BACKGROUND Traditional multiplexed gene expression methods require well preserved, intact RNA. Such specimens are difficult to acquire in clinical practice where formalin fixation is the standard procedure for processing tissue. Even when special handling methods are used to obtain frozen tissue, there may be RNA degradation; for example autopsy samples where degradation occurs both pre-mortem ...

The exact knowledge of the topographical anatomy is not only a pre-requisite but also facilitates accurate clinical diagnosis during MRI, CT and ultrasonography. It becomes more fascinating if the anatomical specimen being used to study is dry, odourless, non toxic and not a wet specimen with formalin fumes. Such specimens can be procured by using a novel processing technique called plastinatio...

Introduction Microarrays are one of the latest breakthroughs in experimental molecular biology, which allow monitoring of gene expression for tens of thousand of genes in parallel and are already producing huge amount of valuable data. Analyses and handling of such data is becoming one of the major bottlenecks in the utilization of the technology. Before reaching the analysis stage of a microar...

These guidelines are intended to facilitate the dissection and reporting of those tumours of the larynx, hypopharynx, and piriform fossa that may be treated by laryngectomy. The guidelines incorporate the core data for histopathology reports on head and neck carcinomas previously published by the Royal College of Pathologists which indicate the information required, in addition to clinical data...

Many ecological science and environmental monitoring problems can benefit from inexpensive, automated methods of counting insect and mesofaunal populations. Existing methods for obtaining population counts require expensive and tedious manual identification by human experts. This chapter describes the development of general-purpose pattern-recognition algorithms for identification and classific...

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) RNA levels in plasma are currently widely used clinically for prognostication and in monitoring antiretroviral therapy. Accurate and reproducible results are critical for patient management. To determine the effects of specimen collection and handling procedures on quantitative measurement of HIV-1 RNA, we compared anticoagulants and sample processing...

There is a "life cycle" of pharmacodynamic (PD) biomarker assays that guides the development and clinical implementation in our laboratories. The well-recognized elements of analytical assay validation and demonstration of fitness-for-purpose of the biomarker, specimen collection, handling, and assay methods are only a part of the required activities. Assay transfer across laboratories and test...

Objective: Among the various impression materials, for alginate tear strength is probably more important than the compressive strength. The tear strength is important when an impression involves a mechanical undercut and/or lacks bulk strength to resist tearing. This study evaluated tear strength of Iralgin and compared it with tear strength of Alginoplast. Methods: In this invitro experime...

BACKGROUND We sought a practical method to calculate preanalytical uncertainties. In clinical chemistry measurements, the combined preanalytical uncertainty is a function of the magnitude and probability distribution of the different uncertainty sources and the number of such sources. METHODS Results from an optimal practice for handling of the blood samples (termed the standard method) were ...

Harmonization in laboratory testing is more far-reaching than merely analytical harmonization. It includes all aspects of the total testing process from the "pre-pre-analytical" phase through analysis to the "post-post-analytical" phase. Harmonizing the pre-analytical phase requires use of standardized operating procedures for correct test selection, sample collection and handling, while standa...