Postmortem metabolomics: influence of time since death on the level of endogenous compounds in human femoral blood. Necessary to be considered in metabolome study planning?

Introduction: The (un)targeted analysis of endogenous compounds has gained interest in the field of forensic postmortem investigations. The blood metabolome is influenced by many factors, and postmortem specimens are considered particularly challenging due to unpredictable decomposition processes.

Objectives: This study aimed to systematically investigate the influence of the time since death on endogenous compounds and its relevance in designing postmortem metabolome studies.

Inborn errors of immunity in adulthood.

Inborn errors of immunity (IEIs) are a group of conditions whereby parts of the immune system are missing or dysfunctional. Once thought to primarily be a pediatric disorder, it is now estimated that more than 50% of worldwide incident IEI cases are accounted for by adults. Delayed diagnosis, late symptom onset, and IEI phenocopies can all lead to adult-onset recognition of IEIs.

Radiographic density changes may be associated with overloading and implant loss on short implants: A 5-year analysis of a randomized controlled clinical trial.

Objectives: To analyze changes in radiographic bone density around short implants with and without cantilevers at 5 years post-loading.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-six patients with two adjacent posterior missing teeth participated in this randomized controlled clinical trial. All patients were randomly allocated to receive either two short implants (6 mm) with single-unit restorations (group TWO) or one single short implant (6 mm) with a cantilever restoration (group ONE-C).

Recognition of gasoline in fire debris using machine learning: Part II, application of a neural network.

The recognition of ignitable liquid (IL) residues in fire debris is a resource intensive but key part of an arson investigation. Due to the highly diverse and heavily loaded chemical matrix of fire debris samples, combined with the broad chemical composition of IL, the interpretation of the laboratory analysis results is a very challenging task for the forensic examiner. Fire debris samples are commonly analyzed using gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS).

Recognition of gasoline in fire debris using machine learning: Part I, application of random forest, gradient boosting, support vector machine, and naïve bayes.

The detection and identification of ignitable liquid (IL) residues in fire debris are two very challenging tasks in a fire investigation. To this day, the recognition of IL in fire debris includes the chemical analysis of the fire debris composition, followed by the examination and interpretation of the analysis result by a trained forensic examiner. Throughout the last decade, chemometrics and artificial intelligence have become increasingly important.

Two short implants versus one short implant with a cantilever: 5-Year results of a randomized clinical trial.

Aim: To test whether or not the use of a short implant with a cantilever results in similar clinical and radiographic outcomes compared to two adjacent short implants with single tooth reconstructions.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-six patients with two adjacent missing teeth in the posterior region were randomly assigned to receive either a single 6-mm implant with a cantilever (ONE-C) or two 6-mm implants (TWO). Fixed reconstructions were inserted 3-6 months after implant placement and patients were re-examined up to 5 years (FU-5).

Serum IgG Levels and Risk of COPD Hospitalization: A Pooled Meta-analysis.

Background: Hypogammaglobulinemia (serum IgG levels < 7.0 g/L) has been associated with increased risk of COPD exacerbations but has not yet been shown to predict hospitalizations.

Research Question: To determine the relationship between hypogammaglobulinemia and the risk of hospitalization in patients with COPD.

Biopsy-proven recurrent, acute, familial hypersensitivity pneumonitis: A case report and literature review.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is characterized by inflammation of the lung parenchyma that is induced by exposure to an inhaled organic antigen. We present a case of recurrent, acute HP caused by repeated transient exposure to a down sleeping bag in a patient with a family history of chronic bird-associated hypersensitivity pneumonitis. The patient's recurrent symptoms, changes in physiology, and radiographic findings coincided with repeated exposure to this source.

Serum IgG subclass levels and risk of exacerbations and hospitalizations in patients with COPD.

Background: The literature is scarce regarding the prevalence and clinical impact of IgG subclass deficiency in COPD. We investigated the prevalence of IgG subclass deficiencies and their association with exacerbations and hospitalizations using subjects from two COPD cohorts.

Methods: We measured IgG subclass levels using immunonephelometry in serum samples from participants enrolled in two previous COPD trials: Macrolide Azithromycin for Prevention of Exacerbations of COPD (MACRO; n = 976) and Simvastatin for the Prevention of Exacerbations in Moderate-to-Severe COPD (STATCOPE; n = 653).

Clinical Experience with Octagam® 10 %, a solvent detergent virus inactivated intravenous immunoglobulin: a Canadian retrospective review of utilization.

In Canada, intravenous immune globulin (IVIg) products are licensed for six disease indications, however it has been demonstrated that patients with a number of other conditions also benefit from IVIg. Here we report the routine clinical use of Octagam(®) 10 % across three Canadian institutions. A total of 135 patients were treated with Octagam(®), for conditions represented by five distinct indication groups.

Incidence of clinically important biphasic reactions in emergency department patients with allergic reactions or anaphylaxis.

Study Objective: Allergic reactions are common presentations to the emergency department (ED). An unknown proportion of patients will develop biphasic reactions, and patients are often monitored for prolonged periods to manage potential reactions. We seek to determine the incidence of clinically important biphasic reactions.

Gene-metabolite expression in blood can discriminate allergen-induced isolated early from dual asthmatic responses.

Some asthmatic individuals undergoing allergen inhalation challenge develop an isolated early response whereas others develop a dual response (early plus late response). In the present study we have used transcriptomics (microarrays) and metabolomics (mass spectrometry) of peripheral blood to identify molecular patterns that can discriminate allergen-induced isolated early from dual asthmatic responses. Peripheral blood was obtained prior to (pre-) and 2 hours post allergen inhalation challenge from 33 study participants.

Dose-Dependent Effects of the Cimicifuga racemosa Extract Ze 450 in the Treatment of Climacteric Complaints: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Extracts from Cimicifuga racemosa (CR, synonym Actaea racemosa) have shown efficacy in trials in women with menopausal symptoms. Yet, dose dependency remains unclear. Therefore, 180 female outpatients with climacteric complaints were treated for 12 weeks in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-armed trial (CR extract Ze 450 in 6.

Economic benefits of subcutaneous rapid push versus intravenous immunoglobulin infusion therapy in adult patients with primary immune deficiency.

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the economic benefits of immunoglobulin replacement therapy achieved subcutaneously (subcutaneous immunoglobulin, SCIG) by the rapid push method compared to intravenous infusion therapy (intravenous immunoglobulin, IVIG) in primary immune deficiency (PID) patients from the healthcare system perspective in the context of the adult SCIG home infusion program based at St Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, Canada.

Materials And Methods: SCIG and IVIG options were compared in cost-minimisation and budget impact models (BIMs) over 3 years. Sensitivity analyses were performed for both models to evaluate the impact of varying modality of IVIG treatments and proportion of patients switching from IVIG to SCIG.

Dose-dependent efficacy of the Vitex agnus castus extract Ze 440 in patients suffering from premenstrual syndrome.

Background: Preparations of Vitex agnus castus L. (VAC) have been shown to be effective to treat irregular menstrual cycles, cyclical mastalgia and symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome (PMS). However, the dose-effect relationship for the treatment of PMS has not yet been established.

The burden of allergic rhinitis (AR) in Canada: perspectives of physicians and patients.

Background: Allergic rhinitis (AR) is a common problem and we sought to examine the burden of disease and its management in Canada from the perspectives of patients and physicians.

Methods: Two parallel, Canadawide structured telephone interviews surveyed 1,001 AR patients and 160 physicians in July 2006.

Results: 44% of patients had experienced nasal symptoms unrelated to a cold and 20% had a physician diagnosis of AR.

Urticaria and angioedema.

Urticaria (hives) is a common disorder that often presents with angioedema (swelling that occurs beneath the skin). It is generally classified as acute, chronic or physical. Second-generation, non-sedating H1-receptor antihistamines represent the mainstay of therapy for both acute and chronic urticaria.

Canadian clinical practice guidelines for acute and chronic rhinosinusitis.

This document provides healthcare practitioners with information regarding the management of acute rhinosinusitis (ARS) and chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) to enable them to better meet the needs of this patient population. These guidelines describe controversies in the management of acute bacterial rhinosinusitis (ABRS) and include recommendations that take into account changes in the bacteriologic landscape. Recent guidelines in ABRS have been released by American and European groups as recently as 2007, but these are either limited in their coverage of the subject of CRS, do not follow an evidence-based strategy, or omit relevant stakeholders in guidelines development, and do not address the particulars of the Canadian healthcare environment.