Co-amplification of microbial DNA: A novel observation of a misconstrued second peak at locus D7S820.

DNA fingerprinting, a gold standard, is one of the most powerful tool in applied sciences especially helpful in criminal investigation. Entering in advanced era of forensic DNA, profile reading is much trickier than ever. An unusual DNA profile was observed from a nail swab of female brutally murdered in a domestic violence case.

Identification of the polymer-bounded drugs on the fabric surface: A challenge to the forensic drug analysts.

Drug trafficking through concealment has always been a method of choice for drug traffickers all around the world. This case shares a new trend in the smuggling of illicit drugs by applying a coating of drug and polymer mixture on fabric. A white fabric sample was submitted by a law enforcement agency to detect the presence of any explosive material on its surface.

PFSA DNA database: A tool to hunt the serial offenders.

A forensic DNA database comprises of thousands of DNA profiles generated from suspects, convicts or even from common people from society. It is used for the cross-matching of DNA profiles obtained from evidence items collected from a crime scene. These databases are playing a core role in clearing the innocent and solving the dead-end unresolved crimes ultimately leading to crime reduction.

Improving the management of type 2 diabetes through large-scale general practice: the role of a data-driven and technology-enabled education programme.

A quality improvement (QI) scheme was launched in 2017, covering a large group of 25 general practices working with a deprived registered population. The aim was to improve the measurable quality of care in a population where type 2 diabetes (T2D) care had previously proved challenging. A complex set of QI interventions were co-designed by a team of primary care clinicians and educationalists and managers.

Using 'Active Signposting' to streamline general practitioner workload in two London-based practices.

General practice is at the forefront of the National Health Service, but is currently being overwhelmed by ever-increasing patient demand and financial constraints. Telephone consultations (TCs) have been used as a method to ease pressure on general practice. Many of these consultations are booked with general practioners (GPs), despite occasions when the patient could have either been signposted to self-help or offered an alternative service.

Physician Associate and General Practitioner Consultations: A Comparative Observational Video Study.

Background: Physician associates, known internationally as physician assistants, are a mid-level practitioner, well established in the United States of America but new to the United Kingdom. A small number work in primary care under the supervision of general practitioners, where they most commonly see patients requesting same day appointments for new problems. As an adjunct to larger study, we investigated the quality of the patient consultation of physician associates in comparison to that of general practitioners.

Fatal Intoxications Due to Administration of Isosorbide Tablets Contaminated with Pyrimethamine.

In January 2012, 664 cases of pyrimethamine toxicity and 151 deaths were reported among cardiac patients that had recently received free medicines from pharmacy of Punjab Institute of Cardiology, Lahore, Pakistan. These patients, ages ranged from 58 to 75 years, were prescribed simvastatin, clopidogrel, aspirin soluble, isosorbide mononitrate, and amlodipine. On examination of medications being given to them, it was found that a particular batch of isosorbide mononitrate tablets was contaminated with 50 mg pyrimethamine.

What drives quality improvement in chronic kidney disease (CKD) in primary care: process evaluation of the Quality Improvement in Chronic Kidney Disease (QICKD) trial.

Objectives: This study is a process evaluation of the Quality Improvement in Chronic Kidney Disease (QICKD) study, comparing audit-based education (ABE) and sending clinical guidelines and prompts (G&P) with usual practice, in improving systolic blood pressure control in primary care. This evaluation aimed to explore how far clinical staff in participating practices were aware of the intervention, and why change in practice might have taken place.

Setting: 4 primary care practices in England: 2 received ABE, and 2 G&P.

The pattern of silent time in the clinical consultation: an observational multichannel video study.

Objective: To describe silent time in the clinical consultation: who initiates and terminates it and at what stage most silence occurs.

Methods: We conducted an analysis of 127 multichannel video recordings of consultations by 12 GPs; filmed using the ALFA (Aggregation of Log Files for Analysis) open-source toolkit. The start and end of silence was manually coded using an observational data capture tool.

Confidence and quality in managing CKD compared with other cardiovascular diseases and diabetes mellitus: a linked study of questionnaire and routine primary care data.

Background: Much of chronic disease is managed in primary care and chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a recent addition. We are conducting a cluster randomised study of quality improvement interventions in CKD (QICKD) - Clinical Trials Registration: ISRCTN56023731. CKD registers have a lower than expected prevalence and an initial focus group study suggested variable levels of confidence in managing CKD.

Development of pentaplex PCR and genetic analysis of X chromosomal STRs in Punjabi population of Pakistan.

The X-STRs are important tools in forensic application, particularly in complex cases of kinship testing. In deficiency paternity testing when alleged father cannot be typed, investigation of X-STR markers yields the desired information. Blood samples were collected from unrelated individual (118 females and 94 males) and 84 trios families (father, mother and daughter).