German evidence- and consensus-based guideline on the management of penile urethritis.

Urethritis is a common condition predominantly caused by sexually transmitted pathogens such as Chlamydia trachomatis, Neisseria gonorrhoeae, and Mycoplasma genitalium. It is not possible to differentiate with certainty between pathogens on the basis of clinical characteristics alone. However, empirical antibiotic therapy is often initiated in clinical practice.

Tonabersat enhances temozolomide-mediated cytotoxicity in glioblastoma by disrupting intercellular connectivity through connexin 43 inhibition.

Glioblastoma cells rely on connexin 43 (Cx43)-based gap junctions (GJs) for intercellular communication, enabling them to integrate into a widely branched malignant network. Although there are promising prospects for new targeted therapies, the lack of clinically feasible GJ inhibitors has impeded their adoption in clinical practice. In the present study, we investigated tonabersat (TO), a blood-brain-barrier-penetrating drug with GJ-inhibitory properties, in regard to its potential to disassemble intercellular connectivity in glioblastoma networks.

Transient and permanent hydrocephalus following resection of brain metastases located in the posterior fossa: incidence, risk factors and the necessity of perioperative external ventricular drainage placement.

Purpose: Prophylactic insertion of an external ventricular drainage (EVD) prior to the resection of posterior fossa metastases (PFMs) is a common approach to address postoperative transient and permanent hydrocephalus. However, predicting surgery-related hydrocephalus in the preoperative phase continues to be a challenge. This study aims to analyze the incidence, preoperatively collectable risk factors and necessity of perioperative external ventricular drainage placement after posterior fossa metastasis surgery.

Quantitative assessment of residual tumor is a strong and independent predictor of survival in methylated glioblastoma following radiochemotherapy with CCNU/TMZ.

Background: Maximum tumor resection improves overall survival (OS) in patients with glioblastoma. The extent of resection (EOR) is historically dichotomized. The RANO resect group recently proposed criteria for volumetry-based EOR assessment in patients that were treated according to Stupp´s protocol.

Cerebellar glioblastoma in adults: a comparative single-center matched pair analysis and systematic review of the literature.

Purpose: The rarity of cerebellar glioblastoma presents a significant challenge in clinical practice due to the lack of extensive prognostic data on long-term survival rates, rendering it an underrepresented entity compared to its supratentorial counterpart. This study aims to analyze potential differences in survival outcome between patients with cerebellar and supratentorial glioblastomas.

Methods: From 2009 to 2020, 8 patients underwent surgical treatment for cerebellar glioblastoma at the authors' institution.

Transient MRI changes and neurological deterioration in glioblastoma upon SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Purpose: Little is known about the effect of SARS-CoV-2 infection on glioblastoma (GBM) growth, metabolism, and prognosis. Immunological changes within GBM tissue are potentially symptomatic, underlining the urgent need for a better understanding of this phenomenon. To date, the complex underlying biology has not been fully elucidated.

Investigation of the laser fluence and wavelength dependence in surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry using gold nanoparticles.

Rationale: Surface-assisted laser desorption/ionization (SALDI) mass spectrometry (MS) builds on the use of nanostructured surfaces (e.g., coatings of colloidal nanoparticles) to promote analyte desorption and ionization.

Lost in transition? Loss of follow-up and quality of life in adults after resection of choledochal malformation in childhood.

Objectives: Choledochal malformation (CM) is a rare disease that can lead to malignancy and potential long-term sequelae despite surgical resection. There is no long-term follow-up data on patients after CM resection in Germany. We aimed to determine the long-term outcome of our patients with a duration of follow-up >10 years and focused on long-term sequelae and health-related quality of life (HRQOL).

Prospective comparison of liver stiffness measurement methods in surveillance biopsies after liver transplantation.

Background: Liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) have proven useful for non-invasive detection of fibrosis. Previous studies of LSMs after transplantation were performed in cohorts dominated by hepatitis C reinfections and indication biopsies for the evaluation of graft dysfunction. However, the diagnostic fidelity of LSMs for fibrosis is biased by inflammation e.

Patients with Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis and Hydrocephalus-Feasibility of Combined Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt and Reservoir Insertion for Intrathecal Chemotherapy.

Therapeutic management of patients with leptomeningeal carcinomatosis (LC) may require treatment of concomitant hydrocephalus (HC) in addition to intrathecal chemotherapy (ITC). Ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS) equipped with a valve for manual deactivation of shunt function and a concomitant reservoir for application of ITC pose an elegant solution to both problems. The present study evaluates indication, feasibility, and safety of such a modified shunt/reservoir design (mS/R).

Implementing a multimodal intervention using local resources to improve hand hygiene compliance in a comprehensive specialized hospital in Mekelle, Northern Ethiopia.

Background: Hand hygiene (HH) is known to be the most effective practice to reduce Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). The main barriers to HH practices among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Sub-Saharan Africa are heavy workload, infrastructural deficits, and poorly positioned facilities. There is limited data on HH compliance and particularly on the impact of the World Health Organization's (WHO) multimodal HH strategy in low- and middle-income countries.

Missed opportunities for HIV testing and sexual health-related challenges in an individual with intellectual disability: a case report.

Background: HIV testing remains an important tool in identifying people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA). An early diagnosis of HIV can lead to a prolonged life expectancy if treatment is initiated promptly. Indicator conditions can be the first sign of an HIV infection and should therefore be recognised and consequently a HIV test should be carried out.

The Alcatraz-Strategy: a roadmap to break the connectivity barrier in malignant brain tumours.

In recent years, the discovery of functional and communicative cellular tumour networks has led to a new understanding of malignant primary brain tumours. In this review, the authors shed light on the diverse nature of cell-to-cell connections in brain tumours and propose an innovative treatment approach to address the detrimental connectivity of these networks. The proposed therapeutic outlook revolves around three main strategies: (a) supramarginal resection removing a substantial portion of the communicating tumour cell front far beyond the gadolinium-enhancing tumour mass, (b) morphological isolation at the single cell level disrupting structural cell-to-cell contacts facilitated by elongated cellular membrane protrusions known as tumour microtubes (TMs), and (c) functional isolation at the single cell level blocking TM-mediated intercellular cytosolic exchange and inhibiting neuronal excitatory input into the malignant network.

[ViaCogScreen: An Efficient, Valid, and Repeatable Screening Tool for Cognitive Performance Assessment of the Elderly].

Given the demographic change with an aging society in Germany, cognitive performance assessment of the elderly is of great importance. The Viacogscreen developed by us is a computer- and web-based brain performance screening for older adults that not only meets the criteria of a measurement instrument, but is also economical and repeatable. The test captures interlocking word list learning with delayed free recall and recognition, semantic word selection and fluidity, phonemic word fluidity and inverted number range, as well as incidental memory, resulting in a total of 17 performance parameters that provide a quick orientation (approximate test duration: 10-12 minutes) regarding the cognitive performance of a test subject.

Synchronous versus metachronous spinal metastasis: a comparative study of survival outcomes following neurosurgical treatment.

Purpose: Patients with spinal metastases (SM) from solid neoplasms typically exhibit progression to an advanced cancer stage. Such metastases can either develop concurrently with an existing cancer diagnosis (termed metachronous SM) or emerge as the initial indication of an undiagnosed malignancy (referred to as synchronous SM). The present study investigates the prognostic implications of synchronous compared to metachronous SM following surgical resection.

Position statement of the German STI Society on the prophylactic use of doxycycline to prevent STIs (Doxy-PEP, Doxy-PrEP).

Over the past two decades, there has been a rise in the incidence of syphilis, particularly among men who have sex with men (MSM). This has sparked interest in studying the prophylactic use of doxycycline to prevent syphilis and other sexually transmitted infections (STIs), commonly referred to as Doxycycline Pre- or Post-Exposure Prophylaxis (Doxy-PrEP, Doxy-PEP). At the same time, demand from potential users for this preventive measure is increasing.

Intraoperative or postoperative stereotactic radiotherapy for brain metastases: time to systemic treatment onset and other patient-relevant outcomes.

Purpose: Intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) has become a viable treatment option for resectable brain metastases (BMs). As data on local control and radiation necrosis rates are maturing, we focus on meaningful secondary endpoints such as time to next treatment (TTNT), duration of postoperative corticosteroid treatment, and in-hospital time.

Methods: Patients prospectively recruited within an IORT study registry between November 2020 and June 2023 were compared with consecutive patients receiving adjuvant stereotactic radiotherapy (SRT) of the resection cavity within the same time frame.

The proneural subtype is not associated with survival benefit from bevacizumab in newly diagnosed glioblastoma: a secondary analysis of the GLARIUS trial.

Purpose: The AVAglio trial reported a significant survival benefit for first line bevacizumab treatment in patients with IDH wildtype glioblastoma of the proneural gene expression subtype. We here aim to replicate these findings in an independent trial cohort.

Methods: We evaluate the treatment benefit of bevacizumab according to gene expression subtypes of pretreatment tumor samples (n = 123) in the GLARIUS trial (NCT00967330) for MGMT unmethylated glioblastoma patients with Kaplan-Meier analyses, log-rank tests and Cox regression models.