| 1. |
-
- 2019
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)
|
|
| 2. |
|
|
| 3. |
- van Krieken, J. H., et al.
(författare)
-
Guideline on the requirements of external quality assessment programs in molecular pathology
- 2013
-
Ingår i: Virchows Archiv. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 0945-6317 .- 1432-2307. ; 462:1, s. 27-37
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Molecular pathology is an integral part of daily diagnostic pathology and used for classification of tumors, for prediction of prognosis and response to therapy, and to support treatment decisions. For these reasons, analyses in molecular pathology must be highly reliable and hence external quality assessment (EQA) programs are called for. Several EQA programs exist to which laboratories can subscribe, but they vary in scope, number of subscribers, and execution. The guideline presented in this paper has been developed with the purpose to harmonize EQA in molecular pathology. It presents recommendations on how an EQA program should be organized, provides criteria for a reference laboratory, proposes requirements for EQA test samples, and defines the number of samples needed for an EQA program. Furthermore, a system for scoring of the results is proposed as well as measures to be taken for poorly performing laboratories. Proposals are made regarding the content requirements of an EQA report and how its results should be communicated. Finally, the need for an EQA database and a participant manual are elaborated. It is the intention of this guideline to improve EQA for molecular pathology in order to provide more reliable molecular analyses as well as optimal information regarding patient selection for treatment.
|
|
| 4. |
|
|
| 5. |
- Gehring, U, et al.
(författare)
-
Asthma and allergic symptoms in relation to house dust endotoxin : Phase Two of the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC II)
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Clinical and Experimental Allergy. - : Wiley. - 0954-7894 .- 1365-2222. ; 38:12, s. 1911-1920
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background: Several studies have consistently reported inverse associations between exposure to endotoxin in house dust and atopy. With regard to the association between house dust endotoxin and asthma, the results are inconsistent. Objectives: To study the association between house dust endotoxin levels and respiratory symptoms and atopy in populations from largely different countries. Methods: Data were collected within the International Study on Asthma and Allergies in Childhood Phase Two, a multi-centre cross-sectional study of 840 children aged 9-12 years from six centres in the five countries of Albania, Italy, New Zealand, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Living room floor dust was collected and analysed for endotoxin. Health end-points and demographics were assessed by standardized questionnaires. Atopy was assessed by measurements of allergen-specific IgE against a panel of inhalant allergens. Associations between house dust endotoxin and health outcomes were analysed by logistic regression. Odds ratios (ORs) were presented for an overall interquartile range increase in exposure. Results: Many associations between house dust endotoxin in living room floor dust and health outcomes varied between countries. Combined across countries, endotoxin levels were inversely associated with asthma ever [adjusted OR (95% confidence interval (CI)) 0.53 (0.29-0.96) for endotoxin levels per m(2) of living room floor] and current wheeze [adjusted OR (95% CI) 0.77 (0.64-0.93) for endotoxin levels per gram of living room floor dust]. There were inverse associations between endotoxin concentrations and atopy, which were statistically significant in unadjusted analyses, but not after adjustment for gender, parental allergies, cat and house dust mite allergens. No associations were found with dust quantity and between endotoxin exposure and hayfever. Conclusion: These findings suggest an inverse association between endotoxin levels in living room floor dust and asthma in children.
|
|
| 6. |
- Vatnitsky, S, et al.
(författare)
-
Proton dosimetry intercomparison
- 1996
-
Ingår i: Radiotherapy and Oncology. - 0167-8140 .- 1879-0887. ; 41:2, s. 169-77
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Methods for determining absorbed dose in clinical proton beams are based on dosimetry protocols provided by the AAPM and the ECHED. Both groups recommend the use of air-filled ionization chambers calibrated in terms of exposure or air kerma in a 60Co beam when a calorimeter or Faraday cup dosimeter is not available. The set of input data used in the AAPM and the ECHED protocols, especially proton stopping powers and w-value is different. In order to verify inter-institutional uniformity of proton beam calibration, the AAPM and the ECHED recommend periodic dosimetry intercomparisons. In this paper we report the results of an international proton dosimetry intercomparison which was held at Loma Linda University Medical Center. The goal of the intercomparison was two-fold: first, to estimate the consistency of absorbed dose delivered to patients among the participating facilities, and second, to evaluate the differences in absorbed dose determination due to differences in 60Co-based ionization chamber calibration protocols.MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirteen institutions participated in an international proton dosimetry intercomparison. The measurements were performed in a 15-cm square field at a depth of 10 cm in both an unmodulated beam (nominal accelerator energy of 250 MeV) and a 6-cm modulated beam (nominal accelerator energy of 155 MeV), and also in a circular field of diameter 2.6 cm at a depth of 1.14 cm in a beam with 2.4 cm modulation (nominal accelerator energy of 100 MeV).RESULTS: The results of the intercomparison have shown that using ionization chambers with 60Co calibration factors traceable to standard laboratories, and institution-specific conversion factors and dose protocols, the absorbed dose specified to the patient would fall within 3% of the mean value. A single measurement using an ionization chamber with a proton chamber factor determined with a Faraday cup calibration differed from the mean by 8%.CONCLUSION: The adoption of a single ionization chamber dosimetry protocol and uniform conversion factors will establish agreement on proton absorbed dose to approximately 1.5%, consistent with that which has been observed in high-energy photon and electron dosimetry.
|
|
| 7. |
- Ettema, Thijs J. G., et al.
(författare)
-
The non-phosphorylating glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPN) of Sulfolobus solfataricus : a key-enzyme of the semi-phosphorylative branch of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway
- 2008
-
Ingår i: Extremophiles. - : Springer Science and Business Media LLC. - 1431-0651 .- 1433-4909. ; 12:1, s. 75-88
-
Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Archaea utilize a branched modification of the classical Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway for sugar degradation. The semi-phosphorylative branch merges at the level of glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GAP) with the lower common shunt of the Emden-Meyerhof-Parnas pathway. In Sulfolobus solfataricus two different GAP converting enzymes-classical phosphorylating GAP dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and the non-phosphorylating GAPDH (GAPN)-were identified. In Sulfolobales the GAPN encoding gene is found adjacent to the ED gene cluster suggesting a function in the regulation of the semi-phosphorylative ED branch. The biochemical characterization of the recombinant GAPN of S. solfataricus revealed that-like the well-characterized GAPN from Thermoproteus tenax-the enzyme of S. solfataricus exhibits allosteric properties. However, both enzymes show some unexpected differences in co-substrate specificity as well as regulatory fine-tuning, which seem to reflect an adaptation to the different lifestyles of both organisms. Phylogenetic analyses and database searches in Archaea indicated a preferred distribution of GAPN (and/or GAP oxidoreductase) in hyperthermophilic Archaea supporting the previously suggested role of GAPN in metabolic thermoadaptation. This work suggests an important role of GAPN in the regulation of carbon degradation via modifications of the EMP and the branched ED pathway in hyperthermophilic Archaea.
|
|
