The time has come for revising the rules of clozapine blood monitoring in Europe. A joint expert statement from the European Clozapine Task Force.

The European Clozapine Task Force is a group of psychiatrists and pharmacologists practicing in 18 countries under European Medicines Agency (EMA) regulation, who are deeply concerned about the underuse of clozapine in European countries. Although clozapine is the most effective antipsychotic for people with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, a large proportion of them do not have access to this treatment. Concerns about clozapine-induced agranulocytosis and stringent blood monitoring rules are major barriers to clozapine prescribing and use.

Poor Performance of Applicator Tampon-Based Self-Collection for Liquid-Based Cytology Among Women Attending a Tertiary Hospital in South Africa.

Background: The South African Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Policy was updated in June 2017, recommending liquid-based cytology (LBC) as the preferred screening method and the investigation of self-sampling for cervical cancer screening.

Aim: To compare the performance of the Self Collection Cervical Health Screening Kit [SelfCerv (applicator tampon)] to the Cervex-Brush Combi for cytology screening. The study further aimed to compare high-risk (hr-) human papillomavirus (HPV) and LBC test results from both methods.

A modular, human body-mimicking phantom with active thermoregulation capabilities for validation and verification of convective hyperthermia devices.

Objectives: This study aims to design and fabricate a modular phantom for hyperthermia applications, addressing interpatient variability in thermal regulation mechanisms like sweating rate, metabolic heat production, and blood redistribution.

Materials & Methods: The phantom can be constructed in various weights and dimensions by connecting identical units. Each unit consists of an agar-based block, an ethyl cellulose-based top layer, a heat source, deep and superficial water circulation, and a sweating mechanism.

HPV infection patterns and viral load distribution: implication on cervical cancer prevention in Western Kenya.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) coinfection remains common globally. However, its clinical significance compared to mono-infection remains controversial. Further, the epidemiology of HPV genotype combination in coinfection is not well studied in Kenya.

Electroconvulsive Therapy Versus Aripiprazole Addition to Clozapine in Patients with Clozapine-Resistant Symptoms (EMECLO): A Protocol of a Single-Blind, Multicenter, Randomized-Controlled Feasibility Trial.

Background: Currently, guidance on the most effective treatment for patients with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) is lacking. While augmentation strategies to clozapine with aripiprazole and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) have been demonstrated to be effective in patients with clozapine-resistant schizophrenia spectrum disorders (CRS), head-to-head comparisons between these addition strategies are unavailable. We therefore aim to examine the feasibility of a larger randomized, single-blind trial comparing the effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and safety of aripiprazole addition vs.

Prevalence and genotype distribution of potential high-risk and high-risk human papillomavirus among women attending selected reproductive health clinics in lake victoria basin-kenya: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Persistent human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is considered the primary etiological factor for invasive cervical cancer. Understanding the epidemiology of circulating potential high-risk (HR) and HR HPV strains is essential in updating epidemiological knowledge and recommendations on genotype-specific vaccination development. This study determined the prevalence and factors associated with Potential HR/HR HPV among women attending selected reproductive health clinics in Lake Victoria Basin.

Neoadjuvant Hyperthermia Combined with Hybrid Nanoarchitectures Enhances Chemoradiotherapy Efficacy in Head and Neck Carcinoma.

Head and neck squamous cell carcinomas are characterized by a high incidence of recurrence, especially in patients with locally advanced disease. Standard treatment strategies can be associated with severe side effects to healthy tissues that can negatively impact the patient's quality of life. Hyperthermia (HT) is a noninvasive treatment modality that has improved the effectiveness of chemotherapy (CT) and/or radiotherapy (RT) for the management of some solid neoplasms.

Development, Validation, and Implementation of an Augmented Multiwell, Multitarget Quantitative PCR for the Analysis of Human Papillomavirus Genotyping through Software Automation, Data Science, and Artificial Intelligence.

The value of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for cervical cancer screening is well established; however, its use as a primary screening option or as a reflex test after atypical cytology results is now gaining wider acceptance. The importance of full genotyping and viral load determination has been demonstrated to enhance the clinical understanding of the viral infection progression during follow-up or after treatment, thereby providing clinicians with supplementary tools for optimized patient management. We developed a new analysis method for the RIATOL quantitative PCR assay, and validated and implemented it in the laboratory of clinical molecular pathology at Algemeen Medisch Laboratorium (AML), under national accreditation and following the International Organization for Standardization guidelines.

Cognitive Effects of Reducing First-Generation Antipsychotic Dose Compared to Switching to Ziprasidone in Long-Stay Patients with Schizophrenia.

Cognitive impairment is a core symptom of schizophrenia and is associated with functional outcomes. Improving cognitive function is an important treatment goal. Studies have reported beneficial cognitive effects of the second-generation antipsychotic (SGA) ziprasidone.

Protocol for xenografting of BxPC-3 pancreatic tumors using a chorioallantoic membrane model.

The chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) model is an increasingly attractive model for the study of human tumors. However, concise techniques for the use of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma BxPC-3 xenografts in CAM assays are not yet available. Here, we present a protocol for the induction of BxPC-3 xenograft tumors with high grafting efficiency.

Lamin B1 curtails early human papillomavirus infection by safeguarding nuclear compartmentalization and autophagic capacity.

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a primary cause of cervical and head-and-neck cancers. The HPV genome enters the nucleus during mitosis when the nuclear envelope disassembles. Given that lamins maintain nuclear integrity during interphase, we asked to what extent their loss would affect early HPV infection.

Hyperthermia in Combination with Emerging Targeted and Immunotherapies as a New Approach in Cancer Treatment.

Despite significant advancements in the development of novel therapies, cancer continues to stand as a prominent global cause of death. In many cases, the cornerstone of standard-of-care therapy consists of chemotherapy (CT), radiotherapy (RT), or a combination of both. Notably, hyperthermia (HT), which has been in clinical use in the last four decades, has proven to enhance the effectiveness of CT and RT, owing to its recognized potency as a sensitizer.

The Etiology of Parkinson's Disease: New Perspectives from Gene-Environment Interactions.

Parkinson's disease is now the most rapidly growing neurodegenerative disease worldwide. It is therefore critical to identify which factors, and to what extent, contribute to the multifactorial etiology of Parkinson's disease. Here, we address two interesting elements from the perspective of genetics, namely (a) the estimated age of several genetic risk factors related to Parkinson's disease; and (b) the relative contribution of genetics to the etiology of Parkinson's disease, as derived from twin studies.

An economic evaluation of two cervical screening algorithms in Belgium: HR-HPV primary compared to HR-HPV and liquid-based cytology co-testing.

Objective: To assess the costs and benefits of two algorithms for cervical cancer screening in Belgium (1) high-risk human papillomavirus (HR-HPV) primary screening and (2) HR-HPV and liquid-based cytology (LBC) co-testing.

Methods: A decision tree was adapted from published work and parameterised using HORIZON study data and Belgian cost and population data. The theoretical model represents two different screening algorithms for a cohort of 577 846 women aged 25-64 attending routine cervical screening.

Characterization of type-specific HPV prevalence in a population of persistent cutaneous warts in Flanders, Belgium.

Cutaneous warts are benign skin lesions caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Even though they are considered benign, they can have a considerable impact on the quality of life and cause serious illness in certain immunocompromised populations. Studies have shown that the efficacy of wart treatment is dependent on the causative HPV type.

Risk of clozapine-associated agranulocytosis and mandatory white blood cell monitoring: Can the regulations be relaxed?

After the introduction of clozapine eight Finnish patients died after developing agranulocytosis. Clozapine was withdrawn from the market and only reintroduced with strict mandatory white blood cell monitoring as long as treatment lasts and thresholds at which clozapine must be discontinued definitively. The fear of agranulocytosis and the need for intensive blood monitoring is the single most important barrier for prescribers and patients alike and leads to underprescription of the only effective and approved medication for treatment-resistant schizophrenia.

Optimizing the pre-analytical phase for accurate HPV detection in skin disorders: insights from a cutaneous warts case study.

Background: In previous years, several cutaneous disorders have been associated with human papillomavirus (HPV); however, the exact role of HPV remains largely unknown. The lack of optimization and standardization of the pre-analytical phase forms a major obstacle. The aim of this study was to develop an accurate/patient-friendly sampling method for skin disorders, with cutaneous warts as a case study.

Hyperthermia Reduces Irradiation-Induced Tumor Repopulation in an In Vivo Pancreatic Carcinoma Model.

Pancreatic cancer has a poor prognosis due to its aggressive nature and ability to metastasize at an early stage. Currently, its management is still a challenge because this neoplasm is resistant to conventional treatment approaches, among which is chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), due to the abundant stromal compartment involved in the mechanism of hypoxia. Hyperthermia, among other effects, counteracts hypoxia by promoting blood perfusion and thereby can enhance the therapeutic effect of radiotherapy (RT).

Feasibility and Effect of Increasing Clozapine Plasma Levels in Long-Stay Patients With Treatment-Resistant Schizophrenia.

Background: It is unknown whether increasing the clozapine plasma level to 400, 750, or even 1000 ng/mL is a feasible and effective strategy in patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS). We investigated this in long-stay patients with TRS.

Methods: In long-stay TRS patients, doses of clozapine were increased gradually to reach target plasma levels of 400, 750, or 1000 ng/mL, depending on the clinical response and tolerability.

Risk Factors for Psychotic Relapse After Dose Reduction or Discontinuation of Antipsychotics in Patients With Chronic Schizophrenia. A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Background And Hypothesis: Although maintenance treatment with antipsychotics protects against psychotic relapse, high doses may hamper recovery. Therefore, dose reduction or discontinuation may be considered in patients with chronic schizophrenia. Here, we identified risk factors for psychotic relapse when doses are reduced.