acid-sensing (proton-gated) ion channels. Only a few activators of ASICs are known. These are exogenous and endogenous molecules that cause a persistent, slowly desensitized current, different from an acid-induced current. Here we describe a novel endogenous agonist of ASICs-peptide nocistatin produced by neuronal cells and neutrophils as a part of prepronociceptin precursor protein. The rat nocistatin evoked currents in X. laevis oocytes expressing rat ASIC1a, ASIC1b, ASIC2a, and ASIC3 that were very similar in kinetic parameters to the proton-gated response. Detailed characterization of nocistatin action on rASIC1a revealed a proton-like dose-dependence of activation, which was accompanied by a dose-dependent decrease in the sensitivity of the channel to the protons. The toxin mambalgin-2, antagonist of ASIC1a, inhibited nocistatin-induced current, therefore the close similarity of mechanisms for ASIC1a activation by peptide and protons could be suggested. Thus, nocistatin is the first endogenous direct agonist of ASICs. This data could give a key to understanding ASICs activation regulation in the nervous system and also could be used to develop new drugs to treat pathological processes associated with ASICs activation, such as neurodegeneration, inflammation, and pain.

© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. The superficial femoral artery (SFA) is a typical atherosclerosis-prone site. We aimed to explore whether the tortuosity of the SFA associates with the occurrence of atherosclerosis and investigate how vascular tortuosity influences the characteristics of blood flow. Ten patients diagnosed with atherosclerotic disease in their SFAs while free of systemic atherosclerosis risk factors were enrolled together with ten atherosclerosis-free patients. The tortuosity of each SFA was quantitatively evaluated by calculating the averaged curvature (AC), maximum curvature (MC) and fraction of high curvature (FC) based on the geometrical model reconstructed from medical images. Hemodynamic studies were performed using both geometrically simplified and anatomically realistic models of the SFA to systematically address the hemodynamic effects of vascular tortuosity. Morphological analyses revealed that all curvature indices of the SFA were significantly larger in patients with atherosclerosis than in atherosclerosis-free patients (AC [mm−1]: 0.034 ± 0.016 vs. 0.018 ± 0.006; MC [mm−1]: 0.055 ± 0.023 vs. 0.034 ± 0.008; FC [%]: 22.77 ± 10.22 vs. 11.39 ± 6.82; p < 0.001). Simulations of blood flows in the geometrically simplified SFAs showed that increasing vascular curvature caused a progressive increase in the area ratios of low wall shear stress (LWSA) and high oscillatory shear index (HOSA). Hemodynamic studies on the anatomically realistic SFAs further demonstrated that high-curvature SFAs (n = 10) had overall larger LWSA and HOSA compared with low-curvature SFAs (n = 10) (LWSA [%]: 4.13 ± 1.91 vs. 1.79 ± 1.13, p = 0.009; HOSA [%]: 4.95 ± 1.92 vs. 2.37 ± 1.51, p = 0.007). These results suggest that increased vascular tortuosity augments the severity and distribution of atherosclerosis-promoting flow disturbances in the SFA and may be an independent risk factor for atherosclerosis.

© 2018, SICOT aisbl. Objective: To investigate the effect of knee arthroscopic synovectomy (AS) on the disease activity, quality-of-life (QoL), and the functional status of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Materials and methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the outcomes of AS performed on 138 RA patients; pre-surgery assessments were done using Disease Activity score (DAS 28) and Routine Assessment of Patient Index Data З (RAPID-3) on а multidimensional health-assessment questionnaire for disease activity, EuroQol-5D (EQ-5D) and the Short-Form Medical Outcomes Study (SF-36) for quality of life, and the Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) for functional status. The pain response to SA was measured by а visual analogue score (VAS) and the Knee Society Score (KSS). Results: All parameters assessed in the study showed significant positive changes: the activity of the disease decreased, and patients’ functional status and QoL improved. Conclusion: AS is effective treatment for recurrent synovitis of the knee in RA patients. This technique improves the functional status of patients and their quality of life and reduces the activity of the disease.

© 2019, The Author(s). Introduction: This study examined the dynamics of 24-h electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring parameters (Holter monitoring) in patients with ischemic heart disease (IHD) before and after conservative or surgical treatment of patients with voiding and storage lower urinary tract symptoms (LTS) due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Methods: A total of eighty-three 57 to 81-year-old (mean age 70.4 ± 5.75 years) patients with LUTS/BPH and accompanying IHD were examined and treated at the Institute of Urology and Human Reproductive Health and Clinic of Cardiology of Sechenov University. All patients received recommended cardiac therapy at least 6 months before inclusion in the study. Results: Our study demonstrated that there is correlation between voiding and storage LUTS/BPH and Holter-detected cardiac impairments in patients with IHD/BPH. These data make it possible to consider LUTS/BPH (voiding and storage) as a factor in the additional functional and psychological load on the activity of patients with ischemic heart disease. Improvement of voiding and storage LUTS due to BPH and objective parameters of urination (Qmax) in patients treated with alpha-1 adrenoceptor blocker tamsulosin correlated with improvement of 24-h ECG monitoring parameters (Holter monitoring) in 72% of patients. Improvement of 24-h ECG monitoring parameters (Holter monitoring) 1 month after transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) in IHD/BPH patients and indications for surgical treatment was observed in 65.7%. Negative dynamics of the Holter-based ECG was not registered in patients who were operated on. Conclusion: Holter monitoring helps to identify groups of patients in whom urinary impairments caused by prostatic hyperplasia negatively affect the course of IHD. Restored urination (either conservatively or operatively) in patients with BPH in 72% of cases decreased the number of fits of angina, thus influencing favourably the course of IHD. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03856242.

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. The article is dedicated to the life and work of Dr. Roy Selby (1930–2002), an American neurosurgeon who founded neurosurgery in Malaysia. Dr. Selby stayed in Malaysia from July 1963 to May 1970. He opened the first neurosurgical department at the general hospital in Kuala Lumpur and established a training program under which Malaysian physicians and nurses were sent to neurosurgery centers in the United States and Canada. Some physicians came back and headed local neurosurgical units. On his return to the United States, Dr. Selby practiced neurosurgery until 1986, when he had to give it up due to the impact of progressive congestive heart failure. From 1986 to 1994, Dr. Selby taught graduate courses in the Department of Psychology at East Texas State University, Texarkana, Texas. He was a pioneer of spinal surgery and founded the Lumbar Spine Society. Dr. Selby was a world citizen neurosurgeon and advocated international standards of training in neurosurgery. From 1985 to 1994, he was chairman of the Archives Committee of the American Association of Neurological Surgeons. Dr. Selby serves as a model of a physician as a humanist.

© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Near-IR spectroscopy is a promising analytical method in pharmacy. It was shown that it can be used as a rapid method for confirming the identity and analyzing the purity of kemantane (5-hydroxyadamantan-2-one) drug substance.

© 2019, Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers 2019. The purpose of our work was to study late cardiac complications after treatment for Hodgkin's lymphoma (HL) in children and adolescents. Methods: Sixty-seven patients were examined in the long term (>5 years) after chemoradiotherapy for HL according to two different programs of treatment (groups I and II). Mean total doses of radiotherapy (RT) to the mediastinum were 37.2 and 28.9 Gy, respectively. The status of the heart was assessed at the mean age of 22.7 years with electrocardiography (ECG) and echocardiography (EchoCG). Mean terms of follow-up were 16.4 and 9.5 years for group I and group II, respectively. Results: Incidence of ECG changes was equal between the groups (88% and 90%). The prevalence of signs of valvular calcifications and fibrosis was 70.9% after mediastinal doses ≥30 Gy, and 16.6% after lower doses (p = 0.002). Those changes led to considerable valvular dysfunction in four patients. EchoCG signs of pulmonary hypertension were seen in 33.3% patients of group I versus 4.8% in group II (p = 0.047). Pericardial effusion was observed in 7.4% and 5.1%, respectively (p = 1.0). Left ventricular ejection fraction decreased slightly only in two patients (one in each group). Conclusions: The RT mediastinal dose level is the important risk factor of late heart complications. Nevertheless, the differences in the rate and severity of those complications between the groups should be viewed with caution because of differences in the age at baseline and in follow-up terms. The survivors of HL should undergo life-long regular examinations of the heart status.

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. To date, a myriad of strategies has been suggested for targeting the chemical signaling of cancer cells. Also, biomechanical features are gaining much more attention. These features can be used as biomarkers which influence cancer progression. Current approaches on cancer treatment are mainly focused on changing the biochemical signaling of cancer cells, whereas less attention was devoted to their biomechanical properties. Herein, we propose targeting of cancer cell mechanics through the microenvironmental mechanical and chemical cues. As such, we examined the role of substrate stiffness as well as the effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) blockade in the cell mechanics. As a mechanical stimulus, stiff and soft polydimethylsiloxane substrates were utilized, while as a chemical stimulus, EGFR blockade was considered. Thus, breast cancer cell lines, MCF7 and MDA-MB-231, were cultured among chemical and mechanical groups. The local elasticity of cancer cells was assessed by atomic force microscopy nanoindentation method. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of mentioned mechanical and chemical treatments on the morphology, actin cytoskeleton structures, and cancer cell migration abilities. The stiffness and migration ability of cancer cells increased by substrate stiffening while Cetuximab treatment demonstrated an elevation in the elastic modulus of cells followed by a reduction in the migration ability. These findings indicate that cancer cell mechanics is modulated not only by the mechanical cues but also by the chemical ones through EGFR signaling pathway. Overall, our results illustrate that manipulation of cell mechanics allows for the possible modulation of tumor cell migration. © 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Biomed Mater Res Part A: 107A: 1569–1581, 2019.

© 2018 Elsevier Ltd In this review, we describe dielectric properties of biological tissues and liquids in the context of terahertz (THz) biophotonics. We discuss a model of the THz dielectric permittivity of water and water-containing media, which yields analysis of the relaxation and damped resonant molecules modes. We briefly describe modern techniques of THz spectroscopy and imaging employed in biophotonics with a strong emphasize on a THz time-domain spectroscopy. Furthermore, we consider the methods of sub-wavelength resolution THz imaging and the problem of THz wave delivery to hard to access tissues and internal organs. We consider the THz dielectric properties of biological solutions and liquids. Although strong absorption by water molecules prevents THz-waves from penetration of hydrated tissues and probing biological molecules in aqueous solutions, we discuss approaches for overcoming these drawbacks – novel techniques of freezing and temporal dehydration by application of hyperosmotic agents which have a potential for cancer detection. We review recent applications of THz technology in diagnosis of malignancies and aiding histology paying particular attention to the origin of contrast observed between healthy and pathological tissues. We consider recent applications of THz reflectometry in sensing the thinning dynamics of human pre-corneal tear film. Modern modalities of THz imaging, which relies on the concepts of multi-spectral and multi-temporal domains and employing the principles of color vision, phase analysis and tomography are discussed. Novel methods of THz spectra analysis based on machine learning, pattern recognition, chemical imaging and the revealing of the spatial distribution of various substances in a tissue, are analyzed. Advanced thermal model describing biological object irradiated by THz waves and phantoms mimicking the optical properties of tissues at THz frequencies are presented. Finally, application of the high-resolution THz spectroscopy in analytic chemistry, biology and medicine are described.

© 2018 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license Blue biotechnologies implement marine bio-resources for addressing practical concerns. The isolation of biologically active molecules from marine animals is one of the main ways this field develops. Strikingly, cnidaria are considered as sustainable resources for this purpose, as they possess unique cells for attack and protection, producing an articulated cocktail of bioactive substances. The Mediterranean sea anemone Anemonia viridis has been studied extensively for years. In this short review, we summarize advances in bioprospecting of the A. viridis toxin arsenal. A. viridis RNA datasets and toxin data mining approaches are briefly described. Analysis reveals the major pool of neurotoxins of A. viridis, which are particularly active on sodium and potassium channels. This review therefore integrates progress in both RNA-Seq based and biochemical-based bioprospecting of A. viridis toxins for biotechnological exploitation.

© 2018 The Author(s). Background: The impact of number of endoscopic enucleation of the prostate techniques (holmium laser enucleation - HoLEP for example) on erectile function have already been investigated. However, the thulium-fiber laser, in this setting remains unstudied. In this study, we compared sexual function outcomes in patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) treated with transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP) or thulium-fiber laser enucleation (ThuFLEP). Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of patients who underwent transurethral resection and endoscopic enucleation of the prostate for BPH; inclusion criteria was the presence of infravesical obstruction (IPSS > 20, Qmax < 10 mL/s). Erectile function (EF) was assessed using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF-5) both prior to endoscopic examination, and six months after. Results: A total of 469 patients with BPH were included in the study; of these, 211 underwent to ThuFLEP, and 258 TURP. Preoperative IIEF-5 in TURP and ThuFLEP groups were 11.7 (±4.5) and 11.1 (±5.0), respectively (p = 0.17). At six month the IIEF-5 score was unchanged (p = 0.26 and p = 0.08) and comparable in both groups (p = 0.49). However, mean IIEF-5 score shown significant increase of 0.72 in ThuFLEP group, comparing to decrease of 0.24 in TURP patients (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Both TURP and ThuFLEP are effective modalities in the management of infravesical obstruction due to BPH. At six months follow-up after surgery, both techniques lead to comparable IIEF-5 score. However, our results demonstrated that the ThuFLEP is more likely to preserve the erectile function leading to increase of IIEF-5 at six months in contrast to TURP which lead to slight drop in IIEF-5 score.