Impact of syndemic heavy drinking, smoking, and depression on mortality among MSM with and without HIV: A longitudinal study.

Background: Heavy drinking, smoking, and depression are common among men who have sex with men (MSM). The association of co-occurring longitudinal patterns of these conditions and mortality among MSM were tested, applying a syndemic framework - the interaction of two or more conditions that contribute to poor health outcomes.

Methods: Longitudinal data from 1999 to 2018 from the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study of 3046 MSM were analyzed.

Three-dimensional reconstruction of renal tumor anatomy for preoperative planning of robotic partial nephrectomy in renal cell carcinoma cases with duplex kidney: a case report.

Background: The duplex kidney is one of the common congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract. We present two cases of renal tumor accompanied with ipsilateral duplex kidney. The image of the tumor, renal artery system and collecting system were rendered by AI software (Fujifilm's Synapse AI Platform) to support the diagnosis and surgical planning.

A novel method combining gated SPECT and vectorcardiography to guide left ventricular lead placement to improve response to cardiac resynchronization therapy: A proof of concept study.

Background: The segment of the latest mechanical contraction (LMC) does not always overlap with the site of the latest electrical activation (LEA). By integrating both mechanical and electrical dyssynchrony, this proof-of-concept study aimed to propose a new method for recommending left ventricular (LV) lead placements, with the goal of enhancing response to cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT).

Methods: The LMC segment was determined by single-photon emission computed tomography myocardial perfusion imaging (SPECT MPI) phase analysis.

From Diabetes to Oncology: Glucagon-like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonist's Dual Role in Prostate Cancer.

Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1), an incretin hormone renowned for its role in post-meal blood sugar regulation and glucose-dependent insulin secretion, has gained attention as a novel treatment for diabetes through GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1-RA). Despite their efficacy, concerns have been raised regarding the potential associations between GLP-1-RA and certain malignancies, including medullary thyroid cancer. However, evidence of its association with prostate cancer (PCa) remains inconclusive.

Reducing Hospitalizations and Multidrug-Resistant Organisms via Regional Decolonization in Hospitals and Nursing Homes.

Importance: Infections due to multidrug-resistant organisms (MDROs) are associated with increased morbidity, mortality, length of hospitalization, and health care costs. Regional interventions may be advantageous in mitigating MDROs and associated infections.

Objective: To evaluate whether implementation of a decolonization collaborative is associated with reduced regional MDRO prevalence, incident clinical cultures, infection-related hospitalizations, costs, and deaths.

Mullerianosis of the urinary bladder: a case report.

Mullerianosis is a rare, complex, benign tumor most commonly found in the bladder and often mistaken for a neoplastic lesion.  Herein, we report a case of mullerianosis in a 65-year-old woman who presented with an incidental 2 cm bladder mass found on cross-sectional imaging.  A mixed cystic and solid tumor was identified on cystoscopy and a transurethral resection of the suspected tumor was performed with histopathology confirming a final diagnosis of mullerianosis.

Reviving intimacy: Penile rehabilitation strategies for men after prostate cancer treatment.

There have been considerable advances in the field of penile rehabilitation for upwards of 90% of men adversely affected by either short-term or long-term erectile dysfunction after definitive prostate cancer treatment. Despite the evolving landscape of treatment modalities for penile rehabilitation, there is a lack of consensus in the urologic community on the best therapies due to the level of evidence and efficacies of the current and emerging offerings. This review of current and next-generation interventions provides a practical approach to the myriad of data to make a better-informed decision based on the pathophysiology and highest-quality evidence available.

Laparoscopic retroperitoneal heminephrectomy for renal cell carcinoma in horseshoe kidney: a case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: In this case report, we demonstrate our technique of a retroperitoneal laparoscopic heminephrectomy for a T1b right hilar tumor in a horseshoe kidney.

Case Presentation: A 77-year-old Vietnamese woman presented to the hospital because of right flank pain. On presentation, her serum creatinine was 0.

Genitourinary Mpox: A case report & primer for urologists.

Since May 2022, there has been a worldwide outbreak of Mpox infection, a zoonotic viral disease caused by the monkeypox virus, outside of central and west Africa where it is endemic. In this report, we describe a case of a 23-year-old African American male patient with HIV infection and normal CD4 counts who presented with painful, evolving skin lesions at the base of his penis which were found to be a manifestation of Mpox. Early recognition of the symptomatology caused by Mpox is important for urologists as cases of this virus continue to rise in the United States.

Coordinated Health Care Interventions for Childhood Asthma Gaps in Outcomes (CHICAGO) plan.

Background: Evidence-based strategies to improve outcomes in minority children with uncontrolled asthma discharged from the emergency department (ED) are needed.

Objectives: This multicenter pragmatic clinical trial was designed to compare an ED-only intervention (decision support tool), an ED-only intervention and home visits by community health workers for 6 months (ED-plus-home), and enhanced usual care (UC).

Methods: Children aged 5 to 11 years with uncontrolled asthma were enrolled.

Disruption of the circadian rhythm of melatonin: A biomarker of critical illness severity.

Circadian dysrhythmias occur commonly in critically ill patients reflecting variable effects of underlying illness, ICU environment, and treatments. We retrospectively analyzed the relationship between clinical outcomes and 24-h urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) excretion profiles in 37 critically ill patients with shock and/or respiratory failure. Nonlinear regression was used to fit a 24-h cosine curve to each patient's aMT6s profile, with rhythmicity determined by the zero-amplitude test.

Automatic reorientation by deep learning to generate short-axis SPECT myocardial perfusion images.

Background: Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) myocardial perfusion images (MPI) can be displayed both in traditional short-axis (SA) cardiac planes and polar maps for interpretation and quantification. It is essential to reorient the reconstructed transaxial SPECT MPI into standard SA slices. This study is aimed to develop a deep-learning-based approach for automatic reorientation of MPI.

Understanding Options for the Unmatched Urology Applicant.

Purpose Of Review: To evaluate recent literature regarding the pathways and options for unmatched urology applicants.

Recent Findings: Urology remains a competitive surgical sub-specialty with a match process independent of the National Resident Matching Program. Each year a cohort of competitive applicants go unmatched and are faced with the decision to reapply the following cycle while doing a research fellowship or a preliminary internship in the interim or choose a different specialty altogether.

Hypertension and one-year risk of all-cause mortality among women with treated HIV in the United States.

Objective: Hypertension is a critical cause of cardiovascular disease, and women with HIV have a higher prevalence of hypertension than women without HIV. The relationship between hypertension and mortality has not been well characterized in women with treated HIV. Here, we estimate the effect of hypertension on 1-year risk of all-cause mortality among women with HIV on antiretroviral therapy (ART) in the United States.

Vitamin D and genetic ancestry are associated with apoptosis rates in benign and malignant prostatic epithelium.

Purpose: Vitamin D metabolites may be protective against prostate cancer (PCa). We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate associations between in vivo vitamin D status, genetic ancestry, and degree of apoptosis using prostatic epithelial terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining.

Experimental Design: Benign and tumor epithelial punch biopsies of participants with clinically localized PCa underwent indirect TUNEL staining.

Robotic Surgery for Stone Disease.

Purpose Of Review: To evaluate recent literature regarding the role of robotic technology in the treatment of nephrolithiasis with particular attention to complex technical procedures.

Recent Findings: Robotic platforms including single-port robotics have been widely adopted in urological practice for the treatment of both malignant and benign conditions and has led to an expansion of the utilization of robot-assisted surgery to tackle challenging clinical scenarios such as bladder neck reconstruction, upper urinary tract reconstruction, and more recently complex stone disease. Presently, the American Urological Association guidelines on the surgical management of stones advise against using robotic, open, or laparoscopic techniques as a first-line approach for most patients with stone disease with the exception for patients with anatomical abnormalities, large or complex stones, or patients requiring a concomitant reconstructive operation.

The Fate of the Unmatched Urology Applicant.

Objective: To determine the outcomes and eventual career paths for unmatched applicants by evaluating a historical cohort of unmatched applicants in the Urology Match.

Methods: The 2008-2014 AUA Match lists were obtained from the Society of Academic Urologists and 730 unique applicants were identified with at least one unmatched result. Additional information such as preliminary training and eventual specialty choice were obtained from publicly available sources.

Applying Project ECHO (Extension for Community Health Care Outcomes) to improve addiction care in rural emergency departments.

Background: Advancements in research and legislation have improved emergency provider ability to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), but dissemination into rural emergency departments (EDs) is limited. Project Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes (ECHO) allows community generalists to learn from specialists through telementoring. We aimed to use ECHO to facilitate knowledge translation, increase confidence, and change behavior of rural ED providers treating patients with OUD.

A method using deep learning to discover new predictors from left-ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony for CRT response.

Background: Studies have shown that the conventional parameters characterizing left ventricular mechanical dyssynchrony (LVMD) measured on gated SPECT myocardial perfusion imaging (MPI) have their own statistical limitations in predicting cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) response. The purpose of this study is to discover new predictors from the polarmaps of LVMD by deep learning to help select heart failure patients with a high likelihood of response to CRT.

Methods: One hundred and fifty-seven patients who underwent rest gated SPECT MPI were enrolled in this study.