Guilty or not guilty? - False positive results of common medicines in drug tests: review and practical guide.

Drug-abuse detection tests are becoming increasingly commonplace in patient care today and provide a rapid and effective method for identifying illicit substances. Occasionally, they may yield a positive result, indicating the presence of a substance, even though the individual has not consumed the suspected drug what sometimes can significantly impact both medical and legal decisions. The study outlines the substances that can lead to false-positive drug test results for amphetamines, cannabinoids, and benzodiazepines. The study's findings have revealed pivotal insights for patients receiving chronic treatment and their primary care physicians. Notably, amphetamine assays appear to be most prone to cross-reactivity with other substances. The beta-blocker group of medications, confirmed by various studies to interfere with amphetamine assays, could pose a substantial challenge in drug screening given its widespread use. Efavirenz also warrants mention, as it frequently triggers positive results for both benzodiazepine and cannabinoid assays among its users. This research helps highlight new areas for further investigation and aims to guide clinicians in their daily practice, especially when interpreting questionable positive drug-abuse test results. This comprehensive review serves as a valuable resource for clinicians to navigate false-positive scenarios effectively and maintain the highest standard of patient care.

Morphology of the Sella Turcica: A Meta-Analysis Based on the Results of 18,364 Patients.

BACKGROUND: This meta-analysis aimed to present data on the sella turcica (ST) morphology and variations. Furthermore, a detailed morphometric analysis of the ST was conducted. METHODS: Major online databases such as PubMed, Scopus, Embase, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library were searched through. The overall search process was conducted in three stages. RESULTS: This meta-analysis was based on the results of 18,364 patients and demonstrates the most up-to-date and relevant data regarding the morphology of the ST in the available literature. Four classification methods of the ST shape can be distinguished, in which the most commonly occurring variants are the normal ST (55.56%), the U-shaped ST (73.58%), the circular type of ST (42.29%), and non-bridging ST (55.64%). The overall midpoint height of the ST was 6.59 mm (SE = 0.13). The overall length of the ST was 9.06 mm (SE = 0.15). The overall volume of the ST was 845.80 mm3 (SE = 288.92). Four main classification methods of ST morphology can be distinguished in the available literature. Various morphometric characteristics of the ST may be applied in clinical practice to evaluate its shape, dimensions, and normal or pathological variants.

Exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field induces a response of the honey bee organism on the level of enzyme activity and the expression of stress-related genes.

There are many artificial sources of radiofrequency electromagnetic field (RF-EMF) in the environment, with a value between 100 MHz and 6 GHz. The most frequently used signal is with a frequency of around 900 MHz. The direction of these changes positively impacts the quality of life, enabling easy communication from almost anywhere in the world. All living organisms in the world feel the effects of the electromagnetic field on them. The observations regarding the influence of a RF-EMF on honey bees, describing the general impact of RF-EMF on the colony and/or behavior of individual bees, such as reduction in the number of individuals in colonies, extended homing flight duration, decrease in breeding efficiency, changes in flight direction (movement of bees toward the areas affected by RF-EMF), increase in the intensity and frequency of sounds characteristic for those announcing the impending danger. In this work, we describe the changes in the levels of some of the stress-related markers in honey bees exposed to varying intensities and duration of RF-EMF. One-day-old honeybee worker bees were used for the study. The bees were randomly assigned to 9 experimental groups which were exposed to the following 900 MHz EMF intensities: 12 V/m, 28 V/m, and 61 V/m for 15 min, 1 h and 3 h. The control group was not exposed to the RF-EMF. Each experimental group consisted of 10 cages in which were 100 bees. Then, hemolymph was collected from the bees, in which the activity was assessed AST, ALT, ALP, GGTP, and level of nonenzymatic antioxidants albumin, creatinine, uric acid, and urea. Bees were also collected for the analysis of rps5, ppo, hsp10, hsp70, hsp90, and vitellogenin gene expression. Our study shows that exposure to a 900 MHz electromagnetic field induces a response in the honey bees that can be detected in the level of enzyme activity and the expression of stress-related genes. The response is similar to the one previously described as a result of exposition to UVB irradiation and most likely cannot be attributed to increased temperature.

The anatomy of the atrioventricular nodal artery: A meta-analysis with implications for cardiothoracic surgery and ablation procedures.

The objective of the present meta-analysis was to evaluate recent and applicable data regarding the location and variation of the atrioventricular nodal artery (AVNA) in relation to adjacent structures. In order to minimize postoperative risks and maintain physiological anastomosis for proper cardiac function, understanding such possible variations of vascularization of the AV node is of immense importance prior to cardiothoracic surgery as well as ablations. In order to perform this meta-analysis, a systematic search was conducted in which all articles regarding, or at least mentioning, the anatomy of the AVNA was searched. In general, the results were based on 3919 patients. AVNA was found to originate only from the RCA in 82.41% (95% CI: 79.46%-85.18%). The pooled prevalence of AVNA originating only from LCA was found to be 15.25% (95% CI: 12.71%-17.97%). The mean length of AVNA was found to be 22.64 mm (SE = 1.60). The mean maximal diameter of AVNA at its origin was found to be 1.40 mm (SE = 0.14). In conclusion, we believe that this is the most accurate and up-to-date study regarding the highly variable anatomy of the AVNA. The AVNA was found to originate most commonly from the RCA (82.41%). Furthermore, the AVNA was found to most commonly have no (52.46%) or only one branch (33.74%). It is hoped that the results of the present meta-analysis will be helpful for physicians performing cardiothoracic or ablation procedures.

Selected Biochemical Markers Change after Oral Administration of Pesticide Mixtures in Honey Bees.

The honey bee is an important pollinator. In the environment, it can be exposed to many harmful factors, such as pesticides. Nowadays, attention is paid to evaluating the potentially harmful effects of these substances. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of worst-case environmental concentrations of pesticide mixtures on honey bee survival and selected physiological markers (the activity of ALT, AST, ALP, and GGTP, and the concentration of albumin, creatinine, urea, and uric acid). Pesticides of three different groups (insecticide-acetamiprid, herbicide-glyphosate, and fungicide-tebuconazole) and their mixtures were resolved in 50% (w/v) sucrose solution and given to bees ad libitum. After 24 h, hemolymph was collected. All mixtures caused higher mortality than single pesticides. Pesticides in mixtures caused disturbances in biochemical markers, and in some cases the interaction between pesticides was synergistic. The mixtures had individual effects on physiology, and the results were sensitive to changes in proportions.

Exposure to Magnetic Fields Changes the Behavioral Pattern in Honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) under Laboratory Conditions.

Earth's magnetic field (MF) plays an important role for many species, including the honeybee, in navigation. Nowadays, much larger alternating fields are emitted by miscellaneous electric infrastructure components, such as transformers and power lines, and the environment is therefore polluted by an anthropogenic electromagnetic field, though little is known regarding its impact on living organisms. The behavior of animals is the first and easiest way to establish the impact of stress. It shows if the animal can detect the exposure and react to it. To investigate this, one-day-old bees were exposed to a 50 Hz magnetic field of induction at 1 mT and 1.7 mT for 10 min, 1 h, and 3 h under laboratory conditions. All groups exposed to the magnetic field showed differences in behavioral patterns. What is more, they presented a behavior absent in the control: loss of balance. There were differences, both in the ratio of behaviors and in the number of bouts-exposed bees more often changed behavior. Occurrence of differences is an indication of the reaction of the honeybee organism to the magnetic field. Loss of balance is a disturbing symptom, and behavior changes indicate a disturbance of the honeybee by the electromagnetic field.

Effect of the electric field at 50 Hz and variable intensities on biochemical markers in the honey bee's hemolymph.

The amount of artificial electromagnetic fields of various parameters in the honey bee's environment increases globally. So far, it had been proven that exposure to an E-field at 50 Hz can cause changes in bee's behavior, alter the activity of proteases, and enzymatic antioxidants. Due to the potentially harmful effect of this factor on honey bees, we decided to investigate the activity of aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and the concentration of albumin and creatinine in bee's hemolymph after exposure to 50 Hz E-field. Honey bee workers were placed in wooden cages (200 × 150 × 70 mm) and exposed to the 50 Hz E-field with the intensity of <1, 5.0, 11.5, 23.0, or 34.5 kV/m for 1, 3, 6, or 12h. A homogeneous 50 Hz E-field was generated in the form of a plate capacitor. Hemolymph samples for analysis were taken immediately after the end of exposure to the E-field from 100 bees from each group. According to our study, the activity of AST, ALT, and ALP in honey bees' hemolymph decreased after exposure to 50 Hz E-field with various intensities. The decrease in AST, ALT, and ALP activity intensified with prolonged exposure time. 50 Hz E-field may cause the impairment of crucial metabolic cycles in the honey bees' organism (such as the citric acid cycle, ATP synthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, ß-oxidation). Moreover, exposure to E-Field altered the concentration of creatinine and albumin, which are important non-enzymatic antioxidants. Such changes may indicate a disturbance in protein metabolism and increased muscle activity.

Honey Bee Proteolytic System and Behavior Parameters under the Influence of an Electric Field at 50 Hz and Variable Intensities for a Long Exposure Time.

The effect of an artificial electromagnetic field on organisms is a subject of extensive public debate and growing numbers of studies. Our study aimed to show the effect of an electromagnetic field at 50 Hz and variable intensities on honey bee proteolytic systems and behavior parameters after 12 h of exposure. Newly emerged worker bees were put into cages and exposed to a 50 Hz E-field with an intensity of 5.0 kV/m, 11.5 kV/m, 23.0 kV/m, or 34.5 kV/m. After 12 h of exposure, hemolymph samples were taken for protease analysis, and the bees were recorded for behavioral analysis. Six behaviors were chosen for observation: walking, flying, self-grooming, contact between individuals, stillness, and wing movement. Bees in the control group demonstrated the highest number of all behavior occurrences, except flying, and had the lowest protease activity. Bees in the experimental groups showed a lower number of occurrences of walking, self-grooming, and contacts between individuals than the control bees and had significantly higher protease activity than the control bees (except that of alkaline proteases in the 23.0 kV/m group).

Changes in Honeybee Behavior Parameters under the Influence of the E-Field at 50 Hz and Variable Intensity.

EM-fields come from both natural and anthropogenic sources. This study aimed to investigate changes in honeybee behavior parameters under the influence of an electric field at 50 Hz and variable intensity. Bees were exposed for 1 h, 3 h, or 6 h to the following artificial E-field intensities: 5.0 kV/m, 11.5 kV/m, 23.0 kV/m, or 34.5 kV/m. Bees in the control group were under the influence of an E-field <2.0 kV/m. Six basic behaviors were selected for bee observation (walking, grooming, flight, stillness, contact between individuals, and wing movement). Our research shows the impact of bee exposure time on behavioral change within groups. Exposure for 3 h caused a decrease in the time that bees spent on behaviors and in the number of occurrences. After 6 h, the parameters increased within the groups, as was the case with 1 h exposure. This may indicate that there is a behavioral barrier that allows the pattern to normalize for some time.

Changes in the Honeybee Antioxidant System after 12 h of Exposure to Electromagnetic Field Frequency of 50 Hz and Variable Intensity.

In recent years, on a global scale, more and more reports of a phenomenon called CCD (Colony Collapse Disorder) have been reported. In addition to pesticides, diseases, and other environmental stressors, electromagnetic fields are also mentioned as one of the possible causes of CCD. One of the body's first lines of defense against harmful factors is the antioxidant system. We hypothesized that electromagnetic field upregulate the activity of SOD (superoxide dismutase), CAT (catalases), and changed FRAP (total antioxidant potential) in honeybee hemolymph. In our research, 12 h bee's exposure to E-field was analyzed to determine changes in the antioxidant system. The frequency of 50 Hz and various intensities were used: 5.0 kV/m, 11.5 kV/m, 23.0 kV/m, and 34.5 kV/m. Superoxide dismutase was characterized by four times higher activity in the study groups as compared to the control group. Catalase activity in all groups was characterized by statistically significantly different activity between the groups. The highest activity was recorded in the 34.5 kV/m group. The lowest activity was recorded in the 11.5 kV/m group. A relationship was found between different E-field intensities and changes in the antioxidant system.