"I'm not a bad mother:" the experience of stigma among mothers with substance use disorder in the criminal justice system.

This study explores the impacts of stigma on the lives of pregnant and parenting women with substance use disorder (SUD) and justice involvement. We also uncover how some women were able to cope with adversity and take steps to develop resilience. To guide our research, we combined Bos and colleagues' stigma theory with Windle's concept of resilience.

Therapeutic efficacy of candidate antischistosomal drugs in a murine model of schistosomiasis mansoni.

Schistosomiasis is a neglected tropical disease associated with considerable morbidity. Praziquantel (PZQ) is effective against adult schistosomes, yet, it has little effect on juvenile stages, and PZQ resistance is emerging. Adopting the drug repurposing strategy as well as assuming enhancing the efficacy and lessening the doses and side effects, the present study aimed to investigate the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of the widely used antiarrhythmic, amiodarone, and diuretic, spironolactone, and combinations of them compared to PZQ.

Buprenorphine, Norbuprenorphine, and Naloxone Levels in Adulterated Urine Samples: Can They be Detected When Buprenorphine/Naloxone Film is Dipped into Urine or Water?

Reportedly, various urine manipulations can be performed by opioid use disorder (OUD) patients who are on buprenorphine/naloxone medications to disguise their non-compliance to the treatment. One type of manipulation is known as "spiking" adulteration, directly dipping a buprenorphine/naloxone film into urine. Identifying this type of urine manipulation has been the aim of many previous studies.

Chloroplasts play a central role in facilitating MAMP-triggered immunity, pathogen suppression of immunity and crosstalk with abiotic stress.

Microbe-associated molecular pattern (MAMP)-triggered immunity (MTI) research has traditionally centred around signal transduction pathways originating from activated membrane-localized pattern recognition receptors (PRRs), culminating in nuclear transcription and posttranslational modifications. More recently, chloroplasts have emerged as key immune signalling hubs, playing a central role in integrating environmental signals. Notably, MAMP recognition induces chloroplastic reactive oxygen species (cROS) that is suppressed by pathogen effectors, which also modify the balance of chloroplast-synthesized precursors of the defence hormones, jasmonic acid, salicylic acid (SA) and abscisic acid.

Design optimization of bidirectional arterial perfusion cannula.

Objectives: Determine if shortening the covered section of a self-expanding bidirectional arterial cannula, can enhance retrograde flow and thus reduce the risk of lower limb ischemia.

Methods: Outlet pressure vs flow rate was determined for three cannulas types: a 15F self-expanding bidirectional cannula having a covered section of 90 mm, the same cannula but with a shorter covered section of 60 mm, and a Biomedicus cannula as control. The performances of all the cannulas were compared using a computerized flow-bench with calibrated sensors and a centrifugal pump.

Effect of blood viscosity on the performance of virtually wall-less venous cannulas.

Aim: This study was designed to quantify the influence of blood as test medium compared to water in cannula bench performance assessment.

Methods: An in vitro circuit was set-up with silicone tubing between two reservoirs. The test medium was pumped from the lower reservoir by centrifugal pump to the upper reservoir.

New, optimized, dual-lumen cannula for veno-venous ECMO.

Objective: The present study was designed to assess in vivo a new, optimized, virtually wall-less, dual-lumen, bi-caval cannula for veno-venous ECMO in comparison to a commercially available cannula.

Methods: Veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was carried out in a bovine study (n=5, bodyweight 75±5kg). Following systemic heparinization, ECMO was established in a trans-jugular fashion through a calibrated 23F orifice, using a new, optimized, virtually wall-less, dual-lumen, bi-caval 24F cannula (Smartcanula LLC, Lausanne, Switzerland) versus a commercially available 23F bi-caval, dual-lumen control cannula (Avalon Elite, Maquet, Rastatt, Germany) in a veno-venous ECMO setup.

New, Virtually Wall-less Cannulas Designed for Augmented Venous Drainage in Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery.

Objective: Inadequate venous drainage during minimally invasive cardiac surgery becomes most evident when the blood trapped in the pulmonary circulation floods the surgical field. The present study was designed to assess the in vivo performance of new, thinner, virtually wall-less, venous cannulas designed for augmented venous drainage in comparison to traditional thin-wall cannulas.

Methods: Remote cannulation was realized in 5 bovine experiments (74.

A Model of Anterograde Oxygenated Lung Blood Flow in Acardia.

In extreme situations such as hyperacute rejection of heart transplant or major heart trauma, heart explantation and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) hemodynamic support might be the only means for survival. In our previous model of acardia, pulmonary artery (PA) was clamped and did not receive any anterograde blood flow. A model of anterograde PA perfusion might be necessary to avoid ischemic pulmonary damage in prolonged ECMO in acardia.

New Dual Lumen Self-Expanding Catheter Design Requiring Less Suction.

Contribution of venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (v-v ECMO) to gas transfer is flow dependent. Catheter design is a key factor for optimal pressure/flow rate relationship. This study was designed for the assessment of a new self-expanding dual lumen catheter design versus the current standard.

Piperazine derivatives as iron chelators: a potential application in neurobiology.

Polysubstituted piperazine derivatives, designed as new iron chelators, were synthesized and fully characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy. Their potential to prevent iron-induced neurotoxicity was assessed using a cellular model of Parkinson disease. We demonstrated their ability to provide sustained neuroprotection to dopaminergic neurons that are vulnerable in this pathology.

How to prevent venous cannula orifice obstruction during extracorporeal circulation.

Venous cannula orifice obstruction is an underestimated problem during augmented cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB), which can potentially be reduced with redesigned, virtually wall-less cannula designs versus traditional percutaneous control venous cannulas. A bench model, allowing for simulation of the vena cava with various affluent orifices, venous collapse and a worst case scenario with regard to cannula position, was developed. Flow (Q) was measured sequentially for right atrial+hepatic+renal+iliac drainage scenarios, using a centrifugal pump and an experimental bench set-up (afterload 60 mmHg).

Late removal of retrievable caval filters.

The advent of retrievable caval filters was a game changer in the sense, that the previously irreversible act of implanting a medical device into the main venous blood stream of the body requiring careful evaluation of the pros and cons prior to execution suddenly became a "reversible" procedure where potential hazards in the late future of the patient lost most of their weight at the time of decision making. This review was designed to assess the rate of success with late retrieval of so called retrievable caval filters in order to get some indication about reasonable implant duration with respect to relatively "easy" implant removal with conventional means, i.e.

Venous cannula performance assessment in a realistic caval tree model.

Objectives: A new caval tree system was designed for realistic in vitro simulation. The objective of our study was to assess cannula performance for virtually wall-less versus standard percutaneous thin-walled venous cannulas in a setting of venous collapse in case of negative pressure.

Methods: For a collapsible caval model, a very flexible plastic material was selected, and a model with nine afferent veins was designed according to the anatomy of the vena cava.

Performance increase in venous drainage for mini-invasive heart surgery: superiority of self-expanding cannulas.

Objective: Originally, the Smartcanula principle (collapsed insertion and expansion in situ) was developed for venous drainage by gravity. However, in minimally invasive surgery, augmentation with either constrained force vortex pumps or vacuum is often used. The current study was set up to assess whether smaller diameters of self-expanding venous cannulas are sufficient in conjunction with venous drainage augmentation resulting in smaller access orifices.

Design and synthesis of 3-isoxazolidone derivatives as new Chlamydia trachomatis inhibitors.

Chlamydia trachomatis (Ct) is a bacterial human pathogen responsible for the development of trachoma, the worldwide infection leading to blindness, and is also a major cause of sexually transmitted diseases. As iron is an essential metabolite for this bacterium, iron depletion presents a promising strategy to limit Ct proliferation. The aim of this study is to synthesize 3-isoxazolidone derivatives bearing known chelating moieties in an attempt to develop new bactericidal anti-Chlamydiaceae molecules.

Caval collapse during cardiopulmonary bypass: a reproducible bench model.

Objectives: During open heart surgery, so-called atrial chatter, a phenomenon due to right atria and/or caval collapse, is frequently observed. Collapse of the cava axis during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) limits venous drainage and may result downstream in reduced pump flow on (lack of volume) and upstream in increased after-load (stagnation), which in turn may both result in reduced or even inadequate end-organ perfusion. The goal of this study was to reproduce venous collapse in the flow bench.

Prevention of caval collapse during venous drainage for CPB.

A new plastic self-expanding Smartcanula (Smartcanula LLC, Lausanne, Switzerland) is designed for central insertion and prevention of caval collapse. The objective of our work is to assess the influence of the new design on atrial chatter. Caval collapse over the entire caval axis, right atrial, hepatic, renal vein, and iliac vein is realized in drainage tubes with holes at 5 cm distance intervals.

Characterizing the impact of minor cannula design modification.

Objective: Bench evaluation of the hydrodynamic behavior of venous cannulas is a valuable technique for the analysis of their performance during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of the internal diameter of the extracorporeal connecting tube of venous cannulas on flow rate (Q), pressure drop (delta P), and cannula resistance (delta P/Q²) values, using a computer assisted test bench.

Methods: An in vitro circuit was set up with silicone tubing between the test cannula encased in a movable reservoir, and a static reservoir.

Predictors of clinically significant drug-drug interactions among patients treated with nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor-, protease inhibitor-, and raltegravir-based antiretroviral regimens.

Background: The Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) HIV treatment guidelines recommend that antiretroviral regimens for treatment-naïve individuals include at least 2 nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) plus either (1) a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NNRTI), (2) a protease inhibitor (PI), or (3) raltegravir, an integrase strand transfer inhibitor. Differences in drug-drug interaction potential may represent an important differentiating feature when choosing between these regimen types.

Objective: To identify risk factors for clinically significant drug-drug interactions (CSDDIs) among patients on NNRTI-, PI-, and raltegravir-based antiretroviral regimens; compare CSDDI risks between these regimen types; and develop a clinical prediction tool for antiretroviral CSDDIs.

New bench test for venous cannula performance assessment.

Cannula design is of prime importance for venous drainage during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB). To evaluate cannulas intended for CPB, an in vitro circuit was set up with silicone tubing between the test cannula encased in a movable preload reservoir and another static reservoir. The pressure-drop (DeltaP) value (P-drainage - P-preload) was measured using Millar pressure transducers.

Renal endothelin receptor type B upregulation in rats with low or high renin hypertension.

Objectives: To evaluate the role of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in hypertension, we investigated density and distribution of ETA and ETB receptors in hearts and kidneys of deoxycorticosterone acetate (DOCA)-salt and 1 kidney -- 1 clip (1K1C) hypertensive rats.

Methods: Five groups of uninephrectomized Wistar rats were put on a low salt diet. Three groups of rats drank tap water and two groups received saline.

Volume expansion enhances plasma endothelin-1.

We hypothesized that acute volume expansion by saline infusion triggers the release of endothelin-1. Bolus intravenous saline infusion (8 mL/min) in six groups of conscious Wistar rats and spontaneously hypertensive rats did not change mean arterial pressure or heart rate (n = 8 to 12). At 1 min after infusion, the plasma endothelin-1 level was significantly increased in Wistar rats and in spontaneously hypertensive rats by 42% and 61%, respectively (unpaired data).

Measurement of plasma endothelin-1 in experimental hypertension and in healthy subjects.

Background: Endothelin-1 is an endothelium-derived potent vasoconstrictor peptide of 21 amino acids. To establish reference values in different models of hypertension and in human subjects an assay for plasma immunoreactive endothelin-1 (ET-1) was optimized.

Methods: ET-1 is extracted by acetone from 1 mL of plasma and subjected to a sensitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.