Distortion in transmission of pathogenic SDHB- and SDHD-mutated alleles from parent to offspring.

Phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma are highly heritable tumours; half of those associated with a germline mutation are caused by mutations in genes for Krebs's cycle enzymes, including succinate dehydrogenase (SDH). Inheritance of SDH alleles is assumed to be Mendelian (probability of 50% from each parent). The departure from transmission of parental alleles in a ratio of 1:1 is termed transmission ratio distortion (TRD).

Diagnosis of spontaneous secondary tension pneumothorax following apparent recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 pneumonitis: a case report.

Background: Coronavirus disease 2019 has been associated with a plethora of different manifestations of systems affected (including pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and thrombotic disease) and time to presentation of complications. Pneumothorax has been established as a complication in the literature. However, tension pneumothorax remains a rare presentation with higher mortality.

A Solid-State Support for Separating Astatine-211 from Bismuth.

Increasing access to the short-lived α-emitting radionuclide astatine-211 (At) has the potential to advance targeted α-therapeutic treatment of disease and to solve challenges facing the medical community. For example, there are numerous technical needs associated with advancing the use of At in targeted α-therapy, e.g.

Development of an autonomous solvent extraction system to isolate astatine-211 from dissolved cyclotron bombarded bismuth targets.

Cyclotron-produced astatine-211 (At) shows tremendous promise in targeted alpha therapy (TAT) applications due to its attractive half-life and its 100% α-emission from nearly simultaneous branched alpha decay. Astatine-211 is produced by alpha beam bombardment of naturally monoisotopic bismuth metal (Bi) via the (α, 2n) reaction. In order to isolate the small mass of At (specific activity = 76 GBq·µg) from several grams of acid-dissolved Bi metal, a manual milliliter-scale solvent extraction process using diisopropyl ether (DIPE) is routinely performed at the University of Washington.

Vocal fold fixation due to proximal stenosis progression complicating idiopathic subglottic stenosis.

Purpose: This study examined the incidence and risk factors for vocal fold fixation due to proximal progression of idiopathic subglottic stenosis (ISS) over the course of serial treatments.

Methods: Records of 22 consecutive patients with ISS treated between 2004 and 2016 were retrospectively reviewed. Patient, stenosis, and treatment details were recorded.

Outcomes of Treating Early Glottic Neoplasms With a Potassium Titanyl Phosphate Laser.

Objectives:: The aim of this study was to assess the outcome of treating glottic dysplasia and early squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP) photoangiolytic laser ablation.

Methods:: Patient demographics, comorbidities, and tumor characteristics were recorded. Perceptual, patient-reported, and objective voice outcomes were assessed.

Evaluation of Se/As generator and production of Se for supplying As as a potential PET imaging radionuclide.

Positron-emitting As is the PET imaging counterpart for beta-emitting As. Its parent, no carrier added (n.c.

cGMP production of astatine-211-labeled anti-CD45 antibodies for use in allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation for treatment of advanced hematopoietic malignancies.

The objective of this study was to translate reaction conditions and quality control methods used for production of an astatine-211(211At)-labeled anti-CD45 monoclonal antibody (MAb) conjugate, 211At-BC8-B10, from the laboratory setting to cGMP production. Five separate materials were produced in the preparation of 211At-BC8-B10: (1) p-isothiocyanato-phenethyl-closo-decaborate(2-) (B10-NCS), (2) anti-CD45 MAb, BC8, (3) BC8-B10 MAb conjugate, (4) [211At]NaAt, and (5) 211At-BC8-B10. The 211At-labeling reagent, B10-NCS, was synthesized as previously reported.

Front-line treatment of patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Aim: A systematic literature review and network meta-analysis were conducted to determine the relative efficacy and safety of interventions for treatment-naive chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients, as comparative evidence is scarce.

Materials & Methods: Relative treatment effects of progression-free survival, overall survival and safety outcomes were estimated via network meta-analysis based on data identified via systematic literature review.

Results: Ibrutinib was superior in all pairwise comparisons for progression-free survival (probability to be better [P] range: overall population: 69-100%; fludarabine-ineligible population: 69-100%) and overall survival (P range: overall: 89-100%; fludarabine-ineligible: 91-100%) and had the highest probability of being best for all outcomes.

Biological and dosimetric characterisation of spatially fractionated proton minibeams.

The biological effectiveness of proton beams varies with depth, spot size and lateral distance from the beam central axis. The aim of this work is to incorporate proton relative biological effectiveness (RBE) and equivalent uniform dose (EUD) considerations into comparisons of broad beam and highly modulated proton minibeams. A Monte Carlo model of a small animal proton beamline is presented.

Modeling the impact of novel male contraceptive methods on reductions in unintended pregnancies in Nigeria, South Africa, and the United States.

Objective: We modeled the potential impact of novel male contraceptive methods on averting unintended pregnancies in the United States, South Africa, and Nigeria.

Study Design: We used an established methodology for calculating the number of couple-years of protection provided by a given contraceptive method mix. We compared a "current scenario" (reflecting current use of existing methods in each country) against "future scenarios," (reflecting whether a male oral pill or a reversible vas occlusion was introduced) in order to estimate the impact on unintended pregnancies averted.

An automated flow system incorporating in-line acid dissolution of bismuth metal from a cyclotron irradiated target assembly for use in the isolation of astatine-211.

Astatine-211 (At) is a promising cyclotron-produced radionuclide being investigated for use in targeted alpha therapy. The wet chemical isolation of trace quantities of At, produced within several grams of Bi metal deposited onto an aluminum cyclotron target assembly, involves a multi-step procedure. Because the At isolation method is labor-intensive and complex, automation of the method is being developed to facilitate routine processing at the University of Washington and to make it easier to transfer the process to other institutions.

Effects of antioxidant vitamins (A, D, E) and trace elements (Cu, Mn, Se, Zn) on some metabolic and reproductive profiles in dairy cows during transition period.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of some antioxidant vitamins and trace elements on some metabolic and postpartum reproductive profiles in dairy cows during transition period. In the study, altogether 20 clinically healthy Brown Swiss dairy cows (aged 4-5 years-old) under the same management and feeding conditions in periparturient period were used. The animals were divided into two equal groups: control (C) and treatment (T) group (n=10 for each group).

Indirect Treatment Comparisons of Ibrutinib Versus Physician's Choice and Idelalisib Plus Ofatumumab in Patients With Previously Treated Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia.

Purpose: Treatment options for patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (R/R CLL) are limited. Until recently, few effective treatment options existed, and even with the advent of new agents, studies evaluating comparative efficacy are scarce. In the Ibrutinib Versus Ofatumumab in Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (RESONATE) Phase III study, ibrutinib, an oral, once-a-day, first-in-class covalent Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor, improved progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) compared with ofatumumab (PFS hazard ratio [HR] = 0.

Comparison of Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 fully-automated urine analyzers to manual urine microscopy.

Introduction: Urine screening is achieved by either automated or manual microscopic analysis. The aim of the study was to compare Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 urine analyzers, and manual urine microscopic analysis.

Materials And Methods: A total of 540 urine samples sent to the laboratory for chemical and sediment analysis were analyzed on Cobas 6500 and Iris IQ200 within 1 hour from sampling.

Changes in platelet parameters in leukocytosis.

Introduction: In recent years, platelets are known to have a large variety of functions in many pathophysiological processes and their interaction with endothelial cells and leukocytes is known to play an important role in the pathophysiology of vascular inflammation. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between white blood cell count in conditions resulting in leukocytosis and platelet count and platelet parameters including mean platelet volume, platelet distribution width, and plateletcrit.

Methods: White blood cell counts count and all platelet parameters were evaluated in 341 results of normal complete blood count (of which the white blood cell counts were within reference range, group 1) and 327 results of elevated white blood cell counts count (group 2).

Budget Impact of Adding Ivabradine to Standard of Care in Patients with Chronic Systolic Heart Failure in the United States.

Background: Heart failure (HF) costs $21 billion annually in direct health care costs, 80% of which is directly attributable to hospitalizations. The SHIFT clinical study demonstrated that ivabradine plus standard of care (SoC) reduced HF-related and all-cause hospitalizations compared with SoC alone.

Objective: To estimate the budget impact of ivabradine from a U.

Deuteron irradiation of W and WO3 for production of high specific activity (186)Re: Challenges associated with thick target preparation.

This investigation evaluated target fabrication and beam parameters for scale-up production of high specific activity (186)Re using deuteron irradiation of enriched (186)W via the (186)W(d,2n)(186)Re reaction. Thick W and WO3 targets were prepared, characterized and evaluated in deuteron irradiations. Full-thickness targets, as determined using SRIM, were prepared by uniaxially pressing powdered natural abundance W and WO3, or 96.

3,3 diindolylmethane leads to apoptosis, decreases sperm quality, affects blood estradiol 17 β and testosterone, oestrogen (α and β) and androgen receptor levels in the reproductive system in male rats.

3,3 Diindolylmethane (DIM) is a major digestive product of indole-3 carbinol, obtained from Brassica family vegetables such as broccoli, cabbage and Brussels sprouts. This study aimed to investigate the effects of DIM on sperm parameters, histological structures of testicular tissues, blood testosterone (T) and estradiol 17-β (E2) in male rats. Thirty-eight male Sprague Dawley rats were used.

The budget impact of introducing delayed-release dimethyl fumarate for treatment of relapse-remitting multiple sclerosis in Canada.

Objective: Multiple sclerosis (MS) causes significant disability globally and is especially prevalent in Canada. Delayed-release dimethyl fumarate (DMF; also known as gastro-resistant DMF) is an orally administered disease-modifying treatment (DMT) for patients with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) that is currently on the market in the US, Australia, Canada, and Europe. A budget impact model (BIM) was developed to assess the financial consequences of introducing DMF for treatment of RRMS in Canada.

Is There a Relationship between Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome Severity and Nesfatin-1?

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and obesity frequently occur together. The relationship between increased appetite and obesity is well known; however, despite existing knowledge about the relationship between OSAS and obesity, it is not fully understood.

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between OSAS and the appetite-suppressing hormone nesfatin-1 independent of body mass index (BMI).