Biochemical osteomalacia in adults undergoing vitamin D testing in the North-East of Scotland.

Background: International guidelines give greatly varying definitions of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) insufficiency and deficiency. Vitamin D testing is increasing despite 2016 UK guidance for adults advising routine vitamin D supplementation October-March and year-round for high risk groups. A service evaluation of vitamin D testing and biochemical osteomalacia in the North-East of Scotland (57-58°N) could inform definitions and testing guidance.

Accuracy and distribution of baseline categorical variables and -values in spine randomized controlled trials.

Levayer and colleagues assessed integrity issues in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in four spine journals using baseline -values from categorical variables, concluding that there was no evidence of 'systemic fraudulent behaviour'. We used their published dataset to assess the accuracy of reported -values and whether observed and expected distributions of frequency counts and -values were consistent. In 51 out of 929 (5.

Fracture Prevention with Infrequent Zoledronate in Women 50 to 60 Years of Age.

Background: Zoledronate prevents fractures in older women when administered every 12 to 18 months, but its effects on bone density and bone turnover persist beyond 5 years. Whether infrequent zoledronate administration would prevent vertebral fractures in early postmenopausal women is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a 10-year, prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial involving early postmenopausal women (50 to 60 years of age) with bone mineral density T scores lower than 0 and higher than -2.

Prevalence of Vitamin D Deficiency With Biochemical Abnormalities in Children Undergoing Vitamin D Testing.

Objective: Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) in children can cause hypocalcaemia and rickets, but the prevalence of these complications and the 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) concentrations below which they arise is uncertain. We investigated this in children (< 18 years) with 25OHD measurements.

Design, Measurement And Patients: We obtained 25OHD results from the regional laboratory database, alongside albumin-adjusted serum calcium (aCa), parathyroid hormone (PTH) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) within 6 months of the index 25OHD.

Publication integrity: what is it, why does it matter, how it is safeguarded and how could we do better?

Trustworthy literature is an essential part of knowledge, evidence-based information, and science. However, publications can contain mistakes or have results from unreliable research, which may compromise their integrity. In this review, we discuss publication integrity, with a focus on our field of biomedicine, and how it could be improved.