The Military Health History: An Educational Initiative to Improve Veteran Healthcare.

Introduction: As a result of the nature of military service, veterans are a unique patient population with many special health considerations. For various reasons, measures are often not taken by clinicians to address such special considerations. This results in a healthcare disparity for veterans first described by Dr.

Assessment of Fiber Bragg Grating Sensors for Monitoring Shaft Vibrations of Hydraulic Turbines.

The structural dynamic response of hydraulic turbines needs to be continuously monitored to predict incipient failures and avoid catastrophic breakdowns. Current methods based on traditional off-board vibration sensors mounted on fixed components do not permit inferring loads induced on rotating parts with enough accuracy. Therefore, the present paper assesses the performance of fiber Bragg grating sensors to measure the vibrations induced on a rotating shaft-disc assembly partially submerged in water resembling a hydraulic turbine rotor.

Review of Efficacy and Safety of Spinal Cord Stimulation in Veterans.

Objectives: Spinal cord stimulation (SCS) has been shown to be an effective and safe option to treat patients with intractable pain in the general population. Our study examined the experience of US veterans with SCS.

Methods: We reviewed electronic health records and conducted phone interviews with 65 veterans who had SCS from 2008 to 2020 at the Southeastern Louisiana Veterans Health Care System (SLVHCS).

Preservation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 neutralising antibodies in convalescent plasma after pathogen reduction with methylene blue and visible light.

Background: COVID-19 convalescent plasma (CCP) is an experimental treatment against SARS-CoV-2. Although there has so far been no evidence of transmission through transfusion, pathogen reduction technologies (PRT) have been applied to CCP to mitigate risk of infectious disease. This study aims to assess the impact of methylene blue (MB) plus visible light PRT on the virus-neutralising activity of the specific antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.

Comprehensive Genetic Testing of : A Retrospective Analysis in Patients with Suspected Congenital Adrenal Hyperplasia.

The most common form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) results from a deficiency of the 21-hydroxylase enzyme (21-OHD), presenting with a broad spectrum of clinical phenotypes according to the gene mutations. Of the 59 patients with suspected CAH, 62.7% presented a positive genetic result.

Phragmites australis as a dual indicator (air and sediment) of trace metal pollution in wetlands - the key case of Flix reservoir (Ebro River).

Evaluation of trace metal pollution in an environmentally complex context may require the use of a suite of indicators. Common reed, Phragmites australis, is a well-known biomonitor of sediment pollution. Here, we show its potential for also assessing air pollution.

Polygenic Markers in Patients Diagnosed of Autosomal Dominant Hypercholesterolemia in Catalonia: Distribution of Weighted LDL-c-Raising SNP Scores and Refinement of Variant Selection.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is associated with mutations in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (), apolipoprotein B (), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 () genes. A pathological variant has not been identified in 30-70% of clinically diagnosed FH patients, and a burden of LDL cholesterol (LDL-c)-raising alleles has been hypothesized as a potential cause of hypercholesterolemia in these patients. Our aim was to study the distribution of weighted LDL-c-raising single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) scores (weighted gene scores or wGS) in a population recruited in a clinical setting in Catalonia.

Molecular analysis of APOB, SAR1B, ANGPTL3, and MTTP in patients with primary hypocholesterolemia in a clinical laboratory setting: Evidence supporting polygenicity in mutation-negative patients.

Background And Aims: Primary hypobetalipoproteinemia is generally considered a heterogenic group of monogenic, inherited lipoprotein disorders characterized by low concentrations of LDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein B in plasma. Lipoprotein disorders include abetalipoproteinemia, familial hypobetalipoproteinemia, chylomicron retention disease, and familial combined hypolipidemia. Our aim was to review and analyze the results of the molecular analysis of hypolipidemic patients studied in our laboratory over the last 15 years.

Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia in Catalonia: Correspondence between clinical-biochemical and genetic diagnostics in 967 patients studied in a multicenter clinical setting.

Background: Autosomal dominant hypercholesterolemia (ADH) is associated with mutations in the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor (LDLR), apolipoprotein B (APOB), and proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin 9 (PCSK9) genes, and it is estimated to be greatly underdiagnosed. The most cost-effective strategy for increasing ADH diagnosis is a cascade screening from mutation-positive probands.

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the results from 2008 to 2016 of ADH genetic analysis performed in our clinical laboratory, serving most lipid units of Catalonia, a Spanish region with approximately 7.

Transmission of human immunodeficiency virus Type-1 by fresh-frozen plasma treated with methylene blue and light.

Background: The risk of transfusion-transmitted infection (TTI) has been minimized by introduction of nucleic acid testing (NAT) and pathogen inactivation (PI). This case report describes transmission of human immunodeficiency virus Type 1 (HIV-1) to two recipients despite these measures.

Study Design And Methods: In March 2009 a possible TTI of HIV-1 was identified in a patient that had received pooled buffy coat platelet concentrate (BC-PLT) in November 2005.

Quantitative analysis of plasma proteins in whole blood-derived fresh frozen plasma prepared with three pathogen reduction technologies.

Several plasma pathogen reduction technologies (PRT) are currently available. We evaluated three plasma PRT processes: Cerus Amotosalen (AM), Terumo BCT riboflavin (RB) and Macopharma methylene blue (MB). RB treatment resulted in the shortest overall processing time and in the smallest volume loss (1%) and MB treatment in the largest volume loss (8%).

Effect of CD8⁺ cell content on umbilical cord blood transplantation in adults with hematological malignancies.

Total nucleated (TNCs) and CD34(+) cells are considered major determinants of outcome after umbilical cord blood (UCB) transplantation but the effect of other cell subtypes present in the graft is unknown. This single-center cohort study included patients with hematological malignancies who received UCB transplantation after a myeloablative conditioning regimen. UCB units were primarily selected according to cell content, both TNCs and CD34(+) cells, and also according to the degree of HLA matching.

[Bone graft reconstruction for posterior mandibular segment using the formwork technique].

Introduction: Pre-implant bone graft in posterior mandibular segments is difficult because of masticatory and lingual mechanical constraints, because of the limited bone vascularization, and because of the difficulty to cover it with the mucosa. The formwork technique is especially well adapted to this topography.

Technical Note: The recipient site is abraded with a drill.

Multigramme synthesis and asymmetric dihydroxylation of a 4-fluorobut-2E-enoate.

Esters of crotonic acid were brominated on a multigramme scale using a free radical procedure. A phase transfer catalysed fluorination transformed these species to the 4-fluorobut-2E-enoates reproducibly and at scale (48-53%, ca. 300 mmol).

Molecular analysis of chylomicronemia in a clinical laboratory setting: diagnosis of 13 cases of lipoprotein lipase deficiency.

Background: Familial chylomicronemia (type I hyperlipidemia) is a rare autosomal recessive disease due mainly to rare variants in the lipoprotein lipase (LPL) gene sequence. Molecular diagnosis of LPL deficiency is now a requirement for the first gene therapy treatment approved in the European Union. Altered coding sequence variants in APOC2, APOA5 or GPIHBP-1 can also cause familial chylomicronemia.

Structural and functional analysis of APOA5 mutations identified in patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia.

During the diagnosis of three unrelated patients with severe hypertriglyceridemia, three APOA5 mutations [p.(Ser232_Leu235)del, p.Leu253Pro, and p.

Genomic full-length analysis of the B*08:79 allele suggests exon shuffling involving the B*08:01:01 and B*07:06 alleles.

B*08:79 is composed by partial B*08:01:01 and B*07:06 sequences because of a possible recombination event within intron 2.

Identification of a novel mutation in the ANGPTL3 gene in two families diagnosed of familial hypobetalipoproteinemia without APOB mutation.

Background: Familial hypobetalipoproteinemia (FHBL), characterized by extremely low levels of plasma apolipoprotein (apo) B and cholesterol associated with low-density lipoproteins (LDLc), is considered to be an autosomal co-dominant disorder of heterogeneous origin. The main genetic disorder associated with FHBL consists of mutations in the APOB gene, while other less frequent forms are associated with mutations in NPC1L1, PCSK9, a still unidentified gene in 3p21.1-22 and, more recently, in ANGPTL3.

Sequencing of a single HLA-B genotype including two rare alleles allows the detection of a new allele, B*44:130.

The novel HLA-B*44:130 allele was found in a Spanish donor. B*44:130 differs from B*44:40 by four nucleotide changes at codons 11, 12 and 24, producing three amino acid replacements, 11A>S, 12M>V and 24T>S.

Differential accumulation of mercury and other trace metals in the food web components of a reservoir impacted by a chlor-alkali plant (Flix, Ebro River, Spain): Implications for biomonitoring.

Comparative studies of biomonitors of trace metal contamination are relatively scarce. We took advantage of a point source pollution in a reservoir (Flix, Spain) to compare trace metal (Hg, Pb, Cd, Se, As, Zn, Cu, Cr) bioaccumulation patterns among 16 food web components. Our results indicate that most organisms are suitable for Hg biomonitoring, whereas other metals are better monitored by only some of them.

Volume reduction in routine cord blood banking.

Umbilical cord blood (UCB) is an alternative source of hematopoietic progenitors for transplantation in the treatment of haematological malignancies, marrow failure, immunodeficiencies, hemoglobinopathies and inherited metabolic diseases. It has greatly contributed to increase the feasibility to transplantation for many patients in need. To date, more than 20,000 UCB transplants have been performed on children and adults, and more than 400,000 UCB units are available in more than 50 public CB banks.

Ochratoxin A levels in the plasma of healthy blood donors from Valencia and estimation of exposure degree: comparison with previous national Spanish data.

Blood plasma levels of ochratoxin A, a toxic secondary metabolite of several fungal species belonging to the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, were determined in 168 blood donors from the population of Valencia (Spain) using LC-FLD. In conjunction with blood collection, detailed information on diet was obtained by using a questionnaire that encompassed a wide range of products potentially contaminated with the toxin. The investigation revealed a detection frequency of 100%.

A new automatic device for routine cord blood banking: critical analysis of different volume reduction methodologies.

Background Aims: Volume reduction is the usual process in cord blood banking that has some advantages regarding reducing the storage space and dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) quantity in the final product. The volume reduction methodology must guarantee high cell recovery and red blood cell (RBC) depletion by reducing all the umbilical cord blood (UCB) units to a standard volume.

Methods: We analyzed and compared critically three different volume reduction methods [hydroxyethylstarch (HES), top and bottom with Optipress II and Compomat G4, and AXP] used at the Valencia Cord Blood Bank over 10 years.