The Metabolic and Endocrine Effects of a 12-Week Allulose-Rich Diet.

The global rise in type 2 diabetes (T2D) and obesity necessitates innovative dietary interventions. This study investigates the effects of allulose, a rare sugar shown to reduce blood glucose, in a rat model of diet-induced obesity and T2D. Over 12 weeks, we hypothesized that allulose supplementation would improve body weight, insulin sensitivity, and glycemic control.

Serum amyloid A-dependent inflammasome activation and acute injury in a mouse model of experimental stroke.

Serum amyloid A (SAA) proteins increase dramatically in the blood following inflammation. Recently, SAAs are increased in humans following stroke and in ischemic animal models. However, the impact of SAAs on whether this signal is critical in the ischemic brain remains unknown.

Successful Adolescent Varicocelectomy Improves Total Motile Sperm Count.

Background: Management of the adolescent varicocele focuses on optimizing fertility potential, but to date there is limited data on the success of varicocelectomy on optimizing semen parameters for individual adolescent patients. We reviewed our database of over 1600 adolescent varicocele patients to find those with pre- and postoperative semen analyses to determine the impact of varicocele correction.

Methods: 15 Tanner stage V patients with unilateral clinically apparent left-sided with pre- and postoperative semen analyses were identified.

Correction: Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.7759/cureus.38391.

Historical Review of the Use of Relative Risk Statistics in the Portrayal of the Purported Hazards of High LDL Cholesterol and the Benefits of Lipid-Lowering Therapy.

The manner in which clinical trial investigators present their findings to healthcare providers and the public can have a substantial influence on their impact. For example, if a heart attack occurs in 2% of those in the placebo group and in 1% of those in the drug-treated group, the benefit to the treated population is only one percentage point better than no treatment. This finding is unlikely to generate much enthusiasm from the study sponsors and in the reporting of the findings to the public.

Importance of Coagulation Factors as Critical Components of Premature Cardiovascular Disease in Familial Hypercholesterolemia.

For almost a century, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) has been considered a serious disease, causing atherosclerosis, cardiovascular disease, and ischemic stroke. Closely related to this is the widespread acceptance that its cause is greatly increased low-density-lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). However, numerous observations and experiments in this field are in conflict with Bradford Hill's criteria for causality.

Exploring Factors Associated with Decisions about Feminizing Genitoplasty in Differences of Sex Development.

Study Objective: Infants with genital development considered atypical for assigned female sex may undergo feminizing genitoplasty (clitoroplasty and/or vaginoplasty) in early life. We sought to identify factors associated with parent/caregiver decisions regarding genitoplasty for their children with genital virilization.

Design: Longitudinal, observational study SETTING: Twelve pediatric centers in the United States with multidisciplinary differences/disorders of sex development clinics, 2015-2020 PARTICIPANTS: Children under 2 years old with genital appearance atypical for female sex of rearing and their parents/caregivers INTERVENTIONS/OUTCOME MEASURES: Data on the child's diagnosis and anatomic characteristics before surgery were extracted from the medical record.

Statin therapy is not warranted for a person with high LDL-cholesterol on a low-carbohydrate diet.

Purpose Of Review: Although there is an extensive literature on the efficacy of the low carbohydrate diet (LCD) for weight loss and in the management of type 2 diabetes, concerns have been raised that the LCD may increase cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk by increasing the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C). We have assessed the value of LDL-C as a CVD risk factor, as well as effects of the LCD on other CVD risk factors. We have also reviewed findings that provide guidance as to whether statin therapy would be beneficial for individuals with high LDL-C on an LCD.

Is parenteral antibiotic prophylaxis associated with fewer infectious complications in stented, distal hypospadias repair?

Introduction: Judicious use of antibiotics for surgical prophylaxis is important for reducing antimicrobial resistance while preventing infectious surgical complications. In the setting of pediatric distal hypospadias repairs, it is unclear if antibiotic surgical prophylaxis is beneficial.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to compare rates of infectious complications in pediatric subjects undergoing distal hypospadias repair who received any peri-operative antibiotics to those who did not.

Stigma, Intrusiveness, and Distress in Parents of Children with a Disorder/Difference of Sex Development.

Objective: The impact of parent-reported stigma due to their child's disorder/difference of sex development (DSD) on parent psychosocial adjustment is poorly understood. In other pediatric populations, perceived interference of medical conditions into daily activities (i.e.

Vaginectomy in Transmasculine Patients: A Review of Techniques in an Emerging Field.

Purpose: This report reviews the various techniques for vaginal obliterative surgery in the transmasculine patient population, including advantages and drawbacks with differing methods and reflects on the focus of future research and surgical efforts.

Findings: Existing techniques for vaginal obliterative surgery by vaginectomy or colpocleisis vary without strong evidence to identify a superior approach.

Summary: The increasing number of transmasculine patients seeking vaginectomy as a part of gender-affirming surgery must be matched by evidence-based techniques that provide a safe, long-term outcome.

Development and autoregulation of kidney function in children: a retrospective study using Tc-MAG3 renography.

Background: Both the development of kidney function in healthy children and autoregulation ability of kidney function in patients with asymmetric kidneys are important in clinical diagnosis and treatment of kidney-related diseases, but there are however only limited studies. This study aimed to investigate development of kidney function in normal children with healthy symmetric kidneys and autoregulation of the healthy kidney compensating the functional loss of a diseased one in children with asymmetric kidneys.

Methods: Two hundred thirty-seven children (156 male, 81 female) from 0 to 20y (average 4.

Prostatic metaplasia of the vagina in transmasculine individuals.

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of prostatic metaplasia in an expanded cohort of transmasculine individuals undergoing gender-affirming resection of vaginal tissue.

Methods: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Clinical records were reviewed for all transmasculine individuals undergoing vaginal tissue resection at our institution between January 2018 and July 2021.

Control of β-Site Amyloid Precursor Protein-Cleaving Enzyme-1 Expression by Protein Kinase C-λ/ι and Nuclear Factor κ-B.

Unlabelled: Βackground: β-Amyloid precursor protein-cleaving enzyme-1 (BACE1) initiates the production of Aβ-peptides that form Aβ-plaque in Alzheimer's disease.

Methods: Reportedly, acute insulin treatment in normal mice, and hyperinsulinemia in high-fat-fed (HFF) obese/diabetic mice, increase BACE1 activity and levels of Aβ-peptides and phospho- -thr-231-tau in the brain; moreover, these effects are blocked by PKC-λ/ι inhibitors. However, as chemical inhibitors may affect unsuspected targets, we presently used knockout methodology to further examine PKC-λ/ι requirements.

Clinical outcome of pediatric and young adult subclinical varicoceles: a single-institution experience.

Subclinical varicocele represents an abnormality of veins of the pampiniform plexus on scrotal ultrasound (US) without a clinically palpable varicocele. Its significance remains unclear. While guidelines do not recommend surgical intervention, clinical management is variable.

Distress Trajectories for Parents of Children With DSD: A Growth Mixture Model.

Objective: This study identifies trajectories of parent depressive symptoms after having a child born with genital atypia due to a disorder/difference of sex development (DSD) or congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) and across the first year postgenitoplasty (for parents who opted for surgery) or postbaseline (for parents who elected against surgery for their child). Hypotheses for four trajectory classes were guided by parent distress patterns previously identified among other medical conditions.

Methods: Participants included 70 mothers and 50 fathers of 71 children diagnosed with a DSD or CAH with reported moderate to high genital atypia.

Serious flaws in targeting LDL-C reduction in the management of cardiovascular disease in familial hypercholesterolemia.

Recently, Polychronopoulos and Tziomalos reviewed research on the use of inclisiran and bempedoic acid in the management of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in people with familial hypercholesterolemia (FH). Their treatment recommendations were based on the general premise that high LDL-cholesterol (LDL-C) is inherently atherogenic, and that low levels of LDL-C need to be achieved to reduce CVD risk in FH individuals. However, their perspective on LDL-C is flawed at two levels of analysis: 1) They ignored the extensive literature demonstrating that CVD is not caused by high LDL-C; and 2) they failed to consider CVD treatment strategies that take into account the extensive literature that has shown that coagulation factors are more closely related to coronary events in FH than is LDL-C.

Is Clitoral Release Another Term for Metoidioplasty? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Metoidioplasty Surgical Technique and Outcomes.

Introduction: There has been an exponential increase in referrals for transmasculine patients seeking genital affirmation surgery. Despite transgender men's equal interest in metoidioplasty and phalloplasty, research has primarily focused on phalloplasty.

Aim: To summarize and investigate the relationship between surgical technique, complications, and patient-satisfaction.