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Background: Cauliflower (Brassica oleracea L.) and globe artichoke (Cynara scolymus L.) are vegetables with a high waste index mainly related to stems and leaves. In this study, enzymatic hydrolysates obtained from these wastes were proposed to be used as plant biostimulants. Life cycle assessment methodology was also applied to evaluate environmental performances related to cauliflower and artichoke byproducts., Results: Hydrolysates (HYs) were chemically and biologically characterized. Amino acids, organic acids, amines, polyols, mineral elements, phenols, tannins, flavonoids and sulfur compounds were identified and quantified by means of NMR, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and UV-visible analyses. Cauliflower leaf and flower HYs showed the highest concentration of free amino acids, whereas stems showed the highest concentration of Ca. Regarding artichoke, asparagine, glutamine and aspartic acid were exclusively detected in stems, whereas artichoke leaves showed the highest Mg and Mn levels together with the highest antioxidant activity. The HYs diluted in water were tested as biostimulants. The impacts of five concentrations of HYs (0.00, 0.28, 0.84, 2.52 and 7.56 g L -1 ) on seed germination and early seedling growth of crimson clover, alfalfa, durum wheat and corn were investigated., Conclusions: The application of artichoke biostimulant (0.28 g L -1 ) positively influenced the coefficient of velocity of germination in alfalfa, crimson clover and durum wheat, whereas cauliflower biostimulant significantly improved corn germination speed. © 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.)

Background and Purpose: The aim of our study is to assess the long-term outcomes and safety of bipolar transurethral plasma enucleation of the prostate (B-TUEP) in patients with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) in a single-center cohort study. Our focus is to evaluate the impact on outcomes after 10 years of follow-up (FUP) in terms of recurrence, LUTS, and patients' quality of life after B-TUEP in prostates between 30 and 80 cc. Materials and Methods: Between May 2010 and December 2011, all consecutive patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia undergoing B-TUEP were prospectively enrolled in our study. Data on patients' history, physical examination, prostate volumes, erectile function, prostate-specific antigen levels, International Prostate Symptoms Score (IPSS), and uroflowmetry were collected at 0, 1, 3, 6, 12, 24, 36, 60, and 120 months. Early and long-term complications were recorded. Results: A total of 50 consecutive patients underwent B-TUEP in our facility, all performed by a single surgeon (R.G.). Twelve patients were excluded during the 10 years. No patients had persistent bladder outlet obstruction (BOO) requiring reoperation. In terms of results, the improvement in IPSS was sustained throughout 5 years, and the mean difference from baseline at 5 years was 17 points, with similar results at 10 years. Erectile function was also slightly improved after surgery and maintained for the next 5 years, with a slight age-related decrease at 10 years. Furthermore, the improvements in maximum urine flow rate (Qmax) were maintained at 5 years, with a mean improvement of 16 mL/s, while at 10 years, it settled on a mean improvement from baseline of 12 mL/s. Conclusions: In our 10 years' experience, B-TUEP is a safe and highly effective technique for relieving BOO, with excellent outcomes and no recurrence at 10 years of FUP. Further multicenter studies should confirm our results.

Background: Aim of our study was to evaluate learning curve of the Millin simple prostatectomy analyzing three expert laparoscopic surgeons., Methods: Learning curve of 3 expert laparoscopic surgeons with excellent radical prostatectomy training was evaluated. Surgeon 1 had more than 20 years of experience, while other surgeons had 10 years of experience. The first 45 procedures of the surgeons were considered for analysis. The cumulative sum (CUSUM) technique, one of the methods developed to monitor the performance and quality of the industrial sector, was adopted to analyze learning curves. The variables included to evaluate learning curve of the surgeons were: operative time (OT), hospitalization (HO) and complication rate., Results: Overall 135 patients were included in the analysis. Median age was 68 (64/74), median prostate volume was 83 (75/97), median Qmax 9 mL/s (6/11) and median IPSS=20 (18/22). Complications included: 9/135 (7%) transfusion, 4/135 (3%) Urinary retention, 3/135 (2%) fever, 1/35 (<1%) reintervention and 1/135 (<1%) conversion. Surgeon 1 presented a lower median operative time when compared to surgeon 2 and 3. No significant differences were recorded in terms of hospitalization, blood loss and transfusion rate as well as postoperative outcomes. According to the CUSUM analysis the number of procedures needed to achieve a plateau in surgical time is 10/15 procedures., Conclusions: According to our results 15 procedures are needed to reach a plateau in surgical time for trained laparoscopic surgeons.