Addressing inequities in cryptorchidism care: The impact of social determinants on timely & true undescended testis referrals - A six-year study from a high-volume referral center.

Introduction: The American Urological Association (AUA) recommends urology referral and surgery for undescended testicle (UDT) before 18 months of age, but it has been shown that many referrals occur later, influenced by social factors.

Objective: This study aims to identify key social factors that impact UDT referral timing and appropriateness.

Study Design: Pediatric patients referred to our institution for UDT management from 2018 to 2023 were analyzed.

Use of AI (GPT-4)-generated multiple-choice questions for the examination of surgical subspecialty residents: Report of feasibility and psychometric analysis.

Introduction: Multiple-choice questions (MCQs) are essential in medical education and widely used by licensing bodies. They are traditionally created with intensive human effort to ensure validity. Recent advances in AI, particularly large language models (LLMs), offer the potential to streamline this process.

Consumer welfare of the state-level franchising processes for multi-channel video programming distributors.

Internet protocol television (IPTV) that telecom carriers convey has recently appeared as a competitor of cable television service in the multi-channel video programming distributor (MVPD) market. A carrier must be granted franchise for multi-channel video programs from the local government in the US, which becomes an issue for delaying service launching, hampering fair competition, and leading to inefficient resource allocation of carriers. Therefore, a state-level franchising process has been suggested as an alternative to shorten the launching period, to improve competition in the MVPD market, and as a result, to increase consumer welfare.

A living scoping review and online repository of artificial intelligence models in pediatric urology: Results from the AI-PEDURO collaborative.

Introduction: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly being applied across pediatric urology. We provide a living scoping review and online repository developed by the AI in PEDiatric UROlogy (AI-PEDURO) collaborative that summarizes the current and emerging evidence on the AI models developed in pediatric urology.

Material And Methods: The protocol was published a priori, and Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis Scoping Review (PRISMA-ScR) guidelines were followed.

Development and international validation of a novel multivariate prognostic tool: posterior urethral valve risk of chronic kidney disease (PURK) score.

Background: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects up to 40% of children diagnosed with posterior urethral valves (PUV). This study aimed to develop and validate a risk stratification tool based on clinical variables available at presentation to predict CKD progression in children with PUV.

Methods: This multicenter retrospective cohort study included data from 283 children diagnosed with PUV before 12 months of age, treated at seven pediatric centers across four countries.

Mitrofanoff complications: time-to-event analysis of split versus intact appendix and meta-analysis.

Objectives: To assess the complication rates associated with split versus intact appendix Mitrofanoff procedures using a single-center retrospective analysis and a systematic review with meta-analysis.

Subjects And Methods: The study comprised a retrospective cohort analysis at a single institution, analyzing patients who underwent a laparoscopic-assisted Mitrofanoff with or without splitting the appendix from 2005 to 2016. The focus was on complications related to both Mitrofanoff and ACE channels.

Diagnostic Algorithm Using Multimodal Imaging for the Differential Diagnosis of Intra-Cardiac Masses.

Cardiac masses are complex clinical conditions that frequently pose diagnostic challenges in cardiology practice. These masses can form within heart chambers or near the pericardium and are generally categorized as either non-neoplastic or neoplastic. These latter are further classified into benign and malignant (primary and secondary or metastatic).

Prenatal Intervention for a Large Ureterocele in a Male Fetus Causing Lower Urinary Tract Obstruction "Society of Fetal Urology Case Reports, Fall 2024".

A male fetus at 20 weeks of gestation presented with severe bilateral hydroureteronephrosis and distended bladder due to a large ureterocele. A percutaneous ureterocele puncture at 21+3 weeks aimed to decompress the ureterocele, unclog the lower urinary tract, and prevent renal damage. Post-puncture, the ureterocele decompressed, with improved left hydronephrosis and a normal right kidney.

Cohort profile: Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Rare Pediatric Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases in Korea (OUTSPREAD study).

Rare endocrine diseases are complex conditions that require lifelong specialized care due to their chronic nature and associated long-term complications. In Korea, a lack of nationwide data on clinical practice and outcomes has limited progress in patient care. Therefore, the Multicenter Networks for Ideal Outcomes of Pediatric Rare Endocrine and Metabolic Disease (OUTSPREAD) study was initiated.

Changes in Gene Expression Related to Atopic Dermatitis in Mothers and Infants Following VOC Exposure.

Environmental pollutants, particularly volatile organic compounds (VOCs), are associated with various diseases, including atopic dermatitis (AD). However, despite numerous studies on AD, there is a lack of research on the impact of various environmental exposures on mothers and infants. This study, therefore, investigated the effects of maternal exposure to specific VOCs (toluene, xylene, and benzene) on the expression of AD-related genes in mothers and their infants.

Spontaneous Resolution of Primary Obstructive Megaureter: Risk Stratification and Prediction Based on Early Sonographic Factors.

Purpose: We describe and develop predictors for spontaneous resolution of primary obstructive megaureter (POM) from early ultrasound (US) measures.

Materials And Methods: Children referred to our institution between 2007 and 2023 for POM were reviewed. POM was defined as hydroureteronephrosis with ureteral dilation > 7 mm.

Effect of total intravenous anesthesia versus sevoflurane anesthesia on intraoperative facial nerve monitoring: a randomized controlled trial.

Purpose: Intraoperative facial nerve monitoring (IFNM) facilitates effective nerve preservation during ear and head and neck surgeries. Quantitative differences in the timely feasibility of IFNM during total intravenous anesthesia (TIVA) vs sevoflurane anesthesia have not been investigated.

Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial in which 98 patients undergoing ear surgery were allocated to either the TIVA or sevoflurane group.

The intricate interactions between inflammasomes and bacterial pathogens: Roles, mechanisms, and therapeutic potentials.

Inflammasomes are intracellular multiprotein complexes that consist of a sensor, an adaptor, and a caspase enzyme to cleave interleukin (IL)-1β and IL-18 into their mature forms. In addition, caspase-1 and -11 activation results in the cleavage of gasdermin D to form pores, thereby inducing pyroptosis. Activation of the inflammasome and pyroptosis promotes host defense against pathogens, whereas dysregulation of the inflammasome can result in various pathologies.

The application study of harmonization code in medical device adverse event reporting.

Background: The reporting of adverse events in medical devices (MD) is a starting point of post-market surveillance and the most common source of initial safety signals. Because MD adverse events (AE) occur globally and involve high-profile international public health crises, international regulators implanted standard codes for MDAE reporting. This study aimed to assess the application of MDAE terminology and codes by providing examples of virtual events.

Inhibiting lipid droplet biogenesis enhances host protection against hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae infections.

Hypervirulent Klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKp), an emerging Kp subtype, has become a serious global pathogen. However, the information regarding host interactions and innate immune responses during hvKp infection is limited. Here, we found that hvKp clinical strains increased triacylglycerol synthesis, resulting in lipid droplets (LDs) formation via the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway in RAW264.

Instability of revised Korean Developmental Screening Test classification in first year of life.

Background: Early development is characterized by considerable variability.

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the stability of developmental classifications using the revised Korean Developmental Screening Test (K-DST) in healthy term infants aged 4-6 and 10-12 months.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Korean Children's Environmental Health Study, a nationwide prospective birth cohort.

Adhesion Reduction Agent Guardix-SG Versus MegaShield for Postoperative Swallowing Function Analysis in Thyroidectomy Patients.

Background: Antiadhesion products are essential for postoperative care in patients after thyroidectomy by providing a physical barrier to cover the exposed tissue and thus preventing abnormal adhesion of adjacent tissues. Since thyroidectomy may result in swallowing difficulties arising from damage or inflammation of the surrounding tissues, the use of antiadhesion agents such as MegaShield or Guardix-SG will help reduce scar formation. This may thus improve postoperative swallowing function in patients.

Pan-Transcriptional Enhanced Associated Domain Palmitoylation Pocket Covalent Inhibitor.

In the Hippo signaling pathway, the palmitoylated transcriptional enhanced associated domain (TEAD) protein interacts with the coactivator Yes-associated protein/PDZ-binding motif, leading to transcriptional upregulation of oncogenes such as Ctgf and Cyr61. Consequently, targeting the palmitoylation sites of TEAD has emerged as a promising strategy for treating TEAD-dependent cancers. Compound was identified using a structure-based drug design approach, leveraging the molecular insights gained from the known TEAD palmitoylation site inhibitor, K-975.

AI-PEDURO - Artificial intelligence in pediatric urology: Protocol for a living scoping review and online repository.

Background: Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) methods are increasingly being applied in pediatric urology across a growing number of settings, with more extensive databases and wider interest for use in clinical practice. More than 30 ML models have been published in the pediatric urology literature, but many lack items required by contemporary reporting frameworks to be high quality. For example, most studies lack multi-institution validation, validation over time, and validation within the clinical environment, resulting in a large discrepancy between the number of models developed versus the number of models deployed in a clinical setting, a phenomenon known as the AI chasm.

Perinatal risk factors for late neonatal severe acute kidney injury in very low birth weight infants: a retrospective study.

This study aimed to identify the perinatal risk factors of severe acute kidney injury (AKI) occurring after the first week of birth in very low birth weight (VLBW) infants who survived up to the first week. We conducted a single-center, retrospective cohort study on VLBW infants (birth weight, <1,500 g) delivered at <32 weeks of gestational age (GA) from January 2012 to December 2022. We classified AKI based on changes in serum creatinine and urine output based on the modified The Kidney Disease: improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) neonatal AKI criteria.

Discovery of A-910, a Highly Potent and Orally Bioavailable Dual MerTK/Axl-Selective Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitor.

TAM receptor tyrosine kinases have emerged as promising therapeutic targets for cancer treatment due to their roles in both tumor intrinsic survival mechanisms and suppression of antitumor immunity within the tumor microenvironment. Inhibiting MerTK and Axl selectively is believed to hinder cancer cell survival, reverse the protumor myeloid phenotype, and suppress efferocytosis, thereby eliciting an antitumor immune response. In this study, we present the discovery of , a highly potent and selective dual MerTK/Axl inhibitor, achieved through a structure-based medicinal chemistry campaign.