Variability in urinary oxalate measurements between six international laboratories

Hyperoxaluria is a major risk factor for kidney stone formation. Although urinary oxalate measurement is part of all basic stone risk assessment, there is no standardized method for this measurement.

Rivaroxaban: Quantification by anti-FXa assay and influence on coagulation tests A study in 9 Swiss laboratories

INTRODUCTION: Rivaroxaban (RXA) is licensed for prophylaxis of venous thromboembolism after major orthopaedic surgery of the lower limbs. Currently, no test to quantify RXA in plasma has been validated in an inter-laboratory setting. Our study had three aims: to assess i) the feasibility of RXA quantification with a commercial anti-FXa assay, ii) its accuracy and precision in an inter-laboratory setting, and iii) the influence of 10mg of RXA on routine coagulation tests. METHODS: The same chromogenic anti-FXa assay (Hyphen BioMed) was used in all participating laboratories. RXA calibrators and sets of blinded probes (aim ii.) were prepared in vitro by spiking normal plasma. The precise RXA content was assessed by high-pressure liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. For ex-vivo studies (aim iii), plasma samples from 20 healthy volunteers taken before and 2 - 3hours after ingestion of 10mg of RXA were analyzed by participating laboratories. RESULTS: RXA can be assayed chromogenically. Among the participating laboratories, the mean accuracy and the mean coefficient of variation for precision of RXA quantification were 7.0% and 8.8%, respectively. Mean RXA concentration was 114±43?g/L .RXA significantly altered prothrombin time, activated partial thromboplastin time, factor analysis for intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Determinations of thrombin time, fibrinogen, FXIII and D-Dimer levels were not affected. CONCLUSIONS: RXA plasma levels can be quantified accurately and precisely by a chromogenic anti-FXa assay on different coagulometers in different laboratories. Ingestion of 10mg RXA results in significant alterations of both PT- and aPTT-based coagulation assays.

Design of removable partial dentures: a survey of dental laboratories in Greece

The aim of this study was to compare data on design and fabrication methods of removable partial dentures (RPDs) in two major cities in Greece. A questionnaire was sent to 150 randomly selected dental technicians. The participation rate was 79.3%. The anterior palatal strap, the lingual bar, and the Roach-type clasp arm designs were preferred. Half of the RPDs fabricated were retained using precision attachments. Differences between the two cities were observed in types of major maxillary connectors used, types of attachments and impression materials used, as well as the design of distal-extension RPDs. Postdoctoral education was found to have an impact on RPD fabrication. Despite the differences observed, design and fabrication of RPDs followed commonly used principles.

Feelings of revenge, retaliation motive, and posttraumatic stress reactions in crime victims

Individuals with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are often said to experience strong feelings of revenge. However, there is a need for confirmatory empirical studies. Therefore, in a study of 174 victims of violent crimes, the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions was investigated. Feelings of revenge were correlated with intrusion and hyperarousal but not with avoidance. Feelings of revenge explained incremental variance of intrusion and hyperarousalwhen the variance explained by victimological variables was controlled. The retaliation motive implied in feelings of revenge did not account for the relation between feelings of revenge and posttraumatic stress reactions. However, the relation was moderated by the time since victimization. Therefore, feelings of revenge must presumably be regarded as a maladaptive coping reaction to experienced injustice, but not in the first period after victimization.

Anger and posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms in crime victims: A longitudinal analysis

Among trauma-exposed individuals, severity of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms is strongly correlated with anger. The authors used 2 longitudinal data sets with 282 and 218 crime victims, respectively, to investigate the temporal sequence of anger and PTSD symptoms following the assault. Cross-lagged regression analyses indicated that PTSD symptoms predicted subsequent level of anger, but that anger did not predict subsequent PTSD symptoms. Testing alternative models (common factor model, unmeasured 3rd variable model) that might account for spuriousness of the relation strengthened confidence in the results of the cross-lagged analyses. Further analyses suggested that rumination mediates the effect of PTSD symptoms on anger.

Transferability of geoscientific information from various sources (study sites, underground rock laboratories, natural analogues) to support safety cases for radioactive waste repositories in argillaceous formations

In studies related to deep geological disposal of radioactive waste, it is current practice to transfer external information (e.g. from other sites, from underground rock laboratories or from natural analogues) to safety cases for specific projects. Transferable information most commonly includes parameters, investigation techniques, process understanding, conceptual models and high-level conclusions on system behaviour. Prior to transfer, the basis of transferability needs to be established. In argillaceous rocks, the most relevant common feature is the microstructure of the rocks, essentially determined by the properties of clay–minerals. Examples are shown from the Swiss and French programmes how transfer of information was handled and justified. These examples illustrate how transferability depends on the stage of development of a repository safety case and highlight the need for adequate system understanding at all sites involved to support the transfer.

Accident or homicide - virtual crime scene reconstruction using 3D methods

The analysis and reconstruction of forensically relevant events, such as traffic accidents, criminal assaults and homicides are based on external and internal morphological findings of the injured or deceased person. For this approach high-tech methods are gaining increasing importance in forensic investigations. The non-contact optical 3D digitising system GOM ATOS is applied as a suitable tool for whole body surface and wound documentation and analysis in order to identify injury-causing instruments and to reconstruct the course of event. In addition to the surface documentation, cross-sectional imaging methods deliver medical internal findings of the body. These 3D data are fused into a whole body model of the deceased. Additional to the findings of the bodies, the injury inflicting instruments and incident scene is documented in 3D. The 3D data of the incident scene, generated by 3D laser scanning and photogrammetry, is also included into the reconstruction. Two cases illustrate the methods. In the fist case a man was shot in his bedroom and the main question was, if the offender shot the man intentionally or accidentally, as he declared. In the second case a woman was hit by a car, driving backwards into a garage. It was unclear if the driver drove backwards once or twice, which would indicate that he willingly injured and killed the woman. With this work, we demonstrate how 3D documentation, data merging and animation enable to answer reconstructive questions regarding the dynamic development of patterned injuries, and how this leads to a real data based reconstruction of the course of event.