Laboratory Information Systems Management and Operations.

The main mission of a laboratory information system (LIS) is to manage workflow and deliver accurate results for clinical management. Successful selection and implementation of an anatomic pathology LIS is not complete unless it is complemented by specialized information technology support and maintenance. LIS is required to remain continuously operational with minimal or no downtime and the LIS team has to ensure that all operations are compliant with the mandated rules and regulations.

Laboratory Information Systems Management and Operations.

The main mission of a laboratory information system (LIS) is to manage workflow and deliver accurate results for clinical management. Successful selection and implementation of an anatomic pathology LIS is not complete unless it is complemented by specialized information technology support and maintenance. LIS is required to remain continuously operational with minimal or no downtime and the LIS team has to ensure that all operations are compliant with the mandated rules and regulations.

Smartphone adapters for digital photomicrography.

Background: Photomicrographs in Anatomic Pathology provide a means of quickly sharing information from a glass slide for consultation, education, documentation and publication. While static image acquisition historically involved the use of a permanently mounted camera unit on a microscope, such cameras may be expensive, need to be connected to a computer, and often require proprietary software to acquire and process images. Another novel approach for capturing digital microscopic images is to use smartphones coupled with the eyepiece of a microscope.

Digital pathology: A systematic evaluation of the patent landscape.

Introduction: Digital pathology is a relatively new field. Inventors of technology in this field typically file for patents to protect their intellectual property. An understanding of the patent landscape is crucial for companies wishing to secure patent protection and market dominance for their products.

Pocket pathologist: A mobile application for rapid diagnostic surgical pathology consultation.

Introduction: Telepathology allows the digital transmission of images for rapid access to pathology experts. Recent technologic advances in smartphones have allowed them to be used to acquire and transmit digital images of the glass slide, representing cost savings and efficiency gains over traditional forms of telepathology. We report our experience with developing an iPhone application (App - Pocket Pathologist) to facilitate rapid diagnostic pathology teleconsultation utilizing a smartphone.

Screening and dotting virtual slides: A new challenge for cytotechnologists.

Digital images are increasingly being used in cytopathology. Whole-slide imaging (WSI) is a digital imaging modality that uses computerized technology to scan and convert entire cytology glass slides into digital images that can be viewed on a digital display using the image viewer software. Digital image acquisition of cytology glass slides has improved significantly over the years due to the use of liquid-based preparations and advances in WSI scanning technology such as automatic multipoint pre-scan focus technology or z-stack scanning technology.

Privacy and security of patient data in the pathology laboratory.

Data protection and security are critical components of routine pathology practice because laboratories are legally required to securely store and transmit electronic patient data. With increasing connectivity of information systems, laboratory work-stations, and instruments themselves to the Internet, the demand to continuously protect and secure laboratory information can become a daunting task. This review addresses informatics security issues in the pathology laboratory related to passwords, biometric devices, data encryption, internet security, virtual private networks, firewalls, anti-viral software, and emergency security situations, as well as the potential impact that newer technologies such as mobile devices have on the privacy and security of electronic protected health information (ePHI).

Transgenic cardiac-targeted overexpression of human thymidylate kinase.

Thymidylate kinase (TMPK) is a nucleoside monophosphate kinase that catalyzes phosphorylation of thymidine monophosphate to thymidine diphosphate. TMPK also mediates phosphorylation of monophosphates of thymidine nucleoside analog (NA) prodrugs on the pathway to their active triphosphate antiviral or antitumor moieties. Novel transgenic mice (TG) expressing human (h) TMPK were genetically engineered using the alpha-myosin heavy chain promoter to drive its cardiac-targeted overexpression.

Transgenic mitochondrial superoxide dismutase and mitochondrially targeted catalase prevent antiretroviral-induced oxidative stress and cardiomyopathy.

Transgenic mice (TG) were used to define mitochondrial oxidative stress and cardiomyopathy (CM) induced by zidovudine (AZT), an antiretroviral used to treat HIV/AIDS. Genetically engineered mice either depleted or overexpressed mitochondrial superoxide dismutase (SOD2(+/-) KOs and SOD2-OX, respectively) or expressed mitochondrially targeted catalase (mCAT). TGs and wild-type (WT) littermates were treated (oral AZT, 35 days).

Murine cardiac mtDNA: effects of transgenic manipulation of nucleoside phosphorylation.

Mitochondrial toxicity results from pyrimidine nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) for HIV/AIDS. In the heart, this can deplete mitochondrial (mt) DNA and cause cardiac dysfunction (eg, left ventricle hypertrophy, LVH). Four unique transgenic, cardiac-targeted overexpressors (TGs) were generated to determine their individual impact on native mitochondrial biogenesis and effects of NRTI administration on development of mitochondrial toxicity.

Cardiac-targeted transgenic mutant mitochondrial enzymes: mtDNA defects, antiretroviral toxicity and cardiomyopathy.

Mitochondrial (mt) DNA biogenesis is critical to cardiac contractility. DNA polymerase gamma (Pol gamma) replicates mtDNA, whereas thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) monophosphorylates pyrimidines intramitochondrially. Point mutations in POLG and TK2 result in clinical diseases associated with mtDNA depletion and organ dysfunction.

FOXO3A regulates peroxiredoxin III expression in human cardiac fibroblasts.

Human cardiac fibroblasts are protected from oxidative stress triggered by inflammation after myocardial injury (Li, P. F., Dietz, R.

NAD(P)H oxidase 4 mediates transforming growth factor-beta1-induced differentiation of cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts.

Human cardiac fibroblasts are the main source of cardiac fibrosis associated with cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure. Transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) irreversibly converts fibroblasts into pathological myofibroblasts, which express smooth muscle alpha-actin (SM alpha-actin) de novo and produce extracellular matrix. We hypothesized that TGF-beta1-stimulated conversion of fibroblasts to myofibroblasts requires reactive oxygen species derived from NAD(P)H oxidases (Nox).