Evaluation of the MP Rapid 2019-NCOV IgM/IgG combo POCT test vs. an established platform-based method.

BACKGROUND: Accurate and rapid testing for SARS-COV-2 antibodies could improve the diagnosis and management of COVID-19. In this study, we aim to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a commercially available point-of-care lateral flow kit independently and in comparison to an established platform-based system. METHOD: Samples from 144 PCR-confirmed COVID-19 cases and 130 pre-pandemic negative controls were tested in parallel by MP Rapid 2019-NCOV IgM/IgG Combo test and Roche Elecsys. Comparison of results based on serum and capillary blood testing was undertaken. RESULTS: Sensitivity at day 15 onwards was 100% for both methods. Between days 1 and 7 post admission, the IgM/IgG Combo test and Roche Elecsys shown sensitivity of 74% (95%CI: 62%-85%) vs. 67% (95% CI: 55%-79%, P = 0.3947). Combo test specificities were 100% for IgG, 98.5% for IgM vs. Roche Elecsys specificity of 100%. Concordance analysis showed 98.5% agreement to the Roche Elecsys method (Cohen's Kappa 0.96 95% CI [0.92-0.99]). Capillary blood results showed complete agreement with serum samples using the Combo test. CONCLUSION: In comparison to Roche Elecsys, our data show that the MP Rapid 2019-NCOV IgM/IgG Combo test provides a high-confidence assay system for the detection of previous exposure to SARS-COV-2 infection with advantage of affording near-patient testing

Autopsy Case of Meningoencephalomyelitis Associated With Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein Antibody.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: To describe the autopsy findings and neuropathologic evaluation of autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis associated with glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) antibody. METHODS: We reviewed the clinical course, imaging, laboratory, and autopsy findings of a patient with autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis associated with GFAP antibody who had a refractory course to multiple immunosuppressive therapies. RESULTS: The patient was a 70-year-old man who was diagnosed as GFAP antibody-associated autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis. MRI of the head showed linear perivascular enhancement in the midbrain and the basal ganglia. Despite treatment with high-dose corticosteroids, plasma exchange, IV immunoglobulins, and cyclophosphamide, he died with devastating neurologic complications. Autopsy revealed a coexistent neuroendocrine tumor in the small intestine and diffuse inflammation in the brain parenchyma, perivascular spaces, and leptomeninges, with predominant T-cells, macrophages, and activated microglia. B-cells and plasma cells were absent. There was no astrocyte involvement with change in GFAP immunostaining. DISCUSSION: This case illustrates autoimmune meningoencephalomyelitis associated with GFAP antibody in the CSF and coexistent neuroendocrine tumor. The autopsy findings were nonspecific and did not demonstrate astrocyte involvement. Further accumulation of cases is warranted to delineate the utility and pathogenic significance of the GFAP autoantibody

Consumptive hypothyroidism: a case report and review of the literature

Hepatic haemangioendothelioma is a rare vascular tumour in infants and may be associated with a unique form of thyroid function abnormalities. Hepatic haemangioendotheliomata is capable of producing an excess of the thyroid hormone inactivating enzyme, type 3 iodothyronine deiodinase. The increased enzyme activity leads to rapid degradation of thyroid hormones, resulting in frank hypothyroidism. We report a case of a three-month-old neonate with multiple hepatic haemangioendotheliomata and associated hypothyroidism. The patient required increasing doses of thyroid hormone

Consideration of uncertainty in damage detection using interval analysis wavelet without baseline data

The effectiveness of vibration-based damage detection (VBDD) method has been demonstrated by researchers to provide reliable results. However, the existence of uncertainties in measurement and modelling data hinders the accuracy of results obtained from VBDD. Researches have yielded favourable results by integrating probabilistic method. Despite these successes, the probabilistic method faces the problem of obtaining an unbiased probabilistic distribution of uncertainties. Furthermore, the probabilistic method involves long and complex computations. In dealing with these problems, the nonprobabilistic method that requires no assumptions of the uncertainties distribution was proposed. It involves estimating only the upper and lower bounds of the uncertain parameter. However, the success of the nonprobabilistic method is shortened by its reliance on baseline (undamaged) data that is often not available for existing structures. In this study, a nonprobabilistic interval analysis wavelet (NIAW) method to consider uncertainties in damage identification without using baseline healthy data is proposed. The proposed method is demonstrated by using a plate structure and applying the symmetrical properties of the plate structure. The wavelet coefficient of the plate mode shape is divided along the line of symmetry to obtain wavelet coefficients WL and WR, and the bounds (upper and lower) of WL and WR are estimated. The PoDE and wavelet coefficient increment factor (WCIF) are estimated to obtain damage identity by using the bounds of WL and WR. The product of PoDE and WCIF provides the value of DMI which indicates the level of damage severity. This method is demonstrated using numerical models of a steel plate. The results show that the proposed method accurately identifies damage when noise-contaminated mode shape data is applied

Kinetic Model for pH Variation Resulted from Interaction of Aqueous Solution Contaminated with Nickel Ions and Cement Kiln Dust

Reaction term in the transport equation which described the migration of metal ions in the porous medium is frequently represented by conventional kinetic models such as pseudo-first order, pseudo-second order, and others. Unfortunately, these models are applicable for the constant value of solution pH, and they cannot simulate the real situation in the field scale where this pH may be changed with time. Accordingly, the present study is a good attempt to derive the kinetic model that can simulate the change in the pH of the solution through solute transport. This was achieved by modifying the adsorption capacity and reaction constant to be functions in terms of solution pH by using semianalytical analysis and numerical approximation. The results proved that the kinetic model based on the numerical approximation (using exponential functions for adsorption capacity and reaction constant) symbolled as model 2 was more representative from other models applied for the description of interaction of nickel ions (with initial concentration of 400 mg/L) and cement kiln dust with sum of squared error ≤1.54913 and determination coefficient ≥0.889. Also, the developed models had high ability for recognizing between pure precipitation and pure adsorption

Analytical performance of 17 general chemistry analytes across countries and across manufacturers in the INPUtS project of EQA organizers in Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, United Kingdom and Spain

Afdeling Klinische Chemie en Laboratoriumgeneeskunde (AKCL

A category 1 EQA scheme for comparison of laboratory performance and method performance: An international pilot study in the framework of the Calibration 2000 project

Afdeling Klinische Chemie en Laboratoriumgeneeskunde (AKCL