Beyond the baseline: Quantification of two Phosphatidylethanol (PEth) homologues in Whole Blood by LC-MS/MS and Retrospective Data Analysis from a National Reference Laboratory.

Unlabelled: Background - Alcohol is the most abused substance in Western society, resulting in major economic losses and negative health consequences. Therefore, there is a need for a selective and robust detection method for alcohol consumption in various clinical and forensic settings. This study aimed to validate a mass spectrometry method for quantifying phosphatidylethanol (PEth) and perform retrospective data analysis from the patient population of a national reference laboratory.

Cancer-related health behaviors during the COVID 19 pandemic in geographically diverse samples across the US.

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic involved business closures (e.g., gyms), social distancing policies, and prolonged stressful situations that may have impacted engagement in health behaviors.

The Use of Perampanel in the Treatment of Lance-Adams Syndrome.

Lance Adams syndrome (LAS) is characterized by chronic action or intention myoclonus resulting from cerebral hypoxia. Perampanel, a non-competitive antagonist of aamino-3-hydroxy-5methyl-4 isooxazoleproprionic acid glutamate receptor, has demonstrated some efficacy in myoclonic epilepsy and other types of myoclonus. We report significant benefit in a patient with LAS treated with add on perampanel and provide a review of the relevant literature.

Intraoperative Epoprostenol in Type II Heparin-Induced Thrombocytopenia During Left-Ventricular Assist Device Implantation: A Case Series and Review of Literature.

Type II heparin-induced thrombocytopenia and thrombosis (type II HITT) is a rare but serious complication in patients receiving heparin for anticoagulation. In type II HITT, an immune-mediated reaction against platelet factor four-heparin complexes results in thrombocytopenia and an elevated risk of thrombosis. This poses significant challenges for patients with advanced heart failure requiring urgent left-ventricular assist device (LVAD) implantation.

Desidustat: a novel PHD inhibitor for the treatment of CKD-induced anemia.

Desidustat is a small molecule inhibitor of hypoxia-inducible factor-prolyl hydroxylase (HIF-PH) discovered and developed by Zydus Lifesciences for the treatment of anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD). This review summarizes the preclinical and clinical profile of desidustat which led to its approval and clinical use in India.

Applications of robot-assisted UV disinfection in dentistry.

Maintaining a microbial-free environment in healthcare facilities is more widely recognized as an essential component of therapies to minimize transmission of viruses associated with healthcare sector. The global spread of COVID-19 and recent outbreaks have presented humanity with previously unheard-of challenges. The development of autonomous disinfection robots seems to be necessary given the urgent need for constant sterilization in the face of a labor shortage.

Evolution of Pulmonary Embolism Response Teams in the United States: A Review of the Literature.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a significant cause of cardiovascular mortality, with varying presentations and management challenges. Traditional treatment approaches often differ, particularly for submassive/intermediate-risk PEs, because of the lack of clear guidelines and comparative data on treatment efficacy. The introduction of pulmonary embolism response teams (PERTs) aims to standardize and improve outcomes in acute PE management through multidisciplinary collaboration.

A Mechanically Resilient Soft Hydrogel Improves Drug Delivery for Treating Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Physically Active Joints.

Intra-articular delivery of disease-modifying osteoarthritis drugs (DMOADs) is likely to be most effective in early post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) when symptoms are minimal and patients are physically active. DMOAD delivery systems therefore must withstand repeated mechanical loading without affecting the drug release kinetics. Although soft materials are preferred for DMOAD delivery, mechanical loading can compromise their structural integrity and disrupt drug release.

The role of glial cells in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has traditionally been considered a neuron-centric disease. This view is now outdated, with increasing recognition of cell autonomous and non-cell autonomous contributions of central and peripheral nervous system glia to ALS pathomechanisms. With glial research rapidly accelerating, we comprehensively interrogate the roles of astrocytes, microglia, oligodendrocytes, ependymal cells, Schwann cells and satellite glia in nervous system physiology and ALS-associated pathology.

Accidental Conduction System Pacing in Patient with Displaced Cardiac Resynchronization Therapy Leads.

A 69-year-old woman with a history of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction presented for device interrogation of her cardiac implantable electronic device (CIED), revealing lead and pulse generator displacement. Surprisingly, she exhibited a narrow QRS on the ECG despite an underlying right bundle branch block, suggesting unintentional conduction system pacing (CSP). Traditional cardiac resynchronization therapy has been widely used for patients with heart failure, but alternatives like CSP are emerging as viable options.

Telemedicine vs Telephone Consultations and Medication Prescribing Errors Among Referring Physicians: A Cluster Randomized Crossover Trial.

Importance: Critically ill children presenting to emergency departments (EDs) in non-children's hospitals are at high risk for experiencing medical errors, including medication errors. Video telemedicine consultations with pediatric specialists have the potential to reduce the risk of medication errors beyond the current standard of care, telephone consultations.

Objective: To compare the rates of ED physician-related medication errors among critically ill children randomized to receive either video telemedicine or telephone consultations.

Pinpointing top inhibitors for GSK3β from pool of indirubin derivatives using rigorous computational workflow and their validation using molecular dynamics (MD) simulations.

Glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β) is a pivotal protein kinase implicated in a spectrum of debilitating diseases, encompassing cancer, diabetes, and neurodegenerative disorders. While the therapeutic potential of GSK3β inhibition is widely recognized, there remains an unmet need for a rigorous, systematic analysis probing the theoretical inhibition dynamics of a comprehensive library of indirubin derivatives against GSK3β using advanced computational methodologies. Addressing this gap, this study embarked on an ambitious endeavor, leveraging indirubin-a renowned scaffold-as a template to curate a vast library of 1000 indirubin derivatives from PubChem.

Ultraviolet disinfection (UV-D) robots: bridging the gaps in dentistry.

Maintaining a microbe-free environment in healthcare facilities has become increasingly crucial for minimizing virus transmission, especially in the wake of recent epidemics like COVID-19. To meet the urgent need for ongoing sterilization, autonomous ultraviolet disinfection (UV-D) robots have emerged as vital tools. These robots are gaining popularity due to their automated nature, cost advantages, and ability to instantly disinfect rooms and workspaces without relying on human labor.

Comparative evaluation of three different regression-equation-based mixed dentition analysis of children for prediction of the mesiodistal width of permanent canine and premolars.

Background: Dental malocclusion is common all over the world, and it is caused by a difference in arch length and tooth size. This necessitates mixed dentition analysis for early intervention treatment planning such as eruption guiding, serial extraction, space maintainer, space regainer, and jaw extension. The aim of the study is to comparatively evaluate three different regression equation based mixed dentition analysis of children for prediction of the mesiodistal width of permanent canine and premolars in population of Vidarbha region.

Analysis of treatment of muscle invasive bladder cancer using the national cancer database: Factors associated with receipt of aggressive therapy.

Objectives: To characterize the treatments received by muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC) patients, analyze their use according to sociodemographic, clinical, pathologic, and facility variables, and identify possibilities for improvement in care, with the understanding that patients with MIBC face a potentially lethal disease, yet often do not receive guideline-concordant potentially curative therapies.

Materials And Methods: Using the National Cancer Data Base (NCDB), we analyzed 102,119 patients with MIBC diagnosed from 2009 to 2018. Treatments included cystectomy, radiation, chemotherapy (CT), or observation.

Longitudinal trends in meconium drug detection in 46 US states between the years 2015 and 2020.

Maternal drug use during pregnancy has significant health and socio-legal implications. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration publishes self-reported rates of drug use during pregnancy; however, comprehensive long-term laboratory data on neonatal drug exposure are lacking. Over 175,000 meconium specimens originating from 46 US states were analyzed at ARUP Laboratories between the years 2015 and 2020.

Pretreatment findings on magnetic resonance imaging in primary central nervous system lymphoma may predict overall survival duration.

Background: Primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) lesions often show avid contrast enhancement on T1-weighted contrast-enhanced MRI sequences. However, several case reports and a clinical study have described PCNSL in patients with no contrast enhancement on MRI. We assessed whether overall survival (OS) time was related to any tumor characteristics (lesion location, volume, and number; contrast enhancement; necrosis; proximity to the subarachnoid space; and edema) on MRI in patients with PCNSL.

Mechanistic insights on anserine hydrolyzing activities of human carnosinases.

Anserine and carnosine represent histidine-containing dipeptides that exert a pluripotent protective effect on human physiology. Anserine is known to protect against oxidative stress in diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. Human carnosinases (CN1 and CN2) are dipeptidases involved in the homeostasis of carnosine.

Deceptively Simple: Can Urine Samples from CLIA-Waived Urine Drug Screen Devices Be Reused for Confirmatory Testing?

Background: Many low-complexity urine drug screen (UDS) devices are approved by the Food and Drug Administration as waived under Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) criteria. Labeling instructs patients to urinate directly into the device and also states that positive results should be confirmed. However, the device itself may pose a risk of drug adsorption and/or specimen contamination that could affect results in confirmatory assays if specimens are reused.

Monkeypox: An Unfamiliar Virus-Clinical and Epidemiological Characteristics, Diagnosis, and Treatment with Special Emphasis on Oral Health.

With the recent increased prevalence of human outbreaks, monkeypox has been recognized for decades as an infectious disease with substantial pandemic potential. The majority of cases of this virus have been observed in the European region (11,865), with few cases in the Western Pacific (54). Various governing health agencies are striving to restrain the fatal monkeypox virus (MPXV).

Spirited away: Can ethanol testing in add-on orders provide meaningful results?

Ethanol is a volatile substance, and specimens need to be tightly capped prior to analysis to prevent evaporative loss. However, add-on requests in previously decapped tubes are commonly received, yet ethanol stability in this setting is unclear. We compared the stability of ethanol in capped vs decapped tubes in the context of routine laboratory automation, storage time, and specimen volumes.