To evaluate the reliability and feasibility of the automated Roche COBAS AMPLICOR PCR system for routine detection of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA, a total of 405 serum samples previously tested by an in-house nested PCR and manual Roche AMPLICOR microwell plate HCV test were examined. Complete concordance was found between the results with the HCV COBAS AMPLICOR system and the previously determ...

A 21-year-old man presented after being struck by a car and underwent a computed tomography scan of the chest and spine. Three hours later, his clear yellow urine sample was sent to the laboratory. A routine urinalysis with the Roche Urisys® 2400 indicated the specific gravity (SG) as a flag, i.e., an error for SG. A manual repeat of the SG measurement was also not readable by refractometer (no...

JSS has received financial compensation from and served on advisory boards for Roche and is an investigator in clinical trials of tocilizumab. RNM has received consulting fees from Chugai; served on an ad hoc advisory board for Roche; and was responsible for the planning and preparation for publication of the Phase II European (CHARISMA) trial of tocilizumab with and without methotrexate. A pat...

The secondary, Roche-lobe filling stars in cataclysmic variables (CVs) are key to our understanding of the origin, evolution and behaviour of this class of interacting binary. We review the basic properties of the secondary stars in CVs and the observational and analysis methods required to detect them. We then describe the various astro-tomographic techniques which can be used to map the surfa...