Characterization of the Biodiesel Degrading Acinetobacter oleivorans Strain PT8 Isolated from the Fecal Material of a Painted Turtle (Chrysemys picta).

Acinetobacter species are gram-negative, non-fermenting bacteria with coccobacilli morphology. The bacteria are found ubiquitously and have the ability to occupy niches which include environmental sites, animals, and humans. The original purpose of this study was to determine if painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) living in the wild in Western Wisconsin were colonized with carbapenem-resistant bacteria.

Scientific issues related to the cytology proficiency testing regulations.

The member organizations of the Cytology Education and Technology Consortium believe there are significant flaws in current cytology proficiency testing regulations. The most immediate needed modifications include lengthening the required testing interval, utilizing stringently validated and continuously monitored slides, changing the grading scheme, and changing the focus of the test from the individual to laboratory level testing. Integration of new computer-assisted and located-guided screening technologies into the testing protocols is necessary for the testing protocol to be compliant with the law.

Cytologic features of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in conventional slides: what is the difference between cases that perform well and those that perform poorly?

Context: Previous studies have suggested that cases of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in conventional smears and in ThinPrep specimens that are frequently misinterpreted as normal have relatively few small and hypochromatic dysplastic cells.

Objective: To determine the cytologic differences between conventional Papanicolaou slides of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion that perform poorly and those that perform well.

Design: We compared the cytologic features of 22 cases of conventional smears with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion that performed poorly in the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Gynecologic Cytology with 45 cases of conventional smears that performed extremely well.

Cytologic features of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion in ThinPrep Papanicolaou test slides: comparison of cases that performed poorly with those that performed well in the College of American Pathologists Interlaboratory Comparison Program in Cervicovaginal Cytology.

Context: Conventional Papanicolaou (Pap) test slides of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs) that are frequently misdiagnosed are known to have relatively few dysplastic cells. Whether this is true of cases of HSIL in ThinPrep Pap Test specimens is not known.

Objective: To determine if cases of HSIL in ThinPrep specimens that are frequently missed have relatively few dysplastic cells.