Dataset from the detailed survey of vintage unreinforced masonry buildings in the State of Queensland, Australia.

Due to an identified need to have realistic geometries and boundary conditions of vintage unreinforced masonry (URM) parapets and gable ends, this data collection study was conducted to document prevalent typologies of URM buildings in the Australian State of Queensland. Street surveys were completed in 7 towns and included measurement of the building geometry and the documentation of the other building construction details that were ascertainable using a brief external evaluation. To collect the data, firstly the historical statistical records from Colonial Australia were interrogated to determine regions with the largest potential stocks of vintage URM buildings. It was found that, excluding the Queensland capital (Brisbane), seven other towns existed that had reported significant URM building construction during late 19th century and early 20th century census. These seven towns were selected for street surveys, and Brisbane was excluded due to the lack of sufficient resources. The street survey included take measurable photographs of building facades using a digital laser-based tool. These photographs were used in subsequent desktop study to calculate façade geometries. Additional relevant building information was extracted from Google Map and other sources, enabling an estimate of the roof shape and building plan dimension to be also obtained. This data report includes spreadsheets containing summary of the 363 surveyed building properties and the drawings that were created using the collected data.

The danger of using inappropriate point-of-care glucose meters in patients on icodextrin dialysis.

AIMS: Icodextrin is a glucose polymer used to maintain an osmotic gradient in peritoneal dialysis. Metabolites of icodextrin are known to cause overestimation of blood glucose in glucose meters using glucose dehydrogenase/pyrroloquinolinequinone systems. The aim of this study is to determine the extent of icodextrin interference in glucose meters using the newer glucose dehydrogenase/NAD or glucose oxidase systems. This has not been established previously. METHODS: Fasting blood samples (n = 4) were spiked with either one icodextrin metabolite (maltose, maltotriose or maltotetraose) or a combination, at various blood concentrations expected during dialysis. Samples were tested in triplicate on: five glucose-meters, a Radiometer® (glucose oxidase/hydrogen peroxide) and laboratory (hexokinase) analysers. Each meter was also tested on blood from six patients undergoing dialysis. Accuracy was evaluated as % Bias = [(meter glucose - laboratory glucose)/laboratory glucose] × 100. RESULTS: A single icodextrin metabolite affected glucose measurements and, in combination, the interferences were additive in the two Accu-Chek® and Optium® Xceed meters by > 10%. Amongst these meters, the Optium Xceed 5-s machine was less affected. Meters using glucose oxidase were least affected by interference. A similar trend in interference was observed in vivo. CONCLUSION: While meters using glucose dehydrogenase/NAD are less affected by icodextrin metabolites, interference can still be demonstrated. The degree of interference can vary in different glucose meters using this enzyme/cofactor system, as seen in the Optium Xceed machines. Icodextrin is an important source of interference that sometimes even experienced professionals are unaware of and which leads to clinically significant errors in insulin dose adjustment. Awareness of this interference and selection of the most appropriate glucose meters are crucial to minimize this hazard.

Overview of endocrinopathies associated with ß-thalassaemia major.

BACKGROUND: Thalassaemia major is a common and serious medical problem worldwide that is associated with a range of complications, including effects on multiple endocrine pathways. Minimizing or preventing comorbidities is important for these individuals who need life-long multidisciplinary care and treatment. However, there are limited overviews of the endocrine complications associated with this illness, nor any consensus regarding management guidelines. METHOD: A retrospective cohort analysis of ß-thalassaemia patients attending an ambulatory transfusion clinic at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital was conducted from June 2008. RESULTS: All of our subjects (n=29) had at least one endocrinopathy present with 16 patients (55%) having three or more (≥3) endocrinopathies. Hypogonadism was the most prevalent followed by osteoporosis and growth failure (less than 3rd centile) with a frequency of 16/29 (55%), 14/29 (48%) and 10/29 (35%) patients respectively. Those with more endocrinopathies (≥3) had a longer duration of transfusion therapy when compared with those with fewer endocrinopathies. CONCLUSION: A summary of our clinical guidelines, which have been used to monitor and manage these complications, is presented along with a discussion on the results and pathophysiology of the associated endocrinopathies.