Benzilic acid: a monoclinic polymorph.

The title compound, CHO, is an α-hy-droxy-carb-oxy-lic acid whose ortho-rhom-bic polymorph has been reported earlier [Qiu (2007 ▸). , , 1819-1824]. The asymmetric unit contains two complete mol-ecules.

Updated adult ferritin reference intervals based on a large, healthy UK sample, measured on Roche Cobas series analysers.

Background: There is a lack of standardization of reference intervals (RIs) for ferritin across laboratories, particularly for postmenopausal women. Depending on the RI used, there can be more than a 4-fold difference in the upper limit of normal between laboratories, resulting in potential misinterpretation.

Methods: This retrospective study used a large dataset of blood test results from 25,425 healthy participants aged 18 to 97 over a 7-year period.

The application of the family of participation-related constructs (fPRC) framework to AAC intervention outcomes in children with complex communication needs: a scoping review.

Participation is a fundamental human right, and being able to communicate is an essential component of participation in various life situations, such as at school, with peers, and in the community. Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) interventions aim to facilitate communication and social interaction, independence, and participation in all aspects of life. The purpose of this study was to summarize and map the AAC intervention outcomes for children with complex communication needs onto the Family of Participation-Related Constructs (fPRC) framework.

Learning analytics in support of inclusiveness and disabled students: a systematic review.

This article maps considerations of inclusiveness and support for students with disabilities by reviewing articles within the field of learning analytics. The study involved a PRISMA-informed systematic review of two popular digital libraries, namely Clarivate's Web of Science, and Elsevier's Scopus for peer-reviewed journal articles and conference proceedings. A final corpus of 26 articles was analysed.

Faculty perceptions, awareness and use of open educational resources for teaching and learning in higher education: a cross-comparative analysis.

This paper explores faculty's perspectives and use of open educational resources (OER) and their repositories across different countries by conducting a multiple case study to find similarities and differences between academics' awareness, perceptions and use of OER, as well as examining related aspects of institutional policy and quality that may influence individual views. Data were collected through nine expert reports on each country studied (Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain and Turkey) and were analyzed through qualitative content analysis using thematic coding. Findings show the impact on individual OER adoption with regard to the individual control of diverse factors by faculty members; of institutional policies and quality measures on the externally determined factors (by the institution); and of institutional professional development and provision of incentives in more internally determined factors (by the faculty members themselves).

Perianal pseudolymphoma: A case report and review of the literature.

Introduction: Perianal pseudolymphoma is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that can mimic cutaneous lymphoma. The condition can present acutely with concerns of perianal sepsis. The purpose of this case review is to review the current literature on perianal pseudolymphoma and emphasise to the surgical community its presentation, suggested aetiology and management.

Pilot randomised study of early intervention based on tumour markers in the follow-up of patients with primary breast cancer.

Background: This pilot study aimed to test the possibility of therapeutic benefit imparted by early intervention based on sequential tumour marker (TM) measurements during follow-up of primary breast cancer (PBC) patients.

Methods: Patients with oestrogen receptor positive PBC with no clinical and/or radiological evidence of metastases were recruited and followed-up 3-monthly with clinical assessment and TM (CA15.3 and CEA) measurements.

Hypocalcaemia following thyroidectomy unresponsive to oral therapy.

Hypocalcaemia due to hypoparathyroidism following thyroidectomy is a relatively common occurrence. Standard treatment is with oral calcium and vitamin D replacement therapy; lack of response to oral therapy is rare. Herein we describe a case of hypoparathyroidism following thyroidectomy unresponsive to oral therapy in a patient with a complex medical history.

Lipoprotein X in a patient with cholestasis and hypertriglyceridaemia.

Hypertriglyceridaemia is an established cause of acute pancreatitis and responds to insulin therapy in addition to lipid lowering medication. We report a case of severe hypertriglycaeridemia of 149 mmol/L in a 36-year-old man with type 2 diabetes who presented to the surgical ward with abdominal pain due to pancreatitis and developed acute cholestasis, jaundice and eruptive xanthomata. His triglycerides improved to 3.

An analysis of complaints against oral health professionals charged with misconduct at the HPCSA: 2004-2009.

Aim: This study investigates the nature, frequency, and outcome of complaints relating to misconduct laid against oral healthcare professionals (OHPs), charged with misconduct in South Africa.

Methods: Records of the Health Professions Council of South Africa (2004-2009) were analysed and classified using the ethical rules as a reference. "Clinically-related complaints" and "fraud" were added as extra categories.

Acute renal failure, microangiopathic haemolytic anemia, and secondary oxalosis in a young female patient.

A 29-year old female presented with a one-week history of vomiting, diarrhoea, abdominal pain, and headache. On admission, she had acute renal failure requiring dialysis. Tests revealed a hemolytic anemia with thrombocytopenia.

Family tracing to identify patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia: the second audit of the Department of Health Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cascade Testing Project.

Background: Family tracing is a method recognized to find new patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH). We have implemented family tracing led by FH Nurses and have determined acceptability to patients, feasibility and costs.

Methods: Nurses were located at five National Health Service (NHS) Trusts; they identified FH patients and offered them family tracing.

Alendronate sodium in the management of osteoporosis.

Alendronate is one of the best and most extensively studied bisphosphonates in the treatment of osteoporosis. This review considers in detail the major pivotal study, the fracture intervention trial (FIT), upon which the use of alendronate is based and which was a landmark study in terms of design, size and clinical impact. The role of alendronate has subsequently been underscored by a range of studies extending the clinical indications for its use and consolidating the effect on reducing both vertebral and non-vertebral fracture risk.

Are patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia well managed in lipid clinics? An audit of eleven clinics from the Department of Health Familial Hypercholesterolaemia Cascade Testing project.

Background: Familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH) is an autosomal co-dominant disorder which is relatively common, leads to high levels of LDL-cholesterol and if untreated to early coronary heart disease. An audit of current practice at National Health Service Trusts in England was undertaken to determine whether FH patients meet the diagnostic criteria for FH; are being offered appropriate advice and treatment; and to what extent their families are contacted and offered testing for the disorder.

Methods: Medical records of known FH patients (over 18 years of age and diagnosed before 31 December 2003) were accessed to obtain information on diagnosis, treatment and family tracing.

A survey of laboratory practice in the clinical authorization and reporting of results.

Background: The aim of this survey was to determine the practice of authorization and reporting of results in clinical biochemistry laboratories in the UK.

Method: Questionnaires were distributed to the heads of clinical biochemistry departments through the National Audit Committee of the Association of Clinical Biochemists. The standards surveyed were based on guidelines for the reporting of results produced by the Royal College of Pathologists and the relevant Clinical Pathology Accreditation standards.

[The ethics of dental records].

This article highlights five aspects of necessary record-keeping in practices: ethicolegal requirements, confidentiality and disclosure, risk management and consent, accounts and practice management, and forensic functions. Patient records therefore have ethical, moral, legal and management implications. Unfortunately, they are often underestimated or ignored by practitioners.

Creatinine assays: time for action?

Background: Major differences in creatinine results between different laboratories and apparent inaccuracies when using commercial lyophilized standards were noted. In order to assess the variation and accuracy of the different methods we conducted a local audit.

Methods: To establish the variation between methods, plasma creatinine was measured on 47 human plasma samples by nine different laboratories using four different methods (Roche, Ortho, Olympus, modified Olympus).

Effect of low protein concentration on serum sodium measurement: pseudohypernatraemia and pseudonormonatraemia!

Background: The effect of high concentrations of protein or lipid on the measurement of plasma sodium by indirect ion selective electrode (ISE) causing pseudohyponatraemia and pseudonormonatraemia is well described. The effect of a low total protein concentration, however, has not been described.

Methods: In order to examine this, over a 2-week period the total protein concentration was measured on all samples received for urea and electrolyte measurement.

Geographic mitochondrial DNA variation in the rock hyrax, Procavia capensis.

Restriction-fragment-length polymorphisms in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) were used to evaluate geographic population genetic structure in the rock hyrax, Procavia capensis, a species which occurs widely, though restricted to rocky habitat, throughout South Africa. Ten restriction endonucleases were employed to assay mtDNAs from 55 specimens representing 10 localities. Haplotypes showed strong geographic patterning, and estimates of nucleotide sequence divergence indicate two major clades thought to be dispersing along separate routes.

The ecophysiological significance of calcium bicarbonate in the urine of subterranean rodents: testing a hypothesis.

1. A comparative study of calcium and bicarbonate in the urine was carried out on the subterranean mole rat Cryptomys hottenttus and the terrestrial vlei rat Otomys irroratus. 2.

Evaluation of neutrophil and lymphocyte function in subjects with iron deficiency.

Neutrophil function was studied in a group of 15 children, 7 with iron deficiency (4 with iron deficiency anaemia) and 8 age-matched controls; by clinical and laboratory criteria, all were uninfected. In a second group of 28 children, 14 iron-deficient (6 with iron deficiency anaemia) and 14 controls, numbers of circulating T and B lymphocytes and responsiveness to the mitogens phytohaemagglutinin and concanavalin A were assessed. Levels of salivary IgA were estimated in every patient.