Performance evaluation of the high sensitive troponin I assay on the Atellica IM analyser

IntroductionThe Fourth Universal Definition of Myocardial Infarction Global Taskforce recommends the use of high sensitive troponin (hs-Tn) assays in the diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction. We evaluated the analytical performance of the Atellica IM High-sensitivity Troponin I Assay (hs-TnI) (Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics Inc., Tarrytown, USA) and compared its performance to other hs-TnI assays (Siemens Advia Centaur, Dimension Vista, Dimension EXL, and Abbott Architect (Wiesbaden, Germany)) at one or more sites across Europe.Materials and methodsPrecision, detection limit, linearity, method comparison, and interference studies were performed according to Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute protocols. Values in 40 healthy individuals were compared to the manufacturer’s cut-offs. Sample turnaround time (TAT) was examined.ResultsImprecision repeatability CVs were 1.1–4.7% and within-lab imprecision were 1.8–7.6% (10.0–25,000 ng/L). The limit of blank (LoB), detection (LoD), and quantitation (LoQ) aligned with the manufacturer’s values of 0.5 ng/L, 1.6 ng/L, and 2.5 ng/L, respectively. Passing-Bablok regression demonstrated good correlations between Atellica IM analyser with other systems; some minor deviations were observed. All results in healthy volunteers fell below the 99th percentile URL, and greater than 50% of each sex demonstrated values above the LoD. No interference was observed for biotin (≤ 1500 µg/L), but a slight bias at 5.0 g/L haemoglobin and 50 ng/L Tn was observed. TAT from was fast (mean time = 10.9 minutes) and reproducible (6%CV).ConclusionsReal-world analytical and TAT performance of the hs-TnI assay on the Atellica IM analyser make this assay fit for routine use in clinical laboratories.     

Iron in the NEEM ice core relative to Asian loess records over the last glacial-interglacial cycle

Mineral dust can indirectly affect the climate by supplying bioavailable iron(Fe)to the ocean.Here,we present the records of dissolved Fe(DFe)and total Fe(TDFe)...     

Scientific productivity and international integration of small countries: Mathematics in Denmark and Israel

Conclusion I began with the hypothesis that the scientific productivity of a small country is promoted by the integration of research activities into the international scientific community. Integration occurs both individually and institutionally. The integration of individual research workers into the informal international movement of knowledge about problems, techniques and sharing in a particular branch of science, stimulates them and offers them a better chance of recognition by competent peers for their contributions to science. It thereby strengthens their incentive to exert themselves to the utmost in research. Institutional integration as the modelling of institutional arrangements in the small country on foreign academic organisation also increases productivity. In these ways, small countries can avoid being shunted to the periphery of world science.     

Process-oriented instruction: A discussion

Research on process-oriented instruction has been thriving in Europe for a number of years. This Special Issue provides the opportunity to bring together a number of research studies investigating the educational potential of this form of instruction in a wide range of domains of instruction (reading comprehension, physics, computer programming and psychology) and educational settings (secondary school and university). This final paper reflects on the common conceptual threads that link these diverse studies together¹. A number of conceptual, methodological and practical issues emerging out of the research are reviewed.     

Career Counselling in the Emerging Post-Industrial Society

International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance - What are the major changes that characterise the emerging post-industrial society? More specifically, what are the changes in the...     

Competencies in Geriatric Nursing: Empirical Evidence from a Computer-Based Large-Scale Assessment Calibration Study

Valid and reliable standardized assessment of nursing competencies is needed to monitor the quality of vocational education and training (VET) in nursing and evaluate learning outcomes for care work trainees with increasingly heterogeneous learning backgrounds. To date, however, the modeling of professional competencies has not yet evolved into procedures that would meet large-scale assessment (LSA) standards in VET. To empirically test a proposed structural model for client-directed nursing competence and to estimate psychometric properties of a newly developed video- and computer-based test (CBT) to inform subsequent LSA in nursing VET, 402 final-year nursing students from 24 German schools responded to a 77 item CBT. Multi-dimensional IRT modeling was employed to test the subdomain structure and estimate students’ competencies in geriatric nursing. The standardized CBT measures nursing students’ client-directed care competence with acceptable precision (WLE?=?0.76) and does so across the whole range of observed proficiency levels. Structural validity was supported by substantive contributions of test items from all proposed process-oriented subdomains, practice field scenarios, as well as items with and without reference to emotional demands. However, it was not possible to empirically separate the diagnostic, practical or communicative subdomains, probably reflecting parallel, recursive and hierarchical care processes in complex care situations. On average, students in our sample attained 45 % of the maximum test score so it is a demanding assessment of nursing competence. An extensively piloted, valid and reliable CBT is suggested to assess nursing students’ client-directed care competencies at the end of the third year of the VET program.