Assessing knowledge gaps and educational needs in urine drug test interpretation among health care professionals.

Objectives: Urine drug testing (UDT) is a critical tool used in medical, forensic, and occupational settings, but interpreting results can be challenging. We performed a study to assess the ability of health care professionals to interpret UDT results accurately.

Methods: In total, 911 clinical and laboratory professionals in the United States and Canada responded to a survey with questions gauging expertise in UDT interpretation.

High-fat diet consumption negatively influences closed-head traumatic brain injury in a pediatric rodent model.

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the most common causes of emergency room visits in children, and it is a leading cause of death in juveniles in the United States. Similarly, a high proportion of this population consumes diets that are high in saturated fats, and millions of children are overweight or obese. The goal of the present study was to assess the relationship between diet and TBI on cognitive and cerebrovascular outcomes in juvenile rats.

Rational Protein Engineering to Enhance MHC-Independent T-cell Receptors.

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR)-based therapies have pioneered synthetic cellular immunity but remain limited in their long-term efficacy. Emerging data suggest that dysregulated CAR-driven T-cell activation causes T-cell dysfunction and therapeutic failure. To re-engage the precision of the endogenous T-cell response, we designed MHC-independent T-cell receptors (miTCR) by linking antibody variable domains to T-cell receptor constant chains.

Guidelines for in vivo models of developmental programming of cardiovascular disease risk.

Research using animals depends on the generation of offspring for use in experiments or for the maintenance of animal colonies. Although not considered by all, several different factors preceding and during pregnancy, as well as during lactation, can program various characteristics in the offspring. Here, we present the most common models of developmental programming of cardiovascular outcomes, important considerations for study design, and provide guidelines for producing and reporting rigorous and reproducible cardiovascular studies in offspring exposed to normal conditions or developmental insult.