Ficin-Treated Red Cells Help Identify Clinically Significant Alloantibodies Masked as Reactions of Undetermined Specificity in Gel Microtubes.

Non-specific antibodies or antibodies of undetermined significance (AUS) often pose problems for a blood bank technologist and physician. It is well known that antibodies can weaken and evanesce over time, thus eluding detection by routine blood bank techniques. Special enhancement techniques exist (eg, ficin treatment); however, they are often underutilized due to concerns over expense.

The vulnerability to coaching across measures of effort.

Neuropsychologists are increasingly called upon to conduct evaluations with individuals involved in personal injury litigation. While the inclusion of measures of effort within a test battery may help clinicians determine whether a client has put forth full effort, attorney coaching may allow dishonest clients to circumvent these efforts. The purpose of this study was to determine the degree to which frequently used measures of effort are susceptible to coaching, as well as to explore and classify strategies undertaken by coached malingering simulators.

Long-term follow-up of endoscopic stenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis secondary to pancreas divisum.

Background: Pancreas divisum is the most common anatomic variant of pancreatic development and may lead to pancreatitis. This study evaluated the efficacy of endoscopic stenting in patients with chronic pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum.

Methods: Between 1993 and 2005, 32 patients with chronic pancreatitis due to pancreas divisum were treated with endoscopic stenting.