In this study, a non-invasive method to examine the corticosterone secretion by measuring faecal corticosterone metabolites (FCM) has been established for an Arctic seabird, the Little Auk (Alle alle). A group-specific immunoassay was successfully validated for adults and chicks using an adrenocorticotropic challenge test. Then, FCM levels were investigated under different energetic and physiological demands, determined by weather conditions, week of chick rearing in adults, and age in chicks. The amount of rainfall had no effect on FCM levels in adults, whereas it negatively

affected FCM levels in chicks. There was no variation in FCM concentrations among weeks of chick rearing in adults. In chicks, the FCM levels increased with age. Moreover, chicks with higher FCM levels had lower body mass Trichostatin A ic50 and fledged later than chicks with lower FCM levels. This study demonstrates that

environmental stress such as poor weather conditions can trigger significant changes in corticosterone levels in seabird chicks. Furthermore, the results indicate that corticosterone may be involved in the physiological and behavioural adjustments necessary for successful fledging and post-fledging BI 2536 survival.”
“Purpose\n\nTo compare clinical features and outcomes of adults and children reported to have rhabdomyosarcoma.\n\nPatients and Methods\n\nWe analyzed data from 1,071 adults (age > 19 years) and 1,529 children (age <= 19 years) reported in the public-access Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results database as having rhabdomyosarcoma, diagnosed from 1973 to 2005. Survival estimates were determined using survival time with the end point being death from any cause.\n\nResults\n\nAdults with rhabdomyosarcoma had significantly worse outcome

than children (5-year overall survival rates, 27% +/- 1.4% and 61% +/- 1.4%, respectively; P < .0001). Tumors in adults were more likely to be at an unfavorable site (65% v 55%; P < .0001) and to have histologies that are unusual during childhood, particularly the pleomorphic subtype (19%) and not otherwise specified (43%). Regional and distant spread was not more frequent in adults. Adults had significantly worse outcome than children with similar tumors. Cl-amidine order The most significant difference was in localized disease; 5-year survival estimates were 82% +/- 2.0% for children and 47% +/- 2.9% for adults (P < .0001). Multivariate analysis showed that age, histologic subtype, primary site location, stage, and local control with surgery and/or radiation were significant predictors of survival. However, alveolar subtype and unfavorable primary site lost significance when analysis was restricted to adults.\n\nConclusion\n\nAdults reported to have rhabdomyosarcoma had worse survival than children with similar tumors. Predictors of poor outcome in children were valid in adults except for alveolar histology and unfavorable tumor site.

However, it has proved difficult to identify genetic mutations causing ET, particularly because other causes of tremor continue to be misdiagnosed as ET. Whether subjects with dystonia or Parkinson’s disease (PD) carry an increased genetic risk of developing ET,

or vice versa, is controversial. In addition, the notion of a separate disorder of benign tremulous parkinsonism (BTP) has been debated. This article gives a selective viewpoint on some areas of uncertainty and controversy in tremor. (C) 2010 Movement Disorder Society”
“Studies revealed that PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling is important in the regulation of human embryonic stem cell (hESC) self-renewal and differentiation. However, its action on osteogenic differentiation of hESCs is poorly Selleck IPI-145 understood. We tested the effects of pharmacological PI3K/AKT/mTOR inhibitors on their potential to induce osteogenic differentiation of hESCs. Under feeder-free culture conditions, rapamycin (an mTOR inhibitor) potently inhibited the activities of mTOR and p70S6K in undifferentiated hESCs; however, LY294002 (a PI3K inhibitor) and an AKT inhibitor had no effects. Treatment with any of these inhibitors down-regulated the hESC markers Oct4 and Nanog, but only rapamycin induced the up-regulation

of the early osteogenic markers BMP2 and Runx2. We also observed that hESCs differentiated when treated LB-100 supplier with FK506, a structural selleckchem analog of rapamycin, but did not exhibit an osteogenic phenotype. Increases in Smad1/5/8 phosphorylation and Id1-4 mRNA expression indicated that rapamycin significantly stimulated BMP/Smad signaling. After inducing both hESCs and human embryoid bodies (hEBs) for 2-3 weeks with rapamycin, osteoblastic differentiation was further characterized by the expression of osteoblastic marker mRNAs and/or proteins (osterix, osteocalcin, osteoprotegerin, osteonectin, and bone sialoprotein), alkaline phosphatase activity, and alizarin

red S staining for mineralized bone nodule formation. No significant differences in the osteogenic phenotypes of rapamycin-differentiated hESCs and hEBs were detected. Our results suggest that, among these 3 inhibitors, only rapamycin functions as a potent stimulator of osteoblastic differentiation of hESCs, and it does so by modulating rapamycin-sensitive mTOR and BMP/Smad signaling.”
“Purpose. Evidence for ganglion cell visual dysfunction in human glaucoma is often indirect, being either measured at the cellular level in animal models or being inferred from the pooled responses of a large number of ganglion cells in human observers. Rarebit perimetry (RBP) uses repeated, intense (150 cd/m(2)) stimuli-whose size is close to the spatial scale of a ganglion cell-to search for small retinal areas with zero sensitivity.

Here, we show that the acute deletion of caspase-8 in the gut of adult mice induces enterocyte death, disruption of tissue homeostasis, and inflammation, find more resulting in sepsis and mortality. Likewise, acute deletion of caspase-8 in a focal region of the skin induces local keratinocyte death, tissue disruption, and inflammation. Strikingly, RIPK3 ablation rescues both phenotypes. However, acute loss of cFLIP in the skin produces a similar phenotype that is not rescued by RIPK3 ablation. TNF neutralization protects from either

acute loss of caspase-8 or cFLIP. These results demonstrate that caspase-8-mediated suppression of RIPK3-induced death is required not only during development but also for adult homeostasis. Furthermore, RIPK3-dependent AZD7762 inflammation is dispensable for the skin phenotype.”
“Very little is known about the combined effects of low doses of heavy metals and radiation. However, such “multiple stressor” exposure is the reality in the environment. In the work reported in this paper, fish were exposed to cobalt 60 gamma irradiation with or without copper or aluminum in the water.

Doses of radiation ranged from 4 to 75 mGy delivered over 48 or 6 h. Copper doses ranged from 10 to 80 mu g/L for the same time period. The aluminum dose was 250 mu g/L. Gills and skin were removed from the fish after exposure and explanted in tissue culture flasks for investigation of bystander effects of the exposures using a stress signal reporter assay, which has been demonstrated to be a sensitive indicator of homeostatic perturbations in www.selleckchem.com/products/dorsomorphin-2hcl.html cells. The results show complex synergistic interactions of radiation and copper. Gills on the whole produce more

toxic bystander signals than skin, but the additivity scores show highly variable results which depend on dose and time of exposure. The impacts of low doses of copper and low doses of radiation are greater than additive, medium levels of copper alone have a similar level of effect of bystander signal toxicity to the low dose. The addition of radiation stress, however, produces clear protective effects in the reporters treated with skin-derived medium. Gill-derived medium from the same fish did not show protective effects. Radiation exposure in the presence of 80 mu g/L led to highly variable results, which due to animal variation were not significantly different from the effect of copper alone. The results are stressor type, stressor concentration and time dependent. Clearly co-exposure to radiation and heavy metals does not always lead to simple additive effects.”
“Vehicle density is one of the main metrics used for assessing road traffic condition. High vehicle density indicates that traffic is congested.

5) was sequenced by M13 forward and reverse primers. Sotrastaurin mouse The sequence was deposited in GenBank (Accession No. HF546214) and showed 99-100% sequence homology with a number of E. amylovora isolates, including type strain FN666575 with 100% similarity. On the basis of the symptoms, colony morphology, biochemical tests, and 16S rDNA sequence homology, the pathogen was identified as E. amylovora. This is a first record of a natural outbreak of fire blight on apricot in Hungary.”
“A comparative review of the inelastic thermal spike model (ITSM, Meftah et al., 1994) and the analytical thermal spike model (ATSM

Szenes, 1995) is given. The ITSM follows the formation of the ion-induced thermal spike based on the Fourier equation while the ATSM skips this stage and a final Gaussian temperature distribution is assumed.

Each of the two models doubts the basic assumptions AG-014699 clinical trial of the other. The ITSM rejects the Gaussian temperature distribution while according to ATSM several thermophysical parameters used by the ITSM are irrelevant to the formation of the thermal spike and the equilibrium values are not valid under spike conditions. The essentially different conclusions of the models are discussed in connection with experiments performed in BaFe12O19, Al2O3. silica and high-T-c superconductors. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Antioxidants are widely used in chemoprevention of malignancy. Numerous studies in medical literature have reported the evaluation of this treatment protocol by indirect methodology-epidemiology, invitro studies, pharmacology and animal models

etc. However, there is a paucity of literature on the measurement of antioxidant enzymes as a parameter for assessing the outcome of antioxidant therapy. This study explores the efficacy and outcome of antioxidant enzyme assay in relation to antioxidant therapy in tobacco abusers, hitherto unreported in medical literature. A prospective cohort study with control in 50 patients carried out at a tertiary care teaching Institution (Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras BMS-345541 cell line Hindu University, Varanasi, India). Out of these patients, 10 patients acted as control, rest 40 patients-all tobacco users in some form, were divided into three groups on the basis of histopathological grading of dysplasia-no dysplasia, mild or moderate dysplasia. The levels of Lipid peroxidase (LPO), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) and Catalase (CAT) in mucosa and serum were assayed in each group, and re-evaluated at the end of 3 months after intervention with antioxidant treatment. To detect any alteration in degree of dysplasia a repeat biopsy was also done at the end of 3 months. The results were statistically analysed using paired t test. A statistically significant decrease in level of LPO and SOD, and an increase in CAT levels were recorded both in mucosa and serum. However, no change in dysplasia and no new case of dysplasia were observed.

Spectroscopic evidence showed that vitamin C and aspirin bind BSA via hydrophilic interactions

(polypeptide and amine polar groups) with overall binding constants of K(vitamin) (C-BSA) = 1.57 x 10(4) M(-1) and K(aspirin-BSA) = 1.15 x 10(4) M(-1); assuming that there is one drug molecule per protein. The BSA secondary structure was altered with major decrease of alpha-helix from 64% (free protein) to 57% (BSA-vitamin C) and 54% (BSA-aspirin) and beta-sheet from 15% (free protein) to 6-7% upon drug complexation, inducing a partial protein destabilization. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.”
“Background. Chronic pancreatitis (CP) is defined as a continuing inflammatory disease of the pancreas characterised by irreversible morphological changes, often associated with pain and with the loss of exocrine and/or endocrine function that may be clinically relevant. Alcohol is the CCI-779 in vitro predominant cause of CP in the western world and is particularly prevalent in South Africa, especially in the indigent patient. CP ranks high among intractable diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The tendency for substance abuse in the alcohol-induced group poses major psychological and socioeconomic problems.\n\nObjective. CP is a disease with significant clinical and pathological

heterogeneity. Level 1 evidence to support definitive guidelines for diagnosis, medical management and interventional therapy is lacking. Despite this paucity of robust scientific evidence, it Alvocidib in vivo is important to provide some assistance based on the best available evidence as to the current standard of care for CP the South African context; this will aid all involved in the management of the disease, and includes clinicians, health care managers and funders.\n\nScope. The guidelines were developed as recommendations addressing selleck chemical the diagnosis, medical management and interventions, both endoscopic and surgical, for the management of a very complex and heterogeneous disease of the pancreas. The recommendations are particularly

relevant in the South African context where the predominant patho-aetiological agents are alcohol-associated with smoking.\n\nRecommendations. The guidelines provide clear recommendations regarding the diagnostic modalities available, both imaging (which includes MRI and endoscopic ultrasound (EUS)) and pancreatic function tests. The section on medical management makes recommendations on the use of analgesics, enzyme replacement and other therapeutic options in the non-interventional management of the majority of patients with CP. The section on interventional procedures identifies the indications and options available for the interventional management of both uncomplicated and complicated CP.

Lesions were characterized with the presence or the

absence of a rim enhancement. The area size, the HUmean, HUmax, SUVmean, SUVmax of the lesion and of the liver were determined. The standard uptake values (SUVs) were correlated with the tumor markers CEA and CA 15-3.\n\nResults: The lesions of colon carcinoma had HUmean-values of 70.7 +/- 19.2 and of breast find more carcinoma 88.1 +/- 21.7 (p < 0.0001). In breast cancer the SUVmean was 3.9 +/- 1.3 versus 4.4 +/- 1.9 in colon carcinoma (p = 0.0182). Lesion of colon carcinoma with rim enhancement had a significantly higher SUVmean (4.4 +/- 1.5 versus 3.6 +/- 1.2; p = 0.001) and SUVmax (6.7 +/- 2.6 versus 5.1 +/- 2.1; p = 0.000) than lesions without a rim enhancement. A good correlation between tumor markers and SUVs(max) could be found in both tumor groups; r = 0.83 (p < 0.01) for colon carcinoma and r = 0.82 (p < 0.01) for breast carcinoma.\n\nConclusions: JNK-IN-8 order The rim enhancement of the lesions in colon carcinoma indicate a significantly higher SUV. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights

reserved.”
“mTOR signaling pathway (mammalian target of rapamycin) is a major pathway in cell physiology and malignant behavior implicated in cell growth, cell proliferation, cell metabolism, protein synthesis and angiogenesis. Temsirolimus has shown in a randomized phase III trial for patients with poor risk feature of metastatic renal cell carcinoma, a significant gain in overall survival compared to this obtained with alpha interferon (7.3 a 10.9 months; HR: 0.73; P < 0.0069). Everolimus has shown in a randomized phase III trial for patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma having failed under VEGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor a significant gain in progression-free survival compared to this obtained with placebo VEGFR (1,8 a 4,6 months; HR: 0.33; P < 0.001). Temsirolimus and everolimus are now part of the reference treatments in renal cell carcinoma. This paper is a review of these two drugs Selleck AG-881 in this setting.”
“OBJECTIVES To compare the reliability of procalcitonin (PCT) with conventional laboratory parameters

in predicting for renal parenchymal inflammation (RPI).\n\nMETHODS The Study cohort consisted of 57 children who were admitted for a first-episode urinary tract infection. All patients underwent measurement of the leukocyte count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), and serum PCT. RPI was evaluated by technetium-99m dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy within 7 days of admission. If the first DMSA findings were abnormal, another analysis was performed 6 months later. The cutoff points for ESR, CRP, and PCT were established by comparing the areas under their receiver operating characteristic Curves. Statistical analysis was performed using I-way analysis of variance.\n\nRESULTS Of the 57 children, 27 were diagnosed with RPI on the basis of positive DMSA results.

\n\nMethods: ZDF rats at 20 weeks of age were treated with sitagliptin (10 mg/kg/day) during 6 weeks. The effect of

the drug on glycaemia was assessed by evaluating glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c). The content and/or distribution of tight junction (TJ) proteins occludin and claudin-5, as well as nitrotyrosine residues, interleukin (IL)-1, BAX and Bcl-2 was evaluated in the retinas by western blotting and/or immunohistochemistry. Retinal cell apoptosis was assessed by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labelling (TUNEL) assay. The number of CD34+ cells present in peripheral circulation was assessed by flow cytometry, and endothelial progenitor cells (EPC) adhesion ability to the retinal vessels was evaluated by immunohistochemistry.\n\nResults: Sitagliptin improved glycaemic control as reflected by a significant decrease in HbA1c SYN-117 mouse levels by about 1.2%. Treatment with sitagliptin prevented

the changes in the endothelial subcellular distribution of the TJ proteins induced by diabetes. Sitagliptin also decreased the nitrosative stress, the inflammatory state and cell death by apoptosis in diabetic retinas. Diabetic animals presented buy BYL719 decreased levels of CD34+ cells in the peripheral circulation and decreased adhesion ability of EPC to the retinal vessels. Sitagliptin allowed a recovery of the number of CD34+ cells present in the bloodstream to levels similar to their number in controls and increased the adhesion ability of EPC to the retinal vessels.\n\nConclusions: Sitagliptin prevented nitrosative stress, inflammation

and apoptosis in retinal cells and exerted beneficial effects on the blood-retinal barrier integrity in ZDF rat retinas.”
“Recently, we have identified a series of patients presenting with cognitive complaints after gastric bypass, without any identifiable etiology. We aimed to determine if focal brain atrophy could account for the complaints. A retrospective case series was performed to identify patients with cognitive complaints following gastric bypass who had a volumetric MRI. Voxel-based morphometry Crenolanib research buy was used to assess patterns of grey matter loss in all 10 patients identified, compared to 10 age and gender-matched controls. All patients had undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery at a median age of 54 (range: 46-64). Cognitive complaints developed at a median age of 57 (52-69). Formal neuropsychometric testing revealed only minor deficits. No nutritional abnormalities were identified. Voxel-based morphometry demonstrated focal thalamic atrophy in the gastric bypass patients when compared to controls. Patients with cognitive complaints after gastric bypass surgery may have focal thalamic brain atrophy that could result in cognitive impairment. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

\n\nThere is a great need to optimize living donor kidney transplantation programmes by using Staurosporine clinical trial a new strategy of: a. Detailed and adequate medical and psychosocial evaluation, ensuring that the need to increase programme activity will not overshadow the most important principle -donor safety. b. Total removal of all disincentives and financial obstacles that discourage potential donors, and provision of financial coverage for the follow-up. c.

Sufficient detailed information about the option of living donor kidney transplantation, its results, and donor safety, delivered to relatives of patients with end-stage renal disease and to the patients themselves.”
“Aim: To investigate the relationship of forearm length (FL) or height to bone parameters of the forearm of a normal pediatric population in comparison to individuals with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI). Methods: Data on FL, height and peripheral quantitative computed tomography measurements

of the forearm were collected from participants of the DONALD study (140 males and 156 females; age 5-19 years) and from 73 patients with OI (53 males; mean age +/- SD: 11.7 +/- 3.3 years). Bone mineral content (BMC) was transformed into standard deviation score (SDS) according to height or FL. Results: Height and Tanner stages significantly predicted FL in males (R(adjusted)(2) = 0.960) and females (R(adjusted)(2) = 0.934). Height was a stronger predictor Temsirolimus of FL than Tanner stages. Compared to controls,

patients with OI were characterized by lower BMC-SDS FL and lower BMC-SDS height (-0.37 +/- 1.77 vs. 0.00 +/- 0.97, p = 0.002, and -0.15 +/- 5.0 vs. -0.02 +/- 1.01, p = 0.011, respectively). BMC-SDS(FL) was not significantly lower than BMC-SDS height in controls, and also not lower in patients with OI (p = 0.865 and p = 0.809). The height/FL ratio was significantly decreased in patients with OI (mean +/- SD: 6.34 +/- 0.38 vs. 6.45 +/- 0.21, p = 0.001) compared with controls. Conclusion: Because of disproportional growth, BMC may be overestimated in OI patients. Copyright (C) 2009 S. Karger AG, Basel”
“The effect of a Schiff-base ligand (N,N’-ethylenebis(acetylacetone iminato)dianion = acacen) on size and optical properties Anlotinib in vivo of TiO2 nanoparticles in a two-step sal-gel method was investigated. Different amounts of Schiff-base ligand were applied and the as-prepared products were characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectrum, Electron Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) and ultraviolet-visible (UV-Vis) spectroscopy. Molecular orbital structure of acacen was calculated by density functional theory (DFT) in order to determine the exact orbital energies and electron transfer pathways.

However, SAB testing used for VXM does not correlate perfectly with CDC-XM results and individual transplant programs have center-specific permissible thresholds to predict crossmatch positivity. A novel Luminex SAB-based assay detecting C1q-binding HLA antibodies (SAB-C1q) contributes functional information to SAB testing, but the relationship between SAB strength and complement-binding ability is unclear.\n\nMETHODS: In this retrospective study, we identified 15 pediatric and adult heart allograft candidates with calculated panel-reactive LDK378 molecular weight antibody (cPRA) >50% by

SAB-IgG and compared conventional SAB-IgG results with SAB-C1q testing.\n\nRESULTS: Pre- and post-transplant DSA by SAB-C1q correlated with DSA by SAB-IgG and also with CDC-XM results and early post-transplant endomyocardial biopsy findings. Individual HLA antibodies by SAB-IgG in undiluted sera correlated poorly with SAB-C1q; however, when sera were diluted 1:16, SAB-IgG results were well correlated with SAB-C1q. In some sera, HLA antibodies with low mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) by SAB-IgG exhibited high SAB-C1q MFIs for the same HLA antigens. Diluting Blasticidin S purchase or heat-treating these sera increased SAB-IgG MFI, consistent with SAB-C1q results. In 13 recipients,

SAB-C1q-positive DSA was associated with positive CDC-XM and with early clinical post-transplant antibody-mediated rejection (cAMR).\n\nCONCLUSIONS: Risk assessment for positive CDC-XM and early cAMR in sensitized heart allograft recipients are correlated with SAB-C1q reactivity. J Heart Lung Transplant2013;32:98-105 (C) 2013 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. All rights reserved.”
“Patients with cholangiocarcinoma often present with locally advanced or metastatic disease. There is a need for effective therapeutic strategies for advanced stage cholangiocarcinoma. Recently, FGFR2 translocations have been identified as a potential target for tyrosine kinase inhibitor therapies. This study evaluated 152 cholangiocarcinomas

and 4 intraductal papillary Dinaciclib inhibitor biliary neoplasms of the bile duct for presence of FGFR2 translocations by fluorescence in situ hybridization and characterized the clinicopathologic features of cases with FGFR2 translocations. Thirteen (10 women, 3 men; 8%) of 156 biliary tumors harbored FGFR2 translocations, including 12 intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas (12/96; 13%) and 1 intraductal papillary neoplasm of the bile duct. Histologically, cholangiocarcinomas with FGFR2 translocations displayed prominent intraductal growth (62%) or anastomosing tubular glands with desmoplasia (38%). Immunohistochemically, the tumors with FGFR2 translocations frequently showed weak and patchy expression of CK19 (77%). Markers of the stem cell phenotype in cholangiocarcinoma, HepPar1 and CK20, were negative in all cases.

We compared search times for conditions with the same differences between the target and the other objects in each individual cue, but for each object the two cues either indicated the same slant or opposite slants. Search times were independent of the number of other items if the target clearly differed in perceived slant from the other items. Subjects systematically found the target faster when the cues indicated the same slant. We conclude that slant this website cues are combined locally throughout the visual field before the search process begins. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.”
“Volatile organic Compounds

(VOCs) are prevalent components of indoor air Pollution. Among the approaches to remove VOCs from indoor air, photocatalytic oxidation (PCO) is regarded as a promising method. This paper is a review of the status of research on PCO Purification Of VOCs in indoor air. The review and discussion concentrate on the preparation and coating Of Various photocatalytic catalysts: different kinetic experiments and models; novel methods for measuring kinetic parameters; reaction pathways; intermediates generated by PCO; and an overview Of Various PCO reactors and their models described in the literature. Some recommendations are made for future work to evaluate the performance of photocatalytic

catalysts, to reduce the generation of harmful intermediates and to design new PCO reactors with integrated UV Source and reaction surface. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd, EPZ004777 in vitro All rights reserved.”
“Background: Standardization of the measurement of electrolyte concentrations in serum is of considerable Dorsomorphin in vitro interest for quality assurance in patient care. To promote the ongoing process of standardization we developed candidate reference measurement procedures of highest metrological order for Cl, K, Na,

Ca, Mg, and Li using ICP-(ID) SFMS.\n\nMethods: Serum samples were diluted with 4 mmol/L nitric acid and were spiked with the internal standard for quantification, separately for each analyte. The samples were introduced in the ICP-SFMS device by continuous infusion using a peristaltic pump. The measurement results were compared with reference measurement procedure values obtained by atom absorption spectroscopy, flame emission spectroscopy, and coulometry. The measurement accuracy and precision was calculated by analyzing certified reference materials and EQAS samples.\n\nResults: The mean coefficient of variation (CV) of the ICP-MS procedures for the serum samples was 0.65% for Cl, 0.46% for K, 0.51% for Na, 0.77% for Ca, 0.78% for Mg, and 0.58% for Li. The mean bias from target values of NIST certified reference materials was +0.85% for Cl, -0.46% for K, +0.68% for Na, -0.21% for Ca, +0.27% for Mg, and -0.39% for Li.