Feasibility and acceptability of an online parenting intervention to address behaviour problems in moderately to extremely preterm pre-school and school-age children.

Background: Preterm birth is associated with adverse mental health outcomes, including internalizing problems, social difficulties and inattention. Interventions are needed beyond infancy and toddlerhood to support children and their families. We examined the feasibility and acceptability of the I-InTERACT Preterm pilot study, an online parenting intervention for preterm children ages 3-8.

Practical approaches to the detection of macrotroponin.

Introduction: Macrotroponin is increasingly recognised as a cause of confusion in interpreting high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTnI) results. In this study, we sought to evaluate two practical approaches to detecting macrotroponin. These two approaches are PEG precipitation and SVM (support vector machine) analysis to classify discrepancies between hs-cTn assays.

Ethics of college vaccine mandates, using reasonable comparisons.

In the paper 'COVID-19 vaccine boosters for young adults: a risk-benefit assessment and ethical analysis of mandate policies at universities,' Bardosh argued that college mandates of the COVID-19 booster vaccine are unethical. The authors came to this conclusion by performing three different sets of comparisons of benefits versus risks using referenced data and argued that the harm outweighs the risk in all three cases. In this response article, we argue that the authors frame their arguments by comparing values that are not scientifically or reasonably comparable and that the authors used values that represent grossly different risk profiles and grouped them into a set of figures to create an illusion of fair comparisons.

Effect of Macrotroponin in a Cohort of Community Patients with Elevated Cardiac Troponin.

Background: Macrotroponin is an important cause of discrepancy between current high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hs-cTn) assays, however, its clinical significance is unclear. This study examined the effects of macrotroponin and repeat testing by different hs-cTnI assays in a cohort of community patients with elevated hs-cTnI.

Methods: The first residual serum specimen from each patient in the community admitted to hospital with elevated hs-cTnI (Siemens hs-cTnI Centaur) was retested after immunoglobulin depletion and by 5 other hs-cTn assays.

Managing freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease: a systematic review and network meta-analysis.

Background: Freezing of gait (FOG) is one of the most disabling gait disorders affecting 80% of patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Clinical guidelines recommend a behavioral approach for gait rehabilitation, but there is a wide diversity of behavioral modalities.

Objective: The objective of this network meta-analysis was to compare the effectiveness of different behavioral interventions for FOG management in PD patients.

Identification of macrotroponin T: findings from a case report and non-reproducible troponin T results.

Objectives: Macrotroponin is due to cardiac troponin (cTn) binding to endogenous cTn autoantibodies. While previous studies showed a high incidence of macrotroponin affecting cTnI assays, reports of macrotroponin T, particularly without cTnI reactivity, have been rare. Although the clinical significance of macrotroponin is not fully understood, macroenzymes and complexes are recognised to cause confusion in interpretation of laboratory results.

Effect of macrotroponin on the utility of cardiac troponin I as a prognostic biomarker for long term total and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Macrotroponin is a complex formed between endogenous cardiac troponin autoantibodies and circulating cardiac troponin (cTn). It is a recognised cause of discrepancy between current high sensitivity troponin (hs-cTn) assays; and immunoglobulin-bound (macrotroponin) and unbound cTn can coexist in varying proportions in the acute setting. Increasingly it is considered when laboratory cTn results do not match a patient's clinical picture.

Change in troponin concentrations in patients with macrotroponin: An in vitro mixing study.

Introduction: Macrotroponin is a complex formed between endogenous cardiac troponin autoantibodies (cTnAABs) and circulating cardiac troponin (cTn). The potential effect of macrotroponin on current high sensitivity cTn assays has not been fully explored but has recently been identified as a major cause of discrepancy in cTn results between assays. In this study we investigated the effects of mixing troponin (cTn) standards to specimens with and without macrotroponin.

Discrepancy between Cardiac Troponin Assays Due to Endogenous Antibodies.

Background: Despite well-described analytical effects of autoantibodies against cardiac troponin (cTn) I on experimental assays, no study has systematically examined their impact on cTn assays in clinical use. We determined the effects of endogenous antibodies on 5 different cTnI assays and a cTnT assay.

Methods: cTn was measured by 6 methods: Siemens hs-cTnI Centaur, Siemens hs-cTnI Vista, Abbott hs-cTnI Architect, Beckman hs-cTnI Access, Beckman cTnI Access, and Roche hs-cTnT Elecsys.

Postmortem Tryptase Level in 120 Consecutive Nonanaphylactic Deaths: Establishing a Reference Range as <23 μg/L.

Postmortem tryptase is a useful biochemical test to aid the diagnosis of anaphylaxis. Multiple perimortem and postmortem factors have been documented to cause an elevation in postmortem tryptase level. One factor that was recently recognized to have an impact on postmortem tryptase level is correct sampling technique.

Elevation of Postmortem Cerebrospinal Fluid Sodium and Chloride Levels Is a Potential Adjunct Test in the Diagnosis of Salt Water Drowning.

Postmortem vitreous humor biochemistry is a useful test in the diagnosis of salt water drowning (SWD). A significant limitation of vitreous humor is the potential effect of prolonged immersion. A recent animal study and case report suggested that cerebrospinal fluid biochemistry may be an alternative to vitreous because it is more resistant to the effects of immersion, given its protected anatomical location.

Elevated Cerebrospinal Fluid Sodium and Chloride Levels in a Saltwater Drowning Death.

To ascribe a cause of death from drowning in a body immersed in water can be difficult because of the absence of specific postmortem findings and unreliable ancillary tests. Postmortem vitreous biochemical analysis is documented to be a useful adjunct ancillary test to aid the diagnosis of saltwater drowning. A major confounding factor in using postmortem vitreous is the effect of electrolyte diffusion and water osmosis during immersion.

Biochemical Differences Between Vitreous Humor and Cerebral Spinal Fluid in a Death From Diabetic Ketoacidosis.

Biochemical analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and vitreous humor (VH) forms an important diagnostic ancillary test at autopsy. Cerebrospinal fluid can be sampled from the ventricular system (VA) and from lumbar puncture (LP), whereas VH can be sampled from the orbits. Biochemical electrolytes seem to vary between VH and CSF collected from different sites, but whether there is any difference in glucose and β-hydroxybutyrate is unclear.

Differences in Sampling Site on Postmortem Cerebrospinal Fluid Biochemistry: A Preliminary Study.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is often analyzed at postmortem. The presented preliminary study compared postmortem CSF samples for biochemical analysis from the subarachnoid space around the spinal cord and ventricular space of the brain. This study compared 15 paired CSF samples in which the CSF from the subarachnoid space via lumbar puncture had higher sodium and chloride levels and lower magnesium and potassium levels than CSF from the ventricles.

Apparent Hyperthyroidism Caused by Biotin-Like Interference from IgM Anti-Streptavidin Antibodies.

Background: Exclusion of analytical interference is important when there is discrepancy between clinical and laboratory findings. However, interferences on immunoassays are often mistaken as isolated laboratory artefacts. The mechanism of a rare cause of interference in two patients that caused erroneous thyroid function tests, and also affects many other biotin dependent immunoassays, was characterized and reported.

Combining Postmortem Vitreous Sodium and Chloride and Lung-Body Ratio in Aiding the Diagnosing Saltwater Drowning.

Diagnosing death due to drowning can be difficult, and several postmortem findings have been postulated to aid the diagnosis. Increased lung weights are often seen in drowning deaths. Lung-body (LB) ratio was described to be the best anatomical lung measurement in diagnosing drowning.

The Potential Diagnostic Accuracy of Autopsy Lung Weights, Lung-Heart Ratio, and Lung-Body Ratio in Drowning Deaths.

Lung weights are often increased in drowning deaths as well as in other types of deaths. Lung weights may also vary with age, sex, and body weight. A variety of methods have been proposed to utilize lung weight data to assist with the diagnosis of drowning.

Postmortem Vitreous Sodium and Chloride Elevate After 1 Hour and Magnesium After 2 Hours in Bovine Eyeballs Immersed in Salt Water.

Background: Postmortem vitreous sodium (Na) and chloride (Cl) are good ancillary tests in diagnosing salt-water drowning. Vitreous Na and Cl appear to elevate from salt-water drowning and immersion, whereas vitreous magnesium (Mg) appears to be unaffected by drowning, but elevates from immersion. The relative changes of these electrolytes during salt-water immersion are unknown, particularly with shorter immersion times.