Linkwhitaker7095

Fruit firmness is an important trait of melons due to its effect on fresh fruit consumption, storage, and transport. However, information on the expression of genes influencing the fruit firmness of 'Baogua' (BG) melon (Cucumis melo ssp. agrestis Jeffrey) remains rare. This study aimed to identify the key genes associated with the firmness of BG fruit sampled at 14 and 28 days after pollination (dap) via transcriptome sequencing. A total of 1113 up-regulated and 2224 down-regulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified. The main Gene Ontology terms assigned to the DEGs were phosphotransferase activity, alcohol group as acceptor, protein phosphorylation, and protein kinase activity. The enriched KEGG pathways involving the DEGs were starch and sucrose metabolism, diterpenoid biosynthesis, plant hormone signal transduction, and MAPK signaling pathway-plant. In addition, qRT-PCR verified that four GAL genes, namely, CmGAL1-4, were differentially expressed at 0, 7, 14, 21, and 28 dap. Our data revealed that CmGAL1 expression was highest at 21 dap. However, the expression levels of CmGAL2-4 were highest at 14 dap. The sequence of CmGAL1 was similar to the sequences of homologs from melon and cucumber. Subcellular localization analysis revealed CmGAL1 was located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm. Our findings implied that fruit development at 14 dap, which is a key time-point, varies considerably from fruit development at 28 dap. Our present study provides new information on the genes associated with BG fruit firmness and help improve the storage and transport of BG fruit prior to processing.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01131-5.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s12298-022-01131-5.

COVID-19 pandemic is associated with secondary opportunistic fungal infections. These have an aggressive course with a high mortality rate. We present our experience of seven cases of post-COVID-19 fungal pyelonephritis.

An observational study over a period of 8 months of May to December 2021 was carried out at our tertiary care hospital, including all patients with features of fungal pyelonephritis in post-COVID-19 setting. The patient demographics, details of previous COVID-19 infection, details of present admission and management were collected. The endpoints were either discharge from the hospital or death.

Seven patients were included. Mean age of presentation was 42 years (range 20-63 years, standard deviation ± 14.2). Male-to-female ratio was 61. One patient was diabetic. Two patients were asymptomatic, one had mild infection, and four patients had severe COVID-19 infection as per National Institute of Health criteria. In the present admission, all patients had symptomatic pyelonephritis with laboratory parameters showing elevated D dimer, C reactive protein, and total leukocyte counts. In all seven patients, ultrasound of kidney ureter bladder region showed bulky kidney, color Doppler showed main renal arterial thrombosis in two patients, segmental arterial thrombosis in another patient. Computed tomography scan was suggestive of changes of pyelonephritis in all patients with multiple renal hypodense areas. All patients required nephrectomy with biopsy suggestive of changes of necrotizing fungal inflammation. Three patients expired.

Management of post-COVID-19 fungal pyelonephritis should be aggressive and suspicious laboratory and imaging findings should be treated by early nephrectomy.

Management of post-COVID-19 fungal pyelonephritis should be aggressive and suspicious laboratory and imaging findings should be treated by early nephrectomy.Primary malignancies of the seminal vesicles are rare. Presentation of extragonadal germ cell tumor in the seminal vesicle is even rarer. We report a case of a 26-year-old male who presented with hematuria and lower urinary tract symptoms, which on imaging turned out to be a right seminal vesicle mass. The diagnosis of mixed germ cell tumor with yolk sac tumor and teratoma was made on the initial evaluation by transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsy which showed the characteristic histomorphology and immunohistochemistry profile. The patient underwent chemotherapy followed by radical pelvic exenteration. The patient is doing well with no evidence of distant metastasis in positron emission tomography/computed tomography of 1-year posttreatment.

Female urethral stricture is an underdiagnosed condition and a diagnostic challenge. Traditionally treatment has been urethral dilatation. Recent studies have shown promising outcomes after female urethroplasty (FU). We report our two-institutional experience with dorsal onlay substitution FU using buccal mucosal graft (BMG) and vaginal wall graft (VWG).

In this retrospective study, 32 women who underwent dorsal onlay urethroplasty at two institutions in India and Portugal were included for comparison of outcomes between BMG and VWG. The need for re-intervention was defined as failure. Their assessment included American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score, peak flow rate (Qmax), urethral calibration, postvoid residual urine (PVR), voiding cystourethrogram, and cystoscopy. Other parameters such as age, need for suprapubic cystostomy, prior interventions, location, length, etiology, operating time, postoperative catheter time, complications, and follow-up were evaluated. Statistical analysis was done with two-sample

-test, Mann-Whitney test, and proportion test for equality.

21 patients underwent BMG and 11 underwent VWG, respectively. The overall mean age was 49 years (range 25-75) and follow-up was 26 months (range 13-62). The overall change in AUA symptom score was from 22 to 6, Qmax from 4ml/s to 26mL/s, and PVR from 185ml to 17 ml with no statistical difference between the two groups. Other parameters showed no difference except operating time. The overall urethral patency rate was 94% with no statistical difference in these groups (

= 0.0773).

Dorsal onlay substitution FU is easy to perform with low complication rate. We found no difference in outcome of FU in these groups. Early FU should be encouraged to avoid the adversities of repeated dilatations.

Dorsal onlay substitution FU is easy to perform with low complication rate. We found no difference in outcome of FU in these groups. Early FU should be encouraged to avoid the adversities of repeated dilatations.

Bipolar transurethral resection of the prostate (B-TURP) is a commonly performed procedure, although it has not yet surpassed the gold standard monopolar TURP. The incidence and contributing factors to the development of urethral stricture following B-TURP are still a matter of debate and were analyzed in the present study.

This prospective study evaluated patients who underwent B-TURP. Demographic characteristics, clinical data, and data on other specific investigations were analyzed. learn more B-TURP was performed using an Olympus TURis bipolar system. Patients were followed up for 6 months with the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), peak flow rate (Q-max), and residual urine estimation. Urethral stricture was defined as narrowing of the urethral lumen requiring instrumentation to improve the urinary flow rate.

A total of 352 patients were enrolled, with a mean age of 67 ± 8.6 years. The mean preoperative IPSS, prostate volume, and Q-max were 21 ± 4, 58.8 ± 31.7 cm

, and 8 ± 3 mL/sec, respectively. The mean meatal caliber was 28 ± 2 Fr. In 209 patients (59.4%), B-TURP was performed using a 24-Fr resectoscope, while in the remaining 143 (40.6%), a 26-Fr resectoscope was used. The mean resection times with the 24-Fr and 26-Fr resectoscopes were 36.5 ± 19.8 min and 63.5 ± 30 min, respectively. Urethral strictures were identified in 15 patients, with an incidence of 4.3%. Mean meatal caliber was significantly related to the risk of stricture formation (

= 0.001).

The incidence of urethral stricture after B-TURP was 4.3%. We found that small meatal caliber was associated with an increased risk of urethral stricture following B-TURP.

The incidence of urethral stricture after B-TURP was 4.3%. We found that small meatal caliber was associated with an increased risk of urethral stricture following B-TURP.

The management options for regional lymph nodes (LNs) in men with penile cancer include surveillance, surgery, and chemotherapy. The use of radiotherapy (RT) for nodal disease follows tradition and single-institution policies. We aimed to analyse the existing evidence regarding the management of penile cancer patients with suspected or known metastatic pelvic LNs using pelvic LN dissection (PLND) with RT versus PLND or RT alone.

A systematic review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines, with no filters for language or time. The search was conducted in EMBASE, MEDLINE/PubMed, and Cochrane Library. Inclusion criteria were adult men with penile cancer and suspected metastatic pelvic LNs, undergoing PLND with or without RT or RT alone. Primary outcomes included disease-specific survival and locoregional recurrence. Secondary outcomes included overall survival and complications of therapy.

A total of 552 articles were identified. Only eige required to assess the efficacy and safety of adjuvant RT and PLND.Ureteral calcification in genitourinary tuberculosis is extremely rare. A 36-year-old female presented with a diagnosis of right ureteral calculi. On further investigations, she was found to have a right nonfunctioning kidney with a suspected diagnosis of genitourinary tuberculosis which was confirmed on histopathology.Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolomics is a powerful analytical technique and a tool which has unique characteristics and capabilities for the evaluation of a number of biochemicals/metabolites of cancer and other disease processes that are present in biofluids (urine and blood) and tissues. The potential of NMR metabolomics in prostate cancer (PCa) has been explored by researchers and its usefulness has been documented. A large number of metabolites such as citrate, choline, and sarcosine were detected by NMR metabolomics from biofluids and tissues related to PCa and their levels were compared with controls and benign prostatic hyperplasia. The changes in the levels of these metabolites aid in the diagnosis and help to understand the dysregulated metabolic pathways in PCa. We review recent studies on in vitro and ex vivo NMR spectroscopy-based PCa metabolomics and its possible role as a diagnostic tool.

Technological advancements have made it possible to attempt retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) in patients with large renal calculi. The objective of this study was to compare the intraoperative adverse events, postoperative complications and stone free rates (SFR) of RIRS in patients with renal calculi of varying sizes.

Patients who underwent RIRS for renal calculi between January 2016 and June 2020 were categorized into six size groups according to the longest dimension or cumulative measurement of the longest dimension of calculi as follows Group 1 (1-9 mm), Group 2 (10-19 mm), Group 3 (20-29 mm), Group 4 (30-39 mm), Group 5 (40-49 mm) and Group 6 (≥50 mm). All the patients were followed up for a period of 6 months post treatment completion and the outcomes of interest were computed and compared.

Two hundred and ten patients were included in the analysis. Intraoperative adverse events were noted in 9.5%, 8%, 16.9%, 9.1%, 6.7% and 28.6% of the patients in groups 1-6, respectively (

= 0.453). The postoperative complications were noted in 4.