Male infertility affects up to 12% of the world’s male population and is linked to various environmental and medical conditions. Manual microscope-based testing and computer-assisted semen analysis (CASA) are the current standard methods to diagnose male infertility; however, these methods are labor-intensive, expensive, and laboratory-based. Cultural and socially dominated stigma against male infertility testing hinders a large number of men from getting tested for infertility, especially in resource-limited African countries. We describe the development and clinical testing of an automated smartphone-based semen analyzer designed for quantitative measurement of sperm concentration and motility for point-of-care male infertility screening. Using a total of 350 clinical semen specimens at a fertility clinic, we have shown that our assay can analyze an unwashed, unprocessed liquefied semen sample with <5-s mean processing time and provide the user a semen quality evaluation based on the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines with ~98% accuracy. The work suggests that the integration of microfluidics, optical sensing accessories, and advances in consumer electronics, particularly smartphone capabilities, can make remote semen quality testing accessible to people in both developed and developing countries who have access to smartphones.

Rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing is important for efficient and timely therapeutic decision making. Due to globally spread bacterial resistance, the efficacy of antibiotics is increasingly being impeded. Conventional antibiotic tests rely on bacterial culture, which is time-consuming and can lead to potentially inappropriate antibiotic prescription and up-front broad range of antibiotic use. There is an urgent need to develop point-of-care platform technologies to rapidly detect pathogens, identify the right antibiotics, and monitor mutations to help adjust therapy. Here, we report a biosensor for rapid (<90 min), real time, and label-free bacteria isolation from whole blood and antibiotic susceptibility testing. Target bacteria are captured on flexible plastic-based microchips with printed electrodes using antibodies (30 min), and its electrical response is monitored in the presence and absence of antibiotics over an hour of incubation time. We evaluated the microchip with Escherichia coli and methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) as clinical models with ampicillin, ciprofloxacin, erythromycin, daptomycin, gentamicin, and methicillin antibiotics. The results are compared with the current standard methods, i.e. bacteria viability and conventional antibiogram assays. The technology presented here has the potential to provide precise and rapid bacteria screening and guidance in clinical therapies by identifying the correct antibiotics for pathogens.

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Nondermatophyte moulds (NDMs) onychomycosis is often difficult to diagnose as NDMs have been considered contaminants of nails. There are several diagnostic methods used to identify NDMs, however, repeated laboratory isolation is recommended to validate pathogenicity. With NDM and mixed infection (dermatophytes plus NDM) onychomycosis on the rise, accurate clinical diagnosis along with mycological tests is recommended. Systemic antifungal agents such as itraconazole and terbinafine (e.g. pulse regimen: 1 pulse = every day for one week, followed by no treatment for three weeks) have shown efficacy in treating onychomycosis caused by various NDMs such as Aspergillus spp., Fusarium spp., Scopulariopsis brevicaulis, and Onychocola canadensis. Studies investigating topical therapy and devices for NDM onychomycosis are limited. The emergence of antifungal resistance necessitates the incorporation of antifungal susceptibility testing into diagnosis when possible, for the management of recalcitrant infections. Case studies documented in the literature show newer azoles such as posaconazole and voriconazole as sometimes effective in treating resistant NDM onychomycosis. Treatment with broad-spectrum antifungal agents (e.g. itraconazole and efinaconazole) and other combination therapy (oral + oral and/or oral + topical) may be considerations in the management of NDM onychomycosis.

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IMPORTANCEThere are knowledge gaps regarding the relative efficacy of 3 commonly used drugs for androgenetic alopecia (AGA), namely, minoxidil and the two 5-α reductase inhibitors dutasteride and finasteride.OBJECTIVE To examine the relative efficacy of any dose and administration route of minoxidil, dutasteride, and finasteride for the treatment of male AGA. DATA SOURCES Systematic searches were performed in PubMed on March 5, 2021, without date restrictions.STUDY SELECTION Eligible studies included those that investigated monotherapy with any dose and administration route of minoxidil, dutasteride, and finasteride.DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Data on the mean (SD) difference and sample size were used for the bayesian network meta-analyses. League tables and surface under the cumulative ranking curve values were used to examine the relative efficacy of the interventions. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURESStudy end points were change in total and terminal hair count after 24 and 48 weeks of therapy. The 4 end points were quantified in hairs per square centimeters. RESULTSThe PubMed search yielded 848 records; after the 2 stages of screening, 23 studies were eligible for quantitative analyses. Mean (SD) age of patients ranged from 22.8 (3.3) years to 41.8 (12.3) years. The greatest increase in total hair count at 24 weeks (ie, first end point) was with 0.5 mg/d of dutasteride, which was significantly more efficacious than 1 mg/d of finasteride (mean difference, 7.1 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 5.1-9.3 hairs/cm 2 ) and minoxidil (0.25 mg/d [mean difference, 23.7 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 9.5-38.0 hairs/cm 2 ], 5 mg/d [mean difference, 15.0 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 3.9-26.1 hairs/cm 2 ], and 2% solution [mean difference, 8.5 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 4.8-12.3 hairs/cm 2 ]). The greatest increase in terminal hair count at 24 weeks (ie, second end point) was with 5 mg/d of minoxidil, which was significantly more efficacious than the 0.25-mg/d dose (mean difference, 43.6 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 29.7-57.7 hairs/cm 2 ) and its topical forms (in 2% [mean difference, 29.3 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 21.1-37.5 hairs/cm 2 ] and 5% [mean difference, 29.8 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 19.7-39.8 hairs/cm 2 ]); 5 mg/d of minoxidil was significantly more efficacious than 1 mg/d of finasteride (mean difference, 10.4 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 2.2-18.6 hairs/cm 2 ). The greatest increase in total hair count at 48 weeks (ie, third end point) was with 5 mg/d of finasteride, which was significantly more efficacious than 2% topical minoxidil (mean difference, 20.7 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 9.5-31.9 hairs/cm 2 ). The greatest increase in terminal hair count at 48 weeks (ie, fourth end point) was with 1 mg/d of finasteride, which was significantly more effective than topical minoxidil (in 2% [mean difference, 32.1 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 23.9-40.3 hairs/cm 2 ] and 5% [mean difference, 26.2 hairs/cm 2 ; 95% CI, 16.2-36.2 hairs/cm 2 ]). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCEAs efficacy data from head-to-head trials accumulate, there could be a better sense of the relative efficacy of the different doses of the 5-...

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Background: Microneedling is a relatively novel therapeutic modality introduced in the 1990s where small, fine needles are used to create micro punctures in the skin. It is a minimally invasive procedure used for various dermatological conditions, including androgenetic alopecia (AGA). Objective and Methods:We comprehensively summarize the literature regarding microneedling in dermatology. We performed linear multivariable regressions to synthesize evidence from the clinical trials that investigated the efficacy of microneedling for AGA. Studies eligible for quantitative analyses were assessed for evidence quality. Results:The exact mechanism of microneedling action is yet to be determined, with theories that include the wound-healing cascade. Microneedling monotherapy significantly increased total hair count more than topical minoxidil 5% (β = 12.29; p < 0.001).The combination treatment of microneedling with topical 5% minoxidil increased total hair count significantly compared to monotherapy with microneedling (β = 7.63, p < 0.05). Increasing the overall treatment duration of microneedling and reducing the frequency of microneedling sessions may positively influence an increase in total hair count. Conclusion:There are limited studies that investigate microneedling as a monotherapy for hair loss since majority of the trials combine it with other therapies such as topical minoxidil or platelet-rich plasma. While preliminary results look promising, further investigation of microneedling as a monotherapy in larger, randomized controlled trials will help determine its safety and efficacy, and place in treating AGA.