A PAX-8-Positive Female Urethral Adenocarcinoma, Intestinal-Type: A Case Report with Diagnostic Challenges and a Review of the Literature.

Female urethral adenocarcinoma (FUA) is extremely rare. It is an aggressive malignancy, and clear cell and columnar/mucinous ("intestinal") represent the two primary histologic subtypes. Diagnosis is often delayed in patients because of their vague symptomatology; hence, they present with an advanced disease and a poor prognosis.

Scholarly Activity and Research Training in Urology Residency Programs: Assessment of Current Practice and Barriers.

Objective: To identify factors associated with effective scholarly activity and identify barriers to research during urology residency.

Methods: An online survey was sent to 134 urology residency program directors in the United States. The survey assessed program characteristics, available support, and barriers for scholarly activity.

Predictors and Barriers to Faculty Scholarly Activity in United States Urology Residency Programs.

Objective: To determine factors and barriers associated with scholarly activity among faculty members at urology residency programs in the United States.

Methods: An online survey was sent to all 134 urology residency program directors. The survey assessed program characteristics including size, location and definition of scholarly activity.

Tips and Tricks for Performing a Retrograde Pyelogram.

Objective: To demonstrate indications, review tools and techniques, as well as abnormal findings when performing a retrograde pyelogram.

Methods: Retrograde pyelogram is a procedure which consists of introducing water-soluble contrast in a retrograde fashion into the ureter and collecting system of the kidney under fluoroscopic guidance. Conditions in which a retrograde pyelogram are indicated include iatrogenic ureteral injuries, ureteral obstruction, identification of stones or tumors, assistance for stent placement or ureteroscopy, and trauma evaluation.

Pelvic Organ Prolapse Stage and the Relationship to Genital Hiatus and Perineal Body Measurements.

Objectives: This study aimed to describe the relationship between genital hiatus (GH) and perineal body (PB) measurements with increasing pelvic organ prolapse (POP) stage in a large cohort of women referred to Urogynecology clinic for pelvic floor disorders.

Methods: Retrospective chart review of all new patients seen in an academic Urogynecology clinic between January 2007 and September 2011 was performed. Data were extracted from a standardized intake form.

Dry seeds and environmental extremes: consequences for seed lifespan and germination.

In the context of climate change, food security and long-term human space missions, it is important to understand which species produce seeds that can tolerate extreme environmental conditions. Here we consider dry seed survival of extreme conditions encountered in both natural and artificially controlled environments. Considerable overlap exists between the two: for example, ultra-dry and anoxic conditions can be artificially imposed during seed storage and also occur naturally in the vacuum of space environments.

Illness uncertainty and quality of life of patients with small renal tumors undergoing watchful waiting: a 2-year prospective study.

Background: Few studies have examined factors associated with the quality of life (QOL) of patients with renal tumors. Illness uncertainty may influence QOL.

Objective: To prospectively examine the influence of uncertainty on general and cancer-specific QOL and distress in patients undergoing watchful waiting (WW) for a renal mass.

Simultaneous penile prosthesis and male sling/artificial urinary sphincter.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and stress urinary incontinence (SUI) from urethral sphincteric deficiency is not an uncommon problem. The commonest etiology is intervention for localized prostate cancer and/or radical cystoprostatectomy for muscle invasive bladder cancer. Despite advances in surgical technology with robotic assisted laparoscopic prostatectomy and nerve sparing techniques, the rates of ED and SUI remain relatively unchanged.

The SRD5A2 V89L polymorphism is associated with severity of disease in men with early onset prostate cancer.

Background: Emerging evidence indicates that testosterone (T), and not dihydrotestosterone (DHT), is the most relevant androgen that promotes carcinogenesis in the prostate. Steroid 5-alpha reductase type II (SRD5A2) catalyzes the irreversible conversion of T to DHT in male reproductive organs. Because the SRD5A2 gene is highly polymorphic at codon 89, two SRD5A2 isoforms are expressed that differ in K(m) and V(max) values.

Estrogen receptors alpha (ESR1) and beta (ESR2) are expressed in circulating human lymphocytes.

Bone marrow thymocytes in part mediate the bone-preserving effects of estrogen by decreasing their production of osteoclast growth factors such as interleukin-1 and -6 and tumor necrosis factor alpha in the presence of physiological amounts of estradiol. Although several in vitro studies implicate the T-lymphocyte as a candidate mediator of estrogen signaling in the skeleton, whether these cells or any lymphocytes ordinarily express one or both nuclear estrogen receptors was previously unresolved. The purpose of our investigation was therefore to ascertain, by using real-time PCR, immmunoblotting, and cytometric techniques, if any of the nuclear estrogen receptors could be detected in normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMNC) collected from healthy volunteers.

Basal and parathyroid hormone induced expression of the human 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha-hydroxylase gene promoter in kidney AOK-B50 cells: role of Sp1, Ets and CCAAT box protein binding sites.

The regulation of the gene for renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1alpha- hydroxylase (1alpha(OH)ase; CYP27B1) by parathyroid hormone (PTH) under hypocalcemic conditions is fundamentally important for the maintenance of calcium and phosphate homeostasis. The molecular mechanism that underlies this hormonal response is of current interest and has been investigated in the present study by transfection analysis of the human 1alpha(OH)ase promoter in kidney AOK-B50 cells. We have shown that the first 305 bp of promoter can be induced by hormone in transient transfection assays and also within a chromatin environment when stably integrated.