Laboratory System Research Articles

Departing from standard practices: Strategic application of value engineering in the anatomy laboratory to enhance formaldehyde extraction using high-impact, low-cost, and low-maintenance solutions.

This study describes the process of developing a high-impact, low-cost, and low-maintenance air ventilation system for anatomy facilities. It employed the strategic application of Value Engineering (VE), assuring that the air ventilation system meets contemporary threshold limit values (TLVs) for formaldehyde in the working zone of dissection tables. A creative-innovative construction methodology was used, combining the Theory of Inventive Problem Solving (TRIZ/TIPS) and VE for an anatomy laboratory air ventilation concept. The TRIZ/TIPS aimed to resolve conflicts that impeded progress toward higher ideality, while VE aimed to develop alternative approaches to fulfill required functions at a minimal cost. The findings were first trialed in a mockup while dissecting human tissues embalmed with two protocols. The experimental results were validated by computational fluid dynamics simulations, and then followed by a pilot and commissioning phase once the physical installation of the dissection laboratory concluded. The findings demonstrate the superiority of the combined TRIZ/TIPS and VE approach in terms of air distribution and efficient formaldehyde extraction within the breathing zone. A formaldehyde exposition below 0.1 ppm, lowered air exchange rates, and system usability proved that the given third-generation ventilation system complies with contemporary TLVs and potential changes in user requirements. The third-generation ventilation system offers a cost-effective, high-impact, and low-maintenance solution for state-of-the-art air ventilation systems in the anatomy dissection laboratory. The underlying design approach ensured that formaldehyde levels in the laboratory meet the TLV and indoor air guideline values for formaldehyde exposure, at which current knowledge indicates no increased risk of cancer.

WHO public health laboratories webinar series – an online platform to disseminate testing recommendations and best practices during health emergencies

Laboratories play a central role in managing public health emergencies. The COVID-19 pandemic imposed unique challenges on global laboratory systems, including testing protocol uncertainties, supply shortages, rapid need for information dissemination, and disruptions to traditional training methods. In response, the WHO established the Public Health Laboratories (PHL) knowledge sharing webinar series whose goals were to respond to the increased demand in up-to-date and reliable information, which WHO is in a unique position to provide. It also aimed to enhance peer-to-peer exchanges across laboratories. This article outlines the PHL webinar series delivery format and presents how the webinar series was received and perceived by participants and how it evolved to support the response to other health emergencies. Contents of the knowledge sharing sessions, as well as attendance, participants’ satisfaction and application of learning were monitored over time using registration forms, satisfaction polls, an annual survey and focus group discussions. From May 2020 to December 2023, 48 sessions attracted 58,688 registrations from 204 countries and territories. Thirty-five sessions featured presentations of WHO guidance, tools or documents and 39 sessions featured country experience sharing. Initially focused on COVID-19, the series became a tool to rapidly disseminate guidance and best practices during new health emergencies and to address cross-cutting topics relevant to the laboratory workforce. Feedback data shows participants found the webinars very useful (86% respondents), reporting knowledge gains in biosafety, quality management, and laboratory practices. The series facilitated knowledge application, with foreseen changes in workplace procedures and training activities (43% respondents). Barriers such as resource limitations, additional training needs, and connectivity issues were frequently identified. Evidence that this knowledge was subsequently applied by participants, such as through changes in workflow, onwards training events and procedural changes further reinforces the efficacy with which the series was able support the laboratory workforce globally in addressing challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic and other health emergencies. The series utilized sessions on cross-cutting topics to run routinely and to keep a high level of engagement with laboratory professionals globally. This enabled it to act as an adaptable tool that was leveraged effectively and quickly during health emergencies for just-in-time learning.

Analysis of Human Resources Assessment in Laboratories of Public Health Organizations Bishkek

This article provides information on the importance of laboratory services for the effective treatment process of patients. At the same time, assessing the human resources potential of laboratory services remains currently an urgent task, the solution of which requires a standardized approach and methodology. To address this issue, documents have been developed that provide guidance for assessing the human resources used to assess the public health laboratory system.

3D printing for safe organic synthesis in mixed liquid/gas-phase chemistry

Working with liquid/gas-phase systems in chemical laboratories is a fundamentally important but difficult operation, mainly due to the explosion risk associated with conventional laboratory equipment.

Post COVID-19: Advancing medical laboratory service integration in nigeria and progress towards establishing integration guideline

BackgroundThe Nigerian healthcare system, including medical laboratories, operates in a three-tiered structure across public and private sectors. Lessons from COVID-19 show the urgent need for a guideline to drive medical laboratory service integration. ProblemLack of operational guideline to drive the integration of laboratory services has resulted in siloed operations across different medical laboratories causing duplication of resources, coordination issues, and inefficiencies. AimTo highlight the development processes of medical laboratory service integration guideline and discuss its key provisions. MethodThe Medical Laboratory Services Division (MLSD), Federal Ministry of Health (FMoH) initiated the development of a national guideline for integrating medical laboratory services. Partnering with stakeholders and engaging two consultants, a technical workshop was facilitated in January 2024. The Consultants garnered the initial inputs stakeholders made at the five-day meeting. The inputs were collated and organized to produce the guideline. The guideline was circulated to participants and other stakeholders for review and feedback received was used to finalize the document. The MLSD with support from partners further held a three-day stakeholders’ meeting in May 2024 to validate the document before submitting it to the Health Minister for endorsement. ResultThe guideline sets standards for achieving medical laboratory services and systems integration across different medical laboratories. The contents of the guideline are enumerated and respective recommendations made under each element are highlighted. ConclusionThe implementation of the guideline will help harmonize services, improve access to diagnostics, streamline processes, reduce redundancies, optimize resource utilization, enhance communication, data sharing, and pandemic preparedness.

Data Processing and Reporting System for Chemical Analytical Laboratories of Environmental Control

The relevance of environmental monitoring and environmental pollution control is justified in the introduction of the article in order to monitor the state of the environment and its protection, on the basis of existing regulatory legal acts. Fundamental principles of these types of environmental activities are given. In order to justify the task, a brief description of chemical analytical laboratories (hereinafter referred to as HAL) activities and the tasks of their information systems is provided. Having analyzed a number of HAL information systems operating in the Russian Federation the authorscame to the conclusion that they mainly perform the functions of automated collecting, storing and processing information. The availability of decision-making support systems (DSS) function in the systems has not been established, for example, none of the software systems issues recommendations on changing the measurement regulations in cases of exceeding permissible values. An information system for data collection, processing and analysis from a chemical analytical laboratory with the DSS functions (monitoring changes in measurement regulations and monitoring the timing of metrologicaldevice verification) is proposed. The article describes the main functions of the proposed system available to the user and the administratorin detail. An example and a detailed description of the regulation changing process based on the MPC excess in samples are given. Regulations, the main blocks of the system, their functions and capabilities are described. The program structure and the system algorithm are presented. All system functions have been successfully tested. The figures show the algorithms of user’s and system administratoractivity when testing the database function, the function of reporting on specified parameters to obtain information about the discrepancy between samplenumbers and devices to the specified parameters, the function of automatic sampling and adding samples from the selected device and the function 'Changing the rules'. In conclusion, it is emphasized that this information system allows not only data processing from research results of chemical analytical laboratories in an automated mode, but also to perform certain functions of decision-making support systems.

DETERMINATION OF THE FLOW RATE AND TEMPERATURE OF THE LIQUID WHEN IT IS FORCED THROUGH THE THROTTLE OPENINGS

The article presents laboratory findings from studies conducted on a specially developed setup for analyzing liquid flow through throttle holes. The liquid flow rate depends on various factors, such as hole diameter, upstream pressure, liquid viscosity, and the channel’s length and shape. As the liquid passes through the throttle, pressure drops, velocity increases, and kinetic energy rises, subsequently converting to thermal energy due to molecular friction. This throttling process raises the liquid’s temperature, making it suitable for heating applications in industrial, laboratory, and heating systems. This throttling process increases the liquid's temperature through molecular friction, making it a practical solution for heating applications across industrial and laboratory systems.

Ten years of the immunogenetics laboratory performance assessment programme and its impact on the donor and transplant network

Introduction. The use of immunological tests before solid organ transplantation is essential to reduce the risk of rejection and post-transplant complications. Therefore, quality control systems in laboratories performing them are necessary for clinical practice. The Colombian Instituto Nacional de Salud implemented the external evaluation program of transplant immunogenetics laboratory performance in 2014. Objective. To evaluate the performance of the laboratories that carried out five of the immunological tests for transplants in Colombia between 2014 and 2023, according to information from the external evaluation program of transplant immunogenetics laboratory performance. Materials and methods. We conducted a study of laboratory performance considering five immunological tests for transplantation: HLA, qualitative and quantitative PRA (Panel Reactive Antibodies), isolated antigen, and cross-matching tests. We collected data from reports of each laboratory. Based on the comparisons between laboratories, their performance was rated as “good”, “acceptable”, or “unacceptable” for each test. We calculated proportions and an analysis of predicted values with a 95% confidence interval. Results. The number of participating laboratories varied between 5 and 12, depending on the test. The proportion of laboratories with “good” performance was lower in the first year. The best performance was for qualitative PRA, rated as good in all the laboratories for eight years. In HLA (2014), qualitative PRA (2017 and 2019), crossmatch tests (2019), and single antigen (2017 and 2019) tests, the laboratories had a lower percentage of “good” performance than expected. Conclusion. “Good” performance was observed in all the laboratories in each test during the last three years, except for HLA and quantitative PRA.

Sodium toxicosis in chickens: case series (2014-2023) and literature review.

Cases of sodium toxicosis (ST), although reported infrequently, can result in acute morbidity and mortality and extensive losses in affected poultry. We analyzed the clinical, pathologic, and toxicologic findings of 7 diagnosed cases of ST in chicken autopsy submissions at the California Animal Health & Food Safety Laboratory System (CAHFS), University of California-Davis, from 2014 to 2023. We also evaluated the brain sodium concentrations in 10 clinically normal broiler chickens to elucidate potential differences with salt-intoxicated chickens, and reviewed the literature of field cases of ST in chickens and turkeys. Lesions of anasarca described in the 7 ST cases (66 chickens) identified from the CAHFS database included: ascites (62 of 66; 6 of 7 cases); hydropericardium and cardiomegaly (54; 6 of 7); edematous, congested lungs (24; 6 of 7); enlarged, pale kidneys (24; 6 of 7); subcutaneous edema (17; 4 of 7); cystic testes (14; 6 of 7); and cerebral edema (7; 4 of 7). Brain sodium concentrations exceeded 1,800 ppm in only 4 of 24 brains analyzed in our case series. In the feed samples analyzed from 5 ST cases, sodium concentrations exceeded the recommended 2,000 ppm; concentrations detected were 2,500-12,000 ppm. In brains from the 10 clinically normal chickens evaluated, brain sodium concentrations were 1,500-1,700 ppm.

Focus Group Discussions on Enhancing Laboratory-based Surveillance Capabilities for Emerging Infectious Disease Response

The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted critical gaps in the Philippine health laboratory system, including limited testing capacities, insufficient trained personnel, and inadequate resource distribution. To address these issues, the Philippine government established the Office for Health Laboratories (OHL) and sought technical assistance from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) through the Project for Strengthening the Philippine National Health Laboratory Network for Infectious Diseases (PHeLNIDs). This project aims to enhance the National Health Laboratory Network's (NHLN) capacity for infectious disease surveillance and response. Phase 1 of the PHeLNIDs project included focus group discussions (FGDs) conducted across 17 regions to assess challenges and develop recommendations for a tier-based laboratory network. Key findings revealed logistical, workforce, transportation, and data management challenges that hinder the effectiveness of specimen referral workflows. Recommendations emphasized decentralizing diagnostic capabilities through subnational reference laboratories, strengthening logistics, and implementing an Integrated Laboratory Information Management System (ILIMS). This article underscores the importance of laboratory decentralization, capacity building, and improved resource management to enhance laboratory-based surveillance and response to emerging infectious diseases. The proposed interventions aim to bolster the Philippine laboratory network, reduce turnaround times, and improve public health outcomes.

Batch Cooling Crystallization of a Model System Using Direct Nucleation Control and High-Performance In Situ Microscopy

The aim of this study was to investigate the use of automated high performance in situ microscopy (HPM) for monitoring and direct nucleation control (DNC) during cooling crystallization. Compared to other techniques, HPM enables the detection of small crystals in the range of 1 to 10 μm. Therefore, a novel DNC-controlled variable was investigated to determine the potential improvement of the method. The laboratory system and process control software were developed in-house. A well-studied crystallization model system, the seeded batch cooling crystallization of α-glycine from water, was investigated under normal conditions and temperatures below 60 °C. It was postulated that length-weighted edge-to-edge counts in the range of 1 to 10 μm would be most sensitive to the onset of secondary nucleation and are therefore, used as a control variable. Linear cooling experiments were conducted to determine the initial setpoint for the DNC experiments. Three DNC experiments were then performed with different setpoints and an upper and lower counts limit. It was found that the DNC method can be destabilized with a low setpoint and narrow counts limits. In addition, the new controlled variable is highly sensitive to the formation of bubbles at the microscope window and requires careful evaluation. To address the advantages of the DNC method, an additional linear cooling experiment of the same duration was performed, and it was found that the DNC method resulted in a larger average crystal size. Overall, it can be concluded that the HPM method is suitable for DNC control and could be improved by modifying the image processing algorithm.

Comprehensive Review of Laboratory Science and its Impact on Medical Diagnostics

The development of molecular bioscience and diagnostic laboratories is the key to current healthcare schemes and patient management. Increased improvements in laboratory technologies such as molecular diagnostics, immunoassay, and automated laboratory systems have improved negativity, shortened the turnaround time, and facilitated early disease diagnosis. This extensive analysis assesses the historical development and contemporary stances of laboratory science, diagnostic technologies, and the role of laboratory tests in present-day medical practice. Also, problems like the test's accuracy, the cost of the test, and the incorporation of laboratory information into clinical practice are addressed. This review then provides recommendations that can enhance laboratory services' operations and their interaction with health systems for the benefit of patients.

Radial-to-axial flows in a scaled pulsed-power scheme for producing outflows resembling YSO jets

Young stellar objects (YSOs) are protostars that exhibit bipolar outflows fed by accretion disks. Theories of the transition between disk and outflow often involve a complex magnetic field structure thought to be created by the disk coiling field lines at the jet base; however, due to limited resolution, these theories cannot be confirmed with observation and thus may benefit from laboratory astrophysics studies. We create a dynamically similar laboratory system by driving a $\sim$ 1 MA current pulse with a 200 ns rise through a $\approx$ 2 mm-tall Al cylindrical wire array mounted to a three-dimensional (3-D)-printed, stainless steel scaffolding. This system creates a plasma that converges on the centre axis and ejects cm-scale bipolar outflows. Depending on the chosen 3-D-printed load path, the system may be designed to push the ablated plasma flow radially inwards or off-axis to make rotation. In this paper, we present results from the simplest iteration of the load which generates radially converging streams that launch non-rotating jets. The temperature, velocity and density of the radial inflows and axial outflows are characterized using interferometry, gated optical and ultraviolet imaging, and Thomson scattering diagnostics. We show that experimental measurements of the Reynolds number and sonic Mach number in three different stages of the experiment scale favourably to the observed properties of YSO jets with $Re\sim 10^5\unicode{x2013}10^9$ and $M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}10$ , while our magnetic Reynolds number of $Re_M\sim 1\unicode{x2013}15$ indicates that the magnetic field diffuses out of our plasma over multiple hydrodynamical time scales. We compare our results with 3-D numerical simulations in the PERSEUS extended magnetohydrodynamics code.

Development of a Multiple Temperature Sensors Device for the Characterization, Control and Monitoring of Microbiological Incubators.

An increasing number of projects require the precise knowledge and control of thermal conditions within the study system and their temporal evolution. This is particularly critical for equipment such as laboratory ovens and microbiological incubators, which are essential in various fields of chemistry and microbiology areas. These devices allow and facilitate the execution of experimental work in controlled environments, leading to reproducible experiments. This work presents a methodology for assembling and calibrating a highly accessible and low-cost data logger equipped with multiple temperature sensors. The final calibrated dispositive is straightforward to construct and allows the simultaneous and independent temperature measurement from multiple positions within the same system, which is then applied to the study, characterization, control, and monitoring of the internal thermal behavior of a laboratory oven dedicated to microbiological agents' cultivation. This approach ensures, through a robust methodology, a precise characterization by quantitative methods that allows objective decision making in the management and control of the temperature inside the system. Additionally, the device is suitable for extension and application in diverse research environments by modifying the sensor calibration to achieve a desired temperature range or number of measurement units, representing a potential work tool for laboratory systems.

Flat oral glucose tolerance test during pregnancy and risk for type 2 diabetes - a five-year cohort study.

To evaluate the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in women with flat response in the 100-gram oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) performed during pregnancy in a large cohort of women with up to 5 years of follow-up. A retrospective analysis of women with documented OGTT during pregnancy and T2DM data up to 5 years after pregnancy. Gestational diabetes (GDM) screening was done by two-step strategy. Glucose levels during pregnancy were extracted from the computerized laboratory system of Meuhedet HMO and cross-tabulated with the Israeli National Diabetes Registry. Flat OGTT was defined as fasting glucose < 95mg/dl and 3 postprandial values lower than 100mg/dl. The cohort was stratified by OGTT results to normal glucose values, flat OGTT, and GDM according to Carpenter & Coustan thresholds. Cumulative risk for T2DM was evaluated and compared between groups. Statistical analysis included univariate analysis followed by survival analysis. 14,122 parturients entered analysis. Of them, 965(6.8%) had flat OGTT, 11,427(80.9%) had normal OGTT, and 1,730(12.3%) had GDM. Women with flat OGTT were younger, had lower BMI, and lower rates of hypertension. Their glucose values throughout pregnancy were lower compared to the other groups (p<0.001 for all). During the study period and following adjustment to maternal age, obesity, and hypertension, women with flat OGTT had a low incidence of T2DM, even when compared to women with normal OGTT (aHR 0.212, 95% CI 0.052-0.856). Parturients with flat OGTT during pregnancy are at low risk of developing T2DM up to 5 years following pregnancy.

ChIP-DIP maps binding of hundreds of proteins to DNA simultaneously and identifies diverse gene regulatory elements.

Gene expression is controlled by dynamic localization of thousands of regulatory proteins to precise genomic regions. Understanding this cell type-specific process has been a longstanding goal yet remains challenging because DNA-protein mapping methods generally study one protein at a time. Here, to address this, we developed chromatin immunoprecipitation done in parallel (ChIP-DIP) to generate genome-wide maps of hundreds of diverse regulatory proteins in a single experiment. ChIP-DIP produces highly accurate maps within large pools (>160 proteins) for all classes of DNA-associated proteins, including modified histones, chromatin regulators and transcription factors and across multiple conditions simultaneously. First, we used ChIP-DIP to measure temporal chromatin dynamics in primary dendritic cells following LPS stimulation. Next, we explored quantitative combinations of histone modifications that define distinct classes of regulatory elements and characterized their functional activity in human and mouse cell lines. Overall, ChIP-DIP generates context-specific protein localization maps at consortium scale within any molecular biology laboratory and experimental system.

Analisa Sistem Informasi Administrasi Laboratorium pada Rumah Sakit Kanker Dharmais

This study aims to conduct an in-depth analysis of the laboratory administration application system used at Dharmais Cancer Hospital. The research focuses on evaluating the system’s functionality, performance, and integration with other hospital systems to assess its effectiveness in supporting laboratory administrative operations. The research method employed a quantitative survey using a questionnaire that measured five key dimensions of service quality: Tangibles (physical appearance and facilities), Reliability, Responsiveness, Assurance, and Empathy (sensitivity to user needs) The findings indicate that the system’s functionality is categorized as "Good," with an average score of 76.8%, suggesting that the physical infrastructure effectively supports administrative processes. In terms of performance, the system scored well in responsiveness and reliability, achieving scores of 76% and 76.2%, respectively. However, improvements are needed to enhance system stability to ensure more consistent service delivery. The integration of the laboratory system with other hospital systems was also positively rated, with the highest score of 78.2% in the empathy dimension, indicating adequate flexibility in supporting various functions and coordination between departments.In conclusion, the laboratory administration application system at Dharmais Cancer Hospital is effective in supporting laboratory operations and services, though there is room for improvement, particularly in reliability and data integration aspects. The recommended improvements include enhancing system stability and strengthening integration capabilities to support better service efficiency.

KneeGuard: A Calibration-free Wearable Monitoring System for Knee Osteoarthritis Gait Re-training via Effortless Wearing

Gait re-training is an effective approach to slow disease progression and alleviate pain in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) patients. Personalized gait re-training strategies, based on knee loading and muscle forces, have shown promise in improving rehabilitation outcomes. Laboratory systems to monitor these metrics are unsuitable for daily use owing to the complicated setup and high-cost. Recently proposed wearable solutions try to fill this gap, but their in-lab calibration requirement still hinders practical usage. This paper introduces KneeGuard, a calibration-free gait re-training monitoring system that can estimate knee loading and muscle forces via effortless wearing. We identify the main issue of current calibration-needed systems is insufficient biomechanical information retrieval and modeling. To address this, we propose a user-friendly wearable prototype incorporating inertial measurement unit (IMU) and surface electromyography (sEMG) to obtain comprehensive biomechanical information including body geometrical changes and muscle contractions. For modeling, we design a biomechanic-inspired fusion framework based on multi-task learning and cross-modality attention to capture inter-modality biomechanical correlations. Additionally, since precise sensor placement required by current sEMG-based solutions is difficult to locate, we develop a circular sEMG array and propose a spatial-aware feature extraction module, achieving effective biomechanical feature extraction under effortless wearing. We collaborate with a medical center and collect a dataset from 21 KOA patients and 17 healthy subjects at different speeds. Notably, our dataset includes six gait types for KOA gait re-training, making it the first gait dataset with comprehensive re-training strategies. Evaluation demonstrates that KneeGuard achieves an average normalized root-mean-square error (NRMSE) of 9.95% in knee loading estimation and an average NRMSE of 8.75% in the estimation of muscle forces, comparable to the with-calibration results in existing works. We have open-sourced the code and a sample dataset in https://github.com/KneeGuard/KneeGuard.

Operational and Workforce Capacity Improvements for Supporting Public Health Emergency Management: Lessons Learned for Preparing for and Responding to 2014-2022 Ebola Outbreaks in Africa.

The first Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) cases in the 2021 Ebola outbreak were reported by the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Ministry of Health in February. However, 1 week later, the Guinea Ministry of Health reported its first EVD outbreak since April 2016. U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in-country operational and workforce capacity were built during the 2014-2016 Ebola outbreak response in West Africa and leveraged during the 2021 EVD outbreaks. During the 2014-2016 West Africa response and the 2021 EVD outbreaks, capacity and capability improvements in laboratory systems, risk communication, surveillance, epidemiology, infection prevention, and control were needed for a successful response. The overarching goal of CDC's operational and workforce capacity improvements was to strengthen countries' abilities to prevent, detect, and respond to outbreaks quickly. The Ebola outbreaks are examples of enhanced public health interventions where CDC has contributed as a partner with in-country ministries of health to save lives and control disease outbreaks. Lessons learned from the recent Ebola outbreaks indicate that a capacity-building approach has the potential application to other public health emergencies and contributes to strengthening global health security.

The Advantages of Adopting the ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 Lab Management System in Calibration and Testing Laboratories

International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) standards for testing and calibration laboratories are known as ISO/IEC17025:2017, which is the standard for laboratory certification. The testing laboratory's accreditation, the methods of execution, and the tangible advantages of working with such an organization. This study examined the advantages of ISO/IEC17025:2017 implementation in Chengalpat region's calibration and testing laboratories using a descriptive research design. The advantages of putting ISO/IEC 17025:2017 into practice are the main variable in the current study. The investigator utilized a method called purposive sampling. This research is based on a survey with 180 responses. After the data was gathered, analysis was done using SPSS 20. It has been found that to implement best practices and believe in the benefits, Top Management must fully understand the advantages of enacting the ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 Lab Management System, task and lab managers must fully understand the Lab Management System ISO/IEC 17025: 2017 implementation, the management tools for the Calibration and Testing Labs, the infrastructure that is being developed for the Labs, teams must collaborate, and accountability is linked to the Labs.