Common comorbidity indices fail to predict short-term postoperative outcomes following male urethroplasty.

Purpose: To evaluate whether commonly used comorbidity indices [Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Van Walraven Index (VWI), and modified frailty index (mFI)] predict postoperative readmissions and complications after urethroplasty.

Methods: Patients undergoing urethroplasty for urethral stricture from the State Inpatient Database and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Database for Florida (2010-2015) and California (2010-2011) were identified. We calculated CCI, VWI, and mFI scores for each patient.

Emerging strategies for the prevention of bacterial biofilm in prosthetic surgery.

Penile prosthesis implantation is an effective treatment for erectile dysfunction (ED) with high patient satisfaction and effectiveness. Unfortunately, infections remain a dreaded complication, often necessitating device removal and imposing a substantial healthcare cost. Biofilms are communities of microorganisms encased in a self-produced polymeric matrix that can attach to penile prostheses.

Clinical Pharmacology in Sarcoidosis: How to Use and Monitor Sarcoidosis Medications.

When sarcoidosis needs treatment, pharmacotherapy is usually required. Although glucocorticoids work reliably and relatively quickly for sarcoidosis, these drugs are associated with numerous significant side effects. Such side effects are common in sarcoidosis patients, as the disease frequently has a chronic course and glucocorticoid treatment courses are often prolonged.

Safety and tolerability of topical trametinib in rosacea: Results from a phase I clinical trial.

Purpose: Overactivation of the mitogen activated kinase pathway has been associated with rosacea. We hypothesised that inhibitors of this pathway can be repurposed to alleviate rosacea symptoms.

Methods: In order to test this hypothesis, we designed a double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled phase I clinical trial to assess the safety and tolerability of a first-in-kind topical formulation of a MEK kinase inhibitor, trametinib.

Neural correlates of bilateral proprioception and adaptation with training.

Bilateral proprioception includes the ability to sense the position and motion of one hand relative to the other, without looking. This sensory ability allows us to perform daily activities seamlessly, and its impairment is observed in various neurological disorders such as cerebral palsy and stroke. It can undergo experience-dependent plasticity, as seen in trained piano players.

The pathogenesis of albuminuria in cadmium nephropathy.

Background: Urinary cadmium excretion (E) rises with renal tissue content of the metal. Whereas glomerulopathies are sometimes associated with massive albuminuria, tubular accumulation of Cd typically causes modest albuminuria. Since β-microglobulinuria (E) is an established marker of proximal tubular dysfunction, we hypothesized that a comparison of albuminuria (E) to E in Cd-exposed subjects would provide evidence of similar mishandling of both proteins.

Nanomaterial payload delivery to central nervous system glia for neural protection and repair.

Central nervous system (CNS) glia, including astrocytes, microglia, and oligodendrocytes, play prominent roles in traumatic injury and degenerative disorders. Due to their importance, active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) are being developed to modulate CNS glia in order to improve outcomes in traumatic injury and disease. While many of these APIs show promise the majority of APIs that are systemically delivered show little penetration through the blood-brain barrier (BBB) or blood-spinal cord barrier (BSCB) and into the CNS, rendering them ineffective.

An evaluation of three validated comorbidity indices to predict short-term postoperative outcomes after prosthetic urologic surgery.

Purpose: Commonly used comorbidity indices include the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), Elixhauser/Van Walraven Index (VWI), and modified frailty index (mFI). This study evaluates whether these indices predict postoperative readmissions and complications after inflatable penile prosthesis (IPP) and artificial urinary sphincter (AUS) placement.

Methods: We identified adult males who underwent IPP or AUS placement using the State Inpatient and State Ambulatory Surgery and Services Databases for Florida (2010-2015) and California (2010-2011).

The Role of Surgery in Stage I Small Cell Lung Cancer: A National VA Database Analysis.

Background: Historically, limited stage Small Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) has been treated with concurrent chemoradiation (CRT). While current NCCN guidelines recommend consideration of lobectomy in node-negative cT1-T2 SCLC, data regarding the role of surgery in very limited SCLC is lacking.

Methods: Data from the National VA Cancer Cube were compiled.

Outcome Measures and Inclusion/Exclusion Criteria in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia Trials on ClinicalTrials.gov.

Introduction: For benign prostatic hyperplasia, clinical trials help assess new medical and surgical treatment options. The U.S.

Factors affecting post-vasectomy semen analysis compliance in home- and lab-based testing.

Introduction: We used a home-based (HB) post-vasectomy semen analysis (PVSA) between 2014 and 2017, but we have since reverted to local lab-based (LB) testing. In this study, we compared PVSA compliance rates in HB and LB test settings and describe factors that may influence completion rates.

Methods: We retrospectively identified patients who underwent vasectomy at our institution.

Curcumin Release from Biomaterials for Enhanced Tissue Regeneration Following Injury or Disease.

Curcumin, a bioactive phenol derived from turmeric, is an antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial molecule. Although curcumin exhibits beneficial effects in its innate form, it is highly hydrophobic, which leads to poor water solubility and, consequently, low bioavailability. The lack of bioavailability limits curcumin's effectiveness as a treatment and restricts its use in clinical applications.

Differences in sexual adverse events for premature ejaculation medications from a public federal database.

American Urological Association (AUA) guidelines recommend selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) as first-line pharmacotherapy for premature ejaculation (PE). While previous studies have described sexual adverse events (AE) associated with each medication, there is limited data directly comparing rates of specific sexual AEs across SSRIs. This study investigates the Food and Drug Administration Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database for reports of monotherapy use of fluoxetine 20 mg, paroxetine 20 mg, sertraline 50 mg, and sertraline 100 mg in males from January 2004-June 2021.

Estimation of health risks associated with dietary cadmium exposure.

In much of the world, currently employed upper limits of tolerable intake and acceptable excretion of cadmium (Cd) (E/E) are 0.83 µg/kg body weight/day and 5.24 µg/g creatinine, respectively.

Examining the clinical impact of rapid multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based diagnostic testing for bloodstream infections in a national cohort of the Veterans Health Administration.

Study Objective: Bloodstream infections (BSIs) are a significant cause of mortality. Use of a rapid multiplex polymerase chain reaction-based blood culture identification panel (BCID) may improve antimicrobial utilization and clinical outcomes by shortening the time to appropriate therapy and de-escalating antibiotics among patients on overly broad-spectrum empiric therapy. The effect of BCID on clinical outcomes across varying institutional antimicrobial stewardship program (ASP) practices is unclear.

Leiomyosarcoma of the Penis: A Case Report and Re-Appraisal.

Background: Penile leiomyosarcoma arises from smooth muscles, which can be from dartos fascia, erector pili in the skin covering the shaft, or from tunica media of the superficial vessels and cavernosa. We describe presentation, treatment options, and recurrence pattern of this rare malignancy.

Case Presentation: We present a case of penile leiomyosarcoma in a 70-year-old patient who presented to the urology clinic with 1-year history of a slowly enlarging penile mass associated with phimosis.

Serum Low-Density Lipoprotein Cholesterol and Cardiovascular Disease Risk Across Chronic Kidney Disease Stages (Data from 1.9 Million United States Veterans).

In the general population, elevated low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels are an important risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality; however, the association of LDL with mortality risk and cardiovascular events are less clear in chronic kidney disease (CKD). We sought to examine the relationship of LDL with mortality and rates of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and non-atherosclerotic cardiovascular-related (non-ASCVD) hospitalizations across CKD stages. Our analytical cohort consisted of 1,972,851 United States veterans with serum LDL data between 2004 and 2006.

The impact of primary tumor sidedness on survival in early-onset colorectal cancer by stage: A National Veterans Affairs retrospective analysis.

Background: The incidence of early-onset colorectal cancer (EOCRC) is rising. Left-sided colorectal cancer (LCC) is associated with better survival compared to right-sided colon cancer (RCC) in metastatic disease. NCCN guidelines recommend the addition of EGFR inhibitors to KRAS/NRAS WT metastatic CRC originating from the left only.

The Effect of Cadmium on GFR Is Clarified by Normalization of Excretion Rates to Creatinine Clearance.

Erroneous conclusions may result from normalization of urine cadmium and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase concentrations ([Cd] and [NAG]) to the urine creatinine concentration ([cr]). In theory, the sources of these errors are nullified by normalization of excretion rates (E and E) to creatinine clearance (C). We hypothesized that this alternate approach would clarify the contribution of Cd-induced tubular injury to nephron loss.