High-throughput method for the quantification of lacosamide in serum using ultrafast SPE-MS/MS.

Background: Lacosamide is an anticonvulsant drug approved for adjunctive therapy of partial-onset seizures in adults. Monitoring serum lacosamide concentrations may be useful in assessing compliance and optimizing therapy. The clinical need for faster turn-around-times and increased testing volumes has led to the desire to develop faster methods of analysis for higher throughput of samples.

Therapeutic monitoring of opioids: a sensitive LC-MS/MS method for quantitation of several opioids including hydrocodone and its metabolites.

For pain management, opioid therapy is a mainstay for treating acute pain and relieving moderate to severe chronic pain. Quantitative measurement of opioids and their metabolites in urine is used mainly for confirmation of screened results obtained for clinical and forensic purposes. Due to limitations in interpretation of urine results for pain management testing purposes, the use of blood or serum to assess opioids and their metabolites may be of benefit.

Hypoglycemic agent screening by LC-MS/MS.

Hypoglycemia is a potentially life-threatening condition that can be caused by a variety of physiological conditions and pharmaceutical agents. Diagnosis of certain conditions, such as insulin-secreting tumors, requires ruling out the use (inadvertent or surreptitious) of drugs capable of inducing hypoglycemia. Many of the therapeutic agents used to treat diabetes mellitus have the ability to lower blood glucose to dangerous concentrations; these include the sulfonylurea, meglitinide, and thiazolidinedione drug classes.

Systematic evaluation of hybrid guidewires: shaft stiffness, lubricity, and tip configuration.

Objective: To conduct a comparison of physical and mechanical properties for 5 commonly used guidewires to assess advantages of wires for specific applications.

Methods: Tests on guidewires (0.035" diameter; straight, flexible tip) included tip bending, shaft buckling, lubricity, and tip puncture measurements.

New metallic ureteral stents: improved tensile strength and resistance to extrinsic compression.

Background And Purpose: Extrinsic ureteral compression challenges a ureteral stent's ability to facilitate urinary drainage and to protect the kidney. Our purpose was to evaluate the performance of new metallic coil-based ureteral stents in terms of tensile strength and radial compression force.

Materials And Methods: Three stent designs tested from Prosurg Inc included Passage 7.

Oxalobacter colonization in the morbidly obese and correlation with urinary stone risk.

Objective: To establish the baseline preoperative prevalence of Oxalobacter formigenes (OF) colonization in a cohort of obese patients scheduled for Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) and determine the effect of OF colonization on urinary oxalate excretion. It has been proposed that loss of OF colonization after RYGB may contribute to the development of hyperoxaluria.

Methods: Adult patients scheduled to undergo RYGB were requested to provide a stool specimen and 24-hour urine collection before surgery.

Small-diameter nitinol stone baskets: radial dilation force and dynamics of opening.

Purpose: To evaluate the radial dilation force and basket opening dynamics of three small (<1.5F) stone baskets.

Materials And Methods: Boston Scientific OptiFlex (1.

Complications of stone baskets: 14-year review of the manufacturer and user facility device experience database.

Purpose: We categorized trends in failure of the stone baskets as reported in the United States Food and Drug Administration Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience database.

Materials And Methods: We queried the online database using the code for stone baskets (FFL) from January 1996 to December 2009. Variables extracted were the type of basket, malfunction and treatment, and patient outcome.

Comparison of small diameter stone baskets in an in vitro caliceal and ureteral model.

Background And Purpose: Three small diameter (<1.5F) stone baskets have recently been introduced. Our objective was to evaluate the stone capture rate of these baskets in an in vitro ureteral model and an in vitro caliceal model using novice, resident, and expert operators.

The human sacrum and safe approaches for screw placement.

The human sacrum is the target of lumbosacral instrumentation and decompression procedures. Such surgical interventions require detailed knowledge of the anatomy of the human sacrum. The aim of this study was to measure surgically relevant parameters.

Usefulness of growth hormone (GH) stimulation tests and IGF-I concentration measurement in GH deficiency diagnosis.

The diagnosis of growth hormone (GH) deficiency (GHD) is still problematic for the clinician. There is no gold standard for estimating GH secretion. The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic usefulness of spontaneous GH secretion test, pharmacological tests with insulin, clonidine, L-dopa, and glucagon, and IGF-I measurement in GHD.

[Molecular analysis of the corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor type 2 gene fragment in anorexia nervosa].

Introduction: There is strong evidence for the importance of genetic factors in the aetiology of anorexia nervosa (AN). Stress factors can be also associated with the clinical manifestation of AN. The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis plays an important role in stress control.

Efficacy and safety of a new ready-to-use recombinant human growth hormone solution.

We report 24-month interim results of two multicenter phase III studies in previously untreated children with growth failure secondary to GH deficiency (GHD) that were paramount to the development of a new recombinant human GH (rh- GH, somatropin), approved as the first 'biosimilar' in Europe. Study 1 consisted of 3 parts performed in 89 children. The objective was to compare efficacy and safety of the lyophilized formulation of the new somatropin [Somatropin Powder (Sandoz)] with a licensed reference rhGH preparation and the liquid formulation of the new somatropin [Somatropin Solution (Sandoz)] and to assess long-term efficacy and safety of this ready-to-use Somatropin Solution.

[Estimation of growth hormone secretion during sleep as a screening test in the diagnosis of GH deficiency].

Background: Because of many disadvantages of growth hormone (GH) stimulation tests the diagnosis of growth hormone deficiency (GHD) is still problematic for the clinician. THE AIM of the study was the estimation of diagnostic usefulness of the GH provocation tests and basal IGF-I concentration measurement in the diagnosis of GHD.

Material And Methods: The study group consisted of 180 children with short stature diagnosed in the Department of Pediatric Endocrinology and Diabetes in the years 1998-2003.

[Diagnosis and treatment of thyroid cancer in children in the multicenter analysis in Poland for PPGGL].

Introduction: Differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC) in children presents different biological behavior in comparison to adults. Authors presents preliminary results of multicenter analysis concerning incidence, diagnostics and treatment of DTC in children.

Material And Methods: The study is a retrospective analysis of 107 pediatric patients from 14 academic centers based on the data from 2000 to 2005 obtained by questionnaire in hospitals involved in the treatment of DTC in children.

The thickness and the lengths of the anterior wall of adult maxilla of the West Anatolian Turkish people.

The maxilla is the key structure on facial formation and stability. The knowledge about maxillary thickness and dimensions is crucial during facial reconstruction including this bone. In this study, anthropometric measurements of anterior wall of the maxilla on the dry human skulls were aimed.

Genetic variants in the promoter region of the IGF-I gene as a reason for short stature.

DNA obtained from the blood cells of 88 adolescent patients with short stature, with low blood serum IGF-I concentrations, normal growth hormone (GH) secretion and normal GH receptor (GHR) structure, was analyzed in the promoter region for the IGF-I gene. A total of 24 genetic variants was detected in the DNA of 13 patients. An attempt was also made to analyze the impact of identified mutations on DNA-protein interactions using EMSA.

Surgical anatomy of the internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve.

The internal branch of the superior laryngeal nerve (ibSLN) may be injured during anterior approaches to the cervical spine, resulting in loss of laryngeal cough reflex, and, in turn, the risk of aspiration pneumonia. Such a risk dictates the knowledge regarding anatomical details of this nerve. In this study, 24 ibSLN of 12 formaldehyde fixed adult male cadavers were used.

The effects of growth hormone treatment in patients with somatotropin deficiency during their developmental age.

Introduction: In Poland treatment with growth hormone of adolescent patients dates back to 1964. Till 1993 the therapy was conducted in an interrupted manner, depending on the periodic availability of the drug. The data form such forms of therapy suggested that the end height within 3rd centile was achieved only by a portion of treated patients.

Morphometric analysis of human occipital condyle.

Objective: The human occipital condyle is the unique bony structure connecting the cranium and the vertebral column. The progress in neuroimaging techniques has increased interest for aggressive craniovertebral surgery. Such surgery requires the knowledge regarding anatomical aspects of the craniovertebral junction.

Surgical anatomy of the cervical sympathetic trunk.

Lack of knowledge of the anatomy of the cervical sympathetic trunk (CST) may complicate surgical procedures on the cervical spine. This study aims to define linear and angular relations of the CST with respect to consistent structures around it, including the number and size of the cervical ganglia, the distances between the CST and the longus colli muscle and the anterior tubercles of the transverse processes of cervical vertebrae. Morphometric parameters of the 24 CSTs of 12 adults were measured on both sides.

[Influence of Eqb 761 on the function of the retina in children and adolescent with long lasting diabetes mellitus--preliminary report].

Purpose: Early detection of patological function of the retina, before anatomical changes, plays very important role in monitoring of visual complications in patients with diabetes mellitus. The aim of the study was the evaluation of anatomical and functional changes in visual organ in children and adolescents with long lasting diabetes mellitus type 1 and taking Egb 761 (Tanakan Beaufour Ipsen) as an adjuvant.

Materials And Methods: Group consists of 15 patients, age between 11 and 19 years, with diabetes mellitus lasting 6-12 years.

An anatomical study of the C-2 pedicle.

Object: The C-2 pedicle plays an important role regarding screw purchase for spinal fixation. The aim of this study was to measure the C-2 pedicle-related linear and angular parameters.

Methods: Seven parameters in 160 C-2 pedicles (80 dry vertebrae) were measured using a Vernier caliper (accurate to 0.

The morphological and morphometric features of the scaphoid.

This cadaveric study used 200 scaphoid bones (100 left and 100 right) to assess 24 morphological and 11 morphometric parameters. At least one morphometric feature was absent in all scaphoids, though the tubercle and the dorsal sulcus were present in all instances. There were significant differences in the circumferences of the waist and the base of the tubercle, the width of the main sulcus and the secondary height of the tubercle between left and right scaphoids.