All men with vasculogenic erectile dysfunction require a cardiovascular workup.

An association between erectile dysfunction and cardiovascular disease has long been recognized, and studies suggest that erectile dysfunction is an independent marker of cardiovascular disease risk. Therefore, assessment and management of erectile dysfunction may help identify and reduce the risk of future cardiovascular events, particularly in younger men. The initial erectile dysfunction evaluation should distinguish between predominantly vasculogenic erectile dysfunction and erectile dysfunction of other etiologies.

The nuchal translucency examination leading to early diagnosis of structural fetal anomalies.

Objective: To evaluate the ability to diagnose structural fetal anomalies during or soon after an extended nuchal translucency (NT) examination.

Methods: The study population included all women who had a routine NT examination in the ultrasound division of one of three centers. Also included in the study were women referred to these centers following an abnormal NT examination.

Placenta Percreta With Invasion into the Urinary Bladder.

Placenta percreta is a rare condition, which can lead to significant morbidity and potentially mortality. We present a case of a 38-year-old woman who presented at 24 weeks gestation with vaginal bleeding and was found to have complete placenta previa with placenta percreta invading the urinary bladder. Her hospital course was complicated by bilateral pulmonary emboli.

Presentation of cauda equina syndrome due to an intradural extramedullary abscess: a case report.

Background Context: Cauda equina syndrome is caused by compression or injury to the nerve roots distal to the level of the spinal cord. This syndrome presents as low back pain, motor and sensory deficits in the lower extremities, and bladder as well as bowel dysfunction. Although various etiologies of cauda equina syndrome have been reported, a less common cause is infection.

Infection with bacteroides thetaiotaomicron during posterior decompression and dynamic stabilization of the lumbar spine: a case report and review of the literature.

Patient and surgical risk factors have often been implicated for postoperative posterior spinal wound infection. A 56-year-old male with widely disseminated multiple myeloma presented with severe back pain and lower extremity weakness as a result of fracture and collapse of the L4 vertebral body. Posterior decompression involving bilateral pedicle resection and partial L4 corpectomy was performed.

Reduced gray matter volume and increased white matter fractional anisotropy in women with hypoactive sexual desire disorder.

Introduction: Models of hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) imply altered central processing of sexual stimuli. Imaging studies have identified areas which show altered processing as compared with controls, but to date, structural neuroanatomical differences have not been described.

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate differences in brain structure between women with HSDD and women with no history of sexual dysfunction, and to determine sexual behavioral correlates of identified structural deviations.

p53 promotes the expression of gluconeogenesis-related genes and enhances hepatic glucose production.

Background: The p53 tumor suppressor protein is a transcription factor that initiates transcriptional programs aimed at inhibiting carcinogenesis. p53 represses metabolic pathways that support tumor development (such as glycolysis and the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)) and enhances metabolic pathways that are considered counter-tumorigenic such as fatty acid oxidation.

Findings: In an attempt to comprehensively define metabolic pathways regulated by p53, we performed two consecutive high-throughput analyses in human liver-derived cells with varying p53 statuses.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a patient with a Chiari I malformation.

Background: The authors describe a unique case of a patient who developed posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) following postoperative treatment of a Chiari I malformation.

Case Decsription: A 25-year-old female presented with complaints of left upper and lower extremity paresthesias and gait disturbances. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical spine showed a Chiari I malformation with tonsillar descent beyond the level of the C1 lamina.

Baseline characteristics from an ongoing phase 3 study of collagenase clostridium histolyticum in patients with Peyronie's disease.

Introduction: Peyronie's disease (PD) is a localized penile collagen disorder of the tunica albuginea associated with significant physical deformity and psychological impairment. Current understanding of pretreatment characteristics in patients with chronic PD is limited by small samples, varied quality of assessments, and the lack of a PD-specific, validated measure of the psychosexual impact of PD.

Aims: Reporting baseline demographic and disease characteristics of the large multinational cohort of subjects with chronic PD who participated in the collagenase clostridium histolyticum (CCH, an investigational intralesional injection and minimally invasive intervention) phase 3 clinical study program.

Fine tuning and efficient T cell activation with stimulatory aCD3 nanoarrays.

Anti-CD3 (aCD3) nanoarrays fabricated by self-assembled nanopatterning combined with site-directed protein immobilization techniques represent a novel T cell stimulatory platform that allows tight control over ligand orientation and surface density. Here, we show that activation of primary human CD4+ T cells, defined by CD69 upregulation, IL-2 production and cell proliferation, correlates with aCD3 density on nanoarrays. Immobilization of aCD3 through nanopatterning had two effects: cell activation was significantly higher on these surfaces than on aCD3-coated plastics and allowed unprecedented fine-tuning of T cell response.

Socioeconomic and Outdoor Meteorological Determinants of Indoor Temperature and Humidity in New York City Dwellings.

Background: Numerous mechanisms link outdoor weather and climate conditions to human health. It is likely that many health conditions are more directly affected by indoor rather than outdoor conditions. Yet, the relationship between indoor temperature and humidity conditions to outdoor variability, and the heterogeneity of the relationship among different indoor environments are largely unknown.

A critical analysis of the role of testosterone in erectile function: from pathophysiology to treatment-a systematic review.

Context: Androgen modulation of erectile function (EF) is widely accepted. However, the use of testosterone replacement therapy (TRT) in men with erectile dysfunction (ED) has generated an unprecedented debate.

Objective: To summarize the relevant data on the incidence, diagnosis, and management of ED coexisting with hypogonadism and to develop a pathophysiology-based treatment algorithm.

A comparison between ultrasonography and hysteroscopy in the diagnosis of uterine pathology.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of transvaginal sonography (TVS) compared to hysteroscopy in diagnosing uterine abnormalities. In addition, to determine whether the number of diagnostic hysteroscopies can be reduced and replaced by TVS examinations.

Study Design: In this retrospective study, we summarized data from 128 patients who underwent TVS examination and hysteroscopy in our ultrasound unit during the last two years.

Prenatal diagnosis of scrotal-inguinal hernia: two case reports and review of the English literature.

We present two cases of a prenatal diagnosis of inguinal hernia and the fetal outcome. Initial differential diagnosis included sacrococcygeal teratoma and testicular termatoma, while the final diagnosis was scrotal-inguinal hernia based on sonographic visualization of bowel loop movement in the scrotal mass.

H-Ras transfers from B to T cells via tunneling nanotubes.

Lymphocytes form cell-cell connections by various mechanisms, including intercellular networks through actin-supported long-range plasma membrane (PM) extensions, termed tunneling nanotubes (TNTs). In this study, we tested in vitro whether TNTs form between human antigen-presenting B cells and T cells following cell contact and whether they enable the transfer of PM-associated proteins, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged H-Ras (GFP-H-Ras). To address this question, we employed advanced techniques, including cell trapping by optical tweezers and live-cell imaging by 4D spinning-disk confocal microscopy.

Cortical blindness following posterior lumbar decompression and fusion.

Perioperative vision loss following non-ocular surgery is a well-documented phenomenon. In particular, perioperative vision loss has been frequently cited following spinal surgery. Although the rate of vision compromise in spinal surgery is relatively low, the consequences can be quite severe and devastating for the patient.

'Cancer associated fibroblasts'--more than meets the eye.

Cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a subpopulation of cells that reside within the tumor microenvironment and promotes the transformation process by encouraging tumor growth, angiogenesis, inflammation, and metastasis. CAF-specific proteins serve as both prognostic markers and targets for anticancer drugs. With the growing interest in CAFs, several controversial issues have been raised, including the genomic landscape of these cells, the identity of specific markers, and their cell of origin.

Hitting the target: Lyme or STARI?

Erythema migrans (EM) is a characteristic rash most commonly associated with Lyme disease (LD) in the northeastern and north central United States. EM rash found in the southeastern United States is usually classified as Southern Tick-Associated Rash Illness (STARI). Here we describe an EM rash in a 3-year-old female from central Louisiana, whose laboratory and clinical findings were suspicious for LD.

The assessment of vascular risk in men with erectile dysfunction: the role of the cardiologist and general physician.

Erectile dysfunction (ED) and cardiovascular disease (CVD) share risk factors and frequently coexist, with endothelial dysfunction believed to be the pathophysiologic link. ED is common, affecting more than 70% of men with known CVD. In addition, clinical studies have demonstrated that ED in men with no known CVD often precedes a CVD event by 2-5 years.