Cocaine contamination in pubic hair: Analysis of the decontamination method

Abstract Even if pubic hair represents a reliable and widely accepted alternative hair matrix to identify drug abusers, it might produce false positive results due to external contamination. The aim of this study was to verify whether the external contamination of pubic hair with cocaine could influence the discrimination between active users and false positive subjects. The analysis was performed on in vivo and in vitro samples; the contamination was carried out by rubbing pubic hair with cocaine hydrochloride contaminated hands for three consecutive days. Five days after the beginning of the contamination, the pubic hair was collected and analysed at different times for two months. Data from our studies show that all in vivo samples yielded false positives; the in vitro samples were negative only for 10 days and then yielded false positives

Solar low-lying cool loops and their contribution to the transition region EUV output

In the last 30 years, the existence of small and cool magnetic loops (height < 8 Mm, T < 10^5 K) has been proposed and debated to explain the increase of the DEM (differential emission measure) towards the chromosphere. We present hydrodynamic simulations of low-lying cool loops to study their conditions of existence and stability, and their contribution to the transition region EUV output. We find that stable, quasi-static cool loops (with velocities < 1 km/s) can be obtained under different and more realistic assumptions on the radiative losses function with respect to previous works. A mixture of the DEMs of these cool loops plus intermediate loops with temperatures between 10^5 and 10^6 K can reproduce the observed emission of the lower transition region at the critical turn-up temperature point (T ~ 2x10^5 K) and below T = 10^5 K.Comment: Accepted for publication in A&A on Nov 25th 201

Biweekly Hizentra® in Primary Immunodeficiency: a Multicenter, Observational Cohort Study (IBIS)

Immunoglobulin G (IgG) replacement therapy is a standard treatment for patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases (PIDs). Hizentra®, a 20% human subcutaneous IgG (SCIG), is approved for biweekly administration for PIDs. The aim of the multicenter IBIS study was to prospectively investigate the efficacy of biweekly Hizentra® compared with previous IVIG or SCIG treatment regimens in patients with PIDs. The study consisted of a 12-month retrospective period followed by 12-month prospective observational period. The main endpoints included pre-infusion IgG concentrations, proportion of patients with serious bacterial infections (SBIs), other infections, hospitalizations due to PID-related illnesses, and days with antibiotics during the study periods. Of the 36 patients enrolled in the study, 35 patients continued the study (mean age 26.1 ± 14.4 years; 68.6% male). The mean pre-infusion IgG levels for prior immunoglobulin regimens during the retrospective period (7.84 ± 2.09 g/L) and the prospective period (8.55 ± 1.76 g/L) did not show any significant variations (p = 0.4964). The mean annual rate of SBIs/patient was 0.063 ± 0.246 for both prospective and retrospective periods. No hospitalizations related to PIDs were reported during the prospective period versus one in the retrospective period. All patients were either very (76.5%) or quite (23.5%) satisfied with biweekly Hizentra® at the end of the study. In conclusion, the IBIS study provided real-world evidence on the efficacy of biweekly Hizentra® in patients with PIDs, thus verifying the data generated by the pharmacometric modeling and simulation study in a normal clinical setting

Patient and physician perspectives on biological treatment in severe asthma: a Severe Asthma Network Italy survey

: Patients with severe asthma perceive beneficial effects of biologics and good self-reported adherence to treatment, even when self-administered at home https://bit.ly/48vP70w

Severe Asthma Standard-of-Care Background Medication Reduction With Benralizumab: ANDHI in Practice Substudy

Background: The phase IIIb, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled ANDHI double-blind (DB) study extended understanding of the efficacy of benralizumab for patients with severe eosinophilic asthma. Patients from ANDHI DB could join the 56-week ANDHI in Practice (IP) single-arm, open-label extension substudy. Objective: Assess potential for standard-of-care background medication reductions while maintaining asthma control with benralizumab. Methods: Following ANDHI DB completion, eligible adults were enrolled in ANDHI IP. After an 8-week run-in with benralizumab, there were 5 visits to potentially reduce background asthma medications for patients achieving and maintaining protocol-defined asthma control with benralizumab. Main outcome measures for non-oral corticosteroid (OCS)-dependent patients were the proportions with at least 1 background medication reduction (ie, lower inhaled corticosteroid dose, background medication discontinuation) and the number of adapted Global Initiative for Asthma (GINA) step reductions at end of treatment (EOT). Main outcomes for OCS-dependent patients were reductions in daily OCS dosage and proportion achieving OCS dosage of 5 mg or lower at EOT. Results: For non-OCS-dependent patients, 53.3% (n = 208 of 390) achieved at least 1 background medication reduction, increasing to 72.6% (n = 130 of 179) for patients who maintained protocol-defined asthma control at EOT. A total of 41.9% (n = 163 of 389) achieved at least 1 adapted GINA step reduction, increasing to 61.8% (n = 110 of 178) for patients with protocol-defined EOT asthma control. At ANDHI IP baseline, OCS dosages were 5 mg or lower for 40.4% (n = 40 of 99) of OCS-dependent patients. Of OCS-dependent patients, 50.5% (n = 50 of 99) eliminated OCS and 74.7% (n = 74 of 99) achieved dosages of 5 mg or lower at EOT. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate benralizumab's ability to improve asthma control, thereby allowing background medication reduction