Comparative Analysis of Three Workload Measurement Methodologies in Surgical Pathology: Conclusions and Implications on Public Health Care and Costing of Pathology Services.

Objectives: To carry out a comparative analysis between 3 different workload measurement systems in surgical pathology: the Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS), the Level 4 Equivalent (L4E), and the Automatable Activity-Based Approach to Complexity Unit Scoring (AABACUS). The RBRVS is one of the most widely used systems in terms of attempting to measure workload, whereas it has been proposed as a means of costing (and thus setting reimbursement rates) of surgical pathology services in Greece, despite being widely criticized for its inaccurate design.

Methods: Surgical pathology workload for 1 representative month at Evaggelismos General Hospital was assessed using both the RBRVS and the 2 newer methods.

Inhibition of SGK1 enhances mAR-induced apoptosis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells.

Functional membrane androgen receptors (mAR) have previously been described in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Their stimulation by specific testosterone albumin conjugates (TAC) activate rapidly non-genomic FAK/PI3K/Rac1/Cdc42 signaling, trigger actin reorganization and inhibit cell motility. PI3K stimulates serum and glucocorticoid inducible kinase SGK1, which in turn regulates the function of mAR.

Enhanced Orai1 and STIM1 expression as well as store operated Ca2+ entry in therapy resistant ovary carcinoma cells.

Mechanisms underlying therapy resistance of tumor cells include protein kinase Akt. Putative Akt targets include store-operated Ca(2+)-entry (SOCE) accomplished by pore forming ion channel unit Orai1 and its regulator STIM1. We explored whether therapy resistant (A2780cis) differ from therapy sensitive (A2780) ovary carcinoma cells in Akt, Orai1, and STIM1 expression, Ca(2+)-signaling and cell survival following cisplatin (100 µM) treatment.