Can a threshold for 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9 ‐tetrahydrocannabinol in hair be derived when its respective concentration in blood serum indicates regular use?

A 100 μg/L or higher concentration of 11‐nor‐9‐carboxy‐Δ9‐tetrahydrocannabinol (THC‐COOH) in blood serum is generally assumed to be associated with regular and/or heavy use of cannabis. At present, determination of the extent of cannabis use by means of the concentration of THC‐COOH in hair has not been assessed. Therefore, we aimed at establishing a threshold for THC‐COOH concentrations in hair to prove frequent consumption by comparing THC‐COOH concentrations in 129 corresponding serum and hair samples, respectively. The concentration of THC‐COOH in the serum was analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and in the hair by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry. Data were statistically evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves and contingency tables. Our results suggest that a THC‐COOH concentration of ≥4.2 pg/mg in hair was always accompanied by a THC‐COOH concentration of at least 100 μg/L in blood serum. Should this be confirmed by further studies of a larger study population, a hair concentration of 4.2 pg/mg THC‐COOH can be set as a threshold to predict regular and/or heavy consumption of cannabis even if no corresponding blood sample is available for analysis.     

A Phase Ib/II,open-label,multicenter study of INC280 (capmatinib) alone and in combination with buparlisib (BKM120) in adult patients with recurrent glioblastoma

Journal of Neuro-Oncology - To estimate the maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and/or identify the recommended Phase II dose (RP2D) for combined INC280 and buparlisib in patients with recurrent...     

Intimate Partner Violence Around the Time of Pregnancy and Utilization of WIC Services

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Intimate partner violence (IPV) around the time of pregnancy is a risk factor for adverse pregnancy and birth outcomes. The supplemental nutrition program for...     

A broad spectrum HVT-H5 avian influenza vector vaccine which induces a rapid onset of immunity

Current methods to combat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) outbreaks in poultry rely on stamping out and preventive culling, which can lead to high economic losses and invoke ethical resistance. Emergency vaccination could be an alternative as vaccination is one of the most efficient and cost-effective measures to protect poultry from HPAI infection, preventing spreading to other poultry and greatly reducing the potential transmission to humans. Current conventional inactivated AI vaccines may be useful for combating AI outbreaks, but do not fulfil all targets of an ideal AI vaccine, including mass applicability and rapid onset of immunity. We aimed to further investigate the potential of Herpesvirus of Turkeys (HVT) as a vector containing a recombinant H5 hemagglutinin of HPAI H5N1. This HVT-H5 vector was analysed in vitro, tested for onset of immunity against AI challenge, breadth of protection, reduction of virus shedding, and induction of both antibody and cellular responses in SPF layers or broiler chicks containing maternal derived antibodies (MDA+). In SPF layers HVT-H5 provided full protection to lethal challenges with 4 antigenically diverse HPAI H5N1 strains from 2 weeks post vaccination (w.p.v.), while in MDA+ birds full protection was provided from 3 w.p.v. to homologous challenge. Also shedding of challenge virus was reduced in both SPF and MDA+ birds. HVT-H5 induced a protective HI titre (≥4) to 11 HPAI H5N1 strains at 3 w.p.v. in 3-week-old SPF layers and to HPAI H5N8 A/ch/Neth/14015531/2014. Besides inducing a protective antibody response HVT-H5 also induced an influenza-specific T cell response. This data demonstrates that HVT-H5 vaccine appears to fulfil many of the criteria for an ideal AI vaccine including early onset of immunity, a broad protection, reduced virus shedding, protection in presence of AI-MDA and could be a useful tool in the combat of AI outbreaks worldwide.     

Effectiveness of mechanical diagnosis and therapy in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain: a literature review with meta-analysis

ObjectiveTo determine the effectiveness of mechanical diagnosis and therapy (MDT) in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP) compared to other traditional physical therapy interventions.MethodsRandomized controlled trials investigating the effect of MDT compared to other traditional physical therapy interventions in individuals with CLBP were considered eligible. For the purpose of this review, MDT was compared to active and passive physical therapy interventions. Independent reviewers assessed the eligibility of studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. The primary outcomes investigated were pain and disability.ResultsFourteen studies were included in the review. Of these, 11 provided data to be included in the meta-analyses. Our findings showed that MDT was no more effective in decreasing pain (standardized mean difference [SMD] = 0.01, 95% confidence interval [CI]: ?0.44, 0.46) and disability (SMD = 0.08, 95% CI: ?0.53, 0.68) than other active treatments. Similar results were found when comparing MDT to other passive treatments for pain (SMD = ?0.39, 95% CI: ?0.90, 0.11) and disability (SMD = ?0.13, 95% CI: ?0.29, 0.03).ConclusionThere is low to moderate quality evidence that MDT is not superior than other traditional physical therapy interventions in improving pain and disability in people with CLBP.