Metabolic Response to Small Molecule Therapy in Colorectal Cancer Tracked with Raman Spectroscopy and Metabolomics.

Despite numerous screening tools for colorectal cancer (CRC), 25 % of patients are diagnosed with advanced disease. Novel diagnostic technologies that are early, accurate, and rapid are imperative to assess the therapeutic efficacy of clinical drugs and identify new biomarkers of treatment response. Here Raman spectroscopy (RS) was used to track metabolic reprogramming in KRAS-mutant HCT116 and SW837 cells, and KRAS wild-type CC cells.

Reducing specimen identification errors.

In 2006, the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics identified that the number of specimen identification errors each month was much greater than desired and represented a significant patient safety issue. A collaborative performance improvement approach between nursing and the laboratory was undertaken for the inpatient, ambulatory, and surgical services areas, with the focus on creation of a just culture. Between 2007 and 2011, interventions were successful in significantly reducing the number of errors by 85%.

An overhead specimen handling system for variable workloads.

This unique overhead specimen handling system requires virtually no floor space and only a minimal amount of bench space. It uses state-of-the-art conveyors suspended near the ceiling to transport, log-in and sort blood specimens in standard specimen containers. Specimens placed into the system at bench-level bins are automatically singulated and loaded onto cleated conveyors and lifted to the main conveyor belt near the ceiling.