The benefit to waitlist patients in a national paired kidney exchange program: Exploring characteristics of chain end living donor transplants.

Nondirected kidney donors can initiate living donor chains that end to patients on the waitlist. We compared 749 National Kidney Registry (NKR) waitlist chain end transplants to other transplants from the NKR and the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients between February 2008 and September 2020. Compared to other NKR recipients, chain end recipients were more often older (53 vs.

Randomized controlled trial of a quadratus lumborum block with liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative analgesia in laparoscopic donor nephrectomy.

Perioperative pain management is an important consideration in early recovery and patient satisfaction following laparoscopic donor nephrectomy. Transmuscular quadratus lumborum block has been described to reduce pain and opioid usage following several abdominal surgeries. In this prospective single-blind randomized controlled trial, we compared 52 patients who adhered to our institutional donor nephrectomy Early Recovery After Surgery pathway, which includes a laparoscopic-guided transversus abdominus plane block, to 40 patients who additionally received a transmuscular quadratus lumborum block with liposomal bupivacaine.

Ancillary benefits of bladder chemodenervation for SCI neurogenic bladder.

Study Design: Case series.

Objective: Bladder chemodenervation is effective in treating neurogenic detrusor overactivity (NDO) in patients with neurogenic bladder due to spinal cord injury. Anecdotal reports also describe the improvement of non-bladder symptoms, specifically those related to autonomic dysreflexia (AD) and muscle spasticity.

Low-Volume vs High-Volume Centers and Management of Fournier's Gangrene in Washington State.

Background: Fournier's gangrene (FG) is a life-threatening infection affecting the perineum and genitals. Complex patient management often necessitates transfer to tertiary centers. We aimed to characterize hospital transfer patterns and assess morbidity among patients with FG in Washington State.

Characteristics of Patients With Sertoli and Leydig Cell Testis Neoplasms From a National Population-Based Registry.

Introduction: Sertoli and Leydig cell tumors (SCT and LCT) are uncommon testis neoplasms. Data regarding patient demographics and outcomes are limited to small series. We further characterized these tumors using a large cancer database.

Exposure to and Attitudes Regarding Transgender Education Among Urology Residents.

Introduction: Transgender individuals are underserved within the health care system but might increasingly seek urologic care as insurers expand coverage for medical and surgical gender transition.

Aim: To evaluate urology residents' exposure to transgender patient care and their perceived importance of transgender surgical education.

Methods: Urology residents from a representative sample of U.

Robot-Assisted Laparoscopic Excision of Ureteral and Ureteropelvic Junction Fibroepithelial Polyps in Children.

Introduction: Fibroepithelial polyps of the ureter are a rare cause of asymptomatic and symptomatic upper urinary tract obstruction in children. While these lesions can often be managed endoscopically, large or multifocal polyps may preclude such an approach.

Objective: We aim to describe our institutional experience with robot-assisted laparoscopic treatment of ureteral polyps and show that a robotic approach is an effective alternative for large or multifocal polyps.

Quantitative trait loci for interhemispheric commissure development and social behaviors in the BTBR T⁺ tf/J mouse model of autism.

Background: Autism and Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum (AgCC) are interrelated behavioral and anatomic phenotypes whose genetic etiologies are incompletely understood. We used the BTBR T⁺ tf/J (BTBR) strain, exhibiting fully penetrant AgCC, a diminished hippocampal commissure, and abnormal behaviors that may have face validity to autism, to study the genetic basis of these disorders.

Methods: We generated 410 progeny from an F2 intercross between the BTBR and C57BL/6J strains.

Genetic and functional analyses identify DISC1 as a novel callosal agenesis candidate gene.

Agenesis of the corpus callosum (AgCC) is a congenital brain malformation that occurs in approximately 1:1,000-1:6,000 births. Several syndromes associated with AgCC have been traced to single gene mutations; however, the majority of AgCC causes remain unidentified. We investigated a mother and two children who all shared complete AgCC and a chromosomal deletion at 1q42.

Pineal region tumors: an optimal approach for simultaneous endoscopic third ventriculostomy and biopsy.

Object: Simultaneous endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and tumor biopsy is a widely accepted therapeutic and diagnostic procedure for patients with noncommunicating hydrocephalus secondary to a pineal region tumor. Multiple approaches have been advocated, including the use of a steerable fiberoptic or rigid lens endoscope via 1 or 2 trajectories. However, the optimal approach has not been established based on the individual anatomical characteristics of the patient.

Arabidopsis POT1 associates with the telomerase RNP and is required for telomere maintenance.

POT1 is a single-copy gene in yeast and humans that encodes a single-strand telomere binding protein required for chromosome end protection and telomere length regulation. In contrast, Arabidopsis harbors multiple, divergent POT-like genes that bear signature N-terminal OB-fold motifs, but otherwise share limited sequence similarity. Here, we report that plants null for AtPOT1 show no telomere deprotection phenotype, but rather exhibit progressive loss of telomeric DNA.

The Arabidopsis Pot1 and Pot2 proteins function in telomere length homeostasis and chromosome end protection.

Pot1 (protection of telomeres 1) is a single-stranded telomere binding protein that is essential for chromosome end protection and telomere length homeostasis. Arabidopsis encodes two Pot1-like proteins, dubbed AtPot1 and AtPot2. Here we show that telomeres in transgenic plants expressing a truncated AtPot1 allele lacking the N-terminal oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide binding fold (P1DeltaN) are 1 to 1.