Summary: arrayMagic is a software package for quality control and preprocessing of two-colour cDNA microarray data. The automated analysis pipeline comprises data import, normalization, replica merging, quality diagnostics and data export. The script-based processing combines reproducibility and flexibility at high-throughput and provides quality-assured and preprocessed microarray data to high...

Among the essential components of a comprehensive quality assurance program in radiotherapy are the quality control protocols to be used on the equipment and, in particular, the performance objectives and criteria. In the present work, we describe the development of a suite of quality control documents for use across Canada. Following a generic format, we are generating concise, clear standards...

A network of laboratories designated Centres for Molecular Diagnosis was funded in 2000 by Belgian National Health Insurance to provide clinically relevant molecular diagnostic tests. These included typing of nosocomial pathogens as a service to local hospital infection control programs. Two external quality assessment (EQA) surveys were performed in 2001 and 2003 to evaluate the proficiencies ...

OBJECTIVES The Sysmex XE-5000 instruments (Sysmex, Kobe, Japan) count immature granulocytes (IGs) and use the "Imm Gran?" flag to signal unreliable results. This study investigated the usefulness of the "Imm Gran?" flag and the analytical and diagnostic performance of the IG measurements in a side-by-side evaluation. METHODS In total, 408 samples were analyzed on three XE-5000 instruments. Th...

INTRODUCTION Patients with heart transplant are screened for silent graft rejection by recurrent endomyocardial biopsies. MRI can detect the presence of oedema non-invasively by quantitatively measuring changes of the transverse relaxation time T2 in the myocardium. Several monocentric studies have shown that T2 quantification could help detect graft rejection in a less invasive way. DRAGET is ...

We developed a rapid pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) method that required 3 days to complete, an improvement over the standard method that required as many as 8 days. The accuracy and reproducibility of the rapid method were verified by analysis of DNA band sizes of our control group B streptococcus isolate. The rapid method was superior to the standard method, providing more precise mo...

Many scientists, journals and funders are concerned about the low reproducibility of many scientific findings. One approach that may serve to improve the reliability and robustness of research is open science. Here I argue that the process of pre-registering study protocols, sharing study materials and data, and posting preprints of manuscripts may serve to improve quality control procedures at...

Microfluidics or lab-on-a-chip (LOC) diagnostic devices have the potential to provide fast, laboratory-quality results to expedite clinical decisions at various point-ofcare (POC) settings, including outpatient clinics, emergency rooms, and intensive care units (1 ). Unfortunately, these technologies remain out of reach in the developing world, where lack of access to quality diagnoses contribu...