Profiling human blood serum metabolites by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: a comprehensive tool for the evaluation of hemodialysis efficiency.

Hemodialysis remains the standard therapy to treat patients affected with end-stage renal disease by removing metabolites accumulated in blood plasma. The efficiency of hemodialysis is mainly monitored by urea clearance, which is routinely checked in clinical laboratory practice. However, there is mounting evidence that the clearance behavior of selected single metabolites is not sufficient to predict long-term outcome of treatment.

Good expert knowledge, small scope.

Background: During many years of occupational stress research, mostly within the German governmental program for "Humanization of Work Life'', remarkable deficits concerning visual work were seen, the most striking being the lack of cooperation between the different experts.

Objective: With regard to this article hard arguments and ideas for solutions had to be found.

Methods/participants: A pilot study in 21 enterprises was realized (1602 employees with different visual work tasks).

Problems of the "outer eyes" in the office environment: an ergophthalmologic approach.

Objective: To assist health professionals dealing with the complex clinical picture of "outer" eye symptoms-among top-two in office environments--by an ergophthalmologic approach.

Method: The terms "precorneal tear film" (PTF) and eye/ocular discomfort and irritation symptoms were searched together with a number of environmental and personal factors in databases such as PubMed.

Results: The microclimate (humidity and temperature), environmental pollution, working conditions and habits, contact lenses, certain medication, nutrition, and personal care products alter the PTF.

Precise turnaround time measurement of laboratory processes using radiofrequency identification technology.

Background: To implement Lean Six Sigma in our central laboratory we conducted a project to measure single pre-analytical steps influencing turnaround time (TAT) of emergency department (ED) serum samples. The traditional approach of extracting data from the Laboratory Information System (LIS) for a retrospective calculation of a mean TAT is not suitable. Therefore, we used radiofrequency identification (RFID) chips for real time tracking of individual samples at any pre-analytical step.

Course of platelet activation markers after ischemic stroke.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the time course of platelet activation after ischemic stroke and to investigate whether platelet activation and inflammation are correlated with each other.

Methods: We serially determined expression of p-selectin (CD62p) and lysosome-associated membrane protein (CD63) by platelets using flow cytometry at 10 time points between days 1 and 90 in patients after ischemic stroke (n=50), in healthy subjects (n=30), and in risk factor control subjects (n=20). Furthermore, we correlated leukocyte count, C-reactive protein, and fibrinogen levels with platelet activation markers.