Phantom sensation in genital gender-affirming surgery: a narrative review.

Purpose Of Review: To review findings related to phantom genital sensation, emphasizing phantom sensation in the transgender and gender diverse (TGD) population. We discuss prevalence, presentation and potential implications for sensory outcomes in genital gender-affirming surgery.

Recent Findings: There is a high prevalence of phantom genital sensations in the TGD population.

Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative: A Milestone-Based Strategy to Monitor Parkinson's Disease Progression.

Background: Identifying a meaningful progression metric for Parkinson's disease (PD) that reflects heterogeneity remains a challenge.

Objective: To assess the frequency and baseline predictors of progression to clinically relevant motor and non-motor PD milestones.

Methods: Using data from the Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI) de novo PD cohort, we monitored 25 milestones across six domains ("walking and balance"; "motor complications"; "cognition"; "autonomic dysfunction"; "functional dependence"; "activities of daily living").

Thromboprophylaxis for children hospitalized with COVID-19 and MIS-C.

Background: Limited data exist about effective regimens for pharmacological thromboprophylaxis in children with acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C).

Objectives: Study the outcomes of institutional thromboprophylaxis protocol for primary venous thromboembolism (VTE) prevention in children hospitalized with acute COVID-19/MIS-C.

Methods: This single-center retrospective cohort study included consecutive children (aged less than 21 years) with COVID-19/MIS-C who received tailored intensity thromboprophylaxis, primarily with low-molecular-weight heparin, from April 2020 through October 2021.

NT-proBNP Levels Following IVIG Treatment of Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children.

Background And Objectives: N-terminal of probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels are often elevated in multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C) secondary to inflammation, myocardial dysfunction, or increased wall tension. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG), accepted treatment of MIS-C, may transiently increase myocardial tension and contribute to an increase in NT-proBNP. We sought to study the association between pre- and post-IVIG levels of NT-proBNP and CRP and their clinical significance.

Sex-Related Longitudinal Change of Motor, Non-Motor, and Biological Features in Early Parkinson's Disease.

Background: Investigation of sex-related motor and non-motor differences and biological markers in Parkinson's disease (PD) may improve precision medicine approach.

Objective: To examine sex-related longitudinal changes in motor and non-motor features and biologic biomarkers in early PD.

Methods: We compared 5-year longitudinal changes in de novo, untreated PD men and women (at baseline N = 423; 65.

Dopamine transporter imaging predicts clinically-defined α-synucleinopathy in REM sleep behavior disorder.

Introduction: Individuals with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (iRBD) are at high risk for a clinical diagnosis of an α-synucleinopathy (aSN). They could serve as a key population for disease-modifying trials. Abnormal dopamine transporter (DAT) imaging is a strong candidate biomarker for risk of aSN diagnosis in iRBD.

Sex Does Not Influence Visual Outcomes After Blast-Mediated Traumatic Brain Injury but IL-1 Pathway Mutations Confer Partial Rescue.

Purpose: In a mouse model of blast-mediated traumatic brain injury (bTBI), interleukin-1 (IL-1)-pathway components were tested as potential therapeutic targets for bTBI-mediated retinal ganglion cell (RGC) dysfunction. Sex was also evaluated as a variable for RGC outcomes post-bTBI.

Methods: Male and female mice with null mutations in genes encoding IL-1α, IL-1β, or IL-1RI were compared to C57BL/6J wild-type (WT) mice after exposure to three 20-psi blast waves given at an interblast interval of 1 hour or to mice receiving sham injury.

Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Breast Cancer Cells in Patient Blood with Nuclease-Activated Probe Technology.

A challenge for circulating tumor cell (CTC)-based diagnostics is the development of simple and inexpensive methods that reliably detect the diverse cells that make up CTCs. CTC-derived nucleases are one category of proteins that could be exploited to meet this challenge. Advantages of nucleases as CTC biomarkers include: (1) their elevated expression in many cancer cells, including cells implicated in metastasis that have undergone epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition; and (2) their enzymatic activity, which can be exploited for signal amplification in detection methods.

Rapid Detection of Urinary Tract Infections via Bacterial Nuclease Activity.

Rapid and accurate bacterial detection methods are needed for clinical diagnostic, water, and food testing applications. The wide diversity of bacterial nucleases provides a rich source of enzymes that could be exploited as signal amplifying biomarkers to enable rapid, selective detection of bacterial species. With the exception of the use of micrococcal nuclease activity to detect Staphylococcus aureus, rapid methods that detect bacterial pathogens via their nuclease activities have not been developed.

Rapid, Culture-Free Detection of Staphylococcus aureus Bacteremia.

S. aureus bacteremia (SAB) is a common condition with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Current methods used to diagnose SAB take at least a day, and often longer.