Teaching old presumptive tests new digital tricks with computer vision for forensic applications.

Presumptive (or 'spot') tests have served forensic scientists, law enforcement, and legal practitioners for over a hundred years. Yet, the intended design of such tests, enabling quick identification of drugs by-eye, also hides their full potential. Here, we report the development and application of time-resolved imaging methods of reactions attending spot tests for amphetamines, barbiturates, and benzodiazepines.

Diabetes mellitus prevalence in Northland New Zealand schizophrenia patients on clozapine.

Aims: Clozapine is a unique atypical anti-psychotic agent with best efficacy for treatment resistant schizophrenia compared to other agents, but with increased metabolic adverse effects. We sought to audit the prevalence of diabetes and pre-diabetes in Northland, New Zealand patients on clozapine.

Method: We captured all 287 patients in Northland, New Zealand who were prescribed clozapine in September 2021 and obtained demographic, clinical and laboratory data.

Verteporfin synergizes the efficacy of anti-PD-1 in cholangiocarcinoma.

Background: Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is one of the primary hepatobiliary malignant neoplasms with only 10% of 5-year survival rate. Promising immunotherapy with the blockade of immune checkpoints has no clear benefit in CCA. The inhibition of YAP1 signaling by verteporfin has shown encouraging results by inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis.

Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Associated Hepatotoxicity in Primary Liver Cancer Versus Other Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: Overall risks of hepatotoxicity with immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) have yet to be compared in primary liver cancers to other solid tumors.

Methods: We reviewed data from the PubMed, Embase, and Scopus databases, and assessed the risk of hepatotoxicity associated with ICIs.

Results: A total of 117 trials were eligible for the meta-analysis, including 7 trials with primary liver cancers.

Immunotherapy of hepatocellular carcinoma with infection of hepatitis B or C virus.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) has one of highest mortalities globally amongst cancers, but has limited therapeutic options once in the advanced stage. Hepatitis B or C virus infection are the most common drivers for HCC carcinogenesis, triggering chronic liver inflammation and adding to the complexity of the immune microecosystem of HCC. The emergence of immunotherapy has afforded a new avenue of therapeutic options for patients with advanced HCC with a history of hepatitis B or C virus infection.

Systemic treatment options for advanced biliary tract carcinoma.

Advanced biliary tract cancers (BTC) include a diverse collection of rare and heterogenous tumors with poor prognosis. The combination of gemcitabine and cisplatin is the established first-line therapy for advanced BTC. There are no accepted standard treatments in the second line setting, though there are several ongoing clinical trials that implement chemotherapy as a therapeutic strategy.

Targeting cancer stem cells in cholangiocarcinoma (Review).

The incidence of cholangiocarcinoma has been increasing steadily over the past 50 years, but the survival rates remained low due to the disease being highly resistant to non‑surgical treatment interventions. Cancer stem cell markers are expressed in cholangiocarcinoma, suggesting that they serve a significant role in the physiology of the disease. Cancer stem cells are frequently implicated in tumor relapse and acquired resistance to a number of therapeutic strategies, including chemotherapy, radiation and immune checkpoint inhibitors.

EpiNet as a way of involving more physicians and patients in epilepsy research: Validation study and accreditation process.

Objective: EpiNet was established to encourage epilepsy research. EpiNet is used for multicenter cohort studies and investigator-led trials. Physicians must be accredited to recruit patients into trials.

Screening, prevalence and ethnic variation of diabetes mellitus in people with acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack: a cross-sectional study in Northland, New Zealand.

Aim: To assess our prevalence and screening rate for diabetes and pre-diabetes in people presenting with acute stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) in Northland, New Zealand, as well as identifying discrepancies between Māori and non-Māori, rates of atrial fibrillation (AF) and effect of metformin on stroke.

Method: Data was collected retrospectively on people diagnosed with stroke or TIA in Northland, between 1 January 2014 and 31 December 2014.

Results: 345 people presented with acute stroke/TIA.

Isolated gluteal and paravertebral muscle weakness due to anti-3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme a reductase antibody-associated necrotizing autoimmune myopathy.

Introduction: A 56-year-old man with a distant history of statin use presented with progressive isolated very proximal lower limb and truncal weakness. Electromyogram (EMG) showed isolated gluteal and lumbar paraspinal muscle involvement.

Methods: Gluteus medius muscle biopsy was performed under general anesthesia.

New Zealand National GDM Guidelines: an alternative view of some good practice points.

The New Zealand Gestational Diabetes Mellitus (GDM) Guidelines, commissioned by the Ministry of Health, contains many good points, but several recommendations are creating controversy. This opinion piece discusses an alternative approach to early pregnancy screening for diabetes. We suggest that it is reasonable to refer women with an HbA1c ≥41 mmol/mol (5.

Defects of mutant DNMT1 are linked to a spectrum of neurological disorders.

We report a broader than previously appreciated clinical spectrum for hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 1E (HSAN1E) and a potential pathogenic mechanism for DNA methyltransferase (DNMT1) mutations. The clinical presentations and genetic characteristics of nine newly identified HSAN1E kinships (45 affected subjects) were investigated. Five novel mutations of DNMT1 were discovered; p.

The incidence of atrial fibrillation and the use of warfarin in Northland, New Zealand stroke patients.

Aim: To identify the number of Northland stroke patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and to assess the effective use of warfarin anticoagulation in this group

Method: A retrospective study of patients admitted with stroke or transient ischaemic attack (TIA) to Whangarei Hospital between 1 Jan 2010 and 1 Sept 2010.

Results: Of 198 stroke/TIA patients identified, 47 (24%) had confirmed persistent or paroxysmal AF (PAF) or flutter. Only 12 (31%) patients with pre existing PAF or AF were on warfarin and only 1 patient had an ischaemic stroke while in the therapeutic INR range of 2.

Using the Internet to recruit patients for epilepsy trials: results of a New Zealand pilot study.

Purpose: We created a database that could be accessed via the Internet by any neurologist or pediatric neurologist in New Zealand. The database was designed to facilitate recruitment of patients for investigator-driven drug trials.

Methods: We established an epilepsy database, and invited neurologists and pediatric neurologists throughout New Zealand to register patients via the Internet when they were uncertain of the optimal management.

Quantum dots as fluorescence resonance energy transfer donors in cells.

Quantum dots (QDs) promise to revolutionize the way fluorescence imaging is used in the cell biology field. The unique fluorescent spectral characteristics, high photostability, low photobleaching, and tight emission spectra of QDs position them above traditional dyes. We will address the ability of water-stabilized QDs to behave as effective fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) donors in cells upon transferrin-receptor-(TFR) mediated endocytosis.

Reversible optic neuropathy due to metronidazole.

Metronidazole is a little known cause of drug-induced optic neuropathy. We report a patient who developed progressive visual loss after an 8-month course of Metronidazole. Electrophysiology confirmed a bilateral optic neuropathy.

Gastric bypass for insulin resistance due to lipodystrophy.

We report a 41-year-old woman with severe insulin resistance due to partial lipodystrophy, who was successfully treated with gastric bypass surgery.