Robot-assisted Surgery in the Field of Urology: The Most Pioneering Approaches 2015-2023.

Robot-assisted surgery has emerged as a transformative technology, revolutionizing surgical approaches and techniques that decades ago could barely be imagined. The field of urology has taken charge in pioneering a new era of minimally invasive surgery with the ascent of robotic systems which offer enhanced visualization, precision, dexterity, and enabling surgeons to perform intricate maneuvers with improved accuracy. This has led to improved surgical outcomes, including reduced blood loss, lower complication rates, and faster patient recovery. The aim of our review is to present an evidence-based critical analysis on the most pioneering robotic urologic approaches described over the last eight years (2015-2023).

Factors Influencing a Medical Student's Decision to Pursue Surgery as a Career.

BACKGROUND: Recent match trends from the National Resident Matching Program suggest that the number of allopathic medical students (MD) pursuing general surgery is declining. This decline may have profound consequences given the surgeon shortage predicted by the Association of American Medical Colleges. Early exposure to surgery opportunities may increase a student's desire to pursue the specialty as a career. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect surgical activities have on promoting student interest in surgery. METHODS: Medical students (years 1-3) at the University of Illinois at Rockford completed a two-component activity: a questionnaire and laparoscopic box activity. Differences in lifestyle factors, psychomotor aptitude, and future career interests were compared. RESULTS: A total of 64 medical students completed the activity. 45.3% of students reported that the activity positively influenced their decision to pursue a career in surgery. Rating of the importance of living in a rural versus urban community was an important lifestyle factor (p = 0.01) for students without rather than with an interest in surgery, 3.95 and 3.19, respectively. No differences were observed in other lifestyle factors. CONCLUSION: Early exposure to surgical activities may foster interest in students who lacked previous intention to pursue the specialty.

Distinct roles for the cell adhesion molecule Contactin2 in the development and function of neural circuits in zebrafish.

Contactin2 (Cntn2)/Transient Axonal Glycoprotein 1 (Tag1), a neural cell adhesion molecule, has established roles in neuronal migration and axon fasciculation in chick and mouse. In zebrafish, antisense morpholino-based studies have indicated roles for cntn2 in the migration of facial branchiomotor (FBM) neurons, the guidance of the axons of the nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle (nucMLF), and the outgrowth of Rohon-Beard (RB) central axons. To study functions of Cntn2 in later stages of neuronal development, we generated cntn2 mutant zebrafish using CRISPR-Cas9. Using a null mutant allele, we detected genetic interactions between cntn2 and the planar cell polarity gene vangl2, as shown previously with cntn2 morphants, demonstrating a function for cntn2 during FBM neuron migration in a sensitized background of reduced planar cell polarity signaling. In addition, maternal-zygotic (MZ) cntn2 mutant larvae exhibited aberrant touch responses and swimming, suggestive of defects in sensorimotor circuits, consistent with studies in mice. However, the nucMLF axon convergence, FBM neuron migration, and RB outgrowth defects seen in morphants were not seen in the mutants, and we show here that they are likely off-target effects of morpholinos. However, MLF axons exhibited local defasciculation in MZcntn2 mutants, consistent with a role for Cntn2 in axon fasciculation. These data demonstrate distinct roles for zebrafish cntn2 in neuronal migration and axon fasciculation, and in the function of sensorimotor circuits.