Primary care provider beliefs and knowledge of prescribing gender-affirming hormone therapy to transgender and gender diverse patients.

Background: Transgender patients often cannot access a provider who is knowledgeable about providing gender-affirming hormone therapy (GAHT). This study evaluated primary care provider (PCP) comfort and experience with, opinions about, and knowledge of prescribing GAHT to adults.

Methods: An anonymous Qualtrics survey was distributed to PCPs in San Diego County.

The Effects of Patient Characteristics on the Management of Subclinical Hypothyroidism: A Survey of Faculty and Trainees.

Objective: There is no universal approach to the management of subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). This study was designed to determine the impact of patient characteristics on management decisions in SCH amongst physician faculty members and trainees.

Methods: An online survey was distributed to faculty members and medical trainees (ie, interns, residents, and fellows) at multiple academic medical centers.

Using Online Simulation of Pediatric Musculoskeletal Cases to Evaluate How Knowledge of Costs Affects Diagnostic Workup.

Background: Rising healthcare costs have emphasized the need to teach cost-conscious care in graduate medical education.

Objective: To teach high-value care and diagnostic evaluation of pediatric musculoskeletal complaints to residents and rotating medical students through online cases.

Methods: Six online cases were developed and tested at the University Hospitals Cleveland Medical Center.

The targeted delivery of doxorubicin with transferrin-conjugated block copolypeptide vesicles.

We previously investigated the intracellular trafficking properties of our novel poly(l-glutamate)60-b-poly(l-leucine)20 (E60L20) vesicles (EL vesicles) conjugated to transferrin (Tf). In this study, we expand upon our previous work by investigating the drug encapsulation, release, and efficacy properties of our novel EL vesicles for the first time. After polyethylene glycol (PEG) was conjugated to the vesicles for steric stability, doxorubicin (DOX) was successfully encapsulated in the vesicles using a modified pH-ammonium sulfate gradient method.

Simultaneous concentration and detection of biomarkers on paper.

The lateral-flow immunoassay (LFA) is an inexpensive point-of-care (POC) paper-based diagnostic device with the potential to rapidly detect disease biomarkers in resource-poor settings. Although LFA is inexpensive, easy to use, and requires no laboratory equipment, it is limited by its sensitivity, which remains inferior to that of gold standard laboratory-based assays. Our group is the only one to have previously utilized various aqueous two-phase systems (ATPSs) to enhance LFA detection.

Modeling mass transfer from carmustine-loaded polymeric implants for malignant gliomas.

Significant advances in the encapsulation and release of drugs from degradable polymers have led to the Food and Drug Administration approval of Gliadel wafers for controlled local delivery of the chemotherapeutic drug carmustine to high-grade gliomas following surgical resection. Due to the localized nature of the delivery method, no pharmacokinetic measurements have been taken in humans. Rather, pharmacokinetic studies in animals and associated modeling have indicated the capability of carmustine to be delivered in high concentrations within millimeters from the implant site over approximately 5 days.